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Seeing his determination, Anton smiled.

Now came the next step: finding someone unfortunate enough to take the fall and convince the military that Ross's death was caused by aliens. Anton already had a nearly perfect candidate in mind.

Two days later, through high-table connections, Phil, who had just managed to return to New York via a smuggling operation, was arrested almost effortlessly at the Brooklyn Pier by a task force led by George Stacy of the NYPD.

Interestingly, the two individuals who should have been accompanying Phil—Stockman and the female ninja Karai—were nowhere to be found.

George Stacy was surprised to discover equipment resembling that of the Green Goblin among Phil's belongings. This discovery could lead to new clues about the Green Goblins, a long-standing enigma for law enforcement.

When news of this reached Oscorp, the company's current head, Harry Osborn, immediately promised generous "sponsorships" for the police department.

Meanwhile, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who had been working alongside the task force, were moved to tears. Finally, they had been part of a mission that didn't involve cleanup duty!

What they didn't realize was that all of this was orchestrated by Anton.

During Anton's brief interactions with the Turtles, Phil had been busy experimenting with his equipment, ensuring they had never crossed paths. This small detail preserved the authenticity of the Turtles' reactions and kept Anton's hand in the matter hidden.

Just as the task force began celebrating their success, S.H.I.E.L.D. made its move. A convoy of black SUVs surrounded the pier.

Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., arrived with a large contingent of agents. His commanding presence exuded authority, though it bordered on villainous in the eyes of the task force.

Fury's tone was stern and unquestionable. "Captain Stacy, please hand over the suspect. This case falls under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction."

The entire NYPD task force bristled, glaring at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"Last time it was Tony Stark. Now this? Does S.H.I.E.L.D. just make a habit of stealing our cases?" Michelangelo muttered angrily, twirling his nunchaku.

George Stacy was fuming, but before he could argue further, a call from City Hall forced his hand. Reluctantly, he handed Phil over to S.H.I.E.L.D.

As the convoy drove off, George watched with cold, narrowed eyes.

"Chief, are we really just going to let them take him?" Michelangelo protested, his frustration evident. "This is ridiculous! S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't just a confidential agency; they're supposed to handle special cases. Why does everything end up in their hands?"

"Don't worry about it," George replied, his earlier anger replaced by a sly grin.

For the NYPD, the arrest of the foot clan remnants at Brooklyn Pier was already a victory. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken the case, any future developments or complications were no longer their concern.

In George's eyes, the NYPD had come out ahead. His only frustration was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s repeated tendency to step in at the last moment and steal the spotlight.

Besides, a vague tip from Eddie, the editor-in-chief of the Daily bugle and one of George's trusted informants, had hinted at the sensitive nature of this case.

"This matter is bigger than it seems," Eddie had warned, advising George to avoid getting entangled.

"Sometimes, you need to know when to let things go," George thought, recalling Eddie's cryptic advice. Perhaps handing over the foot clan to S.H.I.E.L.D. was for the best.

Meanwhile, at a S.H.I.E.L.D. stronghold in the heart of New York City, Phil was placed in a secure makeshift interrogation room, surrounded by agents. The room was airtight, with no chance of escape.

Nick Fury stood outside, his expression unreadable as he prepared for what was to come.

Not even a fly could get in.

After stepping out of the car, Nick Fury didn't immediately interrogate Phil. Instead, he cast a glance at Phil's equipment and began to ponder.

"Ross died of his own stupidity—he deliberately attracted aliens," Fury muttered, narrowing his eyes as he recalled Anton's warning. Aliens!

The idea of Ross and his entire army perishing in an alien attack was astonishing, even for someone as seasoned as Nick Fury.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had monitored the globe for years, but this incident was entirely unexpected. Ross, a high-ranking military officer, killed by aliens?

Fury had doubts about the validity of the information, but he also recognized that Batman, through Anton, had no apparent reason to deceive him. On the contrary, Batman had been working to establish credibility with S.H.I.E.L.D.

More importantly, Fury understood Batman's current objective: to use S.H.I.E.L.D. as a bridge to gain legitimacy for the Justice League through ties with the World Security Council.

Anton's proactive reminder was, in Fury's mind, a gesture of goodwill—a way to build trust.

S.H.I.E.L.D. could also derive significant political and practical benefits from this alliance.

After all, the news of Ross's death and the destruction of the military's flying base in Brazil had caused an uproar in the U.S. military within just two days. Military leaders were furious and held countless meetings to discuss the incident.

Ross's death struck fear into the military brass. If Ross—a man as powerful and influential as they were—could die so easily, what about them?

However, the ruins of the flying base provided no evidence to explain the incident, leaving the military without a clear culprit.

As Anton had predicted, Bruce Banner quickly became the prime suspect.

S.H.I.E.L.D. conducted its own investigation through official channels but, like the military, found no leads. Initially, Fury hadn't considered this matter a priority—it seemed like a problem for the U.S. military to resolve on its own.

But after Batman's reminder, Fury realized this incident presented a unique opportunity for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Inside the Room

Natasha opened the door to the secure room where Phil was being held.

"Phil, long time no see!"

She smiled at her former colleague, surprised to see him associated with the Justice League.

"Don't worry," she said calmly, "we know you're innocent. But you can't leave just yet. There are some questions we need answers to before we let you go."

"Natasha?" Phil stared at her, dumbfounded.

He hadn't forgotten that during her time as Anton's personal assistant, Natasha had often accompanied Anton to The Daily Bugle. After all, Anton's company and daily bugle shared the same building, separated only by a single floor.

Although Phil had been sent undercover shortly after Natasha's stint began, he remembered her clearly.

"You… you're here? Wait… are you an undercover agent too?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the question.

"Undercover?" she repeated, letting out a small laugh. "Well, you're not entirely wrong."

Then her expression grew serious.

"Let's get straight to the point, Phil. What happened? How did Batman know that Ross and his men were destroyed by aliens? What exactly did you experience in Brazil?"

Phil hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"The source of it all," he began slowly, "is the foot clan."

Following Anton's instructions, Phil leaned into his role, summoning every ounce of his acting skill. With an air of gravitas, he began to weave his story with remarkable eloquence.

….

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