Everything Must Be Under Control, Spider-Man Appeared

Over the course of a month, Loren had built himself a Tifa robot butler.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had not been idle either. After a month of hard work, they had finally found a clue about Loren by comparing footage of 2B.

Inside S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret base, Nick Fury studied the intelligence Coulson had obtained after a month of effort, his expression grave.

"So, the man in the Bat Armor causing trouble everywhere is very likely the Morgan Family's young master—Loren Morgan?"

"Yes. Based on the intelligence we gathered, Loren Morgan is the prime suspect, with more than an 80 percent chance. But if we want to confirm it completely, someone will have to infiltrate his manor and conduct a thorough investigation," Coulson said with a nod.

"Infiltrate Morgan Manor? Coulson, you really dare to say it. Do you know what the Morgan Family represents? They're the largest financial dynasty in this country. Even the man sitting in the White House has to act according to their wishes. And now you're talking about infiltrating the Morgan Family? How is that any different from courting death?"

Before Nick Fury could say anything, Barton, Hawkeye, who had just recovered from his injuries, could not help but complain upon hearing Coulson suggest infiltrating Morgan Manor.

"Of course I know how powerful the Morgan Family is. But all the clues point to Loren now. If we want to know the truth, a deeper investigation is necessary—unless we willingly give up on the truth and stop investigating..."

"No, we cannot give up. That Batman is lawless and poses a major threat to us. I will never allow him to develop freely. Even if he is Loren Morgan, he still needs to be properly monitored." Nick Fury's face darkened, cold light flashing in his eyes.

As director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the creed he had always upheld was that every threat had to be monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Anything that threatened the safety of this planet, whether a person or an action, was unacceptable.

Once discovered, he had to take appropriate action—either destroy it on the spot or bring it under control.

Therefore, let alone Loren Morgan being an Earthling, even if he were an extraterrestrial life-form, Nick Fury would never show him special treatment.

After saying that, he turned his gaze toward Natasha. "Natasha, it's been a month. How is the situation with Hulk?"

Natasha's expression did not look very good. "Things had been going smoothly. I had already made contact with Dr. Banner, but then a group of special operations personnel suddenly showed up and enraged Dr. Banner. He transformed into Hulk, killed everyone, and then disappeared."

Upon hearing this, Nick Fury could not help but curse. "Motherfucker! That damned old bastard Ross! I told him countless times that S.H.I.E.L.D. should handle Banner's capture, but he refused to listen. Now it's become this mess. Let's see what he does now."

"Sir, General Ross has always been the one pursuing Hulk. The grudge between them runs too deep. Getting him to give up is practically impossible."

"That damned old bastard Ross is as stubborn as a mule. But we're not helpless either. You will continue handling Hulk's capture. I'll notify you the moment there's news. Before that, go to Morgan Manor and gather some information. Try not to be discovered. I only need you to confirm whether that silver-haired woman is inside the manor."

"Understood. I'll move out immediately." Natasha did not hesitate in the slightest upon receiving Nick Fury's order. She nodded and went off to prepare.

Seeing that Nick Fury was actually sending Natasha deep into Morgan Manor, his old friend Barton was filled with concern.

"Sir, Natasha has already shown her face to Batman. Sending her to Morgan Manor now is too dangerous."

"It is indeed dangerous, which is why I need you to protect her in secret. But remember, do not let Natasha find out."

"Sir, what are you planning?"

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. Natasha is the cicada, and you are the oriole!"

"Sir, you mean Natasha is the bait?!"

"Yes. If Batman truly is Loren Morgan, then Natasha will never make it into Morgan Manor. By my estimation, she will be discovered before she even infiltrates the estate. When that happens, someone inside will naturally come out, and that will be when you gather intelligence."

"Sir, that will put Natasha in even greater danger."

"Every mission carries risks. Do I really need to tell you that?"

"I understand." Barton silently nodded and said nothing more.

"Don't worry too much. Judging by how Batman dealt with you before, he has not reached the point of mindlessly slaughtering people. I only want to confirm his identity; I have no malicious intentions. Natasha will be fine. Once we confirm that Loren is Batman, I will personally pay him a visit."

"I understand what you mean, sir. I'll get moving." Having understood Nick Fury's intentions, Barton quickly withdrew as well.

In an instant, only Coulson remained in the director's office.

"Sir, are you doing this because you also want to recruit Batman into the Avengers?"

"Coulson, out of everyone here, you understand me best. You guessed correctly. I do want to recruit Batman. Not only Batman, but also the silver-haired woman by his side. They are both assets of this planet. If we can put them to proper use, Earth's safety will have another layer of protection."

"Sir, does extraterrestrial life really exist, like you said?" Coulson looked at Nick Fury with a puzzled expression.

At those words, the image of a woman radiating golden energy all over her body immediately appeared in Nick Fury's mind. He lightly touched the special pager in his pocket, then nodded with certainty.

"The vastness of this universe exceeds anything you or I can imagine. Threats from beyond Earth will arrive one day, and we must prepare as early as possible."

"Understood."

"By the way, what is Tony Stark's attitude?" Nick Fury changed the subject and asked.

"Tony Stark seemed to be the first person to encounter Batman. Then I heard he was thoroughly beaten by him, so he has locked himself in his laboratory doing research lately and refuses to see anyone."

"What, did he shut himself away?"

"Heh, something like that. He has always been proud and arrogant. It is only natural that he cannot accept being defeated in his own field of expertise."

"Then keep a close eye on this matter. Tony Stark is a genius, and the technology in his hands is extremely useful to us. Make sure to recruit him."

"Mm, I'll keep watch. Oh, and we have also identified that Spider-Man who has appeared on the streets of New York lately."

"Who is it?"

"She is a high school student named Gwen Stacy."

"A woman?"