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A headache was already budding in Teru’s head as he set the cookie tin down.
All the buzz about the Divine Tree was all that anybody would talk about at school anymore. Apparently their leader had revealed himself last night, and the entire town was going even more crazy than they were before. Teru didn’t really buy into the whole thing: it seemed like a textbook definition cult to him, but it didn’t really seem to be causing anybody any harm, so it was tricky to call anyone out on it. They were just enjoying themselves, he supposed. There was that whole festival going on downtown too, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. He never thought he’d see so much broccoli themed and flavored foods in his life.
However, the cookies he had been given did look pretty good. A classmate of his had made them just for him, and the gesture was too sweet to turn down. He gave his head a rub before shrugging off his school jacket and tossing it onto the couch. He shuffled over to the little table, gently popping open the lid of the tin. Teru’s eyebrows shot up as he took a good look and smell of the cookies. Wow, he mused, they really went all out. How cute. Each paper cup housed two of each of a differently shaped cookie, all in varying hues of green. He was always a sucker for presentation. Plus, they smelled awfully good. Fresh, almost almondy, a hint of vanilla. He hovered his finger over the selection before settling on one of the checkered cookies. Included with the tin was a little note, which he slid from the table and flipped open.
“ They’re sprinkled and flavored with powder from the Divine Tree, which increases your vitality ,” he hummed, meandering into the kitchen as he read the note, “ Please eat them and feel better… That’s right, I did see quite a few people handing out those little packets of powder by the station…”
Teru knelt down and cracked open the fridge, peering inside to find some milk for his cookies. Can’t have one without the other, he thought, taking a little nibble. He paused for a brief moment, assessing the flavors in his mouth, before shrugging and swallowing. Yeah, as suspected. That powder must be some sort of placebo.
His hand stretched out to grab the milk, his fingers stiffening and his whole body going rigid for a moment. The air shifted behind him.
“...Although… I’d be lying if I didn’t feel better. Something about that… Maybe this Divine Tree isn’t too awful, after all… Psycho Helmet-sama…”
His head swam in a haze thicker than pesticides. The tips of his fingers tingled as he slowly straightened himself and stood. The powder in his throat prickled. It was warm, pleasantly so.
His head throbbed again.
Wait.
No, something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
His heartbeat suddenly spiked as he snapped out of it. He needed to get this stuff out of his body immediately. The boy wheeled around and lunged over to the kitchen sink, keeling himself over it and forcing his fingers down his throat to get himself to gag. The muscles in his esophagus twitched as the acid and digesting cookie rose back up and out of his mouth unceremoniously. He was racked with coughs, trying to get out every last bit of even the smallest bite. His tongue burned. It still didn’t feel right. He retched loudly, nothing left but bile and the sting in his throat. He fumbled for a cup, filling the glass and roughly chugging the water to wash everything down and away. His breathing was ragged. It still wasn’t right. The prickling turned to sharp thorns, electric pain working through his nerves of every extremity. His whole body began to burn in agony. He scraped his nails over his arms, scratching violently, doing something, anything to nullify the pain. By god, it was unbearable.
The burning felt like nothing in comparison to the brand new pain that was coursing through his left arm. He focused on the red, scratched skin. He was shaking so badly, amplified only by… something inhuman. Beneath his skin, there was something growing. It looks like bulging veins, throbbing and spreading through his entire arm. They wove deep into the layers of fat and muscle, wrapping around his very bones and making their home there. The esper’s vision was blurry with tears, but could make out the epicenter of the veins trying to spring upwards and out of his skin. The lump that formed pressed from underneath his dermis, separating from the subcutaneous tissue. Teru was thrashing and shrieking in agony, banging his arm against the counter and the walls to keep whatever was inside in. Whatever it was, it finally pierced through. A bloody, torn hole filled with… a floret of broccoli. Teru was so close to passing out.
As if on schedule, he could feel even more of the produce’s roots carving their way through his body. Several other spots on his arms and legs, his back, up his neck and on his left cheek. The nightmare was making it so hard to function, to do anything to stop this. The boy scrambled for a knife as more florets sprouted from his shoulder and right forearm. They felt like they were taking control of his nerves, every fiber of his being. His motor skills were sloppy, holding an arm down on the counter and roughly chopping off heads of the broccoli. Much to his dismay, the vegetable was like a hydra, each stem only growing two more heads after being severed. He’d need to find a way to stop this at the roots. But HOW!?, his mind screamed, They’re woven in there like yarn-!! I have to- I have to rip them out-!!
