DC HERO AT MARVEL

"Declare war?"

Eddie was momentarily stunned but quickly grew excited.

From Anton account, he now understood the existence of Hydra and the kind of underground empire they had built over the years, enabled by S.H.I.E.L.D. failures.

Hydra was on a completely different level from the underworld empire Kingpin had constructed.

Though Kingpin influence was vast, compared to Hydra, he was no more than a regional warlord.

Hydra, on the other hand, was an imperial regent—an enormous, sprawling force that dwarfed Kingpin by orders of magnitude.

"Anton, you'd better think this through," Eddie cautioned, his earlier excitement tempered by a somber tone.

"If Hydra is really as powerful as you say, with bases established abroad and ties everywhere, the pressure we'll face won't just come from a chaotic S.H.I.E.L.D."

He wasn't afraid of Hydra.

As a young journalist, Eddie had once dared to go head-to-head with the Life Foundation. His courage was unquestionable.

His warning was motivated purely by strategic concerns.

"I don't care," Anton said firmly, his sharp gaze making Eddie fully grasp his resolve.

"If we're going to strike, we have to strike hard—so hard they feel it! Otherwise, they'll keep treating us like insignificant pawns to be toyed with."

Anton tone turned resolute.

"Eddie, the Justice League has been around for a while, but we've never truly acted as one. This time, we'll make a statement to the world. A new era begins now."

"Alright, I'm with you!" Eddie nodded, clenching his fists.

"Like you said, let stir the pot! I'll get started on the story right now—let expose Hydra to the world!"

"Move fast," Anton instructed. "By tomorrow, I want the name 'Hydra' to be known across the globe."

"No problem."

Eddie nodded seriously, patting his chest. "Exposing these kinds of dark forces? That my specialty!"

After several months, Batman reappeared.

The citizens of New York were ecstatic.

Especially after hearing how he led the Justice League to thwart a dark force, the internet buzzed with cheers for Batman and his team.

Photos of Wonder Woman posted online triggered a new wave of fervent discussion.

At Wayne Enterprises, there were images of her fiercely overpowering Electro.

At New York Airport, she stood beside Batman, shining like a star in the night sky.

Many people couldn't help but stare in awe at the images.

If they knew that every superhero who appeared tonight, regardless of gender, was actually the same person…

The reaction would be priceless.

Notably, the news of Batman return to New York, uniting three Justice League heroes to take down a sinister organization, didn't lose momentum as the night wore on.

Countless people stayed up late refreshing news updates, eager for official explanations.

Media outlets scrambled to capitalize on the buzz, churning out articles that were easily debunked as speculative nonsense.

Most people, however, kept their browsers locked on a single site:

The Daily Bugle official page.

As Batman go-to platform, the Daily Bugle was the only source people trusted for credible news.

Eddie didn't disappoint.

He quickly issued a statement saying he had been in contact with Batman and was compiling information. By tomorrow morning, the full story would be revealed.

Although the public was itching to know the truth, they understood this would be an earth-shattering scoop.

Meanwhile, another piece of news began grabbing attention:

"Anton Steals the Show: A 3-Minute Video Proves Why He Batman Chosen Spokesperson"

"Anton Jameson Like You've Never Imagined"

"Columbia University Banquet Attack: Anton Saves Over a Hundred Guests"

These reports, paired with a 3-minute clip recorded inside the banquet hall, instantly went viral.

The footage showed chaos erupting as armed assailants opened fire, sending the banquet into turmoil.

Anton, unarmed, reacted swiftly, using common objects around him to neutralize the gunmen in under two minutes.

Though the video should have been sealed by the police, resourceful media outlets managed to acquire it.

Interviews with survivors captured their gratitude and admiration for Anton.

The buzz surrounding this story rivaled Batman.

In fact, many viewed it as connected to Batman, given Anton role as his spokesperson.

Previously, people had questioned why Batman would choose Anton for such a role.

They had it backward.

Many believed it wasn't Anton filming Batman, but Batman finding Anton before his rise to fame, commissioning him to document his journey.

Anton, once dismissed as a New York playboy, had transformed into a true success story in the public eyes.

