"Thank you!"
Feeney sincerely thanked Mordo.
He was truly grateful to his senior, grateful for all the experience he had shared and for his guidance in his studies.
Seeing Feeney thank him so earnestly made Mordo a little embarrassed. He waved it off casually and said, "Hurry up and get back to your training."
Watching Mordo walk away, Feeney smiled quietly. If he ever got the chance to repay Mordo, he would do so without hesitation—well, as long as it was for the right reasons.
Just as Mordo had said, everyone at Kamar-Taj knew Feeney's nickname now, and it was getting on his nerves. He already had names like "Armor Mage" and "Mad Knight."
Now that the media had published it, it was as if the nickname had been officially approved. Many Sorcerers had started calling him the "Silver Knight" outright.
Maybe I should get Tony to casually mention it!
Feeney thought to himself. He was a Sorcerer certified by a professional organization, and a student of the Sorcerer Supreme, no less. How could people call him a Knight? Wasn't that an insult to The Ancient One?
"Good morning, Silver Knight!"
Someone called out to Feeney again as he was thinking of a solution. Annoyed, he immediately turned around, ready to spar with the fellow Sorcerer—only to see that the person had no hair. His face instantly turned as meek as a kitten's.
"Good morning, teacher!"
Feeney put on a helpless expression and complained to The Ancient One, "Teacher, please don't tease me. I was born a Sorcerer, and I'll die a Sorcerer."
"Nobody said you weren't!"
The Ancient One replied with a smile, though her teasing expression made it clear she was enjoying herself.
Feeney gave The Ancient One a resentful look. She didn't mind and gave him one right back. The Sorcerer Supreme had seen every kind of storm, and for a moment they just stared each other down.
In the end, Feeney, being the younger one, was the first to give in. He stopped arguing about what people called him and changed the subject. "Teacher, is there a Magic Tool that can force a Spirit Body out of someone?"
"No!"
The Ancient One walked on, holding a small fan and waving it as she went. Feeney hurried to catch up.
"Then is there a powerful Magic Tool specifically meant for enemies who are big, highly durable, strong, and fast?"
The Ancient One stopped and looked at Feeney speechlessly, as if wondering whether this was really the student she had taught.
"Feeney, if you ever get your hands on a Magic Tool like that, let me have a look."
Seeing The Ancient One's encouraging expression, Feeney awkwardly fell silent. He knew his question was a little ridiculous, but he'd thought, just maybe, there might be something like that. After all, she was the Sorcerer Supreme and had lived for so long.
"What are you planning to do now? Isn't being called the Silver Knight enough?"
The Ancient One asked casually. As other Sorcerers greeted her, she smiled and nodded in return.
"Some time soon, a green monster and a yellow monster might fight. I want to try to stop them."
Feeney hesitated, then answered. Maybe The Ancient One wasn't omniscient, after all. She couldn't possibly be interested in every single thing that happened in the world.
But it was true that The Ancient One could handle most problems. Given her abilities, there weren't many things she would find difficult.
"Then be careful. Don't get hurt."
The Ancient One turned back and gave him a brief, concerned warning.
That was it!?
Feeney stared blankly at The Ancient One. She'd given him such a simple warning and hadn't even asked which two monsters he meant or why he wanted to stop them. It was as if she'd just told him to stay safe, and that was all.
"But I can't beat them yet. Doesn't the organization have anything it can give me to help?"
Feeney looked at The Ancient One with a woebegone expression. What he meant was, Could you lend me some good equipment? I promise I'll return it when I'm done.
"Isn't the Eye of Agamotto enough?" The Ancient One looked at Feeney's finger and said with a hint of exasperation, "You're the only person at Kamar-Taj who has one all to himself."
"Ahem, it's a necessity for daily life."
Feeney tucked his hand behind his back, afraid she might take the Eye of Agamotto away. He'd almost gotten used to opening portals.
"Feeney, I don't mind what you choose to do, but remember: don't bring trouble to Kamar-Taj, and don't put the other Sorcerers in danger."
The Ancient One gave him the serious warning. Feeney nodded to show he understood. Kamar-Taj had helped him so much that he already considered himself one of its own. Of course he wouldn't cause trouble for it.
"And one more thing: you should choose your own future. I believe you'll find a way."
Then The Ancient One patted Feeney on the shoulder and headed for the Training Ground to check on the early-rising Sorcerers and their progress.
Unable to get much help from The Ancient One, Feeney thought about other options. He'd considered finding a battlefield that gave him an advantage, like he had against Iron Monger.
But Abomination was nothing like Iron Monger. His Life Force was terrifyingly strong. A little cold would probably feel like no more than a chill to him.
Besides, given Abomination's speed, Feeney could only send him through a portal by surprise. Hulk wouldn't cooperate and follow instructions the way Tony did.
After a worried sigh, Feeney set the idea aside for now. Where there was a will, there was a way. He didn't know exactly when it would happen, but there should still be some time. Maybe he'd manage to draw his Fifth Skill by then.
And at worst, he could simply stay out of it and let the story unfold as it had originally. When the sky fell, someone taller would be there to hold it up.
His parents weren't in New York, and Skye was a homebody. No matter how much destruction those two caused, it wouldn't affect anyone close to him.
Feeney had never thought of himself as a hero. He was the kind of person who'd lend a hand when he had the chance, but wouldn't feel guilty if he couldn't.
He certainly wasn't like Tony, who believed he had a responsibility to protect world peace.
He was easygoing, and even a little lazy. If New York weren't so dangerous, and Thanos's Snap weren't looming in the future, he probably wouldn't be grinding for experience so urgently.
In the end, Feeney decided to start by studying spells related to Spirit Bodies, then continue improving himself step by step. Maybe he could at least look forward to finding out what his Fifth Skill was before Hulk fought Abomination.
Time passed without anyone noticing, and before long, the year had come to an end.
Over the past two months, Tony hadn't contacted him often, and whenever he did, it was through Pepper—he'd call her and then borrow her phone. He never called Feeney directly.
Tony mainly contacted him because S.H.I.E.L.D. was constantly investigating his identity. Since Tony and Pepper were the only two people who knew who he was, they'd been driven up the wall during those two months. Most of their calls were to complain.
Of course, asking for Sumire's Fried Chicken Roll as compensation was important too!
Feeney had thought about discussing Abomination with Tony, but Tony was dealing with the fallout from announcing his identity, pressure from the military, and Palladium Poisoning. Considering all that, and how their last collaboration had gone, Feeney eventually dropped the idea.
And so, 2010—the year Iron Man made his successful debut—passed, and the world welcomed a brand-new year.
I don't really want to explain myself. I may say I don't care about negative reviews, but I care a lot deep down (ó﹏ò)... Sometimes I can't help deleting a few, either. The protagonist may not be that strong yet, but I'm not making him suffer, am I? People say I gave him overpowered cheats but still made him ridiculously weak. Sigh, I have my own plan for the story's progression. All I can say is that his lower limit is low, but his upper limit is high—that's what I'm going for. Though those people probably won't even make it to the reader comments on this chapter... Whatever. Keep going, keep going!
Before you continue