V.I.R.A.L

"Attention everyone. We have a new transfer student today so please can everyone welcome arms." The teacher explained, turning to the door. "You may come in now."

A young Alton slowly entered, not keeping eye contact with anyone stared down at the floor mumbling. "Hel- Hello everyone. It's nice to meet you all… My name is Alton."

"Thank you very much, Alton, you can sit in the empty seat next to Sam."

Alton gave a very blank nod walking to his new desk, for the rest of the lesson, he wouldn't speak up or make any effort to make any friends. The girl next to him Sam didn't care too much either giving a few looks, to begin with only for her interest to fade as she went back to the lesson.

As the lesson ended, Alton was the first one to leave moving quickly into the corridor. No one bothered to make an effort to befriend the new boy as Alton was more entitled to go home. Exiting the building, Alton froze in horror, losing all sense in himself. Skipping breaths, his palms were sweaty as his worse nightmare was in front of him.

"Did you miss me, son?"

Alton stepped back devastated panicking. This was until the door slammed into him, causing Alton to stumble falling over the edge onto the path aside from school. With his back pressed against the school building, he hides his head shaking. "Are you alright?" A voice asked dryly. Alton glanced up, seeing Sam standing idly by pulling down her skirt uncomfortably. "Hello?"

Alton began looking around, finding his father gone. Alton darted his eyes around anxiously. "Where did he go?! Did you see him?"

Sam gave a little look around, shrugging her shoulders. "What are you talking about?" She jumped down sighing, holding her hand out. "Get up." Sam took Alton's hand only to snap back in shock, finding his hand to be freezing. Alton fell back, hitting his head whimpering. Sam looked conflicted, seeing the grassy patch around him frozen. "What the hell?"

Alton saw what he did as he began to panic again. "Oh no, please don't tell anyone. Don't… If he finds out…"

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"He finds out?" Sam whispered lost. She gave it a little thought before nodding. "Don't worry about that." Alton looked up finding the ice melted and the grass burnt he looked up staring at Sam who had small flames dwindling from her fingers. "The name's Sam. I won't tell anyone."

"Sam…"

"So, you gonna tell me your name?"

"Brantley. Alton Brantley."

****

Gale thrust down, knocking back three thugs. Zinnia bolted behind Gale, cutting down serval other criminals trying to flee. The last remaining escapees were blocked off by an echo of portals bringing them right back. The last of the prisoners quickly gave up with little fight back. That was until Gale was sent flying around into the wall collapsing to the ground. "What is the chances fate smiles down on us like this? Revenge for the loss of the mother can now begin."

Zinnia glared forward biting her lip. "You've got to be kidding me…"

A prisoner blindfolded held his arms out smirking. "You've given us a second chance to bring back the age of Vanguard."

"Priest David…" Alice whispered, landing in front of him. "Such vile lost souls rearing it's ugly head once more."

David held both hands out bowing. "We are who we are. I've heard much of your success. It's time someone hauls you in and rakes you back to Reality. Would you agree Pokiero?"

Pokiero sat on the fallen truck, kicking her legs back and forth, smiling. "I'm glad you agree, Priest David."

Zinnia held her sword up staring at Pokiero. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face Harriet. Didn't you learn anything from your beatdown?"

Pokiero curled her green hair frowning. "Learn something? I suppose I did. A second chance would have been nice. A conversation. Help. But no, you had to expose me to the world only to beat me down and leave me blind. The priests showed me that."

"Well, it's a shame you cannot use that disgusting powers of yours. Give it up and return to your cell!"

Pokiero began laughing slouching over smacking the side of the truck. "Wouldn't you like to believe that? Once we deal with you, Alton will be next. What should I do to him? Make him my slave? Kill him? The possibilities are endless."

Gale rammed from the wall cuffing his fist together. Moving at high speed, he focused on Pokiero at the highest degree. She smirked, raising her eyepatch showing her looming star-shaped blue pupil staring directly at Gale. Alice took wind of this very quickly calling a portal cutting of their gaze. Gale slammed into a wall looking confused. "It appears this crooked streamer has more tricks up her sleeve."

"She's got her powers… Jesus Christ."

