Inside the Saint Kent Institute.
Instructor Ethan, who had only been teaching for a couple of days, reacted to the earth-shattering explosion from the direction of the naval yard by diving under his desk.
Ethan was a well-read and knowledgeable man, hailing from a remote village.
A village that, unfortunately, specialized not in geniuses, but in warfare.
In his youth, Ethan hadn't mastered much, but he'd become an expert in one thing: keeping himself safe from harm and attack.
And Instructor Ethan wasn't the only one rattled.
The entire student body was thrown into confusion and anxiety.
After the terrifying blast, many students mistakenly believed it was the start of World War III, grabbing their backpacks to make a run for it.
The ordinary human students at least had a destination in mind, but the mutant students who had cut ties with their families were left utterly lost, with no idea what to do or where to go.
Fortunately, the school's PA system soon crackled to life. Principal Clark's voice echoed across the campus, swiftly stabilizing the panicked situation.
According to Clark, even if something serious was happening, the safest place to be was right there on school grounds.
As Principal, he would absolutely not tolerate the students causing chaos amongst themselves at a time like this!
The school's security team mobilized in full force this time, with not a single slacker among them. They fanned out to their posts, maintaining order on campus and securing the school's entrances and exits.
With these measures combined, the situation quickly calmed down.
Of course, it helped that the explosions gradually faded.
The blasts from the naval yard seemed to be just that a burst of noise, like a string of firecrackers, loud one moment and gone the next.
Clark stood by the window of his office, his eyes faintly glowing as he gazed into the distance toward the naval yard.
"Quite the commotion over there," he remarked after a long moment.
He had no intention of getting involved.
Whether S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Ten Rings came out on top, it mattered little to Clark. He saw no need to trouble himself over it.
"Still," he muttered to himself, "with a mess this big, that female agent must be frantic."
His gaze shifted, scanning the area surrounding the Saint Kent Institute. His eyes landed on one particular building where Agent Hill, clad in a black trench coat, was trying to contact someone.
She was clearly trying to reach Nick Fury.
But S.H.I.E.L.D. was undoubtedly swamped, too busy to pay Hill any mind right now.
"She didn't impulsively run back. Instead, she's still holding her post. This woman takes her missions very seriously," Clark noted mentally.
After letting his eyes linger on Agent Hill's slender figure for a few more moments, Clark looked away and settled back into his chair.
Soon, Jean Grey pushed the door open and entered, followed by Antonio.
"Antonio went to provide backup for Sandman," Jean reported. "During the process, he acquired some very important intelligence it's connected to the explosions we heard earlier!"
Clark raised an eyebrow slightly. "Let's hear it."
While his enhanced vision had shown him much, he hadn't heard the inside story firsthand. Comparing it with Antonio's information would give a more accurate picture.
Antonio didn't hesitate, quickly relaying everything he knew.
Clark tapped a finger on his desk, already grasping the gist of the situation. "It seems Sandman and the Mandarin formed an agreement."
"Sandman showed himself early to draw S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fire, allowing the Mandarin to act freely."
"And once the Mandarin made his move, Sandman could use the ensuing chaos to make his escape."
"So, Sandman got his visit to the old man's grave, and the Mandarin got to strike at S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Jean looked worried. "What should we do?"
"Exactly what we were doing before," Clark said flatly. "This matter has nothing to do with us."
Jean was skeptical. "We intervened with Sandman. Staying out of it now might be difficult, don't you think?"
Clark looked at her. "Sandman is Sandman. We are we. The two shouldn't be conflated. As long as Nick Fury hasn't lost his mind, he won't come looking for trouble with us!"
As he said this, Clark's expression suddenly hardened.
A strange look crossed his face. After a long moment, he let out a slow breath, his tone now carrying a hint of coldness.
"Jean, Antonio. I take back what I just said. This matter does concern us now."
Antonio, who had been standing obediently to the side, was confused. "I thought you said it didn't? How are we involved now? Clark, did we miss some crucial information earlier?"
Clark shook his head. "We didn't miss anything. The situation simply changed."
"The Mandarin and his lackeys, after attacking S.H.I.E.L.D., have now turned and are heading straight for us!"
Clark sighed. "Some people just don't understand that you shouldn't go looking for your own demise."
"Wouldn't it have been better to just leave quietly after hitting S.H.I.E.L.D.? Did they really have to stir up more trouble?"
Clark felt a headache coming on.
He had just confidently stated that the Saint Kent Institute could remain uninvolved, that no matter how fiercely others fought outside, it had nothing to do with them.
He'd said it with utter confidence, acting like the only sober man in a room full of drunks.
Who knew the slap in the face would come so quickly?
Who knew what the Mandarin was thinking? After successfully extracting Shang-Chi from S.H.I.E.L.D., his first thought wasn't to flee, but to charge directly toward the Saint Kent Institute!
What was this?
This was rendering Clark's earlier bold proclamation completely worthless! This was a blatant, in-your-face slap to Clark's pride!
Clark rubbed his cheek, feeling that his skin was still pretty thick.
"But no matter how thick it is, you shouldn't go around slapping it!"
Extremely annoyed, Clark turned a cold gaze toward Antonio.
"This is on you now. Mobilize your entire security team. Show them everything we've got, make it as impressive as possible!"
The Ten Rings were coming with menacing force.
The Saint Kent Institute couldn't just sit back and take it.
If nothing else, they had to put on a show of strength first!
Antonio nodded and bowed in acknowledgment.
Beside him, Jean looked at Clark's expressionless face and silently mourned for the troublemakers heading their way.
She knew Clark well enough to see that he wasn't truly angry, just seriously annoyed.
The last time Clark had been genuinely angry was four years ago.
But whether angry or just annoyed, this version of Clark was best left unprovoked.
People could die.
/-\
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