'How is preparation going for your tribe?'

Ayo sipped her tea. Her eyes rising from the dark liquid in her cup, to the almond eyes set in Okoye's face. Her posture was straight, and her hands crossed over a raised knee. She did not touch any of the delicacies that sat before her. Not even the powdered Puff-puff she so often craved.

'they are going well sister,' she said, placing her cup down. 'we do not plan on challenging for the throne, but my cousin insists on it. He says that we need to remind everyone of who we are. But my aunt has made it absolutely clear, that that is not necessary'

As a member of The Mining Tribe, they already held a considerable amount of influence over the nation. The distribution of Vibranium being managed by the Tribe alone. It was the crux of their power. Other than the Golden Tribe, they were, perhaps, the strongest group within Wakanda.

'How is the preparation going for your Tribe?'

'Very well, thank you. The Merchant Tribe do not plan on challenging for the throne either' Okoye said.

Ayo leaned forward for the Chin chin. Okoye's eyes watching her carefully as she did so. When she leaned back into her former position, the General coughed politely and sat a little straighter.

Ah. Now she was going to talk.

'Ayo, when was the last time you went home?'

Ayo chewed on the snack thoughtfully. 'A few months ago, I believe'

'why haven't you gone back sooner?'

Ayo raised an eyebrow 'I have no reason to return'

'yes, you do'

'Okoye' Ayo said, teeth grinding, 'you know I can't go back home'

'Why?' the General asked, uncrossing her knee.

'Because my duties are to the throne' she said, defiantly. There was no reason to go back home as far as Ayo was concerned. Going home meant going back to nothing. There was nobody there to go back to, and there was no reason to return. The Main House of The Mining Tribe may have been her – extended – family, but they were not her home. The Dora Milaje was her home.

'That is not the real reason' Okoye said. 'you and I know that.'

Ayo was silent. Okoye continued; 'Acantha would have wanted you to come home. Now more than ever'

'what do you know about what Acantha wanted?'

'I know that she was a traditionalist with an infamous liberal streak. She would have wanted you to come home to honour her passing, regardless of duty. If she saw you avoiding your family as you are now, she'd turn in her grave'

The flavours that were once sweet, dried instantly on Ayo's tongue.

'I have sentry duty to attend' Ayo said flatly, rising from her seat.

'Ayo – '

'thank you for the tea General. It was lovely'

Ayo left the room before another word could be uttered.

Seventeen

'What are you up to, Ayo?'

Her feet slapped loudly against the smooth floor. The once soft crawling of a viper on the prowl, was replaced with the frantic flutter of a dove's wings.

'how did tea with Okoye go?' badly, of course.

For as long as he'd been in cryo, Bucky had never heard this. Ayo was never this loud and never this quiet. Something was up.

"Screw this" she growled quietly, throwing whatever she had in her hand down. It clattered against the floor, skidding and hitting the base of the chamber. The world around him swayed.

Ayo's footsteps grew, her armour ruffling as she leaned forward to pick up what she had dropped with a harsh sigh.

"What does she expect me to do? Grovel? Cry?"

'What happened?'

"She's being so selfish. My duty is to the throne, and yet she expects me to leave?"

The cold air bit into Bucky's veins.

'Okoye, wants you to leave?'

Ayo's teeth hissed from her kiss. She walked around the chamber muttering under her breath. Her voice rose and fell at her movement, certain corners of the room catching the full extent of what she was saying.

Ayo sighed, coming to a halt in front of him.

'Talk to me, Ayo'

"I just don't know what to do James" she cried. Her cool tone shaking beneath a wave of concealed emotions. "I exist to serve the royal family. That's it. That's my purpose. I can't go back home to nothing. There's nobody there."

The world around him shook, the white space feeling like a hurricane. Bucky listened:

"Acantha would have come back home if it were me, but she was a scientist! I'm a soldier. I can't just leave my duties. Wakanda needs its King and its Dora now more than ever. Yes, she was family, but my family is also Wakanda. I just – just don't know what to do"

There was a slide, and a body dropping to the floor.

Bucky imagined her with her back pressed against the chamber. Sliding against its smooth surface, and falling into a crouched position. Her shaved head bowed against the weight of all this conflict. She was so small. So helpless.

This Acantha bird really got Ayo worked up. And if by what she was saying was any indication, it sounded like she was no longer with the living.

