Chapter 25: Shuri II

"Do you not have something to do other than spin in a chair?" Shuri remarked, not lifting her eyes from the microscope. Too engaged with watching the nanites interact with the synthetic flesh Dr. Cho provided for her experimentation.

She heard the chair come to a squeaking halt. A loud, bored sigh followed after. "Nope," came Peter Parker's response. "Nothing."

Shuri finally lifted her head from the microscope. Peter was dressed in casual attire. Not even jeans. Sweatpants and a SHIELD logo shirt that was left over from the days he first came to the Compound. Hair was a bit wild than normal. Or perhaps longer. And he looked tired, but not in the physical sense.

"What about DUMBO? Why don't you work on it?" Shuri suggested.

"Because I need Tony's help."

Shuri flickered her gaze to where Tony Stark laid frozen in a capsule. He had been hibernating for nearly a week now and Shuri and Dr. Cho's process haven't garnered the results they wanted. The nanites were not cooperating with the synthetic tissue Dr. Cho created, making it almost impossible for them to heal Tony in time without his organs failing.

Shuri thought. "What about school?" she proposed, remembering him working on course work during her last visit. "Don't you have some kind of paper to write? Or math problems to compute?"

Peter spun in the chair again. "I finished the whole online course a month ago," he answered. "Tony was trying to arrange a MIT professor to be a tutor for me. That's been… postponed."

Shuri didn't realized how invested Tony was in Peter's life. "What about your friends?" she tried. "Ned? Michelle? That Harry guy? Thought about hanging-out with them?"

"They're studying for finals happening next week," Peter said. "Don't really have time to hang-out with grades on the line."

Shuri didn't understand the hype of a simple letter-grade. The importance was knowledge. Why did Western cultures not covet knowledge? That was far more important than receiving a gold star or a letter-grade. So bizarre the way these cowboys value certain things above others.

"Your education system is confusing to me," Shuri decided with a dismissive shrug. "What's the big deal about an A or a C? It's frivolous."

She got Peter to twist his mouth into a smirk. "It's more of an effort grade," he joked. "But, it's important. If you want to go onto college that is."

"College… you mean university?"

"Same thing," Peter said flatly, dropping his head in his hand. "Anyway, even if they didn't have finals coming up, it's not like I can go out and see them."

Shuri bunched her brows together. "What do you mean?" she questioned. "Are you guys fighting?"

Based off the tales Peter told her when he lived with her family, his circle of friends were close-knitted. Even when she met Ned and Michelle, she recognized their strong bond of friendship. Like nothing changed between them as it became known Peter was Spider-man and now, world famous.

The only change was Harry. The new kid. He and Peter were kind and friendly to one another. At first glance, Shuri would think they were old friends, gabbing on and on about topics that she had little interest. Closer inspection, she saw the tinge of envy in those brilliant green eyes. The lurking resentment and bitterness in that strained grin. While it was not the strongest emotion within Harry, it laid in wait, ready for an awakening.

Shuri wondered if that was the reason. If his friendships were broken by a single fight between him and Harry, but before she could further her investigation, Peter shook his head.

"Nah, not fighting," Peter disproved her theory. "Just life gets in the way. They have school and decathlon. And me… I—well, I live all the way up here, so there's that. It's just harder for us to get together."

"Uh-huh," Shuri was not convinced. "You know there is such a thing as a car. Has four wheels. Can take you from point A to point B."

Peter gave her a look. "It's not that," he said and turned his chair to face her. "I can't leave."

Shuri looked quizzically at Peter. "Intoni?" she cracked a smile. "Of course you can."

"No, I can't."

That didn't make sense. "What are you talking about?"

"They—the Avengers—won't let me leave the premise."

Shuri threw her head back, laughing at how ridiculous his proclamation sounded. Tears even squeezed out from her eyes. That only upset Peter.

"It's not funny!"

Shuri smothered her laughter, but kept the smile. "I saw you on television. Out and about in, where? LA? At one of those basketball games," she reminded him, remembering seeing Peter on the world screen a few weeks ago. Then, she winked at him. "Nice catch by the way."

