Prince and Jay Stand in the hangar, Fool's Gambit protecting them as Amelia and Lucena begin to get closer.
Prince:
Lucena? Aren't you with the CIA?! Shouldn't you know more than that?! I thought you guys had cameras hidden in pigeons or something!
Jay:
The information on Manifesto users is much more tightly guarded by the CIA compared to regular information.
In the CIA, there are three levels to classification: confidential, which has the potential to cause harm to national security. Secret, which could cause serious harm if leaked. And finally top secret. Top secret is the highest rank of information we have gathered. As a general rule of thumb, foreigners with Manifestos are regarded as secret.
However, for Manifesto users working with the American government, their abilities are regarded as "top secret," since in many cases, Manifesto users are specially chosen for missions based on their powers and how well they compliment others in the agency.
Prince:
Does rank correlate to power at all?
As Prince asks his question, Lucena rips a piece of the plane off and hurls it towards Prince and Jay. As it flies through the air, the pieces of metal begin to sharpen into knives. Before they can pierce Fool's Gambit, Giuoco Piano manages to hit them away.
Jay:
Not necessarily. There are cases like your father, where his abilities are well known in the Intelligence community, and serve as a deterrent against invasion of the US. I'm sure the only reason the big wigs at the CIA agreed to the President's plan is because they want Mr. Spectre back.
He's one of the greatest Manifesto users in the world, and is the equivalent of a walking nuke.
Lucena stomps the ground, causing more spikes to emerge and pierce Fool's
Gambit.
Amelia:
Ugh, are you guys done talking?
Look at the state of my workshop!
The least you could do to make it up to me is fight seriously!
Prince:
You're the one destroying it the most!
Don't pin it on us!
Look, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I need you to get us to Europe, even if it means knocking the sense into you myself!
Prince mutters something, as Giuoco Piano begins to wind up a punch. Amelia's guard is up, as Lucena adopts a defensive stance.
During this brief period, both Prince and Amelia's brains begin to work with incredible speed to land a decisive blow on their opponent.
Amelia:
(What's coming next? A normal punch won't do much, I've seen his Manifesto's strength already…)
(But more than raw power, what abilities has it shown already?)
The sounds begin to reverberate slowly as Giuoco Piano fires its punch towards Lucena
Amelia:
(The punch is getting louder and closer!)
(Louder…muttering…the shockwave earlier…)
Prince:
(I need this hit to land!)
(I tried it at the train station last time…)
(I'm sure the idea will work…)
(If I time the sound to release just as the punch connects, then I could amplify its power!)
(Hell, I'm sure I could use it to leap farther as well using the shockwave as a propulsion!)
(But I need to land the timing exactly to get the best effect…)
(With that said, there's no way she'll make it easy for me…)
(I need to figure out what her Manifesto does so she can't stop me…)
(She tore off bits of her airplane, and made it into a giant arm or something, or she'll launch the pieces of plane as knives…she cracks the ground below her and makes it into spikes that move towards us…)
(Is she able to control metal?)
(No, if she could just control metal directly, then why wouldn't she just use the walls of the hangar itself to attack me from behind while the plane comes from the front? Or why not have the knives come back as a surprise attack?)
(She keeps breaking off new materials to use as weapons for each attack…)
(Breaking things…)
(I think I got it!)
Amelia:
(His power must be to amplify sounds. If he can make them loud enough, that could create a shockwave like before. It'll be over for me if he's able to connect a shockwave directly…)
Prince:
(Her power is probably to "repair" things she breaks! Though, I guess "repair" is a generous way of describing it. What she's doing is altering the very structure and shapes of these objects! I wonder if her power can be used on humans too…if that's the case then I need to be careful she doesn't break any part of me…)
Prince & Amelia:
(I guess my only choice is….)
Prince: Amelia:
(Send her flying so she (Break his arm so he
never gets the chance to hit me!) never gets the chance to hit me!)
Lucena's stance changes, as it prepares to do a left hook on Giuoco Piano. Prince's face contorts into a smile as he feels the rush of adrenaline. Unbeknownst to her, Amelia's face does the same.
Amelia:
Someone looks like he's having fun!
Prince:
Right back at you!
Amelia:
(Eh? Am I having fun right now?)
(No way…this fight is pointless. There's no value in it, it's unproductive and it resulted in my hangar being ruined…)
(So why…)
The two are now inches away from one another as their Manifestos' fists finally approach one another.
Amelia:
(Why do I feel alive for the first time in forever?)
While no one present notices, a small black spark ignites between the two Manifestos.
Amelia
I've always been alone.
I was the youngest of five siblings, and I was a girl, so my parents just left me by myself.
Both of them were born into the nobleza of Spain, and so I was always trapped within the family's estate.
A young Amelia is thrown against a wall and her hair grabbed by her mother. She cries out for help from the figure in the doorway. However, her father merely looks at her with disdain.
Mother:
Remember your station, Amelia. We have an image to uphold.
Father:
Amelia, what have I told you about going out without supervision? I refuse to allow my children to be tainted by those ridiculous poor ideologies.