'I don't know who Acantha is, or what she meant to you, but if she really is family Ayo, I think you should go home and at least see her off. I imagine you would do the same for the Dora, so why should it be any different for someone who shares your blood?'

He wished he could talk to her. Make her understand. But his lips were – unironically – stuck in place. Once, when he woke from Cryo, he had asked what had became of Red Room. The last time he had been awake was amongst the girls. Suddenly, without warning, he had been bundled back into Cryo.

He did not recognise any of the men who had awoken him, and judging by their clothes alone, some time had passed. 'The girls you trained were defective.' One of the men said. 'all of them are dead.'

Bucky had never cared for the girls, not really. But hearing that all of them were dead broke him. If they were all dead, then it meant that even little Natalia was dead too. In all his years of service, Bucky had forgotten how to mourn. But hearing that the closest person he had to family had died released the emotion.

In the years that would follow, and the many memory wipes that came with it, he would often bemoan the fact that he did not get to mourn the death of a little red-headed girl when it had happened. He knew that to be a lie now. But the fact remained that had she truly died as he had been told, he would have brought her body back himself and buried it. Consequences be damned. Family did not always have to be about blood. Both Steve and Natalia were testimony to that. But in the event of their death, seeing them off was always the best option.

There was shuffle, and Bucky could just make out the sounds of Ayo picking herself off the floor. She sniffed loudly and chuckled to herself. "Look at me, talking to a vegetable"

Bucky snorted.

"I don't know if you can hear, but you're actually not that bad. Thank you, for listening to me"

'You're not bad yourself. Considering the stick you've got up your arse'

Ayo chuckled once more, as if she had heard him, full and hearty. The hair on the back of Bucky's neck standing on end. She was closer now, her voice louder than before.

"you have a charming face"

Ayo did not see Okoye off that evening.

She didn't have to, but it was almost a tradition for her. When they had been together, Ayo would always say their goodbyes at the hangar bay, and wish her success in the mission to come. Even after they had stopped being together, and Okoye had become a wife and a mother, Ayo would always see her off.

She knew that she was imposing on the family, saying goodbye and wishing her intimate goodwill in the presence of W'kabi, and their children. It was selfish, yes, and even the Dora Milaje thought so too. They thought she could not let go of the past. Just as they thought she could not hear them.

Ayo, at first, resolved to do some more research, biding her time wisely at least. But after some time, she grew bored. Her findings the same as before. There was no change at all in Sergeant Barnes' vitals.

'What are you dreaming about, Oyebo man?' she murmured, pressing herself against the chamber. Naturally, the comatose Sergeant said nothing. She peered at him through the fog of ice, noting once again his rugged appearance.

She admired the sharpness of his jaw, the curve of his long eyelashes, and slight pucker of his lips, tinted blue from the cold. 'I imagine you must have been what the westerners called a "ladies man"'. The sleeping soldier was silent.

Ayo admired his face a little further, trying to decide whether or not she liked his long hair and the hirsute of his frozen face. A random thought came to her, and she laughed in muted hearty throb. 'it just occurred to me that you are The Winter Soldier. You're more of a Frozen Soldier in this state'. She laughed at her own silliness, relishing in the privacy he afforded her.

Something red caught the corner of her eye.

Weapons were not allowed in the lab, but Shuri had seen to it that Ayo would not go unarmed. She had gifted her a small baton along with the new Kimoyo bead. At Ayo's touch, it would form into a spear. Like lighting, the spear was in her hand. Scooped up from the small table at her side, next to James's chamber. She whipped the item overhead and it grew in size at her touch. The sharp tip just two inches away from the stunned, brown-eyed face of the intruder.

A small scream erupted from the girl's lips and Ayo felt the earth shift beneath her, an odd red mist escaping from the girl's hands.

But Ayo stood firm, recognising the girl instantly. 'state your business' she said, eyeing the girl with deep seated suspicion. The girl stammered, her hands up in surrender. 'I just wanted to visit James' she said, half shout half yelp. Ayo inspected the girl. Taking in her chestnut hair, pale heart shaped face and girlish features. She looked in her eyes and found an element of truth in them. And a hint of something else.

The spear came away from her face. And the girl let go of the breath she had been holding.

'you may pay your dues' Ayo said, teeth grinding. The girl nodded nervously, and walked to the chamber.

Ayo went back to her files. Ignoring the girl's presence.

