Chapter 725: A Metal Rose Amid the Ruins

Amid the quiet sobs echoing in the theater, the film finally reached its end.

The final shot lingered on Carl.

Now fully transformed into a prawn, he stood alone atop a pile of garbage, holding a newly crafted metal rose in his hand. Slowly, he lifted it toward his face. His eyes… were gentle.

The screen faded to black, and the credits began to roll.

Colette sat still, surrounded by a tide of applause. It wasn't prompted. It was spontaneous—raw appreciation from the audience.

Human complexity, racism, alienation, rebellion, gangs, arms trafficking, corporate evil, war and peace… it was hard to believe Martin had crammed so much into a single film. And yet, it never felt bloated or chaotic.

Genius.

Brilliance.

Grandeur.

Three words floated in Collete mind as he shook his head and muttered aloud, "Unbelievable."

Inside the Grand Theater, the applause reached a fever pitch and showed no signs of stopping.

Lilith clapped while wiping her tears, hands flying in a blur as she sobbed and laughed. "Ugh, I hate Martin so much. He made a film that's going to ruin my sleep for a week. I think I'm going to cry all night!"

Her brother Christian wore an odd expression. "I'm conflicted. This isn't even my kind of movie, but… I liked it. Again and again. It's weird. Maybe it's because of Iron Man?"

He looked at Robert Downey Jr. on stage… then shook his head.

"No. No, that's not it. It's something else. I don't get it!"

He mumbled to himself in confusion, fists clenched tighter than anyone else's.

Leonardo stood, his expression unreadable as he looked at Robert.

Damn. This guy can act. He's too damn good. I thought winning an Oscar was enough… but now…

Then another thought crossed his mind: Yeah, Blake has to watch this movie. Then she'll finally realize just how perfect her life is now.

…

"Thank you. Thank you, everyone!"

Onstage, Martin held the microphone, facing the crowd and honored guests.

"Wow… such thunderous applause. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this."

"I thought you'd walk out of here sulking, but I'm glad to see you're all still smiling!"

He cracked a joke.

The crowd burst out laughing. Someone shouted:

"No, we're definitely sulking!"

"I cried, man!"

"Martin, you owe us therapy!"

"Haha, alright, alright! Sounds like you've got a lot of grievances," Martin grinned, gesturing to Donny beside him. "Let me make it up to you with a joke."

"So once, while filming, I was blown away by Robert's performance. I asked him, 'How do you do it, man? How do you feel so much?'"

"Robert looked at me and said, 'Because I'm a delicate, sensitive soul—like an eight-sided shoujo heroine.'"

The crowd roared.

Martin raised a hand. "Hold on, hold on—I'm not done yet."

The laughter grew louder.

He waited a beat, then continued, "So I asked him, 'What do you mean by sensitive?'"

"Robert sighed and said, 'You made me do Iron Man… and now you're making me play this guy? How could I not feel things?'"

"I said, 'So that's why you cry so much on set?'"

"And he said, 'No. That's because you still haven't given me a raise!'"

HAHAHAHA!

The laughter exploded.

"Alright, alright, back to the main topic. Everyone on this film gave it their all—David, Jason Cooper, Zachary, Annie M. Coe… and of course, Robert Downey Jr. I saved him for last because he gave a Oscar-level performance."

"Honestly, I was nervous after we finished the movie. This kind of sci-fi story has never really been done before, and I wasn't sure if you'd accept it."

"But now… seeing your reactions… I feel better. You do like it, right?"

A loud chorus of "Yes!" echoed back.

Martin laughed. "Great! That's the answer I was hoping for. Though maybe next time, say it in unison, yeah?"

More laughter.

"Oh, speaking of performances—Robertactually threw up during one scene. The one where he fires the alien weapon in the lab? Yeah, he…"

Martin's humor and banter filled the theater with warm laughter.

When Robert Downey Jr. finally took the mic, he was clearly nervous. It had been too long since he stood before an audience like this. The feeling was strangely familiar—and strangely foreign.

He brought the mic to his lips.

"Hey, guys… thank you. Thank you for watching this movie. It feels really good to be human again."

His words carried double meaning.

"I feel like I've been reborn. You all love me again."

"This time, I promise—I'll be careful. No more messing with weird alien stuff that turns people into… whatever that was."

"I'd rather be human than a mutant."

"So, thank you Martin. You gave me another shot. Two shots."

He held up two fingers.

Then he grinned. "Which is why I'm not asking for that raise anymore."

…

In a cinema in New York—

As the crowds poured out, many still wore stunned, emotional expressions.

A young Black couple entered the lobby just as the last group exited. The guy stopped a pale, dazed white boy and asked, "Bro, how was the movie?"

The white kid just pointed to his own eyes.

"See this? That's your answer."

The guy frowned and turned to his girlfriend. "What does that even mean?"

His girlfriend replied, "Can't you tell? He was crying."

"Crying? Wasn't this a sci-fi horror flick? Was he even watching District 9?"

He turned to grab someone else.

"Hey bro, did you just watch District Nine?"

"Of course!"

"How was it?"

"All I can say is… it's different. Yeah. It's not like the others."

The guy's frown deepened.

He wanted to ask more, but his girlfriend pulled him along.

"Come on, James. Don't ask. We bought the tickets—just watch it and see for yourself."

"Alright, alright. You're right, Hanny."

Soon after, the internet exploded with reviews of District 9.

Those who'd held it all in during the film—without Martin there to crack jokes and ease the tension—poured their hearts out online.

"Oh my God, this sci-fi movie is insane. Even now, I'm still shaken. I have to write about it."

"This isn't just sci-fi. It's a deep dive into the human condition—wrapped in an alien skin. Who's the real alien? Who's the real monster? The film demands an answer."

"At first, I sided with the humans. I mean—they're my species. But as the story progressed, I changed. Humans… were monsters. The moment Carl chose to help the aliens, I switched sides too."

"When I saw the prawns shove the human soldiers back, I felt pure satisfaction. It was the first time I ever felt joy watching aliens kill humans on screen."

"Martin's filmmaking was genius. Using a mockumentary format with interviews pushed the realism through the roof. The story hit hard, and it hit deep. The way humans react with fear and hostility when faced with 'the other'—it exposes something truly ugly in us."