Senator Underwood couldn't just stand by and watch as the newly appointed President of the United States acted recklessly.
He immediately placed a call to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Carol had expected these guys wouldn't stay quiet for long.
"Hello, Senator Underwood." Carol looked at the senator's face on the large screen, maintaining her composure.
After all, every time this man showed up, it was never good news for America. Last time, he directly undermined President Howard, plunging the country into chaos and pushing it to the brink of collapse.
"Where is the new President of the United States? Where is he now?" Senator Underwood didn't bother acknowledging Carol's greeting. Instead, he scanned the command center of S.H.I.E.L.D.
There was no sign of that bat—none at all.
"If you're looking for the President, you can tell me, and I'll pass the message along," Carol responded bluntly.
"There's no need for hostility, Vice President Carol. We're all working for the good of America," Underwood said with a smile.
Carol remained silent, but her expression made her attitude clear—she had no fondness for this senator.
Underwood, however, was completely unfazed by her glare. He simply kept smiling.
"We all know who truly has America's best interests at heart." Carol responded coolly, countering his sickening grin with a retort of her own.
Underwood merely chuckled.
"Things aren't always as they seem, my dear. We must look at the bigger picture." Placing himself in a position of seniority, he spoke to Carol as if lecturing a child.
"We can't just act like characters in an old Western, pulling our guns at the first sign of disagreement. We need time, strategy, and patience. I trust you understand."
As he spoke, he even had the gall to wink at her.
If it weren't for all the stress lately making it impossible for her to eat properly, Carol would have already thrown up from sheer disgust at his expression.
"I need to ensure that, before the new president speaks with us, he doesn't issue any more orders for Captain America and his team to interfere in these matters," Underwood finally revealed his true intention.
"So, give me the new president's contact information. I believe we'll have a very pleasant conversation."
Carol simply stared at him in silence. To be honest, even if she had the president's contact information, there was no way she would hand it over.
But the truth was, there was no such contact information at all. The Bat had never given them any. Every time he needed to communicate, he simply hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems.
Underwood, seeing Carol's lack of response, seemed to realize something.
"It looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have the new president's contact information either," he said with a smile, though his tone had noticeably cooled.
"How can the public trust a president who is a complete mystery—someone who never shows his face, whose name is unknown? Unless, of course, the new president is actually Batman from a comic book."
"But I believe you understand better than anyone that we live in the real world—a world where comic book characters don't exist."
Underwood was about to continue speaking when he noticed the slight smirk forming at the corner of Carol's lips.
"Does the lack of a contact number amuse you, Ms. Danvers?" Underwood's expression darkened, as if preparing to lecture the woman who, in his eyes, had only reached the vice presidency through sheer luck.
Carol shook her head, then smiled at him. "I'm just laughing because you're about to meet the new president."
Before Underwood could process what she meant, he heard the sound of glass shattering behind him.
A powerful hand grabbed his head and slammed it down onto his desk.
"It looks like the senator is having a very pleasant conversation with my vice president," a deep, menacing voice echoed through Underwood's office.
The security guards outside his office had rushed in the moment they heard the window shatter. But now, faced with the scene before them, they hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Because the one pinning Senator Underwood down was none other than the new President of the United States—Batman.
Underwood didn't speak. He simply glared furiously at the Bat.
He hadn't expected this man to be so reckless as to barge into his own territory.
Though, strangely enough, to Carol, the situation felt oddly familiar. After all, Batman had done the exact same thing when he stormed the White House and broke President Howard's nose.
"Is there anything else I need to do, Senator Underwood?" Carol asked with a smile—though Underwood could no longer see it.
Underwood didn't respond, but Bruce gave Carol a small nod, signaling that she could end the call.
Underwood quickly composed himself. Though he was still pinned down, he was able to speak.
He ordered the security guards to leave the office and instructed everyone else not to enter until further notice.
The Secret Service, knowing they were caught between the current President of the United States and a senator under their protection, wisely chose not to intervene.
After all, neither of these two men was someone they could afford to cross.
