Chapter 67 Compensation

Early the next morning, before Anton had even woken up, Norman Osborn compensation had already been delivered.

OsCorp sent brand-new filming equipment to DC Studios.

Thanks to the daily backups of the Cyborg crew footage, the material remained intact and unaffected by the Lizard incident. As a result, the incident had virtually no impact on the production.

The most significant disruption was that Anton had to give the crew a day off.

OsCorp was under lockdown, with nearly all operations halted, including access to their undamaged laboratories.

Norman arranged for Anton to use a new state-of-the-art research facility, though it wouldn't be available until the next day.

Notably, Norman had already covered the rental fees, further expressing his gratitude to Anton.

Anton gladly accepted.

Later, while Anton was lounging in DC Studios, Eddie showed up unexpectedly.

"Anton, there been a new development regarding the Lizard!"

Eddie expression was serious as he said, "I just got word that Connors was abducted by a group of masked man."

"What?"

Anton was stunned. "Who would dare snatch someone from the police?"

"No idea," Eddie replied. "It happened last night during the police transfer of Connors to the prison. He was taken, but no officers were harmed. At least the abductors showed some restraint."

"No casualties? Sounds like their only target was Connors—they didn't want to escalate things with the NYPD," Anton said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Eddie added, "The NYPD has kept this under wraps, so only a few well-informed people know about it. Of course, I suspect many in the media will catch wind of it, but should we…?" He hesitated, glancing at Anton.

Understanding his intent, Anton shook his head. "If the NYPD wants this quiet, let respect that. Exposing it could land us on their blacklist. I doubt our competitors would be dumb enough to cross them either."

"Got it," Eddie nodded, sharing Anton sentiment.

The motives of the group that abducted Connors were unclear.

However, their actions directly challenged the NYPD authority.

From what Eddie had learned, NYPD Commissioner George Stacy was furious and had mobilized multiple departments to scour the city for the culprits.

The city had even issued a $2 million bounty, underscoring their determination.

Truthfully, the bounty wasn't the main deterrent—it was the NYPD stance that kept people from provoking them further.

With that, Eddie returned to his work.

"Oh, by the way, today newspaper is selling like crazy," he said, pausing at the door to grin at Anton. "Congrats, Anton. Once again, you've captivated everyone."

Eddie referred to the previous night when Batman had, in front of countless witnesses, decisively subdued the Lizard and returned him to OsCorp.

This latest appearance left a deep impression on New Yorkers, many of whom were unfamiliar with the enigmatic hero.

They realized Batman presence was fundamentally different from that of other street-level heroes or vigilantes in New York City.

While the latter were more like community-level figures, Batman was a citywide—or even national-level—superhero.

Consider the adversaries Batman had faced since his debut:

The Continental Hotel.The Life Foundation.Kingpin.OsCorp mutated creation, the Lizard.

Compared to the petty conflicts of Hell Kitchen, Batman achievements were leagues ahead.

In stark contrast, Batman unparalleled feats only enhanced his reputation as an extraordinary hero.

Americans, with their penchant for idolizing individualism, quickly rallied around Batman, hailing him as the ultimate icon.

At least in New York, no one—not even Hollywood stars—was more famous than Batman.

Anton smiled at Eddie remarks, understanding his intent.

The growth in Batman fan base had reached levels comparable to the release of Batman Begins.

His current Batman fan value stood at a staggering 26 million, even after deducting the 9.98 million spent to unlock Batman and the 4.2 million spent repairing the Bat-Suit. Cumulatively, he had likely accrued over 40 million.

This meant Batman fan base completely covered New York population of just under 10 million and extended to roughly one-eighth of the U.S. population.

Of course, these fans weren't limited to the U.S.

Nearby Canada and distant European countries were also familiar with the name "Batman," thanks to his frequent appearances in online trending topics and viral media.

It was worth noting that Batman Begins had grossed approximately $1 billion worldwide, solidifying Batman global reputation.

In a way, Batman emergence had overshadowed the spotlight that might have been directed at Iron Man.

Even if Tony Stark were to announce, "I am Iron Man," the buzz wouldn't match what it did in the original timeline.

That said, Tony Stark innate charisma as a billionaire playboy and natural showman would still ensure massive attention.

Reflecting on the past five months since arriving in this Marvel-centric parallel world, Anton felt proud of his accomplishments.

At the very least, he had successfully established the "parent next door" as a household name.

Movies, novels, comics—all his plans were progressing smoothly.

Snapping back to reality, Anton noticed that Eddie had left DC Studios and returned upstairs to manage his daily work at The Daily Bugle.

Yawning, Anton mind turned back to Connors, who had been taken from police custody by unknown abductors.

"Connors…"

He rubbed his chin. "Who would go to such lengths to abduct Connors? Or, more specifically, who would need a failed scientist?"

He suddenly found the question intriguing.

Still, he didn't dwell on it.

As long as Connors didn't reappear as the Lizard, Anton couldn't care less—even if the scientist were sitting right in front of him.