CH: 288 Aircraft Carrier Crisis

{Chapter: 288 Aircraft Carrier Crisis}

Loki's eyes widened as William raised his hand, and he instinctively shrank back, apprehension written all over his bruised and swollen face. "What… What do you want now?"

William chuckled softly, the sound both amused and menacing. "What do I want? Oh Loki, that's the funny part. I don't want anything from you." He stepped closer and spoke in a casual tone, "Relax. I'm not going to kill you, nor am I here to ruin your little plans. You're free to do whatever it is you think you're doing."

Loki stared at William in confusion, unsure whether to believe him or brace for another round of humiliation. "You must have a motive. You wouldn't be here otherwise."

William grinned and gave Loki a friendly—almost mocking—pat on the shoulder. "Don't overthink it, you clown. I'm just here for a bit of fun."

Then, turning his back on the half frost giant, William strolled confidently toward Natasha, who lay unconscious nearby. Without breaking stride, he bent down, hoisted her over his shoulder effortlessly, and continued walking. "Oh, by the way, Loki," he called out, glancing over his shoulder, "the scepter you were so eager to get your hands on? That's mine now. Whether you can retrieve it… well, that depends entirely on your skills. I wouldn't bet on them."

Loki's fists clenched tightly at his sides, trembling with fury. His disfigured face twitched in frustration, looking more pitiful than menacing. "Damn you, William! This isn't over! I, Loki of Asgard, will rise. I will become a god revered by all. Just you wait."

From behind him, Hawkeye stepped forward and spoke with urgency. "Boss, we need to get moving. Selvig's already in New York setting things up."

"I know, I know," Loki grumbled, his voice thick with resentment. "Let's go."

Despite the situation, the sight of his bloated, red face contorted in anger was unintentionally comical, like an angry toad wearing a helmet. Even Hawkeye had to look away to keep from laughing.

Meanwhile, William made his way across the deck of the hovering aircraft carrier, approaching a sleek, futuristic-looking aircraft. He climbed aboard and placed Natasha gently in a seat.

"You finally made it," said White Queen, lounging in the cockpit with an air of smugness. "For a moment, I thought you got cold feet."

William smirked. "Me? Reluctant? Please. You barked at me enough last time—I'm just here to settle the score."

"Small-minded and vengeful," White Queen teased, sticking her tongue out playfully. "You never change."

Inside the aircraft, Maria Hill turned her attention to Natasha. "Natasha… are you alright?"

Natasha sighed and gave a bitter smile. "Looks like you were taken by this bastard too."

White Queen folded her arms, looking sympathetic. "That's right. He's a shameless brute who collects women like trophies. Your fate is sealed now, unfortunately. You've been targeted by this scumbag."

Hill narrowed her eyes, cold and sharp. "Don't even think about it. I won't fall under his control."

Alice laughed gently. "I used to say the exact same thing… and hated him ten times more than you do now."

Natasha's eyes flicked toward her. "And yet here you are, riding in his vehicle, siding with him. Don't think your path will become mine. I'm nothing like you."

Alice's smile faded into a knowing expression. "Your attitude… it's just like mine once was. If you had lived through the horrors I did, maybe you'd understand why I changed."

Ada interjected with a soft chuckle, glancing out the window. "You know… people in this world have it easy. No constant fear of death, no undead clawing at their windows."

"Zombies?" Hill and Natasha echoed, both surprised.

William tilted his head, intrigued. "Hmm… now that you mention it, this world is a bit too peaceful. Maybe a little viral outbreak would spice things up—a full-on biohazard scenario."

Alice, Ada, and White Queen all turned to him with widened eyes. "Wait, you're not serious, are you? If you release a virus here, you'll destroy the whole world! Worse, you won't even gain any villain points from it. Zombies have no narrative link to this universe."

William shrugged, lounging back casually. "You're all too obsessed with those damn villain points. Sometimes, a man just wants to stir up chaos for fun. It's exhausting, trying to meet all these goals."

Hill frowned deeply. "Wait… what are you talking about? Villain points? Zombies? Are you people insane?"

