V.I.R.A.L - Chapter 260

Zinnia stared on, worn down but still ready for a fight as smoke kept dwindling from her hand. Kurt took notice of this, clapping his hands with an exaggerated tone. “There’s my girl. Wow, you’ve already harnessed that old power of mine. It’s official you really are my daughter.”

“I don’t believe it. My real father would never fall so low to become a member of the Garden. He fought for what was right and never gave up. He saved my mum and countless others; he was a true hero!” Zinnia snapped, not buying Kurt’s story for a single moment. She had in her mind no matter what, this man would never be her father.

Kurt sighed, scratching his neck, agreeing. “That sure sounds like him. He’d always be so single-minded nothing else mattered if it meant saving someone from evil. He sure gave us a hard time 400 years ago, took down our whole operation overnight alongside your mother and the two Children of the Garden. At the end of the day, though, it didn’t matter. He came around to our cause when the Garden attacked. When his city fell and the world cried out for a saviour, your father stepped up like the hero and did the right thing. Joining us was the right thing. He wanted to make up for his mistakes and save this world from chaos. We granted him that wish and allowed him to live for hundreds of years to see his goal through. We want to save this world, Zinnia. All of us from the Garden and only together can we do that. You were not prepared for the Garden’s wrath last time. This time will be different.”

“How? By killing anyone who opposes your rule? Enslaving innocent people and tricking them into joining a cause not noble or pure. You’re no different to the Garden.”

Kurt gave a faint nod. “That they are. You see, Zinnia, Mortem sent me here to kill you. We were well aware our stage of grief wasn’t prepared for this fight. He’s still in the early development stages and will need a lot of work. But you see, I’m not here to kill you; I don’t want that. I’m here for you, daughter.”

Zinnia stepped back, keeping her hand on her blade holding her other hand out. “You stay right there. You hear me!”

Kurt turned to the village elder, taken back. “Kenya, would you kindly be the voice of reason here? I simply mean no harm.”

The village elder also kept her guard up, disjointed. “You are not welcome here, monster; you threw away those privileges when you joined the enemy. Leave at once or else.”

Kurt stared blankly as the blizzard battered him over and over again. His eye began to twitch as he held his face shaking his head in disbelief. “I cannot believe you all. Don’t you realise I did all of this for you all!” Losing his composure, Kurt held his arms out, ranting away. “If it wasn’t for my choice, the Garden wouldn’t have stopped. You would all be dead and buried hundreds of years ago. The world would be in ruins and the Garden the victor. I took what was necessary to win! Save everyone no matter the cost. Adam Berry understood that when he took the mantel of Bargaining to seal the Garden once more. Mortem, the Garden it’s all just a tool for my use. A tool to save others, just like my powers before me. I wish you would understand that!”

“There is always another way.”

Kurt scoffed at this shaking his head. “That’s what they always say. But when you’re in the moment. When you are backed into a corner with seemly no way out, you’ll do just about anything! Wouldn’t you agree, daughter? You, of all people, should know how that feels.”

Riley, still with her guard up, turned to Zinnia, confused. “What is he talking about?”

“Like father like daughter, I guess. We both took action in the heat of the moment. I do not regret my choice of action, Zinnia, do you?!”

Zinnia clutched her fist losing control of herself as a bolt of lightning struck next to Kurt grazing his arm. “You don’t have the right to even compare us! I regret my actions a thousand times over; I’m making amends and fixing my mistakes once and for all!”

Kurt laughed at this, strolling back and forth with a mocking tone. “You haven’t told them. You told Alton, I assume. He must have lost it over that; you betrayed all of their trust. Making a pact with a stage of grief. I can’t tell what was worse and for something so small and simple. To protect the people you care about? What a disgusting wish. You see, Zinnia, a real hero, doesn’t get those privileges. They don’t get to keep what’s close to them. Heroes don’t get happy endings. A true hero is willing to sacrifice everything for the cause. To throw away everything close to them to save others. That is what a true hero is!”

“Zinnia.” The village elder whispered. “Is that true?”

