V.I.R.A.L

Chapter 203: We Were More Than Friends

"How is she doing?"

"She's adapting to her new powers quickly, although I must admit she is far too young to be going through these sorts of trials."

The man stared through the one-way glass, watching a little girl no older than four or five playing with her toys. Each one floating around her with minor problems. "That girl is our future. She is the one to free this country, we have to start as early as possible. Scarlett Syndicate, that name will be known across Victoria as the Queen of the country."

****

The doors to the mess hall burst open as Psychosis and Scarlett stepped in, the room roared with excitement as the Syndicate members were drunk off their first victory. Scarlett looked away uncomfortable as Psychosis ruffed her hair up. "Don't look so down Scarlett, this victory, however small is all of ours. You're the one to pass on hope to our brothers and sisters try and act a little happy."

"It's a bit difficult given the situation."

"You're still not caught up on that boy, are you? You've grown soft pairing with that group that your act has become the truth. I warned you on many occasions not to get too attached. This is what happens daughter of mine."

Scarlett lowered her head frowning. "My apologises father."

"Jack sir, it's important. The prisoner has come to."

Psychosis took off his mask nodding. "Very good, how about you prove your worth for once Scarlett. You brought him back, you may talk to him."

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"Yes, father."

Scarlett continued on as she spotted her Godfather Eli sitting at a table eating. Spotting her, he spun around, giving her a small wave. "Hey, kiddo. Heard your mission was a success."

"If you can call it that Eli… I failed to get Alton to join us."

Eli wiped his mouth, leaning forward tutting. "What a mighty shame, don't tell your father but I liked Alton. Perhaps it was foolish to lie and use him? Nonetheless, it allows us to focus on the mission, no?"

"This is all happening a bit too fast for me."

Eli nodded. "I know how you feel. One minute we're the Dawn family, a well-respected family-run business helping the people of Victoria. The next we're the Syndicate family again, infamous crime family who yearn to rule Victoria again. Quite frankly I think I preferred the one choice. Team Rhapsody was good for you. I can see that. Betraying them was never going to be easy." He placed his hand on Scarlett's shoulder, smiling. "Try and move on best you can. For our sake, let's hope Alton has a change of heart."

"Thank you, Eli…"

****

Alton's head pivoted up, seeing Scarlett standing at his cell. Serval chains held him up as Helga wiped her face stepping back. "Miss scary lady… He's fine. I healed him up best I could."

Scarlett gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Thank you, Helga. I'll talk to my father about letting you see Joan."

The little girl looked back to Alton, letting go of his hand smiling. "I'm sorry Alton… Please stay strong."

Scarlett walked in, standing by. "We poached Helga from the Montagues not long after she saved your life. I sometimes believe we are too harsh on the girl. How are you today? Have they been feeding you? I must ensure you this wasn't what I had in mind when holding you captive… Alton? Have you seriously nothing to say?"

"What do you want me to say, Scarlett? What were you hoping to hear from me?"

Flinching, she looked away whispering. "I'm. I'm not sure of myself. I didn't think it would go down like this."

Alton scoffed at Scarlett's self-pity, staring daggers at her. "And what were you hoping to happen? I just happily abandon everything I stand for to run away and join an evil crime organisation just because you're apart of it. We get married and live happily ever after? Give me a fucking break you betrayed us, Scarlett. You think I was just going to forgive that."

"Evil… No, no, my friend, you are clearly mistaken."

"Am I now? That man, Psychosis I hear being thrown around that's Jack right. Jack Dawn, or should I say Jack Syndicate. Yeah, I solved that puzzle fairly quickly. I guess the rest of the so-called Dawn family is also bullshit."

"How do you know this?"

"You can thank your sister for that."

"Riley… How?"

Alton leaned back shaking at his chains. "I knew something was completely off about the whole Syndicate ordeal. Do you remember what I said during the planning phase of taking her down?"

"None of this makes any sense. These attacks the family has thrown forward are so random and out of character. Some make sense like The Phantom streamer and us. They claim to hate V.I.R.A.L, yet they attack the Cult of Vanguard and kill Rodger. He could have easily destroyed V.I.R.A.L or taken us down yet Syndicate took him down helping us in the long run. Why would they do that?"

