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

The next day.

When Lorien woke up again, he couldn’t even remember what time he had fallen asleep the night before. The only thing he recalled was snapping his fingers at the end, and everyone returning to the master bedroom.

As for whether there had been a "second round"?

Hmm.

Lorien pushed away the arms and legs draped over him, then looked around.

Yeah. Judging by the mess, it looked like there had been a battle. The room was a complete wreck, obvious traces of a fight everywhere.

But it didn’t matter. Lorien snapped his fingers.

Snap~

In an instant, the entire room was spotless.

Click...

The master bedroom door creaked open. Lorien turned his head and saw Bella pushing the door with one hand above and one below. She held up a clock in the other hand.

The time read 8:45.

Damn, I’m going to be late.

Lorien rushed out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom to wash up. This time the Ballerinas, knowing he was in a hurry, didn’t intervene. They simply stood nearby holding towels.

He quickly brushed his teeth, washed his face, threw on his clothes, and went to the kitchen.

"Oh, master~, you finally came to see—"

"Egg pancake. Aria, bring it to me later, I’m heading out first."

"Understood, master."

Before Fridge Nora could even finish her sultry greeting, Lorien stepped in, spoke half a sentence, and was already gone.

"Master~~~!"

Ignoring Nora’s call, Lorien hurried downstairs and slipped into his private studio at 8:58 sharp.

"Ahhh..."

He dropped into the boss’s chair with a long exhale, then grabbed an iced milk tea from the fridge and took a few sips.

At that moment, Bella’s voice came.

"Master, the Transformers Legion discovered a pool of blood on a distant planet. After scanning, it was confirmed to be Zehoberei blood. The planet also shows traces of Infinity Stone energy."

Oh?

Lorien’s interest was piqued.

Let’s take a look.

But his true body couldn’t leave the Northern Tower.

So...

He lightly snapped his fingers.

Snap~

A projection appeared in the office. It resembled Tony’s full 3D hologram, intangible to the touch. But unlike technology, this wasn’t mechanical—it was a mental construct Lorien shaped with his will.

Essentially the same as a hologram, except completely free: no equipment, total control.

"My body can’t leave, so I’ll send a projection."

Lorien smiled, then snapped his fingers again.

Snap~

He was still in the office, sipping milk tea. But his projection had already arrived at the coordinates Bella mentioned.

The instant his projection appeared on the planet, he scanned the surroundings. The Transformers were already scouring the area.

Up ahead, a cliff jutted sharply out of the terrain.

Lorien nodded. Vormir. The place where Red Skull once guarded the Soul Stone.

But now, with the stone taken by Thanos, Red Skull should have been released.

His projection flickered and appeared above the cliff.

There, the Collector and several Transformer descendants were gathering data.

When they saw Lorien arrive, the Collector startled, then quickly bowed along with the Transformers.

"Greetings, revered Creator."

"Creator."

That was the difference. Transformers only used the title. But the Collector added a full sentence.

Lorien waved his hand—enough.

He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down.

Gamora’s body was gone. Only a pool of blood remained.

The Collector stepped up beside him and explained,

"The body was likely taken by Thanos. The blood tests confirmed it was Zehoberei—most likely his daughter, Gamora. Thanos slaughtered her people years ago, then adopted her. And now, he’s killed his own daughter with his own hands... all for the Soul Stone."

The Collector shook his head in disbelief.

Lorien snorted.

"Psychopath."

At the end of the day, whether she was his blood daughter or adopted, killing her for power was twisted. No excuse could justify it.

Unless death itself was a form of release, there was no way to call it anything but deranged.

Then Lorien stepped forward.

By the time his next step landed, he was already at the base of the cliff.

He gazed at the bloodstains and the flat stone platform before him... and smiled.

"If Thanos really took the heaviest burden of all the Infinity Stones, what would he become?"

The thought stirred a spark of anticipation in Lorien.

Adam Warlock had once nearly destroyed himself under its weight. The reasons were many, but the truth was simple—it wasn’t a gem meant to be wielded lightly.

He tapped the ground with the tip of his shoe.

"Red Skull, come out."

The Collector had just arrived. Hearing the name, he darted his eyes nervously around, thinking someone was hiding nearby. But after a couple of seconds, nothing happened.

Who exactly was the Creator calling?

"Tch." Lorien clicked his tongue impatiently.

