Part Eight

Waking Up

It had started to rain. Faye had come through. Whether or not Jet and Electra did had yet to be seen.

Spike and I landed on a bridge, since there wasn't really any time to find a landing pad. A taxi came screeching to a halt next to Spike's trashed ship.

"Hey! Taxi!" Spike yelled, waving.

The driver took us towards New Times Square, since we didn't have any leads. It was a wild guess.

And then, I saw it. It was so very obvious that I was almost mad I hadn't come up with it before.

On the edge of New Times Square was a tower. It was made from the remnants of a bridge. It was called "Heaven's Tower".

"He's there." I said, pointing to the tower. I saw Spike figure it out. He slapped himself on the forehead.

We climbed out of the taxi, and started running.

"Hey! What about my fare!" the driver screamed.

We made it to the tower a few minutes later. I took out my pistol, and looked at Spike.

"This is my fight." I said. "Stay down here. If you see Electra, don't let her come up."

"Jack, I'm going with you." Spike insisted.

I stepped into the elevator, and hit the button for the top floor.

"Sorry, partner. Can't let you do that." I replied. "I'll see you on the other side."

As I rode the elevator up, I cleared my mind of all worries. They could only weaken me.

The elevator came to a halt. The doors slid open. I stepped out, cautiously, my gun drawn.

Vincent was nowhere to be found. I stood, looking out over the crowd. And suddenly, immediately, I felt his presence rush towards me.

I spun to my left and looked up, firing two shots. Vincent had attempted to pounce on me from the scaffolding above. The shots sent him flying backwards, and knocked off the black coat and hat he had been wearing.

"Your reflexes..." Vincent said, hunched down. "Now I remember you, Captain Jacobs."

"I'm no Captain anymore." I said. "I'm just a man."

Vincent stood up.

"When you accepted your abilities again, you became the Captain once more." Vincent said. "Whether you like it or not, you are that monster again."

"No!" I shouted. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't I?" Vincent said.

I didn't want to be the Captain anymore. The Captain was a murderer.

I felt my abilities drain away. My improved muscle mass faded, as did my remarkable reflexes. The sharpness with which I had seen everything faded; I saw the world the way it was meant to be seen.

I dropped my pistol and fell to the ground. I certainly wasn't helpless, but it was quite a shock.

Vincent walked over to me. He looked confused.

"You gave up your abilities?" he said. "Why?"

I looked up at Vincent. "I hated them." I replied.

I stood back up, and faced the madman.

"They were the only thing keeping you alive!" Vincent yelled, and shot out a kick. I leapt backwards, dodging the attack.

"Not all of my power stems from that war." I said.

Vincent ran towards me. I turned around and kicked off of a pillar, using his momentum and mine to multiply the damage I dealt when I connected. He flew backwards again.

I landed in a roll, and then jumped back up with a kick to his face. Vincent stumbled back some more.

He grinned through bloody teeth.

I watched the man, as the rain started pounding down on the tower. The ground was starting to become slippery, which I took into account with my stance. I was soaking wet, as was Vincent; his long hair was flattening out from the shower it was getting.

Vincent held up a grenade, and removed the pin. It detonated, sending me flying; but there was no shrapnel inside of the device to do the majority of the damage.

It contained the virus.

"You are now infected." Vincent said. "Do you feel the virus? Is it eating you?"

I stood back up, and looked at Vincent.

"No." I said. I looked around, and saw golden butterflies all around the city.

Vincent was almost horrified. "You- you're vaccinated?"

"So is everyone in the city." I said. "This rain contains the vaccine. Even if you detonated the bombs, no one would be infected. Your plan ends here."

Vincent took the detonator out of his coat pocket.

"Even if the poison won't work, there are still explosives around the city!" he yelled. "I can still kill hundreds with the push of a-"

A gunshot.

The detonator flew out of Vincent's hand and exploded.

His eyes went wide as he traced the gunshot back to Electra, standing a few yards behind me. She had her gun drawn.

I thought about how Spike hadn't listened to me. But where was he?

Vincent roared. He went feral.

The beast charged after Electra, but I dived in front of her, tackling Vincent before he grabbed her.

We wrestled on the ground, biting, clawing, kicking, anything to make the other person feel more pain. Eventually, I punched Vincent, hard, in the face, and stood up.

I leapt backwards, but I forgot to take into account the water and fell to the ground. I kept sliding back, and Vincent charged at me. He leapt into the air, and pounced.

I felt the cool grip of my Jericho slide into my hand, brought it up, and emptied the entire clip into Vincent. He went sailing backwards and slid across the slippery ground, leaving a bloody trail behind him.

I stood up, slowly, and slid my pistol into a holster in my trenchcoat. I went over to Electra, and put my arm around her.

Spike arrived, looked around, and sighed. I looked at him accusingly for a moment, and he shrugged.

We all walked over to Vincent. He was still alive, barely.

"Electra..." he said. "I... I'm so sorry." He coughed up blood. "And Captain... no... Jack... I under... understand... now. Your power... it's... it's love... isn't it?"

I nodded. "It is."

"I thought so." Vincent muttered. "It... was the... the emotion... you carried... into battle."

Electra sobbed quietly on my shoulder.

"Electra, I... I'm sorry." Vincent said again. "Jack... take... good ca- care of her... for me."

"I will." I said. "Vincent, I know it wasn't you who did this."

"Th-thank you..." he breathed.

"You rest." I said. "I'll see you in the next life."

He nodded, and smiled a little. "I'll... be around."

Vincent closed his eyes. I could feel his presence linger for a little while after he died.

"I know you will, Vincent." I said.

The presence left.

"I know you will."

That night, I thought about Vincent.

It was just... that he was just all alone. There was never anyone to share the game. A man who lived in dreams... that's who he was.