A Face Like Sunshine, Eyes Like Winter
15
The General's Royal Talon flies toward the palace, the vibrant central city below it teeming with colorful life, the towering, spiral-shaped buildings around it winking in the waning sunlight.
Bucky stands near the cockpit, staring at the view, disappearing into his thoughts.
He's dressed in his best clothes: black pants and a dark gray henley, accessorised with the tribal cloth wrap he was given at his adoption ritual, his dog tags and vibranium arm shined to perfection.
He took his time cleaning himself up, taming his hair by pulling it back from his face and combing it with the pretty one he bought for Olla. She loves it, but insisted on leaving it with him so she won't lose or break it. He's been making good use of it on her orders. It parts and detangles his thick, wavy strands pretty well. He also trimmed his beard. Looking like a shaggy farmer won't make the impression he desires, he surmised back at his hut. So he went the extra mile, his sharp hearing keeping track of the small talk between the Dora and the Doc as he cleaned and trimmed his fingernails and made sure he smells good.
Focusing on these details as he prepared himself helped him stay calm. Now all he has is the view. It is beautiful, but it only makes him acutely aware of all he has to lose. Not just Sunshine's grace, healing and help, but also a chance for somewhere to belong.
Though he's stoic on the outside, inside he's quaking like a newly roused volcano. Okoye stands next to him, glancing at him sideways before returning her gaze to the land below.
"Nervous?" she asks softly, her voice more gentle and open than usual.
Bucky decides to make a joke. "How can ya tell? Is it the sweaty forehead?"
She chuckles quietly, her gentle tone remaining. "Actually, you look good." She touches his flesh arm, something she maybe picked up from N'Yuna, who's on duty somewhere. He could sure use her witty, optimistic way of looking at things right now. He supposes, though, General Okoye is a fine substitute. "I know you're a man of few words, but you haven't spoken since we left the village. Breathe , Bucky."
He doesn't know what to make of the fact that she's trying to connect with him right this moment, but he won't take it for granted. He takes a deep breath, nodding appreciatively when the air fills his lungs. "Thanks."
They're closing in, the palace and connected tribal council hall in view.
"There's nothing to fear." Okoye continues, her hand remaining in place, warm and firm. "We're in your corner."
"That's just it. Don't wanna let any of you down."
"You are a man of great strength." She implores him to meet her gaze. The other Dora watch silently, moving just a bit closer. "Draw on it from within. Use it to get through this."
"What do you think I should say?"
"Tell them you only want to serve your country," She smiles warmly, "if that's what you wish Wakanda to become."
He pauses before returning to face the view. "I do. More than anything I've ever wanted."
"I know."
"King T'Challa and the Council are already assembled and waiting, General." Their pilot M'asi informs them over her shoulder. "We're to escort Ingcuka there as soon as we land."
Bucky focuses on breathing and the silent hope that he'll see Sunshine as he follows the small group of Dora into the palace. He's survived insurmountable odds for any regular human many times, but this march to face the Royal Tribal Council makes him feel like a dead man walking. If they refuse to grant him asylum, he'll be heartbroken. He knows he'll have Steve, but he will lose Shuri. In no time at all, she's managed to become one of the most important people in his life. If they deny him even a tiny path to being with her, he doesn't know what he'll do.
They come upon great, vibranium double doors adorned with age-old tribal carvings. Okoye turns to face him. "Remember what I told you."
He gives her a silent gesture of understanding, too nervous to speak again.
"May the ancestors be with you, Ingcuka," M'asi whispers. The others follow suit, offering their support quietly as he passes them. He knows they mean it.
Okoye escorts him into the great, elegantly lit chamber.
In the center of the room lies the ancient, red clay base of what was once the very first royal kraal. Circling the base is a row of intricately designed chairs, each occupied by a leader of a Wakandan tribe, the Queen Mother, and one empty seat.
In the center, the throne, an imposing structure with tribal carvings etched into its circular backing. T'Challa sits there, watching the pair close the distance.
