Chapter 293: Thoughts and Tribulations
Celebrations at the gala were just getting started, but Scott didn’t want to be there at all. He’d already made his way out of the building and hurried to a nearby bench by the roadside to clear his head.
The entire thing sounded stupid to him.
Since when do you need "rights" to be a superhero?
After the golden age of heroes, the government found a way to commercialize the superhero industry and made rights to heroism a sort of non-exclusive setup. The Hero Agency was a government-established one, so this would be the first one that was people-established.
Then again, was all this really for the people?
He turned on his phone to see what was going on.
[t/SupernoVAs]
[Thread Title: THE SAGE GALA JUST SHATTERED THE INTERNET. MEGAMAN EXPOSED, 20 BILLION DOLLAR BUYOUT, AND LITERAL CYBORG HEROES?!]
❖ Let’s talk about Megaman. I am sick to my stomach.
✐ᝰ ┊ u/JusticeForMartha
I’m literally shaking right now. Martha Dimitrova’s speech was heartbreaking. To hear that a "top hero" like Megaman who my little brother has a poster of in his room abused, beat, and tried to force an abortion on a nineteen-year-old girl is sickening.
But the absolute worst part? THE HERO AGENCY KNEW. They buried it to protect their corporate brand! How deep does this corruption go? If the Agency is actively protecting abusers and rapists just for PR, then the entire system deserves to burn to the ground.
Martha is a hero for standing up there in front of all those cameras.
Top Comments:
[u/HeroWatcherPrime: Absolutely disgusting. The Agency has been corporate trash for years, but covering up domestic abuse? This is a new low. Megaman needs to be stripped of his license and thrown in a federal cell immediately.]
[u/Cynical_Sam: Let’s be real, the Agency only cares about profit margins. If a hero brings in billions in merch, they’ll bury a body for them. Martha is incredibly brave.]
[u/EdgyBoy99: Unpopular opinion: Where is the proof though? Anyone can stand on a stage and cry. Show us the police reports or the medical files before we ruin a top tier hero’s life.]
- - -
❖ Curtis Knox is a Visionary. Change My Mind.
✐ᝰ ┊ u/CapitalistCrusader
Twenty. Billion. Dollars. Curtis Knox didn’t just buy out the licensing rights; he just saved the future of humanity.
Those stats he showed don’t lie. Death rates are up, crime is rampant, and the current heroes are too busy signing shoe deals with Black Industries to actually patrol the streets. Look at Meteor City! It’s an absolute warzone, completely abandoned by the Agency. The only person keeping it alive is Nightwatch a friggin’ kid. It’s embarrassing!
Knox is right. Eliminating corporate sponsorships and personally funding accountable heroes is the only way forward. Sage is going to fix this broken world.
Top Comments:
[u/LibertarianLover: Buying the rights to superhero licensing is a massive power move. Knox is a billionaire who actually gives a shit. I, for one, welcome our new Sage overlords.]
[u/BootStrapBill: Wait, so another billionaire now has a say in who gets to be a legal savior? How is replacing a corrupt committee with a tech mogul a good thing? It’s literally oligarchy.]
[u/MeteorCityNative: Shoutout to Knox for mentioning us, but honestly? Nightwatch does more for our blocks than any flashy "Sage" hero ever will. Don’t disrespect the vigilante.]
- - -
Scott smiled at the comments.
"I thought I was losing my mind... phew..."
He was at least glad that he wasn’t the only person seeing how wrong all this was.
- - -
❖ Why wasn’t Nightwatch invited to Sage?
✐ᝰ ┊ u/VigilanteVibes
Am I the only one furious that Knox used Nightwatch to prove his point about Meteor City, but didn’t actually bring him onto the Sage project?
Nightwatch is out there every single night risking his life without a paycheck, bleeding for the people, and Knox just uses him as a prop to sell his new corporate squad? If Sage is truly about "employing only the best of the best" then Nightwatch should have been the first person they signed. Instead, they hire a bunch of military grunts and runway models. It feels dirty.
Top Comments:
[u/NightwatchGlazer: Preach! Nightwatch is too pure for them. They probably didn’t invite him because they can’t control him. He’s a real hero, not a lab-grown puppet.]
[u/StanNightwatch: Honestly, Nightwatch is probably safer away from Knox. Did you see those creepy microchips? No thanks.]
[u/TrueHeroMetrics: Let’s be logical. Nightwatch is a rogue vigilante with zero formal training and a body count of property damage. Why would a multibillion-dollar elite organization hire a kid?]
