Ch.144 Could This Be a Parallel Universe?

"Whoo—"

"Finally back."

On the rooftop of a building, Ronan felt the cold wind mixed with snowflakes and closed his eyes contentedly.

One second ago, he was bidding farewell to Tony Stark and the others, and in the next, the scenery before his eyes had shifted.

Ronan spread his arms, embracing the wind that felt no different.

But still, there's nothing like home!

As the saying goes, a gold nest or a silver nest isn't as good as your own doghouse. No matter how exciting things were in that universe, to Ronan, he was just a passerby.

Only what happens on this Earth is his true experience.

"Kid, calm down."

"You have to stay cool, don't do anything foolish!"

Just as Ronan was savoring the air of his hometown, a voice came from behind him.

Hearing this, Ronan turned around, confused, and looked behind him.

An elderly man in his early seventies, with white hair, glasses, and shaky legs, was standing there.

Even more baffling, the old man was wearing a security guard uniform.

Right away, Ronan had a hunch that something was off.

Could he have crossed into another parallel universe again? How could someone this "strong" become a security guard in New York?

"Sir, I'm not planning anything."

To show politeness, Ronan deliberately turned around.

Unexpectedly, this movement startled the strong security guard.

"Don't move! Don't move!"

"Kid, you're still young. Don't make impulsive decisions."

"There's nothing in life that can't be solved. I know a lot of strange things have been happening lately, making it hard for people to hold on."

"But aren't the superheroes already doing their best?"

The old man wasn't listening to Ronan at all. He genuinely looked worried that Ronan might jump.

The more he spoke, the more anxious Ronan felt.

Please don't mess with me, sir. What's been happening lately? I remember New York being pretty calm when I left.

"Kid, let me tell you, I've already lost three children. The remaining two grandkids are at home waiting for me to bring food."

"I really can't afford to lose this job. Please, I beg you, don't jump."

The old man looked like he was about to kneel.

Ronan twitched his mouth. He was just standing on the edge, enjoying the breeze. He wasn't doing anything.

Besides, from this height, even if he fell, he probably wouldn't die.

And he had no desire to die anyway.

"I really wasn't planning anything. How about I step down, and you tell me what's been—"

Before Ronan could finish, he suddenly sensed someone behind him!

To be precise, someone was gliding mid-air!

Ronan instantly turned around, and a Sling Ring appeared on his right hand to block a flying kick from the newcomer.

Using the momentum, Ronan jumped to the center of the rooftop, creating distance.

When he saw the person's outfit, he froze.

Peter Parker?

No, it should be Spider-Man!

As Peter Parker landed on the rooftop and saw Ronan's face clearly, he froze too.

"Why is it you?"

Peter Parker asked instinctively.

Ronan rolled his eyes. Why couldn't it be him?

"Thank God you finally came down."

"If you jumped, I'd lose my job."

The white-haired old man sighed with relief.

Ronan twitched his mouth. Does every person standing on a rooftop automatically mean they're about to jump?

Isn't there anyone who just—

Hmm.

Fine, Ronan sighed. He couldn't think of any other reason.

"Don't worry, I've got plenty of youth left. No way I'm ending my life so soon."

Ronan patted the old man on the shoulder and turned to Peter Parker.

"So, failing man, can you give me a lift?"

Hearing this, Peter Parker shrugged. He grabbed Ronan's arm and threw him into the air.

Ronan didn't resist at all, letting Peter Parker toss his 140-pound frame skyward.

As soon as Ronan was airborne, Peter Parker shot two webs from his wrists—one for himself and the other for Ronan.

Watching the two swing like a seesaw over New York, the old man took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Isn't this even more thrilling than suicide?

Ten minutes later—

After Ronan landed smoothly, the two arrived at a secluded spot.

This was Peter Parker's "secret base."

In reality, it was just an abandoned bunker. Ronan had casually mentioned it to Peter once, and he actually found the place.

"Awesome."

"This swinging is way more exciting than using the Mystic Portal."

Ronan wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead, grinning.

A Mystic Portal can cross long distances in one step. It looks cool but doesn't feel that special.

Peter Parker's "walking" method, though—

Looks thrilling. Feels even more thrilling!

"Welcome to my secret base."