Bucky meets each of their eyes as Okoye leads him forward, landing on the king's last. The Council members watch him silently, their expressions unreadable, decades of political survival folded into their dark skin, their eyes deep and wise, unflinching. Not even the Queen Mother gives anything away. Her expression is neutral, expectant, nothing more.
"My king. Esteemed Council. Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes." Okoye announces, stopping a few feet away from the throne with Bucky behind her, halting dead center of the red clay base. "Also known as Ingcuka. White Wolf. Adopted Son of Yeda."
T'Challa doesn't smile or offer any warm greeting. He merely nods. Okoye leaves Bucky, taking her place standing aside the throne. He offers the Wakandan salut and stands at attention. Behind him, two royal guards bring a chair. Ramonda gestures for him to take a seat.
He obeys, focusing on the king, keeping his face calm, his eyes attentive.
T'Challa stands and takes a few steps toward Bucky, his hands folding behind his back. He circles the ex-soldier, addressing the Council members and finally Bucky as he makes a complete circle. He speaks in Xhosa, as does everyone from this moment forward.
"This man seeks asylum and citizenship in our great nation. He will be the first since we opened our borders. I intend to make an example of him. I ask for your help.
"Today, you will hear testimony as to why I believe we should grant him a place in Wakanda, and my proposal for how he can serve for our greater benefit."
He pauses to face Bucky again. He offers none of the friendly ease he displayed at the adoption feast, but from the sound of it, he is still on Bucky's side. That's all that matters. One of the council members stands. By the colors of his Lesotho blanket and the particular pattern of his tribal face scars, he is M'Kathu, the leader of the Border Tribe. He paces in a counter-clockwise circle, opposite his king's path.
" With respect to the Council and his majesty, this man is notone of us and never will be. We need our king, now more than ever, to put Wakandafirst. "
Bucky can't do anything but glare at the empty witness chair next to the throne, realizing that this is a trial and these are the opening arguments. T'Challa appears to remain confident, despite M'Kathu's obvious disdain for the idea of Bucky even being here.
" Very well, M'Kathu, we will hear your arguments. But I warn you," T 'Challa grants, his tone chilling, "I will not tolerate the same kind of rhetoric that nearly led us to war, you understand? "
" Forgive me, my king. " Bucky watches the Border Tribe leader's antagonistic demeanor shift somewhat as he bows. " Our tribe's shame, however, is part of my argument.
" Our own brotherssit rotting away in distant prisons for inciting treason from within. How can you ask this Council to trust an outsider to remain loyal to Wakanda when our borders are still so vulnerable? "
"As much as I hate to admit it, I agree, M'Kathu," Onzi, the Mining Tribe leader, utters in English on Bucky's right. Her steel brown eyes study him above her hands folded atop the bulbous head of her staff.
"He is not an outsider to us any longer," replies Kwame, the leader of the River Tribe. It's somewhat tricky for Bucky to understand his Xhosa through his lip plate, but he gets the gist. He's an uncle to Nakia and a good friend of Chief N'Yansa. He appears to be on Bucky's side. "The River Tribe has already given our blessing to adopt him, M'Kathu. Watch yourself."
"Tuh! The River would adopt a mountain goat if it could fish," Onzi snorts, tapping her staff.
Chatter flutters through the gathering. Relations between the Border Tribe and the others are still strained after what W'Kabi did, but the fact remains, Wakanda is deeply distrustful of outsiders. The room is thick with it for a moment. Even Okoye looks somewhat uncomfortable.
T'Challa doesn't appear surprised, or falter. He calls for silence, and his first witness.
It's Ayo, appearing in the empty chair as a hologram to represent the Dora. T'Challa and the Council grill her on Bucky's character, his training, witnessing him save Shuri's life, and more. She defends the damage he'd done to some of the Border Tribesmen as M'Kathu argues against the use of someone like Bucky against their own people. " He was a great aid to us in battle. Without Ingcuka, Wakanda as we know it would be lost and there would be many more casualties, your majesty. "
Several villagers also appear via hologram. The chief, N'Yuna, her parents, a couple of the farmers he works with, even Olla's father vouches for him. They all hold their own against some of the more rigorous questions from the king and the council.
