World Traveler Villain-Chapter 214: CH: 212 Beating For Someone

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{Chapter: 212 Beating For Someone}

"I'm William," the man said calmly, as if his mere name should carry weight.

"William?" Tony Stark's brow furrowed slightly. The name sounded familiar, tickling the back of his mind like a half-remembered dream. He was sure he'd heard it before—maybe from an old report or one of his father's hidden files—but he couldn't quite place it.

In the crowd, the tension was rising.

"Tony, don't let him talk to you like that! Put him in his place!" someone shouted.

"Yeah! Transform into Iron Man and shut him up!"

"Knock him down, Stark! Show him who's boss!"

The chants grew louder, more aggressive. "Beat him up! Beat him up!"

Tony's eyes narrowed. "You knew my father, Howard Stark?"

William's lips curled into a slight, knowing smile. "Of course I knew him. The moment I met your father, I could tell—he was a man obsessed with image. Always trying to appear larger than life. A showman. A pretender. And now, I see the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree." He stepped forward casually, unbothered by the growing hostility, and stood just a foot from Tony. "In fact, you've taken it to a whole new level."

Tony stared at the glass in William's hand. "How's the champagne?"

William took a leisurely sip, savoring it. "Not bad. A little too sweet for my taste, but elegant. You've got good taste in beverages, if not company."

Behind them, several security guards were still frozen in place, straining with all their strength but unable to move.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!" one of them barked. "Whatever you did, undo it now!"

Tony took a step back, lifting a hand. "You think you can just show up, mock my family, paralyze my team, and waltz off without consequence? You must have come here looking for a fight."

From beneath the stage, a mechanical platform emerged, responding to Tony's command. It began assembling the Iron Man suit onto his body, piece by piece, in seconds.

"Iron Man! Iron Man! Iron Man!" the crowd chanted in awe, the energy in the venue electrified by the transformation.

Fully armored now, Tony pointed at William. "Last chance. Surrender, now, and I might go easy on you. Keep playing this villain act, and I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars."

William tilted his head, unfazed. "That iron shell of yours—it's flashy, I'll admit. Shiny. Impressive to the uninformed."

"It feels even better when I use it to put people like you in the ground," Tony quipped. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

William gave a theatrical shrug. "And I've always wanted to see what happens when I step on someone who thinks they're invincible."

Iron Man spread his arms slightly. "Alright everyone, it's showtime. Watch closely—this is how I handle a terrorist."

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.

"You're welcome to try," William said with a smirk, raising a single finger and curling it—beckoning Tony forward.

Without hesitation, Iron Man lunged, his repulsors glowing faintly as he cocked his fist back. "One punch is all it'll take. You'll be out cold for half a year... maybe a full one."

He launched the punch directly at William's face with precision and strength.

But William didn't move.

With terrifying ease, he raised one hand and caught the iron fist mid-air.

A hush fell over the crowd.

Tony's HUD flickered as he tried to assess the situation. "Impossible... That was a direct hit."

William's voice was calm, deadly. "Is that the best you've got?"

Before Tony could react, William's eyes flashed with unnatural energy. A psychic force exploded outward from him in a visible wave of shimmering distortion.

BOOM!

Iron Man was launched backward like a missile, crashing into one of the towering stone pillars near the back of the stage. The entire structure cracked upon impact.

Screams broke out across the expo. Panic swept through the crowd as people rushed to the exits.

Tony groaned as he stood, smoke rising from the damaged armor. His HUD flickered erratically. Parts of the suit were dented, scorched, and split open at the seams.

"That's... that's impossible..." he muttered.

Inside the helmet, the voice of his AI companion, Jarvis, spoke in a calm but urgent tone. "Sir, the force that struck you did not register as a conventional physical impact. It appears to be some form of psionic or energy-based attack. Analysis is currently inconclusive. He is extremely dangerous."

Tony clenched his fists, teeth gritted. "Noted. And now... I'm mad."