Peter tucked his lips into a pout. "No, no, it's not—" he got agitated. "Ever since the incident with Deadpool and the Secretary, they won't let me out of their sight. I can't even step outside without someone stepping right on my heels.

"Even when I was in LA, Tony wouldn't let me go anywhere. Pretty much stayed inside the hotel suite," Peter picked at a mark on the table. "Didn't even go to the ocean. Saw it, but never went in it." He let out a long, peeved sigh as he glanced around the room. "I know when I'm being held, Shuri. I've got enough experience to know. A glided cage is still a cage."

"They're being protective," Shuri weakly defended. After all, she knew the feeling of being trapped. As a Princess, she was never truly alone. Brother too guarded. Guards trailing her footsteps. People watching her every word and action.

"Overprotective," Peter's shoulders slouched, forehead puckered in thought. "They're investigating something. Something involving me. Nat said as much, but no one will tell me," he said and his eyes flickered to Tony. "That's why Tony got shot. I know it."

"Stark has many enemies," she reminded him.

"Call it my spider-sense, but it's not that," Peter said, crossing his arms in front. "Something about all this is connected to me. I thought it was all over with Secretary Ross being fired and the Accords being re-written, but no. There's something else. Something more troubling if the Avengers won't let me go anywhere."

"Maybe they have a point, though. Stark did get shot," Shuri pointed to the cyro-stasis chamber. "They probably don't want you wandering around if there's a madman with a gun shooting up heroes."

Peter scoffed. "I'm Spider-man," he stated, arrogantly. "I don't need protection. I can heal from a bullet wound. Far better than Tony, at least."

Shuri had to restrain herself from smacking Peter's face. Only an idiot would believe in invincibility. All heroes fall. Either in death or in name. There was no escape from such a fate and for Peter to casually dismiss life's guarantees was arrogant and rude.

"Well, then, Spider-man," Shuri remarked with a clipped tone. "If that's the case, why don't you investigate on your own? You have the suit, right?"

He fidgeted in his seat, voice screeching to a halt in minor hesitation. "I do, but, well... Nat knows."

"Nat?"

"Black Widow," Peter clarified. "She caught me wearing it and if I go out in it… she's threatened to take it away from me."

"What about just sneaking around here?" she suggested. "Like when they have their meetings listen at the door?"

"I tried that already," Peter said. "FRIDAY threatened to tattle on me. Plus, the room where they do their briefings is sound-proof. I can't hear a word they say. Even with my advanced hearing."

Shuri gave up. Nothing she offered seemed good enough to preoccupy him and Peter kept coming up with lame excuses to counter her suggestions. "Sounds like a real problem," she muttered in finality. "Best to leave me alone and figure it out."

"Hey!" Peter protested, hurt.

"I have work to do," Shuri contended, thinking of her own scientific problems at hand. "Don't have time to listen to your whiney, white boy problems."

Peter started to counter-argue, when his words died at the tip of his tongue and he sagged in his seat. "Sorry, you're right," He exhaled, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm being annoying. Sorry. Ugh—just a bit stressed."

That was no big surprise. Who wasn't? Nothing has ever been smooth sailing since the Accords. Ask any human on the planet. "We're all stressed," Shuri said, but slackened her face to one of sympathy. "But I know you suffer from it the most. If you really need to do something, go fetch me slide E. Over there. On that table."

Peter obliged, pushing his rolling chair hard from the table. He sailed across the room effortlessly. He glanced at the tray of slides that Shuri created before gently lifting the slide she needed and returned to her.

"Here you go," Peter handed the slide to her. Shuri switched slides while Peter's gaze drifted to Tony's frozen face. "He's okay in there, right? I mean… he's not going to suffer any damages like—"

"Both Captain America and Sergeant Barnes underwent the same process and for much longer periods of time," Shuri interrupted Peter before he got himself worked up. "Mr. Stark is fine. He's alive."

Peter numbly nodded. "Okay."

He fell back to his normal silent self, eyes staring aimlessly as his mind barraged him with thoughts or memories or fears. Something that kept him preoccupied from Shuri. She returned to her work, studying her new slide. Same results as the other slide. Massive disappointment. The nanites and synthetic flesh didn't interact in the manner she hoped.