After the two Secret Service agents left, Underwood patted the table, hoping the current Batman would let go of him. After all, talking to Batman in this manner was far from a pleasant experience.
"Mr. President, I think you should release me now." Seeing that Batman had no reaction to his table-patting, Underwood had no choice but to speak directly to him.
Bruce didn't let go of Underwood. Instead, he leaned in closer to his ear and said,
"I already told you, the Senate Emergency Committee has been dissolved."
Bruce's terrifying voice sent chills down Underwood's spine, but it did not shake his resolve.
Underwood swallowed hard. To be honest, explaining everything in this situation was quite a challenge for him.
Especially with Batman pressing down on his head—it was an unbearable feeling.
"Mr. President, ever since the attack on Washington, the Senate Emergency Committee has been overseeing every sitting president's office. Without the committee's approval, you have no authority to negotiate any peace agreements or deploy the military."
Underwood spoke with great confidence, knowing that everything he said was true. Even if the man in front of him managed to find a loophole, there was no way to refute the facts.
The current president was no longer the same as before the attack.
Now, above the president, stood the senators.
Perhaps, for the first time, they were experiencing the thrill of being above all power.
"If possible, I suggest you stay with us in Washington for a few more days, so we can thoroughly discuss the current state of America and formulate a strategy," Underwood proposed. His words were compelling, as if every syllable was spoken for the good of the country.
"In a few days, the Ultimate Alliance could have already quelled all conflicts, and yet you're telling me to strategize?" Bruce had already assessed the combat capability of the Ultimate Team.
Against them, the rebellious regions stood no chance.
Unless, of course, some unforeseen circumstances arose.
For example, what if the one issuing their orders was somehow disrupted?
And in Bruce's view, the ones interfering with those orders were precisely these Senate Emergency Committee members—especially Senator Underwood.
Underwood was about to say something else when suddenly, a phone rang.
It wasn't the desk phone—it was a mobile phone vibrating inside a drawer.
Raising his hand, Bruce shot a web, completely restraining Underwood and sealing his mouth shut.
Then, he retrieved the phone from Underwood's desk drawer.
Ever since encountering Spider-Man, Bruce had been studying the webbing they used. He had to admit—Spider-Man was truly a genius. The webbing he created was incredibly strong in terms of tensile strength and other properties.
Most importantly, it would dissolve completely after two hours, leaving no trace behind.
Before answering the call, Bruce made an adjustment on his arm guard.
Only then did he pick up.
"Senator Underwood, I wonder if you've been watching the news." A voice came from the other end of the line.
"Yes, I'm watching right now." This time, Bruce's voice was no longer his own terrifying tone—it was Senator Underwood's voice.
At the same time, Bruce had turned on the television in the office. Displayed on the screen was none other than the Ultimate Team.
Simultaneously, he activated voiceprint recognition. Even though phone transmissions could distort voices slightly, every person still retained a unique vocal signature.
As long as this person had ever spoken in America or made a phone call, Bruce could identify who they really were.
Unless, of course, they had appeared out of thin air.
On the television, the Ultimate Team had already entered the battlefield in the Carolinas.
The news anchor, visibly excited, reported into the camera, "The war in the Carolinas ended almost as quickly as it began. Captain America wasted no time targeting this region, one of the most dangerous zones, and decisively persuaded both warring factions to stand down."
Yet, contrary to the media's description of Captain America "persuading" both sides, the footage on-screen showed Thor holding one general in his grasp while Stark held another, forcing them to shake hands in reconciliation. Captain America stood between them.
"Generals, declare a ceasefire and shake hands," he ordered.
"Both sides are part of America. From now on, you serve the new president."
Captain America spoke with unwavering seriousness.
Switching the footage back to the Carolinas, the Ultimate Team was now facing a new challenge.
A concern raised by Thor.
"Captain, I am deeply troubled by these developments. Conflict, chaos, discord—these seemingly unrelated events have somehow synchronized. But I have seen this before," Thor said, frowning as he addressed Captain America and Iron Man.
It was all too familiar.
His brother had once used the exact same tactics against him.
(End of chapter)
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