Iron Man's palm was aimed directly at William. A high-pitched whine filled the air as repulsor energy rapidly gathered in the core of his hand. In a flash, a brilliant white beam of concentrated energy blasted toward its target.

William didn't flinch. "Tony, if that's all you've got... then stop pretending to be a hero."

The repulsor beam halted mid-air, just a meter away from William, as if it had struck an invisible wall. Then, with a sudden flash of light and force, the beam reversed course.

Boom!

The redirected energy crashed into Iron Man, sending him flying backward. His armored body slammed into the far wall with a resounding crash, cracking the surface and shaking dust loose from the ceiling.

William stepped forward with a calm, contemptuous air. "Is this the Iron Man that the world praises so highly? The so-called protector of peace?" He looked toward the crowd. "Looks like your guardian can't even protect himself. Come on, I want to hear those cheers now—weren't you just screaming his name? Let's hear it again."

As he raised one hand, the air around it began to shimmer. A massive sphere of flame swirled into existence, growing in intensity and size until the heat could be felt across the entire exhibition hall.

Panic erupted.

"Run! Run!"

The audience broke into chaos. Screams filled the hall as people shoved and trampled each other in their desperate bid to escape. The once-glamorous gala turned into a nightmare of terror and confusion.

William's voice was cold and merciless. "Why are you running? Stay and enjoy the show."

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the fireball.

Boom!

The resulting explosion rocked the entire building. The ground quaked, and the pressure wave knocked over displays, shattered glass, and collapsed part of the pillers. The flames surged outward like a living creature, scorching everything in their path. The temperature spiked to unbearable levels.

As the firestorm faded, only charred remains and melted flooring remained. Most bodies had been vaporized in the intense heat. The horror of the scene was beyond comprehension.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

From the shattered entrance, dozens of armed police officers stormed in, their weapons raised. They opened fire at William, who remained perfectly still—until he vanished.

In an instant, he appeared beside two women—Alice and Ada—who stood watching calmly.

"These officers are yours to handle," William said with a smirk.

The policemen were caught off guard. "Where did he go?" one muttered, scanning frantically.

A sultry voice whispered into their ears. "Looking for someone, boys?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Alice and Ada opened fire, their movements smooth and practiced, like trained assassins. The room echoed with gunfire as police fell one after another.

Meanwhile, Iron Man groaned and pushed himself off the floor. His HUD was flickering, and smoke leaked from vents in his suit. He saw the destruction in the main hall—the fire, the bodies, the terrified survivors.

"Damn it... who is this guy?" he muttered. "William... William..."

"You called?" said a voice right behind him.

Tony spun around instantly—too late.

Ding!

A powerful fist smashed into his helmet with brutal force. Iron Man flew across the room, bouncing along the floor before finally skidding to a halt. His faceplate clattered off, revealing a battered and bloodied Tony Stark underneath.

"How's it feel now?" William asked with a mocking smile as he approached.

Tony coughed and struggled to rise. "Very cool... really cool..."

With a defiant roar, he unleashed a powerful energy blast from the arc reactor on his chest.

William vanished again—appearing a split second later right in front of Tony. He seized Tony's neck in a vice-like grip and hoisted him into the air effortlessly.

"Do you feel it now? Your weakness? Your helplessness? The great Iron Man—reduced to a gasping fool. The so-called superhero... looks more like a lost child to me."

Tony's lips trembled. "You... you'll regret this..."

William stared into his eyes and suddenly dropped him. Tony collapsed to the ground, wheezing for breath.

Then William raised his foot and slammed it down onto Tony's chest, pinning him in place.

"Regret? You're not even worth my regret. You won't die today, Tony. No, I want you alive. I want you to live long enough to see your precious Stark Industries fall—piece by piece, foundation by foundation. Watch as everything you built turns to ash while you lie in ruins."

Tony's eyes burned with fury. Blood trickled down his chin as he stared up at the man who had humiliated him.

He swore, in that moment, that one day he would rise again—and return that pain tenfold. A hundredfold.

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