"You mean, an evil artificial intelligence made by aliens from a high-level civilization is currently roaming within the Solar System, and the Justice League is off-duty, so you're hoping I can solve this problem?"
On the other end, it sounded like there were some hurried explanations. Amanda let out a long sigh while holding the phone.
"Alright, you know, without enough authority, I can't deal with this kind of enemy..."
The person on the other end continued speaking, making Amanda furrow her eyebrows, with a faint hint of anger appearing on her face.
"Listen, Claude, the original intention of the Federation Shield was to solve supernatural events within the Federation. You're asking me to fight aliens; let's not talk about whether I have the ability, even if I did, if the various departments don't cooperate with me, what can I achieve?"
"I don't want to know your difficulties, this isn't a negotiation. You providing full support is a necessary condition to achieve the goal. If you can't do that, then find someone else!"
Amanda hung up the phone, still looking irritated, pacing back and forth in the office, cursing the bunch of congressmen in her mind.
The Federation Shield has had a slightly awkward position since its establishment.
The members Amanda can hire are mostly not very strong; dealing with ordinary people is enough, but participating in various supernatural events, their survival rate and the probability of successfully resolving incidents are not very high, so they have never received much funding.
Moreover, police, military, and guard units everywhere are unwilling to cooperate, let alone the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This makes their actions even more difficult.
But ultimately, it's because Amanda lacks the ability to select talents. Powerful superpower users tend to be uncontrollable, and Amanda is unwilling to use them; but those who obey orders are either useless or ask for exorbitant wages.
In short, since this organization was established, it hasn't solved any major events.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation can resolve supernatural events that aren't very harmful; overly dangerous events can be handled by the Justice League. They are stuck in the middle, making it difficult to gain favor.
This also makes Amanda's position a bit awkward. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and various levels of state police and guard units don't like her, feeling that the Federation Shield has taken away part of their enforcement authority.
Local police stations that need to call them for support complain that the people they bring aren't strong enough and don't resolve issues efficiently, leaving a mess behind that might be more troublesome than handling the incident themselves.
The Justice League doesn't need them either. Lex can solve all the execution problems himself, without needing any middlemen, making them seem even more useless.
However, after the economic crisis hit, the situation improved somewhat.
Mercenaries on Black Island weren't getting any jobs, each went their own way, but some were fugitives without land to farm at home, petty thefts don't make money, and they're constantly on edge.
These people accepted Amanda's recruitment. Despite the low pay, a stable job is better than going hungry.
Due to the poor employment environment, Amanda can hire much stronger people at the same price than before.
For example, Deadshot, who was once considered a top-tier mercenary, would charge tens of thousands of US Dollars per mission, living lavishly and carefree.
But since the Great Depression hit, orders plummeted drastically, not getting a single job in three months, he was about to switch careers to become a shooting coach. Amanda offered him four thousand a month plus insurance, and he happily went to work.
And then there's Deathstroke, the world's top mercenary; every mission used to be a storm of bloodshed, once claiming he'd never cooperate with law enforcement agencies, now he's obediently taken a security task for the Federation Shield, turning from killing to delivering goods.
There are countless examples like this. In these times, providing you with a job already makes you a good person. Though Amanda is average in ability, she's not stingy; she even provides insurance. What more could you ask for in a job like this?
Having acquired many powerful employees, Amanda naturally wanted to expand further, but the awkward thing is, Earth has been quite peaceful lately, giving her no chance to showcase her abilities.
Although these powerful members don't ask for high wages, they still require more budget than the previous ones slackers. Without showcasing their abilities, how can she ask Congress for more budget?
Amanda has also had to follow in Nick's footsteps, which is to create problems and solve them herself, a left-hand to right-hand operation to swindle funds.
But there's another issue—the Federation Shield's rank isn't high enough; unlike S.H.I.E.L.D., which can parachute anywhere to carry out missions with absolute authority, flashing their credentials would make bystanders retreat.
The Federation Shield isn't directly under the United Nations, nor is it directly managed by the Federal Government; it's basically an external team for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To put it bluntly, they're an outsourcing crew. Those domineering state police and guard units, how could they possibly cooperate obediently?
Therefore, Amanda has been committed to raising the Federation Shield's status; if not directly under United Nations jurisdiction, at least it should be level with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, capable of demanding unconditional cooperation from local departments.
But this isn't an easy task. To make Congress see their value, they need to accomplish something significant, but without higher rank, they are hindered everywhere, unable to accomplish major tasks, naturally no way to progress further. Doesn't this form a vicious cycle?
