Marvel: The Psychologist Who Stole Wanda and Gwen's Hearts!

Everyone stared at the absurd scene in front of them.

Natasha and War Machine were completely dumbfounded.

"Pfft!"

At the same time, Tony and War Machine burst out laughing.

"So... they’re racing, right?" War Machine landed, flipped open his visor, and grinned at Tony. "What do you think, Tony? What are they even doing?"

"I have no idea." Tony popped his visor open and spread his hands. "All I see is a bunch of people running back and forth in front of me."

"They keep saying time is tight and that smart people shouldn’t get in their way... but I’ve got no clue why they’re running laps."

"Maybe... a warm-up?"

Tony and Rhodey exchanged a glance—then both doubled over laughing.

"Hahahaha—!"

Even Natasha, usually the picture of a composed, unshakable agent, couldn’t hide her smile. The corners of her mouth curled despite herself.

Hearing the laughter, Cap and his team finally stopped running, bent over and panting.

"Ha... ha... ha..."

Falcon and Winter Soldier weren’t too bad, just winded. But Ant-Man dropped straight to his knees.

"Cough, cough—can’t... breathe, guys!"

He was hacking like his lungs were about to come out.

Cap, still catching his breath, looked at Ant-Man, then at Tony’s group, and finally at Lorien.

"What exactly do you want?"

"I said—keep it fair." Lorien’s voice was calm and even. "Fight normally. Whoever wins gets the say."

Cap’s gaze turned sharp, but Lorien just looked back, unfazed.

"Or... do you want to keep running all day?"

That line nearly broke Tony.

It was a twist on Cap’s signature phrase—I can do this all day. But here, running all day would be the most humiliating thing imaginable.

At this point, Cap glanced at his team, exchanged looks with them, and with a sharp click, unlatched his shield from his arm and gripped it tightly.

"Alright," he said, nodding at Lorien. "Call your fighter down."

The moment Cap agreed, Tony’s side turned their eyes to Lorien, waiting for his answer.

Lorien patted Gwen’s shoulder and spoke softly. "Go on — pick the white-eyed guy on the left."

The words had barely left his mouth before—

Clang. Clang.

War Machine and Tony both snapped their visors shut, and Natasha raised her hand, ready for combat.

Gwen fired a web, vaulted into the air, and flipped gracefully.

"In the silver armor — you! Come fight me!" she called from midair.

Her words were the signal.

"Haah!"

Cap roared and charged Tony, shield raised.

Tony brought up his repulsors, shouting Cap’s name as he fired.

In an instant, former teammates—superheroes—were in an all-out brawl.

"Tsk."

Lorien shook his head with a helpless smile. "That’s a team for you. When it works, everything runs smoothly. When it doesn’t... it all falls apart."

Wanda, a second-generation Avenger, understood that feeling all too well.

"Superheroes amplify whatever’s inside them. Everyone has their own private life. Only a shared goal and mutual interest can keep them together. But once there’s disagreement... conflict begins."

Lorien nodded slightly.

Together, he and Wanda turned their attention to Gwen’s fight with the Winter Soldier.

With the power of the 12 Talismans, Gwen was a whirlwind. Using the Ox Talisman, a single kick sent the Winter Soldier flying dozens of meters. With the Rabbit Talisman, she moved so fast he saw nothing but afterimages—followed by another kick or flurry of blows.

And that was without tapping into her more outrageous talismans. The Pig Talisman or Dragon Talisman could have ended him instantly.

At the end of the day, the Winter Soldier was only a top-tier human combatant. In the Marvel world, that was painfully weak.

As for Wanda, she wasn’t fighting—not because she couldn’t, but because even without formal magical training or a single spell, she could crush everyone here if she wanted.

That was exactly why Lorien hadn’t let her join in. There was simply no need. The difference in power was like heaven and earth.

Lorien gave a small nod as his eyes swept the area—then suddenly froze.

"Wanda, where’s Hela you mentioned earlier?"

"Huh?"

Wanda blinked in surprise and looked around, only to realize Hela was nowhere in sight.

"Yeah... where is she?"

"She got off Tony’s private jet with us."

Lorien’s mouth twitched. He had a bad feeling already—Hela looked like she was just waiting to cause trouble. That crazy woman... he really wanted to strangle her.

