Chapter 4

That afternoon, at the Gotham City branch of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Office of Extraordinary Natural Disaster Countermeasures (officially known as the "Disaster Reduction Committee" under the State Department), Director Gordon was listening to a real-time report from his deputy about the capture operation.

Deputy: "With the help of the Green Lantern Corps officer, Jordan, the special task force captured the two aliens wanted by the planet OA, who had fled to Earth. They are now detained in a secret prison within the city, Arkham Asylum, awaiting your further instructions."

Gordon: "‘Help’? I think it was just a mess. The special task force would have caught those two aliens eventually after we obtained detailed intelligence from him. There was no need for him to get involved. What did that Green Lantern cop break this time? I hope it was a dilapidated building scheduled for demolition, which would save the government some money." — Rubbing his eyes, feeling a headache.

Narrator: "Is this the adoptive father of the Son of Krypton, Gordon? With his thick eyebrows and large eyes, he should be a good person."

@

Deputy: "The courthouse."

Gordon: "Huh?"

Deputy: "The First Intermediate People's Court of Gotham City."

Gordon: "The 50-year-old old building?"

Deputy: "Yes."

Gordon: "How many citizens witnessed it?"

Narrator: "‘How many citizens witnessed it?’ In this situation, shouldn't he first ask if any citizens were injured?"

@

Deputy: "Due to the timely evacuation of the area and the setting up of a cordon, no ordinary citizens witnessed the superpowered battle between the two aliens and Jordan. However, thousands of onlookers witnessed the collapse of the courthouse and recorded it on their phones, which was then uploaded to the internet. There are now many pictures and videos of the old building's collapse from different angles..."

Gordon: "So we can't manipulate the memories of the onlookers as we did before?"

Narrator: "Before? Memory manipulation? You old man have some dark history, don't you?"

@

Deputy: "Yes, with the pile of rubble as evidence, the ‘collective hysteria’ explanation from the Tactical Deception Bureau no longer works. Should I brainwash every witness to ensure security?"

Narrator: "Brainwash? Really? Do you, Deputy, have such a cruel ability?"

@

Gordon: "That would be too inefficient. No need for you to go to such lengths."

Deputy: "Then how should we handle it? Let the citizens speculate wildly?"

Gordon: "Of course not. The government needs a unified statement and a reasonable explanation..." — Thinking.

Narrator: "A unified statement is a given, but a reasonable explanation? Gas leak due to old pipes causing an explosion? If it were a residential building, that would be a good explanation, but it's a courthouse."

@

Gordon: "We will say that the First Intermediate People's Court of Gotham City was found to be in a state of disrepair during yesterday's inspection, and the city government decided to demolish the old building and rebuild a new one on the site for safety reasons. This was an emergency demolition operation arranged by the government."

Narrator: "...Are you kidding?"

@

Deputy: "Is this explanation a bit... (choosing words) far-fetched?"

Gordon: "Far-fetched? No problem. The experts from the National Disaster Reduction Committee will provide a reasonable explanation for why the old building was unsafe. We will organize a widely attended expert panel discussion on Gotham City Television (GCTV) and live-stream it on TV and the internet. First, they will explain the dangers of old buildings and the necessity of the emergency demolition. Then, they will discuss how the new courthouse will be a symbol of Gotham City's development, representing our determination to create a better future, to reassure the citizens and calm their emotions. Soon, they will forget about it."

Deputy: "To go to such lengths and use so many organizational resources to explain the collapse of an old building... it's not just for the sake of secrecy, is it?"

Gordon: "No, it's not just any old building. It's the First Intermediate People's Court, representing the power and authority of the government. We must handle the aftermath properly, or people will seize the opportunity to criticize the government."

Deputy: "Will the citizens believe this?"

Gordon: "Of course. The news is released by GCTV, which is known for its credibility and only reports the news, not fabricates it."

Narrator: "You're the one fabricating the news, aren't you?"

@

Deputy: "..." — Lost in thought.

Gordon: "What's the matter now, Jonathan?"

Jonathan (Deputy): "Three guests have come to see you: the Son of Krypton, the Green Lantern officer, and the special task force's Spider, Peter."

Gordon: "Are they hostile?"

Jonathan: "Not exactly calm."

Gordon: "Then don't waste energy maintaining your human appearance. You can't focus on two things at once, especially when you might have to deal with three of them."

Jonathan: "I understand." — Removing his human disguise.

Narrator: "Wow! A green-skinned bald giant suddenly appeared in the room. This is your true form, Deputy?"

@

The three entered Gordon's office.

Gordon: "Get straight to the point. I have the aftermath of the capture operation to handle."

Jordan: "Those two aliens are wanted by the planet OA, and I need to take them back..."

Peter: "The new black suit you made for me is strange. Have your scientists check it out quickly; I don't want to die..." — Anxious.

Kent: "I need a job from you."

Gordon: "Alright, I heard you all, even though it was a bit chaotic. My answers are: No; don't worry; it needs further study."

Narrator: "Your answers are simple... but did you see how upset the three of them are?"

@

Jordan: "No? Those two aliens are wanted by the planet OA and have been pursued by the Green Lantern Corps for a long time..."

Gordon: "But this is Earth, and our organization has not reached an extradition agreement with the Guardians. The crimes committed by those two aliens on Earth must be tried and punished here. This is a matter of sovereignty, and it cannot be compromised."

Narrator: "You're standing your ground."

@

Jordan: "Extradition agreement, sovereignty? Are you joking? You just want the high-tech equipment stolen by those two wanted criminals. I warn you, those high-tech items are stolen goods, and you can't touch them."

Gordon: "To us, they are just unknown objects carried by the suspects, nothing that can't be touched."

Jordan: "Forget it, I don't want to waste my breath here. I'm taking those two wanted criminals and the stolen goods. I've fulfilled my duty by informing you." — Turning to leave.

Narrator: "Oh, it's going to get rough."

@

Gordon: "Stop! You think you can just walk in and take them by force after dismissing my words as hot air?" — Angry.

Jordan: "If you don't want your words to be dismissed as hot air, you should know your place. As the head of the Chinese branch of S.H.I.E.L.D., what makes you think you can stand on equal footing with the planet OA? Can you stand up to the Green Lantern Corps under the Guardians?"

Gordon: "What makes me think so? With 80 million members and 90 years of history, the Chinese branch of S.H.I.E.L.D. can handle a traitor like you. You've forgotten your place. I'll teach you a lesson and show you the dignity and pride of being human."

Jordan: "I only fell for your trick because I was inexperienced when I first got my ring. After that, I returned to the Green Lantern Corps' home planet, OA, for rigorous training and have transformed completely. The only weakness of the ring, its ineffectiveness against yellow objects, has been fixed by the Guardians. You can't learn my weaknesses from the Martian Manhunter and attack me as you did last time. I want to see how you'll stop me."

Narrator: "‘How will you stop me?’ That's easy. Close the door and let the green-skinned bald giant handle it."

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