Chapter 151: Evidence
Author: Yue Shang Xintou
"What do you mean?"
Colin hadn't expected Daredevil to suddenly produce such evidence.
After all, this was a lead that not even Howard could uncover.
Taking the evidence Daredevil handed him, Colin saw it contained a detailed record of Spider-Man's movements during the attack on Kingpin. The most eye-catching part was the testimony of a certain thief. If the contents of the testimony were true, then it was indeed impossible for Spider-Man to be catching a thief and simultaneously attacking the Mayor of New York.
Closing the evidence in his hands, Colin turned to look at Daredevil inside the car and asked with a hint of curiosity.
"How did you find all this?"
"I have my own channels for gathering information..."
Hell's Kitchen, where Daredevil was active, was the most chaotic district in all of New York City.
The area was first settled by the working class of Irish immigrants and was known for its poor and chaotic living conditions, severe ethnic conflicts, and high crime rate. Later, after America's defeat in the war, a large number of World War II veterans and Americans unwilling to accept the loss gathered there, planning to resist the stationed German Military.
According to news reports at the time, the resistance fighters gathered in Hell's Kitchen possessed a large amount of World War II equipment, including several M2 medium tanks.
However, the already defeated American government feared that this action would provoke the German Military. Therefore, President Truman ordered General MacArthur to suppress the movement in Hell's Kitchen.
It's worth mentioning that, considering the dangerous situation within Hell's Kitchen at the time, MacArthur employed deceptive tactics.
He first approached a certain leader among the resistance fighters in Hell's Kitchen, expressing that he too was dissatisfied with the American government's weak stance and believed their actions were correct. He also promised to notify them first of any government news, allowing them to prepare in advance.
Because of MacArthur's guarantee, many of the resistance fighters were easily convinced, believing they had supporters within the government. At the same time, MacArthur told them that the government was feeling the pressure and was planning to negotiate with the German Military in the US.
Just as the people of Hell's Kitchen thought their resistance was bearing fruit, MacArthur launched a surprise attack, leading troops to close in on Hell's Kitchen and deploying tanks, tear gas, and smoke bombs.
No one had anticipated MacArthur's sudden suppression. It was said that many people had even begun celebrating the victory of their resistance.
Facing the fully armed and equipped suppression force, the people of Hell's Kitchen were powerless to resist. In the end, over a hundred people died under the guns of the suppression, more than half of whom were veterans of World War II. At the same time, the entire Hell's Kitchen was bombed into ruins.
Later, when the police arrived on the scene to clean up the aftermath, they looked at the scene of devastation, and one of them couldn't help but blurt out, "This place is truly Hell."
Immediately, another police officer corrected him, "Calling it Hell is an understatement. It's the kitchen of Hell."
This is currently the earliest known origin of the legend of 'Hell's Kitchen'.
Simultaneously, due to the impact and destruction of the suppression incident, Hell's Kitchen became the most famous slum in all of New York, a status it holds to this day.
And the information channel Daredevil mentioned was likely Hell's Kitchen itself.
As a chaotic and dangerous place, Hell's Kitchen was also the hub for the most varied information in New York City, with a vast amount of both true and false news circulating.
Those were dark corners that even Howard couldn't penetrate. After all, much of the information in Hell's Kitchen was spread only by word of mouth, not through channels like the internet, which made it impossible for Tony to obtain any relevant clues.
Only someone like Daredevil, who was intimately familiar with Hell's Kitchen, could find useful clues for himself here.
Not to mention, his Super Senses also functioned as a lie detector to some extent. By observing heartbeats, he could keenly perceive whether someone was lying or telling the truth.
Such an ability, while ineffective against Colin, who had unlocked numerous superhuman powers and was protected by Super Disguise, was particularly effective against the denizens of Hell's Kitchen.
Daredevil had clearly used this method, tracking down leads one by one, to find the clues that proved Spider-Man's innocence.
"I need you to report this evidence, to let the public know the truth."
Daredevil listened until the rustling of the evidence in Colin's hands ceased, then spoke.
During this time, Colin had been diligently trying to help Spider-Man with the trouble she was facing.
The evidence provided by Daredevil was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise.
However, turning to look at the blind lawyer still hidden in the shadows, Colin couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "But why are you helping to clear Spider-Man's name? Do you two know each other?"
At this, an image of May Parker as Spider-Man surfaced in Colin's mind. To be honest, the Aunt May of this world was indeed younger and more charming.
"No."
Shaking his head, Daredevil denied having any relationship with Spider-Man.
Whether May Parker was charming or not had nothing to do with Matt; after all, he couldn't see what she looked like.
"The reason I'm helping Spider-Man, aside from the fact that we share a common enemy, is also to avoid escalating the conflict between the Pro-Registration Faction and the Anti-Registration Faction over the New York City Superhero Registration Act..."
As a Ph.D. in law from Columbia University, Daredevil was one of the few street heroes who could perceive the fundamental impact the Superhero Registration Act would have on New York, or even all of America.
In the future, as events unfolded, the problems between the Thunderbolts-led Pro-Registration Faction and the Anti-Registration Faction would only grow more severe. Spider-Man was just a victim in this situation, used by Kingpin, who exploited her superhero identity to fuel the anti-superhero sentiment in New York.
As Kingpin's rival, Daredevil naturally couldn't let this situation develop, not just for Spider-Man's sake, but also for street heroes like himself.
Like Spider-Man, Matt was also a staunch member of the Anti-Registration Faction.
This was why he worked so hard to collect evidence of Spider-Man's innocence. However, compared to the increasingly powerful Thunderbolts and Kingpin, the solitary Matt was ultimately struggling.
Especially in the Anti-World, where there were no Avengers, nor any superhero groups like the Defenders to fight alongside him.
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