A Desperate City/Transcript

*[This mission can be started by either Chris or James. The mission starts by the Steel Pier in the morning, weather is sunny. There is a large stage set up, as long as many parade floats, groups of people, and cops. Joey, Melanie, Charles, and Lori are also there.]*

*[If the player starts the mission as James, Chris will be waiting by the stage to greet James. If the player starts the mission as Chris, James will be waiting by the stage to greet Chris.]*

**JAMES**: Hey, man!

**CHRIS**: Yo, what’s good?

**JAMES**: Can you believe the city’s throwing us this parade in our honor?

**CHRIS**: Actually, yeah, I can.

*[Joey, Melanie and Charles walk over.]*

**JAMES**: Hey, guys!

**JOEY**: James! Chris!

**MELANIE**: Congrats, guys! You did awesome saving humanity!

**LORI**: Yeah. I always knew my bae had it in him.

*[Lori hugs Chris.]*

**CHRIS**: Yeah, a few days ago, that was tough.

**JAMES**: But we put up with it, all of Father Time's nonsense, and we’ve moved on.

**CHARLES**: That’s great.

**CHRIS**: Few nights rest, and we’re back at it.

**MELANIE**: That’s great.

**CHRIS**: And we were flying, too! Can you believe it, James?

**JAMES**: I know! We could never fly before. Too bad it’s worn off.

**JOEY**: James, I know you told us everything already, but you didn’t tell us why Father Time had the VX-308 File Eraser.

**JAMES**: Oh yeah. Erik originally had the File Eraser, as we know. Then I got it back, but Nick saw me place it inside a chest in my apartment. When I left, I left my window open, allowing Nick to climb the fire escape, enter my apartment, and steal it. I never realized it was gone until now.

**JOEY**: Wow, that’s unlike you, James.

**JAMES**: I know. Since Nick and Erik were partners, stealing the File Eraser was all part of their master plan. Both of them knew what it was capable of, and when Nick stole it, he planned to use it to eliminate his criminal record from the grid. But it went terribly wrong, when soon after I defeated Erik, Nick got his hands on Underscore’s old lair, and restored it for his use. He tried using the File Eraser down there, but something happened and the computers overloaded and the whole place blew up. Everything was destroyed, even the File Eraser.

**JOEY**: So how was the File Eraser in Father Time’s lair?

**JAMES**: That was a new prototype Father Time was building. After the original got destroyed, he tried for years to build a new one with the same capabilities. But he never succeeded. Eventually he gave up, and that was the prototype sitting in his lair.

**JOEY**: So he never finished it, and just left it there?

**MELANIE**: That’s weird.

**LORI**: I agree with ya, sista.

**CHRIS**: But that’s all left behind now. What’s important is that we move on, and thank you guys for aiding us through that night.

**JAMES**: And Charles. Thank you especially for all your work.

**CHRIS**: Yeah, without you, we wouldn’t have beaten Father Time. And you guys, too *[Joey and Melanie]*.

**JOEY**: Thanks guys.

**JAMES**: And also Pete. Hey, where is Pete anyway?

*[All of a sudden, Pete walks over to the group, escorted by a few officers.]*

**PETE**: Hey, guys.

**GROUP**: Pete!

**JAMES**: Thank you for all you’ve done.

**PETE**: No problem. If it wasn’t for all this, I wouldn’t be where I am now. All my experiences.

**CHRIS**: That’s for sure.

**PETE**: And that’s why I’ve decided to retire. This parade’s gonna stretch down the boardwalk to Mayson Park, in Ventor. That’s where another stage is set up, and I’m officially gonna retire and select Lieutenant Vanessa Dauson as the next Commissioner.

*[When Pete says Vanessa, James face appears to fill with pain, as he remembers Vanessa LeBlanx, his girlfriend who died in The BioLynk Incident. Joey is the only one to notice this.]*

**JOEY**: Hey, James, you alright?

*[James snaps out of it.]*

**JAMES**: Yeah, I’m alright.

**CHRIS**: So if there’s a stage set up there already, what’s this one for?

**PETE**: This? This right here is for you guys. The ceremony’s gonna start now, you and James will go up there and speak for the crowd, and then you’ll be on that parade float over there, as we head down to Mayson Park.

