V.I.R.A.L

"I need you to stop moving, please standstill."

Alton sighed, holding his arms out as his measurements were taken. Fidgeting slightly uncomfortably, he glanced over at Vanguard who was chatting to serval of his assistants. "Isn't this all a little much? I mean we're streamers not movie stars."

Vanguard turned around, shrugging his shoulders not caring. "What's the difference? It's all an act at the end of the day. You telling me Dauntless and Alton Brantley are the same person?"

"Well, no. But the way you make it sound, it's like we're superheroes."

"I'm pretty sure that's what the pink-haired brat would like to believe. Although we look like superheroes, act like them, hell some may play off the fact we are. We couldn't be further away from the idea. Look around Alton. My product is out back, working on my next brand deal. I have five assistance who get me what I want when I want. As well as a camera crew and our chef. It's business buddy, or did you expect the same way your group used to work?"

"Well, Rhapsody wasn't ever ideal."

"I was talking about Hero's Might, the way you handled streams weren't too far the gig you had. But I guess what got you popular was the fact it all felt very personal. Like your viewers and yourself were all friends." Vanguard pointed out. "I think we can work that for you. Let me introduce to a few people."

Entering the next room of the studio, a woman in all red matched with green hair leaned forward inspecting Alton. "So, this is the next guinea pig you have for me, Marcus? Avalanche was it?"

"Dauntless."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's Avalanche." She pointed out already working on a sketch. "You're a perfect sketch Alton, one which I have many ideas for."

"Excuse me?"

"This is Margret, she is our costume designer here."

"I saw the horrifying things you called costumes that girl tried making you wear." She said spitting. "Insult, what an insult. I'd like to have a word with her for sure."

"Wait? You don't wear a costume."

Vanguard gave another shrug lighting a cigarette. "Only on special occasions. Like the new years batch and the yearly V.I.R.A.L League. The new one is coming up in a few months, be the perfect time to remerge as Avalanche."

"As Avalanche?"

"Hero's Might reborn," Margret yelled proudly. "It's the perfect comeback. Old meets new. Those sad saps out there love a bit of nostalgia. I'm sure many fans would go nuts knowing a fairly well-known streamer making a comeback. Could get you, Marcus, quite the craze."

Marcus rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I don't care… have you got his costume ready or what?"

"What you already had it done? But I only just accepted."

"Alton, you haven't been paying attention, have you? You accepted the moment I offered you a place. Like I said before, no one ever turns me down."

Alton gave a weary look as his costume was brought out. It was bare spandex but with large icicles on the side of the arms and legs alongside dozens of product placements. The mask was in the shape of an iceberg as the colour of the costume matched a falling avalanche. "I've really outdone myself with this."

"Couldn't ask for any better. Get the costume ready for the photoshoot. This way Alton I would like you to meet our director."

"Director? We're streaming…"

The older man who wore thick glasses shook his hand, adjusting said glasses. "Youngblood, always a perfect way in getting you more viewers Marcus. We've already got plenty of ideas for this avid streamer."

"I'm starting to think this is all about Vanguard…"

"Ignore him," Vanguard muttered puffing his smoke. "Tell him about the plan."

"Well to get the viewers warmed up to the idea of having Avalanche be a mainstay, we'll start him off being the pre-show to your streams, Marcus. Once they start liking the new you, we'll give him a fun backstory of betrayal and vanquish. Have Alton here overcome a seemly impossible foe and then integrate him into the main cast? Then the V.I.R.A.L league starts, and everyone is on the edge of their seats as you two are put against each other. After that, we can start selling limited-edition merch of the battle, and it will sell like hotcakes."

"Doesn't this all sound a little too much for a simple streaming gig?"

Marcus shakes his head. "Alton walk with me." He forces Alton alongside him as he opens one more door to a room with a young girl sitting on a laptop. She peers up lighting up with joy. "What have you got Petra?"

Petra erupted from her seat, scurrying over clearing her throat. "Mister Vanguard! I think I have quite the storyline for the next six months of streams. A civil war between you Frizzle Tooth. It even gets Alton involved. Knowing an old friend and fan of his is on the opposite side as you two go head to head. I could see distracks, a charity boxing match and then an all-out war. It would get views like nothing."

"Now just wait a minute! Frizzle Tooth, as in the multi-channel network?"

"Umm yeah, cool right. Ooh, can you strike a bizarre pose for me? I could use it for the poster!"

Alton ignored the girl's request turning to Vanguard. "That's the network Iris and her sister is a part of."

"You're point is?" 

"This, all of this. The scripts, the costumes. All of it, it's all fake…"

Vanguard tutted, putting out his smoke. "And you were expecting anything else? Everything about V.I.R.A.L is fake. You think I'm out there streaming because I enjoy it? I hate everything about streaming. The annoying fanboys. The fanbase, everyone expecting the world of you. Never being able to rest in fears of fading into obscurity. I haven't had a holiday in over ten years. Not one day off. Why? Because if I did, there's a good chance, I'll be forgotten by the time I get back. Those mindless money bags out there have the attention span of a goldfish. If you aren't always on you A-game. If you haven't got the scripts, the costumes or the hype you are tossed aside like trash. If you want to reach the top you've got to be prepared to sacrifice your livelihood to survive. That's how it's always been, that's how it will always be. You don't stay the number one streamer without making difficult choices."

Alton gave Marcus a dodgy look. Neither one of them said a word. Alton began curling his hand before speaking up. "If it's so much of a problem, why do you keep doing this? Why not just give it up? Try something new."

Marcus smiled faintly, the smile wasn't anything genuine, there was no emotion behind it. It might not even be seen as a smile to most. "Ever heard the phrase if your good at something doesn't do it for free. This is all I've got without streaming. Without being number one, I am nothing. I could not be anything else, even if I wanted to. The public has chosen me to be their entertainment, and that is what I have to be until I die or they get bored of me. Streaming ain't for everyone kiddo. But surely out of everyone here you knew that right?" Alton gave a nod of acknowledgement as Marcus lit up another cigarette. "Good, the press conference announcing your joint contract with Vanguard will be tonight. Whether you like it or not you better win over the crowd. Even if the fame means nothing to you, those sacks of cash will be the only things which help keep Belling alive."

"How do you…"

"As I said before back, when we first met, I know everything about you. But please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not blackmailing you or anything. I'd rather not have you looking at me in such a villainous light. If there is one thing, I hate more than obedient fanboys it's stuck up villains who enjoy the rims of chaos and destruction. I'm just making sure you know where your head is that. And what is at stake? But course you probably knew that already as it was your fault in the first place Avalanche."

Alton stepped back, keeping his cool. As Marcus turned re-reading the script, he was ready to leave only for Alton to try and get the last word in. "These made up games you've got going on. The narratives. Merch. The Mental Overloads wouldn't have anything to do with you would it?"

Marcus eyed down Alton smirking. "Don't you worry about something pointless and tiring as those bores? Just let me handle the issue at hand. I'll take care of all of the mental overloads soon enough."

As Marcus left, Alton crossed his arms, whispering under his breath. "Just as I thought…"

"So, umm Avalanche sir? What sort of backstory are you interested in?"

"Petra was it? Sorry, what were you again?"

"Oh, I'm ugh, working an internship for mister Collings. I won through a fanfiction contest. It doesn't pay anything, but he promised me recognition once I get the next arc written out. So ah, about your origin story. Anything you like in particular?"

"Forget the origin story Petra. I've always hated them…" He spoke looking over the scripts. 

"What should I write for you then?"

"Oh, just wait. What happens next can write itself."