Her feet landed softly on the dark carpet, tugging her hood up over her head she glanced left and right before straightening up.
"Coast is clear, you can move in," a voice said into her ear.
"I know that," she answered, in Russian, beneath her breath "Do you think I'm some kind of idiot?"
She walked down the corridor slowly, her eyes watching the room numbers as she passed by them.
"Number thirty eight, Mamba. It's number-"
Before they could repeat she pulled her comms from her ear, shoving it into the pocket of her trousers. She paused for a second, her fingers curling into tight fists at her sides as she took in a deep breath.
Once her irritation had calmed she pressed her comms back into her ear.
The voice on the other end was angry, reprimanding her for cutting off their link to her.
"I need to concentrate," she said, cutting them off mid word as she came to a stop outside of number thirty eight "And I can't with you constantly in my ear," she said, smiling to herself when she was met with silence as she crouched down in front of the hotel room door.
Her hand pushed into the pocket of her coat, pulling a small black bag from it before her eyes flickered over the lock in front of her. Undoing the zip she retrieved her lock pick and torque wrench, leaning closer.
It took her barely a moment, especially in the silence she was currently basking in, before she could turn the handle and step inside.
"Okay, what am I looking for?" she asked, her eyes scanning the pretty general looking hotel room. A door leading into a bathroom was on her left as she passed, revealing a double bed pushed up against the wall. Opposite was a desk and beneath that a laptop bag "Nevermind," she said as she crossed the room.
Sitting down at the desk she opened up the laptop bag "These idiots are keeping their things in plain sight," she said beneath her breath as she pulled the computer from the bag. Opening it up she frowned to herself as her eyes searched the screen.
"There's a password," she said, pressing her comms further into her ear "You can speak now."
"Didn't want to risk it," the voice on the other end grumbled "The floppy disk we gave you earlier. That should get you in."
Her eyes rolled as she retrieved the floppy disk they had pressed into her palm earlier on from one of her other pockets. Sliding it into the side of the bulky piece of equipment sat in front of her she waited barely a moment before the screen changed "Okay, I'm in," she said, begrudging the fact that he had actually been helpful. Her fingers danced across the clunky keyboard, her left hand working on the mouse, as she tried to find some kind of file that could hopefully be helpful.
"Mamba, we need you out of there," the voice warned. "They're coming back."
"You wanna know the date the Starks are moving the serum or not?" she asked as she copied files from their folder to the disk.
"It won't help us at all if Shield catch you stealing their information."
"No need to worry," she answered, ejecting the disk and shoving it into her pocket. Getting to her feet once she'd put the laptop back into the bag she placed it back down to where it had been originally sitting.
"I've got it under-"
She paused as she turned around. Standing in the doorway of the hotel room, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, was one of the maids. She slowly closed her eyes, reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose.
"What? Mamba, get out of there!"
Her shoulders rose and fell with a sigh as she reached into the holser sitting on her belt "No one can know I was here," she said before raising the gun...
A gasp passed through her lips as she bolted up into a sitting position, the digital clock sitting beside her bed read three am. She ran her hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face, as the quilt she'd been sleeping under pooled at her waist.
Relaxing against her pillows she closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm the beating of her heart as her hand reached up to curl her fingers around the dogtags laying on her chest. She took in a deep breath through her nose, holding it for a couple of seconds before slowly letting it go back out of her mouth.
Pushing herself up onto her feet Harper padded out of her bedroom, wandering down the hallway toward the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. Her memories had been coming back to her in her sleep, flashbacks of training and missions waking her in the middle of the night. Visions of knives being flung from her hands, bullets being shot from guns she held and people dropping down dead at the other end haunted her dreams.
Pinching the bridge of her nose she leaned back against the kitchen cabinets, slowly sipping at the water clutched in her hand. Her skin felt clammy and the pit in her stomach bigger than ever.
As well as the missions and the training she would also dream of how they kept her, how they wiped her mind over and over and how they forced her into the cryogenic sleep Bucky was currently in more than once.
She remembered the loneliness, the fear...alongside the adrenaline and feeling of accomplishment whenever a mission was completed.
