Chapter 199: Split Apart (2/2)
Zinnia bit her lip holding her tears back. ”I can't keep following you anymore Alton. All of this isn't right. I need to find my own path now, and that isn't with Team Rhapsody anymore.”
Alton's eyes widened as he almost fell over. ”You're joking. Please tell me you're joking Zin.”
”Don't try and stop me.” She whimpers, handing him her mask. ”I'm sorry Alton… This is goodbye.”
”Wait, Zinnia wait! Don't go! Let's talk about this. You don't need to do this!” Alton argued as Zinnia forced herself not to look back as she left without another word. Alton fell to his knees, holding her mask, feeling the guilt and turmoil build up as he threw the mask to the floor collapsing to the floor. ”Zin… Please, don't leave m- I'm… I'm so sorry…”
****
”Are you happy now?” Scarlett questioned sitting on the wall to her home, staring at Alton. ”Did breaking his heart and stomping on all the guilt make you feel better? You betraying each and everyone one of us doing this.”
”Fuck off… Just fuck off Scarlett… I don't need some lecture from a rich snob who's so desperately trying to get on Alton's good side. Whether you like it or not, he betrayed and lied to us. I killed Marco because of him. I just can't do this. You wouldn't understand.”
”That's rather rich coming from you Trost. Alton made it clear not to go after them. We all stood back and honoured his word, yet you just couldn't stand still and let it pass you by. Marc Hill death was entirely on you. Blaming Alton for that is naïve and stupid. Go ahead, run away. Run from all the problems, say what you want about Alton, but it mattered the most when he came back. I may question his choices and hold him responsible for Gale, but he chose to fight with us. That kind of determination should be admired so no matter what I'm standing by Alton's side and when the time is right, he too will do the same.” Zinnia snarled sobbing to herself as she ran off into the streets. Scarlett frowned jumping from the wall opening her front door. ”That's one less person to worry about…”
****
”I told you it would all work out effectively Vitae. Team Rhapsody always comes through.” Kurt boldly claimed cutting through his steak. ”Alton Brantley is alive as we expected and all is back too normal.”
”The city was almost lost again or did you forget that.” Vitae squashed. ”Gale Lampard is dead, and we just received Zinnia Trost's plea of her account to be shut down. The group is falling apart, and I fear that the next threat will be their downfall. We cannot rely on your golden team anymore. We must take matters into our own hand. I want to see the body.”
”Now? We still haven't gotten it to perfection yet.”
”Is there a problem?”
”Sort of,” Kurt admits standing up. ”The subject still holds many of his former memories. In fact, he is quite tormented by them.”
Vitae opens a book unlocking a secret room as she enters seeing a set of test subjects emerged in test tubes. She stares down the last active one with a smile. ”The Garden is so close on our doorstep you can practically hear their droning cries. But this time we will be ready fighting fire with fire. Let the subject keep his memories. It will work much better in our favour. You will be our stage of pain.” She continues to stare at the tube as a crow bashes against the glass, cracking it. A smirk emerges from Vitae leans forward whispering. ”I'll be looking forward to what you will accomplish Truthseeker.” Vitae closed the door turning to Kurt. ”Have the subject moved to the daybreak facility and begin the next stage. He will be our ticket to finally defeating the Garden once and for all. Our 400-year-old battle with them will soon come to an end.”
”Yes, Vitae.” Kurt nodded, placing his hand on the light switch. ”Sleep dreams, kid.”
****
Many robed and masked individuals all chanted watching the throne before them with undivine attention from an undisclosed location. A man stood by the throne also masked as the doors to the chamber crept open. A young, fair-skinned girl wearing an Oni demon mask walked in with a long cloak wrapped around her body trailing along the floor. The girl was aided by her two servants walking her to the throne. The crowds watched her as she made her long-awaited walk to the throne. The man gave her a nod of acknowledgement as the girl kneeled before him. A majestic golden crown was revealed as the man held it up high. Hovering it over for the crowd to see, he slowly placed it on the girl's head. Closing her eyes, she accepted the crowing sitting on the throne as the new ruler. The man turned to the crowd booming out. ”Long live the queen!”
”Long live the queen!” The crowd roared back.
”Victoria aut mors.”
”Victoria aut mors!”
The newly crowned queen stood from her throne, raising her hand as a sign of respect. ”As your new queen, I humbly call in a new age for us. The Syndicate Family will rise once more like the days of old. We are strong; we are united. Henceforth today we shall be known as Neo Syndicate.” The crowd roared with cheer as the new queen grinned holding both hands out. ”And as the first order of the Queen, we shall destroy V.I.R.A.L once and for all! The time has come to reveal ourselves. The time of Syndicate has come again.” As the crowd continued to cheer the queen grinned mischievously taunting her foes. ”Team Rhapsody, I'm coming for you…”