DC HERO AT MARVEL

A single night may usually feel like the blink of an eye, passing quickly and unremarkably.

But for many whose curiosity was running wild, the wait felt excruciatingly long.

They spent the entire night wide awake, huddled under their blankets, refreshing their phone screens.

The endless stream of information exposed online only fueled their excitement, as they eagerly anticipated the morning release of The Daily Bugle, which promised to reveal the truth about Batman actions from the previous night.

Among these sleepless gossip enthusiasts was none other than Peter Parker.

"Why?"

Peter lay sprawled out on his bed in a starfish position. Beside him, his phone screen glowed faintly.

His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, and his expression was a mix of frustration and confusion.

"Why didn't Batman call me last night?"

"Spider-Man hasn't shown up for a while now…"

"I've been under a lot of pressure with school lately. After classes and on weekends, I have to intern at Oscorp.

Plus, I keep squeezing in time to work in the sewers with Dr. Connors and Dr. Banner on the Green Goblin antidote…"

"No, wait! That not a valid reason for Batman to leave me out! There no way he forgot about me, right?"

Peter mind spiraled with endless thoughts.

"Hey."

A voice came from outside his room. "Peter, it time for school. Come out and have breakfast."

"Got it."

Peter rolled out of bed.

Even though he hadn't slept all night, thanks to his enhanced Spider-Man physiology, he wasn't the least bit fatigued.

"The Daily Bugle website usually updates at 8:30 in the morning."

Peter glanced at the time, then slid his phone into his backpack. After breakfast, he bid goodbye to Uncle Ben and Aunt May, hopped on his bike, and headed to school.

At the school entrance, he bumped into his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy.

"Hey, Gwen."

Peter greeted her with his trademark bright and sunny smile.

"Peter."

Gwen responded with a radiant smile.

The two walked side by side, naturally gravitating toward the hottest topic of the day.

"This morning, as I was heading to school, my dad just got off his shift and was getting ready to rest.

He said the case is incredibly complicated and that Batman was up against a powerful organization," Gwen said.

"It was really dangerous last night. If it hadn't been for Batman, all of New York could've been reduced to ruins."

"What kind of organization? How powerful?"

"I don't know—it classified. But according to my dad, those prisoners from last night were taken away by the military early this morning, before dawn…

He said even the NYPD doesn't fully understand the whole story. If we want to know what happened, we'll have to wait for The Daily Bugle report!"

Hearing this from Gwen only deepened Peter shock. He could tell this situation wasn't simple.

At the same time, he felt increasingly dejected.

If things were so dangerous, and Batman still didn't think to include him, did that mean he'd really been forgotten?

"Hey, The Daily Bugle just posted an article!"

"Check it out!"

Suddenly, excited voices echoed across the campus, drawing Peter and Gwen attention.

They instinctively pulled out their phones from their backpacks, opened The Daily Bugle website, and clicked on the latest article.

"The Darkness Hidden in the World: Hydra!"

…

Washington, D.C.

Military Base

The old-timers were enjoying a leisurely time here. Apart from restrictions on their movements, their routine wasn't much different from usual.

They'd already caught wind of last night big news through the internet.

Of course, only those directly involved knew the real truth.

But out of respect for Anton, they'd held back their questions all night, waiting for today exposé.

"It live!"

"Quick, open it!"

"I really want to know who had the guts to pull this off!"

The old-timers quickly turned on their computers.

Not far from them, in another corner of the military base, Secretary of Defense John Keller and his colleagues also gathered around their computers to read the report.

Although they were privy to more information than the general public, they didn't have the full picture either.

Previously, Anton had sent word that Batman was facing a formidable enemy. To avoid any complications, Anton had arranged for the old-timers to stay in the military secure zone for a few extra days.

That very night, a terrorist attack rocked New York City.

The military soon learned that MARS, a corporation that had developed nanobot warheads, had betrayed its duties.

Even worse, MARS had conspired with the Cobra organization, deploying stolen nanobot warheads in an attempt to devastate New York City.

If not for Batman, what they would be facing today might very well be a ruined New York.

This revelation infuriated the military.

John Keller, in particular, was trembling with rage.

An attack of this magnitude was not only a horrifying disaster but also a direct blow to his reputation.

Even though the military had quickly intervened and transferred the prisoners from the NYPD, there were still many unanswered questions.

Like everyone else, John Keller and the military were now relying on The Daily Bugle report to uncover the truth.

"SHIELD? Hydra?"

Keller eyes scanned the article rapidly, and his face turned pale.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed.

With flames practically shooting from his eyes, John Keller slammed his fist on the desk, shouting,

"Damn it! I knew those S.H.I.E.L.D. bastards were hiding something… Hydra, of all things! It Hydra!"

S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters

"Hydra…"

Nick Fury read The Daily Bugle article, his expression unfazed.

If Batman was angry, Fury had already predicted he wouldn't hesitate to flip the table on Hydra.

But this level of table-flipping? It was rare.

This wasn't just flipping the table—it was a full-blown public exposé, dragging both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets into the open.

Yes.

Not only Hydra, but The Daily Bugle article also disclosed classified information about S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.

Yet, from Nick Fury perspective, the most critical part of the report wasn't about S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra as organizations. It was a single name.

"Alexander Pierce."

For a moment, an unusual hint of confusion flashed across Fury typically stoic face. "It really you?"

Without concrete evidence, it was almost impossible for Fury to believe that his close friend—the man who had once helped him,

the former leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., and its current Secretary General, someone with immense authority—could be a Hydra operative plotting global domination.

Bang!

Lost in thought, Fury was jolted by the sound of his office door slamming open.

"Nick!"

Alexander Pierce stormed in, his face icy and unreadable. He locked eyes with Fury, and for a long moment, neither said a word.

"You don't believe this nonsense, do you?"

Pierce flipped the computer monitor on Fury desk toward him, The Daily Bugle article glaring on the screen.

Pierce clenched jaw and fiery glare betrayed none of the performance of a man playing a role.

"Nick, there is nothing wrong within S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

Pierce declared firmly,

"Even if there are issues, they are definitely not with me! After all these years, I've trusted you completely.

Have I ever done anything to betray that trust?"

"Pierce, calm down," Fury said, waving his hand. "I trust you."

"No."

Pierce's voice deepened.

"Your stance is critical! If I'm not the problem, then the issue lies with Batman! He's trying to divide S.H.I.E.L.D. Don't you see that?"

"I don't think things are that extreme," Fury said with a bitter smile.

"Regardless," Pierce continued, "I've already requested a meeting with the World Security Council."

He added, "This meeting will not only address your proposal to form the Avengers Initiative but also discuss how we should respond to Batman's attack on S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"Attack?" Fury's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Yes."

Pierce gritted his teeth. "This is an attack! Not just against me, but against S.H.I.E.L.D. as a whole!"