World Traveler Villain

{Chapter: 285 Shameless Means}

William continued strolling forward with a relaxed expression, hands in his pockets. "Looks like Banner has finally turned into that big green rage monster. I wonder... is he chasing after Natasha like in the original timeline?" His voice carried a casual curiosity, as if the chaos unraveling around him were just a scene in a movie he'd already seen.

Meanwhile, on the third floor of the massive aircraft carrier, chaos reigned. Alarms blared in the background, and debris littered the ground. Natasha Romanoff sprinted through the corridors, breathing hard. Behind her, the towering figure of the Hulk barreled forward like an unstoppable force, his roars echoing off the steel walls and shaking the structure with every step.

"Roar!" Hulk let out an enraged howl, his massive green fists smashing through walls and railings as he pursued the fleeing agent.

With a mighty leap, Hulk caught up to her and swiped her like a rag doll.

"Agh!" Natasha cried out, her body flung violently against the reinforced iron wall. She crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain, blood dripping from a fresh wound above her brow.

The Hulk advanced, muscles bulging, fists clenched. His footsteps thudded ominously as he approached her slowly, like a predator cornering his prey. Natasha, now slumped against the wall, looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Dr. Banner..." she said weakly, her voice strained. "Please... this isn't what you want. You're not a monster. Come back to yourself."

But the green beast only growled louder, shaking with fury. His response was a roar of pure rage, and he raised his arm to strike her again.

Just as the blow was about to land—

Boom!

A blur of red and silver crashed into the Hulk, knocking him backward and toppling both giants to the ground. It was Thor, the God of Thunder, hammer in hand, armor gleaming even in the dim lighting.

"Banner!" Thor shouted, rising to his feet. "Control yourself! You're not alone in this!"

But the Hulk, now beyond reason, only responded with another furious snarl. The two titans clashed again, their blows sending shockwaves through the carrier's interior. Steel twisted, sparks flew, and the sounds of combat echoed like thunder.

Natasha winced and slowly pushed herself up against the wall, every movement sending jolts of pain through her ribs. She tried to stand but collapsed again, breathing hard.

"You seem to be in a rather painful situation," a calm and familiar voice said behind her.

Natasha's eyes narrowed, and she turned her head with effort. "William," she muttered coldly.

William crouched beside her with a smug smile on his face. "You know, you used to call me Tom. It had a nice ring to it. Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Her expression hardened. "If I'd known that 'Tom' was actually you, I would've put a bullet between your eyes the moment we met."

William chuckled and gently pushed the barrel of her pistol aside with a single finger. "Come on now, bullets are expensive. Why waste one on me when you know it won't do a thing?"

Natasha didn't lower the weapon, though her grip was weakening. "What do you want?" she asked, her tone icy.

William gave her a sly grin. "I was thinking… maybe I should rough you up a bit. Just enough to make a point. What do you think of that idea?"

Her eyes flared with rage. "You wouldn't dare."

"And why not?" he asked, suddenly pulling her close into his arms. Natasha's muscles tensed as she struggled violently, her pride wounded more than her body.

"Kill me if you want," she spat. "But don't use these disgusting tactics. You're shameless."

William stared at her for a moment, his voice softening slightly. "I don't enjoy killing women, Natasha. I really don't. But you're standing in my way. That leaves me with few options. I had hoped, perhaps... we could've talked things through. Maybe shared a cup of coffee, had a normal conversation, and laughed a little."

"Have coffee with you?" she sneered. "Over my dead body."

He smirked. "That's the funny thing about life. You never really know what's going to happen. Just like how you defected from the Soviet Union and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Did you ever think that would happen? And yet, here you are. Who's to say what might come next?"

Natasha's glare didn't falter, her eyes burning with resolve and fury. Though her body was bruised and weakened, the fire in her gaze told William everything he needed to know—she wasn't done fighting. Not yet. Not even close.

"I know one thing for certain," she said coldly. "Between you and me, only one of us will walk away alive."

William raised an eyebrow, amused rather than intimidated. "That's such a grim way of thinking. Why must you be so absolute? This idea of one of us dying... I find it unnecessary. Life, after all, is full of surprises and endless possibilities. Why waste it on death?" He gave a wicked grin, resting a hand casually on her backside. "Take this moment, for example. I want to touch your buttocks. That's far more interesting than talking about who dies."

