Bruce glanced at the clock on the wall.
9:35 P.M.
The night was indeed long – but also achingly short. He stared down at the painfully small amount of progress he had been able to make.
His eyes burned with exhaustion and his head swam; how long had he been awake? He needed to rest. The hours of travel alone had worn him out; the pressure of keeping the Hulk in check was also taking its toll. But there was too much to be done for him to sleep. He considered risking some sort of caffeine – something that, with his…condition, he usually actively avoided. But he decided against it. The way he'd been so on-edge the past day and a half, the risk of making the situation worse didn't seem worthwhile.
He took a deep breath and heaved a sigh, trying to wake himself up.
Then he got back to work.
Tony patted the side of the newly updated scanner system he had just finished working on. In addition to the standard view screen and targeting system the Wakandans had already had, he had outfitted them with heat wave sensors, ultraviolet readings, and an electromagnetic field scanner.
He rolled out from underneath the control table that he had rewired, gracefully scooting on the creeper he'd been laying on for the past couple hours.
He stood up and stretched, his body protesting having been in cramped positions all day. He was also feeling a little sluggish. Tony glanced at his watch.
10:05 P.M.
No wonder. They'd arrived at SHEILD Headquarters for deployment at five o' clock the day previous and had been on the move ever since. It was either time to hit the hay or get a hit of joe.
He turned, still stretching, to face the Wakandan guards standing at the door. They had arrived a few hours ago, right around when Spidey and T'Challa left. They hadn't said much, silently watching the security feeds and Tony's progress. The only sound that came from them was the occasional call in on the radios they wore on their belts.
Tony smiled, giving them an only partially mocking salute as he walked past them and out the door.
"There you go, boys – even better than new. Don't say I never gave you anything."
Tony began walking down the hallway, not entirely sure where he was going, but hoping it was in the direction of some food and then his bed.
Behind him, he heard the guards have a quick, hushed discussion in Wakandan before one hurried to catch up with him, the other apparently staying behind.
The first guard came up and began walking beside Tony.
Tony glanced over at him before looking back down the hall, acknowledging the guard with a jerk of his chin.
"Sup."
The guard continued looking ahead as if Tony hadn't spoken.
"So… I guess you guys don't speak English, then."
Again, he was answered with silence.
"Well, that's cool. I don't speak Wakandan so I guess we're even. Really, this makes me feel not as bad about not sticking around to explain all the updates to you guys, seeing as you wouldn't have understood me anyway. It's pretty simple anyway; you guys can figure it out on your own. I'm hungry, are you hungry?"
Tony stifled a yawn.
"Man, it's been a long day, amiright? Nothing like traveling halfway across the world to really knock a person out. Not that I mind." Tony made sure to address the man, even though he was still staring blankly ahead as they made their way down the hall. "I mean, saving people's kinda part of the gig. Wouldn't trade it for anything. But it definitely makes the bed softer at night. Aw, man. Speaking of beds, I really need to call Pepper. She's probably worried out of her mind by now. You don't suppose that the king would let me make a phone call, do you?"
His question was met with silence.
"That's what I thought. It's alright – Pepper knows I'm invincible, anyway. She'll be fine."
They continued walking, occasionally turning down a different corridor, Tony basically following the guard's lead.
"So I've been meaning to say this for a while now but just haven't gotten the chance: I really like your outfits. Very exotic. I'll have to- hey, look! A kitchen! Detour!"
Tony took control of their direction after having spotted a well-lit doorway with an oven and some countertops in view, and a very food-esque scent wafting out of it.
"Thank you."
Tony almost stopped where he was, the voice surprising him. He turned back to the guard who was again approaching him.
"What was that?"
"I said, 'Thank you'. Our uniforms have much significance to our people."
Tony raised his eyebrows as they approached the kitchen doorway.
"So…you can speak English."
The guard gave a non-committal shrug.
Tony frowned thoughtfully.
"Hm."
As he entered the kitchen, the smell of food being very enticing, he suddenly realized that they weren't alone.
On the other side of the kitchen stood two people having an intense discussion in Wakandan; one of them a rather roundish man whom Tony hadn't seen before, and the prince of the country himself.
T'Challa, whom thus far Tony had only ever seen calm and dignified, was talking in a very concerned, bordering on upset voice, a look of almost frustration written on his face.
"Lakini yeye si kuliwa katika siku, Oochi! Yeye ni ari kidogo na kidogo kila siku. Ukaidi wake mwenyewe anakataa napenda kutafuta msaada zaidi. Mimi hofu sisi ni kupoteza yake ...na…na mimi siko tayari."
The man he was talking to, an older man who, if not for the clear seriousness of their conversation, looked as though he would have been a jovial fellow, nodded his sympathy and put a comforting hand on T'Challa's shoulder. The man seemed more fatherly than T'Challa's actual father.
The guard cleared his throat and stood at attention.
"Bwana wangu."
T'Challa turned to them, all emotion dropping from his face.
"Ndiyo, Luteni Nehel?"
"Mheshimiwa Stark amekamilisha upgrades yake. Wao ni hai na kazi. Nilimleta kwa kupata chakula kabla ya kuonyesha yake kwa robo yake."
T'Challa nodded.
"Asante, Luteni. Wewe ni kufukuzwa kazi."
The guard bowed and left the room the way they had come.
Tony spent the exchange wishing that he had JARVIS with him, who would have been able to translate the conversations. Though, he already felt like he was intruding on something, so perhaps it was for the best. He really didn't know what was going on, but based on T'Challa's composure only moments before, it obviously wasn't anything good.
T'Challa sighed. The round man clapped him on the shoulder.
"Kila kitu kazi yenyewe nje, T'Challa. Hofu si."
T'Challa nodded.
"Asante, Oochi."
The man bobbed his head, giving a weak smile before turning to go. He gave Tony a slight nod as he walked past him.
T'Challa finally addressed Tony, his composure reinstated.
"So, Mr. Stark. I understand that you were successful in your updates to our system."
Tony cleared his throat, realizing that he wasn't going to be getting an explanation of what was going on.
"Yep, it's all online and fully operational. You know, Wakandan technology is surprisingly advanced. You don't even look that outdated compared to Stark Tech."
T'Challa gave a small laugh.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark. I will take that as a compliment. Please," T'Challa gestured to a very familiar looking food still steaming on the counter, "help yourself to whatever food you wish. I had the chef cook some American foods while he was baking the emergency supplies as well. I believe he called it 'pizza'."
Tony made his way toward the counter.
"Don't mind if I do."
He grabbed a slice and took a large bite, slightly impressed that this pizza almost rivaled that of New York pizza.
"So how is your chef still up and functioning? Is he, like, part of the patrol, or something?"
Tony waited for an answer, but T'Challa seemed to have zoned out of the conversation, staring at nothing. But once the silence dragged out for a few moments, T'Challa jerked back.
"What? Er, no. No, Chef Oochi does not go on patrol. He has an over-fondness for alcohol, oftentimes substituting it for any other drink in his diet, so he was spared the effects of the poison."
Tony smirked.
"I'll have to tell that one to Pepper the next time she gets mad at me for drinking too much."
T'Challa had again lapsed into silence.
Tony cleared his throat.
"Listen, T'Challa. Is there anything else that I can do? Technical, mechanical, manual? Whatever you need, the whole team's here to help."
T'Challa shook his head slowly.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark, but right now I think-"
A woman came rushing into the kitchen, making her way straight to T'Challa. As she whispered something urgently to him, lightly touching his arm, Tony recognized her as the physician who had stood by the king the one and only time that they had encountered him in the throne room.
T'Challa nodded to her and then the woman rushed out of the room just as quickly as she had come in.
He looked at Tony.
"Excuse me, Mr. Stark. There is a pressing matter I must attend to."
He turned and left the room, following in the footsteps of the physician.
Tony gave a concerned grunt, grabbing another slice of pizza before heading towards the team's assigned rooms. Things were obviously getting worse in Wakanda, but there was only so much the team could do if they were kept in the dark.
Steve threw the last empty crate off their jeep and onto the loading dock, the day's deliveries finally complete. He couldn't be sure of the time, but he could tell it was very late, the sky having already been dark for the past couple hours.
The commander of the patrol unit called his men to attention, and though Steve didn't know Wakandan, he still understood the gist of what he was saying. Good work, get some sleep, we start early tomorrow, dismissed. Military was a universal language.
The company stood at attention before dispersing, the obviously younger ones walking towards the barracks, and the older, but not exceptionally old, walking back into the city, probably to be with their families.
