Thank you legends for your support and contribution.
Thanks to[D3s3rtdata] for subscribing to my $9 tier!
If you're feeling generous, here's the link: patreon.com/Eden_Translation. I'm back to 60, thanks for keeping me afloat, folks! š¤§
*****
{Chapter: 274 Infinite Stones}
The massive aircraft carrier ascended steadily, propelled by the roaring force of its four giant thrusters. It rose thousands of meters into the air before stabilizing at cruising altitude above the clouds. With a subtle shift in its systems, the carrier activated its advanced optical camouflage reflectors. Sunlight bounced off its sleek surface, refracting into the sky, effectively cloaking the ship in midair. To the naked eye, the vessel seemed to vanishāthough it hadn't gone anywhere. It merely blended seamlessly with the vast blue above, its presence now nearly impossible to detect from the ground.
Inside, the carrier buzzed with the hum of cutting-edge machinery and coordinated activity. Rows of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel moved with precision across the main deck, each focused on their specific duties. Monitors flickered with live data, satellite feeds, and tactical projections, all under the sharp supervision of Maria Hill.
Agent Maria Hill, Level 9, and renowned for her unwavering discipline and icy composure, stood at the center of it all. Her eyes scanned the command room from behind a crisp black uniform, issuing swift, calm instructions as she coordinated the aircraft's systems. As Nick Fury's most trusted second-in-command, she carried herself with an air of sharp authority, fully capable of leading S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying stronghold.
A chime sounded, indicating a new arrival. Led by Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers and Dr. Bruce Banner stepped into the command center.
Fury turned to greet them, his one eye cool and calculating. "Gentlemen, welcome aboard."
At that moment, unseen by anyone, something unusual stirred elsewhere in the aircraft.
A metallic sheen glinted faintly in a dark hallway near one of the side compartments. It was a small, liquid metal sphereāmoving with eerie precision. It slipped past a pair of distracted agents and slid under the door of a restroom.
Once inside, the metal swirled and expanded with a fluid grace, reforming into a tall humanoid figure. William had returned.
He glanced at his reflection in the mirror and smirked arrogantly. "Still devastatingly handsome," he said to himself, brushing back his tousled hair. "Now, where are those lovely girls of mine? Time to make an entrance."
He stepped out of the restroomāonly to be immediately hit by a soft wave of green light scanning across his face.
"I thought you weren't going to show up," came a cool, sharp voice.
William turned to see the White Queen standing before him, arms crossed and gaze narrowed. She wore a form-fitting S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, which looked both out of place and strangely commanding on her.
"How could I possibly relax knowing the three of you are here?" William replied with mock sincerity. "As a responsible man, it's my duty to be by your side."
Ada and Alice appeared behind the White Queen, also in S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms. All three of them radiated a no-nonsense aura that made William grin even wider.
"Don't give us that noble act," Ada sighed, clearly exasperated.
"Come with us," Alice said, pulling him by the sleeve.
They led William down a side corridor and into a small, dimly lit room. There was barely enough space for the four of them to fit comfortably. A narrow cot sat in one corner, its crisp sheets barely disturbed.
William took one look around and raised an eyebrow. "Cozy. Romantic, even."
"White Queen, why are you taller?" William asked.
"This is a projection, a projection outside the body, idiot." The White Queen looked at him with contempt.
"Oh, I haven't seen you for a few days. I feel like you've come here in a big way."
His eyes wandered toward the White Queen, and with a sudden motion, he pounced on her, gently pinning her down onto the cot.
"Get off me, you beast!" she protested, pushing at him with both hands.
William grinned, completely unfazed. "Nope. This is my reward for being a loving, loyal, perverted husband."
"Disgusting!" she snapped. "Why do I always end up under you?!"
White Queen looked at Alice and Ada, "I say, you two, can't you take care of your perverted husband? He is r@pĀ”ng undĀ£r@gĀ£ gĀ”rls."
Ada shook her head with a tired smile. "Do you think we can stop him?"
"We tried," Alice said, crossing her arms. "We all tried. We failed. We're victims too. We are all poor people here, and we were all r@pĀ£d by him." Alice added.
"Hey now," William chuckled, still lying atop the White Queen. "I'm simply giving you all the attention you deserve."
"William, get up." White Queen called out.
"This is not good, I don't want to get up, White Queen, just be my cushion for a while."
"I'm not good at all, you pervert."
"William, get off already!" the White Queen shouted.
"Fine, fine," he relented, rolling off and lying beside her. "I'm a man of compromise, after all. Who made me a person who respects other people's opinions."
The White Queen bolted upright, adjusting her uniform with a flustered glare. "You are the most shameless man alive."
"I consider it a skill," he replied with a lazy grin.
