"I'm not letting you run away again. I'm going to snap you out of this little dream whether you like it or not!"

Alton stared at Iris his eye twitching as he snapped bursting pipes around him, yelling. "I'd rather live in my own fantasy than this nightmare!"

The water from the pipes flooded around the room, swirling across Iris before smashing down on her. Swinging her arms around, she pulled all her cubes together covering her head, blocking the water. As it trickled down sliding to her flank, she pulled her hands back, protecting herself from harm's way. As the burst of water subsided, Iris pushed her cube away, crushing Alton against the wall. Struggling to move Alton drew the water towards him, focusing around his hand. Once fully condensed Alton slashed his hand down, breaking the cube in half freeing himself. The water continued to build around his hands like sharp blades as he crossed forward weaving between old boxes and crates avoiding Iris and getting in close. He knew he couldn't get away quickly with Iris on the watch and to make matters worse, she knew he was alive. It would only be a matter of time before she tells everyone else, and his plan would be for nothing.

However, Alton had an advantage; he was more than aware of Iris' fighting prowess after seeing her destroy Vanguard like it was nothing. Her powers were designed to keep her foes at bay bridging the gap and never letting her opponent get in close. Alton worked very much the same as mostly a ranged fighter although he was more than capable of getting in close range. But since he had no intention of putting any real harm towards Iris, he had to give up on power alone. If he had any chance of winning, he would need to throw Iris off entirely and get a finishing blow in one strike. Something easier said than done as even if Iris was clearly handicapping herself to not harm Alton, that doesn't mean she would be a walk in the park. Sliding under another set of crates, Alton missed many cubes crushing him once more as he dived over another set of boxes swinging around a pillar closing the gap. Now behind Iris, he moved low to the ground, ready to strike.

Iris turned on the spot calling her cubes back to defend her. Cutting through two more Alton pounced ready to strike. However, he was slightly thrown off as Iris' cubes piled against her arms, similar to what Alton was doing. Being smaller, Iris was more capable of avoiding Alton's close-up attack as she enforced arm swung around lobbing Alton clean in the chest. The combined force of Iris and her powers was more than anticipated stunning Alton on the spot. Pushing her leg against the floor for a reinforced hold as she punched Alton serval more times before building all her energy into the last punch. Thrusting her arm back, she gave one final force hitting Alton with a clean blow. The reinforced cubes formed around Iris' arm flew off, extending into a pillar, sending Alton even further back breaking through the wall and into the street.

As Iris moved in to continue the battle serval spears of ice erupted from the ground holding her in place piercing her clothes but only in places to be sure not to harm her. Alton limped back in holding his chest, wiping his bloody mouth. He had his head down in shame pushing a spear forward inches from Iris' neck grazing it slightly. "That's enough… That's enough. If you keep going like this, you're just going to get hurt."

Iris stared at Alton calmly shaking her head. "If that's how it has to be, so be it. I'm not letting you do something you'll regret all over again."

Alton took a deep breath holding his hand up with more icicles. "You don't get to decide what I will regret or not Iris."

"Perhaps not. But I can tell how much you're suffering on the inside. You've kept it down this whole time, but now you can't avoid it. Even just mentioning her name breaks you. Is that why you're running? Because you can't face the others like you failed Sam?!"

Alton flinched, dropping his arm stepping back, shaking his head. "I've done this before, cooped into believing I could fight. That there was a way to beat him. Because of that, because I believed the lie, Sam fooled me into, I got them all killed. My mother, Hero's Might. I destroyed the city… All of that was on me. I can never get that image out of my head. I haven't slept properly since then. I've gotten where I am today because of that. I stand on a pile of bodies people I loved and cared for, the innocent bystanders who had nothing to do with it. That's what I get for playing hero Iris! If I had just listened to her. If I remembered the rules… If my father ever finds me, I would die. Draw no attention no matter what blend in with everyone else and stay a secret. If I did that, they would all still be alive today! I'm not making that mistake again, if I run now, I'll save all of you. That's all I've ever cared about. Nothing else matters. If I can do this part just right, just once make a difference, then this is the way. If that makes me a coward, so be it! Everyone lives…"

Iris gritted her teeth, pushing herself against the spear. It dug into her shoulder, making Alton stepped back shocked. "I don't care about any of that! Everything you just said is a lie, a lie you made up to make yourself feel justified for what you are doing. This isn't about saving others or redeeming yourself. You just want to run away because that's all you do. You're too afraid to face your past, so you lock it away and pretend it's for the good of everyone! I saw it happen before and I'm not letting it happen again! Too many people care about you Alton and I won't let you throw that away because you're scared!"

"Stop. Just stop!"

Blood began trickling down Iris' arm as she broke from her prison, falling to her knees. Serval cubes surrounded her as she held her shoulder in pain. "You're always helping us. Doing everything in your power to aid us, so for once I'm going to do the same!"

Iris blasted Alton further out as the two fell into the streets crashing into a set of cars. People began taking notice recording and watching in awe at the occurrence. 

"No way. Is that Alton?!"

"I thought he was dead!"

"I don't understand…"

Alton turned, shaking his fists biting his lip. "Look what you've done! My plan is ruined!"

"You call running away and letting the world move by a plan? I call that giving up!"

