NABC Chapter 292: Sage
Chapter 292: Sage
Silver Eagle Mall, Falan City...Maxwell shoved an unnecessarily heavy shopping cart through the crowded aisles. Behind him, Scottie was on a mission as she snatched items off the shelves and tossed them into the cart like a shooting guard.
Maxwell stopped and looked down at the mountain of groceries with a deep frown.
"Scottie, seriously?"
He ran a hand down his bearded face.
"Can’t we just send someone else to do this? I’m sorry but it just feels like getting groceries ourselves is some kind of stupid inconvenience."
Scottie froze like a rigid block.
There was so much disgust in her eyes that even Maxwell got very unsettled by it.
He stubbornly raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You’ve been so busy being Megaman lately that we never have any daddy-daughter time anymore! And don’t act like you weren’t the one pushing for it since I was like what? Six year old? Tch."
She was both disgusted and sad that her father could call their quality time "stupid" of all things.
Seeing the hurt on his daughter’s face instantly made Maxwell feel bad. The tough hero exterior was nothing in the face of parental guilt. He let out a soft sigh, frantically looking around the aisle for something to fix it. His eyes landed on a bright plastic bag.
"Ooo, marshmallows!"
Maxwell had a wide grin on his face.
He grabbed the bag and tossed it into the cart.
Scottie’s sad expression immediately switched into a very bright smile. She giggled and stepped back in line with him to resume their shopping.
If only the peace lasted long...
As they walked near the electronics section, they came across a massive display wall covered in dozens of televisions. Every single screen was tuned to the exact same breaking news broadcast.
The main news anchor looked down at his papers with a grave expression.
[We break from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a developing scandal that is rocking the Hero Agency to its very core. Allegations have surfaced against one of the world’s top heroes, Megaman.]
The screen cut to a clip of a journalist standing outside the New York gala venue.
[That’s right, Tom. The atmosphere here is total chaos. Martha Dimitrova, the former top model, took the stage tonight to accuse Megaman of horrific, long-term domestic abuse and torment. But that’s not all... she claims the Hero Agency actively buried the reports!]
The broadcast switched to a popular hero podcast.
[I mean, look at the facts! We always knew Megaman had a temper during public fights, but a domestic abuser? A terrible husband? If this is true, he’s a literal monster hiding behind a cape!]
Next came a prominent daytime talk show, where a panel of social activists were nodding aggressively.
"It’s a classic case of institutional protection. The Agency doesn’t care about the victims; they care about sponsorships. Megaman needs to be stripped of his license immediately!"
The news broadcast then cut to live street interviews of furious fans.
A teenager wearing a Megaman t-shirt looked broken as he cried on camera.
"No way... there’s no way he did that. He saved my city! I don’t believe it!"
Right behind him, a group of furious activists were already marching down the sidewalk as they held up hastily spray-painted signs.
"ABUSER IN A CAPE!"
One woman screamed into the camera.
"DOWN WITH MEGAMAN!"
Both Maxwell and Scottie stood entirely frozen in the middle of the mall aisle. The shock was so overwhelming that neither of them knew what to say.
This is foreign grounds for them.
Slowly, Scottie turned her head, looking at her father with wide, horrified eyes.
"What did you say to Mom?!"
Maxwell’s face was pale.
"I haven’t spoken to Martha in years! I... I even thought she was still in that mental asylum, dammit!"
A frustrated Maxwell hit the shopping cart.
"Whoa, cool your jets!"
Scottie told him with a stern face.
"Besides... it’s not like the news is lying. You’ve done worse than what they’re saying."
Maxwell looked down at her.
"Scottie... how can you say that?"
"Look, you’re not exactly a saint, Dad. But right now, there’s no point talking about all this. We need to ask Chairman Lymtos what the hell he’s doing over there! How could he let news like this get out?!"
The two of them abandoned their grocery cart right in the middle of the aisle. Scottie raised her hand and created a glowing portal out of nowhere. Maxwell stepped through first, and Scottie followed.
...
The New York Gala.
Curtis Knox still had the entire crowd shocked.
That was how marvelous the idea of Sage was.
"I want to create a world where all heroes are like the ones from the golden age. Through my research, I realized the main issue with modern superheroes is the fact that they are too easily controlled by corporate sponsorships. As a result, they can’t act on their own volition. Sage will completely eliminate that. We will personally make and sponsor our own heroes, ensuring zero corruption."
Curtis smiled warmly at the applause before gesturing to the side of the stage.
"And the man in charge of managing this elite roster is none other than Vincent Lakewood!"
The crowd began clapping enthusiastically even before the man himself stepped out.