As they had walked up and down the streets of the city, it had really struck Steve just how devastating the attack on Wakanda had been. The roads had been completely empty; every household had been affected.
The Commander turned toward Steve.
"Would you like me to show you to your room, Captain America?"
Steve could tell that he was going to be 'shown' whether he liked it or not. Though T'Challa had seemed very trusting of the Avengers, not bothering to assign guards to any of them, the Commander was obviously following the judgment of the king, who harbored a great deal more of suspicion against the team.
"I would appreciate that Commander, but first I was wondering if it would be at all possible for me to check up on my teammates – the ones currently assisting the border patrol squadron."
The Commander nodded.
"Follow me."
They walked into the state building and through some winding halls before coming to a room where two guards sat, attentively watching an array of computer monitors that displayed various angles and readings of the surrounding of the city.
The Commander addressed the two men.
"Shenti. Nehem. Jinsi haki ya mipaka?"
They both stood to attention, the one on the left answering.
"Wote ni vizuri, Kamanda. Doria ni bila ya kuingiliwa."
The Commander nodded.
"Na nyongeza mbili?"
The one on the left pulled out a radio off his belt.
He exchanged something in Wakandan with whoever was on the other end of his call before looking back up to the Commander, replacing the radio back on his belt.
"Wao kufuata maagizo na kuweka juu kama vile wengine wa doria."
The Commander gave a short laugh.
"Nzuri. Asante, lieutenants. Kama ungekuwa."
The two soldiers each gave a small nod before returning to their seats.
The Commander turned and began striding down the hall, Steve walking beside him.
"Your men are well. They have been able to do what is required by the patrol."
"And what's that?" Steve asked as they traversed the hallway at a surprisingly brisk speed.
"Follow orders and keep up."
"…Swell."
…..
Walking past a main foyer, Steve noticed the time on a giant clock displayed there.
12:34 A.M.
The rest of the team – besides Widow and Hawkeye – would all be asleep by now, seeing as they'd all been on the move since at least five P.M. two days previous: getting prepped from the mission, being transported, and executing the mission itself. Even he was feeling a little drowsy – and that was saying something.
They walked down a vaguely familiar hallway and Steve thought that they were finally approaching the sleeping quarters.
They were coming up to a stairway when a door with light shining through it caught his attention. Previously, every room they had passed had been dark; which wasn't surprising, seeing as it was almost one in the morning.
Steve glanced in the room as he passed, then came to a sudden stop when what he saw registered in his brain.
Was that Bruce still in there?
The Commander turned around when he realized that Stave was no longer walking with him.
Steve raised his fist to knock on the door and glanced over at the Commander.
"I just need to go in here for a moment."
The Commander raised his eyebrow and then nodded, giving Steve the 'go ahead'.
Steve knocked on the door, but entered without waiting for a response.
Towards the back of the room, Brue sat hunched over a lab desk, his head in his hands, something obviously frustrating him.
Steve stepped into the room.
"Bruce? What are you still doing this late?"
Bruce looked up suddenly, an uncharacteristic appearance of anger on his face. Steve was taken aback for a moment, but Bruce took a deep breath before answering him, his expression returning to its more or less usual passiveness; albeit a very tired and haggard passiveness.
Bruce rubbed a hand over his face.
"I'm just- I'm…trying to figure this out, Steve."
Steve walked towards him.
"That's great, Bruce. That's what we're here for – but you need to get some sleep. You're not going to be figuring anything out in a state of exhaustion."
Bruce looked down at the work spread in front of him on the table, his fists clenched.
"People are dying."
"We're doing everything we can to-"
"DYING, Steve!"
Bruce stood suddenly, the stool falling over behind him.
"I can't sleep while people are dying!"
Bruce's voice had risen to an almost yell, fury written across his face.
Steve took a step back. He knew Bruce was under a lot of pressure, the brunt of the responsibility having fallen to him, but this wasn't how Bruce tended to react under pressure. It must just be the sleep deprivation.
"Bruce. You've been awake from over thirty-two hours. You're under a lot of pressure right now, but you need to get some sleep.
Bruce stared at him for a few moments, his breathing heavy, until he finally looked down, his entire body slumping.
"You're right."
Steve nodded.
"Great. Let's go."
He took Bruce by the shoulder and ushered him out of the room, flipping the light switch off before closing the door.
