Changed Fate

Chapter 24 - The Anomaly in the Nine Realms [Pt. 2]

[AN: Minor update at the end]

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Natasha's seen her fair share of magic users. Being under SHIELD's payroll meant dealing with anomalies which in rare cases came off world. Then there was Thor - but according to him, he wasn't magic type, but what is summoning lightning and thunder but magic? - and then Loki - who Natasha did not see long enough considering their only interaction was up on Tony's tower when he quite literally arrived in on her in the midst of getting sucked into the portal.

The last thing she remembered was of his outstretched hand striving to reach her, before she felt the cold nothingness of the Void, a split second before the portal spat her back out in the capital of Da Jing.

This world, funnily enough, had its own magic users too. On several occasions, she had tried to infiltrate their ranks, hoping to find some sort of clue to be able to escape this hellhole, only to fail as their peculiar way of magic had discovered her beforehand. No amount of crash course from the Thunder God had prepared her for this shit at all.

Which was why to see one in front of her had been such a surprise.

The 'overgrown barnacle' as she so eloquently called Hong Cexui in the earlier years, had been a magic user all along.

"Green Demon Clan?" she reiterated, voice devoid of humour as she tasted the name on her tongue. Natasha knew better than to judge a book by its cover, but even here she could sense the way they smelt like bad news.

Natasha had learned to trust her instincts all those years after she defected from the Red Room.

Right now, her instincts were practically blaring the alarm bells with a loud noise accompanied by red lights that this guy was not someone to be trusted.

"Lan-daren, now that I have revealed my identity to you, should you not grant me the same grace?"

Ugh. This guy was doing a shit job at negotiating, but Natasha wasn't about to let him know that. In her heart of hearts, Natasha sneered, restraining herself from rolling her eyes.

'I should've left him on that goddarned ditch.'

Fuck, Fury better have a pay raise waiting for her when she gets back. This was not worth suffering a headache for.

"My secret?" she nonchalantly asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Hong Cexui smiled, filling her emptied teacup with tea again. "That you, are not in fact a man, but a lady."

Okay, so not really a world-shattering discovery, but he said it with such arrogance it makes her want to sock him and rip him a new hide

Natasha did not budge. She had expected this, when he had very confidently told her of his own secret. She was tempted to just up and leave him hanging, but one had to consider the pros and cons before deciding judgment upon a problem.