He sucked in a breath as he gripped a head of broccoli, giving it a small twist before recoiling in the white hot pain. He could feel every root grinding against every nerve, practically incapacitating him. No. No, he wept, I have to rip them out. He clenched his jaw as tight as he could, squeezed his eyes shut, and jerked his arm back in a swift motion. The wail leaving his throat rattled the apartment, collapsing to the floor. On the tile laid the bloody mess of roots and broccoli torn from his arm, his appendage left with gaping holes and tears. The roots were already so solid and stiff, there was no way he was getting a clean removal. His arm hung limp, bloody oozing from the cavities littering it. Catching his breath would have to wait, as he poured every out of strength into himself to reach and rip out more florets. Leaving pockets in every part of his body, he shredded through them like an animal. Hunched on the cold tile, thrashing in a shallow pool of his own blood. He could feel a patch growing on his cheek, the roots burrowing their way behind the thin membrane of his eye socket, poking through his cheek muscles and into his mouth. The sensation was driving him mad, all sense of self preservation out the window as he yanked the budding clump out, ripping off what felt like half of his face in the process. He couldn’t do this anymore. It had to stop.
In what felt like a last ditch effort, he summoned up what he could of his psychic energy to try and vaporize the vegetation from the inside out. The dark room flickered and took in Teru’s yellow glow, the boy slapping his hands against his chest and sending a wave of energy through himself. The static of his powers was nothing compared to the roots’ pain. His plan had seemed to work on a surface level, causing him to curse himself out for not trying this sooner. Tiny bits of leaves and florets fell to the floor, crumbling into its own powder upon contact. However, he could still feel little patches of something writhing through him. Teru’s body was in very rough shape, but he couldn’t stop now. He needed to get help- or, at best, stop this at the source. Running on nothing but adrenaline and vigor now, he forced every synapse to work in his favor and push him out the door. He flew atop the buildings on his way to the putrid green effigy in the center of the town, zapping himself with his powers as needed to subdue the broccoli. It was woven too deep into him now, he wasn’t sure how much longer his little shocks would work. All Teru knew was he needed to get to that rotting tree and tear it and its god apart from the inside out.
—
Mob wrung his hands. It smelled earthy out.
“Ah- Ritsu!” the boy chimed, waiting outside the school with his master. Reigen threw up a quick greeting to the approaching esper. Ritsu eyed the two.
“Afternoon, nii-san. Reigen-san. What’re you two doing here?” he asked, readjusting the bag on his shoulder.
“Well, it’s a bit of a favor. Here- let’s talk while we walk.” Mob hummed, the three turning heel and heading down the sidewalk.
The streets seemed almost barren aside from the small handful of students leaving from their afterschool activities. Reigen walked with one hand stuffed in his pocket, the other gesticulating wildly as he explained the incredibly easy and effective plan of simply plucking the massive broccoli from the ground and dropping it into the ocean. Ritsu’s face only seemed to twist in confusion more and more as he went on. He tried protesting, claiming that they’d never be able to lift something that massive. Mob only replied by saying they had carried that piano that one time. The spiky haired boy groaned in defeat.
Chatter and murmurs twitched in Ritsu’s ear. He lagged behind the group imperceptibly so, eyeing an exchange between two Divine Tree followers. They were saying something about that powder again, the boy furrowing his brow. He had heard so much about it at school, it had even started leaking into his student council meetings. There was almost a… prickle of interest, he figured however. Maybe the oversaturation was getting to him. He scratched his neck and tugged his collar up.
“Hey, come on Ritsu! Are you already bailing on us? That’s cold blooded.” Reigen leered, hunched over a bit to be at eye level with the esper, “This is really just like that time my mom planted a watermelon in the garden, and it sucked all the life out of all her flowers. We just need to pick this overripe vegetable and everything’ll be back to normal! Or is that too much work for you, hmm?” he teased, giving Ritsu a sneer. The boy huffed.
“It’s fine, I’ll help. Just get off my back.” Ritsu sighed, rolling his eyes a bit as Reigen gave him a final smirk.
Mob and Ritsu’s paces met, Mob noticing the streetward glances Ritsu kept giving. He eyed his brother carefully, struggling to pick up on his troubles and asking him quietly.
“Mm-? Oh, no, it’s nothing, really… I mean, I guess there’s…” he trailed off.
“There’s what?”
“...You’ve heard about that Psycho Helmet religion, right?”
Mob stiffened a bit. He felt his face go cold.
“...Yeah, I have. A-are you… interested in it, Ritsu?”
Ritsu darted his eyes around.
“N-no, no way. It’s just been all over the school, it feels like almost everybody’s into it these days… And I think that Divine Tree’s to blame. They’re all obsessed with it.” Ritsu explained with a wring of his hands. Reigen pressed his own hand up to his face.
