V.I.R.A.L

Rodger had fled. He wasn't one to take confrontation well. The moment Team Rhapsody declared their war against Vanguard he ran. He wanted to help Vanguard but was far too scared. He fell to his knees, gulping holding the garden's liquid close to his mouth. Shaking his went to drink it only to stop sobbing.

"Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. You lack Acceptance." A voice whispered. "We cannot grant you Salvation."

Rodger put the lid back on the small bottle lowering his head sobbing. "I'm sorry Marcus…"

****

Vanguard placed his hand in his pockets, inspecting his situation. He was surrounded. Three streamers. He wasn't worried in the slightest it was quite the opposite he was nagging the fight on. He wanted this now more than ever. Emil would be the first one to take the fight. Running forward full sprinting toward Vanguard. He pivoted his attention to Emil, eyeing him down. This made Emil flinch in fear as he collapsed into the floor. Vanguard was now more on edge. He didn't know anything about Emil joining the team way after his look into Rhapsody. He began to sink into the ground as the ground started to break. Having all his concentration focused on the next attack as Emil jumped up from the floor. Wielding a baseball bat, he swung it around smacking it against Vanguard. The bat shattered breaking on impact with Vanguard. His sluggish and slow movement quickly changed as he shot forward catching Emil off guard. Grabbing him by his neck, he managed to throw him over his shoulder like he weighed nothing. As Emil crashed to the ground, Vanguard stepped away.

Emil gave a strange look into why Vanguard walked away from their fight. As he tried to move, he flinched unable to move a single part of his body. He felt a considerable weight holding him down. He screamed out, unable to even lift his finger. "Percy!"

Vanguard glared at Percy, making him squirm falling onto his back. As his idol walked over to him, he began crawling back, terrified. His entire willpower crumbled away as Vanguard stared down at him. "Look at you, Percy. You're pathetic. Nothing more than a mere boy. I was already the number one streamer when I was your age. You are nothing. If you honestly think you can be my partner, you are truly lost."

Percy curled up, crying. "No, that's not true. Please…"

"Don't listen to him, Percy!" Zinnia roared jumping over him, throwing a punch at Vanguard. He caught her attack throwing her in the air. She hit the ceiling hard gasping as she slowly floated back down to the ground like a feather. As she landed softly, a small trickle of blood left her before. She had scrapped herself on the edge of the stone ceiling. Emil managed to break from his prison he punched Vanguard in the back of his head. Vanguard didn't react at all, not even releasing what happened. He only noticed that he was hit when Emil landed on the ground startled that nothing happened. Vanguard lifted his arm smacking Emil back with what felt like the weight of a freight truck. Emil smashed into the wall, passing out as he collapsed.

Alton could only watch in horror as he kept trying to escape. "Percy, Zinnia! Get out of here!" He kept snapping at his restraints. "Vanguard!"

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Vanguard smirked glimpsing at Alton taunting him as he picked up Percy by his head. "You wanted the truth, yes? Well, here is my truth. I'm going to kill your friend, and it will be your fault again."

Alton screamed out, watching Vanguard about to kill Percy. That was until Zinnia jumped on Vanguard trying to oppress his emotions. This got to Vanguard as he dropped Percy stepping back, looking dumbfounded. He felt his face as a tear fall down his cheek. He began whispering. "What. What was that? I just felt. Felt fear. Impossible…" This confusion turned on Zinnia as she was on the floor panting. He walked over to her, kicking her back. She flipped over gagging. He grabbed her by her waistcoat, picking her up and slamming her to the ground serval times. "How dare you! How dare you!"

Percy watched in horror, unable to find himself moving. He watched Zinnia getting beaten half to death as he squeezed his fists. That was until he snapped. "Leave Zinnia alone!" A clone of Zinnia appeared landing a direct hit on Vanguard who was caught off guard. He was knocked back as Zinnia was thrown from his grip. She flew back collapsing into the endless abyss. Percy dived forward into the hole, grabbing Zinnia as his clone caught him.

Zinnia looked up, seeing Percy struggling as his clone was already collapsing on itself. She was in a daze bleeding as she whimpered. "Percy… what are you doing?!"

He bit his lip, feeling his grip slip. "Saving your life!"

Zinnia looked down, fearful. "Percy… stop. Just let me go. Save yourself…"

"What?! No!"

Zinnia tried breaking free screaming. "Don't! I'm useless. I can't do anything. Don't let yourself die with me. Vanguard is coming!"

Percy's clone broke apart as a new one quickly formed grabbing him. They struggled as Percy looked up sweating. "Don't let go! If you fall, we fall together!"

****

"Do you understand what we are saying, Percy?"

Percy cupped up from his desk, nodding as his teacher and the principal stared at him. "I do…"

"If your grades keep slipping like this, we will need to bring your mother in. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir…"

"We've been trying to get a hold of your mother, when will she be available?"

"She isn't. She's always working… she doesn't care…"

The two teachers looked conflicted as they looked back to him. "What about your father?"

"He died. We were in a car accident."

"Oh, I'm sorry… you can go now, Percy. Try and do better please."

