The four words "black woman" were too lethal; a slight misstep could lead to a huge mess, and Steven, who was in the ascendant phase of his career, didn't want to become a target for white leftists and feminists.
Facing Amanda Waller's piercing gaze, he could only reluctantly shut his mouth.
His deputy stepped forward appropriately and apologized,
"We didn't mean to make fun of you. The situation in Coast City is a bit special, and Luke Shaw's situation is even more unique. If you want to move against him in Coast City, you need to be prepared for two things: first, a long lawsuit; second, bringing an army."
Amanda raised an eyebrow slightly. "I don't understand what you're saying. As far as I know, Luke Shaw is just the leader of a local gang. Do you need an army to deal with him?"
The deputy chuckled and was about to explain when Vogel raised his hand.
"For the meteor and the Violet Lantern cases, I suggest starting with Carol Ferris. As for Luke Shaw, it's best not to touch him unless absolutely necessary."
Amanda's face was ashen. "The FBI agents I know are never cowards."
"Madam, please mind your words."
Steven stared at her intently, his tone threatening. "This is the FBI, not A.R.G.U.S."
"Enough!"
Vogel slammed the table, and the air immediately quieted. Steven pouted and turned his head away.
Vogel glared at his subordinate fiercely, then turned to Amanda and said,
"The FBI has its own code of conduct. We will make the most accurate judgment on cases and do not need outsiders to instruct us. The meteor case ends 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 think it's inappropriate, you can also move against Luke Shaw. The FBI will neither support nor oppose it."
Amanda: "..."
"Ms. Waller, do you have anything to add?"
Amanda sneered inwardly, the FBI was indeed rotten to the core.
"Since you have nothing to add, the meteor case ends here. Next, we will discuss the mummified bodies case."
At the mention of this, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly froze. Everyone present was an experienced agent who had encountered many strange cases in their decades of work, but a case as horrifying as the mummified bodies was a first.
A living person turning into a mummified corpse in the blink of an eye, and it was a series of crimes. In just one day, twenty-six mummified bodies were found. No one knew how many more had not been discovered.
The nature of the case was too heinous. If it wasn't clarified quickly, it could easily get out of control and escalate into a catastrophe.
"Steven, have you found any key clues?"
Steven silently shook his head. "All twenty-six known bodies were found in secluded alleys. There were no eyewitnesses, no cameras. We can only infer from the condition of the bodies and the environment that the killer is a metahuman, likely with the ability to fly."
Vogel looked to his left,
"How about your side?"
Amanda said, "We suspect there's a definite connection between the mummified bodies case and the meteor case. The killer might be connected to the Violet Lantern, which is Carol Ferris."
"Do you have evidence?"
"No!"
Vogel took a deep breath,
He cursed "damn n*****" in his heart. All they knew was guessing, guessing, guessing! What good was guessing if it could solve cases without evidence?
Simply unreasonable!
Vogel didn't want to deal with her anymore and directly gave orders to Steven,
"Later, I will talk to the mayor and ask the local police and various departments to fully cooperate with your work. The focus is on the mummified bodies case. It must be investigated thoroughly as quickly as possible. The situation must not be allowed to worsen, understand?"
Steven stood up and made a solemn pledge,
"In three days, I will definitely catch that demon."
Vogel nodded and turned to Amanda,
"You decide on A.R.G.U.S.'s matters yourselves. I will fully cooperate according to the instructions from above. Call me if you need anything."
Amanda snorted, picked up the documents, and left the conference room with her two subordinates. Vogel didn't stop them. After confirming that their footsteps had faded, he instructed word by word,
"Remember, don't conflict with them."
"I don't understand..." Steven spread his hands, his face full of indignation. "The FBI, CIA, and the Pentagon all have special departments to deal with supernatural events. Why create A.R.G.U.S.? What are those people thinking?"
"This is not something you can meddle with. Do your job well. In three days, you must catch the killer."
Vogel patted his shoulder and turned to leave.
That night, Coast City was sleepless. To prevent the situation from worsening, all police and agents took action, guarding various hidden street corners and searching for any suspicious targets.
The next morning, no suspects were found, but fifteen more mummified bodies were discovered. Adding yesterday's twenty-six, the total death toll had exceeded forty.
A case of such heinous nature could not be concealed and quickly became a hot news topic on local television.
Forty-one people drained in one day—this wasn't a criminal case, but a disaster. In the face of the elusive killer, everyone was prey.
Affected by the case, the atmosphere in the research center also became oppressive. The researchers were all dispirited, sitting in front of their computers, anxiously waiting.
Carol was also in a bad mood. Remembering the news, she couldn't help but say,
"Verin's body is identical to the mummified bodies. Could it be the same killer?"
Luke hummed. "It should be." He paused, then asked,
"What, do you want to become a superhero who saves the world?"
"The company has so many things that need my attention, how could I have time to be a superhero? However, if I encounter them, I definitely won't be polite."
The girl clenched her fists, her expression very firm.
Luke chuckled and said nothing. He was currently troubled by how to deal with his obsession and had no time to concern himself with the mummified bodies case.
As he was thinking, his secretary Angie rushed over,
"Boss, people from the FBI are here. They want to see you two."
As her words fell, the firmness on Carol's face instantly vanished, replaced by an unconcealable panic in her brows.
Luke patted her shoulder, turned around, and said, "Are you sure it's us? And not me?"
Angie nodded repeatedly,
"They specifically asked to see you, and also the boss, seeming to know you're here."
"Understood, Carol, wait here. I'll be right back."
With that, he went to the reception room with Angie.
The person who appeared in the room was not his old acquaintance Steven, nor his collaborator Mario, but an unremarkable black woman.
Luke scrutinized her from head to toe and asked in confusion,
"Amanda Waller?"
Amanda was stunned for a moment, then quickly regained her composure,
"You know me."
"No, but I've heard your name."
Luke sat down in the main seat and asked curiously, "Angie told me that the FBI came, but as far as I know, you don't work for the FBI. This is truly interesting. Not an FBI agent, yet openly acting under the FBI's name."
"Ms. Waller, aren't you afraid they'll come after you?"
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