As Amanda pondered solutions in her office, a call came from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The other party explained the situation regarding Brainiac, although they also said to have the Federation Shield intervene, they kept silent when it came to discussing benefits.
Amanda didn't hold out much hope; she estimated that in the end, it would still be the Justice League taking action. As for aliens, they still seemed a bit too distant from them.
Just as she reluctantly sat back at her desk, the phone rang again. This time, she answered the call, and a slightly anxious voice came from the other end:
"Ms. Waller, come to Washington immediately!"
As soon as the words fell, Amanda's office door was also knocked on. She looked up at the door and slapped the phone on the desk. The secretary hurriedly rushed in and said, "An electronic lifeform has invaded Congress's meeting system and broadcasted a video at the Capitol Building!"
Amanda took the tablet from the secretary's hand. She saw a green-skinned, semi-transparent phantom on the screen, smiling at the camera.
"Hello, human race. It's a pleasure to meet you here." Brainiac's voice echoed in the spacious meeting hall of the Capitol Building. People looked up one after another, elderly politicians adjusting their glasses, and young members of Congress frowned deeply.
"I am also very happy to discover such a beautiful planet in the vast sea of the cosmos. I consider your home very collectible. If you are willing to accept my rule, I will make this the center of cosmic civilization."
The camera suddenly shifted, focusing on the back of Brainiac. A complex machine that appeared to be some kind of supercomputer was behind him.
At this moment, on countless screens, images from around the world flashed as if the entirety of human civilization's activities were under his surveillance.
Suddenly, all the screens turned to static, then reappeared with the faces of everyone in the congressional hall, their names displayed above their heads.
"I hope you won't oppose me," Brainiac said, "otherwise, I will teach you that in matters like this, the most important thing is self-preservation. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Not just in the U.S. Congress, but in government institutions of countries around the world, the same images appeared, though the people on the screens varied.
"I know some of you will agree with me." Brainiac began pacing in front of the screen as if in thought, even adopting a compassionate demeanor.
"These people you see now, let's call them leaders. Do you think they've been doing a good job?"
"Some might think they're doing okay. But you're wrong. From the data I've collected, they aren't good for you."
"You have such a beautiful planet, yet most of you can't enjoy even a fraction of its beauty, trapped in your small spaces every day, earning meager salaries, struggling to make a living."
"This is the consequence of self-governance. You don't understand data, you don't understand fairness. As long as someone is above others, they won't do more for their compatriots and instead exploit you, leading to today's predicament."
"Based on the data I've gathered, you've been living even worse recently, one might say it's downright miserable."
"There are many beings throughout the cosmos, but few can manage to make such a mess of themselves as you have. I think you just lack a sufficiently rational and fair leader."
"Let me introduce myself to you. But rest assured, I won't just talk empty words like Earth's leaders. Once I rule Earth, I can use my vast computational power to calculate the resources each person needs and distribute them fairly to everyone."
"Let me demonstrate." Brainiac waved his hand, and a larger screen popped up beside him, showing a man's face.
A man in the congressional hall widened his eyes, as the person on the screen was him.
"This is Mr. Luo Fei, an owner of a pharmaceutical company. He owns 28 properties, has three wives, six children, and two current lovers. He just recently gave one of his lovers a watch worth $600,000."
"And this..." Brainiac waved his hand again, and a Black woman appeared on the screen, looking in her 30s but exceedingly exhausted, her bloodshot eyes weary.
"A single mother from Pennsylvania, who works at a laundromat, earning less than $600 a month, yet she has to pay $80 a week in rent and support a child."
"Her daughter has been malnourished recently, leading her to steal a small $16 can of protein powder from a nearby supermarket, landing her in jail. Unable to afford bail money, her daughter was sent to welfare, recently suffering a fracture due to osteoporosis, yet no one is treating her."
"Such glaring unfairness," Brainiac extended his hands, "you humans have no capability to rectify this. It's due to your nature; everyone only thinks about themselves, with no empathy or compassion for your fellow people."
"So now, I must redistribute their wealth." Brainiac snapped his fingers.
Another image appeared on the screen, a bank transfer notification. $600,000 was directly transferred from the congressman's account to that mother's account.
Next came an image of bail money being received, followed by a slew of nutrition product purchase orders, and a luxury home transaction contract.
"See, I'll make sure you're all well cared for," Brainiac smiled, "I know you speak of democracy, so if you agree with me ruling Earth, just send me a text. I will announce the text's contents every Sunday evening."
"This is my phone number. Rest assured, as long as you send a text to this number, I will receive it. That bunch of fools can't stop me."