Chapter 17: Here Comes Vanguardian (2/2)
Or so they thought. The moment Vanguard faded away Percy began running around the streamer as more copies of Vanguard began appearing where Percy stood. Getting behind the streamer, he bunny-hopped over the arcade machine calling one last copy of Vanguard. Falling onto his back, he held his hand out into a gun shape pointing at the streamer giving off a cocky. ”Bang.”
Each copy rushed the streamer knocking her about with strained and mighty punches. As the last copy launched the streamer back a copy of Percy appeared, one who looked a lot more heroic and more robust than the scrawny kid who had called it forward. The composition of Percy uppercut the streamer into the air as she began floating there for a short moment. Each copy of vanguard began morphing together before it turned into a giant Vanguard being at least ten foot tall. He held his arm back curling it forward with a colossal field pinning the streamer to the ground leaving a crater. The purple haze faded as the streamer was down for the count.
”Holy.”
”Shit.” Both Alton and Zinnia stared at each other left dumbfounded at what just happened. ”Well, that answers the power question.”
Alton looked around as Percy patted himself down, giving a cheeky salute. ”Do you have any more quarters left? I want to play me some Halo.”
”What was that?”
”Huh? Oh, that? Just my powers. I can create copies of people I admire to fight for me. The more I admire them, the more powerful they are.”
”You could have told me that when I was talking to Vanguard?”
”Why?”
”Just because. How many can you make of those?”
”Eh, six or seven?”
”Six or seven?”
”Maybe eight or nine.”
Gale walked out from the bathroom only to stop seeing the chaos. ”The hell happened here?”
”Don't ask, don't even ask.” Alton sighed. He kneeled down, looking at the streamer more closely. The innocent-looking girl didn't have the look of a psychotic wild beast, but looks can be deceiving. Alton moved her head over as he saw her veins were bulging purple all around her body. He opened her eye to see a dead pupil. Nor was there a pulse either. ”I've never seen anything like this.”
”Maybe she lost control of her powers? Sent her mad?”
”No, this is much different. I don't think this is her.” He mentioned hearing the streamer muttering something very quietly.
He leaned in as she spoke in a frenzied yet peaceful way. ”The Garden grows, The Garden grows, The Garden grows, The Garden grows.” Her eyes snapped open as she screamed out, ready to explode again. ”The Garden grows!”
Alton fell back, unable to get away in time from this attack. He covered his face hoping to damper the damage. Percy held both hands out yet again into a gun motion as one last copy appeared. This one wasn't Vanguard. It was a small girl with long wavy silver hair and to match was two different coloured eyes, one yellow and one red. She lined up her two index fingers and thumb into a square shape as a portal opened up consuming the streamer. As it closed, the girl flicked her hand around fisting forward as the portal opened up again, sending the streamer far into the sky as she exploded the haze going everywhere. The girl turned around with a blank look she had on the entire time before twirling her finger around her hair disappearing. ”You're welcome.”
The arcade was now left in a shell of its former self with the whole place almost eradicated. The drone the streamer was using crashed to the floor, falling apart. Gale kneeled down, picking the machine apart taking a small chip. ”We can never catch a break, can we?”
”I thought we were dead meat back then, that was scary.” Zinnia whispered.
Alton slouched over as the fear factor kicked in. ”Jesus Christ. Percy, who was that just now, your copy?”
”Are you seriously telling me you don't know who Ruby the number two streamer is? What are you some kind of noob?”
Alton rubbed his eyes nodding. ”No, it's just. Heard so much about her that's the first time I've seen her in the flesh, well copy.”
Percy stretched his back-laughing stepping from the arcades. ”That was just a small taste of my awesome power! I'll claim this fight as my audience to be a key member of team Rhapsody.”
Gale stepped carefully over the broken glass. ”Well, he sure has skill. That kind of power would be beneficial for our future takedowns.”
”You aren't wrong.”
Zinnia began to catch wind of the situation as she began to cry. ”No, please don't tell me we are accepting him now. Alton!”
Alton elbowed her as he held his hand out. ”I wasn't sure on you at first Percy, but you saved our lives back there and proved to be a mighty streamer. We ALL would love to have you.”
Percy smirked, holding his fist out. Alton returned it with a fist bump. ”Glad you realise my skills are unmatched.”
”So, what do we call you?”
Percy looked over his shoulder, giving them thumbs up. ”Call me, Vanguardian.”
****
”Well, I didn't see that coming…”
Marcus began drying his hair, giving Rodger a look. ”What?”
”Turns out that streamer who went through that meltdown was taken down by Rhapsody. Small world. That fanboy you dropped on them put on quite a little show, you even had a little cameo.”
”Tch, unbelievable. Just my luck the one time I decide to leave it those brats clean up the mess.”
”Want me to guide some more meltdowns over to them?”
Marcus sighed, shaking his head. ”Don't bother, let them have their little fun and games. I'll show them what makes a true streamer. Set up a 24-hour stream Monday, we'll double our workload to make amends for this.”
”Another 24-hour stream… that really is bad for your health.”
”I didn't ask for advice. Get it done. I can't allow brats like Rhapsody to even get a margin of the way close to my level. I didn't sacrifice everything for the last fifteen years only for the scooby-doo gang to fuck it all up. I'll sort it out no matter the cost.”