I hope you're having a great week! It's been awhile since we were last in Symkaria, but we're finally back on the ground in pursuit of any number of mysteries. Hopefully Barnes remembers some additional things Bucky couldn't when he was last here…
Alongside this update, I'm also thrilled to share two new pieces of art for 'Winter of the White Wolf!' The first is a watercolor painting by YellowSalamander ("yellowsalamander_art" on Instagram), and the second is whump-tacular angsty illustration by Ri ("partly_cloudie" on Instagram) gifted us, which is a call-back to a scene from Chapter 12: Guardian!
Please check out this chapter on Archive of Our Own to see the art and links to everyone's social media!
Simply search for: "KLeCrone Ao3 Winter of the White Wolf"
Winter of the White Wolf
Chapter 81 - Cobblestone Hazards
Summary:
Upon arriving in Symkaria, Ayo, Barnes, Sam, and the others explore the city while Barnes struggles to recall more of his fractured memories…
While the worst of the rain had passed by the time they landed in secret beyond the Aniana's city's bounds, the unusually brisk weather left a chill in its wake that had a way of nestling itself deep into Ayo's core.
She'd presumed she'd dressed appropriately for the late Summer season, but she found herself resistant to adding layers atop beyond her fitted black dress and matching mid-sleeved top, as if the mere act risked muffling her ability to do her job and physically perform in her role if it became necessary. That being as it was, the relentless wind had a way of keeping her alert that they were far from home within the dreary capital of Aniana, Symkaria.
The midnight hour was fast approaching, and after their long flight and longer day, Ayo had been quick to acknowledge that it would do them good to briefly stretch their legs and explore the slumbering city from the ground before it was time to settle in to sleep. Though she did not know what the coming days would hold for them, she was certain that they were all behind in their rest, and would benefit from what shuteye they could manage for whatever lay ahead. Sleeping on the mountain had been many things, but it was hardly as rejuvenating as her own bed and soft sheets.
Ayo'd spent years watching over the Royal Family and silently monitoring their affairs. She was no stranger to regulating that precarious balance between remaining ever-vigilant while not allowing her battle-honed nerves to tighten around her like a swarm of angry fire ants. She could not afford to be hyper-stimulated by such distractions, so she did her best to remain focused and mindful of her surroundings and the risks they posed, but to not give in to the allure of paranoia of what could be lurking in the city's damp shadows.
Even still, she could feel questioning eyes upon them from the occasional passerby. How they were quickly marked as out of place by their skin color alone. Nomble had explained it to Barnes as more a curiosity and product of the historical fact Latveria didn't actively participate in the trade of enslaved people from the African continent, to which had Barnes grimly countered, "Maybe not from the years you're thinking of, but some of them did."
His pointed remark swiftly catapulted Ayo back to his admittance that he'd once helped kill and capture a number of Black American super soldiers during the Korean War at HYDRA's behest.
The renewed mention of such abductions made her keenly aware of the presence in her pose and the weapons concealed across her body, and how this visit of theirs might not escalate to violence tonight, but they were not sheltered from the possibility of it, much as she wished they were.
But in the present, Shuri stood with her arms crossed against her chest, feigning she wasn't half as cold as Ayo knew she rightly was, "We won't go far. Just a little sightseeing."
"One hour," Ayo kept her tone even, well-aware of the complex dynamics at play between her and her royal charge's stubborn insistence to stretch her requests beyond Ayo's very reasonable comfort levels.
The six of them stood gathered in a group on the sidewalk outside one of Aniana's many local shops that were closed on account of the late hour. Ayo'd crossed into Symkaria's borders on occasion over the years, but never at-length, and never at night. The sparse, often narrow streets were underlit to her tastes, but they had a way of reminding her of any number of resilient European cities she'd traveled to. Cities that had long and complicated histories spanning hundreds or thousands of years. Aniana was no exception, but Ayo could not pretend to ignore that it felt especially haunted by the recent murders of its royal family and reigning politicians.
And their killer was still on the loose.
Ayo wanted to think they would not be tempted to pursue another royal quarry from outside its borders, but in truth? She did not know their means or motivations, nor what their end goals were, assuming they had any at all.
But Shuri wasn't a child anymore. She wasn't oblivious to the danger the darkened streets posed, though that didn't mean she was acclimated to them, either. She sought Ayo's permission because the princess trusted her judgment, and oddly, or perhaps wisely, Ayo found her attention drifting to Barnes standing silently beside her in that deep blue jacket of his, and the new black and gold shawl General Okoye and King T'Challa had gifted him.
Below the amber glow of the streetlight, Barnes kept his head level with the street, but his alert eyes regularly searched out their surroundings. Since they'd landed, Ayo found she wasn't looking at him out of concern that he might suddenly choose to run or turn violent against them, but because his familiarity with the city was clear across his tense features and his strictly neutral expression that would have given even the most experienced Dora a challenge for their stature and resolve.
He had been quieter than usual in the wake of learning the Wakandans — and Shuri specifically — possessed the ability to reactivate the code words that had once plagued him, but he wasn't staying planted where he was out of rote obligation. Instead, he saw fit to inspect the buildings and rooftops around for threats, just like she and her Lieutenants were trained to do.
