Ch.166 Is Ronan Really Mr. Fantastic?

Within seven steps, a gun is both fast and accurate.

Well, from a human perspective, that's certainly true.

But for a being like Ronan, who isn't exactly human, guns are pretty much useless.

Even if a gun were pressed against his forehead, as long as the trigger was pulled, Ronan could use various methods to dodge the bullet.

Whether it's the Space Stone or the Aether's form, Ronan could even snatch the gun away the moment it's pressed to his head.

Even if the opponent gave Ronan no time to prepare, he still had a way out.

Since obtaining the Reality Stone, Ronan had used Kamar-Taj's magic to set a command for the stone.

When Ronan suffered a fatal injury, the Reality Stone would activate.

At that moment, any fatal blow Ronan received would be erased by the Reality Stone.

And don't tell Ronan about the high cost of using the Reality Stone. When it's a matter of life and death, no cost is greater than losing your life, right?

As long as he didn't die, in the Marvel universe, Ronan had countless ways to deal with the aftermath.

So, facing Phil Coulson and Melinda May's little handguns, Ronan's backup plans were like a higher-dimensional strike.

"What exactly do you want?"

Phil Coulson still hadn't lowered his gun, but he also hadn't pulled the trigger.

He and Melinda May were on the same page.

In such a confined space, with four out of the five people in the car being their own, firing a shot was risky.

Whether they could hit Mr. Fantastic was uncertain, but the chance of a ricochet hitting one of their own was too high.

"I should be asking you, does S.H.I.E.L.D. have nothing better to do these days?"

"The entire team is out at night, even the new director is here."

Ronan glanced at Phil Coulson, but his hands didn't loosen their grip.

Visibly, Leo Fitz, who was next to him, was starting to turn purple around the lips.

Phil Coulson and Melinda May saw this and were frantic, but there was nothing they could do.

The car's interior was too small; firing a shot was out of the question.

Trying to climb over the front seats to reach the back and restrain Ronan was also impossible.

The time it would take was too long.

Ronan only needed a second to kill Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons.

And the two of them didn't dare bet that they could stop Ronan within that second.

"We're just here to protect our team member."

Phil Coulson looked at Ronan, his anxiety palpable.

"There's really no need for things to be like this between us, right?"

"Although we've had a small misunderstanding before, it's something that can be resolved."

At this moment, all he wanted was to save Leo Fitz from Ronan's grasp.

Under normal circumstances, a human can only survive without oxygen for about a minute.

Those with specialized training can extend this time.

Although Leo Fitz is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he's not a field agent, so he hasn't undergone such training.

Therefore, his physical condition is almost no different from an ordinary person's.

Now, fifty seconds had already passed.

If Leo Fitz continued to be deprived of oxygen, his life would truly be in danger.

"I've told you before, there are too many disgusting things happening in your S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Those secret symbols you mentioned are just one of them."

Ronan looked at Phil Coulson, a hint of disdain on his face.

Although his expression was hidden behind the mask, the contempt in his tone was unmistakable to everyone present.

Facing Ronan's words, Phil Coulson's expression turned grave.

Because Ronan had predicted something the last time they met...

"However, I'm not really fond of killing people."

"So I'll give you one chance."

"I hope you truly recognize your mistake this time and don't make it again in the future."

After saying this, Ronan didn't give Phil Coulson a chance to argue. His figure vanished from the car.

Leo Fitz immediately felt the pressure on his throat disappear, and he gasped for the fresh air he had been deprived of!

He clutched his neck, greedily breathing in the air.

Before Phil Coulson or the others could speak, a sense of weightlessness overwhelmed everyone.

Thud!

The next second, the weightlessness disappeared, replaced by a series of crashing sounds.

Phil Coulson was the first to regain his senses. When he looked out the window, his expression changed drastically.

They had left the street they were on and were now back on the plane!

This...

"Fitz, are you okay?"

Jemma Simmons quickly turned to Leo Fitz.

Fitz shook his head, though his heavy breathing didn't stop.

"Is this the plane?"

Melinda May also noticed the change.

As a top agent, she was very sensitive to environmental shifts.

"Yes, we're back."

"Along with our car."

Phil Coulson forced a bitter smile and re-engaged the safety on his gun.

It seemed this gun wouldn't be of any use tonight.

"He was warning us."

Melinda May's expression also darkened.

"Yes, with just this one move, he's telling us."

"He not only knows the location of our plane but can also send us anywhere he wants."

"Imagine if he hadn't sent us to the plane but instead to the middle of the ocean. What could we have done?"

Phil Coulson took a deep breath. From this single action, he understood Mr. Fantastic's message.

It was a warning.

If Mr. Fantastic could send them to the plane, he could just as easily send them to a fiery pit or a mountain of blades.

And if that happened, they wouldn't even know how they died.

Melinda May's expression grew even grimmer.

As an experienced agent, her professionalism was undoubtedly top-tier.

Whether it was close combat or firearms, she ranked among the best in S.H.I.E.L.D.

Even against Captain America or Iron Man, though she couldn't defeat them, she could still hold her own.

At the very least, she could dodge their attacks.

But when facing Mr. Fantastic, that sense of helplessness was overwhelming.

Against Mr. Fantastic, there were only four words to describe it.

Completely powerless.

"Fitz, did you notice anything else just now?"

Phil Coulson quickly changed the subject.

If they continued down this path, their morale would undoubtedly take a bigger hit.

So, he had to shift the topic to prevent everyone from dwelling on it.

