“Welcome to ZCZ NEWS!” A reporter announces suivant to a camera.
A tall, blue, red, and black suited Mobian loup waves to the camera, announcing himself as “Zif Chan’e!”
“And I am here with my special guest, Virus Elder Anti Identity.”
The brown, black, and red feline shifted her eyes about the Audience and the atmosphere. The stage was clean, and the blue canapé she sat upon was most comfortable. The reporter wasn’t so bad either. She rather did enjoy studying pretty things.
When her name was announced the identity remained silent, but smoothly and slowly waved to the audience, fluttering her fingers a bit with a slow smirk appearing on her face. When she had gotten her desired reaction she turned back to Zif Chan’e, who’s first and last name she found idiotic, and would make a note of verbally if this became a distasteful interview.
“So, do toi want to get straight to the questions, or-“ Now she would make a joke about this name… nah, not yet, “ do toi want to explain to the audience just how toi got convinced that toi wanted to do this interview?”
He wanted an answer, but the dramatic approach left impressions, and she loved making those. So still she kept silent, then turned slowly to the audience, stood, and looked them over one par one. They were waiting, not waiting in boredom, but waiting in an energetic sort of fright. They did not know what she would do, but they could only assume it would be something destructive, ou say something meaningful.
She did not have to think over what to say, the looks on their faces was all she needed. ‘Let’s begin with comedy.’ She thought to herself. After a few plus secondes of pause she cleared her throat (or what would seem like a throat for a shapeshifter) and pointed at a man wearing a purple tie with a super hero on it, “Quite honestly I just followed that thing around his neck. I didn’t expect to see a raptor riding a bicycle appearing at a Villain’s Interview. I seriously hope it doesn’t come to life any time soon. I’ll be powerless as I try to figure out how it got on to ou out of the tie in the first place.”
Some of the crowd members laughed, others looked in confusion, and some stayed silent, still uneasy. The man with the tie took a bow. Virus turned back to Zif wearing a smile on her face, a softer one now.
She crossed her legs, placing her cuffed hands on them while leaning against the couch, “I’ll try to keep them shorter if it’s a bother, handsome.”
Zif made the common chuckle that most hosts make; not over the top, but a loud chuckle as he slowly transitioned to his question “Well I’m enjoying it thus far.”
“Mm, the feeling’s mutual then.” Flirting was always fun, especially if it could test a current lover. She wondered how her own companion would be reacting to this télévision broadcast. She assumed that he would not care ou that he would at least figure out if she meant her passes ou not, but she hoped to get some kind of rise out of him later for entertainment purposes.
Zif raised eyebrows slightly. He hid his surprise well, but no one can keep themselves from reacting to passes completely even if they don’t montrer it. “I have to admit,” He continued, “I thought this would be a more… awkward situation, donné the circumstances.”
“Well to that I want to say ‘I’m not bad deep down, but that’s not even fun to lie about.” This commentaire was not mean to be a joke, but since the audience reacted to it as one, the identity decided to roll with it. “But I think I’ve dragged this, so let’s hear the questions out.”
“Alright,” Zif straightened his notes on the table, tableau and read off the first, “We have to start somewhere, ‘What is it that toi do’?”
“Hm…” She placed her cuffed hands beneath her chin, moving her ears slightly downward to at least appear to be in deep thought, “Gotta admit, I’ve got quite a liste of jobs going on, but you’re looking for my main haut, retour au début gun right?”
“If it’s convenient.”
“Of course it’s convenient.” She chuckled. Normally someone jouer la comédie overcautious would turn her off but she could give him a break this time. “Well I’d have to say that would be me recruiting other identities. I’ve got quite the amount already.”
“I believe it, but could toi give an estimate on this ‘quite the amount’?”
“Oh in the ten-millions.” She answered while placing her hands down and making a half nod to the newsman.
“But aren’t there only 3 million Identities roughly at large?”
“Well there were until…” She winced.
“until…”
She jerked her hands to the sides, grabbing hold of the arms of the canapé and a dit in a serious sudden tone “Repopulation!” then added a large “DUN brun foncé, dun DUUUUUUN!” sound in the background.
After the humor had died down she continued, “Identities have families too. And that’s not even counting the hybrids ou ‘Half-breeds’.”
“Could toi tell us what caused toi to want to recruit Identities?” She could tell that this was another written question par the faint sudden jerk of topic it made.
She laid back on the canapé with a shrug, “Why not? I mean what good am I as ‘Elder’ if I don’t take advantage of the title?”
“So it’s obligation then?”
“Oh it’s a lot of things, but yeah that’s one of them. Honestly another good reason is that the competition well…” She made a whispering voice, putting her hand to her left cheek, “they don’t really know how to run a species.”
“Well could toi tell us what makes toi qualified?” Zif pressed, “What are toi traits, skills, abilities?”
She spoke properly and straight vers l'avant, vers l’avant now, “I’m an experienced leader and strategist. I’ve already got an entire country of a city running with loyal followers, and aside from a few problems along the way I’m still on top.”
“Have these traits ever bitten toi back?”
“Well leaders do tend to fight other leaders, but I wouldn’t count that. War comes with the territory. Do toi have any experience with that?”
“A short-lived one.” Zif admitted with a chuckling sigh. “But this isn’t about me.”
“Aw…” She lowered her ears, portraying a sort of cute pathetic look, tilting her head oh so slightly. She could see Zif’s guard lowering but not enough. “Oh well.”
