V.I.R.A.L

The bullet which Goro fired had just missed. The ringing noise consumed the room as he collapsed, struggling to breathe. Alongside him, everyone else was lying on the ground defeated all apart from Zinnia. She was still standing looking on in horror as all her friends and allies were overwhelmed. She didn't know how, but she was the only who could still fight. "Gemini! Stop this. Don't hurt my friends."

Aoi looked down on Zinnia with a dominate look as she tutted. "Who are you to demand what I do? These imposters are all not worthy."

"How is this the way of solving anything?"

Aoi met Zinnia head-on as the two stared each other down, Zinnia kept her cool knowing it was for her friends. "Just because you are worthy doesn't mean you can vouch for these sinners. Only I know who is worthy."

"What about you? Killing dozens for your cause. How can you claim even to be anywhere close to being worthy?"

"I do not need to answer such futile questions. The Garden has given me my goal, and I will achieve our future no matter the cost."

Zinnia bit her lip her hand shaking as she took a deep breath. "Is that Gemini or the Garden talking right now? Let's see what you truly think shall we?" Zinnia jerked her hand forward, holding Aoi's head. Both of them froze on the spot as Aoi gasped having her whole-body freeze without any resistance as she fell victim to Zinnia's power.

Aoi found herself in a pitch-black abyss. She was yet again alone. She looked around, coming to grips with what happened. "Is this the full grasp of your power? Wiping my mind from wanting to fight? I must concur it won't work."

Zinnia appeared looking gloomy as she shook her head. "No, this here in the freewill of you Gemini. The Garden is completely taking you over. You have to fight."

Aoi stepped back startled as she found herself feeling empty. "No, the Garden is my beacon to achieve my goal. It will help me no matter the cost."

"But is it really your goal if you lose yourself? The Garden is using you; you can still fight it. Don't let Gemini die."

"I am Aoi!" She screamed, blasting a bolt of electricity at Zinnia. The attack went through her but to no effect. "Let me out! I demand you let me out!"

"Not before you see what you're becoming." The abyss broke apart as a mirror appeared. Aoi edged towards it flinching. "You see it don't you?"

"What is this?" She whispered disgusted by her appearance.

"This is the first steps in the death of Gemini. The Garden is corrupting you. Eating away at everything you once stood for. Don't let it take you."

"Gemini." A voice whispered. She turned around seeing her sister standing there looking worried. "Is that you?"

Gemini walked up to her sister, falling to her knees. "Sister?"

"What are you doing, Gem?"

Gemini began shaking, looking at her hands. "Making our dream come true. We're going to become number one."

"Not like this Gem, never like this. I look up to you for how caring and honest you are. It breaks my heart to see you like this."

"This is some trick. An illusion."

"I can only show you what's in your heart. This is what was hidden down."

Gemini turned to her sister breaking down, losing all will to fight. "What have I done? This is all my fault. Aoi I'm sorry!"

"It's alright Gem; I'm here."

Zinnia stood by feeling warm and pleased by the reunion, that was only for a short while though as all happiness died. She turned dazed. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

A figure walked up to her instantly breaking Zinnia's connection as it stared down at the twins. "Look at you, are you going to fall for such a pathetic trick?"

"I don't want this anymore Bargaining. Stop this."

Smirking, he stabbed Aoi with his own arm throwing her aside. "You cannot, you signed the contract. You have no choice. The Garden is your home. Finish the task and kill them."

Aoi snapped out of the trance, finding Zinnia lying on the ground moaning in pain. She looked up whimpering. "Impossible. How could you…"

Aoi began laughing. "That was a nice trick you've got there; too bad it didn't work!" Aoi grunted falling to one knee. "Damn it, that attack was more effective than I thought! I don't care if you are considered worthy, I won't like you to stand in my way!"

An electrical blast was sent her way, as it did Jinx jumped down, grabbing Zinnia and rolling out of reach. While she was distracted, Jinx fired a sniper shot hitting Aoi directly in the head. She fell to the floor as the fog vanished. "Looks like I'm the number one streamer now."

