Chapter 273: Blackout (2/2)

Mortem cracked, stuttering. ”You… Won't sh-.” Alton cut Mortem off, freezing them slowly Mortem panicked, begging. ”Please! No, I'm begging of you. I won't. I'm not with them, I can help you. You need me! Please, I just wanted to be free!”

Mortem froze over entirely as he smirked to himself, ripping his hand through the ice, shattering Mortem to pieces. ”There's no such thing.”

The glacier holding Alice shattered as she fell to her knees. ”Alton… What did you do?

”I took the first step.” He muttered, walking towards Sam kneeling. ”Are you alright?”

Sam groaned, holding her head. ”Oh, hey, my dude… What happened? Sorry, I think I blacked out for a moment…”

Alton hugged Sam, whispering. ”Don't scare me like that ever again.”

”Umm, ok?” She whispered. ”What happens next?”

Alton sat down, staring at the night sky. To his shock, sets of fireworks rippled up and lit up the darkness. For a short moment, Alton felt a slight bit of joy; he was, for the most part, free from the burden of V.I.R.A.L even if it wouldn't last long. There was still much to do, but his three-year struggle against Mortem had come to an end. However, this was cut short as Alton turned, seeing Scarlett standing idly in the distance watching him. Alton took a deep breath standing up. Alice took notice of Scarlett, too, turning to Alton worried. He gave her a smile patting her head. ”I'm finishing what we started. Look after Sam for me, Alice…”

”Don't do anything you won't regret.”

”I won't. I already know what needs to be done.”

****

Fireworks crackle and burst to life, lightning up the damaged city. A celebration was set into motion, and all those were letting it all out. Scarlett and Alton stood standing off from the top of an old clocktower overlooking the CEOs' headquarters. Scarlett with a conflicted look of pain and disbelief, losing all sense of who she was and Alton a calm and collective look with nothing to match. He didn't let any kind of emotion wave through towards his former ally as both were at a standoff. ”I've been thinking about what to say to you since that night three years ago... Whether I should apologise or put you out of your misery. I still don't know…”

Scarlett never took her gaze away from Alton as she bit her lip until it bled. ”You lecture me, yet we are two peas in a pod. What makes you so different and special to me? I've been fighting this fight my whole life, and you only stepped in when it affected you. My family is gone… I have nothing but dirt and broken memories. I keep getting told I'm free to make my own choices, but every time I try, it just brings me back to you!”

Alton shook his head, looking to the broken city filled with life. ”You're wrong, Scarlett. Don't you understand? You were always free; the Syndicate family never had any control over you. Riley realised that and never looked back. You still can too.”

Scarlett shared the view with Alton, muttering. ”Percy visited me when I went home… I'm still not sure what it was all about, but he showed me my future. At this moment, right here, I was engulfed in rage and hate that I couldn't even think straight… It ends with you cutting me down with no mercy. While I still resemble some sort of hatred against you for not stopping me. I understand where that hate and rage came from. It was for myself; it's only taken me 22 years to realise I was being used. 22 years wasted for a cause that went nowhere. I threw away my chance of freedom because I was too afraid to take the leap of faith forward.”

”There still is time to change everything.”

Scarlett turned to Alton shaking her head. ”I need to do this once and for all. I don't think I can ever live with this freedom; I was born to follow orders like a dog… I can't move on like this, so, please… Put me out of my misery.”

Alton stared blankly for a moment, fully understanding Scarlett for the first time. A tear froze across his cheek as he moved his hand back, creating a blade. ”Then let's end this once and for all.” Scarlett turned her hand as two swords appeared floating around her. Both stared on, waiting for the other to strike. Alton raised his ice blade above his head, ready as Scarlett held hers behind her. As the second wave of fireworks was set off, the explosion was the bell for them. Both slashed past each other, the sound of swords clashing negated by the fireworks. Each stood where the other once did, but only one fell. Scarlett looked down, seeing an open wound as she fell to her knees, collapsing.

Lying on her front, Scarlett stared out into the city, the lights flashing between her eyes. ”It's beautiful…” Alton stood over her holding his blade up. She rolled over, looking up at him. ”I'm sorry for everything…”

Alton thrust his blade down, stabbing into the ground next to Scarlett. ”No more. No more will people I care about die, not tonight.”

Scarlett stared blankly at the blade, devasted. ”What? No, no. Just kill me. I have nothing to live for. Please!”

Alton snapped, yelling. ”No! No more of this pointless war between us, Scarlett. Don't you see we aren't enemies? We were never enemies. Give up on this pointless endeavour.”

”Then just kill me! Finish it and kill me!”

”Is that what you truly want? Or is that the easy way out?” Alton barked, making Scarlett flinch. ”You don't get to die so easily, not today. You're going to keep suffering until you find something to live for. Then and only then will I put you down.”

Scarlett began tearing up, wiping her face. ”But…”

”No. Just stop. Just accept my hand and come home.” Alton ordered, holding his hand out. ”Please, Scarlett.

Scarlett seemed hesitant for a while before looking at Alton conflicted. ”I don't know how.”

”Then let's discover that together. You know there's no bluffing here.”

Scarlett flinched, seeing Alton sharing her green glow. ”Inspiration… So, it wasn't a fluke. Still all this time?”

”I never stopped being inspired by someone like you, Scarlett Dawn.”

Scarlett felt overwhelmed by knew what she had to do here. Reaching for Alton's hand, a radio played in his ear. ”Jinx?”

”Alton, it's terrible. It's Iris… She's, she's!”

The moment Alton and Scarlett's hand touched, the ground shook, and a dozen of bright lights ignited, consuming the sky. Alton's head spun as he stared on in absolute horror. His eyes were fixated on the worst-case scenario. Dozens of giant Titans appeared covering the city. From the most prominent tree, three figures stood sending shivers down Alton's spine. ”No way… No, no… They're here…”

Bargaining stood from his Titan alongside the other Stages of Grief overlooking the city of Rhinefield with a smug look. ”After 400 years, we are finally free.”