bigabreads Chapter 198 Spider and Resilience
Chapter 198 Spider and Resilience
Black Widow and Arcee were scheduled to be questioned in the same room.
After receiving the assignment, BICk0 immediately and quietly removed a few fragile decorations from the office and casually accessed the training ground's reservation permissions.
Well, just in case.
-
When Black Widow entered the office, she moved with a light step, her spider legs tucked behind her.
She saw that Arcee was already sitting at her desk, her smile deepening slightly in her glasses.
Arcee didn't look at her, her arms crossed and her fingers digging into her arm guards.
Hardshell stands to the side and behind the office.
This powerful insectoid creature was clearly not used to this kind of place; his size made the office look smaller, and his posture was slightly stiff.
Once all three were present, the director gestured to close the door, and the office fell silent.
She didn't exchange pleasantries at the beginning.
"Take care of the baffle first."
Arcee's expression turned ugly in an instant, and Black Widow tilted her head slightly.
The vector was directed toward Black Widow.
"Killing a shield in war does not fall under any category of tactical necessity, self-defense, or military action."
"That was unnecessary killing based on your personal interests, hunting instincts, and desire for dominance."
Arcee turned her optical lens toward Black Widow, her anger like a blade that had just cooled, now scorched by fire once more.
Black Widow simply chuckled at this.
The vector did not remind Arcee of her tension, nor did it ask her to forgive or endure; it simply used the process to tell her that things would not simply be over.
Arcee gritted her teeth, suppressing her impulse.
"This matter will be recorded separately by the judicial authorities and classified as an unnecessary, proactive killing by an individual during wartime."
Black Widow's smile faded slightly, but her tone remained teasing: "Is it that serious?"
"That's exactly right." Vector frowned. "You killed the shield in front of Arcee, just to enjoy her reaction when she lost it."
Arcee's breathing tube paused for a moment; Black Widow's spider legs trembled slightly; and Hard Shell shifted its weight uncomfortably.
The vector left Black Widow no room for defense.
"First, starting today, you are prohibited from engaging in any form of illegal collection."
A flicker of interest crossed Black Widow's eyes: "Illegal possession?"
"Living bodies, remains, weapons, dangerous specimens, black market assets, wartime loot—anything that doesn't belong to you but that you possess because of your personal interests."
Project the list using vectors.
"The judicial central authority will take inventory. Items that can be returned will be returned, while those with historical value will be transferred to museums or archives. Hazardous materials will be destroyed, and illicit assets and liquidable assets will be incorporated into the post-war reconstruction and civilian infrastructure fund."
Black Widow stared at the excessively long list: "You're even taking away my hobbies?"
"If that counts, then Megatron could also say that civil war was his hobby."
The vector sneered:
"If you collect legal stuff, I can't stop you. But if you dare to treat your life as an ornament, I'll make an example of you."
Hardshell tilted its head as if it were contemplating the scene.
Black Widow laughed instead: "Chief Justice, you're being too harsh on me."
The vector ignored her.
"Second, monitoring devices."
BICk0 stepped forward and placed a small box on the table, inside which was a black metal collar.
It is quite delicate overall, with a miniature lock on top, and the judicial center logo and several small embedded monitoring lights are embedded in the center of the outer side.
Black Widow looked at the thing, and Arcee looked at it too.
Then they both looked at the vector with strange expressions.
Feeling uncomfortable under their gaze, the vector shifted its position slightly.
"What's wrong? The size doesn't fit?"
A subtle silence fell over the office.
BICk0 looked down at the data panel, trying hard not to get involved.
Black Widow slowly extended her finger and tapped the edge of the box: "Chief Judge, this seat..."
"Wrists aren't suitable," Vector said naturally. "You have a weapon in your palm, which could easily be dismantled in combat. Spider legs are even less suitable; they're too flexible, and fixing them would be too risky. The neck is currently the most stable position."
