The preparations to return to Wakanda went quite smoothly. Talia was quick to agree to being blindfolded for the ride at Okoye's insistence, although the agent had no idea why she should be. It wasn't like she didn't know where Wakanda was on a map. But if it meant getting her father to medical assistance faster, she was willing to do anything. Even cut off her own leg, if it came to it.

Still, Okoye was very obviously displeased by the turn of events. Nakia had since gotten behind T'Challa's decision after the shock of his suggestion wore off, but Okoye remained unconvinced. And she said as much in the jet back to Wakanda, speaking in a low voice in her own native tongue, wary of being overheard by the female agent sitting silently in the corner beside her father's feet.

"Our mission was to bring back Klaue. We failed. This man is a foreign intelligence operative. So is his daughter. How do we justify bringing them into our borders?" Okoye demanded.

"He took a bullet for me." Nakia interjected sharply. Okoye shrugged.

"That was his choice." She pointed out, and Nakia bristled angrily.

"So now we are just supposed to let him die? Leave that girl fatherless?" She shot back incredulously.

"Let us consider that we heal him."

There was no malice in Okoye's voice, just a practicality that was almost brutal in its impartiality.

"It is his and his daughter's duty to report back to their country." She turned her attention back to T'Challa as she reminded him, "And as king, it is your duty to protect ours-"

"I am well aware of my duties, General." T'Challa cut her off a little sharply.

Then, as if realizing he'd been too curt, he added in a slightly softer but no less frustrated tone, "I cannot just… let him die. Knowing we can save him."

Okoye's eyes narrowed and she asked slowly, "Where exactly are we taking them?"

Talia's blindfold was removed as they made their way presumably inside. The air was cooler; dryer - controlled. Her suspicions were proven correct as she found herself in a well-lit corridor just off the hanger they had apparently arrived in. Everett was already rolled out on a steel gurney (and he was completely covered, which she found odd), but Talia paused as she realized it had no legs and instead was floating perfectly steadily along.

Filing that information for now, she quickly followed T'Challa as he gestured for her to come with him, and together, they swiftly headed deeper into the corridor. Okoye marched right behind Talia, clearly wary. And Talia didn't doubt that if she so much as stepped a toe out of line, Okoye wouldn't hesitate to arrest her. If not worse. Nakia was much kinder as she walked beside Everett's head and cast him worried looks every now and again.

Halfway down wherever they were, a slim young woman probably not that much younger than Talia herself came around the corner to meet them. Talia glanced briefly at the pretty girl as she came up toward T'Challa; before she tensed as the young woman instead reached over and pulled back the cloth covering Everett's face.

"Great! Another broken white boy for us to fix." The girl said sarcastically before she grinned widely. "This is going to be fun."

"Excuse me, he is not broken nor is his life a game for your amusement." Talia cut in sharply.

The girl looked startled by Talia's outburst while T'Challa cut in smoothly, "Shuri, this is this man's daughter, Talia Ross. Agent Ross, this is my sister, Shuri."

Talia remained unmoved; if they were expecting her to apologize now that she knew the girl was the princess, they were sadly mistaken. To Shuri's credit, she inclined her head apologetically.

"Sorry. I didn't mean offence."

Talia nodded once, accepting the apology although her stern countenance didn't change. T'Challa glanced at his sister and he warned softly, "Mind what you say to them, Shuri. They are foreign intelligence from the other side."

Shuri's brows shot up and she glanced back at Talia. Talia's face was still fierce but there were traces of concern in her expression as she glanced down at her father. Shuri looked back at her brother, full of questions like why they were here if they were foreign intelligence and how exactly they had all become involved. But T'Challa was not in the mood for questions.

He gave a minute shake of his head and Shuri wisely let the subject go as they finally reached her lab. Talia paused briefly in the doorway when she saw the advanced technology all around her, as if on full display. It was like a science nerd's dream come to life and Talia had no doubt that someone like Tony Stark would have had an absolute field day playing with all the toys lying around on the worktops. But science was not her forte and so after a beat, she slowly made her way further inside with the others as Shuri ran a diagnostic scan over Everett.

