CH: 299 No Touch Allowed

{Chapter: 299 No Touch Allowed}

William stared at Maria, who had turned her face away, her body trembling slightly. A single tear had fallen earlier, betraying her emotions.

"Did you cry?" William asked, his voice quieter than before, almost uncertain.

Maria whipped her head back toward him, her eyes wide and defiant despite their redness. "No. You must be mistaken. I have never cried—not since the day I was born." She said it with every ounce of pride and strength she could gather.

William stepped off her, finally giving her some space. He brushed the dust from his clothes, but his expression turned uncharacteristically serious. "Looks like I took the teasing too far. I made Maria Hill—cold, proud, always composed—actually cry. What a sin I've committed."

"I said I didn't cry!" Maria snapped, her voice cracking with emotion she tried hard to suppress.

William smirked again, regaining his usual confidence. "Fine, fine. Let's say you didn't cry. But I'll tell you something that's no joke—Earth is my territory. I don't care who or what they are, but I'm not going to let those damned Chitauri mutts swagger around like they own the place."

"Wait… what?" Maria blinked in confusion, caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone.

"He means," a smooth voice interrupted, "that even if you didn't beg or kiss or plead with him, he still would've destroyed the Chitauri army. His little stage—Earth—can't be defiled by alien invaders."

Maria turned to see the White Queen approaching, smiling slyly.

"You really are the parasite living in my stomach," William said approvingly, "You always understand exactly what I mean."

"Gross. Don't make it sound so weird," the White Queen muttered, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a tapeworm."

Maria's gaze flicked between them, her brows furrowed. "Is what she said… really true?"

William spread his arms with mock innocence. "Of course. What did you think this was?"

Maria stared at him, her breath catching in her throat. A cocktail of fury and humiliation surged in her chest, threatening to explode. She finally shouted, "William, you complete and utter scumbag! The super scumbag, I will definitely kill you. I can't believe I did all of that for nothing!" Her hands curled into fists, her voice shrill with frustration.

"Come, Maria, sing it with me—'I shed tears when I learned the truth,'" the White Queen said playfully, her voice melodic and utterly unsympathetic.

"You're all bastards scumbags!" Maria shouted, her entire icy demeanor crumbling in that instant. All the self-restraint she had built over the years was obliterated.

"Hey, hey, don't lump me in with him!" White Queen protested, putting her hands up defensively. "He's the one who tricked you. I'm just a poor bystander. If anything, I'm suffering here too."

"You're his lackey!" Maria snapped, pointing accusingly. "You help him bully people. Helping the tyrant do evil. You're an accomplice!"

"That's not fair!" White Queen pouted, rubbing at her eyes dramatically though no tears followed. "I'm bullied by him daily. You think I want to be here? I'm just a fragile girl trying to survive. I'm a victim too, and now I get blamed by you. Life is so unfair. Why am I so miserable?" White Queen wiped her eyes with her little hands, but no tears came out.

Maria's anger wavered at her words. Her tone softened. "Fine… I'm sorry. I guess you don't have a choice either. You're probably just caught up in his mess, like everyone else."

White Queen stepped closer, her expression gentler now. "It's okay. I hope you can understand me."

"I'll protect you from now on," Maria said with a stiff but sincere smile, clearly unused to giving comfort.

White Queen nodded. "I believe you."

William, watching them, sighed. "Seriously? Maria, you actually believed this little goblin's crocodile tears? Has your IQ dropped below freezing?"

Maria immediately turned cold. "Don't speak to me. I don't know you anymore."

"Oh? You don't know me? But weren't you the same person who kissed me not long ago? Quite passionately, I might add. I'm still savoring the memory."

Maria's face flushed red with embarrassment and fury. "I was bitten by a dog! That's all it was!"

William chuckled darkly. He reached out and pulled Maria up by the waist. "Bitten by a dog, huh? Then allow me to be that dog once again."

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Maria protested, trying to shove him away, her voice laced with panic.

"I'm just continuing what we started," William said with a wicked grin, his hands tightening slightly around her waist, eyes gleaming with playful danger.

"Asshole, don't touch me!" Maria shoved William's face away with both hands, glaring daggers at him. But as soon as she did, she recoiled like she'd touched a live wire.

"You licked my hand, you lunatic!" she shrieked, wiping it off on his shirt with visible disgust.

William grinned like a devil. "What can I say? You're sweet."

Before Maria could fire back, William leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a bold, unexpected move.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Mmm! Mmm!" she tried to protest, but William didn't back down easily. She struggled and pushed, but he only smirked into the kiss before finally pulling back with a satisfied look.

Maria gasped, breathless, and immediately slapped his shoulder. "You crazy bastard! That was assault—of the most irritating kind!"

From the side, White Queen watched, arms folded, clearly unimpressed. "Honestly, every woman who crosses paths with him ends up a victim... of his shameless obsession."

Ada turned to Natasha. "You really seem to hate William. But why? He hasn't exactly done anything new to you lately, has he? You're not exactly the emotional type, either. I thought someone like you would see him as just another target."

Natasha's expression darkened, her voice cold. "He didn't do anything to me? If only that were true."

Ada blinked. "Wait, what does that mean?"

Natasha waved her off. "It doesn't matter. All I know is if it ever came down to killing him or dying—I'd choose the second option. Gladly."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that's some top-tier hate. White Queen, you always know the juicy stuff. Any insights?"

Natasha scoffed. "She doesn't know anything."

"That means you underestimated White Queen. She is so powerful that she can directly read other people's memories." Alice smiled.

White Queen smiled coyly. "Oh, don't underestimate me. I've read minds more guarded than yours."

"How could it be?" Natasha said in disbelief. A light green light swept towards her eyes, and Natasha immediately closed her eyes.

Natasha's eyes narrowed. "Don't even try it."

But it was too late. A soft green glow passed over Natasha's face.

"Oh," White Queen said with a teasing grin. "Kolkata. Now that was something. He really embarrassed you, didn't he?"

"Shut up!" Natasha lunged at her, aiming to silence her before she said anything more.

White Queen didn't move. "If you want me to stop, then make me."

Natasha covered her mouth with her hand. "Keep talking and I'll make you regret it. William's one thing—but you? You're just a smug little—"

"I may be little," White Queen said, grabbing Natasha's wrist, "but I'm not weak."

Natasha's eyes widened. She tried to pull away, but her arm didn't budge. "You're making me do this," she muttered, throwing a kick.

White Queen blocked it easily. "Slow. Predictable. You really are rusty."

"That's impossible," Natasha growled. "You're a teenager!"

"Age is just a number," White Queen replied with a smirk. "What's wrong with a little girl like me?" The White Queen suddenly exerted her strength in her arms. Natasha felt a huge force coming from her feet, which made her unable to control her body and lean to the side.

With a sudden burst of strength, she twisted Natasha off balance and climbed on her back, pinning her down.

Natasha struggled beneath her. "Get off me, you brat!"

"Familiar pose, no?" White Queen chuckled from above. "Does this position look familiar to you?" White Queen said with a smile.

"Damn it, get down, get down." Natasha struggled violently, but she couldn't stand up. The White Queen on her back felt like a thousand pounds.

"You weigh a ton!" Natasha snapped, trying to roll over.

"I'm light as a feather," White Queen said cheerfully. "But I carry the weight of truth. Accept your defeat gracefully, Agent Romanoff. There's no point in being shy. Just accept your fate."

*****

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