V.I.R.A.L

Walking through the battlefield, Acceptance stopped to take in the view. Arms folded, he shook his head displeased. "So much pointless bloodshed. Where did it all get us in the end?"

"Big brother Acceptance!" Denial yelled, jumping ahead to the man. "We shouldn't be here. There could be more of them."

Acceptance scoffed at this, looking to the little girl unamused. "Is that meant to be some kind of joke? This uprising was doomed from the start…. I should have seen that myself."

"Oh dear, is it over already?" The Woman whispered, floating to the ground closing her umbrella. "I would have imagined an uprising started by yourself; Archie would have brought more destruction."

Acceptance stepped back, startled whispering. "You knew?"

"Of course, we knew. How could we not? Your obsession with that failure of a Gardener Stella was the sole reason we allowed you to remain as Acceptance."

"Now what? Are you going to take my Stage?"

The Woman snickered at this, walking through the pile of the dead. "Of course not; why on earth would we do that for? We have big plans for you, Archie. You just need to hold on. Hold as much hatred for us in your heart as you like for what we did. As long as you simply accept fate, that's all that matters…. Hold on."

The Woman walked over as Denial leaned forward, amazed. "Whoa, someone is still alive."

The Woman glossed down at the boy bleeding out his face bloody and blown off, leaving nothing to the imagination. "The faceless soldier. Forgotten to time never to be heard from again. You were a part of the uprising, were you not?"

Holding a purple bud, Acceptance stared on in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Do you know why soldiers fight Archie? It isn't because it's their moral duty or to serve their country. It isn't even to protect their loved ones. A soldier fights to be remembered. I shall take a page from Stella's book and make sure this boy is never remembered or so help those who know his name."

The dying boy gagged, his face reforming as purple flowers grew all around him. He screamed out in pain before falling silent collapsing. Archie stared on, clenching his fist. "What have you done?"

"Can you hear me? If you are alive and well, speak my child."

"Who am I?"

The Woman smiled, turning around. "That doesn't matter. You will not be remembered for your past life know only this. The only thing you'll forever be known as now is my Depression. Do not disappoint."

Depression looked around, holding his head staring at the dead soldiers lost. "Depression? I understand…."

****

The main forces against Depression were in full retreat after him activating his long devasting whisper. Riley was at the back, floating backwards with a look of dread. "How did we overlook this? I've never seen anything like it…. At this rate, none of us stands a chance." Then, turning her head, she flinched as a set of her men flew into her dead to the world with the same twisted smile holding her down.

Trying her best to break free, she found all of them with incredible strength, one they didn't have before. Having no choice, she blew each one up, stumbling to her feet, trying to get back to the others. As she did, she stopped chuckling. This turned into a laugh as Riley tried to stop herself as best she could. Eventually, this failed as she fell to her knees, bawling with laughter tearing up over it. "Lady Riley!" Haggis yelled, pulling the laughing girl to her feet. "We need to keep running!"

Not far behind, Depression was walking, swaying side to side with his uncanny smile. His army of laughing soldiers was ready to do his every bidding. "He's a monster…. He's stronger than even Denial. We can't win."

Pulling Riley away, the two began running as ahead Destiny, and Alesha was close to meeting with Harmony and Tempo. Destiny screamed, holding her hand out. "The rings! We need the Ten Judgement hurry!"

Depression appeared in front of everyone blocking their escape, causing them to stop dead in their tracks, horrified. Depression looked to Destiny smirking. "There is no escape. My name is Memento acting as one of the Stages of Grief representing Depression. Your life is now forfeit under my Stage. Anyone who learns of my name will fall under the veil of depression and be drawn to suicide. Now bask in the feeling."

Destiny stopped in her tracks laughing, falling to her knees, unable to stop falling onto her back, unable to breathe. Depression stepped over, slamming his foot down, crushing her. Gale gripped his fist, calling on the power of Mortem striking Depression. Stopping the attack, Gale held back the laughter flipping back kicking Depression in the face. "I won't fall here! Not today!"

"Well, well. It seems to have Mortem control your body like a puppet is amounting to a small amount of protection. That won't help you, however!" Depression barked, going to attack Gale only to stop looking on eye raised. "What's this?"

Having stabbed himself with his scythe, Gale fell to his knees bleeding, taking serval deep breaths whispering. "Deadman's Requiem." Vanishing from sight, Depression spun around, being launched across the field smashing against the floor. Quickly picking himself back up, he waved his hand, unleashing serval portals sucking Gale in throwing him aside. However, this wouldn't keep Gale back for long as he came back slamming into Depression, slamming his foot down as shadows warped around him. "Combined attack Deadman's Shadow." A single shadow tore past Depression, seemly doing nothing for that split moment until all the attacks Depression had landed returned right back to him. Overwhelmed by the combined efforts of Gale and Mortem, Depression called on his soldiers to fight, holding Gale down. Not letting it end, he threw one over his shoulder, punching another back, making sure to fight till his last breath. Taking more hits, Gale opened his hand, breathing slowly as all the power built up, the area began shaking. "Take this, Deadman's Count-…." Gale stopped, unable to finish the final word laughing at his failure. The more he thought about it, the more he began laughing, being held down, unable to stop.

Depression patted himself down, spitting out a clot of blood. "That was too close. Always full of surprises, Mortem, none was more shocking than your betrayal running away with one of the Ten Judgements. We made sure to take care of Charmeine, however." Holding out a gun, he threw it on the floor. "You know what to do. End it." Gale took the gun, laughing slowly, moving it to his head, unable to stop, only delay his demise. Fear seized him as his life was seen as forfeit once again. Edging closer, Depression stared on eyes widened as the Titan and gate he was protecting froze over entirely. Slowly turning his head, he whispered, angered. "Alton Brantley…. How did he escape?"

