Super Reporter System - Huntsville Express

Chapter Type: Background, Plot Elements

The Huntsville Express takes up the third floor of the Johnston Building, along with a dentist office and a law firm that deals only with estate transfers. The air conditioning is loud, the heater is louder, and no matter what building maintenance seems to do, there are dead cockroaches found in their kitchen area.

Hey, System? Can I use my new powers to help kill those roaches off for good?

[True. You should be able to identify their lair and set bait traps that will eliminate the colony.]

Awesome…

Brain waves at his boss, Luther Stern, whose office is just left of the receptionist's desk. Luther is slightly taller and much more muscular than Brian, from his time in the army. Knowing that much about Luther has always intimidated Brian. Instead of waving back, Luther beckons him into the office.

Well, I wonder what he wants this time?

[Insufficient data for theory.]

Okay, System. Just be quiet unless I ask you something. I need to focus on what the boss wants.

[By your command.]

"Hey, boss. What's up?"

"Do you have anything you want to tell me?"

Oh, crap, Brian thought. He already knows.

"Well, okay. I got spored."

Luther relaxes at the news.

"I guess I'm the one in four survivors who didn't get any powers." He continues. "I knew I needed to get back here and write my story, though."

"Lean forward, Matthews. Let me see your eyes."

"Uhm, Okay…"

"I can still see your left eye is bloodshot. Now, why would a nurse call me and warn me that you'd suffered a stroke?"

Brian spread his hands. "My brain X-Rays came back clean, boss."

"Don't you get that way with me, Matthews. Get your story in, and then go check your butt back into that hospital. You don't come back here without a doctor's note."

"But, I'm fine."

"Well, then you won't have a problem convincing a doctor of that, will you?"

"I guess not, boss. Thanks for looking out for me."

Luther then waves Brian out of his office, and gets back to working on his computer.

#

At the same time, a military jeep, a battered HMHVV model 2, is pulling into two parking spaces at Birmingham Hospital in Grandview Medical Center. Two people in military uniforms with armbands that read MP (for Military Police) get out and go into the emergency room.

"Excuse me, nurse. Can you direct us to Brian Matthews?"

She types on the computer, makes an inquisitive noise, and then types again. "He's checked himself out."

"What about James Baker?"

More typing. "Room 107. But you can't…"

But the two men are already heading down the wrong hallway. They get to the wall map intended to help people navigate out in event of a fire, and make their way to 107. There is a uniformed policeman there.

"Officer Randal." Says one of the men.

"Sergeant White. I guess you're here to ask him questions?"

"Mandatory reaction to a meta-awakening incident."

"Yup yup. Just making sure." Officer Randal stands to one side to let the military men past.

Neither is surprised to see the large amount of bandages on Mr. Baker's face and arms. He is awake, although his words slur slightly.

"Hello, gentlemen. I thought the FBI would beat you here. I'm ready to answer questions, but I gotta warn you, they've got me on the GOOD meds."

The questions are done within half an hour. The sergeant holds out a business card. "There are training facilities at Redstone Arsenal if you want help adjusting to your new body."

"Sure, sure." He says, but drops the card onto the floor as soon as they've gone.

As if he would let the military supervise him. He isn't just James Baker anymore; he is now reborn in a body with superior muscles. He is now Muscleborn.

On their way to the parking lot, Sergeant White stops by the office for the Head of Nursing. He hands over a standardized form, and gets a small printout with Brian Matthew's home address. He reports over the radio, and the jeep begins making its way northward, toward the Matthews household.

#

Another figure is approaching Huntsville from the northeast, a human figure moving through the air in direct violation of physics. She stays high enough to avoid power lines, trees, and buildings, but stays low enough to avoid commercial radar detection.

In fact, Stephanie worries more about that radiation than she does about the obstacles, which she avoids with ease. Unlike some flyers, she has precise control over her trajectory. And although she could have been in Huntsville already, she also keeps under the sound barrier.

Besides, she enjoys watching the scenery roll past underneath her.

She is dressed in SWAT armor, colored precisely to identify her as Femme Falcon (Hawk-woman was already claimed by a comic book, and some bitch in France is trying to sue her to change her hero name.).

She is also seeking Brian Matthews, and is carrying a cell phone with his home address highlighted on Google Maps.

#

In an alley behind a coin operated laundromat, the police have found a second headless body. Like the first, it appears to have been slashed off.

The coroner has not finished examination of the first, and thus has not mis-identified the wound as having been caused by a chainsaw.

It's not his fault; he has no way of knowing what is doing these decapitations.

#

Unaware of any of these events, Brian Matthews is happily typing on his computer, not noticing that his typing speed has nearly doubled, and that he isn't making as many typing errors as normal. He is busily rendering the story of James Baker, spoiled heir to the Baker estate, and how his new Musclehead powers have caused him grave injury.

He hasn't even noticed that when he thinks Musclehead, his fingers actually type Muscleborn.

At the cubicle next to him, Claire Winter is rising, gathering her car keys and purse. She is a dark skinned woman, just a little too much on the plump side for Brian to find attractive.

"Early day for you, too?" Brian asked.

"I wish. Nope, some sicko is cutting the heads off people in alleys."

Brian felt uneasy, but couldn't put his finger on a cause for why. "Well, be careful."

Claire flips her keying, catching the keys in her palm. "Hah. This isn't like the Frank Chambers thing. And I came through that just fine."

"Okay. Please be careful anyway."

"Tell you what? If I see someone with the world's biggest pair of scissors, I'll run away before he can ask if I want a haircut. Okay?"

"Okay, god bless, Claire."

"Have a blessed day, Brian. And get well soon."

Brian sat back down at his computer, not noticing that his hands were moving without him consciously directing them.

I sure hope she'll be okay.

[Probable. She checked her mace and concealed pocket knife before leaving her desk. You have seen her twice with injuries, once from her son's softball game, and once by Frank Chambers.]

Brian performs a quick search, verifying that Frank Chambers is still over three years from his first parole hearing.

Thank god, he thinks, returning to his story.

Normally, he checks for errors in spelling or grammar, but today he just saves the file and attaches it to an email to Luther. He is halfway to the door before he realizes he's on autopilot.

I guess this whole medical thing has me off kilter.

[Probable. Changes of this magnitude often cause mental stress.]

Yeah, whatever. How long do you think the hospital will charge my insurance for before letting me go?

[Based on your past memories, System estimates eight to twenty-four hours.]

Great. That was just great.

From his car, he calls his wife. "Hey, honey. I need to talk to you."

"Oh, god, Brian. If it's about the cost of eggs, I know already. Just buy them, okay?"

Eggs?

[You are supposed to pick up milk and eggs on your way home.]

"No. No, honey, it's not about that. I was sent to cover that Flower of Fate thing between here and Madison."

"When will you be home?" She sounded irritated. Nothing unusual, she always did when his job interrupted her plans for their life together.

"Sweetie, I'm going in to the UAB hospital today. They'll probably want to monitor my vitals or some such until tomorrow."

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just took a seed."

"You…"

"I'm fine. No visible powers."

"No super strength?"

"No super strength."

"No moving the laundry around with your mind?"

"Nothing like that. I promise."

"Once you have your room number, you call back. The girls will want to see you."

"Deal. And sweetie?"

"Yeah?"

"I am so sorry about the milk and eggs. I'll get them tomorrow, okay?"

"You'd better, you know how Sarah gets if we try to just give her a pop tart. Come to think of it, get a box of pop tarts, too."

"Strawberry?"

"No, let's mix it up this week. Chocolate."

How many of those will get to the kids, and how many are for you? Brian thought.

"Deal, call you soon."

"Okay."