{Chapter: 281 Loki's Conspiracy}
Loki narrowed his eyes at William, his voice turning low and menacing. "You fool... wait until I'm free. I'll make you my dog—my loyal little mutt."
William raised his eyebrows, mocking surprise on his face. "Wow, such a scary threat. Are you sure it's okay to frighten your daddy like that? If you're so tough, why don't you come out and prove it?"
His words dripped with sarcasm, his face the picture of exaggerated fear.
Natasha frowned sharply. "Tom, stop talking."
"Oh, alright. You're the boss. I'll shut up," William replied, his hands raised in mock surrender.
Loki shifted his gaze back to Natasha, a trace of amusement laced with contempt curling his lips. "The world teeters on the edge of destruction, and here you are, haggling over one man's fate."
Natasha's voice was cool and steady. "Governments rise and fall every day. That doesn't concern me. What I care about... is my own debt."
Loki tilted his head. "And who are you these days, Natasha Romanoff? Still a proud Soviet assassin?"
She stepped closer, her eyes unwavering. "It's simple. I owe a debt, and I intend to repay it. That's all there is to it."
"Repay it?" Loki sneered. "You think your ledger can ever be cleared? That's rich—coming from Dekov's daughter."
The moment those words left his mouth, Natasha's expression darkened. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, her composure cracking.
"I know everything," Loki continued, his voice soft but sharp like a knife. "Clint told me about what happened in the hospital in São Paulo. The flames. The screams. You have a list of sins written in blood, Natasha. And now you think saving one man—one man no better than yourself—will somehow redeem you? This is childish. It's weak. It's the desperate hope of someone who wants to be forgiven but hasn't earned it."
He paused, then stepped forward and slammed his fist against the reinforced glass, making it vibrate with a heavy thud.
"I'll let Clint live," he growled. "But I'll twist his mind, keep him under control just long enough to make him kill you—kill you slowly, painfully—using the method you fear most. Then, I'll restore his memories and let him remember exactly what he did to you. Let him weep over the masterpiece he created."
Natasha turned away, her face pale. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself.
William folded his arms and gave Loki a slow, sarcastic clap. "Damn... brutal. You've really put some thought into that. Props to you, Loki—you're a real artist in cruelty."
Loki's gaze snapped to him, filled with malice. "You insolent brat. I've imagined ten thousand ways to kill you. When the time comes, I'll let you pick your favorite."
William grinned, completely unfazed. "Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure to return the favor. Maybe I'll even let you try a few of them on yourself first."
"You disgusting beast," Natasha muttered under her breath, still facing away from them.
"Beast?" Loki chuckled darkly. "No, no, no... you've got it all wrong. He's the beast—the one you dragged back here in chains."
"You're talking about Banner," Natasha said, spinning around sharply. "That's it. Your plan... you want the Hulk."
William let out a low whistle. "Looks like we cracked your little secret, huh?"
Wasting no time, Natasha pressed a button on her Bluetooth headset. "This is Romanoff. Loki's plan is to provoke Dr. Banner into transforming. Keep Banner in the lab, do not let him out of sight. And bring in Thor immediately."
With her message sent, she glanced back at Loki with a cold smirk. "Thanks for the help, Loki. You've been very cooperative."
Without another word, she turned and strode briskly out of the chamber.
Loki tilted his head toward William. "What about you, boy? Not running off with your tail between your legs?"
William stepped closer to the glass, his expression hardening slightly. "Loki, I have to admit—your schemes are impressive. You anticipated Fury would approach Tony Stark and Banner, the two biggest brains on the planet. You knew they'd eventually realize Fury's real goal—weaponizing the Tesseract."
Loki gave a sinister grin. "Go on."
William narrowed his eyes. "Stark's not the type to sit quietly while someone builds weapons behind his back. And Banner... well, let's just say he's got anger issues. You're counting on them clashing with Fury, splitting the Avengers apart before they can even become a team."
"Smart boy," Loki said with a smirk. "You just might live long enough to see the chaos unfold."
