Marvel Imagines

[Pt. 4] A Dangerous Deal (Shang-Chi X Reader)

Lunch, no matter of Xialing's cold attitude, was absolutely delicious and certainly much needed, especially considering neither you or Shaun had eaten anything substantial since before this whole ordeal had began.

It was odd - for lack of a better word - being seated in the very same seat you'd been seated in all the while ago, with the now deceased Wenwu at the head of the table.

But now, his daughter is there to fill his place, something the Mandarin likely never thought would happen.

"Why'd you do it?" Your fiancé bursts rather abruptly, setting the cup he'd been drinking from previously down hard against the wooden tabletop, eyes glaring daggers towards his sister.

"Do what? Lie to you?" She retorts, calmly setting her own glass down, completely opposite from Shaun.

"All of it," He demands, gaze darting to your silent figure picking away at your food (also attempting to recall how to use chopsticks), your own eyes passing between both of the siblings.

"Why did you have to continue the very thing we both hate?"

The woman at the head of the table pauses, hands folding neatly in front of her, a slight smirk tugging at her lips.

"What else would I have done? Where else was I supposed to go? After the battle of Ta Lo, you and your American friends ran off, almost as if nothing had happened. And me? I did the only thing I know how to do."

"You rebuilt," You finish for her softly, taking a sip of your tea, losing its warmth fairly quickly.

"Exactly," Xialing nods towards you before turning once more to her brother. "I rebuilt because I had to. Especially after you all came gallivanting through my last place - ultimately destroying it - and yet here you are again - looking to me for a favor - refuge."

"We had nowhere else to go," Your fiancé explains, voice steeling slightly, his stance becoming defensive. "What would you had rathered I do? Just give these guys over the Rings?!"

"It would've prevented her incident," The woman states cooly, eyes narrowing in your direction which earns a slight snarl from you.

"Don't you try and drag Y/N into this, Xialing," Shang-Chi warns, making his way to his feet and nearing you, gesturing for you to follow. "This is obviously between me and you and the Rings - that's it. So don't throw anyone else into this, especially her. She has nothing to do with this."

"But she's with you. Isn't that enough of a reason?"

Fuming, your fiancé gently places a hand on your un-injured shoulder and guides you both out of the dining room and back towards where you had left your bags earlier.

The afternoon sun is beginning to sink, casting a golden hue through the panelled windows that line the hallway, painting eerie looking shadows onto the floor.

It's a silent walk back towards your shared room, and when you both arrive into the small area and pull the door closed behind you, the quiet instantly disappears - now filled by a collective, heavy sigh.

"I have no idea what the hell is going on," Shaun mutters lowly as you take a seat on the end of the bed, pulling your backpack to your lap.

"I don't either," You mumble in reply, rummaging through your bag's contents to reveal the collapsible Bo Staff you'd packed along for the adventure.

It folds neatly into three parts and can be attached back into one or two pieces if need be.

Handy.

A great weapon.

"But I have a nagging feeling something or someone else is playing outside of all of this."