"Mortem, the Garden, possessing the masses… I really can't keep up with these wild tales." Hannah whispered, sitting at an old diner booth swirling her straw around mixing her milkshake. "I thought we were fighting the Syndicate family?"

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." Alton sighed, slouching back, picking at some chips. "Why did I even bother."

"Alright, humour me here. Let's say everything you said is true, and this Mortem can control and possess the masses easily; why are we hiding in a random café?"

Alton tapped the table making his point known. "Just because Mortem can possess the masses doesn't mean they know where we are. There's no way in hell we can go to the apartment or my school to hide it out. Nor anywhere else I've been before. This café is random for that exact reason. They'd have no reason to look for us here. Besides, I can't exactly go out there fighting again. We both need a time out."

"This is way out of my pay grade. So, is that why the Syndicate family made it clear skipping town wasn't an option? They really could be anyone. Say, how do we beat that? We cut one head off, and two more grow. No matter how we look at the situation, how could we overcome such a threat?"

Alton was left just as clueless, trapped in a train of thought. He wasn't too sure either, only knowing that the four legendary heroes defeated them somehow. "We just do somehow."

"Oh, that's reinsuring."

"No, wait. 400 years from now, the same entity is in charge, but it's clear they were defeated by four legendary heroes… The Phantom, Geostruction, the Timekeeper and the Gatekeeper. I was so delusional and lost I forgot this. If we want to win, we will need their help."

Hannah stared blankly at Alton, prodding her straw at him. "I can believe evil entities possessing the public, but now you talk about legendary heroes and the future. What are you saying? You're from the future… Oh shit, you are? Did Kira hit you around the head too much?"

"I'm serious. No point hiding it now. Not like it matters anyway; this is all fake. My real name is Alton Brantley; I'm an Anti-human 400 years from now. Mortem is once again in control of the world, controlling the masses through streamers, anti-humans fighting crime over the internet for everyone to watch. I was brought here by one of the Garden of Grief's stages, Acceptance, wanted me to learn, overcome something and be a hero. I believe helping you and taking down Mortem in this timeline will resort to that and get me home."

"I'm starting to revaluate our arrangement here…" Hannah whispers, holding her hand up. "I'll take the check, please."

"Hannah, please, you have to listen to me. It's important; I know how crazy this sounds."

"Well, I'm glad we're on the same page for that one. Look, Kurt, if you want to run around all terminator style calling yourself Alton and claiming to be from the future, don't let me stop you. It might make a good film, but I have more pressuring things to worry about."

Hannah throws the amount on the table after look at the bill walking off. Alton stands up, yelling. "Zinnia." This makes her stop. "You name your daughter in the future, Zinnia. She. She was my friend."

Hannah turned back around with a confused look. "Now you're claiming I will have a daughter in the future 400 years from now. Tell me, how does that make sense?"

"Your powers aren't to manipulate the weather, is it? No, it's much simpler. You control nature. The wind around us, the sway of the trees. The growth of life. You are literally the incarnation of mother nature. So, it's not too farfetched to believe you could live for much longer than normal people. Some oak trees can live for hundreds, even thousands of years."

Hannah glanced at Alton, slightly spooked as she shook her head. "You must consider yourself pretty smart, getting lucky like that. You guessed, right? You guessed my powers were that so you could make up this ridiculous story."

"How old are you?"

"You know it's rude to ask a girl her age."

"How old?"

"You want to know, huh?" She snarls. "278. Yeah, I kept count, give or take. Happy now, Kurt? I'm going."

"Just wait!" He demands, looking desperate. "I can't do this alone. Zinnia needs me. I betrayed our trust and went against the promise we made when starting Team Rhapsody. I want to make amends on that betrayal and get back to her. Mortem, in my timeline, will be going after her; she needs my help. I can't defeat Mortem with you or the other legendary heroes."

Hannah refused to listen, trying to leave only for a portal to open, blocking her path. Adam spun around in his chair, burger in hand, shaking his head. "Can't you see the man is bleeding his heart and soul out to you? At least hear him out, yeah?"

Alton jumped back on the table, ready to fight. "Bargaining! How did you… No, sorry." Coming back to his senses, Alton sat back down, sighing. "You're Adam Berry."

"I really get to you, don't I? It appears I cause quite the mess in the future."

"Wait, you heard all of that?"

"We did, in fact, hear it all, yes," Eve whispered, sitting in the booth behind them. "You claim to be from the future, correct?"

"I am. I take it you'll need proof."

"I'd like something to confirm your wild claims, yes."

Alton nodded, turning to Eve. "I know why you're trying to dispose of Mortem and the Garden. It's to free your sister from the seal of Salvation."

Both siblings flinched, looking at each other as Adam lowered his head in shock. "You really are from our future. I would ask what happens, but I think I'll leave the surprise to me of tomorrow."

"Wait a second. You're those vigilantes fighting Syndicate…"

"Apparently, we're legendary heroes of old fighting the evil of this world." Eve teases, standing on the table, moving her arms around striking a pose. "The timekeeper and Gatekeeper!"

"Stop making a scene, Eve…"

"Sorry."

"How did you find us?" Alton questioned.

"Well, truth be told, we had our eye on you, Phantom, for a while now after the interesting battle we had two weeks back. Not to mention the head of the Syndicate family is killed by your very hands. Word tends to spread quickly around here. I bet you weren't expecting Mortem to be the head of the family."

"I must admit it did throw me through a hoop. Regardless I now know what I'm facing against."

"As it seems. So, you are also fighting Mortem in your timeline? Does that mean we lose here then?" Eve questions going back to a personal tone, being quiet and cautious not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Mortem is a parasite who only looks to survive no matter what. We could defeat the bastard a dozen times, and it would sliver it's way back no matter what."

"Oh, like in the movie, the thing. You know, parasite alien… Never mind." Hannah whispers.

Adam takes a large bite from his burger, talking with a mouth full. "But we don't need to defeat Mortem entirely."

"Am I hearing that correctly? Talking with your mouth full is hard to understand."

Taking a sip from his drink Adam lays out a set of photos. "We've been doing our research over the past three months and worked out the top dogs Mortem controls. The so-called Blight Father and head of the Syndicate family were taken down by our very own Phantom hours ago. Meaning we have but three targets remaining. Mortem can only control strong beings with weak minds. While it can control nearly anybody doing so, it will strain their powers and energy. So much, in fact, excessive use and Mortem could die. We fought the first incarnation of Mortem a few decades ago down in the middle east. They had taken over a royal family and had influenced the country. Taking down the key figures broke their hold on the world again. Take out these last three key figures, and Mortem's hold on New York will crumble enough for them to fade away again."

"What is it Mortem wants anyway? They are an influence of the Garden, correct?"

"That is right. See Mortem as a lapdog for the stages of grief. It scouts ahead into our world and corrupts the masses enough until the Garden is strong enough to come through and destroy our world. Each time we take down Mortem, we only delay the inevitable."

"That doesn't make much sense, though," Alton recalled. "The Mortem of my time was building up an army of Anti-Humans to destroy the Garden."

"That is bizarre. Maybe Mortem has an alternative motive? Doesn't matter. We are more caught up on the Mortem of today." Adam throws away, holding the photos up. "Four heads, you've taken down The Blight Father, and we took down the mayor a few days ago. This only leaves two of Syndicate's Lieutenants Shane Fury and Jasmine Parker."

"Just those two? Not the daughter Kira?" Hannah asked.

"We believe she was too strong-minded to be influenced. It may not seem like it, but she wasn't very trusting of her father going behind his back on serval occasions." Eve stated. "Take out the last two members of the high council, and Mortem will be dealt with."

"Sounds easy enough." 

"It won't be Hannah," Alton whispered. "Not only do Mortem possess abilities of the Garden but the powers of their host too. Not to mention anyone can be controlled by them as well. If we aren't careful, we could join that rising cast too."

"The only advantage we have right now is time. Mortem takes years, even decades, to work up their own network as big as this one. They won't be taking control of any big names for a while. This is the perfect time to strike and pull the root out before it is given time to grow. If it is allowed to control the masses for much longer, we could see the Garden on our doorstep. Therefore, Eve and I will be assisting you in case any hidden figureheads are under its control."

Alton smirked, looking at everyone. "The four legendary heroes of old in the flesh. This is something Zinnia would freak out."

"This is nuts; all of you are crazy," Hannah complains, holding her head in shame. "But that doesn't mean I can't give up. Lunatics or not, you're my best chance in taking down Syndicate. So, I'm in."

"Yay! A team-up of the century. A common villain who got too big for her boots and tangled with the wrong crowd. A mysterious boy from the future sent back to save the day and two Children of the Garden running from their past looking to change fate itself."

"Enough with the monologue, Eve," Adam grumbles, bashing her on the head lightly. "We have one chance at this. They won't be expecting all of us, so we use that to win; we have no time to waste; let's move." Adam orders paying for his burger as the small number of customers stare blankly at everything that just happened. "Alton, a word if you may. Listen about the future. You claim you're still facing off against Mortem that means I haven't destroyed the Garden yet… Tell me you know me what happens. You claimed I was Bargaining… I just can't believe I would… Is that true?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Adam waited a moment, shaking his head. "No, better not. If what you claim is true, then like Eve said, I'll change fate itself to make sure that doesn't happen."