Outside the Hive.
The Mandarin stood at the center of his gathered followers, his expression cold and unreadable.
The death of Killian still gnawed at him.
If not for Nolan Locke, he would already be the shadow ruler of America.
But everything had been ruined by that man.
He had swallowed his rage for months.
And just when he prepared to strike back, Nolan mysteriously vanished.
Half a year later, Nolan Locke finally returned.
This time, the Mandarin would use Nolan's death to announce the return of the Ten Rings.
Once every member was in position, he stepped to the front.
Hundreds of operatives moved quickly, forming an organized battle formation.
Every T-800 unit carried a Gatling gun. Weapons meant for vehicles became terrifying instruments of slaughter once mounted on flexible metal arms.
Today, the Mandarin intended to use these very machines to kill their creator.
Just as he prepared to give the order, the darkness around the Hive suddenly brightened.
The floodlights snapped on, illuminating everything as clearly as daylight.
Then a man walked out from the building.
"Nolan Locke?"
The Mandarin frowned.
Clearly, they had been discovered. Nothing else could explain the sudden burst of light.
But what confused him even more was that Nolan showed no sign of resistance.
He simply stepped out alone, as if offering his life.
Nolan Locke was a brilliant man. He should have known better than to act this foolishly.
After a moment of hesitation, the Mandarin walked out as well.
Some of his men tried to stop him, but a single glare from him sent them retreating in silence.
With the Ten Rings on his hands, he feared nothing.
Meanwhile, in his office, the real Nolan watched through the cameras and shook his head.
"What an idiot."
He had only sent a robot, but the Mandarin had not even taken a moment to verify it.
"Who are you people?"
The robot Nolan asked calmly.
The Mandarin's gaze sharpened.
"Nolan Locke, do you remember the Ten Rings?
You killed Killian.
Tonight, we will make you taste the greatest suffering this world has to offer."
The Ten Rings?
Nolan was genuinely surprised.
This was the last thing he expected.
And Killian had actually been working with the Mandarin?
What a ridiculous twist.
His gaze shifted to the Mandarin's hands.
Just as he suspected, each of the Mandarin's fingers wore a ring.
So these were the Ten Rings.
Nolan felt a spark of interest.
He was not afraid of the Mandarin, but the rumored power of the Ten Rings was worth examining.
Very worth examining.
Still, curiosity did not stop him from speaking.
"It looks like you came here to cause trouble. What I really want to know is where you got the confidence."
The moment he finished speaking, several massive doors opened behind him.
A surge of robots poured out, filling the open space.
The sight caused many of the Ten Rings members to panic.
Fortunately, they still had the Mandarin.
As long as he was present, they believed they would not lose.
Behind them, their own batch of robots stepped forward as well.
The Ten Rings members erupted into cheers.
The Mandarin spread his arms, his face twisting with ferocity.
"Nolan Locke, you will die at the hands of your own creations.
And the Ten Rings will use your corpse to announce our glorious return."
He glanced at the approaching army of robots and did not hesitate.
There was no need for a drawn-out fight.
Nolan was standing right there.
All he needed to do was kill him, then destroy the building with the Ten Rings.
So he shouted only one order.
"Fire!"
Arms spread wide, he waited with murderous anticipation, imagining Nolan being torn into shreds.
But no shots were fired.
The Mandarin turned sharply. The robots stood motionless, frozen in place.
"What is going on?"
His voice turned dangerous. His earlier confidence twisted into irritation.
Someone was going to pay for humiliating him.
Unknown to him, the operator controlling those robots was already in a panic.
"I do not know what happened. They are not responding. None of them."
He had sent command after command.
Every single robot refused to move, like lifeless steel statues.
The Mandarin's face darkened.
Before he could react further, Nolan's voice echoed like a demon's whisper.
"Did you not hear me?
Fire."
At once, every robot activated.
Except they aimed their weapons at the Ten Rings operatives.
The air exploded with gunfire.
Screams were drowned in the roar.
Bright flashes lit the night.
In less than fifteen seconds, the Terminators went silent again.
And the entire Ten Rings squad lay dead on the ground.
Nolan's voice cut through the stillness with cold mockery.
"You marched Locke Tech robots into Locke Tech to kill me?
Do you think I built them without safeguards?"
The silence lasted only a heartbeat.
Then the Mandarin erupted with rage.
"Nolan Locke, I admit I underestimated you.
But you think killing them means you can defeat the Ten Rings?"
His roar shook with fury.
"Tonight you will witness the true power of the Ten Rings!"
He raised his hand.
A blast of ice surged forward.
In an instant, Nolan's body froze solid.
The Mandarin laughed triumphantly.
But before the sound faded, a familiar voice spoke behind him.
"Impressive ability."
He spun around and froze.
Another Nolan Locke stood behind him.
Then more appeared.
Dozens of Nolans stepped out from every direction, encircling him.
Each one repeated the same words.
"Impressive ability."
After a moment of stunned confusion, the Mandarin understood.
There were many Nolans, yes.
But all he had to do was kill every single one.
He spread both hands wide, unleashing attack after attack.
The duplicates fought back.
Every one of them was a T-X Terminator disguised in Nolan's form, equipped with the full power and adaptability of that model.
They were strong, fast, and incredibly hard to destroy.
The Mandarin blasted through several of them, but even he was growing exhausted.
The rings were powerful, but consuming.
His mind was starting to throb.
His breathing became heavy.
He needed to leave.
He needed to retreat.
Nolan Locke could not kill him.
And one day, he would return for revenge.
The ring on his right middle finger lit up.
A tornado lifted him into the sky.
Then eight rings glowed at once, unleashing wild waves of energy as he rose higher.
Even now, he remained arrogant.
"Nolan Locke, someday you will die under the power of the Ten Rings!"
In his office, Nolan sighed.
If the Mandarin was running, then testing was over.
"Red Queen, kill him."
At once, every robot on the battlefield aimed upward.
"Target locked.
Firing.
Attack complete."
In the night sky, the Mandarin's body jerked violently, like a kite with its string cut.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
He finally understood.
These robots were far more terrifying than he had ever imagined.
If he had known earlier, he would never have provoked Nolan Locke.
But it was too late.
Moments later, Nolan stepped out of the Hive.
A Terminator approached and presented the Ten Rings.
Ten rings.
Ten powers.
Each one deadly, potent, and remarkable.
Even his Terminators could not withstand them directly.
There was no doubt about it.
These rings were extraordinary.
And now, they belonged to him.