World Traveler Villain

{Chapter: 311 Men in Black}

William stood with his arms crossed, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement and nostalgia. "This makes the third time I've witnessed a nuclear explosion with my own eyes," he said with a smug grin. "You know, back in the day, I was piloting a bomber when we dropped Little Girl over Tokyo. I can still remember the feeling—the roar, the fire, the pure thrill. I was on top of the world."

Alice rolled her eyes, folding her arms. Her tone was dry, sarcastic—true to herself. "Oh please, don't start bragging about your 'glorious war days' again. That was decades ago. You've been dining out on that story since the Cold War."

William chuckled, unbothered. "A story worth repeating, wouldn't you say?"

Ada, ever the pragmatic one, turned her gaze toward the lingering smoke in the sky where the Chitauri mothership had once loomed. "Still… it's impressive. The mothership is gone. Say what you will, but even alien technology can't stand up to a properly aimed nuclear bomb. That was gutsy though—launching it over a city."

"Not gutsy," Alice said grimly. "Desperate. New York was already gone. If they hadn't dropped it, half the eastern seaboard might've gone with it. The Chitauri weren't going to stop."

Ada gave a quiet nod, but her brow furrowed. "I just don't think it's that simple."

William's smile faded a bit, replaced by a thoughtful frown. "It's not. That nuke wasn't launched from a silo or even a ground station. It came from a jet—midair deployment, and judging by the angle, that bird had been circling for a while."

Alice's eyes narrowed. "You're saying someone had this planned? Just waiting for the right moment?"

William nodded slowly. "Exactly. That jet had clearance, coordination, timing. The kind of operation only someone like S.H.I.E.L.D. could pull off."

Ada tilted her head. "So what, you think Fury's behind this? You think this was premeditated?"

William shrugged, palms turned upward. "I'm just speculating. But think about it—S.H.I.E.L.D. has always played the long game. They don't just react, they anticipate. Maybe this whole thing—the nuke, the invasion—was part of a much bigger chessboard."

Alice crossed her arms, skeptical. "You're either a genius… or just paranoid."

"Can't I be both?" William smirked. "When you look this good, everyone's out to get you. I have to stay two steps ahead."

Ada laughed softly, exasperated. "Honestly, we were ready for some earth-shaking revelation. Turns out it's just you being dramatic again."

"Hey," William said, mock-offended. "Sometimes being dramatic is just being right early."

Alice shook her head with a small smile. "Maybe. Or maybe we're all just dreaming this up. Maybe when I wake up, we'll be back in Raccoon City with nothing but mutant dogs and a cranky Red Queen to deal with."

Ada's tone turned reflective. "Speaking of which… White Queen mentioned something about your Transformer state, didn't she? Said you'd only hold out for about three minutes in the Shining Quadruple mode. But today you held the Triplet form for much longer."

William grimaced slightly, rubbing his temple. "Yeah, she was right. The Transformer T-Human state puts an insane strain on my body. I barely held that Triplet mode for eight minutes. If I pushed to Quadruple... well, I'd probably burn out in under three. We need a workaround."

Alice placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Then we'll find one. Step by step. You're not alone, remember?"

Ada looked out across the ruined skyline. "New York's a wasteland. I wonder how the White Queen's faring now?"

Alice gave a soft laugh. "She's probably already four steps ahead of us. That girl is always five moves deep in some secret plan. If anyone's still alive and scheming in this mess, it's her."

"And Natasha?" Ada asked. "Maria?"

The air turned quiet.

William's eyes hardened. His voice was calm, but steely. "They're not dead. Not them. Not if I have any say in it."

Alice looked at him, half-smiling. "There it is… the hopeless romantic hidden under all that bravado."

He didn't deny it. "The women I care about don't die easy. Not while I'm still breathing."

Ada chuckled. "That's comforting, in a chaotic kind of way."

