DC Heroes in Marvel

The battle in Washington quickly spread across the globe, causing a massive sensation. More people came to know about the Justice League, led by Batman—especially its key members, Batman and cyborg.

Batman, as the leader of the Justice League, needs no introduction. Cyborg , on the other hand, stole the spotlight during the confrontation between Batman and the warship by catching shells with his bare hands. 

His actions saved Washington billions in damages and safeguarded the city. This heroic move instantly made cyborg the most popular superhero in Washington, even surpassing Batman in popularity.

From Anton's system panel, it was clear that the fan value numbers of the four DC superheroes—Batman, Green Arrow, cyborg , and Wonder Woman—had all soared by at least fifty percent.

Of course, for Anton, these redeemed superheroes and their respective fan points were not as valuable as before they were redeemed. 

However, such hidden gains were still something he was happy to accept—the more, the better.

As for the newly established Avengers, the battle did increase its reputation, but mostly in the form of ridicule from netizens. 

Positive remarks were few and far between. Even Captain America's loyal fans hesitated to bring him up in discussions about the fight.

After all, the duel between Wonder Woman and Captain America was witnessed by hundreds of onlookers, and videos and pictures of their fight spread like wildfire on the internet. 

Major media outlets sensationalized the story, leaving Captain America's fans with little to defend.

What could they say? That he tried hard? While technically true, the phrase only came off as sarcastic.

Another member of the Avengers, Tony Stark, was also targeted by relentless mockery online. During the battle, his fight with cyborg was broadcast live, narrated by the host on the radio for countless listeners. 

Tony, furious after replaying the events and seeing the internet's reactions, locked himself away at home. 

He resolved to design a new and more powerful suit of armor to ensure he would never lose to cyborg again.

At this time, Anton was home alone, watching the president's speech on TV while scrolling through the internet on his phone. 

He couldn't help but smile as he saw netizens mocking the Avengers while praising the Justice League.

Of course, in addition to these remarks, many netizens were also calling for transparency. The battle had left Washington Square in ruins, with the aftermath turning it into a wasteland. Surrounding buildings were damaged to varying degrees.

Fortunately, thanks to the deliberate control of both sides, there were no significant casualties. As for property damage, affected citizens would likely receive satisfactory compensation from the relevant departments.

The public, however, demanded to know the full story behind such a catastrophic and high-profile incident. Their attention turned first to the Daily bugle.

As Batman's only trusted media outlet, the Daily bugle was seen as the most reliable source of information. 

Other news agencies were suspected of spreading rumors, but the Bugle maintained credibility.

Notably, Eddie, who had been the first victim attacked during the incident, was enraged after the fight. 

Upon returning home, he immediately wrote a scathing press release condemning the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., accusing them of having trouble on their hands.

However, this press release was not sent out immediately.

The Secretary of Defense, John Keller, personally called Eddie, requesting that, for the sake of the military, the news be delayed and polished before being published. Eddie understood the implications without needing Anton's reminder.

Thus, at a press conference held at the White House, the president personally addressed countless members of the media to recount the incident.

During the meeting, the president first announced that the Justice League had officially become a partner of the military, solidifying a strategic cooperative relationship. 

He explained that the battle in Washington was caused by an internal division within S.H.I.E.L.D. A group of terrorists had forged administrative orders, compelling the Avengers to launch an assault on Washington.

Fortunately, the military uncovered the conspiracy, informed the Justice League, and coordinated their timely intervention. 

Together, they defeated the Avengers and apprehended the masterminds behind the scheme.

At the conclusion of the press conference, the president awarded the Medal of Honor to Secretary of Defense John Keller and several military leaders. 

Additionally, a "Batman Medal of Honor" was introduced and displayed in the White House.

John Keller had originally contacted Anton, hoping Batman would come to the White House to personally receive the medal. 

However, Anton declined, opting to keep things simple.

Following the conference, Eddie revised his report for the Daily bugle and published it. The Daily's official website was almost overwhelmed with traffic.