Vincent walked onto the stage in an expensive, tailored three-piece suit. Just from the way he walked, dressed, and flashed his blinding smile, it was glaringly obvious that he’d been waiting for a promotion like this for ages.
Scott shook his head and chuckled mockingly.
You could even say he was slowly losing his mind.
『No friggin’ way, man...』
Vincent was really moving up in the world on the backs of these psychos.
Vincent waved graciously at the crowd.
"Thank you, Mr. Knox. In my position at Sage, I will be overseeing everything from hero management to keeping our protectors grounded. We will ensure they remain accountable to you... the public."
The spotlight shifted focus back to Curtis Knox.
"Now, another sad and frankly disgusting aspect of the current hero world is the vast difference in natural ability. Which is why my people has developed something that will change human history forever."
The massive digital screens behind him finally changed display from statistics.
It was a rotating 3D image of a microchip.
"The meta-gene has always been somewhat of a genetic lottery. If you are lucky enough to be born with it, you either get cool superpowers and become a famous hero, or you get very weak ones and drown in obscurity. But picture a scenario... picture a little boy who desperately wants to be a hero, but he doesn’t have any powers. He is ostracized by family and society for that. With this invention, that very same child has the chance to become the strongest hero in history!"
The crowd went wild.
"WHAAAT?! THIS IS MADNESS!"
"Te-, Tell us more, Curtis!"
Journalists in the front row began shouting questions all at once as they waved their smartphones.
"Mr. Knox! Is it safe?!"
"How is this possible?!"
"Is it possible that this is just another sham?!"
Curtis raised a hand to calm them down.
"It’s entirely possible thanks to the countless years of research and experiments that Sage put into developing the new meta-chips. These are bionic chips, each loaded with different superpower simulations. They are surgically implanted directly into the nervous system of the subject, granting them desired superpower instantly!"
The entire thing didn’t sound real at all. It sounded like a dystopian sci-fi movie. Yet, the wealthy crowd was clapping and wailing like loud, uncouth animals, wholly blinded by the hype. Many of them were already talking to their financial assistants as they were ready to invest every single cent they owned into this project.
Even Bella got swept up in the excitement. She cheered and clapped her hands eagerly before turning around to wrap her lithe arms around Scott and give him a skin-deep kiss on the cheek.
But Scott was far too stunned to react. He stood rigid like a statue as he watched the stage. This entire thing didn’t feel right to him. Not a single bit of it. The more he heard them talk about commodifying and fabricating superpowers, the more his blood began to boil.
On stage, Curtis anticipated the skepticism.
"Now, I know what you’re about to say. ’Mr. Knox, it’s not safe! It’s too experimental!’ But I assure you, it is perfectly safe. And that is because all meta-chips are fully connected to a high-security neural network called the Sage Network that was network developed and managed by the brilliant Dr. Amalie Andersen!"
He pointed to the wings, and a nervous Amalie walked onto the stage. She wore her usual lab coat that never failed to hide the allure of her body and a tiny, reserved smile was on her pretty face.
She bowed her head gracefully to the audience before stepping up to the podium.
"Thank you. The Sage Network continuously simulates superpowers and downloads them directly into the meta-chips in real-time, which is then transferred seamlessly to the heroes. It is a 100% safe and monitored procedure."
Amalie paused, her lower lip trembling slightly as she looked out at the audience.
"I lost my fiancé to a gang shooting... so I couldn’t help but imagine what would have happened if he had one of these meta-chips. The power to protect himself."
She looked like she was about to start crying right there on stage. Vincent hurriedly stepped up and placed a hand of comfort on her shoulder with an over-processed sad look on his face that seemed authentic to the audience.
The crowd let out an "aww" as they watched.
Curtis, however, didn’t care much for emotional timing.
He wanted to strike while the iron was hot.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to bring to you the very first three heroes of Sage!"
The crowd leaned in collectively.
"Our first hero is Lena Sullivan. An Olympic gold medalist who bravely volunteered for the meta-chip surgery. Now, she is known as Blonde Blitzer! She can control kinetic energy for bursts of speed, enhanced agility, and all sorts of momentum-based strikes!"
A tall, slender lady with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes stepped onto the stage. She wore a vibrant red cropped hoodie over a sleek white unitard, accented by a golden utility belt around her waist and blue fingerless elbow gloves.
"Uhm, hi..."
She gave a polite wave to the roaring crowd.
"And our next hero is what I would call a massive upgrade of Fortitude! This man served in the army, so he knows the true value of fighting for the flag. He possesses immense superhuman strength, can project unbreakable force fields, and can even absorb massive amounts of kinetic and energy damage! He is Titan!"
A handsome, exceptionally muscular blonde man floated onto the stage from above. He wore a tight red body suit with sharp white and gold accents, completed by a flowing white cape. Just from his face, it was immediately obvious that he was completely full of himself.
