In the Celestial Palace, Odin stood beside Frigga, gazing through the grand gates at the boundless starry sea.
However, their thoughts were worlds apart.
Odin glanced at the drunken Thor, shook his head without a flicker of emotion, and muttered,
"He's still so lazy. I hope his journey to Midgard has yielded him some growth!"
"You mean Thor?" Frigga turned to Odin, her expression filled with sorrow.
"What could be wrong with Thor? He's always so cheerful. Honestly, I'm more worried about Loki. I wonder how he's faring out there…"
"Hmph, what can be done? He has his own destiny."
"Odin, you're too hard on that boy!"
"Different people require different approaches. Loki needs us to remind him of his place!"
Their conversation ended on a sour note. Odin returned to his throne alone, his hand absently caressing Gungnir, lost in thought.
"If only she weren't so stubborn… she'd be the perfect heir. Ah…"
…
In Midgard, three days after Iron Man's downfall.
Heisenberg stepped out of his nightclub, boarding the car arranged by Billy, heading to his new base.
The nightclub, though impressive, had grown too cramped for him.
His followers now numbered in the thousands. Even if he didn't need to meet everyone personally, he still required a suitable space to gather them all.
For instance, today Heisenberg had an announcement to make…
To facilitate Heisenberg's future operations, Rumlow and Bullseye had collaborated to retrofit the largest opera house under the Nuke Gang's control.
Heisenberg moved in seamlessly.
As for his personal quarters, Bullseye had set up an open-air lounge where Heisenberg could bask in the sun during his downtime.
Upon arrival, the convoy of over a thousand vehicles trailing Heisenberg drew curious glances from those near the theater.
Fortunately, the theater had once hosted the Hollywood Oscars, or it wouldn't have been nearly this grand.
Outside the theater, beyond the red carpet, countless reporters jostled for space.
Their presence attracted hordes of onlookers, who speculated it was some kind of premiere.
But when they saw Heisenberg step out of the car, the crowd erupted:
"Wow, Superman!!!"
"Ah, honey, look! It's God himself!"
"So majestic! Truly worthy of being Superman!"
"Did you see the video? The most viral one on YouTube—he knocked out the Hulk with just a few punches!"
"That's Heisenberg, New York's protector!"
"Thanks to him, no one's peddling that damn powder to my son in Brooklyn anymore. He's amazing!"
"I love him! God, I'd sleep with him in a heartbeat!"
"We should remake the Superman movies, at least with Heisenberg's face!"
"He doesn't look like a superhero; he's more like a Godfather!"
"This is the true spirit of New York's heroes. Whether Superman or Iron Man, they're the coolest!"
"Yeah, those guys look filthy rich…"
The onlookers buzzed with excitement, few sharing the gangs' disdain for Heisenberg.
After all, since arriving in New York, Heisenberg had neither harmed ordinary citizens nor failed to significantly reduce the city's crime rate.
Add to that the friendly exchanges his people had with media outlets like the *Daily Planet* and *Daily Bugle*, and Heisenberg's public image remained remarkably positive.
The U.S. government and S.H.I.E.L.D. turned a blind eye, even hoping Heisenberg would maintain his reputation.
For them, Heisenberg was an uncontrollable force.
So, they'd gladly paint him as a benevolent hero.
Even if Heisenberg wasn't inherently good.
As long as he grew accustomed to the praise from all corners of society…
If he took pride in it, even boasting about it…
He'd shift his mindset to align with society's accolades.
Even the slightest chance of Heisenberg becoming a true hero was worth pursuing.
If he ever became the person they promoted, he'd be far easier to manage!
But would Heisenberg play along?
Furrowing his brow, he muted his enhanced hearing, striding indifferently through the reporters' gauntlet into the theater.
Once inside, the crowd outside not only stayed but grew denser, their discussions growing more animated.
"It's Heisenberg!"
"He's in Manhattan!"
"Of course! A powerhouse like him shouldn't be stuck in Brooklyn's slums. That'd be a waste!"
"He's too charismatic. He belongs in Manhattan, among us nobles!"
"Nobles? You?"
"At least we're rich."
