V.I.R.A.L

Zinnia had landed in the snowy mountains without much conflict. She hadn't come across any streamers since the initial drop. The streamers weren't what concerned her; however, she had her own demons to worry about. "You can't ignore me forever, my dear Zinnia, I am inevitable when are you going to accept that?" Zinnia prowled through the snowy environment, trying her best ignore the piercing whispers. It was eating away at her with little chance of escape, but yet she pushed on her wish insight. "I know what you're trying to achieve little one, all your thoughts are an open book to me. Do you really think it will be that easy to rid of me? Why I must wonder, do you not realise what would happen if you don't keep me around. You need me."

"Enough!" Zinnia roared falling to her knees, holding her head. "Leave me alone! Get out of my head, I don't need any of this. I don't need you."

"Oh, but you do." Bargaining grinned kneeling down, holding Zinnia's cheek. "Look at you, you're falling apart with conflict. Let me take this pain off your shoulders." He lifted her up hugging Zinnia stroking her head. "You need not go through this pain anymore."

Zinnia snapped away from him horrified as for that split second, she felt safe in his arms. Her lip was trembling as she kept stepping away from him. "Who are you?!"

"I'm your friend." Bargaining whispered appearing behind Zinnia bowing slightly. "One who can give you whatever you want. Deny it or even accept it that doesn't matter. Our bargain is what matters. If your father saw that he might be here today."

"Don't talk ill will of my father. Don't you dare!"

"Well, I will admit that boy was something else. The Phantom." He began chuckling to himself, clapping his hands. "What a guy, you know he was one to never give up. You should have seen his face when everything he knew fell before him… Couldn't help but sorta feel sorry for the guy."

"Who are you?"

Bargaining stepped back with an arrogant look crawling across his face. "Who am I? You sure you want to know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. I suppose there's no harm done. Before I was blessed with the Garden, my name was Adam Hawthorne ring a bell?"

"Hawthorne… No way!"

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Bargaining began nodding smiling all the same. "In life, I was one of the four legendary heroes who fought back against evil for justice and peace. The world knew me as the Time breaker. Don't you see Zinnia, don't you get it? I'm the closest thing you have to family. I knew your parents very well, indeed. See me as your Godfather, why don't you?"

Zinnia was left shocked as her hand was trembling. "My parents… Impossible, the legendary heroes, wouldn't join the ranks of the Garden!"

"Yet here I am. I all of people know you cannot beat evolution. You cannot defeat something infinite you can only bargain with it for a better tomorrow. You need not fear me Zinnia, I obviously mean you no harm, I want only to help you. Deep down, you know this to be true." Bargaining places forward walking around Zinnia. "Percy's death was tragic. He was taken from this world too quickly; he was a hero and died nothing short of a hero's death. But why should that happen? While your friend died, the villains got to live. They are locked away, ready for their moment to strike once more. I hardly see that as fair. Look at everyone else gravely injured by our enemies. Paradox almost ended their stories completely the final page ripped never to be completed, and there was nothing you can do about it. How long will it be before another one is stolen from you? Iris? Scarlett or how about Gale? Sooner or later, you will be left alone or sharing their fate in hopes of saving them. It doesn't have to be this way. We can stop that; we can stop you ever going through that pain again. You already have the tools to achieve anything I'm mealy the teacher who can guide you."

"By killing Alton?!"

"I know how it looks—one life for many others. But you've seen what he is now, haven't you? He's shown a smidge of his true colours. A child of the Garden is nothing less than monstrous, he will destroy everything you hold dear just like what happened to your father. You can either learn from history or see yourself doomed to repeat it. The choice is yours Zinnia, but just know this disposing of that monster will not only save your friends but the whole world. Isn't that what a hero does."

Zinnia looked conflicted as she gripped her shaking hand. "I- I just… I do-."

"Now is the time to strike while the animal is down on his knees! His powers have been sealed; he has no hope of victory! Deal the blow before it's too late!"

"Yo, Zinnia!" Bargaining vanishes as Zinnia turns around in a worried state seeing Gale waving. "Thought I heard you, who were you talking to?"

Zinnia wiped her face sniffing. "No one, no one at all."

Gale scratched his head, shrugging it off. "Ok, but man fancy us two being sent to the same region must be a sign of fate. We should probably find the others, taking down this Eyes over Reality isn't going to be easy that I can already guess. Man, I'm stocked with getting to team up, ahh destiny!"

Zinnia held her hand as crackles of electricity rippled through. "Sorry Gale, it's nothing personal but I can't."

