Chapter 79: Wanda's Open Relationship:
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Before Lorien and Gwen had dinner...
At Deguo Airport, after a long chase and skirmish, both sides finally converged on the unfortunate airport tarmac.
Tony Stark stood facing the Winter Soldier, who was flanked by Captain America.
"So, for him, you've bypassed the UN Parliament and brought us all the way here?" Tony asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
Captain America glanced at the Winter Soldier, then back at Tony. "It's not just for him. It's about freedom—freedom for all superheroes, not just Bucky."
"But what you're doing is tearing the Avengers apart, causing a civil war among us!" Tony retorted, his frustration evident.
"Tony, Bucky isn't a criminal. He was being controlled. My goal is to free all superheroes, not divide them."
"But that's exactly what you're doing" Tony stepped closer, the tension between them palpable.
Both teams stood on either side, former teammates now glaring at each other with suspicion and resentment.
This was Civil War.
Tony turned to the other members of the Avengers.
He didn't recognize Ant-Man, but seeing Falcon and Captain America, both military men, standing together made sense.
But then Tony's eyes landed on Hawkeye.
"And why are you on his side?" Tony asked, genuinely curious.
Hawkeye held his bow with one hand and nocked an arrow with the other. He raised an eyebrow and answered, "I didn't have a choice. If the Superhero Registration Act is implemented, my family won't be able to live a normal life. I have to stop this agreement from going through."
"Unless…" He paused, then added, "I withdraw from the team and take my family into hiding."
Hawkeye's words were flat, almost emotionless, but they were also brutally honest. Family comes before teammates. If his family's safety couldn't be guaranteed, then he had to protect them, no matter what.
Once the Superhero Registration Act was in place, every superhero would have to register. Otherwise, they'd be breaking the law. Their families would also have to register, provide a permanent address, and live under constant surveillance. Even moving would require notification.
Could any of them accept that?
Hawkeye had a point.
His reasoning was sound, and after hearing him out, everyone fell silent.
"Okay, I get it," Tony finally said, nodding in understanding. He then turned back to Captain America.
"So, you're really going to stop this agreement from moving forward?"
"Then let me ask you," Captain America countered, looking Tony directly in the eye. "If you were pushed down this path, what would you do?"
Tony was momentarily stunned, memories flashing before his eyes.
After a long pause, he responded, "I once had a chance to protect this planet completely, but my plan failed, causing irreparable damage. Now, we have no more chances. We can't go against the world; that would betray everything we stand for."
"If I followed your path, the Avengers would either disband or become a subsidiary of the United Nations. We'd have to hide, unable to show ourselves and let justice shine."
Tony's words were heavy with the weight of experience and responsibility. He had tried to find a way, but he had failed. The stakes were too high now. Rebellion would mean losing Stark Industries, the Avengers, and even Pepper Potts' happiness. Tony couldn't afford to be as free as Captain America. He had too many people depending on him.
At this moment, Tony seemed like the adult, while Captain America came across as an idealistic child.
Everyone, including Captain America, nodded in understanding.
"It seems we all have our reasons, don't we?" Captain America spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.
"So, what do we do now?" Natasha asked, her voice heavy with regret as she looked at her former teammates.
"Is there nothing left to discuss?" Captain America shook his head. "We have to leave within an hour. No one can stop us."
Hearing this, silence fell over the group.
That meant there was nothing left to say.
The Avengers' civil war was inevitable.
At the back of the group, Wanda Maximoff looked around, torn with indecision. No one here had treated her badly, but none had treated her exceptionally well either. In her eyes, they were all colleagues. But now, her colleagues were about to fight. What should she do?
Caught in this dilemma, Wanda pulled out her phone and secretly sent a message to Lorien.
Meanwhile, Tony's AI, Friday, notified him.
"Sir, Miss Maximoff is sending a message to Mr. Lorien. Should I intercept it?"
Tony paused, thinking quickly. Wanda's loyalty wasn't entirely clear, and Tony thought he knew Lorien well enough. They were allies, after all. If Lorien showed up, it might tip the scales in Tony's favor.
"Don't intercept. Let it send quickly" Tony ordered.
So, Lorien received Wanda's message.
But as soon as the message was sent, Hawkeye and Captain America noticed Wanda's little trick.
The two exchanged a glance and immediately sprinted towards the airport.
Ant-Man and the Winter Soldier quickly followed.
"Tony!" Natasha shouted, seeing Captain America and his team making a break for it.
"I know," Tony's face darkened as he raised his hand, firing an energy blast to stop them. Captain America, however, used his shield to deflect the attack, forcing Tony to go on the defensive.
And so, the civil war began.
Meanwhile, back at the Upstate Building in New York...
Lorien and Gwen had just changed clothes and were about to head downstairs.
Gwen had donned her new Spider battlesuit. It was brand new because the old one had been torn apart by Lorien. Lorien, on the other hand, had changed into a more casual outfit—a shirt, slacks, and shoes—before heading out with the bouncing Gwen.
They took the private elevator down to the underground garage. Only then did Gwen realize something.
"Lorien, how are we getting to Deguo? If we go through normal channels, won't we have to go through customs?"
Lorien patted her cheek playfully. "Leave it to me."
When they reached the underground garage, they found a fiery red sports car waiting for them.
Gwen was taken aback. "You're bringing the car too?"
Lorien playfully smacked her on the chest, a bit harder this time. "I said, leave it to me."
Gwen rubbed her chest, pouting. "Bullying me..."
But when Lorien turned his back on her, Gwen's pout turned into a smile. For some reason, she liked it when Lorien was a bit rough with her, but not too rough.
The two stood in front of the car. Lorien raised his hand and made a gesture as if to snap his fingers.
"Are you ready, Gwen? Put on your hood."
"Huh?" Gwen was momentarily confused but quickly put on her hood with the white and pink eye sockets.
Then, Lorien snapped his fingers.
The Phoenix Force surged instantly.
In a flash, the two of them and the car vanished from the underground garage.