V.I.R.A.L

A large explosion knocked Zinnia to her knees as she turned dazed. Syndicate members rushed to the scene as Zinnia rose, her head still banging. "What's going on? Alton…."

Taking a step forward, a voice whispered in her ear, making her freeze on the spot. "Bear witness to a terrible present."

Zinnia felt herself collapse for a faint moment before coming to finding everyone back where they were. Riley and Haggis were talking over a drink, Harmony and Tempo were playing a song for the masses and Gale keeping Clark in check. Rubbing her eyes, Zinnia whispered to herself, yawning. "I must be tired…. I should get some rest."

****

"Hear me now; your deaths will not be in vain. By my hands, you shall help me cleanse this world and free the masses from evil." Alton hissed, looking down at the destroyed cellblock with Riley and the others buried under the rubble. Alton kneeled down, tutting. "It's a mighty shame, Riley; I thought more highly of you a real shame. I'm sure your sister would have sided with me. But I'm afraid this is goodbye now. I have to reach the location to meet Adam. Salvation is calling."

Riley refused to give up, throwing the rubble off her and her allies as she held her hand out, ready to fire. "Don't you dare move, Alton!"

Turning his head, he tutted. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I'm sorry, Riley."

As he kept to his guns, Riley went to strike only for the Moss to pin her down. Her eyes widened as she saw each of her family being taken by the monstrous beings. Pushing the one-off her, she turned, flinching as another one came at her. Riley's heart sank as she knew who it was. "Haggis…." Blasting the ground, Riley flipped over the assaulting Moss with horror in her eyes. "No. Everyone…. Hey, come back, Alton. Come back…. ALTON, COME BACK!"

Screaming at the top of her lungs, she fell to her knees as the oncoming Moss began to overwhelm her.

Alton made it outside, rubbing his hands together. "There was no other way, Riley, and for that, I'm sorry. Your desperate cries will not last long. However, I will make a new world, one where you will forever be happy."

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Alton held his hand out as he kept walking ahead, blocking a jab of shadows piercing at his defences. Gale landed with the will to fight. "Where do you think you're going, Alton?"

"You're wasting my time Gale. You cannot best me, give up, and I'll spare your life." Alton warned to no luck. "No? Alright then." Holding his hand behind his back, he prepared a devasting blow only to look up, flinching. "What?"

Riley blasted through blood pouring from her face as she exploded Alton clean back. Rolling in the snow, Alton stopped himself gritting his teeth. "ALTON!"

"No way…. Don't tell me, you killed them all?! They were your family. How could you?" Alton taunted, flying back using pillars of ice to keep him moving around. "Those were the last of your family who would follow you to hell and back, and you killed them all. You truly are the last of your family now."

Riley kept flying around Alton, gritting her teeth with pure anger. Her speed only increased as her green aura burnt into a crimson red. Alton stopped looking around as Riley kept growing in power. "Don't you dare talk down on me like that, Brantley? You claim to know me so well, but surely you saw this coming, did you not?"

Turning his head, Alton held his arms up, blocking Riley as she zipped over him, blowing him away. Flipping forward, Alton saved himself only from being tackled to the ground with a powerful psychic blast. Trapped in the snow, he couldn't even raise his arm, watching Riley give it her all. "Always so dramatic. When we were once allies Riley, we fought with each other and risked our lives fighting these same monsters. I did you a favour sparing you. I saved you from the family, yet you came crawling back. Not even the nice ones could escape your wrath."

"Shut up!" She screeched, going into overdrive. "You bait me with my own men with Haggis! Clearly, you don't know me well enough. Did you honestly think I would crumble away and die by my own family? May I remind you I tried to kill my own sister? Killing those close to me comes naturally!"

Crashing down, Alton managed to break free, pushing himself back. Then, facing off against Riley, he smirked, twirling a ball of fire around his hand. "Everyone you cared for died because of me. You could never live a comfortable life because of that. So surely you must hate me because of that, right?"

"I should have killed you years ago, you damn monster! You don't belong in this world."

Alton threw his flaming explosion as it just missed Riley igniting behind her, melting all the snow in the area. "Your sister couldn't defeat me. Mortem couldn't defeat me. Acceptance and Pain couldn't defeat me. Not even Alton could defeat me. So what makes you any more special?"

Riley took a step forward as her eyes ignited into a red blaze of rage. Her hair began to stand up as each step melted the ground around her. "Nothing."

Going to send her own mighty attack Alton flicked out his pocket watch crushing it. "Frigid bite!" Riley and Gale froze as Alton raised his head, cackling away. "You're absolutely right; you're nothing. Nothing will allow you to win. Fall through my might."

