Chapter 55: New Minds
Over the next few days, Mika tried her best to establish some sort of schedule. She woke up weirdly early (thanks to the change in time zones), had her breakfast, and tried to bake something to take down to Shuri and everyone else in the lab. After spending the day working on the folder of on-hold projects, she'd meet with Konami and the other Dora Milaje for training. At night, as she limped on sore muscles back to the lab apartment, she stopped in to say goodnight to Bucky, even though he was already peacefully sleeping. Then she ate whatever she could find, showered, and collapsed into bed. She was hoping the routine would help calm her nerves, help her get more than just a few hours of restless sleep. She was doing her best, but couldn't help but struggle with the feeling of unease, and loneliness, and uncertainty. She told herself it would be better once Bucky woke up and they had a plan, holding onto that thought every time she started to break down.
T'Challa made sure to check in with her the first couple days, which Mika thought was beyond kind of him. And even if she desperately needed friends here, she couldn't exactly depend on the King to hold her hand while she adjusted to her (hopefully) new life. He looked very apologetic as he mentioned leaving for a mission, so she made sure to encourage him, telling him to be careful and be sure not to get hurt, and telling him she'd make sure Shuri didn't burn down the palace while he was away.
"Do you want to know where my brother has gone?" Shuri asked the next morning, rolling on her stool to come park next to Mika. She had a mischievous look on her face, and Mika wondered if she was breaking some sort of protocol or just gossiping.
"Depends, how much trouble could you or I get in for talking about this?" Mika asked, committing her stopping point in the code she was looking at to memory and turning to the princess. Shuri spun on the stool, letting out a high pitched sound signifying that she was thinking.
"Not too much trouble, I don't think." she finally decided, stopping her spinning. "I mean, I don't know the exact where, I just know the exact who."
"That sounds like I could get in a lot of trouble." Mika said, raising her eyebrows. Shuri ignored her concern, leaning on her desk to get even closer to her.
"No, it's fine. He's gone to retrieve his ex-girlfriend that he's totally still in love with." she said, unable to keep the secret any longer. It was moments like these that she showed her age, and Mika wanted to ruffle her hair like she used to do to Nicoletta all the time. However, given how elaborate Shuri's hair was, she elected to keep her hands to herself.
"And now I'm going to be banished. Thank you." Mika said, making Shuri grab her wrist.
"I'd never allow that. Okoye and I agreed that he's definitely going to freeze when he sees her." she continued, never minding Mika's concern.
"Somehow, I don't see that happening." Mika said, which made her counterpart laugh.
"I will make sure my brother knows how highly you think of him." she said, still giggling through her words. "But I'm afraid you don't know him as well as I do."
"Well, you're not wrong." Mika agreed. "To be fair, I have known him approximately six days as opposed to sixteen years. What is his ex doing that he has to go retrieve her?"
"She's off being her little spy self. Trying to save the continent and all that." Shuri said casually, as if that were completely normal.
"Oh, right. Nothing big." Mika said sarcastically, making Shuri pinch her. Yes, every day she felt a little more like her little sister. "Why is he bringing her back now?"
"So that she can be here for today, the coronation ceremony." Shuri said, her tone saying the answer was obvious. "I did tell you about the coronation ceremony, right?"
"Uh, no. You didn't." Mika said, and Shuri gasped.
"Dammit!" she said, her eyes flicking around the lab as she made sure no one heard her swear - and therefore, no one would tell her mother. "I knew I was forgetting something. Well, good thing I've got an outfit for you, so you don't have to worry about that-"
"Shuri." Mika interrupted. "I really appreciate it, but I don't want to overstep. This is something for your family, and for Wakanda. It's not my place to be there."
"But you're part of Wakanda now too!" she said, pinching her forearm and grinning. "Even if you don't quite blend in."
"Yes, yes, I'm pale, I know." she said. It wasn't the first time the princess teased her for it. "Need I remind you it was winter in Romania when I left? No sun to be had. And cold."
