192. New Clues.

192. New Clues.

"So, you've already dealt with Osborn and his criminal alliance?"

"They're taken care of, more or less. I left behind some things that will divert the attention of Red Skull and his crew."

Hearing this, old Barton narrowed his eyes slightly, seriously scrutinizing the man in front of him for the first time.

With over a decade of experience as a hero, old Barton prided himself on his ability to judge people. However, when he focused on Alex, he was surprised to find that he couldn't see through this young man at all.

Alex seemed to possess an extraordinary amount of experience and focus—traits not usually found in greenhorn heroes who haven't yet faced the harsh realities of life. He also knew how to keep a low profile, silently taking out several villains without alerting Red Skull—a feat that wasn't easy.

The most crucial aspect was that Alex always seemed to know exactly what he wanted. Although Hawkeye couldn't yet determine Alex's true intentions, he was sure that Alex had a clear goal and a plan that nothing could deter him from. This realization caused a sense of unease to rise within Barton—not because he feared Alex might do something bad, but rather because Alex was too calm, too "unfeeling." This gave Hawkeye an instinctive sense of repulsion.

Hawkeye was all too familiar with people like this. Alex gave him the same feeling he had when dealing with Nick Fury back in the day.

To deal with Doctor Doom's country, Latveria, funding other super-criminals, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury secretly organized a special team of heroes including Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine.

Since S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't interfere with other countries' governments, Fury used lies to deceive these heroes into toppling the Latverian regime. Afterward, he erased the heroes' memories of the operation to cover up his terrifying actions.

Even if Fury had a thousand reasons to justify his actions, in reality, what he did was no different from the super-criminals he fought against.

It was like Ozymandias in 'Watchmen'—sacrificing some to save others. Such actions weren't about right or wrong, but they couldn't be considered the actions of a true "hero."

Staring at Alex for a long time, old Barton finally pushed aside the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind. The world was already bad enough. If he was powerless to change it, he had no right to stand on some moral high ground and judge Alex. Perhaps this world needed someone like Alex to rebuild it.

"So, Nefaria—did you handle that situation too? I guess I don't need to ask; if you took care of Osborn's criminal alliance, then those mobsters were probably nothing to you either."

Or perhaps, this Batman had already died, and someone else had taken up his gear.

"In the Wasteland era, information is scarce and unreliable. Most of it is just hearsay, so I can't say for sure. But what I do know is that over the years, many people have claimed to be 'heroes,' and they have their own sanctuaries."

"Are you talking about the Avengers?" Alex guessed.

Hearing this, old Hawkeye fell silent, smiling as he gazed at Alex.

"Don't look at me like that. If I managed to find you, it means I have my own intelligence network. So, of course, I know there are still remnants of the Avengers on this wasteland."

At this point, Alex glanced at Barton. "I'm more curious—since you know about them, why haven't you sought them out?"

"No need. I'm an old remnant of the past. Baron Zemo knows of my existence. He left me alive on purpose back then. All these years, I've been under Zemo's surveillance. He just wants to see me fail. If I break free from his control and join the Avengers, it'll only cause trouble for those young people.

This world needs those kinds of young people. If we want to change everything that's happened here, we need to give them enough time to grow. As for an old guy like me, the only thing I can do is draw some unnecessary attention away from them or take out a few enemies if possible."

"You've really thought this through."

Alex shook his head with a smile.

"But you do have a point. If the owner of this batarang is still alive, they must have hidden very well all these years. If they've joined an organization, that possibility makes a lot of sense."

........

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon

For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

193. About Moonstone.

194. Don't Bother.

195. The Death of Moonstone.

196. Red Skull.

197. Heroes from Another Universe.