Alton went to strike. His wavering attack was halted as Riley broke through frigid bite with her blazing fury. A large explosion was set off, blowing Alton far into the sky, scorching his face. Riley wouldn't halter, bringing Alton back throwing him into the building. Alton crashed to the ground lying on the floor, his hair and face burnt to pieces. Slowly pulling himself up, Alton looked around, seeing Harmony, Tempo, Gale, and Clark had surrounded the boy blocking his possible escape. Slouched over panting, Alton raised his head as Riley crashed down her hand, crackling with fire. "It's over."

Stumbling back, Alton held his hand out, bleeding. "Alright…. Alright, alright. You win, Riley. You win. But…. But I'm not done yet." Drawing an ice blade, Alton stabbed himself in the stomach, gagging falling to his knees.

Gale stared on, dazed by this turn of events. "What?!"

Alton lowered his head, bleeding out whimpering. "I win…."

Riley stared on dazed, turning her head hearing Jehovah crying out. "Zinnia, wake up! Wake up!"

Zinnia slowly came to her senses as Alton took his last breath. Staring on, her eyes widened at sight. "Alton…. Alton, what have you done? What have you done?!"

"Zinnia, no. This isn't what you think." Gale argued.

Zinnia rushed to Alton's aid, unaware of what happened, choosing to protect him. "Alton was right! You all want to take his Stages!"

"Move out of the way, Zinnia! Let me finish this; Alton will not stop until we are all dead!" Riley snapped, holding her hand out, charging another attack. "That isn't your friend anymore."

"Zin-I-a…." Alton whispered, the life fading from his eyes. "I don't want to die…."

Riley tried moving Zinnia, only for her to snap by Alton's words. Thrusting her sword forward, a blast of lightning struck Riley burning her face as she jolted back, holding her eye in pain falling to the ground. The moment Riley was taken out, Alton came to life through his new Stage. The ground began to shake as all of Alton's wounds began to heal, rising to his feet; he roared with a scream of rage and fury, blasting everyone back. Holding Zinnia, keeping her from being fired back, Gale was the only one who could keep himself standing. "No way! The Stage of Anger?! When did he?"

Alton moved his hands around, taking a deep breath whispering. "One, two, three, four, five, six. Stance Six, Freezing ignite."

Ice blasted out, freezing the area before shattering blowing up. The building was destroyed as everyone was covered in snow. Alton took Zinnia's hand, his face still burnt. "Zinnia… Thank you."

Falling to one knee, Zinnia caught him looking worried. "We need to get out of here."

"Yes…. I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't want to do this." He whimpered, being carried away. "Wait. What about her?"

Zinnia looked to Jehovah, nodding. "Can you help her?"

Holding his hand out, Jehovah was lifted in the air with Scarlett's psychic powers. The three began to leave as Alton was limping helped to move through Zinnia. "I'm sorry, Zin…."

"What are you apologising for?" She whispered, still worried about her dear friend.

"I forced you into this mess. You fought your friends and made enemies of them because of me."

Zinnia shook her head smiling. "No, please don't. I don't want your apology. What I'm doing is right. I'll be by your side and protect you no matter what, Alt."

"Thank you, Zin, you're the only person I have left. I love you for that."

Flustered, Zinnia nodded, keeping ahead. "I love you too."

****

Alice returned with Lucas staring on in horror. Her base was destroyed with many deaths. Gale slouched over, coughing, helping Riley, who's had bandages around her right eye. He turned to her, sighing. "What happened here?"

"Alton betrayed us. He stole the Stage of Anger and ran away with Zinnia and Jehovah." He sighed, looking around. "We lost most of the Syndicate family and Haggis. Everyone else is just about alright."

Alice gripped her fist, cursing. "Damn it! We need to get after him. He can't be allowed to keep going on like this."

Gale nodded, sitting Riley down. "Zinnia is being tricked by him. We need to get her back and save him."

Alice looked away, whispering. "No…. Alton is gone; we need to stop him once and for all."

"You're serious?!" Gale gasped. "You want to kill him?!"

"No…. I would want to save him no matter what. But I can't think of any way to do so. I'm sorry, Gale."

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Gale shook his head. "No, no, I understand. This is the only way."

"Lucas. We should keep going."

Riley gripped Alice's leg. "Wait…. Let me come with you. I save Zinnia."

"You're in no condition to fight Riley. Please just rest. I'll get Zinnia back no matter what." Alice smiled, placing her hand on Riley's head. "Come on, Lucas."

Lucas looked back, sighing. "This scene…. It's exactly like the Garden…. When will this bloodshed end?"