Chapter 7: The Virus Zone
Void and SNT held hands and smiled as AVG joined them. They walked inside the conference room where Minister Norton was waiting for them.
"Ah Void Ranger, welcome to the conference call." Said Norton as he pulled up chairs for both Void and SNT.
"Thank you Minister Norton." Said Void as he and SNT got comfortable after sitting down.
"I believe you have some news for me?" Void asked as he looked at SNT and then to Norton.
"Yes my child, we do. 24 hours ago, a shady deal on the black market went sour." Said Norton as he pressed a button on his remote revealing a fraud victim who looked like a similar ranger to Hacker but with orange coloured armour and a green visor for eyes.
"Wait a minute, I know this clown!" Shouted Hacker, "Minister Norton, I beg of you, keep this a*hole away from the U.A.V as much as possible!" He got on his knees and begged.
"What's the matter Hacker?" SNT asked looking worried, "I thought this would bring us good news since he decided to come forward with information against Optical Illusions."
Hacker looked up at the victim's profile picture with anger.
"This man... For many years... he insulted my intelligence, embarrassed me at recent corporate parties, and even threatened to blackmail me if I ever filed a restraining order against him. This man is a bad influence to anti-virus companies." Said Hacker.
"Don't be so sure Hacker." Said Void as he and SNT looked at the police report that were passed down to the pair by Norton.
"It says here that one, Virus Ranger attempted to purchase the development codes in an attempted sting operation. Catching on to Virus' intentions, Total AV accepted the wired money and handed Virus an empty script instead of the complete script that had everything ready for execution. Thus, Virus Ranger lost 2 million dollars and Total AV got away with fraud." Said Void as he read the report.
"Virus wants his 2 million dollars back and wishes to join forces with the U.A.V under the strict conditions that Void Ranger himself meets him at his private compound tomorrow... at nightfall." Said SNT as she read the demands within the police report.
Hacker protested, "Minister Norton, this isn't a good idea. I've seen Virus Ranger's programming skills and I don't trust him for beans."
"If Virus gets us into trouble, he will deal with me." Said Void as he looked towards Hacker with a serious face.
"But Void, what if he..." Asked Hacker who was looking nervous as ever.
"He will deal with me." Interrupted Void with an angry face.
Later that night, Void Ranger and SNT left the U.A.V headquarters and headed down towards the backstreets where Virus' compound was located.
The compound on the outside looked like an abandoned shed with only one wooden door.
Void approached the compound slowly and began to knock on the door. Immediately after Void knocked, the wooden door pushed itself open from the force of Void's knocking and both he and SNT heard a voice that came from what sounded like a vocoder.
"Come in." Said the robotic male voice.
Both Void and SNT entered cautiously, not knowing what to expect. Just for safety precautions, Void drew his sword and calmly approached the centre of the room.
Suddenly, the door slam shut as 2 masked hoodlums shut the door and locked it with a key. SNT and Void were afraid as the shady figures circled the pair.
Just then, the masked figures tackled both Void and SNT and beat them within an inch of their lives.
When Void and SNT woke up after the beating, they found themselves in a red binary coded laboratory, as SNT tried to get up from the chair, something was pulling on her hands which were preventing her from leaving. SNT was handcuffed to the rotating chair she was sitting on.
"Huh? Void! What's going on?!" Shouted SNT as she was trying to break free from the handcuffs. "Help! I've been caught!"
"SNT, I think we managed to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire." Said Void who was also struggling to escape.
Suddenly, they stopped struggling with the handcuffs as they heard the robotic voice once again, "Welcome mister Void, i've been expecting you."
Void suddenly realized, "Virus." Whispered Void to SNT as they spun themselves around to the orange ranger's presence.
"Tell me Void, what brings you here to my humble of home?" Asked Virus as he began to pace around the room while the masked men sat in front of 2 computers.
"Please let us go! We've done nothing wrong!" Cried SNT who was looking scared as she began to struggle once again to get free.
"Virus Ranger, listen to me. I'm here to make a deal, I will not fight you! I know what happened between you and Optical Illusions.
I know what Total AV did to you. I know he stole your money; 2 million dollars to be exact, and i'm aware that you inquired assistance." Said Void as he tried to reason with Virus.