“Admit it, daughter. Admit the failure you became; don’t you see we’re the same—wannabe heroes who flew too close to the sun. We believed we could have everything and not give up something in return. We were pushed to our limits and made sacrifices for others’ good; they don’t understand what we went through or the reparations of our actions. They just see our flaws and judge us for them. It doesn’t have to be this way; we can both still make things right.” Kurt demands, holding his hand out. “Come with me, Zinnia, come with me, and we can make things right again. No one else has to die; we have that power to change the world. We could overthrow the CEOs together and save everyone. We can stop the Garden from ever returning. You just have to take my hand. Please, Zinnia, it’s the only way to save the people close to you.”

Zinnia was hesitant. The words spoken by her father were pure and righteous. Something a hero would say, she understood entirely. He was the man she looked up to and wanted to be ever since a young age, yet she had drifted away from that. She could once again make up for her mistakes and fix everything. She would be the hero she always dreamed of. “Doing this would stop the Garden?”

“Yes.”

“It could save Alton?”

“Of course, no more of your friends would have to die. Percy and Gale. No one else would follow. You would be the hero of Victoria, easily winning back their friendship.”

“And we… We could be a family?”

Kurt gave a reinsuring nod smiling. “My biggest mistake in life was not the path I chose but not being able to raise my own daughter. You’ve done amazing on your own, but I want to pick up the pieces and start again. Please, let us be a family.”

Zinnia was convinced, at least partly. Something to her was off, but she wasn’t going to question it. She had all her worries and problems solved sitting on a silver platter for her, not even to mention the chance to be with her family for the first time ever. Walking forward, she stared up at her father, close to taking her hand. She, however, stopped staring down, remaining silent. Building up all her courage, she stared her father down with determination. “I already have a family, and they are Team Rhapsody.”

Kurt stared on, deflated and disappointed. “I see. How disappointed.”

Zinnia was torn back from her spot as Riley let off an array of explosions. Zinnia couldn’t say a word, dazed as she saw trickles of blood dripping from her hand. “Are you alright?!”

“What?”

The smoke settled as Kurt’s furious tone was on full display. “Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! What’s the big idea?! Don’t you know who I am?!” A dark shadow crept from Kurt’s body as his eyes were now a lifeless black. “I honestly thought you would accept me, Zinnia. It seems to let Kurt off his leash did no good. I honestly thought I had you. We were so close. Regardless this does make my job easier. Killing the last thing the Phantom holds dear will finally give me full control.”

The village elder stood in front of Zinnia, holding her cane forward. “I will not let you harm her!”

“Excuse me? You’d dare protect someone who made a pact with the Garden? What difference does she make with me?!”

“She tends to make amends on her mistakes and save others while you use your own mistake as a perk to cause mayhem. I’ll protect this girl until my last breath if I have to as if she was my own. That’s what my sister Hannah Trost would want!”

“Hannah Trost.” Mortem cackled, leaning back with a maniac look. “The prodigy of this clan who too was a villain killing and taking whatever she wants. All of you are just a bunch of hypocrites too afraid to take action. You’d let this world suffer and die to survive like vermin. Killing her was the best thing I could have done for everyone!”

Zinnia’s eyes widened as she stumbled back, horrified. “You… You killed my mother.”

“As I did. She was there on that day. The day Alton tried to defy me, I was so close to killing him when your mother stepped in to save the day. It wasn’t hard for me to take control and kill her. Another piece of Kurt shattered into dust. He’s clinging on by a thread, and with you gone, he will be but a distant memory of a simpler time. I’m glad you didn’t take my hand, daughter of the Phantom. I’d much rather kill you for all it’s worth.” Smoke rippled out, condemning the village as Mortem stared on grinning viciously. “At long last, the Trost clan will be no more, and we will finally have our revenge. Death comes for you all.”

“We’ll take him together,” Riley stated, looking terrified but determined to fight.

Zinnia nodded, taking on the most challenging fight of her life as the village stood with her. “I was about to say that. I’m going to free you, father, no matter what. I’ll stop all of this and put this 400-year war to rest!”