"I already have several girls."
Angela immediately understood what Garfield was implying and cursed him inwardly.
Stinking cat. Lewd. Shameless.
"I don't like men," She said coldly. "And more importantly, I don't like cats."
"That's good. Very good." Garfield patted his chest in exaggerated relief.
"I was worried you were about to do something unspeakable to my cute little orange self."
Angela's eye twitched. I don't like men, but that doesn't mean I don't care about my figure or my face.
I'm not some monster.
And this damned orange cat dares look down on me?
Infuriating.
If she hadn't already realized that this cat knew far too much, especially about her relationship with Frigga, and the way his gaze lingered as though he were looking through her, she would never have stopped him here.
Stopping someone for questions violated an assassin's creed.
"Listen carefully, orange cat." Angela said, her voice sharp. "I don't like you."
"I don't want prolonged interaction with you in this lifetime. I only came to ask one thing."
Her eyes hardened.
"Why did you push for the Queen to adopt me as her daughter? And why do you look at me like that?"
She leaned closer. "What do you know?"
Garfield tilted his head, amused.
"Oh? Angela, the assassin dispatched by the Angel Queen of the Tenth Angel Clan of the World Tree, you don't look very professional right now. Calmness and composure are usually required traits, aren't they?"
In response, Angela smoothly drew two daggers and aimed them directly at Garfield's head.
"You really do know." She said icily,
She narrowed her eyes. "Then tell me, does Odin know too?"
"I know. As for whether Odin knows?" Garfield sighed.
"No idea. If you want that answer, ask Odin." He smirked. "But I know far more than you think."
He flicked his tail lazily. "As for why the Queen insisted on adopting you…"
He shrugged. "You can guess."
Angela's breath grew heavy.
That smile… she had a powerful urge to drive her knee into his smug little face.
Absolutely hateful.
This cat was dangerous.
To protect her secret and to prevent it from destabilizing the Ten Realms, Angela made a decision.
"Orange cat." She said coldly, daggers flashing. "Be a human in your next life."
She lunged.
"Do you want to know who your real parents are?"
The words shattered her momentum.
Angela forcibly twisted her strike off course. Her balance broke for a split second.
Garfield raised a paw and flicked her leg with precise timing.
Angela was sent flying.
She slammed into the palace wall, her body carving a perfectly human-shaped crater into Asgardian stone.
The scene was… spectacular.
Garfield paused.
Then, thoughtfully, he pulled out a Wakandan-made camera, snapped several close-up photos, and tucked it away.
Excellent material for the Angela Black History Collection.
Angela tore herself free from the wall and landed lightly, fury blazing in her eyes.
"Cat," she snarled, teeth clenched. "Tell me, clearly. Who are my biological parents?"
She straightened, pride burning. "My mother is the Queen of Angels."
"Are you sure?" Garfield smiled slowly.
"I'm sure."
"Then this prince must have made a mistake."
He turned around. "Slipped away, slipped away."
He took three steps.
Naturally, she grabbed him.
"Explain. Now." Angela growled.
Garfield pointed at the floor. "Squat."
"…What?"
"I don't like looking up when I talk."
Angela's fist trembled. This damned orange cat… I swear, one day, I will make him pay for this.
As Angela squatted down, her gaze inevitably dropped.
Between Garfield's legs, tucked far too casually, was what could only be described as a crime against decency.
For a brief, dangerous moment, Angela seriously considered standing up, turning around, and ending this orange menace with a dagger, cleanly and humanely.
Garfield snapped his eyes up at her, bristling.
"What are you thinking about?" He meowed. "Haven't you ever seen a cat before?"
After a brief scuffle, more posturing than violence and the swift dismissal of a pair of Asgardian guards who arrived to investigate the noise, Garfield finally spoke again.
"Tell me." He said casually, "Do you know that Asgard uses DNA verification systems?"
Angela nodded. "I do. They're disgusting." She snorted. "And they're everywhere in the universe."
Then she froze.
Something felt… wrong.
She had wandered through the Immortal Palace for most of the previous night. Restricted levels. Yet she couldn't recall triggering a single alarm.
Impossible.
Her first instinct was pride.
My mana must be overwhelming. Enough to suppress detection systems entirely.
Garfield watched her expression flicker.
Good.
She was already doubting herself. Now all he had to do was guide her.
"Asgard." Garfield said slowly, "Has never allowed an outsider to travel from the lowest levels to the highest without authorization."
He flicked his tail. "Every floor is layered with DNA scans, not only guards."
He glanced at her sidelong.
"Asgard has made enemies since the moment it was born. Ineffective security methods were eliminated a long time ago."
Angela said nothing.
"Normally," Garfield continued, "The Immortal Palace is sealed. But yesterday, there were guests. Many of them."
He paused. "Which means dormant systems, especially those in the lower levels were recalibrated and reactivated."
He leaned closer.
"You relied on spatial concealment and temporal interference. Clever."
Then he smiled. "But you overlooked the simplest thing."
Angela frowned.
"Think carefully," Garfield said softly. "About the path you took last night."
Her memories replayed themselves.
Corridors opening without resistance.
Passageways clearing just in time. No friction.
At the time, she had blamed nerves.
Now it felt too smooth.
Unnaturally so.
Garfield fell silent.
Sometimes, telling someone the truth outright only invites rejection. Letting them arrive at it themselves ensured it took root.
Doubt, once planted, was a seed.
It buried itself deep, invisible at first, until the moment it sprouted and could no longer be ignored.
Angela thought for a long time.
Then, just as Garfield expected, she scoffed.
"You're trying to scare me." She said coldly. "Afraid I'll kill you?"
"Idiot two-legged beast." Garfield rolled his eyes. "I'm a cosmic-level entity. Why would I fear a rookie assassin who just debuted?"
He waved a paw dismissively.
"I've said what I needed to say. Believe it or not, that's your problem."
He sneered. "And frankly, I don't feel like talking to an ugly bastard any longer."
That was a mistake.
Women cared about their appearance. Beautiful women cared even more.
Sexual orientation was irrelevant.
"Who are you calling ugly?" Angela's expression darkened instantly.
Garfield raised a paw and opened a portal midair. He stepped through just as Angela's temper exploded.
Before the portal fully closed, he leaned back slightly and looked at her with naked disdain.
"Who do you think." He said lightly, "Ugly monster."
"…"
Angela stood there, shaking… slowly, she drew her dagger.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream