A Clash of Agencies
The two words, "black woman," carried too much potential for trouble. Steven was in the middle of an upward career trajectory and didn't want to become a target for social justice activists or feminists.
Faced with Amanda Waller's intense glare, he could only sullenly shut his mouth.
His deputy appropriately stepped forward and offered an apology.
"We weren't trying to mock you. The situation in Coast City is unique, and Luke Shaw's situation is even more so. If you intend to move against him here, you need to be prepared for two things: one, a prolonged legal battle, and two, bringing an army."
Amanda's eyebrow twitched. "A local gang boss requires an army?"
The deputy was about to explain when Walker raised his hand.
"For the meteor and Violet Lantern Woman case, I suggest we start with Carol Ferris. As for Luke Shaw, it's best not to touch him unless absolutely necessary."
Amanda's face turned ashen. "I've never known an FBI agent to be a coward."
"Madam, please watch your language."
Steven's expression darkened. "This is the FBI, not A.R.G.U.S."
"Enough!"
Walker slammed his hand on the table, and the air immediately went silent. Steven grumbled and turned his head away.
Walker glared fiercely at his subordinate, then turned to Amanda.
"The FBI has its own operating principles. We will make the most accurate judgment regarding the case and do not require outside direction. We'll pause the meteor case here. We will send people to investigate Carol Ferris and try to understand the truth of the matter as much as possible. Of course, if you disagree, you are free to move against Luke Shaw. We won't support it, but we won't oppose it either."
Amanda: "..."
"Ms. Waller, do you have anything else to add?"
Amanda sneered internally. The FBI truly is rotten to the core.
"Since you have no additions, we will conclude the meteor case here. Next, we discuss the dry corpse case."
At the mention of this, the atmosphere in the conference room immediately froze. Everyone present was an experienced agent. They had encountered many strange cases over decades, but one as terrifying as the dry corpse case was a first.
A perfectly healthy living person turned into a desiccated corpse in the blink of an eye, and the perpetrator was striking repeatedly. In just one day, twenty-six dry corpses had been found, and no one knew how many more remained undiscovered.
The nature of the case was too malicious. If it wasn't solved quickly, it could spiral out of control and escalate into a major disaster.
"Steven, have you found any critical clues?"
Steven silently shook his head. "The twenty-six known bodies were all found in secluded alleys. There are no eyewitnesses and no surveillance cameras. We can only infer from the condition of the bodies and the environment that the killer is a metahuman, likely possessing the ability to fly."
Walker looked to his left.
"What about your side?"
Amanda stated, "We suspect the dry corpse case has a necessary link to the meteor case. The killer might be Carol Ferris."
"Do you have evidence?"
"No!"
Walker took a deep breath, mentally cursing, "Damn black woman! All she does is guess, guess, guess! What's the point of evidence if blind guessing solves the case?"
She is simply unreasonable!
Walker decided to ignore her and directly gave Steven his orders.
"I will speak with the Mayor shortly, ensuring that local police and all levels of government fully cooperate with your work. The focus is the dry corpse case. You must investigate it as quickly as possible and absolutely prevent the situation from worsening. Do you understand?"
Steven stood up, offering his promise.
"Give me three days. I will definitely catch that demon."
Walker nodded, then turned to Amanda.
"You can decide what A.R.G.U.S. does. I will fully cooperate as directed by my superiors. Call me if you need anything."
Amanda scoffed, picked up her files, and left the conference room with two subordinates. Walker didn't stop her. Once the sound of their footsteps faded, he instructed Steven carefully, word by word,
"Remember, do not conflict with them."
"I don't understand..." Steven spread his hands, his face filled with indignation. "The FBI, the CIA, and the Pentagon all have special departments to deal with supernatural events. Why did they need to create A.R.G.U.S.? What are those people thinking?"
"This isn't something you can interfere with. Focus on your work. Three days—you must catch the killer."
Walker patted his shoulder and left.
Coast City was sleepless that night. To prevent the situation from deteriorating, all police officers and agents mobilized, guarding various secluded streets and searching for any suspicious targets.
The next morning, they failed to find a suspect but instead found fifteen more desiccated bodies. Added to the twenty-six from the previous day, the total death toll exceeded forty.
A case of such severity could not be hidden and quickly became the main news story on local television.
Forty-one people drained in one day—this wasn't a criminal case; it was a disaster. In the face of a phantom killer, everyone was a target.
Affected by the case, the atmosphere at the research center also became strained. The researchers were disheartened, anxiously waiting by their computers.
Carol was also in a bad mood. Recalling the news reports, she couldn't help but say,
"Villian's body was exactly like those dry corpses. Could it be the same killer?"
Luke hummed in agreement. "Probably." He paused, then asked, "What, do you want to become a superhero who saves the world?"
"I have so much work to handle at the company; I don't have time to be a superhero. But if I run into them, I definitely won't be polite."
The girl clenched her fist, her expression resolute.
Luke smiled, saying nothing. He was currently preoccupied with how to resolve the obsession in his mind and had no time to worry about the dry corpse case.
Just as he was thinking, his secretary, Angie, rushed over.
"Boss, the FBI is here. They want to see you two."
The moment she spoke, the resolution on Carol's face instantly vanished, replaced by undisguised panic.
Luke patted her shoulder and turned back to Angie. "Are you sure it's us? Not just me?"
Angie nodded repeatedly.
"They specifically asked to see you and the boss. They seem to know you're both here."
"I understand. Carol, wait here. I'll be right back."
He then left with Angie for the reception room.
The person waiting in the room was not the familiar Steven, nor the collaborator Mario, but a rather plain-looking black woman.
Luke looked her up and down, asking suspiciously,
"Amanda Waller?"
Amanda was momentarily taken aback.
"You know me."
"No, but I've heard your name."
Luke sat down in the main seat and asked curiously, "Angie told me the Federal Bureau of Investigation was here. But as far as I know, you don't work for the FBI. That's truly interesting—someone not with the FBI openly operating under the FBI's name."
"Ms. Waller, aren't you worried they'll come after you for it?"
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