"You know mister Void, after being involved with the U.A.V's affairs for years, you were always the most predictable ranger in this world and the next." Responded Virus as he continued circling the captured pair.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Attack! Send me into quarantine, I dare you!" Shouted Virus as he suddenly took out his pistol from his belt and aimed it at Void's forehead.
"I wish I could! But you have us chained up at the moment." SNT remarked in anger.
"Then permit me to ask you this question; little girl. Why did you partake in this mission of cyber security when you have zero experience within this field whatsoever?" Asked Virus as he looked down at SNT while turning and aiming his pistol at her forehead.
"Because the company that stole from you took someone dear to me, and I promised I was gonna get her back." Cried SNT as she shed a tear while looking up at Virus.
Virus then lowered his pistol and resumed circling around the room.
"If I am to join the united anti-virus movement, what do you have in return that will benefit me for my future?" Asked Virus as he put his hands on the table as Void and SNT spun to Virus' direction.
"A full time job as programmer." Said Void, "That way, in the event that Total AV did spend all your stolen money, a full time career in the U.A.V will help pay back everything you have lost."
"Besides, you will be helping victims just like you in not making the same mistakes you did when you made a shady online transaction." SNT pitched in.
Virus began to think about his future. Exactly one minute later, Virus responded with his answer.
"Guards, leave the girl! Load the boy onto a CD-Rom. It's time to break him." Said Virus as the masked men removed the cuffs on Void ranger and proceeded to pick him up and throw into another computer ad teleporter.
"What are you gonna do to us?!" Cried SNT as she was struggling to break the handcuffs once again.
"You and your little blueberry friend are about to be put into my virtual machine where you will be undergoing a gauntlet." Said Virus.
"Wait, a what?" Asked SNT looking confused, "What kind of a machine?"
"A virtual machine, it is a computer file, typically called an image, that behaves like an actual computer. In other words, a computer is created within a computer." Explained Virus,
"If you survive this gauntlet of cyber security... Not only will we join the U.A.V, but I will offer you this." Said Virus as he pulled out a black USB stick from his pocket containing his own virus which was capable of freezing computers and disabling privileges of all system administrators.
"And if we should lose?" Asked Void looking terrified towards Virus.
"Then you will spend the rest of your life trapped inside the computer... with the system 32 folder deleted." Said Virus ranger as he threatened to kill Void Ranger if he should lose the gauntlet.
"No! Don't do it Void!" Cried SNT as she was mortified from what she heard, but Virus didn't listen.
Suddenly, the masked men threw Void Ranger inside the computer ad where he wound up inside Virus' server where he landed in a program called MS Paint.
"You will never get away with this, Void Ranger will win! BECAUSE WE'RE SPECIAL!" Shouted SNT.
Virus laughed, "We shall see little chimera, we shall see."
GAUNTLET 1 – MS Paint
As Void woke up and began observing his surroundings, 2 black rectangles were being drawn on the screen. The rectangles then began to push Void into the walls as well as crush him and slam him to the ground.
Void stood no chance against the rectangles as they slammed him, squeezed him and even pushed him into the wall with brute force.
Just then, the masked men began to draw pistols and firearms in MS Paint which began to open fire on Void. Luckily Void managed to dodge all the bullets that went after him, but Void was still no match for the black rectangles who still beat him into submission.
"Uncle... uncle..." Cried Void as he was severely injured.
GAUNTLET 1 - FAIL
Virus then gestured the masked men to activate the Poison-Ivy virus on their computer mouses which caused every movement of the computer mouses to be automated without any user interaction.
"Stop It! Please stop this! You're gonna kill him!" Shouted SNT who was squirming and struggling.
GAUNTLET 2 – Remote Control Trojan
As MS Paint closed, Void fell a few feet and landed in the desktop. When Void got to his feet, he met face to face with the computer's cursor.
The cursor proceeded to punch Void on the face, stab him to the ground, pick him up and slam him as well as perform drill attacks which caused Void to lose a lot of energy.
Another attack the cursor performed was known as the downward stab where the cursor would perform a quick stab with tremendous force.
Suddenly, Void ranger found a very large file cabinet and opened it up revealing a system file, Void Ranger was shocked.
"Oh my god! This is a system file! But then... If this system file is here, then where are the other 3?!" Asked Void as he was gobsmacked. He then came to a sudden revelation.
"With this... I can increase my system restore points." Said Void as he placed the system file in his pocket.
