V.I.R.A.L

Two weeks ago

The remains of the Montague household weren't left much to the imagination. A Titan had crashed, destroying most of the facility, leaving only the courtyard and the bunker left unharmed. Throwing the rubble aside, Riley stood arms folded, looking deflated. "This is the last place on the list. I really think Jinx doesn't want to be found."

"Finding this outcast shouldn't be our concern. Mistress Riley, please, you are bigger than this. You don't have to follow the rules put together by that hack."

"That hack spared my life many years ago. I owe him that at least, besides Haggis, you know I'm not doing this for him."

Haggis threw a large piece of rubble away, nodding. "I suppose you are correct. Forgive me for such vile words, my lady. I shall seek the proper punishment when needed."

"You don't need to go that far, Haggis. But if you aren't happy by these terms, I'm not stopping you; the Syndicate family is dead."

"I made a promise to your sister to keep you safe. I shall act out this duty until my last breath."

Riley scoffed at this, faintly shaking her head. "Typical, even beyond the grave, and Scarlett is finding ways to spite me…. No matter, let's get this over and done with, shall we?" Entering the courtyard, Haggis searched the area while Riley kept her eye on the bunker. Twirling her finger cooping Haggis over, she nodded to the lone bunker doors. "I heard this was where the infamous Montague Trials took place."

"The ones that were actually a gateway to the Garden?"

"Bingo, it was thanks to our friends at Team Rhapsody that the gateway was closed and the connection cut off. I wonder." She muttered, walking over, holding her hand up, ripping the doors off, making a gunshot firing off just grazing Riley's cheek. Dropping the doors, she wiped her cheek, smirking. "I thought so, long time no see Hollie Montague."

Jinx slouched in a chair down in the bunker, her gun still smoking. She shook her head, throwing the gun away. "You're lucky I didn't blow your head of Syndicate."

"Maybe you're just a lousy shot. So, this is where you were hiding this entire time. The last of the Montagues."

"Looks like we share something in common." She scoffed, turning around. "I sometimes question why it's me. Why am I still standing when so many others have fallen? Monty, Butch, Emil and Florence. I'm the last one, the head of a broken family who would have expected. I really have some bad luck, don't I?"

"That I can see. Well, I'm not going to beat around the bush here, but we need your help."

Jinx stood up, pushing her chair back looking up at the two. "Alton sent you? When did you two become allies again?"

"We both have a common goal."

Jinx shook her head, turning around once more. "I'm not interested in the slightest; the Garden has won this war. Fighting back will be futile."

"Even if Alton has a Stage of Grief?"

Jinx rubbed her face staring at the walls of her home. "I know all too well about his Stage. The world we all lived in for those few months was a grim reminder. A reminder of how fucked we are here. You want my honest thoughts? You should have left me in that other world."

"Well, no matter how you feel about the Garden or Alton, he chose you. He needs you."

"And what could that man possibly want from this bird of bad luck?"

"It's Zinnia. The Garden took her. We're going to get her back."

"What….?" Jinx whispered, taken back. "Zinnia? Why?"

"She too has a Stage of Grief. Bargaining has taken her to the Garden. Alton is gathering as many allies as possible to save her. You and Zinnia weren't close, but surely, you'd want to save her. If I recall correctly, she is a Montague."

Jinx smirked at this nodding. "She sure is…. Emil and my father trusted her enough to be one while I desperately tried leaving the family…. They would have gone to save her. I'm sure even Monty too…. I suppose I owe her for everything she did for the family. She freed us from the Garden, after all. How many others are there?"

"Enough. Alton and Alice are rounding the last one."

"Who's that?"

"The Deadman walking. Gale Lampard."

****

Alton held his hand up as time resumed and Gale fell to the floor beaten once more. Alice held her bow towards him, ready to strike as Alton adjusted his collar. "Are you ready to talk, Mortem? Most preferably, I would like to talk to Gale."

"He doesn't want to talk to you," Gale whispered, coughing on his knees. "He let me have the large majority of control over his body learning of the fate of Team Rhapsody. He's ashamed he wasn't there to stop the fallout."

"You said the majority of his body. That means Gale is still in there. I would very much like to talk to him then. In fact, I came asking for Gale's help, not the lapdog of the Garden." Alton stated, hands now in his pocket. "We're going to save Zinnia from the Garden, but going in alone against potentially three Stages, Eve and the Gardeners would be suicidal. That's why I'm gathering allies I can trust to help me lessen the burden."

"Are you mocking me, Brantley? Allies you can trust? Give me a break." Gale barked. "I did nothing but stab you in the back and make your life a misery."

"You're right," Alice whispered. "You ruined all of our lives, but Gale didn't. Gale Lampard is our friend, no he's our family. That's what Team Rhapsody was at one point, no? But, with Emil, Scarlett and Iris gone, Gale, you're all we have left. I don't know about Alton, but I don't turn my back on family. Never again."

