In the Adirondack Mountains lies S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S." base, whose main research project is the Tesseract.
The Tesseract emits Gamma radiation. S.H.I.E.L.D. once used this as a reason to attempt to take Dr. Banner away. However, on the return journey, he was intercepted by Hydra agents hiding within the World Security Council and transferred directly to the Cube.
The Cube was highly suspected by Batman to be a Hydra base. When Batman infiltrated the Adirondack base, he had encountered Hydra secretly stealing data on the Tesseract and sending it to the Cube via human couriers.
At this moment, Batman discovered a self-contradictory problem:
According to Batman's previous deductions, the Adirondacks was a S.H.I.E.L.D. base, and the Cube was Hydra territory.
Whether looking at the Tesseract data or Dr. Banner's transport from the Cube to Oscorp Tower, this deduction was quite solid, almost unshakable.
On the other hand, the files Batman investigated regarding Samuel Sterns showed that his last stint of work before becoming The Leader involved the Adirondack Mountains.
Samuel was mutated into The Leader by Gamma radiation at the Adirondack base and taken away by General Ross.
Analyzing from this intelligence, it is more likely that the Adirondack base is a Hydra base.
"If the Adirondack base is actually Hydra's territory... stealing the Tesseract data was completely redundant."
Batman fell into deep thought:
"Either Hydra is split into several factions internally, or there is another possibility... S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Batman slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had placed himself in the shoes of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury.
"If I were Nick Fury..."
"If I were Batman..."
In unknown waters, inside the Helicarrier's combat command center.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury rested his elbows on the table, fingers unconsciously rubbing his beard, his single eye slightly narrowed. He was obviously pondering a question with no easy answer.
According to intelligence sent back by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the Gamma Base in New Mexico had been destroyed.
The entire base, from the underground Gamma instruments to the main surface structures, was in ruins. Aside from a considerable weight of scrap metal that could be sold for a price, there was no longer any technical value left there.
"Norman Osborn is missing, General Ross is missing. They were clearly taken by Batman and imprisoned somewhere."
"If I were Batman, what was my purpose in going to such lengths to travel from New York to New Mexico? Was I targeting Ross or Norman?"
"What benefit does destroying General Ross's Gamma experiments bring me?"
Nick Fury's brows were tightly knit.
He had been thinking about this question for a long time, but from a perspective of self-interest, Batman had no reason to go to New Mexico.
"If looking at it from a non-profit perspective... Agent Hill!"
Nick Fury shouted toward the outside of the command center.
Agent Hill, who was guarding outside, walked in quickly, looking at Nick Fury's furrowed brows:
"What is it?"
"Get me the President," Nick Fury said.
He thought of the conversation he had when he met Batman in the safe house in New York.
Despite the figure known as "Batman" having only appeared in New York for a little over a month, the other party had been tracking Hydra's trail.
Since World War II, Hydra had vanished for a long time. Most ordinary people in the world believed that this evil organization had long collapsed with the end of the war.
Existing Hydra activities were extremely covert, which was why Nick Fury had long discovered that Garrett, a Level 8 agent, was Hydra, but delayed removing him, using him as a pawn instead.
Under this tragic backdrop, aside from the reason that Batman had a long-standing grudge against Hydra and only recently became active again, Nick Fury couldn't think of any other explanation.
For a split second, Nick Fury even suspected that the missing Captain America, Steve Rogers, had returned, simply changing his outfit to continue his unfinished mission.
But that was obviously unrealistic.
"Mr. President."
One minute later, the secure line connected, and Nick Fury spoke.
On the other end of the line was the current President of the United States:
"Director Fury."
"Mr. President, as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., subordinate to the World Security Council and dedicated to dealing with global strategic threats, I need to confirm something with you." Nick Fury spoke directly. "What is your relationship with Batman?"
The President was clearly stunned; he didn't understand what Nick Fury was talking about at all:
"What?"
Nick Fury wasn't too polite with the President, his tone extremely stiff:
"Batman. Someone with network technology surpassing ninety-nine percent of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, combat strength comparable to the criminals detained in Codename D-4 (The Cube), and possessing unknown limits of funding and technology..."
"I suspect he is a super-agent secretly cultivated by the United States. If this is true, you are suspected of violating the World Security Council's treaty."
The President's voice pitch rose significantly:
"What?! Are you joking?"
Nick Fury couldn't help but scratch his graying temples, feeling a wave of irritation from the bottom of his heart:
"Apologies, Mr. President."
After speaking, he didn't bother listening to the President's nonsense anymore and hung up the secure line with a click.
Agent Coulson spent a whole month in New York without finding Batman. Black Widow Natasha had just joined Stark Industries and hadn't made progress yet. The Gamma Base in New Mexico was wiped out.
Further back, the Adirondack base was infiltrated by Batman, who tampered with the Tesseract data. Until Batman's real information was found and his true objectives known, Nick Fury couldn't relax mentally.
"Natasha... sigh, if Hawkeye were here, his coordination with Natasha would definitely uncover Batman's true face. It's a pity."
Nick Fury sighed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes to meditate.
"What if, conversely, the Adirondack base is Hydra territory, and the Cube is a S.H.I.E.L.D. location that hasn't been infiltrated?"
Batman was also pondering the problem at this time:
"Temporarily setting aside why the Adirondack base—despite possessing the Tesseract, a unique supernatural object in the world—became Hydra territory, and only considering the possibilities under this hypothesis."
"If I were Nick Fury, I would arrange for an undercover agent to infiltrate Hydra to gain trust and wait for an opportunity to steal the Tesseract data from Hydra's hands."
"As for choosing another Hydra agent to physically transport the data..."
"Is it because there are so few people within S.H.I.E.L.D. who can be trusted that actively choosing a real Hydra member, telling him 'The Cube is our territory,' and tricking him into going there is the safest transport method?"
"Once the Hydra agent responsible for transport arrives at the Cube, the people there would immediately arrest and detain this Hydra member, and take the Tesseract data from him."
"This way, the reasons why Samuel mutated at the Adirondack base and why he was taken away by General Ross would hold water."
Batman's eyes flickered. He only needed to confirm that the specific Hydra agent used to transport the data was indeed imprisoned in the Cube to verify this deduction.