V.I.R.A.L

"Is that a new record Zin?" Alton questioned sitting idly watching Zinnia finish her final song.

Out of breath, she turned to everyone wiping her head. "I think so. Not bad, eh?"

"I can do better." Percy boldly stated scoffing down a bowl of noodles. "But yeah, it wasn't bad."

"Always having to one-up the rest, don't you?" Gale tuts walking back into the room with a fresh box of drinks. "I booked the room out for another hour. The owners said it was on the house."

"Hell yeah." Zinnia roared collapsing onto the sofa panting. "I can take a break and sing another song after…"

"I still have no idea how you can sing that many songs back-to-back," Emil questioned with a judgmental look.

Alton chuckled stealing a canned drink from Gale shaking it. "That's just our Zinnia, always going above and beyond the norm. We deserve this, all of us."

Zinnia caught a drink from Gale gulping it down, wiping her mouth. "You can say that again… We literally beat the number one streamer; Vanguard has never known defeat until us."

"Well until Iris… But don't mind me." Alton stated. "It sucks we couldn't celebrate any harder, but once the money starts coming in, I promise to throw the biggest party possible."

"We'll hold you to that." Percy jotted down, closing his small journal.

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"What's that you got there?" Zinnia questioned.

"Oh, it's nothing. This is just a book I writing. It's to jot down the times I spend with you guys. I'm starting fresh now as a member of Team Rhapsody. I won't live under Marcus' shadow anymore."

"Finally." Emil scoffed. "Took you long enough to wake up and smell the perfume."

Alton elbowed him holding his can up. "I think that's something to toast to. To Team Rhapsody, may we always be there to crush evil and protect the innocent?"

"Team Rhapsody!"

Zinnia stared at her can smiling as she spoke up. "Do you think this can go on forever?"

"Huh?" Alton questioned crushing his can. "Nothing can last forever, right?"

"In a literal sense no," Percy replies waving his chopsticks around. "That's why we should treasure the small moments like this. Treat each one as the last and fight for the next one."

Everyone fell silent as Gale laughed nervously. "Why is everyone so down? The way I see it, we've only just begun our journey."

"The story of Team Rhapsody, huh? May it pass on forever, I guess." Alton smirked raising his can. "For better or for worse."

****

Valhalla was forced to continually fleeing around the room, avoiding the bombardment of attacks coming from Scarlett. Flipping in the air, Valhalla threw an axe forward which stopped in mid-air inches from Scarlett's face. Tossing it aside, Scarlett's face was consumed by a childish smile as an insane look crept in. "What's wrong? Can't you keep up?"

Valhalla hid away trembling holding her face. "Who the hell is this girl? She's insane."

Scarlett hovered down, standing beside Valhalla. "Insane? You're the one who even thought of killing Alton. You messed with us and declared war on the world. If anyone's insane, it's you." Valhalla tried attacking only to be propelled to the wall trapped feeling her bones shattering. Scarlett pressed herself against Valhalla, staring at her intensely. "You bore me now. For Alton."

Valhalla screamed, knocking Scarlett back. Rushing in with her axes, she began swinging. Scarlett kept blocking her swings with pieces of rubble and chunk of cars. With each swing, the attacks became more devastating, destroying the items in a single blow. Scarlett jumped back avoiding the attack as Valhalla met her demands ready to cut her down. Scarlett ripped her axes from her hand, avoiding death. A single punch met Scarlett which blasted her through the building's side crashing to the ground leaving a small crater behind. Lying on the ground, coughing Scarlett found herself unable to move down for the count in one blow. Valhalla roared in missing Scarlett barely. Kicking her away, Scarlett floated to her feet, moving her neck around. Valhalla came in punching Scarlett again but this time to little reaction. Turning back, she smirked, staring Valhalla down. "Oh, I get it now. What an interesting power you have up against someone like Gale and it might give him a run for his money." Holding Valhalla in the air, Scarlett tossed her through serval walls slamming her down on a car. "That's why you rushed me so much. The more consecutive attacks you land on an opponent, the more power builds up in each one."

Valhalla looked worried, struggling to stand. "You know my power now what?"

Scarlett held pieces of rubble above her twirling them around with her finger. With a sudden jolt, each amount of debris crushed Valhalla's arms, breaking them without a chance of survival. "I take that away from you." Realising all too well she was done for Valhalla tried crawling away tears forming in her eyes. Scarlett walked over kicking her over, staring at her in the eyes. "Where are you going? We're only just starting."