Natasha's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Move your hand again, and I'll cut it off and feed it to a stray dog. Slowly."

William laughed lightly, clearly enjoying her fury. "You're adorable when you're angry."

Without giving her a choice, William scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "Come on, fiery girl. Let's take a little walk. I'll show you around."

"Damn you! Put me down this instant!" Natasha shouted, pounding her fists against his back, though the effort was largely in vain.

Back in the carrier's command center, chaos reigned. Blood stained the floor, and the air reeked of gunpowder and scorched electronics. Alice and Ada stood amidst the carnage, their weapons still warm from the slaughter. Every agent in the room lay motionless—except for one.

Agent Maria Hill was on her knees, her hands tied tightly behind her back with military-grade cord. Alice stood behind her, tightening the last knot with a faint, mocking smile on her lips.

"Maria, you're really making this difficult," Alice said coolly. "I didn't want to tie you up, but your lack of cooperation left me no choice. You're quite stubborn, aren't you?"

Maria didn't respond, but her sharp eyes locked onto Alice's face, burning with silent fury.

"Let's move out," Ada said, her boots crunching on broken glass as she stepped forward.

Alice nudged Hill with the barrel of her gun. "You heard her. Let's go. Unless you'd prefer to be dragged like a sack of meat, I suggest you cooperate. You've already seen what happens when people resist us."

Though restrained, Maria moved with poise, following behind Ada in silence. But in her mind, a plan was already forming. She had no means to resist now, but she was watching, memorizing every detail, waiting for the right moment to strike back.

Elsewhere, Director Fury groaned on the floor, a trail of blood at the corner of his mouth. He clutched his side, certain at least two of his ribs were broken.

"Damn…" he hissed, struggling to breathe through the pain.

Ada approached him with an emotionless expression, raising her firearm and pointing it directly at his head. "This pathetic mess... is that really the infamous Nick Fury? Honestly, I expected more. I should end you here and now."

Just as she was about to pull the trigger—

"Wait." Alice's voice cut through the air.

Ada turned, confused. "Why? He's worthless now."

Alice gave her a thoughtful look. "William didn't kill him. If he had truly wanted Fury dead, he'd have done it long ago. There must be a reason he's still breathing."

Ada lowered her weapon reluctantly. "Fine. You're right. I suppose we'll let fate decide when his time comes." She turned back to Fury. "Consider yourself lucky, old man."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, gunfire erupted from outside the command room. Bullets shattered the windows and pinged off the walls. Five or six heavily armed men stormed in, their weapons blazing.

"These aren't S.H.I.E.L.D. agents," Alice muttered, eyes narrowing. "We've got unexpected guests. Intruders."

Her hands moved like lightning. With each pull of the trigger, an invader dropped to the floor. Ada joined in, moving with lethal precision. Within seconds, all six attackers were reduced to lifeless heaps.

Stab!

A sudden, shrill sound sliced through the air. A sharp arrow came flying toward Ada.

"Ada! Watch out!" Alice shouted.

Ada turned just in time. "Don't worry. This is nothing." With a graceful wave of her hand, a solid ice barrier materialized in front of her.

Boom!

The arrow detonated on impact, sending shards of ice scattering across the room.

Ada stood her ground, unharmed, brushing bits of ice from her shoulder. She glared in the direction the arrow had come from, her eyes locking onto a figure in the shadows.

From across the corridor, a man with a bow lowered his weapon and notched another arrow—Hawkeye had arrived.

Meanwhile, one of the armed men beside Hawkeye pulled a grenade from his vest and hurled it toward Alice and Ada's position.

"I'll handle this," Alice said, her voice suddenly colder.

Her pupils changed and glowed with unnatural light. In the next instant, a powerful pulse wave radiated from her body. The grenade froze mid-air before being shattered into dust by the blast. The shockwave then surged forward, knocking back several more enemies who had just entered the fray.

Alice's expression hardened. "Looks like things are heating up. Good. I was starting to get bored."

*****

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