Work Text:
Shuri approached the foreigner with caution. “I’ve never met an outsider before.”
“I’ve never met a princess before.” He said with a tired smile. She scoffed, examining the remnants of his arm. He was very handsome, with a face like an American movie star. She focused on this, on his looks and her own unease, on the problem at hand. She could not think of Baba.
“Today is your lucky day.” She replied, prodding at the exposed wiring. He winced and she frowned. This wasn’t supposed to happen. “You should not be in pain, Sergeant Barnes.”
He shook his head, long hair brushing his face. Shuri wanted to touch it. She had never seen a white person’s hair so close. It seemed like it would be as soft as the lion cubs W’Kabi trained. “I’m fine.” He said, though his voice betrayed him. “And it’s Bucky.”
“Well, Bucky. You must lie down.” She told him, pushing his non-metal shoulder towards the examination table.
He didn’t move. “Really, it's-"
Shuri cut him off. “Have you ever been given an order by royalty before?”
“No,” He muttered, and a small flash of amusement crossed his face.
“Then do as I say,” Shuri said, containing her own smile. “Or I will call my brother in and he will make you lie down.”
“Alright, alright.” He was already laying back onto the table. Shuri looked at the screens, clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction.
“Who made this arm?” She pulled up a scan, turning it over in her hands to examine it. “They should know never to mix vibranium with lesser metals. That is why you are having nerve pain.”
He grimaced as the table did it's work, fixing what was wrong with his body. From what Shuri understood, his mind would take more work. “I’ll be sure to write them a letter,”
“Buck?” The doors to her lab swung open, and Shuri stood, expecting her brother. Instead, a second white man came barrelling through with no respect for her equipment. This must be the captain. T’Challa was close behind him, a slightly concerned, slightly annoyed expression on his face.
The Captain rushed over the table, where Barnes was trying to sit up. She looked over at T’Challa, who shook his head, warning her not to start scolding the interloper.
“Steve, I’m fi-” Barnes was cut off as the larger one embraced him. Shuri took a few steps back, giving the men their privacy as they spoke in hushed tones.
“Brother,” She said in her mother tongue. T’Challa raised an eyebrow at her, and she realized that she had her arms crossed petulantly. Shuri sighed, uncrossing her arms. “How many more foreigners will you send trampling through my lab?”
“I thought you would be excited.” He said, an amused smile on his face. “You do love fixing baby birds with broken wings.”
She rolled her eyes at him, turning back to where the two men seemed to be sharing an intimate moment. “You’re okay?” The captain murmured, and Barnes nodded.
“Yeah, actually.” He said, sounding surprised. He rolled his shoulder experimentally and Shuri waved a hand at him.
“Stop that,” She snapped. “It’s still healing. You must be gentle.”
“How’d you fix it?” He asked, frowning.
Shuri suppressed a smile at his question. It wasn't his fault that he had only been exposed to the brutish technology of the world outside Wakanda. “I didn’t do anything." She told him. "The vibranium healed itself, and you by extension.”
“Huh. Aces.” Barnes said. He looked up at the Captain, rubbing his thumb gently over the bruises on the man's face. “I’m fine. Go get yourself looked after.”
The captain took his hand, holding it to his face and pressing a soft kiss to the palm. Shuri looked away, and she saw that her brother was awkwardly examining his shoes. She walked over to her assistants, asking about the status of the cryochamber. Shuri wasn’t sure of putting the man into biofreeze, but he had insisted that he was too dangerous to be left without it.
T’Challa had told her that the man was a formidable warrior, and she had certainly seen the chaos that the world believed that he was capable of, but seeing him now, vulnerable and sad-looking, Shuri couldn’t see him as anything other than a victim of the outside world’s violence.
The doctor confirmed that she was ready to treat Sergeant Barnes. “Come, Shuri.” T’Challa beckoned, taking her by the elbow. “Let us leave them be.”
She waved goodbye to Barnes as T’Challa dragged her out of her own lab.
-
“What do those do?” Barnes asked softly, and Shuri jumped. She turned on heel, brandishing her screwdriver threateningly.
“You sneaky white demon!” She accused, clutching her chest. “Don’t do that!”