Shuri tapped her pencil against the table, frustrated. Perhaps synthetic flesh isn't the way to go. It worked for Clint when he took a blast to his side, but Shuri didn't believe the plastic flesh would work for Tony. His injuries were far too severe to be fixed by plastic.

She did consider real flesh. There was some reservations in testing out her theory of integrating nanites with organic matter. Nanites were new technology and not yet tested on all matters on the planet. If she manipulated organic matter with nanites, what blasphemy might she create?

Or what brilliant advancement for humanity?

She knew what she must do.

Shuri rolled across the lab to the scalpel, disinfecting it before digging the scalpel into her own skin.

Peter launched from his seat. "What are you doing?" he freaked, mouth hung as he watched her cut a sliver of skin from her finger.

"Testing out a theory," Shuri responded. "Hand me a clean slide."

Peter gaped a little longer on her bleeding finger, but eventually he squirmed into a run to the cabinets and came back with a new slide from the box. Shuri snatched it from his fingers and dropped the blood and skin on the slide.

Not a second after the blood dropped on the microscope slide, Shuri felt her hand be gripped and redirected away from the equipment. "Hold still," Peter ordered.

He took Shuri's bleeding finger and wiped the blood away with a disinfected wipe. Already, he had a bandage in his hand. "This is crazy," he mumbled as he cleaned the cut and wrapped a bandage around her finger. "There! Let me know if it bleeds through."

"Thanks," Shuri said as Peter smiled before throwing away the debris. "Grab that container on your way back."

Peter picked up the container. "What are you going to do?"

"I think you already know."

"I do," Peter swallowed, nervous. "Shuri… nanites haven't been used outside of automation. Dr. Cho advised—"

"If we all stayed careful, then nothing would ever be accomplished," Shuri sliced through Peter's warning. "You want to save Stark, right?"

"Of course!"

"Great!" Shuri said, snatching the container from Peter's hands. "Thula kwaye ndincede!"

Peter instantly stopped speaking and simply dropped his shoulders in defeat. Shuri inserted a lone nanite onto her blood sample. Peter pressed a cover slip over it. It was ready! She felt pumped. Excited! All those stresses and worries were long forgotten, replaced with the prospect of a brand new discovery. Her heart giddied as she slipped the slide underneath the scope. Face lowered, she pressed her eyes into the lens and fixed the scale. Waiting. Watching.

Her mouth fell. "Mka…"

Peter crowded her, hovering over her shoulder. "What? What's happening?" he pestered her. "Shuri? Intoni?"

Shuri raised her eyes from the microscope and Peter took the moment to get a peak for himself. "Whoa…" he raised his own head, eyes on Shuri as he too absorbed what he witnessed through the lens. "Do you think?"

"Remove the cover slip," Shuri ordered. She didn't know for certain, but she was certainly going to find out.

Peter did his best to slide the cover slip off, exposing the tiny bit of skin and blood to recycled air. Shuri twirled another scalpel and, with great care, sliced through the tiny sample of skin on the slide. As she cut, she watched through the lens.

The minute the sharp blade dug into the grooves of the skin, a miracle occurred. "Okhokho!"

"Let me see," Peter insisted and Shuri made room, handing him the scalpel to witness what she did seconds ago. Peter's reaction was similar.

"Jesus…" he muttered, popping his head up. "We gotta tell the others."

"Not yet," Shuri stopped Peter from heading to the door. "We need more tests and… recordings. Videos and that sort of thing."

She reached into her bag, drawing up electronic pads and her kimoyo beads. She connected the beads to her device. "Okay… first, we need a bigger sample."

"You are not cutting your finger off," Peter directed, his nose rumpled in distress at the mere thought of her slicing off her finger.

"Sidenge," Shuri chuckled in bewilderment. "Why would I cut my finger off?"

Peter relaxed, smiling a bit easier when his jaw tensed again. "Wait… what… no," he said, backing away. "No—nope. Not happening."

Shuri rolled her eyes. Boys were idiots. "I'm not stealing a finger from you either," she said in hopes to calm his bloody imagination. "I was thinking more in the lines of another."

Peter warily stretched up his eyebrows. "I don't know if I like what you are thinking…"

"Trust me, Peter," Shuri said, getting up from her seat. "I'll be back with our test subjects."

