James looks to John as he begins slowly stepping towards him, his body fully engulfed in the black flames
John recoils from James
John
(W-what is with this immense amount of power?)
(There's no way a human could produce this much!)
(The black flames should be proportional to the excess amount of energy from his Manifesto.)
(In other words…)
(James Spectre's Manifesto is no longer capable of binding all of the power in his body!)
(I thought that this would just serve as a fun distraction for me, but at the rate his abilities are developing, I might not be able to win this fight!)
James starts firing off bullets again towards John, he reflects with Corvus again as its hands begin to disappear
John makes another hand sign, as Corvus changes into its Lyra form
Corvus begins healing itself, as James continues walking slowly towards John
John
(It's not just his innate power that makes him a threat…)
(...His skill and control has also begun improving!)
(The bullets are becoming faster and more frequent!)
Corvus deflects another volley of bullets, however as John begins to heal, he notices Lacerta right next to him, winding up a punch
Without any time to react, John is sent flying into the statue of Liberty causing it to ring out
John attempts to push himself up as Corvus continues its healing
John
(Even his Manifesto's physical strength has been enhanced!)
(As much as it pains me to admit it, this is not a fight that I can win head on!)
(Then again…)
Corvus picks up John as he begins flying up
John
(Rules are created by those in power to keep others in check!)
(A frontal assault has never been my forte, however James is not only used to them, but thrives in an environment where he can exploit an enemy's weaknesses or fight them in a 1-on-1!)
Corvus lays John down on the statue's shoulder
(The first thing I need to do is come up with a strategy, but to do that I need time to think!)
(I managed to escape from him for now, Lacerta doesn't have a way of flying, so I should have control of the battle now that I'm here–)
Clank
John looks down the statue only to see James scaling the tower with Lacerta on his back, the two lock eyes, causing John to grow furious
John
James…
How dare you look at me with the same disdainful eyes as my father!
That pathetic excuse for a human had the gall to look down on me, even in his last moments!
(This man–no, he can't even be called a man anymore, he has far surpassed what average humans can obtain with their Manifestos!)
(He's using Lacerta's increased strength and its new claws in order to scale up the building, that's what it would seem at first glance!)
(The truth is far more terrifying, in order to continue his constant shower of bullets, both of Lacerta's arms and its tail are currently preoccupied, meaning James is somehow managing to hold on using nothing but his strength and limbs!)
(There's no way a creature can do that and still be considered "human"!)
(He has abandoned that silly label and surpassed it…)
(He has broken past any limitation that previously existed!)
James hurls himself up to the shoulder before landing, amidst the flashing lights from the bullets, John makes out a monstrous silhouette, possessing fierce claws, piercing yellow eyes, long flowing hair resembling a large inferno, all attached to a large bulky frame
John
…why…
James
?
John
Why is it you that was able to achieve this form!?
I've dreamed of something like this for my entire life, yet you dare to steal my dream from under me while mocking me with my father's eyes?!
I'll teach you a lesson, James Spectre!
John leaps at James catching him off guard as Corvus switches even faster now into a form possessing large mandibles as well as having its whole body coated in a toxic substance
Corvus makes a large swing, which James and Lacerta narrowly avoid, however it leaves a trail of acid following the arc of the swing
Some of the acid lands on the statue as it begins to corrode, James looks up at John
James begins to snicker to himself
John
What's so funny?!
James
I was just thinking about how your Manifesto finally reflects that toxic personality of yours–
James dodges even more acid, as John destroys yet more of the statue
John
Impressive, isn't it?!
I call it Scorpius!
I observed this Manifesto for the first time when I first came to the city!
It didn't take me long to steal it from the poor fool wasting its talents before me!
That man saw it as a curse because he was unable to do anything as whenever he was stressed, the poison would corrode his surroundings
I gave him the luxury of taking this Manifesto off his hands and giving him something better suited to his talents.
Don't you see, James?
I'm helping people through my actions!
So what if a few people need to die in the name of progress?
Their lives don't matter in the end!
James
You might be right, in the grand scheme of things, a few lives might not matter.
