[General POV]
Lily, the fan club president, brought along the other members and bought out all the tickets for the documentary's premiere.
"Seriously? Two and a half hours? For a documentary? This is going to be a borefest, isn't it?" was the initial impression from some moviegoers.
"Well, at the very least, we'll get to see some supersoldier fights," another one joked.
[Dark screen. A faint heartbeat. Echoes of screaming fans fade into silence.]
[Clips begin: Edward on stage, backlit by lights. Cut to Edward walking down an alley—his back to the camera. A bruised fist. An explosion. A concert spotlight. Footsteps on broken glass.]
Text appears on screen:
Director: Abed Nadir
"Edward Newgate – Boy Genius."
He curated an image of himself for the world: mischievous, fun, dangerously talented. An idol. A performer. A mask.
In this documentary, we'll show you the man behind the myth.
Through never-before-seen footage, captured from the button cams of his own security team...
...and through the stories of those who truly knew him.
This is not just a profile. This is a dismantling.
This is the price of brilliance.
[Final montage before the title: Edward laughing on stage—cut to him covered in blood. Title screen appears.
Edward Newgate: Human]
All of Edward's friends gathered at his mansion to watch the documentary in his indoor theater. It was a better experience than being at the actual premiere.
"That's a very strong opening," Enid remarked, turning to Jenna, who was visibly sweating.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked.
"Huh—nothing. I'm just nervous for me—I mean, for Edward. Will his image survive this?" Jenna stammered.
Alex rolled her eyes. "If his image was going to be ruined, he wouldn't have let the documentary be released—"
She stopped mid-sentence as a new line appeared on screen:
[Disclaimer: This documentary was released without Edward Newgate viewing the final cut.]
"Oh shit. The director went rogue," Jacob muttered.
Enid opened her mouth to respond—but the film surged forward.
[MUSIC BEGINS: Skyfall – Adele (written by Edward and recorded with Adele days earlier)]
♫♪ This is the end… Hold your breath and count to ten ♫♪
A dramatic montage begins, catching everyone's full attention.
[SCENE 1 – NCS KIDNAPPING CRISIS]
Grainy global news footage. Edward is tied up, bruised, cuffed. Red emergency lights flicker. A stern, elderly man speaks in the background.
VOICEOVER (Newscaster):
"This morning, a live feed showing Edward Newgate—allegedly kidnapped by the acting NCS director—went viral across the globe."
A subtle twitch of Edward's fingers. A sidelong glance. No panic. Cut to static.
♫♪ Feel the Earth move and then… Hear my heart burst again ♫♪
[SCENE 2 – YAKUZA STANDOFF]
Surveillance footage. Edward in a black suit, standing silently across from a dozen Yakuza members in a neon-lit alley. Rain falls hard. Shot from behind.
The camera pans to Max, kneeling, tied up beside them—her eyes filled with fear.
♫♪ For this is the end
I've drowned and dreamt this moment ♫♪
[SCENE 3 – HUMAN TRAFFICKING AUCTION]
Shaky hidden footage. Edward stands shirtless on a raised platform, wrists cuffed, a chain around his neck. Cold industrial lights. Masked bidders whisper among themselves.
♫♪ So overdue, I owe them
Swept away, I'm stolen ♫♪
[SCENE 4 – MISSILE CRISIS]
Edward stands alone before a glass wall, watching as a missile rises from the sea toward his house. He doesn't move. He sings softly, his voice overlapping with Adele's.
♫♪ Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together ♫♪
[SCENE 5 – VARIOUS QUICK CUTS]
Edward punching a corrupt producer.
Slapping teenage boys at a pool party as they harass a girl.
Lying unconscious in a hospital bed.
Diving into a burning house to save his teacher.
A still image of that viral photo—shirt burned, carrying the teacher to safety.
♫♪ Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together ♫♪
♫♪ At Skyfall…
At Skyfall… ♫♪
As the music fades, a slow, throbbing sound replaces it. A line appears across the screen:
"A hero's journey is full of thorns."
Enid's eyes lit up. Excited, she grabbed Jenna's arm and began shaking it vigorously.
"What– What?! They are going to show everything?! Oh my god!" Enid shrieked in a high pitched voice.
The documentary started with Chapter 1: Origin Story.