“Mm, we’d be making quite a lot of enemies by ripping that thing out then, huh? Then again, it's hard to really prosecute them…"
Ritsu swallowed.
"It's more of a strange little fan club than a proper religion."
The younger boy's neck itched.
"They do things like sell food and merchandise, hold discussions about the tree, things like that."
Mob took his eyes away from the sidewalk to glance again at his brother.
"They're really not doing any harm. We should keep our guard up though, who knows. If we're going after the tree, they might see that as a threat… "
The older boy squinted a bit. What… what was that on Ritsu's neck?
"We should probably hurry up and pop that thing out and get the hell outta Dodge before anything crazy happens. I don't wanna get caught into their little cult, no matter how harmless."
Was it… was it moving?
"OI-!" Reigen cried, slapping his hands on the two espers' shoulders, "What's with you two? Are you even listening?"
"S-sorry shishou, I was listening!" Mob stammered, flicking his eye from Reigen to Ritsu again. His brother seemed very visibly uncomfortable. He tugged up his collar.
"... I just need some sugar I think." the younger esper hummed, rummaging around in his pocket and pulling out a small green candy, wrapped neatly in a broccoli themed piece of plastic. Mob watched almost in horror as his fingers gently untwisted the wrapper and removed the candy.
"Ah, where'd you get those, Ritsu?" he asked, words sticking in his throat as his brother glanced over.
"Oh, the student council president gave me a handful before I left." he said, popping the bright green button into his mouth.
Time felt like it slowed down as the chemicals and minerals of the candy mixed with the saliva and buds on his tongue. It prickled in his throat and was so pleasantly warm. He felt a tender feeling in his neck. His glazed eyes slid over to his cohorts.
"Here, why don't you have one, nii-san? You too, Reigen-san." He spoke much softer than before, as if his head had been entirely cleared of all troubles and thought. Mob looked down at his brother's hand, outstretched and holding two unsuspecting candies. His fingers twitched as he took one and pocketed it.
"I think I'll have it later." he choked. Reigen tucked his own into his suit pocket.
"Same here, I'm not craving for anything right now."
Ritsu gave a hollow and sickeningly sweet smile.
"Of course. Do you mind if we make a quick pit stop before we head to the Divine Tree?"
Mob and Reigen glanced between each other. There was a seemingly mutual sense of unease.
"Sure."
Ritsu's pace had picked up, several feet ahead of the other two. Mob could only keep his eyes on the ground, head swimming with thoughts. He dug his nails into the palms of his hands.
"Sheesh, what's got him in such a… h-hurry." Reigen trailed, getting distracted by something halfway through. The man quietly put his hand on Mob's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The boy looked up at his master, who was staring straight ahead. He held his finger up to his lips, fear painted on his face. He pointed ahead with his pinkie.
Mob slowly turned his head to see.
Oh god.
Sprouting from Ritsu's scalp and shoulders was… broccoli. Bunches of florets and leaves, piercing through his skin like butter. It was so visibly bubbling and spreading. The heftiest clump was coming from his neck, that same spot he noticed before… He felt like he was going to be sick. He held a hand to his mouth. Reigen's grip on his shoulder tightened. The two needed to play it cool so as to not cause any sort of commotion. It was a bit hard to keep calm seeing your brother be engulfed by a parasitic vegetable, however.
Ritsu- or, what was left of him- stopped in front of an unassuming building, turning to face the others. His skin was growing sickly green and you could see the roots of the broccoli burrowing underneath his skin, writhing as they worked their way through him.
"Here, come in. There's some people I want you to meet." he grinned, pulling the door open for them and ushering them inside. The door behind them slammed with a thud, sealing them in like a tomb. The air was thick with a damp and earthy smell. The two were nudged down the short hallway to the sealed doors of a meeting room. There was muffled conversation hard behind, from a lot of different people, from the sound of it. Ritsu’s pale verdant hand gripped the handle and pushed. Mob's heart lept as he looked around the large room. Reigen sucked in a breath.
Everyone… everyone was infected. Every person in the room was at some different stage, some with only a few stalks and leaves and some almost completely overtaken and unrecognizable. The roots under their skin bulging and squirming, their bloodshot eyes turned acid green staring down the nonbelievers. Mob couldn't breathe. Ritsu's blooming head turned to face them again. Broccoli buds shook off onto the floor.
"Nii-san… maybe we should rethink this idea, don't you think? I've really been thinking about it… maybe pulling up the Divine Tree isn't in your best interest."
