The atmosphere inside the mobile command center was thick with tension. Skye's fingers flew over the keyboard as she worked on decrypting the information that could lead them to Michael Collins. Meanwhile, Su Zhan leaned back, his eyes scanning the room, not entirely focused on the task at hand. The news of Collins' unstable Extremis powers had left him uneasy. After all, he'd experienced that same chaos first-hand.
"Got it," Skye said, breaking the silence. She quickly pulled up a map on the screen, pointing to the coordinates. "He's holed up in an old warehouse on the outskirts of town. The signal's weak, but it's definitely him. His powers are fluctuating. We need to move fast before he blows up."
Su Zhan's expression darkened. "We need to make sure we're ready. This isn't going to be easy."
Skye looked over at him. "You've faced worse, right?"
Su Zhan's lips quirked into a small smile. "That's not the point. Collins is unstable. One wrong move, and we'll be the ones facing the explosion."
Coulson's voice crackled over the intercom. "All teams, prepare for deployment. We'll be dropping in 10 minutes."
As the plane descended toward their target, Su Zhan mentally prepared himself. He didn't know how they'd handle Collins, but he was certain of one thing—he wouldn't let anyone get caught in the blast.
The Encounter
The warehouse loomed ahead, dark and silent in the distance. The air was chilly, and the ground beneath their boots crunched with each step. As they approached the entrance, Su Zhan's instincts kicked in. Something wasn't right.
"This place smells like a trap," he muttered.
Coulson gave him a sidelong glance. "Keep your guard up. We don't know what we're walking into."
The door creaked open slowly as Coulson unlocked it. The interior of the warehouse was dark, save for the faint hum of equipment in the back. Su Zhan ignited a small flame in his hand, illuminating the area around them. His eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for any signs of danger.
Then, in the far corner of the room, he saw him.
Michael Collins stood there, his body trembling, veins bulging under his skin as he fought to control the power within. The air around him crackled with unstable energy. His eyes locked onto Su Zhan, wide with panic.
"You," Collins gasped, his voice raw. "You've survived it. How?"
Su Zhan stepped forward cautiously, his flame flickering in his hand. "I didn't survive it. I learned to control it. And so can you."
Collins shook his head, his breathing shallow. "Control? Control?! You don't understand! It's too much... too powerful! I can't stop it. I can't—"
Su Zhan's eyes narrowed. "Yes, you can. But you have to trust us."
As he spoke, Collins' body began to glow, his form swelling with energy. The room vibrated with the sheer force of it. Su Zhan stepped back, feeling the heat intensify as Collins lost control.
"No!" Collins screamed, his voice breaking. "It's going to—!"
Before Collins could finish, the explosion of energy sent shockwaves through the warehouse, knocking everyone to the ground. Su Zhan's body absorbed the initial blast, but the force still rattled him. He sprang to his feet, his flames erupting around him, ready to fight back.
Skye and Coulson struggled to regain their footing, but Su Zhan was already ahead of them, his hands glowing with fire. "Get back!" Su Zhan shouted as he faced Collins, who was now thrashing uncontrollably.
"Stay down, Michael!" Su Zhan called, but Collins didn't listen. The power inside him was too great to be contained. Su Zhan knew it was time to act. He couldn't afford to let this go on any longer.
With a sharp motion, he thrust his hands forward, sending a wave of fire that engulfed Collins. The heat was intense, but Su Zhan kept it controlled, focusing on restraining Collins without letting the flames spiral out of control.
Collins screamed as the fire surrounded him, his body writhing in pain. Su Zhan pushed harder, ensuring that the flames didn't exceed the boundaries he set.
Finally, the energy from Collins began to dissipate. The flames flickered out, leaving behind only the faint glow of the man's pulse.
Su Zhan exhaled deeply, his body still vibrating with the aftereffects of the fire. "It's done."
Skye hurried to Collins' side, checking his pulse. "Is he...?"
Su Zhan nodded. "He's alive. Barely."
Coulson walked over, his expression serious. "Good work. We'll take him back to the plane and stabilize him. But we need to keep moving. This isn't over yet."
Su Zhan glanced down at Collins, his thoughts racing. The Extremis virus was far from contained, and if they didn't stop it soon, more people would fall victim to it. But for now, at least they had stopped one man from becoming a walking bomb.
Skye turned to Su Zhan, her eyes filled with gratitude and concern. "Are you okay?"
Su Zhan gave her a half-smile. "I'm fine. But we've got more work to do."