Chapter 3 The End
"So, Colin, I'll see you tomorrow," said Smith as they exited the Daily Bugle building. He scratched his dense beard and let out a yawn while greeting Colin.
"See you tomorrow, Smith," Colin replied absentmindedly, nodding wearily toward the cameraman.
In the fast-paced world of news media, time is of the essence. Both Smith, the cameraman, and Colin had to be on standby since the early morning to capture breaking news. After a long and exhausting day, all they could think about was going home and crashing onto their beds for a much-needed rest.
As they bid farewell to their colleagues, Colin tried to snap himself awake by slapping his cheeks.
Colin, coming from a modest background, had to work part-time while studying and rely on substantial student loans to barely graduate. Unfortunately, like many American graduates, Colin was burdened with debt right after graduation.
In America, the saying goes that you pay for education until old age. It's not a new concept. Many people assume that after attending college, they will secure a good job and swiftly recover their investment. However, the reality is that numerous individuals find themselves repaying student loans well into their middle age or even retirement, especially in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, which further complicated Colin's job search.
Here I am, transported to a superhero world, and yet I still have to worry about work and paying off debts, Colin pondered.
He wondered how long Daily Bugle would be able to sustain itself, especially considering the rumors circulating about an impending acquisition.
The absence of their boss, J. Jonah Jameson, from the office for an extended period added to Colin's concern. Since arriving in this world, he had yet to meet Jameson face to face, despite him being Colin's current boss.
Colin felt a twinge of regret about this. After all, Jameson held a certain level of "celebrity" status in the superhero world. Though his destined rival the "bug" hadn't emerged yet, it didn't stop Colin from paying attention, particularly given the current circumstances where Jameson was his boss.
Well, at least until Daily Bugle gets acquired.
...
With these conflicting thoughts in his mind, Colin disembarked the bus just before the next stop and entered an alleyway.
Due to his modest salary as a rookie reporter, Colin couldn't afford a high-end residence. He currently resides in an apartment on the outskirts of Second Avenue in New York. The daily commute alone took about an hour, assuming favorable traffic conditions in downtown New York.
However, as Colin hurried back to his apartment, he failed to notice.
Unbeknownst to him, two figures at the intersection glanced at each other before trailing him into the alleyway.
"Hey, buddy, stop right there!" One of them called out.
In the alley, two men blocked Colin's path before he could leave. One of them, a tattooed black man, brandished a gun, making threatening gestures.
"Hand over your money!" he demanded.
Colin's gaze fixated on the black man's gun for a few seconds before he reluctantly handed over his wallet.
"No problem," Colin responded. It was just a joke. He had merely crossed over into the world of superheroes, not become one himself.
During the nearly one week since he embarked on his journey as a reporter in this new world, Colin had come to fully comprehend the "freedom" of America, and he had no interest in paying the price associated with that "freedom."
Especially when he noticed the dazed and disoriented expressions occasionally displayed on the faces of the two individuals before him—clear signs of heavy drug use.
"Damn, why is it only this little?"
In a violent act, the black man forcefully grabbed Colin's wallet and examined the meager amount of money inside, causing an immediate change in his facial expression.
"Stop trying to deceive me, you wretch!"
One of his accomplices, upon seeing that the wallet contained less than thirty dollars, swiftly seized Colin by the collar and threatened, "Do you think we might shoot you right now?"
Feeling the tightening grip on his collar, Colin's expression grew uneasy. He looked at the two men before him, clearly distressed, and struggled to explain, "Believe me, I have no motive to deceive you in this situation..."
Perhaps persuaded by Colin's explanations or perhaps confident in his possession of a handgun, the man gripping Colin's collar reluctantly released his hold, causing Colin to clutch his throat, coughing uncomfortably.
"Cough, cough..."
Unaware of Colin's reaction, the clumsy duo of robbers were about to depart from the alley.
"Hold on a moment..."
In that instant, one observant black man turned around and unintentionally noticed the blue lanyard in Colin's pocket.
"What's concealed in your pocket?"
Oh no, when did that happen?!
Confronted with the black man's question, Colin instinctively reached for his pocket.
However, his reflexive action once again triggered unfavorable assumptions in the minds of the two men facing him.
"Damn it, you dare to deceive us for real!"
"I think you've had enough of living!"
With a displeased expression, one of them rushed towards Colin, forcefully removing his hand from his pocket. He then extracted something from inside, along with the lanyard.
"What is this?!"
However, as he examined the card attached to the lanyard, his companion's expression involuntarily transformed into surprise.
"Colin Luper, Daily Bugle? Press credentials!"
Flipping through the card hanging from the lanyard and reading its contents meticulously, the man's demeanor changed accordingly.
"Damn you, you're a journalist!"
"Everything can be explained. I'm just newly employed..."
In the alley, as Colin witnessed the growing excitement on the faces of the two men before him, he quickly raised his hands to clarify, but before he could utter a word...
Bang!
The piercing sound of a gunshot abruptly interrupted everything.
"Damn it..."
Experiencing intense pain in his chest, Colin clutched the wounded area and collapsed, as if struck by a heavy blow.
"...Damn... Who told you to shoot?!"
"Didn't you see? This guy is a journalist, and he witnessed both of us..."
Lying on the chilly cement ground of the alley, feeling the warm flow of blood from his wound and his body growing colder, Colin's innermost thoughts harbored no trace of fear of death.
He listened to the panicked argument between the two men at the alley's entrance.
And in the next moment, Colin's blurred consciousness was enveloped in a vivid green light.
[The End]
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