V.I.R.A.L

Nobody said a word. Nobody wanted to but not for the reasons you would think. Each of the streamers was more than aware of the situation at hand; however, no one wanted to be the first to admit the truth. They were scared. All the streamers were here now. The big hotshots and some who Zinnia didn't recognise. You had the usual shows like the Montagues and Diego, no sign of Alice or Iris and some new faces. The doors opened as everyone's eyes snapped to the CEO. Kurt stared each one down, shaking his head. "Fucked! F. U. C. K. E. D. Fucked! That's what we all are at this moment in time. I'm not here to beat around the bush if our intel is right the Garden is already here."

"If it's right…" Scarlett questions. "You mean, you don't know."

"We don't know because our intel is dead. One of the CEO Hade went radio silent after discovering something in the far-off ruins of Sunset Peak."

"But how do we know this is the Garden?"

"Because we managed to salvage one last smidge of information before we lost contact. An image in fact." Kurt stated showing a picture of a giant tree one the size of a skyscraper. "This is one of the many vessels left here by the Garden. We call it titans."

Zinnia stood up her heart racing. She recognised the tree in seconds. It was without a doubt the same titan she saw from her vision. "There's no doubt about it. That's them."

Kurt leaned forward, pressing his hand against the table. "We don't know just how many of these titans have appeared, but we must assume it's in the dozens. The rest of Victoria might have already fallen we must act now and stop Rhinefield from falling like it did 400 years ago. You already know most of each other from past missions. But we have brought on board some fresh blood we will need as much as we can get. First of all, the number four streamer Stag."

Stag turned to everyone wearing a dear skull. Any facial features were hidden apart from her long messy brown hair. She gave a faint gruff of acknowledgement sticking her feet up on the table. "How the hell did she get to the number four spot?" Gale wondered.

"You're looking at one of the lone survivors of Sunset Peak buddy." Diego nudged. "She was there when your leader's father unleashed the ice age. She survived two weeks in the frozen wasteland recording it all. She won content creator of the year for that beating mister fancy pants Vanguard for the first time ever. She's a girl of very few words, but her actions and willpower make up for that."

"She sounds hardcore."

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"That's putting it lightly. I may have had a nightmare or two about her…"

Kurt cleared his throat, wanting to get the introduction over with. "And lastly V.I.R.A.L's number one virtual streamer, Corina."

"Virtual streamers, huh?" Emil mumbles to himself, looking at the brightly coloured anime-inspired avatar of a catgirl with ginger hair. "Heard they are the new craze right now. Corina is the face of the new phase, not a bad deal if you ask me. You want to be a streamer yet never be in action and stay fully anonymous with your identity in tack? Go down that route."

"How is that meant to help us fight?"

"Like I just said she won't ever have to be in action. So, see her as the ace in the sleeve. Not sure if something is a death trap or a mission too risky? Send in the fake."

Corina stood up her spider drone walking her around as she bowed. "It's an honour to work with you all today. I wish you all the best of luck. I will cheer you all on."

This seemed to boost the morale of the many streamers as Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Bloody idiots…"

"If that's all the major players then…" Kurt stopped as he was being whispered in the ear by an employee. He smirked nodding. "Bring them in."

The door opened as Goro and Paradox walked in getting everyone's attention. "Hey, hey. What the big idea here?!" Jinx snapped. "How is she alive?!"

"I'll put her down where she stands!" Scarlett echoed.

Kurt held his hand up, calming the situation. "Now just wait a moment calm, please. I can ensure all of your worries. This isn't what you think."

Paradox hid behind Goro muttering. "I've been told you all hold a large grudge against me… I'm sorry for not remembering any such events. You may all call me Blossom; I hope we can all get along."

"What sort of sick joke is this? Alton Brantley killed her back four months ago. I saw it with my own eyes." Scarlett questioned.

"Blossom if you wouldn't mind waiting outside while I bring the rest up to scratch," Kurt ordered as she nodded scurrying out. Goro sighed, standing idly by. "Whoever you think that girl is I can ensure you she's not."

"What does that even mean?" Diego questioned intrigued. "People don't just come back to life."

"Gemini Fujisaki is dead," Goro said in a demanding tone. "The Garden took her life six months ago. That girl isn't her; she may look like Gemini, sound and have the same abilities, but that isn't her."

"What Mister Nakamura is trying to put through is that Blossom has no recognition of who she once was. We wiped the Garden and all memories of her past from her after the raid. She doesn't remember the life she once carried or the hatred she held for us. Right now she's Blossom, a girl who wants to do good and help anyone in need. We were not hoping to bring her in so quickly, but given the circumstances, we need all the help we can get with Alton and the Hawthorne twins giving us a no show."

"What if she remembers?" Gale questions. "I mean we are going up against the Garden."

"If she remembers who she was. I'll kill her." Goro threatens.

