Super Reporter System - News Flash

Chapter Type: Origin, System

Brian Matthews hadn't wanted the story. The last time someone covered a Flower of Fate story, Roy had become Blazing Thomas, and retired to become a superhero.

"Why do we need to be there? Is getting the jump on who the new superheroes and supervillains really worth risking our lives?"

His boss, Luther Stern, looked at him like something he'd just scraped off his shoe. "Matthews! Stop being a wimp! The worst thing that will happen is you'll start making the news instead of reporting it. Get out there, and interview people that alien artifact gives powers to."

It wasn't as if it was even NEWS anymore. Not with people knocking the tops off skyscrapers by almost jumping over them, or idiots killing each other with mid-air collisions.

Most people were over the super-phenomenon, if Brian had to be honest. People with super-strength would always try to be just a little more super, and give themselves hernias, or put themselves into wheelchairs.

And the fact that the living flowers from space only gave each person one power meant that the police could still handle most of the powered crime incidents. "Immunity to beanbag rounds" didn't seem to be a priority among powers granted.

After six months, legislation was actually starting to catch up with those who would use their powers recklessly or maliciously.

The science… was lacking. The powers seemed to pull energy or even mass from a parallel universe, or dispatch those out to the same. All that science had proven was that superpowers caused a burst of short-lived quantum particles in the local area.

That, and practical experience had shown that most powers could be used in incredibly dumb and sometimes suicidal ways.

Powers were not a blessing; they were a curse. And now Brian was having to drive out to the boonies, where another of the so-called Flowers of Fate had drifted to ground.

The alien bush would release spores over a twelve-hour period; those spores would seek out living beings over their six-hour lifespan. And the creatures they chose would either die, or become ill, or gain superpowers.

Even with his Google Maps application on his "smart" phone, he had difficulty finding the dirt roads that led to the farm. Identifying the farm was easy; all manner of autos, motorcycles, even a Winnebago and a helicopter were present.

Brian followed the guidance of a skimpily clad farmwife into a parking spot.

"That'll be ten dollars, hun."

"I'll need a receipt." Brian said, handing the money over.

She winked at him. "Such a comedian. We'll validate your parking on the way out."

Well, that was ten dollars he was never seeing again.

Okay, he swept his hair back with both of his hands. Time to see the circus.

The wind was blowing westerly, and there was a crowd of people to the west, getting as close to the Flower as the local police would let them. Not far away, two local ambulances had set up a triage area. Brian decided to start there, passing around the east side of the Flower.

The EMTs were taking no chances, exposing as little flesh as they could. They were clustered around two patients.

One weeping woman was wrapped in a brown woolen blanket, visibly shrinking as he watched. "It's not fair, it's not fair." She kept repeating. "I only wanted to be young again, is that so wrong?"

The other was a teenage boy, whose skin was growing a thick coat of fur. Behind his long bangs, his eyes stared away, like those of a traumatized soldier. "Mook." He said. "Mook."

"C'mon kid, stay with us. Do you remember your name?" an EMT said, moving a finger slowly back and forth before the boy's face.

"Robert. Robert Pask. Mook."

"Just the two survivors?" Brian asked, noticing the seven body bags, and five others waiting for occupants.

"So far, it's three. The bozo with the helicopter started growing muscles. Said he didn't need it anymore, and just jumped off that way, toward town."

"How many jumps?"

"I saw two. Your guess is as good as mine, where he landed and how. We're just waiting for the radio call to pick him up… unless the coroner gets that call. Ted Willows."

"Brian Matthews." He shook the EMT's hand. "I'm surprised you don't have a doctor on call here."

"Not a lot of them willing to risk it, after what happened to Doctor Mercy."

Doctor Mercy had been a successful surgeon in Detroit. Her super-power was healing, but at the cost of all but fifty-five of her IQ points. She was still doing miracles, but she had problems feeding herself.

"Yeah, I'm just fine being a mundane."

"Well, now might be a good time to mention you got a seed on your sleeve."

"Where?"

"Other sleeve, near your watch."

A quick puff of breath, and the seed was drifting downwind. "Oh thanks, I don't know what I would've done if…"

Brian began coughing, but it was too late. There was a warmth coming from the back of his throat.

"Oh, god, did he just…"

"Swallowed seed! Swallowed seed!"

"Well, I'll get a bag ready for him." A third said.

Some of the survivors, those who remembered, reported hearing a voice. Brian heard that voice now, from the warm spot near where his tonsils had once been removed, resounding off the inside of his skull.