Now, with this footage, people recognized the qualities in Anton that had caught Batman attention.

Even though the full details of Batman battle against the terror organization remained undisclosed, Anton became the focus of the night conversations.

Piecing together the events, people began to suspect that Anton actions at Columbia University were no coincidence.

Perhaps he was acting on Batman orders.

This led to the logical conclusion that the banquet attack was likely connected to the broader terror plot Batman was tackling.

Though their guesses held fragments of truth, the online speculations lacked the full context.

What the public didn't know was that the truth, set to be revealed by the Daily Bugle tomorrow, wasn't just explosive—it was seismic.

This revelation would shake the world to its core.

And in the U.S., it would trigger a terrifying wave of upheaval.

Washington, D.C.

The news from New York had reached S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters almost immediately.

Alexander Pierce expression was grim.

In just a few hours, the situation had spiraled completely out of control, a turn of events he hadn't anticipated.

Hydra Cobra division had failed.

The New York Collapse Plan barely made it out of the starting gate before being relegated to Hydra archive of botched operations.

Pierce knew exactly what this meant for the future.

Batman would retaliate.

But how would he retaliate?

Pierce couldn't fathom it.

His head throbbed.

One thing was clear, however—there would be no room for negotiation.

From what Pierce understood of Batman personality, even if Hydra offered to capitulate, there was no chance Batman would accept a truce.

"Cobra… what a bunch of useless fools!"

Pierce face darkened.

Ring! Ring!

A call came in.

Crossbones—Brock Rumlow.

Pierce picked up, forcing himself to mask his frustration. "Rumlow, what the status on your end?"

"Mission accomplished. We've captured Rex," Rumlow reported.

"Well done. Bring him in," Pierce replied curtly. "But make sure he doesn't… talk. You know what I mean."

"Understood," Rumlow said, ending the call.

He turned to Rex, the Cobra Commander, who was kneeling on the ground in front of him, clad in a metallic mask.

Rumlow eyes were cold and unyielding.

They stood on a desolate beach, surrounded by overturned vehicles, scattered shell casings, and scorched craters left by explosions.

The bodies of Rex soldiers, clad in advanced combat gear, lay scattered along the shore, some being dragged away by the rolling waves.

Cobra last surviving forces had been wiped out, leaving only Rex alive.

"Rumlow… what are you going to do?"

Rex voice trembled as he lifted his head slightly, his face pale beneath the mask. His eyes were filled with fear.

He had suspected that Hydra might dispose of him once he had outlived his usefulness, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

Thirty minutes earlier.

After receiving confirmation that his strike team had gone silent, Rex had sensed imminent danger and fled his base.

But Hydra had moved faster.

He hadn't even made it 200 kilometers before they caught up to him.

Now his men were all dead, their corpses littering the shoreline. He was the only one left alive—and that terrified him even more.

He knew exactly who his captors were.

Nominally part of S.H.I.E.L.D., these individuals were, in reality, Hydra operatives.

After all, it was with their backing that Cobra had been established in the first place.

"Rex, you've disappointed us greatly," Rumlow said, opening a small case handed to him by an aide and extracting a syringe.

"But don't worry," he continued, his tone icy.

"We're not going to kill you. This is our latest formula. It addictive and induces vivid hallucinations.

Once injected, you'll forget a lot of things… You may have let us down, but you can still be… useful."

Rumlow voice was calm and deliberate as he spoke. Then, with measured precision, he plunged the syringe into Rex neck.

"No!" Rex screamed, his voice filled with desperation and terror.

Washington, D.C.

Rex struggled desperately, his face full of despair. "Cobra is still useful! I am Cobra commander! You can't do this to me!"

"Ha… ha… ha…"

Within moments, Rex began rolling his eyes. His mind drifted as if he were floating in paradise.

Both hands clutched his throat as his face turned blue from lack of oxygen, yet he seemed completely unaware of the pain.

"Take him back to headquarters," Rumlow ordered coldly. "And keep an eye on him—don't let him overdose and kill himself."

"Yes, sir!"