"It's still a bit simple for now. Once my internship paycheck comes in, I'll make some improvements."

Peter Parker took off his mask, looking quite satisfied with his base.

Ronan glanced around the bunker.

Hmm, can't say it's simple—more like empty.

Aside from basic lighting, a few tables, chairs, and a single couch worth anything, it was bare.

And that couch looked like it had changed hands at least five times.

"Internship paycheck?"

"That's some lofty ambition. You've barely worked a few days and you're already thinking about your salary."

Ronan plopped onto the couch. Though worn, it was clean.

Clearly, Peter Parker cared deeply about this place.

Ronan glanced at the interior of the bunker.

Hmm, calling it simple might be an understatement – it was practically bare.

Apart from the most basic lighting, a few tables and chairs, the only valuable thing left was an old couch.

Judging by the look of it, this couch had probably been passed down at least five times.

"Internship paycheck?"

"You're thinking a little too far ahead, aren't you?"

"You've only been working for a few days and you're already thinking about your salary."

Ronan plopped down on the couch. Despite its worn-out appearance, it was spotless.

Clearly, Peter Parker had high hopes for this place.

However, after Ronan said this, Peter's expression became strange.

"Uh..."

Peter Parker carefully sat on the other end of the couch, testing the waters.

Memory loss?

What memory loss?

"Alright, this prank is a bit low-level."

"Don't tell me I woke up and three or four years have passed."

"And I forgot everything in between?"

Ronan rolled his eyes. This little trick wouldn't work on him.

When it came to pranks, Peter Parker was still too inexperienced.

"Uh…"

"While it hasn't been that long, you're actually right."

"The last time I saw you was a month ago."

"Can you tell me where you've been for the past month?"

"Did you go to some legendary place where sorcerers retreat to train and enhance their power?"

Peter Parker suddenly grew curious.

Ronan smirked.

That's it? A month? Why not say a hundred years?

"I've been to a place you wouldn't believe."

"A certain Peter Parker caused massive trouble by summoning a villain from another parallel universe."

"As the man destined to save the world, I had no choice but to cross over to that parallel universe and save the day!"

Ronan leaned back on the couch, recounting his glorious adventure over the past few days.

If Peter wanted to joke around, why not make the joke bigger?

After all, he was telling the truth.

It was just a matter of whether Peter believed it or not.

Sure enough, after hearing Ronan's tale, Peter's expression turned awkward.

"Ronan, stop messing with me."

"When did I ever make such a big mistake?"

Peter Parker was at a loss.

"You started the joke first."

"Didn't you ask what I'd been doing for the past month?"

"I told you what happened, but you refuse to believe it. How am I supposed to deal with that?"

Ronan shrugged, his hands raised in exasperation. He was telling the truth!

It's just that this Peter Parker wasn't that Peter Parker.

"I'm not lying. You really disappeared for a month. See for yourself!"

Peter Parker suddenly had a realization. He pulled out his phone and checked the date.

Then, he handed it to Ronan.

Ronan glanced at the screen and saw the date was February 11th.

He clearly remembered that when he left, it was January 11th. Exactly one month had passed.

"Heh."

"I don't believe it."

Ronan smirked, but internally he was starting to panic.

Logically, Peter Parker wouldn't bother with this kind of prank – it wasn't really his style.

"Look at this. This is today's news."

"I don't have the power to get the entire American media in on a prank, do I?"

Peter Parker opened a news site.

The date displayed at the top was February 11th.

Hiss.

Ronan finally believed what Peter was saying.

He had only been in Universe 616 for a few days – how had a whole month passed here?

It wasn't like this last time!

"Now do you believe me?"

"I was surprised when I heard you took a long leave."

"But I figured you were probably off doing something important."

Peter Parker pocketed his phone.

Ronan waved him off, signaling he needed a moment to process this.

A whole month!

He clearly remembered that the last time he went to Universe 616, he was gone for only two days.

And that was because Tony Stark interfered intentionally.

What about this time?

Could it be another mistake by Strange?

Somewhere in Universe 616, Doctor Strange sneezed.

"Let's set that aside for now. Tell me what's been happening lately."

"I overheard that rooftop security guard say something big happened."

Ronan was eager to know what had transpired.

