Chapter 34: ‘Natalie Rushman’

Chapter 34: ‘Natalie Rushman’

A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next four chapters are up on my Patreon for early access as well as the chance to vote on the direction of the story!

"Natalie" makes her move~

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“Thaddeus! Do you mind if we talk for a moment?”

It had been a little while now since he and the dorm RA ‘Natalie Rushman’ had actually spoken. But then to be fair, that was partially because she wasn’t actually a Dorm RA or named Natalie Rushman at all. Plastering a fake smile on his face as Thaddeus turns to face the undercover government agent, he nods amicably enough... he has no other choice in the matter.

After all, while the common room isn’t too full by this time of day, it’s busy enough that a few of the girls from the dorm are there to glance over as Natalie pulls him away. To keep things above board, Thaddeus has to be all smiles, even as he lets her escort him out of the room.

“Of course, Natalie!”

At the same time, his mind is whirling internally about whether this is an attack or another recruitment pitch. Even after all this time, Emma hasn’t been able to find out who ‘Natalie’ really is. Then again, maybe Thaddeus’ expectations are what’s out of whack. It’s more like... Emma hasn’t had ENOUGH time to figure out who Natalie Rushman really is?

She’s found the woman’s name in a government database through her usual connections. Supposedly, Natalie Rushman was a member of the CIA. That might have seemed a little strange on the face of it, because the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency was supposed to be a FOREIGN intelligence service. Meaning that they took care of foreign national security threats and left the fight on the home front to the FBI and other related government bodies most of the time.

However, as Emma had explained it to Thaddeus, the US Government, along with several other governments around the world, considered the ‘Mutant Problem’ to be a foreign one. Something about the USA’s close allies in Canada convincing them to not treat mutants like they were just going to go away or something like that?

According to Emma, Canada was not a place Thaddeus ever wanted to find himself as a mutant. The way she’d shuddered in remembrance gave the impression she had personal experiences on that front. On top of all of that, the Hellfire Club was originally a foreign organization as well, one that had then gone ahead and set itself up on US soil, to take advantage of US laws and all that fun stuff.

So it kind of made sense that Natalie Rushman would be with the CIA investigating the Hellfire Club. Only she wasn’t, at least according to Emma. In the process of digging up Natalie’s CIA credentials, Emma had looked them over... and told Thaddeus she didn’t think they were actually real. In fact, she was sure of it.

So yeah, even after all this time, or maybe because there hadn’t been enough time, neither Thaddeus nor Emma actually knew who Natalie Rushman was working for yet. They didn’t even know her real name. And that all left Thaddeus a little on edge, even as he followed Natalie through the halls of the dorm... up the stairs towards the roof.

His chiseled jaw clenches when he sees where she’s taking him. The place he’d run to after their first meeting, when he’d needed somewhere to have a private phone call with Emma. Was he reading too much into things? Rooftops were sometimes just the best place for clandestine conversations in general, but was there something more to Natalie’s decision to take him there? An underlying threat perhaps?

... Or were there secret agents laying in wait up on the roof to neutralize him and kidnap him, potentially via a helicopter or something? Thaddeus twitches as his mind goes to all sorts of strange places. On the one hand, part of him thinks he’s being ridiculous for such outlandish thoughts and ideas. On the other hand, a surprisingly rational part of him points out how ridiculous and outlandish his life has become in general. He shouldn’t walk headfirst into a trap just because it wouldn’t have happened to the him of a year or two ago.

“Thaddeus? You coming?”

As they arrive at the door to the roof, Thaddeus glances at it... and then gives Natalie a strained smile.

“Let’s just talk here, shall we? It’s nippy outside right now.”

To his credit, it actually was cold out. Completely reasonable thing to say. But he and Natalie both knew that the cold wouldn’t bother either of them anyways. Even though all the gorgeous red-haired RA is wearing is a rather loose blouse and some blue jeans, she’s Enhanced enough to be resistant to temperature. And Thaddeus... well, Thaddeus is far beyond such things at this point.

