Chapter 73: C 73
Coming out of Hell's Kitchen, Anton sped away in his car, leaving behind a group of gangsters nursing their swollen noses. With a sharp press on the accelerator, he headed toward the Daily Bugle.
Any action requires careful consideration before execution.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who don't belong to the Marvel Universe, somehow found their way into this world. The Foot Clan followed suit, making their presence felt in Hell's Kitchen and crossing paths with Daredevil, who resides there.
Who knows what other connections or complications might exist behind the scenes?
First, gather information. Learn about the Foot Clan of this world.
If he accidentally disrupted too many threads of the future he was familiar with, he'd be the one to pay the price.
With that in mind, Anton returned to the Daily Bugle and found Eddie Brock hard at work.
"Hey, man, what's the latest news from Hell's Kitchen?"
He paused before adding, "Do you know anything about the Foot Clan or a guy named Shredder?"
Anton knew Eddie had been a reporter in New York for years. His network of news sources was extensive and, more importantly, reliable.
For example, during the Kingpin investigation, Eddie had been the one to connect Anton with Ben Ulrich, leading to crucial information about young Fisk and how he had killed his own father.
This time, Anton's focus was squarely on the Foot Clan.
While Anton's memories provided some context—he knew their leader was called Shredder—there were too many unknowns.
Was Shredder's public identity the same here? Did his actual abilities, influence, and the number of subordinates match what Anton remembered? All of this needed further confirmation.
"Why are you suddenly interested in the Foot Clan?" Eddie asked, clearly surprised.
Then, with a touch of suspicion, he added, "Wait... are you spying on me?"
"What?!" Anton exclaimed, more shocked than Eddie. He crossed his arms over his chest in mock horror. "Eddie, I need to emphasize—I don't like men!"
"Get lost! I should be the one saying that to you!"
Eddie laughed, though his tone quickly turned serious. "But seriously, how did you know I've been investigating the Foot Clan?"
Anton raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you're investigating them? Why?"
"Uh, because of a girl."
Eddie didn't bother hiding it, looking rather pleased with himself. "She's a reporter at Channel 6 News. She's determined to expose criminal activities and recently zeroed in on the Foot Clan. You know, I've been in this industry for a while, and I'm pretty well-known in New York. A lot of rookie reporters see me as an idol."
Anton smirked knowingly. "So you're taking this opportunity to impress her, huh? What's her name?"
"April O'Neil!" Eddie declared with pride.
He said, "She's a hot girl! And she's really talented. I'm thinking of bringing her onboard at our newspaper. What do you think?"
Anton gave Eddie a withering look, replying righteously, "Do you think I'd let you have an office romance with her? Absolutely not! In the Daily Bugle, the only person who can have an office romance without getting fired is me! Because I'm the boss, and no one can fire me."
...
After work
The two headed to their usual bar for drinks.
Before long, a stunning blonde walked into the bar, instantly drawing the attention of many greedy eyes at the entrance.
Eventually, the beauty made her way to their table.
"April O'Neil," Eddie introduced her to Anton, then turned to April. "This is my boss, Anton Jameson. You've probably heard of him."
"Of course! The Hollywood genius director. Anton, it's nice to meet you," April said with a smile as she took a seat.
After some casual conversation, Anton got straight to the point. "April, I hear you're investigating the Foot Clan. Have you made any progress?"
Anton's question prompted April to glance at Eddie, who gave her an encouraging nod.
"I..." April hesitated for a moment. "I only know that the Foot Clan recently stole some confidential chemicals like deaminizers and benzyl cyanide from the Brooklyn port. I've spoken to some experts, and these chemicals are typically used for genetic research."
"Wait," Eddie interjected. "Are you talking about the batch of chemicals Oscorp lost at the Brooklyn Wharf?"
Oscorp?
Anton's interest was piqued. Why was Oscorp involved again?
"Yes, that's the one," April confirmed. "I heard Oscorp's executives were furious and demanded that the NYPD solve the case within a week, but so far, nothing's come of it."
She shrugged, "Clearly, the NYPD is struggling. They know the Foot Clan is a serious threat and even set up a special task force, but they've only been able to land a few glancing blows. They haven't been able to catch whoever's really running the Foot Clan."
"So, do you have any idea who's pulling the strings?" Anton asked.
"No," April admitted with a sigh. "But..."
At this, she leaned in slightly, her voice taking on a note of excitement. "I uncovered something yesterday. There's a vigilante—an illegal 'righteous cop,' so to speak—who's been fighting the Foot Clan."
"A vigilante? Who is it? Daredevil?" Eddie asked.
"No, it's someone new," April clarified.
She hesitated for a moment before pulling out her phone. Determined to prove her claim, she tapped on her photo gallery.
"Look, this is the sign left by the new policeman. I definitely didn't lie!" She gritted her teeth.
"My colleagues don't believe me. They think this news isn't worth reporting because I have nothing to report. Except for the photos of the container, there's nothing… Shit! The people at Channel 6 are hopeless idiots!"
April was very angry.
Eddie hurriedly comforted her, and at the same time, he slid his hand toward the waist of the beautiful woman, his old face gradually showing a look of enjoyment.
April's face turned red, and she didn't stop him.
Anton looked at the photos, then at the two of them, and muttered, "Dog man and woman." He got up and left the bar, heading to the Brooklyn pier.
From April's words, Anton knew that the four turtles had officially made their debut. They had set their sights on the Foot Clan and were embarking on the path of fighting crime.
As for April O'Neill's identity, Anton also had some insights. In the original plot, she's the heroine, but now that she's in the Marvel world, she hasn't had time to pair up with her colleague, so Eddie gets to enjoy the benefits.
As a veteran reporter, Eddie's now the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. His accomplishments are indeed significant, and he's a "diamond king."
While thinking, Anton arrived at the dock in Brooklyn.
He was just about to enter the dock, find the container belonging to Oscorp, and examine the traces left on it when a group of policemen, wearing uniforms of the New York Police Department Task Force, appeared at the entrance and intercepted his car.
The police were polite but firm. One of them said, "Sir, the New York Police Department task force is in action. There's danger ahead. Please turn around immediately."
"Danger?" Anton narrowed his eyes and asked, "Foot Clan?"
"It has nothing to do with you, sir."
When the police officer heard this, his face changed a little.
"Sir, if you don't turn around, I have reason to arrest you for obstructing police work!" His eyes grew cold, and his tone was no longer polite.
"Ha ha." Anton smiled suddenly and didn't get angry. He didn't take the police officer's words to heart—after all, they were just doing their job.
He then smiled and said, "Don't worry, I didn't mean to hinder you."
After speaking, he turned around and left.
Seeing the sports car disappear at the end of the road, the police officer breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't look as calm as he appeared.
The sports car was very valuable. Although he didn't recognize Anton, he knew that this person was either rich or important.
Such people are not easy to provoke; a small mistake could cost him his job.
Of course, what the young police officer didn't know was... A few minutes later, a shadow with a flying cloak leaped from the rooftop of a Brooklyn building and headed straight for the pier.
….
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