V.I.R.A.L

Chapter 44: Overthrow The King Part 2

Iris stares on at Vanguard with anger and hatred as she is left to see the aftermath of Team Rhapsody's fight. She bit her lip speaking her mind. "I always knew there was something off about you. The moment I saw you, I could tell it was all fake. Killing innocent people. Ruining lives and corrupting the masses. Do you really want to be known for that? Vanguard the jealous, killer of those who were better than him. You're no streamer. You're a fraud who can't let go of his dying dream."

Vanguard began pacing back and forth, eyeing down his new foe. "I remember you now. You're Ruby's reject sister. Did you come here because it wasn't a job for her? Always cleaning up her mess because why should she do it?"

"That's enough! I'm through with all of this. You threatened my sister. That's all I need to take you down."

"Take me down? If you're that cocky and arrogant, then you are just as dumb as these lot. Look around, reject. Team Rhapsody couldn't take me down. What hope do you have?"

"Unlike them, I won't hold back." She hissed as the two cubes began spinning at high speeds. Her hand swiped forward as the cube extended into a long pillar smashing Vanguard back. Due to not expecting the attack, he was hit a lot harder than usual. The cube flew back to Iris' hand-floating softly above. "And comparing our power. My powers are like a blazing wildfire. Yours is a dwindling flame burning on top of a candle."

Vanguard flew out from the rubble throwing serval attacks at her. Iris began effortlessly moving her hand around. The cubes worked in full unity blocking each attack and countering, making it impossible for Vanguard to even get in close. Loosening his weight to nearly nothing and then increasing it to gain momentum Vanguard began darting around Iris at high speeds to catch her off guard. Iris stood still not losing her cool as she had the same determined face for the whole ordeal. Her eyes would follow Vanguard as every once and a while, he would charge in for a devastating attack. And like each time her cube would react smashing him back regardless of the weight he added. Vanguard laughed, jumping into the shadows. "The reject, hidden from the world. You hold quite the power, yet the attention is held onto your sister, forever in the shadows of her spotlight. She doesn't believe in you. Your father doesn't. Hell, you aren't even a part of their network. Forever promised a place by her side if you prove yourself. Surely you must know yourself they are deceiving you! Telling you lies to keep you away. They see you as nothing but trash."

Iris swung her hand as the cube smashed Vanguard into the wall dragging his body through the side and out the shrine. Soon he came flying back attacking Iris head-on. The cubes formed behind her creating a shield blocking the attack. The attack returned to Vanguard countering him. "Big words from someone too afraid to face his problems. Even if that is the case, I don't care. As long as Alice gets her time in the light, that's all that matters to me."

"Is that their truth they've pushed onto you. Do you seriously hear the words coming from your mouth? You're brainwashed."

Vanguard threw a large boulder at Iris which the cube split apart into serval small spears. Each one raced around flying through the boulder breaking it apart until when it reached Iris was nothing but small pebbles. "You're psychotic!"

"You lecture me about my actions, yet you'd do the same in a heartbeat if it meant being by your sister's side. You want nothing more than to be her equal. Not better than her. Why should she get everything while you are drafted to the leftovers? Why should one sister rise while the other falls?" Iris yelled, holding her eye, which was burning as the cube largened both slamming against Vanguard crushing him. The spears darted around all stabbing into the cube as the cube spun and turned. Lifting her hand down the cube was smashed to the ground as Vanguard jumped out badly injured but utterly unaware of such facts. As he ran forward, his left leg gave way was broken. His eyes looked down in confusion as Iris knocked him back once more. Falling against the wall, he pushed himself off, readying his final attack. "Don't deny it! We are no different victims to our own goals set by our parents. Even if achievable impossible to hold onto with sacrifices. Deny it for as long as you like we both know the truth."

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Iris jerked her hand back as the cubes all formed into one before she punched the air. They all broke apart before rapidly striking Vanguard over and over not giving him a single chance to even blink without being attacked. "Don't go dragging your own truth down my throat. Even if that is the case. Even if that is true, I won't peruse that truth. I'll find my one where the outcome is crystal clear, and we alongside Team Rhapsody are standing at the top!" One last cube crashed forward, landing the final blow blasting Vanguard back to the ground.

