As bait deliberately left behind, intended to lure out the black-clad thief's accomplices or their employer, Batman had planted several miniature tracking devices around the shattered stone slab.
The instant Hawkeye stepped into the vicinity of the slab, Batman—who had been in the Batcave writing base code for Alfred—immediately detected it and rushed to the scene with breakneck speed.
Just like Hawkeye, Batman completely disregarded the museum's lighting, guards, and security cameras.
When he arrived at the Roman Hall, Hawkeye had also just discovered one of the miniature sensors Batman had left behind.
Watching Hawkeye complete a sequence of actions—rolling, drawing his bow, and nocking an arrow—in less than half a second, a name instantly sprang to Batman's mind. For the first time while in stealth, he spoke up voluntarily:
"Oliver?"
"Green Arrow?"
This man resembled Green Arrow too closely: the same sleeveless combat suit, the same agility, the same status as an ordinary human, and the same superb archery skills.
For a split second, Batman even thought this was an alternate universe counterpart of Green Arrow, Oliver Queen.
But when Hawkeye spoke, Batman regained his usual composure. This was neither Oliver nor anyone else bearing the mantle of Green Arrow.
"I am Hawkeye, Batman." Hawkeye spoke slowly, his arrowhead remaining trained on Batman lurking in the shadows. "Who is Green Arrow? Who is Oliver? Your partner?"
"He is my partner, and just as skilled at archery as you are, Hawkeye—Clinton Barton." As he spoke, Batman emerged from the shadows.
Back when General Ross was stationed at Oscorp, Batman had hacked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft Hawkeye was piloting and learned of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent known as Hawkeye.
But that intelligence was limited to the agent's name and codename; it contained nothing else.
Reality isn't a game; S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't turn their agents' profiles into trading cards for people to browse.
Aside from the names Black Widow Natasha and Hawkeye Clinton, Batman knew nothing about their actual abilities.
Hawkeye frowned, hesitating for a moment, unable to distinguish whether Batman was friend or foe.
If he were an enemy, why expose himself by speaking instead of attacking while clearly hidden in the dark?
If he were a friend, why did he clearly mistake him for someone else just now?
"How do you know my name?" Hawkeye asked in a low voice, keeping his bowstring taut.
Batman stepped out of the shadows, walking until he stood less than ten meters away from Hawkeye.
"Because of the Hulk."
"Hulk?" Hawkeye was startled. "Speak clearly, or my arrow will end up in your head."
"You and Black Widow Natasha went to Dharavi together. While bringing Dr. Banner back, you received orders to send him to the Cube," Batman said. "As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, you should be clear on what happened next."
"I'm not clear on anything!" Hawkeye grew increasingly wary, his right hand pulling the bow into a full moon shape. "You even know about the Cube! You're not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Who exactly are you?"
Even within S.H.I.E.L.D., purely a pitiful few agents knew of the Cube. Those few who did—like Hawkeye, Agent 19, Black Widow...
They all used the unified code D-4 and would never say the name "Cube" directly in any scenario!
"I'm Batman," Batman said.
"...Bullshit! Of course I know you're Batman!" Hawkeye gritted his teeth. "I'm asking about the identity behind the mask!"
"That isn't important," Batman said. "What is important is: are you here on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s orders to arrest me?"
"I don't know."
Hawkeye was clueless, which made Batman frown slightly.
"What do you know?"
"I know damn well nothing," Hawkeye said.
"Not knowing" falls into two categories: one is genuinely not knowing, and the other is knowing but being unable to say.
Relying on the Arkham suit's analysis of Hawkeye's current physical data—hearing his breathing and heartbeat, seeing the micro-expressions on his face and the dilation of his pupils—Batman determined that Hawkeye fell into the first category.
He was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who didn't even know if he had been sent to deal with Batman.
Batman changed the question:
"Where is Black Widow?"
Hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems hadn't revealed detailed profiles of their agents, but through various clues, Batman knew that Hawkeye and Black Widow were partners.
Where Black Widow appeared, Hawkeye was usually present, and vice versa.
Hawkeye was standing right in front of him, so where was Black Widow?
"I don't know," Hawkeye said.
He had said that phrase too many times tonight, enough that Hawkeye was starting to get angry. He countered Batman:
"You've asked enough questions. It's my turn."
"Why do you know so much S.H.I.E.L.D. intel?"
Batman remained expressionless:
"Because I'm Batman."
"Enough!" For the first time, Hawkeye understood how the Hulk felt when he raged, because right now, he felt even angrier than the Hulk.
Swish!
He finally released the arrow that had been ready to fly for so long, though his aim wasn't Batman's head, but his shoulder.
Hawkeye, Clinton Barton, decided to subdue the opponent first, take him away from the museum, and then interrogate him for all the information he wanted.
At a distance of ten meters, Hawkeye knew this shot absolutely would not miss. Therefore, simultaneously with releasing the arrow, he exerted force with one arm, transforming the longbow into a staff.
Stepping forward, Hawkeye prepared to rush in and beat Batman down.
But just as he lifted a foot, Hawkeye froze.
He saw the arrow—fast as lightning and nearly impossible to dodge—caught in Batman's hand.
At ten meters, the arrow's flight time wasn't even the blink of an eye, yet it still missed its mark.
Thwip!
Without hesitation, Hawkeye nocked arrows again. This time, he held five arrows between his fingers, drawing and firing in rapid succession.
These five arrows were once again caught in Batman's hand.
But this time, Hawkeye didn't continue shooting. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Batman:
"Beep beep boom."
Beep beep! BOOM!
In Batman's hand, one of the arrows let out a rapid beeping sound, then exploded with a roar!
Firelight swallowed Batman. The smoke and high heat immediately triggered the museum's alarms, and the gentle artificial lighting was instantly replaced by flashing red strobes.
Hawkeye didn't stop. He reached back, preparing to draw another arrow.
But the hand reaching behind him was firmly grabbed by another hand. Without a second thought, Hawkeye abandoned his bow, drew a dagger from his leg, and stabbed forward.
And so, his other hand was also firmly grabbed.
Hawkeye turned his head to see Batman standing beside him, his entire body showing zero trace of being affected by the explosion just now.
Clearly, "Beep beep boom" hadn't blown Batman up; instead, it had provided him an opportunity, allowing him to rush over at some unknown moment.
With both hands pinning Hawkeye's wrists, Batman stared with white-glowing eyes at Hawkeye, who was about to engage in close-quarters combat, and slowly shook his head:
"NO."
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