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*****
Logan watched as the Mandarin slowly approached, every hair on his body standing on end.
He wasn't tall or physically imposing, yet he radiated overwhelming pressure.
Logan's heightened beast instincts screamed that this man was incredibly dangerous.
The Mandarin cast a cold glance at Logan, then shifted his eyes to Remy LeBeau and Beast nearby. Unbothered, he continued walking toward the pile of rubble that buried Tony.
Iron Man was the target of this mission.
If he got away, everything the Mandarin had done so far would have been for nothing.
Just as he neared the debris, a red-and-gold figure burst out from the rubble, charging toward him with fierce momentum and deadly force.
The Mandarin calmly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding Tony's charge. With fluid precision, he swung a fist at Tony's back.
Bang!
A dull thud rang out as Iron Man's armor caved inward under the impact.
Tony's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. Flames erupted from his calves as he launched a vicious whip-kick at the Mandarin's head.
But the Mandarin remained composed.
He casually raised his hand, caught Tony's leg mid-strike, and allowed himself to be thrown into the air. Flipping mid-air, he appeared above Tony's head. As Tony raised both palms to fire a blast, the Mandarin grabbed his wrists, twisted forcefully, and landed a half-squat on Tony's back.
Creak!
Tony struggled to break free, but even with his suit running at full power, he couldn't escape the Mandarin's grip—his hands felt like solid iron.
Boom!
Tony was slammed to the ground, the Mandarin perched on his back, wrenching his arm behind him.
Tony was filled with dread.
How is this man so strong?
Taking a deep breath, Tony activated his thrusters at full power and shot into the sky with the Mandarin still on his back.
The Mandarin released him mid-ascent, drifting gently toward the ground. As Tony soared upward in a wide arc, his palm began to glow like a miniature sun.
The Mandarin raised his left hand.
On it were five rings, each with a different colored gemstone.
The red ring on his index finger flashed faintly, firing a crimson beam that exploded just before reaching Tony.
A wave of flame and smoke engulfed him. The Mandarin landed safely, while Tony was sent hurtling through the air by the blast.
Then, the white ring on the Mandarin's thumb lit up. A gravitational force yanked Tony straight from midair, slamming him back down.
Crash!
Tony hit the ground hard, dust flying everywhere. Under the power of the Mandarin's ring, he was partially buried on impact.
Seconds later, the Mandarin strode over to the dazed and battered Iron Man and spoke his first words since appearing.
"Heh. Iron Man?"
The tone was mocking, filled with disdain.
This entire scene was captured and broadcast around the globe by a live news van stationed nearby.
People everywhere gasped at the sight of Iron Man buried in the ground. Some even began praying for him.
Though most didn't know who was in the suit, they understood what he stood for—he was a hero doing the right thing.
And heroes always earned people's admiration.
Everyone had witnessed this entire battle unfold.
Whether it was Iron Man or the X-Men who had joined the fight later, all of them were clearly defending the innocent people of Gemira Town. The brutality of the terrorists had exceeded everyone's worst fears.
If not for Iron Man and the X-Men, everyone in the auditorium would have already been blown to bits.
At that moment, they saw the long-haired, slightly wrinkled Mandarin lift Iron Man off the ground.
What's he planning to do?
The world watched in tense anticipation.
"Heh... I actually admire you," the Mandarin said with a smile, gripping Tony by the throat. He casually ripped off the faceplate of the suit and was momentarily surprised.
"So it's you—Tony Stark."
Tony managed a strained smile.
Viewers watching around the world let out shocked gasps.
Iron Man was Tony Stark? The billionaire playboy?
The Mandarin gave a faint chuckle. "You really are a genius. To think you created something like this."
"What do you say? Want to work with me? We could do great things together."
Tony fell silent for a moment. Then he said, "This isn't a weapon—it's just my mobility aid."
The Mandarin's smile froze. His grip tightened.
The armor around Tony's neck began to groan and bend under the pressure.
"Two choices," the Mandarin said coldly. "Obey... or die."
Tony clutched at the Mandarin's hand. His chest-mounted arc reactor suddenly flared to life, its glow intense.
But the Mandarin had anticipated this—he twisted his body and dodged just in time.
At that moment, a ruby-red laser beam shot from the distance, sending the Mandarin flying through the air.
Tony seized the opportunity to break free from the Mandarin's grasp and hovered in the air, gasping for breath.
The red laser disappeared after hitting the Mandarin, but the next instant, it landed on Voodoo. Voodoo screamed in pain as the damage was transferred to Logan, but he was still pinned to the ground by the laser's force.
"Logan! Now's your chance!"
Scott's voice came through the communicator.
Logan let out a furious roar and slashed off Voodoo's head with a single swipe of his claw.
"Sorry!"
Scott apologized to Logan.
He had been observing the battle from a distance. When the Mandarin appeared, and after confirming that the enemy didn't have any stronger forces, he made his move. Based on his assessment, Voodoo could only transfer one person's damage at a time. With Scott's relentless attack, Voodoo was suppressed, and Logan had an easy time finishing him off.
The tide of the battle had shifted.
Logan grinned and spat on Voodoo's lifeless body. "Well done, Four-Eyes!" he said.
Scott frowned at the comment.
The next second, standing far away, Scott used his specialized glasses to scan the area, his eyes locking onto Beast King. With a quick press of a button on his earpiece, a red light beam shot out once again, striking Beast King and sending him flying. The beam became more intense, growing hotter by the second.
Beast King quickly shifted into his leopard form and began dodging the increasingly powerful beams.
The Mandarin rose from the ground, his gaze locking onto the location of the light, but he couldn't spot Scott.
Turning around, he saw Logan and Remy LeBeau charging toward him, his expression darkening.
Perhaps there were even more enemies, like the principal of the X-School.
"Retreat!"
The Mandarin barked, swiftly pulling back.
Beast King hesitated briefly before turning around. He shot an unwilling glance at Remy LeBeau and let out an angry roar. A red beam shot toward him, but he dodged just in time. Grabbing the surviving terrorists, he retreated into the distance.
Logan was about to give chase when Remy LeBeau grabbed his arm and shook his head.
"Don't follow," he warned. "Without Cyclops' line of sight, we'd lose a powerful deterrent. With their strange abilities, we could end up taking a fall, or worse…"
Clearly, Tony had the same idea.
He dropped from the sky and nodded at Logan and Remy LeBeau. "Thanks."
Without their help, he would've been finished.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out, startling the three. They immediately assumed battle stances and turned to see...
The live broadcast van was destroyed by a red laser beam.
The three of them paused, then turned to look at Scott's position, their faces blank with disbelief.
Logan, after a moment's thought, reluctantly raised his middle finger toward Scott.
(End of Chapter)