SHADOW OF DEATH
Chapter 27: Human
T'Chaka quietly rapped his knuckles against his daughter's door. His whispered "hodi" was so low that it should not wake her, in case she was already lost to sleep. He rather hoped she did not answer. It meant she was seeking the rest she so desperately needed. He was not surprised when he heard the padding of bare feet across her tiled floor and the door creaked open to show she was still awake.
She was in her nightgown and her braids were wrapped for the night. She looked up at him with wide, tear-swollen eyes and for a moment, she looked so much younger than her seventeen years.
"Baba," she said, and then she threw her arms around him, her shoulders quaking with her sobs.
"Shhhh, binti," he answered and he patted her head where it lay against his chest. He held her close and let her cry – part of him sinking into sadness along with her to see her so grieved, the other part reveling in the rare display of emotion he was the recipient of.
It reminded him of the time she caught malaria when she was too, too young. Back then, she had only just learned to walk and then she was running. Up hallways, down garden paths, through cupboards and stairwells – Shuri never did anything halfway and the moment she discovered there was a world at her fingertips, she threw herself in head first to learn about all of it, even when she was a young child.
"She never sits still long enough to organize her hair or put on her shoes or finish her biscuits," her mother complained. "She is too, too busy to stay in one place. T'Challa used to sleep in my arms all night and sit quietly on my lap all day. Shuri, she never stops running, running, running."
Until the day Baby Shuri came down with that raging fever. Then she did not stir from her mother's arms and she slept day and night on her father's chest – her great big eyes wet with her tears as she whined and moaned in pain. T'Chaka held her close, then, and sang to her in his mother tongue. He refused to give her over to the servants, despite how they chided him.
"If I do not hold my daughter now, I may never have the chance again," he said – partially out of how sick she grew and partially out of recognition that she may never sit quite this still for him again. He treasured the feel of her in his arms, the warmth of her soft little form, the sound of her breaths when she finally succumbed to sleep. For such a brief moment, he was her world. Then the moment passed and she grew well again and her little feet were too busy running away from him to let her linger in his arms. Still, he treasured the brief memory of that time, even now that she was so grown.
Each day brought her closer to womanhood and farther and farther from her youth and T'Chaka felt even more how fleeting such moments were with his lastborn. Even now, more often than not, her mind was to be found travelling the universe and her feet were not far behind her as she fought to keep up with whatever burst of brilliance she was currently immersed in. He drank in each moment when she remembered to hold still long enough to be with him again, with all of her in one place for however long or short she chose to stay. She still sought him out, as she had always done, and he made sure to set aside whatever he was doing to make room for her on his desk or at the chair next to him. Her dimpled grin brought him more joy than any number of successful trade negotiations or treaties. Yet, he could not help the feeling that it was a fleeting treasure that he must grasp with both hands or risk losing - like the last ray of the sun's gold over Nyanza or the sudden alighting of a butterfly on a leaf, it could so easily be missed if he was not paying attention.
He held his lastborn close, though now she grew nearly as tall as him, and he allowed her to soak his kitenge shirt with her tears. For a time, the only sound in the room was Shuri's gasps and sobs. When they finally quieted, she pulled away to rub her handkerchief across her eyes.
"We did everything we could," he said, knowing the words would not bring comfort after such a loss. "We are dealing with powers far greater than we can even understand."
"I know," she answered. "More than most, I think. The kind of power that Stone produced was beyond anything I have ever seen before… then, what Jane discovered about its capacity to respond and change… Baba, we should not have let it sit freely in the lab as we did. It was a mistake… one of many. I wish I had... I wish she had... oh, it is too, too late now."
T'Chaka sighed and rubbed at his temples. He was no stranger to mistakes and regrets, but it disheartened him to see his daughter forced to bear their weight now, at her young age.
"My nyanya used to tell me, 'Aliyechomwa na mwiba huthamini kiatu' or 'one who has been pricked by a thorn values shoes," he told her. "You cannot change it now."
"No. I have stepped on these thorns. At least now, the scepter is gone. I hope that is the end of it."
T'Chaka tried to give her a reassuring smile, but he knew it was forced. Would the destruction of the scepter truly be the end? He doubted, not if what the mgeni said was true. If there were four more such Stones in existence, then their problems had only just begun.
