A/N: I realized I forgot to say how long this story is going to be. It will be around 64k, with 14 chapters in total. And for those who came here from The Heiress, don't worry. Although there will be no Ana or Tony Stark POVs, there will still be many parts focusing on the Starks. I tried really hard to make this story readable both as a standalone and a sequel, so hopefully no one will get disappointed.


Humans were three-dimensional beings. That was why they had invented the concepts of "past," "present," and "future." Because they couldn't perceive the fourth dimension. The truth was, there were no such concepts in the fourth dimension. "Time" was just an illusion. Those who claimed to have the power to see the future didn't have "magic" or "divine powers," of course, but they didn't necessarily have to be liars and charlatans either. They might simply have witnessed a glitch in the illusion of time.

For a race of three-dimensional creatures, humans still had a vast understanding of spacetime, mostly due to the phenomena such as black holes. The gravity of black holes was so intense that they could bend spacetime. If science found a way to replicate and control this force, then time-travel would be possible.

At least it was the argument of a young American quantum physicist these days.

It had been almost a year since Shuri's brother had returned home, and a lot had changed in Wakanda since then. First, their father had decided to pass the Black Panther mantle to T'Challa. T'Challa had accepted it with his usual solemnity, but Shuri hadn't bothered to hide her excitement. She had so many ideas for new Panther Habits, and she couldn't wait for T'Challa to test them out.

S'Yan had decided to retire. So, Shuri had become the leader of the Wakandan Design Group at the age of fifteen. But she could feel that not everyone was happy about this arrangement. They didn't like the fact that their technology was overseen by a child. Some even thought she had no respect for Wakandan culture, just because she dressed like an American teenager, or listened to American music. No one would say these to her face, of course, but Shuri knew what they said behind her back. She didn't care. One day they would all see that she was serving Wakanda with pride.

Shuri wasn't the only one who had got a promotion. Okoye had become the general of the Dora Milaje recently. And she was marrying W'Kabi, the leader of the Border Tribe and T'Challa's best friend. In fact, their wedding was today.

T'Challa was, however, wasn't as lucky as him when it came to love. His relationship with Nakia was not a secret to anyone, but one couldn't be both a War Dog and the future queen of Wakanda, and Nakia would only choose the second path if Wakanda decided to share its resources with the rest of the world. Upon returning from England, she had been sent to another mission in Somalia immediately, but had been able to return home just in time for Okoye's wedding.

And the timing couldn't have been any better, because both Nakia and T'Challa needed to hear about this American physicist. Nakia wanted to open Wakanda to the rest of the world not only because it was the right thing to do, but also because she believed it was the only way to stop Thanos.

Shuri had always thought she would be jealous when her brother eventually found himself a girlfriend. She and their mother had been the only women in his life for so long that she hadn't wanted that to change. But Nakia, with her usual charm, had easily found herself a place in this family. Even their mother, who didn't think any woman could be good enough for his son, liked Nakia.

When Shuri called them, the lovers answered her call together.

"Brother, Nakia. Come to my lab, there is something you need to see at once."

"Aren't you supposed to be preparing for the wedding?" T'Challa asked her.

"I can ask you the same question," Shuri said insinuatingly. He simply gave her a death glare while Nakia bit her lip in an embarrassed manner.

"We will be there soon," he said dryly, and ended the call.

Indeed, ten minutes later, they were in Shuri's lab. T'Challa and Shuri had a "secret handshake" since they were kids. It was a combination of a fist bump and traditional Wakandan salute of crossing the arms. This is how they greeted each other now, and Shuri knew he wasn't really angry with her for interrupting his "reunion" with Nakia.

Nakia, on the other hand, bowed her head to Shuri. "Princess…"

"Pfft. Stop it, Nakia."

Nakia chuckled, and gave her a warm hug instead.

"See? This is better. So, how was your mission?"

"I had to make a bit of a mess on my way out, but other than that, it went smoothly. I see you have been busy as well."

"It was actually more of a coincidence. I was taking a look at the latest issue of an MIT journal, just for fun, you know…"

"My little sister reads scientific journals like other teenagers read those young adult novels," T'Challa bragged.

Shuri grinned. "Anyway, that is how I found an undergraduate research on temporal quantum physics and Einstein's theory of general relativity."