On second thought, that wasn't entirely correct either. She and her Dora had trained, certainly, but in altogether different ways and for remarkably dissimilar purposes than he had. Not only that, but as foreign as this city was to her, Barnes saw it with keen, experienced eyes.
After deplaning, he'd confided that while the streets themselves had changed over the passing years, they were not unknown to him. His grasp of the general layout remained intact, and he remembered the roads and alleyways — or at least how they used to be — with surprisingly clarity, even though he didn't recall the secret routes HYDRA'd developed to the base he insisted had once been there.
But now, Ayo found she regarded him as a second opinion, as a valuable litmus test of how his own senses perceived their surroundings and if any part of them gave him pause. Only when his gaze returned to Ayo and he offered her a firm nod did she feel confident that he had not noticed anything that had escaped her own residual concerns.
The clear focus in his eyes had a way of reminding her of how hurt he'd looked on the flight over. How angry and deeply betrayed. And yet how willing he was to hear them out and be heard himself. The trust between them may have been wounded for what he'd learned, but Ayo was relieved that it had not been eroded away entirely.
A few steps away, Shuri responded to Ayo's request to reconvene in an hour's time, "We will be back under this very lamp ahead of your prescribed curfew." Her Lieutenants stood close by on either side of her Princess: Nomble with her firm Dora's neutral, and Yama with a bright smile that Ayo would have deemed inappropriate were she not making efforts to blend in and be some manner of inconspicuous.
Much as Ayo might've bristled at the perceived impropriety in another life, Yama was indeed correct in her own way that behaving as if they were not simply guarding Shuri was less likely to draw unwanted attention.
Ayo would not admit it out loud, of course. But either way: Yama was certainly milking it far more than the operation necessitated, and their Princess was only encouraging the behavior.
That being as it was, Ayo was unaccustomed to seeing her two Lieutenants dressed 'undercover' as they were. While they'd weathered the chill of J'Abariland and other frigid climates, it was unusual to actively seek out the shelter head coverings, but Ayo was not so stubborn as to ignore that if all of them remained bald as they were, it risked calling undue attention to their activities. That was why Nomble and Yama wore jackets over their black dresses, and why Nomble's tattoos were painted with makeup and her head was adorned with a long, shoulder-length wig. Opposite Shuri, Yama'd chosen to cover up her own head with a small grey knitted cap topped with a small poof of yarn that Ayo found wholly unnecessary.
"Are you sure you do not want a hat?" Shuri inquired for not the first time. "If it is the color that bothers you…"
The cold didn't bother her in the least. "I'm fine. One hour," Ayo repeated, this time for Nomble and particularly Yama's benefit.
She thought her words were altogether convincing, but in the wake of them, Barnes raised an eyebrow her way, as if the living lie detector caught wind of the faintest hint of insincerity in her claim.
If her Yama were considering a quip in response, she wisely kept it to herself.
"One hour," Shuri repeated with an air of mild obedience, and a tone that distinctly reminded Ayo of how the Princess sometimes spoke to her Queen Mother. In response, the disguised Dora on either side dipped their heads in unison and stepped away down the damp sidewalk on either side of their royal charge.
As Ayo watched the three of them break off, she did her best to negotiate with the general discontent she felt nipping at her for permitting them to separate into groups. Logically, she knew not only was Shuri well-protected and that it was reasonable for her to wish to explore the city on her own, but the temporary split would give Ayo, Sam, and especially Barnes the opportunity to acclimate and catch their collective breaths after their eventful flight over from Wakanda.
Ayo didn't believe that Barnes held any lasting ill will towards her Princess after learning that she and the Design Group had the capability of reinstituting the code words, but it was clear he was still processing the sweeping implications of the claim. He'd grown increasingly quiet in the hours thereafter, and though the others tried to draw him out of his shell with gentle, well-meaning distractions to ease his worries from that and the often unsettling contents of the journals themselves, it was clear his mind remained fixated elsewhere. Ayo didn't get the impression that anger or distrust were lingering around the fringes of his thoughts so much as the renewed weight of his decision to return to Symkaria and the many risks it presented, alongside the uncertain future that awaited him after he was called back to Wakanda.
She hadn't intended the discussion with the medical staff to be framed as deceit, but she could see now that Barnes has every right to be shaken by the news and the horrific possibilities it represented. Ones that had the potential to strip him of every ounce of his free will.
Yet here he was, because hoped to make a difference. Because he trusted them — trusted her — not to allow him to be taken and used as a weapon again.
Ayo wanted to believe that HYDRA was dismantled and what flickers of their poison still survived like cockroaches had no interest in trying to reclaim the man they had long abused and later pursued, but Barnes was right that none of them could know for sure.
That being as it was, they'd soon need to return to their safe house and make arrangements for the staggered shifts necessary to account for his prescribed sleeping schedule to ensure he didn't accidentally slip into REM sleep and lose himself, but in the meantime, they stood together with Sam and drank in the musty city surrounding them.
The streets and sidewalks weren't empty, but they were scarce, occupied only by occasional pockets of people that weren't in any hurry to get where they were going. By the steady trickle of the storm drains, Ayo suspected there'd been a heavy rain shortly before they'd landed. The residual runoff coated the cobblestone streets and cracked sidewalks in a glossy film that reflected the amber of the dim street lights overhead.