Then there was the punishment. Every time she pushed back, like in her dream, she would feel the wrath of her handlers. She'd be placed in isolation for weeks on end, her food and water would be rationed, she'd be forced to go out to help The Winter Soldier kill Howard and Maria Stark...
Making her way back into her bedroom she flipped the fan standing at the end of the bed on. Quickly changing into a different pair of pyjamas she sat on her bed, crossing her legs beneath her as she tried to not think about what she'd been dreaming.
"How do I deal with this?" she said out loud before moving to grab Bucky's notebook from her bag at the side of her bed, the beeping of her phone stopping her mid movement.
She frowned as she opened the text message from an unknown number, realisation hitting her when she realised the numbers on the message weren't some kind of code but coordinates.
Leaning over she opened up the top drawer of her bedside cabinet, plucking the laptop Shuri had given her - so different to the one she had been using in her dream - out and resting it onto the bed. Opening it she typed in her password and clicked on the map icon when it loaded up.
Entering the coordinates, as Shuri had taught her, she narrowed her eyes at the screen as it zoomed in on, what she could only describe as, the middle of nowhere.
Steve, Sam and Nat needed a place to stay.
It took her a few moments, navigating the high tech laptop was a lot harder when she didn't practise as much as she told Shuri she did, but she soon found a motel close to where they were located. It looked run down, like it didn't get too many visitors of importance, and a place which wouldn't ask too many questions.
Reaching for her phone she dialled the number google was giving her for the motel and raised it to her ear.
It rang a good few times before a tired sounding voice answered with an "'Ello?"
Harper smirked to herself, definitely not the height of professionalism "Hi, I'm travelling at the moment and need a place to rest my head. Do you have any rooms available?"
The man on the other end sniffed loudly before clearing his throat "We got plenty," he answered shortly.
"I need a room with a back door, is that possible?" she asked, holding her breath slightly as she waited for the answer.
On the other end of the line the man was flipping through a few pages, it sounded more like a newspaper than a reservation book "Room 115," he said "That good enough?"
"Perfect thank you," Harper said, scribbling the information down on one of the spare pages of Bucky's book "Name's Mitchell, Emily Mitchell."
Once the man had grunted some kind of reply and hung up the phone Harper turned back to the maps. Placing the location of the motel into the search bar she clicked the mouse in a few places before copying the coordinates down into a text back.
Send N in, Room 115 is booked under Emily Mitchell, travelling for work and needing a place to sleep. It has a back door for you and S. She added at the end.
Her thumbs tapped on the screen as she watched the text message leave her phone. Closing her laptop she placed it back into the drawer and settled back against her pillows, replacing the laptop with the book she had been reading before she'd fallen asleep. She was awake, her dream still stirring in the back of her mind, and there was no way she was settling back down now.
Her phone beeping once again caught her attention and she reached for where it was resting beside her on the mattress, a smile coming to her face when she noticed the reply.
Thank you.
She yawned loudly as she entered the lab, smiling a 'good morning' to Shuri's fellow scientists as she passed by them. She hadn't been able to get back to sleep, the adrenaline from both her bad dream and finally hearing from Steve keeping her up and reading her book.
Another yawn stretched her lips as she reached her usual chair, slipping her jacket off and dumping her bag on the seat.
"You know, you won't be able to use this suit if you're too tired to train," Shuri's voice caught her attention as she appeared from behind where Harper was now sitting.
"I'm fine," Harper insisted, though the third yawn filling her lungs told Shuri otherwise "It was just a bad dream."
"You've been having them a lot recently, are you sure you don't want to see one of the shamans?"
Harper smiled appreciatively but shook her head "I'm fine," she insisted. She didn't want to open up about what she was remembering, didn't want the details out there in the open. She didn't think she could look Shuri in the eyes if she thought there was a possibility she knew what she once was.
"They're like therapists," Shuri said, almost as though she were reading Harper's mind "Doctor, patient confidentiality."
"I don't know if that's true or if you're just trying to convince me to change my mind," Harper answered with a smirk "Either way, I'm fine Shuri. Honestly."
Thankfully for Harper, Shuri was distracted by the arrival of her brother. A smirk came to her face as she made her way over to him, bowing her head "My King."
