{Chapter: 283 Restrained Avengers}
A faint shimmer of green light slowly spread across William's face, like a thin mist swirling in the air. In the blink of an eye, the illusion faded—his features shifted, reassembling into the visage everyone in the room dreaded.
The familiar, smug grin returned.
"Surprised to see me?" William said, tilting his head as he took a slow step forward. "Judging by your faces, I'd say you're thrilled. Don't be shy. It's not every day you meet someone as impossibly handsome as me. I understand. It's overwhelming, I know."
"William…" The name was spat through gritted teeth, venom thick in every syllable.
Natasha, Thor, Tony, Banner, and Steve all stared at him with open hostility. Their expressions were dark, boiling with rage and disbelief. The man they'd hunted, the one who'd slipped through their fingers too many times, was right in front of them—disguised, mocking them.
Fury's single eye remained fixed on William. His voice, however, was calm and cutting. "It takes a special kind of monster to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. and walk around undetected. You really are the public enemy of mankind."
William gave a soft chuckle. "Come now, Director. Don't flatter me too much, or I might blush. And really, sneaking in was child's play. I enjoy surprising people. There's nothing quite like that moment when jaws drop and anger boils. It's… delicious."
"You've done your job then," Natasha said coldly, her voice like ice. "We're all very surprised. And when we're done, you'll be dead."
William smiled faintly, shaking his head as if amused by a stubborn child. "Still fiery as ever, Agent Romanov. But I rather like that about you. Of course, if you can't kill me... then I'll have to punish you. And I think you already know exactly how I handle disobedience."
Natasha's face darkened, her fists tightening. Her expression twisted into a mix of fury and shame. "You—"
She stopped, biting her tongue. But the memory—the humiliating memory—flared like fire.
"Natasha, stay calm," Fury said, not even turning his head.
"I know," she whispered, her voice tense as she took a long breath to steady herself.
"William," Thor growled, stepping forward. His grip tightened on Mjolnir. "For what you did to Asgard, I swear to the All-Father, I will repay your treachery tenfold. This day, you pay your price."
William opened his arms mockingly. "Well, I'm right here, thunder god. All you have to do is try."
Steve took a slow step forward, his eyes narrowed in grim recognition. "Do you even remember me?"
"Captain Rogers," William said, as if greeting an old friend. "How could I ever forget? My old comrade from another time. Fate really is fascinating, isn't it? Seventy years later, and here we are again. Although technically, this is our second meeting."
Steve blinked, confused. "Second?"
"Of course," William said, feigning offense. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten our last little rendezvous. I remember it fondly. You were so polite—charming, even."
With another ripple of green light, William's face shifted once more—morphing into the man Steve had spoken to by the artificial lake in New York.
Recognition hit Steve like a punch to the gut. His entire expression changed.
"You," he breathed, his voice rising in disbelief and anger. "You were him—the man by the lake. Damn it!"
With a sneer, William reverted to his true form. "Captain, I'm wounded. You were so warm and friendly that day. What changed? Did the uniform make you cold again?"
Steve's fists clenched at his sides, knuckles turning white.
"You lied to me," he growled.
William gave a casual shrug. "Of course I did. And now that you know, what exactly are you going to do about it? Kill me? Come now, Rogers—don't pretend you're capable of that kind of thing."
"Steve, keep your cool," Fury reminded sharply. "This isn't the place."
"I know," Steve said, breathing heavily.
William laughed—a dark, satisfied laugh. "Ah yes, the precious aircraft carrier. You're afraid to fight me here because you might bring this beast of steel crashing down."
Tony took a step forward now, his voice heavy with emotion. "Enough games. I only want to know one thing. What did you do to Pepper?"
William's expression changed just slightly. A flicker of mischief danced across his face.
"Did I do something to her?" he repeated thoughtfully. "Hmm, interesting question. Let's see… I let her go. Or maybe she didn't want to find you. Or maybe… you found her, and she still didn't want to be with you. Judging by that look in your eyes, it seems both might be true. Poor Tony."
He clapped mockingly. "I'll mourn your heartbreak for a whole three minutes. Truly tragic."
"You monster!" Tony shouted, his voice shaking with fury. "You did something to her—I know it!"
"Tony, don't," Fury said in a hushed voice. "Don't give him what he wants."
"I'm not going to calm down, Nick!" Tony roared. "This bastard laid hands on Pepper, and he's laughing in my face!"
"I didn't say I touched her," William said, shrugging. "You're the one making assumptions. Maybe she just found someone… better."
