DC Heroes in Marvel

"As for the enemy who disguised himself as Victor Doom, his true identity remains unknown. We are still investigating."

"Victor Doom? We must admit that he played a disgraceful role in this incident. He is now listed as a fugitive by S.H.I.E.L.D. and law enforcement at all levels. As soon as we receive any leads on his whereabouts, we will deploy the Avengers to bring him in."

"As for the defector, we will capture him at all costs."

On the TV screen, Maria Hill stood at the podium as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s acting Director, addressing the press conference. She provided the answers the public demanded.

After fielding a few more questions from reporters, she abruptly ended the conference, unwilling to waste any more time on the media.

Given S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current predicament, even if the so-called Loki and Victor Doom's accomplices were captured, the overall situation wouldn't improve much.

However, the public's curiosity about the truth wasn't particularly strong. Most people were just following the spectacle.

In fact, upon seeing that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s spokesperson was an attractive "ice queen," the conversation online quickly took a different turn. Public opinion shifted almost instantly.

[The current director is much easier on the eyes.]

[Better than the bald guy.]

[Hope those two stay in the hospital forever.]

Online discussions erupted, filled with lighthearted and irreverent comments.

What the public didn't know, however, was that during the Battle of Washington, it was this very "ice queen" who had given the order for the Helicarrier to fire recklessly at the Batwing.

Had they known, even those who admired her appearance might have changed their tune.

After the battle, when S.H.I.E.L.D. was forced to issue an apology, all the blame was pinned on Hydra's infiltrators.

Alexander Pierce and Brock Rumlow (Crossbones) were made the scapegoats.

Hydra instantly became the world's most wanted terrorist organization.

Over the next two months, S.H.I.E.L.D. launched a relentless manhunt across the United States. Many suspected Hydra operatives within S.H.I.E.L.D. were arrested, and the organization's presence on American soil was significantly weakened.

However, Hydra was far from eradicated.

Around the world—particularly in Europe and other regions—Hydra still had significant military resources and armed forces hidden away. They weren't crippled, merely forced into dormancy.

But for now, none of that concerned Anton.

New York – The Daily Bugle 

Sitting in his office at the Daily bugle , Anton had a front-row seat to the battle in Times Square.

The newspaper's building was right on the square's edge, giving him a clear view of the action.

From his office window, he had watched Thor emerge from the storm clouds, saw Loki get captured, and observed as the Avengers boarded the transport plane and flew off.

Anton stroked his chin, lost in thought.

According to the original timeline, this was all part of Loki's plan—misdirection to buy time until the real invasion began.

"Finding Victor Doom in a city this vast will be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Even Anton had no leads on the whereabouts of Doctor Doom—Victor Doom.

If Doom were to reappear, it would likely only be at the final moment, when the portal was completed.

Loki certainly wouldn't talk.

So for now, Anton could only wait.

RING!

His phone vibrated.

He glanced at the screen.

"John Keller?"

The Secretary of Defense was calling him?

Anton raised an eyebrow in surprise before answering.

"Hello, Mr. Keller. What can I do for you?"

" Loki! He was captured!"

Keller spoke gravely. "Anton, could your judgment have been wrong? If this continues, S.H.I.E.L.D. might actually solve the problem, and we'll have to rethink all our plans..."

"Don't worry. Loki was captured, but Victor Doom still has the Tesseract and managed to escape," Anton said calmly. "Besides, Loki walked right into their trap. Do you really think he's going to give them any useful information?"

"So, the situation is still under your control?" Keller asked.

"More or less," Anton nodded. "You can trust me on this. Mr. Keller, we've worked together more than once—haven't I earned that trust by now?"

"It's not that," Keller sighed, shaking his head. "The problem is, we have no intel at all. That kind of uncertainty is unsettling."

"In that case, send an elite unit to New York and have them stand by for my orders," Anton suggested after a brief pause. "I'll direct them to act at the critical moment."

"Alright." Keller agreed without hesitation—this was exactly what the military wanted.

"Special Forces," he continued. "Let me give you a quick rundown. The unit is led by General Hawke and consists of the best of the best—elite soldiers from multiple countries. They're not just U.S. forces; this is a multinational coalition, almost like a United Nations task force. So far, 23 countries have signed on."

"Seems like you've been preparing for this for a while."

Anton was already familiar with this special forces unit—especially since he had taken care of their greatest enemy, Cobra, in advance.

"It's not about long-term separation," Keller said dismissively. "It's just a necessary precaution. With the special forces in place, the World Security Council will have no reason to object when we move to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. with them. S.H.I.E.L.D. has grown too powerful—if this continues unchecked, they'll become unstoppable. We're just putting the necessary restraints in place."

"You're not wrong," Anton said with a smirk. "Alright. Keep me updated once the special forces arrive in New York. I expect things to escalate in the next few days."

"Understood."

Click.

The call ended.

Anton turned back to his computer and refreshed the online discussions.

Public perception of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers had shifted significantly.

The efforts of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers over the past weeks had not been in vain.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had successfully cultivated an image of responsibility and courage.

And then there were the Avengers themselves—Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and, of course, the ever-distracting Black Widow-Natasha Romanoff…

These larger-than-life figures had captivated the public, shifting their perspective.

Especially after today's battle in Times Square, where the Avengers had demonstrated their extraordinary abilities. People admired strength, and the Avengers had shown them just how powerful they were.

It was no surprise that public opinion had changed.

"I'll let you enjoy this moment of triumph," Anton muttered with a smirk.

For now, he had no intention of letting the Daily bugle publish the full truth.

Maria Hill's press conference had conveniently left out one key detail: the Tesseract was missing.

At this moment, the public had no idea what the Tesseract even was. Even if the Daily bugle exposed its existence, it wouldn't make much impact.

But when the space portal opened, when the Chitauri descended on New York and unleashed devastation on an unprecedented scale—then the truth would matter.

Only then would the world understand the significance of the Tesseract.

Only then would S.H.I.E.L.D.'s true nature be exposed.

….

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