For a moment, Bucky begins to believe that this could turn in his favor. Everyone T'Challa calls is overwhelmingly positive. So far M'Kathu has been thwarted in luring out any evidence that Bucky's proven himself untrustworthy. At least, not from any of them.
Then, the subject of his past comes up. How and why he ended up here in the first place.
His new world expands and yet becomes vise-like as the Border Tribe leader begins to show holographic files pertaining to Winter Soldier sightings...including the most recent one framing him for their former king's murder.
"Even if this man, this colonizer, was framed in the plot that murdered King T'Chaka," M'Kathu hisses the word 'colonizer' in English for the extra sting, pointing at Bucky as he addresses the Council at large, his kimoyo beads projecting the damning evidence, "he still comes from their world! He is suspected to be responsible for countless deaths and acts of terrorism across the globe. Just as N'Jadaka was! I charge you again, T'Challa, how can you ask us to trust him?"
The Council erupts, questions flying at the throne, most in support of M'Kathu's argument.
Okoye finds his eyes and silently signals for him to ' be patient, say nothing' .
So Bucky sits and endures it, both his vibranium and flesh fingers curling steadily inward against his thighs so he doesn't break the chair's ancient, hand-carved wood into splinters.
This is it, then. The Winter Soldier doesn't even need to be activated to ruin my future.
He longs to see Sunshine. She is the one glaring absence among all the people here talking around him about his fate. Not even the Dora's support, the Queen Mother's benevolence, or T'Challa's confidence can stop the despair beginning to invade his mind.
Thankfully, T'Challa calmly calls for silence. He addresses M'Kathu in English this time.
"I am proposing that we do with Barnes what we failed to do with N'Jadaka." The king folds his hands against his chest, now seated at the throne. "And, since you brought it up, allow me to bring forth my next witness."
He nods to the Queen Mother, who catches Bucky's gaze with a sparkle in her eyes as she calls for one of the guards. "Have my daughter join us, will you?"
Bucky sits at attention. The silence that falls on the room as they wait for her allows him to zero in on her approach. He hears her coming in to them, though he can't turn to watch.
He sees the back of her first as she stops near him and offers the Wakandan salute. She places her hands behind her back like her brother, standing as tall as she can though she is still quite diminutive in the cavernous hall. Bucky can't help staring. He loves her, he's missed her, he's in the middle of a trial that could see him lose her with a single vote against him.
Don't think like that, Bucky. Focus on Sunshine.
She's wearing a sleeveless, intricate wrap top and a skin-tight pencil skirt that goes down to past her knees, capped with platform, animal print clogs to make her seem taller. Her smooth, lush, dark brown skin of her arms is exposed, as well as her back in some places beneath the criss-crossing fabric. Her long braids cascade down her back, hiding her sweet face from him.
"Princess Shuri," T'Challa gestures for his sister to speak. "Tell us about your work with Sergeant Barnes."
"My pleasure, brother." Bucky is treated to her musical voice before she turns and faces the room. Her eyes sweep over her audience, landing on him. Radiant and beautiful, she smiles at him demurely and activates her kimoyo beads. "As you can see, I've synthesized a new version of the herb that has allowed me to remove Bucky's HYDRA programming, one trigger at a time.
"At this time, we're about thirty percent into the process. With the Council's blessing, I intend to accelerate that progress to one hundred percent as soon as possible. He could be trigger-free in a few days."
Her voice is a soprano violin solo in the middle of a stormy melodrama. She maintains her composure flawlessly, her intellect and passion infectious. She even has M'Kathu hanging on her every word. Bucky, for his part, can't help staring, unmoving, anchored there by her radiance. He is fascinated by how much work she's put into decoding the inner workings of his mind, and how quickly she was able to use her research to benefit her people.