Barnes held up his hand in surrender, glancing at her workbench. “Sorry,” He was wearing an agbada, and he rubbed the soft fabric between his fingers, almost as if it was a comforting gesture. “The doctors are reviewing something, so I just...” He trailed off, shrugging. “Sorry. I’ll leave you alone.”
Shuri sighed deeply. “I’m working on a new suit for my brother.” Barnes looked at the woven vibranium laying on the table.
“Was there something wrong with his old one?” He asked, carefully moving closer to the table.
Shuri shook her head. “No, but it could always be better. Here,” She handed him a staff, then held up the sheet of fabric. “Hit this.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, sounding wary. She lowered the fabric, making a face at him. He chuckled. “Okay, fine. Sorry for doubting you, your highness.”
“It's Shuri.” She grinned and held up the prototype. “Give me your best shot, Sergeant.”
“It’s Bucky.” He said, then swung the staff against the fabric. It held, and the satisfying sound of metal on metal rang through the lab, and predictably, the black fabric lit up with purple energy. “Woah.” Barnes said, lowering the staff. “What’s that?”
“Kinetic energy.” Shuri said with a proud smile. She loved showing off. “The suit absorbs the shock from the hit and stores it. Here, hit it again in the same spot.”
A small grin crept across her face as he raised the staff again. He was about to swing it again when he looked at her and squinted suspiciously. “This is gonna toss me across the room with a, uh kinetic energy blast, isn’t it?”
“Aw, you’ve spoiled it!” She laughed, lowering the vibranium.
Barnes grinned at her, something happy and genuine. “I had a little sister, and she liked to pull tricks on me. You had that same look in your eye that she used to get.”
“I’ll get you next time, I suppose.” Shuri told him, setting the prototype on her work bench.
He chuckled quietly and glanced out the window, watching one of the jets fly past. “Wow.” He shook his head, smiling to himself. “This place is amazing."
“Wakanda is the greatest country in the world.” Shuri said proudly. Her communication bead dinged, and mother’s face appeared.
“Shuri,” The queen said. “Your brother is on his way home with Nakia. Come and welcome him back.”
“Ooh!” Shuri said excitedly. “Nakia is back? I have to see this.”
Mother simply sighed, ending the call. Shuri was already grabbing the prototype and the necklace, threading the two together until they were one. Barnes followed her to the models as she draped the necklace over its head. “What was that?” He asked curiously.
“Hm?” She asked, telling the suit to appear. It obeyed beautifully.
He gestured at her wrist. “The bracelet.”
“They’re called Kimoyo beads.” She said, not looking at him. She touched each bead as she quickly programmed the suit. “The prime bead, the a/v bead, and the communication bead. The rest are for medical use.”
“That’s amazing.” Barnes murmured, and the suit disappeared back into the necklace.
Shuri looked up and smiled at him. “If you’re good, maybe I can make you one.”
“Really?” Barnes looked delighted, and Shuri couldn’t help but grin back at him.
“Sure.” Her beads beeped, and she cursed. “Oh, I’m already late. Gotta go. Bye Sergeant Barnes!” She jogged out of the lab, heading toward the front of the palace.
Before she was out of earshot, she heard his voice call, “It’s Bucky!”
-
“Are you okay?” Barnes helped her off he ground. She rubbed her ass, which was smarting a little from the short drop.
She didn’t look up at him. “Brother, are you okay?” She heard sounds of combat from T’Challa’s communication device, and listened until she was sure that he wasn’t hurt. She looked at Barnes. “Sorry, I hate when he goes away on missions.”
Barnes nodded. “I understand. Steve’s gone with his team, and I feel like I should be doing something to help. And hey, you actually did help. That was some killer driving.”
“I could have done better.” Shuri said angrily, mad that she couldn’t be of further use. “Sorry,” She said, rubbing temple. “I was meant to be helping you, wasn’t I?”
“It's fine.” Barnes said, following her to the medical wing of her lab. “This was more pertinent.”
“Let’s see…” She said, pulling up the scans of his brain. Her hands were shaking with nerves and rage. “Where were we?”
“We don’t have to work on this now,” Barnes offered. “I can always go back in the ice box. We can do this later.”
“No, it's fine, I just-” She took a deep breath. She was royalty. She must learn to steady herself. She couldn’t lose T’Challa, too.
Barnes had wandered off, picking something off one of the tables. “What’s this do?”