“So you’ve listed skills, what about powers?”
“Well for our listeners who don’t know what identities are, we morph, and we shoot chaos energy out of our everything.”
“That’s all?”
“Well for me, being an Elder I have a sort of… influence, shall we say, over other identities.”
“Mind control.”
“Exactly.” She nodded with a grin.
“Do toi use it often?” Zif’s tone had a slight hint of worry. He was worried she would use her mind control on him. Hm…
“Would toi like to see a, demonstration?” She paused slightly, allowing her tone and speed to match the growth of her smile.
“Now?” Zif’s eyes widened, “w-well I don’t know who you’d-“
Virus stood up from the siège and walked towards him. He scooted back a bit on his chair, but she placed a hand on his shoulder, and pulled him vers l'avant, vers l’avant gently. Her hand moved slowly up below his chin, “Don’t worry, Zif, I couldn’t hurt such a pretty face.” She walked past him, then turned to the audience. “Anyone here want to be tainted?”
No one raised their hand. The identity let out a sad-sounding sigh, closing her eyes briefly while shrugging, “Pity.” She walked back to her seat, making a fluent turn that caused the bottom of her dress to flutter a bit before sitting down again. Once again she crossed her legs and placed her hands atop her knees, cuffed together. “Next.”
“Well since we’re still on the topic of powers, how did toi get them?”
“That’s a fun topic.” She chuckled. “Well would toi believe that I used to just be a normal computer virus? Back then the name made a little plus sense I have to admit. I got sent away and found myself a giant polluted city. I found a… partner there, and together we formed the first of my kind. And later on the Chaos Energy bit had its part as well. But that’s much too long for this interview.”
“Could toi tell us how successful you’ve been thus far?”
“Oh I’d say very successful, but that sounds vague. To add plus detail, I already a dit that I’m building an army from the millions of Identities I already have, but I’ve also blown up quite a few planets, taken over others, and I do a pretty good impersonation of a typical teenager, two different versions.”
“Do toi disguise yourself often?”
“Very much so,” She nodded. “But I don’t really consider it all disguise. Now the look itself, THAT’S a disguise, but the actual work is plus like free time. Being the strong intimidating leader all the time gets boring. Everyone needs a little free time to play around. I’m sure toi know what I mean.”
“Well I don’t know too much about being intimidating,” Zif chuckled, “but I’m with toi on the free time.”
“I certainly hope so.” She smiled deviously before going back to the regular grin.
“Going back to success, do toi know anyone who is plus successful? Enemies? Allies?”
She tapped her lower lip, starring upward in thought, “Hm… I recall the Glatorian have conquered a few worlds… maybe the Servers too.” She shrugged while lowering her hand. “I’d have to look into that before giving a definitive answer though.”
“Understandable.” Zif nodded. “Alright here’s a good one. Virus, everyone has a weakness, so what’s yours?”
She cleared her throat, “There has been a weaponized version of the Nictrela Venom which is used commonly to destroy identity Nanites faster than they can grow back, but the easiest way to harm an identity is through their psyche, our emotions are our most vulnerable part, but they’re also the strongest. I doubt I’ve donné any opportunists new information about that though. There are other weaknesses but toi can’t expect me to just blurt those out.”
“Do toi think that people are actually going to watch this and find out?” Zif pressured.
“Gee I don’t know. This isn’t the Zone Cop dimension is it? Y’know the one that connects all the others? I’m pretty sure they’d find out. Sorry Zif but it’ll take a bit plus to pry open this vault.”
“That’s unfortunate, but expected.”
“But nothing is impossible.” She finished. There were multiple meanings in this sentence, three to be exact, but she was not about to reveal them. Zif’s mind was whirring. She could see it, feel it, though instinct and through scanning through his system.
“Well toi have a chance to prove that with our suivant question. It’s a big one.”
“I’m excited ten minutes ago.”
Zif pulled the card closer and asked “What do toi care about most? I understand toi have a small family, is that correct?”
The red on every part of her beamed for a moment. “Yes…” She answered “a small one, and a large one.”
“Judging par your tone, are they what toi care about most?” Zif felt as if he was on thin cold ice, but life itself was a risk-filled drug-trip, and he was one of many taking it.
The glowing faded, “What I care about is complicated and multiple. What I care about most is multiple, and complex. Let me be a little plus clear.” She got up. “Here’s a liste of some villains I know.”
She made a square with her hands, then expanded them, creating a square screen in front of the audience that detached from her now regrown hands. Her hands them began to make rapid patterns across the screen, sketching an image of a silver male cat, with a or symbol on his forehead, and dark grey eyes completely faded.
“This handsome cry-baby, and believe me he is one, is Trisell Chronos.” She reached inside the screen and seemed to pull out the image, and she did. Out came a physical version of Trisell Chronos, Nanite-composed of course.
The audience was on the edges of their seats. Was this a hologram? How would she prove it was not. She had thought of that.
Virus looked to the females of the audience and asked “So who wants to observe the muscles?”
A few of the watchers rose up but Zif spoke before they ran over, “Maybe later.” He chuckled while walking over suivant to the Lynx-morpher. “But just to prove, may I?” He was talking about the hand ou face but he knew that it was about to be used for some kind of joke. Virus a dit nothing, but one of the audience members made a whistle tune.
Zif took hold of the hand, it felt real. He could even feel the Bones inside of it. “Is this organic?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “It’s simply very detailed work. That is, very detailed work made in a split-second.”
