V.I.R.A.L

"Will you help me?"

Stag raised her hand, huffing three times again, making Zinnia more confused. "You will help us help you," Rhapsody informed, arms folded. "We all want the same. This world will fall once we pluck Alton Brantley and kill him once and for all."

Zinnia's heart skipped a beat as she turned to them, startled with a whisper. "Kill?"

Rhapsody turned to Stag, nodding. "Is there a problem with that? That is why you're here, is it not?"

"I'm not here to kill Alton! I want to save him." Zinnia snapped back.

"What differences does it make?" Tempo questioned, shrugging his shoulders. "Killing or saving, it's all the same thing."

"He's still my friend! I won't just accept this and help you kill anyone who can be saved. I turned my back on Alton once before; I'm never doing that again."

"You won't have to." Tempo started slamming his book shut. "He is one of the Ten's Judgement like myself. He's different though, he wasn't born or chosen like the rest of us. He is a Child of the Garden front and centre, pampered and rotted through the brain to destroy the Garden. His destiny is clear the boy you call Alton is dead. Only Ten stands."

"You're wrong; Alton is still in there. I sensed it. Alton is alive!"

"She's not wrong. Five." Harmony called out, stepping inside. "As we speak, the boy and Ten are still fighting for dominance. No matter how we look at it, we're still at war with the Garden. Killing Ten would only move in their favour; he's a key asset to victory."

"It seems you're already decided in his fate even without Stag's approval," Rhapsody informed folded his arms adjusting his mask. "No matter, I simply act out Stag's wishes as I pay the debt owed. She will not stop you in your endeavours; however, if there is any sign that this plan will fall apart, we shall ditch these fatal efforts and dispose of Ten once and for all."

Zinnia was hesitant to agree to such terms. Still, she knew this was the only way to get everyone on the same boat and work together, this wasn't just for Alton but everyone trapped inside the pocket world. "I understand; I'll agree to these terms. Lend us your strength Stag to free Alton from Ten and escape this world. I need as many people as possible to aid us."

"This is all nice and dandy; however, Alton isn't the biggest problem we have to deal with, is it? We still have to figure out how to dispose of the Safeties plaguing the streets. Their overwhelming forces will be too much even for us."

"Leave that problem with me. I can handle the Safeties." Rhapsody recommended getting a few strange looks. "This was the reason Stag saved me."

"How can someone like you stop the Safeties?" Zinnia questioned.

Before any more of the plan could be brought up, Stag stood up, sniffing the air jumping down with a grunt. "You're kidding me? Now?"

"What's going on?! What's wrong?"

"Someone has breached the edge of this world. Someone has broken through, a Sam Belling."

"Sam…." Zinnia whispered. "Can we reach her from here?"

Stag began to alert with a red aura around her as claws grew from her fingers before she slashed the air cutting a hole through reality. "Go, before Alton notices the tear in his reality. Save this Sam Belling."

Zinnia stood at the crack, taking a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

****

"This the only way of true happiness. It will all be over soon, nothing but a bad dream."

Sam found herself trapped in a situation with the odds forever against her. She was far used to close-range combat with plenty of cuts and corners to get the drop on her foe. But when it came to the location and Alice as the enemy, Sam was far outmatched.

This wouldn't mean Sam was willing to give in that quickly. Kicking her leg up, water splashed in front of her as a mixture of fire and water came together, creating a thick layer of steam blocking Sam from Alice's vision. Having no choice but to teleport to a better position, Sam waited for the moment Alice would appear to strike. Crouched down, Sam propelled herself forward, swinging her legs around with a flaming kick off-balancing Alice but just enough that she could avoid the attack. Unfortunately, a portal opened, sucking Sam in throwing her to the floor as a dozen arrows soon met her fall.

Turning on the spot, Sam tried deflecting as many as possible. But, even with her immense speed and reflexes, she wasn't able to keep up with the last arrow as it pierced through her shoulder, sending Sam crashing to the floor. Sam lay on her dazed back coughing. "Alton always chose the most irritating members to battle, didn't he?"

"Stay down, Sam; I don't want to go any further with this!" Alice begged, holding her bow, squeezing the tip back, handshaking. "Just allow yourself to drift into a blissful sleep."

Pulling herself up, Sam croaked, moving her shoulder around. "I've done enough sleeping for three lifetimes, my dude…. Time for me to wake up." Flicking her hand forward, a blast of flames ignited into a wall of immense heat, capturing Alice holding her in point. Rushing forward, Sam rolled on using her built up momentum to propel herself forward jump kicking Alice out with a mighty roar of flames and pure strength. Alice was smashed to the floor, sliding down the endless void drenched.

Alice gritted her teeth, opening her hand as a small orb appeared with unstable energy rippling from it. Crushing her hand, one giant portal seemed at least 20 feet long, towering over Sam. The single portal began to glow, radiating high energy awaiting a final blast of might. As she charged up, a tear, in reality, appeared with the howl of an animal. Zinnia came crashing through the portal, katana at the ready for the foe. Alice's eyes widened as she stopped the attack, dazed. Zinnia turned to a worn-down Sam. "Sam Belling?"