It was fast approaching midnight, and the vast majority of shops were closed until morning, though a handful remained open to serve their late-night clientele, including numerous bars, a 24-hour market, and a smoke shop that boasted an ATM. Worn cars stopped and started at nearby intersections, oblivious to slow-moving individuals peppering the sidewalks alongside the rain slicked streets. Their conversations were all-but drowned out by the drone of wet tires, but Barnes's eyes watched the pedestrians, as if he was intent on tracking whatever words he could make out.
Occasionally laughter burst out above the street noise, usually from one of the scantily-clad groups of bar hoppers drunkenly making their way from one establishment to the next. Their joyful, hyena-like screeches were strangely at odds to Ayo's expectations of the mournful city, but then: seeing people and places firsthand was always different from reading about them in well-meaning dossiers written by strangers from afar.
By and large, the residents of the city ignored them, preferring to keep to themselves as they scuttled about, which suited Ayo's sensibilities just fine. Being out while it was less crowded like this was ideal, and would give them time to think. Perhaps it would even allow Barnes some space to acclimate to the city he remembered versus how it appeared to him now.
His breath hung heavy in the chilled air in front of his lips, pulled in and out like it was timed to the slow-moving vortex of his innermost thoughts.
"It's more welcoming in the daytime," Sam offered as a consolation. He stood and idly ran his gloveless hands together while they watched Shuri, Yama, and Nomble disappear around a far street corner, "But I'm sure they'll be fine." When the sincere if unnecessary reassurance didn't solicit the desired reaction from Barnes, he tried the direct approach, "You pickin' up anything we should know about? Or just absorbin' the nightlife?"
Barnes consented to Sam's questions by furrowing his brow and shifting his weight from side to side uneasily, "It's changed a lot."
"Well that's a start," Sam gazed out across the wet cityscape. "You ever figure out the last time you remember being here?"
Barnes considered his question, "I logged something in 2015 that I think was from the 80s or 90s. Could've been later though. No way to tell for sure, but it wasn't the same time as…" his voice faded off and he resumed chewing his lip. "Probably different visits, but I was here awhile. Out of stasis, I mean."
"Well that's more'n you remembered when we were here last week," Sam pointed out, trying his best to be helpful, if not a little encouraging.
Barnes shot him a mild look of reprieve that turned into something more self conscious, and she found herself compelled to understand it, "It was unusual for you to be kept out of stasis at-length?"
"The longer I was out, the more chance there was for the conditioning to slip. Usually they'd only want me out for a few hours, maybe a day max, but some of the handlers stretched things, especially if I got hurt."
"...If you… got hurt?" Sam repeated.
One of Barnes's shoulders raised and lowered in a faint shrug, "They didn't want to store me if I was injured. Wanted to make sure that I was fully functional for whoever they loaned the keys to next."
"Wait, loaned?"
Barnes didn't take his eyes off the shadow-stretched architecture, "Sounds better than 'rented,' but same idea."
Sam puffed out a haggard breath of air through the gap in his front teeth, "I'd always assumed it was just THEM."
'THEM' was the latest code for HYDRA, and Ayo's own frown deepened as Barnes clarified, "Yeah well, they just held the master lock. Sometimes they'd loan me out under the guise of it being a favor to one of their allies, or someone of status, when really they were just trying to get more information on them."
Sam cursed something under his breath while Ayo's frown deepened. She couldn't recall James mentioning such details, but perhaps his mind had forbidden him from latching onto such nuances? Whatever the case may be, she gave Barnes time to settle his thoughts and separate them from how he'd once traversed this and other cities as an unwitting slave to HYDRA's vile commands.
Symkaria, like many countries, had a turbulent history. It had undergone wars and occupation by a number of aggressors, but had narrowly avoided being conquered outright over the years, in part due to their close ties with their neighboring country of Latveria to the northwest.
From what she'd read in her dossiers, over the years Symkaria's infrastructure had slowly crumbled, rotted away from the inside from ever-increasing drug trafficking and economic pressure generated from their lack of viable natural resources. What little they had was quickly claimed by their neighbors or those in power. Though the Symkarians were a hearty, resilient people, eventually they'd been plunged into an economic depression that showed no signs of slowing. As a whole, they weren't impoverished, but it was clear by the worn clothing of many of their residents that a sizable number were struggling simply to get by in a world that had grown more complicated by the weight of those that had returned from the Decimation, and the problems that came with it.
When traveling, what often struck Ayo was how different foreign streets felt from those in the Golden City of Birnin Zana. It was not as if she expected the same level of familiarity and comfort as she did while traversing the Merchant District, North Triangle, or the Citadel, but she was not prone to find herself worrying for the general health and well-being of those around her.
Abroad, things were different. It was not unusual to see those in need of medical care, nourishment, or housing, yet it was not as if they could provide for all the world at once, though in recent years, Wakanda had increased its outreach efforts while doing their best not to attract attention for their contributions. Even now, it was touch and go with how to manage their foreign aid and refugee programs in a world where others were increasingly greedy to claim and squander Wakanda's resources for themselves.
It didn't use to be that way, of course. There was a time not long ago when saying you were from Wakanda was returned with a look of profound pity. Ayo could clearly remember the many politicians that debated the late King T'Chaka and King T'Challa and looked down upon them for ruling over what they perceived as merely a nation of poor, uneducated farmers.