"What do you me- Oh, well this is a surprise," Gale smirked seeing Zinnia ready for battle. "I guess it is every streamer for themselves. I'm all up for a fight Zinnia but shouldn't we wait until after defeat EOR?"

Zinnia gripped her fist tighter as lightning began emitting from her whole body. "I need to do this; I can't let anyone get in my way of winning this."

Gale cracked his knuckles nodding. "This wish must be significant. I have no objections let's see just what those powers are capable of." Zinnia stepped forward vanishing as the snap of thunder came, she reappeared with a burst of electricity above Gale striking down. Holding both arms up into an x position he blocked the attack flinching slightly from the sheer force. Holding her back, he scoffed, staring at her dead in the eyes. "It's going to take more than that to take down this streamer."

Zinnia used the blocked attack to hold onto his arms, flipping over kicking him in the back. Gale stumbled forward readying another attack. She went in for a punch Gale countered by landing a punch too as fists collided which only was met by another and another as the battle became a stalemate of power. That was until Gale's attacks began to hit harder and faster, being too much for Zinnia as she was defeated in the battle of power retreating back. Zinnia jumped up serval rocks being higher up the mountain holding her hand up streaks of lightning burst out tracking Gale. With his newfound speed, Gale began dodging and weaving through each attack with any strikes landing on him only increasing his speed further. Jumping high up matching Zinnia's level, he spun in the air, kicking down as the small formation of rocks Zinnia was on crumbled apart as she fell. Falling from grace, her whole body erupted into electricity zipping ahead to safety as she reappeared panting. Gale didn't give her time to catch her breath as he rippled forward swinging his arm out to knocking her down into a headlock. Zinnia repelled with a sharp ball of electricity which exploded in Gale's face. However, with Gale's powers rising at an incredible rate and his sheer tolerance to the pain he was able to push through pinning Zinnia to the ground with a force of a car behind him as Zinnia was seemly down for the count. Panting himself, he held his friend down, smiling. "Not bad, say if I win this how about we go for something to eat. Your treat obviously."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Zinnia screamed struggling as a small mark appeared on Gale's chest sparking on full show. Zinnia past through Gale likes a bolt of lightning as she stepped back, distancing herself.

Gale turned around startled by what he saw. "What the hell is this?" Before he was a carbon copy of himself but transparent with no facial features rippling with purple lightning. Zinnia punched her fists together before throwing a single hit at the electrical dummy. Doing so sent a sharp rippling pain through Gale as the crescent of a lightning bolt on his chest glowed brightly. He fell to his knee, paralysed to the bone-shaking in pain. Head lowered he began muttering each word taken by another breath. "You know. Your powers make zero sense."

Zinnia struck the puppet with another bolt of lightning as Gale roared out in pain as he collapsed smoke pouring out of him. Lying on the floor, his mouth was trembling as he gripped the snow tightly cursing under his breath. "Deadma-." Gale's final move was halted as a loud rumbling sound almost matching the one of a plane flying overhead. Zinnia's gaze snapped up, seeing the forming of an avalanche. Gale knew this too as he forced himself up on one knee using the last of his power. Zinnia felt faint as her strength was also drained as Gale screamed out. "Deadman's Requiem!" With an unbelievable amount of energy behind him, he chose to do the one thing he could think of at that moment. Sprinting forward he grabbed Zinnia spinning her around throwing her far away from the reach of the avalanche. Zinnia began freefalling dazed by Gale's actions as he gave a salute. "Tell me all about that wish of yours when you win Zinnia."

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The avalanche consumed Gale as Zinnia was blasted back further by the power of mother nature. The mountain was topped with snow as Zinnia began falling to the bottom. Spinning around, unable to control her fall, she called on her powers to snap her back down to the ground. A sharp bolt of lightning blasted the ground as Zinnia emerged lying on her back, exhausted hearing the crash of the avalanche in the distance. Gale… Why would you do that?"

Bargaining chuckled watching the snow crash down blinding the area around them. "That boy has guts I'll give him that, Acceptance wouldn't shut up about his overwhelming willpower. He sure has my respect. To think he'd sacrifice himself to save you."

Zinnia pushed herself overlooking up at where she once was slamming her hand into the snow. "What was he thinking?!"

"Ask him yourself when all of this is over. Just be grateful he's allowed you to give this another crack at. You cannot freeze like that when fighting the true enemy. The moment you freeze in battle, it's all over, remembers that otherwise, the next time that happens little Gale won't be so lucky…"

Zinnia pulled herself up, gripping her arm as Gale's points transferred to her. She held the card tightly feeling determination flow through her. "You won't need to worry about that anymore. I know what needs to be done, there's no going back now."