ㄴ[Saying that like Nightwatch didn’t save this friggin’ city from Red Titan just months ago 💀]
- - -
❖ THE META-CHIPS ARE DYSTOPIAN HORROR
✐ᝰ ┊ u/ConspiracyConnoisseur
Are you people BLIND?! You’re all cheering and throwing your life savings at Curtis Knox because he promised "instant superpowers" but this is literally the plot of a sci-fi horror movie!
Surgically implanting bionic microchips into the human nervous system? Connecting heroes to a centralized "Sage Network" managed by a grieving scientist? If someone hacks that network, they control every single superhero on the planet! They can turn them off, or worse, turn them into an army of mind-controlled killers.
This is a global threat! 😳
Top Comments:
[u/TechGamerX: Bro, think of the lag. Imagine fighting a villain and your meta-chip starts buffering because the Sage Network has high ping lmao.]
[u/AmalieAndersenFan: Did you guys see Dr. Andersen on stage though? She looked so sad talking about her fiancé 💔. I trust her, she’s doing this for the right reasons.]
[u/CypherPunk: "100% safe and monitored procedure" is corporate speak for "We own your nervous system." If you sign up for Sage, you’re selling your soul to Curtis Knox.]
- - -
❖ To Chip or Not to Chip: The Ultimate Question
✐ᝰ ┊ u/PowerToThePeople
So Knox said anyone is free to apply to become a superhero. But let’s talk logistics. A bionic microchip surgically fused to your central nervous system, streamed over a proprietary 6G global military satellite network... that cannot be cheap.
Are we talking "rich people luxury" where only the top 1% get to have laser eyes and super strength? Or is Knox going to subsidize it? If it means I never have to look over my shoulder in Meteor City again, I’d unironically take out a second mortgage for a mid-tier Pyrokinesis package. Who else is applying?
Top Comments:
[u/BrokeAndPowerless: Bro, I work minimum wage at a convenience store. If this costs more than a used Honda Civic, I’m destined to remain an NPC forever. I just want enough super-speed to finish my shifts early.]
[u/CyberClinicSurgeon: As a medical professional, the cost of the chip is only half the battle. Who pays for the neurosurgery? The post-op immunosuppressants? If Sage isn’t covering medical, this is a playground for billionaires.]
[u/GigaChadTitanSimp: If it lets me look like Titan and shrug off bullets, sign me up. Take my money, take my car, take my soul. I’m tired of being ordinary.]
❖ Wait... what if the Meta-Chips are FREE?!
✐ᝰ ┊ u/DataPrivacyNut
Everyone in the comments is arguing about whether it’s going to cost $10k or $100k, but look at Curtis Knox’s business model. He just spent twenty billion dollars of his own money to buy the licensing rights. He explicitly said he wants to "create a world where all heroes are like the ones from the golden age."
What if he doesn’t charge a single cent for the chip? What if the application and the surgery are completely free for anyone who qualifies?
Top Comments:
[u/FreebieKing: If it’s free, I am literally sprinting to the nearest Sage clinic. Free flight? Free invulnerability? You guys are paranoid, Knox is just a philanthropist.]
[u/SiliconValleyVeteran: Dude, wake up. If the product is free, YOU are the product. Have we learned nothing from the internet? If Sage implants a proprietary chip into your brain for zero dollars, they aren’t doing it out of charity.]
[u/ConspiracyGod88: Exactly! Think about it. How does Sage make money if they don’t sell the chips? Data harvesting. They will literally be tracking your heart rate, your location, your thoughts, and your biological responses 24/7. You become a literal meat-drone for the Sage Network.]
- - -
"THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING!"
Scott threw his hands up in the air in frustration.
Clearly, he wasn’t cut out to be around with high-society elites because they saw things more differently. They all acted like this was normal and for a moment Scott almost thought he’d gone crazy.
"It had me scared for a moment..."
He clawed tightly at his aching chest.
Scott hopped off the park bench. He rubbed his chin and exhaled sharply. He should at least go tell Bella goodbye before he headed back to Metro City. It wasn’t like he had much stuff tied up back at the Trevors Estate anyway. He could just take a taxi. After all, both New York and Metro City were in the northeastern United States, so it’d take less than an hour or two to get across.
Just as he turned to head back toward the grand stairs of the gala venue, a very calm voice called to him.
"Scott."
Hm? Scott stopped and looked back.
