Batman told Norman Osborn the truth, but he concealed the fact that Norman had killed seven or eight scientists and the Spencer family.
He also withheld any information regarding the Gamma Base in New Mexico, glossing over it as merely "an experimental accident."
In the few seconds after Norman Osborn awoke, Batman had already observed his every move through surveillance and determined that Norman appeared to have lost his memories of the recent past.
"However, I cannot rule out that the Green Goblin personality is still in control and this is all an act."
Batman watched Norman Osborn's worried expression without betraying any emotion, then spoke:
"You are correct. Harry and the other three also carry Gamma radiation."
"If I go out like this, I'll hurt other people... that's what you said. You aren't lying to me, right?" Norman Osborn sighed and asked.
"My dad can't be bothered to lie to you," Venom Robin mumbled a reply for Batman, his mouth stuffed with chocolate.
Norman Osborn didn't have time to be shocked that Venom Robin could speak. He hurriedly asked Robin, "Then do you know what I should do?"
Venom Robin pointed at Batman. "Ask him."
Norman Osborn turned his gaze back to Batman.
"I need to keep you under observation for a period of time until I can confirm that both your physiology and psychology have returned to normal," Batman said.
"And if I refuse?" Norman Osborn asked tentatively.
The moment the question left his lips, Norman Osborn regretted it.
He saw that while Batman hadn't moved, he seemed to blend even further into the shadows of the Batcave, ready to strike at any moment.
He saw that Venom Robin was no longer gobbling down chocolate; instead, he had jumped to the ground and was limbering up, the pitch-black symbiote writhing endlessly across his body, looking both eerie and grotesque.
It was obvious that if Norman Osborn insisted on leaving, he wouldn't be met with Batman simply letting him go, but rather with physical measures to keep him there.
"I can stay, but can you tell me... where is this?" Norman Osborn swallowed hard.
"The Batcave," Batman replied.
That wasn't the answer Norman Osborn wanted, but Batman clearly had no intention of explaining exactly where the Batcave was located.
"When will Harry wake up?" Norman Osborn clearly still had many concerns. "And my Oscorp Industries..."
Batman continued to answer truthfully:
"Peter Parker is helping you manage Oscorp Industries. As for Harry Osborn... the sedative I administered shouldn't have been this potent. He has been asleep longer than I anticipated, but his vital signs remain stable."
Unlike The Leader, Ross, and Blonsky, who were being kept in a comatose state by Batman using Gamma inhibitors, Harry Osborn should theoretically have woken up by now, yet he remained unconscious.
"Peter? He's helping me manage Oscorp?" Norman Osborn was startled by these words.
In his impression, Peter Parker was still just Harry's friend. While his grades and intelligence were undeniable, letting a poor kid from Queens manage the massive Oscorp Industries...
Norman Osborn gave a bitter laugh. He had already prepared himself to take over an Oscorp that would be in shambles once he recovered.
"What about Professor Connors?" Norman Osborn asked. "Can you help me contact him and ask him to preside over the situation for the time being?"
In Norman Osborn's memory, Professor Connors was the only scientist-director at Oscorp, other than himself, who held enough sway.
If Professor Connors was willing to step in, stabilizing the situation at Oscorp shouldn't be a problem.
"Once you recover, you can try contacting him yourself," Batman said.
Batman certainly wasn't going to mention that Professor Connors was on North Brother Island and had long since left Oscorp.
Bringing that up would inevitably drag in the chaos of General Ross's military takeover of Oscorp and the series of accidents that befell Professor Warren and the others.
Norman Osborn sighed.
"It seems I have no choice but to cooperate with you now."
"What do you intend to do?"
On the helipad atop the Oscorp Tower, a helicopter slowly touched down.
Hawkeye, Clint Barton, jumped out of the cockpit carrying a backpack and stood at the edge of the helipad, overlooking New York City.
"If I hadn't remained conscious the whole time, I'd think I was missing a chunk of my memory," Hawkeye muttered self-mockingly. He set his backpack on the ground and began loading arrowheads into his quiver.
The only equipment left for him on the helicopter was his longbow, arrowheads, and a quiver—no arrow shafts. But that didn't stump him.
He dismantled whatever he could from the helicopter cabin, selecting items that could serve as shafts to combine with the arrowheads.
In three or four minutes, Hawkeye had crafted four arrows.
He placed three into his quiver and pinched the nock of the fourth between two fingers. He drew the bow and aimed at a relatively shorter building not far from the Oscorp Tower.
Thwip!
The arrow tore through the air, trailing a long, thin cable connected to its tail. The line spanned the gap between the edge of the Oscorp Tower's roof and the shorter building in the distance.
Carrying his backpack in one hand and hooking his longbow over the cable with the other, Hawkeye leaped into the air, sliding rapidly away from the Oscorp Tower.
While still in mid-air, before reaching the lower building, the hand holding the backpack pressed a button.
Buzz!
The helicopter that had transported him from the Cube to the Oscorp Tower erupted with the sound of a series of electrical short circuits.
In just a few seconds, although the helicopter's outer shell remained unchanged, every internal electronic component was rendered completely useless.
"Mission unknown. Target unknown. Location: New York. Duration: Unknown."
Ten minutes later, Hawkeye had changed his appearance. Wearing a long-sleeved hoodie and carrying his backpack, he walked into a coffee shop.
Sitting alone in a corner seat, Hawkeye quietly observed his surroundings and everything happening outside the window.
He didn't know why he had been suddenly released from the Cube, nor did he know why he had been dropped in New York.
"I was framed as Hydra by Natasha. There are two possibilities for my release now:"
"One: Natasha has been confirmed as Hydra, my name has been cleared, and I'm needed in New York to re-arrest her."
"Two: S.H.I.E.L.D. is still unsure if I am Hydra. They dropped me in New York hoping to use my actions to flush out any Hydra hiding in the city."
"Either possibility involves Hydra."
"I need to spend two days gathering information on New York."
As he pondered, the coffee and pizza Hawkeye ordered were brought to the table by a waiter.
Drinking his coffee and eating his pizza, Hawkeye pricked up his ears to listen to the hushed conversations of other diners in the café.
He noticed one word being mentioned frequently: "Batman."
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