"It's about time you showed up…" Alton coughed. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Around. Fear not though the villain has been taken care of."

Aoi lay on the floor, bleeding everywhere. Whispers screamed in her ears as her eyes snapped open and she met those screams with ones of her own. "Aoi, Gemini! Aoi, Gemini! I am them both!"

"Give us a break, will ya!" Jinx yelled, firing serval gunshots off. Each one hit Paradox as she turned to her with a face of hate. "Oh, shit." Jinx was destroyed by an endless barrage of vines cutting her down taking her out of commission instantly.

Alton cast a wall of ice, blocking everyone off lying down. He began panting standing up. "Please, Alton don't hurt her," Goro begged. "She needs help."

"I'm sorry Goro, but she too far gone for that. The Garden has taken her. All we can do is stop her bloody crusade."

Goro looked down horrified. "Gemini, I'm sorry. I failed you both."

Alton struggled to stand as the ice wall was obliterated. Alice limped overlooking up blankly. "I'll back you up. We'll take her together."

Alton turned to her nodding. "We'll give it everything we've got."

Alice held her hand out as a bow emerged from thin air. Gripping it tightly, she fired arrows of pure light in the air as a portal appeared. The arrow disappeared as Alton went to work slamming his foot down, freezing the entire floor. Paradox was frozen on the spot as Alton pushed onto the offensive skating forward and around his opponent hitting her with shards of ice more parts of her body freezing up. Paradox's eyes fixed on Alton as all the ice shattered and she lunged at him, gripping him by the neck. "Only I am worthy! All else will fall before the Garden!"

Blasted with volts of electricity Alton was forced to bare the attack as Alice came in to rescue him. Another portal opened beneath them which Paradox instantly jumped away from. The portal saved Alton as one more opened above her. The beams of light from earlier blasted the area apart as Paradox fell for Alice's trap. Alice caught Alton distancing themselves from Paradox. He was on the edge failure as he couldn't even stand anymore. "She's too powerful. Using the powers of the Garden, she has full control over it. We can't win. I just need to."

"The Alice is against any plan you have; if you take any more hits like this, you will die. The Alice will take control of the situation." She ordered flipping back into the portal back to fight Paradox. As Alice emerged a set of vines smacked her back. Holding her hand forward, the vines were ripped apart only for them to grow back instantly. Alice flinched as she was knocked to the floor. Paradox walked up to her staring down in disappointment. "And you were meant to be the number two streamer. I despise such unworthy opponents!"

A cube smashed Paradox back as Iris held her hand, outguessing the attack by Paradox's words. "Don't touch my sister!"

"Such foolish weaklings! Out of my sight!"

"Not, so fast" Alton yelled as serval blocks of ice smashed into her shattering on impact. Slightly dazed Alton punched the ground as small tremors began to unfold. Paradox looked down as the ground cracked and serval icicles ripped from the ground holding her down. "Shattered throne!" The icicles dug into her, and all broke apart as shards of ice were wedged in slowly freezing her.

"Enough!" She screamed as electricity rippled through her body evaporating all the ice. A sharp bolt of electricity struck Alton as he fell to the ground. He eventually got himself back up as he looked at her with a smug look. "Stay down already!" Alton was smashed down again, this time taking him much longer to get up. "If you are so willing to be the first to die, so be it!"

Alton was zapped with an unrelenting amount of electricity as he began smoking before falling once again. He didn't move as Paradox chuckled by her victory. Turning away, she stopped hearing a painful laugh. "Is that all you've got? You hit like a girl. It's. Going. To. Take. A. Lot. More. Then that. To kill me…"

"Why is it you never know when to quit? What is wrong with you?"

Alton turned to Zinnia who was tearing up as he stood up straight panting. "You want to know what's wrong with me? I'll tell you, darling. I'm a hero; it's in my nature to keep fighting. Now shall we start again? Round two?"

"Foolish mortal. I'll show you the might of the Garden. Perish like your friends!"