Percy nodded, stepping out of the class, walking into the swarm of classmates going through the tight corridors. He looked down at his phone, seeing no notifications. He sighed, putting his phone away, looking on with a dead look. He walked through the crowds without much presence slowly going with his day. He wiped his eyes, trying his best not to cry. That was when he bumped into a girl when he wasn't looking. He fell to the floor as she dropped her papers. Both looked at each other as the girl was the one who looked horrified. Percy stood up, wiping his eyes. "Excuse me!" He ran past as his emotions were being too hard to handle. As the bell rang, he went the opposite way to his class as he headed for the roof.

It was already raining when Percy found himself on the roof of the school. He stood idly by allowing himself to get drenched. He dropped his bag and phone as he walked over to the roof edge. Standing on the side, he bit his lip. He hesitated for a short moment before stepping off the roof. As he began to fall, he felt something grip him stopping his fall. He jerked back looking up, seeing the same girl he had bumped into holding on for dear life as she held Percy in one hand while she held the railing. "Help me here!"

"What… what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?! Saving your life idiot."

Percy noticed the girl's hand was slipping as the two were close to falling. "Let me go! You'll fall too." He tried breaking free, looking up in horror. "Please! Just let me go. I'm not worth it…"

"Don't let go! If you fall, we fall together!" Percy flinched as the girl tugged him, screaming out as she managed to pull him up back onto the roof. Both laid back with the rain showering them as she began panting. "Are you alright?"

Percy looked up at the grey clouds confused as he too was lost for words. "Why?"

The girl held his hand smiling. "I wasn't going to let you fall. I'd be sad if you died."

"How? How did you know?" He sobbed, having the tears mix with the rain.

"I felt the pain when I bumped into you. You were crying out. I knew something was wrong. Boy am I glad I followed you!"

Percy soon realised how stupid he was trying to take his life. He began crying out loud. "You saved me… what. What the hell was I thinking?!"

The girl stood up, drying her skirt as she smiled. "I'm glad you're alright."

Percy turned around, still lost. "Why did you save me? You were willing to fall with me. What idiot would do that?"

"I'm not an idiot thank you. A hero would be willing to sacrifice their life to save others, no?"

Percy flinched standing up, unable to come to grips with her reasoning. "A hero? What, what is your name?"

"My name? It's Zinnia. I need to get to class. Stay strong."

Percy stayed still looking lost as Zinnia left. He smiled lightly wiping his drenched face. "Zinnia… my hero."

****

Vanguard stood over the hole, watching the two streamers struggling to hold on. He laughed to himself, standing on the clone crushing it. The clone was destroyed as another one quickly formed, stopping the fall. He kneeled tutting. "How revolting. Throwing your life away for something so dumb. The concept of heroes makes me sick. So good and pure. They are cast aside if they fail and can never get what they want. Do you want to be a hero so much?! Let me give you a heroic death, Percy!"

As Vanguard was readying the killing blow, he felt the entire room drop in temperature. His body began to shiver. He gasped, turning around. "Alton!"

Alton had frozen his restraints over until they shattered. Now his whole body was a pale white his eyes entirely dead of colour apart from a small hint of yellow. The entire shrine was frozen as he cupped his hand back. Serval icicles ripped from the ground stabbing into Vanguard he fell to the ground shaken by the unseeing attack. This gave Percy enough time. He looked down at Zinnia, pulling with all his might. "Help me!"

Zinnia looked shocked that Percy was still not giving up. "Why?"

"Because! That's what heroes do." Zinnia stopped as she smiled, realising her mistakes. Gripping Percy with both her hands she refused to let go as the clone and Percy pulled with all their might. Feeling his grip slip, he threw Zinnia over his shoulder as she fell onto the floor. His gripped from the clone dropped as Percy fell. He wasn't worried this time. Holding his hand out, he grabbed it tightly as his body suddenly swapped with his clone. Percy was now hanging on the edge holding on as his clone faded into nothing falling. He laughed to himself, holding on. "That was awesome!"

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Speaking too soon he felt himself slipping again. About to fall Zinnia caught him and although injured, she powered through helping Percy up. Both lay on the stone ground panting. "Thank you, Percy."

Percy noticed how much in pain she was in, and even then, risked herself to help him. He felt dumb for forgetting that for forgetting what it meant to want to be a hero. He stood up, ready to confront his fears. "Vanguard!"

Vanguard turned seeing dozens of clones of Percy surrounding him. He gritted his teeth now slightly concerned. "I've decided. I was so afraid to admit it. I didn't want it to be true. I wanted to believe you were good. You were my hero. I wanted to be like you that scared me. But now. I see it clearly. I understand." He turned to Zinnia, smiling. "I have a new hero. I don't need you anymore! I am Vanguardian no more!"

"You heard the kid; he's done with you. And soon the world will be too. It's over Vanguard."

Vanguard stepped back, clutching his head. "No, no! No! NO! it is not! I won't let you take the only thing that the world will remember me for!" He screamed as the ground began to shake. The ice shattered as he roared in pain. "Vanguard will never die!"