Battle Against Mandarin

Mandarin had attacked Howard so brazenly that Alex naturally had no intention of lying low and pretending nothing had happened. After making preparations, he took the initiative to challenge him. Less than ten minutes later, under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s deliberate spread, Alex’s challenge letter finally reached Mandarin’s ears.

In New York, within a luxurious villa, Mandarin sat cross-legged on the floor with a solemn expression, seemingly meditating.

Just then, a young man rushed in in a panic. His face was so pale that it hardly looked human, utterly bloodless.

"What happened?" Interrupted in the middle of his meditation, Mandarin was somewhat displeased. He cast the young man a casual glance, but his knife-sharp gaze made the young man tremble all over.

The young man tried hard to keep his teeth from chattering, but his body’s instinct overwhelmed him. Even as he spoke, his teeth trembled uncontrollably, making his voice broken and halting. "Alex, the one Master has been looking for, has appeared!"

"He appeared? So soon?" Mandarin sneered and slowly rose to his feet. His previously irritated expression abruptly turned delighted. "Where is he now?"

"He… he…" Thinking of the challenge letter that had come through the channels, the young man immediately hesitated. After wavering for a while, he simplified things, cutting out most of the "useless" words, and said bluntly, "He wants to fight Master to the death in the desert outside Las Vegas."

Hearing this, Mandarin froze slightly, then sneered again. "Overestimating himself!"

Meanwhile, at the headquarters building of X-Film Company, Alex lounged comfortably in an executive chair while Vivien Leigh massaged his shoulders behind him. A faint blush colored her lovely face.

"Why the desert? Is there some special reason?" Vivien Leigh had also heard of Alex’s challenge letter. Her hands moved from Alex’s shoulders to his temples, and the pressure of her fingers gradually lightened as she asked softly.

Alex closed his eyes slightly, enjoying Vivien Leigh’s gentle massage. He could not help letting out a pleased hum as he explained casually, "I wanted to fight at the North Pole, but I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to find the place."

A battle with Mandarin was no trivial matter. To avoid harming innocent people, Alex had deliberately moved the battleground to a sparsely populated place. He had originally favored the Arctic ice fields, but they were too vast and difficult to reach, so he could only choose the desert instead.

Vivien Leigh had not expected that to be the reason. She covered her mouth and laughed, only managing to restrain herself after a while. Then she asked with concern, "Are you sure you can handle it?" Although she knew Alex’s abilities, she still could not put her mind at ease.

"Don’t worry. Nothing will happen!" Alex opened his eyes and looked at Vivien Leigh, brimming with confidence. "You know what I can do. I’ll be fine!"

As he spoke, Alex tilted his head back and gently kissed Vivien Leigh’s sensual red lips.

Just then, the tightly shut door was suddenly flung open, and Remy rushed inside excitedly. When he saw the scene in the room, Remy’s face flushed red. He stood awkwardly at the doorway, unsure whether to enter or retreat.

At the sound, Alex and Vivien Leigh had already separated. Both were rather thin-skinned, however, and the atmosphere stiffened for a moment.

After quite some time, Alex finally coughed lightly, glared at Remy, and scolded in a low voice, "Brat, don’t you know to knock before coming in?" Without waiting for Remy to respond, Alex changed the subject. "What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Remy gave an embarrassed smile, then swiftly composed himself and said with a serious expression, "Mandarin sent word. He accepted the challenge and will be waiting for you in the desert tonight!"

"He sure is impatient!" Alex chuckled. His expression was extremely relaxed, as though he did not take Mandarin seriously at all.

Time passed without notice. As New York’s night grew darker, Alex prepared to set off.

Even though Alex had repeatedly assured her that he would be fine, Vivien Leigh remained worried. As Alex prepared to leave, she grabbed his hand once more and repeatedly urged him, "You must be careful!"

Alex was not impatient in the slightest. In this world, having a woman care so much about him was something he was delighted by.

After assuring her once again that he would definitely be fine, Alex kissed Vivien Leigh goodbye, activated Teleportation, and arrived directly at his destination: the desert outside Las Vegas, the place Sebastian Shaw had once used to train young mutants.

Returning to this old place, Alex felt somewhat sentimental. Thinking of those young mutants from back then, his mood suddenly sank. Most of those young mutants were now at the Floating Temple, some had joined the Brotherhood of Mutants, and others had died in several upheavals.

Just as Alex was lost in sorrow, Mandarin appeared. He strolled forward at an unhurried pace, as relaxed as if he were sightseeing, his hands clasped before his lower abdomen. The rings on his ten fingers glittered brilliantly beneath the blazing desert sun.

"Have you prepared your last words?" Mandarin looked at Alex as he turned around. A faint smile appeared on his narrow face, while incomparable confidence lay hidden beneath his calm eyes.

Alex shrugged and wore an equally calm smile. "That’s something I should be asking you, defeated foe!"

Mandarin smiled noncommittally. Having mastered his divine art and obtained the Ten Rings, his confidence had swelled to the extreme. In his eyes, Alex was merely an ant he could crush at any time.

"Submit to me, and I will spare your life." With a slight movement, Mandarin suddenly spoke. His expression became excited. "If you and I join forces, the whole world will be ours."

Alex stared at him blankly, both amused and exasperated. "I think you’ve gone stupid!" He paused slightly, not giving Mandarin a chance to continue, then mocked him mercilessly. "And besides, we came here to fight, not chat!"

As he spoke, Alex launched the first attack. He extended his hands slightly and activated Erik’s Metal Control.

The instant Alex reached out his hands, Mandarin came back to his senses. Before he could react, however, he abruptly discovered that the Ten Rings on his fingers seemed to be trying to fly away.

"Cheap tricks!" Mandarin shouted softly and shook both hands. An almost imperceptible shockwave spread from them.

At the same time, Alex discovered that his ability seemed to have failed. He suddenly lost control of the Ten Rings. He could faintly sense their existence, yet could not control them, as though a hazy membrane had blocked him off from them.