Natasha's call came through.
Lorien switched to speakerphone and cleared his throat.
"Ahem."
The line was silent for half a second before a voice finally came.
"Lorien, there's something important..."
"Go ahead."
Lorien sat down on the grass, Wanda settling beside him.
"Osborn Industries isn't as simple as it looks."
"On the surface, they're just Osborn. But behind the scenes, they've been conducting bio-mutation research and human experimentation—the same source of those mutants that recently appeared on the streets of New York."
"But at the core, their research goes even deeper."
Bored while listening, Lorien took Wanda's hand and gently played with it. After all, most men did something with their hands while on the phone.
"What's more critical?"
"Research into symbiosis between alien lifeforms and humans."
At those words, Lorien instantly pieced the story together.
"Your agents really are impressive—spies everywhere."
Back when Natasha infiltrated Stark Industries, even after she left, did anyone think S.H.I.E.L.D. pulled all their people out? Of course not. Chances are, they still have plants even now.
"Agents are the backbone of information warfare. Anyway, back to the point."
"This all began months ago."
"After an Osborn Industries rocket carrying alien lifeforms crashed under mysterious circumstances, they immediately locked down all online coverage."
"Once they recovered the specimens, it wasn't long before they started symbiosis research."
"Norman Osborn, the current head of the company, refused to end up like his father. He threw nearly all of Osborn's resources into this project."
"That's why we uncovered this intelligence without much trouble. At first, we planned to negotiate, but Norman Osborn had already descended into madness—until it finally exploded into what we see now."
Lorien nodded.
Reasonable.
That was the convergence effect of the Sacred Timeline at work.
Main character gone? Supporting character gone? No problem—here's a replacement to keep the story moving.
Just like Venom's boss, Norman Osborn craved evolution. Maybe even more so.
His father had died miserably. You think he wouldn't throw himself obsessively into symbiote research?
The answer: absolutely, a thousand times yes.
So Venom's antagonist shifted from that company's boss to Osborn's boss. And the plot still lined up. Practically identical.
Marvel could spin this into a whole new film—Venom Spider-Man: Parallel Universe.
"So then, how do you plan to deal with this?"
"We wanted to send in superheroes—Moon Knight, Hawkeye, Falcon, anyone—but..."
Natasha trailed off, clearly uncertain how to put it.
Lorien smiled faintly and finished for her.
"But the UN won't authorize direct action. They want Osborn's research for themselves, so they're ordering you to stay undercover until the results are complete. Right?"
On the other end, Natasha sighed.
"Yes."
Exactly as expected.
Under UN control, the Avengers couldn't make decisions for themselves anymore.
The team wanted to wrap this quickly, before Osborn Industries actually produced something dangerous.
But the UN refused. Or maybe it wasn't "the UN"—maybe it was just the U.S. pulling strings, wanting to swoop in afterward, seize the finished research, and only then send the Avengers to clean up.
The thought left Natasha deeply frustrated.
Garbage politics.
Not that it surprised Lorien or Wanda—or anyone, really.
Wanda only shook her head, disappointed.
"These bastards only care about profits and political achievements."
Lorien chuckled.
That was perfectly normal.
For politicians like these, if they pulled it off, the political wins and profits from symbiote tech would be staggering—getting promoted three ranks wouldn't even be a dream. And if they failed? Well, that's what superheroes are for, to clean up the mess.
When a supervillain crisis breaks out, won't the superheroes intervene?
Politicians: I don't buy that they won't.
These people are shrewd—every angle calculated. Folks that rich, in seats that high, aren't truly stupid. They've thought through both outcomes.
But it didn't matter.
They could only push the Avengers around. That had nothing to do with Lorien. He had no intention of getting involved.
Still, the symbiote situation was convenient.
"Natasha, you can drop the symbiote matter. Head back, take a nice shower, and get some sleep."
From Lorien's earlier sensing, Norman Osborn had more than enough trouble coming his way.
Venom would collide with the Spider-Alliance tonight. Even if Venom went solo, don't forget the four Spider-Women's spider-sense. A crisis like this—no matter the distance, they'd feel it.
Especially Gwen. She was wearing the original symbiote battle suit.
Natasha relaxed at Lorien's words, but curiosity still pushed her to ask,
"Then what should we do?"
Lorien didn't need to answer.
Wanda, leaning against him, laughed.
"Do we really need Lorien for this? Natasha, you're playing coy. Gwen came to you at noon, and now you're pretending you don't know? Such a little schemer."
At Wanda's teasing, Natasha faltered.