"You'll still look good in our colors." she said, as if the conversation were over.
"Have you spoken with your mother about this? Or your brother?" she asked, giving her a pointed look. Shuri paused then, as if the concept had not occurred to her.
"Not yet." she admitted before waving her off. "But it'll be fine. I think. Probably."
"Shuri." she said shortly, and the girl groaned dramatically.
"Fine, I won't have you out there next to me. But there is a little alcove that no one knows about. I really want you to see it, it's a once in a lifetime occasion. Please?" she said, giving her best puppy dog eyes. Mika sighed.
"I can't very well turn down a request from a princess, huh?" she said. She knew when to pick her battles, and she's already given every argument she had. Shuri pumped her fist excitedly.
"Yes! And you will still wear the ceremonial clothes, because I am very excited about it." she said, patting her shoulder and scooting back across the floor back to where she was working on a pair of shoes. Mika tried not to feel upset that she wasn't working on Bucky's brain all the time, knowing that she had other, more important projects going on. The princess gave her an update every morning, and today she'd said they were ninety-eight percent through. Only two percent of all the shit they'd forced into his brain was left, and then he'd finally be entirely himself again. She couldn't wait.
Halfway through the morning, a messenger came for Shuri, saying that her brother would be arriving shortly. The princess looked frustrated for a moment, as if she weren't ready to stop working, but she stood anyways and bid everyone in the lab goodbye. She tapped Mika's bracelet a few times, telling her that it would lead her where she needed to go at the appropriate time. It felt very much like espionage, and while she did not want to risk going against what the King or his mother may approve of, she also couldn't say no to the princess. With a sigh, she agreed, and went back to her codes.
Sure enough, just when Mika thought that the bracelet had forgotten about her and she was not going to have to decide whether or not to listen to the princess, the beads started buzzing. She thought about ignoring it and just continuing on with her work, but it started becoming more relentless, more insistent. Why did she think that Shuri's technology would work any differently than Shuri herself?
"Fine, fine, princess." she muttered, swiping her hand to close the window and getting up from her spot. The bracelet changed its pattern for a moment, as if it were happy that she was finally listening to it. Just like the night she first went to training, the beads led her down the halls to a different part of the palace she'd never been before. The halls were completely empty, as she was sure everyone was at home getting ready for the ceremony, or perhaps already there. She really had no idea what to expect.
In a small room on the ground floor, she found a mannequin that looked suspiciously like the ones in the lab, only instead of armor, this one had a beautiful outfit various shades of purple and gold and brown, intricate beadwork crossing all over it. She touched it reverently, feeling very much like she did not deserve such regal attire. She thought about just leaving it here and telling Shuri she never found it, but knew immediately that she would not buy the lie. She thought about leaving it and just telling Shuri the truth - she did not want to encroach upon the honor of the land, that she didn't belong at such an important event. But somehow, she knew that would do even less. She stayed there for much too long trying to decide what to do before thinking fuck it and starting to disrobe. She did not think the dress would be as comfortable as the soft tunic she was wearing prior, but she was wrong. The beads didn't pinch, and the fabric beneath them was just as soft as everything else she had. This outfit wasn't made for battle or for work; no, it was made to party.
There was no hope for her hair, so she simply tucked it into a long French braid, hoping that would be good enough. None of this mattered, she reminded herself. No one was supposed to see her, and no one was going to see her. She'd never been a particularly sneaky person, but she was going to have to try her very best today. The leather sandals fit her perfectly, the straps criss-crossing up her lower legs. The skirt clicked with the gentle sound of beads hitting each other as she moved, and she felt like she sounded like one of those rain sticks often sold at the world marketplace. Her bracelet started buzzing at her again; it must be time to go.