"Peter and I went a little off the reservoir these past few hours," Shuri started her presentation to her gathered crowd. The crowd contained the expected individuals like Captain America, Pepper Potts, Dr. Cho, Colonel Rhodes and, of course, Peter. They all listened in as she explained her discovery. "Synthetic flesh wasn't interacting with the nanites as we hoped, so we decided to make the next jump. We tested it on organic matter."

Shuri brought up her hologram of her conducted experiment. "We injected nanites into our first sample of flesh and blood. And… the results were instant. See here," she pointed to the blue diagram that popped up from the screen. "That's the cut on the sampled tissue and when I added a single nanite into the injured area…"

She dabbed at her electronic pad and the screen moved as the audience watched the nanite in action. The nanite in the diagram rapidly heal the injured tissue, sealing the cut and making it anew again. "The infected area immediately beings to heal. The nanite connects and reproduces the actual blood and flesh to restore the tissue to its original form.

"We furthered our test by experimenting on a house plant," Shuri said, switching slides to show a hologram of the conducted experiment with the plant. "As you can see, the injected nanites attached to the planet's molecules that when we snipped off the leaves, new leaves are instantly blossoming over the old stubs."

The video captured the plant's leaves rebirth after a pair of scissors snipped away every leaf on its stem. And each time, the leaf was snipped a new one grew in place. Not too big and not too small. Almost identical to its lost sibling.

"Nanites are programmed to manipulate matter, which includes organic matter," Shuri dwindled to a close on her demonstration. "I believe that nanites will be able to manipulate the injured organs and tissue that Stark sustained into healing itself. Just like it did on the sampled skin tissue and the plant's leaves."

The diagram replayed the plant's experiment. The group watched the leaves regrow, coming back to life despite the looming threat of being snipped away.

"That's… incredible," Pepper approached the hologram, amazed. "You really think it will work on Tony's injuries?"

"I cannot guarantee it," Shuri admitted. There were no guarantees, but all the evidence pointed in the positive direction. "My theory is that once we activate the nanites to Stark's bloodstream, the nanites will rebuild the damaged organs and tissues. But—"

There was always a 'but' that got everyone to stiffen and tense in anticipation for the bad news portion. "Stark endured severe injuries and the moment we pull him out of stasis, we are losing him. If the nanites are not quick enough, he may die from his injuries."

"Can't you inject the nanites while he's in stasis?" Colonel Rhodes asked.

"Can't," Peter interjected, hands shoved awkward in his pockets. "The cryo-stasis is keeping him and his cells in suspended animation. The nanites won't respond to something that is, in essence, un-alive."

"Exactly," Shuri agreed with Peter's analysis. "Stark needs to be out of the chamber in order for the nanites to properly interact with his cells. But, it poses the risks of him succumbing to his injuries."

Captain America drew a hand down his face after one long sigh. "What do you think?"

"I personally think this is our best shot," Shuri answered, glancing up at her and Peter's recorded experiments. "It's the only way to revive him."

"Sorry, I meant Miss Potts," Captain America apologized for the misdirection, but smiled at Shuri, "but thank you. Your opinion is insightful and valued." The Captain turned fully to Pepper. "What do you think, Pepper? You're his fiancée. The choice is yours."

Pepper Potts bit her lower lip, eyes looking away from everyone and back to the diagram. It was replaying Shuri's discovery.

"The nanites," she began, "once they heal Tony's injuries, will they disappear or—"

"Once we inject them into the bloodstream, they remain," Shuri described the aftermath of the process. "As for the side-effects of having nanites in one's blood for a period of time... I don't know. A thorough test has yet to be conducted. This is all relatively new."

"I've worked a bit with nanites with Mr. Stark," Peter spoke up. "Mr. Stark had a theory that the nanites decay over time. You have to actively update the nanites in order to keep something, like Mr. Stark's suit, from malfunctioning."

"Are you saying that if we don't monitor the nanites in Tony, they could decay and kill him?" Colonel Rhodes asking, sounding less thrilled with the idea of injecting his best friends with the device.

