V.I.R.A.L - Chapter 271

Scarlett had left her comrades to handle the rest for a little while now. Finding herself at the heart of the city, it was unnervingly quiet. On guard, she walked ahead, knowing someone was watching her. Making it close to V.I.R.A.L HQ, she suddenly stopped looking over her shoulder. “I know you’re there; no point hiding.” A figure jumped, crashing down throwing Scarlett off. “Emil Montague… Alone, is the others nearby?”

Emil stood up with a blank stare. Scarlett flinched, jumping back as a shadow ripped through the ground where she once stood. “Tch, I missed? This vessel is still sloppy. Anyone else would have cut you down on sight.”

Scarlett stared at Emil, now entirely on edge. “I get it now. I’m not dealing with Emil of Team Rhapsody, am I? Just another puppet for Mortem.”

Emil began scratching his head, frowning. “I’m just as disappointed as you, Scarlett Syndicate. I, too, was hoping for someone far more powerful; Zinnia would have been far more interesting.”

Scarlett fired off an explosion behind Emil, making him smirk. “Hit a nerve, did I? Don’t tell me you still care for your old comrades? Even after all you’ve done, you still care about them? That’s starting to make sense now that you mention it. You risked the lives of your men just to save the Montagues and Iris back there.”

Scarlett remained quiet, confirming the fact. Emil smirked, walking towards Scarlett, taunting her. “I knew it. How pathetic. So, tell me, Scarlett, would you dare harm your old friend? He’s still in there trying to break out. Will you save him or take his place?” Emil punched Scarlett, sending her flying back into the next building as he began shaking his hand. “That hurt. No matter, though, I can do whatever I want with this pathetic body. Once I retake another Syndicate, I’ll be more powerful than ever before. Resist all you want, Scarlett. This is your destiny.”

Scarlett hopped out of the building scaling the building seemly trying to flee. Emil scoffed at this throwing a long shadow forward, breaking the point Scarlett was heading to. Falling back, Emil was already waiting. Letting off serval explosions, she pushed herself away, gritting her teeth. “Damn it… Emil, why must you make this so difficult for me, you bastard? Get out of there.”

Landing back down, Scarlett began running away, making Emil tut shaking his head. “That won’t help you.” Fading into the ground, Emil began perusing as Scarlett darted into the HQ hiding in the lobby. Mocking her from every angle, Scarlett looked around, trying to pinpoint the voice. “Why delay it? You could bring your family back into the light. Make them great again, and the rulers of this city, all you would have to do is join us.”

Scarlett stood up, gripping her fist as Emil burst from the ceiling, pouncing. Scarlett glanced up, holding her hand out, letting off an explosion. Embracing himself in a cocoon of darkness, Emil flew back unscared startled. Scarlett began flying around the lobby, making it near impossible for Emil to pinpoint her position. “Just because I care for my comrades, you think I won’t kill them? Using the people close to me as a bargaining chip, you think you’ve won?!” Scarlett darted down, pressing her hand against Emil, blowing him back. “I was the one who attempted to kill my own sister! Don’t you dare tell me what I’m capable of!”

Emil staggered back, slamming against the wall, coughing up blood falling to the ground, dazed. Scarlett stepped back, letting her explosions crackle and charge before he bolted forward, flying around unpredictably to throw off Emil. Going in for the final blow, Emil avoided the attack at the last second with ease, gripping onto Scarlett’s arm. Her eyes widened in shock as Emil stared at her, pissed off. “Then allow me to show you what I’m capable of, Mistress Chaos!”

Pushing her behind, pressing her into the wall, Scarlett was torn out sent further back with a dark shadow. Managing to holster to her feet, she turned on Emil throwing serval items at him. Emil marched towards her avoiding each attack with ease, spinning on the spot, blocking and moving out of sight. Scarlett was thrown off by all of this, unable to land a single blow. Sending an explosion off in front of her to escape higher into the building, Emil was there waiting. Ramming his hand forward, a sharp shadowy blade matched forward. Scarlett blocked the attack, but the edge passed through, piercing her arms and grazing her chest. Slamming to the ground, Emil floated in the air, his shadow holding him up. A small amount of time passed as another more minor explosion concentrated flew forward, blowing Emil up. Still, he was quick enough to pull up another shadow as a shield. “So easily predictable.”