"Manhattan's so safe now—we've got Iron Man and Superman!"
"Though Iron Man's been MIA lately. Is that playboy back to chasing models?"
"Who knows? We've got Superman now—that's enough!"
Inside the theater, Heisenberg strode past row after row of subordinates to his seat at center stage.
His position faced over two thousand seats, slightly elevated, with his back to the stage.
As he sat, most of his followers took their seats, filling the theater to capacity, with many standing along the aisles!
Heisenberg was stunned.
True, he hadn't been micromanaging, but thanks to his subordinates' efforts…
The mid-to-upper-level personnel alone now exceeded two thousand.
Surveying the crowd, Heisenberg nodded.
In the front row, he recognized only a few: Bullseye, Nightshade, Erika, Jessica, Rumlow, Sitwell, Billy, and a few familiar faces from the nightclub.
As for the others…
They sat rigidly, far more formal than Bullseye's crew.
Except for Nightshade, who sat like a subordinate, the others…
Bullseye lounged with his legs crossed, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Erika and Jessica discussed their evening lip gloss.
Rumlow sat with his legs spread wide, cleaning his gun.
Even Sitwell kept adjusting his glasses.
Well…
Seems they've figured out his temperament.
Heisenberg wasn't one to fuss over minor details. His followers' respect wasn't measured by their posture.
He held no grudges against those who'd risked their lives for him.
Heisenberg crossed his right leg over his left, resting his hands casually on the armrests.
"I've been here about two months," he began softly. "Even my longest-serving followers have only known me that long."
He looked at Bullseye's group.
"How've these two months been?"
"Ha! My ass hurts!" Bullseye blurted, earning a weary sigh from Heisenberg.
"Shouldn't have given you the floor. From now on, show some manners!"
Heisenberg clapped, addressing everyone.
"Two months ago, we each had our identities, our allegiances.
Some of you came from the streets, others from corporations, the FBI, CIA, S.H.I.E.L.D., or Hydra.
But now, we're all rulers of this city—at least, rulers of the night!"
He lowered his hands, nodding at the crowd.
"You've done better than I imagined. In just two months, New York is ours!
So, will we stop here?"
"Never! Ha!"
"No way!"
"Boss, we're ready!"
"Though there are still problems, like the Five Fingers and their Black Light?"
*Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!*
Heisenberg's applause silenced the room. "When it comes to ruling the night, we've reached New York's peak.
For external forces like the Hand, use your harshest methods.
Today's gathering isn't about planning our next move.
I called you here simply to meet each other.
Your backgrounds vary, and some of you harbor past grudges.
But now, I want everyone here to see their neighbors as trusted allies!
New York's nocturnal unity begins with us, but I don't want it to end with us. Remember that!"
He raised his hand, and Bullseye stepped forward.
Heisenberg patted Bullseye's arm, addressing the crowd.
"This is Bullseye, my first follower. I'm entrusting the night I've built to him.
I need every Nuke Gang member to treat Bullseye as me. He's capable of leading you as I would, and his orders are mine.
Our gang will be our foundation. Bullseye, teach our brothers well. We're not a traditional gang—we're miracle-makers.
Think like rulers, not thieves or bullies. That's boring.
Offer citizens safety in exchange for payment. We'll protect them better than the NYPD ever could.
This nation's already distorted, but we'll become New York's—no, everyone's—most trusted force. I want their faith in us to surpass their trust in the police.
Until we're no longer their night, but their sun!"
"Yes!" Bullseye nodded firmly.
Heisenberg waved him back, gesturing to Rumlow, who rose with a smirk.
"That smirk's annoying, but Crossbones will be the Nuke Gang's head instructor and one of the Justice League's commanders!"
Heisenberg stood, joining Rumlow onstage.
He clapped Rumlow's shoulder, continuing.
"These past two months, I've seen too many problems ordinary people can't handle.
So, I'm forming the Justice League. Its intelligence and logistics will be staffed by Nuke Gang elites.
As for combat members, I need only those surpassing humans in some way.
Currently, the League will consist of Crossbones, Bullseye, Jessica, Erika, and Nightshade.
Make that six—including me!"