Seeing his expression, Wanda frowned slightly and asked with concern, "What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with Hela?"

Well... not exactly wrong.

"Sigh..." Lorien let out a helpless breath. "She’s a lunatic. Last night she wouldn’t stop pestering me to help her reclaim the throne of Asgard."

"Why would I waste my time helping her? So she just kept following me."

"I dumped her with the Avengers last night to see if you guys would beat her up. Didn’t expect you to end up becoming friends instead."

Wanda: ...

"No wonder she was so eager to ask about you last night, Lorien!"

Her temper flared instantly. "I knew something was off about her! And the way she talks is so weird!"

The moment they entered the base last night, Hela’s first words to her carried a distinct hostility. Wanda’s instincts had told her then—this woman had issues. Not major ones... but now it was clear: she might not be dangerous in other ways, but when it came to stealing men, that was a huge problem.

"That Hela!"

Wanda’s cheeks puffed up in anger. "When I see her later, I’m going to beat her up!"

Lorien considered their respective strengths. At the moment, Wanda probably couldn’t defeat Hela—her Nightsword would be difficult to block. But if Wanda trained at Kamar-Taj, she’d absolutely be able to take her down... and crush her outright. That was for the future, though.

He slid an arm around Wanda’s waist, patting her lightly as he said, "The Avengers are already dealing with internal conflict. After this civil war, they’ll split apart. I’m planning to send you to Kamar-Taj in a few days to train as a sorcerer."

Wanda nodded. "Mm."

She understood he was doing this for her sake. If she became stronger, she could protect their relationship better.

But after thinking for a moment, she asked curiously, "Where exactly is Kamar-Taj?"

"In the Himalayas."

"Ah~?"

Wanda let out a small, regretful sound. The Himalayas... that was far. Once she left, who knew when she’d be able to come back?

Lorien sensed her worry, so he ruffled her hair. "You have three choices."

"One: Focus completely on training in Kamar-Taj. Once you’ve mastered teleportation spells, you can come back every night. You won’t be able to return at first, but this is the fastest way to learn."

"Two: Travel back and forth every day through the New York Sanctum. That way you can return from day one, but your progress will be slowest."

"Three: Train for five days, then return via the Sanctum for two days of rest. A more balanced approach—it’s up to you."

Wanda fell into deep thought.

A while later, while Lorien was still watching Gwen pummel the Winter Soldier, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"Lorien... you’re so good to me."

He stroked her hair and answered without hesitation, "Mm."

"I love you."

"I know."

She lifted her head just long enough to whisper something in his ear before tucking herself back into his chest.

A slow grin spread across Lorien’s face—if he exaggerated, it was almost like a Venom grin.

Because what she’d whispered was: Wait for me tonight.

Then Wanda held him tighter and returned to the earlier topic. "Lorien, I really want to choose the second option, so I can be with you every day."

He gently smoothed her hair. "I know."

"But I also know I have to choose the first. Even option three isn’t good enough."

"That little girl Gwen probably loves you more than I do right now, and I have to surpass her. I have to become stronger—I can’t let my talent go to waste."

"Only then can we be together forever."

Lorien agreed completely. Two people should grow better together, not drag each other down.

So he gave her ear a light squeeze in encouragement.

"I will."

"Ah~"

The moment Lorien pinched her ear, Wanda’s whole body went soft.

He immediately let go, and she finally managed to stand straight again.

Smack!

Flustered and annoyed, Wanda gave him a light swat before mumbling shyly, "My ears are... sensitive. Don’t pinch them in public..."

"Oh~"

Lorien’s eyes lit up in sudden realization.

Well now... you’re in trouble, Wanda.

"I understand," he murmured with a sly tone. "I’ll pinch them when we get home tonight."

Smack!

She slapped him again.

"Go ahead," Lorien said, resting his chin on top of her head. "However many times you hit me now, I’ll hit you back the same number of times tonight."

Wanda froze, then slowly lowered her hand. No way she was going to risk that. Hit him too many times, and she’d be "dead" by the time they got home.

...

Bang!

A figure crashed into the ground a short distance away.

Lorien and Wanda turned to look.

Well, if it wasn’t the Winter Soldier.

Who sent him flying?

Lorien looked up—ah, Gwen. That explained it.

