Night had begun to creep in as William got ready. He opened his wardrobe and picked out a neat, casual outfit that wasn't too flashy: a dark blue shirt and clean jeans. He looked in the mirror, fixed his hair, then glanced at the clock.
"CRAP!" he blurted.
It was almost seven.
"I told Gwen I'd be there by six-thirty!" he muttered, panicking.
Earlier that afternoon, William had ended up helping a neighbor fix a leaking faucet. His "makeshift handyman" instincts from his old life kicked in the moment he saw the neighbor struggling. Without realizing it, he spent nearly an hour tinkering with the noisy pipes and completely lost track of time.
In a rush, he grabbed his jacket and bolted out of his small apartment. The hallway was quiet. He took a deep breath.
"Sorry, Gwen. I gotta cheat a little…"
Shadows began to wrap around his body, and in a blink, William shot into the night, leaping from rooftop to rooftop until he finally landed in front of Gwen's house.
Once there, he brushed a bit of dust off his sleeve and quickly ran his fingers through his hair. Then, carefully, he rang the doorbell.
The door swung open.
Gwen stood there in a casual dress, raising an eyebrow. "You're late, you know."
William offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Had a situation with a rogue faucet."
Gwen chuckled softly and stepped aside to let him in. "Come on, before my dad starts thinking you bailed."
Inside, the house was warm and modest. Gwen introduced him to her mother—a kind woman with a calming smile—and to her father, Captain George Stacy, a man with a stern face and the unmistakable aura of a cop.
"William, right?" Captain Stacy asked, eyeing him up and down. "What school were you at before?"
William answered casually, "Transferred from out of town, sir."
"Got a criminal record?"
William blinked. "Uh… no, sir."
"Ever been in a gang fight?"
"Not really."
"What's your intention with my daughter?"
"GEORGE!" Gwen snapped, swatting her dad's arm.
Captain Stacy fell silent, took a sip of his coffee, and said, "Just making sure."
They all sat down and dinner began. Gwen and her mom kept the conversation light, and William gradually began to relax.
That was, until Captain Stacy set his fork down and looked straight at William.
"What do you think about that vigilante that's been popping up lately… the one they call Shadow?"
William paused, then answered carefully, "I think… he's doing good, sir. Shadow's been helping reduce crime. People feel safer going out at night."
Captain Stacy shook his head, his tone suddenly sharp. "I disagree. People like him are dangerous. He's not police, has no formal training, and no authority. He could arrest the wrong person—or worse, hurt an innocent civilian."
William began to feel the heat rise in his chest. "But isn't it worse to just let crime happen? Sometimes the system doesn't act fast enough."
"And you think taking the law into your own hands is the answer?"
"If the system is too slow, sometimes someone has to step in."
"By breaking the law?"
"By saving people!"
The back-and-forth grew more heated, until Gwen and her mom both intervened.
"Enough! This is dinner, not a political debate," her mom said firmly.
William sighed and rubbed his face. "Sorry, I… got carried away."
Captain Stacy gave a small nod, still stern but no longer hostile.
After the meal, William stood up to leave.
"Thank you for dinner. And sorry about earlier, sir," he said to Captain Stacy.
The man gave a short nod.
Gwen walked William to the door. The night air greeted them on the front porch.
"Sorry about my dad…" Gwen said softly.
William gave a small smile. "It's okay. He's just doing his job as a father."
Gwen looked at him for a moment, then laughed quietly. "You held up pretty well. Not everyone can argue with my dad and still look calm."
"Perks of a past life," William joked with a grin.
They stood in silence for a moment, just looking at each other. Then Gwen said gently, "Good night, William."
"Good night, Gwen," he replied, then turned and walked away.
After saying goodbye to Gwen, William strolled casually down the sidewalk. The night breeze blew gently, ruffling his slightly messy hair. The street lamps cast a yellowish glow, and the noise of the city began to fade.
He took a deep breath of the night air, trying to enjoy the calm.
But the calm didn't last long.
William's steps halted. His face soured as he spotted two figures approaching him from a distance.
One was a tall, broad man in a black leather coat with... an eye patch like a pirate.
The other—a woman in a tight black suit, wavy red hair, and a relaxed expression as if she'd just finished her coffee. Black Widow.
'Of course they're bold enough to walk around the city looking like they're in a super-spy cosplay,' William thought sarcastically.
They stopped right in front of him.
"I'm Nick Fury," said the man firmly. His voice was deep and authoritative. "We'd like to invite you to our headquarters. There's something we need to discuss with you directly."
William crossed his arms, smirking. "Wow, I'm truly honored. The head of S.H.I.E.L.D. himself coming to see me. Now that's what I call VVIP treatment."
Nick Fury didn't flinch. "I requested this personally. There's something important concerning you."
Black Widow simply glanced at William without a word, as if analyzing every muscle movement.
William nodded slowly. "Alright, if you insist."
Not long after, they arrived at a hidden facility concealed behind an ordinary corporate building. Once inside, a special elevator took them far underground. The doors opened to reveal a high-tech operations center: walls covered in holographic displays, agents in formal attire moving swiftly, and glass rooms with digital panels.
At the heart of the facility was a semi-circular meeting room with a 3D projector and chairs facing a main table.
Nick Fury led the way and sat down.
"We've been watching you, William. And we know you're not just some regular high school kid."
"Obviously. The school is painfully average," William quipped as he sat casually.
"Your powers, your speed, your tactics… all point to significant potential. But also great risk if you go off track."
William chuckled lightly. "So this is a 'join us or get erased' kind of deal?"
Fury didn't smile. "It's better to have you as an ally than an enemy. I trust you agree with that."
William gave a slight nod. "At least you're honest. But…"
He leaned back, his expression turning serious.
"I don't appreciate being watched. Observed. Monitored without permission. Especially when I'm washing my face or turning on the stove."
"That's for global security, kid," Fury replied sternly.
"Global security?" William shot back. "From who? Someone like me, who saves kids from murderers? Or from the real monsters you let run free because you're too busy playing politics?"
Fury stared at him intently. "We can't act recklessly. Information is power. And you know this world is filled with dangerous entities. We need control."
"And you think you can control everything?" William's voice rose. "Or are you just fooling yourself, creating new enemies out of paranoia?"
A tense silence filled the room. Then William slowly stood, his gaze locking with Fury's lone eye.
"I'll consider your offer. But only if you take care of one thing first."
Fury raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
William leaned slightly forward, eyes sharp.
"The rat sneaking around your base."
His words froze the room.
Black Widow, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, her voice low but focused. "What do you mean? There's been an infiltration?"
William just smirked. "Let's call it a bonus tip. But if you're really as sharp as you think, you should be able to figure it out."
He turned and walked toward the door.
"And one more thing…" he said before leaving. "If you try spying on me again without permission, I'll consider it a declaration of war. Simple as that."
Shadows cloaked his body, and he vanished into the darkness of the base.
Black Widow stared at the closed door. "He knows something."
Fury looked straight ahead, his expression unreadable. "He's dangerous... We need to tread carefully."