Shuri shook her head. "That's not what he is saying," she took over for Peter. "Theoretically, once the nanites repair the damaged tissues and organs, they will continue to repair any other damages sustained to the body until, like all machines, fail. When that occurs, they will stop working. Doesn't mean it will kill Stark. It only means he can't take a bullet to a leg and walk away without a limp."

"But what about the nanites?" Captain America questioned. "Won't the decay process get him ill or something?"

"Probably," Shuri answered, unsure. "If I have to guess, nausea, fatigue, weakness—symptoms similar to blood poisoning."

"Blood poisoning?!" Peppered freaked. "That could kill him!"

"Not if we do it accurately," Shuri insisted. "Once we activate the nanites, we can estimate the time they will start to decay and begin the process to flush them out."

"Why not flush them out once they heal his wounds?" Colonel Rhodes asked.

"We could," Shuri didn't see a problem with removing the nanites prior to their decay. "It'll be a long process and we cannot start too early or we might interfere Stark's healing process. It's better to simply wait a little longer after we inject the nanites before we flush them out."

"How do you plan to flush out the nanites?" Pepper wanted to know, looking at Shuri as her fingers nervously twitched at the edge of her lips.

"Blood transfusion is the best option," Dr. Cho finally spoke up, but her eyes were examining the hologram of the recorded trials. "The princess is right. It'll take time to flush the nanites out completely, but it can be done."

"But the side-effects?"

Dr. Cho looked over to Pepper. "It's uncertain what the side-effects may be for Mr. Stark," she admitted. "The medical field have theorized on using nanites in procedures to heal or fix a patient's condition. Particularly regarding diabetes."

"So—you think we should do this?"

Shuri shared a look with Dr. Cho, both their expressions mirroring one another. They agreed. It was the best option. "My advice," began Dr. Cho as she turned to look back at Pepper, "is to test out the procedure. Otherwise, Mr. Stark may remain in the cryo-stasis longer than anyone wishes."

"Agreed," Shuri backed up Dr. Cho's assessment. "It's our best hope to save Mr. Stark's life."

Pepper listened, her mouth formed a rigid grimace. Anxiety riddled her irises as she contemplated the future of her love. Her nervous eyes flickered to where Tony stayed frozen in time, unaware of the debate surrounding his existence.

Finally, she breathed as her hands fell down to her abdomen. "I can't have Maria grow up without her father," Pepper softly confessed as she turned her gaze to Shuri. "Do it. Save him."

Shuri almost wanted to salute Pepper. "We'll begin preparation for the procedure," she confirmed, "and start the revival process tonight."

The revival process took longer than the former Winter Soldier's residency. Then again, he went through the process far more times than anyone and his muscle memory must be well adapt to overcoming the cyro-stasis process. Unlike Tony.

Tony's heartbeat didn't come to life until an hour after they removed him from his chamber. Doctors and nurses stood by, waiting for a heartbeat signal to alert Dr. Cho and Shuri that it was time to inject the nanites. Shuri got the nanites programmed and ready. Dr. Cho monitored Stark's vitals, keeping his body in stable condition to avoid any malfunctioning shut-downs before the procedure.

Pepper was in the room too. She never left the minute he was removed from his cyro-stasis chamber. She stayed at his bedside, sometimes talking to him and other times not saying a word. Just silently pleading as she watched him slowly thaw.

"We got a beat!"

That one shout got everyone wildly running. Shuri surged forward to the gurney, nanites in her hand. "Do your work guys," she muttered to them as she, with Dr. Cho overseeing her.

With great care and focus, Shuri lowered the needle to the open wounds. She struck the needled into a visible vein and injected the nanites. Upon the last drop, she removed the needle and sealed the small injected wound with a cloth.

"There they go," Shuri announced, putting aside the empty needle. "Now comes the hard part. Waiting."

And the wait was excruciating painful. Nothing happened. Not at first. Not like the rapid speed they witnessed during the trials. Then again, the skin and plant were not frozen for a period of time before being injected with nanites.

Dr. Cho and Shuri took turns monitoring Tony's condition. Pepper stayed as long as she could before she had to tend to her daughter. Her parents could only do so much at their age. Shuri promised to keep Pepper updated with any changes.

