Each with Their Own Agenda

"Besides." Nick Fury slowly sat back down. "I'm Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Bruce Wayne fell silent. He looked at the classified files on the iPad Hill had handed him. After thinking for a moment, Batman finally asked seriously, "What do you need me to do?"

"No, it's not what we need you to do." Hill, dressed in a sharp uniform, finally spoke. "We want to help you—to help you escape the Joker's trap..."

Bruce's expression finally softened. He forced out a gentlemanly smile. "Please, have a seat, madam."

Black Widow and Nick Fury's faces twitched slightly.

Hill smiled at her colleague and boss, then gracefully sat down. "Mr. Wayne, you must know that the Joker is using such terrifying methods to force you to reveal yourself because he wants to undermine the public's faith in courage and justice. Whether it's Iron Man or you—yes, we knew from the beginning that you were Batman—we never intended to monitor or control you. We wanted to protect you and Tony Stark, and keep your achievements and hard work from being exploited or destroyed by certain people. That's why we had Agent Natasha go undercover by your side..." Hill explained.

Bruce Wayne neither agreed nor disagreed, merely motioning for her to continue. Hill sighed. "You and Stark could both be called icons of this new century, just like Captain America before you..."

Hill's words promptly softened Bruce's expression again. He also looked at Black Widow with less hostility and loathing...

"I know, you may think you're just a guide," Hill continued, seeing his reaction. "Guiding the public to do good, to pursue kindness, and to stay away from evil. But, Bruce..."

The beautiful agent's expression turned serious. "Ever since you, Stark, or even Captain America appeared in public, you've been more than just volunteers or symbols. You represent all that is positive and uplifting, the spirit of justice that fights against evil. That's why the public likes you and believes in you!"

Bruce fell silent.

Nick Fury added, "That's right. Although neither the government nor we want you to exist, we can't deny that you do have a positive side. You're powerful, brilliant, and strong-willed. You can be valuable allies to the government or to us in certain situations, so..."

"So you monitor and control me?" Clearly, the matter of Black Widow still rankled with the Dark Knight.

"That depends on how you define the word 'monitor,'" the agent chief said slyly. "We call it protection! Protecting the personal and property safety of geniuses and major investors like you and Stark..."

Bruce snorted.

Natasha couldn't help saying, "Bruce, I admit I deceived you, but I did it with good intentions... The Joker is using these methods to strike at you and force you to come out and surrender because he knows that if superheroes like you or Stark were to fall, the blow to the public would be far greater, throwing society into turmoil and chaos. And that's exactly what people like them want!"

"And S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to protect superheroes like you and Stark from harassment and threats unrelated to combat..." Nick Fury pressed on. "The Joker is a master of criminal psychology, which is why we came here specially! We're here both to deal with this incident and to tell you, Bruce Wayne, that we are not your enemies!"

"..." Even the Dark Knight was swayed by their successive flattery, facts, and reasoned arguments. After a while, he finally asked for the third time, weary, "What do you want me to do?"

Fury, Hill, and Black Widow all smiled.

...Far away, a figure in the shadows curled his lips into a faint smile.

"Interesting."

"Master, aren't we going to Wayne Manor?" an electronic voice asked.

Walking down the deserted street, Aeo smiled faintly. "There's no need. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. has gotten involved, the Joker will surely be caught in the end..."

That's right, the one who had eavesdropped on Fury and Bruce's conversation earlier was Aeo. After ten years of absorbing radiation, Aeo was no longer the child he had once been. His enhanced Super-hearing allowed him to ignore distances of several thousand meters and hear whatever he wanted without alerting anyone.

"I didn't expect S.H.I.E.L.D. to get in touch with Bruce Wayne so quickly." Aeo scratched his chin. "As expected, in a developing world, pulling one thread affects the whole web. There's no such thing as going it alone. Either you get absorbed, or... you obediently play nice!"

Thinking about how even the originally rebellious Iron Man had eventually been trained into complete obedience by these agents; how the violent, savage Hulk had fallen under Black Widow's spell; and how Captain America had returned to action while Thor became a hired bruiser, Aeo wanted to laugh.

Everyone had unknowingly fallen into the palm of S.H.I.E.L.D., led by Nick Fury. And S.H.I.E.L.D. itself was subject to the World Security Council's authority. In other words, the superheroes had ultimately become the best and most powerful group of hired muscle on Earth! What clever scheming by these agents and politicians.

(In Avengers 2, they completely used Georgia as a battlefield, disregarding the fact that it was a sovereign nation...)

Thinking of certain things from his previous life and the secrets he had heard with his own ears this time, Aeo's resolve hardened: cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D. was fine, but joining? No thanks. He didn't want to be sold off and still help the seller count the money!

Besides, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were far too deeply intertwined now. Before Captain America disbanded S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra had corrupted it so thoroughly that although the organization looked respectable on the outside, it was rotten to its roots inside! Even its director was one of Hydra's people. That showed just how much of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strength was an illusion!

"If S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to save the Dark Knight, then we'll let them. Efi, monitor Director Fury and Bruce Wayne's every move, without alerting them!"

"Yes, Master!"

"Also, do we have any news on the Joker's whereabouts?" Aeo frowned.

"I'm sorry, Master." Eiffel sounded apologetic. "The man seems extremely cautious. He rarely appears within range of street cameras, and he hardly ever uses smart devices like cell phones. Even when he does, he discards them immediately, so it's difficult to pinpoint his exact location..."

"Hmm, the Joker really is a sly, calculating fellow..." Aeo nodded. He didn't pursue the matter, instead changing his approach. "Then change the target, Efi. Monitor Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes's movements!"

"?"

"One of them is the shining star and crime-fighting nemesis of Gotham City; the other is the woman both Batman and the prosecutor love. The Joker won't pass up the chance to use them to strike at Batman, so follow them and we'll find the Joker!"

"...Understood, Master!"

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