That thought does give him some confidence. He’s not nearly as weak as he was during their first meeting. And he was already plenty strong then. Still, that doesn’t mean anything in the face of a largely unknown threat. He’s not going to get arrogant about his strength, not like the old Chad Cummings would have.

Luckily, while a knowing look appears in Natalie’s eyes, she doesn’t even hesitate to pivot, smiling and shrugging as she steps back from the door. A quick glance upwards, letting his senses expand... Thaddeus doesn’t detect anyone lying in wait, not through his enhanced hearing and not through his psychic abilities either.

Though at the same time... he can’t hear Natalie’s thoughts. She’s not quite a void to him, but much like Mystique her mind is a closed book. If he tried to peek inside, he gets the impression that she would know immediately and respond accordingly.

“I want to help you, Thaddeus.”

What? Thaddeus blinks, even as Natalie gives him a wicked sort of smile.

“I know that you spent the weekend with Emma Frost. My superiors know as well. I had to tell them, because that’s the sort of thing they might hear about even without me reporting it, and then they’d begin to question my competence and whether I could be trusted or not.”

Natalie shrugs and Thaddeus notes that even that simple gesture feels calculated, especially with the way the shrugging causes her beautiful chest to heave up and then fall back down a moment later. He doesn’t let it distract him... much. Might have been harder if her tits were exposed, but fortunately they’re still wrapped up in her blouse and bra.

“I told them that you met with Ms. Frost, but I also told them I believed you could still be turned. I framed it as my belief that once you had some defense against Ms. Frost’s psychic abilities, you would be more willing to consider turning on her and the Hellfire Club.”

That... sort of made sense, he supposed. Of course, what Natalie and therefore her superiors had no way of knowing was that he already had resistance to psychics before his and Emma’s weekend together. But that didn’t matter nearly as much as Natalie’s motivations.

“You say you want to help me. Why, exactly? Why are you betraying whoever it is you work for?”

Still giving him an expert handjob, Natalie smiles... and then begins popping buttons on her blouse as she speaks.

“I don’t consider it that much of a betrayal if I’m being honest. For one, I was recruited... aggressively. Meaning that my choices were to join them or die and I chose the former, obviously. For two, I don’t think you’re truly their enemy, Thaddeus. You or Ms. Frost. The Hellfire Club might be a threat, but that doesn’t mean the two of you have to be.”

Thaddeus can’t help but think back to his conversation with Emma Frost. She’d told him point blank that he wouldn’t want to see the plans the Hellfire Club had for him brought to fruition. He believed her, frankly. And now here Natalie was, offering a potential way out for both of them. But was she working for her mysterious masters even now, or actually talking about potentially turning to his side?

Even now, she’s dodging the issue. Gritting his teeth, Thaddeus lets a little bit of his frustration leak into his gaze and tone.

“I’ll ask you a third time, Natalie Rushman. What do you actually want from me?”

She pouts at him, before glancing down at his cock hungrily. When she looks back up into his eyes, the hunger is still there... no, it’s magnified a hundredfold.

“Power. You represent a path to power that few would not take given half the opportunity. I want to become stronger. And from observing you with your dormmates ever since the start of the semester... I know you can make me stronger. I know you can enhance my body even further. I want you to fuck me regularly, and so long as you do, I will be your woman on the inside. My loyalty will be to you, first and foremost.”

Well shit. Power. That made a lot of sense. It was very mercenary of her too. If she wasn’t so fucking beautiful, he might not have been interested. But at the same time, the utility of turning a woman like Natalie against her shadowy bosses and over to his and Emma’s side... it couldn’t be understated, could it?

And all he had to do was what he already did on the regular. Fuck a gorgeous babe and get stronger.

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A/N: To be clear, since I revealed Natasha's true motivations to you guys already, yes she's hiding her true motivations from Thaddeus, and yes he can't tell. That's a skill issue on his part, not a plot hole. Even when he thinks he can finally read her... he can't entirely read her. Natasha is just that good.

-x-X-x- The Vote: [X] Fuck it, give her what she wants and turn her to their side - 68%[ ] It feels like a trap, refuse to make her any more powerful - 6%

[ ] String her along, give her a fuck now but with no intention of trusting her - 27%

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