He held no illusions of grandeur or security. They were a tiny kingdom who held on to their autonomy and way of life by a thread no stronger than a spider's web. They existed on a precipice of chaos with only their Pillars to keep them from plummeting over the edge. They were no more suited to the task of brokering peace in the Great Lakes region of Africa than they were to rebuilding the swathes of the rest of the globe broken by the Fall. Yet, now Wakanda was thrust into facing threats older than the universe itself and foes which dealt in entire galaxies and not only countries. This was not what T'Chaka anticipated when he first ascended to Wakanda's throne, yet these were the challenges which faced him now and which his children would face after him.
In the midst of it, he was still a father, and his daughter, too, was in far over her slight head.
"He told you, then?" Shuri surmised from his expression. "Prince Loki, I mean."
"Indio. He came to my office yesterday morning but one and informed the General, T'Challa, Zuri, and myself of his fears of potential conflicts in future with the one he called 'Thanos.'"
"I am glad. That he told you, I mean."
"I can see this is old news to you."
She nodded but did not elaborate further. She was about to open her mouth to speak further when both their kimoyo beads alerted them.
"Baba, dada, she is awake," T'Challa said in a rush. His face broke into a brilliant smile and he laughed. "It is a miracle and I cannot explain it, but there she is, talking to Dr. Okapi now."
"Jane? You are not serious," Shuri said. "Wacha mchezo. Do not joke with me."
"Sichezi. I am not playing. See for yourself."
T'Challa's kimoyo beads shared a projection from inside the medical center and there, sure enough, Dr. Foster sat upright and animatedly answered Dr. Okapi's questions.
At T'Chaka's quick intake of breath, Shuri glanced over at him, her eyes wide in wonder. She laughed in a combination of disbelief and relief and immediately she began to rummage through her closet to find her clothes.
"I see you will sleep little tonight," T'Chaka observed.
"How could I possibly sleep tonight? It is all too, too much!"
"Aya, daughter. That it is, but unlike you, I will try to rest."
She stopped her frantic movements to lean over and squeeze his hand in hers, her brown eyes full of warmth. "Nakupenda, Baba. Lala salama."
"Nakupenda, mtoto," he answered. When he closed the door behind him, Shuri was already pacing her room again and he doubted her feet would be still again till well after sunrise.
oooooo
Loki woke to the light rattle of dishes on a tray and the scent of beans and maize drenched in palm oil. A healer in a sky blue dress and matching head scarf gave him a polite nod, motioned towards the tray, and vanished back into the hallway. He stretched and hid his yawn behind his hand, which he found still marred with dirt, much to his dismay. His neck protested the night spent upright in a chair and he gave a light groan as he rolled his head around to activate the sore muscles.
The clatter of a spoon against the floor turned his attention to the grey blanket on the bed where an identical tray of food sat, now minus a spoon.
"Oops," Jane said with a slight shrug. She peered over the side of the bed to where it lay on the floor. Loki reached across the bed to hand her his spoon and she answered the gesture with a smile.
"Thanks! I'm starved," Jane said between bites. "I guess all that sleeping made me hungry. Are you going to eat?"
"I am not hungry," he responded and placed the woven basket cover over his plate. Jane gave him a curious look and paused her spoon in midair.
"Yes, you are," she said. "You are hungry, but you are choosing not to eat. Why?"
Loki cocked one eyebrow in response.
"Fine, fine," Jane said dismissively. "Never mind." She resumed eating and when her plate was empty, she pointed towards his. "If you aren't going to eat it, may I?"
"As you wish," he said and exchanged trays with her. She gave a happy sigh and cleared his breakfast in addition to her own. She closed her eyes and smiled upon completion of her conquest. Her eyes flew open again with the loud bang of the door and the rather unceremonious entrance of the Princess Shuri. Shuri crossed the room in two strides, flung herself onto Jane, and wrapped her thin arms around Jane's shoulders. Shuri pulled back slightly to peer at Jane's surprised face, and then embraced her again, burying her braids against Jane's shoulder.
"Hi," Jane said with a soft laugh.
"Wewe! I do not know whether to yell at you, hug you again, run tests on you, or lock you in your room like a naughty child!" Shuri said as she pulled back and scooted onto a nearby stool.