Thank goodness the outfit was so comfortable, because the walk to wherever she was going was much longer than she anticipated. She assumed the ceremony would be in the throne room, or perhaps some grand hall, but her jewelry guide took her down into the lower levels and through a series of tunnels. It was cool down here, much colder than the lovely warmth outside, and she quickened her pace both to warm herself up and to try and escape the chill sooner. Shuri wasn't kidding when she called her position a secret alcove; when Mika finally emerged an hour later, she found herself in a little hole in the side of a mountain. The crack exposing her to the outside world was barely big enough for someone to squeeze through, if that someone was relatively thin. Shuri could slip through no problem, but Mika thought she herself would barely fit. Bucky, with his broad shoulders, would definitely get stuck.
She couldn't see all the people there, but based on the noise, the mountain was very tall, and the entire city was present. Songs from various tribes drifted to her little hiding spot, the voices echoing and circling in an energetic round. Somehow they all seemed to fit together, and she felt emotions welling up in her chest, despite not knowing what they were saying or what exactly was going on. She leaned against the side of the cave wall, trying to get the best view she could of the platform below. An older gentleman in a purple robe waded into the water as one of the black aircrafts appeared, its ramp lowering so that the King of Wakanda could make his entrance.
"I, Zuri, son of Badu," the older gentleman spoke, the singing and chanting fading out as he addressed the crowd. "give to you Prince T'Challa, the Black Panther."
At this, the entire mountain shook with a roar of cheering, and T'Challa responded to them by saluting with his blade and dropping to a kneel in front of them. The country went silent with him, the vibration stopping instantaneously. Mika held her breath; everything was so new, and so amazing, and she was very glad that she was witnessing this.
"The prince will now have the strength of the Black Panther stripped away." Zuri said, presenting a wooden bowl to T'Challa, who drank from it. His posture changed, and he looked like he was in an intense amount of pain, doubling over at the waist to rest his arm on his leg. But the feeling passed quickly, and he soon rose to his feet. After being around Bucky for so long, Mika could tell the difference in the way he stood. He was still strong, stronger than most men, but his posture was not the same as it was before. Zuri said something and the crowd responded in kind; once again, she had no idea what they said, but it felt very final.
"Victory in ritual combat comes by yield or death." he began, and Mika had to appreciate how committed he was to this presentation. It didn't feel fake, or overdone; it felt like he was passionate about this ritual, and determined to make it as special as he could for the new king. "If any tribe wishes to put forth a warrior, I now offer a path to the throne."
Mika's eyes grew wide. Really? They would just allow a challenge like this? To the rightful king? She was scared for a moment, worried that someone would try to dethrone T'Challa already, but she soon realized her fears were unfounded. One by one, she heard each representative for the tribes as they declined the challenge. The people loved and respected him, and accepted them as their king.
"Is there any member of royal blood who wishes to challenge for the throne?" Zuri asked, and now it was obvious to Mika that he did not expect anyone to speak up. However, murmurs of surprise trickled through the crowd, and Zuri's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Mika got as close as she dared to the mountain side, trying to see who would so dare to raise a challenge.
"This corset is really uncomfortable," came a voice she knew, and Mika could practically feel Zuri trying not to roll his eyes at Shuri. "so could we all just wrap it up and go home?"
There were murmurs of agitation and a few laughs sprinkled around, and Mika was glad to hear that Shuri wasn't just a troublemaker within the safety of her lab. No, it seemed like the princess was determined to be herself no matter where she was, or how important the situation may be. But unfortunately, Shuri's wishes weren't listened to. Another form of chanting started, and this one sounded different than before. It wasn't celebratory, it was almost warlike. She leaned, trying to get a view of whoever was approaching, and a few rocks slid from their place on the ground, through the crack and splashing into the water below. They were small and the noise quiet, but it was noise nonetheless. She quickly moved back, hiding behind an outcropping of stone and hoping that whoever was around her was distracted enough not to notice.
Once she was sure any curious eyes would have given up, she moved so she could watch as a group of men, white war paint slathered over their bodies, stalked out of a different tunnel in the mountain. Their movements were slow and calculated, and while Mika knew that this was an act and that they were purposefully doing this to come across as intimidating, she definitely fell for it. Her heart was in her throat as one man walked up to T'Challa, a gorilla mask hiding his face. He wanted to scare him, and everyone there. T'Challa only looked vaguely annoyed.
