DC HERO AT MARVEL

"Otto!"

Rose, the wife of Doctor Octopus, couldn't stop her tears as she watched her husband being subdued.

Brought near a police car by the tardy officers, she listened to Tony explanation and finally understood what had happened.

Her emotions were a mix of relief and sorrow.

On one hand, she was relieved to learn that Otto attempt to harm her was the result of his mind being controlled by the mechanical arms.

On the other hand, she was painfully aware that after this incident, Otto reputation was in ruins. He would be entangled in endless legal battles, and the career he cherished most had been completely destroyed.

Whoosh!

Cyborg, holding the now-unconscious Otto—whose inhibitor chip had been violently disabled—flew over to where the police were gathered.

"Cyborg!"

George Stacy stared at the hero in front of him, momentarily speechless. Just days earlier, he had taken his family to see the Cyborg movie.

After a few seconds of hesitation, he managed to speak, though all he could muster was a simple thank-you.

"...We owe you for this."

"He all yours."

Cyborg handed Otto over to George and his officers before glancing at Green Arrow, who stood under the Manhattan Bridge.

Whoosh!

To everyone disbelief, Green Arrow nocked an arrow and fired it straight at Cyborg.

Cyborg, hovering two or three meters above the ground, didn't move. Instead, he watched the arrow hurtle toward him.

For a moment, it seemed like the two heroes were about to clash.

But just as the crowd braced for the worst, Cyborg casually caught the incoming arrow. Without pause, he gripped it tightly and rocketed skyward.

Boom!

The thrusters on Cyborg feet roared, propelling him into the sky at an incredible speed until he was nothing but a black speck.

Green Arrow followed right behind.

It was the arrow!

The crowd suddenly realized the truth.

A nearly invisible steel wire was attached to the arrow, pulling Green Arrow along with Cyborg into the blue sky.

"Get the recovery team down here!"

George watched as the two heroes disappeared into the sky, then turned to his officers.

"Those mechanical arms that fell into the Hudson River are important. We can't let someone else get their hands on them and create more problems. They need to be stored securely at the station."

"Understood!"

An officer nodded and started to move but paused after a few steps. Turning back to George, he hesitated.

"What is it?"

George frowned.

"Well…"

The officer hesitated again, glancing from George to the four turtles standing nearby.

The turtles, looking rather bored, had been hoping to show their skills during their first big operation, only to be completely upstaged by Cyborg and Green Arrow.

"I was just thinking," the officer said, "aren't turtles supposed to be good at swimming?"

The moment the words left his mouth, George blinked in realization and turned to look at the turtles.

The four turtles exchanged glances.

Their first major mission had ended without them achieving anything—and now they were being asked to dive into the river to retrieve the fallen mechanical arms?

What an anticlimactic end!

The turtles internally groaned but didn't complain. They immediately began preparing to dive into the Hudson River and recover the arms.

The most eager among them was undoubtedly Donatello.

As a tech enthusiast, he was deeply intrigued by Doctor Octopus mechanical arms.

Meanwhile

The reporters, still in awe of Cyborg and Green Arrow—who had appeared as suddenly and dramatically as Batman—reluctantly bid each other farewell.

They needed to rush back and finish their articles, racing against one another to break the story first.

This was sure to be headline news, not just in New York but globally.

Those reporters whose cameras had been damaged or lost due to the magnetic field, or who hadn't managed to capture any footage, quickly shifted their focus to Anton.

After all, Anton was the head of DC Comics!

His company had published works featuring both Cyborg and Green Arrow long before today, giving the public a foundation of familiarity with these two heroes.

Moreover, Anton was also the director of the Cyborg movie.

In this entire incident, Anton significance ranked just below Cyborg, Green Arrow, and Otto.

However, just as these reporters approached Anton, eager to interview him, they were intercepted by a group of officers who had apparently been instructed to keep them at bay.

Frustrated, the reporters could only watch as Anton conversed casually with a red-haired woman, their own plans thwarted.

By the police cars.

Tony had been observing the entire sequence of events.

From the moment Cyborg and Green Arrow appeared to the moment they left, neither of them had exchanged a single word—or even a glance—with Anton.

Yet Tony was certain of one thing:

The three of them definitely knew each other.

