V.I.R.A.L

Serval buildings exploded as purple haze rippled out engulfing the street with a thick layer of fog. Alton crashed into a car as a mentally insane streamer tried tearing him apart. Alton held them back with his legs as their strength was only increasing with the every second the purple haze was around. His legs began to curl up as the streamer got closer. He held one hand, pushing them back as he kept himself balanced on the car with his other. The stalemate was slipping away quicker than he could anticipate. As the pressure got to him, his hand slipped, causing him to fall. The streamer tumbled on top of him, ready to strike. Covering his body, the attack would never actually come. Vanguard swooped in landing a single punch which sent the streamer flying into the air only to explode. Vanguard looked down, holding his hand out. "Are you alright?"

"Could have used the help a few minutes ago."

Vanguard pulled Alton up from the ground. He moved his hand away, seeing it had frozen over slightly. He shook it, noticing Alton looked a lot colder as cold air escaped his mouth. "You're holding back on these lost souls. You can't save them."

"Who to say we can't?"

"What happened to you last week was a fluke. These streamers aren't so lucky. Although I am not fond of the idea, we need to dispose of them before they put the public in danger."

Alton moved his shoulders around as two more unstable streamers appeared from the purple fog. His hand began to shake as his body was freezing. Everything about the situation was off to him. He glimpsed up to see the multiple drones recording everything. His suspicions of something being off would only grow as the drones were only ever watching him during the entire fight with no care for the threat or Vanguard. Turning back to the streamers, he opened his hands freezing over the fog, making it impossible to see in. The drones moved in to try and get a better look only for each and everyone to be destroyed by sharp clumps of ice. Ridding of the unwanted attention Alton's gaze was laid on by the streamers. As they got inches from attacking Alton placed his hand on one freezing it over completely. The other one took a single but devastating icicle to the head, stopping it instantly. The two streamers began to twitch and shake before exploding into a purple haze. Alton held his mouth, letting the fog pass. As the air cleared around him, he found Vanguard finishing off the last two streamers. Before they too could explode, Alton snapped a quick photo as he did with the others just before. Scrolling through his phone, he began doing research. Vanguard came around patting him on the back. "Nice work Alton. My team will come around and deal with the mess."

"What about the police?"

"No, no, no. This is a little above their paygrade. Plus, we can't learn anything about these poor souls or how to save others if we leave it to the police. Don't worry about the minor stuff."

Alton gave Vanguard a strange look before sighing going back to his bored uncaring face. "Like I even cared in the first place."

"Quite, by the way. The way you took down those streamers. I thought your power to manipulate water not to create ice."

"I didn't." Alton snapped. "I never once said what my powers were." He began to cough shivering as he started warming himself up.

Vanguard smirked, shaking his head. "Hiding secrets from me. How amusing. No matter, you did well today, kid. I'll treat you to dinner. My treat."

"Fine, I want ramen and none of that cheap shit. I want the real stuff."

"We better get moving then, there might be more mental overload cases tonight."

Alton nodded looking down at his phone once more, confirming the group of streamers Vanguard, and he took care of were famous streamers in the top ten. Alton grunted turning his phone, off-putting it away. He looked at Vanguard tutting. "This really shouldn't be my problem…"

****

"What do you mean Alton is in grave danger?"

Scarlett patted herself down, shrugging her shoulders. "You tell me."

"She's messing with us. This is all a waste of time." Emil complained. "She won't even tell us her powers for cry out loud."

Scarlett wagged her finger tutting. "I must disagree on the matter. All of which I spoke of was not a waste of time. I am contrite that you believe such things. If you must, however, know what my powers are you are looking at them."

"The tarot cards?" Zinnia questioned. "How?"

Scarlett picked out a random card turning it around. "The chariot arcana. How exciting. You might want to take a seat for this." Emil felt light-headed tripping over. Percy was doing the same as Zinnia held her head feeling weak. Scarlett turned the card back around, placing it back in the deck. "My dearest apologies friends. It just happened the luck of the draw I got a nasty card. Although I do feel wonderful now!"

"The tarot cards? They choose your powers?"

"Precisely, pretty neat, huh? Want me to do it again?"

"Let's not!" Emil barked.

Percy looked at the cards nodding. "Say does the world arcana allow you to stop time?"

Scarlett gave a look of confusion tilting her head. "Stop time? Why would I be able to do that for? That sounds rather farfetched. I do not believe anyone can use such a garishly power. If that was the case, why would I use any other card?"

"Oh, don't worry."

"Please, going back to the matter. How do you know Alton is in trouble?"

Scarlett turned all the cards around pushing the tower card forward. "I used the tarot cards to read Alton's destiny. The first one is of the tower arcana. This shows that a sudden and horrible catastrophe could strike your friend. The second card I pulled for him was the moon arcana. This one is of an eerie and mysterious term. Dark impulses surround Alton, whether that is of his gender or someone else's is yet to be revealed. The third card his fate was drawn too was the Lovers Arcana."

Percy snickered at the card getting a dodgy and all be it off-putting look from Scarlett. "Sorry."

"This card could be his saving grace. He will be left with an important choice which could go very much right or wrong. Choosing the wrong path could spell disaster for someone."

"Someone? It might not even be Alton."

