CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 052: THAT’S RIGHT, THE TRANSFORMERS IS MINE!

Before Lorien could answer, Wanda snapped.

"Natasha!"

Her anger was simple to understand. She had never asked about it herself because she wanted their current life to continue undisturbed. But the moment Natasha brought it up, she risked shattering that fragile normalcy.

Whether the answer was yes or no, it would still cause trouble. If it wasn’t his, Lorien would be dragged into something unnecessary. If it was... things could get far more complicated.

So the instant Natasha asked, Wanda’s temper flared.

"It’s fine, Wanda."

Lorien, unconcerned, reached over and patted her hand. The gesture quickly calmed her, though she now looked at Natasha with a trace of hostility.

Lorien then turned to Natasha and nodded.

"That’s right. It’s mine."

Natasha: !!!

Wanda: !!!

Under their simultaneous stares, Lorien took a sip of coffee and spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What’s mine is mine. What’s not mine isn’t. There’s nothing worth hiding."

That simple statement earned Natasha’s respect and made Wanda’s eyes sparkle.

In a way, Lorien was a bit like Tony—decisive, unafraid to take responsibility. Personality-wise, however, they were nothing alike. It was only in certain moments that they shared a resemblance.

After confirming the Transformers was indeed Lorien’s, Natasha fell silent in thought before finally asking,

"That thing... is there anything you can tell me? I need to gather as much information as possible to complete my mission. But you only need to tell me what you can—no interference either way."

Then she added,

"The Avengers’ internal situation is a mess right now, so whatever the Transformers is to you, I promise I won’t report it to them."

Wanda’s expression toward her softened at that. Natasha’s meaning was clear: she would try not to disrupt their lives.

Hearing her assurance, Lorien gave a satisfied nod. Sensible people were always easier to deal with.

Had she instead walked in demanding he hand over the Transformers, or insisted on every scrap of information he had, the result would have been the same—he’d crush a pest without hesitation.

"There’s not much I can say, really."

Lorien thought about the actual technical value of the Transformers. Taking out the Allspark and putting it back in—did that even count as impressive? In the end, all he could do was give a simple introduction.

"Anyway, it really is called Transformers. I named it Jetfire. And it’s not a robot—it’s alive. It has a soul, a mind of its own."

"Also, it’s not a product of technology, but of alien power. Those are two completely different concepts. Even if Tony were to study it, the results would lead down a path entirely different from Earth’s technological development."

As Lorien spoke, Natasha jotted down notes. When he finished, she finally processed the weight of what she’d heard.

"That’s... incredible."

Seeing he had nothing more to add, Natasha put away her notes, thought for a moment, and then said,

"One last question—just curiosity on my part. I won’t tell anyone."

Lorien nodded. "Go ahead."

"Can it be replicated?" Natasha asked seriously.

It was a sharp question. A large part of the Avengers’ current troubles could be traced back to Ultron’s creation. Tony had wanted to build an Iron Legion to protect Earth, and in doing so, used the Mind Stone to create a super-intelligent soul capable of controlling it. Without that, Jarvis might have been able to handle dozens of Mark Armors, but tens of thousands? Impossible. That gap had ultimately led to the disaster of Age of Ultron.

Natasha’s question went straight to the heart of the matter. Wanda didn’t know the significance of it—otherwise, she might have already been ready to kill again.

But Lorien actually welcomed the question. When a mountain isn’t high enough, people will always try to climb it. Only when it’s so tall the peak can’t be seen will people give up on their ambitions.

Leaning back in his chair, setting down his coffee, Lorien smiled at her.

"As long as I want, it can be endless."

Natasha fell silent. The idea of an inexhaustible supply of Transformers...

In other words, if Earth only had mortals, Lorien could unify it at will. And even if there were superheroes, she couldn’t be sure they’d be enough to stop him.

"I understand."

She nodded, ending the conversation, but still added,

"Tony will probably find you soon, Lorien. There aren’t many red cars in New York, even fewer supercars. Even if all the cameras were blocked last night, his satellites can piece things together step by step."

At that, Wanda glanced at Lorien, worry flickering in her eyes. She wanted to know how he’d handle it. If he couldn’t... well, Tony was only human, and she—

But Lorien just shrugged.

"It’s only a matter of time. I don’t mind people knowing about me. What I hate is when they try to make me do things I don’t want to... or disrupt my life."

The moment he said that, Wanda took his hand. He turned to find her gazing at him warmly, her fingers gently rubbing his palm, nodding as if to say, We think alike.

By now, Natasha understood everything. It was time to leave them to their own moment. She stood, paid the bill without a word, and walked out.

Lorien pulled out his phone, tapped a few buttons, and said,

"It’s fine. I’ll have Jetfire come over."