It neared nine o'clock at night when Shuri replaced Dr. Cho's shift, taking a seat as she took observation notes. The skin came together nicely. The nanites stitched skin to skin together over the bullet holes that riddled his chest. Yet, the monitors were not as promising as the physical sight.

Blood pressure was low. Both diastolic and systolic. Even his oxygen saturation levels were too low for it to be a good sign. Such reports often signaled the last days of someone's life.

Shuri pursed her lips together in frustration. "I thought you Stark men are made of iron," she grumpily quipped at the Tony. "You're proving that to be wrong. Even with actual nanites in your bloodstream."

Her phone chirped and she glanced down at the new text message.

I convinced my parents.

Shuri beamed and typed: GR8! What did u tell them?

She waited for the ping to alert to another message. That I already bought the plane ticket.

Shuri laughed aloud: Its official then. UR the newest intern.

Partner.

I'll accept that, Shuri texted. What R U up to? said something about exams?

A long pause came after her message. Yep. Exams this entire week. 😞 compressing all sorts of facts into my brain.

What exams do U have?

… physics, Spanish, French, English, pre-calculus, & history

DAMN

I know. But… there is an end of the year school dance on Saturday. Some kind of reward for finishing the semester.

Are U going?

Shuri sent the message off when a soft knock on the door, followed by the opening creak, distracted her. Momentarily, she thought it was Dr. Cho checking in on Tony's status before bed or maybe even Pepper. It was neither. It was Peter

"Hey," he quietly greeted her as he slinked across the room to where she sat. "How's everything? Good?"

"The nanites closed the bullet holes," she pointed to the new skin where the bullet holes once were. "But, the insides are not looking to great. Taking more time than I thought."

Peter reviewed the monitors before him. "That's not good," he observed. "Why aren't the nanites curing him?"

"It takes time," Shuri emphasized. "They weren't minor wounds. He suffered from three, near-fatal wounds. It'll take time, but…"

Tony's time was limited. If his vitals didn't improve, then he was most likely going to succumb to his injuries, despite having no visible wounds to show. "Maybe if we give him a midodrine, it might help his pressure to get back up. Not quite sure though."

"Have you asked Dr. Cho?"

"She thinks we need to give it some more time," Shuri and Dr. Cho discussed when to utilize medicine to help Tony's vitals improve. However, what she read on the monitors were not good at all. "But I don't know. I'm a bit worried that the organs may be too damaged. Maybe we didn't inject enough nanites into his bloodstream?"

"Then add more."

"If we add—"

A ping rung in between them. Shuri looked back down at her phone.

Probably. I think dances are stupid and cliché, but it's something to do.

"Who's that?" Peter asked, although he's not leaning over to read my messages. "Your brother checking up?"

"No," Shuri said. Not that T'Challa hasn't called and asked about her, Tony and Peter. Definitely Peter. Always wanted to know if Peter was hanging around her. "It's Michelle."

Peter's face screwed up. "Michelle?" he pondered. "Michelle who?"

"Michelle."

Still a blank face.

"Michelle Jones?" Shuri clarified, baffled that Peter didn't know who she was talking about.

"MJ?" Peter said, surprised. Almost like she had smacked his face awake. "Really?"

"Yes. Why?" Shuri demanded. "Why is that surprising?"

"No—No, I didn't mean," Peter flustered, red creeping up his neck to his cheeks. "I meant, I didn't know you and her… talked. Or were even friends."

Shuri's brows lifted in humor. "Of course we're friends," she said. "She's actually coming to Wakanda this summer to help me set up the outreach program around the globe."

Shock stenciled right into his face, carving lines right along in his forehead and enlarging his eyes. "Oh—wow," he said, rolling in his lips as he nodded away. "That's great. I'm… happy that you and MJ get along."

Shuri paused, studying the awkward angles Peter positioned himself. He fiddled with his fingers, eyes drawn to his feet. His lips moved uncomfortably, as if trying to find the right words to his next sentence.

She was too tired to wait for him. "Why don't you like me and Michelle talking?"

"What?" Peter quickly responded, fixing his face in bafflement. "I don't… I don't care. I mean, I think it's great you guys are friends and, um, talking to one another. Why would I be upset?"

"Because you are making that face."

"What face?"

"Your worried face."

