Chapter 23: Ch.23 I'm Just a Little Narrator
Maybe Ronan's words were too cryptic, or perhaps Tony Stark simply chose to remain silent.
In any case, over the next few days, Ronan didn't see any sign of worry on anyone's face. Instead, they grew more excited with each passing day.
The creation of the Infinity Gauntlet had reached its final stage. Once they successfully embedded all six Infinity Stones into it, their mission could be considered nearly complete.
Ronan stood inside the lab, watching Tony Stark carefully place one stone after another into the gauntlet. Everyone around them held their breath.
"Slower, slower… that's right, just like that, gently place it in."
Tony Stark focused intently as the mechanical arm set the last Infinity Stone into the slot, a smile creeping onto his face.
Boom!
Suddenly, the sound of a mock explosion erupted nearby.
Everyone jumped.
The culprit? None other than Ronan.
Everyone gave Ronan a look of silent reproach, clearly unimpressed by his prank.
"Hey! Buddy," Rocket the raccoon grumbled, looking particularly annoyed. "You stole my bit! That was supposed to be my move."
But before Rocket could say more, everyone glared at him, and he quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"So, we now have a new question," Ronan announced, adopting a deeper, more dramatic voice, mimicking a movie narrator.
"Who will wear this gauntlet and snap their fingers? And what will this decision mean for the Avengers?"
For Ronan's group, this sort of theatrics was nothing new.
Only Tony Stark shot Ronan a deep, knowing look, though it was unclear what exactly was on his mind.
Meanwhile, Ronan's attention was on the gauntlet.
After all, Thanos had the original Infinity Gauntlet forged by the Dwarven King, and to ensure that no other weapons like it could be made, Thanos had frozen the Dwarven King's hands and destroyed Nidavellir.
Yet here they were, casually reconstructing the legendary gauntlet.
Whether this one could harness the power of all six stones remained to be seen.
But it could certainly be used to snap and "wish."
That alone was enough to be awe-inspiring.
Using science to explain the mystical—it was a strange and wondrous world.
"Well, as Ronan just said," Steve Rogers said, drawing in a deep breath, "we now have a problem. Who's going to snap their fingers?"
Tony Stark rubbed his chin, taking a few steps before turning toward Ronan, who was standing quietly on the side.
That motion made everyone else look at Ronan too.
Ronan's face darkened.
"Why are you looking at me?" Ronan shot Tony a glare.
"I'm just a humble narrator, so why are you all staring at me?"
"Aren't you going to offer some advice?" Tony asked, pointing to the Time Stone embedded in the gauntlet.
Ronan sighed, smirking slightly. So, that's your game now, Tony?
If he'd known it would come to this, he wouldn't have "tipped him off" the other night.
"I've said it before. I'm only here to retrieve the Time Stone safely. I have no interest in interfering with your decisions," Ronan replied, sounding resolute.
But inside, Ronan had already guessed what Tony's look meant—it wasn't advice Tony wanted.
He was silently asking if Ronan could wear the gauntlet.
The answer? Absolutely not.
Thanos, who was practically a god-like being, nearly died after snapping twice. How could someone as mortal as Ronan possibly survive it?
Nope. Not happening. He'd be dead before he finished the snap. Goodbye and good luck.
"I'll do it," Thor stepped forward, his voice resolute.
He moved quickly toward the gauntlet, only to be blocked by Tony and Steve.
Thor was driven by more than just a desire to bring everyone back—he carried deep guilt. If he'd aimed for Thanos' head instead of his chest, perhaps none of this would've happened.
"Thor, calm down," Tony said, his tone firm. "We haven't decided who should snap yet."
Steve Rogers echoed Tony's sentiments. Given Thor's current state, they doubted he could handle the backlash of snapping the gauntlet.
"No, I must do it. Do you even know the power that flows through my veins?" Thor declared, his pride as the God of Thunder refusing to let him stand aside.
But no one listened. A snarky comment from an unknown narrator about "cheese sauce" almost made Thor challenge someone to a duel on the spot.
Either way, Thor's proposal was rejected.
"Lightning's not going to help you here, buddy," Bruce Banner, who had been deep in thought, finally spoke up.
All eyes turned to him.
"You all saw what happened to Thanos. These stones nearly killed him," Banner said as he approached the gauntlet.
"And why do you think you can handle it?" Steve asked softly, though no one stopped Banner this time.
"I'm not sure," Banner admitted, shaking his head. "But we ran some tests, and most of the energy these stones release is gamma radiation."
"It's like… I was made for this."
A somber tune began playing in the background, adding a sense of gravity to Banner's words.
"The Thor with cheese sauce didn't end up being the one to wear the gauntlet."
"And it was at this moment, Bruce Banner—no, the Hulk—stepped forward. Will he bear this responsibility?"
The narrator's voice echoed once more, prompting a collective eye roll from everyone.
"Rocket, can you turn that damn music off?" Tony and Steve both spoke at the same time.
Rocket shrugged, tapped a button with his foot, and the music stopped. He then winked at Ronan.
Somehow, Rocket had managed to climb onto Ronan's shoulder without him noticing.
"And Ronan," Tony added, "if you don't offer some advice, I have every right to demand you delete the footage you've been recording."
Tony pointed to the camera in Ronan's hand, his tone annoyingly smug.
What?
Ronan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Are you serious, Stark? Since when did you start acting like a diva?
It reminded Ronan of some celebrity smashing someone else's phone.
Looking at Tony's determined expression, Ronan shrugged and turned off the camera.
"My advice?" Ronan said, leaning back. "Try not to die."
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