Wakanda,
Shuri had passed on Shay's warning a day ago, and now when Bucky's kimoyo bead chimed, he knew what it meant.
They would arrive in the next half hour.
Steve, Sam and Shay, and every other Avenger they could pull together.
His stomach twisted as he looked at the new black vibranium arm, moving so naturally at his side. He'd told Shuri to keep it locked up until he asked for it, unless…
War was coming, and he'd seen too much of it already.
The peace of the last year hadn't been without its pain, he'd cut all contact with the only people he'd really known, trying to find in himself a man worthy of their friendship, their loyalty. Trying to become that man.
He'd realized something in the year that had passed, something he'd been hiding from himself. His heart beat was the traitor in his chest as he thought about her.
Shay.
It wasn't the butterflies of flirting with a pretty girl in the past. It was something deeper, the burning need to protect, to be with her. Every time he'd seen some new wonder in Wakanda, he'd turned to see her reaction, only to realize she wasn't there, and the new thing had lost some of its shine in her absence.
Good or bad, he wanted to be at her side.
The White Wolf was going to battle once again, and this time he understood just how much he had to lose.
A memory sprung up behind his eyelids, so familiar he felt like he was still standing there on the farm, watching Shay prepare to go to protect the world.
Shay shook his hand, "Your life is your own now, it's been a pleasure to know you."
She'd just finished saying her farewells to Frank and Elaine, when a streak of pale fur flew at her from the treeline.
The white wolf, Mahikan stopped his snuffling and licking to receive her words with a sudden calm gravity.
"My friend, defender of my home, I give these *friends* into your care, I trust you to protect them."
Shay put one hand on the furred chest.
"White Wolf, for your loyalty," she placed the other over her own, "I give my heart."
The wolf had taken up position on the front porch that night, howling his heart out at the black night. And the keening cry had pulled at the long-buried emotions of the once Winter Soldier. Mahikan knew, Bucky was sure, that Shay was facing death, that she might never return.
Who would guard her, as she healed and saved others?
Bucky had answered the call, and so, when the children of Wakanda began to call him the white wolf, he'd taken the call of his namesake to heart.
He prayed that whatever was coming wouldn't cause him to fail in that promise.
Steve, Shay and Sam would die before they let Thanos rip apart the universe, and for once, Bucky wished they all had more of an instinct for self preservation.
The knot twisted tighter in his gut and the metal fingers curled into a fist.
The jet touched down before the gathered retinue.
"Welcome back to Wakanda, Captain." T'Challa said, clasping Steve's forearm in greeting. "Shuri is waiting in the lab, she's deciphered the scans you sent, and is ready to begin."
With a sweep of his arm T'Challa motioned the team to follow him.
Shay pulled up the rear of the group, corralling an overawed Peter. "Come on Pete, eyes ahead, May's already going to kill me for bringing you here, let's not add a snapped neck to her list of grievances."
Peter's shining eyes caught hers. "But Shay, this place, I mean, I'd heard about Wakanda and seen some of the tech, but this whole…" he looked behind her now, and his expression shifted to a mask of cool neutrality.
Shay's sense was flooded with awareness and she turned, slowly.
"James." She breathed out, her voice catching in her throat.
He looked good, there was colour and a fullness in his face that she'd never seen before.
"Shay." Bucky opened his mouth to say more, and closed it again, uncertain.
"Sargent Barnes, is it?" Peter interrupted the discomfort of the moment, putting a protective hand on Shay's arm and stepping in front of her. "Shay has somewhere to be, if you don't mind."
Bucky's eyebrow quirked at Shay and she gave a tiny shake of the head.
"Alright Peter, I'm going." Shay said, laughing a little. Her fingers found the top of Pippins head and she spoke a brief command to him "De motst be de yung bliewen, yo?" (you need to stay with the boy, yeah?")
A gruff snort indicated Pips agreement and he moved to stand next to Peter as Shay turned and walked away.
Bucky watched curiously as Peter worked up the nerve to say something.
"I know you're all, big and tough and super and stuff, but if you break her heart, I'll- well, I'll have to…" Peter tried to crack his knuckles threateningly, but the effect was somewhat dampened by the suit.
Bucky blinked back his surprise and Peter seemed satisfied, turning on his heel and jogging after Shay down the long corridor.
The group in the lab had gathered around a floating bed in the center.
"How long will it take to extract the stone?" Wanda asked, her hands clasped around one of Vision's as he lay on the stretcher before them.
"Hours, maybe days. There are over 12 million neurons that need to be untangled individually." Shuri answered, her eyes flicking over the gathered group as though searching for someone.
"Then you'd better get started." T'Challa said gently, "we will arrange our defenses to hold off an attack as long as we can."
Shay entered the room with Peter and Pip just as Vision sat up, a hand raised.
"I won't let good men and women lay down their lives just to save mine."
Steve stepped up, a gentle hand pressing Vis back to the bed. "Thanos will come, or, more likely, he'll send an army to get the stone, there will be a battle whether we've destroyed it or not."
"I understand." Vision answered, his head settling back on the pillow. "But if it comes to my life or the lives of many, I ask you all, let me go." his eyes searched Wanda's as he continued. "I was made once before, and perhaps someday I could be remade, but my purpose has always been to protect human life, they do not have that chance. So, if the time comes, don't deny me my choice."
