V.I.R.A.L

Zinnia found herself contemplating over what flowers to choose. She had been stuck for quite a while choosing lost on choice. She bit her lip in annoyance as the clerk walked over. "Excuse me mam do you need any help?"

Zinnia slowly left her gaze on the flowers turning to the shop clerk. "I'm not sure, I'm trying to pick out flowers for some friends of mine. Both are in hospital, and I need a little something."

"Two different sets then?" She asked. "How close are these friends to you?"

"Well one of them is younger than me, she's gone blind, but she's saved my life serval times."

"Hmm, blind? That is a tricky one, well I think we should choose smell overlooks then. I have plenty of choices of flowers that could brighten up a room with smell alone. What about lilies? Simple, vibrant colours and a strong fragrance bound to make anyone happy?"

Zinnia smiled nodding. "That sounds perfect."

The shop clerk began pulling them together, wrapping them up. "What about the other person?"

"Oh, that would be my leader and best friend. He got very ill lately but is making a good recovery."

"Best friend, you say? Hmm, what're your feelings for this boy?"

"F-Feelings?" She choked. "I don't know, what do you mean?"

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The shop clerk smirked turning around. "Wait here I've got just the thing."

Zinnia stood by holding the lilies as two girls began bickering to each other rushing in. "Umm, excuse me."

"Me?" Zinnia questioned, looking confused.

The girls kept pushing each other before one spoke up. "We're big fans! Could we have your autograph?!"

"My what?" Zinnia flinched thrown off and not sure how to react. "You want my autograph?"

"Yes, please Ingrid miss! We saw you walking by and just needed an autograph." One of the girls scooped together, getting elbowed. "Oh, and a photo if possible."

"Umm, sure?" She responded not really knowing how else to respond. As she was handed a piece of paper Zinnia froze for a short moment realising, she never had to sign anything before meaning she didn't have a signature to work off. In the heat of the moment, she just scribbled her name in a fancy way with a tick at the end. The girls seemed happy with it and with a quick and slightly awkward photo later they were off leaving Zinnia dazed.

"I saw those two watching you since you arrived. Guess they only worked up the courage to talk to you. I take it you're a streamer then?"

"Oh yeah, I'm a member of Team Rhapsody."

"Team Rhapsody you say, wow, my son is always watching you guys. He'll be super jealous I got to meet one of you. Sorry for the wait, I put together a range of different Zinnias. We have the Aztec sunset, swizzle and soleado variety here sure to make your special someone happy."

Zinnia took the flowers looking at them in awe before giggling. "I've never seen these sorts of flowers before. What's the chance you bring the flowers I'm named after."

"Your name is Zinnia? Ha, must be fate or something. Are you happy with them?"

Zinnia took in the smell nodding pleased. "They are perfect. How much do I owe you?"

The shop clerk shook her head. "They're yours. Don't worry about the fee. Your autograph will be enough. My son will be ecstatic to have it."

Zinnia went a bit red smiling not use to this sort of attention. But she complied, giving her the best autograph possible. Signing the end, her vision pried over to the bordered-up window. "What happened?"

"Oh, that? Some kids came round and smashed the place up stole the small amount of money we had."

"Why would anyone steal from a flower shop? Were they caught?"

She shook her head. "We didn't bother calling the police. Day by day, they become more useless. Why bother with those fossils when you can be a streamer right? Seem to be the only thing we can rely on, the good ones that are. Like yourself."

"I wouldn't go that far… Thank you for the help, I hope the store goes back to normal soon."

"Thank you, I hope these flowers bring happiness to the special one in your life Zinnia."

Zinnia turned around, holding the set of flowers tightly blushing as she whispered to herself. "It's not like that… I think?"

****

"The Alice win once again; you now owe me three chocolate bars, sis!"

Iris sighed, looking in the direction of the chessboard. "Remind me why I agreed to play chess with you? I am blind!"

"Knock, knock." Zinnia spoke, standing in the doorway. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Zinnia? Come in, please." Iris yelled, sitting up. "I heard what happened at the Montague estate."

"How did you?"

"Word travels fast around here," Alice explained. "Are those flowers?"

Zinnia held up the lilies. "Just a little something to brighten up the room, I wanted something even Iris could be happy with."

Iris held them smelling the present as she smiled. "These are lilies, yes? I can tell straight away by the smell."

"The Alice approves, thank you Zinnia."

"It's nothing. How are you both?"

"The doctors said I can go home soon. They just need to run a few more tests. It will be nice to be somewhere I'm more familiar with, even if I can't really tell the difference anymore." Iris sighed. "It's a real shit show, isn't it?"

"It could have been worse."

"Yeah, that's what they all say… So much for being a streamer."

Alice stood up, comforting her sister. "Alice has already told you sister; she has a plan to fix your eyesight."

"You do?" Zinnia asked.

"Yes, The Alice is going to enter the V.I.R.A.L League and win that wish, I'll wish Iris' eyesight back."

