Marvel: You Call This A Sorcerer?

"Hello, Auntie."

"Hello, Uncle."

Ronan looked at the middle-aged couple before him, an awkward smile appearing on his face.

It wasn't that he wanted to smile like that—it's just that his face had gone a bit stiff.

After all, in all his years, both this life and the last, this was the first time he was meeting his supposed "father-in-law."

How could he not be nervous?

"Ronan, is it?"

"I've heard Gwen mention you quite often. Now that I've met you, you truly are as impressive as she said."

Gwen's mother smiled warmly at Ronan, looking just like a mother-in-law meeting her future son-in-law.

Truth be told, with Ronan's face, any woman who saw him would be quite taken.

His face was practically irresistible to all women.

"Mom, when have I ever mentioned him?"

Gwen Stacy couldn't help but pout.

She had barely mentioned Ronan—aside from the time he had taken her home and the conversation with her father last night.

Other than that, nothing.

"Maybe you didn't mention him much, but I've seen him a lot."

"Young man, I've heard plenty about you."

George Stacy's eyes were fixed on Ronan, a subtle smile on his face.

As the commissioner of the NYPD, he certainly knew more than the average person.

He was also privy to more information.

"Alright, but I just wonder—am I a good guy or a bad guy in those stories?"

Ronan sighed. Turns out being handsome comes with a lot of trouble.

With a face like his, it was only natural for people to be jealous—and rumors spread accordingly.

Who knew what those jealous of him at school were saying about him?

"Dad."

"Do you really have to ask this here?"

"Is this how you treat a guest when they come to our house—cornering them at the doorway?"

Gwen hooked her arm around Ronan's, showing that she and Ronan were on the same side.

George Stacy couldn't help but roll his eyes at this.

His heart felt heavy!

The little girl he had raised for so many years was siding with someone else!

She wasn't like this a little while ago!

"You're right, Gwen. A guest shouldn't be kept at the door."

"Come on in, Ronan. Come warm up."

Gwen's mother shot her husband a look, then warmly led Ronan into the house.

Once inside, it was noticeably warmer.

But the chill down Ronan's back didn't disappear.

As a sorcerer with exceptional perception, Ronan often noticed things others couldn't.

For instance...

George Stacy's knife-like stare.

The father-in-law's eyes that only grew more disapproving of his future son-in-law.

In contrast, Gwen's mother seemed to have taken a liking to Ronan.

Unlike in those typical family dramas from his past life, Gwen's mother didn't ask about Ronan's family background or what his parents did for a living.

Even George Stacy hadn't asked about any of that.

Of course, with his position, he probably already knew everything about Ronan's background.

They all sat down at the table, where several dishes had been prepared.

Ronan had to admit, Gwen's mother was an excellent cook. Every dish looked incredibly appetizing.

Several of them were even among Ronan's favorites.

"Come, try my cooking."

"Gwen told me about your favorite dishes—see if they suit your taste."

Ronan nodded and looked over at Gwen.

He had never told her about his favorite dishes.

In other words, Gwen must have found out by observing him in secret.

So, this little girl has been crushing on me for a while now, huh?

Ronan raised an eyebrow at Gwen.

Gwen rolled her eyes at him, pretending not to understand his look and instead gave him an "eat your food" look.

Their little exchange, however, didn't escape George Stacy's notice.

He pursed his lips and coughed twice, interrupting their silent communication.

"I heard you know Tony Stark?"

"Are you two close?"

George Stacy redirected Ronan's attention.

Tony Stark?

Oh, they were close, alright.

He toyed with Tony almost daily!

No, not toyed with—played with. There's a difference!

Of course, Ronan wouldn't say that out loud. That would be asking for trouble.

Who was Tony Stark?

He was a well-known billionaire, playboy, and superhero—a household name in New York and all across America.

Remembering Gwen's earlier mention that her father had seen him use a portal to leave, Ronan deduced the reason behind the question.

"No, I barely know him."

"I've only met him once, and that was during an interview."

Ronan gave a quick response.

Did George Stacy care about the fact that he might be a superhero?

Most likely, yes.

But was Ronan a superhero?

No, he wasn't.

All this time, there hadn't been any superhero called Ronan in New York or even in the United States.

As for Sorcerer...

What did that have to do with Ronan?

So, what George Stacy really cared about must have been Tony Stark's playboy reputation.

If Ronan had said he was close with Tony, George might've pulled a shotgun from under the table and given Ronan the Kennedy treatment.

An overactive imagination.

"Hmm, it's best not to associate with him too much."

George nodded, and his gaze towards Ronan softened.

As long as he didn't mix with that playboy, he passed the first test.