"Stop it," T'Challa said with a roll of his eyes as he reached his hand out, their complicated sibling handshake Shuri refused to teach Harper no matter how hard she tried following "Good morning, Harper," he added with a smile when he caught sight of her "I want to thank you for your offer but we are now heading to South Korea, I'd like you to stay here and assist Shuri when we need her."
Harper nodded her head, her shoulders slumping slightly in relief "I'll help in any way I can," she assured him with a smile "But for now, I have to leave you in her hands I'm sorry."
T'Challa's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced between Harper and his younger sister "What's going-"
"I've already sent a car ahead to Busan for you," Shuri interrupted him, sending a smirking Harper a look to keep her quiet "Who are you taking with you to Korea now you aren't getting this one out from under my feet?"
"Hey!" Harper exclaimed, offended.
"Okoye," T'Challa answered before hesitantly adding "And Nakia."
Shuri and Harper exchanged a glance "You sure it's a good idea to take your ex on a mission?" Shuri asked.
"Yes, we'll be fine," T'Challa insisted "Besides, the both of you will be on call, should we need backup."
"I'm not sure I'm the best to be giving out relationship advice," Harper said beneath her breath as she followed the siblings through the lab, pulling her tongue out toward Shuri as she sent her a look.
"Anyway, I have great things to show you, brother," Shuri began, moving them along "Here are your communication devices for Korea. Unlimited range, also equipped with an audio surveillance system," she explained, Harper hanging back slightly as she watched and listened to Shuri show her older brother the inventions she had already tested on Harper herself. There was a light smile on T'Challa's face as he hung onto every word Shuri was saying, their banter flowed freely but it was also easy to see just how proud the King was of his younger sister.
A frown of confusion came to his features as he came across a pair of sleek shoes "And what are these?"
"The real question is what are those?!" Shuri exclaimed, pointing down to the traditional sandals T'Challa was wearing, turning to Harper with wide eyes "What is my one rule of the lab?"
Harper shrugged "Not to interrupt you when you have that concentration face on?"
Shuri rolled her eyes "No! No toes out in the lab! Why do you have your toes out in my lab?"
As T'Challa sent Harper an exasperated look she shrugged her shoulders "I've never heard of that rule," she said "But I've also never had my toes out in her lab."
"You don't like my royal sandals?" T'Challa asked, his hand pressing against his chest in faux offence "I wanted to go old school for my first day," he continued, his eyes flickering between the two women staring down at his feet.
Shuri rolled her eyes "Yeah, I bet the elders loved that," she said before shaking her head and getting right back on track "Try them on," she continued, both her and Harper watching as T'Challa slid his feet into the shoes and they laced up instantly, fitting perfectly around his feet "Fully automated, like the old American movie Baba used to watch...and I made them completely sound absorbent."
"She did," Harper said with a nod, as T'Challa stamped his foot down without a sound "Crept up on me more than a few times using them haven't you," she said, narrowing her eyes over to Shuri as she remembered the times she would sneak up on her when she least expected it. Taking even the trained assassin off guard and making her spill more than a handful of her dinners.
T'Challa nodded his head "Interesting."
"Guess what I call them," Shuri said and Harper let out a groan, "Sneakers," she said, T'Challa looking at her blankly, "Because you...never mind."
"I told you it wasn't funny," Harper said beneath her breath as they made their way over to the two mannequins across the lab.
"It's my lab. My jokes are always funny in my lab."
"That another one of your rules?"
"Ahem."
The two were interrupted by T'Challa clearing his throat and nodding his head toward the mannequins he was standing in front of. One of them wore T'Challa's current Black Panther suit, the other just a panther tooth necklace and the third a golden necklace.
"Sorry brother," Shuri said, not sounding sorry at all "If you're going to take on Klaue you'll need the best the Design Group has to offer," she explained, gesturing toward his usual suit "Exhibit A. Old tech."
T'Challa looked offended "My design. Old...?"
"Functional, but old," Shuri answered with a shrug of her shoulders before launching into her impression of her brother "Eh, people are shooting at me...wait let me put on my helmet…"
"Enough," T'Challa said with an amused smile on his face as, beside him, Harper bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing.
"Do you like that one?" Shuri asked when she spotted her brother looking toward the golden necklace "I think that's Harper's favourite too, she's going to be very disappointed when she finds out there's no gold on the suit I'm making for her."
