Where the news came from—did it really matter?
Not in the slightest.
What mattered was that it was likely true. As long as it was grounded in reality, then this case wouldn't be just a simple instance of police brutality; it would go much deeper.
The CIA has no domestic law enforcement authority. At least, not officially.
If the CIA was using the FBI as a front for operations, that would be a massive headline. If it was some never-before-heard-of mysterious agency, it would be even more interesting.
In short: whether it was the CIA or some shadow organization, it wasn't an obstacle for them. On the contrary, it was the key to winning the case.
Furthermore, if Judge Knott discovered that these were CIA agents—or members of an organization the public didn't even know existed—he would undoubtedly side with them. After all, Judge Knott was a champion of government transparency!
Locke listened to Buson Laun's reasoning and nodded. After a moment of thought, he asked, "I'm certain this information is true. So, should we leak it to the media?"
His target was S.H.I.E.L.D.
Buson Laun's earlier words had given him a faint whiff of danger. Fortunately, Judge Knott was on their side. Had it been any other judge, the DOJ's motion to dismiss might have succeeded, and the case would have been thrown out.
That wouldn't do. Locke had laid too much groundwork to let S.H.I.E.L.D. find a way to slip away at the last second.
Buson Laun frowned at Locke's suggestion. "We could, but if this information..."
Locke's expression grew serious. "They aren't CIA. They belong to a mysterious agency called the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."
"Homeland Security?"
"No." Locke shook his head, offering a disclosure: "When they first approached me, they let that slip. I did some digging and found that this so-called Division was established shortly after World War II. Moreover, it's a secret organization formed by the Five Great Powers."
Buson Laun was stunned. "Jointly established by the Five Great Powers?"
Locke nodded. "I can swear to it."
Laun looked at Locke's solemn face, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He was hesitating. This news... was too explosive. And frankly, it sounded a bit fake.
After all, everyone on the planet knew that the Five Great Powers were constantly at odds. Why would they jointly fund a law enforcement agency when they already had Interpol?
Besides... if this news were true, the trouble and danger associated with this case would increase exponentially.
But trouble? Danger?
Heh.
Exposing a mysterious law enforcement agency that the public had been kept in the dark about for decades by his own hand? That was beautiful.
However, after careful consideration, Laun looked at Locke. "Mr. Broughton, if this is true, I would still advise against releasing this to the media right now. The best time would be during the closed-door hearing in two days."
Locke raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
He wasn't afraid to ask when he didn't know something. He hadn't put any points into Law. Furthermore, he didn't assume he was the only smart person in the room; if he did, he wouldn't have hired a legal team.
Buson Laun explained with a grave face: "If what you're saying is true, then during the hearing, the opposition will do everything in their power to avoid exposure. They will likely attack you to prove that your arrest wasn't baseless. If we drop this bombshell then, we catch them completely off guard and ensure Judge Knott stays firmly on our side."
Laun let out a devious smile. "By then, they will be in true contempt of court."
People who aren't FBI, masquerading as FBI in a courtroom to address a judge? If that wasn't contempt of court, what was? And given that Judge Knott was a textbook supporter of transparency, he wouldn't let them off easy once he found out.
At that point, a 90 percent win rate would jump to 100 percent.
Locke's eyes lit up. The impact of exposing them in court would indeed be far more devastating to S.H.I.E.L.D. than leaking it now.
"Mr. Laun," Locke couldn't help but admire. "Hiring you as my lawyer was clearly a fantastic investment."
Buson Laun laughed. "Mr. Broughton, representing you in this case is a massive win for TNT&G."
Locke grinned. "Then can I get a refund on the legal fees?"
Buson Laun smiled back. "No!"
Locke chuckled. Though it had cost two million to retain TNT&G, considering the upcoming financial compensation and mission rewards, it wasn't just worth the money—it was a steal.
Soon, Buson Laun left the ward.
Gwen finally looked at Locke with curiosity. "Is that story real?"