And now? Many of them had come around, but it had not been without cost. When the outside world had become aware of Wakandans and their vibranium, it made them targets in new ways. Traveling abroad was never without risk, but now Wakandans had to fear for those that regarded their belongings and adornments with increasing value. In fact, their travel advisory board went so far as recommending that Wakandans traveling abroad limit making mention of where they are from, and that they consider utilizing alternative communication devices in preference to their traditional Kimoyo Beads, because seeing the technology in action was often found to be a tempting prize to local thieves. And worse? Some were clever enough to try their hands at ransoming the Wakandans themselves.
Notifications of such abductions had initially come as a shock to Ayo, but she was relieved that their War Dogs were often positioned to resolve such matters without incident.
That was not always the case, however, and Ayo hated that the noble spirit of Wakanda being more open to the world also meant they had made themselves and their people unwitting targets in the process.
That being as it was: it paid to be aware of who was watching and why their eyes might linger upon you.
Oblivious to Ayo's private worries about she and her cohorts being targets of those seeking a quick burst of wealth, homeless individuals across the street huddled in ramshackle tents crammed under overhangings along the edges of prominent buildings. The spots of color stood out from the drab city, only to be hassled into action by the local police who had nothing better to do than to encourage the displaced to relocate to less bothersome alcoves in the dead of night.
Like so much, Ayo knew it wasn't their problem to solve, but that didn't mean she didn't notice, or that the sight of it didn't stir something within her that yearned for easy solutions to the complex problems of the world.
Barnes didn't say anything, not at first. He stayed planted where he was, doing his best to listen in to the exchange between the police officer and the homeless man he'd roused from sleep into cold. Their words were lost to the distance and the thrumming of wet wheels, but even Sam stayed silent, wondering what'd drawn Barnes's interest. The answer came shortly after the bedraggled man finished gathering up armfuls of his things and began walking in the direction opposite the officer. Only then did Barnes adjust his jaw and slip his hands into his pockets as he quietly remarked, "There were less people on the streets back then. THEY had a working arrangement with some of the officials. To help make sure they disappeared."
From the guilt lurking along the fringes of Barnes's face, Ayo didn't have to wonder who had been burdened with that grim responsibility on more than one occasion.
"That's awful," Sam managed under his breath. Judging by the quick glance he shot Ayo, he'd come to the same disquieting conclusion.
Barnes let out a heft of air as uncomfortably surveyed the rain slicked streets, "Is there anything we could do to…?"
Ayo sighed and shook her head, even as she felt the conflict rise in her chest at the sight of the officer turning his attention to rally a slumbering pair of individuals to their feet. While the officer didn't strike out at them, Ayo didn't appreciate how he used his baton to poke at their tent before he directed them to gather their patchwork of soggy belongings and vacate the premises to somewhere he found more visually appealing to his personal sensibilities. "We should not involve ourselves with their local police," she stipulated, though her voice came out as more of an apology than she intended.
"...But you don't think…?" Sam inquired, letting his worries settle around them.
Ayo didn't want to believe the vile trends Barnes mentioned from the city's past persisted into the present, but she could not know for sure. With skilled fingers, she discreetly slipped a Kimoyo Bead from her wrist and placed it into a crack in the grout among an aged brick wall, "I did not come across any news of missing people, but it would not be improper to ensure they are not still being targeted."
"I doubt anyone would notice if they were," Barnes reasoned aloud with that distant expression of his.
"We'll make sure," Sam assured him before tapping him lightly on the elbow to get his attention. "You wanna stick around, or check out more of the city before tonight's curfew comes due?"
Barnes made it a point to rub his elbow in mild offense to Sam's gentle coaxing, but he went along with it all the same, "We can take a walk."
"Where to?" Sam's question was directed at Barnes, but he quickly turned to Ayo to make sure he hadn't inadvertently spoken out of turn. Barnes responded by glancing in her direction, as if he was cognisant that he should differ to her guidance.
"We have nearly an hour left until we must reconvene. You may lead us in whatever direction suits you, but we should not wander far."
Barnes nodded once and looked out across the amber-dappled surroundings for a moment before opting to cross the street opposite of the lingering police officer nearby. Ayo wasn't entirely sure what prompted his chosen route, if it was motivated by memory or mere curiosity. Whatever it was, he opted not to speak of it, and Ayo and Sam fell into step behind him without another word.
Her heels fell silently upon the rounded cobblestones of the city street strengthened by the vibranium interlay. Like her Dora Milaje-issued boots, they were reinforced with unseen technological components, but they were not constructed to keep her upright if she was careless in her steps.
Ayo found she didn't mind being put in charge of this strange foreign mission of theirs. The roles of leadership and delegation were not new to her, but she was not accustomed to being responsible for prioritizing so many overlapping threads. She could already tell that if they were not careful and purposeful with their intentions, they could easily be distracted by the discontent brewing within the city itself.
She was relieved to find that Sam presently deferred to her judgment, but she was curious to see if he was so willing when he was given instructions or his competencies were tested. And Barnes? She wanted to think he would continue to be responsive to her requests, but the lingering concerns she had were less about him suddenly becoming violent or breaking away to escape from them, and more that she privately certainly worried if this trip and all its dark corners might cause him to drown in a past he could not escape. And if he had only days left where his mind was stable, was it a kindness to allow him to subject himself to such fresh and painful turmoil?