“Fascinating.” He replied while releasing the hand. “So toi were saying about making things plus clear?”
“Yes,” The identity turned the model around, “Trisell Chronos was once one of seven powerful warriors called the Seven Servers. But before he was awakened he was, in a sense, usurped. And because of that, he spent his whole life trying to get his position back, through whatever means necessary… not sure where he is now, but last time I heard his powers were taken away.”
“Now, someone might think that Trisell was evil, but not me. Why? Because he doesn’t think he’s evil. And his reason? Revenge. That isn’t the sign of actual evil, no, that’s just someone wanting to get even. It’s a sinful reason sure, but is he doing it because it’s evil?”
“No…” Zif replied, “I suppose not.”
“Exactly.” Virus grinned, “Trisell cared most about his Lost power and position. And to add on, his position was one of a hero, so he just wanted to be one again. So in my book he’s not a villain… next…” The model vanished and she sketched another. It was a masculine fox, male, with gladiator-like armor, though appearing to be very high in technology. She pulled this out and continued “This somewhat less handsome is Sparan, leader of the Glatorian, which I mentioned a bit ago. His goal is to take control of all Mobian planets because he wants order, and thinks his kind is the only one that knows best. Granted he has no problem allying with those who have the same ideals as him, but he is essentially a conqueror, and doesn’t let anything stand in his way… well he tries not to let anything stand in his way. Now who can tell me what he cares about most?”
Some of the audience members raised hands. She chose a young yellow chameleon girl, and there was a memory-based reason why. “What’s your name?” Virus asked her.
“Sandra.” The girl replied.
“Alright Sandra, what’s your answer?”
The chameleon was smiling, she felt rather smart being able to come up with a good answer, and she did think it was good. “He doesn’t care about power most, ou causing terror.”
“Correct.” Virus replied.
“He cares about order.”
“Gold star.” Virus smiled in approval. “So do toi think his intentions are evil ou good?”
The chameleon took a moment to think it over. “Hm… well he wants things to be united, good, right?”
“Right.” Virus jabbed her hand through the model and it crumbled like glass, then dust, then mist. It formed a tall rose, black with white and red stripes along the petals. She tossed the rose to the chameleon, who cut her hand on a thorn when she caught it, but a dit nothing.
“Last one.” The identity then drew a model of a tall male human, with white hair, old but very masculine and powerful-looking, full of gleaming armor. “This old guy is the reason for one of the thorns in my side. His name is Mevrik the Mighty, a Sorcerer. And he’s prejudice against mobians. Why? Well once he loved a mobian during a war between the humans and mobians, but that didn’t go so well. The girl’s family killed her just after she had her child, and Mevrik barely escaped as the mobians began to take over. Later he returned and took the Kingdom back. Now all he wants is to wipe out all mobians everywhere. So Zif, what’s his cause?”
“Vengeance it sounds like.” The loup replied correctly.
“Good, and are his intentions evil?”
“Hm… it’s hard to say.”
“Don’t worry I thought you’d say that. For this we have to look through what sent him into this. And what sent him on this path was a feeling of sadness and longing, not evil.”
“I think we’ve Lost point of the question.”
“Your question was what I care about most. These people cared about certain things because of pure intentions. My intentions are not pure and thus what I care about most changes all the time. I live for the moment toi could say.”
“I see.” Zif replied slowly, “Well while I’m sure we all found the constructs interesting that seemed a bit overdone.”
“I suppose.” The identity replied, defragmenting the construct, “but toi DID find it interesting.” She smirked. “What’s our suivant question? This is fun.”
The loup was now a tad put off par this small game Virus was playing but silently returned to his cards. “Alright, what kind of changes have gone through your life, if any?”
“There’s quite a few stages to that one.” She replied while sitting down once again. “After well… birth, I was quite spry. Still am, but teenagers and all that. I sported a green look to boot.”
“Was this before becoming a villain?”
“In a sense. I was plus like an Anti-Hero, ou bounty-hunter. I helped save the day, then pulled the rug out from under everyone’s feet, a lot. And they… hated me for it.” She slowed before clearing her throat, “Later on I got to be an actual teenager for a while. Got sent to a different dimension, and went to a High School. Unsurprisingly I was the Goth Girl.”
“Did toi go to the Prom?” Zif asked jokingly.
“Yes actually.” She nodded, “It was quite the experience. I didn’t really have a date, well willing dates, but it was still fun. I wore a black and purple dress if I recall. Despite my… repulsive personality it was the rare time I actually considered being the good guy. But,” she sighed, “fate didn’t really like that. I got summoned to a aléatoire dimension and here we are.”
Zif noticed the changes in tone and attitude, “You have regrets?”
“Everyone has regrets. Me… probably plus than most. But living in the past is for people who can’t handle it. On to the future.”
“Anything notable?” Zif pressed despite realizing the hint to déplacer on.
“Betrayal is one.” She replied quickly. “A lot of betrayal. Quite frankly it doesn’t bother me too much, at least most of them.”
“Any that did?” Zif was talking calmly but inside he did become nervous. Right now this villain was being tame, and if he set her off, if he angered her in any way, what would she do?
“One… she hesitated but added “two… they were both quite alike. One of the few things I’d probably take back if I could.”
“Family ou lover?”
“Lover, what else?” She looked to the side, remembering these two people from her past, “except for we never actually got that close… And toi want to know why I’m guessing. Well,” she turned back to Zif, “the first man I had a thing for actually cared… but I didn’t, didn’t… enough. He made the first move, and I laughed in his face. Later on someone framed me, making me look like a traitor to him. He paid the price and thought I actually betrayed him. I didn’t deny it. I was innocent, but I didn’t care, and later on I did really betray him.”
