V.I.R.A.L

The investigator tapped the tip of his teacup softly. He rested the wet spoon on the side of the table as the small drops of tea trickled down the side. "Alton Brantley, 17 years old, school dropout now working two part-time jobs, one at your local pit stop while the other is cleaning care homes on the weekends. I know nobody your age so hellbent on working. Nor does anyone your age need to work so much for so little cash. So, tell me, kid, what you need the cash for?"

Alton slouched in his chair looking around the integration room, he noticed the security which was usually pointed towards the two was shut down facing the wall. He snarled, shrugging his shoulders. "What's that got to do with you? Besides you've done your research, I'm sure you know."

"Quite, makes you wonder why you left the life you had behind to work two jobs…" Alton didn't respond, he held his right hand which was shaking rapidly the same leather glove still strapped on. "What about your father? Where is the infamous Ragnar Brantley? Surely his son must have seen him some time ago?"

Alton kept looking away, biting his lip. "I haven't seen the bastard in years, I'm praying the man is dead."

The investigator licks his finger turning the page of Alton's case file. "No siblings, no other family members, you live all alone, and the last of your high school friends cut ties with you four years ago. Not even a girlfriend anymore. Seems your life has spiralled out of control young man. Keep this up, and you'll be no different than your father, eh? Speaking of which, attempted murder and against the Montagues of all people. Don't think you can get out of this situation so easily young man; you're at least looking at ten years in prison. And that's if you're lucky and confess. But…"

"As I said, I didn't do it. He attacked me."

"The other one we brought in was too saying the same thing. This girl, Zinnia what is your connection with her?"

"I have none, have no idea who she is. To me, she was nothing more than another customer." Alton replies, eyeing the camera once more.

The investigator had taken interested and also looked towards the camera. He chuckles to himself, sipping his tea. "If you're wondering about the camera, we had all of those turned off when you arrived. We've been told to keep this strictly off the records."

"Orders from Monty?"

"Orders from the Montagues. You have no idea who they are, do you? I would have thought you of all people would know. The head of the family is the key sponsor for the V.I.R.A.L programme. Without them, the streamers wouldn't be a household name, and we would have a but load more paperwork to worry about. So, you see whether you like it or not pissing them off can easily ruin your life. They can just about get away with whatever they want."

"That's bullshit." Alton snaps. "Surely someone must think it is wrong."

"Oh, we all do Alton. None of us agrees with them. But when they are the people who pay your taxes and your very livelihood, you'll let anything slide for that security." He admits. "Look, what happened tonight was nothing more than immoral and undeserved. I get that. But there's nothing I can do to help. If you just admit to the crime the Montagues have put you up for it will soften the blow. And who knows with good behaviour you could get out on parole in maybe three years."

Alton clenched his fist realising defeat. He couldn't fight this and wasn't the sort of guy to even attempt to try and change the matter. He would, without a doubt, take his fate if there wasn't an obvious way out. He lowered his head in shame. "Fuck… is there another way? There's got to be away? An appeal? Bail? What about a lawyer? I could be defended in court?"

"You would lose every time. Don't make this harder than it has to be a buddy." He softly spoke, lighting up a smoke. "Just admit it, you seem like a sensible kid, we can't for the life of us get a confession out of the girl, she keeps on going on about how it's wrong and how you're a hero."

"Hero? Give me a break. I didn't save her; I was saving my bacon. The only thing being a hero is good for is getting yourself killed."

The investigator jotted down the conversation nodding in agreeance. "I'm glad we see eye to eye on that. Although the thought of a hero is nice, even ideal. A person who saves people truly and only out of the kindness of their own heart. Sounds nice on paper but we all know the very idea of a hero is flawed. They have to only think of others, put others over themselves. We all know that mindscape is just fairy-tale." He opens up the last page of the file spinning it around, pushing it towards Alton. He pulls another pen from his shirt pocket, tapping the paper. "All we need is a confession. Your signature will do just fine. Sign here, and it will all be over with. If not, well I hear whispers of life, or worse. You wanna throw your life away over this?"

"I'll be throwing my life away if I sign too, what's the difference?" Alton whispers uneasily staring at the paper with dread.

"Well, maybe you should have thought of that when you raised your fist to the Montagues in the first place." He stopped midsentence listening to his earpiece. He gave a faint smirk as he turned to Alton clamping his hands together. "I'll give you time. I need to step out for a few minutes. When I come back, we will be on the same page."

Alton sat in shame as he was left alone. He looked around the empty room with a blank stare as the situation was sinking like a ship, he felt the consequences and knew all too well that this was it. He let out a small dry laugh as his hand relentlessly reached for the pen. As he was about to sign his soul away, the investigator came back in with a long-retched smile. He rubbed his hands together, sitting down humming to himself. He continued to smile all while trying to keep his laughs at bay. "Alton Brantley, you are indeed a lucky man. It seems your charges have been dropped. The Montagues have seemed to have had a change of heart."

Alton raised an eyebrow taken slightly back all while still, not one hundred per cent believing him. "What gives? Why did Monty change his mind?"

"Who knows, but the concept of jail is now a thing of the past. You should be grateful their kindness has reached even you."

"I'm crying with joy…" Alton grumbled sarcastically. "What's the catch. There has to be a catch."

"He wants to make a deal."

"A deal? Monty does? What would that low life slime want with me?"

"It's quite simple, you are a free man under one condition. Payment is made within the year, or you are locked away for the rest of your miserable life."

