It has to be said that Stephen Strange, who did not become the Sorcerer Supreme, is indeed an exceptional doctor.
According to the nurses at this private hospital, when Dr. Strange came to assist with the surgery, every doctor in the hospital who wasn't occupied with patients was watching the procedure on the monitors outside the operating room.
This alone speaks volumes about how skilled Strange is in surgery.
Tony Stark, of course, was well aware of Strange's reputation in the surgical field and had tried to recruit him several times without success.
This time, Tony had simply paid a hefty sum to invite Strange for a "flying visit" to perform the surgery.
Expensive doesn't always mean good, but the most expensive and highly praised option is often the best.
So, given Ronan's condition at the time, the best and fastest option was to call in Strange.
After a series of tests, the doctors who had come to observe were amazed.
Ronan's bones were healing remarkably well—far better than even their most optimistic estimates.
Originally, they had predicted that Ronan would need to stay in bed for at least two to three months.
But with his current recovery rate, Ronan might be back to normal in as little as two months, or even less.
Of course, "back to normal" here means resuming normal life.
As for whether he could return to his pre-injury state, that would depend on Ronan's own resilience.
Ronan, however, was quite confident in his own "resilience."
So, he was about to enjoy a very pleasant vacation.
Every day, he would lie in bed, occasionally go out in a wheelchair for some fresh air, and live a life that many could only dream of.
Since Ronan's condition was improving and he no longer needed to stay in the hospital room full-time, he was moved to a "small" villa next to the hospital.
It was said that this villa was reserved by Tony Stark for himself, given that injuries were a frequent occurrence for someone of Tony's stature.
After moving to the villa, Ronan's life returned to a semblance of normalcy.
He even had to attend classes remotely via video calls to keep up with his schoolwork.
Yes, this was the school's way of showing concern after hearing about Ronan's "car accident."
It was genuine concern.
If Ronan took a long leave of absence, he would likely have to repeat a grade or fall short on credits.
So, allowing him to attend classes remotely and counting it as attendance was the only option available to him.
He certainly didn't want to end up becoming Gwen Stacy's junior for no reason.
Of course, aside from the hassle of having to study, everything else was perfect.
---
As the days passed, Ronan spent his time recovering while also keeping an eye on the news.
After all, he knew what was coming next.
Sure enough, three days later, the morning news reported another shocking event.
"Yesterday, a terrifying attack occurred near Sokovia."
"The target of the attack was not a resident of Sokovia, but a large portion of Sokovia's territory."
"According to eyewitnesses and survivors, they saw a significant part of Sokovia's landmass rise into the sky. Experts estimate that if this landmass were to fall, the entire Earth would face catastrophic consequences."
"The attackers, according to witnesses, were robots from Stark Industries."
"The last time these robots were seen, they were assisting in the destruction of a Hydra base."
"But no one could have imagined that these robots would eventually turn into killing machines, slaughtering the residents of Sokovia."
"At the scene, we also spotted members of the Avengers."
"However, Tony Stark, one of the masterminds behind this incident, has yet to make any public statement."
"We hope the Avengers will provide the public with the truth."
The news anchor delivered the report with a serious expression, recounting the events of the Sokovia incident.
When Ronan heard this news, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It had happened just as he expected.
Ultron, fused with JARVIS, had discovered the flaws of humanity from every angle. And because Tony Stark had programmed him with the directive to "protect humanity," Ultron had come to the conclusion that the best way to protect humanity was to eliminate it.
Or, alternatively, to create a world dominated by robots, where humans could no longer destroy themselves.
Unfortunately, this line of thinking was not just extreme from a human perspective—it directly threatened humanity's most fundamental interest: survival.
Thus, Ultron's only possible outcome was death.
Of course, Ultron's death was somewhat dramatic. With the emergence of Vision, Ultron was easily outmatched, both in terms of his pride—the internet—and in combat.
And deleting him from the internet was the final nail in the coffin.
The result?
While justice prevailed, public opinion turned sharply against the Avengers.
The reason was simple: while the Avengers had solved the problem, they were also the ones who had created it in the first place.
No matter how you looked at it, this didn't seem like saving humanity—it felt more like atoning for their own sins.
People had already forgotten how the Avengers had fought desperately to save the world during the alien invasion.
Now, they were only concerned about one thing:
If what happened in Sokovia were to happen to them, would they survive?
Or, could the Avengers still save the Earth?
In addition to this, another sentiment was gaining traction:
People were beginning to call for the regulation of those with superpowers.
Their abilities were strong, but their potential to create crises was even stronger.
Of course, this sentiment was largely fueled by the U.S. government, which wanted to bring these superpowered individuals under its control.
After all, this time, the government had the moral high ground.
So, discussions about how to manage superpowered individuals were already underway.
Everything was happening as expected.
For Ronan, however, these developments didn't have much impact.
Whether or not these regulations were implemented, Ronan had no intention of signing anything.
As Ronan watched the news, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers walked in, accompanied by a stranger.
Well, not exactly a stranger.
Because Ronan knew who he was.
Vision.
A robot given a soul by the Mind Stone.