**JAMES**: Wow, that’s a big float.

**CHARLES**: It’s the biggest one.

**MELANIE**: Wow, the crowd’s starting to build up.

**LORI**: I see that, sista.

*[Pete looks at his Stinky and the Bean watch.]*

**PETE**: Welp, it’s 10:30. We’re gonna start now.

**JAMES**: Stinky and the Bean watch? Nice.

**PETE**: It’s a collectable. Got this at an auction in Vancouver.

*[Pete walks up onto the stage.]*

**CHRIS**: He went all the way there for that?

**JOEY**: I would.

**MELANIE**: Shh! It’s starting.

*[Pete takes the stage. There are hundreds of people in the crowd, and thousands more along the parade route, and millions of viewers around the world watching live on TV.]*

**PETE**: Everyone! I’d officially like to begin this ceremony with a toast.

*[He holds up a bottle of water and pours it in a glass cup.]*

**PETE**: I don’t drink alcohol, so.

*[The crowd laughs. They lift up any drinks they have, mostly bottles of water and energy drinks.]*

**PETE**: To James Derettas and Chris McGlone, our protectors!

*[Everyone in the crowd cheers and drinks their drinks. Pete drinks all the water in his cup and throws the cup backwards, breaking it.]*

**PETE**: Ah, that was nice. Anyway, this city has a rich history, from the early days to the modern days. As most of you recall, the BioLynk Incident was a brutal day for humanity. Thousands died, and many people who were left homeless and abandoned, and scared from the men with powers, came here to Atlantic City to set up, find work, and move in. A desperate city looking for long-awaited expansion, and here it was. And we’re approaching 430,000 people, how about that?

*[Everyone claps and cheers.]*

**PETE**: But we all know, despite the terror of the BioLynk Incident, something amazing came out of it. That amazing something is James Derettas, who did everything in his new power to find the other man with powers, the man responsible for everything: Erik Baying.

*[The crowd shows feeling of displeasure when Erik’s name is spoken. Some boo, but Pete starts talking again, and the boos cease.]*

**PETE**: And, like everything else he’s done, James succeeded, fighting Erik on Doxon Island, Interface City in a long, tense battle, until Erik finally succumbed to his wounds and died. But his work was not over. Turns out that while Erik was planning everything, he had a partner, Nicholas Monetti. AKA, Father Time.

*[The crowd gasps. Some boo.]*

**PETE**: Nicholas was working on a way to create different forms of powers, eventually creating Light and Time Manipulations three years later. This was when James came to Atlantic City, after news regarding Nicholas surfaced. There was another man with powers on the loose, and James came here to find who it was. And now, I’m gonna hand the mic over to him, let him explain some more of this.

*[The crowd cheers. James steps onto the stage and starts talkin’.]*

**JAMES**: Very good job there, Pete. Anyways, I’ll continue from where he left off. So there I was, just landed in Atlantic City with my best friends. I’d been to Atlantic City a few times when I was little, with my parents, but didn’t really remember it after they died. Anyway, we spent weeks trying to find this guy, and eventually we did. Along the way, Chris and I ended the G Gang's reign, the local gang that’s been crippling Atlantic City for years.

*[The crowd cheers.]*

**JAMES**: And everything eventually led up to a few nights ago, when Father Time’s reign ended forever. And Chris–come on up here–has been a wonderful person to aid me in this quest.

*[Chris comes up on stage, and starts talking. Everyone cheers.]*

**CHRIS**: Yeah, I used to be just an ordinary guy living in Atlantic City, all my life. Atlantic City represent!

*[The crowd cheers louder.]*

**CHRIS**: But yeah, one day I was caught in a situation with the G Gang, and if it wasn’t for James, I would’ve been dead. He stepped in and saved me, and I’m eternally grateful. After that we stopped the G Gang together, but unfortunately, it was that point when Father Time got a hold of me, but fortunately, I received Light powers. Father Time was actually supposed to turn me evil, so I’d be like his henchman, but luckily that failed. The irony, huh?