Peter Parker nodded and started recounting the events of the past month.

"About half a month ago, a batch of classified documents suddenly appeared online."

"These documents explained why aliens invaded Earth in the past and revealed who Thor really is."

"A lot of top-secret information was leaked online."

"The organization behind this leak was called S.H.I.E.L.D."

Peter Parker recounted the past month's events.

When Ronan heard the name "S.H.I.E.L.D.," everything made sense.

So that's what the old man was talking about.

Ronan didn't interrupt Peter.

"There were also many things people had no idea about – all revealed online."

"For example, S.H.I.E.L.D. was always on high alert for alien invasions, and it recounted what happened when Thor first arrived on Earth."

"It even listed all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s actions over the years."

"Good or bad, everything was made public."

Peter Parker pulled out a tablet. He had downloaded some of the files.

Many of the files had been deleted by governments worldwide, but a few people managed to save copies.

After all, most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s actions involved various governments.

"The most shocking revelation was about Hydra."

"Hydra didn't disappear after World War II. They infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. through undercover operations."

"Most agents within S.H.I.E.L.D. were Hydra operatives."

Peter downloaded the entire section about Hydra.

He knew about Hydra mostly because of Captain America, Steve Rogers.

After all, Steve's heroic deeds were still being promoted by the U.S. government.

"Hydra, huh?"

"Now I get why the old man was so worried."

Ronan rubbed his temples. He remembered this plot.

Steve Rogers, with Black Widow, practically took on the entire Hydra-filled S.H.I.E.L.D. on his own.

Classic superhero movie stuff.

It couldn't get more authentic than that.

"That's right. Because of these leaked files, many hidden identities of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were exposed."

"For example, Black Widow. No one expected she was actually from Russia."

"And the missions she carried out... now she's wanted in multiple countries."

Peter Parker nodded. Because of this, many security positions were left vacant.

That's why the old man could become a guard.

"Besides that, is there any other news?"

Ronan had a general understanding of these things but wanted to know if there was anything he missed.

"There is."

"Mr. Stark announced he's developing a device to catalog Hydra agents' facial features and body metrics."

"When people wear it, the device will alert them if they encounter Hydra operatives."

"Oh, and Stark came to school looking for you."

"Do you know Mr. Stark?"

Peter was far more curious about this than anything else.

After all, he was a huge fan of Tony Stark.

"I don't know him. I'm just a low-level intern."

"Maybe he's just checking up on employees, wondering why I skipped work."

Ronan looked at the ceiling as he said this.

Even he didn't find his lie convincing.

Peter shrugged. He understood and didn't press further.

Everyone has their secrets, right?

"Anything else?"

Ronan quickly changed the subject.

"Other news?"

"Oh yeah, some woman named Skye came looking for you at school."

"When she showed up, Gwen didn't look too happy."

"Dude, be careful when you get back."

Peter grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying Ronan's situation.

Ronan rolled his eyes.

Ridiculous.

You think you'll get the last laugh, but just wait, Parker.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll head out."

"It's been a month. I've got things to handle."

Ronan sighed and stood up from the couch.

Just as he was about to leave, he glanced around Peter's base and hesitated.

"Peter, is this really where you set up your base?"

"What do you even do here?"

Ronan asked about Peter's current situation.

This secret base didn't seem particularly useful.

"I mostly change outfits here and browse for wanted criminals online."

"Then I swing around the city."

"On weekends, I spend most of my time here."

Peter scratched his head. Even he didn't really know the point of this base.

But hey, having a secret spot felt cool.

"Alright, let me give you a small tip. Come closer."

Ronan gestured to Peter.

Peter eagerly leaned in, excited.

Ronan whispered a few words, and with each sentence, Peter's eyes lit up more.

By the end, Peter couldn't help but cheer.

"Ronan, that's brilliant!"

"You're a genius!"

Peter was ecstatic.

Ronan waved it off casually.

Honestly, it wasn't much – he just suggested Peter listen in on police channels.

After all, those channels would immediately report when something happened.

If Peter wanted to get involved, he could respond right away and fight crime.

That was Peter's dream, after all.

As for how Ronan came up with the idea…

Come on.

Haven't you seen crime movies where the bad guys do the same thing?

Cough.