"M'Baku, what are you doing here?" Zuri asked once the man had removed his mask. Any other time, Mika would have considered him handsome, but right now, she just felt anger at him interrupting T'Challa's coronation.
"It's challenge day." he drawled with the confidence of a man who was used to winning everything. He moved to address the crowd. "We have watched and listened from the mountains. We have watched with disgust as your technological advancements have been overseen by a child! Who scoffs at tradition!" Mika balked at that. Yes, Shuri was only sixteen, but she was beyond brilliant, and more creative and intuitive than any scientist the world had ever seen. Her age should not discount her gifts. "And now you want to hand the nation over to this prince who could not keep his own father safe? Mmm? We will not have it. I said we will not have it!"
If Mika wasn't sworn to secrecy, she would have gone right up to this man and given him a piece of her mind. She knew nothing of Wakanda's set up, or its political regime, or most of its traditions, but it was obvious that this man was interrupting something very important, and insulting the entire royal family while he was at it. How dare he imply that T'Challa would not be a good leader? He didn't know what the king had been through this past week, all that he'd done to help the people around him despite his grief. Mika was so mad for T'Challa that she didn't hear the rest of the conversation, but her emotions fizzled out as drummers on the rocks started an aggressive beat. Zuri put a panther mask on T'Challa, and M'Baku pulled his gorilla one on as well. The painted men lined up around their leader, and the Dora Milaje came to T'Challa's side. Mika covered her mouth to keep the swears inside; when they said 'challenge,' they meant it.
For all the time they took with their speeches, the fight began promptly and without pomp and circumstance. M'Baku immediately jumped into the offensive, swinging his heavy club with deadly power and accuracy. Mika was worried, without the supposed powers of the black panther, that T'Challa wouldn't hold his own, especially since he just seemed to be reacting to the hits that M'Baku was throwing at him. Mika couldn't hold in a gasp as T'Challa was knocked down, the other man yelling at him to get up as the guards took one step towards them, the sharp tips of their spears glinting in the sunlight.
"Get up, get up." she whispered nervously. The crowd was so vocal she didn't have to worry about anyone hearing her in her hiding place. She let out her breath as T'Challa stood, engaging with M'Baku and kicking him down. He waited, prowling through the water, as M'Baku stood again. Mika had seen a few fights over the past week, but this was different. This wasn't the cold calculation of the Winter Soldier, or the fiery tempest of the Dora Milaje. This was two men armed with pride as they fought under the weight of their nation.
At one point, M'Baku had him in a hold, and Mika's insides turned to ice. Was this it? Was T'Challa going to lose? But no, he was able to break from the constraints, breaking M'Baku's mask under the force from his elbow. Her fingers were sore from gripping the rocky wall, and she was barely breathing as she watched. T'Challa was going to win, he had to win. She felt like her entire body stopped moving as M'Baku sunk his spear into T'Challa's shoulder, her voice catching in her throat. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. T'Challa couldn't lose. She may not know much about Wakanda, but she knew that he would make it a better place than it already was. And she selfishly thought that if he was no longer in charge, that her new home would no longer be a viable option.
"I am Prince T'Challa. Son of King T'Chaka!" he yelled, his hands grasping at the wood of the spear. With an acrobatic move, he pulled the spear from his chest, loosing M'Baku of his weapon and tangling him up with his legs around his neck. The crowd was chanting his name, the warriors stepping closer and closer until there was nowhere to move. Was he going to kill him? Surely he would not, right? But, she reminded herself, she did not know exactly how things worked in this country. If this was the way they did things, she was going to have to be okay with it. Besides, it's not like he would be the first person she knew who'd killed somebody.