"An undergraduate research?"

"Yes, but don't underestimate it, brother. In fact, I am sending a copy of the issue to your personal servers as we speak." She gave Griot, Shuri's latest creation and the new digital assistant of the Design Group, a command to send the copy to T'Challa.

"If you want me to read that research, give me a few days, at least. I am not you."

"You can read the research yourself later. I called you here for something else."

"Enough with the suspense, Shuri…"

"He is right, you are going to give your poor brother a heart attack," Nakia agreed.

Shuri smirked mischievously. "Alright. Guess who wrote that research?"

Instead of guessing, T'Challa simply opened up the file Shuri had just sent him and looked. "Ana Maria… Stark?"

Nakia frowned. "Daughter of Tony Stark?"

"I haven't even told you the best part yet…"

"What best part?"

"She is the American in my vision."

Silence.

"What?" Shuri snapped. "We have found another piece of the puzzle! Shouldn't we be celebrating?"

"What exactly do you want to do, sister?"

"Well, I want to talk to her, of course! An ordinary scientist might say her theory is too far-fetched, but a true genius can see how close she has come to actual time-travel! Do you think it is a coincidence?"

"No. But we cannot trust her, Shuri. That family is cunning, ruthless…"

"Our grandfather trusted Howard Stark, right? And Howard Stark never betrayed Wakanda."

"It was a long time ago. We don't know under what circumstances that happened."

Shuri thought for a moment. Then she came up with an idea. "Maybe we can find out. You went to the Ancestral Plane when you took the Heart-Shaped Herb… Can't you go back and find Grandfather Azzuri?"

"I told you, I am not sure if I have really been there. It could just be a dream for all I know. A side effect of the herb. None of the ancestors spoke to me. And what you are suggesting would be against tradition. I cannot go through that ritual again until I am crowned king."

It was true. The powers granted by the Heart-Shaped Herb would be taken from him during his coronation, and given back afterward. Which meant that he couldn't talk to King Azzuri until… their father's death. Besides, it hadn't seemed like a pleasant experience. Shuri didn't want her brother to go through that again unless he really had to.

She turned Nakia for help, but much to her disappointment, Nakia seemed to be with T'Challa on this. "I don't know, Shuri," she sighed. "People call Tony Stark 'the Merchant of Death,' for a reason. I have seen too many Stark weapons during my missions. Of course they say he was kidnapped, but the Ten Rings is known to possess many of those weapons. Whatever happened in Afghanistan, it must have been an arms deal gone wrong. But now that he is gone, soon, this girl is going to become the new Merchant of Death."

Right. Tony Stark had been kidnapped in Afghanistan. It was what the whole world talked about these days. "Has his death been confirmed?"

Nakia shook her head. "It doesn't matter. No one survives the Ten Rings."

Shuri understood their concerns, she really did. So far, Ana Stark had done nothing that would show that she disapproved of her father's legacy. She was obviously following his footsteps. But Shuri knew that wasn't always going to be the case. "But she was my friend in that future! She was a good person! People can change!"

T'Challa sighed. "Then we will wait until we are sure she is changed… Let's go. Okoye will kill us all if we are late for the wedding."

Okoye and W'Kabi's wedding would be held in the Border Tribe region, so everyone had gathered there. Once the royal family arrived, the music began to play. Most of the guests were sitting on the grass outside, but a large tent had been erected for the bride, groom, the royal family, and the Elders.

Okoye and W'Kabi stood up when they saw the King and his family. "My king, my queen, Prince T'Challa, Princess Shuri… Welcome," W'Kabi greeted them.

"We are so happy for you two," Shuri's father said, then presented the wedding gifts. A small vibranium statue of Bast and Sekhmet from the King himself, a golden necklace from the Queen—Okoye would probably never wear it, but she accepted the gift with a gracious smile nevertheless—a leatherbound, handwritten book of ancient Wakandan tales from T'Challa, and a pair of matching high-tech rings from Shuri.

It was strange to see Okoye in this white dress, trimmed with gold and red, instead of her traditional Dora Milaje armor. But then, she probably thought the same about Shuri's outfit.

"Nice corset," she commented.

