Re: Batman/Maria
The truth was, although he felt he had the measure of her character, Batman just didn't have enough experience with Agent Hill to judge one way or another. Best to err on the side of caution, because even though he believed her to be one of the more reliable people within SHIELD - she was still SHIELD. Hill wasn't a sheep; she would do what she believed was right for her country, but if that meant taking him down, it wouldn't matter how good terms they were on. It was actually a trait he admired, to some extent.
Batman had already programmed a Walmart into the car's computer, and when Maria spoke the store's name, the HUD sprang to life, topography maps narrowing, bullseyes homing in on both their present location and their destination. The engine revved, and he put it into gear just as it sprang forward. He couldn't help grinning - this was his new toy, soon to be refitted with the technology he and Tony had been working on, but Batman did love playing with her.
Switching her into manual, he took control of the wheel and increased the speed, following the directions on the HUD, as well as the indicators telling him where other cars were on the road so that he could best avoid them. The car had no rearview mirror, but a rearview image display occupied the top portion of the screen. The side windows, like the windshield, could not be seen thorough, but instead showed video images of the areas surrounding the car.
"No, it wasn't," he admitted. "But if you've got an alternative, I'm all ears. There aren't many people I allow to go where you're going - I'd like to keep it that way. Put yourself in my position and tell me what you'd do?" he asked. "You have people you're responsible for and so do I."