Lin Ze shouted, then rushed over and snatched Tony out of Wanderer's grasp.
Wanderer offered no resistance. He simply watched Lin Ze, the fire in his eyes turning into dark, roiling waves.
"Hmph. What perfect timing."
Lin Ze shot Wanderer an exasperated glare. "A Scaramouche, let's talk this out. Why resort to violence? We're all friends. Can't we sit down and work through this together?"
Wanderer sneered. "That depends on the problem!"
Hearing Wanderer's tone, Lin Ze knew this wouldn't be easy to settle, and his expression immediately turned serious.
He looked at Tony, who was gasping for breath, then turned a questioning gaze toward the others in the room who hadn't managed to intervene.
"What happened? Can someone fill me in?"
Yun Jin and Xingqiu exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads at Lin Ze.
"By the time we arrived, A Scaramouche and Tony were already arguing."
Finding no answers from Yun Jin and Xingqiu, Lin Ze looked toward the other Avengers, who had remained silent.
Steve said nothing, merely folding his arms and sighing with a grim expression. Natasha gave Lin Ze a helpless look, while Hawkeye's perceptive eyes conveyed his own bewilderment at the situation. Thor took it a step further: he was slumped in a corner, clutching a bottle of liquor and snoring.
"Ahem. I'll explain."
Dr. Banner glanced around and, seeing that no one else was speaking up, stepped forward. He rubbed the tip of his nose awkwardly and pointed at the Scepter in the middle of the room, explaining what had sparked this internal dispute.
"Tony has been studying the gem inside the Scepter ever since we got back. He believes its energy could make a certain technology possible."
Banner walked over to Tony and poked him in the ribs.
"Ow! What was