SHIELD, full name Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, is an organization tasked with preventing major crises.
The SHIELD prison is a place that only houses super-criminals of the highest risk. It is divided into three levels, and the deeper the level, the more serious the crime committed. In the third level, even super serial killers with dozens of victims would not qualify to be held here.
In the deepest part of the third level of the prison, the silence intensifies the further you go in. In the most secluded area, it is so quiet that you could hear a nail drop. Not only is there silence, but also total darkness. Absolute silence and darkness, as if the world had shrunk to just oneself. In a place like this, even the most iron will would be driven to madness.
However, in this place, at this very moment, there is a person incarcerated. Confined to a metal structure in a grotesque posture, like a crucified saint. What's most exaggerated is that both his arms and legs are completely immobilized by thick metal rings, leaving only his head free to move slightly within a restricted space. The prisoner, his head slightly bowed, has sparse and messy hair falling haphazardly, yet it fails to hide a handsome face of ineffable attraction and charm.
"Tap, tap..."
Clear footsteps echoed from the outside. Hearing these steps, the man, tightly bound, raised his head, and a strange, deeply charming smile played on his lips.
"My dear Natasha, you've come~"
A light suddenly flickered on, extremely jarring in this area long plunged into darkness. However, the prisoner showed no change in his expression; still smiling, he watched the approaching figure.
A tight leather suit encased curves that screamed 'bombshell'. Her generous breasts, like two mountains, were enough to attract the gaze of every man in this world. Looking down, her strong legs, devoid of a single ounce of fat, seemed to have the exact perfect measure, neither too thin nor too thick.
Her burgundy hair added even more seduction. She was a stunning woman, with the deadly allure of a poppy, unforgettable from the first glance.
The Black Widow, Natasha, had a completely emotionless face at that moment, like a block of living ice.
"Locke, Locke Payne, you love no one in this world, you only love yourself!" Her face was cold, her voice, even colder.
Locke shook his head: "No, no, no. I love myself, but I also love beautiful women, all kinds of beautiful women. They are the most wonderful scenery in this world."
Natasha felt an inexplicable anger bubbling in her chest: "Well, you certainly have plenty of love to spare!"
"Right now, the one I love most is you, my dear Natasha."
"Or... is it that you no longer have the confidence to compete with those young girls outside who like to flaunt their youth and vitality? That's not the style of the great Black Widow~"
"Enough!"
"I didn't come here to talk nonsense with you about meaningless topics."
"Locke Payne, your sentence has been passed down."
"Oh~"
"How was I sentenced? Did they reinstate the death penalty that was already abolished? Or are they going to sentence me to a few million years?"
Seeing Locke, who not only showed no fear but adopted a stance of pure curiosity, Natasha felt an inexplicable sense of helplessness. Does this man really not know how to spell the word 'fear'?
"Ten thousand years, you will be imprisoned here for a full ten thousand years!"
Locke twisted his mouth: "Only ten thousand years... that judge is soft."
The enemy, far from surrendering, even launched a provocation. A complex expression appeared in Natasha's eyes.
"Don't be foolish, Locke Payne, you'll live to be a hundred at most."
"Oh, and? My dear Natasha, what is it you want to say?"
"Locke, confess," Natasha's voice suddenly softened. "Confess everything you know, perhaps..."
"Perhaps what?" Locke pursed his lips, smiling in a wicked, very attractive way. "Perhaps you can help me erase a part of my guilt?"
"Natasha, don't be naive, that bald guy wouldn't let you do that."
"Thirty-two safe houses, a Helicarrier, close to a hundred agents, and two armories... all of that adds up to no less than several tens of billions of dollars. That bald guy's decades of shady dealings were almost completely ruined. He won't let me go."
Natasha's expression became even more complex. A long, long time passed.
"Why? Why did you do all that? I checked the files, SHIELD and you had no conflict."
Locke nodded, then shook his head: "It's true that SHIELD has its problems, and a bald director with advanced paranoia, but, SHIELD itself had not offended me."
"Then why did you do it?"
"Natasha, don't be naive. When that bald guy ordered you to kill someone, had that person necessarily offended you? Or him?"
"One doesn't need a reason to kill an ant. That bald guy is like that, and I am too. The only difference is that I failed."
Having reached this point, it was clear there was nothing more to say. Natasha turned, ready to leave.
Suddenly, Locke's voice sounded from behind her.
"Natasha, don't delve deeper into this. The vortex here is not something you can handle. That bald guy won't be able to protect you."
Natasha paused: "I am different from you!"
"Alright. Well, if you don't mind, could you bring me some dried fish snacks? You know, the food here is terrible."
Natasha said nothing more. However, not long after she left, someone brought him several boxes of dried fish snacks.
Seeing the boxes of dried fish snacks left to the side, Locke smiled.
After all, she's a woman. No matter how tough her exterior, her heart is still soft. And Natasha's is even softer than most women's.
Then, Locke's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Like this, all the preparations are now complete."
After several years in this world as a transmigrator, he had made too many preparations for this day.
The next moment, a screen of light that only Locke could see appeared out of thin air.
Name: Locke Payne
Special Ability: Dimensional Exchange (Activated)
Abilities: Firearms Mastery, Kung Fu Master, Modification Master
Evaluation: Human Limit
Locke was a transmigrator. He didn't have systems, chat groups, or 'cheats' of that sort. The only peculiarity he possessed, which had appeared with his transmigration, was this Dimensional Exchange ability, allowing him to trade with life forms from other dimensions. Its effectiveness defied common sense. The only problem, however, was that activating Locke's Dimensional Exchange ability required energy of a sufficiently high purity.
And speaking of high-purity energy, in the Marvel Universe, the first thing that naturally came to mind were the Infinity Stones. The Infinity Stones on Earth... the Time Stone was in the Sorcerer Supreme's hands, impossible to obtain; the Reality Stone was in another dimension. The only one he could actually access was the Space Stone located in SHIELD.
Therefore, leveraging his prior knowledge of this world, Locke had been opposing SHIELD for all those years. After several years of effort, he had finally angered that bald guy to the point where he sent a large number of agents to hunt him down. And Locke, taking advantage of that opportunity, single-handedly infiltrated the SHIELD headquarters, whose defenses had been greatly reduced, ready to seize the Space Stone.
In the end, he failed. He did manage to touch the Space Stone, but, unfortunately, that bald guy with advanced paranoia beat him by a hair. It turned out the bastard had hidden a Skrull in the SHIELD vault, and ultimately managed to capture Locke.
But, nobody knew... in reality, Locke had also succeeded. What he needed was the energy of the Space Stone, not to obtain the stone itself.