V.I.R.A.L

Smoke covered the streets. The droning sound of screams flooded through blocking out all other sounds. This was met by one additional sound, the click of a gun. Alton tried crawling away blood smudged against the ground using his arm to dig at the floor. He kept looking backwards in devastation as a figure walked up, stopping his path. Two more watched from the side lines, the look of justice gleaming in their eyes. The first figure kicked Alton overstepping on him crushing his rips. Alton couldn't put up much of a fight, not anymore, he stared scared for his life as a gun was firmly pressed against him. A cold breeze shook through the wreckage as the figure waited idly looked away, hiding behind their mask. Clocking the firearm, they whispered in a dry ominous tone. "Send Lily my regards Avalanche." One more was matched through the bombardment of sounds—the sound of a stray gunshot piercing the screams reaching that with silence.

****

"Seriously I don't know how they do it. It's a true gift from God." Gale gloated, licking his fingers scoffing down a double cheeseburger spilling sauce all over the floor.

"The Alice doesn't understand what is so good about processed meat and chemicals?"

"You never had a burger from three girls?"

Alice pushed the bag away in disgust. "No, I've had such regards to food before. But I do not practically choose to eat such foods. I'll take a salad any day, thank you. Overall conclusion for today, Gale is a slob who doesn't care what food he eats."

Looking rather hurt by that statement, Emil laughed, wrapping his arm around Gale teasing him. "Don't take it to heart Gale. You work out enough to not worry about those sorts of food. Besides if it kills you any quicker than that Deadman requiem ability of yours will be of use."

Scarlett rolled her eyes sipping on a milkshake. "I'm surrounded by complete buffoons."

"Don't be too harsh on them Scarlett, boys will be boys." Zinnia shrugged off nibbling on the last of her chips. "Downtime like this is a nice change of pace."

"Speaking of the boys where is the only tolerant one, he was meant to be here like an hour ago."

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Alice leaned on Scarlett's shoulder climbing over her nodding. "Yes, yes. Where is Alton? I demand Alton be here right now!"

"You're just waiting so you can order together. You think his choice would be any better than Gale's?"

"Anything is better than what that boy chooses."

Alton walked in, scratching the back of his head stretching. "Sorry, I'm late."

Emil shook his head, throwing a chip at Alton. "This was entirely your idea can I point out. What is the matter with you seriously?"

Alton scooted over moving Gale over as Alice swirled around sitting next to him. "I was in the middle of something important. We have a job."

"A job? You mean like a joint-stream?"

"No, no. An actual job from the CEOs themselves." Alton goes overthrowing a newspaper on the table. "You lot heard about the new prison they are making just north of the city?"

Scarlett took the magazine nodding. "That's right… It's this new state of the art prison designed to hold streamers like Vanguard. It's isolated from the city in hopes of keeping the residents safe."

"Exactly. They are moving the most dangerous prisoners today, and we've been tasked with escorting the move."

"It makes sense. We're a big group of streamers who are taken down most of these crooks. V.I.R.A.L would be stupid not to choose us." Emil added. "Should be an easy job all considering."

"All considering what?" Zinnia questioned obliviously.

"That they don't escape and cause mass mayhem and destruction to the city and along the lines of taking revenge, killing us for putting them in prison in the first place… I guess." Alice tuned in speaking without stopping for a breath once.

Zinnia checked her phone, confirming the task given to them. This one strange enough wouldn't be streamed. It was a professional hero job. "Well, there's no way we're backing down from this one. We must make sure the villains of Victoria are kept behind bars."

"Wait a second, it says here another streaming group will be aiding us. They go by Villain's wrath."

"Villain's Wrath. Sounds ominous… They seriously couldn't have picked a more normal name?" Gale said sarcastically. "What was the league of evil already taken?"

Alton leaned back on his chair, sipping on his warm milkshake saved for him. "Don't know, don't care. The transfer is in an hour and comes right through this area. It will be a quick and easy job. Hell, we probably won't even see this Villain's Wrath in the first place. They are stationed for the final part of the escort."

"We better get ready then." Zinnia states jumping from her seat. "Makes you wonder though why they didn't go with a more well-rounded popular group for this?"

"They probably want to go with a streamer group with a large number count. Since this isn't being streamed the importance of famous streamers isn't all there."

"Can we order one for the road?" Gale questioned, wiping his mouth finishing the burger.

