C2 Shang-Chi (Patreon)

*Clang*

As the sword broke, everyone got a good look at the glowing rings on Shang-Chi’s arms, which projected a shield that divided Shang-Chi and his mother from the Iron Gang.

“T-The Ten Rings...” Someone whispered the words that everyone else was thinking.

“Shang-Chi, leave now!” Ying Li shouts in fear for her son's life.

After all, to her recollection, he had no idea how to use his father's rings.

“No, stay behind me.” Shang-Chi responds unwaveringly, as he holds his arms up, hoping to keep the shield active by doing so.

...

Just as fast as the Iron Gangs' fear of the rings resurfaced, it also disappeared just as quickly.

Although the Ten Rings could grant anyone the power to demolish the strongest of armies, they were currently in the hands of an inexperienced child.

“Boy, hand over the rings and I’ll spare your mother's life.” The boss of the Iron Gang offers like a charming devil.

With the rings in his possession, he could take his revenge to Xu Wenwu himself, who was the source of all of their resentment and hatred, to begin with.

And once Shang-Chi’s father was out of the picture, the Iron Gang could use the rings to rule over all of China.

“No.” Shang-Chi’s answer caused all of the Iron Gang's dreams to come crashing down. “Leave or else...”

Giving his only weapon to the people who assaulted his mother and planned to kill her would be beyond idiotic, as they could just as easily change their minds at the drop of a dime.

Hearing those threatening words from a 7-year-old child, the Iron gang looked amongst one another before breaking out in roaring laughter.

“Kid...” The boss asks as he chuckles to himself. “I’m giving you an opportunity. Don’t ruin it.”

He says as he points toward the window, where Shang-Chi once stood, revealing Xialing, who was peaking her little head out to see what was going on.

“I told you to stay hidden!” Shang-Chi yells angrily as his sister ducks her head down under the windowsill.

“Do you understand now?” The boss says as a vindictive smile forms on his face. “You have a family to protect, don’t you? Don’t throw their lives away for some measly pieces of metal.”

“...” Shang-Chi remained silent as he stood unmoving in front of his mother.

“Shang-Chi...” Ying Li mutters as she didn’t know what to do.

Either put your trust in some slimy thugs and hope they keep their word, or fight and hope you can use the rings with enough proficiency to survive.

“Save your breath.” Shang-Chi looks back at his battered mother. “I won’t let them anywhere near you or Xialing.”

“?” Ying Li stared at her son's back in shock, as he was never so confident and headstrong before.

After all, the Shang-Chi that she knew was quiet and timid, and this was based on a lifetime of experience raising him.

“You’re a brave child, I’ll give you that.” The boss says as he motions toward the window. “Bring the girl.”

“You said that you would leave my children out of this!” Ying Li shouts in fear for her daughter.

“That was then and this is now.” The boss shrugs uncaringly.

As a group broke off from the Iron Gang, and made their way over to the building where Xialing was hiding, Shang-Chi closed his eyes and put his faith in the rings around his wrists.

‘I can do this...’ Shang-Chi thought as he lowered his arms.

The Ten Rings grant their user enhanced strength and longevity, emit concussive energy blasts, and can be telepathically controlled as projectiles and tendrils.

If Shang-Chi could harness even one of those powers, then he could save his family from this calamity.

Winding his hands back, the rings slid down his arms and landed in his hands. Taking one more deep breath Shang-Chi whipped his arms forward, throwing all of the rings at the group that was heading toward his sister.

When the rings shot out of his hands, each one broke off in different directions as they moved with a mind of their own, intercepting the group before they could get to the building.

Shang-Chi stood in front of his mother and waved his arms with a concentrated look, using every bit of his willpower to control the rings, as a single mistake could mean the end of his family.

Like golden glowing homing missiles, the rings shot across the garden and crashed into each gangster, launching them across the garden and away from the building with Xialing inside.

“Hah!” The boss rushed forward before the rings could return to Shang-Chi, winding his half-broken sword back to strike the young boy down.

“Shang-Chi!” Ying Li yells in warning.

‘Come on!’ Shang-Chi thought anxiously as he yanked his arms backward, pulling the rings in his direction. “Ugh!”

Sadly, they were a bit slow on the return and the chipped blade dug into Shang-Chi’s shoulder, though the blow didn’t go unavenged, as the first ring to return collided with his attackers neck, decapitating the man upon impact.

“F*ck!” Shang-Chi screamed in pain as the sword fell out of his shoulder.

“!” Ying Li had the urge to reprimand her son for his crass language, but held back as now wasn’t the right time.

Though she did wonder where he heard that word from.

‘I need to have a talk with Wenwu when he returns...’ She thought as her husband was the most likely suspect.

With the fall of the sword, the Iron Gangs boss's headless body collapsed to the ground, following his severed head, of course.

Ignore the man that he just killed, Shang-Chi called back and equipped all of the rings, doing his best to stand the pain that pulsed through his shoulder, as blood dripped from his open wound.

“Leave or you’re next!” He shouted as the rings pulsed on his arms dangerously.

...

When the rings pulsed, the remaining gangsters took a step back as they looked between Shang-Chi and the headless body of their former boss.

The garden was silent as Shang-Chi did his best to stay conscious. His young body was losing blood at an unhealthy rate.

Not to mention the stress and exhaustion from everything that has happened today.

He may have the mentality of a 30-year-old army ranger, but that was all packaged inside the body of a 7-year-old boy.

“Alright, kid. We’re leaving.” The second in command says as he holds his arms up.

“Good, make it quick or it’ll be your head next.” Shang-Chi threatens as all of the rings slip off of his arms and orbit around his body menacingly. ‘I think I’m starting to get the hang of this.’

“We’ll leave as soon as possible.” The new boss bows as he uses a humble and low voice toward Shang-Chi, but that changes, like a flip of a switch, as he turns to his men. “Hurry and collect our fallen comrades! I don’t want to see anyone playing around, or it’ll be your heads on the chopping block next to mine!”

As the Iron Gang was collecting their fallen members before leaving, footsteps could be heard from the stone stairway leading up to the gated entrance of the compound.

At this point, Shang-Chi was starting to feel dizzy as he did his best to control his wobbling legs, though he was still aware of his surroundings and turned to the entrance hopefully.

‘Did I delay long enough?’ Shang-Chi thought as everyone with good enough hearing turned to see Xu Wenwu come strolling up the mountain stairs with a full shopping bag in hand.

Since their family lives alone in the mountains, sooner or later someone would have to go down the mountain for some shopping, and that person was usually Wenwu.

“?” Wenwu froze as he stepped into the compound and found gang members running around, but that wasn’t the most shocking thing he saw.

His son, stood bleeding in front of his beaten mother with a decapitated man at his feet, though once again that wasn’t the most shocking sight.

Surrounding his son's body was his old rings, which were somehow fully under Shang-Chi’s control as well.

“Wenwu!” Ying Li called out as all of her anxiety melted away in an instant.

Though that anxiety seemed to transfer from her to every member of the Iron Gang, as they knew Xu Wenwu’s personality well...

“Dad, your back...” Shang-Chi says with a smile as he sighs in relief. “I’ll leave the rest to you, okay?”

Before Wenwu could reply or ask any questions, his son collapsed back into his mother's arms with the ten rings following suit.

“Wenwu, calm down! We’re already leaving!” The new leader of the Iron Gang shouts pleadingly.

Instantly, a bloodthirsty stare turns his way as the ten fallen rings start to shake and turn blue, before shooting off of the ground and attaching themselves to Wenwu’s arms.

“You can leave in a coffin.”

A/N: 1538 words. GN 😴