DC Heroes in Marvel

Anton had no idea that when he followed John to Reed's research institute, other familiar faces were also on their way to meet Reed and his team.

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang.

Reed and the others assumed it was John bringing Anton for a visit. Excited, they rushed to greet them, eager to present their discoveries. 

But when they opened the door, they were greeted by an entirely different group.

Standing at the front was a bald man with a stern expression. Flanking him were a man and a woman who exuded authority and composure.

These three seemed oddly familiar.

"Hello," Reed began, surprised. "Who are you looking for?"

"The people we're looking for are you, Reed Richards, and your team," the bald man said calmly, his sharp gaze scanning the group. "Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm."

Reed frowned. There was something unsettling in the man's tone. "And who are you?"

Before the man could respond, Johnny's eyes widened as recognition dawned on him.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.!" Johnny exclaimed.

Reed, Sue, and Ben looked at him in confusion, but Johnny continued with excitement. "You're with S.H.I.E.L.D., aren't you?"

Johnny, always fascinated by superheroes and their exploits, was well-versed in the latest developments from S.H.I.E.L.D. 

He had eagerly absorbed all the information released during their recent press conference, memorizing the details of the Avengers and their activities. 

Unlike the others, who focused on science and research, Johnny thrived in social situations and had a knack for keeping up with the latest gossip.

He pointed at the man and woman behind the bald figure. "You're Hawkeye, and you're Black Widow!"

Then his gaze returned to the bald man, narrowing in thought. "And you… you're the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"Deputy Director," the man corrected. "I'm the Deputy Director now."

Since Coulson had taken over as Director, the responsibility for field missions had fallen to Nick Fury, who now preferred to keep things low-key.

Reed crossed his arms, his expression tense. "Alright, so S.H.I.E.L.D. is here. What do you want with us?"

Despite his calm tone, there was an underlying sense of unease. The sudden visit from a once-secretive organization made him suspect they had uncovered more about his team than he was comfortable with.

Fury, however, remained composed and polite. "Let me reintroduce ourselves. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a special task force under the International Security Council, created to handle unusual occurrences."

He paused, his sharp eyes on Reed. "Mr. Richards, your research now falls into that category. We'd like to request your cooperation."

"Unusual occurrences?" Reed echoed, his brows furrowing deeper. "What's so strange about my research?"

Fury allowed himself a small smile. "Let me clarify. Take your friend Ben Grimm, for instance. He's now widely known as 'The Thing.' Or your girlfriend's brother, Johnny Storm—who spontaneously combusted yesterday afternoon and is somehow perfectly fine today." 

Fury gestured at Johnny, who blinked in surprise. "We have reason to believe that all of you now possess extraordinary abilities."

"In fact, we've been collecting information on you," the Black Widow suddenly interjected. "After your return from the space station, your bodies have undergone noticeable changes. We suspect these changes have caused mutations, resulting in the superpowers you now possess... and this puts you in danger."

Her words caused Reed and the others to exchange uneasy glances. While they had known this was the truth, they hadn't expected government agents to show up at their door so soon.

What Reed and his team didn't realize was that, after S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reconstruction under Nick Fury, the agency had grown desperate to bolster the Avengers. 

Compared to the Justice League, the Avengers lacked the same level of raw power and combat versatility. 

This led S.H.I.E.L.D. to aggressively search for individuals with extraordinary abilities who met their recruitment criteria.

Reed and his team, unfortunately, had drawn attention too quickly. Ben Grimm's transformation into the Thing had been far too conspicuous, and when paired with Johnny Storm's recent public incident of spontaneous combustion, it wasn't difficult to connect the dots. 

S.H.I.E.L.D., monitoring such phenomena obsessively, was swift to act once they confirmed the signs of mutation.

"You want to arrest us for research, don't you?" Reed's voice turned cold as his sharp eyes scanned Nick Fury and his team. His expression hardened, now full of distrust and resentment.

"No, you misunderstand!" Fury said quickly, maintaining his composure. "We're not here to take away your freedom. But your current condition is unstable, potentially dangerous. S.H.I.E.L.D. has the most advanced equipment and resources, and we can provide the help you need."

His tone was measured, firm yet reassuring, as he attempted to sway the group with the promise of support.

"And so..." Ben Grimm spoke up, his voice filled with suspicion. "You want us to join S.H.I.E.L.D., is that it?"

"Yes, that's exactly right," Fury confirmed, forcing a smile. "Your research has significant value, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is prepared to provide you with all the funding and protection you'll need."