After she finished speaking, she added, "I've discussed it with BICk0."
BICk0 paused, wanting to explain that he was only offering advice from a professional perspective and was not responsible for how strange this thing now looked like a declaration!
Arcee's expression became even more peculiar.
Black Widow glanced at the collar, then at the vector, and a smile slowly spread across her face.
The vector finally realized something was wrong: "You don't like it? Then you can change to a waist ring or an arm ring."
Black Widow chuckled and picked up the collar.
"No, this is fine."
In front of Arcee and Vector, she put on the neck ring, the clasp closed, and the monitoring light lit up slightly.
She deliberately wore the symbol of the rule-making judicial center as if it were jewelry.
Vector check signal.
"Location, machine status, abnormal weapon activation, spider leg attack warnings, illegal artifact contact alerts, and restricted area approach warnings will all be uploaded in real time."
Black Widow raised her hand and touched the collar: "How long do you want to wear it?"
"The time you spend complying with the regulations will be enough to offset my distrust of you."
Black Widow laughed out loud and offered no resistance.
However, there was little remorse in her compliance. The cunning spider retreated into the shadows for the time being, accepting that someone else would hold one end of its web.
Her gaze remained fixed on the vector, savoring the unique and elusive prey with her eyes.
The vector could obviously see it, so he said coldly, "Don't treat this like a game."
Black Widow said softly, "That depends on how you play."
Arcee clenched her fists, almost unable to resist making direct contact with Black Widow's visor.
He shouted sternly, "Black Widow!"
Black Widow quieted down a bit.
The vector turns towards Arce.
"The trauma you suffered is considered psychological, and Black Widow is required to pay you compensation for emotional distress. The relevant amount will be determined by the judicial authorities."
Arcee remained silent for a long time, staring at the table and suppressing any sharper words.
Vector continued, "If you need, I will open the Judicial Central Training Ground."
Arcee looked up abruptly, and Black Widow looked over as well.
"Do not fire at the ignition chamber or cause irreversible damage; otherwise, follow the training ground safety regulations."
Arcee understood what she meant.
At that moment, she was deeply moved.
She had thought countless times about what she would do if Black Widow were handed to her one day.
She would pounce on it, cut off those spider legs, shatter its smiling mask, and make it experience the pain of being forced to watch something important disappear.
No matter what you do, the barrier won't come back.
She was no longer the Arcee who had just lost her soul on that day.
After the illusions, noises, and inner demons of the Aquitron seabed passed, some things did not disappear, but they finally stopped constantly pricking her embers.
Black Widow remained dangerous and abhorrent to her.
But she is no longer the same as before, where every appearance of the Black Widow could drag Arcee back to that dark moment.
Arcee slowly loosened her fist.
"I really want to," she said softly, but then shook her head. "But Baffle wouldn't want me to stay like this, and Optimus Prime probably wouldn't approve either."
Black Widow watched her with great interest.
Arcee glared at her: "Don't get me wrong, I will never forgive you."
Vector nodded: "I'll reserve training ground access for you. You can apply for it anytime you change your mind. The choice is yours."
Arcee, her eyes welling with tears that were both bittersweet and relieved, paused for a moment before making a decision: "I want to keep an eye on her."
The vector then granted her access.
"Her location, violation alerts, and safe distance reminders when she gets close to you will all be sent to you simultaneously."
"That's enough."
Black Widow ran her fingers over her choker, a smile playing on her lips. "You're so thoughtful towards her."
Arcee glanced at her coldly, barely swallowing back the insults.
She would never reconcile with that stinky spider, but thankfully she finally got the knife back in her own hand instead of letting the memories continue to torment her.
The barrier is still inside her, but it is no longer a wound.
After processing this part, the vector then looks at the hard shell.
Hardshell had clearly been waiting for a long time, while Black Widow leaned back in her chair, her spider legs casually draped behind her, and her interest was piqued again.
The vector said to them:
"You and Insectoid King Kong have a kinship, and you do have influence over them."