Her footfalls remained surefooted as they crossed the wet buckled concrete. She might've chosen not to return to Symkaria if it was her decision alone to make, but she would support Barnes in his quest with everything she had because it was not only a worthy choice, but the right thing to do.
Even still, it was hard to watch how the weight of it bore down upon him, swallowing up the brightness she'd occasionally glimpsed in his troubled face.
They woven three and a half blocks into the labyrinthine city passages when Ayo's communications bead gently shimmered around her wrist at a frequency she recognized as a request for connection rather than an urgent summons. The pattern in the haptic cues came though the Dora's channels. Curious.
In response, Ayo slowed her footsteps to a stop and first Barnes and then Sam did the same. They stepped aside and took shelter under the nearest overhanging away from the drone of the slick street. Satisfied she was not being watched, she toggled the audio-only transponder behind her ear. Considering their surroundings, it was more appropriate than utilizing the holographic interface and risking calling attention to their technology. "Incoming call," she offered as an explanation to Sam and Barnes for her delay.
"Incoming connection request from M'yra," the discreet communications nodule behind her ear pleasantly chirped. Sam wouldn't be able to hear it, but judging from what she knew of Barnes's enhanced hearing, he likely could.
Ayo tapped the communications bead around her wrist, activating the signal alongside the ambient audio dampener to reduce the chance of others being able to listen into the call. Seconds later, M'yra's warm voice filled her ear, "Good evening, my Chief. Is this a suitable time to speak? I know you are likely occupied, but my findings are not urgent."
Barnes tilted his head, catching Ayo's gaze. With a few quick gestures of his hands he silently inquired, "Want privacy?"
"It's alright," Ayo spoke aloud for both he and M'yra's benefit. "I am with our guests, but am free to hear your updates. I admit I'm surprised you are still awake." Her words were easygoing, but a part of her was swiftly reminded that Barnes and M'yra had not interacted in any capacity since their fight within the Design Center that had cost M'yra much of her right arm and fractured portions of her spine. While Ayo did not doubt her Lieutenant's resolve, she had not necessarily prepared herself for the fact they would again hear one another's voices.
If M'yra felt any discontent for the fact, she hid it admirably beneath an air of cordial focus, "I had to wait until my mother found herself inclined to leave me to my work. But I have told both her and the staff here that I intend to keep to a schedule that aligns with your own so I can be available if needed."
A hint of a smile crept into the corner of Ayo's lips: Of course she would.
Shuri's offhand remarks about M'yra being well-traveled were indeed correct, beyond even the key details of which the Princess was readily aware. It had not been happenstance that she was often assigned to accompany their key scientists and dignitaries on foreign missions. Whether it was her stature, her gender, the color of her skin, the fact she remained silent in her guard, or some combination thereof, others outside of Wakanda were quick to assume she was incapable of following the details of their often highly technical conversations.
Little did they know that she was skilled as any Hatut Zeraze at feigning her ineptitudes so that others might see her as merely a dull mind housed in a pretty face.
Some amongst the Dora found such interactions off putting, but M'yra all-but reveled in the contrast between her perceived nature and her true capabilities. She sought no validation from those small minds she fooled.
That being as it was, it was abundantly clear Ayo's injured Dora was eager to help however she could from afar, and she wasted no time getting down to business, "Are you close enough that you and Barnes can both hear me then? Okoye mentioned his hearing was sharp."
"We are," Ayo confirmed, looking at Barnes and rolling one finger towards him in an attempt to prompt him to speak. She hoped that it might avoid making things any more awkward than they already were, since they could very well not dodge around one another in perpetuity.
Thankfully, even Barnes's stubbornness had its limits. While he didn't look thrilled at being coaxed to speak, he swallowed and managed, "Yeah, I'm here."
"Good. I suppose it would be easier to speak to you both at once," Ayo recognized the brief distraction in M'yra's voice that was quickly replaced by cool focus. "I've looked into the photocopy of the newspaper clipping you sent along with the journal entry from 2015. Your instincts were right: the clipping itself is much older. It predated most digitized records outside of Wakanda, but appears to have been first published in a Hungarian newspaper in 2001. The surrounding articles concern the assassination of a prominent Symkarian politician who was shot and killed within a government building. There was already a great deal of unrest at the time, but in the wake of the tragedy, no specific militant group stepped forward to claim responsibility."
M'yra's voice added, "The perpetrator was never found. The photograph in the clipping shows the towers of the building in east Aniana above where the assassination took place, but I was unable to locate any records concerning the original film used in the publication. It could be the photograph was timely, or it might've been simply reused stock, as unfortunately there is little to date the photo itself. I will forward the details to both of you — and our Princess, of course — but from what I could tell on our satellite views, the building has been renovated multiple times over the years, so it may not be easily recognizable at a glance. I am still going through the contracts and insurance records to see if anything else jumps out."
Ayo considered the information before inquiring about another detail she was certain Barnes wished to know more about, even if he wasn't inclined to ask M'yra outright, "And the figure that was drawn atop it?"