VOID RANGER FOUND A SYSTEM FILE
After obtaining the system file, the beatings unfortunately continued between the remote controlled cursors and Void Ranger. For the second time in the entire gauntlet, Void stood no chance against the Poison-Ivy virus controlled cursor.
After the attacks, the masked men terminated the Poison-Ivy process and resumed control to the user. As for Void Ranger, he was knocked out cold.
GAUNTLET 2 - FAIL
"Alright men, on my mark. Delete the system 32 folder, initiate the blue screen and finish him off!" Shouted Virus as he was furious towards Void's failure to complete the gauntlet.
"NOOOOOOO!" Screamed SNT as she shouted with all her heart.
...But it was too late, the masked men deleted the system 32 folders on the computers which instantly blue screened the devices they were operating.
"No! T-t-this can't be... Void Ranger is... Void... is... No!" Cried SNT as she was shaking her head distraught while trying her hardest not to believe what had happened.
"And I never had a chance to say goodbye... I never had a chance to say goodbye... VOID! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Cried SNT as she began to cry her heart out for the boy she cared about.
"Failure. Hilarious; isn't it my dear? And I honestly thought he was gonna pass this gauntlet with flying colours." Said Virus ranger as he was ready to gesture his men to power off the computers.
As the men were ready to pull the plugs on the computers which were located on the opposite ends of the rooms, SNT secretly grabbed the keys from one of the men's pocket to unlock her handcuffs and remove them.
Finally free, SNT knocked out Virus and the masked men with a boost and ran to the computer ad to pull Void out of the computer just before the computer shut down.
Unfortunately, after SNT pulled Void Ranger to safety, she held onto his lifeless body and cried as she mourned over the loss of her adorable blue partner.
As SNT comforted her deceased partner, the computers still weren't shut down. Suddenly, the Poison-Ivy virus was reactivated and the computer mouse automatically clicked on an audio file which played the choir portion of Daft Punk's song Touch in a loop.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
As she was crying, SNT looked down at Void and had an idea that she thought about last minute. SNT decided to unleash her special aura in Void's presence in hopes to revive him. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.
With no other option, SNT leaned towards Void in desperation and gave his lips a tender kiss. Suddenly, as SNT kissed Void, Void's body began to glow a pink bright light throughout his body; which by the time Virus and his men finally got back to their feet from injuries, they immediately had to cover their eyes to protect themselves from blindness.
The looped Daft Punk choir then grew louder and louder as SNT continued kissing her beloved partner as the light got brighter and brighter.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Once the glow dimmed down, SNT looked down towards Void and cried once again, all of a sudden, Void slowly moved his fingers and gently held onto her waist.
"*Gasp* VOID! You're alive, it's a miracle!" Cried SNT as she hugged Void with all her might, "I thought I lost you forever!"
"Oh SNT, I thought I lost you too." Cried Void as he hugged SNT in return, Void Ranger then became curious,
"Did you just activate system restore on me?" Asked Void as he held onto SNT's cheek.
SNT responded, "Yes!" As she wiped a tear off her face before grabbing Void by his waist and carrying him back to his feet.
Void suddenly leaned forward towards SNT as he kissed her as hard as possible while shedding tears of joy to finally be with her.
As SNT carried Void back up, the Daft Punk song faded away and the music file stopped playing.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home.
Hold on. If love is the answer, you're home...
After SNT and Void stopped sucking face with each other, they heard slow clapping on the opposite end of the room. It was Virus, and he was unimpressed at the couple utilizing the power of love to get through the gauntlet.
"I must admit Void, you have balls." Said Virus as he pointed to Void and then went into his wine cellar to pour himself a drink.
"You failed an entire gauntlet, only to have your sweet little chimera bring you back with the power of love... Honestly, I would have just formatted the hard drive and start again from scratch." Admitted Virus as he began to drink his wine.
Void ran towards Virus and threw a good hook to his jaw. "And that's for wasting one of my system restore points from your stupid gauntlet." Shouted Void in anger as SNT grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"Toucher Void, toucher." Said Virus as he put his hand on his mouth to check for binary coded blood. Virus then returned to his feet.
"Alright children, tell you what... Because I feel generous today, i'm gonna give you both one last gauntlet to attempt. But this one will not be as forgiving as the one Void almost died in."
SNT took up her fighting stance and Void drew his sword as the pair were ready to fight.