"Things I do for you, Okoye…"

Aside from the uncomfortable corset, Wakandan weddings were fun. They sang and danced, until Zuri pronounced the couple husband and wife. And then, the feast started. Which was good, because all that singing and dancing had made everyone hungry.

Shuri would tell Okoye and W'kabi about Ana Stark later. Okoye was another supporter Shuri had, though her new husband apparently didn't bother to hide his skepticism. T'Challa had told his best friend why he was really going to Oxford, but W'Kabi had said the "incident" was simply the fantasies of a child who was way too interested in outsiders. At least that was what T'Challa had told her. Still, Shuri liked him well enough. He was T'Challa's best friend, and no doubt he would make Okoye happy.

Shuri didn't think Okoye would be thrilled about this new discovery, though. She was even more skeptical than T'Challa when it came to outsiders.

After the wedding, as they returned home on a flyer, her parents approached Shuri.

"I told them," T'Challa simply said.

"And?" Shuri asked, but she tried not to get too hopeful. Her parents didn't seem pleased.

Her father said, "Your brother is right, that family cannot be trusted. The Starks are irresponsible, and when they are not irresponsible, they are ruthless. I forbid you to contact that girl."

Two days after the wedding, Nakia left Wakanda again, for another mission. T'Challa's Kimoyo beads had been turned off that night. Shuri assumed he was somewhere away from the city, away from everyone, brooding, and when she went looking for him, he found him sitting on the edge of a cliff overlooking the forest, indeed.

"She will be back, you know. Nakia can handle herself."

T'Challa turned his head to look at her. "Nakia and I… We broke up."

For some reason, Shuri wasn't surprised to hear that. Nakia and T'Challa made a great couple, but well, their relationship was doomed from the start. She came to sit down beside him. "How bad was it?"

"We didn't have a fight. We are still on good terms. Just… not in a relationship."

"Oh. I am sorry, brother."

"Don't be." He put an arm around her shoulders.

Well, she was sorry, indeed. If T'Challa was to have a future queen, Shuri wanted her to be Nakia. She wondered how her father and brother would react when she had a boyfriend. So far, she hadn't met anyone that caught her attention, but one day, she probably would.

"I wish we didn't have to grow up. Everything was much simpler when we were children."

He chuckled mirthlessly. "Perhaps we should rebuild that treehouse."

"Would Baba let us, though?" she asked insinuatingly.

He became serious again. "I know sometimes he is harsh on us, sister, but he is just trying to raise us well."

"I know that. I just feel like we should be doing something, anything, other than watching the world from shadows."

"And we will. If Bast wants us to change the future, the path will reveal itself to us, you will see."

What if it didn't, though? What if that vision came true? Would they meet again in the Ancestral Plane one day, no matter what Thanos did to them? "You don't think you really have been to the Ancestral Plane, do you?"

"No."

"Baba thinks you have."

"Well, I am not him. I certainly saw a place, but it was probably just a hallucination."

"What was the 'place' like?" Shuri had never asked him before. But now, she suddenly wanted to know more.

"Peaceful. Quiet. There were Black Panthers perched on the trees. If it wasn't a hallucination, what do you think it was?"

"It could be another dimension, if the multiverse theory is true."

"No one has been able to prove the multiverse theory right."

"No one has been able to prove it wrong either."

"Why are you suddenly so interested in the Ancestral Plane?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I want to know what will happen to us after we die."

"You are too young to worry about death, little sister."

They sat in silence for a while. From here, Shuri could see where their treehouse had once been. As for the cave… No one had been able to find the Cave of Visions after that night. Not even Shuri herself. Sometimes, she wished Bast had appeared to her when Shuri was a bit older, so that she could have paid more attention to details. Like the path she had followed, the constellations she had seen on that spaceship—that could help her determine in which galaxy that moment took place, at least—or Ana Stark's time machine.

But the conversations were still vivid in her mind. "I died when Thanos killed my brother anyway."

She hadn't said anything about her parents, Okoye, Nakia, or anybody else. Had Thanos spared them? Or were they already dead by the time Thanos had killed T'Challa?

Suddenly, her Kimoyo beads beeped. "There has been an update on Tony Stark's situation," Griot said. Shuri had ordered him to keep her updated on the Starks.

