V.I.R.A.L

The night had taken full effect as the lights emitting from the sideroads had faded into oblivion. Zinnia was left in total darkness as she skipped through the black with no worry on her mind. She had taken this same path more times than she can count being very accustomed to being out this late at night. It wasn't rare at all for her to arrive home even later than tonight. Zinnia wasn't a stay at home person, you'd only ever catch her trapped in said place when she had to sleep or needed a change of clothes, she wanted to see the world and no one was going to stop her. Passing the orphanage, she jumped up, smacking the sign as it spun around before falling off the gate. She stopped at the front gate only to find porch on lighting her arrival. Not wanting to draw any attention she ducked back scurrying around to the back of the property. Happy with the lack of lights Zinnia hopped over the fence falling onto a set of bushes. Ripping herself from the leaves and thorns, she slid the window to the open kitchen sliding in making sure to close it behind her with direct caution. Letting out a sigh of relief, she dropped her cautious manner and waltz into the hallway only for the light behind her to blast on. "Must we keep doing this Zinnia?"

Zinnia cranked her head around, pulling off a goofy smile. "Miss Perkins. I was just getting a glass of milk… Were you up the whole time?"

"The whole time."

Zinnia slouched over deflated, rubbing the back of her neck. "I keep saying you don't have to. I'm back like always."

"Of course, I have to stay up Zinnia young lady, you are my responsibility and sneaking out past your curfew getting into trouble makes me worry."

"Look, Miss Perkins."

"What have I told you about that? Just call me Rebecca."

"Ok, Rebecca… I just went out to the movies. Hanged out with a few friends. Went bowling you know the usual teenager things."

Rebecca tapped her foot, shaking her head. "We both know you have no friends Zinnia."

"Ouch, that hurt. I felt that right here." Zinnia wept sarcastically tapping her chest. "Does it matter where I go? You don't think the others don't do the same. Millie sneaks out all the time to go for joyrides with her classmates, Anna goes out every Friday to hang out with her boyfriend. Why do you have to always be on my back about it?"

"The other girls don't have superpowers and try to fight crime, illegally by the way."

"I wasn't fighting any crime!" Zinnia lied poorly.

Rebecca raised her eyebrow folding her arms. "Really? Then what is with those bruises? I see a cut lip too."

Zinnia held her lip humming to herself. "I ugh, fell into the bush jumping the fence…" She stopped herself leaning against the doorway nodding. "I was fighting crime… but these guys were real scumbags. They tried robbing from this store. The employee was just going to let them have it. I had to do something."

"And that's your problem Zinnia you always have to do something. Those few words and the same tired excuse only cause more and more problems for everyone. I got off the phone with the police an hour ago you can't keep doing this."

"So what? I'm just supposed to let the bad guys do what they want when they want? No way."

"Yes! That is why we have the police. Even streamers have better clearance than you Zinnia. Sweetheart if you keep this up your going to get yourself killed. Or worse someone else. The shop owner did the right thing by doing nothing."

"Well it doesn't matter, either way, he had powers too and fought the criminals. You should have seen him he ignited the whole shop in ice it was incredible. Gunshots, fire, the lot! It was the best thing ever!"

Rebecca held her head in shame, displeased by Zinnia's attitude. "You're missing the point. Not only did you endanger yourself, but now you dragged the innocent shop keeper into your fantasies."

"He wasn't innocent; he was chosen. The wind told me he's the one. He is the one who will help me become a full-on superhero!"

"Tomorrow I want you to find this person and apologise."

"What? But I did nothing wrong!"

"I don't care young lady. You could have easily ruined their life at this rate."

"You worry too much Alton is fine we both got arrested but look they let us go."

"You got him arrested! I. Forget it, it's far too late for this… we shall discuss your bad habits tomorrow once you write this boy an apology letter."

Zinnia threw her head back groaning. "This is so unfair. Well, it won't happen as I will already be gone tomorrow morning before you wake up. I have school."

"Zinnia. How can you expect to be adopted if you're constantly out till the dead of night?"

"I thought that was the idea of always being out, besides I don't need adopting as my parents are coming for me, this is just a temporary housing situation." Zinnia stopped seeing Rebecca's annoyed tone. She moved back to nodding. "I know, I know, I'm going to bed."

"You can stop right their young lady there is no way I'm letting you disturb the other girls; you can sleep on the sofa."

"This is so unfair."

"I can happily punish you more for being arrested if you like."

"The sofa sounds wonderful Miss Perkins." Zinnia quipped.

"It's Rebecca… Whatever. I'm. I'm just glad your home. Good night Zinnia."

"Goodnight." She replied, crashing onto the sofa. She looked up at the ceiling, frowning hugging a pillow. "Home? Yeah, right." 

****

Alton sat slouched on a cheap leather chair fidgeting around cupping a small can of lemonade. He had a dry and uncanny expression on his face as he remained silent, only taking a sip of his drink every once and a while. "I thought you said yesterday you had a plan for our debt problems. This just seems, well, pointless."

Zinnia stopped dropping the microphone by her side, pausing the song. "What's wrong with this? It's secluded, away from the public eye and we get unlimited soft drinks for the hour."

Alton finished his can spinning it around crushing it. "I should have expected something like this… I haven't got time for this crap if you want to spend your day singing karaoke, please be my guest invite some friends to paint the town red whatever, I need to look for another job or serval…"

Alton stood up, opening the sliding door. Zinnia dropped the mic standing in the doorway trying to hold Alton back. "No! Wait, please! I don't usually have anyone come here with me. No one else wants to hang out with me, and I thought we could discuss my plan all while having some fun."

