The next day, after setting up the Vision Ward in his office, Lorien spent his morning the same way he usually did—slacking off.
Mornings were never busy. Hardly anyone came to see a psychologist at that hour, and frankly, he didn't like working then anyway. Over time, people simply got used to booking their sessions at noon or in the afternoon.
So his mornings were filled with games, books, news, videos—anything to pass the time.
Sometimes, when Stephen didn't have surgery, he'd drop by in the morning just to chat and make an appointment for the evening. And when the clock struck five, they'd shut the office door and head out to have some fun.
That was the routine—if there were clients in the afternoon, he'd work; if not, more slacking.
Easy work, good pay, no stress, high status… and on top of that, he could check in daily and grow stronger. What was there not to like?
By noon, Lorien was lounging in his recliner, scrolling through TikTok.
What could he say—there were just too many "Bodhisattvas" on there. Plenty of them wore very little, generously offering "benefits," alongside an endless stream of goofy and hilarious videos.
Hard not to enjoy.
Of course, he only browsed when he was alone. No questions asked—watching that sort of thing in front of others would just kill the image.
"Hm?"
In the middle of scrolling, Lorien suddenly sat up, golden light flashing in his eyes.
"Wanda?"
He had sensed a powerful presence approaching the building—someone with immense ability and a formidable spirit. A moment later, he recognized it instantly.
Chaos magic.
And the one who wielded chaos magic was Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch.
Through his perception, Lorien tracked her as she crossed the street, entered the building, and waited for others to take a different elevator before stepping into one alone.
Eventually, she arrived at his door.
Lorien considered for a moment, then nodded and said…
"Come in."
Hearing the voice, Wanda's hand froze on the doorknob for a moment before she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Lorien gave her a quick once-over. Blue jeans, an oversized hoodie, hood still up even as she entered. Her head stayed down the whole time, never once meeting his gaze.
He smiled and slid a cup of milk tea across to her.
"Here, it doesn't matter who you are—I won't be surprised."
He then gestured toward the photo frame still sitting out on the desk—a picture of him with the Hulk.
Wanda turned to look and blinked in mild surprise.
The Hulk had been missing for some time now. No matter how hard the Avengers searched, they couldn't find him. Tony had even used Friday to scour surveillance footage from cameras all over the world, but came up empty.
And yet, here was someone who not only knew the Hulk but had taken a photo with him in his Hulk form.
Wanda knew exactly how dangerous the Hulk could be. Even without mentioning the Chitauri invasion, she remembered all too well the destruction he caused when her magic had driven him into a frenzy—destruction she was directly responsible for.
Still, seeing that photo eased a good deal of her wariness.
"Hello, I'm Wanda Maximoff."
"My name is Lorien Su."
As she introduced herself, Wanda finally lifted her head and pulled back her hood.
But the moment her eyes met Lorien's, she froze.
It wasn't because of his looks. Rather, the instant she saw his face, an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over her—
Like family.
No… like a lifelong friend.
No… more than that. Like a sworn ally, walking the same path, bound by something deeply important.
Why?
"Miss Witch?" Lorien prompted, curiosity in his tone.
"I…"
His words snapped her out of her daze.
"Doctor," she said slowly, "the moment I saw you, it felt like meeting a childhood friend I hadn't seen in years."
"What a coincidence," Lorien replied with a raised brow. "I just had the same feeling."
"Really?" Wanda's eyes widened.
"Really," he confirmed.
And he wasn't lying. When he first saw her, there had been a flicker of warmth, a sense of familiarity. But it wasn't nearly as intense as what she seemed to feel.
Why the difference?
He thought quickly. What did Wanda and he share in common, and what set them apart?
Two answers came to mind: abilities and gender.
Gender certainly wasn't the cause.
That left abilities.
Of course.
Wanda wielded Chaos Magic. He carried the Phoenix Force.
Different powers, but both counted among the three oldest forces in the Marvel Universe.
It made sense—they would instinctively recognize each other. If these powers had wills of their own, they would probably know one another personally.
His Phoenix Force no longer had its own consciousness, which explained why his sense of familiarity toward her was faint.
But for Wanda, that connection would feel far stronger.
So that was it.