The Commander gave Steve a questioning look, obviously wondering if the situation was under control. Steve nodded and the Commander resumed the walk to their rooms, Steve and Bruce following a small way behind.
The Commander stopped in front of the appropriate hallway, stepping aside to let Steve and Bruce walk ahead.
Steve nodded to him.
"See you tomorrow, Commander."
The Commander gave a curt nod.
"Captain."
And he strode back down the hallway the way they had just come.
Steve walked Bruce to his room.
"Goodnight, Bruce. Get some rest."
Bruce replied with a sullen nod before losing his door.
Steve walked across the hallway to his own room, checking on his way to make sure Peter and Tony were both where they were supposed to be. Peter he saw sprawled out across his bed, the white bandages wrapped around his chest apparent in the dark, and Tony he heard; the man's snores reverberating across the hallway.
His team had made it through the day. He knew that they would be able to save the city, just as soon as they figured out what was going on, or better yet, who was behind it.
Steve sighed, slumping down into his bed. He knew he would only need a couple hours of sleep before he could wake up refreshed, ready to take on the next day.
Bruce woke from a restless sleep drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. He hadn't had that potent of a nightmare in years. A dream full of rage, hate and anger; a glimpse into the mind of the Hulk.
He was still tired, the slumber having been anything but restoring. However, he already knew it would be pointless to try to fall asleep again. He threw off the blankets twisted around him and walked over to the only window in his room.
He remembered being constantly plagued by such nightmares for years, before he had gotten a better handle on his alter persona. The fact that he had just experienced one, and that the Hulk was becoming increasingly closer in his mind would have caused Bruce concern, if he hadn't had bigger worries on his mind.
He sighed and rested his forehead against the cool glass, his heart rate finally slowing. His eyes flicked over to the small clock resting on the bedside table.
3:16 A.M.
He groaned. A little over two hours of sleep. Steve probably wouldn't approve. He straightened and went to find his glasses, deciding to continue researching in the lab.
He wouldn't be getting anymore sleep tonight.
…..
Only a couple hours later, Bruce stormed out of the lab, unable to continue staring at his failure. He knew he needed to get back in there and work through it, but he also knew that his blood pressure was rising to dangerously high levels and there didn't seem to be much he could do about it. His anger was always hovering just below the surface, and something worse seemed to be hovering just below that.
In his anger and frustration he failed to notice that he was about to walk into someone – before it was too late.
"Gah! I'm sorry!" he shouted, caught between apology and wrath.
The person, looking up to reveal herself to be Shuri, quirked an eyebrow at his outburst.
"I mean," Bruce cleared his throat, trying to calm himself enough to speak at a normal volume. "I'm sorry for running into you. I didn't see you there."
Shuri gave him a small smile.
"I will take that as a compliment to my skills of stealth, Dr. Banner. What are you doing wandering around this early in the morning?"
"It's actually more 'late night', for me… I was in there," he threw his arm back gesturing to the lab, "trying to- failing to- making some sort of…" Bruce sighed, trying to calm the building frustration. "I was working."
Shuri nodded.
"I think you should follow me."
Bruce was about to protest. He needed to get back to work. She of all people should know the urgency of his research. But Shuri walked past him without waiting for his answer, giving Bruce no choice but to follow.
She walked up towards the labs, but instead of turning left into them, she kept walking, eventually turning right through a sliding door. Bruce hesitated, wondering what exactly they were doing, but entered through the door after her.
He was immediately struck with the dark coolness of the room; he hadn't realized how hot he was until he felt the stark difference.
He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the lightless room; the only source of illumination coming from the skylight overhead, letting in the light of the setting moon. He heard the soft trickling of water and once his eyesight had partially adjusted, he saw there was a tiny stream flowing from the wall across the length of the small room and into a hidden drain. The entire room seemed like it was carved from the earth; rather than building a floor and walls, the Wakandans seemed to have left this room to nature; creating a cool, cave-like sanctuary.
Sitting cross-legged next to the stream was Shuri, her eyes closed and back to him.
She motioned for Bruce to come over, and patted the ground next to her, indicating for him to sit down.
He lowered himself to the ground next to her, finding a surprising amount of relief from his legs; he must have been standing longer than he thought.
They sat for a moment, in silence. Then Shuri opened her eyes.
"Though it may come as a shock to you, I was a very angry child."
