Chapter 146: The Nightmare Before Christmas Part 2 (2/2)

”The Alice isn't sure? She feels… I don't know how I feel?”

Iris took her hand, smiling. ”Come on. Scarlett is about to perform that will cheer you up.”

Zinnia fell onto the stairs backstage panting. Gale wondered back startled. ”Zinnia? Are you alright you look like you've seen a ghost?”

”Is everything alright?” Harmony questioned.

Zinnia pulled herself up with help from Gale gasping for air. ”Syndicate… Syndicate are coming. Alton… He, we was attacked by a huge group. Alton is holding them off. There are far too many we need to get everyone out!”

”I think it might be too late for that…” Harmony admitted. ”We've got more than expected; besides… Scarlett is going up now.”

Zinnia's eyes widened. ”You need to stop her now!”

The lights pierced onto the stage igniting Scarlett for all to see. Dressed in a Christmas ballerina outfit, she stared on at everyone butterflies growing in her stomach. In the crowd, she spotted a few people she recognised. Alice and Iris, Emil and Florence were just a few familiar faces which gave her the confidence boost she needed. Music from the Nutcracker began playing as Scarlett started her routine. It was one she had been practising nonstop for days now. She, like all Dawns, only accepted perfection, so she was to make it the best she could.

Hundreds of people watched her gallop around the stage with a perfect posture as she began getting into the routine. She started off with allegro, a set of fast movements and jumps keeping up with the tempo of the song. The quick actions came to a halt as she took a pause readying herself for the next part. Letting it run through her head like routine, she lifted her leg behind keeping balance slowly. Performing allongé, a group of long stretches extending her arms and or legs out before pulling them back into another position ready to do the same. The performance was going better than she could have hoped for as the crowd began clapping. With this newfound confidence, Scarlett carried on with the idea of the Syndicate family fading from her mind.

From the crowd serval figures began moving blocking off all the exits and moving in on the high-ranking streamers. None were the wiser all captivated by Scarlett dance, and before it was too late, the residents of Rhinefield were cut off with no way out. It was Emil to be the first one to suspect something was wrong, noticing the larger crowd of people moving between each other. As Emil went to investigate, he felt a firm force grip onto him. His heart slowed to a crawl as he found himself unable to fight back or even warn the others as he was held, hostage. This too would happen to serval other streamers who were all none the wiser given the circumstances. Scarlett again was lost in the moment, letting all her worries fade away. At that moment, she wasn't Scarlett Syndicate, a tortured soul who was destined to destroy V.I.R.A.L. She was nothing like that. Lost in the music Scarlett was clueless to what was happening down below.

Next, it was the twins who began noticing something. The crowd had turned silent. Not quiet. Silent. Iris stood on her tippy toes trying to see something but her low vision made it near impossible. That was until she turned around, seeing a Syndicate member standing in front of her. The demon mask staring deep into her soul. She panicked going to attack only to find her arm stuck in hid motion. Her cubes held inches from the attack. ”Now that is quite stupid, is it not? No regards for the people around you? Surender yourself Hawthorne we have you in checkmate.”

Alice turned to snap to action holding her bow to the Syndicate member. ”Syndicate! Let Alice's sister go!”

Riley stared on through her bloody mask blankly. She tightened her grip as Iris began struggling for air. Her breathing slow and skips in between Alice glanced in horror. ”No. I don't think I will. I'm done taking orders, so instead, you will do as I say. Unlike you, I do not care or see value in anyone's lives here. I can and will happily kill each and every person who stands in this ball to get to Scarlett. So, if you wish to only see one person die tonight and it not to be your sister I heavily advise you give up.” Alice's hand began trembling as she saw her sister in pain. Little time passed as Alice gave her answer, dropping her hand by her side. Riley let out a small scoff pinning Alice to the ground holding her down. ”You chose wisely. I won't forget this. Now onto the main show.”

Riley pushed her hands either side as the entire crowd was crushed into the corner. People began screaming and crying, unable to move as hordes of people were all cramped together, leaving the main floor open with dozens of Syndicate members behind Riley. In front was a mixture of hostages: Emil, Alice and Iris, Florence and now Jinx all held by Riley's unmatched power. Scarlett stopped frozen in fear by what she was seeing. Gale and Zinnia rushed onto the stage, confronting the villain. ”Riley! Let them go.”

”Do not try anything stupid now, dear sweet sister. Or I will kill each and every one of your friends where you stand.” She booms, holding them in the air. ”I will have order.”

Scarlett stepped forward, confronting her sister. As she did, Riley tightened her grip on the hostages choking them. Scarlett held her hands up. ”Alright, alright. You don't have to stop them. Riley, sister, please. Stop this chaos.”

”You see chaos, I see justice. You claim V.I.R.A.L is here to help us yet all I see is corruption and greed. Tell me with them gone, would things be any worse? I can bring change to this world help it all flourish. That was our mission. It still is mine. Whether these people want it or not, I am their saviour from evil.”

”And Syndicate is any better? You manipulated heroes and villains alike to your own self-gain before the fall. You do not seek to save these people. You only want to enslave them.”

”See it how you like, but Syndicate improved every nation it touched. Please judge by any merit, and you will see the truth. We brought order and justice, safety for those who seek it. We let heroes be heroes and villains be villains but in an enclosed and safe environment. We held them on by the end of a leash. Compare Syndicate reign to V.I.R.A.L. Compare to what is happening now. Corrupt streamers killing and taking what they want. A cult of undying followers plotted a coup, and now the Garden is once again in our backyard. Is this world a better place without us because all I see is death and chaos?” Riley talks down. ”You know it to be true. Surrender yourself to Syndicate, and we will spare some of you. You have no chance of winning. Give yourself to us.”

”What do we do?” Gale whispers.

”I'm thinking of something!” Zinnia whines.

Scarlett gets down on her knees. ”Alright, sister, we understand.”