"It is still anyone's guess as to the underlying significance," M'yra observed. "You've shared a casual theory based on the color of the pen used for the figure's hair, but I have nothing to affirm such a potential correlation. I have more research to do, but as of yet? I have been unsuccessful in reliably cross-checking the events surrounding that article with the known whereabouts of Natasha Romanov."
There was something in how M'yra spoke the name that swiftly reminded Ayo that the two were not entirely strangers. They had met when Natasha visited Wakanda over the long years of the Decimation, when their own scientists were still struggling to undo the Mad Titan's actions. Pulling on these threads as they were now doing carried with it the possibility of further sullying the woman's already uneven legacy. It was not that M'yra would intentionally seek to obscure the truths she might discover, but there was something to be said about respecting not only the dead, but an ally of Wakanda, and close friend of both Steven Rogers and Sam Wilson. One who had worked tirelessly to undo the Mad Titan's grasp, but did not get to live to see the Vanished finally return.
Like Barnes himself, it was a slippery slope to navigate indeed, and Ayo was appreciative of the delicate manner in which M'yra pursued the topic, "While portions of her activities throughout the years were shared as part of the declassified intelligence breach in 2014 after Project Insight was dismantled, many more were not. The Black Widows kept to shadows better than most operatives, but she was not the only one. That is not to say it isn't possible that a person with red hair or a Black Widow operative might've been present atop that very building at some point, but I have no record of it. What pockets of intel we have are mostly from firsthand accounts regarding the Widows, and even those are remarkably slim on useful details, none of which reference Symkaria. Though as you know: our own intelligence on the country is as extensive as others."
M'yra's voice was quick to add, "But… that being as it were, it would not be out of the question to presume there is a possibility that such an operative could have been involved in the assassination in 2001. While the KGB itself was not active in that timeframe, later intelligence and espionage agencies certainly were, including those that did work-for-hire."
"Whoever it was might not have necessarily remembered it after the fact either," Barnes grimly observed from a few steps away.
Ayo caught the subtext immediately, or at least she thought she did. But when she glanced his way, he kept his eyes distant, as if his thoughts were anywhere else but the present.
M'yra spoke up over her earpiece again, directing her question to Barnes or anyone who could answer her, "Not remember? What does he mean?"
The Stubble-faced man standing uneasily beside her frowned and briefly turned just his eyes to Ayo then quickly pivoted them back to the surrounding skylines. Beside him, Sam was visibly trying to keep up with the only side of the conversation he was privy to, but it was apparent even he'd latched onto something with a dark underbelly.
"They…" Barnes began before setting his jaw and starting again, lowering his voice, "I don't think I'm supposed to remember, but they had ways of controlling them too. Enough, at least."
Ayo's eyes widened and Sam's breath caught in his throat, "Wait what? Who?"
M'yra's cautionary voice trickled in through her comms while Ayo scanned their surroundings anew, on the alert for watchful eyes, "If your locator is accurate, the details of this conversation might not be one I would advise having in a public venue…"
"I know, I know." Ayo's attention returned to Barnes, "We shall speak more of this later."
Barnes nodded once, crisply complying without debate even as Sam's eyes frantically searched his for answers, for clarity about the statement Barnes had just made, "But are you talkin' in general, or 'bout—"
"—Later, Samuel."
The defiant and half-insulted glare that Sam shot Barnes was sincere enough, "You did not just use my—"
Though M'yra couldn't see the exchange firsthand, she had the aptitude to gently observe, "If your Captain would be interested in reviewing any of our reconnaissance training in his downtime…"
"I will make sure to let him know," Ayo groaned before clearing her throat to gather the attention of the two men standing to either side of her.
…Was Sam pouting?
"Beyond locating the original building seen in the clipping," M'yra continued unabated, "I should warn you that even at night, there is still a fair amount of police presence in Aniana, especially around the locations of the recent assassinations and at least one of the reported break-ins. I would not recommend drawing closer without intention. I have added those active regions to your map as well as my best estimates for recurring patrol routes."
"Which you obtained through…?"
"Through a number of poorly encrypted live feeds and vehicle transponders I may have tapped into. They hardly posed a challenge." M'yra's voice brightened with pride, "You might find it reassuring to know our Princess is well and under guard about four blocks away from your present location."
Ayo knew she should not be surprised with M'yra's aptitudes, but she was impressed by what she was clearly capable of even from afar. And with only her non-dominant hand, no less. She certainly didn't mind the idea that a second set of skilled eyes was looking out for their best interests, "Your attention to detail is admirable."
"The feeds might come in handy yet. I know it is not the primary purpose for our operation, but it cannot hurt to be mindful of the powered individuals that may still be lurking in the city. Speaking of: I was able to locate a recording taken from a different angle showing one of them. From what I can tell, the footage has not been publicly released, but I will forward that to you. It does not add viable clarity to the identity of those involved, but it does reinforce the belief that they are either super-humans, or using advanced technologies to enhance their movements, so caution is warranted."
Freshly reminded that they could be the ones being watched, Ayo didn't miss that Barnes lifted his eyes to search out the darkened rooftops above. Or maybe he was looking for the scattered security cameras M'yra'd tapped into?
