CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: S.W.O.R.D. RESPONDS! BETTER EARLY THAN LATE!

Looking at the intel, Abigail could hardly believe it.

Her temper was fiery, and her chest rose and fell sharply with each breath.

Not from anger—just from how stirred up she was.

The information was simply too shocking!

Thanos’ legion was completely annihilated.

Black Dwarf was gone.

And a new civilization had appeared—the Transformers.

These three pieces of news spread across the universe like a virus!

As if anyone who didn’t know about it was already falling behind!

But wasn’t the content far too unbelievable?

What had been everyone’s impression of Thanos until now?

His army had never known defeat!

The Black Order slaughtered everything in their path!

Thanos himself had never lost!

But now—

Thanos routed.

His army wiped out.

His generals dead.

This was earth-shattering news!

Still, regardless of the shock, since it was confirmed true, SWORD had to prepare for it.

"Agent."

Abigail summoned a liaison officer and gave her command.

"Have the intelligence department reach out to our agents across space to verify this information and gather every detail about the battle on Xandar."

"Yes, Director." The agent acknowledged and immediately went to carry out the order.

Given the gravity of the situation, Abigail paused a moment, then decided to contact Carol—Captain Marvel.

Only she could.

"Captain Marvel, please determine the nature and primary purpose of the Transformers civilization, and whether they pose a future threat to Earth."

After sending the message, Abigail put away her communicator.

Captain Marvel could fly faster than light. Her speed in space was unmatched by any agent.

What was perhaps more surprising, though, was that Nick Fury only had a pager, while the Director of SWORD had a communicator.

Then again, Captain Marvel was technically half a member of SWORD. That was internal knowledge.

As for the man in the suit and tie, Hayward—he was merely acting director.

The true director of SWORD was Abigail.

Only those with extraordinary abilities could hold such a position.

The key reason was Abigail’s own remarkable gifts.

Although not fully human, she was raised on Earth.

And her unique tongue structure allowed her to speak alien languages no human could.

That made her the only Earthling capable of communicating naturally with extraterrestrials.

It was also one of the reasons she became SWORD’s director.

Back when the Kree and Skrulls came to Earth, alongside Carol, she had been crucial in enabling communication.

...

The scene shifted back to the Northern Building.

After finishing the dinner Wanda had made, Lorien went to sit on a rocking chair inside the Little Universe, enjoying the evening breeze.

"Clack, clack."

At that moment, Wanda returned, having tidied up the kitchen with her magic.

She was about to stretch out on the chair beside Lorien, but he beckoned her over—then opened his arms.

The message was clear: lie down in my arms.

Wanda smiled and walked over.

But before settling in, she gave a warning.

"No touching, okay?"

"No touching," Lorien nodded, promising.

"Alright then."

The next moment, Wanda climbed onto him and lay in his embrace.

The rocking chair wasn’t large.

With both of them squeezed together, they naturally overlapped a little.

So Lorien wrapped his arms around her, letting half her body rest on top of his.

Once Wanda lay down, her soft, full body pressed against him completely.

Lorien held her close as they enjoyed the breeze and gazed at the stars.

Wanda rested her head on his chest.

It fit perfectly.

They spoke no words, simply savoring the quiet.

But after a while, Lorien lowered his head and whispered.

"Kiss me."

Wanda lifted her head.

"Mwah?"

"Yes, mwah~"

As soon as Lorien spoke, Wanda leaned in and kissed him.

He smiled and pulled her a little closer.

Wanda trembled, clutching his head tightly.

"You promised you wouldn’t touch me, liar..."

Lorien chuckled, his voice rumbling against her chest.

"I didn’t touch you—I just moved the place we’re eating with."

"...You’re terrible. Every single day."

...

The next day.

Lorien woke up in his bedroom with its large, luxurious windows.

Normally, he would have gotten up to wash up like usual. But today was Sunday. Gwen should be off taking her exam. And he didn’t have work either. So why bother getting up?

Might as well stay in bed a little longer.

He held Wanda, still sound asleep, in one arm while picking up his phone with the other. The first message was from Gwen.

[Gwen: Lorien, I’m heading to my exam! Don’t worry about me, but make sure to pick me up afterward. I want to jump into your arms in front of my classmates!]

So aggressive? She’s even planning it in front of her classmates?

