The Extraordinary Life of a Certain American Comic...

"Should we trust the wisdom of future generations?"

"Yes."

"...What does this mean?"

"The meaning is simple: just do it first and talk about it later."

Looking back and forth is not advisable.

And this is a major taboo!

You can't just stand by and watch Deacon cause trouble because you're worried that killing him will lead to a vampire riot in New York City.

They are law enforcement agencies.

As the saying goes, since ancient times, it has always been the case that thieves fear soldiers, not soldiers fearing thieves.

As for the consequences?

What does this have to do with the Sentinel Special Operations Bureau, which currently only has jurisdiction over mutants?

Even if it exists?

so what.

Locke thought to himself, looking at Maria Hill, and said with a smile, "We'll meet force with force, won't we?"

Hill nodded, seemingly agreeing with Locke's statement.

Locke's lips curled into a smile.

A high-ranking commander in S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to be nothing special...

Just then.

Hill's smile vanished, and she looked at Natasha with a serious expression: "See? He really does want us to take the blame."

Natasha raised an eyebrow and looked at Locke.

Locke's smile seemed to freeze at that moment.

He looked at Hill.

"I didn't..."

"Fine, we can make you take the blame if you want."

"Um?"

Locke blinked, looking at Maria Hill, who was eager to take the blame.

These days, he's only ever seen people eager to claim credit, but this is the first time he's ever seen someone so eager to take the blame.

He was a little unsure what kind of sophisticated maneuver Maria Hill was up to.

Natasha was also a little confused by what she heard.

"Hill..."

"Don't speak."

Maria Hill glanced at Natasha, then looked back at Locke with a smile and a serious tone.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. can take the blame for this."

"..."

Locke frowned but remained silent.

after awhile.

He looked up at Maria Hill again and smiled.

"cost."

"Shouldn't you consult your supervisor first?"

"Need not."

Locke shook his head: "If the price isn't too high, I can still agree."

That's how confident I am.

When asked, he's the one who has the final say.

The reason for the further inquiry was that his last name was Underwood, and he came from Underwood, South Carolina.

Hill nodded upon hearing this.

She believed it.

Others may not know what the surname Underwood represents, but she, who works in Washington, D.C., certainly does.

"Okay, then I'll get straight to the point."

"explain."

Locke was concise and to the point.

He wasn't worried at all that Hill would ask for an exorbitant price, since the bureau would cover for him.

However, if S.H.I.E.L.D. could be willing to take the blame and expand their authority, Locke believed that even if Hill made exorbitant demands, the department would be happy to accept it.

Locke thought to himself.

Hill didn't mince words and stated his conditions directly.

"If something happens that requires S.H.I.E.L.D. to take the blame, then I'll get a share of all the profits after it's all over."

"This is the first condition."

Locke raised an eyebrow.

That's a lot...

It's very complicated.

The first half of the statement blames Aegis, while the second half shifts the blame to an individual.

Locke looked at Hill, thinking to himself, without showing any emotion.

How many conditions are there in total?

"Three."

"Hill, you're a shrewd businessman."

"There's no way around it. S.H.I.E.L.D. is probably going to take the blame anyway. Since that's the case, we might as well sell them for a good price as soon as possible. What do you say, Locke?"

"Ha ha."

Locke smiled and shook his head, then looked at Hill: "Okay, I agree to this condition. Continue."

Hill smiled.

"The second condition is that when you are out and about, you can use Sentinel Secret Service credentials."

"this……"

Locke frowned, thought for a moment, and then nodded, saying, "I can't make that decision myself, but I'll report it. It shouldn't be a big problem."

It's not like S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't used their Sentinel Special Operations credentials before.

The only difference is that in the past, when S.H.I.E.L.D. did this and got caught, the Sentinel Special Operations Department wouldn't endorse them. Now, they're just asking the Sentinel Special Operations Department to endorse them.

and so……

While Locke couldn't make the decision on this issue, it wasn't a major problem compared to expanding the Sentinel Special Operations Bureau's law enforcement authority.

Hill breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Locke say that.

Again.

Aegis is very powerful, established with joint funding from five major powers.

However, Aegis is also weak because the five superpowers funded their establishment but did not grant them any legal legitimacy.

Simply put, A.H.I.E.L.D. can strike hard in any third-world country, but when it comes to the territory of the five superpowers, it still needs to borrow someone else's identity to do its job.

Especially at the federal level.

Therefore, rather than being unfairly blamed, it's better to sell A.S.E.L.D. for a good price as soon as possible, at least to gain a legitimate identity that can be used in the future.

"What's the last condition?"

"In the future, Sentinel Special Operations will have no law enforcement authority over any mutants I capture or recruit, unless they commit crimes intentionally."

"..."

Locke paused for a few seconds after hearing this, then looked at Hill with a somewhat speechless expression.

"Do you think they would...?"

"I'm talking about myself, not S.H.I.E.L.D., Locke."

"Um?"

Locke realized what was happening.

Maria Hill chuckled, "Compared to the effect of expanding Sentinel Service's jurisdiction, my last request shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

That's certainly not an exaggeration.

Locke had already found the answer in his mind.

Do you really think the Sentinel Service was established because they can't stand the existence of mutants?

Uh... there are indeed people in the department, like Brown, who want all mutants to die out.

But the Sentinel Special Service was definitely not established because of these people.

Individuals talk about personal grudges, politicians only talk about interests.

The establishment of the Sentinel Special Service, a agency comparable in size to the FBI, solved the job shortage for a great many people.

At the same time, it has increased the voice of many politicians.

Locke had no doubt that if supporting mutants had been the mainstream back then, the Sentinel Special Operations Bureau's mission would not have been to capture mutants, but to protect them.

Even now, if the benefits are sufficient, the Sentinel Special Operations Bureau can easily turn around and switch from arresting mutants to supporting them.

only……

Locke looked at Maria Hill with some confusion.

Is Deputy Director Maria Hill planning to leave S.H.I.E.L.D.?

"No."

"That……"

"Didn't you just say that?"

Maria Hill smiled and looked at Locke: "I'm just the deputy director, a senior commander, not the director."

The most important thing.

The one who should take the blame is S.H.I.E.L.D., not Maria Hill.

She was a deputy director.

No matter how much the higher-ups try to hold her accountable, they won't be able to hold her responsible.

Locke suddenly realized.

……