James
What is this place?
Where are we?
Mercury
Well, what does it look like to you?
James
It reminds me of my childhood home…the place where it all started.
The place where I first learned of the existence of Manifestos, and the place where my hands first got sullied with the blood of my parents.
Mercury
Yes, the unfortunate and untimely murders of Mr. and Mrs. Spectre, a rather well known and well liked couple.
A few years before their deaths, Mr. Spectre had inherited a massive amount of wealth after a tragic house fire killed his employer, and his whole family.
Mr. Spectre would only father one child: a young boy named James.
The newspapers would have a field day with their murders.
"Young child kills his own parents to soothe bloodlust"
"Monster posing as child responsible for killing popular couple"
"Demon from birth: How to tell if your child is planning on kill you as well"
James
Did you bring me here just to mock the deaths of my loved ones?
Mercury
I read each and every one of those articles.
Using what I knew about the area, and some eyewitnesses who saw a young boy matching your description, I searched for you to take you under my wing.
James
Why?
So you could groom me and make me into a killer like you?
Mercury
You know that isn't true.
You honoured my request, didn't you?
You sought out every single name I put in that book to offer condolences to the grieving families that I listed.
James
What's your point?
Mercury
My point is that it proves two things:
First, you didn't become like me. Someone who kills for a living and gives up on their personal sense of justice.
And second, that you respected, and maybe even cared about me. It doesn't take a lot to just say you'll honour someone's dying wish.
It takes a lot more commitment and compassion to follow through with it.
And that compassion is proof that I succeeded.
James
Succeeded?
At what?
Mercury
Why don't we just watch.
Attention shifts over to James, standing over his parents bodies
James (young)
W-what?
Mom…?
Dad…?
As James (young) stands there, he attempts to shake his parents awake, but they don't respond
James (young)
Why?
Why won't you two wake up?
James (young) looks behind him, as Lacerta stands there, its form unclear and cloudy.
James (young)
You did this…
Why did you attack them!?
James (young) swings wildly at Lacerta, however his fists go through Lacerta's legs
James (young) continues to swing anyways as tears begin to well up in his eyes
James (young)
Just-just leave me alone!
As James (young) starts sobbing on his knees, Lacera, as if responding to his command, disappears.
James (young) wipes his eyes, but notices, his hands are drenched in blood
James leaps back, bumping into the wall behind him
James (young)'s perception of reality becomes fuzzy as Lacerta's arms begin to appear superimposed on top of his own
James (young)
No…no, I didn't do it!
It wasn't me, it was that…demon!
So, why does it look like the demon's hands are my own?
There's a sudden knock
Neighbour
Hello?
I heard some loud cries and yelling, is everything alright?
The neighbour is standing outside the door, as James opens the door a crack and looks up with feral eyes
A sudden chill runs down the neighbour's spine as he looks at the boy
Neighbour
H-hello there, is everything alright?
Are your parents home?
James (young) looks up at him and hesitates for a moment before responding
James (young)
No…
They…aren't here anymore…
Neighbour
I-I see…
Do you need me to watch over the house–
James (young)
NO!
The man shudders as he looks at the boy, with the unclear silhouette of Lacerta looming over him
James (young)
Please, just leave me alone…
Neighbour
!!
Oh, I have to be on my way now!
Give your parents my regards!
The man runs off in a hurry as James steps out and closes the door
As James walks away, the door has bloody handprints from him on it
Cut to a few days later, James is curled up in a ball in an alley, blood still covering his hands
Two people walk past the alley
Man 1
Did you hear what happened to that rich family the other day?
Man 2
You mean the murder?
It's been the only thing in the news lately!
They say the kid was responsible and that he ran away from the scene.
Man 1
How do they know the kid did it?
Couldn't someone have come in and taken the kid away?
Man 2
No, they say they found bloody hand prints from a small child around the scene and on the door
They also interviewed the neighbours, and they never saw anyone enter the house, only the kid leaving, that's what caused them to call the police
According to one article I read, the boy had horns and a tail!
Man 1
Ha ha! You shouldn't believe everything you read!
Man 2
It's a big world out there!
You never know what they might find next!
Man 1
Guess so!
James (young) sits in the alley as he hears all of this, he's shivering and doused in sweat
???
Found you.
James leaps up and assumes a fighting stance
The figure speaking to him is revealed to be a younger Mercury
Mercury stands there, wearing a trenchcoat with a full head of hair
Mercury (young)
Woah, woah
Slow down there, little guy.
I'm not here to turn you in or anything.
James (young)
Stay back!
I'm dangerous.
Mercury (young)
Is that supposed to be a threat?
James (young)
No, a warning…
You shouldn't get any closer, for your own good.
I can't control it
Mercury (young)
?
What's that supposed to mean?
James (young)
When I get too angry, or too worked up, it appears and starts attacking other people around me…
Mercury (young)
(That's impressive, it takes most people years to make the connection between a Manifesto and their own emotions.)
(With that said, he's still wet behind the ears.)
(He has a long way to go before he reaches the peak of what his Manifesto can do.)
(To be honest, I wasn't too thrilled when Sinatra first approached me with this job…)
Cut to a younger Sinatra, with shorter hair sitting in his office with Taylor standing next to him)
Sinatra (young)
Mercury, I have a job for you.
Mercury (young)
Aren't you working me a bit too hard?
I only just joined after all.
Sinatra (young)
Yes, but I feel it's important for you to earn your keep around here and prove to the others why you deserve a spot as one of my guards.
Mercury, you possess immense talent and potential, it would be wasted if you decided to stop taking jobs.
So what do you say?
Mercury (young)
…
Fine, but it's not because of the flattery, I just need the money.
Sinatra (young)
That works for me.
Now, I'm sure you've heard of the recent murder in a small town nearby?
Mercury (young)
Sure I have, it's all over the news, apparently it was just a kid who did it.
Sinatra (young)
Yes, there was no weapon or bullets found, and some articles describe seeing a faint tail and horns on the boy.
Mercury (young)
Oh, that's just the media trying to spew random theories and trying to prey on people's fears.
Sinatra (young)
Perhaps, but that is what I'd like for you to confirm.
I'd like you to find the boy in the articles and find out for yourself if he's just a murderous child, or if he has a Manifesto, like us.
Mercury (young)
You think a boy this young would have a Manifesto strong enough to kill two fully grown adults?
Sinatra (young)
I like to be prepared and thorough about many things.
You can never be too safe after all.
Mercury (young)
What do you want me to do when I find the boy?
Sinatra (young)
Well, if it turns out he does have a Manifesto, then I want you to recruit him and bring him back here with you.
I'll train him to be a powerful weapon for the organization and he will learn to dedicate his life to me.
Mercury shutters and Taylor looks at Sinatra in shock
Mercury (young)
And if it turns out he doesn't have a Manifesto?
Sinatra looks at Mercury with an intense air about him
Sinatra (young)
Do you even need to ask?
You put him down like the rabid dog he is.
Back to present as Mercury is in front of James
Mercury (young)
(Who would've guessed the boss was right?)
(Even so…)
(Isn't that thing a little bit too scary for a kid to have?!)
Mercury looks at James as he takes up his stance with Lacerta looming over him, adopting the same stance.
Lacerta still appears somewhat cloudy with only its arms, tail, and eyes being distinct from the rest of it