World Traveler Villain

{Chapter: 313 Hidden Hydra}

William stared at the slumped figure of Crosshairs, who was sitting beside the lake, gears clicking lightly as he shifted uncomfortably.

"What's the point of having you around if you can't even keep two women from escaping? You had one job," William said with a sigh, hands spread in dramatic disappointment.

Crosshairs raised his hands defensively, mechanical fingers twitching as he spoke. "Boss, come on, be fair! You can't pin this on me. The nuclear radiation levels were off the charts. It fried half my sensors, I could barely track a mosquito."

His voice, though robotic, carried a tone of plaintive innocence. Unfortunately, the expressionless steel face didn't exactly scream "trust me."

William gave him a dry look. "If you were half as awesome as me, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But hey—if you were me, you'd be the boss, and I'd be the smart car."

Crosshairs brightened. "Exactly! Boss, you get it! That's why you're the leader. Vision, charisma, unstoppable ego. Total package."

White Queen crossed her arms, her lip curling. "Ugh. He's so easily pleased. It's embarrassing."

William turned to her, raising a finger like a philosopher. "This isn't about being pleased. It's about empathy, appreciation. You know how hard it is being the little guy? Always running around, taking orders, getting blamed for everything? If the boss doesn't show some compassion, who will?"

"Boss, you're going to make me cry." Crosshairs placed a hand on his chestplate dramatically. "In the next life, I want to be your little brother. No... your favorite little brother."

White Queen turned away, disgusted. "You guys are nauseating."

Alice, who had been silent until now, stepped in with her usual no-nonsense demeanor. "Alright, bromance hour is over. William, your two future wives just went off the grid. What's your plan?"

William gave her a cocky grin, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. "What's mine will always come back to me. And what's not mine… will probably end up mine eventually. I'm not worried. This planet's only so big. It's not like they hitched a ride to Mars."

Ada rolled her eyes, arms crossed. "So what, you're just going to sit here and hope they come crawling back?"

"Exactly!" William pointed at her, smug. "You get it."

"You're delusional." Ada deadpanned.

White Queen added, "The right to dream absurdly big? Let's give that award to William." She smiled playfully, then added with a little smirk, "Oh, by the way, your 'most loyal minion' Justin and his Hammer Industries building? Vaporized. Turned into atomic confetti. I guess loyalty doesn't shield against explosions."

William's face shifted into exaggerated sorrow. "Justin? Gone? Just like that? Not even a funeral, no body to mourn over? Such a loyal dog. And now… just ashes in the wind." He let out a heavy sigh, holding his hand over his heart. "Why, cruel world?"

White Queen rolled her eyes again. "You didn't even like him."

"True. But as a leader, I must appear to care. It's all part of the package: charm, cunning, selective compassion."

Alice shook her head. "We're the only ones here. Who are you performing for?"

William paused and looked around. "…Practice?"

"I swear, you're like a walking theater act," Ada muttered.

"But a damn entertaining one," he replied with a grin. "Anyway, we need a new base of operations. Lucky for you all, I've already thought of the perfect place."

"Oh no," White Queen groaned. "This should be good."

"S.H.I.E.L.D." William announced, spreading his arms like a magician revealing his final trick.

Alice and Ada both blinked. "S.H.I.E.L.D.?" they echoed.

"You heard me," he nodded seriously. "The most dangerous place is often the safest. Nobody would expect me to go straight into the lion's den. Besides, it's not dangerous for me. I'm practically charming enough to make Fury smile."

"You're really betting everything on ego again?" Alice asked, skeptical.

"When has that ever failed me?" William smirked.

"Don't answer that," Ada quickly cut in.

White Queen leaned on a nearby rock, crossing one leg over the other. "I get it though. One: Maria and Natasha are likely to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. if they want answers. Two: You're sniffing around because of Hydra, aren't you?"

Ada tilted her head. "Hydra? That old World War II death cult?"

"It's not just an old ghost story," White Queen replied smoothly. "They're like cockroaches—always creeping in the shadows. And William here loves a good conspiracy to crack open."

William winked. "What can I say? Old secrets, powerful enemies, mystery organizations—it's like catnip for people like me."

Alice shook her head. "This isn't a game."

"But it's so much fun," William replied, already walking toward the car.

"Well, it was an organization formed during World War II," White Queen said calmly, her voice ever so precise. "William was the deputy commander of Hydra at that time, second only to the infamous Red Skull. Unfortunately for Red Skull, he was eventually deceived by none other than William himself. Poor man never saw it coming."

William smirked with a trace of dark humor. "But the best part? The rest of Hydra never figured out I betrayed him. So technically... I'm still their beloved deputy commander."

"Amazing how ignorance can be such a useful tool," Ada remarked dryly, adjusting her gloves with a touch of skepticism in her voice.

"In the final phase of the war, with Red Skull gone and pressure mounting from European Allied forces, Hydra went underground. They spread like a virus—silent, systemic," White Queen explained with eerie composure. "At this point, almost every country has Hydra agents woven into its institutions."

Alice leaned back slightly and gave a half-smile. "So, even SHIELD isn't safe from them, right? I bet there are plenty of snakes hiding in that garden."

"Exactly," White Queen nodded, eyes cold and analytical. "And some of them slithered all the way up to the top."

Ada narrowed her eyes at William. "Even if Hydra still holds influence, it's been decades. You really believe they'll obey you just like that?"

White Queen chuckled, almost amused. "Back then, William had a lot of fanatical followers in Hydra. After his disappearance, their obsession only deepened. They started treating him like some messianic figure. His portrait became a symbol—present at every secret gathering. A relic of worship."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Only terrorists and cult nuts treat you like that. You're practically their boogeyman and savior wrapped in one."

"Honestly, I didn't ask for any of this devotion," William said with exaggerated modesty, brushing invisible dust off his coat. "I'm such a low-key guy... but it seems even the dimmest light shines in the darkness."

"Spare me," White Queen said, crossing her arms. "If I hadn't explained all this, you'd still be in the dark. Literally."

"Even if the grunts and mid-level believers want William back," Alice said coolly, "the ones at the top… I doubt they'll hand over power so easily. They've grown comfortable. Complacent."

William sneered, the corners of his mouth curling. "Then they can be comfortably removed. Permanently."

White Queen tilted her head. "Hydra has been actively searching for you ever since you reemerged. If you wanted to contact them, it wouldn't take much. Oh, and... speaking of power moves—did you retrieve the Tesseract?"

William gave a slow, self-satisfied nod. "Of course. That was never optional."

"Then there's nothing left for us here," White Queen said with finality, glancing around at the destruction. "Time to move on."

"Crosshairs!" William barked suddenly. "Why are you still standing there like a rusted tin can? Transform and get ready. Can't you see we're leaving?"

Crosshairs sighed theatrically, his mechanical voice tinged with despair. "Boss, you did say to be considerate of me. I thought you'd changed."

William shrugged, unimpressed. "I said it. I didn't mean it. Do I look like a charity foundation? Quit whining."

"My life is a tragic comedy," Crosshairs muttered as his body rapidly shifted, gears grinding and plates moving until he fully transformed into a sleek armored vehicle.

"Alright, let's roll," William said smoothly, opening the car doors with a flourish. He gestured for Alice, Ada, and White Queen to get in. "Ladies first. Let's begin another beautiful day of chaos."

Once everyone was inside, Crosshairs revved his engine and tore forward.

Above them, the sky had fully darkened. Shadows loomed over what was once New York, but now only ruins remained. By tomorrow, the world would be watching.

And William was ready.

*****

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