Eddie's revised report closely mirrored the president's speech but emphasized the separatist forces within S.H.I.E.L.D. while praising the military and the president's swift response. 

The Justice League's contributions, though apparent to the public, were not overly highlighted in the article.

While the military's role was exaggerated and many details were omitted, astute readers on the internet could easily read between the lines.

At the same time, S.H.I.E.L.D. issued a compensation plan. They announced that all losses from the incident would be covered by S.H.I.E.L.D., and additional manpower and resources would be invested to rebuild Washington. 

The World Security Council representatives also issued formal apologies.

With this, the curtain closed on the incident. The behind-the-scenes competition for interests didn't need to be publicized.

According to Anton's understanding, the military had forced S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier to remain grounded and showed no intention of returning it. 

It was clear S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to resolve the situation as quickly and quietly as possible, even if it meant cutting losses, compensating heavily, or conceding certain advantages.

This strategy worked. By admitting fault and paying reparations, S.H.I.E.L.D. avoided being ousted from its headquarters in Washington by the military.

Still, the fallout was significant, with immense losses to address.

Following an internal review, Nick Fury voluntarily stepped down as director of S.H.I.E.L.D., taking the role of deputy director instead. 

Surprisingly, Phil Coulson, Fury's original deputy, was appointed as the new director—not Maria Hill.

Maria Hill, however, was promoted to fill Alexander Pierce's vacant position as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Secretary-General.

In this way, the director's position remained under Nick Fury's influence, ensuring he still held the reins of power. Truly, he was a cunning strategist.

Meanwhile, the senior representatives Anton had sent to the military did not return to New York immediately after the incident. 

Instead, they stayed in Washington to finalize negotiations with the military about investing in Wayne Enterprises.

Yes, the military had decided to take a stake in Wayne Enterprises, cementing a shared interest with the Justice League.

This move was unsurprising—after all, the Stark Group already had numerous shareholders, including the military.

Naturally, Anton's representative welcomed the partnership with open arms.

Having a powerful backer willingly come knocking on your door shouldn't be taken for granted.

With the technical support of Cybertron and the funding and influence provided by the military, Wayne Enterprises was poised to grow into a massive consortium. 

This brought Batman one step closer to turning Wayne Enterprises into a money-making powerhouse.

Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction. Anton's influence expanded further after the incident, and Wayne Enterprises now had the resources to push its growth even further.

Ringing!

The old man's phone buzzed.

"The shares have been negotiated... As for the factory you mentioned, I'll have Wick take over. From now on, we'll proceed steadily. We can't afford to move too quickly in just a few months."

After a brief pause, the old man chuckled and added, "That said, you did well this time. You're far better than your cheapskate dad."

"You didn't always say that," Anton replied with a smirk. "You used to call me a prodigal son, telling me I'd be better off shooting adult films in Hollywood rather than being compared to your son."

"Hmph," the old man sneered. "That was before. Now it's clear—an astronaut who can only float around in space isn't as capable as Phil, who's standing right beside you."

Phil, listening nearby, blinked in surprise. He felt like he was being praised, yet a strange wave of sadness washed over him. Why?

"Don't underestimate astronauts," Anton said. "They might surprise you one day."

"What surprise could John possibly give me?" the old man retorted. "The only surprise he's ever given me is fathering you when he was just 18 years old."

"…"

After the call ended, Anton rubbed his temples.

His phone screen was still frozen on a small piece of news from the internet. Small, because if Anton hadn't been deliberately paying attention, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

The article read:

'Affected by a cosmic storm, the space station suffered significant damage. Reports suggest that several returning astronauts have been affected by cosmic radiation…'

Anton leaned back with a knowing smile. "The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom must have returned to Earth by now. Soon enough, it'll be time to reap Doctor Doom's rewards…"

Though the Ultimate Battle Armor still had stringent exchange conditions that weren't attainable for now, the justice points it required were a crucial resource. Without them, it would remain out of reach.

Justice points, after all, were non-negotiable.

….

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