You're Not Good Enough

After a brief conversation familiar to Jenson, Alex was led by Jenson to tour the entire Central City Police Department headquarters, familiarizing himself with its various functional departments, as well as the large training grounds behind the police building and the underground firearms training room. Alex held the rank of First Grade Inspector and was specifically assigned to handle superpowered crimes, meaning he already knew more than Jenson introduced. However, these were things Alex would learn gradually over time.

Since its establishment, the Central City Police Department had overseen numerous special functional departments, including multiple tactical action squads, K-9 training, harbor patrol, air support, bomb disposal units, counter-terrorism, criminal intelligence, anti-gang, drug enforcement, public transportation, and housing management. The Central City Police Department possessed extensive resources for crime scene investigation and laboratory analysis, as well as a specialized information unit to assist in combating computer crime.

Thanks to such a refined police department, Central City was able to maintain a relatively low crime rate within the DC world.

After successively introducing Alex to numerous directors and making brief acquaintances, Jenson departed.

Alex then officially began his work.

He arrived at the eighth floor.

The Police Department's Forensics Laboratory.

Alex gently knocked on the door, then pushed it open. He glanced at the numerous steel racks holding various items, marked for forensic examination of different cases. The forensic laboratory, though appearing somewhat chaotic, was meticulously organized and maintained a constant temperature of 20℃, slightly warmer than the outside.

There weren't many office staff. Alex took a quick look and only saw five or six people. Regarding the director of the Police Department's Forensics Laboratory, David Singh, he was not present, so Alex hadn't been introduced to him by Jenson.

It was worth noting that in the comics, David Singh was the director of the Police Department's Forensics Laboratory, while in the TV series The Flash, David Singh was a gay police chief.

This difference made Alex realize that this world seemed to have little connection to the TV series.

Among the people in the Police Department's Forensics Laboratory, Alex was familiar with two of them.

Barry Allen saw Alex and greeted him with a sunny smile, opening his arms enthusiastically. "Congratulations, Alex. I've been looking forward to us working together."

Alex spread his fingers and placed a hand on Barry Allen's chest, holding him back. He stared at Barry and said calmly, "Mr. Allen, I don't want you getting handsy with me in public, and I don't like being hugged without my consent. Watch your behavior."

"I'm just here to get all the forensic reports for The Multiplicity."

Alex didn't have a good attitude towards Barry.

Barry was accustomed to Alex's demeanor and reluctantly retracted his arms, not taking it to heart. He smiled and said, "I'll get the report for you."

Before Barry could turn to get the report, Patty's delicate face appeared next to Barry with a cold expression. Her petite figure was clad in a white lab coat. She glared fiercely at Alex and slapped the report file onto Barry's shoulder, saying coldly, "The forensic analysis report for The Multiplicity, Barry. Explain the report properly to your 'good friend'!"

Patty spat out the words 'good friend' through gritted teeth. She glared at Barry again before turning and leaving with a 'thump-thump-thump' of her small boots, her retreating back filled with anger.

Patty's displeasure extended to Barry as well.

Barry caught the report sliding from his arm and looked at the departing Patty, utterly bewildered. He wondered if Patty's period had arrived early, and if so, he wouldn't be able to treat her to cold desserts and ice cream in a few days.

"Patty isn't usually like this. She's a very charming woman. Today, you know, maybe she's not feeling well..." Barry explained lamely to Alex.

"Whatever it is, it's none of my business, Barry. I just need the report."

Alex glanced at Barry, pulled the report from his hand, and turned to leave. He knew Patty resented even Barry, but it had nothing to do with him.

Alex turned and pushed open the door to the forensics laboratory, unfolding the report in his hand as he walked.

Forensic experts had collected clothing fibers accidentally snagged by The Multiplicity's body at the scene of the robbery at the First National Bank's vault. The analysis of these fibers concluded they were exceptionally ordinary, the kind bought in any mall or found in second-hand markets. The wallet and clothes provided no clues whatsoever, making it impossible to track the target based on such common fibers.

If it had been some special material for a combat suit, it would have been easier to identify the target. But with ordinary black leather clothing like this, even searching every clothing vendor in Central City wouldn't reveal who bought it.

As Alex was about to turn the page, hurried footsteps sounded from behind him. Barry chased out of the forensics laboratory and blocked Alex's path.

Alex frowned.

"Alex, I want to join your team and fight superpowered crime together." Barry looked at Alex with expectant eyes. He had wanted to work with Alex for a long time, to fight crime and maintain peace in Central City, especially now that Alex was facing superpowered crime alone.

Alex's team would surely need someone skilled in logistics, support, evidence collection, forensics, and analysis. He was perfectly suited for it.

Alex looked at Barry and pondered. Setting aside his dislike for Barry, Barry was indeed a rather outstanding forensic expert. He had been scouted by the police forensics department while still in university, joined them, and in just over half a year, had officially become a police forensics expert. Barry's meticulousness and caution at crime scenes were exceptional within the current police force.

However, in terms of personality, Barry clashed too much with him, leading to frequent conflicts.

Barry was too kind, and Alex didn't believe the Special Ability Handling Team was a noble and righteous unit; it was even a somewhat dark organization.

Alex didn't want to face some dark individuals and then have Barry intervene when he was beating them for information, saying, "We can't treat citizens like this. Even if they've committed crimes, we can't beat them or use torture for confessions."

These conflicts were foreseeable. The longer Barry was on the team, the greater the divergence between Alex and Barry would become.

Alex irresponsibly considered that if a superpowered individual controlled a civilian while escaping, Barry's first choice would be to save the civilian and let the criminal escape.

Alex's choice, however, would be to not let the superpowered individual escape and continue harming others, even if it meant the civilian was killed by the superpowered individual. He wouldn't yield to threats.

This was also why Alex had grown to dislike Barry more in recent years; Barry was too kind.

"You're not suitable, Barry."

Alex withdrew his gaze and continued looking at the report in his hand.

"How am I not suitable, Alex? I can do it," Barry asked, confused. He just wanted to become a support member and help Alex apprehend superpowered criminals.

But Alex clearly didn't think that way. He didn't just need an ordinary support member; he needed someone skilled in interrogation. Facing Central City's dark underworld, one needed to be at least not foolishly kind, if not outright ruthless. On this point alone, Barry could never be his teammate.

Kindness was acceptable, but the ability to act decisively was necessary. Barry couldn't bring himself to do it.

"You're not outstanding enough."

Alex said indifferently.

Barry's face fell in disappointment. He didn't truly consider himself outstanding. At least in the forensics department, Patty and several other experts who had joined before him were more professional and had richer experience. Compared to them, he was indeed not outstanding enough, as Alex had said.

Alex's eyes flicked to Barry, then past him as he continued forward, lowering his head to look at the document in his hand.

Another page detailed the components of the explosives used by the robbers. The residual components showed clear signs of nitrogen ions. After analysis and testing of the molecular air, the forensic evidence indicated it was likely a new type of high-tech nitrogen ion explosive, 8-20 times more powerful than an equivalent amount of ordinary TNT.

Subsequently, Alex's gaze swept over the various analyses of the residual substances and finally noted with seriousness that the production of this nitrogen ion explosive was not easy, requiring a certain level of physics knowledge and specific equipment.

"This means this bomb matches Danton Black's identity as a nuclear physicist."

Alex's eyes gleamed. Based on information from his past life and the current report analysis, he was almost certain that this Multiplicity was Danton Black.

In his mind, Alex had already begun planning how to capture The Multiplicity.