After declaring a state of war readiness, Pierce instructed the Avengers to prepare for battle.
He then convened with Hill and Coulson to strategize against Batman.
In the operations briefing room.
The Avengers exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of confusion and unease.
"Do you all really believe Batman is the mastermind?"
Captain America, Steve Rogers, asked, frowning as he scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each of his teammates.
"The evidence is solid," Crossbones responded.
"Both the Director and Sitwell identified Batman as the culprit. Who else would we suspect?"
"But have you considered this: HYDRA has been infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. for so long, and the first person to publicly expose the connection between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA was Batman," Rogers argued.
"If Batman is truly connected to HYDRA, why would he do that? And if he already exposed HYDRA, what benefit does he gain by attacking Fury?"
Last night, Rogers had accessed all the S.H.I.E.L.D. files on Batman, even watching Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
Piecing together Batman history and actions, Rogers found his doubts about the man shifting.
Then there was Alexander Pierce.
The very individual Batman had pointed to as a HYDRA operative from the start now seemed to have completely cleared his name.
Moreover, with Fury in the hospital, Pierce had become the highest authority within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Rumlow countered, "Because Fury had already noticed HYDRA presence before Batman.
Batman saw the situation was about to unravel, so he cried wolf to throw suspicion off himself."
"No, that not it," Black Widow interjected suddenly.
"The first person to warn us of irregularities within S.H.I.E.L.D. was indeed Batman.
Long before the Daily Bugle exposé on HYDRA, Batman had hinted at the situation during his interactions with us."
"Do you really understand our Director, Nick Fury?" Rumlow asked.
"Are you absolutely certain it was Batman warning that made Fury aware of HYDRA, and not that Fury had already started uncovering threads before Batman even showed up?"
This statement made Black Widow brow furrow deeply.
Even Hawkeye couldn't help but show a hint of hesitation.
With Fury enigmatic nature, no one could confidently claim to fully understand him.
Not even Coulson, the person Fury trusted most, would dare make such a claim.
Rogers frowned.
While he didn't entirely agree with Rumlow reasoning, his trust in Pierce and Batman alike was tenuous at best.
From the current situation, it was clear that both sides were throwing accusations at each other.
Though Rogers and the others were technically part of S.H.I.E.L.D., at this moment, they felt more like neutral observers, unable to decisively take a side.
"There one more thing," Rumlow added.
"Have you ever considered that from the very beginning, Batman has been crafting his public image? He made movies, comics, autobiographical novels, and more.
He turned himself into a true celebrity, a symbol of justice. By doing this, he makes himself appear above suspicion, the last person anyone would ever doubt."
"I believe Batman is using all these efforts to disguise his true nature."
Rumlow paused, looking at everyone in the room with a firm expression.
"And now, as a result of this manipulation, you lack suspicion toward Batman while doubting your own people.
This is exactly what Batman has been subtly guiding you to think."
His argument wasn't entirely without merit.
Batman mysterious nature had always been an enigma, and no one could truly see through him.
For a moment, not only Rogers but also those who had interacted with Batman—Tony, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and even Doctor Octopus —found it hard to refute Rumlow words.
"We'll soon receive the order to act," Rogers said after a moment of silence.
"When that happens, do any of you have thoughts on how we should proceed? Where should we start?"
"I've already done some research, and I think I've identified the perfect first target," Rumlow replied.
"Eddie Brock, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. More importantly, his true identity is Venom, an official member of the Justice League.
He was one of the first to join the League and one of Batman earliest allies. If we can capture Venom, we'll likely get a lot of useful information."
"Eddie…"
Tony frowned.
He had a decent relationship with Eddie, and the whole situation seemed fishy to him.
Both Pierce and Batman were slinging accusations, and there were suspicious elements on both sides. Tony found himself unable to trust anyone completely.
Emotionally, he leaned more toward Batman, but strategically, Pierce actions weren't entirely unreasonable.
"Eddie Brock is currently in Washington. This is our best chance," Rumlow said, scanning the room.
"Since we have differing opinions, let vote within the team. Do we proceed with an operation against Eddie Brock?"
With that, he raised his hand. "I'm in favor."
"So am I," Otto said slowly, raising his hand.
Otto had no personal connection to Eddie and saw no reason not to side with S.H.I.E.L.D. under the current circumstances.
"I agree as well," Hawkeye added after a moment of thought.
"Abstain."
Tony face remained calm as he cast his vote.
"Abstain."
Black Widow shook her head.
"Captain, what your opinion?"
Rumlow turned to the last member who hadn't voiced an opinion yet: Captain America, the highest-ranking and most influential figure in the Avengers.
At this point, the votes were split between approval and abstentions. Even if Rogers were to oppose, it wouldn't change the outcome.
Clearly, Rumlow simply wanted to gauge Rogers' stance.
"Proceed with the operation," Rogers said after a moment contemplation. He hesitated no longer.
Given the current situation, they couldn't afford to delay their actions unless more reliable information surfaced. To gain that information, targeting Eddie seemed inevitable.
"Good!"
Rumlow smiled. "There no time to waste. We'll act immediately. Captain, I'll leave the mission under your command. Any objections?"
"No problem," Rogers replied with a nod.
New York.
Midtown High School.
Peter was slumped over his desk, looking utterly bored and distracted.
Anton had said he'd come to pick him up today, but there was still no sign of him. Had he forgotten again?
His mind was racing with thoughts.
"Hey, Peter, what with you today? You look kind of off," his chubby friend Ned asked, casting a curious glance at him.
Ned Leeds.
Ned was Peter Parker close friend, appearing in both The Amazing Spider-Man comics and the MCU Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland.
In the latter, Ned was Peter enthusiastic sidekick, often acting as comic relief.
In the former, however, Ned had a more dramatic arc. Peter Parker once dated Betty Brant of the Daily Bugle, but after their relationship ended, Ned stepped in and eventually married her. Peter even served as their best man at the wedding.
Tragically, in the comics, Ned was brainwashed into believing he was the Hobgoblin—a guise meant to shield the true villain, Roderick Kingsley.
This led to Ned being framed and ultimately assassinated by a hired killer.
However, in this universe, Kingsley trajectory had been disrupted.
With the Green Goblin apprehended early on, Kingsley had lost the opportunity to follow his original villainous path.
He likely remained an unremarkable figure in this reality.
Interestingly, the original second Hobgoblin, Phil Urich from the Daily Bugle, had taken a very different path in this universe.
Instead of becoming a villain, he became the superhero Hobgoblin and even joined the Justice League.
As a result, Ned Leeds naturally avoided his tragic fate.
"It nothing," Peter said with a wave of his hand.
"I just didn't sleep well last night."
"Oh?"
Ned immediately perked up, leaning in excitedly.
"You've been following the news online too, haven't you? Captain America, frozen for seventy years and now back alive—what do you think? It so cool! I never thought Captain America was still out there…"
"Ned!"
Peter groaned, rubbing his temples. "Can you just let me have a moment of peace?"
"Hey!"
Suddenly, their teacher at the front of the class raised their voice. "You two, quiet down! This is class time!"
Bang!
The classroom door was abruptly pushed open.
The principal stood at the doorway, scanning the room until their gaze landed on Peter.
Peter heart started racing, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
Sure enough, the principal spoke up: "Peter, step outside for a moment!"