In her experience, people didn't just stop trying to kill you because circumstances changed. They pressed every advantage, exploited every weakness. That was how you survived. How you conquered.
Weakness, part of her whispered. Use it.
But a louder part, the part that was currently very aware of being stranded in an alien universe with no resources and no way home, suggested that cooperation might be the smarter play.
"Fine," she said at last. The word tasted bitter. "We can cooperate. For now. But don't misunderstand—the moment we return home, killing you becomes my top priority."
"Okay, whatever makes you happy." Elric's relief was visible. He really didn't want to argue with this woman. Not when they were stuck here together, possibly for a long time. "I'm not exactly eager to—"
He stopped mid-sentence, head tilting slightly. His eyes focused on something behind Hela, scanning the seemingly empty desert.
"Okay, you can come out now," he said, addressing the empty air.
Hela turned, sword ready, but saw nothing. Just sand and rock and the shimmer of heat haze in the distance.
Silence answered Elric's words.
He sighed, raising one hand. Fire coalesced around his palm, forming a sphere of concentrated heat. Without warning, he hurled it—not at Hela, but at a spot thirty feet away where there appeared to be nothing but a sand dune.
The fireball exploded against the ground, sending up a plume of superheated sand and flame.
"Come out quickly," Elric called out, already forming another sphere of fire. "Otherwise the next shot won't be aimed at the ground."
For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then a figure emerged from behind the sand wall, hands raised in surrender.
She was young—probably late teens or early twenties—with striking features that immediately caught Elric's attention. Pure white hair fell past her shoulders in windswept waves, contrasting sharply with rich dark skin. Her eyes were an unusual color, almost golden in the harsh desert sunlight. She wore what looked like tactical gear, black and fitted, with various pouches and equipment he couldn't immediately identify.
But it was her energy signature that made Elric's eyes narrow. There was something unusual about it, something that tickled at the edges of recognition.
I've seen this pattern before, he thought. But where?
The girl stood frozen, clearly weighing her options. Her eyes darted between Elric and Hela, calculating odds and escape routes.
"Who are you?" Hela demanded, her sword still at the ready. "And why were you spying on us?"
The white-haired girl's expression shifted to something almost defiant despite her obvious disadvantage. When she spoke, her voice carried an accent Elric couldn't quite place—something African, maybe?
"I could ask you the same thing," she said. "This is my territory. You're the ones who appeared out of nowhere in a flash of blue light."
Elric and Hela exchanged glances. It was perhaps the first moment of actual communication between them that didn't involve immediate murder attempts.
"Your territory?" Elric asked, gesturing at the empty desert around them. "You live out here?"
"I patrol here," the girl corrected. "And I'd appreciate knowing what kind of threat you pose before I decide whether to call for backup."
Her hand moved subtly toward one of the pouches on her belt. Elric's caught the motion, and another fireball appeared in his hand.
"Let's not do anything hasty," he said calmly. "We're not here to cause trouble. In fact, we're a bit lost ourselves. Could you tell us where exactly 'here' is?"
The girl's golden eyes studied him with an intensity that reminded him uncomfortably of Hela's earlier scrutiny. "You don't know where you are?"
"Parallel universe, remember?" Elric smiled inwardly. "The geography might be familiar, but the details could be different.
What's the nearest major city?"
The girl hesitated, clearly debating how much to reveal. Finally, she seemed to make a decision.
"Cairo," she said. "About fifty kilometers northeast. We're in the Egyptian desert, in case that wasn't obvious."
Egypt. Elric felt a small thrill of recognition. So the geography was similar to his original Earth, at least. That was good. That was very good.
"Cairo," he repeated. "And what year is it?"
Now the girl looked at him like he might be insane. "1962. Are you seriously telling me you don't know what year it is?"
Elric's mind raced, calculating.
if this was anything like his Earth, certain events would have occurred. Certain people would exist.
Certain stones would be findable.
"Perfect," he said, more to himself than anyone else. He let the fireball dissipate. "Thank you for the information, Miss...?"
"Munroe," the girl said after another hesitation. "Ororo Munroe."
The name hit Elric like a thunderbolt.
Storm.
Which meant this wasn't just any parallel Earth.
This was a Marvel Earth.
A universe where the X-Men existed.
Suddenly, getting home seemed both more possible and infinitely more complicated.
Hela was watching the exchange with narrowed eyes. She didn't understand all the undercurrents—didn't recognize the significance of the name Munroe or the girl's abilities—but she understood strategic value when she saw it.
"This girl knows the territory," she said to Elric. "She could be useful."
Ororo's expression hardened. "I'm not interested in being 'useful' to anyone. I need to know what you want and whether you're a threat."
You guys can check out my patreon with 30 advance chapter, and want to support this story.
patreon.com/LMStar666