The room buzzed with chatter. Pulling up the Divine Tree? Who would do such a thing? Why would you destroy our object of worship?
"What harm are these people causing you?" Ritsu asked, roots crawling out from the corner of his eye and burrowing back in through his brow line. Reigen skid his feet back trying not to vomit.
"We're having nothing but a peaceful time!" he chuckled, holding his arms out in pride, "Are we doing anything to hurt you? Are we barging down doors and rioting in the streets? Are we causing public unrest? Would you call the festival downtown an act of terrorism? I don't think so. So what's the issue?"
"Sh-shut it for a second-!" Reigen hissed, grabbing Ritsu's arm and shoving it down, "What's with the shift in attitude? You were totally on board with us just a few minutes ago!"
Ritsu squinted in glee. The right side of his face was swarmed.
"I understand it now. Protecting this tree is what I need to do. I figured people would be gathering here for something like this, and my suspicions were correct. Really, just take a seat and listen, both of you. I think you'll see the light soon."
The psychic reeled his arm back, looking the boy and his new comrades up and down.
"Not a chance-! I-I mean, look at yourselves! You're all…festering with broccoli! What the hell is going on!?"
The members looked amongst themselves in confusion. The hushed chatter rose.
"What are you talking about?" Ritsu asked so plainly you couldn't tell if he was genuine or playing dumb.
"Whaddyou' mean what am I talking about!? All you people are covered in god damn produce! It's right-" he attempted, not really wanting to touch it with his bare hands. He spotted a clump on Ritsu's leg and gave it a kick, knocking it off, "-there! See!?"
Ritsu looked directly at the fallen head and back up at Reigen.
"You're acting awfully strange. You should really sit down, have a little something to drink. You'll feel better if you do."
" I'm acting strange-!? That's rich coming from you! Do you not see that!? Mob, you see it, right?" he belted, whipping around to face his student.
"I-I do. Everyone… is covered in it." he choked out, a metaphorical geiger counter clicking in his mind. Ritsu almost seemed upset.
“Come on, nii-san. Do you not trust me?” he asked sickeningly sweetly, the hivemind boring holes into them.
“Don’t listen to him, Mob! He’s clearly totally brainwashed, that’s not really your brother anymore.” Reigen hissed, cautiously holding his arm up in front of the older esper in protection. Mob’s throat tightened.
“Ritsu…” he croaked, wishing he would just wake up from this horrible dream.
Reigen's eyes darted around the room, spotting a wicker basket full of those little candies behind someone sucking on one, their face so engrossed in broccoli you couldn't see anything but their mouth. Everyone was eating or drinking something putrid.
"Mob, we need to-" he started, several of the members of the room suddenly encircling the two.
"Come on, we can talk this out peacefully! Just take a seat." one cooed, pushing a bottle of tea into Mob's chest. The boy was backed against the wall.
"You'll understand soon! Just give it a try, what's the harm?"
"Do you really want to destroy this happy little community?"
"How narrow minded! Just sit down!"
Ritsu's now one eyed stare bore into them, a cluster of florets taking residence in his eye socket. His cheeks were twisted in a permanent grin. The other esper felt like he was about to pass out.
"Sh-shishou, w-we-"
"OK, SCREW THIS-!! BOOK IT, MOB!!"
The psychic shoved the cluster of believers out of his way, grabbing Mob by the wrist and yanking him into the hall and out of the building. The two sprinted as much as they could, Mob barely keeping up with Reigen as their feet clapped against the ground. He gasped for air as his master was busy hooting and hollering. They finally reached a point of solace at the playground nearby, taking a minute to heave and catch their breath. The esper coughed and gripped his chest, vision bleary and head throbbing.
"Gahh….Good thing we… got out of there…" Reigen huffed, wiping the sweat from his brow, "If we'd stayed there… any longer… we might've gotten infected too… Hey-! Your candy, take it out!"
He shoved his hand in his suit, pulling out the seemingly innocent sweet and throwing it on the ground. Mob pulled his out too, following suit.
"I saw a bunch of those candies in that meeting room. Ingesting this stuff is probably what speeds up the infection. Did you notice anything weird about your brother beforehand?"
Mob pondered it, still catching his breath.
"Well, there was… he had a spot on his neck. It looked… it looked like those weird roots, but… not as bad…" he gasped, the glint of the plastic wrapper shining in the sunset light.
"It must've been some sort of dormant seed. He was already infected before he ate the candy, and then it only sped up the process… Jesus, and they're handing this stuff out to kids? How hasn't anybody else noticed!?"
“Oi.”
The two jolted, turning to the voice. An old man- or, what used to be an old man- sat on the bench behind them, his hands so gnarled and swimming with roots they were fused to his cane.
