The Brotherhood's Closed-Door Questioning, the Committee Director's Countermaneuver
The small conference room is on the third floor of the Mutants Management Committee.
The air conditioner was blowing cold air at full blast, but the air was still so stuffy that it was hard to breathe.
Jean Grey sat at the head of the long conference table. There were no documents in front of her, only a glass of cold water.
Across from them, three Brotherhood representatives sat side by side, their bodies taut like three fully drawn bows. The one in the lead was a burly, bald man, codenamed "Torch," known for his fiery temper. His hands were crossed on the table, his knuckles slightly white from the excessive force.
They have been sitting here in silence for ten minutes.
No one spoke; this silence itself was a form of pressure.
"Director Qin."
Finally, it was "Torch" who spoke first, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out of his throat, with a metallic, scraping quality.
"We're not here to listen to a report, nor to have tea."
"We just want to know, where is Mr. Erik?"
He spoke each word slowly and heavily.
Qin looked at him calmly, without answering immediately. She knew that at this moment, whoever panicked first would lose.
"Regarding Erik's whereabouts, the Management Committee has issued an official situation report." Qin's voice was flat. "According to the highest directives, the incident has been preliminarily classified as..."
"Enough!"
"Torch" slammed his hand on the table, the solid wood surface making a loud bang. The two representatives behind him also stood up, glaring angrily.
"Don't try to fool us with those official jargon! What foreign forces, what malicious kidnapping! Mr. Erik got into your car under the full arrangement of your Management Committee, and then just vanished into thin air!"
"Right now, everyone in Krakoa is asking, can the Management Committee really protect us?"
"Comrade Torch," Qin addressed him formally, but her tone turned cold. "Watch your words and attitude. This is the Management Committee's meeting room, not Brotherhood boxing ring."
"If you're here to resolve a problem, please sit down. If you're here to cause trouble, the door is over there."
She raised her hand and pointed to the conference room door.
Torch's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. He hadn't expected that Jean Grey, who usually seemed so gentle, would be so tough at this moment.
The two people behind him were about to lash out, but he stopped them with a look. He stared intently at the zither, his chest heaving violently, but finally slowly sat back down.
If hard tactics don't work, try softer ones.
"Director Qin, we're not here to cause trouble." "Torch's" tone softened slightly, but remained aggressive. "We're just extremely worried about Mr. Erik's safety. He's our leader, and also your... old friend."
"You have to give us an explanation today. Otherwise, we can't face the hundreds of thousands of brothers below."
The threat was self-evident.
Qin ignored the veiled barbs in his words. She gave her assistant a wink.
The assistant understood and immediately connected a device to the projection screen in the conference room.
"An explanation will naturally be given," Qin said, "But it must be based on facts, not emotional speculation."
The curtain lights up.
The footage shows the last segment of surveillance video of the car entering the underground tunnel. Everything appears normal.
Then, the screen went black.
When the screen lit up again, it showed the Stability Maintenance Office personnel breaking down the door and entering the car. The car was empty.
"Torch" frowned deeply. "What does this prove? It only proves that your security is completely ineffective!"
"Please pay attention to the key points."
Qin's assistant froze the image and zoomed in.
In the back seat, the pure black card was clearly visible to everyone. The distorted symbols on the card exuded an ominous aura.
This is the only item left at the scene.
As Qin spoke, she gestured to her assistant to place an evidence bag on the table and push it in front of "Torch". Inside was a high-precision replica of the "Battleworld" card.
"Torch" picked up the evidence bag and examined it from all angles, his eyes filled with confusion and vigilance.
"Based on the Technology Division's preliminary analysis, and Top Secret intelligence we obtained from other channels," Qin's voice was calm and measured, each word striking a chord deep within the other person's heart, "This card, and the technology used to take Mr. Erik, its energy characteristics and methods, are highly similar to those of the organization that previously attempted to infiltrate and 'prune' our entire Timeline."
That organization.
TVA.
This name is no secret among the upper echelons of the Management Committee. As the core group, the Brotherhood has naturally heard of it as well.
Torch's expression changed.
If he previously believed this was merely a dereliction of duty or even a conspiracy within the Management Committee, now that the matter is linked to a terrorist organization capable of "manipulating" Timeline, the nature of the issue has completely changed.
That was no longer an internal conflict that their Brotherhood resolve, but an external survival crisis facing the entire Negative Zone.
Seeing the change in the other person's expression, Qin knew that the time was right.
"Therefore, this is not a simple disappearance case, but a premeditated and precise strike against our core leadership and the foundation of our stability."
"The enemy is cunning. They chose to operate within our internal processes, aiming to incite internal strife, cause us to fight each other, and become suspicious of one another."
Qin stood up, placed her hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and glanced at everyone opposite her.
"Tell me, Comrade Torch, at this moment, should we turn our fists against our own comrades, or should we unite against external forces and bring back our leader?"
His words were powerful and resounding.
"Torch" opened his mouth, unable to utter a single word. He was completely stumped.
Qin didn't give him much time to think and immediately presented the next step.
"With the approval of the highest leadership, we have decided to immediately establish the 'November 15th Special Joint Investigation Team ' to coordinate all resources and do everything in our power to solve this case."
"I understand the eagerness of my Brotherhood comrades, and I admire your loyalty to Mr. Erik."
"Therefore, I hereby announce that the Brotherhood specially authorized to send three of its most capable members to join the investigation team immediately, specifically responsible for gathering clues and preparing for rescue operations in the surrounding areas."
"Didn't you want an explanation? This is the best explanation. Use your eyes to see, use your hands to do, and personally participate in the operation to rescue the leader."
"This is the organization's trust in you, and it is also your responsibility."
A series of combined punches, executed flawlessly.
First, use external threats to form a united front; then, assign tasks with high-sounding reasons; and finally, use "trust" and "responsibility" to firmly bind the other side to your own chariot.
"Torch" and his two companions looked at each other in bewilderment.
They came to demand an explanation, intending to escalate the situation and force the Management Committee to compromise or even replace them.
But now, they've been assigned work and become members of the "Joint Investigation Team."
reject?
That would mean disregarding the overall situation and being indifferent to the safety of the leader. No one can afford to wear that label.
accept?
That would be tantamount to acknowledging the Management Committee's leading role in this matter, transforming it from an accountability body into an executor. All the anger and momentum would be completely worn down by the heavy and tedious workload.
"What? You're unwilling?" Qin's tone carried a perfectly timed hint of sarcasm. "Or do you think that, aside from banging on the table here, you have no ability to do anything to rescue Mr. Erik?"
"Who said that!" Torch jumped to his feet like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Of course we're willing! We'll go back and pick the people right now!"
After saying that, he led his men out of the conference room without looking back, as if afraid that if he stayed even a second longer, the other party would see his frustration and embarrassment.
The meeting room door closed.
Qin's tense back finally relaxed slowly. She sat back in her chair, feeling somewhat exhausted, picked up the glass of water that had long since gone cold, and drank it all in one gulp.
The office returned to silence.
The assistant stepped forward and reported in a low voice, "Director, Director Wanda from the Department of Technology just sent an urgent encrypted document, a preliminary analysis report on that card."
Qin nodded, gesturing for her assistant to open it.
On the screen, the file was decrypted.
The report was brief, consisting mostly of complex data models.
However, the conclusion section only contains one line of text.
"The Underlying Logic of this target's teleportation is highly consistent with certain provisions of the Interdimensional Extradition Treaty No. 7 signed during the old S.H.I.E.L.D.. era, and procedurally... it presents a bizarre compliance."