"Show me," she said quickly, tapping on one of the beads. A hologram of a press room that was packed with reporters popped up.

"Mr. Stark has returned to the United States. A press conference will start in less than ten minutes."

Shuri and T'Challa exchanged looks. So, Nakia had been wrong about him. She had said no one survived the Ten Rings. Glory to Bast, Nakia had never personally encountered them, but those terrorists had a notorious reputation all around the world.

They waited. Although he would probably never admit it, Shuri could see that even T'Challa's interest had been piqued. Soon, Tony Stark was on the podium, indeed. His one arm was in a sling, there were a few cuts and bruises on his face, but other than that, he seemed fine. Shuri also spotted his business partner, Obadiah Stane—yes, she had done her homework—but Ana Stark was nowhere to be seen. Well, she struck Shuri as a private person anyway. Those who had expected her to become America's next sweetheart must have been very disappointed. She seemed to be living a quiet life. Still, it was hard to hide the fact that you graduated summa cum laude from MIT at the age of 17, with double majors in Physics and Electrical Engineering, especially if your father had done the same before you. As for her theory, it was only popular among scientists for now. The public wouldn't show it any interest until she made time-travel actually possible.

"Hey, would it be alright if everyone sat down?" Tony Stark asked, with a what looked like a cheeseburger in his hand. "Why don't you just sit down? So that you can see me, and I can… A little less formal and…"

Shuri giggled. It was a bit funny, to see how the man could make a room of people in fancy business suits just sit down on the floor.

"Shuri," T'Challa said softly. "This man might have had a taste of his own poison, but that doesn't make him a good guy."

"I never said goodbye to my father," Stark suddenly said, and T'Challa went quiet. "There's questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him about how he felt about what his company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts… Or he was every inch the man we knew from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that was comfortable with zero accountability."

A reporter asked, "What happened over there?"

"I had my eyes open." Stark rose to his feet and returned to the podium. "I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down weapons manufacturing division of Stark International, until such a time…"

The reporters went crazy. Shuri flashed her brother a triumphant grin. Stark might be a douchebag, but if only he knew how good his timing was. "You were saying…"

"That was a nice speech. But it doesn't prove anything."

"Really?"

"Shuri, you are the smartest person I have ever known. And I am not just talking about science and technology. Do you honestly believe everyone will be happy about this decision? Their engineers, board members, shareholders, military officials… Do you think they will just let him be?"

"No, but I am sure he knows that, too."

He thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose time will show us how resilient the Starks are."

"Let's call Father," she suggested.

The press conference had ended. Shuri turned off the screen, and called their father instead. Seconds later, his hologram appeared.

"Daughter? Son? Where have you been?"

"Well, T'Challa was brooding on the edge of a cliff, and I was keeping him company." This earned Shuri a death glare from T'Challa. "Have you seen the international news?"

"No. I was meditating. Why? Did something happen?"

"Tony Stark is back."

He frowned, but didn't say anything.

"And he just shut down the weapons manufacturing division of his company."

"Hmm."

Shuri could see that he was sharing the same concerns with T'Challa. She couldn't believe she was actually defending a white boy, but her family had left her no choice. "I know, I know… It won't be that easy, there will be consequences. But if he wins this battle, will you let me contact his daughter?"

"If he does, I will consider it."

"Thank you, Baba!"

"Now, take your brother, and come home."

"As you wish," she said, and ended the call. Then she flung her arms around T'Challa's neck.

"Shuri…"

"Yes, brother?"

"Just try not to get too hopeful, alright?"

The outcome of this unexpected development regarding the Stark family turned out to be even more unexpected. A few months later after his return, Tony Stark declared himself "Iron Man." This time, Shuri, T'Challa, their parents, Zuri, Okoye, and W'Kabi were watching the press conference in the throne room together. This wasn't the Tribal Council, but rather an inner circle of people who knew about Shuri's vision. An unofficial, secret council. Nakia was the only one missing, and she usually didn't contact anyone from Wakanda during her missions, but Shuri had no doubt she would hear about this as well.

Shuri turned to T'Challa. "Well, brother, it looks like you are no longer the only superhero in the world…"

Okoye rolled her eyes. "Iron Man… It is so primitive."