His subordinates shackled the convulsing Rex and hauled him into a waiting vehicle.

Two hours later, the convoy entered Washington, D.C., arriving at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

It was the early hours of the morning.

The lights at headquarters still burned brightly.

Rumlow took the elevator and stopped outside the office of Secretary Alexander Pierce. He knocked and entered to face Pierce.

"All taken care of?" Pierce asked, his tone even.

"Yes," Rumlow confirmed with a nod.

"Lock Rex in the highest-security cell," Pierce instructed. "The meeting is about to begin, and we'll need him soon enough."

Pierce rose and headed toward the conference room.

The meeting was convened by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury.

The topic was the breaking news from New York.

Batman, leading three members of the Justice League, had thwarted a terror plot.

The deeper connections remained a mystery to S.H.I.E.L.D., but Fury had already pieced together the surface-level details from his informants within the NYPD and the Continental Hotel.

At the meeting, Fury stood at the head of the table and opened the discussion.

"Cobra!" Fury declared.

"The culprits are the Cobra organization. They intended to use nanobot warheads to destroy New York and bring it to its knees.

Since their target was New York, it no surprise they faced Batman… and thankfully, Batman resolved the situation."

"However, S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot afford to let its guard down."

Fury face darkened. "This was a colossal failure on our part. Such a dangerous operation, and we had no intelligence beforehand.

MARS aircraft carrying nanobot warheads flew through our skies, completely undetected. This is a glaring failure on S.H.I.E.L.D. part!"

"Nick, I need to interject."

Pierce spoke up suddenly. "Regarding the Cobra organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been monitoring them for some time."

"Pierce, you know that not what I mean," Fury replied, cutting him off.

"Yes, Cobra has long been on our radar as a terrorist organization, but I'm referring to this particular operation targeting New York.

We were in the dark from start to finish. That shouldn't have happened."

"You're right," Pierce said with a nod. "I agree with your assessment."

"So, we need to make changes."

Fury tone grew heavier. "S.H.I.E.L.D. needs new resources to help us address crises like these more effectively."

The room fell silent.

Though Fury was nominally at the helm of S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization was subject to the directives of the World Security Council, and internal factions often voiced differing opinions.

"How do you propose we proceed?" Pierce finally asked, breaking the silence with a faint smile.

"We form a special operations team," Fury said decisively.

"Much like Batman Justice League, we need to identify extraordinary individuals—whether scientists or superpowered beings—and enlist their help to eliminate threats and address crises like the one New York just faced. Even the kind that comes from beyond Earth."

Fury officially introduced his proposal for the Avengers Initiative, laying it out for all to see.

"I plan to call it… the Avengers."

His words didn't come as a shock to those present.

The concept of the Avengers Initiative had long been circulating in their briefing papers, though Fury had yet to formally submit it for approval.

Now, Fury was officially presenting the idea of forming a superhero team, seeking the endorsement of his colleagues before submitting it to the World Security Council for review.

Pierce leafed through the documents in front of him and asked,

"So your picks include Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Doctor Octopus, and Captain America?"

As the Secretary-General of S.H.I.E.L.D., Pierce had closer ties and deeper communication with the World Security Council.

With Pierce involved, the formation of the Avengers would likely receive significant support.

"That good. I'll discuss it with him," Fury replied.

Pierce nodded in satisfaction, and the two exchanged a knowing look, the kind shared only by old allies.

Later, near the end of the meeting:

"Does anyone else have any questions?" Fury asked, scanning the room.

Pierce raised a hand. "I have something to add."

"Go ahead," Fury said.

"Regarding Cobra," Pierce began, "we actually received some intelligence about them before today. After receiving the news from New York, I sent Rumlow and his team into action immediately. Unexpectedly, the operation went smoothly, and we apprehended Cobra commander, Rex."

"What? You captured Rex?" Fury was visibly surprised.

"Indeed," Pierce replied with a faint smile. "Rumlow has already brought him back to S.H.I.E.L.D. I thought you might want to meet him."

The room fell into a stunned silence as the assembled agents exchanged glances.

