V.I.R.A.L

Everyone had been, for the most part, silent for a short while now—the droning of the winter's wind raging through. With the battle over it was only a matter of time before V.I.R.A.L showed up to get them out. Alton sat on the floor, staring at the crown, no one wanted to be the first one to speak up about the harsh reality. Only one person could have their wish granted. Alton stood up, taking a breather as an icy particle left his mouth. He held his arms close, trying to keep warm. He walked over to the crown, losing patience only for Harmony to stop him, staring blankly towards him. "What are you doing?"

Alton pushed her arm away, ignoring her. "What does it look like? I'm having my wish granted."

"Who gave you permission?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, should I ask for your blessing. The way I see it, I deserve this. I was the one who took down Eyes Over Reality. I'll take you all down if I have to. I have to get my wish." He argued refusing to give up as Zinnia also stepped up. "What are you doing?"

"You aren't the only person who wants their wish, Alton."

Giving off a smirk, he stepped back. "Oh yeah? Tell me what is that wish, huh? Because whatever it is, it is nowhere near as important as mine." They all remained silent as Alton nodded satisfied. "As I thought. Scarlett, you said you'd help me out till the very end. Get these two away from me."

Scarlett sighed stretching. "Look, Alton. I honestly love you. I seriously do, but the situation has changed. I'll be requiring that wish now."

Alton felt his eye twitch as he shook his head. "Typical… Just how important can any of your wishes be anyway?! What the hell is so important you've got to take my one chance at making things right?! Huh? Tell me you fuckers!"

"Same could be said for you Dauntless." Harmony claimed.

"He wishes he was never born. That's what he wants. For his father to never find him. This is the oh so special wish Alton wants. To give it all up." Scarlett snaps, rubbing her eyes. "What a selfish simple-minded prick."

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"Is that true?" Zinnia whispered.

Alton stared down, biting his lip, making it bleed. "Who cares? I get my wish, and none of you will remember this anyway. Sunset Peak wouldn't have fallen. Percy will still be alive. You wouldn't be enslaved to Bargaining, and… Sam would be fine. Why can't I have that? A happy ending where everything is fine?! I'm just some monster who causes pain and loss everywhere he goes—these powers of mine, this curse. I don't want it. The pain it has caused, it is better off forgotten and lost to time."

"Bullshit," Scarlett whispers before screaming. "Bullshit! How is that a happy ending? You wouldn't exist. Team Rhapsody wouldn't either. I would be trapped in my hell hole never being able to break free. Zinnia would behind bars for attacking the Montagues. Percy would be a blind servant to Vanguard. Gale would be still stream sniping with no way out of his hate-filled life. Emil would have nowhere to go abused and make a mockery of the Montagues. A world without you is too hard Alton. Without you, there would be nothing. Who would stop Vanguard? Paradox? Eyes Over Reality? You claim the world would be better off, but I frame differently. Think of all the lives you've touched. The people you've saved. Where would that world be without Alton Brantley."

Alton now had his back to everyone as he had both of his hands scrunched up. "You don't understand. This isn't just better for you but for me too. I can't go back in time and change those mistakes. I never will, and I know I am only going to repeat them. Just let me have this."

"Everyone has regrets in the past. That's why it's called the past. But we can learn from our mistakes and grow as people no? Whatever happened, you can make up for them."

Alton turned around, wiping his teary face laughing. "That's the thing, Scarlett. My future is already set in stone for disaster. It has been the moment I was brought into this world. The moment my father found me… I don't expect you to ever understand. No one can."

"Scarlett… Let him have it." Zinnia whispered.

Scarlett turned to Zinnia devastated. "What?! ZinZin! You can't be serious?! If Alton does, this everything will change. We will have never met him. Team Rhapsody wouldn't exist. Think about this!"

"What is there to think about? If Alton seriously wants this, who am I to stop him?"

"I can't believe this… Out of all the people here, I thought you would understand. You're meant to be a hero!"

