Through his Super X-Ray Vision. Colin could clearly see Matt—or rather, Daredevil—curled up and hiding inside the car.
He understood that this was a precaution the other man was taking for his own safety. Still, the sight was a bit surreal, like having the secret behind a magic trick revealed prematurely, witnessing a superhero's behind-the-scenes prep work before his grand, unnoticed entrance.
Suppressing the strange look in his eyes, Colin maintained a facade of obliviousness as he opened the car door. He forced himself not to look at the back seat as he started the car and drove away from the newspaper office.
"...That afternoon, outside the German Military Base at Fort Drum, a protest group composed of several American civilian organizations expressed their opposition to the biological experiments being conducted by the German Military in America."
"This land is not the German Military's war base!"
"Shut down the biological laboratory!"
The protest continued for quite some time. During this period, 13 American students and some members of a radical resistance group even broke into the German Ambassador's residence to protest Germany's military deployment in America.
"Why America?"
"Such dangerous (biological) experiments, why not conduct them in Germany instead of coming to America?"
"In the afternoon, the protest group gathered outside the German Military Base at Fort Drum, holding signs and shouting in protest."
To prevent the hidden Daredevil from noticing anything amiss, Colin had turned on the radio as soon as he got in the car. The public radio was broadcasting the latest news about the protests against the German Military in the US.
Previously, the German side's biological experiments within America had been conducted in secret. It wasn't until the recent incident at Fort Detrick that the related plans surfaced, causing a huge uproar in America.
According to media reports, the Hydra biological research laboratory at Fort Detrick exploded due to an accident. Of course, Colin knew very well that the "accident" was, in fact, the result of actions taken by members of The Resistants.
The situation at the laboratory was exposed, proving the connection between Hydra and the German Military and the fact that they were secretly conducting biological experiments.
This led to a surge of anti-German sentiment within America. In recent years, many American civilian groups have held multiple protests, calling for a complete revision of the Status of Forces Agreement between the US and Germany or the abolition of certain clauses.
The protest groups repeatedly reported the German Military's illegal activities to the relevant authorities and filed lawsuits with local courts, but "their efforts were ignored."
The Federal Government had always been hesitant to show a clear anti-German stance, which resulted in the protests being confined to the civilian level, never gaining enough momentum to make a real impact.
Furthermore, as a media professional. Colin could clearly sense that, in an effort to divert public attention from the protests against the German Military, the Federal Government had begun to subtly guide changes to certain articles of the Superhero Registration Act. This included the law enforcement authority of Registered Heroes and stricter arrest regulations for the criminal activities of anti-registration groups.
It was foreseeable that the situation for the Anti-Registration Faction would only grow worse. This was no longer just an issue concerning Kingpin or the city of New York, but the stance of the entire Anti-Registration Faction within the federation.
On the radio, WNYC's content had shifted from domestic news to international reports.
"...The United Nations General Assembly has convened, and the new President of the General Assembly has made the latest announcement at the headquarters in Berlin..."
Inside the car, just as Colin was thinking this trip with the blind lawyer was going to be for nothing. Suddenly, his Super Hearing detected the sound of rapid flight.
Then, a dozen or so seconds later, the Super Senses of the hidden Daredevil finally noticed the anomaly.
BOOM—
"Ahahaha..."
Accompanied by an explosion and maniacal laughter, a massive crater appeared on the road ahead of the car. Then, the Green Goblin appeared in mid-air, riding his Glider.
"Sorry, this road is closed!"
Screech!
Faced with the explosion before him, Colin, in the driver's seat, slammed on the brakes. Amidst the piercing screech of tires, a perfectly pitched look of panic appeared on his face.
Lowering the altitude of the Goblin Glider beneath his feet, the Green Goblin noticed the familiar face in the car, and the expression under his menacing mask changed slightly.
"What an unexpected reunion. I never thought you'd be Clark Kent."
The Green Goblin hadn't anticipated that the reporter who exposed Mayor Kingpin's scandal would be the same reporter who had previously broken into the Daily Bugle building.
"I did say I would find you, I just didn't expect the day to come so soon. What a pleasant surprise, ahahahahaha."
As he spoke, the Green Goblin reached for his Utility Belt, took out a Pumpkin Bomb, and threw it toward Colin with a cackle.
"As a surprise for our long-awaited reunion, I'll give you a carefully prepared gift, hahahaha."
Under the gaze of his Super X-Ray Vision, Colin could clearly see the gears turning inside the Pumpkin Bomb. His Super Hearing could even pick up the distinct clicking sounds of its mechanism.
If he wanted to, he could easily use his Super Speed to dodge the bomb's explosion, or simply stay put and take the blast. After all, their previous fight had already proven that the Green Goblin's Pumpkin Bombs couldn't harm him in the slightest.
However, considering Daredevil in the car. Colin decided to stick to his Clark Kent identity, feigning a terrified expression and covering his head with his hands.
At the same time, with his Super Hearing, he could hear the blind lawyer, who had remained silent since the car started, finally react.
Gripping his Billy Club, Daredevil leaned out from behind Colin, tilting his ear to pinpoint the direction of the incoming Pumpkin Bomb. The next second, he whipped the Billy Club in his hand, sending it like a javelin through the car's window to accurately strike the bomb in mid-air.
BOOM!
Upon impact, the Pumpkin Bomb in mid-air instantly detonated, erupting in a scorching blast of fire and a shockwave.
"Damn it!"
In the air, the Green Goblin clearly hadn't expected another person to be hiding in Colin's car.
Faced with the flames and impact from the Pumpkin Bomb, he hastily controlled the Glider under his feet to retreat a short distance.
"Now's your chance, get out of here!"
Feeling the power of the explosion at close range, although his eyes couldn't see the sky filled with firelight, the massive sound of the blast still dealt a certain blow to Daredevil's Super Senses.
After losing his sight, all of his other senses had been enhanced to a certain degree.
While this allowed Daredevil to perceive dangers that ordinary people couldn't, his overly powerful hearing also created a weakness that ordinary people didn't have.
This was especially true since he didn't have Colin's Super Intellect to protect him.
(end of chapter)