William glanced back toward the rising black mushroom cloud, the scorched skyline illuminated with ember-light. "The Chitauri came here thinking they'd conquer Earth. Instead, they got a front-row seat to humanity's most dangerous weapon… and a guy who turns into a golden giant robot. I'd say they got more than they bargained for."

Alice looked up, a thoughtful edge in her voice. "I never thought it would end like this… the invasion, the nukes, the sky tearing open. It's like the worst parts of every nightmare rolled into one."

"And yet we're still here," Ada added. "Alive, angry, and still ready for more."

William's smirk returned. "Damn right. Let's find what's left… and make sure the next ones who try this don't get a second chance."

William suddenly glanced up at the sky, the corners of his mouth curving into a half-smile. "Ah... this is life. Grand. Magnificent. The kind of moment that makes you want to laugh in the face of fate. And you, the idiot secretly peeking at us—don't you think I'm right?"

Alice raised an eyebrow, and Ada's expression turned cautious. "Wait—what do you mean, someone else is here?" Alice asked, her stance shifting subtly like a trained spy ready to strike.

"I'm not certain," William said, eyes still on the clouds, "but I'd bet ninety percent on it. Someone's been watching. Come on out, you're not as stealthy as you think."

Just then, a cold voice echoed through the quiet air like a blade slicing silk. "Interesting."

In a blur of motion, a figure shrouded entirely in black appeared before them. His face, however, remained turned away, like a ghost reluctant to show its true form.

William folded his arms and tilted his head, unimpressed. "Ah, here we go. The dramatic entrance, the back turned, the mystery act. What's next? A fog machine? Seriously, are you trying to be ominous, or are you just shy? Or maybe… you're hiding acne?"

Alice narrowed her eyes, carefully analyzing every detail. "He crept this close and we didn't even sense it. That's not just stealth—that's skill."

Ada nodded, eyes sharp. "Too much skill. That wasn't sneaking, that was calculated infiltration."

The man in black finally spoke again, voice low and biting. "You certainly have a sharp tongue. I wonder if your strength can back it up."

William grinned like a man born to provoke. "Let me tell you something: I've seen enough 'mysterious strangers' in my life to write a trilogy. And even if you wore a full balaclava with fishnet stockings, I'd still recognize the drama queen underneath."

"Oh?" the figure replied, voice rich with arrogance. "And what if you're right? What if I don't care? Soon, the world will know my name."

William laughed, a genuine, amused sound. "Finally, someone who gets the performance aspect of villainy. I like you. You've got flair—mystique, arrogance, and even a cold voice. You've got the full starter pack."

Alice stepped forward slightly. "Then why not turn around? If you're so proud, what's the point of hiding your face?"

The man in black didn't move. "Because everyone who has seen my face is already dead. William, consider this your curtain call. You've caught my attention. Your performance so far has been… entertaining."

"Oh my, a compliment," William replied, putting a hand over his heart theatrically. "Careful, if you keep praising me like that, you might fall for me. And I am no gay"

Ada rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him."

But William just smirked. "To be honest, I'm not even mad. I just want one thing—can we skip the cryptic nonsense and get to the part where you actually do something?"

The figure's voice turned colder, like ice scraping across metal. "I only bother with games when my opponents are worth the time. For now, I'll treat you as a contender. Don't die too quickly."

Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished—like a shadow swallowed by twilight.

William let out a long breath and shook his head. "Pretentious people like him… I kind of like them. They think the world revolves around their mystique. But stepping on someone like that? Now that's refreshing."

Alice slowly exhaled, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Even with his back turned, he gave off that kind of pressure… like a storm waiting to break."

Ada looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers. "He didn't even move, and I felt like I was frozen in place. That's not just strength—that's fear woven into aura."

William nodded, his expression turning serious for once. "That kind of pressure? Only real monsters have it. The type of people who don't bluff—they simply are." A glint sparked in his eye. "He thinks I'm his plaything… but let's see who ends up playing who."

*****

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