Chapter 261: Mystery Person
Beyond General Ross's instance, this represented Batman's first time having installed listening devices and miniature positioning trackers discovered and destroyed same-day.
Batman's first reaction was Helen Cho having problems. He once again recalled this Korean doctor's nearly cradle-to-present résumé plus all family members and friends' personal information. Still discovering zero problems.
Either Helen Cho was hiding extremely deeply—deep enough even Batman couldn't find her flaws. Or another possibility existed:
Someone else had arrived at Metropolitan General Hospital after Batman, visiting Dr. Helen Cho, then discovering Batman's planted listening device and miniature positioner before destroying them.
Regardless which possibility, Batman should rapidly proceed to Metropolitan General Hospital investigating thoroughly.
But Batman didn't. Because that would directly expose him as the listening device planter. If opponents were sufficiently intelligent, they could even launch extremely deep investigations into Peter Parker's identity...
If opponents possessed detective capabilities matching Batman's, they could even—through consecutively unrelated leads—confirm Peter Parker was Batman!
This matter was Batman's specialty. In previous worlds, even possessing super-intelligence, Superman Clark Kent couldn't achieve this... naturally related to Superman rarely specifically employing his super-intelligence.
In this world, Batman had never produced any negative emotions like arrogance from Gotham-brought wisdom and experience.
Every unknown opponent would be seriously handled by Batman. This time was identical.
"I can't directly proceed to Metropolitan General Hospital. But I have another method."
Batman murmured quietly, then flooring the accelerator, piloting the Batmobile rapidly toward the Batcave.
Seven-eight minutes later. Inside the Batcave, Batman had already changed into one completely new suit, standing before several massive screens with hands hanging.
His combat suit wasn't new style—still Arkham suit—simply the previously-worn set requiring replacement due to combat wear and other reasons.
Identically-styled Arkham suits numbered thirty more inside the Batcave, stored at different locations in different-sized boxes—not placed together with display area sets.
Currently Batcave screens displayed all Metropolitan General Hospital surveillance footage.
When necessary, Batman would completely commandeer Metropolitan General Hospital's surveillance. Obviously this moment had arrived.
Surveillance displayed footage during Batman's Metropolitan General Hospital period, plus post-departure periods when Helen Cho's listening and positioning devices failed—looping playback.
But Batman's figure didn't appear in footage. He'd already modified and overwritten all footage involving him.
But similarly, Batman also hadn't found any potential listening-device-discoverer-and-destroyer's figure in surveillance.
"Beyond me, another person also modified Metropolitan General Hospital's surveillance footage. That person isn't Dr. Cho."
Helen Cho's hospital activity trajectories matched surveillance footage. After corridor farewell with Batman, she'd gotten coffee, then chatted briefly with one patient's family member.
From beginning to end, she'd barely extracted her phone or contacted any information terminals—lacking conditions for modifying surveillance footage.
Similarly, from beginning to end, she'd shown zero behavior discovering listening devices and positioners on herself.
"Is this that Hydra who once stole Tesseract materials at Adirondack Mountains?"
Batman stroked his chin, recalling that mysterious individual he'd uniquely never directly contacted until now.
Previously Batman had considered that person Hydra. But now appeared more like SHIELD's double agent planted in Hydra... if Batman's previous speculation about Adirondack Mountains facility having fallen to Hydra was accurate.
Currently daytime—unsuitable for Batman rashly acting.
He closed ineffective Metropolitan surveillance footage, returning to workbenches continuing previously-unfinished work: writing Alfred AI's underlying code.
---
Near Metropolitan General Hospital. Inside one McDonald's corner.
"Eddie Brock, do you want becoming Daily Bugle's ace reporter again?"
"No. Screw off."
"..."
Wearing baseball cap, nose bridge supporting plain-glass spectacles, dressed in denim jacket—Hawkeye Clint Barton clenched fists. But reconsidering, he released them, reaching into pockets to extract one stack of bills, counting out three and pushing them across the table.
"Thirty dollars. Occupy your one-hour time." Hawkeye said.
"Half hour." Eddie Brock said while voraciously swallowing hamburgers.
"Then half hour." Hawkeye said indifferently. "I want understanding Oscorp Group matters from you."
Hearing this, Eddie Brock finally shifted attention from his meal tray, scrutinizing Hawkeye Clint Barton up-down:
"You know why I'm here?"
Hawkeye nodded slightly, signaling him continuing.
"One week ago, Oscorp's Warren Miles was sent here by Iron Man. I was present."
Eddie Brock ate while speaking:
"One month ago, General Ross occupied Oscorp Group. I wasn't present. But I possessed exclusive news—what I later exposed yet government suppressed."
"Which ones?" Hawkeye asked.
Eddie Brock briefly mentioned the dirt regarding General Ross that Batman had provided, then continued:
"Then guess what I got? I lost my job, lost honor, got evicted by landlords, nearly died confined in police stations..."
"Currently I only have one camera, taking affair-catching photos for others in exchange for money. I..."
Hawkeye immediately interrupted Eddie Brock:
"Stop. Why were you at police stations?"
"Because of FEAST shelter matters." Eddie said.
Hawkeye faintly sensed this small reporter possessed many uncollected leads:
"Tell me what happened there."
FEAST Institute incidents were police homicide cases. Hawkeye—collecting intelligence these past two days—hadn't excessively concerned himself. But obviously this matter possessed hidden circumstances.
"Have you seen alien creatures?" Eddie Brock asked inversely.
Hawkeye carefully considered, seriously stating:
"Yes."
"You're like billions of people in this world—haven't seen alien creatures." Eddie Brock spoke self-servingly. "But I have. It's called Venom."
Hawkeye nodded, encouraging Eddie continuing.
Eddie Brock's breathing grew heavy. His face appeared somewhat twisted:
"But later it was stolen by Batman. I was also sent to police stations. After getting shot once, another alien creature called Anti-Venom appeared... then was also stolen by Batman."
"Do you want finding Batman?" Hawkeye asked.
"Naturally!" Eddie Brock didn't conceal his hatred. "Find Batman, reclaim Venom, then I'll find the anonymous source who provided Ross's dirt, plus whoever made me lose everything!"
"Like you, I also want finding Batman." Hawkeye smiled. "So I need you repeating everything just mentioned—not missing any details."