A.E.G.I.S

William stood with his arms crossed, an unimpressed expression settling on his face as a squad of armed guards leveled their high-tech rifles at him. The dull hum of their weapons charging filled the air, but he merely snorted in disdain.

"Put the guns away before I hurt you with them."

As he spoke, his aura pulsed outward, a dense, invisible force pressing down like the weight of an ocean. The effect was immediate. The guards stiffened, their bodies betraying them as knees buckled and hands trembled. Cold sweat formed on a few foreheads. One man nearly collapsed, his breath coming in ragged gasps, while others barely clung to composure.

William remained unfazed, standing over a dazed and weakened Carol, his gaze locked on the entrance ahead. He had expected someone else, but the man who emerged through the front doors gave him pause.

Step. Step.

A striking, middle-aged man strode forward with deliberate purpose, the iconic star-spangled shield resting in his right hand. The man's suit had undergone a clear upgrade, adamantium plating woven seamlessly with vibranium threads, forming an armor that was as flexible as it was indestructible. Not just for defense, but to store and channel kinetic energy, turning every blow into a potential counterstrike.

Steve Rogers stopped just outside arm's reach, though even then, the height difference was becoming a problem, he'd have to crane his neck before long.

"Viridian," Steve spoke, voice steady, carrying the weight of authority. "Due to newly enacted legislation, all powered individuals are required to undergo a power screening and be fitted with a power-dampening device. Please yield to these laws, they exist to protect everyone and everything."

His tone was rehearsed, a speech drilled into memory for situations like this. Meanwhile, unseen but carefully positioned, Jean and Wanda took up hidden flanking positions, their presence masked but their intent clear. They awaited the signal, poised to act should William turn hostile.

But William simply looked down at Steve, unblinking, unmoved.

William's piercing green eyes swept over Steve from head to toe, lingering for a moment on the reinforced seams and subtle plating of his suit. A light but unsettling smile formed on his lips, his expression carrying a weight that made even the air between them feel heavier.

"New suit?" William's voice was calm, almost casual, yet it held an edge that sent an involuntary shiver down Steve's spine. "Looks durable."

For the briefest moment, Steve felt the hairs on his arms rise. That smile, it wasn't just an observation. It was a test, a probe, an acknowledgment of the inevitable clash of ideologies brewing between them. He forced himself to hold William's gaze, locking eyes with an intensity that masked the unease creeping into his gut.

He inhaled sharply before speaking, his voice firm, authoritative. "This new law is in direct response to the devastation left in Sokovia. I'm sure you can understand, given your… direct involvement."

William's eyes flickered, a glint of something unreadable passing through them. Sokovia. The images flashed through his mind, he had watched the disaster unfold on television, and seen the city rise into the sky like a grim monument to catastrophe. But what had truly stunned him was learning, much later, that the entire floating mechanism had been tied to a dead man's switch, one linked to Zola's life force. He exhaled softly, his expression unreadable.

A beat of silence stretched between them before William finally spoke. His tone was calm but deliberate. "Steve… what happens to those who refuse?"

Steve hesitated, just for a second, but William caught it. That pause was telling. There was no easy answer, no way to soften the truth. And William respected the truth more than pretty words.

With a quiet sigh, Steve squared his shoulders and answered. "Depending on the person, the punishment ranges from imprisonment to exile." His voice remained steady, but there was something in his posture, something restrained.

William's gaze sharpened. "Exile?"

Steve nodded grimly. "Thor refused to accept a limiting device of Earthling make, so we banished him from the planet. Hulk…" His jaw tightened. "We had no choice. We trapped him in a spaceship and launched him toward a hospital planet, one with no sentient life."

Silence settled over them, thick and suffocating. William stared at Steve, and for the first time since their conversation began, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. His green eyes, which had held traces of curiosity before, now glowed with something far more dangerous.

A slow exhale left William's lips, his smile long gone. "You had no choice," he repeated, his tone eerily neutral.

Steve remained silent. There was nothing else to say.

But William's next words came colder than steel. "And what happens when they come back?"

