Chapter 39: CH-39. George is disappointed
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Jaxon took one of the USB drives and said, "I see. You handled it very well."
Gwen felt more at ease, "Luckily, we had the drone you set up to record everything. Otherwise, the three of us would have been painted as the villains."
Jaxon smiled and replied, "Seems like Tony's gadgets are still useful."
"Although today's mission failed, it proves we're not far from Kingpin. I believe it won't be long before we gather solid evidence against him."
Matt expressed his concern, "Kingpin has a vast network of connections and has corrupted many white-collar professionals. I'm worried that even if we find evidence, we might not be able to bring him down."
Matt's worries weren't unfounded, but Jaxon had a backup plan in mind.
"We can deal with that later. Our current mission is to catch him."
"His connections can protect him, but they could also turn on him."
People who are that greedy and selfish will protect Kingpin for their own benefit, but they could just as easily betray him for the same reason.
After a brief discussion, they each went their separate ways.
Jaxon took Peter and Gwen back to the balcony of Gwen's apartment, and Peter naturally had to head home on his own.
Jaxon and Gwen knocked on the door and found George waiting.
"You two actually showed up here?"
Jaxon handed him a USB drive and said, "This contains the truth about tonight. We didn't do it. Your own people framed us—they've been corrupted by money."
George still had a bit of trust in Black Spiderman because he couldn't understand why he and the others would do something like this. Now that there was evidence, George felt more inclined to believe him.
"You mean someone on the inside wants to frame you?"
Jaxon explained, "We're gathering evidence to take down a major criminal organization. Once we have everything we need, we can arrest him through proper channels."
"This is clearly his counterattack, trying to paint us as the bad guys."
George found it hard to believe, "You're saying you collect evidence and want me arrest him legally?"
"Unless you'd prefer me to smash his head in with one punch?" Jaxon asked sarcastically.
"Sure, his crimes deserve more than just ten deaths, but I don't want any trouble from you guys. I'd rather spend time with my girlfriend."
George chose to believe Jaxon and held onto the USB drive, "I'll use this evidence to help clear your names."
Jaxon smiled, "I trust in Captain George's character, but you'd better be careful."
"Kingpin's reach is far deeper than you think. The last time your daughter was in danger, it's likely Kingpin was trying to get leverage over you."
George didn't say much but nodded, "I'll be careful. If he ever threatens my family, I'll catch him myself."
"Well, I'll leave you to it, Captain George. Goodbye."
Jaxon took Gwen back to her room by window. After saying goodnight, Jaxon left.
He still had to find Bella.
Jaxon teleported to Bella's house and knocked on her bedroom door.
Bella hadn't gone to bed yet, but she had changed into her pajamas. When she heard the knock, she thought it was her daughter Betty, but it was Jaxon instead.
"Jaxon, how did you get in here?"
"I can teleport."
"What's up so late?"
Jaxon handed her another USB drive, "Tonight, Daredevil, Ghost Spider and Spider-Man walked into a trap. They were framed for killing the hostages and are now seen as villains."
"This USB contains the footage from that incident."
"I need you to write a report and clear things up."
Bella took the USB drive and said, "Do you know what time it is? Does this count as overtime?"
"I know, and I'd be happy to give you a raise." Jaxon joked.
Bella yawned and stretched, ignoring him. Only then did Jaxon notice how alluring Bella looked in her pajamas.
"Uh, I'm not a thief." Jaxon stammered, "If everything's okay, I'll head out."
Bella smirked as if she sensed something, "Goodnight."
Watching Jaxon leave in a hurry, Bella smiled to herself.
"Looks like I've definitely become more attractive."
Jaxon decided to visit Vanessa next. When he arrived, Vanessa was painting, waiting for Jaxon to return.
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The next morning, shocking news broke.
Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Ghost Spider, who had once been seen as heroes, were now labeled as villains. Black Spiderman, who didn't make an appearance, was included in this smear campaign. The narrative spread quickly: Black Spiderman and the others were now portrayed as criminals eliminating rivals under the guise of fighting crime.
The Daily Bugle couldn't miss this opportunity. John Jonah Jameson, the Bugle's owner, immediately condemned Spider-Man, Daredevil, and their allies.
"They're not heroes; they're villains!"
The public was furious.
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Online forums exploded with debates.
Black Spiderman, Spider-Man, Ghost-Spider, and Daredevil had all been declared villains.
Especially after the Daily Bugle's report, people began venting their outrage.
"I knew it! These people were never good."
"Spider-Bully? What kind of good guy has 'bully' in his name?"
"Arrest them all."
"Die, monsters!"
"These monsters must be captured and destroyed."
"Take off your mask, monster, and turn yourself in."
Peter and Gwen couldn't avoid being affected by this. Both of them wanted to do good and help people, but this backlash made them feel disheartened.
Although a few people defended them, their voices were quickly drowned out by the overwhelming criticism.
At Hero Daily's office, Bella had already prepared an article and the evidence to clear their names. But she wasn't in a rush to release it. She planned to wait. Once the hype reached its peak, she'd strike back with the truth.
Jaxon wasn't aware of Bella's plan, but he trusted her completely.
The online debates continued non-stop.
Meanwhile, George had taken the evidence to his boss, Tom.
"Boss, this is the information I got from Black Spiderman and his team last night. I reviewed it, and it turns out the hostage wasn't killed by them, but by one of our own."
"Some of our people have been corrupted by money."
Tom closed the door, looking very serious. The problem was indeed severe.
George handed him the USB drive.
Tom checked the contents on his computer and was deep in thought after watching the footage.
"This is real?"
"It looks like some of our people don't trust guns, preferring their own superpowers instead."
"Anyone else have this information?"
George shrugged, "I assume they have backups."
Tom grew quiet. It seemed the matter couldn't be covered up any longer.
"George, could this have been done by a shapeshifter or someone disguised as Black Spider-Man?"
George felt uneasy. According to last night's records, the person in question was indeed at the scene. But as for a disguised Black Spiderman? He'd never seen such an ability.
Even if Spiderman could shapeshift, why would he do this?
Tom seemed a little too eager to pin the blame on Black Spider-Man and his team. George began to suspect that Tom might be compromised as well.
"George, I think you should take some time off."
George was shocked to be suspended.
He knew the situation was serious and began wondering how many people around him were truly honest, or if they'd all been corrupted.
He could only nod helplessly, "Fine, I'll take a break."
"Leave your gun and the USB drive behind." Tom demanded.
George wasn't too worried since Black Spider-Man and the others had backup copies. He also had his own copy, so he handed over the original without hesitation.
"Here you go."
As George left the building, he looked back at his uniform and the place he had dedicated so much of his life to. A wave of discomfort washed over him.
Now, all he could do was wait for the day the truth would come to light.