"Check in."
[Check-in successful!]
[Obtained: Complete SpongeBob SquarePants comic set]
"..."
Seriously? Last ti, he barely got through a bit of Crayon Shin-chan. Now it’s SpongeBob again. How’s he supposed to finish all this?
Forget it. He could just take his ti with it. If he ever ended up in prison, it’d be sothing to pass the ti.
Next... he stepped out of the building behind him.
Wanda visibly tensed, then pulled up her hood.
Lorien glanced back. Since he hadn’t driven yet, he decided to take her to the underground garage and get in the Ferrari.
Once the windows were closed, no one outside could see in—though they could still see out.
"Thanks. Your car’s beautiful."
After sliding into the seat, Wanda took off her hood, just as he’d expected.
Lorien t her gaze with a smile.
"No need to thank . I just like red."
Red. Scarlet Witch. That crimson energy.
Wanda caught the hint, and her mood lifted instantly. It felt like all her earlier negativity had simply dissolved away.
But then... she noticed the stares the Ferrari was attracting.
The car was far too eye-catching—a blazing red supercar, phoenix-like paint, and that deep, growling roar. All of it drew attention.
If she got out later and soone snapped a photo that ended up online... wouldn’t that be a disaster?
Sensing her unease through the Phoenix Force, Lorien kept one hand on the wheel, eyes forward, and said,
"Don’t worry.
We’re heading to a coffee and dessert place.
It’s tucked away, not many people, no one taking pictures. Quiet, with a great atmosphere.
That’s why I like it there."
Hearing that, Wanda relaxed.
"That’s good."
She turned her head, studying his profile. What she hadn’t expected was how attentive, understanding, and considerate he was.
From the mont she’d stepped inside, Lorien had seed to know when sothing was bothering her. It had been like that before. It was still like that now.
How to put it? Being with Lorien just felt... happy. Comfortable.
And so, Lorien drove his Ferrari toward a charming little coffee-and-dessert shop, Scarlet Witch in the passenger seat.
As the Ferrari disappeared down the road, a lone figure in the crowd stopped walking, then spoke quietly into his earpiece.
"Tony, I need you to give the destination address of that Ferrari."
Inside Stark Tower, Tony stared at the surveillance feed Friday had pulled up, completely baffled.
"Natasha, I’m the one who introduced Wanda to the psychologist. Now you’re out here watching her—if she finds out, what’s she going to think of ? And who’s going to explain it to her?"
In truth, he just couldn’t understand what Natasha was doing.
"No, Tony, I’m not spying. I’m observing."
Out on the street, Natasha moved to the curb, heading toward the location Tony had given her as she spoke.
"Wanda’s ntal state hasn’t been great lately. I’ve been trained as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent—I know this is when she’s most vulnerable to manipulation. And the person she’s seeing is a psychologist. Not just any psychologist, but one of the best. After discussing it over the past few days, we decided I should observe her situation."
Back in Stark Tower, Tony watched Natasha’s location shift across the display. Shaking his head with a helpless sigh, he said,
"Do whatever you want, but if you get caught, leave out of it."
With that, the call ended.
Still, despite what he’d said, Tony couldn’t resist giving Friday an order.
"Friday, run an analysis on this man."
"Yes, sir."
He wasn’t looking for much—just to see if Lorien Su had ever done anything shady.
Friday quickly ran through Lorien’s activity history, cross-checking for any criminal record. Within seconds, her cool, precise voice ca through.
"Sir, the target has no criminal record. Among his friends is Dr. Bruce Banner."
"What?!"
Tony’s head snapped up from where he’d been looking down. His gaze shot to the hovering display.
"Show the data you’ve collected."
He hadn’t expected this. The man he’d casually introduced to Wanda actually knew Banner?
Banner was important to him—soone he genuinely worried about. Vision might have been one of Tony’s failures, but through all of it, Banner had been there, helping him. Tony owed him for that. Which made Banner’s current disappearance even more troubling.
"Sir, Dr. Banner t Mr. Lorien Su roughly a year ago. According to past records, Dr. Banner sought psychological help from him on multiple occasions. After receiving that help, Dr. Banner was able to gradually calm himself even after transforming, and would then pose for a photo with Mr. Lorien Su."
"It is therefore highly likely that Dr. Banner’s usual composure is thanks to Mr. Lorien Su. The two also share a close friendship."
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