The Procedural Loophole in the Specially Approved Pass, the Liaison Chief's Limits
The Hourglass Insignia, composed of golden sand and a sharp sword, slowly rotated on the Data Pad, exuding an unquestionable authority.
The air in the Entry Hall seemed to have been sucked out.
A somber, oppressive atmosphere.
Even the Death Energy swirling around the armor of Hela's Undead Guards seemed to freeze for a moment.
Proctor's face regained that haughty, cat-and-mouse-like arrogance that belonged to those in power. He admired Gwen Stacy's face, mostly hidden behind a white protective mask, behind the energy barrier.
He believed the expression behind the mask must be quite something.
"Director Stacy," Proctor's voice was low, yet carried a Ending, authoritative quality, "Now, do you still require us to submit a health declaration?"
The TVA agents behind him unconsciously straightened their backs even more.
This is the highest order from the End of Time, an absolute will that transcends all judges and departments within TVA. Any rules or regulations are nothing but waste paper before this mark.
Behind the energy barrier, Gwen Stacy remained motionless.
Her gaze, like a high-precision scanner, moved inch by inch across the electronic document.
The title, font, wording, and format all conform to the highest level of TVA standards.
And at the very bottom, there is that undeniable Personal Seal belonging to the "He Who Remains".
Hela's hand was already on the hilt of the Night Sky Sword. With just a glance from Gwen Stacy, she wouldn't mind showing these TVA lackeys what real "quarantine" was like.
But Gwen Stacy didn't look at her.
Gwen Stacy's gaze slowly shifted from the spinning Hourglass Insignia to a blank area next to it.
There was nothing there.
In her mind, the contingency Contingency Plan that Lynn had given her before his departure, as well as the hundreds of pages of the Interdimensional Bilateral Agreement that she had studied all night, flashed by like Data Stream.
She found it.
"Mr. Proctor."
Gwen Stacy spoke, her voice amplified, remaining steady and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Proctor raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that the other person could still speak under such pressure.
"We have never questioned His He Who Remains the Remnant's authority," Gwen Stacy. "On the contrary, it is precisely to uphold the seriousness and sanctity of this supreme authority that we need to strictly adhere to the rules."
Proctor scoffed as if he had heard the funniest joke.
"Follow the rules? Your rules are worthless in the face of His He Who Remains the Remainer's instructions."
"You're mistaken," Gwen Stacy corrected him. "I'm referring to the ' Interdimensional Bilateral Agreement, ' which was jointly signed by TVA and the Negative Zone and reported to the Multiverse Coordination Bureau, and has the highest legal force."
She raised her hand, and a new screen popped up beside her, precisely pointing to a specific page of the agreement.
"Agreement, Annex VII, Article 3: To ensure procedural justice and avoid the risks of overstepping authority and forging instructions, any major instructions involving ' Cross-Jurisdiction Forced Entry,' ' Asset Freeze,' and ' Armed Clearance ' shall require double authentication."
Gwen Stacy's voice, like a Scalpel, precisely sliced through the other person's seemingly impeccable facade of authority.
"The so-called dual authentication means that, in addition to the signature of the highest issuer, the directive must also be countersigned by the highest competent authority in the specific law enforcement field involved, to confirm that the implementation details of the directive comply with regulations and that the risks are controllable."
Proctor's smile froze.
"Your operation this time is a 'joint inspection,' which falls under the jurisdiction of the TVA Adjudication Office." Gwen Stacy's gaze, through her mask, pierced directly at Proctor. "Therefore, according to regulations, this Specially Approved Pass must bear not only the seal of the He Who Remains but also the official countersignature of the Adjudication Office."
She paused, her tone carrying just the right amount of businesslike doubt.
"But I didn't see it."
The hall was deathly silent.
Proctor stared intently at Gwen Stacy, while the agents behind him exchanged glances, their arrogance vanished.
They were caught exploiting a loophole in the program.
A fatal flaw.
"This... this is an emergency! His He Who Remains the Remnant's orders exempt us from these formalities!" Proctor's voice was somewhat stern but weak.
"I understand your feelings, but rules are rules." Gwen Stacy's tone left no room for argument. "The exemption clause also clearly states that it requires the joint approval of all three judges of the TVA Supreme Court. This document doesn't mention it either."
Gwen Stacy took a step forward, almost touching the energy barrier.
"Mr. Proctor, on behalf of the Negative Zone Management Committee, I now express serious concern regarding the procedural legality of this passage order."
"Therefore, I hereby announce the formal commencement of a 48-hour ' Emergency Interdimensional Document Review Procedure ' in accordance with Article 11 of Chapter IV of the General Provisions of the Interdimensional Bilateral Agreement."
"During this period, the Negative Zone Liaison Office will formally send letters to the TVA Adjudication Office and the Supreme Court to verify the background of the issuance of this travel order and the specific reasons for the missing countersignature."
"No one may enter the Negative Zone Jurisdiction without receiving a formal, compliant written response."
After Gwen Stacy finished speaking, she took a step back and gave an order to the Communications Officer beside her.
"Enter the TVA inspection team's review application into the system, generate a pending receipt, print one copy, and give it to Mr. Proctor."
"Furthermore, inform the Logistics Department to prepare some hot tea and snacks for the guests who have traveled from afar in the temporary reception room in the buffer zone. Make sure they do not experience any inconvenience while waiting for the review results."
This combination of punches was executed flawlessly.
They didn't argue or resist the law; they simply raised the shield of "procedure" to its highest level.
Don't you have a top-level directive? Sure. But I need to send a letter to my superior unit to verify why this top-level directive looks slightly different from the one in the regulations.
Proctor's chest heaved violently, his face turned from red to blue, and finally to a steely gray.
He was checkmated.
Using the rules he was most proud of.
He could forcibly tear apart this energy barrier, but the team he brought would then be guilty of "unauthorized armed intrusion." He himself would bear full responsibility for this failed attempt.
A clerk from the Liaison Office quickly came over with a Data Pad and politely handed it to Proctor through the light screen.
"Mr. Proctor, this is your application receipt. Please check it."
Proctor looked at the reply as if it were a tremendous insult. He snatched it away, turned and left, not even bothering to say a word of politeness.
TVA's team slunk back to the buffer zone.
The energy barrier slowly dissipated.
Hela walked to Gwen Stacy's side, watching the backs of the TVA group, a complex look appearing in her eyes for the first time. She snorted, a form of acknowledgment.
"He's certainly mastered Lynn's trick of using someone else's power to intimidate others, learning it perfectly."
Gwen Stacy removed her protective mask and let out a soft breath. A fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
The mental strain of that intense struggle was far greater than that of a battle.
She ignored Hela's teasing and simply looked up at the huge electronic clock on the wall of the hall.
A Scarlet countdown has been activated.
47:59:58.
The numbers keep jumping around relentlessly.
She knew she had only pressed the pause button.
Forty-eight hours later, if the Adjudication Office and the Supreme Court cannot provide a reasonable explanation, or if the other party simply abandons all pretense and submits a fully documented official document, that will be the moment when their true intentions are revealed.
But by then, will Lynn be able to come back?