Stepping out of the portal, hands frozen, Alton overlooked the battlefield, with many of the survivors filled with relief that he had returned. Depression stopped Gale from turning his gaze on Alton. Seeing Depression approaching, Alton smirked, opening and closing his fingers. "There he is."

Calling on his laughing soldiers, Depression flew in the air as Alton ripped through towards him. Holding his hand forward, Depression blasted Alton with vines tearing from the ground. The same power as Archie. Flipping around cutting each one apart, Alton crashed right in front of Depression, uppercutting him. Quickly bracing the attack, Alton found himself unable to even raise Depression an inch making him flinch. Depression's maniac laugh kept going as he launched Alton back at high speed. "It's useless to resist! I am the ultimate Stage bred for battles like this. You cannot win!"

Landing on the ground safely, Alton wiped his mouth. Moving his hand forward, he slowly lifted Depression up, but this was meant by resistance. Alton nodded, giving up the power balance, helping Depression slam into the ground trapped in the dirt. "I haven't had to see that bloody idiot's power in a while. It's clear to me you have no idea how to successfully use Vanguard's power, do you?" Sending a blast of ice forward, Depression was frozen on the spot as Alton crashed down, shattering him. Picking Depression up by his neck, he pulled his arm back, punching him back. Falling back, Depression flicked his hand open as solid air slashed at him. Turning on the spot, Alton avoided each one shaking his head. "You don't have an original bone in your body, do you Depression? Having to result in others fighting your battles with copied abilities. Everything you do is because of someone else."

Depression gritted his teeth, jumping upholding his ground. "I won't stand by and be bullied by the likes of you…."

"Alton, cover your ears if you hear his name!" Gale yelled, only for it to be too late.

"My name is Memento, and this is your end, Alton Brantley!" Depression whispered, getting to Alton. He began laughing, which Alton followed with. He kept laughing before Alton stopped altogether with a dead stare shooting a blast of fire at him, knocking him back. Crashing back, his laughing soldiers saved him. "Shit…. I forgot he's a Child of the Garden. Stages don't work on him!" Crouched down, Alton went to strike again. Depression flew in the air as his laughing soldiers with Jinx at the forefront covered him. "You wouldn't harm your friends now, would you, Alton?! Give up, and I'll let them live!"

Flying after Depression, Alton held his hand out as a dozen vultures appeared, all turning into bloody swords cutting through everyone and everything killing all the laughing soldiers. Depression's eyes widened as Alton pinned him to the ground, crashing through the hills. Curling his fist back, Alton thrust into Depression, winding him. Lifting him up, he threw him back and forth over before scorching him to near death. "You're right. Alton wouldn't harm his friends. Don't you find that funny?"

Depression out of juice coughed, calling on his Garden form. "I can't let it end like this. If I die now, no one will remember me!"

Alton smirked, standing his ground, sharing the power. "You call that power? I see it as nothing more than a cheap imitation. Let me show you the true form of the Garden!" The two were engulfed in an igloo blocking out anyone else getting hurt. Letting his Garden form out, Alton watched as Depression gave everything; he had to slowly overpower Alton. Stepping back, holding his arms back, Alton was forced back pressed against the wall as Depression was sure he was winning.

That was what Alton wanted him to think. Dropping his arms, he whispered. "Almighty Ice Age." Depression's copy power was instantly shattered as he was overwhelmed in a second flat. Losing the battle entirely, Depression fell to his knees, frozen solid. Alton went to attack as Depression held his arm up. Stopping his attack, Alton went for the arm smashing it clean off, causing Depression to flinch, falling over. "Your Stage Memento."

Depression stared on, trembling at the sheer brutality of Alton. There wasn't a shred of sympathy or mercy in his heart. A vulture landed on Alton's arm as he waited it out for Depression to finally give in. As Depression was about to hand over, his Stage Bargaining smashed through the igloo standing between the two. Alton jumped back, taken back slightly, trying to attack. Bargaining, however, a clump of ice scrapped his face causing him to close his eyes for a second. Doing this Bargaining had the time to grab Depression and teleport away. Destroying the igloo, Alton looked on as Bargaining Held Depression over his shoulder. "Who's two steps ahead now?" A portal appeared created by Eve as Bargaining escaped with Depression in hand.

Alton stopped in his tracks, grunting. "Fuck." Moving to intercept, Alton stopped holding his hands up. "What do you think you're doing, Alice?"

Behind him, Alice stood, her bow pulled back, pointing to his head. "That's quite enough, Alton. Just give it up. Surrender yourself over to us."

"Why? I just saved Gale and the others from Depression and rescued Zinnia. This is silly, isn't it?"

Alice didn't budge, gritting her teeth snapping. "Not another step! I demand you surrender over the killing of Gemini Fujisaki and allowing Bargaining to take Zinnia! Attacking the Garden, Taking the Stage. That was your objective, and you dragged us into it using Zinnia as your bargaining chip."

"And what makes you say that? I tried stopping Bargaining, but my Stage stopped me."

"Liar…. You're a Child of the Garden; your Stage or any other Stage doesn't affect you."

Alton smiled at this, getting onto his knee's hands behind his head. "Well said. I hope for your sake Alice you know what you're doing."

Taking serval deep breaths, Alice nodded, lowering her bow. "For the first time in my life, I am certain this is the right thing. This madness ends here Ten."