Chapter Twenty-Three

Shadowlands

Strathcona was quiet, the usual stir more different from past events in the days that had gone. First T'Chaka's children had shown up with Scott, then they had disappeared. The policemen had gone off to bring them back, only to come back babbling about the mysterious mountain men that lived in the Lonely Hills. Alfred confirmed it with the torn cloth.

While it left the Master reeling mad, it made Scott's housemates relieved. Especially when they returned the night before. Now, they waited for him to come back. Outside their house, however, on this day, a raven slammed into the ground outside the back of their home. It had followed with a wet, sickening thud, like a piece of bloody meat against a cutting board.

Within seconds, another raven slammed next to it, followed by many more. They piled into a wet, gross wretch of a pile, a figure slowly rising from it. A dirtied hand reached out, trembling on the ground as it crawled out of the wretched mass. As soon as its foot was removed from the nothingness, it rose from the ground, red eyes glowing in the dark alley.

Inside, the house's occupants were unaware of this until it was too late. The back door flew open, spooking even Everett. They turned around to see who had entered without warning, but stopped when a large figure stormed inside.

"Where is he?" Ultron snarled.

"Baba Yaga!" Kurt shrieked.

Everett grabbed the candle holder on the table, but Ultron swung a hand and back handed him. Everett let out an grunt and fell against the table. The liche turned and grabbed the first man by his shirt.

"Where is Klaue?!" Ultron demanded.

"I don't know who you're talking about," Luis denied, afraid of this monster.

"Oh, for the love of god," Ultron growled. He threw Luis to the side and spun around.

"Hey! Can you keep it down up there?"

Ultron stopped turned towards a door. Frowning, he pulled the hood of his cloak over his hand and marched towards it as Everett came to.

"Baba Yaga, come at night. Little children sleeping tight," Kurt whimpered to himself.

In the basement, Klaue was spooked when the door to the cellar was blown off of its hinges. He watched as a large figure stormed down them and stopped in front of him.

"Well, well." Ultron said. "If it isn't Klaue. I have a bone to pick with you."

"Says everyone I know," Klaue said.

"You're wanted somewhere else. A bounty's been overdue for the last thirty years."

"Wakanda?" Klaue laughed. "You…you're going to Wakanda? They're savages! They would never allow an outsider like yourself in. you have to be crazy to think you can just waltz right up to their borders."

Ultron reached up and yanked the hood off to reveal his skull head. Klaue frowned upon seeing his deformed face.

"And to think I saw you only as the bastard of the Avengers." He started to laugh, but Ultron cut it short by slitting his throat. Vengeance was now his, and he would collect what was rightfully his.


He knew Bruce had noticed his appearance. It didn't matter to him as he stood there in the doorway to the infirmary. It was strange to see the boy like that, lying on the cot, his arms resting on his chest. Had it not been for the good doctor's report from earlier, he would never had known that he was dead.

"My brother is gone for good now," Shuri had mourned.

"No," the woman contradicted. "His heart still beats in his chest."

"How do you know?" Shuri questioned.

"She is the Goddess of Death," Thor absently revealed. "My sister, Hela."

Tony ran a hand through his hair again. It had been days after they had left. Nakia and Shuri did not want to leave T'Challa here alone, but Bruce had promised they would see him get better again. Bucky had decided to leave with them because he couldn't handle being there when he felt like a failure. Nick had also left, but once again never explained why. Probably to help deliver the news of Scott's death.

He groaned at the thought of Scott. If T'Challa did wake up, then they would be the ones to reveal this. He was not looking towards it. He didn't want to imagine T'Challa's reaction when he heard the awful news. The team knew they had a friendship, and it would cause great heartache when T'Challa awakened.

Shame washed over Tony, cascading to the tip of his toes. Those years when he wallowed in pain, worrying what had become of Peter, he had sworn to never aid outside power. And when he learned of T'Challa's identity, he knew he would not have anything to do with Wakanda again. Look where that decision led him to.

He heard footsteps and saw Bruce walk up to him. He took his hand and placed a familiar journal into it. "I found this on him."

Tony barely acknowledged it. He held the journal in his hands. He hadn't seen it since Peter — no, not Peter; he was no more — had fled from their home. How T'Challa got gotten his hands on it, he didn't know.

