Hmm.
Ronan raised an eyebrow, surprised that even the Ancient One had her preferences.
Tony Stark got a light warning, while Nick Fury's side needed a stronger approach.
Was this the difference between a protagonist and a side character?
Of course, he was just joking.
The Ancient One's request could be summarized in one simple sentence:
Not only do you need to strike, but you need to make sure it hurts!
And crush some people's ambitions, grinding them into dust.
To ensure that they never again dare to covet anything from Kamar-Taj.
And those "some people" specifically referred to the ever-intrusive S.H.I.E.L.D.
While Kamar-Taj's mission is to protect Earth, it never meant protecting every individual on it.
Otherwise, during the time with Asgard, the Ancient One would have already gone head-to-head with Odin.
For the Ancient One, Ronan was her chosen successor, the next Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj.
So, these matters were things Ronan needed to practice handling.
After all, a soft-hearted Sorcerer Supreme couldn't be considered a qualified Sorcerer Supreme.
"Understood."
"I'll make them understand what despair feels like!"
Ronan grinned, but then he realized something was off!
How could a good guy like him be spouting such a villainous line?
It must have been the recent encounters with so many villains that influenced him.
Yes, blame those villains with their unoriginal dialogue!
"Choose the time yourself, but it's best to do it before the New Year."
The Ancient One only provided a rough time frame.
Of course, by "New Year," she meant the lunar New Year, not January 1st.
"No problem, let's do it tomorrow then."
"After all, it's Christmas. Giving them a little reminder on their most important holiday—"
"I'm sure they'll remember it very clearly."
Ronan chuckled. No time like the present—tomorrow it was.
It was easy to foresee that two people would have a very unpleasant Christmas tomorrow.
With that in mind, Ronan got up from the cushion.
There was a game console still on back in New York, and he was planning to beat that new game over the next few days.
Time was of the essence!
"Wait, don't rush."
The Ancient One called out to Ronan.
She took a box out from under the table and handed it to him.
"A Christmas gift."
"Even though I don't celebrate Christmas, gifts are still in order."
"After all, it's a yearly tradition."
"And in a few days, when it's your birthday, I'll give you another gift."
The Ancient One smiled gently at Ronan, her tone unusually soft.
When Ronan was little, his gifts were like other kids', found next to his bed the next morning.
Even though, with Ronan's intelligence back then, he thought it was a bit childish.
But this year, the Ancient One suddenly changed things up, and Ronan wasn't quite used to it.
"Alright, Teacher, thank you for the Christmas gift."
Ronan took the box and shook it in his hands, trying to put on a mature demeanor.
The Ancient One just smiled.
With a flick of her hand, the Mystic Gateway opened, and without a word, Ronan stepped through it, vanishing from the Sanctum.
As she watched him disappear, the smile faded from the Ancient One's face.
A complicated expression appeared in her eyes.
She had been raising Ronan ever since she brought him back as a child.
To Ronan, the Ancient One was not just a teacher; she had also taken on a maternal role.
Though, as a "mother," the Ancient One hadn't always been particularly doting.
But as they say, after sixteen years, even a stone would warm up if you held it.
Let alone a person.
Even though they addressed each other as master and student, there was an unspoken bond of familial affection between them.
It's just that neither of them ever said it out loud.
"Ronan, I hope you grow stronger quickly."
"Sooner or later, you'll have to bear all this yourself."
"Your future... may be far more perilous than what I can see."
Ronan spent the entire Christmas Eve gaming.
He only stopped when Wong returned.
Of course, the things he had said earlier were mostly jokes.
For Ronan, the idea of marriage in this life seemed pretty far-fetched.
How to put it—being the Sorcerer Supreme came with an unspoken rule:
They were not allowed to marry.
Of course, there was an exception if their partner was also a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj.
The reasoning was simple—no spouse would be okay with their partner's daily job being to sit in one of the three Sanctums, quietly guarding Earth's safety.
Not to mention, those dark entities liked to invade Earth most often at night.
Most people wouldn't accept that their partner might not live to see the sunrise.
As a result, throughout the generations, very few Sorcerer Supremes had chosen to start a family.
And many of them couldn't even die a natural death.
Now, the Ancient One was practically one step away from publicly declaring Ronan as the next Sorcerer Supreme to all the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.
So, many of them had given up on any aspirations for that position.
Wong was one such person.
"So, you braved the cold today to run around looking for a restaurant?"
"And found out all the spots were booked, right?"
Ronan sat on the couch, trying hard to hold back his laughter while looking at Wong.
He had wanted to say it before—booking a restaurant for Christmas on Christmas Eve, expecting to find a spot?
Sure enough, the answer had just two words:
No chance!
This was the best news Ronan had heard this Christmas.
Hands down!
"I didn't come here to be made fun of; I came here for your advice!"
"You're always so cunning, you must have a solution."
Wong had clearly built up some resistance to Ronan's teasing.
After all, they'd been around each other for sixteen years—if Wong hadn't toughened up a bit, he'd probably have died of frustration from Ronan's jabs long ago.
"What's that supposed to mean? What's that supposed to mean!"
"Do you even know how to choose your words? Can you speak English? If not, we can switch to Cantonese."
"Remember, it's called being clever, not cunning. Got it?"
Ronan was very dissatisfied with Wong's choice of words.
What did he mean by "cunning"? Does he even know how to speak properly?
"Alright, alright, clever then, okay?"
"Help me get a reservation, and whatever you say goes."
Wong seemed completely uninterested in arguing.
Seeing that Wong wasn't giving him any pushback, Ronan couldn't help but roll his eyes.
No fun at all.
"Tell me about her—what does she do? Any particular preferences?"
"Does she like Eastern cuisine?"
Ronan glanced at Wong, subtly fishing for information.
"She—"
Wong started but then held back, as if there was something he couldn't share.
"Let me keep it a mystery for now. When things get more serious, I'll tell you."
"I can only answer one question: she can handle Eastern food."
Wong seemed a bit shy, not wanting to divulge more to Ronan.
Ronan rolled his eyes.
Come on, man, you've already asked her out on Christmas—how far along are you that you still don't know?
And you're still trying to be mysterious with me!
Despite his thoughts, Ronan picked up the phone.
A brand-new phone.
This was the Ancient One's Christmas gift, the latest model, quite expensive.
"I know a good restaurant. It has great food and a nice atmosphere."
"They've even adjusted the flavors a bit to suit American tastes."
"Shouldn't be a problem."
With that, Ronan dialed a number.
After all, he had been in New York for years—he had access to a few VIP reservations.
Even if he had to use the Ancient One's membership card.