She was done in a few seconds and she informed T'Challa, "He will live."

Talia let out a breath of pure relief, but she couldn't help asking a little worriedly, "And?"

Shuri gave her a puzzled look so Talia elaborated, "Will he have… any long-lasting effects?"

Understanding seeped into her expression and Shuri shook her head. "No. He will be just fine."

Talia couldn't help but be surprised; and a little bit skeptical. The bullet had hit Everett's spinal column, surely that meant at least a few months of rehab if not paralysis? She was about to voice her thoughts when Shuri's bracelet let out a short trill.

Shuri glanced at her wrist before she looked back at her brother. "W'Kabi is here."

Talia saw the shadow that crossed T'Challa's face before he exchanged a quick look with Okoye; and then the king hurried out of the lab while Nakia and Okoye stayed with Talia.

"What's going on, brother? Where is Klaue?" An unfamiliar voice sounded from just outside the lab's doors.

"He's not here." T'Challa replied in a softer voice. "He slipped through our hands."

Talia tried not to listen as she stroked her father's hair instead and tried to focus solely on him. She could tell T'Challa was doing his best to keep his voice quiet so as not to be overheard and she didn't want to pry despite that being her MO. But she couldn't help it if her hearing was above average.

"Slipped?" The unknown man's voice filled with disappointment. "For thirty years, your father was in power and did nothing. With you, I thought it would be different. But it's more of the same."

There was the sound of footsteps as this W'Kabi strode away. But Talia only raised her head when T'Challa returned to the lab with slow steps.

"I must go attend some things." He informed them, and he glanced toward his general. "Okoye, maybe you can speak with W'kabi."

Okoye nodded and strode out of the lab. Nakia went with her after exchanging a brief look with T'Challa. The king watched her leave and Talia raised a slight brow; she knew that look. She suddenly wondered if T'Challa's strong desire to help her father was borne out of gratitude because Everett had saved the woman he loved. But she kept that thought to herself as T'Challa turned to her.

"You are welcome to make yourself at home while my sister takes care of your father, Agent Ross. And feel free to call for me if you need me."

Talia nodded and T'Challa turned to leave. But he was surprised when Talia called after him.

"Wait, your Highness."

T'Challa turned back to Talia to find her looking down at Everett. She seemed almost… uncomfortable.

"I realized I never said thank you." She glanced at him then and he could see it was with great effort that she said her next words. "I am in your debt for saving my father's life."

T'Challa observed the young woman. He was aware that for a federal agent, any proclamation of debt was dangerous and therefore not easily given. As such, he knew how difficult it was for Talia to have said those words. And he knew she meant them. So it was with equal gravity but warmth that T'Challa answered.

"You are welcome, Agent Ross."

May 2016

Berlin, Germany

As Bucky ran through the terminal with Sam Wilson, he became aware of someone chasing them from behind. Glancing back surreptitiously over his shoulder, he noticed the black-haired agent who he recognized as one of the ones to take him in originally from Bucharest and whom Steve had mentioned had somehow mesmerized him. While he had been grateful to hear she'd stopped him from doing any further damage, the reminder did not bode good news for him and Sam now.

"We've got company." He muttered to Sam, when a shadow flitted about above their heads. Raising his head, Bucky saw a figure in red and blue crawling - yes, crawling - about on the glass overhead.

"What the hell is that?"

Sam glanced up at Bucky's incredulous question and he grimaced.

"Everyone's got a gimmick now." He grumbled, when Bucky suddenly grabbed him and pulled him around in a wide arc.

Sam went willingly, realizing quickly that something must be wrong. Meanwhile, Bucky caught Talia as she attempted to leap at them. The woman growled in frustration and flipped off him swiftly before he could get a good grip on her. His eyes met her light brown ones as she landed before he quickly looked away, recalling Steve's warning about how her power seemed to work. Not that she seemed particularly interested in forcing him into submission with her mesmerization as Talia launched at him again.

Bucky felt Sam preparing to help from the side, when suddenly, he heard glass smashing above their heads.