Awkwardness hung in the air, with the girl merely staring at the sleeping soldier, to stealing quick, unsure glances at Ayo. The girl was unsubtle, and to Ayo she seemed ignorant to the fact.

Her presence and her staring annoyed her, and Ayo fought the urge to say something rude to the girl. If this was going to be a battle of awkwardness, she was going to win. She had nothing to say to this girl.

After an episode of intense awkwardness, the girl spoke at last: 'you know, I only met and spoke to James once' she said, voice low. Ayo refused to look up. 'I can't say much about him, but his mind was full of sorrow. But somehow, there was still hope. How did so much melancholy learn to coexist in such a heart like his?'

Ayo listened to her words. Curious but uncaring. 'just before the fight at the airport, he pulled me aside and asked me not to take part. The way he held me, and his thoughts in that moment were clear: he'd seen this before'

'really' Ayo said at last, making her annoyance known.

The girl nodded, her brown hair bouncing. 'He'd taught a USSR Hydra secret group called the Black Widow's. I noticed that you – you have some of their belts. As trophies'

Ayo fought the urge to smirk.

Trophies was an interesting way of putting it, but there was an element of truth in what she had said. Hydra had a notorious history of sending its spies to Wakanda to steal from the country. And those spies never returned. What was left of their ever being there was their belts. Left around the palace to decorate the walls. They added a nice touch Ayo felt.

'He loved those girls. And seeing them throw their lives away without a second thought distressed him. He didn't have to say it, but I reminded him of one of them. He thought she had died, but he saw her at the airport with Stark.'

Ayo looked up from the files. The girl was completely facing her now.

She continued: 'James has done some awful things in the past, but he has never been a bad person.'

The girl looked into Ayo's eyes, something she had been avoiding throughout. 'I – I don't know why I'm telling you all this, and James isn't the real reason I'm here' the girl said, Wanda confessed.

'I'm here because of Nigeria. I'm here because I killed your twin sister.' Tears threatened the outer rim of her eyes, but Wanda pushed on: 'I wanted to confess to my crime and apologise personally for my actions. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know from the bottom of my heart how sorry I am for what I've done'

Wanda Maximoff.

A child of war and an orphan at just 10 years old.

Ayo had known who she was the minute she had taken the spear from between her eyes. In an odd sense, Ayo could see herself reflected in this girl. They had both lost family they cherished and were both fighting for a perceived greater good. Ayo on the other hand was working for the greater good from the beginning.

Wanda wanted to make up for her past actions, but wound up hurting more people than she'd helped. and they were always people of colour she thought jadedly. 'Do you even know her name?' Ayo said bitterly. Wanda nodded her head and looked down at feet. 'Acantha' she said solemnly, 'your sisters name was Acantha'.

Her presence really did tick her off. No amount of apology or excuse could make up for her sister's death, and she wondered absently if this was how Tony Stark felt.

It hit her then suddenly. She had compared herself to Wanda and that wasn't the case at all. They were nothing alike. Wanda was like Sergeant Barnes.

Sergeant Barnes' actions had hurt many. Resulting in the deaths of innocent people. He was made into a tool of destruction. Wanda Maximoff was the embodiment of chaos. Her actions at first had intentionally influenced and hurt the lives of many. Switching sides only when realising her wrong doing.

Both had hurt and maimed others for the sake of war. Unlike Sergeant Barnes she had a choice. He did not.

Tony Stark had not seen it that way. As far as he was concerned Sergeant Barnes was murderer. he had purposely killed Starks parents. Sergeant Barnes was a victim.

Ayo was not Stark, and she never would be.

'I cannot forgive you' Ayo said, gravely. 'you have taken the life of someone so brilliant, so kind, sweet and loving that the prime of her abilities will unfortunately never be known by the rest of Wakanda.'

Ayo knew it was petty, reminding someone who was sorry for their actions for their wrong doings, but sorry was not enough. She wanted Wanda to know her pain, for her to at least taste some of the grief she had caused. It was sick, but she wanted to see Wanda cry.

'Acantha was my sister and Princess Shuri's mentor. I want you to know that it wasn't just me you hurt, but the Princess too. Acantha was her first love. And although she did not return the feeling, she never once let her down. Pushing her to what she is now'

Ayo's voice took a life of its own, saying things she would never say to anyone else. But the words flowed from her lips like water, the memory of her sister fuelling her on.