It showed how Edward behaved before he became a superstar. Jenna appeared in the documentary, sharing her experience of getting saved by Edward from a bunch of horny teenagers.
She also shared how Edward saved her from getting molested by a dirty producer. Both of the recounts were before Edward went mainstream, so people could see his character.
A behavioral therapist commented on Edward's upbringing. She hypothesized that Edward had some acceptance issues and abandonment anxiety.
She added, "Without a lack of role models in his life, Edward was prone to use fiction in building up his personality. Spiderman, Monkey D Luffy, all played a part in his persona."
Abed cuts the comment to a short scene of Edward in Japan, buying out multiple stacks of mangas.
Chapter 1 went on for quite a while. Abed even covered Edward's time as a classical musician, all the awards he won, recollection from his dad about his past, and even the incident where he fainted on the stage.
The audience were quite surprised by it.
Chapter 2 started, and it was titled, 'Uprising'. It shared how Edward combined his inventions and music career together.
From working on a website for a closet company, working on a mobile game, and singing at a cafe, the audience saw Edward's hustler mentality and how hard he worked.
Jay even commented on the website, appearing in the documentary. Pepper became one of the main documentary cast that would appear until the end.
Chapter 3: A New Legend.
Chapter 3 began to show his start as an artist. From opening Taylor's concert, to releasing his first single and album, the audience felt like they were witnessing a historic event first hand.
Taylor appeared in the show, recollected the event where Edward 'saved' her from her previous agency.
How the agency director was exploiting her, and even got in jail for internal trading. She commented that if she stayed there, she could've become implicated by it.
An hour into the documentary, Abed changed the theme of the documentary.
With a burst of unsettling music, the documentary entered chapter 4: Dark Side of Fame, which was the chapter everyone was waiting for.
Abed appeared on the screen and said, "Everyone knows about the kidnapping incident. But, not many know that it wasn't an isolated incident."
The footage from Hawaii was shown. A bullet mark on the hotel wall. The assassination attempt was exposed.
Two more assasination attempts were shared. Abed finally showed the audience why.
Pepper said with concern, "The motives for the assasination was varied, but at this time, it was because of the diabetes cure."
A short footage of the research lab, couple with the recorded threats by the politicians and the big pharma executives were all exposed in the documentary.
People began to feel disgusted by the two-faced nature of the politicians, and also how big pharma wanted to exploit the patients.
It wasn't a good business model to cure your patients. The sentence rang clear inside the audience's brains.
But what sickened them more was about the human auction. The King's family auction where Edward was kidnapped from the streets of Italy and was chained on the neck.
The audience's blood boiled as they saw the recreated scene coupled with some real ones.
Barbara Palvin appeared in the documentary and she opened up about her experience, and how Edward's security team saved her.
"When they put you under the drug, you cannot remember anything. It made me feel sick to my stomach. Edward understood that, and he stayed by my side, helping me to get through the horrible experience." Barbara cried.
Enid, Jenna, Elsa, and most of the girls who were watching the documentary cried too.
Chapter 5: Playing the long game.
Abed showed how Edward slowly changed the reality in the country. How he convinced some politicians to change their votes, how he became targeted for it.
Everyone knew the NCS director kidnapped Edward because of his supposed mind control ability, but no one knew why he thought Edward had that esper ability.
As Abed showed everyone Edward's efforts, some got goosebumps, some even started to tear up.
The main attraction of the documentary, the fight between the supersoldiers and Entertain security members was played out.
Some martial art analysts commented on the footage taken by the security member bodysuit which had a direct shot of Edward fighting with the supersoldiers on equal terms.
The fight scene was incredibly fluid and Edward's handsome face was in full view, which made a lot of people fall for him again.
The sparks when he clashed his metal rod with the agent's knife, how he got punched and kicked but never fell down and retaliated immediately, the blood on his body, the sweats.
Enid gasped and began to cry as she saw how hard Edward was struggling.
Suddenly, a musical sequence started to play.
[NF-HOPE]
"♫♪ Hope
Yeah, I'm on my way, I'm comin'
Don't
Don't lose faith in me ♫♪"
Edward stood in front of the microphone inside his recording studio. The footage was obtained from Pepper.