Sam realized too late what was happening and he barely had time to turn before Spider-Man was kicking him in the chest and sent him flying. The teenager meanwhile turned in time to watch as Talia and Bucky engaged quickly, Talia's legs wrapping around Bucky's middle while his arms were up to deflect the blows she delivered with her fists. He grabbed her wrists, twisting her away but she just turned and used her grip around his middle to flip him off his feet.

At that moment, Peter Parker sensed something approaching; he turned quickly but wasn't quite fast enough to stop Sam. Sam collided with the boy and took off with him, each scrambling against each other as Sam sought to pin the boy down while Peter fought to both free himself and incapacitate Sam. Meanwhile on the ground, Talia and Bucky continued to engage in close combat as he managed to stop himself from his earlier fall by balancing on one foot while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sensing what she was trying to do, Bucky used his superior height and strength to flip Talia back, throwing her around and forcing her arms to let go of him. As soon as her arms were flung off him, Bucky wrapped his hands around her legs that were still around his waist, trying to pry her off. But Talia used the opening this provided and tased him, surprising him as well as making him cry out in pain.

In that moment, as he tried to get away from the sudden shock, Bucky whipped around so hard that he finally succeeded in throwing her off. Talia flipped over to land on her feet, never taking her eyes off him as Bucky ripped the taser away with a wince. His eyes found hers as he looked back toward her through a curtain of dark hair that was longer than hers was. For a moment, neither moved, each sizing the other up as they waited for the right moment to move.

"Please. I don't want to hurt you." Bucky said after a beat.

Talia scoffed, not believing him. "How conceited of you to think you could."

Bucky tensed as Talia suddenly lunged at him; but she surprised him as her leg suddenly shot out and curled around his ankle. Bucky toppled over, landing hard on his back. He rolled away quickly before Talia could knee him in the stomach and hold him down, and he instead tripped her up with his metal arm. She went crashing down but kicked him off before Bucky could get a good grip on her as he tried to hold her down. Within seconds, Bucky was slammed into the ground again as Talia used his position above her and flipped them over so she was basically sitting on top of him as she held him down. She was surprisingly strong for such a thin person, but Bucky still had a few more tricks up his sleeve. He pushed at her, as though trying to shove her off of him - and then a split second later, he thrusted his hips up in the opposite direction. Knocked off balance, Talia slipped and Bucky quickly threw her off before rolling away.

A sound from above alerted Bucky to the fact that Sam was in trouble as he evaded the red-and-blue spandex-covered male who chased him. Bucky abruptly ran from Talia and lunged instead for a fallen message board. Grasping it, he hurled it easily - right at Spider-Man.

"Kid, heads-up!" Talia yelled when she saw the direction the board was headed even as she used the moment Bucky's attention was divided to leap at him again. Her legs locked around his neck and she tried to flip him over while he did everything to stay upright. Throwing himself backward, Bucky tossed Talia off before he spun to catch himself inches before he could fall flat on his back. Talia landed in a crouch not two feet away, when suddenly she heard a familiar voice yell out.

"Hey buddy, I think you lost this!"

Bucky sensed the incoming projectile at the same time she did; the pair sprang apart and barely dodged the board that had come flying right back at them. It crashed into the ground where Bucky had been a second earlier and toppled over where Talia had been before she leapt away.

"Watch it, kid!" Talia snapped, shooting a glare at the teenager who had so carelessly almost killed her.

"Oop! Sorry, uh, my bad! Sorry! Argh!"

Spider-Man yelped as Sam tackled him from behind and the two struggled in the air. Talia meanwhile ducked as Bucky tried to grab at her. Getting tired of making no progress with the supersoldier, she did what she had sworn only to do under extreme circumstances. Talia caught Bucky's eyes as he raised his head to look at her and she struck.

"Freeze."

Bucky froze, suddenly unable to move or do anything except obey that lovely voice that sounded like the heavens were singing. His eyes remained glued to Talia's, which seemed to be glowing faintly although he wasn't sure if he was seeing right or if his mind was playing tricks with the way her eyes lightened to an almost golden-amber colour in the sunlight.