Alton folded his arms scoffing at the offer. "Of course, he wants money. How much?"

"500,000."

Alton almost choked on his breath as his eyes widen. "500,000?! I don't even make a tenth of that in a year! What honestly makes you think I could accomplish such a goal?!" Alton was of course, furious. Not only was he yet again made a fool of by Monty, but now he was being teased impossible freedom like a carrot on the end of a stick, one he can never reach. "To hell with that. Like I'm going to be playing his mundane games. I refuse."

"How disappointing. It seems you treasure your morals and pride more than your life. Very well. I'll inform them of said terms. I hope you enjoy your time in prison. There will be, of course, no need to ask the girl of said terms. We all know she is going to say no. And to think the girl could have had such a bright future. What a pity."

"What's going to happen to her?" Alton asked.

The investigator shrugged his shoulders smirking. "Why do you care? If I recall you have nothing to do with her anyway."

"Just answer me damn it!" He barked.

"Very well, she will most likely be executed for attempted murder. It will all be swept under the rug, of course, no one will notice or care to."

"What inhumane person would do such a thing?"

"I don't like it any more than you do. How tragic, I say. Truly a great loss."

Alton gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath just as the man was about to leave. "Wait a second… About this deal. I'd like to alter it."

"Hmm, you think you're in such status to demand? Very well, I'll hear your deal."

"I'll accept Monty's proposal. 500,000 in a year. In return, he not only lets me free. But Zinnia too."

The man strokes his chin intrigued. "What's this? I must say this was unexpected. What happened to the guy who was only saving his ass? Why would you do such a kind heroic act for?"

"Does it matter? That's my deal."

The man stepped away to propose the deal. It didn't take him long to come back, standing in the doorway with the same smile plastered on his face. "You are free to go Brantley." Alton sighed, standing up, walking to the door. As he was about to leave the man gripped his arm tightly. "Don't think about trying to run away either. You, of course, have nowhere to go to. You have one year. Good luck."

*****

Alton found himself outside, looking deflated. He looked up at the sky frowning as it was already the dead of night. Thoughts ran through his mind, but no one saw a way out of this situation. Letting out a long-winded sigh, he sat on the wall outside the police station with for once in a very long time no plan. He had no idea what he was going to do. This was stopped as Zinnia strolled outstretching her arm taking in the fresh air in. "Jeez, I thought they'd never let us out. They must have realised they were, of course in the wrong and set us free?"

"Yeah, something like that… Just glad to see you're alright. You should probably get going home, it's getting late."

"What about you?" Zinnia questioned standing idly by.

Alton shrugged it off, giving a half-hearted grin. "Ehh, go back to the shop. I've without a doubt got fired for this... so I'll need to collect my belongs if the police didn't take them all."

Zinnia frowned sitting on the wall next to Alton. "This just really sucks. We were only trying to do the right thing. I don't get it."

"Again, with us? You know you should have just let it slide."

"And let evil get away? Hell no! Your just ok with them getting away with it?"

"If you had just listened to me back at the shop this all would have been alright. I had them on the security cameras. I would have just reported them to the police, but you had to go full Rambo…"

Zinnia went red, looking embarrassed. The wind started blowing heavily as she was lifted in the air covering her face. "Oh, no! I did it again, this is a problem I have. I just have to stop misdeeds when I see it. Nine of out ten times I act before I think and just mess everything up."

"Yeah, well what happened, happened. Go home. Forget this night happened. I'm going to be very busy for a while, it seems."

Zinnia was ready to leave as she jumped off, giving off a goofy smile saluting. "Well, Alton, it was very nice to meet you. I should be going now."

Alton watched her go as he spoke up. "Say, when you came to the shop you said you were looking for me? Why?"

Zinnia turned around, prodding her chin. "Hmm, I forgot. I talk to the wind, and it just told me to find you."

"Of course, it did." He whispered under his breath. "So long Zinnia."

"Say. Before I go, I must ask. One minute they were talking about putting me away for life the next I was just free to go… Why do you think that was?"

Alton rubbed the back of his head grumbling. "I made a deal with them."

"A deal? What sort of deal?"

"We both walk free if I pay our friends at the shop 500,000 bucks by the end of the year."

Both of them fell silent as Zinnia looked troubled. She began mumbling to herself, walking back over counting on one hand. "250,000… if I did a lemonade stand every day, I could sell about twenty bucks off the stuff. That would about 200 a week. Would that be enough? Hmm, but I would have to make my stand, learn how to make lemonade. I don't even know what it tastes like…"

"What are you blabbering on about?"

"What does it look like? I'm trying to figure out how to pay our debt."

"Our debt?"

"Yeah, 250,000 each. It's going to take a lot of work, but if we work together, I feel like we could do it! What's wrong?"

Alton smiled faintly shaking his head. "Oh, nothing. I. I just wasn't expecting you to help."

"Why wouldn't I? I got you into this mess the least I could do is get you out of it. But I don't think a lemonade stand is going to help."

Alton hackled wiping his eye. "No, I don't think it will."

Zinnia's eyes lit up as she took a small piece of paper out of her pocket and wrote down an address. "Meet me here tomorrow, lunchtime on the double. I have a plan which might just work!"

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"Not now! They could be listening!" Zinnia whispered loudly before running away, "I'll see you tomorrow, partner!"

Alton was left struck with confusion as he found himself waving. He watched Zinnia vanish into the night as he looked back down at his hand with a small chuckle emerging. "Partner, huh?"