The Penguin Man wanted to lose his temper, but as soon as he saw the reporters behind Harvey Block, he dared not say anything. He is a mayor now, and every move is magnified by the media. Who knows if the other side is live streaming? If any improper words and behavior are exposed, this year's efforts would be wasted.
However, the park he invested in had been bombed, and he was furious, forcing back his anger until he almost turned into a mature penguin. Fortunately, Block quickly noticed The Avengers arriving.
The Avengers are huge stars in New York. Captain America and Iron Man are top among the top. Although Spider-Man II keeps a low profile, he inherits the fame of the first generation Spider-Man and has a group of loyal fans. Block immediately approached, beaming, and shook hands with Captain America.
Captain America is quite experienced in dealing with these situations. He said, "Faced with such a terrible accident, we shouldn't interpret it with entertainment. The police and agents are investigating, and we should give them enough space. Detective Bullock, I suppose you think so too?"
Captain America subconsciously looked downstairs, and the cameras followed his gaze. Sure enough, the Forward York City Police Department—previously the merged Gotham and New York Police Departments—was dispatching a large police force to cordon off the scene. Originally stationed Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in New York were also crossing the police lines, collecting samples from the accident scene.
However, Harvey Bullock, who was called "Detective Bullock," was standing alone on the rooftop with the reporters, filming. Captain America's words placed him under the accusation of being unprofessional.
Block didn't expect the other party to be so seasoned. After all, the superheroes and supervillains in Gotham are ruthless and reserved people. He usually didn't catch anyone and naturally didn't have this kind of experience, almost getting himself entangled.
"Ahem, conveying the truth to the public is also one of the police's responsibilities. Captain, what do you think of this attack? Do you think it was the Joker?"
Captain America shook his head and said, "This is clearly not a bombing. If directional blasting could achieve such precise cutting, the other party would have already won the Nobel Prize. It was the work of a supervillain."
"You mean superpower users? Who do you think is most suspicious?"
"It's hard to conclude at the moment…" Captain America was saying this when Peter walked out of the rooftop door and said, "I went to see the accident site; the cutting marks…"
Seeing the camera, Peter frowned deeply. Taking advantage of the reporter turning away, Iron Man grabbed the camera, looked at it, and said, "Crap, the TV station is live broadcasting."
"Hey, you can't do that!" the cameraman shouted.
Natasha and Coulson immediately stepped forward, flashed their S.H.I.E.L.D. credentials, and said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. Filming the front images of The Avengers members without permission constitutes portrait infringement. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s legal personnel will contact you within seven days, so be prepared to lose your pants."
The reporter turned pale because this was entirely his personal action. American reporters are like this: there are benefits if they grab a headline, but if something happens, they have to bear it themselves; the TV station won't be responsible for them.
He glared ferociously at Block, who invited him, and quickly left through the rooftop door. Block wanted to say something, but was instantly pressed down by Hawkeye behind him. Natasha fished out two recording pens and a miniature camera from Block.
"Standard spy equipment." The female agent said, "Be prepared to face charges of treason, sir."
"You can't treat me like this! I'm a regular in the prime time! I can make sure…"
"Ensure what?" Natasha chuckled and said, "Our director doesn't need votes. Alright, let him go and take him away. Director Gordon will know how to handle it."
Hawkeye dragged him off the rooftop. Everyone turned their eyes on Peter, signaling him to finish what he hadn't said.
"It's indeed not an explosion," Peter said, "It's some sort of laser cutting. As far as I know, only two people currently have such capabilities: Superman and Cyclops."
"Hmm…" Captain America took a light breath and said, "These two guys are not easy to deal with. What now? Should we contact Professor X?"
"Do you think if he really did it, he would admit it?" Iron Man asked, "Don't forget, although Professor X is relatively moral in some aspects, Superman, who is equally suspicious as Cyclops, is an alien. Professor X wouldn't care if he wronged an alien. Plus, Superman injured Magneto before, and we all know those two, who seem to be enemies, actually have a love-hate relationship that could inspire eight TV series."
"You're saying Professor X wouldn't admit it and would frame it on Superman? But what if it is Superman?"
"Then he must have a compelling reason to do so," Iron Man sighed and said, "Don't tell me you didn't notice, Superman is such a pure-hearted person, he can't stand even a bit of foul play."
"Although that's true, he is, after all, an alien," Bruce frowned and said, "And although he seems stable, he once threw Magneto into the Sun. What is going on with him, no one knows."
The atmosphere fell silent. Captain America was the first to break the silence. He said, "Let's go down and see first. It would be better if we can find some hard evidence."
They went downstairs, but the bottom was already crowded. Besides the police, there were many reporters. This could be said to be the most severe attack since the establishment of New City, and all the reporters wanted the headline.