White Queen flashed a sly, knowing smile. "One day, you'll understand everything, but right now... I'm afraid it's not the time. Just be patient."

Ada looked toward William with concern in her eyes. "William, I really think it's better if you don't go through with this plan."

William simply chuckled, spreading his hands in a carefree gesture. "Let's talk about it when the time comes. If things really spiral out of control, doesn't White Queen have that miracle antidote that can reverse the zombie transformation and restore people to normal? There's nothing to be worried about."

Ada frowned. "That's assuming everything goes perfectly. This isn't a game, William."

"Come on, don't be so tense. You all worry too much," William said with a grin, brushing off the concern. "You can go ahead now—take off. I'll catch up in a moment." With that, he turned and headed toward the hatch.

White Queen's voice echoed behind him with a teasing tone. "Are you really going to crash this entire flying fortress? There's no need for such theatrics. I already have full access to the aircraft carrier's control system. I can stop any of the four engines at will."

Natasha and Maria's expressions shifted immediately. They exchanged alarmed glances before turning to face White Queen.

"You've taken control of the carrier's systems?" Maria demanded, her voice tense.

"Of course I have," White Queen replied casually, as if discussing the weather. "It wasn't hard at all."

"That's not possible!" Hill snapped. "The carrier has one of the most secure firewalls on the planet. No one can hack it—not even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own people."

White Queen raised her eyebrows and gave an exaggerated shrug. "Well, clearly they haven't met me. Still don't believe it? I'll demonstrate."

"White Queen, shut down one engine," William ordered calmly.

"One engine? How boring," she said with a smirk. A cascade of digital code shimmered in her eyes as she connected with the system.

The aircraft carrier, previously hovering steadily in the sky, suddenly began to lurch and tilt dangerously to one side. Hawkeye had already taken out one engine, and now with only two functioning, the ship could no longer maintain altitude properly.

Inside, the aircraft rattled and pitched. Natasha and Maria grabbed onto whatever they could to keep their balance as their eyes widened in shock.

"It actually happened," Hill whispered. "She really did it..."

"Take off! Now!" William shouted as he leapt off the side of the carrier.

Ada immediately launched the aircraft into the air, steering it away from the tilting behemoth.

Inside the aircraft, Hill's voice rang out in panic. "Stop it right now! The carrier's going to crash! There are thousands of people aboard!"

White Queen didn't even look fazed. "Too late. Even if I pulled back, William would still bring it down. That's just the kind of man he is."

"William!" Hill shouted in fury.

Alice, who had remained calm through it all, looked at Maria with a somber expression. "You feel angry, frustrated, powerless. Like you're trapped in a world where your choices don't matter. That's the feeling we all had in the beginning. You'll get used to it eventually. It's a slow, painful process."

Back aboard the trembling aircraft carrier, chaos reigned. Alarms blared and personnel ran through the corridors in a frenzy. The entire ship groaned under its own weight, as though the sky itself would soon give way beneath it. Screams of panic echoed from within.

And then... suddenly... the ship stopped shaking.

Relief washed over everyone onboard. Many collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, thankful to still be alive.

Above the carrier, suspended in midair, William hovered silently. His gaze was fixed on Engine No. 3—the one Hawkeye had destroyed earlier. Unbelievably, it had begun spinning again, restored to working order.

He narrowed his eyes.

"William!" a thunderous voice roared.

From the direction of the repaired engine, Iron Man streaked through the air like a missile, his repulsors flaring with deadly precision. He slammed into William at high speed, tackling him and sending both of them tumbling violently across the deck.

They rolled together for several meters, metal clashing against flesh and armor.

Iron Man was the first to recover, standing quickly and launching a brutal kick at William, sending him skidding across the deck like a ragdoll. "You're done, William! I'm not the same man you fought before!"

William groaned, pushing himself back to his feet slowly, just in time to see Iron Man flying straight at him once more.

With a roar, Iron Man unleashed twin beams of concentrated energy from his palms, both of which slammed directly into William's chest, propelling him backward with bone-jarring force.

William crashed into one of the fighter jets stationed on the deck, smashing through its wing and leaving a smoking dent in the side.

*****

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