V.I.R.A.L

"Pathetic, that's all you are right now. Pathetic." Lilith mocks staring down at Scarlett who was sobbing curled up in the corner. "You can't even kill a single boy."

"I can't do this anymore, mother! You've forced your ideals and beliefs onto me so much it's tearing me apart! They were my friends, and you forced me to betray them for your own twisted goals!"

"They are not your friends!" Lilith snapped, making Scarlett stumble back in fear. "They never were. We tasked you with infiltrating a streaming group. You chose Team Rhapsody for the sole purpose that Alton Brantley showed promise. You were not there to make friends nor everlasting bonds! You withered away for so long with fake dreamers that you've been corrupted by the very thing you have sworn to destroy. Your sister failed to even make it over the starting line, and I'm not having you fail now!"

Scarlett's eyes were glued to the floor as she whimpered. "Why? Why can't I just live a normal life? One where I'm allowed to live my own life and not one pampered by your own twisted desires?!"

"Because you were born for the sole purpose of bringing in the new golden age of Syndicate and the downfall of V.I.R.A.L. Nothing more or nothing less."

"I'm not doing it. You cannot make me. I refuse!"

Lilith curled her long silky white hair around with a grin. "That's personally fine."

"What?"

"Why of course, you can even scurry back to Team Rhapsody if you want, not likely that they would take you back. In fact, I'm sure no one will ever accept you after the act you've pulled. I'd be forced to step in and deal with those children myself, but unlike you, I wouldn't hold back."

"No. Don't harm them!"

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"I'll do more than that. But you can stop that. You just have to destroy V.I.R.A.L, doing that you can spare you, so-called friends. But I've had enough of your games Scarlett. This is the final warning. Will you help your family destroy V.I.R.A.L?"

Scarlett felt her whole world stumble around before crashing. She held her head distort tearing up. "I will… I'll do it no matter what."

"Good. Very good. You cannot fail me Scarlett or see your dear sweet Alton dead."

Scarlett was alone as she looked up wiping her eyes sobbing silently curling up hiding from the world. "Someone, anyone, please. Save me…"

****

 The prison was left ruined. Cells were ripped open and thrown aside. The prison guards were left dead far from their original position. Team Rhapsody's remains stood at the foot of the fire looking around for any sign of life. Alton walked around, looking annoyed. "I don't understand…"

"They just killed them all. Each and every one of them."

"Why would they do this?"

Alton kept walking only to stop hearing Emil yelling. "Alton. Someone is still alive!"

Alton ran over, stopping in shock. "Pokiero…"

"Alton fucking Brantley. Of course, you'd be the person to watch me die."

"What happened?"

Pokiero coughed, holding her bloody wound. "The syndicate family raided the prison… They killed all the guards and all the prisoners with any links to V.I.R.A.L. She claimed it was to purge the world of the fakes."

Alice looked around seeing other prisoners still behind bars confirming the truth. "Why would they do that? Wouldn't they want the aid of as many people as possible?"

"I thought that too. But they are already powerful enough. His power rivals Vanguard himself."

"Who? Who?"

"Psychosis."

Alton stood up, looking weary. "Psychosis… I've heard that name before. Sam mentioned the name serval times. He was an infamous psychotic villain who caused mass mayhem through Victoria. He simply just vanished but it makes sense he's apart of the Syndicate family."

"I remember. Psychosis attacked me during the fall… He said the name was handed down through the generations to hone in the Syndicate name."

"It must be Jack Dawn," Alton stated. "It only makes sense. He's most likely the one behind all of this pulling strings from the shadows. Everything has been for his own gains."

Pokiero tried moving wheezing. "They want to destroy V.I.R.A.L while I understand there's a lot of people who deserve that downfall like myself. But not everyone is like that. Some streamers make this world a better place. Zinnia was one of those, please don't let Syndicate take those good people away. I've made mistakes, but those people shouldn't be punished for it."

Alton stared dully at her as she took her last breath. "Is she?"

"She's dead… Damn it."

"Oh, don't look so down. She was nothing special but a leech who used vulnerable men to fund her own lifeline. No one should miss her just like the other parasites who bleed into our world."

Alton stepped away from Pokiero's cell seeing Melissa and other clan members in similar fur coats standing around the cells. "Even so, she saw her mistakes and didn't want others to take the fall for her. She knows she's wrong but that others don't deserve the same fate."

"She manipulated and tried killing you, Alton. Why give her any thought?"

"I know of her past. I know the mistakes she's made and while I can't say she was entirely a victim she did make some disgusting choices, she at the end of the day was just a girl victim to her own powers. Regardless of what you think when we took her down, she thanked us for doing so. That was a girl so filled with guilt for what she did; she was glad someone defeated her. What makes you any different might I ask Melissa?"

Melissa scoffed sitting down, glaring down at Alton. "Always thinking you're in the right, don't you. Took down a few corrupt streamers and now the rules just bend around you. You're the one who killed Agartha back during the Vanguard raid. You killed Riley as well as your own father. Dozens of my allies also fell by your hand including Scarlett's very own Godfather. Not to mention the hundreds of people in Sunset Peak. I think it's rather rich you looking down at me."

"What makes Syndicate any better?"

"I couldn't care less," Melissa admitted. "All this noble effort and saving Victoria is just some excuse for these low lives. The Elion clan simply follows whoever has the most power we enjoy the hunt and the feeling of a death battle. Nothing more, nothing less. Whether Syndicate fails or not is none of our concern we're just here to plummet strong opponents like yourself."

"What a pathetic look on life. You sound no different to Eyes over Reality." Emil scoffed with a smug look. "That sort of mindset is just cancerous, spoken like a right noob."

"The Alice agrees. That is no way in living life."

"Think what you want but from our point of view risking your lives to keep some sad, edgy teenager entertained is the worst. Not only that but you side with a corrupted organisation who wants you dead but only stick around because it pays the bill. I don't know what Scarlett saw in this so-called Team Rhapsody but alas I don't really give two shits." She threw away, jumping down, moving her neck around. "Let's see just what you're made of."

The roof of the prison caved in as giant roots separated the groups. Blossom and Goro crashed in stealing the show. Blossom turned to her allies, smiling. "Allow us to handle the Elion clan we heard their leader is just up ahead."

"Psychosis… What is he up to?"

"Isn't it obvious? They are looking to free their number one ally."

"Vanguard… Damn it get him and their chances of victory skyrockets."

"The exact reason you three need to move now," Goro exclaimed.

Alton nodded, walking past Melissa turning to her. "I hope that doesn't disappoint you too much?"

"Not at all. While it's not the Child of the Garden fighting Paradox and her lacky is good enough for us. We'll see you soon, Alton."

"Wouldn't count on it."

"Blossom."

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"Excuse me?"

"My name isn't Paradox it's Blossom, and if you don't want to get hurt, I'd heavily advise giving up."

Melissa chuckled as her eyes became more animal-,like alongside her fur coat, morphing around her body. She vanished from sight sending Blossom flying back crashing through serval cages. "Gemini!" Goro yelled.

Melissa held her hand out, which had sharp claws emerge as her body was that of a wolf. "Playing the pacifist hero route won't help you, little girl. Or are you just too afraid of your powers consuming you like they once did before? I know all about your little incident from Scarlett. I'll show no mercy to wielders of the Garden and the girl who killed Aoi Fujisaki."

Blossom laid back in the rubble unresponsive as small purple buds began growing around her. Sharp pain raced through her head as she whimpered in pain. Her eyes flickered open, revealing a faint yellow tint as she whispered, pulling herself up. "You are not worthy of mentioning that name!"