~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 40 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Henry replied at machine-gun speed:
"You guys figure out how to establish the command center. Radio communications, record-keeping, computer coordination. If there aren't enough computers, get tables, paper, pens, maps—whatever you can find for documentation and tracking..."
Then he paused.
"...Wait, am I getting too involved?"
Looking at the suddenly silent crowd, the Kryptonian finally realized what he'd just done.
And immediately regretted it.
---
Without a word, George Stacy took off his NYPD jacket.
He shook the dust off it and draped it over Henry's shoulders.
"Henry Brown, I am hereby appointing you as a Temporary Special Advisor to the New York City Police Department."
He pointed toward the bustling disaster zone.
"Whatever needs to be done, say it.
"Your instructions will carry the same authority as mine."
Then he added:
"I'll stay by your side and assist.
"If any order is inappropriate, I'll stop it."
With the impromptu appointment complete, George turned toward everyone else.
"You all heard your assignments, right?"
His voice boomed across the scene.
"Henry's instructions are now my instructions.
"Move!"
"Keep your radios open and be prepared for updated orders.
"If additional officers or firefighters arrive from other precincts, report them through radio channels or direct them to the command center."
He swept his gaze across the crowd.
"How much we can reduce the damage from this disaster depends on every one of you."
Then he barked:
"Go! Go! Go!"
---
The effect was immediate.
No one hesitated.
Everyone sprang into motion.
George Stacy showed no resentment whatsoever about a civilian directing operations or temporarily occupying a position of influence.
The reason he had accepted Henry's recommendations as his own was simple:
He agreed with them.
The assignments were logical.
Not only had manpower been allocated quickly, but resources had been distributed with remarkable efficiency and precision.
Had George attempted to do it himself, even with the support of the NYPD command structure, he couldn't have organized everything this quickly.
Most personnel would likely have remained idle for ten to thirty minutes before receiving assignments.
And the faster he tried to move, the sloppier the allocations would become.
Henry, on the other hand, had managed both speed and effectiveness.
Every minute saved increased the chance of saving lives.
George knew exactly which mattered more.
---
That didn't mean he intended to sit back and do nothing.
While Henry coordinated field assignments, George planned to work with police and fire department personnel to establish a proper command structure.
Resources needed to be tracked.
Personnel assignments needed to be documented.
Everything had to be recorded.
Partly for later review.
Partly to determine whether deployments remained appropriate.
And partly so that any replacement commander could immediately understand the situation if leadership changed.
Viewed from one angle, it almost seemed as though George was using Henry as a temporary tool.
But George understood something important:
Disaster response wasn't a solo performance.
It was a relay race.
No single person could sustain the entire operation.
The true challenge was building a system that allowed others to seamlessly take over any role when necessary.
That was the responsibility of a police commissioner.
George Stacy would never place all his hopes in one person.
But he would never waste any useful resource either.
In a disaster like this, every contribution mattered.
As long as Henry's solutions remained the best available, George would support him.
Pointless bureaucracy and stubborn pride could go straight to hell.
---
While everyone else scattered to begin their assignments, Henry finally had a brief moment of breathing room.
He immediately grabbed George by the arm.
"George, there's something I need Gwen's help with."
Instantly, the police commissioner's eyes transformed.
Gone was the incident commander.
In his place stood a father.
A very protective father.
His gaze sharpened dangerously.
"What do you need her for?"
Henry quickly released his arm and took an exaggerated step backward.
"Easy there."
Then he explained.
"I remember she got her driver's license recently.
"But you haven't bought her a car yet, right?"
George narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Henry continued:
"I want her to go to Katharine's house, pick up Katharine, Skye, and my pet, then drive them to Katharine's family estate in Fenwick, Connecticut."
"They should stay there for a while."
He gestured toward the skyline.
"You understand what New York's air quality is going to look like over the next few weeks."
"Leaving a ninety-four-year-old woman here isn't exactly healthy."
Originally, he'd intended to ask Maria—the private nurse—to handle the task.
But Maria had her own family to take care of.
"Right now, nobody in the house besides me and Katharine has a driver's license.
"And frankly, I don't love the idea of a ninety-four-year-old woman handling a long-distance drive."
"Gwen can borrow my car.
"The keys are at the house."
"I'm sure Katharine won't mind letting her stay for a while after she arrives in Connecticut."
"There are plenty of guest rooms."
"Besides, Katharine will still need help.
"Skye alone probably isn't enough."
He paused briefly.
"And there's also Katie."
George immediately understood.
Not many people were brave enough to share a vehicle with Henry's tiger.
"Gwen already knows Katie well."
"So she's really the only person I can ask."
---
Henry delivered the entire explanation in one uninterrupted burst.
After hearing everything, George's expression softened considerably.
"I think that's a good idea."
In truth, giving his daughter a legitimate reason to leave New York sounded like an excellent idea.
Otherwise, within two days he'd probably find Gwen volunteering somewhere in the disaster zone.
"I'll call her right now."
George pulled out his phone.
---
He dialed.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Only error messages.
It was then that he noticed the mobile network had deteriorated even further.
Earlier it had merely been overloaded.
Now there was no signal at all.
"Dammit."
George cursed.
"Has all communication gone down?"
He raised the phone and walked in circles, searching desperately for even a single bar of reception.
"Use mine."
Henry handed him his custom-built phone.
George glanced at it.
"Henry, your phone doesn't have any signal either."
"Just dial."
Henry shrugged.
"It'll work."
George looked skeptical.
But he entered Gwen's number and pressed call.
To his surprise, the ringing tone started immediately.
A few moments later, someone picked up.
---
"Henry?"
Gwen's voice sounded confused.
"Why are you calling me?
"And how is your phone even working?"
"Gwen, it's me."
George spoke into the phone.
"Your father."
"Dad?"
She sounded even more confused.
"Why are you using Henry's phone?"
"Because he's standing right next to me."
George glanced toward Henry.
"We're at the World Trade Center."
Immediately, Gwen said:
"I want to come help."
"No."
George cut her off instantly.
"Absolutely not."
Then he quickly summarized Henry's request.
"You're going to help Katharine, Skye, and Katie get to Connecticut."
"It's important."
"But I can help there too."
Gwen sounded frustrated.
George answered patiently.
"Taking care of an elderly woman and a child is important too."
"Henry trusts you."
"That's why he's asking you to do this."
"Otherwise he'd have to leave and drive them himself."
George didn't hesitate.
"And frankly, having him stay here is far more useful than having you stay here."
"This isn't me looking down on you."
"It's just that everyone has different strengths."
---
Gwen made one final attempt.
"But I don't have a car."
George was ready for that too.
"Henry is lending you his."
"It's parked near Katharine's house.
"The keys are inside."
"Ask around and someone will tell you where they are."
Then his voice softened.
"Come on.
"Get Katharine out of New York."
"The air here is going to be dangerous."
"There could be asbestos, lead, and all sorts of toxic materials floating around."
Gwen's concern immediately shifted.
"What about you?"
George looked around at the chaos surrounding him.
"We're trying to gather supplies."
"If you take them out of the city, that's fewer people competing for resources."
"Those supplies can go to people who need them more."
"You understand?"
A long pause followed.
Finally, Gwen sighed.
"...Yeah."
Her disappointment was obvious.
"I understand."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🎉 Power Stone Goal Announcement! 🎉
I'll release one bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones we hit!"
Let me know what should I do
Your support means everything—let's crush these goals together! Keep voting, and let the stones pile up! 🚀
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~