The Mandarin, of course, had no idea what was going on in Clark's mind.
He thought handing Shang-Chi over to Antonio meant Clark was planning to let the boy go.
After all, he didn't know Antonio's temperament, nor Clark's preferences!
His lips twitched, the wrinkles now deeply etched on his face trembling slightly, a clear sign of his bitter resentment.
He wanted to say something. This was his final wish, his last obsession.
If he couldn't even have this, the Mandarin would truly die with his eyes wide open!
But after one look from Clark, he instantly fell silent.
Clark's patience wasn't something he could test. If he annoyed him further, even this last chance might vanish!
Now, the Mandarin could only pray his lieutenant would come through.
Whether he died in peace or in bitter regret rested entirely on the Snake-Man's shoulders.
...
Clark was just about to head over to Antonio's makeshift battlefield to watch the show when he noticed the entire security team had the same idea.
His eyebrows shot up.
"What are you all standing around for? Don't you have jobs? These thugs just launched a blatant attack on Saint Kent Academy, and you think they get to walk away scot-free?"
"Do you still want your jobs? Do you still want your paychecks?"
"Get some rope and string them all up. Anyone who resists gets put down on the spot!"
A deputy captain from the security team stepped forward and asked, "Headmaster, what do we do with them after we tie them up? Hand them over to the police?"
Clark's eyes widened.
"Why would we hand over people we worked hard to capture to the police? Tie them all up and line them against the wall for now. They'll have their uses!"
The deputy captain acknowledged the order and led the security team to move against the remaining Ten Rings members.
Earlier, during the standoff, the Ten Rings members had held their ground, hoping for a turnaround.
But now? Their leader had lost his precious rings and was finished. The school security guards were cracking their knuckles and advancing with cold smiles.
If they didn't run now, they'd be staying for a long, state-funded vacation!
Scatter! In an instant, the remaining Ten Rings members bolted, each trying to escape as fast as possible.
These men had some skill; they were, after all, the elites the Mandarin had brought.
But compared to the security team of Saint Kent Academy, they were completely outclassed.
The Saint Kent security brigade might not be famous, but every mutant among them was a hardened fighter who trained regularly in the gym during their off-hours.
With occasional guidance from Antonio and the other deputies, their combat prowess was no joke.
Taking down powerful enemies might be difficult, but against these mere thugs with just above-average strength, they were unstoppable.
The moment the two sides clashed, the Ten Rings members were thrown into disarray.
There were plenty of tough guys among the Ten Rings who raised their weapons, trying to fight their way out.
These violent underlings needed a harsh lesson. Getting knocked out on the spot was lucky. Having an arm broken in two or three moves, or being killed outright, was the norm!
This ruthless response meant the conflict caused dozens of fatalities and over a hundred injuries within the first thirty seconds.
Under Clark's watchful eye, every single casualty was from the Ten Rings side!
This thoroughly crushed the remaining fighting spirit of the Ten Rings thugs.
Seeing the remaining匪徒 (fěitú - bandits/thugs) finally settle down and allow themselves to be strung up by the security team, Clark nodded in satisfaction.
...
The remaining captives were handled by the deputy captains; Clark didn't need to worry about them.
He strolled over to the side of the main street to watch Antonio and the Snake-Man trade brutal, flesh-smashing blows, feeling a sense of surprise.
The Snake-Man's body had now taken on the form of a humanoid serpent. While retaining the basic humanoid shape, he resembled a two-headed giant python with limbs! Two serpent heads extended from his back, flanking his own human head like horns, poised to attack!
In this fearsome, two-headed serpent form, he faced Antonio head-on without backing down. Combined with the unique force-dissipating properties of his serpentine body, the Snake-Man could directly absorb Antonio's attacks and still have the energy to counter-attack.
Antonio was the same.
His teeth were now a bloody red, faintly shifting towards a sinister black!
In this state, Antonio was terrifying. The mere act of him stepping down was enough to crater the ground!
Their battle was a primal, bloody contest of raw,野蛮 (yěmán - savage/brutal) strength!
Clark watched, intrigued.
When he first saw the Snake-Man's ability, he'd mistaken him for a sneaky fighter who relied on agility, poison, and tricks.
He never expected the guy was a pure muscle fanatic like Antonio. Their clash was intense, every impact seeming to tear the very air apart!
"I was wondering before how he managed to secure the number two spot, firmly压制 (yāzhì - suppressing) Sandman."
"Seeing this now, I understand completely. Sandman's loss was no fluke."
Clark shook his head, gaining a clearer understanding of the Ten Rings' power structure.
Nearby, the Mandarin paid no attention to his trussed-up underlings. His eyes were fixed solely on the two combatants.
His entire being was focused on hoping for the Snake-Man's victory!
"Huh?"
Clark let out a sound of surprise, noticing something. He looked sharply up at the sky.
A jet of propulsion fire streaked across the distant sky, heading directly for the entrance of Saint Kent Academy!
Clark's sharp eyes easily made out the figure disturbing the atmosphere—a red-and-gold painted iron humanoid!
Tony Stark, wearing his Mark I armor, had arrived!
The Iron Man suit landed with a thunderous crash, creating another crater.
No one paid much attention to that; the area in front of the academy was already pockmarked with holes. One more didn't matter.
What everyone found strange was this bizarre metal object. What was it?
Could it be reinforcements for the Ten Rings?
Jean, seeing the iron figure, frowned unnaturally, feeling an inexplicable sense of revulsion.
Then, the faceplate of the iron armor retracted, revealing Tony's scowling face inside.
He looked around, his expression turning to one of confusion as he looked at Clark.
"I came as soon as I got the message the academy was under attack! But it looks like... I'm too late!"
Clark nodded, saying nothing.
The intention was appreciated.
But relying on this Mark I suit to actually do anything would likely lead to problems.
/-\
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