Standing a few paces away was a raven-haired man who looked as pale as a ghost. He had a sort of perpetual smile fixed onto his face, but something about that smile felt deeply unsettling. It was hollow, empty... like the man wasn’t actually there, and wasn’t actually smiling either.
The man waved a gloved hand gently.
"Long time no see, friend."
Scott lifted a brow. Had he met this guy before? He studied the pale face, searching his memory until a sudden spark hit him. He remembered. The bathroom at the Blue Box Convention Centre during the SMPE in Meteor City.
The strange, cryptic guy obsessed with man parts.
"Oh..."
Scott’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"You’re Simon."
Simon gave him a gentle applause.
"Bingo! That’s one billion points for you."
Scott kept his brow lifted.
"This is an odd place to meet. And also too much of a coincidence..."
It was bizarre. It felt as if Simon was always just there for any of the biggest, most chaotic events in the superhero world. Sure, this was only the second time they had ever crossed paths, but the fact that it was under the exact same situation made him very uncomfortable.
"Who are you?" Scott asked bluntly.
Simon’s unsettling smile didn’t waver.
"Oh, I’m just a curious person, yunno..."
The response gave Scott a weird vibe.
Deciding it wasn’t worth his time, he shook his head and turned to take his leave so he could put some distance between them.
"Relax, Nightwatch."
Those were actually Simon’s words.
Scott froze completely.
His chest tightened as he whipped his head back and glared brutally at the pale man.
"How did you—?"
Simon chuckled, a light, airy sound.
"The question you should be asking is, how does Grave know? Haha. I’ll answer that one for you... I’m the son of a bitch that told Grave. And as for how I know? Err, I think I googled it."
Scott stared at him with a dry smile.
"You googled it? Really?"
He knew Simon was entirely full of shit, but he didn’t mind taking the joke.
Simon suddenly looked down at his wristwatch.
"Oh, would you look at the time? Maya Rivera should be calling you on the phone anytime soon."
He walked past Scott but paused just long enough to pat him firmly on the shoulder.
"And you better pick."
Simon strolled away into the crowd.
Scott instantly wanted to reach out and stop him.
But the call came right on cue.
Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
Scott looked down at the screen.
The caller ID was restricted.
"Oh no..."
He was almost a bit too scared to answer, given what Simon had just predicted. Taking a deep breath, he slid the screen and brought the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Scott?!"
Maya’s voice was plagued with pain and panic.
"Scott, oh my god, please tell me it’s you! I’m so glad I still have your number memorized... I’m really sorry, I know we’re not exactly on the best terms, but I’m so, so sorry! I’m in serious trouble right now. I need your help. Please, can you come see me right now? You’re the only person I can turn to right now, please!"
"Slow down, Ma—"
"I CAN’T! I’M IN PRISON!"
Maya started crying over the line.
Scott remained silent, but his right hand tightened around the phone so hard it almost cracked. Even his fist felt like it could almost pop.
"Why are you there and Vincent is up there enjoying a big promotion from Priority Solutions...?"
He looked calm on the exterior but his anger was enough to boil stone.
"I’m gonna kill him!"
He started running for the building again.
"No! Please, Scott, don’t provoke Vincent right now! It’s my fault... I didn’t listen to you, and then I didn’t listen to Vincent, and now... now I’m here. Please, I really need your help!"
"The best way to fix all this nonsense is—"
"They’re sending me to Ashgate Supermax next week!"
Maya cried louder and harder as she sniffled.
Scott felt air leave his lungs.
"What...?"
Ashgate Supermax.
The name alone made his blood grow cold.
It was widely known as the worst thing the United States government had ever come up with. It was basically Alcatraz for superhumans... a heavily fortified, bleak nightmare designed as a much harsher, inescapable version of the standard Ashgate Penitentiary. It existed solely to break and hold the worst kinds of supervillains, terrorists, and unstable mutants on the planet.
It didn’t make a single shred of sense. Why would someone like Maya be thrown in there? She wasn’t a terrorist. She wasn’t a threat to global safety.
"Hang on tight. I’ll see you very soon, okay?"
"Nghhh... o... okay..."
She bitterly held back her cries.
Scott end the call and bolted toward the main road.
"I need wheels..."
When he got to the intersection his prayers were answered in the form of a flashy sports car. Inside was some rich playboy type, blasting music and laughing loudly with a group of half-naked models. The moment the traffic light turned red, Scott rushed over and slammed his open palm hard against the hood of the car.
BANG!
The playboy flinched.
"What the fuck do you want?!"
Scott didn’t waste time on talk.
The car was incredibly fast.
He looked directly at the driver.
"Get out of the car. I need it."
The playboy let out a mocking laugh as he leaned back against his leather seat.
"Oh, really? Work hard enough, pal, and maybe you’ll be able to afford one someday, hmm?"
An impatient Scott frowned.
"I want to buy your car. Right now. It’s urgent."
The models and the playboy broke laughed.
pffft—BAHAHAHA!
He looked at Scott like he was a barking stray dog.
"Are you deaf? Or a comedian? You’re too poor to even look at this thing, dude. The car is almost half a friggin’ million dollars, you know?"
"Give me your routing and account number."
The playboy, thinking he was going to utterly humiliate this crazy pedestrian, smirked and pulled up his banking details on his phone, shoving the screen in Scott’s face.
"Go ahead, big shot."
It only took a few taps of his high-tech watch and Scott did an immediate wire transfer.
[Current Balance: 5,230,006.08]
Good enough.
Before the driver could even read the push notification on his phone, Scott reached into the open vehicle, grabbed the playboy by his expensive collar, and violently tossed him out onto the road.
"Hey! What the hell?!"
Scott glared at the half-naked models.
"Out. Now."
They didn’t need to be told twice.
Screaming, they scrambled out of the sports car and tumbled onto the sidewalk.
Scott threw himself into the driver’s seat and slammed his foot onto the accelerator.
VROOOOOM!
...
In less than an hour, he could already see the glowing skyline of Metro City from a distance.
"Faster..."
He hit the gas harder.
The wind blew apart his wolf-cut styled hair.
Suddenly, Scott paused.
A profound feeling of unnatural stillness seemed to cover the environment.
The roaring engine noise completely vanished.
The whistling wind died down to nothingness.
Everywhere, everything had gone completely silent.
It felt like time itself had stopped.
Scott slowly let go of the steering wheel.
The car really wasn’t moving... nothing was.
He blinked and looked to his right.
Sitting gracefully in the passenger seat was an insanely beautiful gothic young woman. She had pale skin, dark makeup, and was as cute as a button.
It’s Denise.
Or rather...
Demise, the Queen of Death and Rebirth.
Scott’s chest loosened slightly. He had never expected to see her anytime soon, especially not in the passenger seat of a half-million-dollar sports car, yet here she was.
A genuine smile formed on his tired face.
"Denise... it’s you."
Despite everything, he was still profoundly grateful for how she and Future Scott had stepped in to help him save Metro City from the wrath of Red Titan.
He owed her a debt he couldn’t even quantify.
Denise smiled back at him.
"Overspeeding isn’t good, you know."
Her voice was still so calm and soothing.
Her face looked emotionless but there was deep affection in her voice when she talked to him. Denise certainly knows how to smile, but there was never any soul behind it. It was somewhat similar to Simon’s.
"I missed seeing your youthful face, so I came to see how you were doing. I hope that’s fine."
Scott’s smile faded into a solemn one.
He looked down at his hands on the dashboard.
"It is fine. But right now... I have some really serious stuff to deal with. I hope it doesn’t look like I don’t want to see you or anything like that. It’s just..."
Denise’s cute features softened into a worried smile.
She tilted her head.
"Shitty day, huh? Sorry..."
Scott forced a small, tired smile.
"It’s fine."
"But it really isn’t, is it?"
Denise countered gently.
"You’re going to go through some of the hardest times in your life very soon. I hope you can make it out of it... but the future is unpredictable. Who knows if you do?"
Scott lifted a brow.
"What are you saying?"
He leaned closer to her.
"Do you... do you know a way to help?"
Instead of answering, Denise leaned across the center console and reached out her delicate, pale hand to caress his stinging red cheek.
There was no warmth in her body.
She’s a block of ice.
Yet, it wasn’t terrifying. It was strangely comforting.
Denise leaned in closer until her black-painted lips pressed a soft kiss onto his forehead.
"No matter what happens... I will always love you more than any other person in this world. And even when you die... I’ll make sure to keep your soul personally. I’ll be with you until the endless end of time."
Scott’s eyes widened slightly in utter confusion.
"Huh...?"
What was she getting at?
Snap.
Reality started moving at its normal pace again.
The very next thing Scott saw through the windshield was the blinding headlights of a truck. A horrific, blaring horn boomed through the cabin as the truck veered directly into his lane.
HOOOOOONKKKK—
CRASH!
Everything went black.
...
Note: Simon was in Chapter 221.
