V.I.R.A.L

The village was now silent. It had been for serval hours now. Although the night was still young, there wasn't a sound insight. This troubled Emil who was now on watch duty. He leaned on the porch of the house he was staying in with a lollipop stick firmly placed in his mouth. He had already eaten the lollipop and now just had the stick for show. Flipping it around his hand, he sighed, scouting the village, hearing or seeing nothing of note. The door behind him closed as Percy stepped out, rubbing his eyes. "Need a hand?"

"Yeah, you can take over while I go to bed."

"That isn't what I mean. Can't be fun doing this all on your own."

"You can say that again."

"Anything happening?"

"Well apart from one drunk villager and a deer in the forest nothing to report. I don't like this. It's too quiet."

"Quiet is good right?"

"Usually I'd agree on that. But given the circumstances, I can't help but feel like we could get attacked at any moment. What a bother this has all been. I could be hitting it big getting massive off Rhapsody's success, but here I am defending some village with my life."

"If you were that caught up on it, why did you come?"

Emil scoffed at the question, thinking it to be too stupid. "You really are a noob, aren't you? I owe both Alton and Gale a lot for saving me. Feel like I owe Gale more for failing him back when he got taken out by Vanguard. That's not the reason, though. I don't believe in that sort of shit. I guess I came because I felt like I had no choice. I'm still the new guy here. Might get kicked from the team if something goes wrong."

"You're still caught up on the way the Montagues work things? We don't do that here. Team Rhapsody is like family. We don't abandon others."

"Alton did. Or are we forgetting that? He may act like it was to protect us, to back Vanguard into a corner but I don't buy that one bit. He's in it for the money as much as I am. He'd probably turn a blind eye to all that happened if we weren't involved. I'd do the same. It's nothing to be ashamed of after all this is all business if you aren't in it to be the best then what is the point. I made this very clear from the start, so perhaps I should repeat myself. Team Rhapsody is just temporary for me. A place to steady my fall. I won't deny you helped me, and I thank you for that, but when it is all said and done, once I find a better team I'm gone. This team is falling apart anyway."

"What makes you say that?" Zinnia asked from the neighbouring porch. "I thought we were a good team."

"Maybe. But the way I see it, Gale is going to be gone soon. He said it himself he's staying here when the dust has settled. Alton and Scarlett are God know where, if they come back, we'll still be one teammate down. Whose to stop Alton leaving? If he leaves Scarlett will surely follow. It's how it always works with joint teams. When one leaves it all falls apart…"

Zinnia gave Emil a sturdy look not impressed as she disagreed. "You're always like this Emil, aren't you? Always so negative. You think everyone is against you, that you can never get what you want without thinking bigger."

"Zinnia, have you forgot what profession you are in? Do you think half the streamers do this for the fans? Vanguard didn't. Alton doesn't. The Montagues don't, and I'm pretty sure your friends Alice and Iris sure in hell don't. You are in the smallest minority here when are you going to realise that?"

Zinnia stepped down from her porch confronting Emil. "Yeah, got a problem with that? So, what if I don't do it the streamer way? So, what if fame and fortune is the last thing I care about? So what? It isn't hurting anyone, why make such a big thing about it?"

"Not hurting anyone you say? So why is it Gale is quitting? If he's so happy with your superhero club, why is he staying in this washed-up village, one which he tried keeping away from for the past five years? Can't think of a reason, right?"

"Family."

"Family? Give me a break. What do you know about family? What does anyone know here about family? I was adopted into the Montagues, a family built on hatred for each other and withering out the weak, how is that family? The only family you know Zinnia is the one in that picture. Do you call that family? Family isn't like the ones in those Christmas films. It's not all sunshine and lollipops. Families are shit."

Zinnia wiped her eyes nodding. "I get it. I may not have known my family, yes. But the way I see it, just because you had a shit upbringing doesn't mean you got to take it out on everyone else!"

Zinnia ran off as Emil sighed. "Where the hell does, she thinks she's going?"

Percy stepped down the stairs, ready to run after Zinnia. "Emil. I get the Montagues were shit and all, but Zinnia is still holding out on hope her family will come for her. It��s all she's got left."

"Then, she is delusional. I don't know my own family. They are never coming for me."

"Perhaps. But Zinnia cannot see it that way. She has hope; she believes in her family because that's what family should be. Not who brought you up. But the one's who look out for you and the ones you can rely on. I thought you of all people should have realised that. That's what Team Rhapsody is." Emil flinched, stepping away as he leaned his back against the window. He didn't say a word as Percy sprinted after Zinnia. She had run for the stream by Gale's house with no real indication of where she was going. As Percy reached her serval, Moss has appeared. Not only was this rare for the time of day, but these Moss felt different from the others. "Zinnia!"

