The man's mask gleamed in the dim light of the control room, an unsettling calm radiating from him. Natasha's hand hovered near her gun, but she kept her movements slow, deliberate. Naruto stood beside her, fists clenched, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"You're the one behind all this, aren't you?" Natasha asked, her tone even but sharp.
The man's smile widened. "I wouldn't say behind all of it. Just... a necessary catalyst."
Naruto stepped forward, sensing the danger. "What do you want? You know you're not walking away from this."
The man didn't flinch. Instead, his eyes flicked to the large, blinking red button on the control panel beside him. "What I want... is chaos. And you, Naruto Uzumaki, are about to make that very possible."
Natasha's gaze snapped to the console. "What's that button?"
"A fail-safe," the man replied casually. "The moment it's activated, every security measure in this facility will be triggered, and the world will be at your doorstep. You won't just be fighting me—you'll be fighting every threat I've made. And trust me, there are many."
Naruto growled, his chakra spiking, ready to launch himself at the man. But Natasha's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Don't," she warned, her eyes locked onto the figure. "He's baiting us."
The man chuckled softly, as if he'd read their every move. "You're clever, Black Widow, but clever enough to stop me?" He moved toward the console, his fingers hovering over the button.
Without hesitation, Naruto leapt forward, his shadow clones materializing around him in a blur of motion. But before he could reach the man, something unexpected happened. The man disappeared into thin air, as though he had never been there.
"Trap," Natasha hissed, her eyes widening.
Naruto's clones quickly dispersed, and the two of them stood in tense silence, waiting for the next move. The air was thick with the promise of a fight they hadn't anticipated.
The room's lights flickered again. And then the doors slammed shut, sealing them inside.
Suddenly, the voice of the man echoed through the speakers, distorted and cold. "You should've been more careful, Avengers. You think you're the only ones who can plan ahead?"
The voice continued to echo, distorted and mocking. "I had hoped you would be more cautious. But then again, I'm not exactly surprised. The famous Black Widow and the 'heroic' ninja—always too confident, always too eager."
Naruto gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "Who are you really?"
The voice chuckled. "A mere pawn, perhaps, but one with grand ambitions. You're too late to stop me. This facility will be your tomb."
Natasha's eyes flicked to the walls, her mind working at a thousand miles per hour. "We need to find that button before he activates the lockdown. The mission's still on."
Suddenly, alarms blared, and the room plunged into darkness.
"Brace yourself," Natasha muttered.
A series of flashes lit up the room as guards emerged from the shadows, armed to the teeth. The moment the lights flickered back on, Naruto's clones surged forward, engaging the enemies in a whirlwind of fists and kicks.
But this wasn't just a battle of strength. It was a race against time. The man's voice rang out again, now calm and controlled, as if savoring the chaos. "Every moment you waste, the lockout progresses. Soon, even your precious Quinjet will be useless. I'll turn the world against you."
Naruto's eyes flared with determination, his chakra building in intensity. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
He glanced over at Natasha, who was already scanning the control panel with a mix of focus and urgency. "Find the fail-safe, Nat," he urged.
The two of them pushed forward, side by side, fending off enemies while Natasha began hacking into the control systems. The man's threats only grew louder, more taunting.
But the moment Natasha's fingers flew across the console, the room shook. A blast of energy sent Naruto flying back, but he quickly regained his footing, landing on his feet. The forcefield blocking their exit flickered briefly, before solidifying again.
"Too late," the voice said, its finality hanging in the air.
The blast knocked Naruto back, but his instincts kicked in, and he rolled with the impact, springing to his feet almost immediately. Natasha was already back at the control panel, fingers flying over the keyboard, her eyes sharp and focused.
The voice of their enemy echoed through the speakers, mocking and cold. "You think you can stop me? It's too late. The world is already mine."
Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "We'll see about that."
His chakra surged, and in an instant, multiple shadow clones sprang into action, overwhelming the guards that continued to pour into the room. Each clone was a blur of motion, but none of them could match Naruto's speed and power. He slammed his fist into the control panel, sending a shockwave of chakra energy that temporarily disabled the defenses.
Natasha didn't hesitate. "We've got seconds before the lockdown activates again."
"Then we move," Naruto said, his voice steady despite the chaos unfolding around them.
Together, they pushed forward, clearing out the remaining threats. Naruto kept a constant watch on the exits while Natasha worked her way through the security protocols, trying to hack into the main system before it was too late.
"Almost there," Natasha muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Just... a little... longer."
The hum of the failing security systems echoed in the room. But as the last of the lights flickered, Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"Incoming!" he shouted, as a group of heavily armored soldiers stormed into the room, led by a massive figure.
The leader was taller than any human Naruto had ever encountered, his armor sleek but imposing. He raised a massive cannon, the barrel glowing with lethal energy. With a blast, the room was filled with a deafening roar. Naruto's clones vanished in an instant as he shot forward, dodging the beam and landing a powerful punch to the leader's gut.
But even as the armored soldier staggered back, the man's