Happy New Year, everyone! Remember what I said about not getting the story finished by Christmas? Yeah...

Anyway, here's a nice, long chapter to make up for the long delay. I got to go to Disney World for the first time last week! The drive down and back was great for getting some writing done, but I had no time to upload this chapter while I was away. So, here you are!

I should probably explain a little something to those of you who actually know Exo. As you can tell, Kris, Luhan and Tao are still members of Exo in this story. That is because in this version of reality, they are all from a different universe, and they actually have powers. I figured this would make them more likely to do everything they could to stick together rather than leave the group and abandon the only people who understand them. I'll be addressing it a little in coming chapters, but it probably won't be a major plot point.

Enjoy!


Chapter Four

Princess Problems

Nat had worried that Daisy, with her earthquake powers, would clash with Kyungsoo when they finally met. Thankfully, that was not the reason Phil had called her back to the base. The reason was the Ministry wizard who was squared off against Jongin and Baekhyun when Nat finally arrived.

"He apparated just outside the wards and then walked in, demanding to speak to you," Phil explained.

Nat tamped down her urge to go in and yell at everyone for their behavior. Instead, she reached for her negotiator's calm and entered the room with a determined stride that commanded attention. "Was there a problem with the communication system I set up at the Ministry?" she asked as she entered. She'd decided to address the Wizard first and save dealing with the Korean boys later.

"Miss Higgins! It's urgent that you accompany me to the Ministry at once!"

"She's not-," Nat cut off Baekhyun's protest before he could say anything more.

"Thank you, Oppa," she said calmly, slipping into Korean to soothe his temper. "I can take care of this myself." She turned to the Wizard again, raising an eyebrow at him. "I believe I asked you a question. Also, it is very rude not to introduce yourself."

"Lukas Karr," he said shortly. "The Ministry did try to contact you, but there was some interference. I was sent to contact you directly and bring you to the Ministry."

"What seems to be the problem?" Nat asked. She was peripherally aware of Jongin and Baekhyun taking up guard positions on either side of her. This seemed to intimidate Karr, and Nat decided to allow it since he'd ticked her off.

"There is a group that is protesting the Ministry joining your Cooperation. The Minister… requests that you come personally and speak with them."

Nat nodded. "Very well. Give me an hour to gather what I need. Inform the Minister that I will speak with the protesters." Karr looked like he was about to protest, but Nat raised an eyebrow at him and he shut his mouth. Instead, he nodded and left the room.

Nat relaxed with a sigh and turned to Jongin. "What were you two doing with him?"

Jongin opened his mouth to explain, but Baekhyun interrupted. "He came in here, demanding to see you. Said he had to take you somewhere. We weren't going to let that happen."

Nat closed her eyes, gathering her composure. When she was ready, she opened her eyes again and looked at Jongin. "Could you give us a moment?" He nodded and left the room. Nat turned toward Baekhyun, fixing him with a look that clearly expressed her mixed feelings about how he had acted.

"Oppa," she began softly. "I appreciate that you want to protect me. It's nice to know that you care so much. But this is my job. You can't protect me from everything. In fact, not everything is something I need to be protected from. Sometimes the people I work with just have their own way of expressing things. And everyone has their own customs that I have mostly figured out how to work with. I need you to understand that."

Baekhyun dropped his gaze from her eyes. He was pouting a bit. Clearly, he didn't like that he was being told to back off. Nat sighed and stepped toward him, reaching up to cup the side of his face. He was a few inches taller than her, so even looking down had him gazing in her vicinity. "Oppa, please look at me." He lifted his eyes from his pout and gazed at her directly.

"Thank you for caring so much. But I've managed this long. And you being over protective now is only going to make my job harder, not easier. Okay?" He nodded reluctantly, then pulled her into a hug.

"I don't want you to go, Natasha," he murmured quietly.

Nat laughed softly. "I'll be coming back, silly!" she assured him. "With any luck, I'll be done with this meeting before your tests are over. Then we'll go back to Camp and enjoy a few days before the others come for their tests."

Baekhyun nodded and finally released her. Nat smiled up at him and then stepped back, patting his shoulder briefly before dropping her hand. "You should get back to the others. I'll be back soon." Baekhyun smiled gently, "Just don't go alone. Promise you'll take someone with you. Something about that guy didn't seem right." Without giving her a chance to protest, he turned and went to find the rest of Exo-K.

"How do you do that?"

Nat turned to grin at Phil as he entered the room behind her. "No idea. Must be a gift though. Since I managed to do the same thing with almost everyone in the Cooperation."

