章 38: Chapter 38 The High Table Request
The next day, Anton arrived at the Daily bugle to find a crowd of reporters blocking the entrance. The sight made him groan internally.
"Mr. Jameson, do you acknowledge the claims circulating online?"
"Are you Batman?"
"Batman's global box office has surpassed 600 million, and a real-life Batman was spotted at The Continental Hotel in New York. Is there any connection between you two?"
A barrage of questions flew at Anton as he stepped out of his car, with reporters determined to get answers.
"Everyone, Batman is just a coincidence," Anton finally stopped and replied with a wry smile. "Bruce Wayne is a character I created; he doesn't exist in real life. As for why a real-life Batman appeared, I can only assume he shares my vision for the character."
"Then how do you explain that the killers Batman took down at The Continental Hotel were actually after you and the Daily bugle?"
The reporters weren't letting go, taking any statement as a stepping stone for more questions.
"And why did Batman show up in San Francisco right when you did, personally delivering Carlton Drake, the Life Foundation founder, to the police?"
"Can you explain that, Mr. Jameson?"
"It's just a coincidence," Anton repeated, shrugging. "Coincidences are hard to explain, no matter how you look at them."
With that, he stopped answering questions, finally making his way inside the Daily bugle building, leaving the reporters behind.
Inside, Betty greeted him with a smirk. "Anton, I think that's the most rattled I've ever seen you."
"If you could get me a coffee, I'd be grateful," Anton muttered, rubbing his temples. The journalists outside had been a headache.
He realized he had underestimated Batman's influence.
Currently, his "fan points" in the system had skyrocketed to 14 million. It was an astounding number, especially since he'd spent nearly 10 million on Batman's primary template earlier. Those 14 million points could be converted into another character template, bringing him closer to his goal of another "persona."
The fan points also had a practical use. Every time he donned the Batsuit and battled, his armor and gear took a hit. In those moments, the fan points could be used for repairs or upgrades.
"Although I anticipated Batman's identity would become an open secret, I didn't expect it to happen this quickly," Anton muttered, massaging his temples.
Online theories about him being Batman were convincing enough to sway 80% of the public, though there were still skeptics. The best way to deny a rumor was to sever any links between himself and Batman.
The two biggest clues tying him to Batman were the strong connection with the Daily bugle and the fact that Batman seemed to appear wherever Anton did.
To dispel the connection with the Daily bugle, he could simply keep denying it, attributing everything to coincidence. But severing the second connection would take more work.
Anton's mind lit up with an idea. In a few days, Jim was hosting an event in Los Angeles where Anton would be in the media spotlight. If Batman were to make an appearance elsewhere at the same time, it would help "prove" they weren't the same person.
But to achieve this, he'd need a "prop"—or, more specifically, a special suit.
His current Justice Points were just enough to purchase the suit he had in mind.
Yes, this was necessary.
Unlike Tony Stark, who could publicly declare himself as Iron Man, Anton wasn't keen on revealing himself so openly. He preferred to operate from the shadows, at least for now.
As DC expanded, he would eventually become more visible, but he wasn't ready for that yet. For now, keeping Batman's identity a "small secret" would help avoid complications.
After work, Anton asked Betty to check if any reporters were still lurking at the entrance. Then, he cautiously left the building, determined to avoid another ambush.
Reporters, he thought, were the only creatures on earth more irritating than flies.
Soon, he opened the car door, only to pause at the sight of a short-haired woman inside. He raised an eyebrow, then calmly took a seat next to her.
"Are you from the High Table?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm the Adjudicator for the High Table," the woman introduced herself. "Aisha Cate. You can call me Aisha."
Anton's voice was steady, though tinged with impatience. "I hope we can make this quick."
"Of course," Aisha replied. "Regarding the assassination attempt, I apologize on behalf of the High Table."
"I thought you might be here to cause trouble for me, but it seems the High Table isn't full of fools," Anton remarked, raising an eyebrow.
He'd expected this outcome, but the High Table's attitude was nonetheless satisfying. At least he hadn't tarnished the name of Batman.
Aisha didn't respond to his comment, instead shifting the conversation. "Aside from offering our apologies, the High Table has a request."
"A request?" Anton's voice was calm but cold. "If it's an unreasonable demand, you might as well keep quiet and get out of my car."
"It's less of a demand and more of a proposal for collaboration," Aisha clarified.
"What kind of collaboration?" Anton's eyebrows furrowed slightly. The High Table seemed almost too accommodating.
Though he didn't think much of the High Table's strength, it was still one of the world's most prominent assassin organizations, wielding significant power in the underworld. If they were seeking his assistance, it had to be a serious matter.
"We'd like to ask you to eliminate someone," Aisha said.
"Who?" Anton asked, intrigued. "The High Table is a top-tier assassin organization. If you can't take this person down, what makes you think I can?"
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