Later, within S.H.I.E.L.D. internal prison:

Fury and Pierce stood before a heavily guarded cell, staring at a dazed and expressionless Rex. Fury face darkened.

"We've interrogated him," Rumlow reported, standing beside the two leaders.

"But from our observations, Rex has lost most of his memories. He claims to know nothing about anything."

Fury expression grew more severe, sensing that the situation was becoming increasingly complicated.

"In that case," Fury said with a sigh, "I'll find a way to contact Batman and uncover the full scope of this matter."

He glanced at Pierce and Rumlow. "Pierce, Rumlow, thanks to your efforts, S.H.I.E.L.D. has managed to save face, at least to some extent."

"No need to thank us," Pierce replied smoothly.

Fury fixed Rumlow with a pointed look. "Rumlow, don't let me or Pierce down."

After Fury left, Pierce placed a firm hand on Rumlow shoulder, his tone laden with implication. "Don't let me down."

"I'll do whatever it takes," Rumlow responded, saluting sharply.

Washington.

Nick Fury returned to his office after parting ways with Pierce.

There, he was greeted by Coulson.

"Director, we did receive intelligence related to the Cobra organization recently, but we've been preoccupied with establishing contact with Asgard. We overlooked this matter," Coulson admitted, his tone tinged with guilt.

"This is on us. We never expected it to escalate like this."

"What done is done. No point dwelling on it now," Fury waved dismissively. "What about Anton? Any word from him?"

"Anton didn't answer his phone," Coulson replied. "It seems he refusing to communicate with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"In other words, Batman is refusing to communicate with S.H.I.E.L.D.…" Fury face darkened, and he said with certainty, "So it really is Hydra stirring things up."

He wasn't naive.

From the start, Fury suspected this incident was far more complex than just Cobra involvement.

Cobra wouldn't suddenly hatch a plan to destroy New York with nanite warheads without external influence.

Someone was pulling the strings, and the motive likely centered around Batman.

Fury brooded in silence for a long moment.

Reflecting on the meeting earlier, the participants' reactions, and especially Pierce demeanor, he furrowed his brow.

He couldn't yet pinpoint who might be the traitor.

But when he approached the issue from a different perspective…

The one who seemed the most confident, the least likely to be a villain—that person was often the true culprit.

"Pierce…" Fury murmured, his expression complicated. "Could it be you?"

Years ago, Pierce had been his superior.

In fact, Fury rise to director owed much to Pierce support.

If Pierce turned out to be a Hydra operative lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury wouldn't just lose an old ally; he'd also lose faith in the organization itself.

That would mean the rot had truly reached the core.

"Director, what our next move?" Coulson asked.

He could sense the complexity of the situation.

Batman apparent reluctance to engage with S.H.I.E.L.D., as evidenced by Anton actions, suggested the superhero was distancing himself from the agency. Did this imply Batman believed S.H.I.E.L.D. was beyond redemption?

"For now, we wait and see what Batman does." Fury considered briefly before speaking decisively.

"If Hydra is indeed behind this, Batman won't let it go. Once Batman goes after Hydra, they're bound to expose themselves.

When that happens, we'll seize the opportunity to identify and root out any Hydra infiltrators within S.H.I.E.L.D."

"But what if S.H.I.E.L.D. gets implicated in the process?" Coulson hesitated.

"Batman might realize we're deliberately holding back. This approach could alienate him further."

"Don't worry about that." Fury tone was firm.

"Batman was never truly aligned with us. If offending him means flushing out those Hydra scum, it worth it."

Coulson fell silent.

As Fury trusted lieutenant, he understood the director reasoning well.

No matter what, Batman was a superhero. Even if Batman grew hostile toward S.H.I.E.L.D., it would likely just mean he'd refuse further collaboration, not that he'd turn against them.

After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. represented justice and law enforcement.

Both sides shared a common goal: to make the world a better place.

However, Fury and Coulson reasoning was based on their understanding of Batman as a superhero—a perception shaped by Anton Batman films.

In that sense, their judgment about Batman was spot-on.

What they didn't know was a critical piece of information:

The Batman in this world wasn't named Bruce Wayne.

His name was Anton Jameson.