DC HERO AT MARVEL

After returning home, Anton was greeted by the sight of his grandfather looking deeply troubled.

"Anton, the internet is flooded with negative news about us. Someone is clearly pushing this from the shadows," the old man said, rubbing his temples.

"But these people aren't the real mastermind. The bastard who bombed Wayne Enterprises wouldn't make such an obvious mistake."

Jonah Jameson, with decades of business acumen, didn't even flinch at the thought of bad press.

As long as the limb regeneration technology proved authentic and effective, all rumors and gossip would eventually die out.

The real issue was the mastermind behind the bombing—the root cause of the negative news.

If this person wasn't caught, even if the current wave of rumors was quelled, similar or even worse problems were bound to arise in the future.

The old man had already activated his network, applying pressure on the police while issuing a bounty in the underground world to find the culprit orchestrating these attacks.

"Old man, you keep handling the surface issues and maintaining Wayne Enterprises' reputation," Anton instructed.

"Even though we've done nothing wrong and have nothing to fear, letting public opinion spiral too negatively will still make things harder down the line."

After a pause, he added, "Leave the rest to me. I'll find the mastermind."

The old man froze, looking at Anton.

There was a certainty in his grandson's words.

"You already know who it is?" Jonah asked, surprised.

"I have some ideas. Still investigating," Anton replied, a cold glint in his eyes.

Human bombs!

Thinking back to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was really only one person who was fond of using human bombs in New York—and genuine ones at that.

Moreover, the details Anton had discovered during his investigation, particularly about the peculiarities of instant human cremation, fit perfectly with this individual's modus operandi.

To some extent, Anton could almost pinpoint the mastermind's identity.

Of course, he still needed to confirm his suspicions before taking action.

No point in stealing Tony's villain and doing all the heavy lifting for nothing.

Honestly, Anton found the situation rather baffling.

He had no feud with this person, so why had they randomly decided to target him?

AIM Headquarters.

"Are we ready?"

Sitting in his chair, Killian looked at his subordinates with a calm expression.

"Wayne Enterprises is struggling to handle its current crisis, and public opinion is largely against them. This is our opportunity to rise."

"But the Extremis virus is still unstable. Rushing it to market might lead to problems," Maya Hansen said hesitantly.

Maya, once a one-night fling of Tony Stark, was now Killian's collaborator and one of the key researchers behind the Extremis virus.

Her contributions to the development of the Extremis virus were immense. Without her, the virus wouldn't have advanced so quickly or been ready for use within just a few years.

Though not perfect, the virus—or serum—already had the power to enhance the human body.

This was a breakthrough that military scientists had been pursuing for decades.

Since World War II, the military had been trying to unlock the secrets of the human body to create super soldiers like Captain America.

Clearly, the military had terrible luck.

Decades of research hadn't even matched the level achieved during WWII.

The closest they'd come in recent years was Bruce Banner, whose transformation into the Hulk was an accidental byproduct of a failed experiment. And Banner had since distanced himself from the military, severing all ties.

Other attempts at human enhancement had either produced supervillains or unstable results from private corporations, falling far short of military aspirations.

The Extremis virus, however, aligned closely with the military's vision.

Its main flaw was instability—emotional outbursts could cause the human body to explode.

"Stability isn't the issue. The key is that we've mastered this technology," Killian said coldly.

"If we wait for Wayne Enterprises to dominate the market, it'll be too late for us to catch up! We launch now, get our people on stage to showcase results, and as for reservations and testimonials... we can fake it. We'll have our own people pose as success stories!"

Killian's secret network was largely made up of former disabled individuals.

These people, having endured and survived the Extremis virus, had regrown their limbs. While they still carried risks in their bodies, they could easily fool the public.

"Fine," Maya said hesitantly.

Though dragged into Killian's plans, she still had a sliver of conscience left.

Hearing Killian's plan to launch the product purely for profit while targeting Wayne Enterprises' market didn't cross her moral boundary—yet.

Resigned, Maya left the room.

Soon after, another subordinate entered.

"Boss, we've found the right person!"

The man in a black suit, exuding the aura of a bodyguard, gestured for one of his men to bring someone in.

A gaunt, wiry man stepped forward.

"His name is Trevor Slattery. He's an obscure actor," the bodyguard said.

"Him?"

Killian squinted. "He can play the Joker? Aside from his build, I don't see any resemblance to the Joker from the movie."

"Why so serious?"

Slattery suddenly grinned, displaying a hint of madness. "Sir, trust me. I'm the perfect choice to play the Joker!"

Killian narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the man, then waved dismissively. "Fine. As long as you can keep this secret and strictly follow our rules, you're the Joker I need. Take him for makeup—I want to see how he looks."

"Understood!"

The bodyguard led Slattery away.

Killian remained seated, his hands clasped and his gaze filled with amusement.

"Batman…"

"To think you created such a charismatic character as the Joker…"

He turned to look out the window, muttering to himself:

"Well then, I'll borrow that name! Surely... you'd love to see a real Joker emerge in this world!"

Moments later.

Slattery, dressed as the Joker, appeared before Killian.

"Why so serious?"

Slattery grinned maniacally, his face twisted in madness. "Look at me. From today on, I am the Joker! I'm Batman's enemy! Hahaha!"

"Not bad," Killian said with a smile.

Although Slattery's performance wasn't as deranged as the Joker in the movie, it was good enough for their current purposes.

"Remember, from now on, you are the Joker," Killian instructed calmly.

Zzzzzzz!

Suddenly, every speaker-equipped device in the office crackled with static.

Not just Killian's and his subordinates' phones, but also computers and even the cameras in the corners of the room…

After the static, a voice emerged.

"You think he can play the Joker…"

"Do you underestimate Batman, or do you underestimate the Joker?"

The deep, chilling voice echoed in their ears.

Killian, Slattery, and the suited bodyguard all froze, their expressions shifting to alarm and disbelief.