[~20th February 2001~]
[~Vought Tower~]
Attention, Influence, and Audience.
That's how the power dynamics of this world are determined, and I understood it earlier than anyone.
In a time without social media, supe children struggle immensely to get the attention of sponsors.
It was like a nightmare version of Disney, where any old man with a pocket full of cash could have a young girl in his bed at a snap, and she'd be mentally fucked by her parents to think that's just how things work.
But that's not always the case. They can gain popularity through beauty pageants, sports achievements, and community work, which takes years and years of effort.
I don't give a shit though, because I don't have to.
Since my tenth birthday, I've been a media icon. All it took was a few checks.
The New York Daily had my face on their front pages twice a week, while Time magazine featured me across the country twice a month.
Most of the coverage was about my charity work and community services for the church.
At least one major church in every main city of America had me as a sponsor, and I made sure to keep them afloat while they subtly spread my popularity.
Churches weren't my only focus. I invested heavily in rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and veterans' homes.
My audience wasn't limited to a specific age or race, except for one group: the teens, they were unique from each other, and I couldn't exactly go around pleasing them all, but I had a plan for that.
What can I say? A rich, white kid doing stuff for poor people attracts attention.
I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it up forever, and I didn't plan to.
Arthur had the largest network of privately-owned prisons in America. While it provided a steady income, I wasn't content; I craved more, so I made a few investments.
For appearances, I kept Elijah as the new face of Arthur's company. Of course, nobody other than us knew who the real mastermind was.
Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, eBay, and especially Vought—I had a stake in all of them.
Y2K was a major boom for me because all those companies skyrocketed one way or another.
So, unofficially, I was one of the top billionaires in the country.
"Mr. Worthhigh."
A young woman greeted us with a smile. She had a pixie cut, blonde hair, wore a white turtleneck and a black coat, with a mini black skirt that barely hid her inner thighs. She had this siren gaze fixed on Elijah.
I smiled as I watched him shake her hand. She bit her thick red lips as she held his hand a moment longer than necessary.
Obviously, she wanted to get him into bed to use him for his money. Even people without super senses could deduce that, but too bad for her—Elijah was asexual.
Years of sexual torture from Arthur had left my butler with a fear of the activity.
"And the man of the hour." She said, turning towards me with an amused smirk. I smiled back as I took her hand.
"Nice to meet you." I said politely.
"Nice to meet you too, Robert." She replied, pulling her ID to her hand. "I'm Rachel, and welcome to Vought Tower."
She gestured to the bustling surroundings as men and women hurried about while a few supes roamed the building. Some of them I recognized.
"If you would please follow me." She said, leading us into the tower. Her hips swayed a little more as she saw us walking behind her.
I grinned as I watched Elijah get uncomfortable, wiping sweat off his forehead.
"Is it too hot for you here, Worthhigh?" I asked with a chuckle.
He coughed and stepped closer, whispering, "Don't jest with me, sir. I can handle myself quite well."
I raised my brows and muttered, "Sure."
Soon, we reached the studio set. People were busy fixing the lights and cameras while the host read through the script, which I had memorised long before stepping into the building.
"Your segment is in ten minutes." Rachel said, guiding me backstage while Elijah was led to the stands.
As soon as I was backstage, makeup artists, technicians, and the fashion department surrounded me, each one prepping me.
"You read the script?" Rachel asked sternly, tapping her foot nervously as she watched the studio light up.
"Yeah." I nodded, looking out.
The studio was a talk show room with "The V Room" embedded on the wall behind the host.
It was decorated in violet and blue colours with black glass flooring. Two black sofas faced each other with a small circular glass table separating them.
The countdown began on the monitor behind the host as I straightened my tux and gave myself a once-over in the mirror held by a technician. I nodded in approval.
The music queued, and the lights slowly brightened up the studio. The host spun her chair, doing her iconic entry.
"Welcome, people, to the V Room."
A beautiful young woman sitting on a sofa explained to the crowd and camera.
