The procedural barriers of legal status, cross-dimension extradition of a special witness

The tip of the Night Sky Sword is devoid of warmth.

It was merely a purely conceptual Ending, pressed against Natasha's throat, erasing even the tactile sensation of skin.

The surrounding air seemed to have been sucked out; in the absolute silence, only Hela's two cold words echoed.

Soul Search.

This is the ultimate authority that the Stability Maintenance Office only uses when dealing with the highest level of threats. It disregards procedures and goes straight to the core.

The look of terror on Natasha's face, like paint on a mask coming into contact with water, slowly melted away, eventually revealing a layer of bleak calm beneath.

She didn't look at the sword.

Her gaze passed over Hela's shoulder and landed on Gwen Stacy, who was not far away.

With trembling fingers, she carefully held a corner of the charred document and handed it out.

The movements were slow, as if displaying an extremely precious and fragile antique.

Hela's gaze remained unchanged, completely ignoring the document. In her view, it was nothing more than another smokescreen thrown out by her prey when she was at her wit's end.

But Gwen Stacy moved.

She took only one step forward, standing between Hela and Natasha, perfectly blocking the sharpness of the Night Sky Sword.

"Director Hela."

Gwen Stacy's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in this pure white space.

"Please watch your words and actions."

Hela finally shifted her gaze from Natasha to Gwen Stacy's face. There was no anger in her eyes, only a deathly, unyielding authority.

Gwen Stacy did not back down. She adjusted her glasses, which were not actually on her nose, an unconscious action she took when she needed absolute focus.

"According to Annex III, Article 11 of the 'Cross- Dimension Bilateral Personnel Safety Protection Memorandum' signed between the Management Committee and TVA," Gwen Stacy spoke slowly but clearly, as if reading a verdict, "Personnel holding ' Timeline Observer ' credentials issued by TVA in its early official period and which have not been formally revoked are protected by the highest regulations of both parties. Neither party may take coercive measures against them without joint review."

She paused, her gaze shifting to the charred document in Natasha's hand.

"Including, but not limited to, the ' Soul Search ' you just mentioned."

Hela fell silent.

Of course she knew about the memorandum. It was brought back by Lynn from the Castle at the End of Time, and it was one of the cornerstones that gave the Negative Zone Management Committee its legitimate status.

She just never imagined that these rules, created by Lynn herself, would become a shield protecting an enemy.

Wanda stood aside the whole time, observing coldly.

In her Scarlet eyes, Chaos energy surged silently like an undercurrent in the deep sea. She cared neither about procedures nor rules.

All she saw was yet another woman with a murky past with "him" appearing.

In the brief moment of confrontation between Gwen Stacy and Hela, a faint, Scarlet Energy silently probed into the depths of Natasha's consciousness.

This is an extremely clever technique that bypasses physical defenses and targets the mental level directly.

However, the energy was blocked by an invisible barrier the moment it touched Natasha's mental Bastion.

Natasha's gaze shifted to Wanda, her face displaying a perfectly timed, slightly fearful confusion.

"Minister Wanda," her voice was still weak, yet carried an undeniable air of authority, "According to the Cross-Dimension Mental Privacy Protection Act, any form of mental probing without the individual's written consent is Class A violation. Your actions just now... do I need to submit a formal explanation to the Liaison Office?"

The Scarlet light in Wanda's eyes paused slightly.

Looking at the seemingly disheveled woman before her, she felt a sense of unease for the first time.

This person is not only familiar with the Management Committee's external agreements, but also knows the internal regulations inside and out. She is like a top lawyer, wrapping herself in layers of legal statutes, leaving you with a lot of power but nowhere to start.

deadlock.

"Give me the file."

Gwen Stacy broke the silence and extended her hand to Natasha.

Natasha obediently handed over the charred document.

Gwen Stacy took the document and carefully unfolded it. The main body of the document was incomplete, but the personal information, serial number, and the dark red Raptor stamp in the Core Zone were still clearly legible.

Natasha Romanoff, TVA Timeline Observer, ID 73-B.

Gwen Stacy read the message aloud in a low voice, then looked up at Natasha.

"The last activation record for this ID was before TVA cut off the Timeline for E-616. Since then, it has remained dormant and has not been officially cancelled by TVA."

She was stating the facts, and also explaining to Hela and Wanda.

Hela retrieved the Night Sky Sword.

The sword tip vanished, and the bone-chilling cold also dissipated. But the aura around her only intensified.

"So what?" Hela asked coldly, "Let her go?"

"No."

Gwen Stacy shook her head.

"She illegally intruded into the Abandoned Dimension, is suspected of stealing secrets from the Management Committee, and directly caused an S-rank security incident. These all need to be investigated."

Gwen Stacy's gaze swept over the three of them.

"But given her special status, both violent interrogation and psychological probing are no longer compliant with regulations. I have decided," she emphasized, "To invoke the Special Witness Cross-Dimension Extradition Regulations."

"Comrade Natasha Comrade Romanoff, as the sole Survivor of the ' Red Room ' base bombing, a key witness, and a special asset protected by the Bilateral Memorandum, will be formally extradited back to the Negative Zone Headquarters for further questioning by the Liaison Office."

A cold smile curled at the corners of Hela's lips.

In Wanda's eyes, the Scarlet energy slowly faded, returning to a profound calm.

They all understood.

Gwen Stacy used an impeccable procedure to bring Natasha from their private trial to the official procedures of the Management Committee.

From then on, Natasha was no longer an enemy who needed to be judged.

She became a "job" that needed to be handled in accordance with regulations.

A small, escort spacecraft bearing the emblem of the Negative Zone Management Committee Liaison Office moved smoothly through the Dimension passage.

The cabin was quiet.

Grenadier and Wanda sat on the left, Hela sat alone on the right. The three of them were clearly separated, and no one spoke.

Natasha was placed at the very front, and she had changed into a clean gray uniform, the standard attire for Liaison Office office field staff.

A screen of light floated in front of her.

The screen displayed the "Approval for the Cross- Dimension Extradition of Special Witness Natasha Romanoff," which had just been drafted by the Liaison Office and issued with the Highest Access Privileges of the Director's Office.

The document's heading was the official red letterhead of the Negative Zone Management Committee.

At the very bottom of the document, in the signatory section, Natasha's flamboyant signature was clearly visible.

Lynn.

Her gaze remained quietly fixed on those two words.

a long time.

A barely perceptible, morbid fanaticism flashed deep in Natasha's eyes. A barely perceptible, satisfied smile curved her lips.