Clover ☓ Eggsy Unwin

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"Mr. President, my name is Poppy Adams," The redhead on the screen said. She decked out in a yellow dress with a light and chirpy voice, "I believe the UN has no teeth. So I've selected you, as leader of the free world, to receive this communication. And I invite you to begin negotiations... on the largest scale hostage situation in history. A few weeks ago," She continued, "An engineered virus was released, contained in all varieties of my product. Cannabis, cocaine, heroin, opium, ecstasy and crystal meth."

"Holy shit," Eggsy whispered and Clover could only nod, her eyes remaining glued to the screen.

"Some of you are already infected. And this is what you can expect in the coming days...After a brief incubation period...victims present with stage one symptoms," Poppy snapped her fingers and the glass panels on one of the cubed rooms behind her cleared, revealing a man covered with veins shaded blue. "A blue rash."

"That's what we saw at the festival," Eggsy muttered.

"And it looks like what Tequila had, too," Clover replied.

"Next...second stage symptoms," Poppy continued, clicking her fingers once again. "Mania, as the virus enters the brain," The person behind Poppy was revealed to be dancing deliriously. "Very distressing to the victim and those around them," She whispered to the camera.

"Stage three," With a snap of her fingers, Poppy revealed another man, standing almost completely still in a contorted fashion, gasping for air, "Paralysis. Muscles enter a state of catastrophic seizure. And once the muscles of the thorax become affected breathing becomes impossible...leading to a very nasty death within 12 hours," The man's eyes seemed to explode in their sockets as blood began to pour from his nose onto the floor. Clover gasped, one of her hands coming to rest against her lips.

"But I have good news to the millions already affected," Poppy said, walking to the final block, "It doesn't have to be this way. I have an antidote," She pulled out a small glass vial filled with a golden liquid and with a final snap of her fingers, she revealed Elton John. Clover's head tilted in slight confusion though she watched on. The doctor in Elton's room moved forward and poured the liquid into John's mouth before stepping back. Within moments, the blue rash pulled back and the singer was able to move freely.

"What have you done to me, you fucking bitch?" He shouted within the room.

Poppy shifted awkwardly and adjusted her glasses, "100% effective...and ready to ship out worldwide at a moment's notice."

"Get out of my room!" Elton screamed at the doctor in the background after sitting on his bed.

"You have my word," Poppy ignored the singer.

"Get out!"

"I will do this...if the following conditions are met," She continued.

"Get out of my fucking room!"

"First, you agree to end the war on drugs, once and for all. All classes of substance are legalised...paving the way to a new marketplace in which sales are regulated and taxed as per alcohol," She began, "And second, my colleagues and I receive full legal immunity. Meet my terms and I look forward to helping you keep our beloved country great...boosting our ailing economy, and easing spending on law enforcement. Or continue this blinkered, outmoded and, frankly, disastrous exercise in prohibition and live with blood on your hands. Save lives. Legalise."

The screen faded...and the group looked between each other before silently agreeing to leave the saloon.

. . .

News broadcasts about Poppy's virus were on a loop, hospitals were full as people began to enter stage two of the virus which had been dubbed 'The Dancing Disease'. Including Tequila who had to be cryofrozen in order to prevent the virus in his system from going any further. As for the president, he had yet to come out of emergency talks in order to make a statement.