Pokiero kept kicking her feet against the truck, laughing. "Damn right, I do. And it's all thanks to the priests. Even if it's just one of my eyes, I can still hold a nation against you. Like this."

Dozens of mind-controlled obedient prisoners broke from their cells walking onto the street surrounding the streamers. Gale stepped out, grinding his teeth. "Just great."

"I've been waiting for this moment for months. Now my revenge can begin."

Gale lobbed a prisoner only to stumble forward vanishing before his eyes. David stretched yawning. "Don't forget me now, dears."

Alice landed next to Zinnia as the two nodded to each other. Zinnia raised her hand as a lightning bolt struck down, powering her up. "Don't be so sure, Harriet. A lot has changed in these past seven months. I can fight for my own future now."

Pokiero looked down on Zinnia smugly taunting her. "Then bring it Zinnia."

****

Alton slammed onto the lone truck peaking overseeing Henry crawling out. He patted himself down, looking around proudly. Before he could escape, Alton dropped in front of him, pushing him back against the wall. "Going somewhere, Truman?"

"Alton Fucking Brantley we meet again. You know we really must stop meeting like this. You threatening my life and holding me at gunpoint." Eyes over Reality joked trying to break free only for Alton to pull him back pinning him against the wall. "Alright, alright, alright. You got me. No tricks, no illusions. You win."

Alton dropped EOR looking around the area hand twitching. "Any more of you buddies about to show to stop me?"

Eyes over Reality ran his hand over his neck, coughing. "no, no! I had no plan in this."

"Well, that's good to hear. It's a full moon tonight, and I wouldn't want to miss it."

Giving Alton a startled look, he stood himself up, clearing his throat. "We're doing this now?"

Alton didn't respond to the statement confirming his query. "Who ordered you to kill me?"

"This again?"

Alton kicked a bin over in anger. "Yes, Henry this again. The way I see it, I think I'm entitled to know who wants to kill me."

EOR gave it a little thought humming. "Let's see. Whoopsie daisy. I forgot."

Alton lashed out, shooting a gust of icy wind at EOR only for the illusion to break. Alton glanced around, anxious. "I thought you said you gave up?"

"Well, we've got to give the world a believable show, no? Let's move onto the main event!" Alton stared blankly dropping his guard hands in his pockets as dozens of illusions of the jester appeared mocking the streamer. Alton let out a sigh shaking his head in disapproval. "So, what are you going to do hero? You may have best me last time, but you're alone with no backup!"

Without many reactions, Alton reached behind him grabbing the real Eyes over Reality, throwing him to the ground. "Enough games Henry."

Groaning in pain, he tutted standing up. "You're no fun, Alton, you know that. How are we meant to make my little game believable if you mess it all up?"

Out of options Alton picked him up again holding him in the air. "No more games, Henry. I'm out of time."

"That you are Avalanche." Alton turned around seeing a girl with a Viking mask on twirling a camera between her hands. "I've heard so much about you."

"I assume you're a member of Villain's Wrath?"

"Correct. Ten points to Team Rhapsody. You may call me Valhalla; I must say looking at you closely beyond the stories I don't see the fuss. I've heard all the stories—the two-time streamer who rose from nothing. Taking down corrupt streamers left and right. You were responsible for Vanguard's fall from grace. You destroyed the last remnant of his cult and destroyed Eyes over Reality here twice now. You took down the Syndicate family and laid waste to the plans of an egomaniac wielding the Garden as his tool. You also decimated Sunset Peak and killed all of your old team. Or so you thought."

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Alton glared at Valhalla, gripping his fist tightly. "Who told you that?"

"I'll tell you, snowflake. But you have to prove you are the legend stories claim you to be." She teases, kicking the door off the truck as a dozen prisoners all pour out. "I'm sure you put quite a lot of these criminals away. Pretty sure at least one of them would love to have a word with you. Take them down, and then we will talk."

Alton turned to Eyes over Reality, freezing him to the side of the truck. "Don't even think about running Truman."

Laughing childishly to himself, he leaned back shaking his head. "Runaway? Why would I do that? I have front row seats to the event of the century."

Letting out a frozen breath, he pointed towards Valhalla thoughtfully. "You want to see what I'm made of? Very well. Hold onto your seat woman thinks are about to get real."