"The armor itself might be so," Shuri agreed, "But the Arc Reactor… That is actually not bad."

Shuri had read Stark's medical report. The Arc Reactor powered an electromagnet that kept the shrapnel in his chest from penetrating his heart. She didn't know how exactly the Arc Reactor worked, but if her theory was correct, there had to be a superconductor in its core. A group 10 element. Palladium, most likely. She wondered how he protected himself from palladium poisoning. Palladium was toxic for humans, after all. And with the amount he had to use to power something like the Iron Man suit…

"The Princess might be right, my king," W'Kabi said. "I fear the world is finally catching up on us. This is not something we can ignore. Do we have spies at Stark Industries?"

W'Kabi was sometimes even more paranoid than T'Challa. No wonder they were such good friends.

"No," her father replied. "But perhaps we should."

Shuri frowned. "Spies? I thought you would let me contact them if Stark remained true to his word, remember?"

"I said I would consider it. Now I have, and decided that this doesn't mean we can trust them with our secrets. We don't know enough about them."

"Let me go to them, then. Send me to America to observe them more closely. Trust goes both ways, Father. At some point, we are going to have to talk to them. How do you expect them to trust us if they find out we had a spy at their company?"

"Shuri!" T'Challa hissed. "You are not a spy."

"That is exactly the point."

Her mother and father exchanged concerned looks. Then the former said, "Shuri, do we really have to remind you what happened the last time a member of the royal family went to America?"

A grave silence followed this question.

Uncle N'Jobu. He had been killed by African-Americans in California, before Shuri had been born. It was a terrible thing, of course, there was no denying it. But they couldn't let the past determine the future. Because that future was a nightmare.

"Uncle N'Jobu worked among criminals. I will be in a much safer environment."

"What about the girl?" W'Kabi asked. "If she really finds a way to travel to the past, or the future… The consequences might affect all of us. I know Princess Shuri likes her, but it will be safer if we sabotage her research."

"There is no need for that," Shuri said sharply. "She scrapped her research."

They all turned to her. "What?"

"It is true. After she announced that she would no longer be working on her temporal quantum physics project, I took a look at her servers. Her research was gone, indeed."

Her father frowned. "You hacked the Starks' personal servers?"

"They might be good, but I am better," she bragged. "Don't worry, no one even realized I was there."

"Why?" Okoye asked. "Why would she scrap her research?"

"Exactly! Why would she scrap that research? She was so close to making time-travel possible! My theory is that something happened and she got scared."

"But apparently, she had already succeeded in your vision."

"Yes. But was she supposed to make this decision all along, or are we in a different timeline? I might be able to answer that question if I find out what exactly changed her mind. Or, what if she is the time-traveler? We know she was disguised as her teenage self before going back in time…"

"What do you want to do?"

"I can apply for a job at Stark Industries. Or, maybe an internship… I am young enough to be an intern. I am pretty sure soon she will get a position at her father's company. Probably in the R&D department."

"How do you know that?" T'Challa asked.

"I don't. But she seems to have a… pattern. She does everything that is expected of her, and nothing that is not expected of her. Of course, that is just a front. No one's life can be that simple. Especially if you are smart enough to invent time-travel, and your father is a billionaire superhero."

Her father shook his head. "You have become obsessed with this girl, Shuri."

She looked at him in disbelief. "She was in my vision! Of course I am obsessed with her!"

"And what if she doesn't have the answers you seek?"

"Then I will keep seeking them with her."

"We don't need help from outsiders to protect you."

"With all due respect, Father, I think we need allies," T'Challa said, much to everyone's surprise. Then, he went on, "I am not saying it should be her, but someone must go. So, send me instead. I have done this before, I have lived in a foreign country. I can do it again."

"No," Shuri disagreed. "You are too intimidating."

"And you are too young, sister."

She could see that their father was now at least considering the option. Shuri was holding her breath. "Very well," he finally said. "Perhaps this is your path, daughter. I didn't stop T'Challa before. I have no right to stop you either. You might not be a War Dog, but you still need a War Dog's skills if you want to do this. When you are ready, I will send you to America. Your training will start once Nakia returns from her mission. She will be your mentor."

"YES!" Nakia being her mentor… Honestly, she hadn't seen this coming. She went to hug her father. "Thank you, Baba! I will not fail you, you will see!"