"I'm glad to see you, too, Shuri," Jane said with a shrug and reddened cheeks.
Shuri clicked her tongue and ran her hand through Jane's hair. Her fingers pulled apart the thick white stripe and she held it aloft for examination. "Eee! Eee! Eee! This part of your hair is as white as an egret's feathers. Jane, what have you done? Tell me, you are no longer dead and so I count that an improvement, but how are you feeling?"
"Better now that I've slept and eaten, but still kinda weird. It's like my everything is in overdrive and I'm not quite sure what to make of it," Jane said, her bright blue eyes staring at her hands as if seeing them for the first time.
"The night nurse said she broke three needles on you when she tried to take blood samples on you," Shuri said as she ran one finger over where Jane was examining her hands. "Only a vibranium needle could penetrate your skin."
Jane pulled her arm back and hid it under her blanket with a self-conscious shrug. "Yeah, I kinda remember that. I was a little sleepy and out if it then. Sorry about all that, you know, the scare I gave you all."
Shuri gave a half smile and leaned her elbows against Jane's bed. "It is all ok now. As I said, you are no longer dead. I do not think I would be so quick to forgive you otherwise."
"I'll remember that," Jane said with a slight smile.
A tinkle of a bell and a corresponding "meow" outside the door informed them of the presence of another visitor. Loki rose from his chair to open the door for the Flerkin, who marched into the room with all the imperious grace of a little emperor. It rubbed its head against Loki's ankles, used Shuri's lap as a step stone and jumped onto Jane's legs. Its green eyes peered deeply into Jane's so intently that its soft nose nearly met her own. It stayed in a motionless alert only broken by the twitch of a solitary whisker.
"Ummm, hi Goose," Jane said and sank back into her pillow. Her movement away from the Flerkin only gave more space for it to encroach further. Loki stood and came closer, uncertainty forcing him to stand nearby in case the Flerkin did not like what it discovered. His protective stance proved unnecessary as the Flerkin closed the rest of the distance, licked Jane's nose, and flopped onto its side against Jane's arm.
"That's weird," Jane said, her eyes fixated on the orange and yellow pile of fur now licking its toes beside her.
"Nini?" Shuri asked. She reached out a hand to stroke the Flerkin's fur and was rewarded with a rough tongue licking her fingers and one eye opened to turn on her.
"I can feel it," Jane said, now turning to face Loki. "The Flerkin. It…how do I put it? It's so strong. And old. And so much, I don't know, bigger. Ugh, those aren't the right words," she said with a frustrated sigh.
"It will suffice. You were not able to sense it before?" Loki asked.
"No. Before, it seemed like a cat. Now, I can see why you so clearly knew it was a Flerkin. Something about it radiates out of it in waves," Jane said, holding her hand above Goose as if she could feel steam rising from the orange stripes. "I can't explain any of this. I can feel you both, too. And the doctors and nurses who have come in. Even with my eyes closed, I can tell how many people are in the room. I can tell the difference between you and Prince T'Challa and the regular humans. You both feel different. Not that you are the same, but you are not like they are. And Goose, here, is something entirely distinct."
Jane's vibrantly blue eyes grew distant again and small lines appeared on her forehead as she tried to find words she had never sought to use before. She focused on Shuri and Loki again with a shake of her head.
"I can't explain it further," she said. "I'll need to think about it more."
"Dr. Okapi said the results of the tests they performed yesterday should be available by this afternoon. We should know more then," Shuri said, obviously struggling to reign in her curiosity.
"I don't know if I want to know," Jane said. "I mean, what if I never go back to normal? What if I'm stuck with eyes that aren't my own and with freakishly thick skin that also isn't me?" She let out a long breath and shook her head. "Sorry. I know, it's not the time to worry."
"Do I have to remind you that you are no longer dead?" Shuri added. "I, for one, do not care what color your eyes are or what has happened to your skin as long as you are still here with us."
"All will be well, Dr. Foster," Loki said with a slight nod of his head and what he hoped would be a reassuring smile. Instead of appearing reassured, she razed him with a scathing glare.
"You don't even believe that," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You are worrying even more than I am."