"Maybe Rodger was a threat to them. He was a puppet for Bargaining anyone like that is a threat to anyone." Emil suggested.

Alton glanced at Zinnia, who looked away. "Perhaps. But here's when another problem arises. You encounter Syndicate Emil, and she happily kills a member of Harmony and leaves two more in critical condition. Yet, she lets you live without an issue. I'm attacked too, and Syndicate could have killed me, yet they also let me live. But now they wish to kidnap me and make me help them."

"What are you trying to say?" Scarlett muttered.

"Two different plans constantly being tugged and pulled back and forth. Takedown V.I.R.A.L or on the broader point it almost seems like they try to help us at some points. I'm starting to suspect more than one person is calling the shots. I thought Riley was the Demon Mask the entire time. It matches up, but now I believe there to be more than one."

"If that's true this is just getting more annoying." Emil groaned. "How can you be so sure?"

"This is coming out of the left field. But when Riley attacked me a few days back, her whole fighting stance and personality differed from whoever I was fighting on the beach a few months back. They were calmer and more collected. Like they were merely toying with me."

"Now that you mention it that was the same for me. Riley doesn't match that description."

"Any ideas Scarlett? Do you have any long-lost siblings we should know about?"

She shook her head. "No. Not that I'm aware of."

"Turns out you weren't lying there. There were never any long-lost siblings like I first thought. It was just you the entire time playing puppet. I take it that you killed Rodger and attacked Harmony all the way back during the raid? And the one who tested me during the V.I.R.A.L League. It could only be you who knew about my powers being sealed after all. Am I correct in assuming that?"

"You are."

Alton took a while to put words together as he spoke in a gritty tone. "When did we first meet Scarlett? It wasn't at Zinnia's birthday or when I was attacked by Paradox on the train. And you weren't there during the Garden incident with Gale's village. It was after that, wasn't it? Before the raid on Paradox."

Scarlett stared blankly horrified Alton had worked this out. "I don't understand."

"That was Riley, wasn't it? If that was the original plan or not doesn't mean much to me. You were meant to infiltrate our group and get our trust. But your sister became too fixated and stole your identity and made the trip instead. She was certainly very clingy. Slightly desperate I'll say, but it makes sense the background she was from. I guess the family didn't expect such a turn of events. It pissed you off in fact so much, so you took it out on her trying to rid of Riley. It wasn't hard to weave into our group after her. You both look similar enough, no one would suspect a thing. But you see the cracks were already there. The memories Riley shared with us you had no idea of. Meaning you were left in the dark for our first mission. Luckily for you, Percy died, so we became too preoccupied. But I noticed. The small things like the way you spoke or acted—less flirting and more effort in blending in. When your sister took a small group of Syndicate members to declare war you weren't expecting that. Your foolproof plan was foiled, and you had no choice but to kill her. Or well I had no choice it seemed."

Scarlett stared blankly, not saying a word replying with a simple one word. "No…"

"Meeting Riley wasn't apart of your plan I take it. Straight away the flirty clingy Scarlett I knew suddenly appeared through a Riley Syndicate. To add more wood to the fire, she was already well aware of who I was and the things I've done with you. That didn't make any sense to me until I was about to kill her. Do you know what she called me? My dear sweet Alton. That's the name she would always call me up until you took her place."

"You knew this entire time… You knew Riley was the girl you met first and I was an imposter… That means you knew I was a member of the syndicate family all along?! Why didn't you do anything?! Why did you kill my sister then?! Answer me?"

"Did I kill her? I can't remember you ever seeing the body?"

Scarlett's eyes widened in complete shock. "Where is she? Where is Riley?"

"Who knows?"

"If you knew this, why did you continue to keep me in Team Rhapsody? If you knew I was plotting to destroy V.I.R.A.L, why did you pretend to see me as an ally?!"

"Because I loved you at one point. Even if it was all an act, I felt a connection. You and I are the same. I wanted to believe we were good enough for you put that together with much more potent matters like the Garden and my father and I let it slip me by. Is that what you wanted to hear?"