"This research has also helped me begin re-seeding the herb garden N'Jadaka burned. It will be fully replenished in a matter of months, stronger than ever if my new strain succeeds."
She goes through the stages of her discovery, from Bucky's first arrival and how she was able to sedate him before cryosleep to the successful removal of his first trigger. His eyes are only for her, though he is careful to disguise this as dutiful attentiveness for their audience.
"Glory to the ancestors , that you've found a way to save the sacred herb, young one. And my congratulations on the adoption." M'Baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe, speaks for the first time since they began. Until now he's only silently observed from behind the steeple of his large fingers. His deep voice reverberates through the room, though he doesn't raise it above a steady tenor. He glances sideways at Kwame, then back to Bucky. "Yet I've still not heard a convincing reason for trusting this outsider with Wakanda's deepest secrets."
He stands, his imposing figure even greater than M'Kathu's. He advances slowly, examining Shuri's holographic research, eyeing Bucky with keen interest. Bucky meets his gaze but says nothing. This is only his second encounter with the man. All Bucky knows is that until recently (according to the Dora), M'Baku was an even bigger isolationist than King T'Chaka.
"Yeda claims him to be a good farmer. That's nice. I even fought alongside him in battle. He's a fierce warrior, I'll grant him. But a loyal guardian of Wakanda?" The huge man scoffs. "Unless this girl's science can transform his blood until it's Wakandan, I'm not convinced."
"He will become one of us. I've seen it." Shuri blurts, causing Bucky's (and everyone else's) gaze to dart back toward her. She looks at him in a panic for just a second, but somehow makes herself even taller to turn and face M'Baku. "I've used the herb myself. It gave me a vision. In it, Ingcuka does what he did for us in that battle you speak of for years...generations. Everything he does from now on will benefit Wakanda."
M'Baku raises a thick eyebrow at Shuri as if trying to decide if she's joking, or somehow trying to telepathically see her vision for himself. " You , child? You went to the ancestral plane? And you lived."
"I am not a child and yes , I did." Shuri grits, refusing to back down. "So did Ingcuka."
Everyone turns to Bucky now. He swallows and nods. "That's right. First I saw my old prison, then my mother, then...I believe he's called Bashenga. He said 'keep to your path'. "
" Hallucinations. Or lies. " M'Kathu hisses under his breath.
" The princess is telling the truth. I witnessed, in the healing pools. " One of the Council members, the elder from the Merchant Tribe who attended his first session in the lake, speaks. " He has consumed the herb. He has passed through the ancestral plain, leaving his triggers behind. He can do so and survive again. The princess' spirit is strong enough to anchor him to the living realm. "
" An outsider in the forbidden pools? " M'Kathu demands. " Who allowed this? "
"The elders themselves, M'Kathu," Queen Mother Ramonda speaks for the first time, hushing the room, even humbling M'Baku. She stands, and both men sit. "Koinet, Kokan and Saiton all granted Shuri their blessing to give Ingcuka access to the pools. Yes, an outsider .
"I had my own doubts, but not them. They believe in her vision. Who are you to deny centuries of wisdom? Who am I to ? " She closes the distance and takes her daughter's hands. "Both Shuri's scientific mind and her faith have guided her on a path to restoring our ancestral pride."
She then turns to approach Bucky, taking his hands now, guiding him to stand.
"I have the utmost confidence that she can reform this man." He looks down at her elegant face as she addresses both him and the room at large. That gleam in her eyes is also encouraging. "And in return, he will uphold his duty to Wakanda."
M'Baku shifts around in his seat, exchanging looks with Okoye and T'Challa. M'Kathu sits fuming, but humbled. He knows not to question the Queen Mother.
"We must recommit ourselves to the balance of the new and the old, for the good of our people. We must embrace this expanding world." She gives Bucky a firm nod before returning to her seat. "I vote to grant Sergeant Barnes temporary asylum so that Shuri's treatment can continue. If it is successful, then I see no reason not to review his request to become a citizen positively."