"I think Natasha wanted him to see that room," Bruce told him. "Probably to help him get answers the hard way."

Tony closed his eyes. "That woman. You can't get a break from her, can we?"

"I'll leave you alone now," Bruce said. He was gone in a second.

Tony lifted his head up and glanced at T'Challa. He wasn't sure what to think of him right now. The stubbornness had been strong in this one after all, and Natasha had help raise the scales.

He stepped forward. "Here we all are, with only our wit and will. Just like you've been told."

He swallowed. "You deserve a better answer than what you've got, kid," he confessed. He studied his face. It was full of joy and duty. Now it taunted him of peace, showing no emotion at all.

"You were right about me," Tony admitted. "All of you were. I was mad, and I wanted to let you suffer as much as I did. But, I guess you already did that, huh?"

He had walked up to his bedside, hovering over him. He knew T'Challa didn't want anyone to fuss over him. Not now, not ever. "His name was Peter," he said. "That's if you wanted to know what his name was before the incident. I saw him alone, as a child. His guardians were lain besides him, long gone. He deserved to grow up a good life, so I took him."

Tony pulled up a chair and sat next to the man's bed. He just sat there, expecting, waiting for something to happen. What did he want? He wanted T'Challa to open his eyes, to laugh and speak. Maybe hint at forgiving him. But the younger man just continued to lay there.

"You kind of remind me of him. You had your quirks, but once you set your mind onto something, you never back down. You work to achieve that goal. You put others before yourself. And you're even loyal to those you care for." He stumbled over his words. His throat had begun to tighten, and he willed himself not to break down.

"You both deserve better. I failed him, and now I failed you. Maybe now, you'll be a king in heaven."

He leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, just for a moment, the gesture calming him. He got up and headed out of the room. He stopped, turned and looked at him one last time before disappearing.


Nova didn't bother to speak as she walked alongside Corvus down the halls of the palace's lower rooms. Instead, she kept her mouth shut by trying to banish Vision's corpse from her mind. But each attempt proved fruitless to her. It was like trying to build a dam with water currents stronger than ever. It remained impossible to view the inevitable.

She knew she could not read Vision's mind unless he permitted her to. He had a barrier set around him to block out readers or controllers. So when she had been in her room worried of her oldest brother, she remembered a trick Wanda had taught her. Like how she learned, she separated her astral form from her body and transported to where Vision was at. But when his aura was cut from her suddenly, she feared the worst. Who knew that she would end up crossing it all the while learning his fate?

"Corvus!"

They both stopped and turned to find Ultron standing at the other end in the armory. Their creator raised a hand and crooked a finger, beckoning the male creature to come forward. Corvus marched over to him, leaving Nova standing there.

"W'Kabi has his full support in us," Ultron quietly told Corvus. "He will be ready to lead should anyone invade. Which is why you are going to need an upgrade."

Images flashed through Nova's mind, but only for a quick moment. A complete thirst for revenge, a dead man in a bag, and an awed W'Kabi. Very brief were these images that Nova was brought to the present in time of a gift giving.

The liche produced a glaive to him. Unlike the smaller, silver one; this one was sharp and made of metal that he had never seen before. Corvus took it in admiration, taking in the magnificent craftsmanship.

"Made of the strongest metal ever known and other components that even Wakanda isn't aware of," Ultron said. "Stronger than even vibranium."

Nova stiffened.

"Consider this an upgrade to your position," Ultron continued. "Congrats, you've been promoted to general now."

Corvus heard, but didn't show he acknowledged. He was too busy admiring the glaive. His head was spinning with the news of the promotion. Finally, he had been gained recognition from his own sire.

Nova wasted no time in leaving. She marched up to her room and slammed the door. She paced back and forth, her thoughts jumbled like a jigsaw puzzle. Out of anger, she took one of her knives and threw it across the room, watching it bounce off the back wall of the hearth.

She winced at the sound that it had made. She reached out for her knife when she looked up. She frowned and peered closely at the wall inside the fireplace. Reaching out, her fingers grazed over the stone. Her fingertips grazed the surface until her nails dug into a crack.

