Mandarin vs Selina: The Hellfire
The jet-black skies gave way to blazing hues of orange and crimson as Bruce and Morgan neared their next destination—a volcanic region nestled deep within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Smoke billowed into the air, blanketing the landscape in ash. Rivers of molten lava carved fiery paths through the scorched earth, consuming everything in their wake. The eruption wasn't just natural; its intensity screamed something unnatural, something controlled.
"Let me guess," Morgan said, her voice filtered through her suit's comms, "Another Ring is making this volcano go nuclear?"
Bruce nodded, his gaze sharp. "The Liar Ring confirmed it. The Flame Blast Ring controls fire and heat, amplifying volcanic activity to catastrophic levels. Whoever has it is either trying to unleash hell or has no idea what they're playing with."
"Or both," Morgan muttered, scanning the area. Her HUD highlighted clusters of displaced civilians and emergency responders attempting to contain the devastation. "Looks like the locals are trying to evacuate. I'll help them. You go for the ring this time." She flew down. On her HUD, she saw there were too many civilians to rescue within the limited time. Her sensors are going wild, warning her of the upcoming earthquake and blasts.
"You with the Avengers? Lend us a hand," One of the emergency responders shouted when they saw Morgan hovering.
Morgan landed on a jagged outcrop of volcanic rock, the heat from the molten lava below making the air ripple. Her suit's nanites retracted from her right arm, revealing a glowing lattice of golden Infinity energy coursing through her veins. She raised her hand, her fingers trembling slightly from the sheer force of the power she was about to wield.
"Hold on tight, everyone!" Morgan called out, her voice steady despite the chaos. She closed her eyes and focused, channeling the raw, celestial energy.
The Infinity energy surged outward in a radiant pulse, her mind locking onto every displaced civilian in the immediate vicinity. She could feel their fear, hear their frantic thoughts as if they were her own. It was overwhelming, but she pushed past the noise, weaving her power through the chaos. A shimmering, golden field enveloped the civilians, freezing them momentarily in time to shield them from the surrounding inferno.
Morgan's eyes snapped open, now glowing with the same luminous energy. "Get ready."
With a wave of her hand, the civilians vanished, disappearing in a cascade of golden sparks. They reappeared miles away, in the secure confines of the New York SHIELD base. Morgan's power locked onto the coordinates instinctively, drawn to the one place she knew was fortified enough to keep them safe.
"Base confirms the civilians are secure," came a voice over her comms—Agent Hill, monitoring the situation from SHIELD HQ. "What was Bruce thinking taking you in such a dangerous place?" She grumbled.
Morgan smirked. "Oh, c'mon. Where's your sense of adventure, Aunt Maria? Besides, I'm here to help. I have all the power of an Infinity Stone. A little volcanic eruption is no match for me."
Agent Hill sighed. "I swear, if anything happens to you, he will never hear the end of it. Bruce, what in the world are you doing?"
"Working on getting the Flame Blast ring. The volcano isn't our only problem," Bruce answered tersely, his voice strained. On his HUD, he could see Morgan had safely transported the civilians out of danger. "That freaking Mandarin is back to life and I'm guessing Mephesto is involved in this."
"So all these anomalies are because of the rings? I'll send Harley and Selina on the other parts. If Mandarin is back then he'll go for the rings, we can't let that happen," Maria said.
"Yeah, send them and the Sentinels to the position. Saving civilians is our main priority," Bruce replied as he stopped over the volcano.
"Roger that," Maria answered before ending the call.
Bruce looked down at the fiery depths of the volcano, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he focused on pinpointing the source of the eruption. He deactivated the armor and cracked his neck. He shot into the crater, his body moving with the speed and agility of a seasoned hero. He scanned the lava, his enhanced vision locking onto the faint traces of energy rippling through the molten rock, and the rings were connected, so he could feel them even if they were buried deep.
He reached into the lava, his fingers sinking into the dense, magma-like material. His Kryptonian-enhanced body remained unaffected by the extreme heat. He tore through it and went deeper until he found a humanoid creature floating in the center of the volcano. That looked like some isolated place surrounded by lava and heat. Its skin was bright red, with a reptilian texture. It had sharp claws, fangs, and a pair of small wings protruding from its back.
The creature opened its eyes, revealing two pools of endless darkness. "Well, well, if it isn't the mighty Ironman back from death." it hissed. "Master said you'd try to stop his plan." It raised its right hand, revealing the Flame Blast Right. "I won't let you!"
It aimed its fist at Bruce and blasted a beam of fire at him.
He simply slapped the beam away. Before throwing his heat vision at the creature, piercing through its head. It died without knowing how.
Bruce flew toward it and grabbed the ring, putting it on his finger. Then he looked through the hole created by his heat vision, "Tsk. I know you are watching me, you motherfucker. Whatever you are planning, I'm gonna stop it. As for your minion, Mandarin. I'll send him back to hell soon enough." With that, he punched the creature's head, splattering its blood all around, before flying out of the crater.
The unstable volcano began to stabilize. Morgan noticed the change and used her power to stabilize it further.
Outside, Morgan was waiting for him. "You got the ring! Cool, let's go to the next one?" She asked, smiling brightly.
"Let's go."
Bruce put his suit on and they flew toward the next destination.
...
[Amazon]
The Amazon rainforest was lush and alive, pulsating with an energy that seemed ancient and untamed. But now, a malevolent presence marred its vibrancy. In a secluded clearing, where the sun struggled to pierce the dense canopy, a temple of stone and vine rose like a forgotten sentinel. At its center, the Impact Beam Ring lay on a pedestal, glowing faintly, its energy warping the air around it.
Mandarin stood before the ring. His eyes glowed with the hellfire, a little boost granted by Mephisto after Bruce messed up their plan. "Finally," he hissed, reaching for the ring. "Once the rings are mine, not even death will hold me back again."
Before his hand could close around the ring, two heat vision beams hit him, sending him flying into the jungle.
"You're a persistent little cockroach, aren't you?" came a teasing, mocking voice. Selina emerged from the shadows, in her signature black nanite suit. Her hair was tied back, and she was holding a whip. Her piercing gaze locked onto Mandarin. "You should've stayed dead. Would've saved everyone a lot of trouble."
Mandarin jumped up as the hole in his chest began to heal with fiery energy. "And who might you be?" He pointed his finger at her.
Selina cracked her whip, the sharp snap echoing through the dense jungle. Her smirk deepened as she circled the Mandarin, her movements fluid, almost feline. "Who am I? Just a cat playing with a very flammable mouse."
Mandarin growled, his fiery eyes narrowing. He extended his hand, summoning a torrent of Chi energy. The golden, crackling force surged toward Selina with devastating speed.
She didn't flinch. Her enhanced reflexes kicked in, and she twisted gracefully to the side, the energy beam narrowly missing her and obliterating a tree behind her. Without missing a beat, she lashed her whip toward the pedestal where the Impact Beam Ring rested.
The whip coiled around the ring with precision, the nanite threads adjusting to the delicate object. With a sharp tug, Selina yanked it from its resting place. The moment the ring left the pedestal, the air seemed to shudder, a low hum reverberating as its power briefly destabilized the environment.
Mandarin roared, his voice like the crackle of fire on dry wood. "You dare steal what is mine?" He launched himself at her, his movements unnaturally fast as he channeled the fiery energy coursing through his veins.
Selina backflipped onto a low-hanging branch, the ring secured in her grip. Her dark suit shimmered in the dappled light, adapting to her every motion. She gave him a mocking wave. "Steal? Now, that's a word I haven't heard in a while. So, what are you gonna do about it? Talk me to death?"
"Arggg!" Mandarin snarled, slamming his fists into the ground. The earth trembled as Chi rippled outward, disrupting the terrain and sending chunks of stone and soil flying. Selina flew up in the air, hovering a few feet above the ground. "You're going to regret that," He clenched his fists, summoning another surge of energy. This time, he jumped up and literally flew leaving a trail of flame, and appeared before Selina.
"DIE!!" He threw the punch with enough force to shatter a mountain, but Selina simply stopped it with a single finger. The shockwave tore through the jungle, flattening several trees and leaving a deep crater on the forest floor.
"That's no way to treat a lady," Selina said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She punched through his heart and grabbed his spine. She then ripped his spine out, blood spraying all over her suit and rained down on the forest below. She threw her on the ground and burned his remaining with her heat vision. "Goodbye for real this time."
She turned around as she contacted Bruce, "Hey, got one ring... And Mandarin..."
[Booom!] A fiery fist slammed onto Selina's back, creating a pillar of fire, smoke, and dust.
Mandarin's body healed and his soul returned back to his body. His Chi was replaced with Hellfire.
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