Ronan, bored out of his mind, had one main task—to take care of the "seriously injured" Strange.
Yes, take care of him.
Essentially, that meant Strange lay in bed while Ronan sat on the couch beside him, watching movies and eating snacks.
It had to be said, no matter the universe, there were always plenty of people eager to chase trends.
Every disaster that had occurred in this world was basically turned into a movie.
For example, the battle between the superhero team and aliens in New York.
For example, the AI crisis and humanity's uncertain future.
Or even, what the world would look like if half the population disappeared.
Of course, none of these were considered science fiction—they were all treated as documentaries.
After all, the people of this universe's America lived through far greater hardship than what Ronan had known in his past life.
Here, no one ever shouted "Make America Great Again." There were only endless disasters and inexplicable terror attacks.
"Wow, not bad."
"Strange, did you see that?"
"The actor they found to play you looks just like you."
"Are you sure he's not your long-lost brother?"
Ronan glanced at the "Doctor Strange" in the movie, who was fighting Thanos one-on-one and holding his ground. He couldn't help but turn to Strange.
Strange rolled his eyes, having zero interest in conversing with Ronan.
In fact, even he had no idea how these directors managed to find someone who looked so much like him.
"Let me see what his name is…"
"Benedict Cumberbatch."
"British. Apparently, his next project is playing Sherlock Holmes."
"Geez, with a name like that, no wonder he lands these roles."
Ronan clicked his tongue, not making a joke—because that was really the actor's name.
Frankly, Ronan didn't know the specifics either.
"All right, was Wong's mission for you just to sit here watching movies and eating all day?"
"And constantly eating and drinking?"
Strange cut Ronan off, his gaze fixed on the food on the table.
Due to his injuries, Strange couldn't eat most foods—especially greasy ones.
But the table in front of Ronan was filled with nothing but heavy, greasy food.
"Don't get it twisted. Wong can't order me around."
"I'm just a kind-hearted person. I saw you were injured with no one to care for you, so I took the initiative to help."
"Have you forgotten who called Rachel for you?"
Ronan shot him a glance and calmly sipped his ice-cold cola.
Even in the dead of winter, ice-cold cola was a must.
Room-temperature cola…
Ha, even a dog would shake its head at that.
"You dare bring up Rachel!!"
At this, Strange nearly leapt out of bed.
If not for his current injuries, he probably would've fought Ronan right then and there.
The reason was simple.
Ronan had chosen the worst possible time to call Rachel—right when Strange needed to use the bathroom the most.
That wasn't the worst part.
What really embarrassed Strange was that after Rachel arrived to change his bandages, Ronan left.
Strange held his bladder for over thirty minutes before finally breaking down and asking Rachel for help.
And that's when things got even worse.
Because of his broken ribs and left leg, Strange couldn't get out of bed. Rachel had to slide the urinal under the blanket for him.
Imagine the scene.
An ex-girlfriend taking care of you was already enough.
But she had to do that.
To make matters worse, because he held it in for so long, Strange's "visit" to the urinal took quite a while.
When Rachel finally took it away and glanced at the hefty urinal, then at Strange…
Her expression said it all.
It screamed, "Wow, your kidney function seems to have improved."
For the next hour, the atmosphere between them grew increasingly awkward until Ronan returned and Rachel left without looking back.
Since then, the two hadn't contacted each other.
"So what?"
"Some people still can't let go, right?"
"I set you up with an opportunity, and you didn't seize it. Who's to blame for that?"
Ronan rolled his eyes, seriously judging Strange.
Couldn't even handle something this minor—wasted opportunity.
"She's engaged!"
Strange took a deep breath, not wanting to confront this truth.
"So what if she's engaged? They're not married, and you two didn't do anything."
"She's a nurse. Wong even paid her. Isn't it normal for her to take care of patients?"
"Do you think just because you have emotional baggage, she'll mirror your feelings?"
Ronan shot Strange a look that made him want to disappear into thin air.
Who even said anything about emotional affairs!?
"Wong and I just thought having someone familiar take care of you would keep you from getting bored."
"Who knew you'd make it into such a mess."
Ronan poured a glass of water and handed it to Strange in consolation.
Strange took the water, saying nothing more.
Deep down, Strange was the one holding on to Rachel's memory, keeping the watch she gave him.
Perhaps Rachel's gaze had been nothing out of the ordinary, but Strange had twisted it in his mind.
"Look, haven't you heard this before?"
"Wise men avoid love. Fools repeat their mistakes."
"If you can forget her and start anew, you'll still be a good man."
Ronan patted Strange's shoulder, returning to the couch and tearing open a new bag of chips.
Crunch, crunch…
Love? Forget it. A bag of chips is way more satisfying.
Strange sighed—wasn't this just like Ronan?
Even his attempts at comforting felt half-hearted.
"Fine. To ease your wounded heart, let me ask—what's your wish?"
"If possible, I'll make it happen."
Ronan glanced at the sighing Strange, deciding to show some flair.
Strange smirked.
"My only wish right now is for you to leave and find something else to do."