Pfft~

A moment later, Gwen swung in on a strand of web, landing lightly before looping her arm around Lorien’s.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked.

Wanda immediately clung to Lorien’s other arm and shot Gwen a glare.

"We’re talking about things that don’t concern you."

"Hmph~"

Gwen snorted softly. She knew better than to start a fight—if they argued, Lorien would be upset, maybe even angry. So she made up her mind not to bicker, even if she took the loss.

Besides, she knew Lorien’s temperament well. He could read emotions, feel the state of mind of those around him, and always put himself in their shoes. As long as she behaved, there was no way he’d let her be wronged. What more could she ask for?

Wanda studied Gwen, realizing she had no intention of sparking conflict. She glanced up at Lorien and instantly understood the girl’s mindset.

Well, well... Not very old, but already so perceptive?

Deciding not to quarrel either, Wanda simply tightened her grip on Lorien’s other arm.

Lorien, watching this, felt instantly vindicated.

What was he thinking before, doubting whether he should come here?

Of course he should have come!

If not for today, when else would the two women meet for the first time and not fight? This was perfect.

He smiled happily. Both of his arms were pressed between "two melons" and "two grapefruits," leaving him content in both body and spirit.

...

"Hiss... ugh..."

A pained hiss came from behind them. The three turned to see the Winter Soldier struggling on the ground.

After a long effort, he managed to sit up, breathing heavily.

Gwen winced in slight embarrassment.

"I... might’ve hit a bit too hard..."

"I’m fine, I’m fine." His face twisted into a grimace as he waved a hand weakly. "You didn’t kill me. I’m already grateful for that."

With Gwen’s current strength, taking him out instantly would have been easy. But she hadn’t gone for any vital points—already a mercy. One well-placed hit, and he’d have been bedridden for months.

...

Bang~~~!

From the distance came the sounds of fierce fighting. Ant-Man, towering in giant form, was trading blows with War Machine. Natasha was locked in a grapple with Hawkeye. Tony was in a heated one-on-one with Cap.

No one was going all out—they were holding back to avoid killing each other. Rare, but not impossible.

Under the watchful eyes of Lorien, Gwen, and Wanda, the battle grew more intense. But it was clear Cap’s side was losing ground.

Winter Soldier had been the first to be KO’d—by Gwen. Ant-Man was the next to fall. Natasha and Hawkeye’s duel remained even, but they were both ordinary humans.

War Machine, after defeating Ant-Man, went to assist Tony, and the two armored suits took to the air to engage Falcon.

Then Vision fired a laser... and hit the wrong target. The beam struck War Machine’s power core, sending Rhodey plummeting from a hundred meters in the air.

Boom!

The heavy impact silenced the battlefield. Cap stopped. Natasha and Hawkeye stopped. Everyone stopped.

Tony dropped down, pried open Rhodey’s helmet, and saw blood at the corner of his mouth and nose.

"Is he alright?" Wanda asked, eyes fixed on the scene.

"He’ll be fine." Lorien couldn’t free his hands to ruffle her hair, but his tone was calm. "With Tony’s armor protecting him, he’ll recover—but he’ll be in bed for a few months."

"That’s good."

Everyone breathed a little easier. He was still a colleague, after all. It was like hearing that someone you knew from work had died—you couldn’t help but feel it. Unless they were your enemy.

With War Machine unconscious, the battle came to a complete halt.

Cap checked the time, shook his head at his team.

"Too late."

Winter Soldier walked over, saying, "We can still try."

Cap hesitated, glanced at Rhodey, then at Lorien—who clearly wasn’t interfering anymore—before finally nodding.

"Let’s go."

Tony remained beside Rhodey, calling in an emergency evac. He didn’t bother stopping Cap. Time was already up. Whether Cap succeeded or failed no longer mattered—he had already done more than enough, and a friend was seriously hurt.

Lorien’s figure flickered, and he appeared beside Tony.

Tony kept his gaze on Rhodey but gave a small nod.

"Thank you. I know you were trying, as an outsider, to keep us from completely breaking apart. No matter what, I’ll remember your help."

Standing behind him, Lorien almost wanted to tell him that what he’d just said was at most thirty percent correct.

But seeing how serious Tony was, he decided to let it stand.

You said it—so it’s true.

You’re right.