T'Challa takes his mother's hand and kisses it. " Thank you, Mother, " he whispers in Xhosa.
" My son. " She lowers her gaze demurely, resembling her daughter. Then her expression returns to cool neutrality as she surveys the room to measure the effect of her words.
Bucky stands only a few steps from Shuri, who has now turned to face the throne at his side. He can feel her dynamic energy drawing him to her as if she has her own gravitational pull. He resists, but only because of the many eyes upon them and the realization that he's about to learn his fate. Their fate. He can feel Shuri's worry for the future of their (dangerously secret) relationship just as potently as he can feel his own.
T'Challa addresses him in English, his expression now somewhat encouraging, a first since they started. "We have heard the testimony of our Dora, our citizens, and our Council. The evidence from Shuri is compelling, but before our final ruling, I wish to hear you speak for yourself."
The looming walls close in on him somewhat, but a fleeting glance at Sunshine is all he needs to get a grip. Everyone waits. He doesn't really have anything prepared. He decides to just speak from his heart. It's what the Doc would tell him to do. It's what the Bucky Steve knows would do.
"Thank you, your majesty…" Bucky pauses, gets a very scary idea, and decides to say as much as he can in Xhosa. He isn't as smoothly fluent as a true native, but he's fluent enough. " I didn't come here to hide from my past. I am trying, if the Council will allow me, to heal from it.
" As long as HYDRA's triggers remain inside my mind, I'm a dangerous tool for your enemies. If not for Princess Shuri, I could've been one for N'Jadaka. That's the truth no matter where I go, I know that.
"But the moment I set foot here, it felt like home. The people here feel like home."
Shuri turns to gaze at him from beneath her lashes, her palpable empathy soothing him. He glances her way to get an eyeful of her beautiful face before he forges ahead, his clumsy Xhosa mixing with his Brooklyn-accented English. He is speaking more now than he has in ages, but he means every single word of it.
" Thanks to the princes, I feel myself coming back to who I was before HYDRA. I was a soldier. A man of honor. I fought and died for my country, for my brothers. Because they were my home."
Bucky pauses to breathe, swallow, allay his emotion. That's all he wants. Some place, someone , to call home. There are so many things he wants to say now that he's standing here, after months of being unable to find the words. He continues with a bit more reserve, but he lets himself embrace the fear this time. Run with it. He has nothing and yet everything to lose at the same time. In a way, in this moment, it's almost liberating.
He kneels before the throne, his gaze lowering to his dog tags dangling above the ancient red clay beneath his boots.
"All I'm asking for is a chance to do the same for Wakanda. For you, your majesty. All of you. I'll do whatever you ask of me. Just...please...let me stay and prove it to you."
Emotion wells up inside him again, threatening to spill over, but he manages to squeeze out one last 'please' in Xhosa before the flow of humble pleas have a chance to turn into tearful begging. He clasps his jaw shut and clenches his vibranium fist to stop it before it overwhelms him.
" Stand, White Wolf. " T'Challa replies.
Bucky takes a moment to brace himself, then stands to face the throne once again. Beside him, he feels Shuri's energy reaching out to him. If things don't go his way, this might be the last time he sees her. He tries not to let that thought terrify him, and fails.
"Thank you for your honesty," the king sighs somberly, "and your passion. The Council will deliberate." He nods for Okoye to escort him from the room.
Just like that, it's over.
Bucky has no time to react properly, or slip in more than another glance at Sunshine before he's forced to follow the general away from her.
His heart pounds and his flesh hand grows clammy as he follows Okoye out of the hall, Shuri's warmth slipping away with each step. He's said everything he could say. He's answered all the questions he could answer. The king brought in all the witnesses. The princess and Queen Mother defended him more than they really had to, more than he had a right to ask.
His fate is now in the hands of the Tribes.
All he can do is wait.