V.I.R.A.L

"I don't need adopting as my parents are coming for me, this is just a temporary housing situation."

"When the time is right, I shall come back for you."

"What?" Zinnia took the picture looking at the back confirming what Alton said. She began to cry as she wiped her eyes, smiling like never before. "I knew she wouldn't forget me…"

"I know it's probably getting old for you and all. But I'm serious. Not only has this been the best summer of all time but also the best birthday. I got to spend it with all my friends, and I even got a present from mum. I never gave up hope she was coming back."

"Can you be proud of them then? What sort of parents are they if they abandon their only child on the doorstep like a mere letter? No signs, no goodbyes. They just discard you like trash."

"My parents are not like that! They are heroes!"

"Heroes? Give me a break. The only thing your despicable family are is liars and cowards."

"You're wrong."

"Am I now? Funny that you claim such things when you don't even know them. I've battled your parents. Took away everything they cared about. Made them watch as their homes and family were taken from them. I've seen your father's true natures and saw the joke your mother was. When are you going to accept the truth?"

"What truth

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"What else? The truth they are never coming for you. That they abandoned you forever."

"I refuse to believe you are what they say. What I see in front of me. Hannah Trost is no villain. She is a legendary hero. The legendary and most beloved hero in history!"

"I refuse to accept, accept this bullshit! You aren't her, not in a million years. The Hannah Trost I know is a hero, one who saved the day every time. One who would risk her life for others, no questions asked. That's someone I've looked up to my whole life. My mother is no villain. She's a hero who I aspire to be!"

At one point, I was a villain. I only cared about myself and making as much money as possible. I would steal and cause chaos for my own self-gain. I hurt good people, innocent people. Your father was the one who would always try and stop me. Now that man was nothing less than a hero, he would never give up if it was for good and justice. Even with the grasp, the Syndicate family had on him."

"Syndicate family?"

"You've probably heard of them, well what's left of them. Back then, they had full control over the heroes and villains. A total monopoly you could say… They had dirt on your father and forced him to take down corrupt mayors and villains who didn't kneel to their rule. Even then, he would eventually stand against them. Got me all rallied behind that doofus." She giggled, looking gloomy. "He didn't just save our city over and over, but he saved me. Pulled me out of that dark hole I held myself in and showed me the truth. Because of him, I found my actual purpose. I became a hero because of him."

"You became a hero… Because of dad?"

Hannah laughed, rubbing her eyes. "Don't tell him that though… He would never let me live that one down."

"What happened to him?"

"He's gone Zinnia… He lost to the Garden so many years ago."

Zinnia bit her lip nodding. "I expected something like that… Doesn't make it hurt any less. Mum…"

"Yes?"

"How… How do I be a hero like you? Time and time again, I mess up. I put my friends in danger and even tried to kill my best friend. I fucked up really bad, and I don't know how to get out of this mess. Even, after all, I tried doing, I'm still a failure of a hero who can't save anyone."

Hannah walked up to her daughter kneeling to her level, smiling, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Zinnia. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes, and we have to live with that. Your father and I both made many mistakes, but we didn't let that define us. We carried on when others didn't and pushed through. As a hero, people count on us till the very end. They look up to us and believe in anything when we put our minds to it. No villain stands a chance against that. Don't forget who you are Zinnia. You're already more of a hero than either one of us, a hero never knows when to quit, nor do they ever give in to evil's might."

Zinnia giggled slightly. "That was pretty cheesy."

"Yeah well, that's your father for you. The way I see it you've always been a hero Zinnia you just need to realise it sooner. We are both so proud of you, sweety. Don't like some revenge fuelled villain like Monty holds you back. You have the power to be the greatest hero ever, so go on. Inspire a new generation. Bring heroes back into the light and show the world just who Zinnia Trost is."

****

"Hanna Trost. It's been 400 years, but at last, we are reunited as husband and wife. Are you here for this body?"

Hannah stared at Kurt with a firm look. "You bet your ass I am Mortem. I won't allow you to hurt any more people. This is where it all ends."

Kurt grinned as serval shadows appeared all around him. "You're absolutely right, my dear. Let's finish what we started 400 years ago shall we?"

