E/d note: I will be releasing an afterthought chapter in a few days on my Patreon (as a public release) as well as here on Webnovel (which will be uploaded alongside a normal chapter upload). This is to garner feedback since on the Patreon, I am roughly 3 chapters away from completing Volume 1 of my translation series (MTL has no volumes.) So I want to garner feedback to work on what I can improve for Volume 2 onwards. More specifics will be revealed in the chapter, please do not give your feedback in this chapter because I likely will forget them! (Word count not affected from this long note). Once again, Patreon voices will hold more weight, though if you're a long time reader like Great_Maid_Oni or InsanityIsLife, then your voice holds weight too since you've been here from the start!
'Inner dialogue/thoughts'
"Normal dialogue"
[System]
[Diary entries]
(Word count: 1,501)
~ With Natasha and Luke, in Natasha's previous apartment ~
Entering the apartment, Luke was surprised that the location that Natasha had brought him to had been close by to both the café as well as his own apartment.
'SHIELD has most likely converted this into a safe house for Natasha to use while she was monitoring me.' Luke speculated.
Thinking of a way to tease Natasha, Luke spoke before she could say anything regarding last nights' attack. "Nice place you got here, is the relative you are looking after here as well? It's been a month since we've known each other yet I've not met this relative of yours."
Hearing Luke's question, Natasha figured that Luke was either testing her intentions or teasing her. Since she had gotten the order from Fury himself, Natasha decided to drop all pretences.
Thinking of how she should come clean, a smirk had found its way on Natasha's lips as she thought of the best way to answer Luke's test or tease "There are no relatives here. In fact, there hasn't been a relative at all. We are the only two here."
Seeing Natasha turn to look at him, Luke halted his steps before sparkles formed in his eyes. "So, where do I go for the dungeon experience!"
"Oh shut it Luke." Natasha replied stoically. "I need to prepare a few things first. Don't worry, they're just documents. In the meantime, you can help yourself with a look around the apartment if you want."
As Natasha walked towards a room to gather the documents she wanted to show Luke, she heard Luke's voice call out to her, "I prefer leather cuffs by the way! The ones with the fur and not those plastic ones!"
At this, Natasha could only roll her eyes as she thought to herself, 'A kid. The one person who can help us with this new enemy is a kid.'
While Natasha went away, Luke started looking around the apartment. 'Huh, it's pretty, bland. Yeah, that's all I can say about it.' Getting bored, Luke decided to sit at the couch in the living room as he waited for Natasha to return.
~ A few minutes later ~
"My name is Natasha Alianovna Romanova, and I am an agent of SHIELD." Natasha revealed. Natasha had returned to the living a few moments ago with the documents regarding the attack on Luke the night before.
Natasha decided that the best way to reveal SHIELD was through the attack, this way, she could theoretically 'soften' the blow of having to reveal to Luke that she was assigned to be his monitoring agent.
However, what she did not know was that Luke had already known about her and about SHIELD since the day he arrived. Moreover, he had been manipulating their perception of him to suit his needs.
Seeing as Luke still had a stoic expression on his face, Natasha enquired, "You don't seem surprised?"
"Why would I be? I've known about you for awhile now." Luke decided to reveal vaguely, his answer akin to playing with fire.
"You know about me?" Natasha asked as she raised her eyebrows.
"Well not know per se, though I did have an idea that you were an agent of some kind. Like CIA or FBI. Maybe even Homeland. No idea what this SHIELD is either." Luke said.
Natasha tilted her head, seemingly confused at his answer. However, inwardly she was relieved that the knowledge of her knowing about the diary was still unknown to Luke.
"I mean, for one thing, your spatial awareness is just off the charts, you know that? You work as a part-time barista in the café, yet you scan the café ever so often and always try to keep a peripheral view of the café floor." Luke started.
"Not only that, but you're also pretty knowledgeable about random things. Like who would know that it would take just one small bag of thermite to melt right through four inches of solid steal? That's knowledge of science on the level of like a Chemistry Professor turned drug overlord or something."
"I may not know what you used to work as before or why you took a part-time job as a barista, but I know for certain you're not a chemist. Even at the range, you seemed to know about every type of gun from the SwissMiniGun one-round revolver to a standard HK MP5 used in Police Departments all over the world."
"And the accuracy you showed with the guns? I mean come on, have some shame, Natasha. You are clearly trained in marksmanship if you were able to keep up with me."
Seeing as Luke was forthcoming, Natasha tried to probe to see how much he was willing to reveal. "You were trained too?"
"Oh, you can stop probing Nat, this is like child's play for someone like me." Luke exposed. "Just know that all you're going to get from me is that I am someone with past baggage. A lot of them."
Raising her eyebrows, Natasha chuckled as she decided to play Luke's game, "Past baggage, huh? Pretty sure you can't have past baggage if you didn't have a past to begin with up until three months ago."
Placing his index finger on his lips, Luke replied cheekily, "Shhh, don't you know to never ask for a man's secret? We're sensitive creatures too you know."
After saying this, both Luke and Natasha looked at each other amusedly before laughing at their interaction. It was almost as if they were long-time friends who had just reconnected with one another.
With the laughter dying down, Luke finally asked the main question left unanswered. "So, since we're all for revealing secrets now. SHIELD? What's that? And what do you guys want with me?"
Before Natasha could reply, Luke interrupted, "Actually before that, tell me Natasha," Luke started with a serious expression donned on his face, "Was it a coincidence that you happened to be looking for a part-time work at my café?"
Seeing his expression and hearing the tone in which Luke asked the question, Natasha knew that her answer here could make or break their current friendship. Sighing, Natasha decided to be honest with Luke, "No, I was assigned a mission. More specifically, I was assigned to monitor you."
"That was in the beginning, though. You have to understand that you had just appeared out of nowhere in our databases. With something as sudden as that happening, alarm bells would be raised. It just so happened that the organization I work for picked up your case and I was assigned to you."
"But after the first few days of monitoring you, I have already reported that you would be of no threat and that they could remove you from the watchlist. From that point on, I just liked working at the café and having you as a friend was a breath of fresh air for someone like me."
"You have to believe me when I say this Luke, but even though at the start you were my mission, at this point in time, you are my friend." Natasha finished, hoping that Luke would not be too hurt at her reveal.
Natasha had obviously chosen to fabricate her story a little as she would not and could not reveal how SHIELD truly got to know of him. While her mission was to monitor him, it was not truly because he appeared out of nowhere, but more of to establish a connection with him as he has knowledge of the future from another world. This was a secret that Natasha swore to take to the grave.
"I see," Luke began. Seeing Natasha tense, Luke decided to reassure her, "Oh don't be too worried Nat. Even if you were sent to monitor me, I could tell that the time we spent together were real. And I like being your friend. It's not everyday a man can have a female bad ass agent as a close friend, you know?"
Seeing that Luke did not react negatively, Natasha gave Luke a thankful nod and a warm smile before answering his earlier questions. "Anyways, SHIELD is just an acronym for the longer version, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. But we also deal with the more, bizarre occurrences worldwide."
"The reason why I was authorized to tell you all these is thanks to the documents before you. Please have a look and I'm sure you'll understand the situation we find ourselves in, and why SHIELD is now interested in you." Natasha stated.
- End of C44 -
Next time in C45 - Luke agrees to help!
Luke had caught that reaction and had his mouth wide open, "Don't tell me. . . Were they truly your agents and you were the one who set that up?! NAT DO YOU REALIZE THE STUPIDITY IN THAT?! WHAT IF I HAD KILLED THE GUY?!"