The Parachuted Appointee's Report over Their Heads, and the Subtleties of an On-Site Meeting

The acrid smell in the air was replaced by a sudden, even colder silence.

Lynn stood there, his gaze shifting from the unstable Quantum Tunnel to Gwen Stacy Stacy's face.

She crossed the universe.

It's not a phantom, it's a real entity.

"Lynn."

Gwen Stacy's voice was soft, yet like a pebble thrown into an icy lake, it stirred unspeakable ripples in the hearts of Hela, Wanda, and Jean Grey.

This time.

I've found you.

This declaration carries an unquestionable sense of ownership. It's like walking directly up to the top leader after a long meeting to report on a purely personal matter unrelated to the agenda.

This is a case of skipping levels.

In the power system that Lynn himself established, this was an open challenge to the existing order.

Hela, Wanda, and Jean's gazes were like three sharpened Scalpel, scraping inch by inch across Gwen Stacy's body. They didn't speak, but the energy fluctuations emanating from their respective domains already made their stance clear.

Asgard Stability Affairs Office, Technology and Order Integration Department, and Mutants Affairs Management Committee.

At this moment, the leaders of the three factions adopted a strange, highly unified stance of scrutiny.

Gwen Stacy seemed oblivious to the rejection and hostility emanating from those three gazes. In her world, only Lynn existed. She took another step forward, trying to confirm this reality that spanned the entire universe with even closer proximity.

However, Lynn just looked at her expressionlessly.

His lips didn't move, and his eyes remained expressionless. There was neither the joy of a long-awaited reunion nor surprise at her sudden intrusion.

Just like reviewing a report with flawed procedures, emotions are the least necessary element.

This extreme indifference made Gwen Stacy stop in her tracks.

It was this brief pause that allowed Lynn to seize the initiative in reshaping the agenda.

He withdrew his gaze, as if Gwen Stacy were merely an insignificant speck of dust in the air. He turned to face Sokovia, which had now landed safely back on the ground, and Ultron, who lay in a state of data silence in the city center.

The crisis has been averted.

Lynn's voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

"The cleanup work begins now."

He ignored Gwen Stacy's heartfelt "report" and instead convened an on-the-spot meeting.

In a single sentence, the nature of the scene was forcibly pulled back from Shura Field of personal emotions to the work-oriented meeting table.

The murderous intent in Hela's eyes vanished instantly.

She glanced at Gwen Stacy, whose face was deathly pale, then at Lynn's cold, hard profile, and immediately understood her leader's intention.

"The Stability Maintenance Office will move in immediately." Hela was the first to speak, her voice regaining its cold, businesslike tone. "Physically isolate the city and inventory all strategic assets, especially Vibranium reserves. All non-combat personnel are prohibited from entering without permission."

She specifically emphasized the words "non-combatants" and "without permission".

His gaze drifted towards Gwen Stacy almost imperceptibly.

Wanda followed closely behind. The turmoil in her heart was forcibly suppressed, replaced by a subordinate's precise understanding of the leader's intentions.

The leader was not satisfied with this woman who had been parachuted in.

"The Technology Integration Department will conduct a full scan of the area," Wanda's voice was slightly hoarse, but her logic was clear. "We will screen the remaining data nodes of Ultron to ensure there are no backdoors. At the same time, we will technically seal off that Antigravity Engine."

Her words were equally meticulous, confining all tasks to the scope of her department's authority and responsibility.

Jean Grey did not speak.

She simply took a step back silently, forming a stable triangular position with Hela and Wanda. This action itself was a silent statement.

They are one of the people in this system.

Gwen Stacy, however, is an outsider.

The three factions, under the subtle hints of a leader's glance or gesture, quickly transformed from internal rivals into a temporary alliance to exclude each other from the outside.

This is the order that Lynn established.

Personal feelings must be subordinate to the rules of the organization.

Gwen Stacy stood there, finally feeling the invisible, impenetrable wall.

Like a clueless newcomer, she barged into the boss's office, only to find that a core meeting was being held inside, one that she had no right to attend.

The leader she thought would stand up for her didn't even give her a chance to introduce herself.

Awkwardness, and a chilling sense of isolation, instantly enveloped her.

She wanted to speak up, to explain how she could help, and to share her experience dealing with mechanical creations.

"Excuse me."

Jean Grey's cool voice rang out, interrupting Gwen Stacy's words.

"This... madam," Qin paused in addressing her, seemingly choosing her words carefully, "Which department do you belong to? According to regulations, Sokovia is currently under maximum martial law; all outsiders must wait in designated areas for identity verification."

program.

Jean used the most impeccable procedure to launch a direct attack on Gwen Stacy.

"She has no official position," Hela scoffed, adding, "Nor any authorization. Here, she has no law enforcement power, much less the right to access any intelligence."

Wanda looked at her, her expression complex.

For a fleeting moment, she saw a reflection of herself in Gwen Stacy —the same person who thought she was unique, yet was plunged into Abyss by an anonymous tip.

But the sympathy was fleeting.

Sympathy is the cheapest thing when faced with the instinct to maintain one's own position and exclude potential competitors.

Lynn remained silent.

His silence was a form of acquiescence.

He watched Gwen Stacy, who had been cornered by a few words, and saw her go from initial elation to astonishment, and then to her current predicament and helplessness.

He wanted her to understand.

This is not the universe where she can do whatever she wants. Here, to stand by his side, one needs not some vague, ephemeral affection, but irreplaceable value and Absolute Obedience to the rules.

Gwen Stacy's lips moved, but in the end she didn't say anything in defense.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all the grievances and resentment surging in her heart.

She raised her head, no longer looking at the three women who were huddled together and ostracizing her, but instead fixing her gaze, once again and for the last time, firmly on Lynn's back.

She knew that conventional communication channels had been completely blocked.

Now, all she can do is offer her "pledge of allegiance."

A pledge of allegiance that would allow her to break the deadlock and gain the right to speak with him as an equal...

"Lynn."

She spoke again, but this time, she didn't use that affectionate address. Instead, she adopted a businesslike and extremely formal tone.

"Before we begin the cleanup work, I believe it is necessary to report an emergency to you."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

"I have intercepted a complete, unedited copy..."

"Quantum backup of Ultron's core data."