“Resistance is futile. Psycho Helmet-sama sees all.” he jeered, the roots winding down the shaft on the cane.
The student and his master looked at each other frightfully.
It felt like they just kept running from every person in town. Everywhere they turned, a new group of followers festering with vegetation was waiting for them. In a morbid twist of fate, Mob was beginning to grow numb to the sight of the infected. He had never hated the color green more in his life. He didn’t know what to do anymore.
The two found themselves finally isolated on the underpass of a bridge. The man-made river beside them flowed quietly. It was oddly relaxing.
“...Hey, Mob. What exactly do you think of the Psycho Helmet group anyways?” Reigen asked, turning his head from his few steps ahead, “Like… do you think they’re bad people?”
Mob fidgeted with his sleeve.
“...If I’m being honest… no. They were just a group of people doing something together as a community. Harmless fun.”
The psychic hummed in response.
“However-”
He paused again.
“...It’s been different ever since their leader showed up. It doesn’t feel… like a true community experience anymore. Their founder seems almost manipulative. Fooling people into worshiping him… and I just can’t agree with that.”
An airplane soared overhead.
“It’s hard to say their leader’s fooling them when there hasn’t really been a true leader though. What, are you trying to say you’re the real deal? It was based off your image, after all. You trying to step forward?”
Mob jerked his head up. He felt a hollow chill run through him.
“...N-no…”
Reigen waved his hand about.
“Then hey, no harm, no foul. Every community needs it’s leader, doesn’t it? Like a club president or a political party, everyone needs a little guidance from someone. I really don’t think he’s that bad of a guy, all things considered.”
The esper felt like his feet were nailed to the ground.
“You almost seem jealous. He’s carrying out stuff you just aren’t able to do yourself. It’s a little rude to hold a grudge against him for something so petty, don’t you think?”
He was too late.
The shuffle of business shoes clatted against the concrete as his master gave him a little pat on the shoulder.
“Maybe trying to take away their tree wasn’t such a good idea. Come on, let’s head home. We can grab a bite to eat on the way back.”
It smelled earthy.
“...Shishou.”
Mob turned at a snail’s pace, his eyes dark.
“Sorry for the accusation, but…”
He peered up from under his bangs.
“...Perhaps, have you been brainwashed too?”
Even from behind, Mob could see it clearly. With the aid of a turn, it was plain as day. Jutting out from his collarbone and cheek, little florets growing from his skin like it was nothing. The roots throbbed beneath the membrane. His skin was already going green.
“Who, me? Hmph. Guess this is what it’s like to get accused of something you’re not… always a first for everything.”
More clusters poked through his suit jacket, tearing through the thick threads.
“Listen, Mob. Almost the entire city is nothing but believers. The people are what we care about. I think we should just respect that, don’t you think?”
God, it hurt so bad.
“Your brother was right. Nobody’s doing anything wrong or causing anyone harm. It’s just a tree, at the end of the day. A big broccoli tree grown a billion times its normal size due to psychic powers, but a tree nonetheless.”
He gripped his chest. He couldn’t listen to this anymore.
“So come on, seriously, let’s just he- HEY! Mob, hold up!” he cried, the esper having turned heel and booked it the other way, “I’m not coming with you, you know!?”
He knew and he knew it well. He had to let it go. This needed to be stopped at any circumstance, no matter the toll. He couldn’t just sit there and let all his friends and family and everyone he’s ever known succumb to this cordyceptual vegetable. It was too cruel and too easily avoidable. He just had to do something. Anything.
His feet stopped in the dirt road to heaven. Surrounding the tree itself were the worst victims of the infection by far. It was difficult to call them human anymore. You couldn’t even see the skin of some of them. Entirely enveloped by broccoli, like something out of an old horror film. Roots thicker than fingers squirming underneath their tender flesh. Piercing through any and all vital organs to become the new norm. The only thing sapient about them left was a gaping hole for a mouth. Their teeth were dark and mossy, only using them to stuff more thematic treats down their lacerated gullets and spreading the word of God. Their massive, lurching heads turned to face him, an outlier among a sea of common denominators. The muffled chatter rumbled low in his ears.
“Are you going to see him?”
Mob’s eyes focused on the figure in front of him. He could only tell who it was from the sound of her hollow voice.
“I am.”
It smiled in a way only it could.
“I see. Everyone, please make a path.”
The seas parted as Moses stepped into the end. The crowd gargled in marvel at him as he waltzed forward. It all sounded like flies to him. Buzzing and buzzing. Louder and louder.
The geiger counter clicked again.