C 67

Early the next morning, Norman Osborne's compensation arrived before Anton had even woken up. Oscorp had sent brand new filming equipment to DC Company to replace anything damaged or lost. 

Thankfully, the "Cyborg" crew had backed up footage every day, so the Lizard incident hadn't caused any real disruption to production. 

The main impact, it seemed, was that Anton had given his crew a day off, since Oscorp was still under lockdown, restricting all movement in and out of the building, including in areas unaffected by the incident.

To keep production moving, Norman had arranged for Anton to use a cutting-edge tech facility as a new filming location. The facility would be available as early as the next day, and, as a generous gesture, Norman had covered the rental costs. 

Anton, seeing no reason to argue, happily accepted.

Later that morning, as Anton was preparing for work, Eddie showed up at his office, looking troubled.

"Anton, there's been another development with the Lizard," Eddie said, his tone serious. "I just found out that Connors was abducted by a group of masked assailants."

"What?" Anton blinked in surprise. "Who would be bold enough to abduct someone from police custody?"

"I'm not sure," Eddie replied. "It happened last night when the police were transporting Connors to a prison facility. From what I've heard, there were no casualties, which probably means they didn't want to provoke the New York Police Department any more than necessary."

"No casualties?" Anton mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So they just wanted Connors without picking a fight with the police."

Eddie nodded. "The NYPD is furious. Captain George Stacy has already joined forces with several departments and put out a $2 million reward for information on the culprits. They're taking this abduction very seriously."

Eddie paused, then asked hesitantly, "Should we report this, or…?"

Anton thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Since the NYPD is trying to keep this quiet, let's respect that. If we run a story, we'll end up on their bad side, and that's not a list we want to be on right now. Plus, it's unlikely the other media outlets would risk it either."

To be honest, the reward itself isn't the main point. The real issue is the attitude of the New York Police Department, which has made many people hesitant to cross them. No one wants to risk antagonizing the NYPD at this time.

"Good point," Eddie agreed. With a nod of understanding, he headed back to his office, but before he left, he turned back with a grin.

"By the way, congratulations on the coverage this morning," he said, chuckling. "You've really impressed the public again."

Eddie was referring to Batman's actions last night. Under the watchful eyes of onlookers, Batman had swiftly and decisively dealt with the Lizard, detaining him and turning him over to Oscorp without hesitation. 

The spectacle had made a powerful impression on New Yorkers, many of whom had only recently heard of Batman but were quickly becoming fans. 

Unlike other street-level heroes, Batman had established himself as something more significant—a protector who could handle powerful threats and was not limited to just neighborhood-level skirmishes.

Since his debut, Batman had taken down figures like the Life Foundation, Kingpin, and now the Lizard. Compared to other vigilantes whose battles were often small in scale, Batman's interventions were at a whole other level. 

This rise to fame, magnified by his mysterious and imposing presence, had earned him a fanbase in New York City and beyond.

"People are noticing how different Batman is from anyone else around," Eddie said with a grin. "At this rate, he's probably more famous here than most celebrities."

Anton could only smile, recognizing the truth in Eddie's words. He'd watched as the public perception of Batman transformed, thanks to the notable villains he'd defeated and the gritty yet calculated manner of his crime-fighting. 

The fan following, measured by the system's "fan value," had surged to over 26 million, a level of popularity Anton hadn't expected to see so soon. This is after the previous costs of 9.98 million to acquire Batman and 4.2 million to repair the armor, bringing the total to over 40 million. 

His fanbase now spans all of New York, a city with a population of under 10 million, effectively reaching one-eighth of the U.S. population. Of course, his fans aren't limited to just New York or even the United States. 

In neighboring Canada, distant European countries, and other Western regions, Batman frequently appears in online trending topics and has become a popular keyword worldwide.

Batman had reached a point where he was not only a staple of New York but was also becoming a global figure. 

With "Batman Begins" securing around $1 billion at the box office, Batman's reputation was now firmly established worldwide.

The character had even begun to eclipse Iron Man. If Tony Stark were to reveal himself as Iron Man, it would certainly attract attention, but Batman's shadow was already cast long and wide. 

Anton mused that while Tony would likely still capture the spotlight with his charisma and showmanship, Batman's quiet, no-nonsense approach had set a new standard.

After Eddie returned to the Daily Bugle, Anton leaned back in his chair, reflecting on the journey so far. He'd come to this world barely five months ago, and now, his name—his Batman—had taken on a life of its own. 

His projects in movies, novels, and comics were all progressing steadily, cementing Batman's place in the cultural landscape of this Marvel-dominated world.

His thoughts drifted back to Connors' abduction. Who would go through the trouble of kidnapping a failed scientist? Anton pondered. Connors had been a brilliant researcher, yes, but his transformation into the Lizard had ended disastrously. 

Now, outside of a science lab, Connors was a broken man with little to offer. Or so it seemed.

The situation was odd, and though he didn't particularly care about Connors himself, Anton couldn't shake a lingering curiosity. Whoever had orchestrated the abduction had to have a reason.

But he didn't dwell on it. As long as Connors stayed out of trouble and didn't reappear as the Lizard, Anton wouldn't give him a second thought, even if he were sitting right in front of him.

….

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