"Today, we're going to be joined by a very special guest." She said, leaving the audience to guess for a moment before dropping hints. "He has been a national sensation since he saved the lives of 58 people from a burning church, but that's not the only time he's saved lives in this great country."
She spoke, and images of me from newspapers flashed on the monitor behind her.
"He's been on a tour, saving lives left and right, from disasters to diseases, making sure people aren't in trouble." She clasped her hands, and the camera zoomed in on her face, showing that she was moved by my work.
"And I'm honoured to have him here today. People, let's give it up for Robert Vernon, the thirteen-year-old philanthropist who has moved the heart of America."
I entered with an innocent smile, waving to the camera. The crowd cheered in awe as I made my way to the sofa and took a seat across from her.
"Thank you for having me here, Miss Katie." I said charmingly, with a twinkle in my eye to show my excitement.
"Such a humble heart, no wonder you got this far."
She replied with a smile, and the crowd nodded in agreement, as everyone loves humble and polite children.
"Let's start with a few questions, shall we?" She asked, and I gestured with a nod to proceed.
"Obviously, we have to talk about the fire." She commented, and I gave a big nod.
"Oh yeah."
"So, what happened there?" She asked curiously, leaning in to build up the drama.
"I would say it was an 'unfortunate accident,' and I was just at the right place at the right time. I'm sure anyone in my place would have done the same."
I answered with a sigh of relief, letting the emotion linger in my tone.
I can't really say that stunt went as planned. People panicked too much, and I prepared the whole thing half-heartedly. But as they say, you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette.
But my childish tone and humble attitude, coupled with my looks, seemed to please the audience, the host, and those watching the show live.
"And how do you feel about the people who lost their lives in the fire?" She asked worriedly, and I immediately played my part to perfection.
I gave her a sad smile, looking down in angst, my eyes darting away from the camera for a moment before focusing again with a sniff.
"Logan Greene, Rosy Adams, and Mike Mall." I named the victims of the fire and said, "I did my best to give their families the comfort I could, at least financially. I hope they find peace, and I just want to let them know I'm-"
My voice broke a little, sounding like I had to gulp down rising sadness, and I continued.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save them."
A silence enveloped us and the studio. No one spoke a word before I turned to the host and flashed a sad smile.
She acted like she snapped out of her thoughts and moved closer to me with a reassuring smile of her own.
"Do you need water? We can-" She asked, but I immediately shook my head.
"No, no, we can- let's continue."
She nodded and leaned back into her seat.
"Okay, the topic just got a bit grim, but let's switch to something that might cheer you up." She said ominously, musing her lips while watching my reaction as I acted clueless.
"What's this we've been hearing about you starring in a TV show?" She asked excitedly.
I opened my mouth with a big smile, blinking in curiosity.
"How did you-" I shook my head and continued. "Fine, since the cat's out of the bag anyway, I'm debuting as a lead in a new show, sponsored by Vought and with ties to the Los Angeles Police Department."
The crowd cheered as I revealed the news, making Katie chuckle.
"Yes, you heard it right." She said, pointing at the monitor. "And we have a special glimpse of the show just for you."
We both turned back, and the camera zoomed past us as the studio lights went black and the monitor brightened.
-A Young Man from Wealth-
Pictures of me as a child flickered like a photo album.
-Finds himself in a world of Crime-
I stood on the Hollywood Hill, staring at the city of LA at night.
-But he isn't weak-
The camera spun and faded around me as I hit a sandbag vigorously, breaking it with the last hit.
-He is Super-
The music swelled as the screen showed half my face, and I opened my eyes with a smirk.
The words 'Sponsored by Vought' appeared, along with the Vought symbol, followed by 'With the assistance of LAPD' and the LAPD symbol.
The music built with tension as multiple shots of police vehicles and gunfire were shown before the sound finally faded.
-Teknight: The Series-
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[A/N: This is an AU, so I did some timeline shenanigans.
Drop your comments and powerstones.]