"What the hell?" she whispered. She reached out and tugged at the stone. To her amazement, it pushed outwards and dragged to the side. The stone scraped as it slid, though it was otherwise surprisingly quiet. She crawled into the now open space to examine what it hid. All she saw was some tunnel.

She blinked. How had she not noticed this? Was it always here? Did anyone even know about this? If Ultron did not know about this, and anyone had access through this network…

She shivered. A plan was slowly building in her mind, and she didn't like it one bit. She would not allow the word "treason" enter her mind. To escape meant she would abandon her kinfolk and her duties. However, the memory of Vision's corpse and the confession only fueled her reason to leave. This land was now tainted, and she was going to make a decision that could changer her life.


Nova waited until nighttime before she could carry out her plan. Nobody would suspect if she left through the tunnels beneath the mines. They were bound to lead to somewhere. If she should ever come to a dead end, she still had many tricks up her sleeve.

Standing in her room, Nova carefully gathered her items and placed them around her. She had to be careful with what she could carry. That meant leaving some of her possessions behind, whether they were insignificant or considered precious to her. The trip required any tool of great importance, and that meant knowing who to trade and what to trade. After careful planning and decision making, she was ready to leave.

Opening the door in the fireplace proved easy. Closing it from the inside would be difficult. She carefully concentrated her willpower on the stone slab and willed it to move. For a moment, nothing happened. She heard the faint sound of scraping and watched as it slowly started to slide back in its place. Nova vented out the breath she had been holding in. She climbed to her feet and slowly made her way down the hall. All she had to do now was navigate the tunnels and make her way out into the jungles before anyone knew of her absence.

The walk was long and boring, but she managed to reach the tunnel's end. Moonlight cast down on her as she emerged into the open air. She took in a breath. When was the last time she relished such a thing? Never, but now Nova could see just how much such a thing like air was greatly appreciated. Another thing no one could take away from you.

She took a few steps forward before she bolted forward and sprinted into the night. She kept her eyes on the ground, twisting over and around fallen trees and strayed any root that jutted from the ground. So, this is what it had come to. Vision was the runaway, and now she was following in his footsteps. She might as well call him father and not Ultron.

She struck down a tree branch as she came close to an incline. When she almost reached it, she nearly crashed into something that jumped into her path. Both of them screamed, and the other person scrambled for a cluster of trees. She was left standing there, looking at the direction he had gone to. She tiptoed towards the cluster, clutching her knapsack tightly. She called out to him.

Slowly, the boy peeked out, his dark eyes watching her every movement. She recognized him from the gardens. The boy had defiantly grabbed at Ultron and demanded him to leave the man alone. It was admirable, albeit idiotic.

"What are you doing out here alone?" she questioned.

He just stared back at her, not hidden but not fully emerged. She noticed how badly shaped one of his eyes had been and his lips were swollen.

"I'm not here to hurt you," she whispered, trying not to look intimidating. "I swear it on the stars and the heavens."

It seemed enough to convince him. He stepped out from his place and stood there. Nova took her bag and opened it. She dug around before she found a vial and pulled it out. Its translucent liquid made the boy freeze. "Where did you get that?"

"The apothecary," Nova muttered. She uncorked the vial and came forward. She held the boy by the chin and let it lean back slightly, putting the vial to his lips and letting a droplet kiss them before applying it to his eye. "How did you get hurt?" she asked.

"The same way everyone else has been," he said. "By one of you."

"You looked like you only got punched." Nova put the vial back in her bag. "It would have been by a man, since my kin are known for spilling blood. You didn't answer my question."

"I'm just trying to hide like everyone from my village. How did any of you even find out where we were?"

"Same way an animal scouts for their prey."

"Oh." The boy sounded disappointed. She turned and started her way into the jungle again. "Where are you going? The Golden City is that way."

"Well, thank you for the directions. But that's not my place of interest."

He glared at her, daring her to speak like that to him again. She sniffed upon seeing the point she had made, turning to the trail and walking off again. She stopped upon hearing footsteps and found him by her side again.

"You're not going back there?"

She held up her bag. "Does this look like a picnic basket to you, boy?"

"I have a name, thank you very much!"

"Don't you have a family to go back to, M'Wabu?"

