Bloodtooth Antonio remained utterly unfazed under the collective glare of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, his expression unreadable.
As he'd stated, he only cared about the decision of the person in charge. Underlings without the power to make calls weren't worth his attention.
And if anyone lacked the foresight to understand that, Antonio wouldn't hold back.
The old driver's fate was a clear enough warning.
Under Antonio's intense gaze, Skye felt extremely uncomfortable.
She wasn't some pushover herself, nor was her temperament particularly mild!
Ever since Antonio appeared, Skye had been considering making a covert move.
After all, anyone who dared get involved with Sandman's affairs was undoubtedly a criminal hauling them both into S.H.I.E.L.D. was a no-brainer!
But to accomplish that, you needed sufficient strength. Only the powerful could speak with true authority.
Under Antonio's stare, Skye felt like she was being coldly watched by a blood-soaked primordial beast.
Counter-attack? Ambush? Not a chance.
The fact that Skye managed to stand her ground, not backing down immediately, was a testament to her strong mental fortitude.
Skye's heart sank.
She wasn't weak, but the gap between her and these top-tier beings was still significant.
Facing the fiercely intimidating Sandman, she'd handled herself with ease, even found it relaxing, thanks to her abilities countering his.
But now, facing Antonio, a direct clash of raw power left Skye scrambling!
Pure, raw strength? Antonio, though two years younger than Sandman, surpassed him by a wide margin!
Without the factor of ability-countering in play, a head-on fight between Skye and Antonio was hopeless!
"I... am no match for him!"
Skye lowered her head, biting her lip, her mind a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts.
"But making me submit just like that is impossible! I'm not that mutant scraping by on the streets anymore. Now, I'm a Senior Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
The name 'Quake' might not carry much weight.
But S.H.I.E.L.D.'s name was a solid gold brand!
With such a massive organization backing her, mere武力 (wǔlì - force/violence) alone wouldn't make Skye yield!
Bloodtooth Antonio's reputation was built on bloodshed and slaughter, but that alone wasn't enough to intimidate Skye!
So, facing Antonio's pressuring stare, Skye gritted her teeth and chose to stand firm!
If you're stubborn enough, you'd dare ram headfirst into a Titanic iceberg. For the utterly stubborn, nothing is impossible.
Skye's stubbornness actually surprised Antonio.
Women with this much guts were rare.
Surprise was one thing; conflict was another. The atmosphere around them grew progressively colder.
Some agents with weaker resolve were already seeing hallucinations, terrified.
A shocking aura of bloodlust, mixed with the scent of blood, conjured faint visions of roiling seas of blood before their eyes enough to scare the courage out of the faint-hearted!
Years of lying low hadn't diminished Antonio's killing intent in the slightest.
But Skye held on.
She gritted her teeth and took two steps back.
Fear had already taken root in her heart.
"This is a core city! Even if it's a remote park, with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s response speed..."
Skye struggled to lift her head, looking at Antonio:
"If I can just delay you for a little while, you'll face S.H.I.E.L.D.'s counterattack, just like Sandman, right?"
But the expected attack never came.
It seemed to be just a simple standoff.
Antonio stood still, making no move, and Skye's team didn't dare initiate an attack either.
They were more than happy to drag this out!
Sandman was the first to react.
He'd been lying on the ground, recovering his strength, waiting for Antonio to take him away.
But when Antonio remained inactive, Sandman widened his eyes, looking at him in astonishment, and asked:
"You came here without authorization?"
Hearing this, Antonio's expression didn't change. He just snapped at the 'playing dead' Sandman:
"Shut up! You idiot!"
"How could I possibly come here without permission! The Headmaster sent me to give you a lift, but he didn't tell me to go on a killing spree!"
"I warned you before don't rely solely on your mutant ability. Develop your body's potential more!"
"Look at you now, found out by someone who counters you, your few tricks exhausted, defeated instantly! If it weren't for old times' sake, I wouldn't have come!"
As he spoke, Antonio moved closer to Sandman, hoisting him onto his shoulder with one hand:
"I can take you to the cemetery. I'll look after you until then! But after that the Headmaster said everything after that has nothing to do with the Institute. You're not part of the Institute anymore, can't expect us to fight your battles."
Sandman was surprisingly accepting:
"Thank you, Antonio. And thank the Headmaster. Just getting me to the cemetery is more than enough."
Antonio and Sandman had their own way of communicating.
Skye didn't fully grasp the implications of their conversation immediately.
But she had realized one thing: Antonio seemed hesitant, unable to act freely.
Hesitant because of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s threat? Remembering the comatose taxi driver, Skye wasn't so sure.
"All together! Stop him! Don't let him take Sandman!"
Skye commanded loudly, voicing her discovery:
"Don't worry about him! He can't make a move!"
Hearing Skye's words, the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents panicked.
They looked in unison at the unconscious old driver, thinking, 'He can't make a move? Are you stupid?!'
Fighting one person, or maybe two or three, that's a street brawl, some injuries are normal, no big deal.
Just as the two sides were locked in a slight stalemate, a voice came from Skye's communicator Nick Fury's voice:
"Agent Skye, abort the current mission for now. Let Mr. Sandman proceed to the cemetery."
"According to the prior agreement, S.H.I.E.L.D. consents to Mr. Sandman's visit to the cemetery. But after that Mr. Antonio, shouldn't you also offer some... compensation?"
Antonio shrugged, but before he could speak, Sandman spoke first:
"I agree!"
The Saint Kent Institute was the Old Headmaster's life's work, a hard-won sanctuary he'd built for the mutant students.
Sandman would rather die than let the Saint Kent Institute get dragged into trouble because of him.
Beside them, Skye stood in silence, her mind a turbulent sea, nowhere near as calm as she appeared on the surface.
The words that had just come from the communicator...
While it seemed calm on the surface, just a verbal transaction, the underlying true meaning was Nick Fury had taken a step back!
Nick Fury had conceded? Backed down?
How was that possible!
He was the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Skye was utterly bewildered.
/-\
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