The Purpose of A.R.G.U.S.
A.R.G.U.S.!
It was indeed an excellent choice. Simply joining would mean the FBI and police would absolutely not come knocking for trouble, and the Young Master Gang could transform into a "legitimate" organization. These were just the basic perks.
The benefits of A.R.G.U.S. were more numerous than expected. After all, it was the "S.H.I.E.L.D." of the DC world. While smaller in scale and size than S.H.I.E.L.D., it undeniably had the backing of two major powers—the government and the military—giving it a significant degree of autonomous decision-making power.
In addition, Luke's companies—ShowMe, Bluebird, Tesla, and others—would enjoy special government favors. They could even sign massive contracts with the military from their inception, laying a solid foundation for future development.
This was a profoundly tempting proposal, offering incalculable benefits to Luke, the Hongmen, Ferris Aircraft, and even his "female friends" like Emily Song.
Of course, there was a good side to this, and there was a bad side.
A.R.G.U.S. is an official organization. Once he joined, leaving would be virtually impossible. He would also be constrained by the government and military to a certain extent, running "off-the-books" operations that couldn't be made public. If A.R.G.U.S. ever disbanded or incurred the wrath of a powerful enemy for any reason, Luke, as a member, would inevitably be implicated.
Mutual prosperity, mutual destruction!
"This is truly a difficult choice."
Luke cupped his chin and pondered for a long time. It wasn't until after nine o'clock that he finally spoke slowly,
"I have to admit, your proposal is very tempting. But cooperation can't just be about surface-level benefits. I need to know what kind of organization A.R.G.U.S. is and what its purpose was at its creation."
Amanda smiled. "It seems you've already made your choice."
"I've only become slightly interested. The final answer depends on A.R.G.U.S.'s caliber. If it's just a loose organization that big shots set up on a whim..."
Luke shrugged, letting his meaning hang unspoken.
Amanda said seriously, "Mr. Shaw, I can tell you clearly: A.R.G.U.S. is definitely not a second-rate organization. It's a special organization created by a group of people dedicated to protecting the country and the planet, driven by a specific mission. Its purpose is to ensure the stable and normal development of the country and to prevent its destruction due to unforeseen circumstances."
Luke narrowed his eyes. "Please elaborate. What are these 'unforeseen circumstances' you refer to?"
"Metahumans, aliens, terrorist organizations..." She paused, then stated solemnly, "City vigilantes!"
The last two words made Luke frown heavily. City vigilantes meant superheroes like Superman and Batman. ShowMe was a social media platform and would eventually be the hub for many superheroes' accounts, becoming their platform for everyday communication.
In a sense, a social platform is no different from a tracking device. As long as users upload photos, Luke can pinpoint their location via satellite the next second.
If he joined A.R.G.U.S., ShowMe would very likely become a tool for surveillance.
"Ms. Waller, I don't think we need to continue this discussion."
Luke put out his cigar and stood up to leave. The resources of A.R.G.U.S. were excellent and very tempting, but he liked being a person, not a dog—especially not a dog of the American government.
"Please wait."
Amanda stood up and blocked Luke's path. "Mr. Shaw, I think you might be misunderstanding something. A.R.G.U.S. is not about being an enemy to superheroes; our purpose is prevention."
"Prevention?"
"Yes."
Amanda nodded seriously and gestured toward the chair. Luke thought for two seconds and sat back down. "Then I'll listen to your so-called prevention."
Amanda took a deep breath. The reason she went to so much trouble to recruit him wasn't just for ShowMe, but more importantly, for the traits Luke himself exhibited.
As the gang boss of Coast City, he had enforced tough rules: no drug trafficking, no smuggling, no bullying the weak, no forced prostitution, and only managing gray industries like casinos, nightclubs, and the docks. This suggested he was a man of principles. A man who keeps his principles can also abide by rules, which was particularly important.
A.R.G.U.S. was a government organization. If they recruited just any scumbag, it would eventually devolve into a lawless terrorist agency, which was not what Amanda wanted, nor was it the original intention of the Vice President and the other directors.
For members, they must have a strict vetting process. While a degree of abuse of power could be allowed, they must maintain their core principles and original intent. From this perspective, Luke Shaw was undoubtedly a good choice.
He was smart, powerful, cunning, cold-blooded...
Even though he sometimes showed a willingness to do anything to achieve his goals, in Amanda's view, this was not a bad thing but a good thing, because she was the same way. Only people like this could achieve victory in the fight against aliens, metahumans, and terrorist organizations.
After organizing her thoughts, Amanda spoke again,
"What is your view on city vigilantes?"
Luke stated unreservedly, "They are a sign of government incompetence."
"Why?"
"It's simple. If the government, the police, and the FBI could do their jobs properly and stabilize—not constantly increase—the crime rates in major cities, there would be no ground for vigilantes to exist. So, ultimately, it's your problem."
Amanda was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Your statement is too one-sided. Some cases are not motivated by money or sex, but by the criminals themselves. They simply want to commit crimes."
"As the number of metahumans and cult organizations grows, the number of these individuals also increases. The destruction they cause is beyond the government's control."
Luke shrugged. "That's why superheroes exist. They solve the problems you can't."
"No, their existence is the problem."
Amanda's face was tight, her expression unusually serious. "Before joining A.R.G.U.S., I participated in a counter-terrorism unit called Task Force X. The subsequent deaths of my comrades taught me a truth: when disaster strikes, it won't ask if you're prepared. If you've done nothing, all you can do is close your eyes and wait to die."
"Today's vigilantes are superheroes who fight crime and protect citizens. Who can guarantee that tomorrow they won't have other ideas, especially beings like Superman, The Flash, and your girlfriend, The Violet Lantern Woman, who cannot be constrained by conventional weapons? If they ever develop anti-human or anti-social ideas, or if their minds are controlled by evil entities, it will become a catastrophe that affects all of humanity."
"The purpose of founding A.R.G.U.S. is to prevent similar incidents and to have an effective response when a catastrophe does occur."
Luke was silent for a moment, then asked, "What is the policy?"
"Different people, different methods. For Batman and other 'ordinary' vigilantes who lack superpowers, we will not interfere as long as they don't break the law. But Superman and your girlfriend, The Violet Lantern Woman, are a different case."
"Specifically?"
"An appropriate degree of surveillance, an appropriate degree of understanding, and a kill-plan to deal with the worst-case scenario."
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