He stumbled over his feet in surprise, but continued to walk alongside her. "My mother died at childbirth. My father was killed by one of your brothers when you sacked our village."

"You must have someone else you care about."

"I do. But he's not here in Wakanda."

"Yeah? Who?"

"T'Challa."

M'Wabu waited for her to make same comment. Instead, she just stared at him. He felt uneasy, not liking how she just stared at him. He shifted his feet in the ground.

"You might want to go back to your people. I do not think he's going to come back."

"What do you mean?"

"Kid…" She hesitated, looking down at him. He was just too young to understand what death was. He had to be seven, maybe eight years old. No child should have to know what death was at his age. But she knew he would persist until she answered him.

"I don't know what happened there, but Vision is dead. And T'Challa was unresponsive. Ultron may have poisoned him." She looked him in the eyes. "He may be dying either way."

She watched as he stared back at her. She had a gut feeling that he may as well raise an army if he wanted to. He slowly inclined his head down, and she thought he would react violently. But there was a pause as he stared downwards. She waited for him to say or do something. He looked so helpless in his condition. She reached up and unbuckled her cloak. She took it off and placed it on him. He frowned at her. She didn't answer as she turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?"

"Far away from here," Nova answered.

"Can I come with you?"

Nova stopped and turned to him. "Why would you want to come with me?"

Even as she asked, she wondered why he had not run from her after she left. Perhaps something was telling him not to run from her. Yet those dark eyes frowned at her, soundlessly warning her not to attack him.

"I have nowhere to go to."

He was lying, but she did not say anything. There was rustling in the brush. Quickly she motioned for him to come near her. She reached into her boot to pull out the jagged-bladed dagger from its sheathe, ready to take out whoever it was that emerged.

"Put that down, Nova. I am not here for a fight."

Nova blinked. M'Wabu immediately placed his hand on her wrist. She looked between the two people before she lowered her dagger down, not taking her eyes off of Okoye. "What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"I would ask you the same, but this is not the time nor the place."

"No, it's not. Just step aside so I can be at the mountains by daybreak."

Okoye frowned. "You're leaving?"

"Ultron has given me a reason to. I tire of him taking lives of people who do not deserve it."

M'Wabu looked between the two women. He did not know if this was what he would want to get between, but he felt like he couldn't leave Nova's side. There were choices, and he was making his. Nova had probably been contemplating this moment for a long time.

Okoye's eyes never left Nova's. She stared at her, studied her. Then she slammed her spear against the ground twice.

"Follow me. I know a quicker way to get there."

Nova narrowed her eyes, considering this. Then she nodded slowly. "Let's go then."


After disembarking, the group started through the last leg of the jungle. However, Okoye halted by an embankment. In the clearing stood the abandoned ruins of an old building, the same one T'Challa had passed the day he found Scott. What was once a grand building of respect now lay shattered.

"What is that?" Nova asked.

"A temple of the gods," Okoye answered. "It used to be a santuary for man and animal alike. Now, Ultron saw it nothing more than a joke to equality. He had it torn down for some absurd reason afterwards."

M'Wabu wrinkled his nose. Still, they moved on. The boy stopped when he realized where they were heading to.

"You're leading us to the abandoned mines. Why?"

Okoye only gave him a look. Nova frowned at her. The Dora Milaje leader was hiding something, but a small part of her told her not to probe her mind for an answer.

They reached the skirts of the mines M'Wabu had asked about. They kept well away from paths that were traveled more and the private roads for extra precaution. Even with a map for an aid, the area was large to forget where you were. So far there had been no sign of an entrance.

"Okoye, how deep are these mines?" Nova asked.

"Very," was all she said.

"Here!" M'Wabu cried out.

Both women rushed up to where the boy was. M'Wabu had found an entryway that looked large enough even for Cull to fit through. The walls shone with material that had not been dug out. There were stairs that went deep into the hills.

"Very good," Okoye praised. "We have to hurry now."

Nova didn't say anything. She only complied and took up the rear to protect the pair in case danger came around. The stairs were painstakingly steep and treacherous.

"May I ask why we are taking this route?" she questioned suddenly.

"That, Mistress Nova," Okoye informed her, "is why I am glad we crossed paths."