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Chapter 52 – Embers and Echoes
Smoke and fire painted the California night in shades of chaos. What once stood as a symbol of Tony Stark's brilliance—the Malibu mansion—now lay shattered against the cliffs, half-swallowed by the roaring ocean below.
Rescue drones combed through debris, beams of light cutting through the haze.
Pepper Potts stood in silence beside the rescue team, her face pale but composed. The sharp smell of burnt metal stung her nose. Her hands shook as she stared at the water's edge—nothing left but fragments of the life they'd built.
"Ma'am," a responder called. "We've found remnants of the Iron Man armor—but no sign of Mr. Stark."
Pepper exhaled shakily, forcing control back into her voice. "Keep searching. He's alive. He always finds a way."
But her eyes betrayed the faintest flicker of doubt.
---
Avengers Tower, New York
"Play it again," Steve said.
On the main screen, footage replayed in slow motion: three helicopters hovering above Malibu, missiles streaking through the sky, and then—the blast. The feed cut off in static.
Nick Fury folded his arms, his single eye tracking every second of the footage. Natasha leaned against the console beside him, silent, expression unreadable.
"Jarvis," Fury said. "Can you confirm who Stark was speaking to before the explosion?"
The AI's voice came through the tower's speakers, faint but calm.
> "Mr. Stark was in communication with Mr. Guardian. The topic of discussion was the recent human bombings linked to Extremis. The call was abruptly terminated following the first missile strike."
Steve frowned. "So Stark was warned right before the attack?"
> "Correct, Captain Rogers. Guardian stated that A.I.M. was behind Extremis, and that the attacks were experiments gone wrong."
Fury's jaw tightened. "A.I.M. They've been researching some kind of regenerative drug—from what I know."
Natasha glanced toward him. "So why are they working with the Ten Rings?"
"I don't know yet," Fury muttered. "But I intend to find out."
He turned toward Steve. "You said you had a way to contact Guardian?"
Steve hesitated. "Sort of. He's… unpredictable, but he'll come if it matters."
"So what do you want from him?" Steve's tone was cautious.
Fury tapped a file on the console. The holographic display flickered to life—showing a satellite-captured image: a man clad in black armor, hovering above the wreckage, faint ring-shaped glows around his hands.
"Information," Fury said simply.
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "The man who destroyed Tony's home?"
"Not just that," Fury replied. "While tracking Guardian's history, my analysts found ancient texts describing a warrior wearing armor strikingly similar to this. Prehistoric metallurgy. Impossible alloys. This isn't the first time that armor's appeared in human history."
Steve's gaze sharpened. "So you think Guardian might know who he is?"
"I think he's the only one who can tell us," Fury said. "Bring him in."
---
Minutes Later
The air shimmered, and a blue-white portal bloomed open in the center of the briefing room. Guardian stepped through calmly, his dark coat trailing faintly behind him. The contrast between his composed demeanor and the quiet hum of the tower's machinery was almost surreal.
"Captain. Director," he greeted evenly. "I assume you called because of Stark."
Fury nodded. "That, and something else."
Guardian's gaze swept the room. "You haven't found him."
"No," Steve admitted. "But Jarvis confirmed he survived the initial blast. The suit's tracking signal cut off over Tennessee. We'll find him—but Fury has something to ask you first."
Natasha placed a tablet on the table and turned it toward Guardian. "We want to know if you recognize this man."
The image of the armored figure—the Mandarin—appeared again.
For a long moment, Guardian said nothing. His expression hardened just slightly, as if the sight stirred something old and heavy.
Finally, he exhaled. "I was hoping it wasn't him."
Steve frowned. "You know him?"
"Not him," Guardian said softly. "But his rings."
Fury's eye narrowed. "Explain."
Guardian folded his arms, gaze distant as he began.
"There was once a man who wore rings like those—Makluan Rings, forged from the remnants of an alien craft. He was a conqueror. A tyrant. He ruled with power beyond human comprehension and hungered for more. When he learned about the Miraculous, he became greedy. He wanted every Miraculous for himself. He searched across continents, killing the holders one by one, believing their power could rival his own."
Natasha's voice was quiet. "Did he succeed?"
"He nearly did." Guardian's tone darkened. "He first found the holder of the Butterfly Miraculous—a monk named Li Xia. He killed him and used the Miraculous to empower his generals, much like how I empowered you, Captain. Then he waged war against the Order of Guardians."
Steve's brows furrowed. "So what happened?"
"Mandarin was too strong for one person to fight. The Guardians attacked together, but he matched them with equal ferocity. Empowered by the Makluan Rings and the Butterfly Miraculous, he tore through them—killing each one while taking pleasure in their suffering. In the end, only two holders survived: the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculous. They were siblings. To mock them, Mandarin toyed with them, and in his cruelty, he ripped out the Ladybug's heart before her brother's eyes."
Adrian's voice was low, heavy. "Her brother lost control. He fought the warlord for four days and nights. The battle consumed entire cities. In the end, the Cat Miraculous holder—now the Guardian—won. But the Order was gone. The world forgot the Miraculous. And in his rage, he swore to destroy the tyrant's bloodline forever."
Fury leaned forward. "And?"
"When the Guardian reached the palace, he slaughtered everyone of the tyrant's bloodline," Adrian said quietly. "But when he found the heir—a child, two years old—the last of that bloodline—he couldn't do it. Rage or not, he was still chosen for his heart. So he spared her. Raised her. She became a just ruler. In time, the Guardian and a great sorcerer sealed the rings, leaving one behind—a test. Whoever passed it would inherit them, but only if their heart was pure enough."
Steve's tone was steady. "You're saying the man in that picture—"
"—is her descendant," Guardian finished. "But he definitely isn't the one who cleared the trial. That test was meant to measure one's character. Someone who cleared it could never align with the Ten Rings."
Fury let the silence hang for a moment. "So you mean he found a way to bypass the test—and still use the rings?"
Guardian nodded. "That's the only explanation. Only someone with Khan's bloodline can activate the trial, but they can't obtain the rings without passing it. The only possibilities are brute force—or a proxy."
Natasha looked at Steve. "Doesn't matter how. What matters is what we do now."
Guardian turned toward the window, watching the city below. "You search for Stark. I'll find out about the Mandarin. They're the thread tying all of this together."
Steve nodded slowly. "We'll coordinate through Jarvis."
Fury's gaze followed Guardian as he began to open another portal. "Are you confident you can stop Mandarin at full power?"
"No," Guardian said, stepping through. "That's why we have to stop him now—and make sure history doesn't repeat itself."
The portal snapped shut behind him.
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Later – Tennessee Forests
A faint spark flickered in the mud. A broken piece of red armor twitched, servo motors whining weakly. Inside, Tony Stark groaned, pushing against the cracked faceplate.
"Note to self," he muttered, coughing. "Never give out home address on live TV."
The Mark 42 armor sparked once more and went silent, leaving only the distant sound of wind and cicadas.
Tony exhaled and looked around the empty field.
"Great," he sighed. "Now where the hell am I?"
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End of Chapter 52 – Embers and Echoes
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