V.I.R.A.L

The pure chaos and destruction were too much for Lucas to bear as he fell over in fear crawling back at the sight of the dead. All he could do was helplessly watch as the closest thing he could call to family was being beaten to a bloody pulp by his best friend. Alton kept slamming at Eren's defences, not letting loose for a single moment. Only able to watch with wide eyes, Richard trying pulling at him, yelling. "We need to go, Lucas. Come on!"

"What about Eren?! We can't just leave him…. Alton is going to kill him!"

"That isn't Alton. I don't know who that is, but he's nothing more than a monster. We need to run. We stand no chance against him!"

Falling over, Lucas stared at the bloody icicles stabbed through the ground with the Gardener's remains latched around. The dark blue merged with the crimson red as Lucas whispered to himself, devasted. "What colour is that…."

"Lucas!" Richard screamed only to find Chloe was gone from his sight. He turned, freaking out as Chloe was slowly approaching the battle with not a care in the world, scratching at her arm constantly alongside a twitchy neck. "Chloe! Chloe, get back here! What are you doing?!"

Almost breaking through Eren's defence to snatch the Stage, Alton's attention was drawn for a short moment by Chloe. The short girl kept walking towards him, her dark brown hair falling out in clumps as her eyes began to glow yellow. Then, without thinking for a single second, an icicle ripped from the ground tearing through Chloe, holding her up as she fell over limp hanging in the air. Lucas' eyes widened seeing one of his best friends murdered in front of him. Then, with the trembling of his lip's tears began to form as he screamed in pain. "CHLOE!"

Staring at Chloe for a short moment, Alton ignored her, kicking Eren back. Then, holding his hand back, he let off a barrage of explosions, tearing the tiny Titans apart the homes onboard crashing into the ground burying the borrows below. Eren coughed up more blood, trying to pull himself up but wasn't quick enough with Alton hot on his tail. Sending one of his tawny owls at him, Alton moved his neck, holding the owl in place, crushing it, throwing it aside with the aid of Scarlett's powers.

Eren was down for the count, completely countered by Alton's brutal strength. Ready to end it, Alton stopped seeing Chloe twitching. Her head began to move as he gave her his full attention. Holding his hand up, creating more icicles to finish her off, it was already too late. Chloe's eyes snapped open, showing the fierce yellow matching his own. In a split second, Alton gagged, finding himself where Chloe once was coughing up blood trapped impaled by the ice. Chloe now stood where Alton was fully healed, still scratching her arm until it bled. Lucas and Richard stared on in shock at this turn of events as Zinnia stood up, running to him. "Alton!"

As Zinnia got close, she found herself back where she was and now Chloe standing by Alton. Staring down at him, she shook her head. "Going for me was a smart decision. But you see, Alton, never take your eyes off the enemy. Who you see before you are one of the Stages of Grief representing the Sub Stages Anxiety."

Eren came back into the frame, standing in front of Alton, his owl by his side. Seeing all the death and destruction around him, he gritted his teeth, devasted. "My home…. You bastard, look what you've done, Alton! Look at it! This was your home too, how could you forget that. They were your friends, your family, and you butchered them like animals."

Chloe jumped down from the icicle stepping back meeting with Eren. "The plan worked without a hitch. Keeping my Stage a secret was the best thing we could have done. We did that for this very moment."

"While I don't always agree with Bargaining's plans, this was a good move on his behalf. But, to think they would go as far to attack the Garden itself…. If Alton is here, then is Depression gone too?"

"No. He's only using Acceptance's power. Depression isn't in his body." Bargaining yelled, standing behind Alton on another tiny Titan aiding Eve. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Eve winced, nodding. "He caught me off guard. I won't mess up next time."

"No…. It's best not for you to fight him. Alice shared the same power with you; he knows how it works. The two Sub Stages and I will deal with this." Standing at the edge, Bargaining kept yelling out. "You were a fool to come here alone, Alton! Even if others are hiding around, it won't matter. There's no escape, and now you've thrown your life away just to save one pathetic girl! She sacrificed herself to protect you, and now that was all be for nothing. For what? To protect someone you care about?!"

Alton gripped onto the icicle, coughing again, looking around at the impossible odds. Two Sub Stages and one Stage that being of Bargaining. He was heavily outnumbered and powered. But Alton wasn't worried. His mind was evident as he was ready. "I had an old friend who was brought up believing she had to save the world. That her whole life depended on stopping V.I.R.A.L and freeing her family. She looked to me for help, and I threw it in her face…. If I had done things differently and took her hand, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Scarlett will still be alive. But it didn't; you killed her and took our home. I want to save the people I care about; we shared that in common. But there was one thing I, too, believed in. An old phrasing they used has stuck by me since I learned of the meaning. Victoria aut mors…. Victory or death."

