Ch85. True Form

"Hmm..." The Ancient One's mood dropped as soon as Tony and Natasha walked through the portal to her private chambers.

They invited themselves for a visit... which was not something rare and Tao even enjoyed Natasha's sporadic visits where they complained about life and talked about unimportant stuff while snacking on chips from all over the world.

At least the redhead had the decency to always bring a new snack every time...

This time, however, The Ancient One instantly saw through both Tony and Natasha. Their bodies might have still been completely normal, without change since she had last seen them, but she worked with various energies for centuries. She was far too experienced to miss the massive change in them.

Staying seated behind her table, Tao decided she could at least give them the benefit of doubt and let them explain. Neither of them seemed as if they needed help so they most likely came to explain what happened.

That said, the result of their meeting and the consequences of what they had done... because she was totally aware this was some sort of Stark's newest foolishness gone horribly right... stayed the same. It saddened her what needed to be done.

"Hi, old hag. Long time to see. How was your life without my awesome presence?" Tony asked with a grin as he flopped into a seat opposite her.

"I've managed." Tao dryly deadpanned while Natasha took the seat to Tony's right, amusedly smiling at their antics.

"Hi, Tao." Natasha greeted. "I hope you are good."

The Ancient One turned towards Natasha and smiled, "Yes, Nat. I am fine. How about you? I see that you... changed." She gave the redhead a knowing pointed look but Natasha just nonchalantly shrugged before she looked at Tony.

"See? I told you she would notice." She smugly said and reached her hand towards Tony with her palm facing up, "Pay up."

Tony scowled but without any further complaining, Natasha's favorite wafer bar appeared on her palm.

Tony silently grumbled under his nose but then from the corner of his eyes he saw Tao giving him an expectant look, her hand also outstretched towards him, and his scowl deepened.

"Hey! I am not a portable snack maker." He retorted as the same kind of wafer bar appeared in Tao's hand.

"That point can be argued." Tao said and sagely nodded before she started to enjoy her bar, showing Tony that any further complaint will be ignored in favor of the snack.

Tony turned towards Natasha, "Gods! You have corrupted her." He exclaimed in a mortified tone. He then crossed his arms, "That's it. Anybody who wants a snack from this moment onwards will have to pay for it."

"Except the family." Natasha pipped in.

"And mentors." Tao nodded in agreement.

"You will bankrupt me." Tony mock-sighed and shook his head, causing the two women to chuckle.

"Ok, enough of fooling around." Tao said, making the atmosphere turn from playful to serious, "I've already seen Stark's, now show me yours, Nat." She turned towards Natasha.

"Oh, stop it Tao or Tony will get jealous." Natasha quipped, receiving Tony's poke into her side as a result of her teasing while conjuring a small ping-pong-sized ball of crimson energy above her palm. That was her limit for now.

"Hmm... I can't say I recognize the energy but it feels extremely destructive. What is it?" Tao curiously asked.

"Energy of Destruction." Natasha nonchalantly shrugged, causing Tao to stiffen as her jaw slightly dropped.

Tao then promptly facepalmed, "Of course, it couldn't have been something simple. You two..." She groaned, "Why do I have to know you? Can't you go away and make trouble for someone else?" She complained in a dry, expressionless, and fed-up voice.

"Mhm, where's the fun in that?" Tony retorted, "Anyways, how did you know right away something changed with us? That's another level of stalking!"

Tao slightly smiled and stretched her hand towards Natasha's. She didn't touch it, only positioned her fingers above it and... snapped them.

Natasha's entire hand suddenly shimmered, her skin melting into crimson energy and while it still kept the shape of a hand, it was purely made of crimson energy instead of flesh.

Natasha stared at her hand in wonder and fascination, a bit weirded out at the change but... she didn't feel any different than before. It felt natural for her. And yet, she could see her hand was no longer made of flesh.

