An unexplained security deployment, the Stability Maintenance Office chief's probe

The air in the White Bone Hall felt like frozen ice.

Lynn moved his fingertip away from the enlarged red dot on the 3D map, and the entire Earth, composed of light and shadow, disappeared.

The vast hall fell silent once more.

He did not turn around, but simply sat quietly on the Throne.

Footsteps came from outside the hall, unhurried and rhythmic with a metallic quality.

It's Hela.

She walked to the center of the hall, stopped, and stood at attention. Her dark green, tight-fitting War Armor outlined sharp lines, but it seemed somewhat out of place against the stark white bones of the surrounding space.

She had just come from her own Stability Maintenance Office, and still carried a trace of the cold, murderous aura unique to the Undead Legion.

"Gentlemen."

Hela's voice, as always, carried her arrogance. Even when reporting on work, there was little of the humility a subordinate should have.

Lynn did not respond.

He simply raised his hand, and a command transformed into a black Data Stream, projecting directly in front of Hela.

"Emergency Notice Regarding the Implementation of Maximum Security Controls at the Abandoned Subway Station 14-B in Queens, New York."

The notice was very short, consisting of only a few words.

The core requirement is singular: the Stability Maintenance Office must take the lead in deploying the highest level of "physical denial" defenses at the designated coordinates.

The term "physical denial" is internal jargon. It means blocking all entrances and exits at the conventional physical level and isolating all internal and external exchanges of energy and information.

This is the wartime standard.

After Hela read the notification, the Data Stream automatically disappeared.

Her face was expressionless.

"Clear."

She readily agreed, without asking why or who the enemy was.

This seems to be her consistent style: she only cares about execution, not the reasons behind it.

Lynn's gaze finally fell on her.

Hela received the order but did not leave immediately. She took a step forward, a subtle movement that brought her closer to the Throne.

"Sir, to ensure the absolute reliability of the highest level of defense, I plan to deploy the First and Third Assault Teams of the Undead Legion to carry out the outer perimeter blockade, while the Asgard Einherjar Guard will be responsible for the control of key nodes in the Core Zone."

She spoke slowly, as if presenting a predetermined, professional plan.

"At the same time, three layers of ' Death Veil ' barriers need to be laid to shield and absorb any possible energy Impact. Preliminary estimates suggest that this will require at least 30% of the energy reserves in the ' Underworld Armory '."

Her report was extremely detailed, covering everything from troop movements and tactical arrangements to resource consumption; every detail was clear and concise.

This doesn't seem like a request for instructions; it's more like using the reporting of work details to probe the true purpose of the task.

Such a massive deployment, just for an abandoned subway station? That doesn't make sense. Unless, that place is about to face an enemy powerful enough to threaten the entire Negative Zone.

She needs to determine what kind of fish the top leader is trying to catch.

Lynn listened quietly.

He looked at Hela, at this unruly Goddess of Death, who, after the failed operation at the Manhattan Clock Shop and the reprimands at the accountability meeting, had learned to express her demands in a more subtle way.

Instead of directly questioning her, she returned the question with a professional report.

If you don't tell me who the enemy is, then I can only proceed according to the highest standards. The resulting enormous resource consumption is not my responsibility.

This is a very clever, overt strategy.

The silence in the hall lasted for more than ten seconds.

Hela could feel the scrutinizing gaze from the Throne, making her back tense. She maintained her reporting posture, awaiting Lynn's next instructions.

Perhaps he would reveal some information about the enemy so that she could adjust her deployment and conserve resources.

Perhaps he would approve of her plan and acknowledge the importance of this operation.

However, Lynn's reaction exceeded her expectations.

Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask.

Lynn's voice was flat, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, yet it was like a cold hammer, shattering all of Hela's attempts to probe.

"Enforce Discipline."

Hela's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

Her prepared follow-up report on backup teams and contingency Contingency Plan was abruptly cut off.

The air inside the hall seemed to instantly grow colder.

She felt like a clown who thought he was being clever; all her carefully prepared words and probing attempts seemed so ridiculous and presumptuous in the face of the other party's absolute authority.

humiliation.

Frustration.

There was also a hint of unease stemming from the unknown.

These emotions surged within her, but her face remained cold and expressionless.

She took a slow, deep breath.

Yes, sir.

This time, the innate arrogance in her voice was suppressed.

She didn't say another word, turned around decisively, and walked out of the hall.

Her back was ramrod straight.

New York, Queens.

The abandoned subway station entrance was cordoned off with layers of construction warning tape, and a sign outside read "Line maintenance, no entry".

Hela stood in the shadows of the entrance, coldly watching her Undead Soldiers silently file in.

They were like black shadows, disappearing into the bottomless darkness of the subway station.

The air was filled with the smell of rust and dust.

Lynn's orders had to be obeyed. But the feeling of being used as a pawn without knowing why made her extremely unhappy.

She didn't believe this was just a simple deployment.

"Commander."

A Undead Centurion appeared silently behind her and knelt on one knee.

"Deep scan complete."

"Speak."

"The underground pipeline network here is extremely complex. In addition to the regular municipal lines, we discovered a secret passage that was physically sealed off."

The Centurion's voice echoed hollowly, a sound unique to the undead.

"At the other end of the channel, comparisons are made based on historical maps in the database..."

He paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words.

"Pointing to the former S.H.I.E.L.D.. site, the seventh basement level of the Triskelion."

Hela's gaze suddenly sharpened.

S.H.I.E.L.D..

That man's starting point.

She turned sharply, looking up at the sky, her gaze seemingly trying to pierce through layers of space and return to that Bone Throne.

This trap wasn't dug for anyone else.

This is him clearing up his own historical legacy issues.