Finally, Anton and Betty booked two tickets to return to New York. As for the private jet, it would be brought back once new crew members were hired.
For now, Anton wouldn't be running between cities too frequently.
Stepping out of the airport, they were greeted by a handful of reporters who had somehow learned of Anton's return. It was typical behavior of the airlines, who leaked passenger lists to the press.
Luckily, Anton had anticipated this and arranged for security to block the journalists from overwhelming them.
Even though the recent Batman sighting had effectively debunked rumors that Anton was the masked vigilante, his ties to Batman were well-known and still stirred public curiosity.
Add to that his reputation as an up-and-coming Hollywood director, and it was no wonder the press was eager for a scoop.
With Tony Stark still missing, Anton had unofficially inherited the mantle of "Most Intriguing Billionaire." His Twitter account, inactive though it was, had amassed millions of followers in a matter of weeks, an impressive feat by any standard.
While he hadn't quite reached Tony's level of fame, his meteoric rise in popularity had attracted its fair share of media frenzy.
"Anton, Batman appeared in New York last night—did you know about it in advance?"
"Anton, can you tell us what connection you have with Batman?"
Questions flew at him from all directions, forcing him to navigate through the throng with a weary sigh.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally slipped into the Daily Bugle's black SUV, the security personnel holding the press back as the car sped away.
Though the reporters had missed their chance to get a comment, they hadn't left empty-handed; a few photos and some creative interpretations would be more than enough for tomorrow's headlines.
[System Notification]
Achievement unlocked: Severely dismantle the Fraternity, arrest Bullseye
Reward: 4 million Justice Points
Current Justice Points: 6 million
In the SUV, Anton leaned back, closing his eyes and mentally pulled up his system's notifications. He had burned through 8 million Justice Points for the Rabbit Armor, and this latest mission had allowed him to recoup half of that.
With 6 million points now, he could theoretically redeem another suit of armor, though it would be one of the less advanced models.
But Anton knew better than to splurge impulsively; saving up his Justice Points would eventually let him access the truly powerful armors—perhaps even the Hellbat or Ultimate Armor.
With gear like that, he could potentially go toe-to-toe with Thanos himself, so long as the Mad Titan hadn't yet acquired the Infinity Gauntlet.
A smile flickered on Anton's face as he looked out the window. Lost in thought, he nearly missed the shadowy black sedan trailing their SUV, barely noticeable in the city traffic.
His instincts, honed from Bruce Wayne's experience and his own cautious nature, kicked in. The car behind them wasn't simply following; it was tailing them deliberately.
"Who could it be?" he muttered, mentally scanning through a list of potential adversaries. The Life Foundation was out of the question, given that they were currently tangled up in acquisition talks with Oscorp.
Could it be someone with a vendetta against Batman? Perhaps the crime syndicates?
The SUV turned onto a narrow, deserted street, the perfect spot for an ambush. Anton's suspicions intensified. "Stop the car," he ordered sharply.
The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror, momentarily confused, but Anton's tone brooked no argument. Betty looked at him, alarmed.
"What's going on, Anton?" she asked, a mix of worry and frustration in her voice.
"Nothing major, just some business I need to handle." He stepped out, giving her a reassuring nod. "Take the car and go. I'll catch up later."
Betty hesitated, but seeing the resolve in his expression, she nodded to the driver. With a quick glance back, the SUV pulled away, leaving Anton standing alone on the deserted road.
The black sedan came to a halt a few yards in front of him, and a group of men in dark suits stepped out. The leader, a hulking brute with a cruel grin, seemed pleased to have cornered his target.
"Well, well," he sneered, "it's not every day the prey walks right into the trap. Cooperate with us, Mr. Jameson, and you might get out of this with all your limbs intact."
Anton studied the men calmly, his mind working at lightning speed. "Let me guess—Kingpin sent you?"
The thug's smug expression faltered for a moment. The reaction was all the confirmation Anton needed. Without waiting, he launched a sudden knee strike into the leader's midsection, catching him completely off guard.
The man doubled over, groaning in pain.
"Take him down!" the other men shouted, drawing weapons but careful not to fire. They wanted Anton alive.
But they were unprepared for what followed. Anton moved like a whirlwind, his fists and feet a blur as he dismantled each thug with brutal efficiency. Drawing from Bruce Wayne's muscle memory and combat skills, he made short work of his assailants, leaving them sprawled on the pavement in record time.
Seizing a metal baseball bat from one of the fallen men, he tapped it thoughtfully against his hand, then swung it down on the leader, who was still writhing in pain.
"Kingpin really underestimated me if he thought you lot could handle this." He shook his head, unimpressed.
The leader's face twisted in terror as he realized just how outmatched he was. "P-please, I didn't—"
Anton cut him off, delivering a sharp blow that sent the man into unconsciousness. He didn't worry about accidentally killing the thug; he had calculated the exact force needed.
At most, the leader would be bedridden for a year, or possibly the rest of his life if his recovery went poorly. Batman's rule was to never kill, but that didn't mean he was lenient.
Not anyone could ingrain fear in the villains of Gotham without killing them, Batman is ruthless with only simple rule of not killing. Leaving them paralysed had nothing to do with his discipline.
It was only due to the editors and writers that many of his adversaries come back for more thrashing!
With the thugs incapacitated, Anton glanced around. The area was still deserted. He casually picked up a baseball cap from one of the downed men, slipped it on, and strolled over to the black sedan.
If Kingpin's men had been watching, they'd assume their team had failed, which would buy him some time.
Driving the black sedan, Anton merged back into traffic, his destination set for the Continental Hotel in Manhattan. He had business to take care of, and the day was far from over.
….
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