Marvel: Psychiatrist

Chapter 114: Money Grabbing Riots In The City!

______

Lorien smiled and kept driving. "No rush to head back—let's just roam around New York for a bit."

"I'm in!" Gwen quickly agreed. As long as she was with Lorien, she was happy to do anything.

Hela, on the other hand, had simpler thoughts. She either wanted to cling to Lorien or play video games. Her growing internet addiction was becoming... concerning.

By 8 p.m., the Ferrari was cruising through the streets. The city's night lights made it look lively and vibrant. If someone had astigmatism, the view would appear like thousands of blurry, flickering mosaic lights.

Hela, leaning against the window, gazed out at the bustling city. "It's so different from Asgard."

Gwen, curious, asked, "What's night like in Asgard?"

Hela thought for a moment before answering, "There are glowing magic street lamps, and the temple shines with gold. But outside Asgard, only the Bifrost leads into darkness."

Gwen tried to imagine it—Asgard seemed like a floating jewel in the vastness of the Nine Realms, with darkness surrounding it, but still steadfast and radiant. It reminded her of fireflies glowing in the dark.

At that moment, Gwen suddenly tensed and looked toward a corner of the city.

"Psst~!"

A laser beam shot into the sky from somewhere in the city, disappearing into the atmosphere.

"Psst~!"

Another beam shot through a building, exiting out the other side.

"Something's wrong," Gwen quickly realized.

Lorien glanced over and saw a man in some sort of bird-like suit flying between the buildings. Hela, looking up at the lasers, became excited.

"Is that a laser weapon?!" she asked eagerly.

"It seems like it," Lorien confirmed with a nod.

"Then let's go get a few!" Hela said with enthusiasm.

Lorien chuckled. "Alright, let's check it out."

He turned the steering wheel, and in the next instant, the Phoenix Force surged within him. The Ferrari, which had been cruising smoothly, suddenly vanished into a blur, reappearing near the location they had just seen.

He guided the Ferrari into an alley. As the three stepped out of the car, they saw that the area had already been cordoned off by the police. Officers were stationed everywhere, keeping the situation under control.

Lorien scanned the scene from a distance, quickly grasping the situation. Gwen, noticing that Hela was too short to see over the crowd, explained, "It looks like New York's largest bank was just robbed."

"But they didn't just steal money; bills are scattered everywhere."

Indeed, dollar bills were still raining down from above, fluttering in the air like leaves. The ground was littered with money, and people were beginning to notice.

"Grab the money! It's free!"

"Pick up as much as you can and run!"

"It's all cash! Take it!"

Instantly, chaos erupted. A group of young men were the first to start picking up the bills that were scattered both on the ground and in the air. It was clear these were not organized thieves but opportunists looking to cash in.

Seeing this, others quickly followed suit, racing to scoop up the scattered money. But soon, the young men who had started collecting weren't satisfied. They realized that grabbing money from others was far quicker than picking it up off the ground.

Their aggression didn't go unnoticed, and soon the crowd turned from bystanders to active participants in a full-blown riot.

And where was the most money? Right at the bank's entrance, behind the police cordon.

Seeing the crowd edging closer, the police officers grew tense.

"It's getting out of control!" one of the officers shouted.

Immediately, calls went out for backup. "We need reinforcements! Call for help!"

"Back up! Step back, or I'll empty my magazine!"

"Get more officers down here—fast!"

As expected, when riots break out, things quickly spiral out of control.

It started with the first person kicking a police officer's shield. Soon, the crowd surged toward the bank entrance. What ensued was chaos, with people fighting over the money. If you asked the police to intervene, they'd likely choose to retreat. After all, who would risk their life for a few thousand in monthly salary?

So, the officers were beaten back as the crowd, emboldened, began picking up money right in front of them. Faced with a riot involving hundreds, possibly thousands, of people, the few dozen police officers could only focus on those actively stealing cash while ignoring those who simply scooped it off the ground.

Meanwhile, Lorien, Gwen, and Hela had already ascended to the rooftop to watch the spectacle unfold below.

"Carry on. We'll just watch from here," Lorien said, amused by the scene.

"It's so pathetic," Hela commented, shaking her head as she observed the crowd. "Asgardians would never riot for money like this."

Gwen pursed her lips and sighed after a while. She was clearly disappointed in these ordinary people. After all, she'd been Spider-Gwen for quite some time, rescuing hundreds, if not more. Yet, seeing this behavior made her feel as though her efforts were in vain. Was it possible that someone she had saved was now part of this looting crowd? Not impossible.

Lorien sensed Gwen's inner turmoil and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You do good deeds for your own heart, not for any particular person or group," he told her gently. "You don't waste your abilities on anyone undeserving. Don't let this make you second-guess your actions."

Gwen paused for a moment, processing his words. Eventually, she nodded and hugged Lorien. "You're right. I was overthinking it."

Hela, still standing on the edge of the roof, continued watching the scene like a spectator at a play. After some time, she turned to Lorien with a curious expression. "But who spread all the money? And why?"

Lorien shrugged. "No idea. Whoever it was, they're long gone. Probably that figure we saw flying earlier with the wings."

"But why would someone throw money around like that?" Hela pondered.

"To create chaos and cover their escape?" Gwen suggested.

"Maybe for the good of society?" Hela offered, though uncertain.

Lorien thought for a moment and smirked. "Nah, it's just for show. Trying to look cool."

Both Gwen and Hela stared at him, surprised. "Why?" they asked in unison.

"Think about it," Lorien explained. "He could have made a quick getaway, but instead, he waited until there was a crowd watching. His gear couldn't carry much money—probably only a few tens of thousands—so robbing the bank wasn't really about getting rich."

Gwen's eyes widened as she caught on. "So, he did all this just to make a name for himself, to be remembered as some supervillain?"

Lorien nodded. "Exactly."

Gwen scoffed, clearly unimpressed. Hela, after thinking it over, gave a dismissive "pooh" but added, "Well, he does have a bit of personality."

Soon, more police reinforcements arrived, and the riot began to subside. Of course, part of the reason was that all the money on the ground had already been snatched up. Those who had grabbed the cash made a run for it as soon as the cops showed up. Without the crowd, the riot dissolved quickly, leaving only the slowest to be arrested as scapegoats. They'd likely face sentences of hundreds of years for their part in the chaos.

Satisfied with what they had seen, Lorien waved his hand. "Let's go. This guy's probably part of the gang you encountered earlier, Gwen. You'll get a closer look tomorrow."

"Yeah!" Gwen nodded enthusiastically, clearly annoyed by the villain's antics. It seemed someone would be paying for their arrogance soon enough.

Hela, excited at the mention of heading back, quickly ran to Lorien's side, eagerly awaiting the teleportation. Not that it really mattered, but she always enjoyed the sensation.

Snap!

With a snap of Lorien's fingers, the Ferrari automatically returned to the underground garage. The three of them reappeared at the front door of their home and slipped off their shoes as they entered.

Hela dashed into the room, shouting gleefully, "Bath time! Bath time!"