Marvel: Ned the Master of Mystic Arts

"What should we do with this guy?"

The burly man, who had just knocked Ned down with a punch, turned to his companion for advice.

"Kill him."

The other man, his face devoid of emotion, coldly responded.

"No!"

A teenage girl, who seemed to have been abducted, gasped in shock at the man's words. "He's not a bad person!"

The man about to act hesitated after hearing her plea, turning to their leader for guidance.

Before leaving, their superiors had warned them: this group was "special." They were to avoid unnecessary conflict with them, if possible.

"I said, kill him."

The leader's icy glare sent a shiver through the subordinate. Without further hesitation, he pulled out a knife and approached Ned.

"No!"

The girl screamed in desperation, struggling against the burly man holding her back. The leader didn't even glance at her, fully aware of the true nature of their mission.

This "special group" was nothing more than test subjects—lab rats destined to be sacrificed for experiments with near-zero success rates. The directive to avoid conflict was simply a precaution to prevent any potential "successes" from defecting later on.

But the leader had no illusions. If these experiments were truly easy to succeed at, there would already be superhumans everywhere, and organizations like the "Avengers" wouldn't need to flaunt their power.

The girl watched in despair as the knife-wielding thug closed in on Ned. Her young heart was consumed with guilt and helplessness.

Ned crouched on the ground, listening to the group casually debate his fate. Surprisingly, he wasn't particularly angry. In the world of The Amazing Spider-Man, he had encountered plenty of ignorant fools like them.

What did make his blood boil, however, was the abduction of the young girl. She didn't seem entirely unwilling, yet she clearly didn't belong with these people. Were they really human traffickers targeting minors?

"Hmph."

As the knife-wielding thug approached, Ned smirked coldly. With a sudden leap, he soared into the air and delivered a powerful kick to the man's nose.

Ned was someone who held grudges. He had been caught off guard earlier, underestimating his opponents and relying solely on his combat skills.

Now, he was fully utilizing his magical abilities to amplify his strength and speed. Against a bunch of mere mortals, the fight was no contest.

"You guys seriously don't take me seriously, do you?"

Ned's voice was calm, almost conversational, but it only fueled the leader's fury.

"Who are you?"

The leader, fully aware of his subordinates' capabilities, realized they were no match for this man. Warily, he reached into his jacket to draw a gun while asking the question.

His subordinates followed suit, the air thick with tension. One wrong move, and Ned could be riddled with bullets.

For all his power, Ned had a glaring weakness—he was still vulnerable to bullets.

"Who am I?"

Ned locked eyes with the leader, his expression unyielding. Quietly, the Infinity Gauntlet materialized on his right hand, the Mind Stone glowing faintly.

"What's that?"

The leader's eyes narrowed as he drew his gun and barked, "Put your hands where I can see them!"

"Click, click, click."

The other thugs aimed their weapons at Ned, ready to fire at the slightest provocation.

"Alright."

Ned shrugged nonchalantly. "Put your guns away and tell me your mission, your orders, and who sent you."

The thugs' expressions turned cold, but before they could act, they froze in place. A faint blue glow flickered in their eyes as they slowly holstered their weapons.

"You all, stand over there," Ned commanded, shoving them aside with a wave of his hand.

Turning to the frightened girl, Ned softened his tone. "Can you tell me your name?"

The girl hesitated, glancing nervously at the now-docile thugs. Trembling, she whispered, "W-Wanda."

Ned's suspicions were confirmed. He asked again, "How old are you?"

"Sixteen…"

'That explains it—malnutrition and poor living conditions,' Ned thought grimly.

Reaching into his pocket, he scribbled an address on a piece of paper. "If you want to gain powers like mine, come to this address in three days."

Without waiting for a response, he slipped the paper into her pocket.

"Hey! Don't mess with my sister!"

A soda can came hurtling toward Ned, accompanied by an angry shout.

"Clang!"

Ned casually swatted the can away with the Infinity Gauntlet. Ignoring Wanda's horrified expression, he glanced at the rebellious young man charging toward them.

With a final look, Ned disappeared into thin air, taking the controlled thugs with him.

"Are you okay? That jerk! If I see him again—"

Pietro, a.k.a. Quicksilver, fussed over Wanda, his face red with anger.

"N-No…"

Wanda clung to Pietro desperately. The mere thought of Ned's overwhelming power left her terrified.

"What's wrong? Did that guy hurt you? Damn it!"

"No, I'm fine, Pietro. Let's go," Wanda pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. Her hands trembled as she clutched Pietro's jacket.

"Please, let's just leave."

"Fine."

Reluctantly, Pietro relented. Taking Wanda's hand, he led her away from the scene.

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T/N:

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