Scarlett pulled herself out of the rubble, staggering ahead, holding her bloody arms. “What’s going on… How is he?”

“Knowing what you will do before you do it?” Emil cut off, making Scarlett flinch. “It’s simple; this is my own power—the power bestowed by the Garden to steal the powers of others. Diego Jolts fought valiantly to defeat Morto, but it came at a cost, which was his power. He may rest in peace, knowing his gift will be of good use to our cause. So, you see, Scarlett, I know everything you’re about to do before you do it!” Emil raises his hand as dozens of shadows caved in on a desperate Scarlett. She stood there, unable to escape staring blankly on as she slowly closed her eyes. “Goodbye, Scarlett Syndicate.”

Scarlett stared down before her whole body exploded with raw power. A powerful explosion was set off, ripping through the entire building to the sky. Scarlett stepped out, her eyes pure red and blood dripping from her eyes. Scarlett held her hand out as dozens of small flickering explosions appeared. Flinging her hand forward, they were all set off, destroying the entire lobby. Emil avoided this tuned to her power but slightly thrown off by the sudden jump in power. It was catching up to him fast, but he wasn’t concerned in the slightest; he still had the upper hand after all. Jumping in the air Scarlett flicked her hand forward, chaining explosions towards Emil. Blocking them all with his shadows, he wasn’t aware of the rubble above him caving in. It was far too late to respond as he was plummeted with debris burying him. Breaking himself out, he reached out for the desk to pull himself up. The moment he made contact with it, he felt his hand heat up before hearing a clicking noise. An explosion he wasn’t aware of exploded, knocking him further back. Slamming to the ground, another clicking noise went off, setting off more explosions. Flying up to the second floor, Emil jumped down, turning around blocking Scarlett’s attack. However, the moment he contacted her, another clicking noise set off, blowing them both up.

Emil crashed down at just about his peak, coughing. “Using Diego power was your biggest mistake. I’m well aware of his flaw. He can only see the future of others, not his own. Meaning you have no idea what parts will explode!”

Emil was about to touch the wall to fade away, only to stop hating himself. “You marked the area with more bombs… I would have no idea which one is a bomb before it’s too late…”

Scarlett slid forward, holding her hands forward sending dozens of small pebbles ahead. “And since you can’t see into the past, you’ll be forced to focus on the surrounding area then looking into my future!” Emil pushed all the pebbles away, hearing multiple clicks, unable to process which rock was a bomb; he exploded with a scream flying out into the open. Scarlett flew around, planting bombs everywhere. “You think you have my family all worked out just because you have more power? Power means nothing if the person isn’t capable of using it!” Flying towards Emil, she threw more rocks. Taking the bait, Emil destroyed each projectile more concerned over the planted bombs to realise Scarlett’s true intention. Looking into her future, he had no time to respond as Scarlett pinned him to the ground holding her hand back with him weak enough. She tore the parasite from Emil with her psychic presence. A small snake was pulled from Emil with yellow eyes and black scales. “Checkmate!” Slamming the snake down, Scarlett blew it up, killing the vessel of Mortem instantly.

Emil lay back weak, whimpering. “Where, where am I? Scarlett? What’s going on?”

“You don’t remember? You just had to be an idiot and become a vessel for Mortem to wreak havoc.”

Emil chuckled to himself, lying back. “What a noob move of me… Why did you save me for? I thought we were enemies?”

“In these trying times, there is no such thing.” She whispered, looking towards the ruined HQ Scarlett flinched, spotting Alton, Alice and Sam rushing to the top floor. “Alton Brantley… Emil, do you still have some of Diego’s powers? What will happen if I went after him?”

“You already know the answer to that one.”

“That I do…” Standing up, Scarlett turned to her former ally, whispering. “I’m not looking for forgiveness. I merely am looking to be judged for my sins. But I still have one thing to do, even if it kills me, I need to finish what I started.”