'I will never see my sister again because of you, and The Princess will possibly never see love for its beauty, only its pain. Your actions have consequences Wanda Maximoff. And I hope you will learn from them. Bast help us all if you don't.'

Ayo's eyes itched, and she rubbed the skin beneath. When she pulled her hand away, she found it damp. She looked down at her hand perplexed. Where had that come from? She looked at Sergeant Barnes' chamber. It was still covered in ice, but she could still make out her reflection from where she stood. Water flowed from her eyes like a stream, rushing towards her lips. The same could be said about her nose, only the mucus stuck to the very entrance and refused to go any further.

That was all it took.

A strangled cry left her lips and she let herself cry without remorse. She gasped, and sobbed, and choked, the air in her lungs whooping. All because of Acantha. Acantha who was both stupid and smart. The one who was aware of others feelings but never of her own. The sister who was everything she was not and everything Ayo was.

Her whole, her half, her equal.

Arms where suddenly around her, and the dry scent of an unfamiliar hair lotion filled her nostrils. Ayo's blood boiled, 'no! Let go of me! Get off of me you witch!' She hollered pushing aggressively at Wanda's body.

'get off of me now! Or I'll make you sorry!'

But the girl only clung to Ayo's body, wrapping her in an embrace that Ayo would have imagined as impossible only hours before. She made her feel weak, and the disdain that she had carefully suppressed came back tenfold.

Skin meeting skin echoed in the room, and the shock of what Ayo was about to do only reached her a second too late. Wanda's cheek glowed a raspberry red, the mark made from Ayo's hand getting brighter with every second that passed. It was the sound that brought Ayo crashing back to reality, the slap's echo reverberating.

Her sobs ceased at once from this act of violence, and she found that she could only stare at Wanda. They had both fallen to the floor, kneeling. The girl held Ayo as if her life depended on it, and refused to let go. She could see herself once again reflected in James' chamber, the wildness of her eyes, the looseness of her tears and the heaviness of her breath. His face hovered above theirs like a god, asleep, but all knowing and all observing. 'its ok' Wanda murmured, stroking her back 'it's alright. I know how you feel.' The words left her like a prayer, soft and soothing, the timber of her voice a melody.

Did she know how she felt? Truly? Ayo didn't know.

But Wanda's arms around her reassured her, the feeling warm and welcoming. They were like Acantha's. A long time ago, when Ayo would cry herself to sleep at night, Acantha would hold her like this, saying nothing, but holding her just the same.

It was in those moments that it was Acantha's turn to be the strong one, guarding and protecting her twin from her woes. Reassuring her that things would get better. The last time she had done this was when she and Okoye split up.

Wanda moved, guiding her to one of the chairs in the room. She set Ayo down, and poured her some water. Ayo gladly accepted, downing its contents in one go. Wanda poured her another cup, and Ayo sipped it gently 'is this another one of your tricks?' Ayo asked, trying to be fiecre 'are you trying to get me to forgive you?' Wanda shook her head, the dew of tears fresh in her own eyes. 'I may be able to manipulate feelings, but I'm not so cruel. All this, is you. This is supressed emotion'

Figures.

Ayo never actually confronted Acantha's death, nor had she spoken or reflected on it. She buried it, and ignored it like she always did. Deciding that having no visible feelings was better than being seen as weak. Talking about her had brought it all out, and it both terrified and reassured her.

'I'm sorry' Ayo said 'for hitting you' Wanda smiled, the mark making her wince 'there's nothing to be sorry about. When my brother died, all I wanted to do was destroy everything around me. His death changed me, but for the better.'

Ayo knew about her parents, but she had no knowledge of her having a brother. She did know how it felt. Shame coursed through Ayo's body as she went on: 'It was only after his death that I realised that it wasn't over for him. And the same can be said of your sister, Acantha'

'what do you mean?'

Wanda looked into Ayo's eyes, 'do you trust me?'

'yes' no

Wanda raised her hands, and laid them on Ayo's face. Instinct claimed Ayo's senses, and she found herself closing her eyes at Wanda's approaching touch despite her fight to keep them open. When her hands finally touched her face, the world was new:

A great sea was before her, and all around her was a lush green landscape. It was an island, unaltered and growing lavishly from the rich soil beneath her. A warm sun caressed her skin and she saw for the first time that the island was alive with people. They all wore clothing of an era long gone, the armour and cloth much too distinct to be from the present, but an ancient past.

