C 103

At this moment, Coulson's suspicions about Batman's true identity deepened.

Anton?

No.

Anton Jameson was most likely just a smokescreen crafted by Batman. A half-truth, cleverly designed to blur the line between fact and fiction.

Even if Anton were to remove the Batman armor and stand in front of Coulson now, he couldn't help but wonder: 'What if someone else underwent plastic surgery to impersonate Anton and deceive me?'

Otherwise, why would Batman show up and bring Green Arrow along? Was this a show of strength?

After all, when S.H.I.E.L.D. first began suspecting Anton of being Batman, they had combed through his records countless times. 

Before Anton took over the Daily Bugle and directed Batman Begins, his life story had been utterly different from the profile crafted by S.H.I.E.L.D. experts to define Batman. The two were worlds apart.

To S.H.I.E.L.D.'s experts, Anton and Batman couldn't possibly be the same person.

The only reason Anton remained a person of interest was due to the undeniable connections between him and Batman. Without those links, S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't have given him a second thought.

But now, Batman was casually revealing highly classified S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets. And the source of this information? A complete mystery.

Anton didn't seem like someone who could access such sensitive knowledge.

When S.H.I.E.L.D. investigated him, they meticulously unearthed every aspect of his personal and professional life, "digging three feet into the ground," as the saying went. Coulson couldn't fathom how Anton could have acquired such information.

The Daily Bugle?

If the Bugle wielded that kind of influence, it would have long surpassed Stark Industries and Oscorp, and Jonah Jameson wouldn't just be a wealthy businessman—he'd be the world's leading media tycoon.

So, was Anton truly Batman? Or merely a spokesperson for him?

Coulson's expression hardened, his mind swirling with possibilities. For the first time in a long while, he couldn't come to a clear conclusion.

Beside him, Natasha Romanoff—The Black Widow—watched Coulson closely. Seeing the usually unflappable agent so visibly unsettled only heightened her own shock.

Coulson wasn't just any agent. He was the most skilled operative in S.H.I.E.L.D., second only to Director Nick Fury himself. Over years of working together, Coulson had absorbed Fury's strategies, often surpassing his mentor in certain areas.

In fact, Coulson's natural charisma had earned him an excellent reputation among many veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives—something even Fury struggled to achieve.

And yet, here he was, visibly shaken. His loss of composure spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.

"Aliens. Threats from the universe," Natasha murmured internally, feeling a chill run through her.

Could it all be true? Could the Earth really be on the brink of an alien invasion?

Her thoughts drifted to the recently released Cyborg movie from DC. Its story prominently featured alien threats, including the Mother Boxes of Apokolips and one name in particular...

Darkseid.

"Is this the threat they're talking about?" Natasha wondered, struggling to make sense of it.

Despite her racing thoughts, she remained silent, choosing to observe as the two men before her continued their exchange.

"I understand," Coulson finally said, regaining his composure. He knew better than to question Batman's sources. Instead, his tone grew firm. "I respect your decision."

In Coulson's view, Batman had placed himself in an unusual and precarious position—one that inevitably attracted crises. Nick Fury faced a similar reality.

Hearing Coulson's observation, Anton was momentarily surprised.

"I admire you more and more, Coulson," he said with a nod. "Whenever you feel like you've had enough, come find me. My door is always open."

Anton took the opportunity to subtly attempt to poach Coulson.

"And you, Black Widow," he added after a pause, turning his gaze toward Natasha.

Natasha stiffened, her eyes snapping up to meet Batman's masked visage.

In that instant, she was certain he knew her identity.

If her secret was laid bare to Batman, could it also be known to Anton? As memories of her recent interactions with Anton surfaced, she felt an unsettling sense of unease.

Coulson, however, seemed unfazed by Batman's revelation.

Given that Batman was aware of the alien invasion in the 1990s, it was no surprise he would also know about the Black Widow.

Before leaving, Anton glanced at Coulson, adding one final remark.

"Oh, and one more thing—tell Nick Fury that I don't dislike S.H.I.E.L.D., but I think it's time to clean house before inviting guests over."

With that, he opened the door, stepped out into the night, and vanished into the darkness.

Coulson and Natasha exchanged a glance before walking to the door. The yard before them was littered with arrows.

Green Arrow stood with his back to them, following Batman into the night, disappearing from view moments later.

Hawkeye lay on the ground, panting, his face bruised and swollen, an unmistakable look of confusion in his eyes.

Clearly, things had not gone well for him against Arrow.

"Barton," Natasha said, suppressing her complicated emotions. She walked over to help him up, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You look like you've been beaten again."

"He didn't walk away unscathed either," Hawkeye replied, his tone defensive.

Despite his bravado, the truth was hard to ignore. Their sparring match had not ended in a clear victory, but Arrow had undoubtedly held the upper hand.

Even when Batman had emerged from the house, Hawkeye hadn't managed to turn the tide.

Though it had been a friendly sparring session, Hawkeye knew that in a real life-and-death battle, he wouldn't stand a chance against Arrow.

"Damn it!" he muttered, his frustration boiling over.

It was one thing to fall short against Batman—but to lose to Batman's apparent protégé? That was a bitter pill to swallow.

'When I get back, I'm ramping up my training', Hawkeye vowed silently. 'Next time I face them, they'll think twice about underestimating me.'

Meanwhile, Coulson stood on the porch, his expression unreadable. He was still processing Batman's parting words.

Clean house before inviting guests…

Coulson's face darkened as the implications sank in.

An insider?

Could S.H.I.E.L.D. really have a mole?

There was no doubt in Coulson's mind—this was the hidden meaning behind Batman's cryptic comment.

The conclusion was both staggering and terrifying.

Only a handful of individuals within S.H.I.E.L.D. knew about the alien invasion in the 1990s, all of them occupying high-ranking positions. If one of them were compromised, it would spell disaster.

Batman's words carried too much weight to dismiss as a bluff.

'Too frightening', Coulson thought, his mind racing. The potential consequences of such a revelation were unthinkable.

He resolved to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington immediately. A long conversation with Director Nick Fury was inevitable.

….

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