The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the lab.
Tony Stark stretched, a rare look of ease on his face. His finger hovered over his phone, about to have Jarvis call Dominic, perhaps that guy could give him some new ideas.
Just then, all the screens flickered, an eerie music played, and then a man's figure appeared on the screens. He wore traditional Eastern robes, his long beard slightly curled, and his eyes were sharp and dismissive. He stood against a dim background, with candlelight flickering around him, as if gazing upon the World from the depths of hell. This mysterious man was the 'Mandarin'—his cold voice echoed across the city's televisions, phones, and advertising screens.
People on the streets stopped in their tracks, looking up at the LED screens on tall buildings, and even the electronic billboards in subway stations displayed the man's image. No matter where they went, his face was looking down on the city, drawing all eyes to him.
"People of America, I am the Mandarin," the Mandarin spoke slowly, his voice carrying an undeniable pressure. "Your arrogance and greed have brought disaster upon yourselves. Under the guise of your so-called 'peace', plunder, oppression, and ruthlessness spread unchecked. And I will personally reveal the ugliness of it all to you."
The screen switched, showing a bombed-out building with thick smoke billowing. The scene changed again, showing a factory in ruins, stained with blood. These horrifying sights were displayed one by one before the camera, the footage shaking at times, zooming in at others, highlighting the impact of the violence. Low gasps rippled through the crowd, some covering their mouths, their faces filled with shock.
The Mandarin continued, his voice filled with coldness and contempt: "Your so-called 'heroes'? They are nothing more than glorified killing machines, serving for power and wealth. I will make this country understand that fear is the true ruling force. Want to resist? You will be crushed by your own cowardice!"
Tony's face turned serious. He immediately ordered Jarvis, "Locate his signal source, I want to know where this guy is!"
Jarvis's cursor flashed rapidly on the screen. Tony stared intently, hoping to find a clue. However, a few seconds later, Jarvis's calm voice came, "Mr., I apologize... the signal source cannot be located in a short time. All tracking paths are blocked, and it may even have been transferred to different locations globally."
Tony stared coldly at the Mandarin on the screen. The man who called himself a "terrorist ruler" continued his long speech, and every frame on the screen seemed to be a provocation towards him.
"Your people need a new 'baptism'," the Mandarin said to the camera, a cold smile playing on his lips. "I will ignite new fear on your land, drowning every city, every corner in destruction. America's so-called freedom? It's just a plaything in the hands of the powerful, hypocritical, dirty, and I will make you see its fragility with your own eyes!"
As he spoke, a picture of an iconic building appeared on the screen, its metal framework twisted in flames, like struggling ghosts. Tony clenched his fist. These sights were too familiar; such terror and destruction were exactly what he was trying desperately to avoid. The Mandarin seemed to see through his inner rage and said coldly, "Iron Man, are you watching me? Your so-called 'protection' is just self-deception. Look at your cities—starting today, I will personally make them tremble!"
Tony gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and said coldly to Jarvis, "Keep trying to locate him. Do whatever it takes." He didn't want the Mandarin to feel like he had won this psychological battle, yet the ominous images echoed in every corner of the city, casting a deep shadow over everyone who saw them.
In the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters surveillance room.
Nick Fury stood with his arms crossed, watching coldly as the "Mandarin" delivered his speech on the screen. This man, cloaked in extremism, was brazenly declaring war on public channels.
"Another drama queen," Nick shook his head, muttering mockingly, "Can't these guys just stick to regular crime quietly? They have to add drama to themselves in such a theatrical way, they don't even hire a good scriptwriter."
The Mandarin's image on the screen suddenly switched to a building exploding, the figures of people fleeing in panic in the background were particularly jarring. Nick couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, "He's a complete lunatic. If I don't deal with him soon, I'll probably have to give him an award for 'Best Terrorist Drama' of the year."
Just then, Coulson pushed the door open and stood beside Nick, quickly flipping through the documents in his hand, a hint of anxiety in his tone: "Sir, the reconnaissance department hasn't been able to locate the signal source yet. Their defense system is more complex than we imagined. The location shifts every few minutes."
Nick clicked his tongue, impatience flashing in his eyes, staring intently at the image on the screen, "This clown is provoking the whole World. If he's got guts, he'll come out and face me—" He suddenly paused, then turned abruptly to Coulson, "Speaking of which, why did this Mandarin specifically challenge 'Iron Man'? Logically, someone of Dominic's level, a 'Earth Guardian', should be the opponent he fears, right?"
Coulson pursed his lips, seemingly pondering the question, then raised an eyebrow: "Sir, perhaps the other party also knows that Dominic's strength is enough to crush him? Who would provoke someone who is almost invincible? Even a terrorist full of extremist ideas needs some sense, doesn't he?"
Nick let out a cold laugh, taking over the conversation expressionlessly: "Even if this guy has sense, the fact that he dares to trouble Tony—this isn't simple." He paused, a sharp guess in his eyes, "Don't you think this Mandarin's act is a bit similar to those guys? Stane, Ivan Vanko, even Tony's 'nemeses'—could it be that this guy also has some connection to the Stark family?"
Coulson nodded upon hearing this, a serious expression on his face. "If he's really targeting Tony, then it's not just a simple terrorist attack; there must be some personal grudge involved." Coulson put down the documents in his hand, looked up, and said seriously, "I'll immediately go through all of Tony's relationships from childhood thoroughly and see if I can find any clues."
Nick nodded, his gaze still fixed on the screen, not missing any detail in the Mandarin's image. Just as Coulson was about to leave, Nick suddenly called out to him, "Wait, Coulson—what has Captain been doing lately? I feel like he's been a bit... off recently."
Coulson scratched his head, his brow furrowed, seemingly choosing his words carefully. "Uh, honestly, Sir, I'm not entirely sure. However, ever since Dominic talked to him, Captain seems a bit paranoid, like something has been bothering him... I can't really say what he's busy with either." He shrugged, a hint of helplessness on his face.
Nick's frown deepened, feeling a headache about Dominic's unconventional way of doing things: "This Dominic... sometimes he's really hard to figure out."
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(End of Chapter)