This was a ritual of theirs’. Barnes would express curiosity over one of Shuri’s inventions and she would reply, “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me,” He would respond. Then Shuri would turn to him and sigh, then start explaining its uses and mechanics.
Shuri looked up at him. She knew that he was trying to be kind, trying to distract her from her own anxiety. Still, part of her was angry at him for not being T’Challa. “Bucky, I’m sorry, but… not now.”
For some reason, Barnes smiled. “What?” She demanded.
“You called me Bucky.” He told her, and to her own surprise, she laughed.
-
“Nakia, wait.” Shuri whispered, shaking hand reaching out to grab her friend’s dress. “Wait one moment. There’s something I must do.”
“Shuri, we don’t have time.” Nakia replied, tears spilling silently onto her face as she remained strong for both her princess and her Queen. Though, they no longer held those titles.
“I’ll only be a moment.” Shuri promised. “Get mother out of here. I’ll meet you by the mountains.”
Ramonda shook her head. “My child, it is not safe. I can’t lose you as well.”
“Mama,” Shuri said, pressing her forehead to her mother’s. “I need to go to my lab. I need to at least save the Black Panther from Killmonger.”
She let out a breath of understanding, of pain, then nodded. “Be quick, Shuri.”
Shuri took off running towards her lab. She skidded into the room, doors banging against the walls. One of the Dora Milaje was stationed inside, and she raised her spear at Shuri’s entrance. Shuri froze, shocked that one of the royal guards would raise a weapon to a member of the royal family. Were they so quick to forget? T’Challa was still king only moments ago.
The Dora Milaje glanced behind her, then lowered her spear. “Go,” She commanded in a sharp whispered. “Be swift, your highness.”
Shuri nodded her thanks, running past her and towards the models. She almost cried out in despair as she realized the golden necklace was gone. Still, if T’Challa was no longer there to protect the mantle of Black Panther, Shuri would gladly fill the position. She grabbed the silver necklace, wrapping it around her fist. She wouldn’t ever let it leave her side.
She ran into the medical wing, punching the button on the cryochamber. Barnes was shivering, and Shuri knew that it typically took around twenty minutes for him to be comfortable, but there was no time. “Sergeant Barnes. You need to wake up. Please.” She said, and hearing her own voice made her feel even weaker than before. She sounded broken, young.
“What is it?” He panted, body shaking. “What’s wrong?”
“T’Challa is dead.” She said. “His murderer has the throne and has Wakanda. He cannot have you as well.”
“I can help.” Bucky said, stumbling out of the chamber. “Let me help.” Shuri grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around him.
She brushed her hand over his cheek, pushing his hair away from his face. “My friend,” She said, helping him to stand. “I cannot ask you to do this. This is not your fight.”
Shuri grabbed a gun prototype that she had been working on for Barnes and his American comrades, and pushed it into his hands. Then, she grabbed the set of Kimoyo beads she had made specifically for him and slipped it over his wrist. She quickly programmed in a map. “You’ll be safe here. Tell them you’re the White Wolf, and they will protect you.”
“Princess-” Barnes protested, and Shuri shook her head.
“It's just Shuri now. Please. Just go. I will send word to your Captain. Stay safe, Bucky.”
He looked at her sadly, but they both looked up as the lab’s door burst open. Shuri looked up at him. “We don’t have time. Go.”
She took off running, hoping that Bucky would be safe.
-
“You are good with them,” Shuri said, side-by-side with Bucky.
“Who, the kids?” Bucky asked, then shrugged. “I mean, I’m trying my best not to terrify them, at least.”
Shuri snorted. “You think you’re scary? Please, when I first saw you, I thought you looked like a sad pup.”
“Hey,” Bucky said, laughing. Shuri smiled, bumping her shoulder into Barnes’. The group of children screamed delightedly, and Shuri and Bucky turned to see Captain Rogers growling at the kids, chasing after them and bearing his teeth. He had a beard now, which added to his terrifying monster look, though he looked ridiculous in the brightly colored dashiki.
“Princess?” Bucky asked, then at Shuri’s look, he smiled. “Shuri.”
“What?” She asked, looking away from the earnestness in his eyes.
He looked at her, then at Captain Rogers, then said, simply, “Thank you.”