"Take it as you will, but it may be Alton it maybe someone close to him instead. "Lastly, the Justice Arcana. This will indicate whatever choice chosen will hold lasting repercussion that could haunt him for the rest of his life."

"This is absurd, even if that is true, which it's not, the terms are so very vague and obstruct we have nothing to go on."

"That is for you to forever decide. The tarot cards only tell me his destiny, not his future. These events could be spelling out his immediate future or a far-off tomorrow. Whether you take the warning or not is up to you." 

Zinnia gave it a little thought trapped in a never-ending cycle of what-ifs. "I don't think she's lying."

"She could be wrong." Percy pointed out.

Scarlett acknowledged this nodding. "Not a terrible conclusion. It is true I cannot guarantee my readings. The future is never set in stone to say. If you choose to peruse the truth, then that is your resolve."

"The truth? You mean the mental overload?"

"Quite the situation is it not? Streamers all going berserk before all sharing the same fate. Death. The most powerful streamers all facing the same fate. What a shame."

"Most powerful? Do you mean the most popular? All the streamers who are targeted are well-known streamers."

"No, that's not right." Zinnia interrupted. "Alton was attacked. Not Iris."

"Meaning the culprit is going after the most powerful streamers."

"But why?"

"That is for you to discover." 

"But we have no leads."

"Gale might have… but he was silenced. Damn it."

Scarlett shook her head. "You all need to think smaller. If they are targeting powerful streamers, think who have they not targeted?"

"Then we could close the list down. There are the Montagues, and while I would love a reason to take them down, I do not believe it could be them. Monty is too loud and sloppy to conduct something like this."

"And he lacks the motivation," Emil added.

"What about Iris' sister Alice? She hasn't been targeted yet. Nor was Iris. It was Iris who brought it up in the first place."

"While we can't out rule the possibility of the two being involved, I don't buy it. Iris is a big fan of ours. She wouldn't attack Alton like that. What about Vanguard?"

"He does fit the bill. Most powerful and beloved streamer. But he too has alibis. He's always taking down the streamers saving the day. I can't see why he would start this to do more work for himself? Although it isn't too crazy to believe that he may do it to rid of the competition. But he recruited Alton. Why recruit him if he's a threat? Damn, are we back down to square one?"

"Maybe you aren't too far off. What about a fan?" Percy stated. "They could fit the bill. Taking out the competition, so their favourite streamer doesn't get taken over? Vanguard has many crazed fans."

"Like you? Noob."

"That might just work… but Vanguard has so many fans it will be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"You need to think smaller again. If it is a fan. He might just have connections with Vanguard. Ask which fan does he want to be hidden from the world."

Emil snapped his fingers. "I got it. I was watching the Vanguard press conference the other day. And well, a question was brought up about a man who was spotted with Vanguard. When the pictures were brought up, he skipped the question and had the reporter escorted out."

"That might just be it." Zinnia cried with joy, looking the photo up. "Found it. It's not the best photo… we don't have his name though."

"That's not a problem. We can just run the picture through V.I.R.A.L and see if he has a streaming account. If he is a fan of Vanguard, he would most certainly have an account." Percy argued, taking the photo and putting it through the system.

"So, what could this be? A diehard fan who can't accept the fact Vanguard might not be the number one streamer? Has the powers to make streamers who might overtake him going into a crazed mental state to squash the competition."

"It's the lead we've got."

"Hell, yeah dude! I've got a hit. Rodger Bones goes by Forever_Vanguard on V.I.R.A.L. Is a super supporter of his and has been watching for the entire fifteen years. I think this might be it. A crooked fan trying to keep Vanguard at number one by causing panic and mayhem. This makes me sick! Vanguard doesn't need this! He's the number one streamer because of how incredible he is!"

"Any more information about him?"

"Damn, that's where it goes all blank. There's no property with his name attached. He has no job. Nothing."

"What about buildings in Vanguard's name? This super fan might be staying there if they were ID together."

"No, wait. Hang on, there's one building here which apparently belongs to Marcus Colling. That's Vanguard real name. It's a rundown apartment in the city, but the thing is Vanguard lives in his estate home in the capital. This house shouldn't be used."

"So?"

"So, why is the electricity bill so expensive? And many pizzas have been called to the location."

"Wow, pizza…"

"But what if I were to tell you the pizzas to this location were all addressed to a Rodger."

"What? Hold up how the hell did you figure that out?"

"I may or may not figured out Vanguard's Pizza shed account details… the pizzas there are all addressed to our super-fan."

"That's our lead." Zinnia exclaims.

"Whoa, isn't this a little crazy? Aren't we jumping the gun here a little?"

"If Alton is in trouble, we need to act now. No matter what." She shouts now more determined than ever. "Thank you, Scarlett, … I don't know how to repay you…"

Scarlett stands up bowing. "It was an honour to help Team Rhapsody, that is all I need. However, if you are so entitled to repay me… perhaps we can discuss this further after you save Alton."

Zinnia nodded, cracking her knuckles with a heroic laugh. "Even if Team Rhapsody is banned, we can't sit by and let evil win. Alton could be in danger, and they took down Gale. No one else can get hurt. Let's take down the culprit. Team Rhapsody! Assemble…" Everyone looked at her cringing as she looked away embarrassed. "We are never doing that again…"