Chapter Ten:
Battle of The Ancient Legends
In those moments, I wanted to think Wenwu was right, that history had cast me aside and that I'd served my purpose.
It was true that I was from a time when the world was engulfed in war, when Americans were laying down their lives against Nazi oppression, in Europe and Africa, and Japanese imperialism in the Pacific even though it was the former I dealt with the most.
However, part of what he said was very much wrong.
The war was over, but the world still needed a hero. The world still needed Captain America, the Star-Spangled Man with The Plan, the first Avenger. I still represented something, American freedom, and that was still worth fighting for today.
Wenwu wasn't the Red Skull or Loki, but the Ten Rings stood for principles that the Free World had been against for years, and he needed to be stopped. It was the actions of the Ten Rings that endangered Tony, leading to him becoming Iron Man, even though Obadiah Stane had been involved with that hot mess.
We stared down one another, circling each other in the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear plant within the control room, while the ten rings glowed around Wenwu's wrists. I could see the power in his eyes, and my fingers were wrapped tightly around the handle of the ancient Vibranium star-spangled shield.
This wasn't a hunt anymore.
And there was more to this battle, much more than just a battle between terrorism and freedom, a showdown between a powerful Asian terrorist leader and a super-enhanced guy from Brooklyn.
It was a duel, between an ancient warlord from a thousand years ago, desiring conquest and power, and a soldier who'd given everything to fight for his country against foreign tyranny in a war that had taken place more than seven decades prior.
We were both relics of the past, relics from our own times, and we'd lasted into the modern day under different circumstances.
The sparks flew again. Wenwu raised his arm, and fired off a pair of his ancient rings. I sprang upward, avoiding his attack, and brought up the shield, aiming for the warlord's face. It slammed into his chin, and he tumbled towards a melted control panel.
The Mandarin stood straight, scowling silently at his opponent.
He made the next move, and scattered his rings around me. I blocked the first pair, only for the next pair to make their mark. I was barely able to hold onto the shield as I fell over. Wenwu slowly approached, his ancient cape billowing around him in the slight radioactive breeze.
He stared into my eyes with apathy, seemingly irritated by my very presence. With the strength I had, I stood up and regained my footing, staring firmly back at the man who'd evaded capture by his enemies throughout his long life. This was my chance to subdue him, no matter how powerful he was.
My shield was in motion again, flying up to block a Ten Rings-empowered punch from Wenwu, and I stared over the edge at him while he glared at his super soldier opponent with fury. He prowled the room like a hungry wolf, his nostrils twitching, and he stood at his full height before making a rush towards me in a ferocious manner.
"I can do this all day." I told him, 'You're not going to escape custody.'
"Boast all you want, Captain." Wenwu said in a low growl, "You are a strong fighter, but you should choose your battles wisely. I had no plan of facing you, then you came after me, as we were reminding the world of our true power after that inferior fool stole my name, regardless if his actions were influenced by someone else."
His special rings were flying again, surrounding me, and the Mandarin was controlling them to subdue his foe. I wasn't going to be victim of his trap, my mind had thought of a plan, and I took a leap of faith.
With adrenaline surging, I leaped out of the encirclement, and attacked Wenwu, attempting to pin him down with everything from the shield to hand-to-hand combat. He moved left and right, and ducked down, avoiding my every attack. His rings returned to him, and his leg came up in a kicking motion, followed by a hook with his right fist.
The shield protected my face and my body from his blows, and the immortal warlord-turned terrorist jerked his leg up in another kick, hitting me in the shin above the foot.
His attack only served to surprise and lower my guard for a moment, and I raised the shield fast before he came at me with another punch. He pushed against my shield with his fist, trying to get past my defense, and his sights were just as locked onto me as ever. In those moments, I could see there was more disdain in his eyes.
"You may be strong, but you can never catch a shadow." Wenwu said in a half-whisper, "This is nothing but a distraction. Our business... is concluded here."
He suddenly grabbed something from his belt, and threw it on the ground. Smoke filled the room, and I blinked, looking around for a trace of The Mandarin. And yet, he was gone. I rushed through the abandoned hall, and exited the ruins of the reactor's observation hub. Warm air filled my nostrils, and I looked around for a sign of Wenwu.
All I saw were knocked-out Ten Rings militants, and the S.H.I.E.L.D agents who'd accompanied me on the mission. Burke held up the tracker, which looked a little dusty with slight hints of damage, and I studied it carefully, seeing there was no sign of Ten Rings activity now.
The Mandarin had just escaped.
He was still out there, using his wits to avoid capture and leading his followers, and we didn't know where he would strike next?