V.I.R.A.L

"Congenital insensitivity to pain?"

"Indeed, mam. It's a rare condition we very rarely see. I'm sorry. It means he can't feel any sort of pain. Whether it's blunt trauma or any kind of burns, he won't be able to feel any of it."

"What does this mean for Marcus? What does this mean for my son?!"

"Mam, I'm going to need you to calm down, the majority of the cases we see don't last into adulthood. He won't even realise the injuries he will go through."

"Can't we do anything?! Help him…"

"I'm sorry mam there is nothing I can do. All you can do is just keep him safe. If anything happens, give us a call."

The woman took the young Marcus by the hand, dragging him out of the doctor's office. He looked up at his mum with a blank expression. "Is there something wrong with me, mummy?"

"No, course not Marcus honey. You're, you're just an extraordinary boy. The doctor just didn't understand. You have an incredible gift. One where you will make a difference. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Marcus nodded still empty as he looked up at a V.I.R.A.L billboard advertisement. "I can make a difference?"

****

A cold drip of water fell onto Alton's head. Drip, drip, drip. This was enough to cause him to wake from the uncomfortable nature. Waking, he found himself tied down. Vines wrapped around his body, holding him inside a hollow tree. He didn't want to admit it. That would be crazy. But he could have sworn he heard the tree talking to him.

Trying to break free he began flinging about biting at the vines before giving up knowing all too well it wasn't going to be that easy. "Try as much as you like. You, Alton Brantley, are not going anywhere. I knew I recognised the name somewhere. Brantley. Your father is Ragnar Brantley correct? He's the reason we have those walls. The walls that keep us from the reminder. The reminder people like him are a constant danger to the world. You know they are still struggling to keep that mess contained—a never-ending ice age behind those walls. If we didn't contain it, none of us would probably be here today. So, this, this here puts my mind at ease a little bit. Knowing I stopped the spawn of the most dangerous anti-human we have ever seen will help me sleep well tonight. I can see why you didn't want to be a streamer. It just takes a small push, and you lose controls of those powers too. Our fight demonstrated that."

Alton laid his head back tutting. "If endless excuses are going to make you feel better about what you do, then you are already beyond help. You're no better than my father."

Vanguard stepped forward, tapping Alton cheek chuckling. "Oh, but I'm so much more. The world thinks so meaning I do too. I've made a difference. Crime has dropped. People are safer. They thank me for that. Taking me down would damage that balance. If I'm gone well, there would be chaos. Panic. Who would protect them? You? Oh, if the world knew just what you were capable of. If Zinnia knew. Do you think she would still be your friend? I've been doing this gig since I was ten years old. I've toppled gangs—exposed corrupt politicians. I've stopped terrorist attacks, saved so many lives I've lost count. Donated to charities. I've contributed to this country so much I think any small crime I dive my hand into could easily be overlooked. What have you done to help Alton? Caused the ice age. Were the reason thousands died! The reason your team fell apart. And now here you are trying to make amends in the most pathetic way. Exposing streamers. Ruining childhoods and people's entertainment for what reason? Because it's the right thing to do."

"They deserve to know the truth."

"The truth? Don't give me such crap as the truth. The truth is merely a point of view. Only convenient for us when it's on our side. If the truth you go looking for isn't to your liking, you cast it aside as nothing more than lies. You can happily claim you're seeking the truth. Pokiero, the phantom streamer. Me. It's all convenient and good for you, exposing us to the truth, but when it comes to you. Your truth. The truth that your nothing more than a ticking timebomb waiting to cause our demise. The truth that it was your fault that your team all died in Sunnyside Peak. That you are the reason, Sam Belling is in that hospital fighting for her life in constant pain. Well, that truth you'd happily hide, lock away and throw away the key. Do you want to know the truth, Alton? You and I are both monsters. Your just too afraid to admit it."

Alton looked around, seeing himself in what looked to be ruins. Old stonework forming what looked to be a shrine of some kind. Vegetation had grown and consumed most of the area with small rays of light piercing through the broken-down ceiling. However, in the middle of the shrine was a hole one who had seemly no end in sight. "If you're that proud and mighty over the murders you commit, why am I still alive. You've done your bad guy speech. Now wouldn't it just be better for the world if you just end it here?! You have something else planned, don't you? Why am I here? Where am I?"

"You are at the edge—the edge of our world. Take the Leap of faith, and you'll enter a world beyond our understanding—one where there's no denial. No Anger. No Bargaining. No Depression. No Acceptance. Just Salvation."

