Uno and Fog: Wilted Roses

I have never faced someone that could make plants grow rapidly or move. There’s the middle aged lady in the old world that goes by Mother Nature, well actually Mutter Natur, but the same thing. There’s also the Dryad out on the west coast.

The two of them tend to avoid cities and people in them and there are not a lot of videos on what either of them do, mainly because those that invade their territory probably end up as fertilizer.

I do know several things though. The plants don’t have a nervous system the way humans do, they have no heart I can stop, no brain I can directly interfere with. Sending electricity through them can cause the sap in their veins to burst out which is as messy (and in the case of things with thorns, bark or tough material like wood can be exceedingly dangerous.

So my ability to act is limited. The woman is glaring furiously at two people, and I can see rose vines circling around the chairs and onto the table of the party. Her hair is blond with a greenish tinge to it. I’m not sure if its dyed that way because its fashionable or if the color has changed now that her powers are manifesting.

I reach out to try and put her to sleep but every attempt to connect to her slips away.
People are already figuring out something is wrong and on a level where someone endowed with gifts is involved. The city is big enough and there are enough of them around that people don’t spend a lot of time gawking.

I look over at April, she is watching the woman, less with fear than fascination.

“Get under the table.”

“I doubt she can permanently harm me.”

“It will still hurt,” I point out, “and your recovery could give you away.”

“Fine.” She ducks under the table.

I scan the room for security cameras and then the building. I follow the path to the stations where any records are, then short out the cameras and hope I’ve taken out the digital record too. The less trace I leave, the better.
In the time it took me to do that, vines have wrapped around the two people and started to squeeze. I can see clothing getting torn, pricks of blood sullying the clothing.

“I swear I didn’t do anything.” The young man protests.

She leans in close to him her face inches from his, hissing. “I. Saw. Both. Of. You.”

The rest of the party is back way, and older couple is huddle together looking shocked and dismayed. I wonder if its her parents. I take that moment to accelerate. Not too much just enough to be faster and run at her. The plants haven’t moved too fast and maybe I can just straight up knock her out.

As I am close enough to connect, my foot hits a snag, Whether it was merely a growth down there, it was intentional on her part as an act of self defense, or God forbid she’s imbued the plants with some kind of sentience, I don’t know but it sends me flying right into her as if I was trying to tackle her.

She lets out a cry as we fall to the ground tangled up in each other.

I wish The Fog was here. He’s probably have weed killer somewhere on his person for just this possibility. Although I have to wonder how much one would need in this situation.

 

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