"Not only will it create friction between the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., but it will also sow discord among the Avengers themselves," William said calmly, his gaze fixed on Loki. "So many conflicting interests, so much tension building up—what's missing in this volatile mix? A spark. A fuse. And that fuse is Hawkeye. If Hawkeye launches an attack on the Helicarrier at just the right moment, all these underlying tensions will explode into full-blown chaos. Banner will inevitably lose control and transform into the Hulk—your so-called green fat man. And once that happens, all hell will break loose."
Loki chuckled, then gave a slow, deliberate clap. "That's a truly brilliant analysis," he said, clearly impressed. "Quite the strategist, aren't you?"
"Turning Banner into the Hulk is just a tactic—your smokescreen," William continued with a knowing smile. "Your actual goal is much more destructive. You want to bring down the Helicarrier, dismantle S.H.I.E.L.D., eliminate the Avengers, and remove every obstacle in your path. With them out of the way, Earth is yours to conquer. Hawkeye's strike is coming soon, isn't it?"
Loki narrowed his eyes, studying William more intently now. "I truly underestimated you," he admitted.
"You allowed yourself to be captured without resistance. Clearly, that was part of the plan," William said. "Don't worry. I have no intention of interfering."
Loki's smirk faded into a neutral expression. "Who are you, really?"
"Just the young man you think I am," William said with a casual shrug. "But go ahead, Loki. Carry out your plan. I'll be watching every step of the way—with great interest."
William turned to leave, but Loki called out, "Wait."
He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "Something else you want to say?"
"You're no ordinary person, that much is clear," Loki said, his tone shifting to something more persuasive. "I need allies with intelligence, vision—people who see the big picture. Why not join forces with me? Together, we could rule this world. We could take whatever we desire."
William burst into laughter. "Hah! That's rich. You? Offer me what I want?"
Loki raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is it that you want?"
William smirked. "Your penis. Are you willing to cut it off and offer it to me?"
Loki's face went rigid, his expression turning dark with fury. "You have no sincerity at all."
"Of course not," William said, walking away. "Why would I? Cooperate with you? You're nothing more than a delusional clown with a god complex. Be grateful I exposed your plot—that's the only favor I'm giving you."
Loki's eyes burned with rage. "I swear, I will make you my dog. And when I'm done with you, I'll tear you apart, piece by piece!"
---
Elsewhere — In the S.H.I.E.L.D. Laboratory
Director Nick Fury stormed into the lab, clearly agitated. His sharp gaze locked onto Stark. "What are you trying to do, Stark?"
The lab fell silent for a moment. A virus had recently breached the S.H.I.E.L.D. database, and Fury suspected only one person had the skill—and nerve—to pull it off. Naturally, that person was Tony Stark.
Tony leaned back, completely unfazed. "Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?"
"You were supposed to focus on locating the Tesseract," Fury snapped.
Banner stepped forward, pointing at the monitor. "We've already created a tracking algorithm. Once it picks up a signal, we can narrow its location down to within an 800-meter radius."
"Then get it back," Fury ordered. "And while you're at it, maybe someone can explain what the hell the Second Stage is?"
Bang!
Captain Steve Rogers entered and tossed a heavy weapon onto the table. "The Second Stage," he said grimly, "is S.H.I.E.L.D. using the Tesseract to develop advanced weapons. I'm done asking questions. It's time to act."
Fury's tone shifted defensively. "Captain, our research into the Tesseract isn't necessarily about weaponization—"
"Cut the excuses, Fury," Tony interrupted. He turned his computer screen toward Fury, revealing detailed schematics of missile prototypes. "We both know exactly what you've been working on."
Steve looked Fury square in the eye. "I thought this world had changed. But what's the difference between S.H.I.E.L.D. using alien tech for weapons and Hydra doing the same? No difference at all."
Just then, the door opened. Natasha and Thor walked in, followed closely by William.
"Well, well," William said, flashing a grin. "Seems like I've walked into quite the summit. What are you world-saving giants arguing about today? Mind if a small fry like me listens in? I'd like something impressive to brag about later."
*****
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