The thought crossed his mind briefly before he dismissed it.

After all, Anton was the director of Batman and Cyborg, and his DC Comics featured Green Arrow as well.

With all three characters brought to life, it was only natural that people would suspect Anton of being connected to them.

But what lingered in Tony mind wasn't the possible connection—it was a dangerous thought that had struck him when Cyborg approached the police cars.

The advanced technology on Cyborg body was astonishing.

It reminded him of the details in the Cyborg movie, prompting a deeper and more unsettling thought.

Was alien technology real?

To date, humanity had yet to discover intelligent extraterrestrial life, but Tony was a firm believer in the existence of other advanced civilizations in the universe.

And he knew full well that these civilizations might not have benevolent intentions toward Earth.

If, as depicted in the movie, a being like "Darkseid" had set his sights on Earth, the planet would be in grave danger.

Tony brows furrowed at the thought.

Glancing at Anton, who was chatting with the red-haired woman, Tony felt an odd sense of frustration.

The fact that someone like Anton—a filmmaker—could be so closely tied to Batman, Cyborg, and Green Arrow was nothing short of baffling.

"Anton, we need to talk," Natasha said, her gaze fixed on the man in front of her. Despite his ever-present smile, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was staring into a dense fog. Over the past couple of weeks, nothing about him had become clearer.

"Sure," Anton replied without hesitation, his smile broadening. "I've been waiting for you to say that, Natasha."

"You really do know everything," she said, her expression unreadable.

"If you already know about my connection to Batman, how could you not realize that what Batman knows, I know too?"

Anton shrugged, adding with a sly grin, "And maybe there are things Batman doesn't know that I understand better than he does."

Natasha frowned slightly. She felt there was a deeper meaning to his words, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Soon after, Coulson arrived to speak with Anton.

"Anton, I'll get straight to the point," Coulson said, his face grave. "What the deal with Cyborg? Is he, like Green Arrow, one of yours?"

"Batman should have already told you about his plans to form a team of superheroes," Anton said, pausing briefly before continuing. "I assume you already know the name?"

"The Justice League," Coulson answered.

"Correct."

Anton nodded. "Cyborg is a member of the Justice League—and one of its founding members."

"And what about DC Comics?" Coulson pressed. "In the works you've published, heroes like Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman—are they all members of the Justice League too? And what about the fact that DC is currently producing three movies: Cyborg, Batman: The Dark Knight, and a new one, Superman?"

Coulson hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Don't tell me that the next superhero to show up from DC is going to be Superman himself!"

Even as he said it, Coulson found the idea incredible.

Part of him wrestled with the possibility—especially given how movies had portrayed Superman immense power and otherworldly origins.

Cyborg was merely a human enhanced with alien technology to become a half-mechanical bio-cyborg.

Superman, on the other hand, was a full-blooded alien.

Coulson, who had extensively studied DC Comics and its characters, had a solid grasp of the current lineup.

But he couldn't help harboring doubts about the authenticity of these stories.

And yet, a persistent thought echoed in his mind:

What if it true?

If these characters were indeed members of the Justice League, as he'd learned, then this organization already possessed a power level that could rival nations.

If such a formidable group existed, why were they only now coming into view?

And with S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence capabilities, how had these individuals managed to remain completely off the radar until recently?

The entire situation was an unsolved puzzle.

"As for that, I can't answer your question," Anton said with a shrug, his tone light and nonchalant. "Coulson, time will give you the answers. It always does."

Coulson frowned.

He wasn't sure what Anton meant.

Was he implying that everything would eventually become clear?

Besides the Justice League, Coulson was already aware of confirmed individuals like Venom, Spider-Man, and the Ninja Turtles. He also suspected that Daredevil, who hadn't been seen for some time, was part of the mix.

This group alone already represented a significant force.

Now, with the addition of Green Arrow and Cyborg, the stakes seemed even higher.

"Fine," Coulson said, careful not to press Anton too hard.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was certain of one thing:

Even if Anton wasn't Batman himself, he was undoubtedly close to him. More than that, he was likely a full-fledged member of the Justice League, with direct access to its members.

"These matters will be reported to my superiors," Coulson continued. "Anton, expect that others will come looking for you soon."