Ada folded her arms. "You really stirred the hornet's nest in India, didn't you?"
Alice added with a smirk, "After more than half a year of silence, you come back with a bangāand now the entire world is watching you."
William shrugged casually, flashing a confident grin. "What can I say? I've always had a flair for the dramatic. Headlines follow me naturallyāI was born to shine."
The White Queen sighed and rubbed her temples, clearly exasperated. "And now you've landed yourself right in the middle of a flying fortress surrounded by some of the most dangerous agents on the planet. You just can't help yourself, can you?"
"Why would I want to help it?" William replied with a smirk. "The game has only just begun, and I plan to play it to the end."
"The situation in India is already over. What you should be focusing on now is something a bit closer to home," Alice interjected. "The Hulk is on this very aircraft carrier. He's not someone you can afford to underestimate."
"That green brute is practically a walking cheat code," the White Queen added, crossing her arms. "The more enraged he becomes, the stronger and more unstoppable he gets. I've rarely seen anything like itāit defies common sense."
"Is it even possible to analyze his physique?"?" William asked with curiosity, his eyes gleaming.
"Technically yes, but it would require something organic from himāa sample of his tissue, maybe a small piece of muscle. I need you to get some meat from his body. That's the only way we'd be able to break down the secret behind his transformation," the White Queen replied.
William chuckled. "Getting a piece of the Hulk's flesh? That's easier said than done. He's not exactly known for volunteering body parts."
The White Queen rolled her eyes. "So you want to know his physique?, but you're unwilling to do the hard part? If you can't get a piece of meat, then what's the use of you?"
"You're absolutely right," William said, nodding solemnly. "If I can't even get a sliver of Hulk meat, then what kind of universal threat am I really? I might as well hand in my villain card."
The White Queen tapped her chin thoughtfully. "But think about thisāif we could decipher the Hulk's physiology and apply the core principle of his power enhancement to you, you could theoretically become unstoppable."
"But that's the thing," Ada interrupted. "The Hulk gains power through rage. I don't want him to be a slave to his own fury. That path only leads to chaos."
"You're forgetting who I am," the White Queen said, puffing up slightly. "I'm not just trying to copy his powerāI'll refine it. I'll figure out a way for you to gain strength without losing control. A better version of his power, without the drawbacks."
"Your talents really are one of a kind," Alice said with a small smile. "Honestly, William kidnapping you might be the smartest thing he's ever done."
The White Queen scoffed, playing up her indignation. "Kidnapped? That's putting it lightly. I was practically enslaved by him. It's tragic, really. A genius mind like mine, forced to serve a morally bankrupt lunatic."
William pointed at her with pride. "Ah, LĀ”ttlĀ£ L*lĀ”, you can complain all you want, but you're in too deep now. You boarded this pirate ship willingly, and there's no jumping off anymore."
Just then, Ada changed the topic with a more serious tone. "By the way, have you heard? Your Tesseract was stolen from SHIELD's vault. The thief was an Asgardian."
William's expression didn't change. "Of course I know. It was Loki, wasn't it? He stole the Tesseract as payback. I took his Casket of Ancient Winters, this is fair."
"Do you seriously think that's fair trade?" Ada asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course not," William said with a mischievous grin. "I'm just making joke. The Tesseract must be recovered, no question about it. And while we're at it, I want something else from Loki as compensation."
"And what would that be?" Alice asked.
"The Mind Stone," William said, his voice dropping slightly as he grew more serious. "It's one of the six Infinity Stones. Right now, Loki holds it. I plan to take it back. That will make two stones in my possession. Four to go."
"Infinity Stones?" Ada blinked. "What are those?"
William smiled like a man about to unveil a great secret. "They're the six most powerful artifacts in the universe. Each one embodies a fundamental concept: Space, Time, Reality, Mind, Power, and Soul. Think of them as cosmic cheat codes. If you collect all six, you essentially become a godābordering on omnipotence."
He paused and then added playfully, "Once you've got all six, you can summon a dragon and make a wish."
The three women gave him identical blank stares.
"Summoning a dragon or something, you made it up," Alice said flatly.
"Of course I did," William laughed. "What do you think this is, Dragon Ball? How can you summon a dragon? But make no mistakeāif someone gathers all six, they can reshape this entire universe. That kind of power is beyond comprehension."
"Right now, you've only got two," Ada said thoughtfully. "The remaining four won't exactly be lying around waiting for you."
William nodded. "True. But I've got time, and I've got ambition. One by one, I'll gather them. Who else can claim them, if not me?"
His confidence was unshakable, and the three women exchanged glances. As outrageous as William could be, there was something terrifyingly convincing about his certainty.
*****
You can support me by joining my Patreon and get upto 60 chapters in advance.
patreon.com/Eden_Translation