Night had fallen, and the city was beginning to quiet down. Street lamps lit up the sidewalks and shuttered stores. High above, a dark silhouette leaped effortlessly from one rooftop to another. William was on patrol, as usual, one with the night.
But he came to a halt when he noticed three hooded men trying to break into the back door of a bank with heavy equipment.
"Seriously?" William muttered, descending silently from the building, landing behind a bush near them.
As they finally cracked the lock and prepared to enter, a calm yet sharp voice called out.
"Hey… damaging public property? That's just rude."
The three men turned around in panic. "Who's there?!"
Before they could react, William stepped out of the shadows, his expression as casual as ever. One of them charged with a crowbar, but William merely tilted his body to the side, dodging as if avoiding a fly. He countered with a solid strike to the man's arm, sending the weapon flying.
Another tried to attack from behind, only to receive a swift kick to the stomach that launched him into a pile of trash.
Then—click!
One of them aimed a gun directly at William's head. "Don't move!!"
William sighed.
"Ah... America," he said flatly.
BANG!
But before the bullet could touch him, a dark shadow shot out from beneath his coat, deflecting it with precise timing. The shadow formed a thin shield before returning to his body.
William's gaze sharpened at the man with the gun.
"If you've started shooting… that means you had the intent to kill," he said coldly. "So I guess it's fair if I kill you too, right?"
Panic set in instantly. The one with the gun dropped it. The others raised their hands high.
"O-okay! We give up!! We surrender!!"
William exhaled, unimpressed. "Boring…"
In moments, all three were tied up with shadowy ropes and left neatly in front of the nearest police station. William dusted off his hands and was about to leave when a soft but firm voice echoed from the alleyway.
"You don't rest, do you?"
William didn't turn. "If you're going to spy on me, don't stand somewhere that reeks of engine oil."
Out of the darkness stepped a figure with crimson hair and a tight black suit, Natasha Romanoff or Black Widow.
"I thought you were off shift," William said casually, glancing her way.
"I need your help," Natasha replied bluntly.
William narrowed his eyes. "Nick Fury sent you? The guy with the eye patch?"
She shrugged. "Let's just say… it's a personal initiative. I've noticed your ability to move undetected. It's something… we really need right now."
William nodded slowly. "Okay.. But usually, you're not the type to ask for help, especially not personally."
Natasha stared him down. "We're tracking Dr. Banner. He's a fugitive. But more importantly, tonight he's going to meet someone, Professor Blue. I expect chaos. We need you to make sure no one gets hurt."
William scoffed softly.
"That's a tall order," he said, looking up at the night sky. "Especially considering I told you... don't bother me."
Natasha didn't flinch. "This is about protecting innocent lives, William."
He looked at her sharply, his shadow writhing slightly beneath his feet. "If you think the phrase 'protecting lives' is enough to manipulate me… you've picked the wrong guy. I'm no national hero, Natasha. I'm not SHIELD's dog. I'm just... someone who wants peace."
She stepped closer. "But you can't pretend you don't care. You always step in when innocent people are threatened. Doesn't that say enough?"
William held his breath for a moment… then narrowed his eyes.
"I'll consider it," he finally said. "But if I find even one rat hiding in your organization… one rogue agent operating without orders… I'll wipe them out myself. I don't care who's backing them."
Natasha looked at him, her expression dead serious.
"Is there something you know… about us?"
William didn't answer. He simply turned around and started walking away.
"See you around. And remember… I warned you, don't bother me unless you've got a damn good reason."
His shadow engulfed him—and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the night.
The night sky slowly faded into a pale dawn. The city was beginning to stir, but on the balcony of a small apartment, one man hadn't slept a single second.
William sat relaxed in an old chair with a cup of black coffee steaming in his hand. The morning breeze ruffled his loose T-shirt as he stared far into the awakening city skyline.
"Professor Blue, huh…" he muttered, sipping his coffee. "If he really met Bruce tonight... this won't be just a minor incident."