"This plan of yours, what does it entitle?"

Alton nodded, pointing to the outskirts of the city. "Beyond the horizon lies a Titan. One left here for hundreds of years; it was dormant until now. I believe it's the gateway to the Garden. The place where Zinnia was taken. If my theory is correct, one of the Stages will be guarding the gate. My money is on Depression. Unlike Bargaining and Denial, I have no idea what he is capable of. If it was him alone, I could take him. But fighting him alongside Adam Berry and the Gardeners and any other secret weapons up their sleeve, I wouldn't stand a chance."

"There's a high chance the failed Sub Stages we made will be there too. Returned to the Garden for their own use. Pain, Anxiety and Hope."

"And who should we blame that for?" Alton barked. "I can deal with Adam and his sister. If I'm lucky, I might just get the drop on the Gardeners. Alice will be backing me up alongside another ally. However, this is where you come in Gale, I need a group of strong allies to take the fight on the surface against Depression and hold him back until I can get Zinnia out. I'm not asking you to defeat him; just stall him enough for me to escape."

"That's easier said than done, Alton. The Garden works differently with time compared to this world. Two hours in the Garden is nearly a day here. Do you seriously expect us to hold off against Depression for a whole day?"

"We aren't asking that of you," Alice explained, lowering her guard. "We would wait for your signal to attack. That's when we would strike and take Zinnia back. We would be in there for thirty minutes max. We have a plan."

"That's still serval hours…. Well, it's better. Who have you got?"

"The remaining members of the Syndicate Family, my old team from your days of terror Zephyr squad Alesha and Lily. Harmony and Tempo and Destiny from Hero's Might and hopefully Jinx Montague."

"Well, well, well. Isn't that reinsuring? Even with myself, that won't be enough."

"Well then, any suggestions?" Alton grumbled.

"Stag is a good choice; she was the one who you fought in your disgusting pocket world. But, unfortunately, Diego and Vanguard are both gone, so that doesn't leave us with much choice there. It's times like this where I regret killing Psychosis…. But, wait, there is someone…. He might be able to help."

"Alright, so will you help us, Gale?"

Gale stared forward for a while, head lowered, rubbing his eyes. "Yes…. Team Rhapsody is my home. Zinnia would do the same for me, so I can't turn my back on her now."

A smile came from the two as Alton held his hand out, helping Gale up. "Good to have you back, Gale."

Taking his hand, Gale stood nodding. "I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm back. Saving Zinnia from the Garden? Sure, feels like old times."

"Oh yeah, you saved her from Acceptance before, didn't you?" Alice recalled. "I wasn't a part of the team then."

"If we're all done with our trip down memory lane." Alton interrupted. "We're almost ready, so tell me, Gale. Who is this person who can help us?"

"You aren't going to like it. In fact, Zinnia and Percy fought him before."

"Wait, you don't mean?"

"I do." Gale nodded, taking a deep breath. "Alton…. I just wanted to apologise."

"What are you apologising for?" He questioned.

"You trusted me in protecting Zinnia when you went…. But I couldn't stop her from killing Marco. She doesn't like to admit it, but it really affects her."

Alton smirked, pulling in Gale for a hug. "There's the stupid naïve Gale we all knew and loved. But, even if it isn't in the most ideal circumstances, Team Rhapsody is back. Now let's go and save Zinnia."

****

Looking through his binoculars, Gale nodded, having sight on the Titan and Depression alongside a handful of Garden guards. "Well, Alton was right about one thing. It just seems to be one Stage. It could be Depression; I can't really be sure. Alton and the others haven't been in the Garden for long, so we'll give them more time. But is everyone ready?"

Riley crossed her arms, tutting. "This isn't going to be a walk in the park, is it?"

"We have the numbers; he's just one person. I'm sure we can easily take him." Alesha boldly claimed, catching her toy car over and over. "Alton left it to us to succeed. We can't let him down."

"Well said, Alesha; Alton saved our lives serval times. So the least we can do is this for him." Lily replied, brushing her hair.

"Are you forgetting what we're fighting? This is a Stage of Grief we're talking about. Even prepared the last time we fought one, we almost died." Jinx complained. "We have no idea what Depression will bring."

"But we've got the upper hand. They won't be expecting us." Destiny claimed nervously. "I mean, not all of us."

"We've got to count our blessing where we can." Harmony whispered, holding the ring tightly. "We always have that trump card if it comes to it."

Gale turned, nodding. "I know we can do this. Alton and Alice trusted us with this. We have to hold Depression here while they save Zinnia. We can't fail…." Looking in front, Gale whispered to the person next to him. "Don't make Mortem regret resurrecting you…. You're our secret weapon here. I hope you're ready, Clark."

"You don't have to worry about me, Gale. The Phantom Streamer is here to strike again. I can't lose. After all, I'm going to be the number one streamer no matter what."