"Your bodies are the same as what normal human has. Clever that." Tao nodded towards Tony who was half listening and half preoccupied with observing Natasha's transformed hand, "But on the deepest level, you are made of energy." She chuckled, "Tony can hide it well, most likely due to the nature of his energy. But you, Natasha? You are like a lantern for someone with so many experiences with various energies as me."

"How... are you doing this?" Natasha asked with wide eyes. She could not control it. She tried to will her hand to turn back to the flesh but it was not working, making her panic a bit.

Tao smiled, yet, it seemed a bit strained. "With a lot of experience, difficulties, and effort." She said, and Tony and Natasha noticed sweat starting to form on her forehead. Tao suddenly let out a relieved sigh, and suddenly, they could see the tension leave Tao's body as Natasha's hand instantly shifted back to flesh, reforming its human appearance.

"The energy your body consists of is only dormant." Tao started explaining to Natasha. "In that state, it is transformed to imitate human cells. That's how your body is still a fully human one, yet, fundamentally not really. It is a marvel of alchemy and I am frightened of what kind of monstrosity Tony will pull out later down the line if this is what he is capable of right now." She dryly stated.

"Don't worry, I will make sure he doesn't do something too ridiculous." Natasha foxily smiled, causing Tao to roll her eyes at her.

The old Sorceress knew well that the redhead had no control over Tony in this matter. That kind of reassurance sounded a bit hollow. Especially considering the circumstances.

"Yes, don't worry. Nat will look after me." Tony vehemently agreed, and Tao almost burst out in laughter at how fake it sounded.

"More importantly," Tony ignored her unamused and distrustful expression, "From what you said, you just 'activated' the energy Natasha's body is made up of. Do I understand that correctly?" He asked, getting a curt but uneasy nod in return, "That means she should be eventually able to learn to do that herself, no?"

Tao's cheek twitched at that conclusion. She sighed in exasperation, deciding to be truthful. She cared for those two too much to outright lie. "Yes. In theory, it should be easy but... The energy making up her body will be the hardest to control because it is fixated on keeping her physical form. But once she gets enough control to revert to her 'True Form', her prowess will rise exponentially since she will be fully unrestrained in it. Though, I have no idea how that would work for you, Tony. What exactly is your energy?"

"Didn't you say you have already seen 'mine'?" Tony wiggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to scoff.

"You wish, Mr. Stark." Tao played along, "Now be a good boy and answer my question. And just maybe I will have some advice for you too."

Tony wasn't about to refuse advice from someone who dabbled in different kinds of energy for centuries. Foregoing his ego that was screaming at him to...

"Yes, mom." He quipped in sarcasm.

Okay, he couldn't fully silence his ego.

"It's physical energy." Tony informed her, keeping his ability to control Spiritual Energy a secret.

In fact, Natasha had a spark of the antithesis of the Power of Destruction too. It was simply too small right now that she could not do anything with it. But... with time, her Power of Creation would grow, matching her primary affinity. Of that, Tony was sure.

Tao furrowed her eyebrows at that... "Physical energy? As expected. How kinky of you." She nodded in understanding while giving Natasha a pitying glance before becoming serious again, "I... don't know anything about that. Unfortunately." She sincerely said.

There were many forms of energies, one more ridiculous than the other but... this was something she encountered for the first time.

"Ah, never mind, then. I will just find my own way." Tony easily accepted it. That's what he was doing up till now anyway and even if he got some kind of advice it wouldn't mean he wouldn't experiment.

'That's what I am afraid of.' The Ancient one thought with an inward sigh.

"That said, I am very sorry but I can't let you stay in Kamar Taj. Not with your new... upgrades." Tao decided to start the conversation she dreaded. On one hand was her friendship with Tony and Natasha, on the other her responsibilities as the Sorceress Supreme.

"Wait. You are kicking us out?" Tony asked in disbelief, his mind catching up with how she meant her statement.

The Ancient One looked Tony in the eyes and simply said, "Yes."