T'challa permitted Bucky to have a long range Wakandan scout fighter for this next key op; it had total cloaking ability. With that in place we flew for mainland China. Only the king Hill and Fury knew about this besides us; we wanted to keep the circle tight to prevent leaks. I also had the wonder plane scanning ahead of us too from its typical "perch" in another dimension. Its Olympian sensors picked up some solid dark energy coming from from northern China not far from the Mongolian border. It was rural; it was also the same general area Mandarin was known to be from centuries ago during the imperial era. This further supported my theory that we would find him here; but he'd hardly be alone. He'd be prepared even though he didn't expect anyone to come for him so directly.
We landed in the arid space at night. I broke down my IP armor and instead called forth my amazon armor for this supernatural job. Peter would go with his spider god powers. Bucky would go with his normal WS accouterments. We were visible now to the enemy, especially the demonic, but that would have happened anyway.
Apollo bow formed in hand I led the way; Peter and Bucky to my flanks. Ahead was a set of small mountains that likely formed some magical stronghold for Mandarin. Bucky had his assault weapon ready to go; Peter remained vigilant, garbed in his traditional SM costume.
We entered the mountains through a winding path; it was now dead quiet. Bucky whispered, "This place gives me the creeps..." "You and me both brother," said Peter. I stopped. "What is it?" said Peter.
My bow was up; energy arrow ready to go. A Chinese demon hound appeared, similar to a Hades' version; eyes blood red as brother's. "A sentry," I said. Peter sighed. "Just great. He knows we're here." "Yeah," I said.
The hell hound snarled and charged at us in usual primal fashion; I put an energy arrow right into it and sent it back to the Chinese hell it came from. "Jesus," said Bucky. "This isn't like fighting Hydra. It's worse." He was right. These things, as with my own Olympian versions, could return again.
Thunder sounded suddenly from overhead. "What is this, Thor time?" said Peter. "You were fools to come here..." said Mandarin throughout the mountains. "You truly were." "Face us coward; or do you fear our power!" I countered. "I fear nothing woman!" "Hey, that's the daughter of Zeus you're talking to punk!" countered Peter. "And my wife for that matter!" "How do you stand this bug?" countered Mandarin; he then appeared before us. Bucky was quick to fire off a solid set of burst rounds that would have killed anything mortal...but this was where bullets wouldn't do much good.
Mandarin cackled. "You brought a gun to a magic fight...how ingenious..." "Um, honey..." Peter said. "I know." Demons appeared all around us. Overhead a demon countenanced as a Chinese dragon hovered to defy gravity. "I admire your boldness Diana of Olympus...but you were indeed foolish to come here to where I am strongest."
To everyone's surprise - friend/foe alike - I was at Mandarin an instant later and knocking him on his butt. He wiped blood from his mouth; he was surprised/angered/annoyed all in one. "You'll regret that..." I fired an energy arrow at him but he vanished in time.
"Attack!" he ordered. His demon horde attacked us at the same time from all directions...