Alton glimpsed overseeing Rodger walking in wearing a cape and mask. "What's he meant to be your ward?"

Rodger snapped lunging at Alton before stopping himself laughing. "This kid is funny. I am his equal. I can be whatever I want, the garden will grant it to me."

"The Garden? You're not suggesting…"

"Oh, but I am. The Garden of Greif is real."

"Poppycock. It's just a legend. A mere fairy-tale said to children."

"All legends come from some sort of truth. Locked away from our reach for perhaps hundreds of years. We are standing at what could be the last shrine to the garden. The possibilities we could unlock. The secrets that were taken from us to be rediscovered."

Vanguard turned to Rodger smirking. "Rodger approached me with the source to achieve my goals. No more did I have to cover my tracks on the rivals I had to dispose of. He offered me another way. Mental Overloads."

"I discovered the garden by accident. But I am grateful for it. The garden spoke to me. Offered me the salvation I looked for. It knew exactly what I wanted. So, it granted me the power to do so." He spoke, holding up a small bottle of purple liquid. "The seed of the garden. It can grant any person unlimited potential. Gives the powerless power and those with almighty strength a stepping stone to something greater."

"At the cost of their mind."

"A minor inconvenience compared to the power it grants. Yet we are missing something…"

"Guess you didn't expect it not to work on me, huh doc?" Alton teased.

Rodger shook his head, walking away. "While a surprise, yes. Whether somehow your body rejected the garden's fruit or the garden rejected you. We are going to find out." As Rodger moved in closer readying the liquid Alton mustered up all he could spitting at Rodger. The small dose of liquid smacked the bottle from his hand smashing it. "Why you little shit!"

Vanguard held his hand out, shaking his head. "Don't like someone like him bothers you. As you can see Alton, we haven't gone out of our way to stop your powers. You can try all you like to use them to escape. But your powers are no match compared to mine."

"Oh, please. Why would I try to escape? I'm at the final boss, there's no turning back now. Besides I've got you all where I want you."

"So what? Your special team can come and rescue you? Sorry to burst your bubble but no one is coming. They don't even know where you are."

Alton sighed nodding. "Yeah, probably right… is what you want me to say. You might want to check your phone."

"What?" He spoke glancing down at his phone seeing hundreds of notifications from his stream, forums and personal social media accounts. "What have you done?"

"Who me? I haven't done anything. I can't move. But you know me, I do like a good gamble. Do you think I was just going to confront you without a plan? Get real."

Vanguard gripped his phone, seeing endless comments from the same account. Vanguardian each one with a different number at the end. He knew this was Percy's doing. "What have you done?"

"I just recorded our lovely confrontation for the world to see. Sent the footage via a drone to my team who took in their hands to spread the word. Spread the message."

Vanguard glared at the message reading it out loud. "Vanguard, the clinger of fame and fortune. Your sinful ways of disposing of any kind of competition are barbaric and villainous. You hold onto your dying fame like a disease. The countless victims under your belt throughout your crusade of greed and wrath end today. We will expose your ways to the world and take you down ourselves. The people of Rhinefield will learn the truth as Team Rhapsody will save the day… what a joke."

"Ha, it seems Zin and the others really outdid themselves this time."

"I got them banned! How did they manage to cause such a stir?!"

"You don't get it do you Vanguard? We aren't just any streamers. We're God damn superhero wannabes. And just like superheroes we just don't know when to quit."

Vanguard threw his phone away barking. "This won't change anything! You're a fool, Alton, if you think you can win. Without their leader Team Rhapsody is nothing. They will fail all the same, and by tomorrow people will forget this even happened. Your streaming days are numbered. Mine? They will go on forever."

"That I agree with you on, if I was the leader. A leader is meant to bring their people together. Hatch up the plans. A leader never gives up. Never gives in. A true leader helps their allies no matter what. I know just the girl who fits that bill. You're in for it now Vanguard! Just you wait till my leader gets here. She's a real handful."

Vanguard charged at Alton only for the wall to fall apart as light blasted into the shrine. Vanguard turned around, covering his face gritting his teeth. "Damn it…"

Zinnia stomped her foot on the ground, holding her hand out, pointing to Vanguard. "Vanguard your rule has come to an end!"

"We are here to save our friend!" Emil shouted.

"And… and put your evil natures to an end!" Percy yelled.

Zinnia struck a heroic pose grinning from eye to eye. "For we are Team Rhapsody, the greatest superheroes ever!"