Chapter 265: The Death of Mortem Part 1 (2/2)
Scarlett crashed down to the ground glowing a neon green. Looking up, she twirled her hand around as all the bullets were turned on the officers. ”Scarlett… No, don't!”
Sending the bullets back, each grazed past, missing the officers but doing enough to shake them all up. ”You are completely surrounded; surrender to the Syndicate family or die!”
”What do we do, Montague, sir?”
Butch gritted his teeth, appalled. ”You have outlived your purpose Butch, on his final orders. Surrender.”
”Put your guns down! We surrender!”
Scarlett strolled over, snatching the radio off the officer walking back towards Iris. ”Are you there, monster?”
”Scarlett Syndicate? Now, this is a surprise. I take it you dealt with my officers? You're the real monster here; they all had families.”
”Worry not; your men will live to see another day. For sparing their pitiful meaningless lives, I want you to relay a message to Mortem. Tell her death is coming for her.” Crushing the radio, she threw it away. Iris stood up, still wary about Scarlett. ”Look alive, Hawthorne, you lot are all completely useless. I should have just let you die. Losing to a bunch of weak losers like them is pathetic.”
”Why did you help us?”
Scarlett turned to them, holding a small explosion to her fingertips. ”Do not confuse my actions with your own! We simply have a common enemy. Given the circumstances, I believe taking them down together is our best course of action. But the end goal is still revenge against Alton Brantley, but until Mortem is plucked from her throne and this country is free again, he can wait.”
”I knew you really cared,” Iris whispered, smiling.
Scarlett looked away, hiding her red cheeks mumbling. ”I'm going to go on ahead. You make sure no one else escapes. I'll leave her in your hands, Montagues.”
Iris watched Scarlett walk off towards the HQ as she nodded, grasping her hands together. ”Scarlett, thank you…”
****
Alton sat waiting in the wings for the final battle. His head was hung low as he felt every bit of responsibility for his actions which were to come next. He knew what he had to do but was still putting it off as best as he could.
”Oh, there you are. Are you ready to go?” Sam questioned, walking in on him. Alton looked up, wiping his eyes smiling faintly. ”What's wrong?”
”It's nothing, nothing. Don't worry.”
”Now, Alton, as your leader, it's my reasonability to look after all my members.”
”You're not my leader anymore.” Alton brought up, chuckling. ”I left Hero's Might; you're the only one left.”
”Even so, that doesn't change anything to me. If we are to fight for the sake of Victoria together again, I need to know what's wrong.”
Alton held his head, shaking his head. ”I feel him, Sam; I feel the Ten's Judgement eating away at me. Ever since Mortem, he's been taking back what's rightfully his.”
”You're strong, Alton. You can fight him; it's your body.”
Alton shakes his head nervously, laughing again. ”Well, that's just the thing, it isn't. I wasn't born in this world, remember? Neither earth nor the Garden. I'm from Fairy-Tale; I was sent here as one of the Ten's Judgement to purge the Garden; that was who I was. I had just forgotten and lived a fake life as Alton Brantley… He has every right to come back.”
”Alton… Don't say that; you have just as the might of a right to live. Who cares what this so-called Fairy-Tale has to say? You are Alton Brantley, hero and leader of Team Rhapsody and my best friend. Nothing will change that.”
”I'm not sure what frightens me more. What Ten plans on doing or the fact I'm willing to go forth with it. His hate for the Garden is endless, an artifice man-made ocean of hatred; why? Why does he hate them so much? I'm just afraid when this is all said and done, I won't even remember who Alton Brantley was, everything he lost. Everything he had all just gone in a moment… Sam, I don't want to go. I want to carry on being me!”
Alton burst into tears as Sam comforted him. At that moment, Alton had finally broken down over everything and just let it all out. Alice watched from the sidelines, feeling the tug at her own heart as she took a deep breath, whispering. ”Just how much more do you plan on taking from him?”
”The Garden isn't the only thing you ought to worry about me; there are much worse threats out there if you cross them,” Eve whispered.
”I won't let them take him. I refuse to.”
Eve shook her head, disjointed. ”You don't have much of choice. No matter how hard you fight, your origins will always catch up. Soon enough, if even won't be able to fight the urge. The urge to destroy and exterminate. The Garden has to die one way or another. Be it as yourself or as somebody unrecognisable. This is the curse of the Ten's Judgement. Destined to live out their days, brainwashed into hate and genocide. So, tell me, Alice. Who is the real monster in all of this?”