Though the offer of funding was tempting, the mention of "protection" made Reed and his companions pause, their expressions briefly betraying their doubts.

"Nick, they don't need your protection."

A calm but firm voice suddenly interrupted. Everyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. turned toward the source of the voice, their faces shifting to surprise—and, in Fury's case, irritation—when they saw who it was.

"Anton!"

Black Widow and Hawkeye looked genuinely surprised.

"Anton?"

Reed and his team were equally startled. They quickly spotted John standing beside Anton, confirming his identity. Their initial shock turned into excitement.

Compared to S.H.I.E.L.D., Anton had a much better reputation in their eyes. 

Public opinion firmly placed the Justice League above S.H.I.E.L.D. in terms of reliability, and more importantly, Anton was the son of their former coach and a comrade-in-arms of Batman himself.

 These two factors alone were enough to make Reed and his companions trust him far more than Fury's team.

"Why are you here?" Fury asked, his tone growing darker as an ominous feeling settled over him. Anton's unexpected arrival spelled trouble for his plans.

"Shouldn't you already know that?" Anton replied with an amused smile. "Reed's investors pulled out, leaving him without funding. He came to my father—who, as you're well aware, trained them when they were preparing for the space station mission."

Anton's smirk widened as he added, "If you didn't even pick up on that, I have to say, my already low expectations for S.H.I.E.L.D. were too generous. You've managed to underperform even those."

As he spoke, Anton shrugged. "No wonder Hydra keeps throwing you guys around."

Fury and the others looked visibly irritated at this unreserved ridicule.

Hawkeye, in particular, gripped his bow tightly, his mind flashing back to the time he was ensnared by Batman's fishing net on a Washington rooftop and subsequently restrained by Wonder Woman's lasso of truth. 

The memory of such humiliation made his teeth clench with hatred.

It was well-known that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Justice League had always had a tense relationship. Moreover, the Justice League had formed a shared-interest alliance with the U.S., making them natural competitors.

Hearing Anton's jibe, the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. weren't exactly shocked—it was in line with his usual behavior.

"Anton," Fury said calmly, masking his frustration, "if you're planning to invest in their research, you shouldn't claim they don't need protection."

Anton replied, unfazed, "I think they can handle protecting themselves just fine. And let me correct you—it's not me investing in them. It's Batman."

"Batman?"

"Batman is interested in us?"

Reed and the others, overhearing the argument, were visibly taken aback. Hearing Anton mention Batman's approval made their breathing quicken. 

As a legendary figure and a major force in the superhero world, Batman's support was both unexpected and thrilling news.

Considering Batman's vast network and resources, it wasn't surprising he had discovered their research. After all, if even S.H.I.E.L.D. could locate them, so could the ever-enigmatic Dark Knight.

"In that case, I wish you the best of luck," Fury said coolly.

He knew the excited expressions on Reed and his team's faces meant that S.H.I.E.L.D. had lost its chance to recruit them. With a glance at his team, he said, "Let's go."

As the group stepped into the elevator, Hawkeye broke the silence. "We're just giving up like this?"

"What else can we do? Force Reed to join us?" Fury's voice was composed now, though tinged with frustration. "With Anton in the picture, even that wouldn't work. Public opinion favors the Justice League over S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers. If we want to change that, we'll need to wait for the right opportunity."

He continued, "We'll need a major event, something that can rebuild the Avengers' reputation and shift people's trust back to us. Only then can we reverse this perception."

"In the meantime, we need to focus on strengthening our team."

Fury's expression darkened as he thought of the current roster of superheroes. "The Justice League has a clear advantage over us right now. We need to close that gap."

"There's one potential recruit," Black Widow interjected suddenly. "He's currently locked up in a New York prison. I plan to bring him in."

"You're talking about the Sandman, Flint Marko?"fury asked.

"Exactly," Black Widow replied. "Even though he was manipulated by Justin Hammer, he never deliberately hurt anyone, and he has no blood on his hands. He's a solid candidate for the Avengers."

"Go ahead. Sandman could be a good addition," Fury agreed after a moment's thought. Then, turning to Hawkeye, he added, "Barton, you and I will pay Victor Doom a visit. If we can't get Reed, we'll start with Victor."

"Understood," Hawkeye responded.

Inside Reed's Institute

Reed and his team were noticeably friendlier toward Anton and John compared to their attitude toward S.H.I.E.L.D. At least when they first saw Anton, they immediately invited him and John into the institute and offered them seats on the sofa for a conversation.

"Anton, is it true that Batman is optimistic about us?"