"It'd be great if a portal opened up right now and took you away."
Strange's wish was simple and plain.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, a portal actually appeared before them.
Even more surprising to Strange—the portal opened toward him!
"Whoa, it's really him!"
On the other side of the portal, Ned and MJ's excited cheers rang out.
However, their excitement faded when they saw Strange in bandages and a cast, leg suspended in a sling.
Clearly, Strange wasn't in any condition to help.
"My sling ring?"
"And what's Peter doing now?"
Strange's eyes immediately spotted his sling ring, and Ned hastily removed it, panicking as he tossed it through the portal to Strange.
Strange casually caught the flying sling ring—
"Agh!!"
His movement tugged at his fractured ribs.
The sudden cry snapped Ned and MJ back to their senses.
"Mr. Strange, we need your help."
"No—more specifically, Peter needs your help."
"He can't handle all those villains alone!"
MJ quickly explained their request.
Strange looked at them, astonished, momentarily speechless.
He simply pointed at his leg in plaster—his silent response.
Seeing Strange's injured leg, MJ and Ned fell silent.
Previously, Peter Parker hadn't exactly treated Strange with respect.
Strange helped him, and Peter trapped him in the Mirror Dimension.
MJ and Ned had planned to offer polite words, but seeing Strange in this state, those words wouldn't come.
"I can't help you guys, but I can find someone who can."
At that moment, the sound of crunching chips stopped.
Ronan tilted his head toward them.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The way you're looking at me makes me think you're talking about me."
Ronan had a feeling Strange was up to something.
Sure enough, Strange chuckled.
"If you want to get home faster, help Parker deal with those guys."
"Activate the recall device, and you'll be home in no time."
"I'm in no condition to send you back, so consider it a favor to me."
Strange gestured to his leg, giving Ronan a helpless look.
The message was clear—not that I won't, but that I can't.
Ronan rolled his eyes at the sight.
"Fine, since you're begging, I'll agree."
"But you owe me one."
Hands behind his back, Ronan walked toward the portal and stepped through without waiting for Strange's reaction.
As the portal closed, Strange sighed.
His first reaction—raise a middle finger in Ronan's direction.
"F—k!"
"This was all part of your plan!"
"Now I owe you one? Seriously?!"
Through the portal, Ronan arrived at a familiar place.
The Statue of Liber—well, it was still technically the Statue of Liberty, right?
The torch had been replaced with a shield in honor of Steve Rogers, but it still carried the same name.
As Ronan stepped out, MJ and Ned instinctively took a step back.
Their hands almost brushed.
"Hey, are you two dating?"
Ronan raised an eyebrow, joking to ease the tension.
The two shook their heads furiously, looking extremely nervous.
Their reaction intrigued Ronan—were high schoolers in this universe really this shy?
Or were they scared because Ronan had previously roughed up Peter Parker?
"If you're not dating, why stand so close?"
"Or… a secret relationship?"
Ronan seemed to realize something.
Hearing this, they quickly stepped apart, though their reaction made them look even guiltier.
And they still looked nervous.
"Why are you so afraid? Do I look like I eat people?"
Ronan grinned at them.
More frantic head-shaking.
But in the next second, MJ's eyes widened as she looked behind Ronan.
A whirlwind formed behind him, gathering sand until Sandman's face appeared.
Sandman raised his massive fist and swung it hard at Ronan's back.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
"Or are you hiding something from me?"
Ronan tilted his head. In one swift motion, he extended his hand behind him.
Boom!
Ronan's palm met Sandman's fist.
Despite Sandman's huge hand, Ronan's seemingly small palm easily blocked the attack.
"I hate being interrupted when I'm talking."
Ronan sighed, turning slowly to face Sandman.
"Guess I'll start with you."
As the words fell, Ronan lightly pushed forward, sending Sandman flying with terrifying force.
MJ and Ned gawked, unable to believe what they had just seen.
Peter Parker had struggled against these guys.
Not just struggled—he was getting beaten badly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hearing the continuous blows, Ned ran to the scaffolding to watch the fight.
Ronan versus Sandman—
It wasn't even close. It was a total beatdown.
Sandman couldn't land a hit in mid-air. He couldn't even defend himself.
To MJ and Ned, Ronan moved too fast to follow.
Boom!
Ronan's punch hit Sandman's face.
This time, Sandman stopped resisting and dissolved into sand, trying to escape.
But Ronan wouldn't let him go.
Sand? Fine—stay sand forever.
Ronan formed hand seals rapidly.
The Winds of Watoomb!
With a wave, a violent storm surged.
Sandman, just reformed, was swept into the air again.
This time, he realized—he couldn't transform back.
The storm scattered his particles, preventing them from recombining.
As Sandman struggled, the storm gathered every grain of sand.
Ronan squinted and waved his hands.
The wind shifted course—toward the ocean.
Sandman panicked.
He couldn't survive in the ocean. Some grains had to escape and reform.
But…
"You guessed wrong, kid."
Ronan smiled, summoning another portal.
This one opened directly ahead of the storm.
