Chapter 145: This World is One Giant Hydra
Batman would never rashly infiltrate that Wyoming base based purely on speculation, without any reconnaissance whatsoever.
He didn't even directly question Doctor Banner about information regarding that location. Instead, wearing his Arkham armor as usual, he traveled to the North Brother Island laboratory.
"Doctor Banner, how is Professor Connors progressing with emotional control techniques?"
Inside the North Brother Island laboratory, Professor Connors and Doctor Octavius were refining their collaborative prosthetic limb designs. Batman called Banner aside while the doctor idly sipped coffee.
"Pretty well, actually," Banner smiled. "Like a patient actively cooperating with medical treatment, Professor Connors is becoming increasingly skilled at emotional regulation. Perhaps in a while we can attempt emotional management practice post-transformation."
"Peter already contacted me," Batman continued maintaining cover for his alternate identity. "Wait until the armor I'm designing for Doctor Octavius is ready before proceeding to the next phase."
Banner didn't object. During his time as a fugitive, once people discovered he could transform into the Hulk, even those with good relationships would flee in terror.
That Octavius had persevered this long sharing a laboratory with two monsters—himself excluded—was already remarkable.
"I suspect calling me aside means you want to discuss more than just that?" Banner was intelligent. Even unable to see Batman's facial expressions, he could read between the lines.
"Correct," Batman didn't deny it. "Doctor, I want to know what happened before you boarded that helicopter and arrived at Oscorp Tower, when General Ross imposed military oversight on Oscorp."
Banner looked at Batman with surprise.
"That's a long story. Where would you like me to start?"
"From when Black Widow and Hawkeye extracted you from Dharavi in Mumbai, India," Batman said.
Banner's surprise deepened. He'd never mentioned this to Batman before.
"How did you know that?"
"Because I'm Batman."
Banner remained silent momentarily, then chose not to continue concealing information. He explained everything—being captured in Dharavi by Black Widow and Hawkeye, imprisonment in the Cube, including having his blood drawn.
"Hawkeye and Black Widow received code designation on the return flight meaning the Cube prison?" Batman immediately recalled clues he'd compiled while searching for Norman Osborn.
"Doctor Banner, your blood could very likely be utilized by either Hydra or SHIELD. Have you considered that possibility?" Batman asked.
Batman was asking despite already knowing the answer. He needed to confirm Banner had implemented preventative measures.
During previous visits to North Brother Island, Batman had secretly collected small tissue samples from Professor Connors on multiple occasions. He'd similarly collected cellular material from Doctor Banner.
Batman had long since discovered Banner's cells lost viability after leaving his body. He needed to determine whether Banner had deliberately caused this, or whether some other physiological condition was responsible.
Banner's face maintained its gentle smile. Compared to the enraged Hulk, Doctor Banner's temperament was remarkably mild.
"I considered that possibility long ago. However, any cellular tissue separated from my body rapidly loses gamma radiation exposure."
"That's also the key reason I'm not worried about staying on this island—that you might secretly research me."
"If you wanted to forcibly study me..."
Banner pointed at his own heart. The implication was clear—the Hulk would intervene.
He also didn't mention requiring daily inhibitor injections to maintain this effect. But on this island, nothing escaped Batman's observation.
Batman had discovered Banner preparing and self-administering medication the second day after his arrival, but had never revealed this knowledge.
"Doctor Banner, I need to know everything you saw and heard during your time in the Cube prison," Batman said, moving past questions about Banner's condition.
"There's nothing to tell," Banner said regretfully. "I entered unconscious and departed unconscious. Beyond a brief conversation with someone calling himself 'Hawkeye,' nothing happened."
Batman's mind raced. From Banner's seemingly uninformative responses, he found threads connecting everything together.
"According to what you said earlier, Hawkeye received SHIELD instructions and traveled with Black Widow to Dharavi to apprehend you. The reasoning was that the Tesseract emits gamma radiation, and you're an expert in that field."
"I hacked that aircraft. Hawkeye received coded information with the designation 'Cube prison.' Hawkeye told you privately in your cell that this information didn't originate from SHIELD, but from the higher-level World Security Council."
Banner watched Batman. His expertise was science, not investigation. He couldn't help frowning.
"So what have you discovered?"
"I've discovered quite a lot." Batman turned and departed without elaboration, vanishing from North Brother Island in the blink of an eye.
Banner stood scratching his head, unsatisfied curiosity making him uncomfortable as if he'd swallowed a fly.
"What exactly did he discover?"
Inside the Manhattan Batcave, Batman retrieved all the various clues he'd compiled while pursuing Mister Negative.
"Eddie Brock was fired from the Daily Bugle because the World Security Council made a phone call."
"Hawkeye and Black Widow received Council code designation that changed their flight plan, transporting the Hulk to the Cube prison."
"General Ross was completely exposed because of the Oscorp incident. As the operation's mastermind, he faced military tribunal, but was subsequently released by a mysterious organization."
"Audio analysis from Ravencroft Institute revealed General Ross was backed by Hydra."
"Previously unclear who ordered Doctor Banner transported directly from the Cube prison to Oscorp Tower, but now confirmed as the Council—meaning Hydra."
"And now, Hydra has stolen Tesseract data from inside SHIELD and transmitted it to the Cube prison."
"From the very beginning, when I investigated weapons from Stark Industries leaking through SHIELD's internal channels, I traced those weapons to a SHIELD handler—a senior Level Eight agent named Garrett who's similarly backed by the tightly structured, deeply concealed Hydra organization."
All the threads connected. Batman had moved one step closer to locating Norman Osborn. But simultaneously, a far more massive organization had revealed itself before him.
"This world is one giant Hydra."