V.I.R.A.L

A limousine pulled up on a worn-down apartment complex. A well-kept man stepped out, adjusting his tie overlooking the dump with a keen eye. His assistant stepped out, shaking some mud off her heel. "Sir, I must ask, must we really do this? No one would know."

"Worry not Felicity, this is important. We won't be here long."

"I'm not worried about that Montague sir, it's more of a why?"

The Montague closed the car door behind him shaking his head. "It's a responsibility I can no longer ignore. I have to face it myself."

The two walked through the apartment complex, which had rubbish and graffiti scattered everywhere. There were holes in the wall alongside a foul smell lingering through the building. Felicity was staring down at her tablet, gathering all the information she needed. They passed a few people who would just stare at the two well-dressed individuals with hate and disgust. "Something tells me they don't want us here."

"They see anyone who has done well for themselves as a threat. Many people here are former convicts and junkies with nowhere to go."

"Should we be concerned?"

"Not at all, if anything happens, I can handle it." He spoke as a homeless man walked up to them, pulling a knife out. "Like this Felicity."

"You two don't belong here. I'll overlook it if you hand me everything you've got."

"Trust me, son, you want to walk away."

"Like hell, I do. I don't take orders from snobs like you!"

The knife was swung in his direction as the Montague moved back pushing the attacker back. His whole body collapsed into the wall matching the graffiti. The Montague walked over staring at the man with pity. "I'll let you out once we are done here. I did warn you, stranger."

"Are you okay, sir?"

"Just peachy. Are we close?"

"Apartment number 547 should just be around the corner. Oh, there it is." The door was hammered, and the number had fallen down. The post box was ripped off, and the mat threw across the corridor. "Are you sure this is the one?"

"Positive." He replied, knocking on the door. There was no response for a while before a pair of footsteps scurried to the door. It was opened a small way as a little boy with long brown hair, and green eyes peered out. "Hello there."

The little boy held the door near ready to shut it as the lock was still attached. "Who are you?"

"Is your mother home?"

The little boy shook his head. "Some men broke into the house last night and took her away. Something about not paying debts."

"I see, can we come in?"

"Sure." He said without much thought, getting onto his tippytoes unlocking the door. The two entered seeing the apartment in a mess. The floorboards rotten and decaying and clothes and rubbish bags were everywhere. A distinct smell of drugs was also obvious taking up the whole room. In the centre of the room was a smashed glass table which had powder substance spread across. The little boy sat down on the torn sofa watching TV, he was wrapped in a blanket holding a bottle of juice. "Are you here about my mother? Does she owe you money too?"

"No, we actually came to talk to you."

He gave a strange look confused. "Me? No one has ever come to see me before. Who are you two?"

Felicity stepped in front of the boy whispering. "Sir, are you sure about this? No one knows yet if we go through with this and word spreads, it could end the Montagues. No one is going to accept this lightly."

"I'm more than aware of the circumstances. But I refuse to sit by and let my past mistakes continue. I put them in this situation when I fired his mother. I need to take responsibility." The Montague snapped. He kneeled down, looking at the boy. "Say, what is your name?"

"Emil."

"Emil, that's a nice name. Listen, Emil, your mother. She isn't coming back."

Emil stopped nodding. "I thought so. The bad people took her away."

"They did, but they won't get to you. My name is Christopher Montague, I own a prestigious business which is a part of V.I.R.A.L."

"You work with streamers?"

"I do, many of them come to me. I scout upcoming streamers and make them the best they can be. Some of my own children are looking to be streamers too."

"That's so cool."

"Yes, yes, it is." He chuckled. "Say, Emil, how would you like to come with me? You can stay at my estate; we might even be able to make you a streamer."

"A streamer? I don't know my mother says streamers are scumbags."

"Not all of them. Might I ask do you have any abilities?"

Emil stood up, throwing his bottle at the wall. It caved into the wall, becoming a part of the décor just like his powers. The Montague held his hand out, pulling the bottle back out getting Emil's attention. "You have the same powers like me, mister! How?"

"Well, Emil. The reason for that is because I am your father."

"My father?"

"Yes, Emil. You are a Montague. How would you like to come with us?"