"I don't want you putting yourself endanger for me, Alice…"

"She has already made up her mind. Alice will not back down." Alice snapped. "I take it your team is entering too?"

Zinnia nodded, looking slightly nervous. "That we are. Alton isn't keen on the idea, but after the threat made against us from Eyes Over Reality, he can't overlook it anymore."

"EOR? I thought that dude was in prison?" Iris debated.

"You know of him?"

"A little, he was quite the villain, took the streamers by storm a few years back, he put twelve streamers in hospital and killed three more. He was going around fighting the strongest streamers to prove his strength. I heard he was doing it all for fun. Something to do to kill time sounds too psychotic to be true. The streamer Crimson Dawn took him down about two years back ending that little tale."

"Crimson Dawn… That was the guy I saw the other day on the V.I.R.A.L Podcast. I wonder if he knows about EOR?"

"So, if you are entering the contest, we assume you have a wish of your own no?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I have so many things I want, but it's hard to think of one. Like I would even win if I'm going up against you, Alice."

"No, she has a point. You do have little chance against the Alice, you might want to give up, I guess."

"Don't listen to her." Iris sighed. "You can easily win. Let me guess you want to see your mother again."

Zinnia went pale as she tried throwing the question away to the best of her ability. "What I want to know is what do you have in mind, Iris?"

"What I'm going to do next? Man, who knows, I was really banging on the idea of streaming with you guys. Well, I may not look like it, but I'm an excellent artist. I use to draw my own comic book series all the time, come to think of it I might have one of the old ones lying around at home of Alton. Oh, but look at me, another dream crushed with no vision. Ha-ha…"

"Iris… Has your father seen you two recently?"

"No."

"No?"

"Nope."

"And you're alright with it?"

"Not really, but that's life, I guess. We're going home soon, so I'm not going to lose sleep over it. Say, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Not at all." Zinnia stated, leaning against the wall.

"Why did you come to visit us? You've never come by yourself."

Zinnia went to speak, stopping herself, not knowing where to begin. She wanted to mention everything she saw during the trials, Sunset peak, Alton and his Garden form. But something kept her from doing so. "Umm, it's nothing. Another time perhaps. I should get going."

"Who are the other set of flowers for? If you don't mind Alice asking?"

Zinnia held the bunch of flowers up smiling. "Oh, these are for Alton. A get well soon present."

"Of course, they are." Iris teased lying back down. "You're fooling no one Zinnia."

"I've got to go." She said flustered stepping outside back against the door. "What the hell is wrong with me? Why couldn't I speak up back there?"

"It's better off you don't know, makes it all so much easier when the time comes." Bargaining played off leaning against the wall opposite her. "Those two seem happy. That makes me glad. Siblings who care for each other is a good thing."

Zinnia had her hand firmly planted on the door, looking weary. "What are you doing here?"

"Try not to make such a scene, no one can see me remember? Only the one who made the bargain. You don't want to be locked up and the key thrown away now do you?"

Zinnia calmed herself building her newfound confidence. "Does that mean Monty can see you too? Alton told me about your little deal with him."

"Only when I want to. Although someone like him doesn't serve my plans very well. He's how I put it? A lost cause."

"And I'm any better?"

Bargaining began debating silently to himself shrugging half-heartedly. "I can never tell until the deed is done. See my contracts I make with people like entering the lottery. You don't know if you have the winning numbers until you try. Are you the winning numbers Zinnia? Who knows? Although your little trip to the Garden has put my mind slightly at ease. How are your awakened powers treating you?"

"Are they a gift from the Garden?" Zinnia hissed stared daggers at him.

"No, fortunate for you, our influence had nothing to do with your powers. Those are your own gift. One of the legendary heroes passed down to you."

"You're mistaken. I saw the past; I know what my mother was."

"You do? Well, consider me wrong. Guess I should listen to the girl who saw a single frame of the past through a keyhole. Or did you forget I was actually there myself when our conquest in destroying the world failed?"

Zinnia folded her arms, shaking her head. "You won't succeed this time."

"Maybe? Maybe not? The outcome is of no use to me. Whether the Garden destroys the remains of Victoria or your streamers come out on top is useless to me. My own agendas lie in neither outcome. This battle you have against the Garden is fun to watch yes, but I'm nothing more than an onlooker who intervenes here and there. Like I did back then, asking around about Alton isn't a good idea."

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"Why not?"

"Because, if you are going to kill him, best not get too attached." He mocked, pointing towards the flowers. "I wouldn't want you forgetting your true goal here. Afterall a deal with Garden isn't one you can break."

Zinnia gave Bargaining a dodgy look. "I am not killing him for your cause."

"Argue all you like, when the time comes you won't have much of choice. We'll meet again soon and when we do young Zinnia. You will kill Alton and when you do…" Bargaining walked up to her whispering the last words into her ear. "You will thank me for it."

Bargaining vanished as Zinnia was left feeling empty and disturbed. She stared down at the flowers for Alton, the ones with so much care put into them. She threw them into the bin walking away, feeling sick to the stomach as her inevitable future.