Once S.H.I.E.L.D. had left, the person who couldn't wait any longer wasn't Mr. Fantastic Reed but Johnny Storm. As a die-hard Batman fan, Johnny's enthusiasm was unmistakable.

"So... can we meet Batman in the future?" Johnny asked eagerly, his eyes wide with anticipation as he stared at Anton.

Even the others, including John Jameson—Anton's self-proclaimed "cheap dad"—were curious. To this day, John had no idea about Anton's true identity. 

No one had bothered to tell him. In fact, it seemed like everyone, including his father, enjoyed keeping him in the dark just for laughs.

"Maybe," Anton replied, his smile enigmatic. "Batman is very interested in your research. If an opportunity arises, I'm sure he won't miss a chance to meet you."

The discussion with Reed and his team went surprisingly smoothly. Unlike the now-disgraced S.H.I.E.L.D., Anton had no trouble earning their trust.

Additionally, Reed and his team hoped that Anton would become an investor, especially since he presented himself as someone with a direct connection to Batman. Being the only person in this world capable of communicating with Batman, Anton's claims carried undeniable weight.

Even John Jameson believed that Batman had been aware of Reed's research for a while. Otherwise, why would Anton agree so readily when the topic was first mentioned? 

He even took the initiative to meet with Reed in person.

John dismissed the idea that Anton was helping out because of him, his so-called "cheap dad." He knew he wasn't important enough to warrant that.

After finalizing the negotiations, Anton had John sign a contract with Reed and his team on behalf of Wayne Enterprises. 

Then, Anton said, "Batman actually admires you, Reed. You're one of the few people in the world he considers truly brilliant. He believes you have untapped potential."

"Really?" Reed was pleasantly surprised. He never imagined that someone of Batman's stature would not only know his name but hold him in such high regard.

"Of course," Anton nodded. "Aside from your project, there's some other research that could use your expertise. If you're interested, would you come with me now?"

"Where to?" Reed's heartbeat quickened. He had a feeling he was about to stumble upon something extraordinary.

"You'll find out soon," Anton replied, knowing it would be difficult to explain everything up front. It made more sense to show them instead.

With that, the group followed Anton to a surprising location: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' secret sewer laboratory, adjacent to their ninja dojo.

The laboratory was vastly different from its humble beginnings. The walls had been reinforced and hardened, and advanced circuitry and cutting-edge research equipment had been installed. It was now one of the most advanced research facilities in the world.

As they entered, two men in white lab coats approached them.

"Allow me to introduce you," Anton said. "This is Dr. Curtis Connors and Dr. Bruce Banner."

Turning to Reed and his team, he continued, "This is Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm. You're all experts in biology and genetics, so I imagine you'll find a lot to discuss."

"Connors? Dr. Lizard?" Johnny blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity.

When Johnny heard the name, he took a deep breath, then glanced at Bruce Banner. Finding Bruce to be unassuming, Johnny decided to ignore him for the moment and rushed forward to shake hands with Connors.

"Hello there!" Johnny said enthusiastically. "It's an honor to meet you!"

"Connors?"

Reed, on the other hand, didn't recognize Bruce Banner's name, but he was very familiar with Curtis Connors. 

Dr. Lizard was one of the villains Batman had dealt with shortly after his debut. Since then, Connors had seemingly vanished.

Reed had assumed Connors was arrested and imprisoned, but he never imagined he'd resurface as one of Batman's allies.

As the realization dawned on him, Reed's expression shifted. "Wait... so Wayne Enterprises' body regeneration technology—this is based on your research? Dr. Connors, that's incredible!"

"Bruce also helped me a lot," Connors admitted humbly, his tone tinged with embarrassment.

While they conversed, John Jameson, Anton's "cheap old man," observed the surroundings and glanced at Connors and Banner with growing astonishment.

He'd heard of Dr. Lizard before, but Bruce Banner was an unfamiliar name. Still, based on Anton's introduction, it was clear Banner wasn't an ordinary scientist.

John couldn't help but feel curious—and a little bewildered. He wanted to know what his "prodigal son" had gone through in just over a year to transform so drastically.

And then there was Batman. Who exactly was he? What kind of person would take such an interest in Anton and shape him into what he had become?

"I can't believe it," John muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Anton used to be a reckless playboy who spent his time wasting money and chasing women. And now…" He sighed, feeling a mix of pride and disbelief.

Meanwhile, Connors continued introducing the lab's research to Reed and the others.

"Like you, we wanted to crack the code of human genetics to free humanity from disease. Initially, our focus was on developing a human enhancement serum…"

…

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