If M'yra was watching them now — which knowing her, she probably was — she didn't see fit to make mention of it, "Pertaining to the possibility of locating what was once a hidden base of operations within Aniana: I have collated the information you shared and cross-referenced it with current maps in order to generate potential historical extraction points. I will say from what I have uncovered, it appears HYDRA went through great efforts to ensure that their trails were not easily retraced. Even with the contents of the journals and Barnes's supplementary notes, it has proven difficult to pinpoint even the pick-up and drop-off locations, but I have supplied a number of approximate positions of what are the most likely venues based on available data. The city has changed much over the years, but perhaps seeing the locations in person will allow your guide to grasp further details while I continue my research. I've uploaded the nearest of these locations to your guidance system."
Ayo felt a gentle ping along her wrist as her haptic directional indicator softly came to life. Before she could say anything, Barnes looked down at his gloved hands and threaded them nervously together, "Thank you. For all of this. Even though I—"
M'yra's compassionate voice emanated through Ayo's comms, though it was clear her words were for Barnes specifically, "Of course. As I have told others, I do not choose to hold a grudge against you for what happened and cannot be changed. In the present, I wish only to offer aid to this cause. Though I should still like to discuss the matters of your prosthetic, these concerns can wait until we can meet in person."
The guilt in Barnes's eyes was obvious enough, but he managed a response all the same, "Yeah. Still planning on it. When I get back."
"Was there anything else?" Ayo stepped in to regain the reins of the conversation before the unsaid words between them grew uncomfortable or risked distracting them from their present responsibilities.
"Not at this juncture, my Chief, but I will not hesitate to let you know if I uncover anything more. The route to the nearest area that I believe may have been used as an extraction point should presently be clear of Aniana's scheduled patrol, but I do not know for how much longer."
"That is useful to know. We will talk again soon," with that, Ayo closed the channel and turned her attention first to Barnes to gauge his reaction to not only the information itself, but the now remarkable awareness of just how integrated M'yra was in their operation.
Her participation in their cause was not concealed from him, but hearing it in action was likely another thing altogether. As ever, M'yra had been respectful of her role and did not seek to cause friction or overstep, but they could not ignore that her well-meaning research still sought to draw out troubled pieces of Barnes's past as a means to move forward.
When Barnes's blue eyes met hers, it was as if he could read some of the many questions lingering in her gaze, "I'm okay. Just… I don't have any memories of talking to her aside from when…" his voice faded off and he swallowed uncomfortably but, he didn't allow himself the convenience of letting his lingering thoughts remain unsaid.
There was purpose in his words, "Well. When I did that to her." He heaved out a breath of air that faded to mist in the chill surrounding them, "THEY didn't have anything to do with that. It was all me. I just wish I'd known better." The regret was palpable on his voice as he fidgeted his hands, "I guess I expected her to sound more angry. For what I took from her."
"She would not have volunteered to assist if she was."
Barnes didn't look entirely convinced, but he didn't choose to argue the point. Even still, Ayo felt compelled to add, "I do not pretend to speak for her, but I am confident she possesses a wealth of emotions over what has happened. Anger may be among them, but she has chosen to not let it define her actions. Do you understand the difference between recognizing these emotions we hold and letting them take root?"
The man standing in front of her met her eyes and let the question hang in the air like he didn't want to rush to an answer prematurely. When he finally spoke, Ayo felt as if he was speaking from his heart, "Yeah. I think I do. Like the stones** you told me about. And the one you gave me."
His response earned him the smallest of empathetic smiles from Ayo just as Sam chirped in from beside her, "...I'm guessin' we'll talk more about what she said later since some of us couldn't follow the particulars."
Barnes snorted derisively, "Maybe after you finish your tutorials."
Sam's mouth hung open a moment before he narrowed his eyes, "—Wait, who told you about that?"
The man standing across from him gave his shoulders an easy shrug, earning him a muttered "Smartass," from one Captain America.
Though she said nothing, the light banter nestled in their exchange had a way of easing Ayo's nerves about how Barnes was faring under the surface of the pressure surrounding him. If he had even a scrap of humor to spare, it boded well for how he was weathering this storm of theirs. Especially since it wasn't due to get easier.
The haptic bead around Ayo's wrist continued to give off steady pulses of energy, directing them to the nearest location that M'yra believed HYDRA once used as an extraction point enroute to their hidden base of operations within the city. The fingers of Ayo's right hand hovered over her bead strand as she deliberated the merits of silencing it and leaving it for the morning, or…
Barnes understood the significance of the delay well-enough. He must have been able to hear the shimmer of the beads from a few steps away, because he glanced between them and the direction they indicated. He kept his voice low, "...she did say it was clear for a little bit."
"Wait, what's clear?" Sam interjected under his breath.
"A location that might've been utilized in the distant past," Ayo replied, trying to be specific enough that Sam might grasp her meaning.
Sam looked between them, obviously trying to play catch-up, "...Not the recent stuff though?"
Ayo might've made a sour face at the question. Did he really think they would consider prowling around an active crime scene outfitted as they were? "Of course not, I would not be considering it otherwise."
"You're considering it?" Barnes might not have realized the tempered eagerness lurking around the edges of his tone, but it was readily apparent to Ayo.
Sam looked back to her and raised an eyebrow in time to catch her non-committal response, "I am. It is not far, and there is wisdom in scouting ahead even if we do not pursue the particulars tonight."
