James
Change of plan folks…
…looks like he came to us…
Gregory! Use your Manifesto now!
Gregory
Uh, right!
Touch the map please!
Ricky Reluctantly touches the map, activating Circinus
James
Now, it looks like hiding won't do much to help us out anymore…
We don't lose anything by just attacking together…
Will, stay close to Taylor. Taylor, protect Will.
Got that?
Taylor
Roger!
James tries opening the door, but find it's locked
James
?
Taylor
Uh, is it just me or is it getting kinda hot in here?
Will
Now that you mention it, it is pretty hot in here…
I wonder what happened to change the temperature…
?
James?
Everything alright?
James
I'm not sure…
This is unnatural…
Will
But is that anything new for you?
You're standing with people who have unnatural powers that defy all known laws of the world.
And we were just at a farm stuck in a time loop with the past and present existing at once.
This seems tame by comparison.
James
What I'm referring to is that.
James points at Chuck outside the window
Taylor
?
What do you mean?
Is there something I'm missing?
Will
If you are, so am I
James
Chuck has Fornax out, he's patiently waiting…
As if he knows something we don't…
I bet it's about his power…
He would know how Fornax works, so he knows the 'win conditions' for this fight…
Will
…?
Taylor
What do you mean by 'win conditions'?
James
It's pretty straightforward.
I'm referring to what each person involved has to do for this fight to be considered a 'victory' or 'win' for them.
For us, a 'win' would be defeating Chuck, destroying his Manifesto, learning about him, and making sure no innocent bystanders get harmed in the process.
For Chuck, a 'win' would be to kill me.
Will
!!!
That's his win condition!?
James
Yeah, his condition is straightforward.
Remember, this whole thing for him started off as a revenge mission, so killing you to protect his secrecy is just an added benefit.
He'd be perfectly content to just kill me and leave if he needs to.
Will
H-how are we supposed to win before he does!?
Taylor
We don't.
Will
What was that?!
Taylor
If I'm reading this right, our goal isn't to 'win', but to avoid losing.
Does that about sum it up?
James
Heh, pretty much.
Will
What do you mean?
You're fine just letting him get away again!?
James
No, that's not what we're saying.
Remember, we have four conditions to win, versus his one
If we're being realistic, then the best we can hope for is a stalemate.
We can't get greedy.
Taylor
Damn, it's really getting hot in here!
What's going on!?
James goes to open the door again
James
Ricky!
Why is the door locked?
Ricky
!?
I-it shouldn't be!
Jerry!
Did you lock the door?
Jerry
N-no sir, I didn't!
Why?
Is something wrong with the door?
James
It won't open…
Call me crazy, but I feel Chuck may be responsible for this…
Lacerta!
Maybe some brute force will do the trick.
Lacerta attempts to force the doors open, to no luck
James
Damn it…
I'm starting to see what you meant by it getting hot in here Taylor…
(Why is it getting so hot in here?)
(That's a dumb question, it has to be because of Chuck's Manifesto…)
(Will said it could control fire at the farm…)
(I don't think that observation was right…)
(I think it would be more accurate to say his Manifesto can control the temperature, and fires are just a result of his exercising that control…)
Hey, Taylor! Mind testing something for me?
Taylor
?
Sure?
What is it?
James
Are you able to coat yourself in Aries like armour, or can you only use it like how I use Lacerta?
Taylor
I can do both, it just depends on the situation, but my instinct when I have to defend myself is armour, why?
James
Good to know, whatever you do, do NOT put Aries around your body, not until we know what his Fornax does.
Taylor
?
Why not?
James
This is just a hunch, but think about it.
The windows in this building don't open, the door is locked from the outside, and the temperature is slowly rising in the room.
I named his Manifesto Fornax because I was thinking about fire, but the actual translation of 'furnace' is far more fitting for his power…
I think he can turn any building into a furnace to slowly burn his victims.
Will, when you first discovered you had a Manifesto, you saw Chuck outside of a room with the victim in it, right?
Will
Uh, yeah, I did.
James
And then at the farm, you saw him set fire from outside of the barn, right?
Will
H-he did.
James
Heh, perfect.
Twice is a coincidence, but thrice?
That my friends, we call a pattern.
Will
What do you mean?
James
Think about it, if his Manifesto were to line up with a furnace, then it would make more sense what we saw with our own eyes, as well as what's happening right now.
Why do you think there isn't a fire being lit in here right now?
It's because this whole building is going to serve as the kindling wood.
It would also explain why the door's locked from the outside.
If he wanted to kill us, wouldn't he need us to attack him?
Instead, he decided to trap us in here.
Taylor
I…think I'm starting to get it…
It's like how when you open an oven, the hot air rushes out of it…
To stop that from happening, he locked us in here to make sure we would be cooked…
James
Exactly.
But I have a plan to get us out of here.
Perspective change to Chuck
Chuck
(What's taking so long?)
(C'mon! C'mon!)
(I can finally see it, and you're refusing to take it out?!)
(That's not fair!)
(I've been obsessing over it for the last year, and you won't show it to me?!)
(C'mon!)
(You can do it, Spectre!)
(I know you want to show me that tortured expression plastered across your face!)
(...The way your face will twist as the skin slowly melts…)
(Just thinking about it is enough to make me excited to see it!)
(Just turn this way and show me…)
(I know you can do it…)
…
There's nothing
Chuck
(Maybe I turned up the heat too suddenly…)
(I guess it's possible his brain melted before he could experience any severe pain…)
(No, no, that can't be the case…)
(His hair would have caught on fire long before that happened…)
(This isn't right…)
(What's going on in there?)
Chuck gets closer to the doors to look in
Chuck looks in, and sees James' face, calm, but his eyes are ready to kill
James
You want something?
Chuck
Well, long time no see Spectre—
In a split second, Lacerta comes out and fires off a bullet at Chuck
Chuck stumbles back from the doors
Chuck
HAH!
Missed me, not to mention rude!
Taylor
Well, that didn't work out.
Will
Oh well, it was worth a shot.
James
Yeah, but at least we've opened a hole in the door letting in some air.
Ricky
Hey!
Someone has to pay for that y'know!
And here's a hint, it ain't gonna be you lot!
James
Ricky!
Get everyone in the building to touch the map to stay safe!
Got that!?
Ricky
Uh, yes!
C'mon everyone!
You heard the man!
This way please
Chuck
As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted…
…Spectre, long time no see.
James
Chuck Berry, you would've been better off staying on the lam as a dead man.
Chuck
Really?
That's gonna be our touching reunion?
James
Fine. How about, 'I'm gonna beat you past the point of recognition while putting so many holes in you they'll think you were a slice of Swiss Cheese.
Better?
Chuck
HAHAHA!
Much!