CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 031: WANDA’S FURY! IRON MAN STRIKES AGAIN!

Amidst the surprised cries of the crowd, Gwen vaulted onto the bridge’s main beam!

Just as a car was about to plummet, she stood at the top, firing webs downward from both hands.

"Pssh~"

Two strands of web shot out, latching onto the falling vehicle. Gwen gave a strong pull, then secured the rear webs around the bridge. Sliding down along the strands, she reached the car’s front, grabbed the door with one hand, and extended the other toward the little girl inside.

"Give me your hand. I’ll get you out."

The girl hesitated, fear in her eyes as she glanced at the chaotic surroundings. Only after hearing Gwen’s reassuring voice did she slowly reach toward her.

Once they were close enough, Gwen didn’t waste another second—she grabbed the girl by the back of her clothes, hauled her out, and with a firm push of her legs, leapt back onto the bridge.

"Clap~"

Placing the dazed girl on the ground, Gwen brushed off her hands.

"Go find your mom."

"Sis, I’m going to help!"

Pssh~

Without another word, Gwen fired another web to the bridge and swung away toward Lorien and Scarlet Witch, leaving the girl standing there in stunned confusion.

What just happened? Someone grabbed me from behind, and suddenly I was on the bridge...? Where’s Mom? Where did she go?

...

Meanwhile, after Gwen rushed to save the car, Wanda turned to The Lizard, extending her hand as she muttered,

"If you damage this bridge, I’ll turn you into pulp."

Lorien: ...

Wait, what? This isn’t the Wanda I know.

Her voice—mature, alluring, yet laced with menace—caught him off guard.

Today’s Wanda... was fierce.

She was nothing like the woman he’d consoled the other day. In dealing with threats, she seemed like an entirely different person.

Then—

"Buzz~!"

Scarlet energy gathered in the air.

"Roar!!!"

Sensing danger, The Lizard roared, grabbed a massive chunk of stone, and hurled it at her. The rock cut a wide arc through the air, but Wanda’s face didn’t so much as twitch.

She raised her left hand and clenched her fist.

The half-meter-wide boulder froze in midair.

Glancing at the stone, then back at the Lizard, Wanda’s tone was cool and cutting.

"Try your own attack."

With a flick of her wrist, the rock shot back toward its sender—faster than it had come.

Realizing there was no time to dodge, The Lizard crossed its arms over its chest.

"Bang!!!"

The heavy thud of stone against flesh rang out.

Whoosh~

The Lizard was blasted backward, smashing into a wall hard enough to leave an imprint.

"Oh~" Lorien couldn’t help feeling a thrill—it was like watching an action movie in first person. Actually, it was first person. He was standing right next to Scarlet Witch!

"Good," he said, giving Wanda a thumbs-up.

"Hmph!" She let out a short, disdainful snort—not aimed at Lorien, but at the Lizard.

Under her breath, barely audible, she muttered,

"Dare to ruin my Ferris wheel date with Lorien... you deserve to die."

Lorien: ???

Yeah, he heard that.

At his level—Sky Father and edging into Universal—he could easily catch even that whisper.

Wanda noticed his raised eyebrow and blinked.

"What is it, Lorien?"

"Nothing." He exhaled and gestured toward the Lizard. "Keep going."

Just then—

"Ladies and gentlemen, anything Iron Man can help with?"

A familiar, cocky voice rang out.

Tony arrived in one of his suits—Mark 45, if Lorien remembered right, the one with Friday installed. Back then, Tony was still working on nanotech, so he didn’t yet have the Mark 46 that could launch from a plane and assemble on him.

"Bang~"

Mark 45 landed with a heavy thud. Tony scanned the crowd, then glanced at Wanda, Lorien, The Lizard, and Gwen approaching in the distance.

Looking back at Lorien, he asked,

"All taken care of?"

"You’re late. It’s basically done." Lorien crossed his arms, a hint of suspicion in his tone.

"You’re not here to steal the credit, are you?"

Tony opened his mouth to explain, but Lorien smirked.

"Kidding. You’re not even here in person, so you’re probably just investigating."

"Huh?" Wanda frowned. "Tony’s not here?"

Snap~

The Mark 45’s faceplate lifted—empty inside. But Tony’s voice and trademark hand gestures still came from the suit.

"See? You’re at least ten times smarter than Captain America."

"I’m still at my villa in Los Angeles. Even from sub-orbit, it’d take me over ten minutes to get here."

"So once I got the alert, I just remote-piloted one of the suits from Stark Tower."

"And that’s the ’me’ you’re looking at now."