Chapter 39: Lets Go Viral! (2/2)
”I'm not totally oblivious to the streaming world.” Zinnia winked setting the drone up. ”It should take us to the ruins when we are ready.”
”Super… problem here though. If we are to fight Vanguard, I don't really feel like being the only one to do so. Skippy here is in no state to make a move.”
Percy bit his lip stepping in front of the door holding his fists up. ”I. I won't let you! I'll… I'll fight you!” No clones appeared as a shaken Percy readied to hold his ground. Zinnia stepped forward only for Percy to react, punching her in the face. She fell to the floor making Percy flinch. ”Zinnia… I'm.”
Emil was ready to beat the senses into Percy when Zinnia held her arm out. ”No. I'll deal with this.” She stood up facing Percy. ”If it makes you feel better. Hit me as many times as you like. But I'm going to stop Vanguard. I'm going to save Alton. You can't stop me.”
Percy began shaking as he threw another punch. Zinnia stepped back holding her face she shook her head stepping forward. Percy threw another punch out of desperation. Zinnia slouched over, holding her bloody nose as she wiped her face smiling. ”Stop… please, I don't want to hurt you…”
Zinnia gave a goofy grin shaking her head. ”It's alright. It doesn't hurt. If I'm going to be a superhero, I'm going to need to take a few punches no problem.” She began laughing, catching Percy off guard. ”You know what we need to do, Percy. Please, I need your help.”
”This is a waste of time!”
”Please, just hang on a moment. It's never a waste of time if it's helping a friend. You looked up to him, yeah? Saw him as a father figure.”
”How do you know that?”
Zinnia held her chest nodding. ”I don't, but I know how it feels. Wanting a father figure in your life. I've never had one myself. The closest thing I have to that is Rebecca.” She took out the small ripped cape from her pocket, gripping it tightly. ”This is all I have from my mother. The mother I never knew. The one who will never come for me. It's hard, I know it is. But Percy, we can't let ourselves be consumed by false dreams and mere fantasies. I am not a superhero. No matter how much I want to believe that, I am not. I'm envious of all of you. You, Gale, Emil and Alton. You all have the power to be heroes. All I can do is watch from the side-lines never getting my moment. Alton needs you. He needs a hero.”
Percy falls to his knees, coming to the same realisation as his broken world shatters. He looks down broken, not just by the man he looked up to but how he treated the people nearest to him. ”If, if I turned my back on a friend now… I'll be no different to Vanguard… I want to make good. I know he is a good person. I want to help save not just Alton but Vanguard too.”
”Ha, that's the spirit no- Percy,” Emil smirked giving him a thumbs up. ”Still don't like our chances but I can work with this.”
”We still need a plan. If we just run in there and pick a fight with Vanguard live on stream, we will be seen as the bad guys. Nor can we start a takedown stream with a banned account… Damn it.”
”Maybe we can get help?”
”No, we would only endanger others. And who would believe us?”
Percy looked down at his phone and the forums of V.I.R.A.L he nodded knowing a plan. ”I have an idea. Zinnia do you think you could write a message to him, to the world. Exposing his lies?”
”Like a calling card? Yeah, I suppose I could. Why?”
Percy stood up as serval clones of himself appeared. Soon the entire room was surrounded with clones as Percy gave a smirk trying to perk himself up into a cocky attitude. It wasn't entirely convincing as his clones were slightly blurry and weaker, but it was still a start. ”We make as many accounts as possible—Flood the forums. Flood every stream. Every chat board. Spread the message. Let the world know.”
”Let the world know what?” Emil questioned.
”What else? Team Rhapsody is going viral!”