Black Widow was about to say "You are very fair" when she heard her continue.
"But that doesn't mean you can manipulate them at will. Insectoids have self-awareness, and even if some individuals have weak self-awareness, they are not your property."
Hardshell nodded quietly from the side.
The vector turned towards him.
"From now on, Bug-King will primarily be under the command of the judicial center. Black Widow may retain some authority to coordinate command, but all actions must be registered."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Hardshell couldn't help but ask, "Won't it be boring?"
A sigh came from the office. Arcee closed her glasses, while Black Widow made no attempt to hide her smile.
The vector key replied seriously, "No."
The hard-shelled optical lens stared at her, tilting its head curiously as it leaned closer.
Use the vector to retrieve the project list.
"Post-war rubble cleanup, waste recycling, dismantling of unusable metals, treatment of metal impurities, targeted demolition of some buildings, foundation excavation, and transportation of reconstruction materials all require a large amount of labor."
The hard-shelled creature moved closer: "Can it be disassembled? What about the food? Can we use it to fight?"
"Approval is possible; after testing, the waste can be converted into food. Of course, the judicial center will provide meals so you won't go hungry; if you fight, you can use the training ground and designated cleanup area, provided that safety procedures are followed."
Hardshell began to think seriously, even appearing much more focused than when he was listening to Black Widow's punishment.
Vector continued, "We will arrange the work schedule. You will spend part of your time eating waste materials that are converted into energy, and part of your time participating in demolition and reconstruction at construction sites. You will have your usual days off, and your accommodation, meals, expenses, and so on will all be provided by the judicial center."
The man with the hard shell asked, "Is there a guarantee?"
"There will be laws and contracts."
Hardshell thought for a long time and nodded in satisfaction.
"Okay, then you're in charge of passing on the rules to the other Insect King Kongs." The vector handed him the contract that BICk0 had prepared.
Hardshell obediently took it: "They'll listen. If there's food or a beating, they'll listen."
Vector felt reassured by the simplicity of this logic, finding it much easier to understand than that of certain leaders, research officers, and giant spiders.
-
When the questioning ended, Arcee was the first to stand up. She was almost at the door when she turned back to the vector and suddenly reached out her hand.
The vector was slightly taken aback, then handed it over.
Arcee grasped it and gently closed her fingers, as if expressing a short, soft, and finally audible thank you.
The vector didn't ask any questions, but simply shook hands and said, "Go and rest."
When Arcee walked out of the office this time, her back was straight, and it seemed that she would never be dragged back to the bottom of the well because of a memory again.
Hardshell then left, seemingly quite pleased: "I'll teach them a lesson."
Finally, only Black Widow remained, and she wasn't in a hurry to leave.
The choker was on her neck, and the surveillance lights flickered softly, but she wore it as if it were her own personal accessory.
She slowly approached the desk, her spider legs silently spreading out slightly, one of them gently resting on the edge of the desk, its tip resting near the hand of the phasing vector, almost touching it.
The vector lifted the optical mirror: "Is there anything else?"
Black Widow looked at her: "I'm just curious... when will you pick it for me yourself?"
Her fingers traced the neck ring, as gently as if she were plucking a spider's web.
The vector was expressionless: "You should first learn not to treat others like collectibles."
Black Widow laughed and said, "It's difficult."
"Then wear it for a longer time."
The tip of Black Widow's spider leg scraped across the tabletop, leaving a faint metallic scraping sound between her and the gravitational vector.
"It's not so bad."
Yin Xiang's fingers pressed on the table, his brows finally furrowing: "Mind your own business and get out."
Black Widow took a step back, her posture as elegant as a bow.
As she left, the monitoring light on the neck collar continued to flash steadily.
After the office quieted down, BICk0 shivered and asked:
Should her behavior be recorded as a warning sign?
The vector gritted his teeth: "Remember this, you absolutely must remember this!"