Chapter 6: Naivety and the beast part 1 (1/2)
The rain was still quite heavy. It had been heavy like this for the past few hours without much sign of stopping. Because of this, the streets were dead of life. Mostly. A man rushed down a set of alleys bleeding from the head. His feet crashing the puddles drenching his already filthy outfit. He wore a long cape which was torn to shreds and the mask he wore fell off being lost into the puddle. He didn't stop as he just kept running with a matter of urgency. He never once turned around, not daring to see what was in pursuit. This would all come piling down as he reached a dead-end. The streamer choked on his breath, looking around desperately for a way out. There was a ladder leading to the roof, but it was just out of arm's reach.
That was then he heard footsteps echoing with the rain. His eyes widened as his head raced with emotions, mainly of fear and panic. Cupping his gloved hands together, he jumped up missing the ladder. He tried again knowing this was his only escape. Still no use. He tried once more this time with much more luck. His heart lifted as a smile crept over as he grabbed onto the ladder. He began to pull himself to his escape. What the streamer didn't put into consideration was the ladder itself. Taking grip of the next part his hand slipped due to the rain making the ladder borderline impossible to hold onto. He smashed back to reality and his eternal fate. The streamer lay on the floor, drenched and in pain. His head turned as an item was thrown in his direction. The thing landed right next to him, making him all the shakier. It was his streamer drone, the one which live-streams his daily crime-fighting. It was destroyed, beaten to there was hardly anything left but the lens and parts holding it together. The streamer crawled back as his pursuer had found him. The figure stood at the end of the alley staring in not saying a word nor moving a muscle. The streamer began crawling backwards until he was now backed against the very wall he tried escaping. He held his hand out, terrified. ”Please, leave me alone! I'm begging you!” The figure began approaching. The streamer cried out, blasting him with bolts of electricity. The attack hit the purser head-on frying him. It, however, seemed to do nothing. The streamer out of pure desperation just kept hitting him with everything he had. Over and over, and just like every other attack, it seemed to do little to nothing.
The purser yanked forward, lifting the streamer by his shirt holding him high up. The streamer screamed out in horror as he was knocked against the wall with more force than he remembered last. He was dropped being dragged by the cape. All the streamer could do was keep the electricity coming from his body going in hopes it would eventually lead to his escape. This, however, only seemed to make the attacker more powerful. The streamer was jerked around strangled by his cape as he was kicked to the floor. Holding his hand out, he began crying begging. ”Please! Don't! I've done nothing wrong! Why are you doing this?!”
The figure lifting him once more hissing his words slowly making sure each word sunk into the streamer's mind. ”I'm doing this to save us all. I won't rest until every last streamer is dealt with. They are a plague to this world, and I'm the cure.” The figure threw him back, landing a punch which sent the streamer roaring out of the alley and into the shop across the road. The streamer smashed through the window, disappearing into the darkness. The alarm started going off as people began emerging to see what happened. The attacker watched his accomplishment from the shadows tightening his glove. ”And I won't stop until the corrupt are longer on top. Every last streamer shall fear the very idea once I'm done with them.”
****
Alton sat half asleep yet again, finding himself in another karaoke room. He leaned his head back, dropping the last can of soda from the fridge as dirty deeds done dirt cheap boomed. The door to the private room slid open as Zinnia crept in with a smile burned in on her face. Lifting his head, he quickly noticed she was holding a large box with the V.I.R.A.L logo plastered all over it. He sat up yawning. ”Were you in the middle of this song?”
Alton glared at the screen, rubbing his eyes. ”Huh, no. No.”
”Great!” She said acting like a child on Christmas morning jumping down on the sofa next to Alton placing the box on the table. ”It finally came!”
”The V.I.R.A.L starter box. With this, we can start getting to work.” He mentioned overlooking the box. ”Can't help but be a little excited.”
”See I told you this would be fun. Think of all the people we can save. Bad guys, we bring down. Oh, I just can't wait!”
”Alright. Calm down superman, baby steps.”
”Right, sorry. It's just I've been dreaming of this situation for like ever. I can't believe it is actually happening. Before we start, I just wanted to say, thank you, Alton.”
Alton looked away, slightly embarrassed, waving his hand around. ”Alright enough of this sappy shit. Let's get this box opened.”
Zinnia jumped in, tearing the box open to find a note at the top first. ”To the next generation of streamers, both old and new. Welcome to V.I.R.A.L, the CEO of V.I.R.A.L. Hey, who is the CEO of the streamers?”
”Damn if I know, nobody has seen their face, we don't even know if they are male or female. Enough of that keeps going.”
She nodded scavenging through the box, finding a small drone. Zinnia held it up, turning it around confused. ”Oh, is this the drone thingy we use to stream?”
”I believe so, have this follow us around and it can get great shots of us fighting crime. We just have to set it up.” Alton inspected. ”What's that?”
Zinnia took out a set of wristbands with the V.I.R.A.L logo on. ”Ooh, some cool merch.”
Alton grabbed one to take a look at. ”Hmm, might be a tracker?”
”A tracker?”
”Yeah, sends signals to V.I.R.A.L to tell us where the nearest crime is. I also heard it can connect to live feeds around the city for more eyes on us during our fights.”
Zinnia placed it on without a second thought admiring her new toy. She tipped the box over continuing to search for more goodies. Crouching down, she shot back up wearing a dirty white mask which had a shocking resemblance to a particular phantom thief. ”Hoo boy, our costumes were approved!”
”Costumes?”
”Yeah, during the sign-up procedure I had given in costume designs for us both. I didn't think they would arrive so quickly.”
”And you had one made for me before asking?”
”Well, you weren't giving me any ideas. So, I saved you the hassle.”
”How thoughtful of you.”
Zinnia danced a Victorian looking trench coat which was blood red. She threw it on striking a pose holding her hand over her face breathing heavily. ”Have no fear, for Zinnia is here.”
Zinnia began giggling to herself, looking far too proud of her cheesy one line. Alton folded his arms, clicking his tongue. ”That is going to need some work to sound less generic. I hate to ask but what's my costume.” Zinnia proudly held up what looked like a scuba diving outfit matched with an oxygen tank and flippers. ”No.”
”What? What do you mean, no? You haven't even tried it on yet.”
”Zinnia, I wouldn't be seen dead in that thing! Why the hell would I want to wear a scuba diving outfit while fighting crime when we fight crime in the city!”
Zinnia pouted holding the costume tightly. ”I wanted to match your powers with a costume. Scuba diving gear was the best I got. It keeps you warm and dry, and the oxygen tank can be used to hold a large amount of water so you can always be in the fight.”
”So far this all makes sense, so why the hell did you include flippers?! How am I meant to fight crime wearing damn flippers?”