"I certainly can't deny that you get results," he agreed with a smile. "But he did have a point, you shouldn't go alone."

Nat shot him a suspicious look. "And how did you know what we were saying? We were speaking Korean the whole time."

Phil shrugged. "I may have asked Fitz to develop a translation program on his tablet."

Nat shook her head at him. "We'll get the Universal Translators installed soon, and that was a private conversation."

"You still shouldn't go alone. Take Mack with you at least."

Nat shook her head. "Exo needs to build a relationship with the other groups in the Cooperation. I'll go back to Camp and see who wants to go with me. How's the testing going?"

"They're doing really well. D.O's powers are a bit like Daisy's, but with just enough differences that they aren't comparable in terms of power. All their powers are fascinating. They're genetic, but also something else. Simmons is still analyzing it."

"Well, just don't keep them longer than you really need to, okay? I'm getting the feeling that Baekhyun is getting a bit restless."

Phil nodded. "He and Sehun seem to be the ones who are chafing the most at the whole process."

"Baekhyun is one of the sweetest, but also one of the most childish of the group," Nat explained with a nod. "And Sehun is the Maknae, so it's understandable that he'd be a little more restless."

Phil frowned, "Maknae?"

"Sorry. He's the youngest of the group. He and Kai are close, but Sehun is a few months younger." Phil nodded in understanding. "I should get going," Nat said, reaching over to fiddle with her watch. "I don't have much time to figure out who's going with me, and I need to get changed." Phil nodded again and shifted out of her way.

Nat went to her apartment to change first. It was important that she maintain a certain level of professionalism when she dealt with the Wizarding communities. Her usual style was too unusual for them to handle, so she had to switch out for something a little more their style. She wore a golden-yellow, knee-length dress with long sleeves over black leggings. Her coat hung around her calves, fluttering just enough to give the impression of a cloak without standing out in the Muggle world. She chose low, black boots, and let her hair lay as it wished rather than holding it in place with hairspray.

Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she got herself transported back to Camp. She decided to start at the Zeus cabin, where Yifan was staying. As the leader of Exo-M, he'd be the best person to ask about taking a few of the members with her to London.

Nat poked her head into the Zeus cabin, calling Yifan's name. When there was no answer, she turned away, wondering where he could be. Just then, two shadows temporarily blocked the sun before coming to rest not far away. It was Jason and Yifan. Both were grinning at each other, their hair ruffled by the wind. Nat smiled at the relaxed, carefree look on Yifan's face. It was good to see him like this. Tensions had been high between him and SM lately, and Nat had been getting the feeling that the only thing keeping him from leaving was the fact that he couldn't abandon his friends.

Jason was the first to spot her, lifting his hand to wave as he led Yifan back to the cabin. "Nice to see you, Nat. You've been so all over the place I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you."

Nat smiled back at him, "Unfortunately, I can't stay. I wanted to talk to Yifan."

Jason nodded. "Can't thank you enough for bringing these guys to us. They're awesome!" He thumped Yifan on the shoulder before heading into the cabin.

"I'm glad to see you're making friends," Nat said as she approached Yifan.

"Jason's great," he replied, still smiling. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I have to go take care of something with one of the other groups in the Cooperation. There are some wizards who are causing problems, protesting the Wizarding community's involvement in the Cooperation. The Minister of Magic has asked that I come personally to speak to them. Since Phil and Baekhyun are insisting that I bring an escort, I was thinking I'd see if anyone from Exo-M wanted to come with me."

"How many would you like?" Kris asked.

"Probably just two. Any more, and the Wizards might take offence."

Yifan nodded thoughtfully. "I will join you. And I think Minsoek will want to come as well. He's the only one who doesn't really have anyone to compare powers with. I think he'd like a little time away."

Nat nodded in agreement. "Let's go find him then. We don't have much time left before we're supposed to meet them." The two of them said goodbye to Jason, who wished them luck, and then headed off to find Minsoek. They eventually tracked him down to the Hades cabin where he was talking with Nico. Nat was surprised, but impressed. Nico wasn't the most open of people, though Will had been helping with that lately, so it was nice to see that he was seeming to get along with Minsoek.

Nico was the first to spot them and waved to Nat. She smiled and waved back as Minsoek turned to look at them. He waved as well, then stood from where he'd been sitting on the grass in front of the cabin. "What are you doing here, Nat?" he asked curiously.

Nat explained about the problem with the Wizards. "Yifan suggested you might want to come. Phil and Baekhyun insist that I take an escort."