A fierce battle began as electricity burst through the walls of the V.I.R.A.L HQ. Alice slowly pulled herself up, limping over to Alton. As she got closer, Alton's head turned as he froze the area around him lying back in pain bleeding out. "Alton? Alton what the hell are you doing?!"

"What… What does it look like? Saving your life Alice, go get out of here. Save yourself please."

Alice tried breaking through the ice, screaming. "No, I can't! I won't leave you, Alton!"

"That's an order! I'll be alright. I can't leave Scarlett. Go."

Alice stepped back, seeing the battle escalates. She hid her face creating a portal whimpering. "I'm sorry."

Alton smiled at Alice escaping. Everything became blurry as Alton turned to Scarlett passed out with a look of guilt which had come too late.

Hannah stood before Kurt holding her arms out as tornados surrounding her all igniting with electricity. Crouching down she zipped past leaving serval projections behind her. Now behind Kurt, she pulled out a shining golden katana which glowed with different colours. Holding it behind her, she slashed the area as everything went black before exploding. From the devastation, Kurt waltzed out unharmed clicking his fingers as dozens of shadows surrounded Hannah. Her eyes widened as she vanished teleporting back to a safer distance wincing in pain as her leg was cut. "While I admire your willpower to fight Hannah, you truly must know how outmatched you are. You never won a real fight against me."

Hannah moved her hand down her blade as it changed to dark green blinding with powerful winds. "This isn't about winning or losing. It's about saving the man I love from total evil."

A tornado consumed the area ripping everything in sight. Alton held Scarlet down struggling to withstand the almighty power as Hanna burst forward clashing with Kurt. Serval shadows blocked her attack sending just as mighty blows back. Swinging her weapon at unnatural speeds, Hannah was able to keep up with her powerful foe flipping backstabbing the ground, causing a powerful earthquake.

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Kurt vanished appearing before Hannah blasting her back. Crashing into the wall, Hannah fell to the ground, struggling. Holding his hands out, smoke poured heavily eating away at the area. "What a shame you couldn't put our differences aside and join our cause. Always having to play the hero Geostruction."

Hannah kneeled down panting, wiping her face. "The only person playing hero was you, Kurt when you sacrificed yourself to save Zinnia and me. I promised never to let her down, she deserves the man she looks up to, to be there by her side! Even if you defeat me, the winds of fate will carry me until this promise is complete."

The smoke moved towards Kurt growing in power as he ripped through the building with his body igniting with flames. Coming back down, Hannah stared up with a smile as she accepted her fate as Kurt rippled through blowing the area away with his smoke powers as Hannah was down for the count. Alton stared at, biting his lip in frustration. Staring down at Hannah's lifeless body, a strong gust of wind blew past him as his eyes widened as Hannah rippled from death, punching Kurt directly. Blocking the attack, he was pushed back, feeling the heroic force tear through him, forcing him down to one knee. Hannah stood with a sad smile fading as the wind elevated out into the night sky. "Always full of surprises, weren't you Trost? That ends our 400-year dispute. The last of the legendary heroes are dead." Wiping his tears, he smirked, turning to Alton. "Still alive, huh? You really don't know when to die do you, Alton Brantley?"

Alton was beaten down knocked to the ground the will to fight gone from his body as he stared blankly forward at Scarlett. His reason to fight gone as he gave up entirely. Kurt picked him up by his hair scoffing. "Nothing? Anything to say at all?" Giving him a dull blank stare Alton was tossed to the ground as his death was to come. At least that's what he expected. Dozen of V.I.R.A.L guards flooded in as Kurt wiped the blood from his hands. "I could kill you Dauntless, but you still hold uses to me. Both you and Miss Syndicate here. Take him boys may this be a reminder to you Alton the days of Team Rhapsody are no more."

Alton didn't resist as he was torn from his point arrested alongside Scarlett. Dragged from the HQ, his eyes stared blankly at the ground any sense of justice or heroic nature dying before him. He had not only betrayed everyone else' trust but his own self morals. The last thing he thought about was how Zinnia would react to seeing this. A small grin appeared and a chuckle as that all faded, Kurt took wind of this looking confused. Scarlett knew why, at the end of everything, all they had sacrificed to a better tomorrow none of it mattered anymore. Team Rhapsody was dead, and Alton Brantley had lost.