These desperados' attacks not only terrified civilians but also left the government and military helpless. They tried tracking and capturing these fugitives, but the desperados moved quickly, vanishing like ghosts without a trace.
War Machine Rhodes stood in the military command center, closely observing the movements of the Despair Warriors on the surveillance screens. Their attacks made him feel powerless, but Rhodes knew he had to step forward. As War Machine and as a soldier, protecting people from terrorists was his duty.
"Rhodey, are you ready?" a general asked.
"Ready," Rhodes replied firmly.
Wearing his black battle armor, James Rhodes looked tall and imposing. He accepted the mission, determined to protect civilians from these desperados.
He soon received intel that the Despair Warriors' next target was a major energy facility. Rhodes immediately flew to the location and began an aerial search. Before long, he spotted a group of Despair Warriors heading toward the facility.
Rhodes landed in front of them and declared sternly, "Stop your acts of terror! Drop your weapons now."
The leader of the Despair Warriors sneered. "War Machine, you so-called guardians of justice are nothing but dogs of the establishment. We, the Despair Warriors, are the true rulers of this world. We will plunge it into chaos and fear."
Rhodes ignored the warrior's arrogance. He knew now was not the time to talk. He launched his attack immediately—the War Machine armor firing lasers and missiles straight at the enemies.
The Despair Warriors countered fiercely, releasing waves of high-temperature energy toward Rhodes. He dodged skillfully and returned fire with the full arsenal of his armor. Flames and explosions filled the battlefield, turning it into a living hell.
Rhodes, a seasoned soldier, understood he needed to find their weakness. Observing their combat patterns, he realized that although the Despair Warriors possessed powerful regenerative abilities, their attack range was limited. So he kept his distance and used long-range weaponry to wear them down.
Circling above, he unleashed missiles and energy beams, forcing the warriors to scramble for cover. Despite their brutal strength, they were overwhelmed by War Machine's firepower.
But the Despair Warriors were not easy to defeat. Their vitality and regeneration were astonishing—they recovered from grievous injuries in seconds.
The battle reached a stalemate. Rhodes knew he needed a more aggressive tactic. He activated War Machine's strongest weapons, firing high-energy lasers, EMP blasts, and missiles all at once—unleashing a devastating barrage.
The Despair Warriors were pushed back, overwhelmed by the attack. Even so, their regenerative abilities kept them standing, though barely.
Rhodes then scanned them using the armor's full-power systems.
"It seems your energy source isn't stable," Rhodes said coldly. "Your healing depends on massive energy consumption. That's your weakness."
The leader glared but couldn't deny it. Their regenerative ability indeed drained a tremendous amount of power.
"You think you've found our weakness? Ridiculous!" the leader spat. "Our strength comes from despair and fear!"
Rhodes ignored him and targeted their unstable energy cores. Using high-energy beams and EMP, he disrupted their internal heat generation. The warriors weakened rapidly, their bodies failing to keep up with the energy demands.
Rhodes seized the moment and unleashed a relentless assault. One by one, the Despair Warriors fell, unable to heal.
"This is the 'mentor' you follow? You chase despair and destruction—we fight for hope and freedom," Rhodes said coldly.
The leader's face twisted in agony. With his final breath, he screamed, "You will all fail! The great Mandarin will rule the world! Whether it's you or those superheroes, the final victor will be the Mandarin!"
A sudden heat surged through his body.
"Mandarin?" Rhodes muttered uneasily.
He knew Mandarin was no ordinary enemy—he was powerful and terrifying. But right now, Rhodes had to deal with the imminent danger.
The leader's temperature continued rising, glowing like a fireball about to explode. The other Despair Warriors also began heating up, preparing to detonate.
Rhodes soared skyward to escape the blast radius. Below, the leader radiated blinding red heat like a miniature sun.
His body swelled with unstable energy—seconds away from exploding.
The battlefield turned into a scorching inferno as temperatures spiked and the air shimmered with heat.
"Damn it!" Rhodes gritted his teeth. He tried using EMP to destabilize the warrior's energy, but the leader had already lost control. His body had become a living bomb.
Rhodes dodged the attacks of the remaining warriors while focusing on preventing the explosion.
"I can't let you destroy this facility!" Rhodes shouted.
The leader roared, "This world is doomed! You so-called guardians only delay the inevitable. Defeat is your destiny!"
Rhodes stayed silent. He needed a solution—and fast.
Scanning the leader's body again, Rhodes discovered a critical point where the energy was most concentrated. Destroying it might stop the detonation.
He focused all firepower on that weak spot.
The leader screamed as the blasts struck him. His body trembled violently.
With one final shot, Rhodes hit the core.
A massive explosion erupted.
The shockwave hurled Rhodes backward, but he regained control midair, shielding himself as best he could.
When the flames cleared, the battlefield was ruins. The leader had been vaporized. The remaining Despair Warriors were gone as well.
Standing amidst the destruction, Rhodes, armor cracked and damaged, remained resolute.
"Mandarin… Who are you? What do you want?" he murmured.
He knew now:
The Mandarin was a far greater threat.The Despair Warriors were only the beginning.A much larger danger was slowly approaching.
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