He failed to answer and looked away.
ooooooooo
T'Chaka and T'Challa joined Dr. Okapi in his office late in the afternoon. The doctor sat at a glass and metallic desk, a series of charts projected in the center. The orange and black of his lab coat matched the projection before him and a slight orange glow from the charts reflected onto his coffee-colored cheeks. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and welcomed his sovereigns with a solemn greeting.
"Thank you for joining me here, my King, my Prince," he said as both men sat in the plush chairs on either corner of the desk.
"Daktari, you have our thanks. I am afraid our mgeni has made your work more complicated since his arrival," T'Chaka said.
Dr. Okapi nodded his head and folded his arms across his desk. "Ni kweli. I have received more extraordinary cases since the arrival of the mgeni than I have in all my career till now. I cannot say I have not found these challenges fascinating, but I have found very few similar cases in our records to assist me in further developing treatments."
"Your team has completed the initial tests on Dr. Foster?" T'Challa asked, his dark eyes bright with earnest concern.
"Indio, bwana. I shared the results with Dr. Foster, Shuri, and the mgeni about an hour ago. She gave permission to share our findings with you as well."
Dr. Okapi pulled his chair closer to his desk and tapped at a screen. A series of multi-colored scans appeared. Dr. Okapi's hand held a small laser pointer and he let the small prick of light flutter between screens to test it. He cleared his throat and sat up straighter.
"I've never seen anything like it," Dr. Okapi he began. "First of all, the patient was dead. We could not measure any brain activity, pulse, or heart rate. For approximately seventeen and a quarter hours, she was declared dead. Rigor mortis had set in. Then, for no apparent reason and without any warning, the patient woke up again. I cannot explain it.
"Now, her body is not just alive and fully repaired, it is…ninasemaje? How do I say it? The patient, she is changed. Her metabolism has increased, along with her brain activity. Her body is showing an elevated speed of healing and her skin is nearly impervious to penetration. In addition, the energy readings coming from her body are like nothing we have ever seen except from those of a newly emerged Black Panther after Rebirth occurs."
"She will remain alive?" T'Challa asked.
"Indio. It appears she will be even healthier than before, if her rate of healing remains as it currently is."
"What must happen next?" T'Chaka asked.
"We continue running tests. The best that we can tell, when she destroyed the, nini? The jiwe la mgeni, what he called the 'Mind Stone,' a massive amount of energy was released and, kati kati, her body absorbed it like a sponge. The amount of power she channeled through her body should have killed her… it did kill her… but it also has become part of her."
T'Challa gave a heavy sigh and stared at the scans Dr. Okapi projected before him.
"Her eyes?" he asked, pointing at a scan of her bright blue irises.
"They see better now than an average human- significantly better. Her eyesight may even rival yours."
"As interesting as that is, I am not wondering about their capacity as much as what they represent. Why are they blue? Is her mind still under the control of another entity?" he asked.
"We do not know the cause. It could be a reflection of the energy absorbed from the jiwe. It could be a remnant from her time under the mental enthrallment of the Stone. It may fade, it made remain. Who can tell?
"As far as we have found, she is owner of her own mind. She can answer personal questions, share recent memories, and refuse to follow basic instructions with admirable stubbornness. She is behaving as expected according to her personality. She is not capable of exerting control over the minds of others, but she is, what I would call, enhanced. Her memory skills, her mind, her capacity to notice stimuli, her basic perceptions of the moods and motivations of those around her are all noticeably improved. We are still testing what all this means."
"Unasema nini?" T'Chaka asked, his wrinkled brow furrowed deep in consideration. "What are your conclusions?"
"Nasema, she's alive, but she is not the same as she was and we do not know what the long-term implications will be for her."
"What of the other? The soldier. The mzee the mgeni brought to us?" T'Chaka asked.
"The treatment of James Barnes continues with positive results. If not for the unforeseen circumstances with Dr. Foster, my team would have woken him already. Within a few days, we plan his initial reentry to consciousness and corresponding neural imaging tests."
The royals flooded Dr. Okapi with questions for another half of an hour before they finally thanked him and left him to his tasks. They took the opportunity to look in on Dr. Foster themselves. They found her alone in her room in the medical center. She sat on the edge of her hospital bed, freshly bathed and clothed in a purple robe and linen trousers. Her cheeks glowed with fresh color and her feet twitched with nervous energy that rivalled Shuri's. She jumped down from the edge of her bed and paced back and forth across the small room muttering to herself until she saw them through the window.