Parents:
You will maintain our image, you will marry into a wealthy family, and you will produce heirs for us. That is all we need from you. That is your purpose.
Mother:
Stupid girl, I don't understand what you see in that filth out there.
The door is slammed and Amelia is left bloody and breathing raggedly on her floor. She looks to the windowsill and sees a small toy airplane against the clear night sky.
Amelia:
When I was just 10 years old, I ran away from home and drifted from place to place. My parents never bothered to look for me, and there was never any announcement in the news about my disappearance.
It seems like they were as happy to be rid of me as I was of them.
It wasn't until I wandered near a military base where I finally learned to LIVE. Not just survive, but actually enjoy life.
One of the corporals on the base took me in. He taught me everything I know, everything I love. If it wasn't for him, I never would have discovered flying, and how freeing it feels when it's just you and the sky.
With him, I finally felt like my life was worth living.
When he disappeared, my world went dark.
I was lost. My family had abandoned me. My foster dad had abandoned me. The world had abandoned me.
That's when I decided that if no one would look out for me, I had to be the one to put myself first. I flew as many dangerous voyages as I could, always trying to find that next thrill. Always hoping that one day…I might see him again.
But I guess that was naive of me.
Tears begin to well up in her eyes.
Amelia:
Sorry, it's been a long time since I opened up like this to someone…
It's a bit strange, but remember to keep this between us…
It's revealed that the person she's been talking to this whole time has been Prince, who is sitting next to her in some strange white void.
As Amelia starts to sob harder, Prince leans in and hugs her. She tenses for a moment, before finally letting her emotions out.
Amelia:
I-I don't think I can share more with you…but…thank you for hearing me out…It feels nice to just talk freely every once in a while…
Price smiles gently.
Prince:
Always happy to be there for someone…
The two are returned to reality, where Prince's shockwave is released too early, sending Amelia flying into the hangar wall, as Jay uses Fool's Gambit to break her fall.
Prince collapses to the ground, his breathing ragged.
Prince:
Hah…hah…Woah…
That…that was something else…
Jay:
Prince! Are you ok?
What happened at the end there, Ms. Volare started crying, and you seemed to lose control of your Manifesto!
Prince:
I-I wouldn't know where to begin…
Hey, Jay…I'm feeling pretty out of it right now…I need your help with the other one…
Prince falls unconscious, leaving Jay alone in the ruined hangar.
Jay:
Hey, wait!
Don't just leave the clean up to me!
And what the Hell do you mean by "the other one"?!
…
The room is eerily calm, as Jay looks around at the destruction the fight caused
Jay:
Sigh, I didn't think it would become this big a deal…
What am I supposed to do now?
Even if other people can't see Manifestos, Giuoco Piano's so loud someone must have heard it. There's also the fact that Lucena was tearing up the plane and ground…
I guess I better move Ms. Volare so that her and Prince are in one place, but I don't know how to hide the aftermath of all this…
As Fool's Gambit drags Amelia's body, and Jay grabs Prince, he hears clapping from the hangar door. Dropping Prince and Amelia, Jay takes up a defensive stance.
???:
That was all very impressive, very loud too. I was almost worried that someone else would get here before me.
Jay's muscles tense as the strange man slowly begins to come closer.
Jay:
Who are you?
???:
My name is not important, for everything I do is for the greater good.
You could call me a herald of sorts.
As the man steps out of the shadows, it is revealed to be one of the TSA Agents from before. He removes his hat, revealing slicked back, blonde hair, with dead eyes which remind Jay of a fish. Though he's smiling and politely clapping, his eyes show no hint of emotion. Rather, it seems as though he is trying to take in his surroundings and learn the layout of the hangar.
Jay:
(What's this guy's deal?)
(I'm guessing he could see the fight between Prince and Amelia…)
(Is he the one Prince referred to?)
(How long has he been watching?)
(I have to be careful, if he saw the fight, he knows more about me than I do about him.)
(Besides, right now, my top priority is defending Prince and Ms. Volare…)
And what is it exactly that you are heralding?
Are you one of those terrorists we met on the train to DC?
Herald:
A terrorist?
I am too proud of a man to do something that filthy.
I herald the coming of Utopia.
Rejoice, for I herald the arrival…of the Black Parade!
Jay's face stiffens at the mention of that name. The Herald either does not notice, or pretends not to.
Herald:
Though, I must say, I am a tad bit disappointed.
Jay:
With what?
Herald:
Well, the one I was sent to find was your friend behind you…
Jay:
What do you mean?
Think I'm not strong enough to beat you?
Herald:
It's not that I doubt your abilities. However, the Black Parade has given me a special directive.
Jay:
You don't mean…
Herald:
That's right!
The USSR has selected Prince Spectre, son of James Spectre, to be initiated as the newest member of the Black Parade, effective immediately!
And so for him to fulfill his destiny, and me my duty, I'll need you to stand aside Jay Libreman.
Jay:
Sorry, but on behalf of the CIA, he's taken…