"But that won't happen. If we are all done mumbling to ourselves, I want to get down to business. We brought you all here today to destroy the Garden. This titan must be eliminated before any of the five stages of Grief can pass through. Even if just one manages to get through the seal, Victoria could very well be destroyed. We will split you all into teams as you are sent into the eye of the storm. Your orders are as follows. Find Hade dead or alive, and bring him back to us, isolate any outbreak of the Garden and cut the titan down from the sky. Expect heavy resistance as we have no idea what you are going into."

"Now just hold on a minute! We didn't sign up for this!" A streamer yelled.

"I just signed up because I was bored, I don't want to throw my life away for this! I refuse." Another one demanded. This rowed up serval other streamers as they all started yelling the same. "You cannot do this!"

Kurt closed his eyes nodding. "I see. So, your one of those are you?"

"One of those?"

"The lowest of the low am I wrong?" Kurt asked, staring a cold stare at the streamers with a blank smile. No one responded as a chill was sent down everyone's spine. "Running away from the invadable is fine. In fact, I recommend a small group of streamers stay behind and defend our borders in case the mission fails… But you weren't thinking that was you? You wouldn't protect a single person if your life depended on it. No, you would just run and hide like the slime you are. Pathetic to think we have people who dare call themselves streamers."

"Hey… Hey, we didn't sign up to become your soldiers…"

"Quite right. Then please, your pass." Kurt slowly said, holding his hand out. "Cowards like you have no place in V.I.R.A.L."

The streamer scoffed storming over with his pass. "Whatever, V.I.R.A.L is old news anyway…" As he handed the pass over Kurt gripped onto the streamer not letting go. "Hey! What are yo- Stop! Stop!"

The streamer screamed in pain his body dissolving into ash as his streamer pass fell into the pile. Kurt adjusted his wrist scorning at the dead streamer. The others were left in disarray. Horror. Zinnia began trembling unsure what she had just witnessed. "You… You killed him… You just killed him!"

Kurt turned to each of them tutting. "That isn't true. I put the mutt out of his misery. Showed him kindness the Garden wouldn't. We do not have time or the patience to bare witness cowards. We are at war, and we need everyone to aid us if you want to survive. Victory will see us as heroes. Surely you want to be seen as a hero to the people Zinnia?"

Zinnia fell silent as Diego stared at the dead body shaking his head sighing. "What's our reward for this? This isn't the Cult we're dealing with, so the pay-out should be much bigger no?"

"Your lives aren't already enough of a reward? You win you live. I see that as a reward in its self. There're no rewards for survival apart from living to see another day. Now does anyone else fancy handing me their pass?" No one dared to. "Wonderful. I'm glad we all came to an understanding if everyone would wait in the rooms assigned to them, we will set up the squads you will go in with. We will begin the operation tonight. You are all dismissed."

The CEOs left as a lot of the streamers stood dazed by what happened. "This can't actually be happening…" Florence whispered.

"Well, it's happening. With all the fuckery the Garden has thrown our way I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner." Diego admitted. "Doesn't stop it from sucking any less."

"Typical though isn't it. The day the Garden decides to strike Alton vanishes on a little vacation. What the hell was his reason for anyway?" Butch argued.

Zinnia shrugged her shoulders, unsure. "He didn't give me much of a reason. He just said he had some things to do and left me in charge… Being the leader over Christmas didn't sound too bad but this… I'm not sure if I can handle this…"

"You don't have to. We will stick together, no matter what." Gale claims.

"Is no one going to bring up the fact this might be Alton's doing?" Jinx questions.

Scarlett snaps her vision to her. "What did you say?!"

Jinx frowned, stopping her handshaking. "I don't want to think this myself. But Alton is a Child of the Garden. He just happens to vanish alongside Alice when the Garden arrives. I'm not one to jump to conclusions, but I can't help but feel like he could be involved."

"We… Cannot overlook this possibility…" Zinnia whispered. "But I can't accept that Alton would betray us all… Unless. Scarlett, can I talk to you alone?"

Scarlett stepped away, crossing her arms. "Yeah?"

"Alton told me everything. You know about my contract with Bargaining."

"Yes, I do. I was and still am ready to put you down if I have to."

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"I take it he didn't tell you that he too made a contract with the stage of grief as well?" Scarlett looked conflicted as Zinnia nodded. "Thought so… The deal he made with Bargaining was to free me of his grasp if he became a stage of grief himself."

"He what?! How could he do something like that?!" Scarlett snapped, squeezing her fist. "Why the hell would he do that?"

Zinnia rubbed her face. "It only hit me, though. If the Garden is back, could this be Alton's doing to see out his contract?"

Scarlett bit her lip frowning. "I won't believe it. How dare you even come to this conclusion. Don't bring this up to me or anyone else again."

"Scarlett! Scarlett, we cannot ignore this!" Zinnia yelled, watching her storm off. Stopping herself, she turned towards the ash of the former streamer as Zinnia stared on with a feeling of dread. "Or that either…"