Chapter 108: No One Can Escape Fate (2/2)
”You do?” Zinnia asked.
”Yes, The Alice is going to enter the V.I.R.A.L League and win that wish, I'll wish Iris' eyesight back.”
”I don't want you putting yourself endanger for me, Alice…”
”She has already made up her mind. Alice will not back down.” Alice snapped. ”I take it your team is entering too?”
Zinnia nodded, looking slightly nervous. ”That we are. Alton isn't keen on the idea, but after the threat made against us from Eyes Over Reality, he can't overlook it anymore.”
”EOR? I thought that dude was in prison?” Iris debated.
”You know of him?”
”A little, he was quite the villain, took the streamers by storm a few years back, he put twelve streamers in hospital and killed three more. He was going around fighting the strongest streamers to prove his strength. I heard he was doing it all for fun. Something to do to kill time sounds too psychotic to be true. The streamer Crimson Dawn took him down about two years back ending that little tale.”
”Crimson Dawn… That was the guy I saw the other day on the V.I.R.A.L Podcast. I wonder if he knows about EOR?”
”So, if you are entering the contest, we assume you have a wish of your own no?”
”I'm not sure, to be honest. I have so many things I want, but it's hard to think of one. Like I would even win if I'm going up against you, Alice.”
”No, she has a point. You do have little chance against the Alice, you might want to give up, I guess.”
”Don't listen to her.” Iris sighed. ”You can easily win. Let me guess you want to see your mother again.”
Zinnia went pale as she tried throwing the question away to the best of her ability. ”What I want to know is what do you have in mind, Iris?”
”What I'm going to do next? Man, who knows, I was really banging on the idea of streaming with you guys. Well, I may not look like it, but I'm an excellent artist. I use to draw my own comic book series all the time, come to think of it I might have one of the old ones lying around at home of Alton. Oh, but look at me, another dream crushed with no vision. Ha-ha…”
”Iris… Has your father seen you two recently?”
”No.”
”No?”
”Nope.”
”And you're alright with it?”
”Not really, but that's life, I guess. We're going home soon, so I'm not going to lose sleep over it. Say, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
”Not at all.” Zinnia stated, leaning against the wall.
”Why did you come to visit us? You've never come by yourself.”
Zinnia went to speak, stopping herself, not knowing where to begin. She wanted to mention everything she saw during the trials, Sunset peak, Alton and his Garden form. But something kept her from doing so. ”Umm, it's nothing. Another time perhaps. I should get going.”
”Who are the other set of flowers for? If you don't mind Alice asking?”
Zinnia held the bunch of flowers up smiling. ”Oh, these are for Alton. A get well soon present.”
”Of course, they are.” Iris teased lying back down. ”You're fooling no one Zinnia.”
”I've got to go.” She said flustered stepping outside back against the door. ”What the hell is wrong with me? Why couldn't I speak up back there?”
”It's better off you don't know, makes it all so much easier when the time comes.” Bargaining played off leaning against the wall opposite her. ”Those two seem happy. That makes me glad. Siblings who care for each other is a good thing.”
Zinnia had her hand firmly planted on the door, looking weary. ”What are you doing here?”
”Try not to make such a scene, no one can see me remember? Only the one who made the bargain. You don't want to be locked up and the key thrown away now do you?”
Zinnia calmed herself building her newfound confidence. ”Does that mean Monty can see you too? Alton told me about your little deal with him.”
”Only when I want to. Although someone like him doesn't serve my plans very well. He's how I put it? A lost cause.”
”And I'm any better?”
Bargaining began debating silently to himself shrugging half-heartedly. ”I can never tell until the deed is done. See my contracts I make with people like entering the lottery. You don't know if you have the winning numbers until you try. Are you the winning numbers Zinnia? Who knows? Although your little trip to the Garden has put my mind slightly at ease. How are your awakened powers treating you?”
”Are they a gift from the Garden?” Zinnia hissed stared daggers at him.
”No, fortunate for you, our influence had nothing to do with your powers. Those are your own gift. One of the legendary heroes passed down to you.”
”You're mistaken. I saw the past; I know what my mother was.”
”You do? Well, consider me wrong. Guess I should listen to the girl who saw a single frame of the past through a keyhole. Or did you forget I was actually there myself when our conquest in destroying the world failed?”
Zinnia folded her arms, shaking her head. ”You won't succeed this time.”
”Maybe? Maybe not? The outcome is of no use to me. Whether the Garden destroys the remains of Victoria or your streamers come out on top is useless to me. My own agendas lie in neither outcome. This battle you have against the Garden is fun to watch yes, but I'm nothing more than an onlooker who intervenes here and there. Like I did back then, asking around about Alton isn't a good idea.”
”Why not?”
”Because, if you are going to kill him, best not get too attached.” He mocked, pointing towards the flowers. ”I wouldn't want you forgetting your true goal here. Afterall a deal with Garden isn't one you can break.”
Zinnia gave Bargaining a dodgy look. ”I am not killing him for your cause.”
”Argue all you like, when the time comes you won't have much of choice. We'll meet again soon and when we do young Zinnia. You will kill Alton and when you do…” Bargaining walked up to her whispering the last words into her ear. ”You will thank me for it.”
Bargaining vanished as Zinnia was left feeling empty and disturbed. She stared down at the flowers for Alton, the ones with so much care put into them. She threw them into the bin walking away, feeling sick to the stomach as her inevitable future.