V.I.R.A.L

Chapter 172: Fairy-Tale Lie Part 2

"You ask her."

"No, you. This was your idea."

"Ugh… Fine! Excuse me! Unity!"

Unity turned around, seeing Alice and Iris nervously fidgeting. "Oh, umm, yes? Wait, do I know you two?"

"You saved a few months back in the arcades."

"I vaguely remember, sorry I've so busy it's hard to remember everyone we save. You want an autograph or something?"

Iris shook her head, holding a small recording device in her hand. "We're doing an assignment for school about streamers. We were hoping to interview about your experiences."

"This is new." Unity whispered in shock. "Alright, I guess I can have a few minutes to kill while I wait for Alton to get out of detention. Hit me."

"Do you like streaming?"

Iris hit Alice pouting. "What sort of question is that? Of course, she likes streaming!"

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Unity looked slightly lost, clearing her throat at the two bickerings. "Umm, hello?"

"Sorry! Sorry! Umm miss Unity… How did you come up with the name?"

"My streamer name? Ha, funny thing that is. The name unity was never my choice. My partner Avalanche suggested the name to him. It signifies as a leader, I bring my team together into perfect unity."

"That's so cool. How did you and Avalanche meet?"

"Isn't that bit of a personal question, Iris?" Alice whispered.

Unity chuckled, shaking her head. "It's cool. I have not much to hide hell my real name is in the database alongside the school I go to. Avalanche and I are both in the same class, he recently transferred here from down south. At first, I, like many people, ignored him, but something intrigued me about him. Once I found out about his powers, I approached him about using them for good. And the rest is history."

"Man. I'm so jealous… I wish I had cool powers," Iris whispered pausing the recording and starting a new take. "We have one more question for you, Unity. All the streamers out there are doing it for the money and fame. Some just want to pass the time, and others are streamers for fun. But you are different. You go out of your way to save people. You've stated on multiple occasions you don't care for the views or fame. Why go out of the way to be different? Why are you a hero?"

"I'm no hero."

"What?"

"Well, to me, a hero is a very loose term. It implies that only certain people can be so-called heroes. That it's a profession or a title. You don't have to be a hero to save people as anyone can save somebody hero or not. I just save people because it's the right thing to do. You don't call police officers or firemen heroes for doing their job so why should I be any different. If people want to see me as a hero, then that's awesome, but I simply see myself as a streamer doing the right thing day by day."

"Sam… Sam." Alton whispered, appearing from nowhere. She turns to a paranoid looking boy. "It's happening."

"You mean, it's him? I thought you said he died?"

"I was wrong. My father is here… I, we can't beat him."

"Yes, we can Alton… You need to have faith. Trust me together, we can win. I'll get in contact with Marco and Destiny. We will stop him." Unity entitles, stopping turning to the twins. "Sorry girls that's all I can give for today. You should get home; it's not safe."

"Yes, Unity! Thank you again." Iris bowed running off with Alice in hand. Alice stopped turning to the two streamers smiling.

"Heroes? That's what I want to be. That's what I want to be."

****

The sky began to darken as purple haze rippled through the ground. The day of judgement was running on in fast. The Garden is almost here. Iris jolted back kicking serval chunks of ice away. "Fight all you want it useless. I don't even have to defeat you. The Garden will do quick work of that."

"This Garden this, the Garden that. You know I'm getting real sick of this Garden crap." Alton muttered.

Alice and Alton disconnected as Alice flew forward avoiding the blast of purple energy meeting Iris head-on. Landing serval strikes with her scythe Iris couldn't move stuck in a trap of endless punches. Charging up one final blow Iris was sent flying to the ground. Alton was waiting flicking his hand forward as cold shockwaves blasted through her freezing her in place before hitting it. Inches away from the ground, never touching it, the ice shattered as she was knocked back into the wall. Iris screamed, blowing the area apart as cubes flooded and roared around bombarding the two. Alice kept throwing portals open to dodge the attacks, but a few would knock her off balance even then.