With that, Coulson realized he wouldn't be getting any useful information out of Anton today. Politely, he excused himself and left.

"Looking for me?"

Anton watched Coulson retreating figure and stroked his chin, surprised.

Why would they come to me instead of Batman?

What the deal? Is my identity blown, or does S.H.I.E.L.D. think I'm easier to intimidate?

"Anton, looks like you've got their uper-secret agency' watching you now, too!"

A familiar, smug voice interrupted Anton thoughts.

Turning, he saw Tony smirking, clearly amused by the situation.

Tony had encountered Coulson before—his high hairline left a lasting impression on anyone who met him.

"If you've got time to laugh at me," Anton replied with a calm smile, "you might want to think about the trouble brewing around you, Tony."

With that, Anton turned and walked away, not the least bit annoyed.

The Doctor Octopus incident was resolved, and there was no point lingering at the scene. He had more important matters to attend to—like returning to his office and tallying his gains.

[Arresting Doctor Otto: System reward 3 million justice points.]

[Current justice point balance: 13 million.]

The last time Anton checked, his balance was at 9 million. How had it jumped to 13 million so suddenly?

Reviewing the transaction log, he discovered that after taking down the Big Foot Gang, the system had quietly rewarded him an additional 1 million points—something he hadn't noticed at the time.

Though it wasn't much, every bit counted.

Anton accepted it gladly.

Meanwhile, behind him, a pair of eyes were fixed on him with a dazed expression.

"My trouble?"

Tony stared at Anton retreating figure, his face darkening as thoughts raced through his mind.

He was convinced Anton knew something.

Considering Anton connection to Batman, it only made sense that he might have insights others didn't.

"Hmph!"

Tony let out a dissatisfied grunt, unable to shake his unease.

He climbed into the car, instructing Happy to drive, leaving the scene in frustration.

The reporters watched helplessly as the two most newsworthy figures—Anton and Tony—slipped away right under their noses.

They could only sigh at the lost opportunity.

By the edge of the experimental platform:

As the incident concluded, Obadiah Stane surveyed the wreckage before him, his fury barely contained.

"Worthless!"

Obadiah hissed through gritted teeth. "All of them—useless!"

It wasn't the money he cared about.

He had placed great hopes on Otto.

But Otto failure had slapped him in the face, leaving him with nothing—an exercise in futility.

Obadiah could already foresee the impact this would have on Stark Industries. Tomorrow, the company stock price would plummet once again.

Stark Industries was his lifeblood.

His power, his wealth, his life work, and his dreams were all tied to it, leaving him no room for retreat.

If there was to be progress, there was only one way forward: removing the person standing in his way.

Previously, Obadiah had reached the breaking point and made his choice.

In some ways, apart from lacking Tony genius and charisma, Obadiah was indeed more suited to the role of chairman.

But some things couldn't be achieved through effort alone.

It was widely acknowledged that Tony Stark was the one capable of breathing new life into Stark Industries.

Obadiah hadn't always believed this, but now he grudgingly accepted it as fact.

His gaze turned dark as he thought of the secret project housed in a hidden lab in New York: the suit he had named Iron Monger.

The only way to recover Stark Industries' stock value now was to secure massive orders from the military, proving to the world that Stark was still the powerful arms manufacturer it had always been—not a faltering giant brought low by Tony decision to exit the weapons industry.

Though it was true that a dying camel was still larger than a horse, this was not the outcome Obadiah wanted to see.

"Tony…"

Obadiah clenched his fists as he entered the waiting car, flanked by his bodyguards.

Once seated, he stared out at the passing cityscape, his eyes unfocused.

The driver, however, could feel the tension in the air—a palpable aura of hostility.

"Tony!"

Obadiah muttered under his breath, his voice low enough that only he could hear. "I thought this could've been a chance for us to get along."

He closed his eyes, leaning back to rest.

That same day.

At DC Comics.

Just as Anton was preparing to head home after work, Natasha walked into his office.

Anton was about to greet her when he noticed someone else following behind her.

Though he had never met this man before, his identity was instantly recognizable.

Anton raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"Well, this is a rare guest!"

He leaned back into his chair, smiling as he continued, "Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., to what do I owe the honor?"