Guess he’d have to put on a good act, huh?

Ahem.

Still, there wasn’t much to show off about in front of a bunch of middle schoolers. Just act normal.

Though he should at least take it seriously.

So he replied:

[Lorien: See you at the gate.]

He’d already decided on Gwen’s graduation gift. He’d just grab it on the way out.

After replying to Gwen, Lorien scrolled through Twitter for news and entertainment.

"Monsters have been appearing worldwide, causing numerous deaths. Apart from Scarlet Witch and Spider-Woman, very few have been able to eliminate them."

"Iron Man has been in hiding for a long time—most citizens say they want him back!"

"Scarlet Witch has also disappeared. Where did she go? We need you!"

Tch.

When nothing’s happening, people complain superheroes cause too much damage, meddle too much, are too free, too unchecked. But when trouble hits, they cry for them to return, asking why so-and-so isn’t around.

Lorien kept scrolling through the news, reading the comments. He had just one word: pathetic.

Where were they before? Back when Sokovia was voting, people practically acted as if superheroes had killed their parents. Most of them just follow the crowd anyway. Wherever the wind blows, they sway.

Everyone shouted about tearing superheroes down, so he shouted along for nothing better to do. As if they didn’t know heroes were a double-edged sword. Perfect protection doesn’t exist. But no protection is worse. That much Lorien believed.

The powerful always go against nature. And humans are part of nature.

That’s why Lorien didn’t care about the world’s affairs, only stepping in at the very last moment. In short, he couldn’t care less.

After finishing his scroll, Lorien tossed the phone aside, turned, and buried his face in Wanda’s chest.

This was better.

Superheroes saving the world? What’s the point?

Does it bring joy?

Happiness?

Fun?

More often than not, it only leads to scolding or death. Better to bury his face in Wanda and enjoy the sweet suffocation. That’s real happiness.

Before long, his breath tickled Wanda, making her stir. She pushed his face away, mumbling in a sleepy slur.

"Itchy..."

Lorien pulled back, then rolled her onto her stomach, slipping a pillow beneath her lower abdomen.

Sensing his intent, Wanda suddenly reacted even in her daze.

"No!"

But the next moment, her eyes rolled back.

...

By eight in the morning, Lorien had finished his exercises and washed up. Afterward, he went down to the beach for a run.

As the saying goes, balance work and rest. Morning practice beats evening practice. So mornings were for extra training. Once at home. Once outside. Perfect.

So Lorien ran along the beach, circling nearly all of Manhattan at an easy pace. He jogged deliberately slow, so by the time he finished, it was nearly noon.

During that time, Gwen had finished her morning exam. She messaged him:

[Gwen: I was in great shape this morning, should be no problem. Afternoon exam, here I come~]

[Lorien: Keep it up. Don’t forget what we talked about on the boat that day.]

[Gwen: (blushing emoji) I... I don’t remember. You were going so deep and holding me down... I couldn’t hear clearly...]

[Lorien: Then I’ll tell you again another day. You’ll have all the time you want once exams are over.]

[Gwen: Pfft! You trying to kill me? No way. Even as Spider-Gwen, I couldn’t handle that.]

[Lorien: Wanda manages it every day. You can’t? Forget it then, I’ll just stick with Wanda.]

[Gwen: No way! If she can, then I definitely can too! We’ll try after my exam! Hmph!]

[Lorien: Focus on your exam. Good luck.]

After sending the reply, a knowing smile spread across Lorien’s face. His plan was coming together.

People always had their weaknesses.

Wanda’s was Lorien’s tenderness and affection. As long as he became "New York’s most devoted man" in front of her and whispered a few gentle words, she’d do whatever he said.

Gwen, on the other hand, was harder to pin down. Her reactions shifted a lot, depending on the mood. But as long as Lorien kept her entertained, she accepted anything.

When he got home, Wanda was already awake. He could hear the water running in the bathroom.

As he passed by, Wanda called out in surprise.

"Bye! I won’t be able to pick up Gwen this afternoon!"

It was obvious—Wanda was scared. But Lorien really was just passing by.

"I’m going to the wine room... Wanda."

"Really? Don’t lie to me. I’ll be right out to cook dinner."

Her voice was timid, clearly still shaken after being pushed too hard that morning. And yes, he had been a little rough.