“And the next?”
“I didn’t like the seconde one as much. He reminded me of the first. But I did like him. Of course a few other girls I knew did too, and this being during my Goth-girl phase, he didn’t really care for me. I killed someone, pretended to be them, and only when as our alter-egos did he approach me. And when he found out… he was fine with it. And we almost had something.” She sighed, “but then he disappeared… and then he changed. He fell in l’amour with my opposite if toi can believe it, which is ironic for dozens of reasons.”
“So you’re single then?” Zif smirked slightly.
“Not in the least.” She smirked back, peering her eyes in a sort of devious stare. “but we all have Old Flames. Old crushes are the ones that hurt the most.”
“Are toi happy with your current… er… boyfriend?”
“That’s the right word for it, and I’d like to think so. Granted we aren’t that close yet, but it’s been an experience. He definitely cares so that’s a pro.”
Zif nodded, “I have to wonder though, doesn’t all that kind of… defy being a villain?”
She shrugged, “Depends on what toi think a villain is. We went over the whole reasons thing already, so we won’t have to go over that little topic, but there are a few plus variables in villainy. If someone’s a villain are they not allowed to have love? Are they not allowed to be nice if they’d like? Do they have to make sure that what they do is seen as scary?”
“Well, yes.”
“Wrong.” She a dit with a raised finger, “Villains are wrong-doers, but wrong-doers sometimes have empires, and heirs. So if I feed my workers so they don’t die am I not a villain? If I… *cough* *cough* honeymoon so that someone takes my place in the future, so me being with that person a pure good thing? I’m the definition of me. I don’t have to be the definition of villainy. I do what I like, ou what I think is best, ou worst, ou good, ou evil. Chaos is my element, and just like an infection I spread my Nanites and will, for whatever reason.”
“So Chaos is your drive? Because it’s your element?”
“I had electricity before chaos, and I was even worse when that happened. But the difference between those two was that back then I wanted to conquer, and just go ‘mwahaha’. Why? Because I thought that I had to, that it was my destiny. Nowadays I spit in destiny’s eye. Zonac’s to be specific.”
“Zonac?” Zif inquired with a confused stare. “Is that a word for destiny ou a person?”
“Both. It’s from my accueil world.” She chuckled faintly, “The Seven Servers… That’s another story. Moving on?”
Zif nodded. “Do toi think that things could have been different for toi than they are now?”
“Different? Like alternate realities?””
“Exactly.”
She laid back, once again looking back though time… ou maybe, was she possibly looking forward? For that matter what if it was neither? What if she was looking to those other worlds, different worlds, better, worlds?
“What would toi have liked to have happen if things were different?” Zif continued since Virus made no reply.
She titled her head, swaying her ears accordingly, “I’d say… In another world… I’d have a plus stable personality. But I don’t live in that world. And I don’t plan to. This is what I’ve been dealt, and people who want to change something simply destroy what is natural. But even then, that’d be fine with me in many regards. Confused yet?”
“Only a bit.” Zif flipped through his questions, “You’ve answered a lot of these already so we’re down to our last.”
“Ooooo…” She a dit happily while pulling her feet up onto the canapé like an excited teenager, “exciting, let’s hear it.”
Zif cleared his throat a final time, “Do toi think you’ll win?... In the end?” He added.
“No.” She replied bluntly. “I don’t try to guess. I’m going to try to win, but… I’ve tried so hard. And got so far, but in the end… it doesn’t even matter.”
“That’s a song isn’t it?” Zif noted. “Is there a serious answer behind it ou was that just a poor joke?”
“You don’t like my dated reference?” She shot back. Oh well. We are at the end of the interview now?” her smile faded, as if disappointed.
Zif searched through his notes. “Sadly yes. Anything toi want to add?” He looked up from his papers… she was gone. Was she really gone, ou was the room about to explode? The audience frantically scoured the room but no one saw anything.
Amidst the search, Zif moved backstage, turning around, and colliding face first into what felt like a kiss… but the impact was so quick he could not tell. But he could guess.
The montrer was not finished just yet however. The ground began to rumble as a red light filled the stage and seating area. Then in a brighter red light Virus appeared in the middle, her stripes glowing once again. “Ladies and Gentlemen…” She a dit aloud, “it’s been a pleasure.” She took a bow then vanished with an indoor fireworks light montrer going on, creating various patterns and picture of scenery, people, shapes, etc.
When the fireworks began to settle, they all landed on one part of the floor, making a picture, a symbol. It was the symbol of the Anti-Identities. It too lit up, then vanished. The interview had ended.
A tall, blue, red, and black suited Mobian loup waves to the camera, announcing himself as “Zif Chan’e!”
“And I am here with my special guest, Virus Elder Anti Identity.”
The brown, black, and red feline shifted her eyes about the Audience and the atmosphere. The stage was clean, and the blue canapé she sat upon was most comfortable. The reporter wasn’t so bad either. She rather did enjoy studying pretty things.
When her name was announced the identity remained silent, but smoothly and slowly waved to the audience, fluttering her fingers a bit with a slow smirk appearing on her face. When she had gotten her desired reaction she turned back to Zif Chan’e, who’s first and last name she found idiotic, and would make a note of verbally if this became a distasteful interview.