"Let's eat first—we'll talk more after dinner."

After asking this, George Stacy didn't say much else.

It seemed his main goal had been to interrupt Ronan and Gwen's flirtation.

With no more tension at the table, it felt like a warm family dinner.

The conversation was led by Gwen's mother, who had clearly done her homework and was careful about asking Ronan questions about his family.

They were very considerate of Ronan's situation, avoiding topics that could make him uncomfortable.

This consideration made Ronan feel warm inside.

While he didn't mind people bringing up these things, their thoughtfulness showed they respected him.

The atmosphere at the table was cheerful. George Stacy went from the tough, action-hero dad armed with metaphorical guns to a doting father.

After dinner, Gwen's mother suggested Ronan and George have some one-on-one time.

Ronan knew this was the classic father-in-law-to-be chat.

Sure enough, George patted Ronan on the shoulder, and they both headed to the balcony.

George pulled out a cigarette and offered it to Ronan, trying to appear casual.

Ronan's eyes twitched.

Another trap!

If he took it, he'd fall right into it.

Luckily, Ronan didn't smoke. He immediately declined.

"I don't smoke."

After hearing Ronan's answer, George didn't react. He just put the cigarette back and lit it for himself.

Seeing this, Ronan knew the "heart-to-heart" talk was about to begin.

Once George had taken his second puff, he finally spoke.

"I may not know who you really are."

"But I want to thank you for what you did last night."

"If it weren't for you, I can't imagine what would have happened to Gwen."

George leaned on the balcony railing, staring into the distance.

He really did seem scared by what could have happened.

"Actually, everything Gwen went through was because of me."

"I had to do it—it was the right thing."

Ronan sighed. The whole incident had been because of him.

Gwen had gotten caught up in something she had nothing to do with.

Ronan never factored Gwen into his plan because, up until then, they had just been classmates.

Who could have guessed S.H.I.E.L.D. would actually assume Gwen was Ronan's girlfriend?

Ronan wasn't a saint, but he couldn't abandon someone who had helped him before.

"Can you tell me what really happened?"

George looked at Ronan.

Ronan pursed his lips but eventually shook his head.

"Sorry, I don't want to lie to you, so I won't say anything false."

"But there is something I do need to tell you about my relationship with Gwen."

Ronan sighed. He figured it was a good chance to be honest.

George looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Are you going to tell me that you and Gwen aren't actually a couple, but just friends?"

Hearing this, Ronan raised an eyebrow.

"You knew?"

He hadn't expected George to be aware of that.

"Of course I knew. I'm Gwen's father—how could I not be aware of my daughter's life?"

"Just because I don't say something doesn't mean I don't know."

George gave him a mysterious smile.

Indeed.

As her father, how could he not be aware of what was going on?

If Ronan and Gwen were really dating, how could George not know?

A quick chat with a few classmates would have told him everything.

He had known from the start.

"Then why did you invite me over?"

"I mean, Gwen and I..."

Ronan asked, puzzled.

That was the part he couldn't understand.

Since George knew they weren't really a couple, why put on this whole show today?

"I invited you over partly to thank you for saving my daughter."

"But also to find out who exactly kidnapped her."

George's smile disappeared, replaced by a father's anger.

Ronan narrowed his eyes. He had underestimated a father's—or rather, a powerful father's—sense of duty.

Clearly, George's target had never been Ronan.

It was those watching Ronan.

"See that car?"

George pointed to the car across the street.

"Yeah, I see it."

"They've been following me for a while."

Ronan nodded. How could he not know about the people tailing him?

He just chose to ignore them.

"They've been parked there since you walked in, which means they're after you."

"And after last night, I noticed someone tailing Gwen today as well."

"So, how about letting me see some of that magic of yours?"

"I want to have a chat with them."

George smiled at Ronan.

Ronan returned the smile.

Meanwhile, inside the car...

A male and a female agent seemed to be discussing something.

Ronan recognized them too.

Grant Ward and Skye.

The former was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.—or rather, Hydra—who had joined Coulson's team.

The latter had an even more significant background, though for now, she was just an ordinary hacker.

Wait, an on-and-off hacker.

"I've looked up everything on Ronan and found nothing unusual."

"From his birth until now, he's just one of those model kids everyone talks about."

"Why are we following him?"

Skye couldn't understand Coulson's orders.

"Sorcerer, you know him?"

"Apparently, Ronan's connected to Sorcerer."

"And are you sure his record is spotless?"

Grant Ward asked again.

As an agent—whether of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra—he firmly believed things weren't so simple.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have received orders from both sides to monitor a sixteen-year-old.

