Valeshroud City Hall
Mayor's Office
November 6, 2010
9:30 AM
"Press conference, press conference, comic book sale, press conference, Zen running unopposed again...IS THIS WHAT QUALIFIES AS NEWS AROUND HERE?!" Alexander Zen, Mayor of Valeshroud City, crumpled up the latest issue of the VS Times newspaper and tossed it into the enormous fireplace that lie behind him. He was sitting at a large brown, ornately carved desk, upon which were several buttons and a telephone. Zen pressed one of the buttons on his desk and waited patiently. Before long, a voice came from one of the speakers that littered the ceiling.
"Yes, Mayor?" said the soft, timid voice of a woman who instinctively knew to fear Zen whenever he called.
"Have you read today's copy of the VS Times, Sarah?" Zen growled.
"Um...Y-yes, Mayor. The Silver Matador is having a press conference today around 10:30 and no one else is running for mayor in the upcoming election." Sarah said.
"That's all information I
already knew, Sarah." Zen tapped his hand impatiently on his desk before changing it into fist-form and banging on his desk harshly. The resulting loud thud startled Sarah, who let out a loud yelp.
"Quite down." Zen commanded. "Bring me one of the journalists for the newspaper. I'm sure there's more information out there that those incompetent fools aren't finding."
"Y-yes, Mayor. I will have a reporter sent to your office within 5 minutes, sir."
"Make it 2."
"T-two? Y-yes, Mayor." Sarah said. A loud click sound signified the end of the communication, and within 1.59.99 minutes, the stereotypical surfer dude/journalist guy walked through the door. He was wearing a red jacket over a white shirt and blue jeans. Professional.
"Yo, Mr. Mayor, dude! What's happenin'?" It was Johnny Velazquez, self proclaimed ace reporter for the VS Times and responsible for gathering much news around the city. Rumor has it that he has spy connections, but he repeatedly denies the accusations.
Slightly taken aback by Johnny's...lack of formality, to say the least, Zen just brushed it off and, as calmly as possible, said "What's your name?"
"Haha, dude, I'm like, Johnny Velazquez, the VS Times' ace reporter!" Johnny held up his first and second fingers on his right hand in the shape of a "V". "I'm the best journalist this town has to offer, dude. So, like, how come you haven't heard of me?"
"Good question. Perhaps your arrogance rendered you invisible." Zen scowled.
"Dude, like, totally uncalled for. I like, really am the best reporter those guys have. You can even ask the editor-in-chief, dude."
"Yes, yes, fine, Ace Reporter. Now, my reason for calling you here is-
"You want to thank me for my awesome journalist skills, right? Dude, like, could you just submit an e-mail or something? I, like, have report-
"I'M NOT HERE TO THANK YOUR FOR YOUR BLASTED REPORTING SKILLS." Zen roared. With a deep breath and a huge sigh, he continued, composure regained. "I want to know why every thing in the paper today is old news."
"What? Dude, like, I have to keep covering every story. News isn't just, like, one of those hit it and quit it things, you know? I have to report on a story and follow it up. Otherwise, people forget about it, dude." Johnny pulled out a rolled up copy of the paper from his jacket pocket and set it down on Zen's desk. "See, dude? Like, this thing about the press conference for the Silver Matador. It was announced, like, a week ago, but if I didn't keep up daily coverage, people would have totally forgotten about it."
"You're missing the point, Velazquez! EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE IN THIS PAPER IS REPEATED FROM A PREVIOUS ISSUE!" Zen yelled. "There is not a SINGLE article here that I haven't read before! Now, there is a disaster in this city almost every week! Do you expect me to believe that it just happens to be quiet now?!"
Johnny sighed and smiled, shaking his head in...disapproval? Happiness? Showing off his hair? "Haha, dude. Like, I'm totally doing this for you!" Johnny laughed.
"What on Earth are you talking about?" Zen was thoroughly perplexed by the statement.
"Well, dude, like, I'm not supposed to hide the news, but there were totally two incidents at the Vale Medical Research Institute last night." Johnny chuckled.
"What? What are you talking about?
Two? I saw something about one of the researchers accidentally electrocuting himself or something but-
"Haha, that's like, totally what I want you to believe."
"WHAT?"
"Yea, dude. The researcher, Dr. Jonathan Ashwell, was like, shoved into one of the glass chambers down at the institute and electrocuted. Totally not an accident, and people are suspecting his intern."
"That is...not too out of the ordinary. What's this
second event you were talking about?" Zen was quite intrigued now and was staring intently at Johnny as if trying to read the info from his mind.
"Haha. Like, turns out that a researcher checking out Malignant #134 died, dude. Entire underground part of the institute just blew up. 134 probably escaped." Johnny said in a completely matter-of-fact way. "Crazy, huh?"
"WHAT?! WHY THE
HELL DIDN'T YOU PUT THAT IN THE PAPER? DO YOU REALIZE-
"I think you've totally answered your own question there, dude." Johnny nodded.
"What are you talking about?" Zen glared, clenching his teeth and his fists.
"Like, people would totally overreact. Dude, think about it, okay? If people found out that two researchers died mysteriously and the most powerful being in the city is possibly out on the streets, and this is all under your reign, dude, you totally wouldn't be re-elected. As dumb as these citizens are, dude, they aren't, like,
that dumb."
"You mean...You've altered the news for...re-electing me?" Zen was completely confused now and could be seen faintly shuddering from the worst news he could possibly hear.
"Haha, more or less, dude. Now, like, is that all? I, like, have work-
"Wait! Tell me, Velazquez...How do you know all of this?"
"Like I said, dude." Johnny held up both hands in a "V" for victory sign again before saying "Johnny Velazquez, ace reporter! Adios, dude." Without another word, Johnny did a few backflips out of the Mayor's office.
"Dear God...That can't be true..." Zen muttered, slamming the same button on his desk. A click sound later and he was speaking with the receptionist again.
"Y-yes, Mayor?" Sarah asked.
"Have the police sent to VMRI immediately. I fear something truly, truly terrible may have happened..."
"Terrible? What do you-
"Please, Sarah. Just...do this." Zen said feebly, completely unlike his normal mayor self. He was even scarier now than he was normally.
"Yes, Mayor." Sarah replied.
Moments later, many a siren were being sounded outside City Hall as a dozen police cars were flying toward the Vale Medical Research Institute.