Steve's blue eyes shimmered with determination as he refocused on the imposing figure before him. His grip on the vibranium shield tightened, but his voice remained firm.

"We have measures," he declared, his words carrying both warning and plea.

A slow smile curved William's lips, his emerald gaze gleaming with amusement. "And what measures do you have for someone like me?" His tone was almost teasing, yet there was an undeniable weight behind his words, a challenge that sent a ripple of unease through the gathered forces.

The soldiers flanking Steve stiffened, their fingers hovering over weapons, though they dared not move without his command. The air between them grew thick with tension, and for a moment, silence reigned. Then, Steve exhaled sharply, as if weighing his next move, before reaching behind his shield.

With a swift motion, he retrieved a sleek, reinforced bracelet, a fusion of adamantium and steel, its surface etched with glowing circuitry that pulsed faintly with an unknown energy.

"Please, Viridian," Steve said, his voice laced with sincerity and an edge of regret. "We don't want to be forced to exile you."

He tossed the bracelet toward William, who caught it effortlessly midair. The weight was negligible in his grip, but he could feel the dormant power within it, something designed to bind, to suppress. He turned it over between his fingers, studying the intricate design.

A notification flickered at the edge of his vision.

[Ding! System Message – A device is attempting to form a connection with your body!]

[Ding! System Message – The device is unable to establish a connection as the nanobots within it cannot penetrate your body.]

William's smile widened. Without even exerting force, the bracelet's surface began to crack, spiderweb fractures forming along the metal's length. A second later, it crumbled into dust in his palm.

The reaction was instant.

Steve took a step back, his shield snapping into a defensive stance. The surrounding guards tensed, their weapons humming with energy as they shifted into a battle-ready formation. A nervous breath passed through the ranks, uncertainty, fear.

William slowly dusted his hands off, his movements calm, deliberate. His gaze flicked between them, unbothered by the show of hostility.

"Was that your big plan?" he mused, tilting his head slightly. "A bracelet?"

His voice carried no malice. Only amusement, yet it sent a visible shiver through the troops.

Steve clenched his jaw, his mind racing. This was worse than he thought.

With a subtle, practiced gesture, Steve signaled the two overpowered mutants flanking William. In an instant, the air thickened with tension.

The two redheads stepped forward, their eyes glowing with power. A deep crimson fog coiled around Wanda, pulsing with raw chaos magic, while waves of invisible force rippled outward from Jean, making the ground tremble slightly beneath their feet. The very air vibrated with unspoken power, a silent warning of what they could unleash.

William, unfazed by the display, let out a low chuckle. His emerald eyes gleamed mischievously as he tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh, hello, ladies! I didn't expect to see you here." He let his voice dip into a flirtatious tone, his expression playful. "Hehe, is it my birthday or something?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, a slight nervous sweat formed on their brows. Wanda's fingers twitched for just a moment, and even Jean, despite her resolve, felt a flutter of unease. Around them, the guards, fully aware of what was at stake, subtly edged backward, retreating from what was quickly becoming a volatile combat zone.

Jean inhaled sharply, steadying herself. Memories flickered in her mind, he was the reason she had made it off the island alive. He had saved her when no one else could. That debt, that understanding, lingered in her heart.

She softened slightly, choosing reason over force.

"Please, Viridian," she said, her voice carrying both urgency and sincerity. "I understand that you have your pride, but this is for the greater good. We all need checks and balances for our power!"

For a brief moment, the teasing light in William's eyes dimmed, replaced by something deeper. He met Jean's gaze and smiled, not mockingly, not arrogantly, but kindly. Yet even in that kindness, there was finality.

He shook his head. "The device you're using couldn't even penetrate my skin. It destroyed itself trying to do so."

A crackling silence followed, the weight of his words pressing down on the gathered forces. The remnants of the failed device still dusted his fingertips, proof of his sheer invulnerability.

Then his tone shifted, losing its warmth. His next words were calm, but they carried a razor's edge.

"But if your goal is to force one on me," he continued, his gaze flickering toward Steve in a clear warning, "you will find my reaction to be a lot less friendly."

A subtle shift in the air. A veiled promise of destruction.