Emil hugged his father holding him close nodding. "I would like that a lot."

"Good, come on then Emil Montague. Let's go home."

****

Gale pushed Emil forward as the building was starting to come down with flames. "What are you doing, Emil?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Emil snapped out of his trance, staring at the apartment he used to live in with a blank stare. "Sorry, I was just…"

"There's still more people we need to save!"

Emil was about to hurry along when he heard a droning scream which grew louder and louder. The cry was a female, one which sounded just like his own mother's. "Emil! Emil!"

Emil was shaken to the core swearing he could hear his own mother screaming out for him. He was heading towards the burning apartment when Alton stopped him. "What are you doing?"

Emil stepped back startled. "I heard someone in there. There's someone in there. My mother, my mother."

Alton looked at the apartment, unsure. He couldn't hear anything but took Emil's word on it. "Alright, alright. I'll handle this. Zinnia! How many more people are there?"

"I can't tell, there's only one more floor, though."

"Take the others down and out. Emil, you head to the top floor with the others. I'll check this apartment out. Don't worry Emil I'll get her out."

Emil nodded as Alton jumped into the flames as the building was breaking apart. He rushed ahead with Gale as Zinnia made a turnback stopping waiting for Alton to get out feeling off about something.

Alton began coughing, holding his hand over his mouth as he pushed through the burning home. "Is anyone here? Give me a sign! Hello?!"

A small whimper was heard coming from the flames as Alton pushed through. The voice called out making Alton freeze in fear. "Alton! Alton help me!"

"Sam? Sam?!" Alton yelled; he was left in a daze hearing that voice calls out to him. He knew that was impossible. She couldn't be here. But that logic died down as panic took over. He couldn't leave her. "I'm coming, Sam!"

Running into the fire, he stopped finding himself in his old school. Now he was entirely lost. The classroom was rotten and frozen over. The roof had caved in, and much of the floor had given away. The windows were frozen solid as the snow was cooped in. Alton pushed through the snow holding his neck, which was sore. "Sam?"

"Alton!" He turned, seeing Sam under rubble. Alton slid across the floor, pulling the debris up his hands burning with each pull. "Help me!"

"It's alright, Sam! I'm going to get you out of there!"

Sam turned her head as her neck snapped, and her face went stone cold. "Why did you kill us, Alton? We died, and it's your fault."

Alton fell back yelling as he felt his back burn. "No, this isn't real! None of this is real! Get out! Leave me alone! It wasn't my fault!"

Alton curled up, crying in pain as a figure bent over whispering in his ear. "Your anguish taste so sweet."

Alton spun around as he found himself back in the apartment, lying in flames coughing and burning. Sam was nowhere in sight; neither was the person he talked to him. Before he could get any more knowledge of what happened, the roof caved in as the building exploded. Alton reacted by sending out a blizzard of ice and snow to save himself. He held on with all his power as his body began to freeze and he struggled to breathe. All the walls and floor began to freeze as he let out one more scream freezing the entire building in ice. He stepped back shivering as his visions became blurry. Because of this, he was unable to react to the chain explosion which sent him flying out the apartment complex into a free fall. Falling from the top floor, he fell for a long time before Gale leapt from a lower floor catching him and landing safely. Both were burnt, but Alton took the worst of the flames. "Alton?! Alton. Talk to me, man!"

Alton began coughing taking heavy wheezy breaths shaking uncontrollably. "Is Sam. Is Sam, alright?"

"Who's Sam? Alton?!"

Zinnia and Emil ran over in shock. "What the hell happened?"

"The building exploded I saw Alton falling from the top floor. Jesus Christ!"

Zinnia went to touch him only to retract with a burn mark. "He's freezing. But the touch burnt me?"

"He's struggling. We need to get him to a hospital. Hang in there, Alton."

Alton lay his head back whimpering holding his hand up at the frozen building. "Sam. Sam, I need to save Sam…"

Eyes over Reality stood from the crowd with a smug look as he rubbed his hands together, blowing into them, warming them up. "Sam Belling? How fascinating. Until the next time Alton, hold onto that everlasting anguish for me. For next time your mind will be mine."