The crowd naturally ate this up and praised him.
A few wealthy socialites giggled at Titan.
"Look at that massive bulge in his pants. He’s BIG."
"I’m half convinced he set it like that. It almost feels like his peen is staring at me!"
"All natural as well."
Curtis let out a hearty laugh.
"Now, now, ladies. No eating the merchandise, hah."
He took a deep breath and continued with pride.
"Finally, our last hero is the face of Sage, and our official team leader. She can manipulate both light and shadow to shape them into whatever she desires. Having spent some time in the military as an elite strategist, she demanded the name. I give you Warwoman!"
A breathtakingly beautiful woman stepped out.
She had long brown hair perfectly styled into double Dutch braids and piercing blue eyes. Her costume consisted of a black hussar-style military jacket worn over a black and gold body suit. She didn’t have much gold on her attire, but just enough to make her stand out as royalty among the others.
Curtis turned to her and held out his microphone.
"Warwoman, do you have any words for the people here tonight, or those watching at home?"
Warwoman stared away from the cameras.
"No..."
Her voice was plain and without effort.
Still, it was a blatantly bad reply.
Curtis cleared his throat quickly.
"Ahem! Well, Sage will be launching very soon! Anyone is free to apply to become a superhero. We will implant you with a meta-chip, and together, we will start making a real change in this world!"
The audience drowned the stage in applause.
As the formal presentation ended, Curtis began guiding his new heroes, alongside Vincent and Amalie, down into the crowd to mingle and lock down their eager investors. Almost instantly, they were swarmed by wealthy moguls thrusting business cards into their faces.
Warwoman felt suffocated by the crowd.
"Hnn..."
She tried to leave but they’re everywhere.
"These guys..."
She created a barrier of light around her that gently pushed the encroaching socialites back.
Curtis noticed and immediately frowned.
"Don’t treat our investor like that!"
Warwoman just sighed and crossed her arms.
"I like my personal space. That’s all."
Deciding not to argue, Curtis focused back on the all the multi-billionaires who were eager to give him their money and perhaps offer some deals.
Normally, Martha would be at Curtis’s side to help but she had hurried away from the stage because of how desperate she was to see the look on her son’s face.
She waltzed over to the champagne fountain, finding Scott exactly where she left him.
To no one’s surprise, he looked dumbfounded.
Martha let out an excited, girlish giggle, clapping her hands together.
"See? What did I tell you, Scott? I promised I’d make it up to you someday, and I’m already on the right track! I’ll build a world where no one will ever be discriminated against. Not like that nonsense Maxwell is doing!"
Scott stared at her for a long, quiet moment.
He was overflowing with disgust.
"Are you... insane...?"
He managed to ask that calmly.
Martha’s excited smile faltered.
"Excuse me?"
"You have to be completely mad!"
The ballroom went silent at this outburst.
"Can’t you see what the hell is wrong with all of this?!"
Martha gnashed her teeth as her her eyes hardened.
"No? I don’t."
Scott suddenly laughed hard. It wasn’t a happy laugh; it was a cynical, breathless sound. He clapped a hand over his face and shook his head with immense worry.
"This woman has gone mad. Ohhh she’s really lost her mind, hasn’t she?"
He held his head with both hands and the hard laughs only grew worse like he was going mental.
Martha was infuriated at the sight.
"Why are you always so ungrateful?! I’m doing all of this so people don’t have to live the horrific life we suffered under that tyrant father of yours!"
"Not like this dammit! Tampering with this kind of power in society isn’t a good thing, Martha!"
Scott shouted right back in her reddened face.
"At some point, you people are going to be handing out superpowers like it’s literal candy! Even psychopaths are going to end up superabled! Are you seriously too blind to see how stupid and dangerous this is—?!"
SLAP!
The sharp sound of Martha’s hand hitting Scott’s cheek reached every part of the ballroom.
Scott’s head flew to the side as the red mark on his cheek started to sting.
"Get out..."
Martha tried hard not to cry.
"Get out of my sight."
Scott’s eyes flared with anger. He wanted to scream at her. He wanted to shout that he wouldn’t leave, that he had every right to be there. But as he looked around, he froze.
The nearby conversations had stopped. Dozens of wealthy guests, corporate giants, and investors were all staring directly at him. Their eyes were cold, judgmental, and filled with utter disdain. To them, he wasn’t a person making a valid point... he was just a disruptive, ungrateful parasite ruining a beautiful charity night.
The anger drained out of Scott.
"Oh... ha... hah..."
Scott smiled bitterly.
"So I’m the problem here..."
He stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and walked away in without saying another word.