"I've checked everything, including his adoptive mother—Yao Gu, that's her name, right? An Eastern name."

"There's nothing unusual about them."

"I even found out she spends most of her time in the East, occasionally visiting New York to check on him."

"He doesn't have many friends, except... Spider-Man is considered one."

"Is it really because he's connected to Sorcerer?"

Skye paused as she looked at Ronan's record, clearly hesitating when she came across Spider-Man.

According to Coulson, his name was on "the list."

The list kept track of those with superpowers.

"So our mission is to protect him."

"No one wants to see a repeat of what happened yesterday."

Ward referred to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team that had been wiped out the previous night.

Among the casualties was Coulson's friend, Sitwell.

"So we follow him to the NYPD commissioner's house?"

"If we get caught, then..."

Before Skye could finish, someone suddenly appeared by their car window.

*Knock, knock.*

The window was tapped.

It was George Stacy—the person they had been discussing.

"What?"

Skye exclaimed as the car window slowly rolled down.

"Grant, why are you opening the window?"

Skye asked nervously.

"I'm not opening it!"

But there was no point arguing now—they had been caught.

They had to play it by ear.

"Hey, how can we help you?"

Skye put on her brightest smile.

"I've noticed you've been sitting here for half an hour—care to come in?"

"It's cold out here—waiting must be tough."

George smiled warmly, issuing a "genuine" invitation.

Ward and Skye, however, could only awkwardly refuse.

"Sorry, sir, I don't understand. We weren't—"

But before Ward could finish, a gun was pressed to his forehead.

Feeling the cold muzzle against his skin, Ward raised his hands immediately.

"Hey, calm down, sir!"

"We haven't broken into your home, or—"

Ward was cut off by George.

"Do you think an NYPD commissioner wouldn't notice how long you've been here?"

"If you make any sudden moves, you'll be surrounded by three SWAT teams."

"If you value your lives, get out of the car, now."

George tilted his head, signaling for them to get out.

It was then that Ward noticed a laser sight trained on his chest.

If he dared to move, he'd be a dead man.

"Grant."

"I think we should reconsider the gentleman's invitation."

"A little warmth indoors doesn't sound so bad."

Skye, in the passenger seat, also slowly raised her hands.

She, too, saw the red dots aimed at her vital points.

Clearly, George Stacy wasn't bluffing.

He meant every word.

Seeing no way out, Ward slowly opened the door and got out.

Skye followed suit.

Throughout the entire process, the two kept their hands raised except when opening the car doors.

If they tried anything, the police would surely shoot!

After all, tailing the NYPD commissioner was illegal!

Footsteps approached from behind.

Their target—Ronan—was walking towards them.

"Didn't Coulson tell you to use your brains?"

Evidently, they hadn't.

They underestimated both Ronan and George.

As the NYPD commissioner, George had to be sharp, or he wouldn't have survived this long.

At George's signal, two SWAT teams emerged from all sides, cuffing Ward and Skye.

Despite Ward insisting they meant no harm, George wasn't going to let them go easily.

"Hey, couldn't you say something for us?"

"I heard you know Phil."

Skye asked as she was cuffed, hoping Ronan might help.

"I made it clear to Phil that I didn't want anyone following me."

"But he did it anyway."

"You followed me all the way here, and I ignored it."

"But you crossed George's line."

Ronan shrugged—it wasn't really his problem.

He had intended to ignore them, but they had pissed off George.

After all, George's daughter had been kidnapped by S.H.I.E.L.D.—how could he not vent his anger?

And since Ward and Skye had offered themselves up, there was nothing more to say.

*Screech.*

Just then, a black car pulled up, the sound of brakes piercing the night.

Phil Coulson and Melinda May got out and quickly approached George.

"Commissioner Stacy, these two are my agents."

"I think there's been a misunderstanding."

Coulson tried to defuse the situation.

When George approached Ward and Skye, Skye had pressed the emergency signal.

Coulson and May had rushed over as fast as they could.

"Sorry, but there's no misunderstanding."

"This New York resident reported being followed, so I called the SWAT team."

"SWAT has confirmed they've been here for over half an hour."

"And here's the evidence."

George held up Skye's laptop, which still displayed Ronan and George's information.

She had remembered to press the alert button but forgotten to shut everything else down.

Ronan just shrugged.

Yes, he was the "New York resident."

"Now, I find they weren't just tailing a New York resident—they were also investigating the NYPD commissioner."

"As an American citizen, the law protects our privacy."

"And secretly investigating a public official suggests ulterior motives."

George clearly wasn't letting them off easily.

In America, people valued their privacy.

If there was no solid proof that Ronan had committed a crime, then following him was questionable behavior.

