Chapter 346: Operation Owl Without the Hawk
Inside the helicarrier's combat operations center, Nick Fury pressed both hands against the control console. He'd removed his eyepatch, exposing the explosive device disguised as a prosthetic eye to the air.
He was asking himself a question.
"Black Widow is in position. Garrett has initiated his operation. Daywalker has arrived in New York... The most critical component of Operation Owl—where is Hawkeye Clint Barton?"
Beep beep beep.
Nick Fury's encrypted communications chimed. Someone outside SHIELD was attempting to contact him.
Director Fury didn't hesitate. He immediately approved the communication request. Then he heard the voice of the man he'd just mentioned—"Daywalker," the vampire hunter, also known as Blade.
"Nick Fury. I need to terminate my pursuit of Batman."
"Reason." Nick Fury's tone was flat.
"He's neither a vampire nor Hydra. I have no reason to continue participating in SHIELD's personal vendetta." Blade's voice was low and measured. "Under necessary circumstances, I might even join forces with Batman against SHIELD."
"Reason?" A trace of anger colored Nick Fury's voice this time.
"Because... Garrett has randomly planted numerous bombs throughout Manhattan. And he's a SHIELD agent." Blade paused. "I suspect you've lost control over your operatives."
"He's Hydra." Nick Fury explained Garrett's behavior with a single sentence. "According to the plan, when Garrett moves, you and Hawkeye should be acting in coordination. But currently Hawkeye's location remains unknown."
"What about those bombs? Regardless of whether Garrett's explosives are meant to draw out Batman, their existence and capacity to destroy half of Manhattan at any moment is a fact." Blade's tone turned hostile.
Nick Fury fell silent for several seconds, then responded.
"I'll send people to handle it."
"There isn't time."
"There is. Because I'll deploy Ant-Man and the Wasp." Nick Fury's voice was certain.
Blade said nothing more. He terminated the encrypted communication with SHIELD.
Nick Fury replaced his eyepatch, gazing at the data and light points displayed on screens throughout the operations center, large and small.
According to his plan, after Garrett arrived in New York he would inevitably clash with Batman. Black Widow and Hawkeye could then exploit their conflict, using their field agent skills to claim the spoils while the two sides fought.
But Hawkeye's absence now forced Nick Fury to alter his plan. He needed to deploy Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Before this operation began, convincing Ant-Man and the Wasp to execute missions had been difficult. But now things were different. Batman's two infiltrations of Pym Technologies Tower had thoroughly antagonized Ant-Man.
At the top floor of Stark Tower.
"What Mark number is this?"
"Six."
"I haven't even seen you wear Mark V yet. You jumped straight to six?"
Tony Stark wore armor visibly heavier and bulkier than previous Mark series suits—clearly purpose-built for combat. This was the Mark VI. He responded to Max Dillon.
"Mark V is portable deployment armor. Its combat capabilities are too weak."
Max Dillon examined Tony Stark's Mark VI armor. This was a suit based on the triangular arc reactor in the chest, with overall chest plating forming an inverted triangle shape. Compared to previous series, it had lost some curves and gained sharper angles.
"That Black Knight planted bombs in New York. We need to work together to find them, then give that guy a solid beating." Tony Stark's voice was resolute. "Batman hasn't made a move yet. We don't have time to wait for him to join the operation."
Max Dillon nodded.
"Those bombs should be radio-frequency remote detonation devices. I can now fully integrate into the electrical grid and move through it—I can locate them quickly."
Tony Stark snapped his fingers.
"Then it's simple. I'll handle signal blocking. You handle bomb location. Once we've found all positions, I'll use unmanned robots to dismantle those bombs simultaneously."
"Three hours? I only need thirty minutes."
Max Dillon smiled. Golden electrical arcs emerged through his dark skin, rapidly transforming him from solid form into complete energy state.
Several minutes later, atop the Empire State Building, Tony Stark landed with a metallic thud on the rooftop's edge. He tilted his head upward slightly, looking at the bat-signal projected from Manhattan Police Headquarters into the clouds.
Before beginning operations, Tony Stark contacted Batman first.
"Peter, the signal's been lit for a while now."
Batman had just finished his current work. Hearing Iron Man Tony Stark's voice through encrypted communications, he laughed once.
"I know."
Something twisted in Tony Stark's chest.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I'm guessing you're on top of the Empire State Building. Correct?" Batman's smile faded, his voice dropping lower.
"Correct."
"Do me a favor, Tony." Batman's tone shifted. "Bring my Batmobile up there. I've made some small modifications to it."
"Oh? Can you tell me about them?" Tony Stark's interest sparked.
"I've converted the Batmobile into a radio signal detector," Batman explained.
Tony Stark rubbed his metal chin thoughtfully.
"I don't think that's necessary. They're just radio-controlled bombs. I can use broadband electromagnetic interference to cover Manhattan and block all radio signals. Electro Max Dillon has already integrated into the power grid—he'll lock onto all bomb positions quickly."
Batman's heart lurched. He immediately warned Tony Stark.
"Don't do that, Tony. I have a complete plan to handle these bombs."
"Even if you block the radio signals, I suspect those bombs have an alternate detonation method. Listen to me—only use radio signal detection to lock positions. Under no circumstances touch those bombs."
Tony Stark scoffed, about to casually terminate his encrypted communication with Batman.
But in that instant, he remembered what had happened at the Baxter Building. Tony Stark pressed for details.
"What's your plan? Using only radio signals to detect bomb positions doesn't seem accurate enough. We'd still need Electro's help with the operation."
"I'm sending you coordinates. Bring the Batmobile to the top of the Empire State Building. Someone will coordinate the subsequent plan with you." Batman paused. "A young man."
"Young man?" Tony Stark was still puzzling over this when Batman terminated the encrypted communication.
Inside the Batcave, Batman removed his Arkham suit. Under Venom Robin's peculiar stare, he changed into the tight-fitting red-and-blue suit covered in spider-web patterns—the Spider-Man suit.
Watching Batman jump lightly in place while wearing the form-fitting suit, Venom Robin thought about the stern old Bat beneath that mask. An intense sense of cognitive dissonance rose from the depths of his mind.
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