Chapter 81: Gwen Slaps Winter Soldier!

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Everyone was captivated by the dramatic scene unfolding before them.

Natasha Romanoff and War Machine were dumbfounded.

"Psst!"

At the same time, Tony and War Machine both laughed.

"So, they're running a race now?" War Machine landed, opened his mask, and grinned at Tony. "What do you think, Tony? What are they doing?"

"I have no idea," Tony replied, opening his mask and shrugging. "They just keep running in front of us. They were saying something about time being short, so we shouldn't stop them if we're sensible. But I don't know why they're running laps here."

"Maybe it's a warm-up exercise?"

Tony and Rhodes exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

Even Natasha, usually so composed, couldn't help but crack a smile. The corners of her mouth betrayed her amusement.

Hearing the laughter, Captain America and his team finally stopped running, panting heavily to catch their breath.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."

Falcon and Winter Soldier were only slightly winded, but Ant-Man collapsed to his knees.

"Cough... I can't breathe, guys!"

He knelt there, nearly coughing up his lungs.

Captain America, slightly out of breath, glanced at Ant-Man, then at Tony and the others. Finally, he turned to Lorien and said, "What do you want?"

"Just being fair," Lorien replied calmly. "You fight normally. Whoever wins gets to decide."

Captain America shot Lorien an unfriendly glare, but Lorien remained unfazed, meeting his gaze steadily.

"Or," Lorien continued, "do you want to run all day?"

That remark was the final straw for Tony, who could no longer hold back his laughter. Captain America was known for saying, "I could do this all day." Here, Lorien's twist on the phrase was nothing short of a taunt.

Captain America exchanged glances with his team, then with a determined click, he unstrapped his shield and held it firmly in his hand. Finally, he nodded toward Lorien and said, "Alright, tell your people to step down and fight."

Now that Captain America had agreed, Tony and his group all turned to Lorien, waiting for his response.

Lorien gently patted Gwen on the shoulder and spoke softly, "Go ahead. Pick your target—the one with the metal arm—and hit him with your left hand."

As soon as Lorien said this, both War Machine and Tony quickly donned their visors, while Natasha raised her hand, ready for action.

Gwen shot a web and flipped through the air, calling out as she did, "The one with the silver arm—let's fight."

Her challenge was like a signal for the battle to begin.

"Ha!" Captain America yelled, charging toward Tony with his shield raised.

Tony raised his energy cannon, shouting Captain America's name as he engaged.

Almost instantly, the former teammates—superheroes—were locked in combat.

"Tsk," Lorien muttered, shaking his head in mild exasperation. "This is what happens with a team."

"If it's well-coordinated, things go smoothly; if not, everything falls apart."

Wanda, one of the newer Avengers members, nodded in agreement. "Superheroes amplify whatever's on their minds. Everyone has their own personal motivations. Only a shared goal and mutual interests can keep them together. But once opinions differ..." Wanda trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air. "That's when the conflict begins."

Lorien nodded, then turned his attention to Gwen, who was busy pummeling Winter Soldier.

With the power of 12 spells, Gwen had the strength of the Bull Charm, allowing her to kick Winter Soldier dozens of meters away. Using the Rabbit Charm, she moved so fast that Winter Soldier could only see afterimages before being kicked or punched again.

And this was Gwen holding back, not using her more powerful spells like the Pig or Dragon Charms, which could easily defeat Winter Soldier. As formidable as he was, Winter Soldier was no match for the superhuman abilities at Gwen's disposal.

Wanda wasn't involved in the fight, mainly because, even without formal training as a magician, she could easily overpower anyone in the battle with her raw power. Lorien didn't see the need for her to step in.

The scene was vastly different from the usual skirmishes.

Lorien sighed, glancing around the battlefield, but then he noticed something odd.

"Wanda, where's Hela?"

"Huh?" Wanda blinked and looked around. Indeed, there was no sign of Hela. "You're right, where is she? She got off Tony's private jet with us."

Lorien's expression turned grim. "This Hela knows what she's doing. That crazy woman!" He gritted his teeth in frustration. "I really want to crush her!"

Wanda looked at Lorien with concern. "Is there a problem with Hela?"

"Not exactly," Lorien sighed again, more resigned this time. "This woman is a lunatic. She's been pestering me to help her reclaim the throne of Asgard. I'm not interested, but she keeps pushing."

"I left her at the Avengers' base last night, hoping they'd give her a hard time, but instead, you guys became friends."

Wanda was taken aback. "No wonder she kept asking about you last night, Lorien! I knew something was off with her. The way she talked... it was strange!"

From the moment Hela had entered the base, Wanda had felt something wasn't right. Her instincts told her to be cautious around Hela, but she hadn't expected the real issue to be this big—trying to steal Lorien from her.

"That Hela!" Wanda huffed, her anger palpable. "When I see her, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!"

Lorien considered the potential outcomes of a fight between Wanda and Hela. At this point, Wanda might not be able to defeat Hela because of the Nightsword, but if Wanda trained at Kamar-Taj, she could easily surpass her.

But that was a matter for another time. For now, Lorien wrapped his arm around Wanda's waist and gently patted her.

"The Avengers are still dealing with internal conflicts," he said. "After this civil war, the team will likely split. I'm planning to send you to Kamar-Taj for magician training in a few days."

Wanda nodded. "Okay."

She knew Lorien was doing this for her benefit, and she was eager to grow stronger. Only then could she maintain her relationship with Lorien.

But something was still nagging at Wanda, and she asked, "But where is Kamar-Taj?"

"Himalayas."

"Huh?" Wanda gasped, disappointment evident in her voice. The Himalayas? That's so far away. How long would she be gone?

Sensing her worry, Lorien ruffled her hair. "So, you have options."

"1: Focus on your studies at Kamar-Taj. You'll be able to return every night after you learn the teleportation spell, though you won't be able to come back in the early stages. But you'll learn quickly."

"2: You can travel back and forth through the magician's sanctum in New York every day, so you can come back from day one, but your progress will be slower."

"3: Study for five days straight and then come back to rest for two days. This option is more balanced, but it's up to you."

Wanda fell silent, lost in thought as she weighed her options. After a while, while Lorien watched Gwen continue to pummel Winter Soldier, Wanda suddenly hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest.

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