“So, do toi want to get straight to the questions, or-“ Now she would make a joke about this name… nah, not yet, “ do toi want to explain to the audience just how toi got convinced that toi wanted to do this interview?”
He wanted an answer, but the dramatic approach left impressions, and she loved making those. So still she kept silent, then turned slowly to the audience, stood, and looked them over one par one. They were waiting, not waiting in boredom, but waiting in an energetic sort of fright. They did not know what she would do, but they could only assume it would be something destructive, ou say something meaningful.
She did not have to think over what to say, the looks on their faces was all she needed. ‘Let’s begin with comedy.’ She thought to herself. After a few plus secondes of pause she cleared her throat (or what would seem like a throat for a shapeshifter) and pointed at a man wearing a purple tie with a super hero on it, “Quite honestly I just followed that thing around his neck. I didn’t expect to see a raptor riding a bicycle appearing at a Villain’s Interview. I seriously hope it doesn’t come to life any time soon. I’ll be powerless as I try to figure out how it got on to ou out of the tie in the first place.”
Some of the crowd members laughed, others looked in confusion, and some stayed silent, still uneasy. The man with the tie took a bow. Virus turned back to Zif wearing a smile on her face, a softer one now.
She crossed her legs, placing her cuffed hands on them while leaning against the couch, “I’ll try to keep them shorter if it’s a bother, handsome.”
Zif made the common chuckle that most hosts make; not over the top, but a loud chuckle as he slowly transitioned to his question “Well I’m enjoying it thus far.”
“Mm, the feeling’s mutual then.” Flirting was always fun, especially if it could test a current lover. She wondered how her own companion would be reacting to this télévision broadcast. She assumed that he would not care ou that he would at least figure out if she meant her passes ou not, but she hoped to get some kind of rise out of him later for entertainment purposes.
Zif raised eyebrows slightly. He hid his surprise well, but no one can keep themselves from reacting to passes completely even if they don’t montrer it. “I have to admit,” He continued, “I thought this would be a more… awkward situation, donné the circumstances.”
“Well to that I want to say ‘I’m not bad deep down, but that’s not even fun to lie about.” This commentaire was not mean to be a joke, but since the audience reacted to it as one, the identity decided to roll with it. “But I think I’ve dragged this, so let’s hear the questions out.”
“Alright,” Zif straightened his notes on the table, tableau and read off the first, “We have to start somewhere, ‘What is it that toi do’?”
“Hm…” She placed her cuffed hands beneath her chin, moving her ears slightly downward to at least appear to be in deep thought, “Gotta admit, I’ve got quite a liste of jobs going on, but you’re looking for my main haut, retour au début gun right?”
“If it’s convenient.”
“Of course it’s convenient.” She chuckled. Normally someone jouer la comédie overcautious would turn her off but she could give him a break this time. “Well I’d have to say that would be me recruiting other identities. I’ve got quite the amount already.”
“I believe it, but could toi give an estimate on this ‘quite the amount’?”
“Oh in the ten-millions.” She answered while placing her hands down and making a half nod to the newsman.
“But aren’t there only 3 million Identities roughly at large?”
“Well there were until…” She winced.
“until…”
She jerked her hands to the sides, grabbing hold of the arms of the canapé and a dit in a serious sudden tone “Repopulation!” then added a large “DUN brun foncé, dun DUUUUUUN!” sound in the background.
After the humor had died down she continued, “Identities have families too. And that’s not even counting the hybrids ou ‘Half-breeds’.”
“Could toi tell us what caused toi to want to recruit Identities?” She could tell that this was another written question par the faint sudden jerk of topic it made.
She laid back on the canapé with a shrug, “Why not? I mean what good am I as ‘Elder’ if I don’t take advantage of the title?”
“So it’s obligation then?”
“Oh it’s a lot of things, but yeah that’s one of them. Honestly another good reason is that the competition well…” She made a whispering voice, putting her hand to her left cheek, “they don’t really know how to run a species.”
“Well could toi tell us what makes toi qualified?” Zif pressed, “What are toi traits, skills, abilities?”
She spoke properly and straight vers l'avant, vers l’avant now, “I’m an experienced leader and strategist. I’ve already got an entire country of a city running with loyal followers, and aside from a few problems along the way I’m still on top.”
“Have these traits ever bitten toi back?”
“Well leaders do tend to fight other leaders, but I wouldn’t count that. War comes with the territory. Do toi have any experience with that?”
“A short-lived one.” Zif admitted with a chuckling sigh. “But this isn’t about me.”
“Aw…” She lowered her ears, portraying a sort of cute pathetic look, tilting her head oh so slightly. She could see Zif’s guard lowering but not enough. “Oh well.”
“So you’ve listed skills, what about powers?”
“Well for our listeners who don’t know what identities are, we morph, and we shoot chaos energy out of our everything.”
“That’s all?”
“Well for me, being an Elder I have a sort of… influence, shall we say, over other identities.”
“Mind control.”
“Exactly.” She nodded with a grin.
“Do toi use it often?” Zif’s tone had a slight hint of worry. He was worried she would use her mind control on him. Hm…
“Would toi like to see a, demonstration?” She paused slightly, allowing her tone and speed to match the growth of her smile.
“Now?” Zif’s eyes widened, “w-well I don’t know who you’d-“
Virus stood up from the siège and walked towards him. He scooted back a bit on his chair, but she placed a hand on his shoulder, and pulled him vers l'avant, vers l’avant gently. Her hand moved slowly up below his chin, “Don’t worry, Zif, I couldn’t hurt such a pretty face.” She walked past him, then turned to the audience. “Anyone here want to be tainted?”