The people were of similar stature, the curve of their bodies and girth of their chests marking them distinctly as women. From what Ayo could see there was no man on this island, only one sex. An island of women.

A child ran amongst them. She had coal black hair and pale skin, with a face that promised great beauty to come. The women greeted her enthusiastically as she ran, smiles upon their faces. The child ran and ran and ran stopping only at a field.

The field was full of training women. Each one carried a weapon and sparred with one another with heated enthusiasm, adamant to prove her worth. The shape of one of the women caught her attention in particular. She was quite tall, dark skinned and had a full head of lush black hair. It was plaited back to sit in her hair piece, and hold her hair away from her eyes. She fought with a sword, swinging the weapon too and through as she battled her opponent. It was like dancing, her movements hypnotic yet deadly.

With one swing her rival fell to the ground, defeated. The Warrior lifted her opponent up by the hand and turned to where Ayo was. Her breath caught in her throat. The warrior was Acantha. She smiled and whooped and cheered. She praised the women around her and sang openly a song of war. Acantha's presence amongst these women was one of unity, as though she had known these women all her life.

The shyness that once prevented her from speaking her mind at full was gone, and Ayo saw for the first time the woman Acantha was meant to be.

'Did you see it?'

Ayo blinked, dazed. A pale faced girl with chestnut hair came into her field of vision. They were in a lab. 'what was that?' Ayo said groggily, trying to make sense of all that she had seen. Wanda smiled gently 'another universe' she whispered. 'I don't know the extent of my abilities, or even exactly what I can do, but what I just showed you, I've never shared with anyone else.'

'why did you show this to me?'

'to make up for my actions. To show you that your sister was ok.' Wanda looked down at her hands, 'and to help you move on'.

A comment like that would have annoyed Ayo earlier, but with her outburst and emotional response to discussing her sister, she realised now that she did need to address her sister's death.

Wherever this universe was, whoever Acantha was in this new world, she was happy. Ayo could never forgive Wanda, it was a standard fact. Neither was she willing to call her a friend or an acquaintance. But she appreciated what she had done.

'Thank You' Ayo said.

Wanda nodded, getting ready to leave. Her chestnut hair bouncing.

The youth of the girl baffled Ayo, noting for the first time how young she was. She had a world of experience and a depth of emotion. Her wisdom somehow seemed unnatural, and her war experiences in this day and age was uncommon. 'How old are you?' Wanda turned to face Ayo, the look of surprise on her face hysterical.

Ayo did not laugh, but pressed on 'you've seen and known war for how long? Your experiences and empathy speak of one who either knows loss or takes pleasure in it. And I know it's not the latter. So, tell me, how old are you?'

Everything about Wanda Maximoff was unnatural.

It wasn't hard to see that. But this much despair and anguish in one lifetime, would be too much to bear. Coupled with her abilities, none of this seemed right. How much had she seen? How much had she done to be where she was now? Ayo did not believe in fate, but something about all this seemed supernatural to her.

Wanda struggled, heat taking to her cheeks. The frankness of Ayo's words clearly making her wonder if she was being condescended. But that was far from the truth. Ayo knew that, and Wanda could feel it. She looked at Ayo shyly, insecurity in her voice.

'seventeen' she said. 'I'm seventeen years old'.

Seventeen

"I'm seventeen years old" the words echoed around the white space.

He'd been staring at the word for hours, unable to find anything to go with it, and unable to whisk it away from his line of sight. Having the word as his only source of comfort was irritating to say the least.

But the commotion outside woke him from his daze. He did not understand what was going on outside, but he knew a struggle when he heard one.

He realised at once that Wanda was outside. He'd wondered desperately what had become of her after the airport fight. And hearing her voice reassured him.

But hearing what followed surprised him. Acantha had been Ayo's twin sister, and Wanda had killed her. Not intentionally of course, but her actions had led to her death. Whatever Wanda did to Ayo now in the space of the time that had passed, had healed her.

Her tension from earlier gone, and her voice retaining its cool calm lilt.

Ayo was back, and if his hearing was anything to go by, better than ever.

The room around him shifted, and he was back in the alleyway.

Steve was with James, walking out after the fight, and showing him a piece of paper.

On it, the details of his regiment.

107th Infantry Regiment.

107th.

One and Seven.

Seventeen.