Peter cocked his head innocently to the side, trying to laugh, but only managing a smile. "Why would I be worried?" he questioned. "I'm just surprised. That's all, considering you and I…"

"You and I what?"

Shuri pushed and pushed Peter into a corner, waiting for him to confess the true reason why he's upset over the friendship. She crossed her arms, spinning her chair to face him directly.

Peter resigned, shoulders falling as he exhaled. "You know," he said. "We, um, kissed—"

"So?"

Shuri didn't see the big deal. They kissed. A few times while Peter lived in Wakanda. She considered Peter to be her best friend, but she would never consider him as her boyfriend. For obvious reasons.

It seemed Peter didn't see it like that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's the big deal? How is us kissing have to do with Michelle?" Shuri inquired, interested in hearing his reasoning.

"It doesn't," Peter tried to dismiss.

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

He closed his mouth. His eyebrows pinched forward in deep thought. "I just didn't want it to be awkward for, um you guys—"

"You mean you," Shuri corrected him. "Because you have a crush on Michelle."

Peter shook his head. "No—she's just a friend."

Shuri laughed, swinging her head a bit as she turned away from Peter to check on Tony. "For now."

Peter sat upright. "What do you mean by that?"

"You like her."

"Well, yeah, of course. She's my friend."

"More than a friend, white boy," Shuri said, slapping Peter's arm. Why do white boys try to play everything down? "You like her. That's why you are upset about me and her being friends."

Peter shook his head, still in denial. "No, that's not it. That's not—I'm just… surprised MJ befriended you that quickly. She's doesn't make friends so easily."

"She likes to think because most people are annoying," Shuri said in defense of her friend. At least, that was what Michelle told her. Most of the kids in her schools were losers, too focused on stupid things that don't truly matter. "Anyway, I'm a cool person. Why wouldn't she and I be friends?"

Peter went silent, dropping his head as his finger nervously raked through his hair. "I didn't mean to say you guys shouldn't be friends," he countered. "You're both cool. It shouldn't be a surprise you both got along." He took an unsteady breath. "I guess… I figured it would be awkward if it ever comes up. You and MJ talking about…"

Him. He was worried about the fallout if it came to light about their kisses a year ago. Not there would be a fallout, but Peter didn't know. His sweet heart wanted to avoid causing any drama or pain to both her and Michelle.

Shuri scooted her chair next to him. "Peter… it's fine, Really!" she assured him. "You're my best friend. I've known for a while you had a thing for Michelle. Even back in Wakanda, I kind of knew. Like the way you talked about her or told me stories about your friends."

Peter fidgeted. "I didn't mean—"

"What I am saying, Peter," Shuri cut him off to finish her speech, "is that I'm not hurt or mad if you start dating Michelle. I like her. A lot.

"You should go for it. Ask her out," Shuri leaned into him, encouraging Peter to take the dive. She then tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention again. "There's a dance this coming Saturday. You should ask her to the dance."

"I don't know if—"

"No." Shuri stopped him right there. "Go. Call. Ask. Yiba nesibindi, ingonyama emhlophe."

Peter paused, taking a deep breath. "So—you're cool with me asking MJ?"

"Of course! And let's be realistic, Peter. We would never have a future together," Shuri quietly disclosed. She had known for a long time. Even before she and Peter first kissed. It wasn't easy. She really did like Peter, but a relationship would never work. "I'm a Princess of Wakanda. You—a future Avenger. As much as I like you, it would never work for us. Your home is here. My home is Wakanda. Neither of us could ask the other to leave their homes and futures. Right?"

Peter agreeably nodded. Dark, marble eyes gazed right at her with an bittersweet understanding. "I never really thought of it like that," he admitted. "I guess that's why girls are smarter than boys?"

Shuri grinned and put an arm around him in a brotherly manner. "Exactly," she said with a fun smile. "As I said before, you're my best friend. And as your best friend, you're an idiot if you don't call up Michelle and ask her to the dance."

That got Peter to smile. It was small. Kind. She hadn't seen one in a long time. As he went to respond, a sharp blare caused them both to flinch, necks turning right at the monitor.

"Mka!" Shuri launched off her seat and right to Tony's monitors. "Blood pressure is dropping."