"It's tempting," T'Challa admitted with a nod of his head "But as the Black Panther the idea is to not be noticed," he continued before moving onto the next necklace "This one."
Shuri raised her wrist, using her Kimoyo beads to sync the suit to T'Challa "Now tell it to go on," she said and he obeyed, the three of them watching as, without warning, millions of vibranium laced nanites fell from the necklace like a waterfall, forming a new Black Panther suit around the mannequin it had been resting on "The entire suit sits within the teeth of the necklace," Shuri explained "Strike it."
"Anywhere?" T'Challa asked, not noticing Harper take a step backwards as Shuri nodded. Glancing at Harper to gage some kind of reaction now she had moved away T'Challa turned to the mannequin, his fighting stance relaxed until Shuri nodded. Lifting his leg he landed a kick, sending the mannequin flying across the room.
"Not that hard, genius!" Shuri exclaimed, hurrying over and dragging the mannequin back to where it had been standing. "I invite you into my lab and you just kick things around," she added as a grumble beneath her breath.
T'Challa shrugged his shoulders "Well maybe you should make it a little stronger, eh?" he asked before noticing the suit glowing a bright indigo colour. Leaning forward he inspected it for a second before throwing a glance over his shoulder to his sister "Wait a minute…"
"The nanites absorb the kinetic energy and hold it in place for redistribution," Shuri explained.
"Very nice," he answered with a nod of his head "I should stop underestimating you."
"You heard that," Shuri said to Harper "I have witnesses," she added before continuing "Now strike it again, in the same spot," she said, wandering back to stand beside Harper "You ready?" she asked in a whisper.
A smirk came to Harper's face as she lifted her wrist holding the Kimoyo beads Shuri had given her, turning one of the beads before pressing it with her fingertip so it was recording.
T'Challa's eyebrows furrowed when he spotted it "You are recording?"
"Harper needs to get used to her beads, she's still learning," Shuri answered with a shrug of her shoulders "Also y'know, for research purposes."
Though remaining suspicious T'Challa copied his earlier actions, aiming a kick toward the mannequin and hitting it in the same spot. Instead of the mannequin flying across the room it was T'Challa himself, crashing into a table full of different gadgets behind him.
Shuri and Harper practically collapsed against one another at the scene, Harper turning her recording off and hiding her beads behind her back.
T'Challa pointed over to the two of them warningly "Delete that footage!"
"I'm sorry," Harper said, the corners of her mouth turning down "But I'm still learning, I'm not sure how to," she continued, putting on her best innocent look as T'Challa pushed himself up onto his feet.
"I am going to regret introducing the two of you, aren't I," T'Challa said with a sigh, rubbing his back.
"If you were wearing the suit you wouldn't be hurt," Shuri said beneath her breath, a grin coming to her face as she dodged out of the way of her brother. Her laughter filled the vast room as she made her way back over to her desk.
"Thank you, by the way," Harper said before T'Challa could disappear, reaching her hand out toward him "I would come though...if you needed me too."
"I know," T'Challa answered with a nod of his head "But here in Wakanda we don't believe in pushing someone who isn't quite ready," he added with a smile "You will be just as useful here with Shuri."
Harper nodded her head "Thanks," she said once more before admitting "I'm not sure I'll ever be fully ready."
"You will," T'Challa said reassuringly "You'll be ready to face your past and to move on. I believe it."
"God, no wonder everyone was happy you were so willing to take on the moniker of king," Harper said with a smile "I'm not sure how many times I'll say it but I know it'll never be enough. Thank you King T'Challa."
T'Challa paused for a second before speaking "Are you grateful enough to delete the footage?" he asked in a low tone.
"Ohh no," Harper said, raising her hands innocently and backing away from him "I'm grateful, so very grateful…..but not get on the wrong side of your sister grateful."
T'Challa let out a laugh "You know what? I don't blame you."
Sorry for disappearing for a bit! The ol' mental health wasn't the best but we're working on it, we're doing alright!
I've also started a Tiktok and an Insta for my fics (told ya, it was an off the rails kinda decision!). They're both under the username the same as my tumblr - sgtbuckyybarnes - if you would like to follow! I will, of course, follow you back :)
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you so much for reading :)