Talia meanwhile heard a crash from somewhere to her left; turning her head, she saw Spider-Man had apparently kicked Sam Wilson down through the glass railings and onto the ground on the lower floor. The boy looked her way now that Sam was out of the equation; seeing a perfect opening to put away both men, Talia kicked Bucky in the stomach. He took the blow, unable to defend himself, and went flying down before landing hard beside Sam. The impact freed him from Talia's mesmerization but before Bucky could get up, he found himself unable to move once again as sticky webbing wrapped around his arm and pinned him to the floor.

High above the immobilised pair, Spider-Man and Talia appeared near the shattered railing. Talia remained impassive as she stared down at the two men, appearing a little winded from using her powers, but the boy called down to them apologetically.

"Guys, look, I'd love to keep this up, but I've only got one job here today and I gotta impress Mr. Stark. So, I'm really sorry."

Bucky barely refrained from groaning as he resigned himself to being arrested. Again. Except this time, it was far more humiliating in a way to realize he had been bested by a mere kid even if the boy had some help from a superhuman. To think he had once been feared as the Winter Soldier-

"What?" Spider-Man suddenly yelped.

Talia stiffened as she felt something sticky attach itself to her back. Before she knew it, she was being jerked along with Spider-Man as he was thrown out the window, caught by the wrist by Redwing which had also caused him to shoot webbing at Talia. She cried out as she whacked into the metal beams around the window edge before she was sent careening out. And she crashed in a heap on the ground outside behind Spider-Man, landing right on the asphalt several floors down.

The boy groaned while Talia swore. "Sh-"

Trapped on the floor of the airport, meanwhile, Bucky lay beside Sam. His first instinct was to worry about the female agent who had been a surprisingly good match against him. His guilt made him more invested than he should be, and Bucky knew he would never forgive himself if something happened to her because she was chasing him. It was irrational, but he would always attribute part of the blame to himself.

His next thought was far more cynical as he thought about why he was worried about the woman crashing out the window and he voiced it aloud to Sam irritably.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?"

In response, Sam growled. "I hate you."

Present

Wakanda

Talia gazed down at her adoptive father as he lay peacefully after whatever surgery it was that Shuri had completed on him. It was impossible and Talia had no idea exactly what magic the Wakandan princess had performed. But she couldn't deny that Everett was definitely looking much better: there was colour in his cheeks again and he was breathing steadily as he lay sleeping much better than he actually did. Looking at him now, she could believe Shuri's words when the princess had stated Everett should wake up within the next twenty-four hours.

Shaking her head at the impossibility of it all yet again, Talia finally turned away from her father to observe her surroundings. She had already clocked most of the room's interior upon arrival but she now allowed herself time to really look. As she'd already suspected, half of the tech that covered the worktops was beyond her knowledge. And even the things she recognised like the holographic computers and kinetic sand seemed to have been given an upgrade as they were at an advanced level she had never seen before.

As she appraised her surroundings, Talia wandered over to the windows on the far side of the lab. There, she paused as she saw a monorail speeding by just below. That in itself was not that strange. The fact that it had no wheels was.

"Is that… magnetic levitation?" Talia asked slowly.

Shuri glanced up briefly from where she was bent over working on some strange gauntlet before she turned her attention back to her work as she answered absently, "Yes."

Talia observed the monorail for a bit, watching as it arrived at a stop on the far side of the mountain cave she realized they were in. She watched as Wakandan warriors started to offload the monorail's contents. But seeing the dark-skinned warriors suddenly caused it to flash through her mind again. The memory. Guns firing, people screaming, her own shrill cries mingling into the pandemonium.

Talia squeezed her eyes shut and she forced the memory back into the deep recesses of her mind where she locked it away firmly. She opened her eyes again but couldn't bear to look back over at the African warriors again as the memory of her past swirled in the back of her mind. Having had enough, Talia instead returned quickly to Everett's side.

He hadn't moved at all as he remained lying peacefully on the floating bed. Staring down at him, Talia remembered the day she had met him. The promise he had made. She reminded herself again of his words as she forced her heart rate back down and eased her breathing. But there was only so much she could do while he remained lying so still - just like they had been.

"Please, wake up." She whispered, knowing he probably couldn't hear her but desperate enough to try.

"You said I wouldn't be alone. You promised..."