Aftermath

The terrorist attack at the carnival shocked all of America. Videos of the battle between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man spread wildly across the internet, racking up millions of views. Many people were astonished to discover that, besides Mutants, there were other superpowered individuals in the world around them.

The White House was also left with a massive headache. The horrific incident caused by the Green Goblin had far-reaching consequences and an enormous number of casualties. While public opinion fervently discussed Spider-Man, it also harshly condemned the national security agencies for their inaction. People called it another terrorist attack since 9/11, a trampling of America's spirit of freedom, and demanded that the government capture the culprit as soon as possible.

But the ones who felt most aggrieved were probably the Mutants who had been hiding among human society all along. When people first saw Spider-Man and the Green Goblin in the footage, they assumed the two were Mutants as well. The Mutant Registration Act, whose fervor had only recently died down, was dragged back into the spotlight. It was only after a congressman stepped forward and denied that Spider-Man and the Green Goblin were Mutants that the matter finally subsided. Still, the Mutants in Westchester were surely feeling rather depressed. No matter what, being made the scapegoat did not feel good.

Because of the Green Goblin and Spider-Man's spectacular appearance at the carnival, superpowered individuals drew widespread attention from every corner of society. Everyone was talking about them. Thanks to his heroic performance in driving back the vicious and terrifying Green Goblin, Spider-Man won the affection of New York's citizens. Aside from the Daily Bugle, every other newspaper praised the mysterious Superhero, calling him "New York's friendly neighborhood hero."

Mutants were not the only unlucky ones who had inexplicably taken the blame. Osborn Industries suffered as well. Under the manipulation of interested parties, news broke that the rising industrial giant's chief scientist had been murdered and its own products stolen. The reports even thoughtfully added a reminder that all of the Green Goblin's equipment had come from Osborn Industries.

That immediately sparked a wave of public condemnation. Osborn Industries' stock plummeted, and the sprawling corporation, which operated across numerous fields, was instantly thrown into a tremendous crisis, showing signs of sliding into the abyss. Yet at this critical moment, Norman Osborn, the chairman, failed to step forward and take charge. The outside world unanimously took a dim view of Osborn Industries.

Those were the aftershocks following the carnival. But none of it had anything to do with Sean, because he was busy dealing with another problem.

"You mean on your very first day of school, you got into a fight and beat up two school bullies so badly their own parents wouldn't recognize them?!"

Sean was practically on the verge of collapse. Mindy had only been in school for one day, yet he had already received a call from the dean telling him to come handle a serious brawl.

"They were bullying Rachel!" the little girl argued as she was lectured all the way there. "Those bad guys were pulling on her skirt, and I only used a tiny bit of strength."

"Who is Rachel?" Sean asked, somewhat confused. Then he continued lecturing her. "And Mindy, if you're going to hit someone, you can beat them until their faces bloom, but... don't kick them down there. That's too cruel, especially for boys."

"Rachel is my first friend at school! She's really pitiful. Those school bullies pick on her every day, and nobody wants to play with her because she's from Hell's Kitchen."

Mindy pursed her lips, seeming somewhat wronged. In her mind, she had only done a good deed by helping a friend who was being bullied, yet everyone had blamed her for it.

Sean fell silent for a moment, then stroked the little girl's head and said softly, "Mindy, you can't keep living the way you used to. Helping a friend who is being bullied by bad people is a good thing, but you have to pay attention to the method—you can teach them a lesson with your fists, but don't let the teachers catch any evidence! Otherwise, you might get expelled, and then your friend will have to keep suffering at their hands. They might even retaliate even more viciously."

"You mean next time, I can secretly knock them out from behind?" The little girl looked up at Sean, her face full of confusion.

"...That's roughly what I mean." Sean had a headache. Clearly, he was not suited for this kind of moral guidance.

Turning Mindy, who had been steeped in the belief that violence solved everything, into a normal little girl was truly a huge and complicated undertaking. It would have to be done slowly.

"Why could those two act so arrogantly at your school?" Sean could not help feeling curious. That school was one of New York's famous private schools. Most of the children there came from wealthy families, and their parents held respectable, high-end jobs. How could they allow their children to be bullied at school?

"They said their father worked for someone called Kingpin." Mindy thought for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Who is Kingpin?"

Sean narrowed his eyes. Had he just finished dealing with Frank D'Amico only to start moving into Hell's Kitchen?

Compared to the name Kingpin, New York citizens were more familiar with Wilson Fisk, a real estate tycoon born in Hell's Kitchen. He was passionate about charity and regarded as a respectable social figure. But Sean knew that was only a layer of hypocritical polish. Besides being a successful businessman, the real Wilson Fisk was also the Black Emperor who ruled New York's underworld. Starting as a minor thug, he had climbed his way up through arson, murder, plunder, and every evil imaginable, eventually ascending to the throne of gang boss.

Yet that could not satisfy his ambition. Intelligent and exceptionally powerful, Wilson constantly swallowed the territories of other gangs. Anyone unwilling to submit to him was wiped out completely. In the end, he firmly seized control of the entire United States criminal underworld, using the chaotic and impoverished Hell's Kitchen as his foundation to build a vast and terrifying criminal empire.

After becoming New York's number one crime boss, he packaged himself as a successful real estate businessman and transformed himself into a social elite, chatting and laughing with Prosecutors and Police Chiefs. He recruited large numbers of Russian Mafia members and The Irish from Hell's Kitchen as enforcers, gradually taking control of New York's entire underworld.

Those in the criminal world called Wilson "Kingpin," meaning the central figure. From then on, that name became a terrifying presence that struck fear into the underworld.

"He's just a terrible villain who commands a lot of scum," Sean said flatly, a thoughtful glint passing through his eyes.

Perhaps the Black Emperor who ruled New York's underworld could make a modest contribution toward his first step in accumulating capital. After all, Hell's Kitchen was a place everyone wanted.

Holding the little girl's hand, he prepared to head home. In the end, under the fierce assault of a large pile of cash, the highly principled dean decided to handle the school fight with leniency. Using the excuse that Mindy was "still only a child," he rejected the other teachers' recommendation to expel her.

And so, the disturbance quietly died down. Mindy returned to school and became famous in a single battle, instantly turning into the school's queen bee, surrounded by a group of adoring young girls.

Of course, this was merely a small episode in Sean's ordinary life. In this era before Superheroes filled the skies, he enjoyed this peaceful atmosphere. He did not need to worry about an alien invasion or some Evil Villain destroying the world. Everything was so wonderful.

It also gave him the calm state of mind to steadily build up his strength. He did not need to worry too much that his own weakness would bring danger. After all, even Tony Stark was still immersed in a decadent life of drinking and pleasure, not yet the Iron Man who soared through the skies.

The Superheroes still slumbered in their cradles, not yet awakened. The Cosmic Overlord coveting the six Infinity Stones had not turned his gaze toward this blue planet either. None of the stories had begun.

"Bread will come, and milk will come too..." Sean watched the setting sun sink beyond the horizon, his eyes gleaming with anticipation for the future.

P.S. Whew... I forgot there was another chapter today -_-||

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