Please leave a review at the end and enjoy the story!
/-\
Skye and her team could only watch, powerless, as Antonio loaded Sandman onto a motorcycle and drove away.
Frustration simmering beneath her skin, Skye barked orders to her team some to drive, others to initiate tracking, and a few to take the unconscious driver to the hospital.
Sliding into the backseat of a sedan, she immediately opened a secure channel to Nick Fury.
"Director Fury, I don't understand!"
She couldn't grasp why S.H.I.E.L.D. would make a deal with a brute like Antonio.
Yes, a brute.
Skye admitted the man was formidable, but in her eyes, he was reckless to a fault. He shouldn't have been a significant threat!
With this kind of enemy, all they had to do was wait for S.H.I.E.L.D. reinforcements to arrive. Capturing both of them would have been effortless.
Yet, in such a favorable situation, Nick Fury had chosen to negotiate with that thug!
Was this still the cold, uncompromising, and supremely powerful S.H.I.E.L.D. she knew?
Because Skye wasn't part of Fury's innermost circle, he didn't elaborate. He simply offered a brief explanation:
"Antonio has powerful backing. As long as they show no hostility, offering them some leeway is more beneficial for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s long-term recruitment efforts."
It was a line a convenient excuse Fury used to placate Skye.
Due to the complex balance of responsibility and power within S.H.I.E.L.D., internal factions existed.
For a figure like Nick Fury, there was a clear distinction between the agents who were his direct loyalists and those who simply served the organization.
It was only then that the penny dropped for Skye.
So, it wasn't just her who had powerful backing.
That brute had protectors in high places, too.
...
"Go on in. I can guarantee you won't be attacked before you leave this place. I also give you my word that after you walk out of here, I won't lift a finger to help you again. Unless..."
Standing at the cemetery entrance, Antonio spoke to Sandman with uncharacteristic seriousness.
"You abandon this life you've chosen and return to the Institute. I'll arrange for you to be my deputy."
"Don't give me your usual stubborn refusal right away, you idiot. And don't worry about your past if you're willing to come back and leave it all behind, the Institute has the power to clean up all those 'complications' for you now."
A confident look crossed Antonio's face.
"The Saint Kent Institute isn't what it used to be. Since Clark took over as Headmaster, we've gained enough strength to truly protect our students from outside interference."
Sandman didn't respond directly to the offer, instead musing thoughtfully, "So Clark really did become the new Headmaster. I suppose there was no one more suitable."
Then, facing Antonio's invitation squarely, Sandman shook his head with firm resolve.
"I will always remember that I was a student of Saint Kent, Antonio. But everyone has to find their own path."
"You can be content staying at the Institute as the head of security. I can't. I don't have the patience for that life, and I don't want it."
Antonio's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Even if it means S.H.I.E.L.D. is waiting for you the moment you step out of my protection? Even if it means getting captured and thrown in a cage for the rest of your life? You'd still refuse?"
Sandman simply shook his head and stepped past the entrance, refusing to argue further.
He knew he was no match for Antonio in a fight, but he had his own pride. He was the Sandman, not just some 'idiot.' He would live by his own choices!
He walked straight towards the old Headmaster's gravestone, pausing halfway to glance back at Antonio. "Aren't you coming?"
Antonio refused, his voice uncharacteristically tight. "I don't want to face that headstone. It... pains me."
Sandman fell silent. He approached the grave, finding a simple stone slab marking the site. It was small, only able to hold a few highlighted lines about Old Man Kent's life.
Looking at those sparse words, Sandman reached out a hand to touch the cold stone, but it trembled and fell back to his side before making contact.
"You told us that to be human, we must hold kindness in our hearts."
"Mutant or ordinary human, we are all living beings... all equal..."
"I failed to live up to your expectations. I never walked the straight path. I'm too ashamed to face you, but I missed you too much to stay away."
"I didn't dare come back while you were alive. But now... I'm here."
"Headmaster... you were a good man, destined for heaven. I'm not a good man; I'm a thoroughgoing villain. But I was also your child, raised under your guidance."
"I'm destined for hell, and I don't regret my choices. I just hope you can finally rest easy, Headmaster. Clark has taken over the Institute. He will be an exceptional successor..."
Sandman rambled on for a long time.
He knelt before the headstone for what felt like an eternity, wanting to cry but finding no tears left.
Eight years of separation. The memory of the old man's voice and smile from his last departure felt like only yesterday.
Now, eight years later, when he finally returned, only this cold slab of stone remained.
Finally, Sandman pulled his cap down low, shielding his eyes, and stood up.
Antonio remained standing at the entrance, his expression cold, yet simmering with a frustrated anger.
Further away, the number of S.H.I.ELL.D. vehicles had grown, forming a tighter perimeter. During this time, Skye had called in significant reinforcements.
"Last chance! You can still change your mind!" Antonio's voice cut through the quiet. "Give up this life lived on the edge of a blade! Return to the Institute, and I'll guarantee your safety!"
"If you refuse and truly walk out that gate, you know exactly what awaits you!"
Antonio had given his final offer.
This time, Sandman didn't respond to his junior. He simply swung his yellow cloak around and strode purposefully out of the cemetery.
Antonio's eyes widened. Finally, he spat out a furious curse through gritted teeth.
"Stubborn fool! Still the same hopeless idiot! A complete and utter moron!!"
"Fine! I'll be sure to bring you a care package when I visit you in prison!"
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other Three Stories!
~ +20 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/Its_Zack
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
<><><><><><><><>
~# Keep the chapters coming - Support with Power Stones!
~# Every 50 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
~# Every 10 Reviews = Bonus Chapter