Chapter 1464: Beneath the Mask Is an Idea
Of course, the reporter who had been knocked out was also a New Yorker born and bred.
However, reporters who could reap profits had already sold their humanity; they couldn’t be considered human at all.
This reporter also became the first cannon fodder in this incident, and soon disappeared from sight.
The TV station he belonged to announced that they had fired the temp employee.
Also, when the TV station broadcasted the interview, the presenter solemnly declared that the reporter had asked the question of his own accord, and it did not reflect the TV station’s att.i.tude.
At the same time, the TV station once more interviewed Mr. Bernard and his son, who was confirmed to be out of danger after the surgery.
Not only did the TV station donate 5,000 dollars to father and son, they also reviewed how the father and son had been rescued.
On the show, the presenters unanimously praised Batman, and only then were they able to escape the t.i.tle of “dung pit maggot.”
Of course, this nickname came from Bernard’s rebuke.
Grieving and angry Batman fans couldn’t wait to give this t.i.tle to TV stations who dared to go against the tide of popular opinion.
After the last incident, these hardcore fans, who had been attacked by the Internet and traditional media, refused to let anyone slander Batman.
The hardcore fans firmly believed that these people were in cahoots with the authorities, and deserved to be called maggots.
On top of that, the media these people appeared in were naturally the dung pit, and the two complemented each other.
The five major TV networks didn’t really care about t.i.tles, but the current situation in America wasn’t right.
Many people at the bottom were disgusted at the government for launching the nuclear weapon.
After all, D.C. was probably the only place more important than Manhattan in America.
If the government could blow up Manhattan this time, it wouldn’t mind implicating another city next time.
The media were all very sensitive. They knew that whoever appeared first would definitely become the target for the public to vent their anger.
The main point wasn’t the scolding, but that it was a glorious tradition for angry citizens to riot.
If there were too many people, chaos might break out.
If a riot happened, it wouldn’t be surprising if several TV buildings were set on fire.
No TV station wanted to make headlines that way.
And that was just the impact of Batman’s “departure” on the media.
The level ground outside the entrance to the building where the Tesseract machine had been had in fact undergone a change as well.
Initially, there had been a circular fountain in front of the building, which had a statue of the founder of Locke Corporation.
The ten or so buildings around the fountain formed the central building complex of Locke Corporation, while the building with the machine had been the core of this building complex.
Locke Corporation had built the fountain in expensive Manhattan mainly to put up a statue of the founder for the world to admire.
But after the invasion of the Chitauri army, all that was left of the statue was just two legs and a base that had been blown dozens of meters away.
The fountain couldn’t escape the fate of being destroyed. Not only was the water supply completely destroyed, the entire fountain was turned into a shallow pit.
This was where the core of the Battle of New York was.
This was where the disaster started and ended.
Here the s.p.a.ce portal was opened, and countless Chitauri troops appeared and began to wantonly slaughter the people of New York.
Here the s.p.a.ce portal was closed, as Batman charged into the midst of the Chitauri army with a nuclear missile in the final moment.
This place represented many deaths as well as the luck of the survivors.
It had witnessed the birth of a tragedy and the “departure” of the first superhero.
So, this place changed — into a memorial site.
The pit was filled with flowers, notes, trinkets, and white candles.
A day later, the munic.i.p.al council sent over a white metal rack to hang wreaths and items of remembrance.
There was too much, so much so that a truck had to come and take the things away every day. Even then, the rack would be full again the next day.
At the same time, a flight of stairs in the shape of a cross was installed in the shallow pit to make it easier for people to light more candles inside.
Since the evening of the battle, a steady stream of people had come here, and candles remained lit all night.
They all reacted differently.
Some wailed, some sobbed quietly, some cried silently.
There were also some who cursed and yelled, who were utterly silent, who gesticulated wildly, or knocked their heads on the ground.
They might be here in remembrance of family, lovers, or friends.
Many of these people were still injured and looked dejected. They stood in front of the pit for a moment before they turned around and left.
Frowning, Tony stood on the circular platform of his building and looked at the candles in the shallow pit below.
After a long while, he typed something on a keyboard. “Do you know how I feel when I look at your photo surrounded by white candles?”
This sentence soon appeared in a certain hot topic discussion forum.
A moment later, there was a reply: “It definitely isn’t as strange as how I feel looking at it.”
Tony’s lips moved. He wanted to complain, but in the end, there was nothing he could say.
In fact, most people weren’t here for Batman, but to mourn their deceased family and friends.
Batman’s “photo” might just be a symbol.
After all, he wasn’t family or friend. Many people would sigh for him, but not to the point of despair.
After a brief silence, Tony finally replied, “Are you sure we have to be so cautious that we can’t even talk directly?”
Luke instantly replied, “It’s much easier to monitor you than to monitor me, so this is the safest for now.”
Tony mumbled to himself, “This guy is still as paranoid as ever!”
Thinking about the current situation, however, he had to admit that it was better to be cautious.
Batman’s “departure” had significantly reduced the pressure on both teams.
A superhero had died while saving millions of people, and n.o.body could criticize him anymore.
With this layer of protection, it would be very difficult for anyone to act against the two teams.
In a sense, Batman had indeed been “sacrificed.”
He had to use this “sacrifice” to maximize the safety of the two teams since they were Batman’s weakness.
Without Batman, this weakness lost most of its meaning.
Putting pressure on them wouldn’t bring Batman back to life, much less could anyone make him take the blame.
As the thoughts flashed through his mind, Tony asked, “Are you really not going to appear again?”
Amused, Luke said, “My friend once said this: People think that beneath the mask is flesh and blood, but it is actually an idea.”
Stumped for a moment, Tony mulled over what Luke meant.
Luke then sent the second half of the message: “And ideas are bulletproof..”