"♫♪ I know you've been waiting
I know you've been prayin' for my soul
Hope
Hope ♫♪"
Abed edited various videos of politicians breaking their promises, each was edited more vile than the others.
"♫♪ Thirty years you been draggin' your feet, tellin' me I'm the reason we're stagnant
Thirty years you've been claiming you're honest and promising progress, well, where's it at? ♫♪"
Enid quickly wiped her tears and refocused on the documentary.
♫♪ I don't want you to feel like a failure
I know this hurts
But I gave you your chance to deliver
Now it's my turn ♫♪
♫♪ Don't get me wrong
Ed, you've had a great run
But it's time to
Give the people somethin' different♫♪
♫♪So without furthеr ado, I'd
Like to introduce my
(discordant accusatory noises)
HOPE ♫♪
The broken promises were stopped, and Abed entered footage of Edward's efforts instead.
♫♪ What's my definition of succеss? (Of success)
Listening to what your heart says (Your heart says)
Standing up for what you know is (Is)
Right, while everybody else is (Is)
Tucking their tail between their legs (Okay) ♫♪
The inspiring musical score, plus the edited footage of people filled with hope lit something up inside the audience's heart.
♫♪What's my definition of success? (Of success)
Creating something no one else can (Else can)
Being brave enough to dream big (Big)
Grinding when you're told to just quit (Quit)
Giving more when you got nothing left (Left)
It's a person that'll take a chance on
Something they were told could never happen ♫♪
Abed added footage of Edward's challenges, his injuries, his enemies, and many more.
♫♪ It's a person that can see the bright side
Through the dark times when there ain't one
It's when someone who ain't never had nothin'
Ain't afraid to walk away from
More profit 'cause they'd rather do somethin'
That they really love and take the pay cut
It's a person that would never waver
Or change who they are
Just to try and gain some credibility
So they could feel accepted by a stranger ♫♪
If Edward had 40 million loyal followers before, the number almost doubled when the documentary finished screening in the cinema.
♫♪ It's a person that can take the failures in their life and turn them into motivation
It's believing in yourself when no one else does, it's amazin'
What a little bit of faith can do if you don't even believe in you
Why would you think or expect anybody else that's around you to?
I done did things that I regret, I done said things I can't take back
Was a lost soul at a crossroad who had no hope, but I changed that ♫♪
From his young age, to his current stage, Abed inserted all of that into the edit.
♫♪ I spent years of my life holdin' on to things I never should've kept, full of hatred
Years of my life carryin' a lot of baggage that I should've walked away from
Years of my life wishin' I was someone different, lookin' for some validation
Years of my life tryna fill the void, pretending I was in—
(Flatly) They get it♫♪
♫♪ Growing pain's a necessary evil
Difficult to go through, yes, but beneficial
Some would say having a mental breakdown is a negative thing
Which on one hand, I agree with
On the other hand, it was the push I needed
To get help and start the healing process, see if
I'd have never hit rock bottom, would I be the person that I am today? I don't believe so ♫♪
Linda– Edward's past therapist, listened to the lyrics and smiled. Sage did the same thing.
♫♪ I'm a prime example of what happens when you choose to not accept defeat and face your demons
Took me seventeen years to realize that if you wanna get that opportunity to be the
Greatest version of yourself, sometimes you got to be someone you're not to hear the voice of reason
Having fam will make you really take a step back and look in the mirror, at least for me, that's what it did– ♫♪
The goosebumps-inducing edit faded as Abed cut to the final chapter of the documentary: Chapter 6 – Behind the Veil.
Edward finally appeared onscreen, filmed during a quiet morning workout at the ranch—just one day after the wedding.
"Why are you exercising? Didn't the doctor tell you not to exercise for now?" Abed asked from behind the camera.
Edward smiled, dropped into a one-arm pushup, and replied, "I get too antsy if I don't work out."
Abed pressed further, "Is that it? Or is it because of the lurking threats all around you that make it impossible to stop?"
"That too," Edward admitted with a casual shrug—unaware that Abed would include this footage.
Abed used the moment to shift the tone of the documentary. He showed Edward's pale complexion during the wedding, how he needed to sit down while singing, the subtle dizziness while eating. The myth began to unravel—but in its place, something deeper took root. The more Edward appeared vulnerable, the more respect he earned. The tall image that once towered in the minds of younger viewers became real, grounded—and even more admirable.