Bruce raised his eyebrows at this, vividly remembering the punches she had thrown his way only yesterday.
She smiled, shaking her head, not even having to look at Bruce's face to know his expression.
"Hush, you."
Then she dropped her smile.
"When my mother died when I was eight, I became also a very violent child. So much so, that my father was unsure of what to do with me. But my grandmother, the wise old woman that she was, she knew. She brought me here, to this room, and taught me to sit. And to be quiet."
Shuri sighed.
"So, every day, I come here. And I sit. And I am quiet. It has taken me many years, but I have come to love my time sitting here, mediating. I am still a violent person. I am not afraid to give blows where they are deserved. But I am…less angry now."
She sighed.
"I am troubled by the pain my people are in. Especially my family."
She looked over at Bruce, her eyes meeting his.
"You too, are troubled by their pain, though they are not your people to be troubled about. For that, I am grateful." Hearing the sadness in her voice, Bruce felt the need to return to the lab. He shouldn't be here, just sitting, while all these people were suffering. He needed to-
Shuri rested one of her hands on top of his, as if sensing his thoughts.
"Your mind has become solely focused on your purpose, and it is being blocked by your anger and frustration. This is where your problem lies. You must let your thoughts flow." She gave him a small smile.
"Don't think so hard."
She squeezed his hand before letting go, and setting hers back on her lap. She then closed her eyes, resuming her meditative form.
"Focus on something else for a while. Of how softly the water flows. Of how solid the rock feels beneath you." She lapsed into silence, her breathing slowing.
Bruce shifted himself to mimic her position and tried to get his breathing to match hers.
He closed his eyes, the research and equations flooding into his mind; but he shut them out.
Instead, he thought of how soothing the sound of the water was. Like an icepack to his frenzied mind. Of how cool the room was, except for the edge of his right side that felt the warmth of Shuri's presence.
His breathing finally slowed; his mind calm. And for the first time since they started this mission, he felt at peace.
And he fell asleep.
Pepper checked her phone for what she was sure the tenth time that minute. Still no contact from Tony. She was sure that they were fine. They were the Avengers; they could handle themselves just fine. Everything would be fine. And SHIELD would have called her if everything wasn't fine, right?
Right. Of course.
She took a sip of her tea; trying, again, to focus on the financial report she was supposed to be reading.
She looked over at her phone, hoping it would light up, when something shook the Tower so hard some of the tea spilled over the top of her glass.
She stood up, panicked.
"JARVIS, what was that?"
"I believe that was Thor landing on the top of Stark Tower, Ms. Potts."
"Thor?"
"Yes. He's riding down the elevator now. Shall I direct him to you?"
"Uh…" Pepper was at somewhat of a loss, the surprise of a near earthquake like entrance, and the sudden appearance of Thor taking her off guard. "Yes, please. Thank you, JARVIS."
As JARVIS's "Your welcome, Ms. Potts." came through, the elevator dinged and Thor stepped into the room.
"Lady Pepper!" His voice boomed, a smile on his face as he walked towards her.
"Thor. Welcome back to Earth!"
Thor bent over and kissed her hand in greeting.
"It is good to be back, good Lady. How has Earth been these past few weeks of my absence?"
She smiled, clasping her hands in front of her.
"It's been pretty quiet, I think. Most of the team has been getting bored."
Thor laughed heartily.
"Well, we will soon see to that! Tell me, Lady Pepper, where are the rest of the Avengers? I notice that they are not present with us."
"They're actually on a SHIELD mission right now. Somewhere in Africa, I think. Tony couldn't give me many details. They left early yesterday."
"A mission? On my honor, I must join them! So short was our meeting, Lady Pepper, I am sorry I must go. The battle calls!"
Thor turned and strode back towards the elevator. Pepper wrestled with the fact that Fury probably wouldn't appreciate someone crashing a mission that was already in progress, meaning she should call Thor back; and the fact that she would feel much more comfortable about Tony if he had the God of Thunder with him.
Thor stepped into the elevator and she made up her mind.
"Be careful, Thor!"
Thor nodded, the doors began closing.
"And tell Tony to call me!"
"It is done."
And the doors closed.
AN Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this new installment.
Favorite and review if you feel like it- I love getting feedback!
Also- Special shoutout to Lorelei Lovegood for designing the cover art for the story.
Its pretty awesome. Thanks girl!