But they're the good guys, not criminals!

After saying goodbye to Peter, Ronan returned to Kamar-Taj.

After a month away, Ronan couldn't help but sigh.

Same as always!

Hidden in a small village in Nepal, Kamar-Taj's climate barely changed.

"You're back?"

Mordo was the first to greet him as Ronan stepped into the training grounds.

He hadn't seen Ronan for a month.

People were starting to think Ronan had defected from Kamar-Taj.

"I took a short vacation to relax."

"I'm not like you or Wong, spending all day here. Even when you leave, it's just to the Sanctum."

"A bunch of shut-ins."

Hands in his pockets, Ronan had no equal in spinning stories.

"True. Our lives are boring – train, game, eat."

"Meanwhile, you get to attend school and do homework. So exciting."

Mordo nodded seriously.

Ronan's face darkened. Darker than Mordo's.

What nonsense!

I need a lawyer!

Mordo's words severely impacted my mental health as a minor. I'm suing!

"Hmph."

Ronan snorted. He decided to ignore Mordo for the time being.

Unlike Wong, Mordo didn't have obvious weaknesses Ronan could exploit.

One day, he'd find a way to get back at him.

"Don't get smug. The Ancient One has been asking for you every day."

"Watch yourself."

Mordo patted Ronan on the shoulder and walked off to train the apprentices.

Ronan's bravado immediately faded.

Did Wong not cover for him?

Ronan scratched his head and snuck to the entrance of the Sanctum, peeking inside.

Mordo laughed from a distance.

In all of Kamar-Taj, Ronan feared nothing but the Ancient One.

Whenever Ronan made mistakes, the Ancient One wouldn't scold or punish him.

Instead, she'd spar with him.

Or rather, train him.

His opponent?

Always the Ancient One!

Ronan's bad luck was legendary.

Whenever he drew lots for sparring, he always drew the Ancient One.

So she had no choice but to personally "guide" him.

Back then, Ronan was only eight years old, with just two years of mystical training.

To put it simply, 90% of Kamar-Taj was stronger than him.

And yet, every time, he drew the Ancient One's name.

You ask how that ended?

No need to elaborate.

Ronan's habit of holding back in fights? That's when it started.

Ronan once suspected all the lots in the box said "Ancient One."

One day, after drawing her name again, he checked the entire box.

Nope. Other names were there – Wong, Mordo, and more.

Ronan was dumbfounded and resigned himself to fate.

To this day, he doesn't know why his luck was so terrible.

But he knows one thing – the Ancient One was definitely messing with him.

Absolutely!

"What are you looking at?"

"Come inside."

As Ronan peeked through the door, the Ancient One's voice called out.

Awkwardly smiling, Ronan stepped inside.

"Master, long time no see."

Ronan grinned nervously and sat down when she didn't object.

After all, he had disappeared for a month without notice.

But he didn't exactly have a chance to warn anyone.

"It's been a while."

"Your teacher called yesterday, asking when you'd return to school."

The Ancient One smiled, but Ronan's gut twisted.

Oh no.

This can't be good.

"Master, it's not like I wanted this to happen. If you're going to blame someone, blame your star pupil Strange from that universe."

"In that universe, you told him he was the strongest Sorcerer Supreme of all time."

"But he went and did something like this!"

As he spoke, Ronan recounted everything Strange had done to the Ancient One.

This really had nothing to do with Ronan – he was just caught in the middle, so it wasn't exactly passing the buck.

Right?

More importantly, this trip of his helped save that universe's Earth.

If Vini had succeeded, Universe 616 might have been devoured by Dormammu.

As the Ancient One listened to Ronan's tale – especially the part about Vini – the smile on her face gradually faded.

In its place was a rare look of seriousness that Ronan seldom saw.

The Ancient One only looked like this when things were truly dire.

"You're telling me the Sorcerer Supreme of their universe wasn't me, but someone named Vini?"

"To be precise, the previous Sorcerer Supreme."

The Ancient One asked.

"Yes, Master. And she also mentioned that their universe diverged because I returned two days late, which meant the Time Stone disappeared for two days."

"And this time, I took the Space Stone and Reality Stone with me."

"Isn't it possible that another parallel universe might show up looking for trouble?"