V.I.R.A.L - Chapter 324

“Give me back, Alton, you monster, Hollow Chasm!”

The largest earthquake occurred as the ground tore open with molten lava spewing out. The city was engulfed and was eaten by the chasm as Ten was scorched, unable to escape as he stared at Sam in shock. “So this is the power of the Phoenix of Hero’s Might?! Curse you, Sam Belling, this isn’t over!”

****

Alton awoke, finding himself in the last location he could have ever imagined. Fairy-Tale. The destroyed ruins of a once proud and mighty city stood as a reminder of past events. Standing at the peak of the city, Alton felt a presence he hadn’t felt in a long time, all the way back when he approached the dead Titan beside Sunset Peak. Turning, Alton saw him, the bloody angel chained imprisoned in his destroyed city. This time Alton didn’t feel the fear or torment he did before. Instead, he understood who this was. The man raised his head, his eyes flashing yellow for a short moment before returning to his seemly natural purple. His white hair lingered over his face, all stringy and dirty. He spoke in an uneven tone, whispering to Alton. “Free me.”

“I ran away when I first laid eyes on you. Not this time. What do you want? You’ve been in mine and Alice’s head before. Why us? What do you wish to achieve through us?”

“Free me.”

“Free you? And why should we do that? I know who you are, all for what you stand for. You’re the first. You’re One of the Ten Judgements.” One remained silent, staring dully at Alton, lowering his head giving Alton his answer. “I knew it. The one pulling strings all along. Not the Garden, not myself or V.I.R.A.L. You. One of the Ten Judgements, it was you who banished the Garden and doomed us all, was it not?”

“Free me.”

Alton ran up to One, staring him down with spite. “Yeah, and why should I do that for? All you’ve done is cause pain and sorrow to all of those below you. You toyed with Adam and Eve and tried to have me executed for my very existence. If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened. No war, no deaths. We would all be at peace. So, you answer me this. Why the hell should I even debate freeing you? No, as a matter of fact, I should just kill you. Yeah, killing you would only make sense. But even that’s too good for you. I’m glad to see the other Judgements lived up to their name and judged you accordingly. Who was it then? Four? Eight or Nine?”

“Ten.”

Alton stopped falling back into his frightened state, hearing One say something different. Even just the one-word difference was enough to set him back over the edge. “What? Me? I did this? There’s no way…. I mean. Ha, ha. How ironic. You looked to banish and destroy the Garden out of what? Fear? Fear they would destroy you? Looks like you made your own fears come true. I’m never going to free you. I’m going to put an end to all of this once and for all.”

“Free me.”

“And how do I do that then? Tell me, and I’ll make sure to do the opposite.”

“Fulfil your destiny.”

Alton backed away with a weary look. He didn’t like what One told him, but that didn’t stop him. Keeping his excellent, Alton turned around, hands in his pockets. “I’m going to take Salvation’s Calling and wipe you and every trace of your fucking existence from this place. You hear me. You and this City of Dreams will all vanish not because you wanted it or because of destiny. But because I wanted it. So consider this my official notice I quit.”

****

“Are you threatening me?! I’ll tear you limb from limb Alton Brantley and soon after, your friends! How long will you last against my never-ending rage.”

Dropping his hand, Alton slouched over his hands in his pockets. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Threatening me is one thing, but others…. Unfortunately, it seems I can’t avoid conflict so. I’ll have to completely annihilate you once and for all.”

Anger snarled, moving into her usual stance. The moment her legs moved, she screamed in pain, stumbling back holding her face. Alton was now behind her holding his hand flicking her blood away. Controlling her face, Anger was struck clean in the eye-blinding her. “You bastard….” Tearing off her other bandage, it was revealed that this one was far from the Garden’s yellow but instead an incredible sky blue.

Alton glanced over his shoulder, smirking. “I get it now. All those fancy moves and insurance plans weren’t just for show. You are vastly different to the other Stages of Grief, and this explains. You’re not from the Garden. You’re simply human.”

Anger tore at more of her bandages, losing her mind. “Enough! I am not human; I am in a Stage of Grief. I threw away my humanity long ago; there is nothing left from Athena Barks! Only Anger remains. I shall rip that cocky smile from your mouth and leave nothing left.”

Alton taunted Anger turning away again sighing. “You really are pathetic.” Anger got into her stance, counting up as he looked to the ground. “I hate it when someone doesn’t know when they are beaten.”

“Stance eleven, Oncoming Dread.”

Lunging at Alton, Anger slammed her hand down like a hammer, only for a large set of ice to pierce through her knocking her back. Turning his towards her, Alton held his hand out, holding Anger in place, his arms glowing green. Ripping his hand back, Anger was tossed across the room before he lunged to the ground pressed deep into the rubble. More of her armour began to break as Alton walked over, staring down. Ramming from the ground, Anger started throwing punches as Alton blocked each one before returning his own with a flaming punch taking the wind out of her. Gripping onto her hair, he smashed her into a wall opening his hand letting it explode. Alton once stood against Paradox and decimated the ceiling caving in as Alton stepped backhands back into his pockets. “I’ve been taking it too easily, letting others get the better of me. I hesitate and show mercy, because of that people got killed. But, good people, I won’t allow that anymore. It ends here Anger.”

Screaming at the top of her lungs, she flew out, smashing the ground in front of Alton, her veins bulging yellow. “I won’t lose to the likes of you! I like the Garden grow forever, my hatred swells!”

Taking his right hand out of his pocket, Zinnia flinched, seeing before she was his pocket watch. Slowly freezing it over, Alton waited until Anger attacked inches from his face again. “Frigid Bite.” Anger was frozen in time, and this time only Anger with Zinnia finding herself able to move. Anger’s look of rage and anguish turned to fear and dread as Alton pushed himself against her fist, staring her down. “Do you know to understand? A mere human cannot have the ambition or willpower to overcome me. Wash that hatred away and accept your fate.”  Raising his hand, icicles pierced through Anger a dozen times again and again until finally, she stopped moving. Anger limped over impaled, thoroughly defeated. “You wished for this may I remind you. I gave you an easy way out.”

Alton approached Zinnia before walking past her kneeling down holding Sam in his arms. He began stroking her head, whispering to her. Then, looking to Zinnia, he lowered his head again. “Did she go painlessly?”

Zinnia choked, hand shaking as she whispered. “I…. She seemed so. She was happy to finally meet me, or so it seemed.”

“I’m glad. None of this should have happened. She didn’t deserve this. She was the best of us all. An innocent girl who helped me through my tough times not because she had to or because she was cursed to do so. It was because she wanted to. I looked up to her so much…. And well, I just. Damn it…. I did all I could to save her. You know that, right?”

“You kept her safe in your pocket world, keeping her from death while giving her the childhood she deserved. She said before the world faded to thank you for that.” Iris whispered, making Alton whimper. “She truly loved you.”

“She was the family I could only wish to have. Oh, Sam…. You idiot.”

Zinnia turned, staring at Anger, still feeling anger swell inside her for all that she did. That’s when she gasped, stepping back, a whisper played in her ear. Alton noticed, turning just as dazed as Anger pulled herself from the icicle, her wounds closing blood covering her face. Then, opening her eyes, she screamed with a mighty roar as the entire building began to shake. Jumping to his feet, Alton pushed Zinnia behind him biting his lip. “Shit…. I took too long to take her Stage, and now she gone and activated her fucking long whisper! The Stage of Grief Anger’s ability to resurrect from the dead….”

Anger kept screaming as all her armour shattered, her entire body covered in bloody bandages and scars. Her single yellow eye returned as her power was far exceeding Alton’s. “My hatred swells! All of you must die!”