DC Apostle in the Marvel Universe

Jessica wasn't an isolated hero, though she might not realize it yet. Her future would intertwine with many other heroes.

Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and even Avengers like Scarlet Witch and Vision.

These were storylines from the comics of course. Whether they would play out in this world, Russell couldn't be sure.

But even if Jessica didn't cross paths with other superheroes in the future, the man behind her, the Purple Man, was enough to pique Russell's interest.

The Purple Man's signature ability was infecting and controlling people through a virus.

Russell was fascinated by this ability, and he was certain Dr. Wilson would be too.

So, after confirming Jessica's identity, Russell had already set his sights on the Purple Man.

"I… I'm still used to being alone, so…" Jessica understood Russell's intentions and knew he wanted to form an alliance with her...

But years of solitude had ingrained a habit in her, and she ultimately declined his offer.

Russell wasn't surprised by Jessica's refusal, "That's fine. You can take your time to think about it. Sometimes, accepting help from others isn't a bad thing..." If Jessica had agreed immediately, that would have been the real surprise.

"If, and I mean if, I need to contact you in the future, how can I reach you?" Jessica asked.

While she hadn't accepted Russell's proposal, she hadn't outright rejected it either. The idea still intrigued her.

With help from others, maybe she could finally deal with him.

"Well… as you can see, I don't have any money on me, so I definitely don't have a phone." Russell thought for a moment, then continued, "How about this... In a week, there'll be a biotech company called 'Syndicate' here. You can find me there."

Russell's plan to establish a biotech company wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.

If he wanted to collaborate with Oscorp or the military in the future, he needed a legitimate, above-board identity... one that would allow him to engage in normal business dealings.

So, the biotech company was definitely happening.

"Alright, no problem! Here's my card. If you need to reach me, call the number on it." With that, Jessica pulled a slightly crumpled business card from her jacket pocket.

"'Alias Investigations'... that's a great name..." After taking the card from Jessica, Russell awkwardly added, "Uh, could you help us pay the bill?"

Seeing Russell's suddenly shy demeanor, Jessica's expression shifted, and she burst into hearty laughter, "You're really something! One second, you're all mysterious and profound, and the next, you're a blushing high schooler. Haha~"

Jessica's laughter drew the attention of other customers, making Russell even more embarrassed.

"Hey, cut me some slack. Next time, it's on me..." With that, Russell quickly left the restaurant, practically fleeing back to the car.

"All set?" Allen, lying in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, asked.

"More or less," Russell replied briefly.

"You're really out here flirting with everyone, huh? Not cool, man."

Russell, who had been about to drive off, paused at Allenʼs words. He raised his right fist and gave Allen a light punch.

As Allen groaned in mock pain, Russell drove around Hell's Kitchen, seemingly aimless, but with a clear goal in mind... areas with high gang activity.

After deliberately provoking and beating up countless gang members, the gangs of Hell's Kitchen finally realized that two troublemakers had arrived.

For a gang operating in the shadows, two things mattered most.

The first was money, lots of it.

The second was reputation, something that might seem useless at times but could be incredibly valuable.

Money was easy to understand.

With enough money, you could recruit more members, buy better weapons, and expand your territory, growing stronger and more powerful.

Reputation, on the other hand, was an intangible asset, like a brand.

Yes, even a gang in the underworld had assets and a brand.

Reputation could make a gang stronger when it was already powerful and give it the confidence to start over when it hit rock bottom.

If a gang lost its reputation, even with plenty of money, it might never recover.

What Russell and Allen were doing now was stomping all over these gangs' reputations.

As for how the gangs would retaliate, they both didn't care. In fact, they didn't even want to waste time thinking about it.

If one gang member came, they'd take down one.

If a group came, they'd take down the group.

If an entire gang came at them, they'd uproot the gang and wipe it out.

Russell and Allenʼs goal was to establish their dominance in Hell's Kitchen, to make it clear that there was a force here that couldn't be messed with.

As for the so-called 'rules of the streets', they ignored them entirely.

Rules only mattered when both sides were on equal footing.

Otherwise, their rules would become everyone else's rules.

As Russell had predicted, their high-profile establishing of dominance provoked fierce resistance from the gangs.

Russell lost count of how many gang members they'd taken down. No matter how many came, he and Allen dealt with them.

When night fell and the streetlights flickered on, the gangs launched even more intense retaliation.

This night was destined to be sleepless.

Throughout Hell's Kitchen, the agonized cries of gang members could be heard everywhere.

Perhaps emboldened by the cover of night, the gangs escalated their weapons.

From knives and daggers to pistols and rifles, and now grenades, explosives, and even rocket launchers.

The gangs Russell and Allen had randomly targeted were on the verge of losing their minds.

They never expected two lunatics to show up and wreak havoc in such a brutal way.

Meanwhile, the gangs that hadn't been targeted or had withdrawn early from the retaliation were quietly relieved.

Relieved they hadn't been chosen, relieved they hadn't suffered too much damage.

When dawn broke the next day, an unusual calm settled over Hell's Kitchen.

The gang members who usually loitered on every street corner had vanished.

The neighborhood infamous for chaos and crime now resembled a model community... peaceful, harmonious, and safe...