Fornax: part 4
Will
Are you sure about this?
James
We don't have much of a choice.
James breaks the rest of the door down
James steps out of the door
James
Chuck!
I'll give you one last chance to surrender and come quietly.
Chuck
Hm…
How about no!
And why wouldn't you just stay in that room to roast?
Huh?!
You couldn't do me that favour?!
James
Sorry, unlike your prior targets, I know what you were doing.
Chuck
(You think you're so clever, don't you?!)
(So what if you escaped that building, do you think I wouldn't have backup plans?!)
(He helped me come up with a ton of em!)
(I thought he was being paranoid, but I guess he was right!)
James
C'mon Chuck, why do you have to make my job more difficult than it needs to be?
Wouldn't you rather this be over and done with?
Chuck
I'll surrender…once I've stepped on your mangled corpse!
Will
Guess diplomacy won't work
Taylor
What should we do?
James
Remember what I said before?
Shoot first, ask questions later.
James starts firing off bullets at Chuck
Chuck dodges out of the way
Chuck
(Ha! You missed me!)
(I'll go along with this game of tag for now…)
(But all I need is time, and then I can rest easy, knowing my enemies were burnt to ashes!)
(Though, his friends may be a problem…)
(Assuming they're like him, they may pose a problem to me in the future…)
(…I should probably deal with them sooner rather than later)
(I'll give 'em a similar treatment to Spectre…)
(Make sure they're niiice and toasty)
Fornax begins moving
James
!
Be on guard!
He's using his Manifesto!
Make sure you aren't between anything right now!
Taylor and Will start looking around to make sure they're in the clear
Chuck
Pfftttt
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Taylor
Hey, detective, what's he finding so funny?
James
I don't know…
But it's probably not good for us…
(Why would he be laughing at a time like this?)
(I get the guy has a few screws loose, but still…)
(How does this make any sense?)
(What is it that would be so funny…)
(He started laughing in response to us taking cover…)
(Could it be his Manifesto moving was just a fake-out?)
(Something meant to dupe us into thinking he was using his power?)
(No, I don't think so…)
(The Chuck I knew was clever, but he wouldn't be smart enough to do that…)
(Does he have an accomplice around?)
(That could be it…)
(Like Mercury and May, one acts as a decoy while the other discreetly attacks from safety…)
(I wouldn't put it past him to have multiple assailants after us…)
(It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility, he already showed he can give multiple people Manifestos at once, so quantity isn't the problem…)
(But I find it hard to believe that Chuck would come out here alone—)
Will
James!
Dodge!
James looks up to see Chuck attack with Fornax
James swiftly deflects with Lacerta
The two Manifestos enter into a fight
James
Hey Chuck, seems you got pretty good control over that new Manifesto of yours.
Where'd you find it?
Could've sworn last time we met you were complaining about how you couldn't see it.
So what changed?
Chuck
Luck my friend!
After our last meeting, I swore I'd burn the world down to find whatever power you had,
I was convinced you were cheating!
There was no way a human could shoot someone without actually being near to them…
But then I met him, and he showed me you weren't cheating, you were just better.
There was no way around that, you were chosen by something greater than humans…
…what else could you call that power calling out to you but god?
I sought such power for myself…
…I begged him to give me a way to be like you…
…and in his wisdom, he gave it to me…
James
So, you met with a charismatic man with a god complex.
Sounds like the guy I'm looking for.
Mind telling me where he is?
Chuck
Sorry Detective, don't think I'd be a very good partner if I just gave him up.
James
Fine then.
Guess I'll just have to beat the answers out of you!
(Let's see you dodge this!)
James launches a flurry of attacks at Chuck
Chuck blocks the punches with Fornax before attacking
James
(His movements are slow…)
Fornax's punch connects with the wall next to him, leaving a dent in the bricks
James
(But the impact they leave is no joke!)
(I think it's best to keep going with quick attacks…)
Will runs in to attack with Auriga, while Taylor attacks with Aries
Fornax blocks Auriga then tried punching Aries
Chuck
Fuck!
That hurts!
(What's with that attack—)
Chuck jumps out of the way of some bullets fired by James
Chuck
(They aren't even giving me a moment to catch my—)
Chuck blocks some punches from Auriga
Chuck
(—breath!)
(I wish it could work faster…)
(But I gotta be patient…)
(I can't wear myself out too quickly…)
(I'm willing to wait if it means I can kill that damn Spectre and make him pay for what he did to me…)
Fornax takes another swing at James, but Aries gets in the way
Chuck is sent flying back
James
Thanks Taylor
Taylor
Don't mention it, just try to stick close by
Chuck
(Damn it, him again…)
(I don't know why, but it feels like my attacks never connect with him…)
(It's that spirit-thing he's got…)
(It's protecting not only him, but his allies too!)
(If I attack his friends first, then I can give him the same sense of isolation I felt after escaping!)
(He told me to plan my attacks if I wanna win…)
(I gotta make sure all of my moves are necessary…)
(If I'm thinking of this logically…)
(The curly hair guy keeps getting in close to me, so his Manifesto must be a close range attacker like me.)
(The guy with the annoying power keeps hanging in the middle, then moving his power to whomever I'm attacking, he keeps defending the other two…)
(Then Spectre stays back and fires off bullets at me, then he'll close the distance to attack.)
(So, with all of this in mind, the first on my list should be Spectre…)
Fornax begins moving oddly again
James
!!!
(He's activating his Manifesto again!)
Be on guard!
Taylor and Will stop attacking
Chuck
(…my first target should be him!!!)
Chuck swings at Taylor
Taylor
?!
Aries!!!
Aries comes out and begins blocking Fornax
Chuck
(Yeah, yeah that's it!)
(Keep moving, keep losing water!)
(With my power in effect, you'll be ashes in a second!)
(I'm sure you'll make better kindling if you lose all your moisture first!)
(Block all you want!)
(It won't be enough to save you!!!)
James begins dashing towards Chuck
Will
What are you doing?!
James
(This isn't right!)
(This wasn't part of the plan!)
(Why isn't his attack focussed on me anymore?!)
(Did he notice Taylor was protecting us?!)
(If so, I gotta get him out of there!)
(We need Aries if we wanna beat Chuck!)
(Taylor is a crucial part of this plan)
James jumps beside Chuck
James and Chuck make eye-contact
Chuck
!!!
James
Lacerta, fire!!!
James fires more bullets at Chuck
Fornax is about to get hit but moves out of the way to block using Aries
James
W-what?!?—
James and Lacerta get filled with bullet holes
Chuck
Hahahahahahaha
What?
Did you think I haven't learned my lesson yet?!
Did you think I wouldn't have a plan to defend myself?!
Pfttt
Hahahahahahahahahha
Oh, it's so beautiful!
Seeing you lying there riddled with injuries!
But don't die yet Spectre…
…I need you to watch what happens next.
Fornax resumes attacking Aries, but Aries keeps blocking
Fornax winds up for a large swing
Taylor
(Damn it!)
(Aries!)
(Protect me!)
Taylor covers himself with Aries like armour
Chuck is forced back by Aries
Taylor
Are you ready Chuck?
You're about to face my new and shiny Manifesto:
Aries: [Taleh]