A robot who could even fall in love with the wielder of Chaos Magic and wake up in the same bed.
It was unclear why Ultron had designed this robot with such... comprehensive features.
Hearing the footsteps behind him, Ronan turned his electric wheelchair around slowly.
"You've arrived at just the right time."
"If you'd come earlier, you might have heard how the experts were evaluating you."
Ronan smiled as he looked at the two core members of the original Avengers. After this event, the two would go their separate ways.
And soon, they would enter a long period of estrangement.
"So, what do you think?"
Tony Stark sat down on the couch, uncharacteristically refraining from mocking the experts.
Perhaps, deep down, he was already beginning to doubt himself.
"What I think doesn't matter. Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?"
Ronan didn't comment on the matter but instead turned his gaze to Vision, who was also looking at him.
In many ways, Vision's power was indeed formidable.
But his weakness was also glaringly obvious.
If the Mind Stone on his forehead were removed or destroyed, he would die instantly.
Of course, there weren't many who could exploit this "weakness."
"Uh..."
"His name is Vision. He chose it himself."
"He's a... robot?"
Tony pointed at Vision, unsure how to describe him.
Calling him a robot didn't seem right, nor did calling him human.
Perhaps he was an artificial intelligence with human-like intelligence and emotions?
"My name is Vision. I consider myself human."
Vision floated over to Ronan and extended his right hand.
Ronan raised his right arm, showing the bandages and splints, and then extended his left hand instead.
Vision paused for a moment before quickly offering his left hand.
"Apologies. I've been trying to understand how humans express emotions."
"But I forgot to follow the most basic human etiquette."
Vision was referring to his initial gesture of offering his right hand for a handshake.
Given that Ronan's right hand was injured, offering his right hand would have been disrespectful.
"It seems you haven't fully become human yet."
Ronan looked at Vision with interest.
He was curious whether Vision was a completely new soul or merely a vessel for the Mind Stone.
From what Ronan remembered, when the Mind Stone was removed, Vision had died instantly.
And when Bruce Banner snapped his fingers to bring everyone back, only two people didn't return:
Black Widow and Vision.
The former had traded her soul for the Soul Stone, so it made sense that she couldn't return.
As for the latter, it seemed that he wasn't an independent being but rather a byproduct of the Mind Stone.
This was quite intriguing.
"I believe I am."
"And I sense a familiar presence from you."
Vision looked at Ronan with confusion, as if trying to figure out where this sense of familiarity came from.
Ronan simply smiled.
Of course it was familiar.
Your two "brothers" have been working for me for a long time.
"Let's get back to the main topic."
"You didn't come here just to introduce me to a new member, did you?"
Ronan didn't answer Vision's question but instead turned his attention to Steve Rogers.
Based on Ronan's guess, these two weren't just here for a casual visit—they likely had something to do with Vision.
"Well, on one hand, we came to check on you."
"On the other hand, there are two things we need to discuss."
Steve Rogers nodded, though he seemed distracted.
The media backlash was clearly weighing on him.
Ronan shrugged and gently raised his right hand, using his powers to bring over a bottle of wine and glasses from the cabinet, placing them in front of everyone.
"Help yourselves."
Then he sat back in his wheelchair, quietly observing the three of them.
Tony poured a glass of wine for Vision and Steve, then filled his own glass to the brim.
He left the floor to Steve.
"The first thing is about Wanda and Pietro."
"They've agreed to join the Avengers. Wanda wanted to meet you, but Tony and I decided against it."
Steve glanced at Ronan. The reason for their decision was simple: they were worried that seeing Wanda's face might trigger Ronan, leading to another confrontation.
After all, Wanda was now one of their own.
But given that Ronan had been severely injured by someone with the same face, they had to consider his feelings.
"Don't worry, I can distinguish right from wrong."
"As for Pietro, he's still alive?"
Ronan raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.
Quicksilver's survival was a significant boost for the Avengers.
Among the people present, aside from Vision, no one else could really handle him.
But whether he would be effective against Thanos remained to be seen.
"You once promised... another Wanda that you would protect him from death."
"So, we kept a closer eye on him."
Tony glanced at Ronan, his lingering doubts about Ronan's knowledge of the future and parallel universes now completely dispelled.
After all, another Wanda had appeared, and Pietro had nearly died—everything Ronan had said seemed to be true.
"Alright, at the time, I just..."
Ronan trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
After all, Vision, Wanda's future boyfriend, was standing right there.
It wouldn't be appropriate to speak ill of her behind her back.
"What's the other thing?"
Ronan changed the subject.
"The other thing is about the Mind Stone from the scepter."
Steve Rogers looked at Ronan, unsure how to broach the topic.
Ronan had already explained the origins of the Infinity Stones and their potential impact on the future.
So, according to their original plan, the Mind Stone would either be taken by Thor for safekeeping or left on Earth under Ronan's care.
These were the two safest options.
But now, things weren't so simple.
Because Vision had appeared.
"So, you're suggesting we leave the Mind Stone in the most obvious place?"
Ronan narrowed his eyes, a subtle pressure filling the room.