No one raised their hand. The identity let out a sad-sounding sigh, closing her eyes briefly while shrugging, “Pity.” She walked back to her seat, making a fluent turn that caused the bottom of her dress to flutter a bit before sitting down again. Once again she crossed her legs and placed her hands atop her knees, cuffed together. “Next.”
“Well since we’re still on the topic of powers, how did toi get them?”
“That’s a fun topic.” She chuckled. “Well would toi believe that I used to just be a normal computer virus? Back then the name made a little plus sense I have to admit. I got sent away and found myself a giant polluted city. I found a… partner there, and together we formed the first of my kind. And later on the Chaos Energy bit had its part as well. But that’s much too long for this interview.”
“Could toi tell us how successful you’ve been thus far?”
“Oh I’d say very successful, but that sounds vague. To add plus detail, I already a dit that I’m building an army from the millions of Identities I already have, but I’ve also blown up quite a few planets, taken over others, and I do a pretty good impersonation of a typical teenager, two different versions.”
“Do toi disguise yourself often?”
“Very much so,” She nodded. “But I don’t really consider it all disguise. Now the look itself, THAT’S a disguise, but the actual work is plus like free time. Being the strong intimidating leader all the time gets boring. Everyone needs a little free time to play around. I’m sure toi know what I mean.”
“Well I don’t know too much about being intimidating,” Zif chuckled, “but I’m with toi on the free time.”
“I certainly hope so.” She smiled deviously before going back to the regular grin.
“Going back to success, do toi know anyone who is plus successful? Enemies? Allies?”
She tapped her lower lip, starring upward in thought, “Hm… I recall the Glatorian have conquered a few worlds… maybe the Servers too.” She shrugged while lowering her hand. “I’d have to look into that before giving a definitive answer though.”
“Understandable.” Zif nodded. “Alright here’s a good one. Virus, everyone has a weakness, so what’s yours?”
She cleared her throat, “There has been a weaponized version of the Nictrela Venom which is used commonly to destroy identity Nanites faster than they can grow back, but the easiest way to harm an identity is through their psyche, our emotions are our most vulnerable part, but they’re also the strongest. I doubt I’ve donné any opportunists new information about that though. There are other weaknesses but toi can’t expect me to just blurt those out.”
“Do toi think that people are actually going to watch this and find out?” Zif pressured.
“Gee I don’t know. This isn’t the Zone Cop dimension is it? Y’know the one that connects all the others? I’m pretty sure they’d find out. Sorry Zif but it’ll take a bit plus to pry open this vault.”
“That’s unfortunate, but expected.”
“But nothing is impossible.” She finished. There were multiple meanings in this sentence, three to be exact, but she was not about to reveal them. Zif’s mind was whirring. She could see it, feel it, though instinct and through scanning through his system.
“Well toi have a chance to prove that with our suivant question. It’s a big one.”
“I’m excited ten minutes ago.”
Zif pulled the card closer and asked “What do toi care about most? I understand toi have a small family, is that correct?”
The red on every part of her beamed for a moment. “Yes…” She answered “a small one, and a large one.”
“Judging par your tone, are they what toi care about most?” Zif felt as if he was on thin cold ice, but life itself was a risk-filled drug-trip, and he was one of many taking it.
The glowing faded, “What I care about is complicated and multiple. What I care about most is multiple, and complex. Let me be a little plus clear.” She got up. “Here’s a liste of some villains I know.”
She made a square with her hands, then expanded them, creating a square screen in front of the audience that detached from her now regrown hands. Her hands them began to make rapid patterns across the screen, sketching an image of a silver male cat, with a or symbol on his forehead, and dark grey eyes completely faded.
“This handsome cry-baby, and believe me he is one, is Trisell Chronos.” She reached inside the screen and seemed to pull out the image, and she did. Out came a physical version of Trisell Chronos, Nanite-composed of course.
The audience was on the edges of their seats. Was this a hologram? How would she prove it was not. She had thought of that.
Virus looked to the females of the audience and asked “So who wants to observe the muscles?”
A few of the watchers rose up but Zif spoke before they ran over, “Maybe later.” He chuckled while walking over suivant to the Lynx-morpher. “But just to prove, may I?” He was talking about the hand ou face but he knew that it was about to be used for some kind of joke. Virus a dit nothing, but one of the audience members made a whistle tune.
Zif took hold of the hand, it felt real. He could even feel the Bones inside of it. “Is this organic?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “It’s simply very detailed work. That is, very detailed work made in a split-second.”
“Fascinating.” He replied while releasing the hand. “So toi were saying about making things plus clear?”
“Yes,” The identity turned the model around, “Trisell Chronos was once one of seven powerful warriors called the Seven Servers. But before he was awakened he was, in a sense, usurped. And because of that, he spent his whole life trying to get his position back, through whatever means necessary… not sure where he is now, but last time I heard his powers were taken away.”
“Now, someone might think that Trisell was evil, but not me. Why? Because he doesn’t think he’s evil. And his reason? Revenge. That isn’t the sign of actual evil, no, that’s just someone wanting to get even. It’s a sinful reason sure, but is he doing it because it’s evil?”
“No…” Zif replied, “I suppose not.”