But, who are we to decide that?
When you kill someone, you cut off any chance of their future, death is the end. The great equalizer.
Everyone dies, John.
Even me.
Even.
You.
So stop running from the inevitable.
Your time's up, John, and I'm sure just like me, you've got a lot of people waiting to see you in hell.
John scowls at James as he looks around before he starts to make another hand sign
A bullet flies through John's hand, cutting off two of his fingers
James
What?
Did you think I didn't notice how you make those hand signs before a transformation?
I bet that's how you decide which Manifesto you'll use, without it, you're stuck with whatever you have right now.
John
Hah, you're right.
The hand signs help determine which form Corvus should take, it's the only fatal drawback to my ability.
That's why when I gained this power, I made sure to keep the hand sign as simple as possible.
John sticks up his middle and index finger
John
What was this ability called again?
Ah, that's right…
John's face contorts into a smile as the black flames surround him, forming four wings behind him
John
Lyra!
Corvus transforms again and heals John, James gets upset at the mention of Caroline's Manifesto and goes in for a punch again, as memories of Caroline begin to pass through his mind, Lacerta's fist gets engulfed with the black flames in an uneven fashion
Before James connects, John makes a new sign
John
Canes Venatici.
The statue that the two were standing on turns into a dog, as James' punch narrowly misses its target, John turns Corvus back to Lyra as it grabs him mid-fall, and the statue reappears and falls onto its side, crashing into the ocean
James braces for impact as he gathers the flames in his fist again before swinging at the air, using the pressure to land in the water
James
(Phew, that was risky…)
(I only tried it on instinct, but the wind it generated was more than enough to change my course!)
(This feeling, it feels similar to when I was fighting against Dr. Sunshine, I'm not sure if I only managed to pull that last shot off because of the adrenaline, or if it's a repeatable process.)
(If I can repeat it, then I should be able to use this to deal with John!)
(I'm not sure if he's noticed, but each time I hit him or another object with my bullets, the space around it seems to warp, as if the bullets are travelling at such a high speed that the very space around needs to contort.)
(With these bullets, and my new close quarters attack, I know I can beat John.)
(Wait for me, everyone!)
(No one will ever live in fear of this monster after today!)
Corvus lays John onto the ground as it transforms into Scorpius
John
(Where is he?!)
(I need to kill him as soon as possible!)
(Changing his direction with a mere punch, I was wrong to not be serious from the start!)
(Instead of flaunting my new power, I should've just dealt with him the second he stepped on Liberty Island!)
(No, even sooner!)
(I could feel the power surging from him while he was unconscious, I should've taken that chance to kill while he was still unable to defend himself!)
(Learning the ins and outs of my new found power could have waited!)
(There's no use pondering the past!)
(I have nothing to gain from thinking about what could have been, I'm only able to keep looking towards the future!)
(A future where I'll be free of James Spectre and his ilk!)
As John continues looking around, James pokes his eyes out of the water, while hidden underneath the wreckage of the statue
James
(Deep breaths…)
(Try and channel those feelings from when you were falling…)
(From when you heard him talk about Caroline…)
(Manifestos are tied to our mental state and our emotions…)
(Channel your emotions, feel the power in Lacerta, and focus that energy into one single point.)
The black flames work their way around Lacerta's body as they begin to assemble, forming a bubble around Lacerta's fist
John
(It would be better at this point to just destroy the statue entirely.)
(If James is hiding underneath the wreck, then he should corrode right alongside it!)
John takes another big swing with Corvus, however after he does, Lacerta shoots out of the water and uppercuts John, causing him to feel pain reverberating throughout his body
John
Ack!?
(This…this pain, this anger…these, these aren't my own feelings, they're yours, aren't they, James?!)
James
Huh, I have to say, I never thought something that straightforward could actually work on you.
I have to say, I'm almost disappointed that that was all it took.
John crosses his fingers and Corvus transforms into Capricornus
The wheel spins landing on a X1.5
John
Tch!
(I was hoping for another X2 for this attack!)
James
Looks like luck isn't on your side in the end!
John
Ha, believe me, this is more than enough power to defeat the likes of you!