Alton groaned stepping back. He flipped his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. He would be more than happy to just abandon Zinnia and try and make it on his own. Still, he was desperate beyond belief and was just about willing to agree to an insane plan she had. He crashed back down on the chair with a thud shaking his knee violently. He cracked open another can of soda, putting it to his mouth. "You have until I finish my drink here."

Zinnia jolted to action as Alton began slowly sipping his drink. "Alright, we become streamers."

Alton stopped drinking, raising an eyebrow. "You're joking, right? If that is seriously your ultimate plan to save us, I'm leaving now."

"Wait! Please just hear me out. You, we need to make a lot of money fast, I want to save people, and you have awesome ice powers. It's a match made in heaven we would be unstoppable."

"I don't have ice powers."

"What?"

Alton poured the drink all over the floor, he sat back as the soda came together, floating in the air before rushing back into the can. He slammed the can on the table tutting. "I can control the flow of anything that is a liquid, whether that is to make it float disperse or other such concepts. I just happen to be able to change the temperature of said liquid making it into ice. I can't simply just shoot ice out of my hands."

"So, you can't make me a giant ice castle…" Alton gave a glare as Zinnia panicked waving her hands around. "What I meant to say was that's cool too. You're like Magneto but with water."

"That is one way of putting it. But going back to the terrible dream you have; I am not a streamer."

"Aww! Why not, I saw you last night, you're a born natural at fighting other superhumans. You had that Monty at his heels for the whole fight. There's no way you just had beginner's luck. You can fight crime."

Alton leaned forward, head sunken into his hands. "Zinnia I don't think you understand what streamers are. They don't save people because it is the right thing to do. They do it solely for fame and fortune. If their lives are endangered, they won't hesitate to leave the innocent victim to die. They lie and cheat and are nothing better than the criminals they takedown. They'll do anything if it gains the attention. I have no problem with such a mindscape. But we both know you couldn't be like that."

Zinnia looked slightly startled as she licked her lips, thinking. She fondled with her bunched-up hair nodding with a proud smile. "Then we don't be like that. We will be streamers who stand for the little guys. We help the people others won't. I'm sure people would draw eyes to us if we do something different."

Alton nods eyes closed agreeing with her. "You're not wrong there. Truth be told many people tried that ideology for their stream persona. Most either faded into obscurity and gave up or died being idiots."

"You don't know that it is going to be us, you'll never know unless we try."

"Just be honest here, you're just using this whole streamer ordeal as an excuse to be a superhero. The money means nothing to you."

"You're… not wrong there. But the way I see it, I get to save people and bring hope to those who have lost their way, and you make money. I see this as an absolute win."

"Of course, you do, I admire you persistent in wanting to be a hero. But why? No one is asking to be saved. You're just wasting your time in my eyes."

Zinnia thinks for a second before putting both of her hands on her hips. "Why do you need a reason to help people in need? It's the right thing to do, what more of a reason do I need?"

"Touché, I'm still against this plan, it won't work." Alton protested.

"Well, I did have another idea. Using your ice, I mean water manipulation powers, that sounds so much lamer… we could make the world's best snow cone shop. We would be a hit."

Alton gagged at the idea shaking his head. "I would rather die…" He stopped his stupid, aggressive arguments biting his lip. "This streamer plan it will need major changes."

"Of course!"

"I would be in charge. We'll split the pay 70/30."

"Oh, you could have all the pay!"

"Right, and there won't be any of this risking my life to save every Tom, Dick and Harry."

"What is wrong with Tom, Dick and Harry? Did they do something to offend you… oh, never mind."

"If that's the case… then, I must just go with the streamer idea," Alton said in a defeated tone.

Zinnia jumped up ecstatic. "Hell, yes! I'm going to be a superhero, a real-life hero who saves people! Just like I always dreamed of. Just like my mother."

"Easy girl, it's not that simple. We still need to take a psychological test and get approved by the V.I.R.A.L committee before we dive into the world of saving people." Alton states.

"You sure know a lot about the world of streamers Alton, are you secretly a huge fan or something?"

"I just hear a few things. How big they are, it's almost impossible to avoid the group." Alton replies.

Zinnia picked up the microphone buzzing. "Oh, this is just too exciting, we've got to think of costumes, code names, ooh what about a name for the team! There is too much to choose from."

"One step at a time."

"Oh, I know! How about we sing a song to celebrate this occasion."

"Hard pass."

"Oh, come on. Just one song."

"I've got way too much to worry about than to waste my time singing a stupid song."

Zinnia holds out the microphone wagging it in his face. "Don't worry about that right now, nothing you can do about it right now, so let's just sing those problems away and leave it for us of tomorrow."

"That advice is terrible." Alton laughs, taking the mic. "One song and I swear to God if you choose to let it go, I will boil your blood into a soup."

Zinnia froze deleting the letters l and e from the song choice and instead of going to the most popular choice. "Is Queen alright?"

"Alton approves." He stood up as the song Bohemian Rhapsody came on. He smirked faintly as an idea came to mind. "That's it. Rhapsody."

"Huh?"

"You wanted a name for our team. Rhapsody."

"Yeah! Rhapsody I like it… ugh, what does Rhapsody mean?"

"Well, there are a few meanings. It can mean an exaggeratedly enthusiastic expression of feeling. Or in music terms, it's a random collection or medley. Perfectly sums us two up. One in it for the money the other to save people. Truly a team-up of a random scale."

Zinnia's eyes light up as she laughs to herself with a smug look. "Team Rhapsody, an unlikely group of ragtag heroes fighting evil. I'm in love." A small alarm rings as Zinnia picks up the phone sighing. "We ran out of time."

Alton grabs a fresh soda, not wanting to drink one from the floor as he rolls his eyes. "Put us in for another hour then."

"Really?!"

"Fuck it, sure. We'll see this as the first meeting for Rhapsody. Let's just sing our problems, away shall we?"