Lorien went into the wine room and chose a bottle of low-alcohol liqueur, the kind usually saved for after meals. On his way back, he couldn’t help but recall what he had done that morning.

It had been the deepest move. Wanda had clutched the sheets with both hands, trembling all over.

...

Without waiting for Wanda to cook, Lorien decided to do it himself. Seeing how exhausted she was, he figured he’d prepare the meal early so she could come out, rest, and eat right away.

Before long, he carried the dishes to the table, opened the liqueur, and poured himself a glass.

Hela, busy with her game, suddenly perked up.

"Ohhh~~"

Her eyes lit up.

"Lorien cooked today!"

Without hesitation, she paused the game and ran straight to the table.

Lorien froze for a moment when he saw her.

"You can smell that? Are you a dog?"

"Hmph!" Hela put her hands on her little waist. "My nose is way better than a dog’s!"

"Alright then, you’re better than a beast."

Lorien nodded, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

At first, Hela thought he was complimenting her. Proudly, she pulled out a chair for herself and hopped onto it. Then it clicked.

"No, you’re the beast!"

"Ah, you’re right."

"..."

Hela opened her mouth but had no comeback.

...

Wanda came out of the bedroom in fresh clothes. She was stunned when she saw the table.

"You made all this?"

"Of course." Lorien lifted his glass. "You’re exhausted. Today’s meal is my treat to you."

Wanda rolled her eyes.

"Then treat me less in the future—or hurry up and let Gwen come help."

Hearing that, Lorien’s heart leapt.

The progress bar went up again! Not bad, not bad, worth celebrating!

...

After they finished eating, Hela washed the dishes in the kitchen before returning to her game.

Lorien glanced at her.

"I’m going to pick up Gwen from school later. Are you coming, Hela?"

"Yes." Hela answered immediately, but after a moment’s thought, she asked, "Then are we going to see the big guy tonight?"

The big guy was Godzilla. Hela was obsessed with him lately.

"We just watched yesterday. No need to go again—let the little guy develop properly."

"Ah... fine."

Hearing that, Hela flopped onto the floor in disappointment, not moving an inch.

But soon she perked up with another idea.

"Then can we go see Cybertron? Last time was... well, last time!"

Lorien: ...

The last time you said nonsense was also "last time."

Still, it had indeed been a while since they last visited Cybertron. That was back when he had taken the three girls, right after the Transformers had captured Knowhere.

They had even brought back The Collector, who Lorien had talked into helping the Transformers civilization without asking for anything in return, just to record Cybertron’s growth and the progress of their civilization.

Yes, it had been a long time.

So Lorien looked toward Wanda, who was tending the flower field inside the Little Universe.

"What about you, Wanda? After picking up Gwen this afternoon, want to check out Cybertron?"

"Sure." Wanda nodded. "Let’s see what Gwen wants. She’s the one who just finished her exams."

"She’ll definitely want to go. No question."

Gwen was even studying subjects like the Transformers. She was probably this universe’s number-one Transformers fan.

"Then it’s settled."

...

By 5:45 p.m., Lorien decided it was time. He called Hela and Wanda to get ready.

"Change your shoes, we’re going to pick up Gwen."

"Okay~."

As the two went to change, Lorien stepped into the Little Universe and plucked three fresh roses. With a subtle use of his ability, a red glow flashed over one rose.

Golden words appeared on its stem:

[From Lorien Su to Gwen Stacy on her high school graduation]

Anyone looking at the rose would see the words shimmering alongside it.

Satisfied, Lorien held it in his hand and walked to the door.

When Wanda saw the flower, she gasped, her eyes filled with a faint envy. It wasn’t jealousy—just the simple truth that every girl in love wished to receive such a rose.

Lorien smiled at her, then turned his other hand. Another rose appeared, its stem inscribed:

[Eternal Crystal Rose from Lorien Su to Wanda Maximoff]

"Mmm~~!"

The instant Wanda saw it, she covered her mouth in delight. Her eyes sparkled like stars, brimming with love as she gazed at Lorien.

Hela jumped up.

"Then I..."

"You too."

After giving Wanda her rose, Lorien flipped his hand again and produced Hela’s.

"Woohoo!"

Hela grabbed it, bouncing with joy.

Watching their excited faces, Lorien couldn’t help but smile himself.

Hmph—too easy.

...

(50 Chapters Ahead)

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