"Who's asking?"

"Oh my God…. It's really you; you're alive. Alton found you after all these years."

Sam raised an eyebrow smugly, laughing to herself. "Well, I'll be damned. It's you, Zinnia Trost, right? So finally, I can put a face to the legend. My man, it's awesome to finally meet you."

"Likewise."

"Zinnia…. There's no way." Alice whispered, dragging her feet through the puddle, looking like she saw a ghost. "You're alive…."

"Alice. You're here too."

Sam stood in front of Zinnia with a flaming hand. "Don't, Zinnia. Alice here is under the influence of this world. She is adamant that everything stays how it is."

"Is that true?"

"Don't tell me you, too, are working against Alton's will." Alice whimpered, hurt more than before. "Why? His best interests are for all of us."

"That isn't Alton Alice; he's being used and torn apart by Ten of the Ten's Judgement. We need to save him."

"You're lying. Lying!"

"Zinnia!" Rhapsody yelled from the tear. "It won't hold; you need to get out of there."

Zinnia acknowledged this taking Sam's hand. "Come on! Alice, I promise you I'll save you too; just hold on!"

The two leapt into the tear, vanishing. Alice snapped, rushing after them. "No, you don't!" She froze as a hand gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her back. "You…."

"You've done enough. Let me talk to them."

****

Zinnia and Sam ripped through the tear, falling into the courthouse panting. The jump was daunting and drained them entirely. Rhapsody turned relived. "That's it, Stag, close the tear."

As Stag moved to shatter her tear, she stepped back weary. Harmony stepped forward-looking on. "Something is coming through."

"Alice?" Zinnia whispered.

The tear began to shake and fall apart until Alton burst through, making everyone step back startled. "How did he get through?!" Tempo yelled.

Alton patted himself down, admiring the courthouse seeing the collapsed roof and the tree they were living under. "My, my, how fascinating. So, you were all hiding out here in one of my cracks. How did I not notice this sooner?"

"Alton!" Zinnia yelled.

Alton looked down at Zinnia with pity as he frowned, arms folded. "You…. Of course, you would get involved with these traitors. As for you, Sam, what do you think you're doing? I put a lot of work and effort into giving you everything you had before the fall. What is the meaning of this?"

"None of this is real, Alton, and you know it. This isn't you; this isn't what Avalanche of Hero's Might would do."

"Or Dauntless of Team Rhapsody." Zinnia added on.

Alton shrugged his shoulders, unsure what the problem was, as he raised his head, eyes closed, speaking in a judgemental way. "I don't think either of you knows what's real. You seriously want to go back to that hell hole? The one where we are losing, where we die to the Garden time and time again? If that's the case, then doesn't let me stop you. But don't go dragging the innocent victims into your own suicidal games."

Stag went to attack, but Alton reacted fast, freezing her from the waist down sighing. "I'm not here to fight you. Not today anyway. I simply wanted to remind you what's at stake if you go through with this."

"Holding everyone in a fake reality doesn't sound very much like you, Ten." Harmony informed, making Alton turn to her confused. "What happened to your personal crusade against everything?"

"You…. You're not Harmony. Don't you fucking tell me."

"The Ten's Judgement will not allow these petty games to carry on. If you will not drop this world and release the residents, we will have to step in. Us two will be more than enough to stop you."

Alton looked at Harmony and Tempo, conflicted. "And which ones are you then?"

"Five and Six."

"I see," Alton whispered, dropping his hand shaking his head. "I won't fall to your level. It's conflict and a reason to fight. If you thought I would fall for such a taunt, you're mistaken weaklings."

"The only mistake we see here is you. Nine should have never taken you from the Garden. That concept is only doomed to fail not just himself but this world too. He's using you for this own goal even now."

"You mean for me to gather the Stages so he can rip them from my corpse once my use is over?" Alton questioned, making Harmony and Tempo flinch. "What you thought I was clueless on his plotting schemes? No, no, no. I'm am already far ahead of that man. If you value your lives and this world, you will keep it in your best interest to allow Alton to keep hold of this world. If you dare ruin his wishes, I won't hesitate to move onto my own plan."

"And that is?" Tempo questioned.

"Salvation's Calling." Alton hissed, giving the place one more gloss over, smirking to himself. "This is a really nice place."

Vanishing from thin air, everyone else was left dumbfounded. Tempo and Harmony were the ones shaken, trembling in shock. "That bastard he wouldn't dare. He wouldn't dare go that far!"

"What is it? What is Salvation's Calling?!"

"It's what someone can achieve once they gather all the Stages of Grief as well as have the Ten's Judgement bloodline. It was the final ultimatum that the original Gardeners and One put together if the world was lost—the ability to rewrite the fabric of reality. Ten intends on wiping everything from the map; he'll destroy all life as we know it. That is what many casts as true Salvation. The end of everything."