This was a skill a leader had to learn.

"Nothing much. Because Mr. Fantastic appeared, I didn't manage to intercept their conversation."

"But we do know there were two people in the car."

Leo Fitz had finally recovered from the terror of nearly dying.

He was an agent, though not the most professional one, but still an agent.

"So, besides Skye, there was another person in the car."

"Was it Mr. Fantastic?"

Melinda May continued to ask.

"No, probably not."

"Because the thermal imaging was continuously recording the car's interior. When Mr. Fantastic appeared in our car, there were still two people in Skye's car."

"Even their positions hadn't changed."

Leo Fitz shook his head and pulled up the thermal imaging footage.

Clearly, there were two human-like figures in the car.

"Is it possible that Ronan was in the car?"

Jemma Simmons proposed a new idea.

For the name Ronan, the members of their team were also familiar with it.

At the very least, they knew about the incident where Grant Ward and the others were arrested by the NYPD.

"If it's Ronan, what kind of deal does he have with Skye?"

"If it's Mr. Fantastic who has a deal with Skye, then why is Ronan here?"

"Or, to put it another way, what is Ronan's identity that would make the proud Mr. Fantastic act as his bodyguard?"

Phil Coulson raised three questions in rapid succession.

Each of these questions needed an answer, but unfortunately, they had none.

They could only guess!

"Maybe there are some things Mr. Fantastic can't do himself?"

"Or maybe the Mr. Fantastic we saw was just a clone?"

Leo Fitz proposed a new perspective.

When Phil Coulson heard the word "clone," he nearly jumped out of his seat.

A terrifying thought suddenly struck him.

Seeing him so agitated, Melinda May frowned.

"What's wrong, Phil?"

"Did you figure something out?"

Melinda May also wanted to know what was going on.

"No, nothing."

"I just had an idea, but I need to verify it."

Phil Coulson shook his head. He didn't share his thoughts with the group.

Because he had just thought of something: if Ronan was a clone of Mr. Fantastic, wouldn't that explain everything?

Or perhaps, Ronan and Mr. Fantastic...

were the same person?

As soon as this idea surfaced, Phil Coulson felt his head spinning.

He couldn't imagine that a teenager could manipulate so many people in such a way.

Even Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., hadn't considered this possibility.

Even HYDRA had only suspected it.

More importantly, after interacting with Ronan so many times, how had Phil not noticed any flaws?

Thinking back to the time Ronan had found that HYDRA agent, and Phil had conducted the interrogation...

That HYDRA agent had been extremely cooperative, revealing everything he knew.

At the time, Phil had suspected that some special method had been used to make him so compliant.

Now, if Ronan and Mr. Fantastic were the same person, everything made sense.

At this thought, Phil Coulson felt a chill run down his spine.

"What's wrong, Phil? You don't look so good."

Melinda May keenly noticed the change in Phil's expression.

Phil Coulson shook his head again and took a deep breath.

"No, I'm fine."

With that, he opened the car door and walked into the plane.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind.

If Ronan was Mr. Fantastic, what was his purpose in doing all this?

To hide his identity?

No, that didn't seem likely.

If he wanted to hide his identity, Ronan would never let his identity as Ronan be associated with Mr. Fantastic.

Because once the two were linked, he would undoubtedly attract the attention of various forces.

If any slip-up occurred, his identity would be exposed immediately.

Phil Coulson quickly walked to his office, turned on his computer, and searched for information on Ronan.

Soon, a piece of intelligence caught his eye.

Not long ago, Ronan had taken a month off from school.

According to the person who helped him take leave, Ronan had some family issues and had no choice but to take time off.

However, the intelligence showed that Ronan was an orphan, adopted by someone named Yao Gu.

Could it be that something happened to his adoptive mother?

Thinking this, Phil Coulson quickly pulled up Yao Gu's file.

But after reading for over ten minutes, he found nothing suspicious.

Everything seemed normal.

Except that Yao Gu didn't seem to be a U.S. citizen, so the information available wasn't extensive.

If she wasn't a U.S. citizen, why did Ronan have to study in the U.S.?

At this thought, Phil Coulson remembered another person.

The one who had helped Ronan take leave.

According to the school's records, he was Ronan's older brother, another orphan adopted by Ms. Yao Gu.

His name was Wong, an Eastern surname.

Phil Coulson had been to that Eastern country before and had even carried out missions there.

So, he had some understanding of these things.

His instincts told him that to uncover the secret of Ronan's identity, Wong was crucial!

To verify his theory, he had to investigate Wong and Ronan's true identities!

Phil Coulson took a deep breath and picked up the phone, dialing a number.

"Hello, it's me, Phil Coulson."

"Help me look into someone named Wong."

"Yes, just Wong. I'll also send you a photo shortly."

"Right, find the most detailed information."

"Don't record this information. Once you find it, send it to me and then destroy it."

After saying this, Phil Coulson hung up the phone.

He stared at the photo of "Wong" on his computer screen, lost in thought.

If his guess was correct, he was about to have a breakdown.

He had been looking forward to having a conversation with Mr. Fantastic, hoping to trade some intelligence.

But who would have thought that he had been talking to Mr. Fantastic all along?

Except, he hadn't realized it.

At this thought, Phil Coulson felt extremely uncomfortable.

He took a deep breath, having lost count of how many times he had done so tonight.

But no matter how many deep breaths he took, he couldn't calm his mind.

Ronan...

Could he really be Mr. Fantastic?