"What kind of gauntlet?" Asked Void as he stared down at Virus with an angry look in his eyes.
Suddenly, they heard screaming and shouting a few blocks away. Along with the yelling, they also heard the sounds of windows breaking and the sirens blaring.
It was the U.A.V building that was under attack.
Void and SNT ran towards the door and double boosted their way towards the U.A.V building where they discovered computers being thrown out the window and error messages sounding as all employees within the building were panicking.
Void and SNT walked in the building and discovered an army of viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, malware, phishers and worms; all of which were roaming around the hallway of the building while destroying everything in their path.
GAUNTLET 3 – Invasion
SNT began the gauntlet by performing a homing attack towards all the viruses in the hallway. One remaining virus tried to electrocute SNT.
But just before it unleashed it's electrical teeth on SNT, the virus was stabbed by Void's sword as he jumped onto the virus and grabbed his sword, disintegrating the virus from existence.
Void then jumped again and body slammed himself onto the worms, eliminating them from the equation. But just then, a Trojan horse made the sound of a naying horse as it tackled Void to a wall and tried to run him over.
Seeing what was happening and vowed never to lose Void again, SNT curled into a ball and decapitated the Trojan Horse's wheels. The Trojan was incapacitated and both SNT and Void held each other's hands and double boosted.
SNT then turned around and was greeted by phishers who gave SNT pictures of dead memes from internet history. "Excuse me miss, do you have a few moments to talk about our lord and savior Churrrrrr..."
The phisher's speech was cut short as Void's sword pierced the phisher's heart. Void then proceeded to stab the other 3 fake salesmen who attempted to steal from SNT.
Just then, the spyware ran towards the pair with their pistols. They opened fire until they ran out of bullets. Void and SNT smirked at each other and knew exactly what to do. SNT performed her homing attack on half the spyware and Void slashed and stabbed the other half with his sword.
The final straw was when the malware and worms were retreating. As they attempted to retreat, SNT pressed a button on a nearby control panel causing the doors to close on the computer threats resulting in immediate disintegration of all the remaining viruses that were thrown towards the U.A.V.
GAUNTLET 3 – PASS
After the gauntlet was over, all the employees and ministers gathered around Void and SNT. Relieved that the virus invasion is finally over, all the employees and ministers got down on their knees and bowed before them. SNT and Void blushed as they saw what was happening.
Void and SNT suddenly heard the same male robotic voice once again that they heard hours before entering the building. "Well done my new friends, well done." Said Virus as he and his masked men entered the establishment while clapping.
"I honestly thought you didn't have it in you, but I was wrong." Said Virus as he approached Void and SNT.
"You got guts kid, you got guts." Said one of the masked men who bowed before Void.
"No doubt about that, you can definitely kick some a*." Said the other masked man who was complimenting SNT.
Virus, the masked men and all employees of the U.A.V then joined together and applauded for the 2 heroes who were praised for everything they have done for the company at this point.
Void then turned to SNT and held her waist while SNT held his chest. "SNT, you were amazing." Said Void as he blushed towards her. "Well you... you're special..." Said SNT as they kissed each other while everyone around them were cheering for the couple.
As SNT and Void continued to kiss as everyone cheered for them, Norton was the only ranger who wasn't happy to see them celebrating.
Hacker approached Norton and asked him, "Hey what gives? Why aren't you celebrating with our heroes?" Asked Hacker.
"This wasn't a victory Hacker, this was just 2 warriors surviving a gauntlet." Answered Norton.
Suddenly, Virus then approached Void and gave him a present, "Void ranger, my friend. As promised, my greatest creation... The Gruel worm." Said Virus as he gave Void his black USB key.
Hacker then realized what was happening and became furious, "HEY, THAT'S MY SCRIPT! THAT JACKA* STOLE MY SCRIPT!" Shouted Hacker.
Norton then turned to Hacker, "So you were the one who left your computer open after hours."
Hacker simply ignored Norton and looked salty towards Virus.
The crowd then cheered once again for SNT and Void, "KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!"
Without hesitating, Void and SNT kissed once again and everyone gave them a round of applause. Norton then looked at Hacker and gestured him to open up his laptop.
"Take note Hacker, the Virus gauntlet is over... But the battle to recover Void's stolen development codes is about to commence. Our only hope now, is to leave fate... to chance." Said Norton as he looked down at Void & SNT while Hacker took notes on his portable laptop.