Chapter 61: Project Goliath
Late night, in unknown waters, a massive aircraft carrier floated quietly on the sea. The circular white-headed eagle emblem on its deck displayed its identity as belonging to the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
"Clint Barton, there's something I need you to do for me."
Inside the carrier's command room, graying-templed Director Nick Fury addressed his veteran agent.
Clint Barton—codenamed "Hawkeye"—wore a deep purple sleeveless tactical suit. Currently idle, he leaned against a wall with arms crossed.
Hearing Director Fury's orders, Hawkeye looked up at him, speaking three words:
"Time, location, target?"
"Tomorrow you're going to Dharavi in Mumbai, India. It's the world's second-largest slum. The Hulk very likely appears there. I want you to arrest and bring him back."
"Try not to make too much commotion. We need to find the Hulk before General Ross. Natasha will execute this mission with you."
Director Fury kept both hands behind his back.
Hawkeye Clinton nodded, still not moving from the wall.
"What about today?"
"Today you need to help me deeply inspect the network security system Tony Stark made for me, preventing any viruses from being planted inside." Director Fury said.
"I'm good at archery. This kind of thing can be assigned to others." Hawkeye still had no intention of moving. "I was just asking casually—you actually arranged it?"
Hawkeye Clint Barton, SHIELD's veteran agent, excelled at shooting, swordsmanship, staff techniques, and hundreds of combat skills. Also a hacker—few security firewalls could stop him.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division... Motherfucking hell! Having to say such a long string every time—from now on, use Agent Coulson's abbreviation 'SHIELD.'"
Director Fury cursed impatiently halfway through, then continued:
"SHIELD's network security department has thoroughly inspected the firewall, found no problems."
"But I don't trust that playboy Tony to be so obedient. So I need you to check again."
Hearing Director Fury say this, Hawkeye Clinton nodded and headed toward the network security department. Ten-plus minutes later, he returned to the command room:
"Tony hid a small virus in the system. Though hidden deep, I still found it."
"What virus?" Nick Fury asked, seemingly expecting this.
"A prank virus that installs a Pac-Man game on every computer." Hawkeye Clinton said.
Director Nick Fury shook his head without further comment, sitting in the command room chair to contemplate why "Spider-Man" had completely vanished since appearing once in Central Park.
Unfortunately, Spencer—the last person to contact Spider-Man—had committed suicide at midnight the second day after arrest. No more leads could be investigated.
If Spider-Man hadn't disappeared, Nick Fury had already arranged for SHIELD agents to contact him.
Unfortunately, New York now only had the elusive "Batman," suspected non-human. Agent Coulson's contact attempt had also ended in failure.
Shaking his head again, Nick Fury stopped thinking, leaning back in his chair to rest briefly.
Same time, at Parker Industries—emptied and officially claimed to contain only discarded items—Batman was hacking into SHIELD without obstruction.
The Batmobile, suit, and other items were all hidden in the abandoned City Hall subway station. The warehouse interior contained not a speck of bat elements.
Even if unrelated personnel rashly opened or entered this warehouse, no clues would point to Batman himself. People would only think this was engineering student Peter Parker's private base.
Batman currently wore a flannel shirt—also Peter's getup.
"Oracle, maintain alert. Report any movement in the surveillance immediately."
Batman told the Oracle AI.
"No problem, Bruce." Oracle answered, swiftly taking control of Batman's personally installed surveillance network covering every corner of Parker Industries.
Ensuring no one besides necessary security personnel remained inside Parker Industries, Batman deployed his hacking skills to enter SHIELD's internal systems.
He believed his technical abilities could evade everyone's eyes—infiltrating SHIELD without trace or detection. And indeed it was so.
No alarms, no countermeasures, no tracking—like a ghost quietly appearing within SHIELD.
"Headquarters is a sky carrier capable of flying. Half the members including the Director are aboard."
"Predecessors traceable to ancient Egypt's Brotherhood of the Shield. Established during WWII to oppose Germany, originally named Strategic Scientific Reserve. Changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate. Now the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."
"Belonging to the International Security Council—meaning jointly established by multiple nations, as Tony Stark once revealed to me."
These were semi-public information. Batman merely skimmed them before quickly moving on, searching through SHIELD's dense classified materials for what he truly cared about.
Soon, three plans most likely involving methods to return to Gotham were found and organized on paper and pen.
Project Goliath, Project Pegasus, Project S.W.O.R.D.
"Project Goliath, jointly led by Hank Pym and Howard Stark. Due to research direction disagreements, Howard withdrew from the plan, even fading from SHIELD."
"So despite his father being SHIELD's founder, Tony Stark knew little about this organization."
Batman analyzed these three plans one by one. His astonishing memory let him clearly recall that first moment after crossing over—when Batman observed his environment in Dr. Octavius's lab, those scientist portraits hanging on walls.
Among them was Dr. Hank Pym.
"He developed a substance called 'Pym Particles,' capable of enlarging or shrinking matter. Hank Pym possesses absolute technical mastery of manufacturing these particles. Once wore suits with his wife Janet, calling themselves 'Ant-Man and the Wasp.'"
"They shrunk their bodies to reach the Quantum Realm. Their bodies seem to have accepted changes, maintaining youthful states from WWII until now."
Batman had already closed the computer, sketching his plans on paper with pen.
"Similar abilities to 'Atom.' Project named Goliath—can't rule out 'Ant-Man' Dr. Pym possessing growth abilities."
"The Quantum Realm might contain methods to return to Gotham. Google shows Pym owns 'Pym Technologies.' I can attempt collaboration after Parker Industries develops."
"But just in case, I need methods to restrain Ant-Man after shrinking or growing, and need to prevent Ant-Man from appearing anywhere in the world riding electrons like Atom."
"Oracle, establish 'Project David.'"
In the Bible, giant Goliath was once defeated by a shepherd boy named "David."
Batman didn't directly view Dr. Pym as a threat, but he'd seen too many "superheroes" willingly degrade themselves after suffering certain blows. Batman needed to have response plans in advance.