The Avengers were cheered upon seeing them arrive. And another figure flying from the horizon excited them even more—that was Wonder Woman.
Although New York merged with Gotham and Metropolis, because this place is inherently large, there was little chance for superheroes to meet. This was Wonder Woman's first encounter with The Avengers.
Wonder Woman landed and saw the brightly dressed Captain America. She stepped forward and shook hands with Captain America, saying, "Hello, Diana Prince, Amazon Princess, code name Wonder Woman."
"Hello, Captain America." Captain America acted very cautiously. He knew Diana was a big star too and had a very special political identity. Their meeting was like a meeting between the US President and the Amazon Queen, and neither could afford to bring disgrace to the country they represented.
Bruce was the first to become a bit restless, and he said to Wonder Woman, "Why didn't Superman come with you? Aren't you usually inseparable?"
The word "inseparable" made Wonder Woman frown slightly, but she still explained, "He had something he couldn't leave, and it's the same if I come to check the situation. Can you tell me what happened here?"
When Wonder Woman flew over, she glanced at the accident scene but didn't look carefully. At this moment, standing here, her pupils instantly contracted—she clearly realized this wasn't an explosion case but someone using a laser to cut through the entire building.
Being able to emit lasers from his eyes is one of Superman's signature skills, and many people in Metropolis have witnessed it. Wonder Woman immediately realized that Bruce's unfriendly attitude was because they suspected Superman.
Wonder Woman felt anxious. Superman indeed couldn't make it right now because, to afford the high rent, he was disguising as a journalist in the front row, ready to get the first-hand news for a bonus.
Although proving innocence was more important, appearing now was too late, and being late only sparked more suspicion. Wonder Woman sighed inwardly, really not knowing how else she could explain.
Peter entered the crime scene once again, and shortly after, he came out. He gave Iron Man a look, and Iron Man understood what he meant. He waved his hand lightly, and a laser broke the police tape, causing the journalists to surge forward, directly sticking their cameras into the faces of superheroes and police.
The two took advantage of the chaos to slip out of the crowd. Peter looked around and then whispered, "There are claw marks on the wall."
"What? God, it can't be..."
"It's most likely Cyclops and Wolverine got into a fight," Peter sighed, "Although I don't know why they fought, or why they cut through a building, but the police will soon find evidence. I'm just afraid..."
"Afraid Superman will be wronged?"
"Something like that. Our new mayor may not be willing to offend mutants, after all, Magneto is a terrorist, and provoking him leads to no good. But Superman is a good guy; even if this incident is pinned on him, he wouldn't retaliate against Penguin Man. Penguin Man might destroy the evidence."
"Did you take photos?"
"Yes, they're on my phone."
"Send them to James Gordon."
"You mean..."
"This sheriff is also a good man; even if he's not familiar with Superman, he won't stand by and watch him get wronged. Even at the risk of offending mutants, he will definitely make the truth public. Having the director of the Gotham Police Department reveal it carries more weight than others."
Peter sighed. He opened his phone, found the number, and began sending the pictures. He rubbed his forehead and said, "Ever since the two Earths merged into one, troubles have doubled. I really can't figure it out anymore."
"If your smart little brain is starting to ache, how will the others be?" Iron Man laughed twice and said, "Let's go."
"Where to?"
"We need to probe Professor X's thoughts. Why Wolverine and Cyclops fought is the key."
Peter paused in his steps and said, "I heard the two of them are love rivals."
"Yes, but it's not like they became love rivals today." Iron Man said as he walked, "Their strained relationship over Phoenix has been going on for over ten years now, so why fight now, of all times?"
"I guess one of them got provoked," Peter speculated, "From the signs at the scene, it seems Wolverine did not attack first; he was always defending, leaving claw marks on the wall to escape. Yet Cyclops destroyed the whole building."
"Do you know Cyclops?"
"I've met him a few times, not very familiar, but he doesn't seem like a very violent person, otherwise he'd have joined the Brotherhood a long time ago. Since he works with the X-Men, he should be quite stable."
"Hard to say." Iron Man shook his head, "Is there anyone more unstable than Phoenix? Yet Professor X still keeps her nearby?"
"That's because wherever Phoenix stays, it's unstable. Once she erupts, it becomes a disaster for the whole cosmos. It's better to keep her close to monitor, allowing for early warning before an eruption occurs."
They headed towards the X-Men's base in Manhattan, soon arriving at the front of the base. But just as they were about to go in, they suddenly felt a heat wave surge up.
Iron Man grabbed Peter and ran at the fastest speed, and the two flew out for two miles before daring to look back. When they looked back, they saw flames rising above the X-Men's base.
"Could it be that the Phoenix has erupted?!"