"Boss, Sandman was just working for us, putting his life on the line. Isn't it a bit... ungrateful to raid his old school like this right after?" The Snake-themed lieutenant spoke to the Mandarin with feigned concern, though his grinning face looked utterly punchable.
The Mandarin shot him a sidelong glance.
"That bastard Sandman! I ordered him to bring me Tony Stark. Not only did he fail to comply, but he just stood by and watched as someone from the Saint Kent Institute took Stark away!"
"When I demanded to know why he disobeyed my command, he had the audacity to tell me he was 'no match' for them!"
The Mandarin let out a cold, angry laugh.
"'No match'? The mighty Sandman, whose hands are stained with the blood of countless soldiers and thugs, suddenly claims he's 'no match'?"
"No match for whom? A student from Saint Kent? A teacher? Or was he simply unwilling to act?"
His expression turned icy.
"At the time, I held back because he was still useful. I needed him to be the diversion. I spared him temporarily."
"But now... I want to see for myself just how impressive this Saint Kent Institute really is, to make Sandman so loyal that he'd defy me!"
The Mandarin had never believed Sandman's excuse for a second.
In his eyes, that kind of talk was utterly ridiculous.
Before, his primary focus had been on attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. and seizing Shang-Chi, so he had suppressed the urge to kill Sandman then and there.
But now, fresh from striking S.H.I.E.L.D. and successfully capturing his prize, the Mandarin was riding high.
And with that victory, his earlier dissatisfaction with Sandman swelled to a peak!
Coincidentally, their escape route cut right through Lower Manhattan. With time to spare, the Mandarin decided it was the perfect opportunity for him and his Ten Rings forces to take a little "detour" past the Saint Kent Institute.
The Snake lieutenant chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with malice. "Boss, you might not know, but this school has quite a reputation. It's full of mutant students. Perhaps we should..."
The Mandarin nodded firmly. "Precisely. That was my thought. Sandman came from this institute. The mutant students inside must have decent potential."
"Remember, pass the order: once we're inside, knock out every mutant you see and take them with us! After a few years of proper re-education, these mutants will become the core strength of the Ten Rings!"
The Mandarin's ambition burned brightly.
With this new force of mutant recruits, he was confident he could elevate the Ten Rings to unprecedented heights!
...
...
Agent Maria Hill was temporarily staying in a hotel not far from the Saint Kent Institute.
It was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s external safe houses. Hill had been laying low there recently, avoiding unnecessary movement.
Gathering intel on Saint Kent was difficult. Rather than painstakingly searching for clues, Hill found it more effective to collect information from the local residents.
By observing the words and actions of the surrounding civilians, she could indirectly verify certain details about the institute.
After all, Saint Kent had been standing there for decades. The old-timers in the neighborhood surely knew a thing or two.
However, the massive explosion at the naval yard instantly threw countless plans into chaos, including Hill's.
She never would have imagined that S.H.I.E.L.D., docked in a core national city, could be attacked so brazenly.
What happened to being the world's premier peacekeeping force? In an instant, it felt like they were in a war-torn nation.
Hill could already imagine the terrifying level of scrutiny and questioning Director Nick Fury would face after this.
Provided, of course, he survived to face it at all!
Though her mind was racing with questions, Hill didn't immediately rush toward the naval yard. It was already too late for that.
Her priority now was to hold her position and observe!
For a while, she had been trying to contact Nick Fury, but with S.H.I.E.L.D. in chaos, the connection failed repeatedly.
After what felt like an age, the link finally stabilized, and Hill let out a sigh of relief.
Hearing Fury's voice over the comms settled her nerves. As long as Fury was alive, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't reached its worst-case scenario.
After a brief exchange, Hill understood the gist of the situation.
Standing by the window, gazing toward the Saint Kent Institute, she suddenly noticed all the institute's security guards filing out of the main gate. Forty or fifty large men formed a line, presenting an imposing sight.
She reported this to Fury.
He didn't seem overly concerned. "They're probably just on high alert. It's understandable after the chaos that just went down..."
As Fury was speaking, Hill's eyes remained fixed on the institute. After a long moment, she said quietly, "Director... I think I know why the security at Saint Kent is mobilizing like that."
"Oh? And why is that?" Fury's interest was clearly piqued.
Hill replied, her voice steady, "Because I can see the Mandarin, leader of the Ten Rings, along with his lieutenant 'the Snake,' and several hundred of their elite troops, have just arrived at the front gates of the Saint Kent Institute."
Silence greeted her from the other end of the line. Nothing but heavy breathing.
After a long pause, just as Hill thought the connection had been lost, Fury's voice came through again, not with worry, but with sheer, unadulterated elation.
"They went there?! THEY ACTUALLY WENT THERE?! THE MANDARIN HAS OUTDONE HIMSELF THIS TIME! THIS IS BRILLIANT!"
A sharp, crisp slapping sound accompanied his outburst.
If Hill had to guess, an overjoyed Fury had probably just smacked his own thigh in excitement.
Hill was utterly taken aback.
Was that level of excitement really necessary?
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other Three Stories!
~ Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/Its_Zack
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
/-\
~# Please don't forget to leave a review and enjoy the story!
~# Keep the chapters coming - Support with Power Stones!
~# Every 50 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter