Chapter 159: The Trap Twenty Years in the Making (2/2)
”It's useless Iris. These things aren't Alice.”
”Remarkable, aren't they?” Hans laughs as each of the copy's eyes gleamed with a yellow glow. ”They only listen to my every command. Unstoppable monsters who will do anything to make their father's dream come true. They can't be reasoned with, nor stopped they will not end until my dream is realised. I call them the dark replicas. It's a shame you never took my offer to join us, Alton. Alice would have quite liked that you could have been a God in my new era. A pity you die here. Goodbye Alton Brantley. Goodbye former daughter of mine.”
”Iris stay behind me…” Alton muttered thrusting his arm forward, sending the last of the water along. Portals opened up all around eating the attack. The front replica held her hand out as the portal appeared in her hand. Alton readied himself only for hope to be snatched away as dozens of portals opened around him and Iris and bright lights emitting from each one. Alton's temperature began dropping as his eyes widened as the two were consumed by the bright light. The area they stood was blown up leaving none standing…
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Zinnia and Blossom descended the tree with no troubles. The further they went down the stranger things took for a turn. The whispers had stopped the feeling of dread going. The grassy terrain ended as the steps of metal echoed. Zinnia looked down finding herself walking down a set of stairs. She knew something was horribly wrong. Yet the two kept going with little said. ”Zinnia, I must ask. Everyone out there, they see me as the monster I once was… I don't know much about that time, but you were there, right? What am I to you now? Do you see me as the villain they all do?”
Zinnia stopped having flashes to Percy's death, Alton and the others nearing that fate by Blossom's hand but also emptiness and a hollow purpose. ”You want to know the truth? I can't help but feel sorry for you…”
”Oh, I see,” Blossom whispered, unsure how to react to that. She wasn't given much time to complanate over the matter as the two streamers were face to face with a large metal door. ”I don't understand.”
”It appears, somehow. Someone already knew about this titan… But how?” She whispered. ”Damn it… The door's locked.”
”Let me see if I can do anything about that,” Blossom stated, placing her hand on the number pad letting her powers activate. Her mind went into the door as she began slicing through the lock. She stumbled back as the door opened. ”Still got it… Something wrong?”
”No. No, it's just… It's strange seeing you on our side this time around.”
Blossom smiled, holding her hand out. ”I wouldn't have any idea…”
Zinnia stepped inside to an old worn-down laboratory with giant test tubes down the entire front on each side. The room was near pitch-black as Zinnia walked in, looking somewhat disturbed. There were bodies in each of the tubes hooked up to the machines all showing readings of life. Zinnia found it challenging, but she could just about recognise the figures though she couldn't match a face. Blossom walked, overseeing a set of papers scattered around. ”Finally, after all these years, my promised contract has been fulfilled. The DNA from the legendary hero of old is compatible with two subjects. But this is not the end. This is only the beginning. The ingredients for my era are all in front of me. The two subjects shall be monitored as my daughters. Together they shall be raised by my own hand to become the most powerful streamers again. With the blood of the Gatekeeper running through them, nothing will stand in their ways.”
Zinnia was taken back in shock; she stared at each subject in shock. ”It can't be… It can't be… The subject… It's Alice.”
Morto was thrown down the stairs, defeated as Alice stood over her. She stared on at Zinnia walking in startled. ”What? What is this?”
”Alice?!”
Alice looked at the tube distort. ”I asked… The Alice asked you a question. What the hell is this?!”
The screen behind them turned on as Hans began chuckling to himself. ”So, V.I.R.A.L finally found my little science project. A pity but inevitable.”
”Father… What is all of this?”
”This? Why isn't that obvious? All of this is you, Alice. Or what you were originally based on. Eve one of the four legendary heroes. You are nothing more than a clone of the original.”
Alice felt her whole world crashing down as she fell over dizzy. ”A- A clone? No… My name is Alice Hawthorne… I am not, I am me!”
”Look at you, crumbling at the truth. Did you think you were special? That your life meant something? This was always the dream. You have and will always serve me well daughter of mine.”
Alice held her head sobbing. ”My life… Is but a lie. Why, why am I here for?!”
”Alice… Don't go there. Don't let this man ruin your life. Live for yourself, for Iris!”
”Iris… Yes, for my sister.”
”Oh Zinnia, if only it was that simple. Alice is safely secured in my pocket. You cannot stop that. Kill them, Alice, so we can make our dream come true.”
Alice stopped the final tear hit the ground as she stood up with her yellow eyes fixed on Zinnia. ”Alice… Don't. You don't have to do this.”
”But the Alice does. For it's her destiny. I am thou. Thou art I. My name is Eve Berry legendary hero Gatekeeper and a member of the five stages of grief, for I am Salvation and your lives are mine.”