Chapter 56
Sheriff George's Dilemma and Choice
Hey, even if you're the police chief, you still have to speak from the heart and with evidence, right?
Don't think that just because you're talking nonsense, I won't sue you for defamation!
Slander!
He's slandering me!
When did Peter and I ever attack the innocent...?
Wait, the innocent victims burned by gasoline...
...Damn! Could it be that those lizardmen turned back just before Uncle George and the others arrived?!
"It's just as coincidental as you think."
Seeing Riley's involuntary facial expressions after discovering he had become a wanted criminal, even the aloof Ancient One couldn't help but smile slightly.
Having easily seen through what Riley was thinking, the seemingly serious Ancient One, with a touch of mischievousness, explained to Riley.
"Think about it, on one side are innocent, disabled citizens trapped in flames, their clothes tattered, and on the other side are masked men colluding with the green monster... If you were in their shoes, which side would you choose to believe is the one that is justice? Also, just a friendly reminder, in addition to the police, the military has also arrived."
"..."
As soon as Gu Yi finished speaking, Riley fell silent.
Even though Gu Yi's words sounded casual and didn't seem to have much of a problem.
But given Riley's understanding of the Marvel Universe, there was only one military unit that could arrive on the scene in time at that critical moment.
That was a special operations unit led by General Roosevelt, specifically tasked with capturing the Hulk!
In order to deal with an opponent of Hulk's caliber, they often appear carrying a large amount of heavy firepower equipment.
Furthermore, under General Ross's stubborn leadership, it's absolutely impossible for him to shake hands and make peace with Hulk, or sit down for a proper chat. A more likely scenario is that he'll directly fire artillery shells at Hulk, delivering his "routine" "warm greeting."
In this way, even if Sheriff George, out of personal bias, acknowledges that Spider-Man is not inherently bad and feels that things might be a bit strange.
But the military has already intervened; can he just stand by and watch? Does he have any other choice?
Moreover, when enemies meet, they are bound to be extremely hostile.
When Hulk discovers General Ross's arrival and, as always, attacks him without any explanation, he will surely be thoroughly enraged.
With Riley unconscious and no one able to stop the Hulk, the situation will only get worse.
Given this premise, how much damage would the ensuing melee cause to New York City...?
Just imagining it in her mind, Riley felt the scene was too beautiful to bear!
He instantly understood why the Ancient One, who usually observed from the shadows and rarely intervened, had suddenly stepped in to help them out of their predicament, teleporting Riley and the others directly to the New York Sanctum.
If this situation is allowed to continue spiraling out of control...
When Riley wakes up, he'll probably be more than just a wanted criminal; he'll become a public enemy of the world!
Thinking about it this way...
The experienced and perceptive Sheriff George must have been under considerable threat and pressure from General Ross to issue the arrest warrant so hastily.
Even so, they only announced that they would "apprehend" Spider-Man, rather than "kill him on the spot."
This is enough to prove that when Sheriff George, who righteously and repeatedly emphasized at the dinner table that "Spider-Man is a criminal," finds that Spider-Man is really in trouble, he will often believe without hesitation that there must be something else going on behind the scenes.
Moreover, Riley, who was a police officer in his previous life, knew very well how much pressure he would face from Sheriff George's perspective by playing these kinds of word games.
This caused Riley's expression to shift from gloomy to sunny, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he thought to himself...
What an adorable uncle who says one thing but does another...
"Damn it, what nonsense is this idiot old man spouting! Did he even bother to investigate properly?! I really want to beat him up!"
Just as Riley was lost in thought, he quickly grasped Sheriff George's predicament and difficulties, and gradually understood his decision.
Jade, equally indignant about Spider-Man being wanted, was the first to lose her temper, grumbling as she walked over and angrily turned off the TV.
He then turned around and went back to Peter, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, lost in a long silence and clearly depressed. He reached out and patted Peter's shoulder to comfort him.
"Don't worry, Peter, I, and everyone in District 13, believe that you and Riley are innocent... Ah! Riley! You're finally awake!"
Unfortunately, Xiaoyu's good intentions didn't even last three seconds. Her attention was completely diverted when she saw Riley standing at the entrance of the room due to a change in perspective.
Like a Sichuan opera face-changing act, he completely changed his previous furious demeanor, his eyes shining as he abandoned Peter and headed straight for Riley.
When Riley instinctively bent down and picked Jade up in his arms, Jade pinched Riley's cheeks to confirm that the person in front of her was real and not an illusion created by the Ancient One. She grinned and teased Riley.
"You slept for so long, I thought you were really going to turn into Sleeping Beauty from a fairy tale!"
"There's no way around it, if I sleep any longer, the world might change... Ouch, ouch, ouch, be gentle, I'm a patient!"
Because of her past life experiences and her relationship with Peter, Riley was always exceptionally tolerant and indulgent towards children.
Therefore, Riley was not annoyed by Xiaoyu's disrespectful and mischievous behavior. He responded seriously and even happily cooperated with Xiaoyu's actions, exaggerating and begging for mercy.
Of course, compared to Jade's affection, Peter and Banner remained completely still.
After all, in their view...
If Peter had been calmer and hadn't recklessly kicked that ball...
Or perhaps Banner, eager to prove himself, would first greet Riley before deciding whether to show up and lend a hand.
Then, perhaps the situation wouldn't have become so bad.
Therefore, the two, who both looked guilty and ashamed, dared not step forward. They were afraid that at this critical moment, they would add fuel to the fire and make Riley faint again.
"Hey, what are you two standing there for? Do you really hope I'll stay asleep forever and never wake up again?"
Riley found their timid and submissive demeanor both amusing and exasperating.
He simply picked up Xiaoyu with one arm and walked towards the two people who were looking away, their heads drooping as if they wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground.
Then, adopting a matter-of-fact tone, he spoke without any concern.
"It's just a misunderstanding, no big deal. Find the real culprit and we'll clear our names, right?"
"Or are you saying you can't handle this little setback and want to quit?"