Peter also sprung to his feet, running to Tony's side. "Mr. Stark! Tony?"

Stupid, white boys, Shuri thought as she rushed to medical cabinets. She searched for the midodrine.

"What are you doing?" Peter shouted at her from Tony's gurney. "Shuri—he's dying!"

"Not on my watch," Shuri muttered as she readied the needle. It would be better if Dr. Cho was here to administer it, but Stark didn't have time. They were losing him. "Peter? Grab a blood bag from the refrigerator."

Peter didn't even hesitate. He sprinted to the glass refrigerator, taking out the blood bag that was specific for Stark. He hurried back to Shuri as she injected the medicine into Tony's vein. Peter handed the blood bag to Shuri and assisted hooking it up to Stark.

Blood went through the tube and right into Stark, pumping him with more blood as the medicine worked its way through his bloodstream. Shuri watched the monitor, praying to the ancestors for a miracle.

Peter was next to her. She saw that his hand clutching Stark's hand. The same, puppy-eyed look that she had seen before when he used to beg her brother to let him outside the palace. Or to call his aunt. To call anyone back home. Peter was doing it again, begging for Stark to not give up. To stay with him.

The monitors quietened. Not a dead silence. The rapid, alarming beeps became even tempo, smoother and gentler like a peaceful melody.

The numbers rose up, ticking away. Up and up the numbers went, arriving to the healthy zone. Shuri monitored the oxygen tank. His oxygen levels were rising as well.

"It worked," Peter muttered beside her.

All the tension released in one deep resignation. Relieved and happy. "I gotta call Dr. Cho," Shuri told Peter. "Let her know what happened and what we did. Could you call Pepper? I think it might be good she knows as well… Peter?"

Peter wasn't listening to her. His face was taut in concentration. His mouth thinned as he drew closer to Stark, his eyes not leaving Stark's face. "Mr. Stark?"

Shuri glanced to Stark's face. Nothing. "Peter…" she started, not wanting to get his hopes up.

But, Peter stopped her. "He's waking!" he exclaimed. "I can sense it. He's… Mr. Stark? Tony!"

Shuri shook her head. It was not possible for him to recover that quickly after nearly dying. She reached over to guide Peter out of the room while she fetch Dr. Cho. But, Peter didn't budged. His glued his feet to the floor.

"Wait! Wait… Shuri," Peter resisted against Shuri. "Look!"

Shuri flicked a glance to where Peter pointed. Her mouth dropped. A twitch. Not a single, spastic muscle twitch. A twitch of someone awakening. Then, she heard a soft moan. It was barely above a whisper.

"Dear ancestors," Shuri gasped. She raced to the wall, where the intercom was located. She slammed the red button down. "Dr. Cho? Come to the med-bay immediately!"

She returned back to Stark, situating the progress and monitors as Stark gradually returned to the living. "Mr. Stark?" she called over him. "If you can hear me, please make a sound or pressed your fingers together."

Another sound came. A louder moan that sounded more like a groan. Then, fingers pressed into the cot. Shuri was amazed. "He's waking!"

Peter was jubilant. A big smile split his face, glowing in happiness. "I'm going to get Pepper!" he told Shuri, racing off before Shuri agreed to it.

Shuri kept beside Stark, waiting as Stark's arms shuddered, his lips a breath apart and his eyes fluttered, trying to lift the dark curtain up.

She removed the oxygen mask, letting his lungs take a test on their own. It sounded hoarse and his chest struggle to rise, but it did. It fell and went back up. Again and again and again.

"Mr. Stark?" Shuri said, towering over her patient. "Try to speak if you can."

Stark's lips parted a bit more, mouth chapped enough to be slightly crusted. There was a struggle. Shuri saw his Adam's apple bobbing in an attempt to speak. His lips pulled back and a breath of air escaped.

"Ouch," came the graveled voice of Tony Stark.

His eyelids retracted, revealing a dazed pair of eyes up at her. Shuri smiled.

"Welcome back to the living, Mr. Stark."

Translations:

Intoni - what

Thula kwaye ndincede - wait and help

Mka - fuck

Okhokho - ancestors

Yiba nesibindi, ingonyama emhlophe - be courageous, white lion