Minsoek laughed and nodded in agreement. "I'd love to come. I'll admit, I'm curious about them."

Nat smiled happily. "Great! Let's get going then. We're out of time." Quickly, she led them to the edge of Camp and called for transport. Within a few moments, they were materializing in the London street where the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic was. The three of them crowded into the little phone booth and Nat dialed the number.

A cool, female voice could be heard from the receiver, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your business, and the names of your party."

"Natasha Higgins, accompanied by Wu Yifan and Kim Minsoek to meet with the Minister," Nat stated clearly.

After a few moments, three badges popped out of a slot in the phone. "Please fasten the identification badges to the front of your clothing and be sure to check any weapons at the information desk," the voice said. "We hope you enjoy your visit to the Ministry of Magic." As Nat helped Yifan and Minsoek pin the badges to their shirts, the phone booth slid down to deposit them in the lobby.

"Why does yours look different than ours?" Minsoek asked, noticing that Nat's badge was a different color and had a special crest on it that he couldn't quite make out as it was partially hidden by her arm as she finished pinning Yifan's badge.

"I'm the coordinator for the Cooperation so I have special status with a lot of the more organized groups that are members. This badge lets me go almost anywhere and lets Wizards and Witches who don't necessarily recognize my face know that I have the right and authority to talk about certain things that I otherwise wouldn't."

Satisfied, she turned and began leading them down one of the corridors at a brisk pace. Wordlessly, Yifan and Minsoek took up position a little bit behind and on either side of her. They were all wearing long coats which fluttered just a bit with the motion of their brisk walking speed. There weren't many people in the corridors, but those that were there stepped respectfully out of their way, clearing a path in whatever direction Nat was heading.

They soon arrived at a conference room where raised voices could be heard through the door. Nat opened the door without knocking, and Yifan and Minsoek followed her inside without hesitation. At the head of the table one man, whom Minsoek assumed to be the Minister of Magic, was trying to calm the group facing him at the other end of the table. Nat's arrival finally managed to do what he had failed to accomplish. The group of people fell silent and turned their gazes to the three newcomers.

Minsoek had seen something of Nat's negotiator mode when she had come to meet Exo. But that was nothing compared to the air she now commanded. Her back was ramrod straight, hands clasped comfortably behind her back, a solemn, commanding look fixed firmly on her face. When she was sure she had everyone's attention, she finally spoke. "Minister, a pleasure to see you again, as always. Do you care to explain what the reason is that you called me here?"

Before the Minister could reply, one of the people in the group that had been shouting spoke up. "We are here to protest the Ministry agreeing to join your little Cooperation. We've managed just fine on our own for centuries. We don't need to be part of any Muggle organization."

Once they were aware of it, the members of Exo could tell when a translation spell was being used. Up until this point, Minsoek could tell that one was being used to allow him to hear the English that the Wizards were speaking as Korean. But when Nat turned to address the man who'd spoken, he could tell when the words she spoke were truly in Korean. The words flowed beautifully across his ears rather than being delivered in a slightly stilted manner. He had to fight to keep the shock off his face as she spoke, focusing instead on her words as she began explaining the benefits of the Cooperation and why it was important for the Wizarding communities to be part of it.

There was something about how she held herself and how she spoke that recalled stories from history classes. Stories of the princess, Shin Sung Ah, and how she was a brilliant negotiator who saved the king with the help of a friend from a foreign land. Come to think of it, the princess was said to be from a foreign land as well. She was made a princess after saving the king. A suspicion began growing in Minsoek's mind and he had to fight to keep the growing smile off his face.

He was helped in his goal by a voice rising above Nat's and bringing his attention back to the matter at hand. "We refuse to accept this. There is too much risk of being exposed."

Nat had just opened her mouth to reply when the oddest sensation spread over Minsoek's body. It was like being suddenly frozen solid, but it wasn't pleasant the way the frost he commanded felt. It was foreign and unpleasant. It also made his hearing become slightly muffled. As his frozen body fell to the ground, he heard Yifan shout before hearing a thud. A strange popping sound pierced the muffling effect on his hearing, and he was suddenly unable to see Nat anymore. After a few moments of tense silence, he found himself suddenly able to move again.

He stood quickly, calling Nat's name and shaking off the slight disorientation he felt as well as the offers of help from the Witch who'd clearly just removed some kind of spell from him. At the sound of Yifan's irate voice, he turned to see Exo-M's leader shouting at the Minister of Magic who was standing there, looking horrified. The group of protesters were nowhere to be seen. And neither was Natasha.


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