The next moment, a figure wrapped in a ragged cloak rose up from beneath the stone platform.

He looked incorporeal, yet Lorien could sense it—his body had merely been altered by the Soul Stone.

The Collector stiffened when he saw another presence hidden here. The Transformer descendants instantly rushed over, weapons raised.

Red Skull pulled a bitter face.

"Wait, I was just afraid to come out."

Lorien waved a hand, and the Transformers lowered their weapons.

Looking at Red Skull, Lorien couldn’t help but think how pitiful he was.

Kicked off-world by Captain America, trapped here for who knew how many years. Forced to linger beside the Soul Stone, close enough to touch, yet forever denied. And finally, to watch someone else claim it right before his eyes.

If that isn’t bad luck, what is?

"Tell me exactly how Thanos came here," Lorien ordered.

"Alright, alright," Red Skull nodded beneath his tattered cloak.

He had lingered alongside the Soul Stone for ages. And now, standing before Lorien—even if it was only a projection—he could feel it. The vast weight of Lorien’s mind and spirit pressed down like a sun looming above him, making him feel utterly insignificant.

So he spoke quickly.

"Not long ago, a purple-skinned giant came here with a green-skinned woman. They were father and daughter. I told them the price required to obtain the Soul Stone. And then..."

Red Skull recounted the rest, finally adding,

"In the end, the woman’s body was taken away. But even if you can claim the Soul Stone, controlling it isn’t easy. It isn’t just a gem—there’s a complete consciousness within! It drives the user’s mind into chaos and danger, leading them down a path of self-destruction. Only someone with truly indomitable will can hope to use it."

Lorien nodded.

He was right.

Among all the Infinity Stones, the Soul Stone was the most dangerous. Because unlike the others, this one already had a soul of its own.

Unless you used the power of the other Stones to suppress it, you had to bear its backlash in full.

And that was no small burden.

That was why this Stone was the most perilous of all. There was no defense against it—only those with an unshakable will, a mind of iron, and a soul of equal strength could endure its use. And those three things weren’t easily attained.

In the comics, even Adam Warlock had been tormented endlessly by the Soul Stone.

As for Thanos—yes, his will, spirit, and soul were stronger than most. But in the end, he was still only a titan. There was no way he could escape its influence.

So all Lorien could do now... was look forward to seeing it unfold.

He waved his hand, preparing to leave.

"Enough. Carry on. I’ll head back."

"Wait, my lord!"

Red Skull’s voice stopped him.

Lorien turned back. "Speak."

Red Skull hesitated, then asked cautiously,

"Are you from Earth, my lord?"

It wasn’t an unreasonable guess. Lorien’s clothes were distinctly Earth-like—just a century more advanced than the fashion Red Skull remembered.

But Lorien didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked,

"How long have you been trapped here?"

Red Skull thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"At first, I kept count. But eventually, it became too many to remember. I only recall that when I left, Earth was still in the middle of World War II."

That would’ve been around Captain America’s time.

"So," Lorien said, "it’s the twenty-first century now."

Red Skull’s eyes widened in shock.

But Lorien was already turning away.

Watching his fading silhouette, Red Skull hurriedly called after him.

"What about Hydra—"

"It’s gone."

With that, Lorien vanished.

Red Skull collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud.

...

By the time Lorien withdrew his mental projection, he was already back in his office, casually eating a jianbing.

But elsewhere in the universe, another mind had shattered.

There had been only two reasons Red Skull had managed to endure all these years.

One was the power of the Soul Stone itself—its presence had sustained him.

The other was Hydra—the dream of one day returning to Earth and reviving his organization.

Now, both were gone.

Tell me, how could he not break?

Decades of confinement. And in the end, nothing left.

What difference was there between that and a man imprisoned in 1945, only to be released in 2020 with nothing to his name?

Either way, he had lost everything.

After Lorien’s departure, Red Skull remained in despair on Vormir for a long while, before slowly, unsteadily, rising to his feet.

The Collector approached him and said—

"This planet will be hauled back to the Transformers’ homeworld for study and dismantling. What do you plan to do next?"

Though it sounded like a question, the meaning was clear—it was time for him to leave.

Red Skull slowly rose to his feet. He pulled his hood lower, shadowing his face, and finally replied,

"Since Earth’s Hydra no longer exists, I’ll build a new Hydra... in the stars."

