Al Swan

On the seventh floor of the Central City Police Headquarters.

'Ding'

The elevator doors slowly opened.

Leading the way was a man with flaxen hair, dressed in a smart, custom-made black suit. His facial features were deep-set, with a high nose bridge and slightly sunken eyes, giving him a brooding look. His gaze was sharp and intimidating, like that of an eagle, making him invincible when facing criminals.

This natural, powerful aura had earned him considerable achievements, and now, it made many of his colleagues within the police department involuntarily wary.

He strode into the office, passing by a large mural above the elevator. It depicted ordinary American laborers, with the slogans 'Freedom,' 'Justice,' 'Fairness,' and 'Peace' deeply etched into it. This served as a premonition and a warning to every police officer heading out on duty. The Central City Police Department was serving this city and protecting Central City.

Al Swan, with his lips pressed tightly together and eyes filled with anger, his face clouded, stormed towards the Police Chief's office from the moment the elevator doors opened. Anyone could sense the excellent officer's fury.

The entire office fell silent for a moment. Many colleagues, whether in suits or uniforms, or holding documents, stopped what they were doing upon seeing Al Swan's angry demeanor. They began whispering to each other.

"Who upset Al?"

"He's back from vacation and so unhappy?"

"Did a prisoner escape?"

"No, it's that special action team."

"The higher-ups didn't allow Swan to join the team."

"Damn it, it's that Superpowered Special Action Team. Even Al can't get in?"

"Then who can get into that superpowered team?"

"Who's that unlucky?"

"Hope he can withstand Al's wrath."

Eight or nine out of ten police colleagues had guessed the situation clearly, which made Al's expression even more grim upon hearing the truth.

Al Swan, still seething with anger, arrived at the Chief's office. He stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and glanced back at the police colleagues whispering amongst themselves. The colleagues immediately resumed their work as if nothing had happened.

Al held his breath, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the glass of the wooden door with its classical pattern. Through the blinds inside, he could vaguely see the Chief working at his desk. Al suppressed his unwillingness and said, "It's me, Al Swan."

"Come in," a steady voice replied.

As soon as he heard the permission to enter, Al couldn't wait. He twisted the doorknob and entered the Chief's office.

It was a room filled with case files, yet possessing a classical charm. Mark Buckler, the Police Chief, was a slightly plump, prosperous middle-aged man. He looked amiable and carried a subtle authority, with wise and sharp eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a stern, unsmiling appearance.

"Al, I told you, you cannot join the Superpowered Special Action Team."

Mark Buckler looked up from the files on his desk and said to Al Swan through his gold-rimmed glasses, leaving no room for doubt.

Normally, he didn't need to pay attention to any cases because within the police department, there were excellent officers like Al Swan and Bert. Most ordinary crimes couldn't escape the eyes of the intelligent young man Al Swan and the experienced Bert. Therefore, he mostly stayed in his office, waiting for their reports.

Central City was not a chaotic place like Gotham. Central City was a city of order and sunshine. Although there was crime here, under the protection of many police colleagues, it had been maintained at a relatively good balance.

Of course, this peace was largely due to Mark Buckler's correct planning with the city government for decades, which had resulted in the peaceful, sunny Central City of today.

"Mark, I'm not convinced."

Al Swan couldn't help but tug at his tie, trying to relax himself in front of Mark, and then said with a hint of anger.

"My achievements in the Central City Police Department are evident for all to see."

"Mark, for the past three years, I can be said to be the undisputed star police officer."

"Four years ago, the Golden Robbery Case."

"Two years ago, the kidnapping of the youngest son of the Jester family."

"Last year, the Central City Bank Robbery."

"The locked-room murder case, the gangster drug manufacturing base, I solved them all one by one!"

"Although other colleagues also contributed, you cannot deny that I was the one who meticulously unraveled the clues from the complex mysteries and led everyone in completing them!"

Al Swan stared at Mark, his brooding eyes exuding a pressing attitude.

"I know, Al."

Chief Mark closed the file in his hands, picked up a white porcelain cup, opened the lid, and gently blew on the rising steam from the coffee inside. The faint, rich aroma of coffee permeated the room.

"Then why can't I join the Superpowered Special Action Team?"

Al Swan placed his hands on the desk, leaned forward, his eagle-like brooding gaze fixed on his superior, showing no politeness at all.

He had always believed that his superior was a capable, intelligent, wise, and magnanimous leader, someone who would allow him to fully utilize his abilities within the Central City Police Department.

But he never expected that this capable and intelligent leader would disappoint him.

"Swan, your abilities are evident for all to see."

Mark took a sip of the fragrant black coffee. The bitter taste of the coffee slightly refreshed him. His tone remained unchanged, and he paused for a moment.

"However, you are too arrogant and aggressive. Continuous success has made you unable to distinguish your own abilities and their limits."

Mark continued, "This is already beyond the crimes faced by ordinary people. Both you and I find it difficult to confront such abilities directly. In the future, it is inevitable that we will become the cleanup crew on such battlefields."

Mark's mind was clear. Standing as the leader responsible for the safety of Central City and the police department, he possessed foresight and a clear vision of the future. With Batman appearing in Gotham, Superman with his steel body in Metropolis, and Wonder Woman's incredible Amazonian combat power, many superheroes and superpowered criminals had appeared worldwide. Coupled with the recent emergence of superhuman crimes in Central City, all these indicated a gradual increase in superpowered individuals in the world.

This gave Mark, the Police Chief, a sense of urgency and prompted him to establish a special action team to deal with such superpowered crimes. To prevent greater losses in Central City in the future, he needed to build such a team promptly.

Inevitably, ordinary police officers were already finding it difficult to deal with these kinds of superhumans.

And Al Swan was just an ordinary police officer.