Luckily, she didn't have to contemplate the moral ambiguity of death by honor, as T'Challa released his opponent back to his warriors, rising victorious from the waters. Once again, the mountain rumbled with applause and cheers as everyone present celebrated the winner. He was certainly loved by the people, that was for sure. Zuri put a necklace over his head, and for a second, Mika thought she accidentally made eye contact with him. But there was no way he could see her, what with her hiding place and the sheer volume of people...right?
Just in case, she took that as the cue to travel back to the main palace, hoping to get there before the rest of the people who shared the space. It was supposed to be their little secret, hers and Shuri's. She reached the stairs without encountering anyone and flew up them, her muscles tingling both with the exercise and the fear that she would be caught. Her outfit rattled softly as she moved, the beads hitting one another. It was not a loud sound, but it felt rather conspicuous in the empty hallway. Not that it mattered; everyone was gone, celebrating the inauguration of the new king. She made it back to her temporary home and started making some tea. She knew she should probably change, but she liked the clothes the princess had chosen for her, and wanted to wear them for a little longer.
"Look at you! It's even better than I thought it would be." Shuri said, surprising her. She was still in her own ceremonial garb, the jaw bone making her features sharper and making her look a little older. Mika held out a cup of tea to her, which she eagerly took.
"It's amazing. Thank you so much for letting me borrow it." Mika said. She didn't know whose it was (it was way too big for the princess), but she was very grateful to them. Shuri made a confused face.
"Borrow? No, it's yours. I had it made for you." she said, as if that were obvious. Mika went slack jawed for a second before she finally found her voice to answer.
"What? Princess, I can't, this is - it's too much. I can't accept this." she said, stumbling over her words. Did Shuri's kindness never end? There was no amount of coding she could correct to repay her for all she'd given her.
"You can, and you will." she said with an air of finality. Mika was fully prepared to argue with her on this, but she continued with something much more distracting. "But I did not come here to talk about fashion. I came because Sergeant Barnes is almost awake."
That certainly got her attention. "Awake?" she asked, and Shuri nodded with a grin. Without waiting for any further response, she grabbed Mika's wrist and started dragging her towards the stairs.
"Come on, I'm sure you'll want to be there. I had a few minutes earlier to finish deleting the last of the cancerous memories. They're taking him out of cryo now." she explained. Mika's head was reeling, thinking this was all too much. She thought she would see Bucky tomorrow, or perhaps the next day. But now?
"But...your brother's coronation, the celebration-" Mika didn't want Shuri to miss out on all of that. Bucky was important, yes, but there were more important things going on right now.
"It will be in an hour, T'Challa must ascend to the ancestral plane first." Shuri said. Mika knew all of those words separately, but wasn't quite sure what it meant when Shuri put them all together in that order. She showed her strength as she pulled Mika down the stairs, this time to the medical wing instead of the lab. The normal amount of hustle and bustle had resumed, and there, in the corner, laid Bucky. He was still asleep, the lines of his face soft and his right hand resting on his abdomen as he breathed slow and deep. Mika stepped up to his bed as Shuri took a tablet from someone nearby and immediately began tapping away at it, checking his vitals and his brainwaves. She was saying something, but Mika wasn't listening, only focusing on the man in front of her. She put her hand against his arm, barely touching it; she expected it to be cold, but his skin was the unusual extra warm that it always was. At her touch, the muscles of his forearm tensed slightly, his fingers twitching. She stepped back again, wanting to give him space, but his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, holding it painfully tight.