"There's bound to be less people out at night too," Barnes noted, making his preference abundantly clear without pressuring Ayo to conform to it.
Even still, she took the time she needed to deliberate the merits and drawbacks of the possibility. By her calculation, they still had over forty minutes until they would need to return to the agreed-upon meetup location with Shuri, Yama, and Nomble. They shouldn't have any issue being back with time to spare. Perhaps even the mere act of walking there with intention might make their outing suitably productive.
Ayo found herself looking to Sam for his thoughts, but he only sighed, acknowledging what he must have felt was a foregone conclusion, "I mean, that's what we're here for, right? Couldn't hurt to check it out."
From just beside him, Barnes's expression brightened as his hopeful blue eyes looked to her for permission, "If we are to go, we are to be discreet. We can return tomorrow with the others, but tonight's visit is only to offer us a preliminary glimpse to satisfy our curiosities and nothing more. At the first sight of anything concerning — anything at all — we are to pull back, understood?"
"Understood," Barnes promptly responded.
"Won't have to ask me twice," Sam noted, extending a hand in a flourish to indicate the fact he was dressed in civilian clothes and not his protective suit.
Satisfied, Ayo inclined her head to Barnes, "Shall we?"
She hoped she would not come to regret this decision, and that wherever Princess Shuri was, she was staying out of trouble.
[Chapter 81 Chapter Art, by YellowSalamander]
[ID: A watercolor painting by YellowSalamander showing a portrait of Ayo. She is looking to the left and is wearing a short-sleeved black shirt and gold jewelry. She is standing against a gold and light grey background. End ID]
YellowSalamander ("yellowsalamander_art" on Instagram) was kind enough to create a portrait of Ayo for this chapter! I love the way she captured Ayo's steadfast resolve and no-nonsense attitude.
It's been fun pushing our characters a little outside of their comfort zones, and I'm really enjoying showing Ayo trying to take-point on this mission, and YellowSalamander did such a fantastic job depicting her strength of purpose (and lack of desire to wear a wig or hat, lol).
YellowSalamander's painting is just gorgeous (and she's created others as well!), and I can't thank her enough for contributing her art to this story. Please check out her social media pages to see more of her beautiful paintings and figure studies!
[Chapter 12 Chapter Art, by Ghostbite]
[ID: An illustration by Ri showing Bucky and Sam both sitting on the floor. Bucky is leaning forward and wearing a dark grey t-shirt and medium grey pants. He is absent his prosthetic arm and his face isn't visible, but a tear is falling from behind his obscured face. Sam is seated next to him wearing a light grey shirt and dark grey pants. Sam looks concerned and has his hand resting on Bucky's back, as if he's offering him support. End ID]
This story beat from Chapter 12: "Guardian" has always been such a poignant moment between Bucky and Sam for me, and I was so humbled to receive this piece of gift art from Ri ("partly_cloudie" on Instagram) that drives home the quiet show of support between them.
This is such an emotionally loaded scene, and I love how much gravitas she was able to capture of the moment. Their poses, and little details like Bucky's tense hand and fingers and their body language, it's all so wonderfully handled and evocative, and you can really feel the emotion just bleeding through her illustration.
Please check out her Instagram account to see more of her beautiful and vivacious art. Her characters have such wonderful life and personality to them!
Once again: A *huge* thank you to Ri for capturing such a poignant moment between these two, and for YellowSalamander for her beautiful contribution as well!
Please check out this chapter on Archive of Our Own to see the gorgeous art and links to the artists' social media pages!
Author's Remarks:
Into the weeds we go!
I hope you enjoyed our first few steps as we return to Symkaria! I'm sure everything's going to go just fine. Nothing to be worried about at all. Practically a vacation…
Speaking of: I wonder what Shuri and the others are up to…?
- The Changing Perceptions of Wakandans Abroad - I enjoyed digging into some of the many ramifications of Wakanda revealing itself to the world during the events of Black Panther, because it would certainly make them targets in more ways than one, and there's only so much you can do to protect those traveling abroad. :/
- "Loaning" out The Winter Soldier - …Yep. :( This poor man…
- M'yra's Feign - Not only is it wonderful to start to come full circle and show M'yra's capabilities, but I love the idea that she's the sort of person who would have been privately amused when others outside of Wakanda were quick to write her off, when in reality, she was far more capable than they gave her credit for. I also love being able to further differentiate each of the Dora, and to show they are skilled individuals, rather than just silent, picturesque bodyguards.
- **Ayo's Stones - This is in reference to the lessons from the stones Ayo mentioned her mother taught her about in Chapter 56: Oblers' Paradox.
- Chapter Title Origins -"Cobblestone Hazards" - The title of this chapter originates from Cobblestone. I was thinking how precarious it would be on rain-slicked streets, particularly when wearing heels like Ayo and the other Dora are likely fitted with. In a way, it was also a subtle reminder of the story of young Ayo and her stones, and how tricky it can be to manage many emotions and responsibilities at once.
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Thank you again for your beautiful comments, questions, kudos, and kind words. They are incredibly encouraging as I continue to carve out time to work on this immense story and the journey we have ahead of us. If you are enjoying this story, taking a moment to let me know in the comments really makes a difference.