"Dr. Foster, you are much improved," T'Challa said with a nod of his head, after greeting her and resuming his position on his bench.
"Yeah, I'm doing great. A little stir crazy and ready to get out of here, but I hear I'm not allowed to leave yet," she said with a frown.
"I cannot speak to that," T'Challa answered with a chuckle. "However, it is good to see you moving around and out of your bed. Tell me, where are your companions? I have not found you left to yourself since you first decided to make our medical center your home."
"Loki needed a bath- badly. Shuri sent him away. It took quite a few threats but she finally managed it. Then Shuri went to get me some of our lab work so I can at least keep myself occupied while I'm stuck here. She should be back anytime. She promised me some coffee, too. I'm really looking forward to that," Jane said with a wide grin.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Sister, you prowl around like a leopard in a cage! You are too, too bored!" T'Challa said as he watched her pacing. He gave his father a questioning expression and T'Chaka nodded. "Come, let us walk through the gardens together. Accompanied by the king and the prince, I do not think the doctors will stop you from walking in the sunshine."
Jane's entire face lit up and she nearly bounced onto her toes. "That would be amazing!"
T'Chaka made a quick call to Dr. Okapi on his kimoyo beads and, as he expected, received sanctioned permission to escort the patient to the gardens. It took all Jane's strength not to sprint away from her companions in her excitement. As they left the tall walls of the medical center behind and encased themselves in foliage instead of medical equipment, Jane paused to close her eyes and turn in a circle with her arms outstretched. She did not try to hide her grin. Slowly, she opened her eyes again and inhaled deeply.
The late afternoon sun poured through the thick fanned leaves of the banana trees along the path from the medical center into the gardens. The moisture-soaked air carried the scent of the yellow tunguja flowers trailing up the trellis on the wall. Her attention was pulled away to a nearby orchid. She knelt onto the ground and ran her fingers lightly over the leaves and soft lavender petals. Then she buried her hands into the red earth around the roots, emerging with orange-stained fingertips. She brushed off her hands and stood upright again.
"I can feel them," she said in an awed whisper to her watchful, but silent, companions. "Anywhere there is life, I can feel it. It's like I can sense how they are held together. And I can see in as much detail as if I were using a microscope. I can tell the mineral composition of the soil and count the number of organisms under each rock. It's incredible… and incredibly frightening."
She crossed her arms over her chest, momentarily overcome with emotion, and rubbed her dirt-stained fingers up and down the purple cloth covering her arms. She closed her eyes again for a long moment. When they opened again, they were rimmed with tears.
"What is wrong with me?" she asked, facing her companions again. "At what point does one cease being considered human and become something else- something other?"
The king and the prince gave each other a glance and T'Challa recognized the expression his father gave him. He cleared his throat.
"Am I still human?" T'Challa asked. "It is true. I have been changed and am no longer the same as the people around me. My senses are heightened, my abilities enhanced, but does that exclude me from humanity? In my heart, I am still who I was before."
Jane gave him a nod and a tight-lipped smile that showed she understood his point. Still, she turned away. "You are speaking the truth."
T'Challa nodded his head.
"King T'Chaka, why did you give Loki asylum here?" Jane asked, jarring them with her sudden change of subject. "We were talking about that earlier today and, while Loki believed the reason you gave him, I could tell that it was not the real reason. Please, I won't tell him. I just want to know."
The king shuffled closer to where Jane stood, her arms still tight across her chest, as if trying to hold herself together. "Why do you not believe the reason he gave you?" he asked.
"I can't explain it. It's another one of those 'things' that Dr. Okapi likes to list that are different now. When people are talking, I just get a sense about when they are telling the truth or when it's partial truth or when they are lying. I can't read minds. Some of the nurses tried some exercises on that just to test me- though they told me it was something else. I could tell they weren't telling me the truth about that. In the same way that I can tell there are fourteen ants crawling up that orchid there, I can also tell if what you tell me corresponds with reality or not."
"Have you discussed this with Dr. Okapi?" T'Challa asked.