Iris flicked her cubes around smacking Alton around, ducking under one and jumping over another Alton slammed to the ground jumping onto a puddle. The water flew around him, cutting each cube in half. "What's wrong with just letting the world pass me by? Why should you let alone anyone care about my decisions?! If I want to disappear, let me!"

Alton flicked the spray of water towards Iris. A giant wall erupted from the ground blocking the attack with a small splash cutting Iris' cheek. Breaking the wall apart into serval chunks, she spun them around her body and towards Alton. Standing back he threw his arm up, cutting majority of the fragments of rubble with a single piece clobbering him in the face. He fell back only to be pulled up instantly by the small current of water. "Maybe you're forgetting Alton, but people care about you. Why should the thought of caring be one way?! You're always looking to help others, but when the time comes, and you need help, you just push everyone away and believe you can do it alone. I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way!"

"What do you know about that?! You don't know him like I do. The brutal monster he is. You can't beat something like that!" Alton screeched smacking his hands together, sending a wave of water blasting Iris off her feet and crashing into a lamppost. Alton jumped in the air-punching the ground where Iris was. Rolling out the way she held her arm being boosted further back by her cubes. Standing high above the crowds, she stared down at Alton furious. "I don't want to go through that pain ever again! The pain of losing everything close to me. Sam, Marco, Destiny. My mother… None of them had to die!"

Iris kept jumping towards her newly made pillars, sending cubes back to counter Alton's attack yelling. "I'm sorry what happened Alton I really am. But nothing will change what happened no matter how much you try to forget those events happened! But you need to step up and take reasonability and make things right!"

"I am making things right. I'm not giving my father anything to work with. He won't catch me this time. He never will again."

Jumping to her last pillar Alton was one step ahead, breaking it before Iris could safely land on it. Slipping over the edge, the water struck her pinning Iris to the wall and freezing her in place. Iris tried breaking free as Alton turned away seeing people take pictures of him all in shock. As Alton was about to run again, Iris screamed out, tearing up. "How long are you going to keep doing this?! Do you seriously intend to run your whole life?! You might as well let him kill you because that's no way to live. You've touched so many lives, Alton, made everlasting friendships and relationships with many others. People look up to you! I look up to you! How many times are you going to break their hearts? The next group of people, the ones after that! Doing this is beyond selfish!"

Alton stopped scrunching his face holding back his tears. "You don't think I know that?! You don't think it tears me apart knowing this is my life?! That I'm leaving behind people, I care for so much to a fate I can't control. I'm always on the run that's how I've been for as long as I could remember… It's always just me. I don't know what to do, I don't know, and it's killing me… What do I do then Iris?! Tell me what to do because I'm just about ready to throw in the towel and give it all up!" Falling to his knees, he stared down at the ground whimpering. "I don't deserve any of this… Not one inch. The loving attention of fans… Children who look up to me as some role model. If they knew what I've done… Who I am…? I've been running from something I should have just accepted long ago. I know that but. I'm just too afraid to die. I just don't understand anything."

The ice holding Iris shattered as she fell to the floor coughing. Alton's head lowered further as he stared at his frozen hands. When all seemed forever lost, Alton heard a voice cry out from the crowd. "Don't give up! You can't give up!"

Alton's head turned to see a little boy wearing his mask jumping up and down yelling. This was met by another voice and another. Soon the whole crowd was yelling at him.

"You can win Alton! Don't give up!"

"We believe in you!"

"You're our hero Alton fight!"

"No… No, stop. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve your encouragement…" He whimpered, lowering his head to the floor. "I deserve your hate. Your disgust. I only deserve hate and anger."

Iris walked over kneeling, pulling Alton in for a hug. "Don't you see it, Alton? No matter how much you try and throw it away, people will always care. You've helped so many people through hard times. Everyone at Team Rhapsody. Blossom, Monty, Alice… Me. Even before then… You've touched so many lives, and those people aren't just ready to let you go like this. You may not think you need us Alton, but we need you more than you realise. Please no more running."

"But what if that all happens again… What if he kills… What if I…? I can't go through that again."

Iris raised Alton chin, smiling. "And it won't. Not this time, you're strong Alton. You've held back the Garden time and time again but only because of your team. You need them as much as they need you."

An intense hailstorm burst through the city as the sky turned a dark grey. Everyone began running in fear as Alton looked in horror. "No… Oh no, it can't be. It's my father… What is he doing?"

Iris didn't budge clearly in pain from the hail as she kept holding Alton's hand. "Don't you see Alton? He will never stop, no matter what. You need to end this once and for all. But it doesn't have to be alone." Iris held out his streaming mask the one from his days of Hero's Might. It was a simple masquerade mask made from ice. The Sunset Peak high logo was printed on the side as well as his streaming name Avalanche. "Be the hero you were always meant to be."

Alton held it in shock whispering. "Never did I think I would see this mask again… It hurts seeing it even now. But it is also warming… Iris."

"Yes?"

"I'm ready." Both stood up as Alton lifted Iris up, hugging her. "Thank you… For never giving up on me."

"And I never will. Show your father just what Team Rhapsody is all about."

Alton turned to the wall where the eye of the storm was. He took a long breath ready. "It's time… Time to end this once and for all… Father, I'm coming for you."