Zinnia turned seeing the Moss closing in on her. She fell back into the river, flaying around. Percy rolled forward, calling a clone of himself as it roared forward punching the Moss, the attack didn't hit as the Moss teleported out of harm's way. Percy flinched as it teleported behind him. Smacking its arm, Percy was blasted back falling to the floor. As he landed, he called serval more clones which bombarded the Moss with attacks. The Moss kept teleporting dodging each attack. He was left dumbfounded unsure how this Moss was able to do such a thing. Recalling the clones of himself, he called on a clone of Iris as it stood idly by the Moss the cube swirling around. The clone threw a punch which the Moss teleported away from. As it came back the cube extended breaking through the Moss taking it out in a single hit. The Moss faded as Percy was left shocked. The person being controlled wore cheap spandex. He walked over, getting a better look. "Is this? Is this the streamers hired?"

"Percy look out!" Zinnia yelled.

Percy spun around as another Moss appeared. Casting his clone, Iris shot the cube with a sudden burst. As it hit, Percy was left in pure confusion as he was the one struck. Falling to the ground, he found himself in the location the Moss just was. Calling his clone back once more he called on himself once more as the clone punched the Moss. Direct hit or so he thought. Yet again it was Percy who took the impact as he was smashed into a tree. The Moss had swapped places with him again. He pulled himself up, wiping his bloody nose, trying to think of a plan. As long as this Moss could keep using its power, Percy will never be able to land a hit. He wouldn't get any time to come up with a plan as the Moss was for some reason going after Zinnia. Having no choice, he had his clone attack it as yet again their places were swapped. Percy this time was more prepared throwing his punches which still hurt like hell, but it was something he could take.

Standing in front of Zinnia, he was out of options. But he wouldn't let that get to him. He had to stay confident for his and Zinnia's sake. He turned to Zinnia, giving a cocky smile. "Don't worry; I'll have this over in the next attack. I've worked out how to defeat this thing!" Recalling his clone once more he created his final clone. The person he looked up to the most. Zinnia stood in front of them all staring the Moss down. Throughout this entire battle, the creature hadn't attacked Percy directly; this meant Percy had some sort of idea how the power worked. As the clone of Zinnia prepared the most potent attack, the Moss stood there waiting. Readying to blast it away the clone turned in the last second attacking Percy. Just as the attack landed the two swapped places. The Moss was blasted away sent flying into the barrier exploding. Percy fell to one knee panting. "Knew it. The power to swap places with their attacker. Makes them borderline invincible. The only downside it works both ways. That's why it never attacked me."

Zinnia was helped up as she bowed. "I am so sorry."

"Don't sweat it; we are all safe. Another Victory for Truthseeker."

"Truthseeker?"

"Do you like it? I thought I needed a new name for myself. I refuse to keep calling myself Vanguardian. After all that happened, I realised what is important. I refused to accept the truth back then, but that all changes now for I am the Truthseeker!"

"Accepting the reality around you. I must applaud you Percy Misharp, you truly have grown since being the blind fanboy who idolised a crook. Salvation has found you." They both began looking around, feeling dread consume them. "I cannot say the same for the Orphan Zinnia Trost."

Zinnia felt sick to the stomach as a dark force nagged its way around them both. They felt a power, unlike anything they've ever seen. "Zinnia. Trost?"

A dark featureless figure appeared in front of them; shadows consumed the area as the moonlight was cut out into a natural blackout. "You have yet to accept the truth of the manner. The truth behind your parents."

All of Percy's proud attitude had died. His clone faded away as his legs began trembling. "Why do I feel so afraid? What is this?"

"It is only Natural, to be standing in front of a slave to the stages of Greif, fear should be the only thing you fear as Salvation finds you." Acceptance teased cruelly. "I've finally found you. The one I've been looking for. Zinnia Trost. You will aid me. Aid me in breaking the seal."

"You. You won't…"

"I won't what? How can you stand against me when you can't even keep standing yourself?" He hissed as Percy collapsed out of fear. Acceptance turned to Zinnia as the darkness began to consume her. "After 400 years, I finally have the key. There is nothing to fear little girl. You are doing a great service. Accept that, and you will find the truth you are looking for."

Percy held his hand out. "No, stop!"

Acceptance smiled. "Took you long enough to show yourself. A pity, it is too late."

Gale leapt from the trees slamming down. Both Acceptance and Zinnia disappeared into the void as he landed. "Damn it!" He screamed, punching the ground. "He took her. He fucking took her!"

"Who. What was that?" Percy whispered, still petrified.

"One of the five stages of Greif. The overseers to the Garden of Greif."

"No way! What does he want with Zinnia?"

"Doesn't matter because we are getting her back!"