“Exactly.” Virus grinned, “Trisell cared most about his Lost power and position. And to add on, his position was one of a hero, so he just wanted to be one again. So in my book he’s not a villain… next…” The model vanished and she sketched another. It was a masculine fox, male, with gladiator-like armor, though appearing to be very high in technology. She pulled this out and continued “This somewhat less handsome is Sparan, leader of the Glatorian, which I mentioned a bit ago. His goal is to take control of all Mobian planets because he wants order, and thinks his kind is the only one that knows best. Granted he has no problem allying with those who have the same ideals as him, but he is essentially a conqueror, and doesn’t let anything stand in his way… well he tries not to let anything stand in his way. Now who can tell me what he cares about most?”
Some of the audience members raised hands. She chose a young yellow chameleon girl, and there was a memory-based reason why. “What’s your name?” Virus asked her.
“Sandra.” The girl replied.
“Alright Sandra, what’s your answer?”
The chameleon was smiling, she felt rather smart being able to come up with a good answer, and she did think it was good. “He doesn’t care about power most, ou causing terror.”
“Correct.” Virus replied.
“He cares about order.”
“Gold star.” Virus smiled in approval. “So do toi think his intentions are evil ou good?”
The chameleon took a moment to think it over. “Hm… well he wants things to be united, good, right?”
“Right.” Virus jabbed her hand through the model and it crumbled like glass, then dust, then mist. It formed a tall rose, black with white and red stripes along the petals. She tossed the rose to the chameleon, who cut her hand on a thorn when she caught it, but a dit nothing.
“Last one.” The identity then drew a model of a tall male human, with white hair, old but very masculine and powerful-looking, full of gleaming armor. “This old guy is the reason for one of the thorns in my side. His name is Mevrik the Mighty, a Sorcerer. And he’s prejudice against mobians. Why? Well once he loved a mobian during a war between the humans and mobians, but that didn’t go so well. The girl’s family killed her just after she had her child, and Mevrik barely escaped as the mobians began to take over. Later he returned and took the Kingdom back. Now all he wants is to wipe out all mobians everywhere. So Zif, what’s his cause?”
“Vengeance it sounds like.” The loup replied correctly.
“Good, and are his intentions evil?”
“Hm… it’s hard to say.”
“Don’t worry I thought you’d say that. For this we have to look through what sent him into this. And what sent him on this path was a feeling of sadness and longing, not evil.”
“I think we’ve Lost point of the question.”
“Your question was what I care about most. These people cared about certain things because of pure intentions. My intentions are not pure and thus what I care about most changes all the time. I live for the moment toi could say.”
“I see.” Zif replied slowly, “Well while I’m sure we all found the constructs interesting that seemed a bit overdone.”
“I suppose.” The identity replied, defragmenting the construct, “but toi DID find it interesting.” She smirked. “What’s our suivant question? This is fun.”
The loup was now a tad put off par this small game Virus was playing but silently returned to his cards. “Alright, what kind of changes have gone through your life, if any?”
“There’s quite a few stages to that one.” She replied while sitting down once again. “After well… birth, I was quite spry. Still am, but teenagers and all that. I sported a green look to boot.”
“Was this before becoming a villain?”
“In a sense. I was plus like an Anti-Hero, ou bounty-hunter. I helped save the day, then pulled the rug out from under everyone’s feet, a lot. And they… hated me for it.” She slowed before clearing her throat, “Later on I got to be an actual teenager for a while. Got sent to a different dimension, and went to a High School. Unsurprisingly I was the Goth Girl.”
“Did toi go to the Prom?” Zif asked jokingly.
“Yes actually.” She nodded, “It was quite the experience. I didn’t really have a date, well willing dates, but it was still fun. I wore a black and purple dress if I recall. Despite my… repulsive personality it was the rare time I actually considered being the good guy. But,” she sighed, “fate didn’t really like that. I got summoned to a aléatoire dimension and here we are.”
Zif noticed the changes in tone and attitude, “You have regrets?”
“Everyone has regrets. Me… probably plus than most. But living in the past is for people who can’t handle it. On to the future.”
“Anything notable?” Zif pressed despite realizing the hint to déplacer on.
“Betrayal is one.” She replied quickly. “A lot of betrayal. Quite frankly it doesn’t bother me too much, at least most of them.”
“Any that did?” Zif was talking calmly but inside he did become nervous. Right now this villain was being tame, and if he set her off, if he angered her in any way, what would she do?
“One… she hesitated but added “two… they were both quite alike. One of the few things I’d probably take back if I could.”
“Family ou lover?”
“Lover, what else?” She looked to the side, remembering these two people from her past, “except for we never actually got that close… And toi want to know why I’m guessing. Well,” she turned back to Zif, “the first man I had a thing for actually cared… but I didn’t, didn’t… enough. He made the first move, and I laughed in his face. Later on someone framed me, making me look like a traitor to him. He paid the price and thought I actually betrayed him. I didn’t deny it. I was innocent, but I didn’t care, and later on I did really betray him.”
“And the next?”
“I didn’t like the seconde one as much. He reminded me of the first. But I did like him. Of course a few other girls I knew did too, and this being during my Goth-girl phase, he didn’t really care for me. I killed someone, pretended to be them, and only when as our alter-egos did he approach me. And when he found out… he was fine with it. And we almost had something.” She sighed, “but then he disappeared… and then he changed. He fell in l’amour with my opposite if toi can believe it, which is ironic for dozens of reasons.”
“So you’re single then?” Zif smirked slightly.