On the other side—flames.
A furnace!
Sandman realized too late.
Ronan wasn't sending him to the ocean—he was sending him to burn.
However, no matter how violently he thrashed his body, it was nothing more than the final struggles before death.
As the sand poured into the incinerator, the raging flames visibly dimmed.
But seconds later, the fire blazed again, and Sandman became Fireman.
Wait, no—sand plus fire… what does that make?
Glass?
Ronan scratched his chin as the portal closed, sealing Sandman's screams forever within the furnace.
Blame it on him not paying attention in school; otherwise, he might've thought of a new name for him.
After dealing with Sandman, Ronan turned his gaze to the other side.
Over there, Green Goblin and the others were having the time of their lives fighting Peter Parker.
What surprised Ronan was that the three Spider-Men scene he'd been looking forward to hadn't happened.
Where were the other two spiders?
Ronan had barely watched for thirty seconds when a bolt of lightning suddenly struck down from the sky.
Boom!
A massive crack appeared on the ground beside Ronan.
If he hadn't stepped aside just in time, that lightning would've hit him directly!
"The old man said he's got personal business to settle."
"So, your opponent is me."
Electro floated arrogantly in the air, his body glowing with bright lightning.
"I don't care who my opponent is, but I do have a question."
"Not sure if I should ask it."
Ronan looked up at Electro in the sky.
"Since you're about to die, go ahead and ask."
"Take your answer with you to hell."
Electro's tone was cocky.
Hell?
Ronan raised an eyebrow.
If he ever ended up in hell, Mephisto would probably escort him back to Earth immediately.
After all, the things the Ancient One had done in hell were enough to terrify anyone.
"Alright, I appreciate your generosity."
"I want to know—are you here to stop me because Green Goblin told you to, or did you come voluntarily?"
Ronan crossed his arms, squeezing his biceps—not even a B-.
"Green Goblin sent me."
"That's your question?"
"Does this matter to you?"
Electro frowned, puzzled by Ronan's inquiry.
Hearing his answer, Ronan sighed.
"You've only answered one question, but I'm generous too, so I'll answer two of yours."
"This question isn't that important to me, but it's crucial for you."
"Have you ever thought—maybe Green Goblin sent you because I'm too strong, and he's using your death to buy time?"
Ronan shook his head. Some people's schemes ran deep.
More importantly, the guy in front of him didn't seem to have much of a brain.
Some people were big and dumb. Was Electro… small and dumb?
"No way! Absolutely not!"
"You dare look down on me?! I'll kill you!"
If there was one thing Electro hated, it was being underestimated.
And Ronan hit that nerve perfectly.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
As Electro roared, lightning erupted from his body.
Seeing this, Ronan sighed.
No grandpa here, yet these guys kept showing up like gifts.
Was today some kind of side quest for free experience?
Of course, while Ronan mused, his hands weren't idle.
As he finished chanting, another spell appeared.
"Form of Ikonn!"
Ronan's hands formed seals at his chest, summoning clone after clone behind him.
He wasn't showing off—just trying to finish the fight quickly.
Yeah, that's all.
"Go!"
With Ronan's command, all the clones unleashed the same move.
Golden lightning appeared in their palms, including the real Ronan, blending among them.
Another new spell.
"If you love electricity so much, let me show you real lightning!"
Boom!
As thunder roared in the sky, brilliant lightning bolts shot toward Electro.
Electro's own lightning transformed into whips, lashing out at Ronan in return.
Boom!
Their attacks collided in mid-air.
Visible lightning shockwaves rippled outward, shaking the surroundings.
Even the newly rebuilt Statue of Liberty wasn't spared.
Scaffolding crumbled layer by layer, and cracks spread across the statue itself.
But Electro wasn't paying attention to any of that.
He could clearly see his lightning losing to Ronan's.
He was being overpowered!
Yet instead of despair, he smiled.
Electro could absorb lightning, making him immune to his own attacks.
And he could recharge by absorbing enemy lightning.
Since Ronan was blasting him with electricity, why not take advantage?
As Electro let Ronan's lightning strike him, Ronan's expression grew strange.
Though it looked like lightning, the Bolt of Balthakk was pure energy.
It merely carried electrical properties to enhance destructive and tearing effects.
Electro might absorb some electricity—but not pure energy.
So, when the lightning hit Electro, he expected to recharge.
Instead, Ronan anticipated something else.
"Ahhh!!!"
Electro's scream confirmed it.
Ronan covered his ears.
Man, that was loud!
As the lightning coursed through him, Electro thought he'd enjoy it.
But the pain and tearing sensation forced him to face reality.
Could it be…
This wasn't regular lightning or electricity?
Just like Sandman, by the time he realized the truth, it was too late.
Even as he gathered all his strength to resist, Electro discovered…
His powers were useless!
Boom!
A deafening explosion followed.
Half of Electro's body was blown apart.
Blood splattered into the sky, raining down.
Ronan flicked his coat, sidestepping the blood.
Seriously…
Weak and still showing off? Unforgivable.
Especially in front of me!