"Please. I beg of you, have mercy. He forced me. Ragnar used me; I had no choice."

"Mercy?" Scarlett hissed eyeing Valhalla down with one eye covered by her hair. "Where was the mercy for Alton when you killed him in cold blood. In fact, didn't he to try crawling away? You monsters deserve no mercy for taking away something so dear to me. So, do me a favour, die. Die for me." A bright crackle of lights came from Scarlett's hand before a condensed explosion firing leaving no sign of Valhalla for the world to find. Holding her shoulder, Scarlett wiped her eye, looking to the sky. "That was for you, Alton… Victoria aut mors."

****

A one-sided heated battle had begun on the top of the wall overlooking two different nations. One lost to time destroyed, the other a utopia blessed with life. Ragnar wasn't putting much up much of a fight. That doesn't mean he wasn't making it easy for Team Rhapsody. He avoided each attack like nothing and sending back small clumps of ice, which would cause significant damage. Zinnia was at the forefront not letting Ragnar land a single blow forcing him on the defensive weaving around him with lightning-fast strikes. With no weapons of his own Ragnar's only choice was to avoid the attacks head-on otherwise he would take on nasty hits. Ramming behind him, Zinnia struck down once again dodged by Ragnar. Grabbing her arm, he threw her off the side of the wall to her doom. This was met by Alice pulling her back with a portal. Serval other attacks from Gale and Emil didn't seem to make much leeway on the villain. This was because Gale wasn't taking a single hit meaning his powers were at the bare minimum.

Gale leapt back out of breath. "What is up with this guy? Why isn't he attacking us?" Ragnar's cocky smirk was glued to Gale, making him feel uneasy.

"The Alice concludes he must know of your powers. That's the only logical sense."

"The other members knew everything about us. It wouldn't be crazy to assume the same here." Emil suggested.

Zinnia crackled into view, holding her katana by her side. "Enough talking! He's one man, we can take him without a second thought. We just need to push him until he messes up. Alice gives me covering fire from behind. Gale back me up with frontal attacks. Emil push him from behind when he can do."

Ragnar didn't stop smiling keeping on his toes still dodging a full-frontal attack from all Team Rhapsody. Only a few attacks from Alice and Gale landing to little effect. "You try and act like a leader little Trost, but you are clueless. Clueless to what you are truly up against. Hero's Might were ten times the heroes than you. Sam Belling, a natural-born leader and even she didn't stand a chance with Alton by her side. You're outmatched."

Spinning on the spot Zinnia sent off small flickers of electricity stunning Ragnar for a moment. Using this, she cut through him with all her power. The snow all broke apart with each snowflake being cut in half-matched with a crackle of lightning striking him. He didn't move as Zinnia flicked her katana. "You underestimate us."

"Do I now? Funny, that's what Sam said to moments before I killed her." Zinnia panicked with a jolt of fear jumping out of range-finding her heart racing. Where she once was, Ragnar stood utterly open. Although she wasn't certain, she was sure if she stood there for a split second longer, she would have died. Before Ragnar could do anything else, an explosion rippled in front of him catching him off guard. Stumbling back, he held his face which had small trickles of blood falling.

"Scarlett!" Alice cried in joy.

"Sorry I took so long. No one else is coming to aid him.

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"That's all we need!" Gale boasted running at Ragnar while he was seemly caught off guard.

"Gale no!"

Ragnar's eye glanced to Gale as he smirked. "I'll tell you all one thing. I never go back on my word." Gale jumped in the air, a giant icicle ripped from the ground impaling Gale in the chest. Gale roared in pain twitching waving his arm around in absolute horror. Ragnar's smile stared at him as the icicle ripped further, causing more pain. Gale's eyes became lifeless as Ragnar threw him off the wall to his certain death.

Zinnia stared on in absolute horror falling to her knees, screaming. "GALE!!!"

Ragnar turned to Team Rhapsody with a look of pure evil stabbing into their hearts. Each member felt an overwhelming sense of fear which even causing Scarlett to fall over crawling back, wanting to run in the moment's heat. Everyone else was frozen on the spot their hearts booming. Ragnar pushed his hair back, showing his icy cold eyes. Ice began forming on his body as he chuckled. "If Alton won't show out of spite. I'll kill each one of you until he does." Ragnar pointed to Alice hissing under his breath. "You're next little one."