Chapter 85: The Storm
A black Bentley pulled up at the entrance of Worthington Tower...
Marcus Worthington stepped out flanked by
bodyguards, but before he could even set foot inside the building, a swarm of reporters descended upon him like a dark tide of ants...
Despite being blocked by burly security personnel, they hurled rapid-fire questions at the corporate tycoon...
"Mr. Worthington, rumors are circulating online that your labs have been conducting illegal human experiments on mutants. Can you confirm these allegations?"
"Is it true that Worthington Industries has engaged in underhanded dealings with Senator Robert Kelly?"
"Did Senator Kelly undergo Worthington's experiments, only to suffer genetic mutations and become a mutant himself?"
"...."
Each question struck Marcus like a thunderclap. He maintained a cold, unreadable expression, refusing to answer as his security team forced a path through the frenzied press into the lobby.
Once inside the elevator, the simmering rage in Marcus finally boiled over...
The moment he reached his office, he summoned his top executives and demanded, "Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?!"
Hamilton, the head of marketing, nervously pulled up a computer screen...
Every major news outlet and media platform was flooded with damning reports about Worthington. Disturbing images and videos of mutants writhing in agony, and dissected corpses... All spreading like wildfire across the internet.
"Twenty minutes ago, someone anonymously leaked all this information.."
Marcus felt his vision swim. He took deep breaths, forcing himself to stay composed. Years of corporate warfare had honed his instincts... this was a meticulously orchestrated attack, a deliberate manipulation of public opinion.
Take the Daily Bugle, for example...
The once obscure tabloid had suddenly emerged as Worthington's fiercest critic, even publishing shockingly detailed photos and documents on its front page.
The article heavily implied that Worthington had struck a sinister deal with Senator Kelly who was now exposed as a mutant... painting them as a corrupt politician willing to betray his own kind and a ruthless capitalist profiting from bloodshed.
In a piece personally penned by Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, there were even veiled suggestions that the recent smear campaigns against Oscorp and Umbrella had been orchestrated by a certain corporate giant seeking to monopolize the medical industry and
stifle competition.
Of course, the cunning editor stopped short of naming names, leaving readers to connect the dots themselves...
This tabloid, known for its sensationalism gossip, had suddenly positioned itself as a fearless champion of justice, beating even mainstream media to the punch.
Soon, other outlets followed suit, scrambling to outdo each other in their condemnation of Worthington...
Within minutes, the conglomerate found itself at the center of a firestorm. The overwhelming backlash forced government agencies to intervene. In just twenty minutes, the industry titan had gone from untouchable to public enemy number one...
Marcus surveyed the situation with grim clarity... This wasn't something that could be fixed with damage control or financial leverage. If this scandal continued to escalate, the public outcry alone could bury Worthington for good...
When a tiger reigns supreme, all beasts bow in submission. But the moment it shows weakness, the predators circle in for the kill.
"Who the hell is behind this?"
Marcus racked his brain, Could it really be
Osborn and that so-called 'genius of New York'? Were these upstarts truly capable of such a ruthless, surgical strike?
The old man steadied himself against his desk, his legs threatening to give way...
He would rather believe this was the work of some corporate shark, using the mutant controversy as a weapon to deliver a fatal blow. The precision of the attack left no room for counterplay.
Shaking off the dread, Marcus quickly convened his crisis team, ordering PR to issue statements while he personally called in favors from political allies...
...
Harry strode into Umbrella's headquarters with uncontainable glee, his previous despondency completely erased. He barged into Sean's office like a conquering general.
"Ever heard of knocking?" Sean didn't even look up from the stack of documents he was signing, "What if I was in here flirting with my secretary? How awkward would that be?"
Harry waved him off, "You don't even have a secretary. Seriously though, you should hire one... someone to handle the grunt work. And maybe a bodyguard while you're at it..."
"...l could introduce you to a few candidates. All with great figures and stunning faces. I know this ballet dancer—"
"I'm guessing you didn't rush here to discuss my love life," Sean cut in dryly.
Harry snapped back to reality, his excitement bubbling over, "Worthington is screwed!" he crowed, barely able to contain himself, "They just got exposed for illegal human testing. Every major outlet is running the story. Government is
already involved. Their stock is crashing harder than Stark Industries' did."
"God is just punishing the wicked and rewarding the righteous..." Searn remarked calmly, unsurprised.
Still, bringing down a corporate empire wasn't that simple. As a medical industry titan, Worthington might take a hit, but it wouldn't collapse overnight. The vested interests backing it wouldn't let it fall so easily...
"You already knew," Harry said, eyeing his friend suspiciously. It was uncanny how Sean always seemed ten steps ahead.
"Have you forgotten? l have eyes that see the future." Sean quipped.
Harry scoffed, "I'd sooner believe you learned divination from a bunch of Gypsies... So what's next? Do we press the attack? Make Worthington suffer?" The vindictive Osborn heir hadn't forgotten their earlier humiliation...
"We do nothing. Justice will handle the rest..."
Sean glanced at the newspaper on his desk. No doubt the Bugle's publisher had already received his... gratitude...
"...After all, this is the land of freedom and democracy." A faint, mocking smile played on the young man's lips...