"A little. There seemed like too many other things we needed to test me in first and this one is really nebulous and hard to explain. Still, it bothers me when I don't know the real answers to things and I want to figure it all out."
T'Chaka sighed and turned away to face the garden instead of the piercing, intelligent eyes of the astrophysicist. "No, Dr. Foster. I did not agree to host Prince Loki in Asgard for the reasons I told him. I agreed because his father came and interceded on his behalf," T'Chaka said.
"Odin came here?"
"Yes. He has come multiple times. He wishes to check in on his son, inquire as to his welfare, assist him in his tasks, and ensure he is well-protected."
"What!? I thought Odin was angry with Loki and didn't want to have anything to do with him?"
"It is possible that is the impression that the Asgardian Prince has- one forged out of his own guilt, faulty memories, and past wounds- but the All-Father I have met deeply cares for his son. He swore me to secrecy and does not wish to have Prince Loki know of his involvement in his affairs. The All-Father has been deeply invested in the affairs of Prince Loki since his arrival on Earth."
"What has he done?" Jane asked in earnest curiosity.
"Many things. Besides petitioning for his release from prison and asylum in Wakanda, he also sent the communication transmitter for Prince Loki. He has travelled the world helping to replace Prince Loki's leaders during times that the prince has been incapacitated or overwhelmed with his tasks. He also commanded the Flerkin to stand guard over his son and ensure his well-being during his tenure here with us."
"Wow!" Jane said, her eyes wide. "So that's why Goose won't leave him alone. That makes so much more sense."
"I do not think the prince suspects. Please preserve this secret, along with so many others that you harbor," the king said. "Tell me, Dr. Foster, do I speak truth?"
"Yeah. You do. I can tell. Still, it's a lot. Of course, I'll keep it all secret. But you don't think Loki should know?"
"It is not my decision to make and I ask you to leave it in the hands of his father to reveal his involvement."
"Of course," Jane said.
"Now, come. You have taken in fresh air and the last of the day's sun. Let us return you to your doctors before we tire you," T'Chaka said and motioned for them to return back the way they had come.
Jane snorted. "I don't think you have to worry about tiring me out. Already, I feel like I've had a triple espresso and could run a marathon. The last thing I want is to sleep."
She didn't argue further, though, but followed after the king's lead and matched his slow footsteps with their own.
"King T'Chaka," Jane said, with slight hesitation this time.
"Speak," he answered.
"Don't take this the wrong way- but that was not fully true…what is the real reason you want us to go back now?" Jane said.
T'Chaka chuckled and clicked his tongue. "There will be no keeping secrets from this one. It is not so great a secret this time. I have a meeting in twenty minutes with the General," he said. "Will that satisfy you in your quest for truth, Dr. Foster?"
Jane laughed. "Yeah, it does."
"Dr. Foster, how has the prince handled this newly gained measuring gauge for truth you have acquired?" T'Challa asked.
"Ummm, we haven't really talked about it in-depth yet. I'm not quite sure that's going to go well," she said. "Shuri made me promise to wait till she is in the room before I try to explain it to him."
"Mmmmm," T'Challa said, raising both his eyebrows and stifling his grin.
oooooooooooo
Author's note: I've had some reviewers let me know that Jane wielding Mjolnir is a thing in the comics. That's awesome. I've never read the comics, but I'm all for anything that makes Jane play a bigger role. Here's my logic in this story-Captain Marvel was created by exposure to the Tesseract. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were created by experimentations with the scepter upon themselves. Thus, exposure to Infinity Gems, in certain conditions, can change people and give abilities. The Tesseract gave Captain Marvel the ability to fly through space (among other things). The scepter enhanced abilities the Maximoffs already had. However, following that logic, during the destruction of the Mind Stone, the exposure to its power has enhanced certain abilities already inherent within Jane (among other things). We'll have more exploring this in future chapters.
Translations:
Ninakupenda: I love you
Lala salama: good night/sleep in peace.
hodi: can I enter?
binti: daughter
dada: sister
mtoto: child
Mgeni: visitor/stranger/outsider
Wewe: you
Nini: what?
Daktari: doctor
Bwana: sir
Indio: yes
jiwe la mgeni: stone belonging to the stranger
Unasema nini: what are you saying?
Nasema: I am saying
Mzee: old man, elderly person