*[The crowd claps and cheers loudly. Pete walks back up on stage. He asks James and Chris a question off-mic.]*

**PETE**: You guys finished?

**JAMES**: Yeah.

**CHRIS**: Yeah.

**PETE**: Okay.

*[Pete gets on the mic.]*

**PETE**: Alright, folks, give it up for our heroes, Chris and James!

*[The crowd claps and cheers loudly.]*

**PETE**: Alright, we’re gonna head down the boardwalk and to Mayson Park, where I’ve got another announcement planned. So everyone, get ready for the parade, and we’ll meet ya there!

*[The crowd cheers lightly.]*

**PETE**: And there’ll be free food!

*[Now the crowd cheers louder.]*

**PETE**: That’s more like it.

*[The crowd chuckles. Pete, Chris and James get off-stage and on to their respective floats. Chris and James have their own float, the largest and tallest one of all. Pete has his own float with some of the other police officers, and Lieutenant Dauson. Joey, Melanie, Charles and Lori have their own float, and there are several other large floats and performers heading down the boardwalk, and thousands of people. What a large parade it is.]*

*[It seems as if everyone is having a fun time until the parade reaches the west end of Casino Row, when a bomb planted inside Chris and James’s float explodes, completely destroying the float and killing everyone around it, except Chris and James, of course. Everyone is running and screaming in a panic, and we hear gunshots and shooting around.]*

*[A few seconds later, as Chris and James get back on their feet, from the corner of the screen we see a second bomb go off, this time planted in the police float. Chris and James run over to the police float, where they see all the police officers have been killed, but Pete is still alive, albeit severely injured.]*

**JAMES**: PETE!!

**CHRIS**: Don’t worry, man, I’ll get you to the hospital!

**JAMES**: I’ll find whoever did this!

*[Chris runs off carrying Pete, out of sight now. James sees some thugs shooting civilians down the boardwalk. The player, as James, must defeat these thugs and also defeat several other thugs located around the area, on rooftops and in alleyways. The player may use the Vicinity View to find all enemies if they’re having trouble. Once all enemies have been defeated, James calls Joey.]*

**JAMES**: Joey, you guys OK?

**JOEY**: Yeah, we all made it out of there! But what about Pete?

**JAMES**: I don't know. Chris rushed him to the hospital but it looked serious.

**JOEY**: Did you find who did this?

**JAMES**: No, but I will. I took out a bunch of thugs that were shooting up the place, though, so that’s a start.

**JOEY**: Alright, you did good. I’m sorry this had to happen, James. It was supposed to be a happy celebration, but...

**JAMES**: Joey, why are you sorry? I’m used to this kind of stuff.

**JOEY**: A lot of people died, though.

**JAMES**: Yeah, it has to be in the hundreds. We’ll find out on the news, I guess.

*[The player must now switch to Chris, who is halfway to the hospital, while carrying Pete. The player must get to the hospital, and when they do, emergency personnel are already waiting at the entrance.]*

**EMT**: Thanks, Chris, we’ll take it from here.

*[After Pete is rushed into the hospital, Chris calls James.]*

**CHRIS**: Yo James!

**JAMES**: It’s a shame someone would do that after what happened.

**CHRIS**: Yeah, they were obviously out to get us. And the cops.

**JAMES**: Now we have to find the person responsible for this.

**CHRIS**: Like we haven’t done enough finding people already.

**JAMES**: Chris. We have to.

**CHRIS**: I know. This hero-ing stuff is tough. I don't know how you’re so committed.

**JAMES**: And you’re not?

**CHRIS**: I am, but... sometimes I wish I was a normal person again, y’know?

**JAMES**: But you’re not. You have powers now. Embrace it, like I have.

**CHRIS**: Yeah, you right. Hopefully Pete will be OK and we’ll find who did this. I’ll see you later.