A light echo of rain began pouring over the village out of nowhere, which only escalated into a horrendous downpour. Bargaining jumped down, gritting his teeth. "Don't let your eyes off him! Is this what your plan is? The rain, do you honestly believe you can use this cheap trick against me?!"

Bargaining stopped hearing the loud echo of screams. He turned, eyes widened to find half the village devoured as the Moss rose from the ground killing anyone in sight. Lucas and Richard were trapped in the middle, forced to fend off against the foe. Chloe stared on, shocked, jumping down. "The bastard, he's using the Moss to kill everyone! How could he?!"

Bargaining rushed in, smashing one back pulling Lucas from being eaten. He, however, wasn't able to save Richard in time, seeing him being engulfed by the Moss. Gritting his teeth in concern, he threw Lucas aside, taking down each Moss over and over. As their attention was drawn, Alton held the icicle tightly, slowly melting the ice. While Chloe and Bargaining were focused on saving the masses, Eren soon saw Alton's actual plan. Breaking from the ice, he slammed down to the ground onto one knee, his blood mixing in with the water before it stopped. Standing up, the rain had fully healed Alton as he stared on at Eren. "That power belongs with Team Rhapsody, with me. Give it up, or I'll tear it from your very soul."

Eren crushed his fist calling on two tawny owls barking. "I won't give up what I've worked so hard for! I won't die until Lucas is free to see the sky!" The moment he ordered his owls to attack, each of them was instantly destroyed by seemly nothing. He stumbled back, dazed whispering. "Impossible. I didn't even see what hit them…." Looking down at the ground, Eren soon noticed the water began rising up, meeting with the rain crashing down.

Watching the rain, he cried out as he was torn to pieces jumping back constantly barraged with the deadly rain. Covering himself with a thick layer of feathers, Eren hid away. With this, Alton shook his head, condensing the water into a single attack looking to polarise Eren in a single attack. Turning his head, he constructed a thick wall of ice blocking Bargaining's attack. Depending on the spot, he stepped back as the wall shattered, and the two came face to face. Shaking his head, Alton held his hand up slightly, pointing up contracting the water into his finger. "You are foolish to underestimate me, Adam; you stole me from my home and used me for your twisted game. Don't think I'm clueless; collecting the Stages is your goal, and once I've sought out my purpose, you will simply dispose of me."

"I'm…. I'm impressed you know that. If you knew such terms, then why were you so eager in making the pact and falling into line?"

Alton smugly laughed, making Bargaining look weary. "Because it was fun to make you believe you were in control. Giving me this power and manipulating me was a mistake. You are not getting Salvation's Calling, not in a million years. You can wait until I've had my use, and maybe then if I deem you worthy of existing, maybe then you can have your fun."

"Look at you acting all cocky and bold because you got a bit stronger." Bargaining barked, swinging his arm around pointing to Alton. "But this doesn't change anything. I'm still far stronger than you." The rain kept cutting Bargaining, causing him to wince, but he would return to normal with each blink only to witness the pain again. "I'll take what's rightfully mine." Alton's eyes widened as he stopped blinking as Bargaining found himself unable to move. "What…. What's going on?"

"Could you not tell? Even if your wounds heal, my water is still in your body. Moving around and now controlling your movement cutting off your senses and nervous system. While you were acting all proud and mighty about power, I took matters into my own hand how bold of you to tell me what I can and cannot do. This power is rightfully yours? Who gave you that right? You're far stronger than me? Who gave you that right? You used me as a puppet to get what you wanted? Now, just who gave you. That right? Begone from my sight and perish puppet of Fairy-Tale."

Blasted back by the unrelenting blast of water, Alton finally let a blink off, pulling Bargaining right back where he was. Waiting for this moment, Bargaining went to strike only for a dozen arrows to land on the ground around him, blowing him back with a mighty roar.

Eve leaned forward, her eyes full of shock as she watched the battle take fold. "It's her, so she didn't die after all…. I should have known you would turn up Alice Hawthorne!"

Flipping from her portal over Bargaining, she tugged her bow back, firing off another blast of arrows blowing up the area. Bargaining was sent flying back as Alice spun about around, firing more arrows at the ground, letting Bargaining out of her sight. Healing himself and returning to that spot, he looked down, flinching as the arrows Alice laid down exploded again, knocking him back. Bracing himself this time, he slid back, meeting with Eren and Chloe, holding his arm, choosing not to return to where now Alice stood. "Sorry I'm late, everything is going to plan. She's in position, and the others are holding off Depression."

Stopping the rain, Alton nodded, turning to the Stages. "No, no, your timing couldn't be any more perfect, Alice. Thank you. Zinnia." Hearing her name, she ran over, still worn down by the Worm. "You claimed you could fight, no? Then let's see it. Alice, Zinnia. Please lend me your strength and help me end this once and for all. Bargaining falls today."

Bargaining stood up, looking to his allies and Eve above. "Show them no mercy…. I want their heads on a platter. Take the two; Alton is mine."