Shuri looked at the movement, and Bucky's eyes snapped open. Mika smiled at him, but his eyes were wide, and angry, and confused. He immediately sat up, and she could see what was left of his metal shoulder moving as he tried to reach for her with an arm that was no longer there. He was speaking in Russian, his voice low and gravelly, as if he hadn't used it in years instead of just a few days. His eyes flew around the room, wildly trying to take in everything at once. He tried to move again, and his eyes seemed to go out of focus. He finally let go of her wrist then, clutching his head and shouting a loud, "Fuck!" Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
"We need to sedate him." Shuri said quickly, gesturing to one of the men in white. He stepped forward, a syringe at the ready. Bucky saw him too, and Mika could almost read his mind as he saw the man stepping up to him. She reached out and held onto his forearm with both hands, hoping that she had enough strength to hold him back. Between that and her distraction, it was enough to pull his attention away. The man sunk the needle into Bucky's shoulder, and his body began to relax. He fell sideways onto the bed, his elbow barely catching him, and Mika put her hand behind his head to try and slow its descent. He still looked confused, but now he also looked more scared, and just as the sedative started really taking hold, it almost seemed like he recognized her. Almost.
The silence that surrounded them following the outburst weighed heavily in Mika's stomach. Shuri handed the tablet away, hesitating before putting a consoling hand on Mika's arm. "I'm so sorry." she said, and Mika shook her head.
"No, it's okay. It's not your fault." she said. She knew that, logically, it would take some time for Bucky's brain to heal or reorganize or whatever, but she'd been so excited to see him awake that she hadn't considered it. "I could understand what he was saying. He didn't mean to be aggressive. He was just...scared."
"That's understandable." Shuri said in a tone much too mothering for a girl of sixteen. "His brain...I think it needs time to adjust to its new normal. His scans were completely unorganized, and some of the readings were off the charts. He was overstimulated."
"So...how can we fix that?" she asked. Now that he was sedated, he just looked like he was asleep again. Mika wanted so badly to hold his hand, but didn't want to risk disturbing him.
"I'll give him some medicine, to help with the healing process. And we'll send him to the Amari village, on the outskirts of the city. They have the best healers, and will have a quiet place for him to recuperate." she explained. Mika was confused.
"So there isn't really anything you can do?" she asked in a small voice. She didn't mean to sound rude or ungrateful, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. "I'm sorry, I don't mean it like that, I just…" she trailed off, suddenly forgetting every word in the English language.
"I understand what you mean." Shuri said, sounding very much like she was pretending her feelings weren't hurt. "I'm afraid we've done, medically, all we can do. Now it's up to Sergeant Barnes to do the rest."
When she phrased it like that, it made much more sense, and Mika found herself nodding along. "Okay. I trust you." she said as sincerely as she could, hoping to make up for her blunder before. Shuri nodded, and reached over to squeeze her hand.
"He'll be fine. I'm afraid it will just take a little more time." she said.
"Well, patience has never been a strength of mine." Mika said with a humorless laugh. "But no time like the present to learn, hm?"
"Exactly." Shuri agreed. "Now, come on. My assistants here will handle his transfer. You and I have somewhere to be."
"You said there was a celebration for your brother, and I think I should just...stay with him." Mika pointed out, trying to dig her heels in and prevent her guiding her out again, though she looked over her shoulder at Bucky until she could no longer see him.
"There is. And you're going with me. And don't try to argue that you don't belong there or you want to stay here in the lab or whatever. I will not allow you to sit in that apartment and think about this. You need a distraction. And, you owe me for being accidentally mean. Now come on." Shuri said everything in the most regal voice Mika had ever heard, and she found she couldn't really argue with her. Shuri was right; all she wanted to do was go up to the apartment, change into some comfortable clothing, and wallow in self misery in the bed that was too soft and too empty. But that wasn't healthy, and it wasn't what Bucky would want. They were in the last phase of his healing now, and all that could be done was to wait.
So if she needed to wait, she might as well try to distract herself.
I do love an unnecessarily dramatic moment! And we're officially in Black Panther woo hoo! I'll be honest, Mika's not going to have much of a role in this one, so it definitely is not going to be near as long as Civil War was. And then we can get back to our regularly scheduled fluff!
Thank y'all so so so much for the reviews! Y'all are seriously the best readers a girl could ask for, hearing your thoughts on this story literally is what keeps me going so I really really appreciate all of them.
I hope you liked this chapter! Please let me know what you think!
-XM