Alton was smashed to the ground buried in cubes. A single strain of ice pierced through stabbing Iris in the shoulder pinning her against the wall as Alton reappeared next to Alice. "If we keep this up we will have no choice but to kill her. Suggestions?"

"I think… No. I know I can get through to Iris. I just need time."

Alton pulled his arms behind him as the ice began flooding over him, consuming him, creating an armour-like substance. "That can be arranged. We don't have too long." Alton blasted forward as Iris broke herself free. Seeing Alton, she gritted her teeth, swinging her hand up, arming a pillar to stop his attack. Spinning in the air, Alton grazed off the side using the momentum to smash down into the ground. His blade of ice by his side thrust it forward, barely missing Iris. She reacted fast drawing her scythe the two began clashing with shards of ice cracking around them. Each strike only increased in speed and power as neither side showed any sign of weakening as the two moved back and forth. Iris tried getting the upper hand jumping over and around Alton to throw him off, but even that wasn't enough. The weapons clashed once more as the two were trapped in a stalemate pushing with all their might. "I know Iris is still in there and I know shes fighting the Iris I know won't ever give up!"

"You hold too much faith in your friends when you should be more concerned about yourself Alton!" Iris caught him off guard, breaking his guard making Alton fall to the ground. He came back with a roundhouse kicking jerking his whole body around knocking Iris back using the downwards speed.

The ground began to freeze rapidly as a blizzard of power surrounded him. "It's quite the opposite. I've always held others poorly. I never believed I could rely on others or believe in them. But seeing how much you and Iris believed in me, in Sam who am I to throw that away just for once. For the hell of it, I'm going to believe in my friends!"

Alton blasted the blizzard at Iris as she shot up a wall blocking the attack as she was pushed to her limit. Taking the attack on her entire focus was given to Alton. She gritted her teeth holding out only to realise the attack wasn't made for her. Feeling like a fool, she flinched as a portal opened from the wall she constructed, and Alice slowly emerged from it. "It's about time for once sis you let me save you. I won't let this demon ruin both of our lives anymore!"

"Damn it, this was all a distraction!"

Alice tackled Iris to the ground holding her down. Iris struggled and fought but was no match for Alice. "Give back my sister. I demand it! You've toyed with me my whole life, and I just accepted that but don't drag her into this!"

Iris stared at Alice, wincing in pain. "Ple… Sav… Me!"

Alice reached out to her rescue only for Salvation to sneak back in falling through a portal reappearing in the air. Alice collapsed, looking up as Iris held her hand out as a bright light blinded the sky. Alton gritted his teeth, noticing similar properties to Zinnia and Scarlett's attack. "Not good. She doesn't cancel abilities; she takes them to use against us! If that hits… No!"

Alton's eyes ripple bright yellow as his hair extends and frozen petals float around him as he was to meet Iris' attack head-on. "I'm sorry Iris… I have no choice." A swirl of power grows in his hand as he begins to crush it, allowing it to blossom and ignite. The air around him was sucked dry as even Alton was starting to freeze up due to his charged attack. "Forgive me… absolute freeze…"

Iris began moving her arm down to finish the fight in an attack which would destroy half the city. That was until Alice suddenly appeared in front of Iris, throwing her off entirely. Alice didn't counter her sister nor cast her own attack. Instead, she just gave Iris her bravest smile. One Iris had no memory of even from the past life. Alice took her hand before. Iris flinched looking distort. "What are you doing? Move out of the way. I demand you! If you don't… My attack will destroy you!"

Alice shook her head. "No more running away. No more of you living in my shadow. Even if that means I have to sacrifice everything I won't let this end. I'm taking it all back. Iris, Eve our life everything for I am thou, thou art I."

Alton stopped his attack looking up in horror as Iris let hers. A ripple of energy exploded as Alton stepped back coming to his senses. "No… No way… Alice!"