Dimensional Trader in Marvel

"Screech!" A military jeep, rarely seen on the streets of New York, pulled up in front of One Police Plaza, the headquarters of the New York Police Department in Lower Manhattan.

The Director General of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), Major General Phillips, stepped out of the vehicle with a grim expression, accompanied by his deputy as they entered the building.

His mood was understandably sour.

A highly decorated agent had been ambushed, Bucky Barnes had been kidnapped, and to top it off, the entire New York division of the SSR—including the director, team leaders, and over a dozen agents—had been arrested by the police. Now he, the director of the SSR, had to travel from Washington to bail them out.

The incident had made the SSR the laughingstock of Washington government circles.

Unfortunately, Phillips was unable to do anything about it.

The political system in the United States was structured so that even if you were part of a military intelligence agency, local government agencies like city councils and police departments operated independently and could choose to disregard your authority completely.

At present, the SSR was just one of many intelligence agencies under the Department of Defense.

While the agency had earned considerable merit during World War II, its jurisdiction overlapped with many other intelligence organizations, leading to its diminished standing and even the threat of possible disbandment—a far cry from the future S.H.I.E.L.D., which would wield immense influence.

In fact, in terms of sheer size, the SSR was smaller than the NYPD.

This created a significant problem; many of the SSR's domestic operations were technically illegal under U.S. jurisdiction.

If local law enforcement turned a blind eye, things went smoothly. But if they chose to retaliate, they could not only arrest SSR agents but also use deadly force without facing repercussions.

Posing as other agencies was also out of the question. While the future S.H.I.E.L.D. could impersonate the FBI due to its high level of influence, the FBI of this era was at its peak under the formidable Director J. Edgar Hoover, whom even presidents hesitated to cross. For Phillips, a mere major general, it would be suicidal to send his agents posing as FBI personnel.

After identifying himself and explaining his purpose to the officers at the entrance—and enduring their curious stares—Phillips was led into the commissioner's office.

It took a lengthy negotiation of promises and concessions before Phillips, his expression darker than ever, was granted permission to retrieve his agents.

Meanwhile, NYPD Commissioner Tate cheerfully escorted the visiting Major General from Washington out of his office.

The two men were acquainted; Tate had been a high-ranking military officer himself only a year ago. Retired from active duty due to injuries, he had recuperated in the United States before moving into a law enforcement role.

Earlier this year, he was appointed NYPD commissioner by the city's mayor.

Due to the independent nature of the U.S. judicial system, the position of police commissioner was technically a civilian role appointed by local executives. With enough political power, it was possible to become a police commissioner without any prior law enforcement experience.

For example, the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, had served as NYPD commissioner in 1895. Prior to that role, his only relevant experience was a brief six-month term as a deputy sheriff in the Dakota Territory in 1885—a position that had no significant connection to the New York police system. Beyond that, Roosevelt had no other police credentials.

In most cases, mayors still prefer to select someone from within the police force to fill the role of commissioner.

But despite knowing Phillips personally, Tate had no intention of giving him much leeway. After all, the existence of the New York division of the Strategic Scientific Reserve directly undermined his authority as NYPD commissioner.

Since the SSR operated as a secret agency, Tate couldn't openly suppress it without concrete evidence.

This time, however, Dooley's reckless actions gave Tate the perfect opportunity—not only to assert his authority, but also to curry favor with Josh, a powerful tycoon. For Tate, it was a win-win situation that made him all too happy.

But now that Phillips had arrived in person, Tate knew it was time to back off. It wouldn't be wise to antagonize the SSR completely; his goals had already been achieved.

As Phillips was led into the holding cells, he was greeted by the sight of Dooley and the senior New York Division agents sitting gloomily, their heads practically buried in their hands.

Though shaking with anger, Phillips controlled himself in front of the onlooking officers. Quietly, he took custody of his men and left.

It had been humiliating enough. If the police got any more entertainment out of this mess, the entire New York Division might as well be disbanded.

"Everyone in the conference room now!" Back at the Bell Telephone Company office, Phillips barked his order and marched into the conference room.

"Hmph, a bunch of useless fools! Embarrassed now, are you? Did you think you could treat the U.S. like Japan and do whatever you wanted?" After everyone had gathered, Phillips finally exploded, berating Dooley and the others without restraint.

The agents lowered their heads, not daring to utter a word in defense.

"Now, I have new personnel announcements. Agent Sousa!" Phillips called to a young, handsome male agent sitting in the corner. He was one of the few senior agents not implicated in the recent embarrassing mess.

The crutch at his side made it clear why he hadn't been involved—he was a cripple, unable to go on field missions.

"Yes, sir!" Sousa replied, surprised to hear his name.

"Effective immediately, you will serve as Acting Director of the New York Division. As for the rest of you—except Dooley—consider this an warning! Dooley, you are suspended. Pack your things and come with me to see Mr. Kahn. If you fail to secure his forgiveness, you will be court-martialed!"

Under the stunned and sympathetic eyes of his colleagues, Phillips stripped Roger Dooley of his position and appointed Sousa, who had nothing to do with the incident, as temporary director.

Phillips had little choice. As much as he disliked appointing a cripple, the situation left him with no viable alternative. The matter of Bucky's kidnapping was significant, and Dooley had taken nearly all of the senior agents to the hospital, leaving no uninvolved candidate to fill the position.

Without Josh's forgiveness, Phillips couldn't risk putting someone connected to the whole mess in charge of the division.

The reason was simple. While Phillips had managed to get everyone off the hook, the problem was far from solved.

The NYPD had merely played the role of law enforcement in maintaining public order during the incident. The real deciding factor was with Josh.

If Josh forgave them, the matter would end there.

But if Josh chose to press charges, every agent involved—without exception—would face a military court-martial.

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