Tony's gauntlet whirred, energy building in his palm.
William raised his chin slightly, eyes narrowing. "Do it then, Iron Man. Show me what your love is worth."
Banner was already panting heavily, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His voice trembled as he struggled to keep control of his emotions. "William... why? Why did you do that? I've never had any conflict with you. There's no grudge between us."
William's expression turned cold and indifferent. With a faint smirk, he said, "Do your shoes have a grudge against ants when you step on them? No. You're just walking your path, and they happen to be underfoot. Did the ants scream 'no hard feelings' before being crushed? No. But they die all the same."
He tilted his head slightly and continued with contempt, "You, Dr. Banner, are just another ant."
Banner laughed bitterly, the sound filled with growing rage. "You call me an ant?" His eyes twitched, his voice lower and more dangerous. "Then today, let's find out who's really the ant. I'll crush you for every arrogant word you've spat."
"Dr. Banner, stand down!" Fury shouted sharply, stepping forward. "You can't transform here—we're still thousands of feet in the air!"
Thor's voice boomed like thunder. "And what do you suggest we do, Director?" he bellowed, pulling out his hammer with a flash of lightning. "Just let him mock us and walk away? I would rather fall from the sky than let this insult stand!"
"I'm with him," Tony said coldly, his eyes narrowing behind the faceplate of his helmet. "It's not often I agree with the god of thunder, but I'm not going to just sit here and let this lunatic provoke us. Not after what he's done."
Tension filled the air. Natasha, Steve, and a few others were doing everything they could to stay calm. This wasn't just any battleground—they were aboard an airborne aircraft carrier, a floating fortress housing thousands of lives. Any major combat here would almost certainly lead to catastrophic consequences.
One wrong move, and the whole thing could come crashing down.
"Hahaha… oh, this is priceless," William laughed with twisted amusement. "Look at you—so bound by your morals, your sense of duty. I'm the villain you hate most, standing right in front of you, taunting you, and yet you do nothing. Because you're afraid. Afraid of what might happen."
His eyes sparkled with mockery. "If I were you? I wouldn't hesitate. I'd strike me down, consequences be damned. That's the difference between you and me—I live free of your pathetic rules."
Fury's voice rang out again, strong and unwavering. "Everyone, don't listen to him. He wants you to lose control. He's counting on it."
William waved his hand casually, still seated, still grinning. "Oh, please. Don't give them too much credit. They've already lost control. They're just too scared to act on it."
His expression darkened slightly as he gestured toward himself. "You speak of justice, morality, and peace. But those are just masks to hide your fear. Come on then. Strip off the mask. Show me who you really are. Try to kill me."
Banner let out a growl, his eyes glowing faintly with a dangerous green hue. "I... I can't take this anymore!" he roared.
"Dr. Banner, please!" Fury's voice cracked like a whip. "This is exactly what he wants—he wants you to transform and lose yourself!"
"I know!" Banner roared back. "But I can't help it. I want to tear him apart with my bare hands!"
The atmosphere thickened with tension. Steve, Natasha, and Fury stood firm, trying to keep the others from acting on their rage, but it was clear Tony, Thor, and Banner were on the verge of snapping. Their eyes were red, their hands clenched, barely restrained fury radiating from their bodies.
Fury turned to Thor. "Thor, remember who you are. Are you going to become the same monster who destroyed your home? Do you want to be no better than him? What about us? What about the innocent people below?"
Thor roared in frustration. "Then tell me what to do, Director! We can't just stand here and let him humiliate us!"
At that moment, William sighed mockingly and stood. He brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder and walked over to a nearby chair, casually sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. "You know what? I'll give you all a few more minutes to make up your minds. But unfortunately for you... I don't think you have that much time."
Fury narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
William raised an eyebrow with playful menace. "I mean exactly what I said. This aircraft carrier? It's about to go down. Literally."
BOOM!
A sudden and massive explosion rocked the entire structure. The floor quaked violently under their feet as alarms began to blare. Flames erupted from one side of the laboratory, smoke billowing out in thick clouds. The shockwave flung several agents off their feet as emergency sirens filled the air.
The room was bathed in red warning lights.
"What the hell!?" Tony shouted, immediately activating his suit's scanners.
The sound of metal tearing echoed through the corridors as another explosion shook the ship.
"We're under attack! We've been breached!" someone shouted over the intercom.
William stood calmly amid the chaos, his expression gleeful.
*****
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