Chapter 189: We've Been Played
"The intel about New Mexico's gamma bomb research facility being reactivated came from SHIELD Director Nick Fury."
In the wide, shadowed room, Batman clung to the wall corner roughly seven feet above the floor, silently observing several passing Hydra soldiers.
Batman had successfully infiltrated the gamma bomb research facility's interior. Thanks to the spider-robots, virtually all personnel movements throughout the facility remained under his surveillance.
But he'd encountered a problem: Norman Osborn was nowhere to be found.
Batman's current suit lacked night vision capabilities, rendering him nearly invisible within the pitch-black corner.
He rapidly reviewed the facility's complete layout in his mind, searching for hidden passages or mechanisms he might have missed.
His structural intelligence came from three years ago—before Doctor Banner transformed into the Hulk—from the gamma facility's original construction records.
Norman's absence meant either the facility had underground sections, or Nick Fury had deceived him.
The latter possibility seemed extremely unlikely.
The same night Batman received intelligence from Fury about Norman's location, he'd hacked SHIELD systems, reviewing nearly a month's worth of personnel assignments and mission logs.
If Norman Osborn's disappearance connected to Nick Fury, Batman would have discovered evidence.
Of course, worst-case scenario: the SHIELD Director himself was Hydra. He'd collaborated with General Ross to transfer Norman without utilizing any SHIELD channels whatsoever.
"The entire facility feels unnaturally normal. Appears genuinely focused on gamma bomb research, like a meticulously rehearsed stage production."
Batman reviewed everything he'd witnessed during infiltration:
"But there are far too many soldiers. I've barely seen any scientists. That's obviously irregular."
"The old structural data reveals no hidden construction. I need current intelligence."
Batman's gaze settled on the Hydra soldiers before him.
They faced away from Batman, letting him clearly see the skull and six tentacles emblazoned across their backs.
They comprised an internal patrol unit. Sixty similar squads circulated throughout the facility endlessly, passing through room after room and corridor after corridor.
Subduing a Hydra patrol wasn't difficult. But extracting facility intelligence through silent interrogation required finesse.
Under different circumstances, Batman would employ fear tactics. But now he'd chosen a more direct approach.
The thought occupied barely an instant. The patrol team's inspection remained incomplete when a Hydra soldier swept his gaze across Batman's corner and prepared to move toward the next position.
But the moment he turned away, something felt wrong:
"Did I just see something clinging to the wall? No—I've patrolled this room with the squad leader multiple times. There's nothing on that wall!"
Dread spiked through him. He slowly, incrementally turned his head back.
Through peripheral vision, he glimpsed an enormous black shape crouched in the corner.
That instant, the Hydra soldier recalled a specific memory.
Before joining Hydra, back home in Australia one night: a massive spider had clung motionless to his bedroom wall. The moment he'd approached, it had leaped onto his face.
"What am I thinking? This isn't Australia. The facility doesn't have—"
The soldier forced a relaxed laugh, turning completely to face the wall corner.
Now he saw clearly. What clung there wasn't a spider but something much larger—a bat with spread wings.
WHOOSH!
Before the breath in his lungs could vibrate his vocal cords, the soldier watched the enormous bat launch toward him. His vision went black. Unconsciousness claimed him.
The sound immediately drew the remaining five Hydra soldiers' attention. They simultaneously turned toward the corner but similarly couldn't process what was happening before Batman rendered them unconscious in rapid succession.
"Dad, interrogation time again?" Venom whispered inside Batman's body.
"You're handling this one, Robin."
Batman fired black webbing, binding all five soldiers and adhering them to the ceiling. He pointed at the first unconscious Hydra operative:
"Bond with him, Robin. Then read his memories."
"Huh?" Venom hesitated, momentarily confused.
Bonded to Batman, Venom had grown so accustomed to blocked memory access it had nearly forgotten that capability.
But understanding quickly dawned. Somewhat reluctantly, Venom separated from Batman's body, squirming across the floor to penetrate the unconscious soldier.
The Hydra operative's body rapidly twisted and swelled, growing from five-foot-seven to over ten feet tall with massively developed musculature. A white bat emblem marked his chest.
Venom apparently wanted minimal contact with the soldier's body. After several seconds of unobstructed memory extraction, it departed with obvious disgust, lunging back into Batman.
"Ugh~" Venom expressed revulsion using mannerisms learned from cartoons.
The brief Venom possession roused the soldier from unconsciousness. He struggled to rise—then saw the dark figure standing before him.
Memory of his last conscious moments flooded back. He opened his mouth to scream. Batman's webbing sealed his lips. A single punch returned him to darkness.
"Robin, relay the information you extracted." Batman let the soldier collapse again.
Venom adopted a thoughtful pose. "Got it, Dad!"
The symbiote pointed toward the facility's center-left section:
"There's a mechanism there. But this soldier doesn't know what it is or where it leads."
Batman lifted the unconscious Hydra operative, casually tossing him toward the ceiling and securing him with black webbing.
Staring at Venom's indicated direction, Batman's brow furrowed slightly.
That location corresponded to the largest heat signature zone from the bat-drone thermal scans—the area where spider-robots had detected maximum personnel concentration.
---
"Incidentally, beyond joining Stark Industries, I also need you to establish contact with Hank Pym. Here's his address."
Aboard the Helicarrier, SHIELD Director Nick Fury handed a paper slip to Black Widow Natasha.
Black Widow accepted the note, glanced at it twice, then crumpled it into a ball and placed it in her mouth. After chewing several times, she forcibly swallowed before asking:
"Why? According to my understanding, Doctor Pym has refused SHIELD contact since World War Two. SHIELD adopted a policy of respecting their wishes. Why am I attempting contact now?"
Nick Fury's single eye studied Black Widow for several moments before slowly articulating several words:
"Agent Nineteen informed me... the Tesseract data you extracted is corrupted. We've been played."
Agent 19—also designated "Mockingbird" Barbara Morse—currently assigned to the Cube prison protecting Tesseract research security.