"Alright, alright. I don't know any inside info. I only know the Spider-Alliance exists, that's it. Oh, and can you tell me how many Spider-Women there are now? I need to keep it straight or I'll end up feeding the wrong lie to those brain-dead politicians."
"Four," Wanda said. "All girls. I'll give you the names—don't save them."
"Okay."
"Gwen, Cindy Moon, Mayday Parker, Peni Parker."
"Oh~ two Parkers? Are they twins?"
"No. It's just that more than half of Spider-Men tend to have the last name Parker."
"There's a stat for that? Hilarious. Alright, I'm up to speed. Bye—I'll stop interrupting your sweet little moment."
"Good."
Click~
The call ended.
Wanda returned the phone to Lorien.
To be fair, Natasha had definitely cut into their tenderness.
Lorien pocketed the phone and looked back at Wanda—she still hadn't dismissed her transformation. The red crown still rested on her head, and paired with her burgundy hair, it looked stunning.
He took a breath in through his nose.
Ah—shampoo.
Not just that—there was a faint hint of her own scent, too. Lovely.
After inhaling, Lorien smiled.
"So the movies are right—when a beauty walks past the male lead, he really does get pulled in by her fragrance."
Hearing that, Wanda leaned into his chest and took a sniff.
Sniff, sniff~~
"You've got a manly scent too," she said.
Mutual compliments—perfect. Everyone happy.
Lorien ran his fingers through her hair. Smooth. In her Scarlet Witch state, she exuded regal splendor, like an empress of an empire. It made Lorien wonder what it'd feel like to tease an empress. Conquest?
Yikes—wicked thought.
Even so, their faces drifted closer, then pressed together.
Lips and teeth tangled, sparks flying. Lorien's forehead bumped her crown now and then, forcing him to angle his head aside.
Things were getting hot—
—but in the next instant, Wanda's tightly shut eyes flew open.
She pulled away on her own, caught her breath twice, and suddenly said,
"The scent of Dark Magic has surfaced again—right here in New York."
Lorien brushed her lips with his thumb.
"Where exactly in the city?"
"The hospital... no, he teleported again. Now he's in Asia, somewhere near the Himalayas."
Lorien looked into Wanda's eyes.
Eyes could reveal so much.
And what he saw was clear: Wanda wanted to act.
Yes—her fingers were itching to try her new dark magic.
"You want to go?"
"Mhm." Wanda nodded. "A Darkhold user from another universe? At the very least, I'll drive him away. Or end it here and now."
Put simply, a Darkhold user could never be a good thing.
The moment you used the Darkhold, your soul would begin to corrode.
So Wanda's meaning was obvious: once she knew a Darkhold user had come to this universe, she would cut them down.
Not out of some saintly kindness.
But because, as a Darkhold user herself, she couldn't allow another to wield the same power to wreak havoc.
Otherwise, it would be like someone taking your signature move and using it for evil.
Like that Taskmaster—mimicking a superhero's iconic poses just to stir trouble. Who could stomach that?
Lorien understood.
He pulled Wanda to her feet and brushed nonexistent dust and grass from her leather outfit.
"Then let's go. Gwen's not home—I'll tag along and watch the show."
"Mm!"
With Lorien's support, Wanda lit up with joy.
She raised her fingers in Scarlet Witch form.
Buzz~
A crimson portal bloomed open.
Lorien glanced at it.
It opened high atop the Himalayas.
He stepped through.
Wanda followed.
In the next instant, they stood on the peak of the world.
Lorien checked to see if Wanda felt the cold. With her magical shielding, she was perfectly fine.
He scanned the slopes below with enhanced sight. Amid the roaring blizzards, a team of extreme climbers was braving the winds together, inching upward.
Wanda's gaze, however, turned toward the opposite mountain base.
She pointed at the sky above Kamar-Taj.
"There."
Lorien looked. His vision zoomed in.
The skies above Kamar-Taj were swallowed in darkness.
Layer upon layer of black clouds blanketed the Sorcerer's Sanctum.
And within those clouds—
A figure with a torn, grotesque mouth, zombie-like in appearance, was remotely controlling a woman locked in confrontation with Kamar-Taj.
Lorien recognized her immediately.
Christine.
The Christine of this universe—the one Stephen had once cared for, but let go of, choosing duty and responsibility instead.
If Lorien guessed right, in this timeline there had been no bitter fallout, no vanishing act.
Stephen had spoken to her with maturity, explained the weight of his burden.
"I'm sorry," he must have said. "I can't hold you back."
And unlike the Christine in Doctor Strange 2, this one hadn't gone on to marry someone else.
She had simply continued her work quietly as a doctor.
The two of them seemed to share a silent understanding…