Zinnia glanced over at Alton sighing. "Even as a hero. Some people just can't be saved…"

Scarlett fell to her knees, losing the argument as even Harmony had subsided backing down. Alton turned to the crown, ready to take it. Before so, he took a deep breath feeling overwhelmed. "Thank you all… Words can't describe how much you've changed my life. This year has been something else. No matter what happens, I won't forget any of you… Maybe expect you, Harmony… I don't really know you." Alton kneeled down, reaching for crown. He held it for a short moment before it faded. His eyes widen as EOR was howling with laughter on the floor coughing. "What have you done? What have you done?!"

"Fooling someone is easy when they are already fooling themselves. Don't think this to be so easy. My game isn't over yet. It's only just begun."

Alton snapped ready to kill EOR only for Zinnia to stop him, pointing. "Alton… Look."

Turning around Alton flinched seeing the streamer with no followers standing on a pile of snow holding the crown up admiring it. "What the hell is this?"

Killer Queen tilted his head staring down at the streamers with a foreboding smug look. "Foolish weaklings. Look at how you fall apart with doubt and conflict. I have grown stronger, and now my time for revenge has come."

Scarlett stepped forward, pulling her hand back, trying to steal the crown back. The illusion broke as dozens of Killer Queens appeared all staring at the crown. "Shit…"

EOR stood up, faking his loss as a last gamble as he bowed to them. "This little game will only end with our victory. His story is coming to the ultimate climax as his revenge against you all is to play out."

Refusing to give in and lose out on his wish Alton snapped freezing every target as his eyes starting glowing yellow. "Whoever the hell you are I won't falter!" Striking the final Killer, Queen Alton was stopped unable to move. His eyes widened, finding a snake wrapped around his legs slivering up his body. The snake was the same as the streamer's tattoo plastered on his arm. "It can't be…"

Emil rushed in panting, getting Zinnia's attention. "Shit… I'm too late!"

"Emil? What's going on!"

"Don't… Don't let him make his wish!"

Killer Queen leaned in towards Alton, mocking him holding his cheeks tightly. "To think I used to have problems against you in the past. Pathetic. But that is the thing of the past. For now, my revenge is at the boiling point." Taking off his mask, Alton gritted his teeth, trying to break free. "So, Alton how does it feel to have met your match?"

"Monty, you bastard! You never know when to quit, do you?!"

Monty smacked Alton as the snake tightened its grip, making him wince in pain. "A Montague never knows when to quit! You've humiliated me and ruined everything! During the raid, when you became that monster, I realised first-hand how far our power was. I refused to be looked down on or to be seen as weak any longer! Now look at me you are powerless to stop what is to come."

"Monty, don't do this… I need that wish. I don't wish to exist. It will benefit you too!"

"Oh, Alton. I understand." Monty chuckled, tapping his cheek. "Don't worry, I'll make your wish come true when I pry my hands from your corpse."

Alton began freezing the snake over losing control. "If you want to see power, I'll show you true power!"

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The snake crawled up, biting Alton in the neck, stopping him in his tracks as the poison paralysed him. Zinnia gritted her teeth, wanting to help. "Why is Monty doing this?! The trials were destroyed; he should have changed!"

"He did change. But only for the worse. His hatred for Alton has only increased his carnage."

Zinnia punched the air like a set of lightning struck the area. Monty jumped out of the way as Alton took the carnage head-on. Turning his eyes on her Monty smirked. "So, you've grown stronger too. How amusing. It doesn't change anything, though." His tattoos began glowing. Nothing seemly happened until a small paper origami began floating forward.

Zinnia was left confused as Emil flinched knowing the impossible. "Zinnia get out of there!"

Before she could react, the origami expanded similarly to Emil's powers as a hail of bullets rained down gunning down Zinnia. She hit the floor bleeding everywhere as Alton watched in horror unable to do anything. His squirms and cries are silent to the poison's effect. Monty began cackling holding the crown up, letting the glow blind him. "Know this Alton I am more powerful than Team Rhapsody, and this crown will ascend me to that level. That is my wish. I wish to become more powerful than any of you, scum. I will defeat Team Rhapsody and have my revenge!"