Chapter 82: The Civil War Was Forced To End

Chapter 82: The Civil War Was Forced To End

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"Lorien, you're so kind to me," Wanda said, her voice soft.

Lorien stroked her hair, agreeing without hesitation. "I know."

"I love you."

"I know."

For a moment, Wanda lifted her head, leaned close to Lorien's ear, whispered something, then quickly buried her face back in his chest. A smile tugged at the corners of Lorien's mouth—so wide it could almost be described as a grin worthy of Venom.

What Wanda had whispered was: "Wait for me tonight."

Immediately afterward, Wanda continued the conversation, still holding Lorien close. "Lorien, I really want to choose the second option, so I can be with you every day."

Lorien gently patted her head. "I understand."

"But I know I have to choose the first one, not even the third," Wanda continued. "Gwen's feelings for you are probably ahead of mine right now, and I need to surpass her. I need to become stronger—I can't let my abilities go to waste. Only then can we be together forever."

Lorien nodded in agreement. "You're right. When two people are together, they should strive to become better, not drag each other down."

To encourage her, Lorien gently pinched her ear. "You can do it."

"Yeah~"

As soon as Lorien pinched her ear, Wanda's body went limp. He quickly let go, and Wanda stood upright again.

Slap~!

Wanda lightly slapped Lorien's arm, her face turning a shade of pink. "My ears are so sensitive... don't pinch them in public..."

"Oh~~~," Lorien said, realization dawning on him. He couldn't resist teasing her. "Got it. I'll pinch them when we get home tonight."

Snap~

Wanda lightly slapped him again, her face even redder. "Stop it!"

Lorien raised his chin, resting it on Wanda's head. "Go ahead, hit me now as much as you want, because tonight, I'll return the favor."

Hearing this, Wanda quickly lowered her hand. She didn't dare hit him again, knowing that if she did, she'd face the consequences later.

"Bang~!"

At that moment, a figure flew past them, crashing into the ground nearby. Lorien and Wanda turned to look.

"Well, if it isn't the Winter Soldier," Lorien remarked.

"Who hit him?" Wanda asked.

Lorien glanced around. "Looks like it was Gwen."

At that moment, Gwen swung over, using her web to land beside Lorien. She wrapped her arm around his, asking, "What were you two talking about?"

Wanda immediately hugged Lorien's other arm, glaring at Gwen. "Nothing that concerns you."

Gwen snorted, knowing better than to start an argument. She knew it would only upset Lorien, and she didn't want that. Besides, Lorien was gentle and understanding, always aware of the feelings of those around him. She knew as long as she behaved, Lorien would make sure she wasn't left out.

So, Gwen decided not to argue. Instead, she silently clung to Lorien's arm, accepting that she might be at a slight disadvantage but knowing it was better than causing trouble.

Wanda, noticing Gwen's change in attitude, looked up at Lorien and quickly understood her intentions. "Smart girl," Wanda thought to herself. She decided not to cause a fuss either and obediently held onto Lorien's other arm.

Seeing both women clinging to him without bickering, Lorien couldn't help but feel pleased. "This is perfect," he thought. "What a great day!"

His smile grew as he enjoyed the moment, feeling utterly content with both women holding onto him.

"Hiss... Uh..." A pained hissing sound interrupted their moment. The three of them turned to see the Winter Soldier struggling to get up, finally managing to sit and catch his breath.

Gwen looked a bit embarrassed. "I think I might've hit him a bit too hard..."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Winter Soldier said, waving his hand with a strained smile. "You didn't kill me, so I'm already thankful."

With Gwen's current strength, it was easy for her to overpower him, but she had held back, making sure not to seriously injure him. Otherwise, one well-placed blow would have put him out of commission for months.

"Bang~~~!"

The sound of fierce fighting continued in the distance. Ant-Man had grown larger, battling War Machine, while Natasha Romanoff was engaged in combat with Hawkeye. Tony was locked in a heated duel with Captain America. However, no one was fighting at full strength, aware that a single fatal mistake could be disastrous, even if it was unlikely.

Gradually, as Lorien, Gwen, and Wanda watched, the intensity of the battle grew. Captain America's side was beginning to falter. Winter Soldier was the first to be knocked out by Gwen, followed by Ant-Man. Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye were evenly matched, their fight almost a stalemate. After War Machine defeated Ant-Man, he joined Tony in the air to fight Falcon.

Then, in a critical moment, Vision misfired, hitting War Machine's energy source. Rhodes plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground. The impact was so severe that everyone immediately stopped fighting.

Captain America, Natasha, and Hawkeye all paused, stunned. Tony quickly landed, rushing to Rhodes' side and opening his mask to check on him. He saw blood trickling from the corners of Rhodes' mouth and nose.

"Is he going to be okay?" Wanda asked, concerned.

"He'll be fine," Lorien assured her, wishing he could pull his hands free to pat her head. "Tony's armor protected him, but it'll take him a few months to fully recover."

"That's a relief," Wanda said, relaxing a bit. Everyone else also seemed relieved—after all, they were colleagues, and no one wanted to see a teammate seriously hurt.

With War Machine down, the team battle came to a halt. Captain America checked the time, then shook his head at his teammates. "It's too late."

Winter Soldier, still limping slightly, walked over to Captain America. "We can still try."

Captain America considered it for a moment, looking at Rhodes and then at Lorien, who was standing by calmly. Finally, he nodded. "Let's go."

Tony was still focused on Rhodes, calling for emergency assistance. He barely acknowledged Captain America, too preoccupied with his friend's condition. At this point, the outcome of the battle no longer mattered to him. He'd fought hard, but it had come at a cost.

Lorien, seeing this, appeared beside Tony in a flash.

Tony glanced up at him, a mix of gratitude and resignation on his face. "Thanks, Lorien. I know you're trying to keep us from completely falling apart, even as an outsider. I'll remember your help."

Lorien stood behind Tony, resisting the urge to correct him. What Tony said was only partially true. But seeing Tony so serious, Lorien just smiled and said, "You're welcome."