Steve's fingers flexed against his shield. Jean's lips pressed into a thin line. Wanda's crimson mist curled tighter around her fingers.

The next move would decide everything.

Sometime during the tense standoff, Carol had fully regained consciousness. Though every muscle in her body ached from the brutal beatdown she had suffered earlier, she wasted no time slipping away from the battlefield. Stealthily, she distanced herself from William, her movements smooth and calculated despite the lingering pain.

The moment she was clear, she took off, a golden streak slicing through the air as she rushed toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. In mere seconds, she burst into Fury's office, her boots slamming against the floor as she stormed in.

Behind his desk, Fury remained composed, watching a live surveillance feed of the confrontation outside. The screen flickered, showing William standing amidst the gathered heroes, completely unfazed by their presence.

Carol approached, her expression dark, anger flickering in her eyes as memories of the humiliating loss burned fresh in her mind.

"Who the hell is that, and why is he so strong?" she demanded, her voice edged with frustration.

Fury barely glanced at her before returning his focus to the screen. "I'm unsure of his true origins," he admitted, his tone unusually grim. "But one thing is certain, he's getting stronger. And not just by a little." He exhaled, rubbing his temple. "This isn't the first time we've had this conversation. His growth has been a topic of concern for years."

Without another word, he slid a tablet across the desk.

Carol picked it up and tapped the screen. Instantly, a recording of William's latest battle against Zola Ultron played. Her eyes widened as she watched the footage, his body twisting and shifting into something monstrous, his very presence exuding a power that felt unnatural. Then came the finishing blow. Brutal. Efficient. Terrifying. He didn't just win, he had torn his adversary apart with frightening ease.

Her grip on the tablet tightened. A cold sweat formed on her forehead. Suddenly, she wasn't just angry, she was grateful.

He went easy on me.

Carol set the tablet down on Fury's desk, forcing herself to swallow the uneasy lump in her throat.

Meanwhile, back at the battlefield, William studied Steve with an amused smirk. Slowly, he unfolded his arms, the relaxed posture vanishing as a shift in the air signaled what was coming next.

Then, his power surged.

A vibrant, emerald aura erupted around him, crackling with energy. The very ground trembled beneath his feet, as if recoiling from the sheer force of his presence. Small chunks of rubble lifted into the air, defying gravity as the pressure in the atmosphere grew suffocating.

Steve barely had time to brace himself before Wanda reacted.

Taking the surge of energy as an attack, Wanda's hands shot forward, crimson tendrils of chaotic magic lashing out. The air around William twisted violently as glowing red chains coiled around him, snapping tight like a predator's jaws.

Jean followed immediately, her telekinetic power manifesting in an unseen force that crashed down onto William like an unrelenting tidal wave. The sheer weight of it was enough to bend steel, enough to bring titans to their knees.

But William?

He didn't budge.

He simply stood there, encased within the crimson cocoon, his eerie smile remaining plastered across his face. The crushing force of Jean's power, the unbreakable hold of Wanda's magic, he let it happen.

Then, he sighed.

A slow, deep exhale that sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

His eyes ignited, a brilliant, otherworldly green flame flickering within his irises. The glow sharpened, condensing to a fine, deadly point. Then, in an instant, he fired.

KKKKCHH!

A searing beam of emerald energy ripped through the air. The moment it touched Wanda's chains, they disintegrated like paper caught in a blaze. The beam didn't stop, it tore through the magic, obliterated the invisible force pressing against him, and streaked toward Captain America with terrifying speed.

Steve barely had time to react. Instinct took over as he threw up his shield, bracing for impact.

"KCHCHCHCHCH!" The beam struck dead center on Steve's shield, sending him crashing back through the same door he had come out of. A small, red-hot divot formed in the center of his shield, as if even vibranium couldn't withstand William's power.

William's hands reached through the newly created hole in Wanda's cocoon and began to casually tear through them frightening Wanda.

Jean had a pallid expression on her face as she continued to struggle against William's movement but the strain of simply trying was getting to her and she was soon on her knees with her head down seemingly unconscious.