His reflection appeared in the glass window before him. But it wasn't just his face he saw—it was the worst-case scenario, Hulk losing control, massive destruction, and civilian casualties. Again.
The shadow beneath his feet shifted slowly, as if it shared his unease.
"I hate being dragged into things… but I hate watching people die over politics even more."
He recalled Natasha's voice from the night before. "We need your help."
Damn it. He knew it wasn't just a plea. And even worse… he knew he was going to act. Not because of SHIELD. Not because of Natasha. But because he couldn't stand the idea of letting history repeat itself while doing nothing.
He let out a long sigh. "Saving people's becoming a routine lately."
He stood up, placing his cup on a small table. Dark shadows slithered up from the floor, coiling around him. In an instant, his casual clothes morphed into his trademark black suit. His eyes gleamed faintly with resolve and awareness.
He raised a small comms device and pressed a button.
"I'm in. Send me the coordinates," William said.
Soon after, Natasha's voice came through. "Coordinates sent. We move now."
Hours later, at a hidden facility where Professor Blue was meeting Bruce Banner...
William and Natasha slipped in through a second-floor ventilation shaft. But as they approached the lab, they heard screams and loud crashes.
They were too late.
A muscular man, Emil Blonsky was threatening Professor Blue and had just injected a serum into himself. Within seconds, his body mutated into a monstrous form: Abomination.
"Ah... crap. This is going to suck," William said flatly.
Before they could react, Abomination smashed through a wall and charged toward them. William instantly swung his shadow forward, yanking Natasha back and shielding her from the brutal impact.
"If this isn't overtime, I don't know what is," William grumbled.
Natasha managed a brief smirk. "Relax, I've prepared a bonus."
They exchanged a quick glance, then William moved to the front while Natasha took position behind him with her shock weapons and traps. The battle began.
Abomination rampaged, destroying everything in sight. William dodged with supernatural agility, his shadow striking back like a whip, stabbing like a spear. Meanwhile, Natasha provided support from behind, firing freezing rounds, activating traps, and cutting off Abomination's movement.
But the monster was too powerful. William was slammed into a wall.
"Ugh... what does this thing eat…" he groaned, pulling himself up.
His eyes flicked toward his writhing shadow. Then, an idea formed.
He clenched his fist, and the shadows around him split into distinct shapes. Five dark figures emerged from the floor, his first shadow clones.
"Try this…"
The five shadow warriors charged at once, binding Abomination's arms and legs like a web. The monster stumbled, crashing to the floor.
"Most exhausting overtime of my life," William muttered, panting.
But the restraints only held for a few seconds. Abomination roared and broke free, even angrier. William readied himself again — when suddenly the ground shook.
BOOM!
A massive green figure emerged from the rubble. His eyes burned with fury. Muscles tensed and twitching.
"Hulk…" Natasha breathed.
William exhaled and smirked.
"Finally. Hulk, I choose you!" he shouted like a Pokémon trainer.
Without a word, Hulk leapt forward and punched Abomination, launching him into a concrete wall. William and Natasha quickly regrouped.
A chaotic three-way battle ensued, Hulk and William fought in sync by instinct — one using brute force, the other shadow speed and finesse. Natasha coordinated, launching shock grenades when needed and disabling systems to prevent explosions.
After a long, intense fight, Abomination was finally down. Hulk stood among the debris, breathing heavily.
But as Natasha and William approached, Hulk growled… and leapt away without warning.
"Well, there goes our recruitment opportunity," William muttered.
Natasha shrugged. "There'll be another. He's not an easy catch."
William smirked. "Then the mission's not over. Until Banner's willing to talk, I'm calling this… an ongoing project."
Natasha walked beside him. "Well… if that means we get to work together again, I'm not complaining."
William looked at her briefly, then up at the now brightening sky.
"Just hope the next overtime shift isn't like this one."