Abed wanted to include more scenes with Edward's family and friends, but Troy intervened.
"What if people start seeing his family as a weakness? What if they get targeted next? Your documentary needs some compromise!" Troy warned, fully suited in his Doctor Who cosplay, pacing back and forth.
Abed narrated as the documentary approached its end.
"There's a reason documentaries end with some profound quote. A violin cue. A slow fade to black. It's the unspoken rule of storytelling—give the audience resolution. Tie the string. Tuck the loose ends.
But that would be a lie here. And I try not to lie in documentaries. It feels rude.
Edward Newgate isn't a finished story. He's a paradox in motion—part idol, part insurgent, part kid still trying to find his place in the world.
He's not a hero because he wants to be. He didn't shoulder the future of the world because he wanted to.
He's just someone who never gave himself permission to quit. And that alone? That scares people more than any mind control ever could.
We went looking for a mask to pull off.
Instead, we found layers.
And each one told the same story."
As Edward's wedding performance of Thinking Out Loud played softly in the background, Abed delivered his final voice-over:
"For fairness.
For justice.
For the people who were never given a second chance.
And maybe—just maybe—for the version of himself that didn't survive.
I know what you want right now. A moral. A takeaway. Something quotable.
But this documentary isn't a lecture. It's a mirror.
And the only real ending… is what you do after this.
Edward's life is still ongoing. We might hope he'll stay the same. We might put the burden of expectations on him, hailing him as a savior.
Maybe he can bear all that on his shoulders.
But should he?
Can't he just be a kid... for a little while longer?"
The screen faded to black.
Audience members walked out of the screening in silence. Some were dazed. Others were crying. Everyone was thinking.
And by the next morning, the internet was on fire.
"I came for the supersoldier fight," one viewer posted on Instagram. "I stayed for everything else. Also, you won't be disappointed with the fight scene.."
Rotten Tomatoes posted a certified fresh score of 91% from critics, with one headline calling it:
"A disarmingly intimate dismantling of hero-worship—told through a lens that cuts deeper than most fictional biopics."
But not everyone was impressed.
"A polished propaganda reel dressed up as cinema vérité," wrote a more cynical review from The New Yorker. "Less truth, more myth maintenance."
Only time would tell which version people would believe.
Still, the momentum was undeniable.
Stan Lee even commented on the documentary, posting a heartfelt video review on Instagram:
"Y'know, I've created a lot of heroes in my time. Some of 'em can crawl on walls, some turn green when they're angry, and some just have a really good tailor and a heart of gold.
But this kid—Eddy—he's something else. He's not a superhero because he has powers. He's a superhero because he chooses to do the right thing... even when the world keeps punching him in the gut.
And that documentary? That wasn't just a film. That was an origin story. A real one. Raw. Unscripted. Messy.
When I watched him standing up to the bad guys—corporate monsters, crooked politicians, even his own trauma—I thought:
That's Peter Parker. That's Steve Rogers. That's every damn panel I ever drew.
Only this time... it's not fiction.
And I gotta say... if there are kids out there watching that documentary, if they see what Edward did and they think to themselves, 'Maybe I can be brave too'—
Then, my boy, we've got ourselves a new kind of hero.
And lucky for us… this one's real.
Excelsior."
When asked later which superhero Edward most resembled, Stan paused thoughtfully and replied:
"He's got the brain of Reed Richards, the discipline of Steve Rogers, and the grit of Peter Parker. But if I had to pick? Honestly... he's Nightwing. Even if that's a DC character. Handsome, agile, a born leader with a heart for the people."
The comment created a trending hashtag on Twitter. #EdwardAsNightwing #WarnerBrosMakeItHappen
…
[Edward POV]
Two days had passed since I inherited Saiki's powers.
I'd deliberately ignored the reactions to the documentary—muted alerts, shut off apps. Not because I didn't care. I just had more pressing concerns.
But somehow... the numbers still found me.
"170 million?" I blinked at the text from Pepper.
The documentary had made $170 million on its opening weekend alone.
I leaned back, confused. "Is the impact of the supersoldier leak really that big?"