And considering that even the NYPD commissioner was being investigated...

This wasn't going to end well.

"Commissioner Stacy, I think there's been a misunderstanding."

"We received orders to protect Ronan."

"After all, you know what happened last night."

Coulson tried to change the narrative.

From "surveillance" to "protection"—it made a big difference.

"You have the nerve to mention last night."

"If my daughter weren't unharmed, none of you would get away today."

George's face darkened at Coulson's words.

Last night, his daughter had been attacked.

And S.H.I.E.L.D. had yet to give him an answer.

"Sorry, we don't want things to turn out this way."

"But things aren't settled yet. Please stay calm."

With no other options, Coulson apologized profusely.

If they could escape, they would have. Then they could seek a pardon from Fury.

But now, with just him and May against two SWAT teams...

They could run, but bullets wouldn't discriminate.

If things went wrong, it would only confirm their guilt.

After all, if they weren't guilty, why run?

"Regardless, they're mine now. Take them back and lock them up!"

George ordered, and the SWAT team escorted Ward and Skye away.

May tried to intervene but was stopped by Coulson.

She looked at him, confused.

But Coulson shook his head.

The NYPD had every right to arrest Ward and Skye. If they escalated things, the consequences would be disastrous.

At that point, not even Nick Fury could save them.

Agents attacking police—especially when they were in the wrong...

Any of these would spell big trouble.

Coulson and May could only watch as they were taken away.

"Now you have two choices."

"Either have your leader issue a pardon—let's hope he gets past my boss."

"Or turn over those responsible for my daughter's kidnapping."

"Justice in America is for every citizen."

"And your so-called duties won't absolve you."

George holstered his gun, patted Ronan on the shoulder, and the two walked back inside.

Coulson could only watch it all unfold.

There was nothing he could do.

"What now?"

"Is there a way to save them?"

May knew the first option might not work, and the second definitely wouldn't.

Sitwell, who was responsible for the kidnapping, was already dead.

There was no one left to hand over.

Going up another level... impossible.

The likely outcome was sacrificing Ward and Skye.

That thought alone made May anxious.

After all, one of them was special to her.

"Back to the plane—I need to contact HQ!"

...

Ronan had no intention of inquiring about their fate.

The reason was simple: if George dared to arrest them, he had a plan.

More importantly, it was normal for a father to want justice for his daughter.

As for the outcome, Ronan left that to George.

After dealing with this, the two returned to the house as if nothing had happened.

But soon after, Ronan took his leave.

Even though Ronan had clarified his relationship with Gwen, George still insisted on driving him home.

After Ronan got out, George rolled down the window and spoke.

"Thank you, Ronan."

"No matter the cause, you didn't let me lose my chance at being a father."

"And please, take care of Gwen in the future."

With that, George winked playfully at Ronan and drove off, giving him no chance to respond.

As a father, how could he not know what his daughter wanted?

At the same time, he knew Ronan wasn't interested.

At least, not for now.

But what did the future hold for young people? Who could say?

And so, Ronan, left on the street, felt like a victim of a riddle.

But being a victim didn't bother him. After all, he'd played the part all day—what was a little more?

After all the drama, Ronan was finally able to rest.

Back home, he took off his formal clothes and changed into something comfortable.

His homework sat neatly on the table—already done.

Seeing this, Ronan clicked his tongue.

He'd have to remind his clone to put the homework in his backpack next time—missing it the next day would be a disaster.

After tidying up, Ronan poured himself a hot cocoa and relaxed on the couch.

Ah, not having homework to do felt wonderful.

Time to watch some streams.

His favorite streamer, of course.

Last year, that streamer had battled a Valkyrie for ten hours straight—borderline insane.

This year, rumor had it he was at it again with another Valkyrie, becoming Ronan's favorite nighttime entertainment.

Especially the other day when he saw the game's version of Thor covered in cheese sauce—it reminded Ronan of the Thor from Endgame.

They were identical!

Four hours later, the streamer was still at it, playing mental chess with the Valkyrie, showing no signs of giving up.

Ronan had dozed off.

He seemed to have a long dream.

In the dream, he transformed into a warrior and battled the Valkyrie.

Their powers were evenly matched, and the fight was fierce, shaking heaven and earth.

Even the ground quaked, the whole world seemed to be trembling.

Just as Ronan was about to finish off the weakened Valkyrie, pressing R3 for the final blow...

A phone call abruptly ended his not-so-sweet dream!

Ronan scrambled for his phone, the streamer on TV now mumbling incoherently.

"Hello?"

He answered groggily.

On the other end, Wong's voice sounded.

"Stop sleeping!"

"The promise you made in Asgard is about to begin!"