Alice scorned him, pushing him out of the restaurant. "I'm doing this for your own good Lampard."

Everyone began leaving as Scarlett held Alton's arm. "Are you alright? You're trembling."

Alton took his arm back nodding. "Just peachy. Let's get this over with, shall we?"

****

The convoy was much larger than most were imagining taking up both side of the roads as most of the central portion of Rhinefield was closed for today. Team Rhapsody followed the convoy from the rooftop. This been the norm for the past twenty minutes, minimal changes apart from a few stops to adjust the mirrors. Alton sat at the far end squatting over the edge, crumbling pieces of ice through his hand. "Quite surprised we haven't seen the others streamers yet." Zinnia stated.

"Like I said we probably won't. We swap over near the end. Only a few more blocks to go."

"Easiest shit I've done all year." Emil scoffed balancing off the edge. "Say we haven't had a proper welcoming party for Alice, yet have we?"

"Well, Alton only came back two days ago. Alice hasn't even been in our ranks for a week."

"How does it feel Alice? You're first mission with Team Rhapsody."

Alice gave a festive look before it died into one of pure disappointment. "It's pretty boring, not going to lie."

"Yeah, well they can't all be fun. Speaking of which that party?"

"Sounds like to me someone is looking for an excuse to party." Scarlett jabbed smirking. "Well, I suppose it is only natural. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve."

"432… To think that its. Only 432 years since the Garden attacked."

"Crazy to think. And here I thought we wouldn't make it to the end of this one." Alton chuckled. "What a year it's been."

"You can say that again. Perhaps we can have a quieter year next time?"

"Ha, where's the fun in that?"

The convoy was moving out of range as the group stood up. "Always on the move."

Alice was the last to move as she stopped seeing what looked to be a streamer watching from the rooftops opposite to them. She squinted, trying to get a better look recognising the person. She kept staring slightly thrown off. "It can't be…"

Alice was cut off as a large explosion was set off, causing several convoys to stray off path crashing. Officers climbed out as the prisoners began breaking free, causing a scene. "That quieter year might just have to wait until we get through this hell hole of one."

"Quickly before the criminals flee!" Scarlett yelled.

Alice looked back to where the streamer was only to find no one there she gave a lost look. "Alice, we need to move!"

Alice snapped to reality, joining her new allies to the street. Alton crashed to the ground freezing serval low thugs' legs stopping them from moving. The rest began the clean up as Scarlett lifted the truck up, helping an officer to his feet. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Team Rhapsody? Thank God you are here."

"What happened?"

The officer shook his head uncertain. "I have no idea, one moment we were driving the next the convoy was being lifted off the ground. We crashed to the ground, and that's when the prisoners escaped."

"Floating trucks? This sounds like Syndicate." Zinnia said, jumping to conclusions fast.

"No," Scarlett whispered. "This is too sloppy for them. They would have no interest in targeting a V.I.R.A.L convoy."

"There's one more thing… Please, you have to hurry. Before the VIP escapes."

"VIP? Who?"

"Von Truman."

Alton stood up, looked worried, more than that. "Eyes Over Reality was apart of the convoy? Shit, this isn't good… If he escapes… Team, we need to split up. Scarlett, you and Emil help aid the civilians get everyone away from the fighting. Alice, you Zinnia and Gale take care of the stragglers. Expect some rogue streamers in the mix. Don't let anyone escape."

"What about you?" Zinnia questioned.

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Alton turned to the blaze of flames and smoke clenching his fist tightly. "I'll handle EOR. Let's move Rhapsody!"

Everyone began pushing ahead as a group of individuals watched from the rooftops. One wore a broken half mask with red stains dripping down the mask from their eye. "It's really him. Like seriously it's really him. After all this time, Avalanche in the flesh."

"Easy now fate, don't get restless now, we have a plan." A boy whispers wearing an upside-down face which would be smiling on the right way round. He flipped two guns around. "We cannot underestimate Alton Brantley. You know what he is. Thoughts Valhalla?"

Valhalla, a tall woman with a Nordic Viking type mask, scratched her neck nodding. "He has no idea what is to come. They've split off. The fool thinks he can handle this alone like always. We use that to our advantage and kill him."

"No." A voice crustily spoke as one more figure approached, a tall, slender, dark-skinned man with a mask made of ice. "No one will lay a finger on the boy we stick to the plan. Alton Brantley is mine."