Setting
-----
"..."
Andy hurried ahead, catching up to Kaia. It seems Nankoro had already taken the next bus back to Fantasma, and Damian and Camilia have flown back to Coronach with Lucas in tow.
"I...I'm scared, Andy..." Kaia said, looking to the ground. "They refuse to know anything more than what they think to know...and now Coronach's going to suffer for it."
"...Maybe so...but one way or the other..." Andy was about to finish that sentence...but held back. "...Anyway, we've got a meeting. C'mon!" Taking her hand, he led Kaia to Sanctuary.
Hopefully, Uldritch recalls what Andy and Kaia tried to tell him earlier...
"I am afraid that's confidential. I don't want to put our ongoing investigation in peril, and that means keeping what we've found secret--even from you; suffice to say, however, we have not found much of satisfaction. Now, if there aren't anymore questions, I'd like to get some rest. I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow."
Uldrich hangs up his cellphone, and heads off to his bedroom.
With that, Uldrich's limo is off to Sanctuary Prison.
Auguste Perrault, meanwhile, is already up, having spent little time sleeping. He called up Killian during the night and set up a plan for his day, which involved an early morning interview/demonstration, with Perrault as assistant, and followed by a swift departure from Haven. He didn't give a reason why, but Killian knew always to trust Perrault's judgment.
"..."
She then looked out in the direction of Coronach, forlornly...
"Less of a crowd than I expected," said Killian.
"Exactly as much as I expected," said Perrault. "With a high-profile execution like the von Koopas'."
Killian just smiles and steps onto the soundstage, waving to the crowd, as Perrault follows him, not even looking at the cameras.
"Good morning, people of Haven!" said Killian. "And welcome to the official demonstration of Killian Co. Brand Nanites! I trust you're all familiar with the unofficial one..."
The reporters laugh - not loudly, since it's a bit too soon, but enough to make Killian not feel uncomfortable.
"So I'll make this brief," continued Killian. "You see, these days there is an unfortunate rise in superhuman crime. Uldritch's attempts to rectify it with the Superhuman Registration Act have become unpopular with many superhumans across this great planet, and I suspect that superhuman crime will only rise in protest of this act. But it is not the lawmaker who suffers because of this crime, no! It is the common people, who do not have the power to fight back! And so... I offer you these nanites, to give you superpowers, to give you that chance!"
The gathered crowd cheers.
"And how do you get these nanites, you might ask?" asked Killian. "Simple! You report to a hospital, or a registration center, anywhere in Haven, though I plan to branch out to other continents later. Once there, and after paying the fee, you fill out the Registration form as per law, and you get two injections - one to inject the nanites and one to stabilize them, to synchronize them with your body, as it were. Of course, these nanites are still being developed - soon you might need only one injection!"
The crowd mutters amongst itself.
"Now, I wouldn't make these claims without something to verify my claims," said Killian. "So here to demonstrate how easy the process is is my friend, Dr. Auguste Perrault!"
The crowd applauds, but Perrault doesn't react. He just sits in a chair and holds out his arm. The doctors cuff it to reveal a vein.
"Now, as you can see," said Killian, pulling out a certificate. "Perrault has already filled out a Registration form to speed up this demonstration."
The doctors inject Perrault twice - once with nanites, and once with a stabilizing agent. They then uncuff him from the chair and Perrault stands... then hovers in the air. Then the chair hovers along with him.
"And behold!" said Killian. "Control over gravity made easy!"
The crowd applauds again.
"Now, I'll be taking a few questions from the audience," said Killian. "But only a few. I've got a plane to catch."
"I'm afraid that's all the time I have," said Killian. "It's been a pleasure."
Killian and Perrault, followed by Killian's secretaries/bodyguards, head out for Eden airport.
"I still don't see why we have to head out so quickly," said Killian quietly, once the reporters were out of earshot.
"This decision will make you unpopular amongst superhumans," said Perrault. "It would be safer out of Haven than in, given how many attacks there have been here recently."
Perrault makes it clear that discussion is over as the men (and their women) board a plane, which flies out for Fantasma.