"Shuri," her mother scolded her. She didn't seem happy at all, but even if she wanted to argue with her husband, she was obviously not going to do it in the presence of the others. "This is not a game. This is a mission. You should take it seriously."

"Oh, I am taking it seriously, Mother. Don't worry."

She sighed. "I hope so…"

Shuri then turned to her brother, who looked appalled. Was it because their father had finally agreed to send her a mission abroad, or because Nakia would train her, which meant that she wouldn't be going anywhere until Shuri's training was completed? Probably both. But like their mother, he didn't argue with the King either.

Nakia had said the first thing Shuri needed to learn was, just in case, to handle herself in a fight. So, this was where they started. Shuri was enjoying it, and she was eager to advance, but she knew that no matter how hard she trained, she still needed time to develop muscle memory and better reflexes. One year, at least, according to both Nakia and T'Challa.

In the meantime, they were keeping tabs on the Starks. It didn't take long for Shuri to realize she might have been wrong about Tony Stark's palladium poisoning. She had assumed he had found a cure. But these days, he was acting like an idiot, giving away his stuff, and even making his personal assistant the new CEO. One would think he would act more responsibly after that Senate hearing, and the incident in Monaco. Perhaps he was dying. Slowly and painfully.

Ana Stark was still a mystery, though. Much to everyone's surprise, she had been seen at that hearing, and Shuri had a guess why. Mr. Stark probably couldn't hide his palladium problem from someone who was as smart as her. So, Ana must have wanted to be there with him, as the only person who was aware of the palladium poisoning, in case his condition deteriorated. But after Pepper Potts had become the CEO, she hadn't been seen in public again, which led the tabloid press to assume that she wasn't very happy about it. According to the rumors, Ana Stark and Pepper Potts were the modern Snow White and the Evil Queen. Shuri didn't know how much of these rumors were true.

The rumors were proven false when the two women were seen at shopping together a few days after the attack at the Stark Expo. Shortly afterward, Ana became the Chief Technology Officer of Stark Industries. Shuri's original plan was to apply for an internship at Stark Industries, but when she hacked into the Starks' personal servers again, she realized Ana had applied to a graduate program at NYU.

"It is safer for you to go to New York as a graduate student," Nakia said. "And less suspicious. I don't think someone like you will get rejected, but just to be safe, apply to the same program as soon as you can. Of course, we need your father's approval first."

"I will speak to him tonight," she said, but she was now a bit nervous. So, it was really happening…

"What is wrong?" Of course, it hadn't escaped Nakia's notice.

"Are you sure I am ready for this?"

Nakia smirked. "What happened to your confidence, Princess?"

"Nothing happened to my confidence. It is just… All my life, I have lived in Wakanda. I had no reason to lie to anybody, until now. What if I screw this up?"

Nakia put her hands on Shuri's shoulders. "Look, your family is worried about you. And it is understandable. Put yourself in their place. King T'Chaka lost a brother to Americans. He doesn't want to lose a daughter as well. And T'Challa grew up with the stories of how Prince N'Jobu died. You just have to play a game to prove that these people can be trusted. To put your parents' and brother's minds at ease."

"What is your point?"

"My point is, it is usually our guilt that betrays us when we lie. If you keep in mind that you are doing what you have to do for the greater good, that might help."

"Is that what you do during your missions?"

She smiled. "Yes. And unlike most of my missions, yours doesn't require you to be a completely different person. You are still a princess of Wakanda, who wants to study abroad. You will be using an alias for safety, but you will tell your new friend who you really are. You will just keep some of the truth from her, until you are sure she is trustworthy. And your friendship doesn't have to be a lie either. You are curious about this girl."

She chuckled mirthlessly. "I am, but my family is not very happy about it."

"You are a lonely child, Shuri. You want a friend who won't get nervous around you. Someone who would see you as an equal. You cannot find the friend you seek in Wakanda."

"T'Challa has, though. He has found W'Kabi. And you."

"It is not just your royal status that intimidates people. It is also your genius. Most people fear what they don't understand. I bet the Stark girl is having similar problems."

"I don't know. Unlike her father, she doesn't reveal much about herself. What if she doesn't want any friends? She is basically what Americans call an 'ice queen.'"

