The External Observer's Old Files, the Illuminati's Precedent for Evading Review
Lynn removed his finger from the buttons on the Internal Communicator.
He did not immediately approve the meeting.
A lingering chill from Ravonna's departure still hung in the office, mixed with the tension that hadn't completely dissipated after Hela and Wanda's confrontation.
Dragging TVA into this is merely a stopgap measure.
When facing the Living Tribunal, any external force can only serve as a buffer; the real breakthrough must come from the rules themselves.
Susan Stone.
An External Observer who has just switched sides from the opposing camp, a "defector" with an awkward identity.
Is what she holds a trap, or a real key?
Lynn hesitated for a moment, then pressed the Communicator again.
"Let her in."
A few minutes later, the office door was silently pushed open.
Gwen Stacy didn't bring anyone herself; instead, one of her Liaison Office officers came. This arrangement perfectly reflected Susan's current ambiguous status as both a "controlled person" and an "unofficial consultant." It was both a form of supervision and a way to maintain basic decorum.
Susan walked in.
She was wearing a gray uniform issued by the Negative Zone Management Committee, without military rank or insignia, only a temporary name tag with the words "Extra-staff Inspector" printed on it pinned to her chest.
She held a sealed, dark gray data storage box in her hands, with the word "Top Secret" prominently branded on it.
She walked to a spot three steps away from Lynn's desk, stopped, and bowed slightly.
"Director."
Her voice was calm, without any extra emotion.
Lynn's gaze swept across her face and finally landed on the data box.
"Director Gwen Stacy said you've found a key precedent."
"Yes, Director." Susan gently placed the data box on the table and took a half-step back. "I found this on a disaster recovery server marked 'permanently archived' while organizing the internal files of the Earth-838 Illuminati."
She wasn't taking credit; she was simply stating a fact.
"The Illuminati has also received similar inquiries."
Lynn's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
He didn't speak, but simply raised his hand to signal her to continue.
Susan understood and gently tapped the side of the data box with her finger. A soft light screen was projected into the air in front of Lynn, revealing a restored dossier.
The title of the file made Lynn's pupils shrink slightly.
Memorandum No. 001 on Responding to the Supreme Court's Special Inquiry Regarding the Abnormal Fluctuations of the "Phoenix Force".
"Many years ago, Jean Grey in Earth-838 also experienced an energy outage, the effects of which reached several adjacent Dimension, attracting the attention of the Living Tribunal." Susan's voice was like that of an emotionless archivist, explaining word by word.
"At that time, the court also issued a Golden Scroll, requiring the head of the Illuminati, Reed Richards, to go to the ' Omniverse Hub ' for questioning."
The scroll on the light screen turned a page, revealing the minutes of the emergency meeting held by the Illuminati at that time.
Charles advocated for proactive communication, Captain Carter suggested a hardline confrontation, Mordo proposed sacrificing Jean Grey to quell the conflict.
Opinions vary.
"But Reed rejected all proposals." Susan's finger traced lightly across the screen. "He found a legal loophole, or rather, a reason that even the Living Tribunal couldn't easily refute."
The screen froze on a reply letter personally drafted by Reed Richards.
At its core, the letter invoked an ancient law established in the early days of the Multiverse but long forgotten by most civilizations.
The "Universal Ecological Indivisibility Act".
"The core idea of this bill is that the internal ecosystem of any stable universe is an indivisible whole. In particular, there is a binding relationship based on underlying rules between its core energy source and the Highest Access Privileges controller."
Susan's explanation was clear and precise.
In his reply, Reed emphasized that as the supreme decision-maker of Earth-838, his very existence is the ' Anchor ' for maintaining the Cosmic Energy. If he were to leave for the Nexus to be questioned, even for a short time, it could very likely cause a chain reaction of collapses in the energy balance system within Earth-838, thereby affecting the overall stability of the Multiverse.
"He cleverly elevated the issue of whether an individual should respond to a lawsuit to the level of public safety across the entire Multiverse."
Lynn's gaze was fixed on that one sentence in the reply.
"In order to preserve the Sacred Timeline and the Multiverse, I hereby request that this inquiry be postponed indefinitely."
He saw the final approval of the reply.
Next to the mark of the Living Tribunal, there is only one word.
"Allow."
The office was deathly silent.
This is indeed a very substantial pledge of allegiance.
Susan not only found a "legal weapon" to break the deadlock, but more importantly, she proved that this weapon was truly effective.
"Precedent Principle".
In any system that emphasizes procedures and rules, these four words carry immense power.
Since the Living Tribunal has granted a ruling once, it is difficult for it to make a completely contradictory decision in similar circumstances. Otherwise, it would undermine its own authority.
Lynn leaned back in his chair, his tense nerves finally starting to relax a little.
He looked at Susan, his eyes showing a genuine hint of approval for the first time.
"You did a great job, Inspector Susan."
This was the first time Lynn had addressed her with a formal title.
Susan's body relaxed almost imperceptibly for a moment, but she quickly returned to her previous posture. She knew that this achievement completely confirmed her transformation from "prisoner" to "subordinate".
"This is my job as a member of the Management Committee," she replied succinctly.
"This file is very valuable." Lynn tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "The Liaison Office will credit you for this."
He didn't mention any specific reward, but that statement itself carried the most weight of promises.
With this precedent, Lynn had enough confidence to engage in a protracted "paperwork game" with the Living Tribunal. He could simply follow Reed's logic and deeply link his own safety with the ecological security of the entire Negative Zone, and even with TVA's "Flood-Discharge Special Zone" plan.
What he needs now is simply for Gwen Stacy to draft a more rigorously worded and logically sound reply to the extension request.
"Very good." Lynn nodded, preparing to end the meeting. "Send a complete copy of the dossier to the Liaison Office, and then..."
"Director," Susan interrupted him.
Lynn's gaze fell on her again.
Susan's face did not show the ease of completing the task; instead, it showed a hint of seriousness.
"There's more to this case file than meets the eye."
She turned the screen to the last page.
"Although the Illuminati successfully applied for a postponement of the interrogation, the Living Tribunal did not give up."
"Three standard days after the approval was issued, the court dispatched a special representative to Earth-838."
Susan tapped her fingertip on the title of the representative and read it out word by word.
"Rule Envoy."