He looked up laughing, knowing all well he felt none of her attacks. His cocky nature made him believe he could win without a doubt. That was until he tried moving. His body refused too. He glanced down seeing both his legs and his right arm broken. "No… impossible."

"Oh, I know about your condition Marcus. I said I wouldn't hold back. I lied. I decided to subdue you so you can no longer fight." She remarked, walking up to him. Her cube reacted, spinning rapidly glowing a bright red. "I should kill you right here for what you've done. It could put all those lives you stole at peace, knowing their killer won't hurt anyone else."

"Don't." He demanded.

"What's this begging for your miserable life? Please. You don't get to beg!"

"Killing me will only make you empty. I don't just feel no pain, I feel no happiness. No joy. Nothing like that. That's all that killing brings. Emptiness and confusion. Confusion in how to get that emptiness to stop."

Iris jolted forward, ready to do it before stopping. She shook her head, smirking. "I won't empathise with you, Marcus. No matter how empty you feel. You will pay for the crimes you committed. Killing those. Taking away their chance at being happy won't ever give a chance."

"I suppose you're right… I give up. You win Iris. You completed overwhelmed me."

"She just…"

"Defeated Vanguard…"

"Without taking a single hit!" Both Percy and Zinnia yelled.

Iris turned from Vanguard, walking over to her friends, smiling. "Sorry, it took so long. You guys did well to hold out against him. He would have been super dangerous if it wasn't for my powers."

She helped Alton up as she struggled to hold her hands shaking from the cold. "Thank you. I always knew you had some crazy power hidden away."

"Hey, I owe you. It's the least I can do. Friends don't leave each other behind."

Alton frowned nodding. "Yeah, that's what they're supposed to do…"

Percy helped up Zinnia as she held her chest wheezing. "We took him down, but I don't feel like we won. His fans didn't seem to care. Did we really change anything?"

"Even if they don't see it, we still stopped him from causing any more mental overloads or damage. That should be respected."

"Shit! We lost Rodger. He could continue the mental overloads!" Percy barked.

"We won't have to worry about that. He probably won't continue with Vanguard finished. He'll show up eventually, and when he does, we'll nab him." Alton demanded.

Emil began coughing waking up as he held his head. "Fuck… did we win?"

"I really think we did…" Percy smiled. "Even if they don't come around now. They will eventually. The public will realise we don't need Vanguard anymore. We have new heroes for that."

The ground began to shake as everyone looked alarmed. "Crap this whole place is falling apart! We need to get out now!"

Iris helped out Emil as everyone else got out. Alton turned to Vanguard trapped as he laughed. "You gonna be a hero and save me or what?"

The floor caved in as Alton shot a wall of ice stopping the fall. He fell to his knee again, shivering in pain. As the roof began to cave in Alton dragged Vanguard out with all his might as the two manage to escape with just moments to spare. Alton fell onto his backside as he watched the shrine collapse into the ground. The bottomless hole gave way as it returned to what looked to be a familiar ditch. "I guess the entrance to the Garden is gone… Rodger said that was the last place the garden was accessible from."

"The Garden of Grief… it was real… you think that's the last time we hear from that?"

"I can only hope."

Zinnia looked at her phone, seeing how late it was. She knew Rebecca was going to kill her. That wasn't what all caught her eye. Her eyes widen as she began digging through her phone. "Holy shit. Guys check this out. We've been unbanned. No way!"

"You're joking?! Let me see." Percy yelled, snatching the phone. "Incredible. And we are already gaining followers like nothing!"

Alton looked at his phone, seeing he was kicked from Vanguard's stream. The account had been terminated. He sighed nodding, knowing that would happen. "Whoa, there's a small message." Zinnia said. "To the streamers of tomorrow from the people of today. Welcome back. The CEO of V.I.R.A.L? For real?!"

Alton looked at her phone, also in shock. "The boss of V.I.R.A.L took notice? Damn, I've never seen that happen."