Locke turned his head. "What?"
"The thing about the Five Great Powers?"
"It should be true. And guess what else I found?"
"What?"
"Ever heard of Captain America?"
Gwen closed the lid of her thermos. "Captain Steve Rogers? Of course. We visited the Captain America Museum on a field trip in eighth grade."
That's right. New York had a Captain America museum.
"Texas doesn't have one."
"Captain Rogers was from Brooklyn—a New Yorker—not a Texan. Besides, Captain Rogers didn't ride horses."
"Not necessarily," Locke shrugged. Horseback riding was still common in WWII, but that wasn't the point. "But do you know about Ms. Peggy Carter?"
Gwen's eyes brightened. "You mean Captain Rogers' rumored girlfriend, Ms. Peggy Carter?"
Whenever this topic came up, Gwen seemed to perk up instantly. Yes—rumored girlfriend. Because Steve Rogers went missing before they could formalize their relationship, she was often referred to as such.
Locke watched Gwen's sudden spark of energy with a blink, chalking it up to a woman's natural instinct for gossip. "When I was looking into it, I found out that this mysterious agency formed by the Five Powers was originally co-founded by Peggy Carter. Initially, its purpose was to hunt down remnants of the war."
Gwen's mouth hung open in shock. "Where did you find that? I never saw anything like that when I was searching."
Locke smiled. "I saw it on a small niche forum dedicated to researching Captain America and Peggy Carter."
Gwen nodded. "I see."
Cap was a legendary figure in this world—the legend. To most people in the Union, Cap was practically a living god. If a poll were held between Thor and Cap for the title of a god, Cap would win without question.
Since Locke framed it that way, Gwen's doubts vanished. There were tens of thousands of those small websites dedicated to Cap and Peggy Carter, popping up like stars in the sky.
"But..." Gwen said with some concern, "Information like that might be mostly fake. What if it isn't true?"
Locke replied, "That's why we aren't telling the media yet. Mr. Laun is considering that too. We'll wait to see the FBI's reaction during the hearing."
This was only natural. Locke understood Laun's hesitation; if someone suddenly told him that Captain America should actually be called Captain Hydra, he'd be skeptical too. It sounded a bit ridiculous.
Gwen thought about it, her intelligence quickly connecting the dots. "If they start being evasive during the hearing, it proves the story is true. Or at the very least, it proves they aren't actually FBI agents."
Locke smiled and nodded. Exactly.
Just then, the doctor in charge of Locke's treatment walked in.
...
The next day. Afternoon.
The doctor stared at the fresh test results in disbelief. He looked at Locke and said with awe, "If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes, I could hardly imagine a person's recovery capability could be this powerful."
Locke, who had already swapped his hospital gown for his own clothes, lowered his head and touched the cross necklace around his neck. "I suppose the credit belongs to the Cross."
Gwen, standing nearby with her mother, shot Locke a look. Her heart felt sweet, and a smile touched her lips.
The doctor laughed and closed the file. "Well, regardless, congratulations, Mr. Broughton. You're discharged."
Locke thanked him.
He had actually wanted to leave yesterday, but he worried about appearing too superhuman. If his "heavy strike" against S.H.I.E.L.D. caught the eye of some high-ranking official who decided to haul him off for dissection, that would be bad.
The military was not to be trifled with. After all, they were the ones brave enough to try and slice up the Hulk.
Punching S.H.I.E.L.D. carried zero psychological weight for Locke—it was just another law enforcement agency. But if he provoked the military, it would be real trouble.
So, Locke waited until today to be discharged. Tomorrow was the day of the hearing.
Locke couldn't wait to see S.H.I.E.L.D. get humiliated in court.
***
Bonus chapter for our 150 goal, it's 140+ right but I'll post this in advance.
Thanks for the support y'all, it means alot.
Next goal 300 stones, I'll post 2 chapters
As promised if we achieve it before Sunday reset.
Thanks for reading 🙏
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Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666