“Not in the least.” She smirked back, peering her eyes in a sort of devious stare. “but we all have Old Flames. Old crushes are the ones that hurt the most.”
“Are toi happy with your current… er… boyfriend?”
“That’s the right word for it, and I’d like to think so. Granted we aren’t that close yet, but it’s been an experience. He definitely cares so that’s a pro.”
Zif nodded, “I have to wonder though, doesn’t all that kind of… defy being a villain?”
She shrugged, “Depends on what toi think a villain is. We went over the whole reasons thing already, so we won’t have to go over that little topic, but there are a few plus variables in villainy. If someone’s a villain are they not allowed to have love? Are they not allowed to be nice if they’d like? Do they have to make sure that what they do is seen as scary?”
“Well, yes.”
“Wrong.” She a dit with a raised finger, “Villains are wrong-doers, but wrong-doers sometimes have empires, and heirs. So if I feed my workers so they don’t die am I not a villain? If I… *cough* *cough* honeymoon so that someone takes my place in the future, so me being with that person a pure good thing? I’m the definition of me. I don’t have to be the definition of villainy. I do what I like, ou what I think is best, ou worst, ou good, ou evil. Chaos is my element, and just like an infection I spread my Nanites and will, for whatever reason.”
“So Chaos is your drive? Because it’s your element?”
“I had electricity before chaos, and I was even worse when that happened. But the difference between those two was that back then I wanted to conquer, and just go ‘mwahaha’. Why? Because I thought that I had to, that it was my destiny. Nowadays I spit in destiny’s eye. Zonac’s to be specific.”
“Zonac?” Zif inquired with a confused stare. “Is that a word for destiny ou a person?”
“Both. It’s from my accueil world.” She chuckled faintly, “The Seven Servers… That’s another story. Moving on?”
Zif nodded. “Do toi think that things could have been different for toi than they are now?”
“Different? Like alternate realities?””
“Exactly.”
She laid back, once again looking back though time… ou maybe, was she possibly looking forward? For that matter what if it was neither? What if she was looking to those other worlds, different worlds, better, worlds?
“What would toi have liked to have happen if things were different?” Zif continued since Virus made no reply.
She titled her head, swaying her ears accordingly, “I’d say… In another world… I’d have a plus stable personality. But I don’t live in that world. And I don’t plan to. This is what I’ve been dealt, and people who want to change something simply destroy what is natural. But even then, that’d be fine with me in many regards. Confused yet?”
“Only a bit.” Zif flipped through his questions, “You’ve answered a lot of these already so we’re down to our last.”
“Ooooo…” She a dit happily while pulling her feet up onto the canapé like an excited teenager, “exciting, let’s hear it.”
Zif cleared his throat a final time, “Do toi think you’ll win?... In the end?” He added.
“No.” She replied bluntly. “I don’t try to guess. I’m going to try to win, but… I’ve tried so hard. And got so far, but in the end… it doesn’t even matter.”
“That’s a song isn’t it?” Zif noted. “Is there a serious answer behind it ou was that just a poor joke?”
“You don’t like my dated reference?” She shot back. Oh well. We are at the end of the interview now?” her smile faded, as if disappointed.
Zif searched through his notes. “Sadly yes. Anything toi want to add?” He looked up from his papers… she was gone. Was she really gone, ou was the room about to explode? The audience frantically scoured the room but no one saw anything.
Amidst the search, Zif moved backstage, turning around, and colliding face first into what felt like a kiss… but the impact was so quick he could not tell. But he could guess.
The montrer was not finished just yet however. The ground began to rumble as a red light filled the stage and seating area. Then in a brighter red light Virus appeared in the middle, her stripes glowing once again. “Ladies and Gentlemen…” She a dit aloud, “it’s been a pleasure.” She took a bow then vanished with an indoor fireworks light montrer going on, creating various patterns and picture of scenery, people, shapes, etc.
When the fireworks began to settle, they all landed on one part of the floor, making a picture, a symbol. It was the symbol of the Anti-Identities. It too lit up, then vanished. The interview had ended.
NAME: orange the Hedgehog
GENDER: Male
POWERS: He can control fire, he can control ice, he can control electricity, he can control earth, he has super-speed, he can fly, he is super-strong and he is invincible
GIRLFRIENDS: Every girl in the series
LOOKS: An orange hedgehog with black eyes
BACKSTORY: His hometown was destroyed par Eggman so now he wants revenge on him
SUPER FORM: His super form is darker orange and he still has black eyes and ALL THE POWERS IN THE WORLD!!!OMG!!
HYPER FORM: His hyper form is exactly like his Super Form except he is neon orange
DARKSPINE FORM: His super form with white stripes and no pupils
DARK FORM: The same as his Darkspine form
WEREHOG FORM: He is exactly like Sonics’ except orange
GENDER: Male
POWERS: He can control fire, he can control ice, he can control electricity, he can control earth, he has super-speed, he can fly, he is super-strong and he is invincible
GIRLFRIENDS: Every girl in the series
LOOKS: An orange hedgehog with black eyes
BACKSTORY: His hometown was destroyed par Eggman so now he wants revenge on him
SUPER FORM: His super form is darker orange and he still has black eyes and ALL THE POWERS IN THE WORLD!!!OMG!!
HYPER FORM: His hyper form is exactly like his Super Form except he is neon orange
DARKSPINE FORM: His super form with white stripes and no pupils
DARK FORM: The same as his Darkspine form
WEREHOG FORM: He is exactly like Sonics’ except orange