Corvus launches a flurry of fast punches as Lacerta coats its fists with the black flames and returns with a flurry of its own
John begins to recoil in pain again
John
Agh!!
(These memories, they aren't mine, they belong to James!)
(I'm not even able to simply block the punches, because like the bullets, as long as they're capable of making contact with me, then he's able to do the transfer!)
(This is something I never even conceived of in the past, he has so much excess power that he can use it to enhance his Manifestos regular strength!)
(Normally, all that extra power is just lost and mostly serves as a form of intimidation because it triggers our fight or flight responses due to the intense emotions needed for it, however James is special…)
(...he doesn't let the emotions and memories leave him, instead he takes all of that pain and makes it into his strength!)
Ahhh!!!!
I refuse to bow down to the likes of you, James Spectre!
James
Just try me, John!
John begins to tire slowly, causing an opening, which Lacerta takes advantage of connecting one large punch to John's jaw, causing him to crumble into the pavement.
John looks down at his hands and sees himself stained with blood and begins to panic
John
(EscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHideEscapeFightHide!!!)
(I-I can't think straight anymore, my senses are being overloaded with raw emotions, pain and James' power!)
(I-I can't stay here any longer!)
(I've known it for a while, but it's futile trying to fight James on my own!)
(It's dangerous to let him develop further and hone his new abilities further, but it would be even worse to keep trying to defeat him on my own!)
(I-I still have some pawns hidden away in the city, I can find them and use them to help me fight James, maybe with numbers and more training I'll be able to win!)
John goes to make the sign for Lyra, but a bullet flies through his fingers, destroying them
John exclaims in pain as he looks up to see James
James
I'm not letting you get away, John.
Not again.
John
Ha…ha ha ha…
James
What's so funny?
John
Did you really think I could only summon Corvus with one hand?
John's other hand which he pulls from behind his back is making the symbol for Lyra, as he drags himself off the edge of the island
James runs up to see Corvus carrying John away
John
(I did it!)
(I lived!)
(I truly am special, I was chosen by heaven to lead humanity into a new age!)
(This has been divine intervention!)
(Nothing short of a miracle could have saved me!)
(I-I'm finally free to do whatever I please and not a single soul will be able to stop me!)
James looks up and sees John and Corvus outlined by the full moon in the sky
Lacerta emerges and forms a finger gun
James
Mercury, Gregory, Caroline, Will, mom, dad…
Thank you, all of you for everything you've done for me.
The black flames begin to converge into Lacerta's finger tip
James
I'm sorry you all had to suffer, but I swear, I'll do my best to prove this power wasn't a mistake.
Lacerta, ready…
Aim…
John feels a shiver up his spine and turns to see James aiming towards him
John
Ha!
Does he really think he'll be able to shoot me from that distance?!
That's absurd!
Not even the most talented soldiers in the army would be able to make a shot like that!
James
(Goodbye, John.)
Fire.
The flames all help to push the bullet, as it goes cleanly through both John's heart, and Corvus' chest
John begins to cough up blood, as Corvus starts to fade
John
C-corvus?
N-no…
This can't be happening to me…
John crashes into the water
John
Father…
Mother…
James…
Someone…
Anyone…
Save me, please…
As John begins to sink into the ocean, a hand grabs his arm
Caroline
Hey, John.
Long time no see.
John
!?
Another hand grabs onto him
Will
I told you, only one of you would be making it off that island.
A hand grabs Will's head forcing him to look back
Queen
I won't forgive you for what you did to Mom, or my friends, boss.
John
N-no!
Leave me alone!
All of you!
Unhand me, you wraiths!
You spectres should just stay dead and buried in the past!
Another hand violently grabs John's throat
Sinatra
Who the hell do you think you are to be giving me orders?
Welcome to the other side.
Believe us, there are plenty of people who can't wait to have a word with you, John,
And they've all been veeeeery patient.
Hundreds of hands begin reaching out, grabbing John, pulling him deeper and deeper until he is no longer visible
James stands on Liberty island, overlooking the destruction from his fight with Laceta by his side.