The Collector raised his brows.

"You brat. Ambitious, aren’t you?"

He had been about to leave, but after hearing that, the Collector hesitated. He reached into his folded space vault, pulled out a badge, and tossed it to Red Skull.

Clang~

Red Skull caught it and looked at him in confusion.

The Collector, already turning away, explained,

"That will guide you to a star system ruled by the Ravagers."

"It’s a haven for marauders, outlaws, and cosmic mercenaries."

"With that badge, you’ll be able to form your own Ravagers crew—and perhaps see your Hydra plan through."

With that said, the Collector teleported back aboard his warship.

The Transformer descendants shifted into fighter jets and departed as well.

Soon, the entire planet would be dragged toward the nearest starport for dismantling, then broken down and shipped back to the solar system.

Red Skull gazed at the badge in his hand. Slowly, he clenched it tight.

At last, his body shimmered into a soul-like form and drifted away—still cloaked in that same ragged hood.

...

Back on Earth.

After breakfast, Lorien wiped his mouth with a napkin, leaned back in his chair, and flicked on the TV to watch the news.

As for why he hadn’t killed Red Skull?

What kind of idiot goes around killing villains for no reason?

Red Skull had no grudge against him, posed no further threat to Earth—why would he waste the effort "saving the world"?

Besides, Hydra was never truly Hydra to begin with.

The so-called Hydra in the cosmos wasn’t even called Hydra. It was an evil civilization of octopus-headed beings. One of them had been stranded on Earth, and that one had founded Hydra in an attempt to dominate Earth and eventually return home.

But when he died, the plan changed.

Hydra became nothing more than a man-made organization, no longer a collective will.

That was all there was to it.

And none of it had anything to do with Lorien.

He stretched lazily in his chair, exhaled with satisfaction, and muttered,

"Couldn’t care less."

Beep-beep~~

Just then, his phone rang.

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Before he could get up to grab it from the table, Bella stepped over, picked it up, and handed it to him.

Lorien glanced at the screen. Caller ID: Natasha.

Well now. Free enough to check in on me?

He answered.

"Hello."

Natasha’s voice came sharp and serious.

"Lorien, did something dangerous happen beyond Earth last night?"

"Uh... did you see something, or hear about it?"

Natasha: "We compiled the reports. Last night, Thor, Loki, and Vision said they saw it, but others didn’t."

"They claimed there was a massive head outside Earth... but nobody else noticed."

Ohhh...

So the Celestials only blocked the weak ones.

Those with divine power—Loki, Thor, Vision—they could see.

Ordinary people without powers? Completely blind.

Lorien nodded.

"Yeah, that happened. Just have someone log it down. Don’t worry about the rest, it’s already resolved."

Natasha: "...? You already handled it? That fast?"

Fast?

"I told you before. When I move fast, I’m lightning. When I slow down... you couldn’t stop me if you tried."

Natasha chuckled lightly.

"Alright, my mistake. I forgot. Since I didn’t experience it myself last night, maybe I didn’t commit it to memory."

This woman... really asking for it.

Lorien’s tone dropped cold through the phone.

"Better not hope you ever get the chance to ’experience’ it."

Natasha: "That depends on what missions come up later. Anyway, I need to file my report. Talk later. Bye."

"Bye."

He hung up and tossed the phone onto the table.

Damn it.

If he’d known she’d never get another chance, he should’ve seized the opportunity on that cruise ship last time.

Hell, the bathroom suggestion would’ve worked fine too.

Forget it. Too late now.

But if fate hands him another opening?

She won’t know her left leg from her right.

...

By noon, Devourer Girl had once again been invited over by Hela for gaming.

Before heading upstairs, she stopped by to greet Lorien.

"Lorien, I’m back again~"

"Go on up. Hela’s waiting."

He watched her go upstairs without a care.

Cough, cough. The more girls in the house, the better, right?

But not long after Devourer Girl left, the door knocked again.

Knock knock~~

"Come in~"

The door opened—and in walked two figures.

One, unmistakably a founding Avenger.

The other... well, not technically—but he’d been beaten down by every founding Avenger, so close enough.

Thor and Loki.

Thor stepped inside first, looking more nervous than his usual self.

He rubbed his beard awkwardly and greeted him.

"Uh... hello, Dr. Lorien."

...

(50 Chapters Ahead)

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