"What?!" Anton's voice was sharp with anger. "You're saying Eddie was taken by the Life Foundation?"
Phil could feel the heat of Anton's rage through the phone. Yet, emboldened by his recent experience, he responded with conviction, "Yes, but before he was taken, Eddie managed to leave behind video evidence of the homeless shelter."
"Video evidence?" Anton's brow furrowed, his voice direct. "Tell me everything."
After Phil's quick rundown, Anton's anger subsided, replaced by a calculating calm.
"Send me the video," Anton ordered. "And Phil, stay in San Francisco. Keep an eye on the Life Foundation, and report back if you see anything suspicious."
"Understood," Phil nodded.
A few minutes later, Anton received the video from Phil and watched it, his expression hardening with each frame. The raw footage from inside the homeless shelter brought the grim reality to life, and he could almost feel Eddie's discomfort among those abandoned souls.
"The homeless shelter... Carlton Drake, I thought I knew the depths of your depravity, but this is lower than I expected," Anton murmured. "Eddie, well done. Now, it's my turn."
He booked a flight to New York immediately. Before leaving, he gathered his assistant, several associate directors, actors, and other crew members for a meeting.
"I have to leave for a bit," Anton announced. "The shoot is almost complete, so I trust you can finish up without me."
More than half a month had passed since Eddie's disappearance, and they were nearing the end of filming. Thanks to the efficient pace of the production team, only a few key scenes remained, some of which didn't require Anton's immediate input. Confident in his team, he left with the promise that they'd wrap up filming in his absence.
The assistant directors nodded, promising Anton they'd finish in twenty days. Meanwhile, the special effects work was well underway, with a detailed design draft guiding the artists. Anton's hands-off approach meant he could let the specialists handle the final touches, adding effects once the film was edited.
With his orders given, Anton boarded his flight to New York.
The following morning, Jim, one of the senior crew members, learned that Anton had returned to New York. His initial reaction was exasperation; he fumed quietly, but as an investor and director, Anton's decisions were his to make. All Jim could do was ensure the crew stayed focused.
Anton arrived in New York at dawn, where Betty waited outside the airport, her expression frosty. She was clearly not thrilled to be woken at such an early hour.
"Betty, I'm still your boss," Anton grinned as he got into the passenger seat of her BMW. "A little smile wouldn't hurt, especially considering your salary's 90% above average."
Betty scoffed. "Strictly speaking, the Daily Bugle is owned by Jonah Jameson, not Anton Jameson."
"Well, it's all in the family, so technically, it's mine too," Anton quipped, smirking as they approached the Daily Bugle building. "And this morning, I think there are a lot of people who share my perspective."
"What are you talking about?" Betty looked at him, confused.
Once they arrived at the Bugle's headquarters, her confusion cleared. The building was bright, lights blazing as if it were midday. The newsroom bustled, every desk occupied—even interns were at work, looking weary and irritated.
"Anton, what are you planning?" Betty asked, sensing something big was coming. The atmosphere was charged, and every employee present seemed as bewildered as she was, having been called in for an early meeting by Anton.
Anton strode to the center of the room and addressed the gathered staff in a calm, assertive tone. "Thank you all for coming in early. I've gathered everyone here to make an important announcement: tomorrow's front page will be scrapped."
He clicked a remote, and a video projected onto the wall. The room quieted as the footage began playing, everyone's attention locked on the screen. A murmur of shock rippled through the room.
Someone broke the silence. "What the—Anton, do you know what you're doing?"
Ignoring the question, Anton continued, "This will be our new front page."
He surveyed the room, his gaze steely. After a long silence, faces turned grave as the weight of the footage settled in.
"What...where is this?" Betty asked, her voice unsteady.
Understanding dawned, and she whispered, "Is this Eddie's footage?"
Anton nodded. "Yes, Eddie captured this footage while investigating the homeless shelter. He's gone undercover, and the Life Foundation took him in retaliation."
The staff exchanged glances. Some of them remembered Eddie's recent arrival and his swift disappearance, speculating that he'd either left or been dismissed. But here was proof that Eddie, their new editor-in-chief, had risked everything to expose Carlton Drake and the Life Foundation.
"For those who don't know, Eddie was a journalist with years of experience, promoted directly by Jonah Jameson. He's incredibly skilled at fieldwork. His exposé on Drake got him blacklisted in San Francisco, but Eddie's persistence brought him to us. And now, he's gone undercover to capture the truth."
The video continued to play, casting a chilling light on the Life Foundation's secret operations. Drake's charitable image was shattered by the footage of the homeless shelter, a grim reminder that the foundation exploited the destitute for inhumane experiments. Eddie had recorded everything, right down to the truckloads of "volunteers" being dragged away, never to return.
"Anton," one of the reporters said hesitantly, "What's our plan?"
"Our plan is simple," Anton replied, his voice firm. "We expose them. This is the Life Foundation's scandal, and we are the ones who will break it. This shelter is a front, hiding their illegal experiments. Eddie lost his job, his home, everything—because he tried to reveal this. Now, he's been taken by the Life Foundation. To protect him and any other potential victims, we must act swiftly, releasing this footage to ignite public outrage."
He turned back to the staff. "Tomorrow's front page is canceled. This story will be the lead."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "From this moment forward, the Daily Bugle is officially at war with the Life Foundation."
…
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