Nakia was right. Shuri really wanted to be friends with this girl. And she would be very disappointed if she got rejected.

"Or maybe, she is just a shy person who didn't choose to be born to a celebrity father."

"I hope you are right."

"Let's take a closer look at this family. Show me everything you have been able to find about them."

Soon, they were surrounded by various holograms. Some of the old pictures and videos of Tony Stark were not things you would want to see with your brother's ex, so Shuri swiped them away quickly.

"Hmm," Nakia said, studying a picture of the Starks, one must have been taken right after the Senate hearing. "They actually remind me of you and T'Challa."

"Don't let T'Challa hear that." She wondered what T'Challa and Tony Stark could possibly have in common, aside from being fabulously rich superheroes.

"But it is true. I mean, just look at them. These two share a special bond, just like the one you and T'Challa share. Someone who is capable of such love cannot be so bad."

"And you can tell it by looking at a single picture?" T'Challa, who had appeared out of nowhere, broke in. He had a habit of sneaking up on people.

Nakia shrugged. "I am simply interpreting their body language."

"And how do you interpret this, then?" He tapped on his Kimoyo bead, and revealed a picture of Tony Stark, shaking hands with Ulysses Klaue. It looked like the picture had been taken in a casino.

"Everybody deserves a second chance," Nakia defended Stark. Indeed, her opinion of him had completely changed after he had returned from Afghanistan. "So far, Stark has been using his well."

"On that we agree," T'Challa relented. T'Challa and Nakia might have broken up, but they were still flirting.

"Why are you here, brother?"

He ruffled her hair. "Maybe I just missed my little sister."

Shuri rolled her eyes.

"Alright, there is something I want to show you," he admitted. "Our spies report an increase in the number of enhanced individuals in America. SHIELD has been very busy lately. This one was recorded in Harlem, for example. Take a look."

He showed them a video of two giant human-like creatures terrorizing the streets of Harlem.

Nakia gasped. "What the…"

"That is not all. Captain Steve Rogers has also been found in ice. He is still alive." This time, he showed them the pictures of a blond man in the Captain America costume, partially covered in ice. And his vibranium shield.

"And last, but not the least, this was recorded in New Mexico."

Another blond man. This one's hair was longer, though, and he was wearing a long red cloak. He had a hammer in his hand, and was fighting a metallic automaton that could shoot energy blasts from its face. The blond man was what a superhero from a medieval fantasy world would look like.

"His name is Thor," T'Challa simply said. He didn't have to say anything else.

Shuri and Nakia gaped at him. Thor. Loki's brother.

"Is he still… around?" Nakia asked, her voice full of hope.

"No. No one has seen him, or heard from him since this incident in New Mexico."

"Didn't Elliot Randolph say the Asgardians would come to us?" Shuri cried. Suddenly, she was so angry. Angry that an Asgardian had been to New Mexico, for whatever reason, instead of coming here to Wakanda.

"He said Heimdall would let Odin know if it was important enough. And someone would pay us a visit."

"Maybe this Heimdall isn't as powerful as Randolph thinks," T'Challa said. "Maybe he doesn't see what we have been dealing with here."

"Or maybe, they don't care." Shuri clenched her fists angrily. Being ignored like this was almost suffocating. Didn't they realize what was at stake here? She could now see why her father didn't like having to rely on others for help.

"Sister," he said softly, and pulled her into a hug. "I didn't want you to go to America at first, but now I see why you must do it. The world is becoming a different place, and I don't think any of it is coincidence. Asgard doesn't know about our struggles, or they simply don't care. Either way, the Stark girl is the only clue we have left right now."

"And what if she doesn't care either?" Shuri asked, but deep down, she knew that wasn't going to be the case. Someone who was so interested in time couldn't simply ignore a warning from the future.

"Then when Thanos appears, we will take care of ourselves, as we have always done. But until then, we will keep seeking allies." His voice was so full of his usual confidence and determination that it instantly helped Shuri find hers.

"Nakia and I decided that I should apply to a graduate program at NYU. The same one Ana Stark has also applied. "

"Good plan," T'Challa said. "Cheer up, little sister. You are going to have so much fun in New York."