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The soldier thrashed against the Asset’s hold over their body. He could hear the shouts of his handler from the cockpit, the creak of the wooden seat he was chained too and the sharp sounds of his own breath hissing through the slits of the steel muzzle. With one final scream the Soldier broke free from the Asset, shoving him back down into the black emptiness of their mind. The thin ties that had held the wrist and ankle shackles to the seat had snapped during the struggle and the Soldier’s hands lashed out, puncturing the airplane’s hull. Alarms mixed with the disjointed shouts in Russian as the plane tilted and threw the Soldier from his chair. The cold rush of air turned hot and humid prompting the Soldier to react. He braced just as the plane crashed into the jungle. The air was hot, the fires around him even hotter. The Soldier moaned and opened his eyes. The firelight flickered off huge trees and dark green underbrush. The Soldier rolled over and inhaled sharply, pain flickering up and down his left leg. “Great” he thought. The wounds would heal thanks to the chemicals pulsing through his blood but it wouldn’t be fast enough to keep him being eaten by a fucking jaguar or something equally inconvenient. A crash came from a large section of unburned plane and the hydra handler climbed out.Not nearly fast enough. The Soldier pulled his knees to his chest and pushed his arms out, trying his best to pull himself away. A string of Russian curses and stomping feet came up behind him followed by a blossom of pain from the grip of a pistol slamming into his unguarded back. “Zhelaniye” The Asset rose up out of the inky recesses of their mind and crashed into the Soldier. The pistol smashed down again pulling the Soldier away from the Asset. “Rzhavyy” The Asset pushed into the Soldier again. With each word and strike the Soldier could feel himself losing his grip, screaming into the muzzle. The Asset would win, again, and this time he would never escape from Hydra. The Soldier began to flail, scrambling to find the strength again. The softly lit five-pointed star was right where the Soldier had left it and he mentally reached out. The connection made, cool strength, and something the Soldier did not have the heart to name, flowed freely into him. “Gruzovoy vagon!” The Soldier smiled behind the muzzle. The mysterious well of strength had been keeping him alive ever since Hydra had created him in the chair and started his fight with the Asset. The Asset slid back down beneath the Soldier’s resolution. “Podchinit'sya!” The handler shouted. The Soldier raised his head and looked his tormentor in the eye. Slowly, he shook his head. No. The handler’s soot smeared face twisted and he turned his gun to point the barrel at the Soldier. The Soldier allowed himself a small contented sigh, contemplating the handler’s punishment for destroying the Asset. A black hand flashed out of the shadows, long silver claws stabbing into the hand that held the pistol, twisting it up and backwards. A scream of pain froze in the agent face as he was lifted up. The handler was thrown into the burning fuselage by a creature straight out of a nightmare. It was humanoid with a cat like head, entirely black asides from the now blood-stained claws and two silvery panels where its eyes should have been. The Soldier’s breaths came fast with mounting panic and he turned to claw at the dirt, trying to crawl away from the beast. His struggles and hyperventilation took its toll and the Soldier’s vision began to tunnel and turn dark with each strangled breath. His body had stopped listening and lay still when the hand fall on his metal shoulder.
“Shhh, Shh. I am not going to hurt you.” A gentle, lilting, voice echoed around the Soldier’s swimming head as he was laid on his back. He felt hands reach around his neck and heard the faint whine and crack of twisting metal. The muzzle was lifted free from him and he took great gasps of the smoky air. The Soldier’s vision cleared to show a man kneeling over him. Firelight danced across the black of his skin and the white of his teeth peeking out from between gently smiling lips. Something about the man set the Soldier at ease, even if his brain, still stuck in its Russian programming, hadn’t been able to understand the words he had spoken. The man watched the Soldier until his breath leveled out, then turned his attention to the chains. The Soldier stiffened at the sight of those silver claws rendering the metal shackles from his wrists. The Solder now stared at the monster turned man. “Chto ty takoye?” he asked, still stuck in Russian. The man’s brow furrowed. “Ty… are you, like me?” the Soldier tried, this time succeeding in finding the English section of his programming. The man smiled again and gently took the Soldier’s hands in his own. “You are a fighter, so am I. and we are both free.” The Soldier let himself fade into the dead leaves and dark earth beneath him, letting out a slow breath and closing his eyes.
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The first thing the soldier awoke to was the cold. The kind of cold that had seeped into his bones and clung to his body till he felt that he would never be warm again. Cryo. The second thing was the pillow beneath his head. That was new. Hydra typically took him straight from cryo to the chair, rarely lying him down and never caring enough to give him any creature comforts. Come to think of it he wasn't strapped down either. The soldier slitted his eyes to discreetly take stock of his surroundings. The fluttering of white lab coats against bright lights trained towards him was far from reassuring, despite the pillow and… was that a blanket? The soldier was still on a table and had decided enough was enough. Curling his fingers into fists for the fight to come the soldier realised something that made him very nearly fall off the table in shock. His left arm was gone. Again. Of all the things hydra had done, including sticking the fucking thing on him in the first place, they had never taken the arm off. This scared the soldier, this was evidence that he had not been taken by hydra. So who had taken him? The room had grown silent and still as the soldier considered this. “We know you are awake.” a deep voice called, breaking through the soldiers pondering. The soldier made a face, his hopes of a surprise anything going out the window, and finally opened his eyes. The room was a strange combination of dark ragged stone cavern and white and glass walls. Several dark skinned figures in white lab coats stood with their backs against these walls as far from the soldier as the room allowed. One man stood apart from the others and was dressed in a richly colored robe of a style the soldier had never seen before. The soldier looked at the man for a while then slowly sat up, self consciously tugging the soft blanket he had been covered with up and over the metal stub were his arm should have been. The man smile and the soldier started in realization. “You were.” He stumble through the english side of his brain trying to find the right words. “Cat.” was not what he was looking for. The man laughed, it was a good laugh and the soldier decided not to die of embarrassment. “I suppose you could call me a cat.” The man said still chuckling. The soldier tugged at the blanket again pulling it higher. “I hope you will forgive us.” The man said, eyes lingering on the soldier’s left shoulder. “We had to use it to fake your death, but you are safe now.” The soldier laughed, he couldn't help it. “Safe? Safe is something I’ll never be.” “I give you my word.” The man murmured, slowly approaching. “No one here will harm you.” “You should have left me to burn.” The soldier whispered letting his head fall into the palm of his flesh hand. The skin of the soldier’s arm burned with the sudden heat of the man’s palm as he gripped it tightly. “You are free now!” The man said, shaking the soldier. “And ten little words will make me a slave again!” The soldier shouted, wrenching his arm out of the man’s grasp. “If you want to free me then put a bullet in my brain and end our struggle!” The man took a step back. “Our?” His voice was quiet now. “If I am the glitch, then he is the program.” The soldier said, not bothering to keep the disgust from his voice. “I argue, he follows order. I fight back, he kills. And it takes all I have to stay in control.” The scientist against the far wall began murmured among themselves in a language the soldier didn't even recognize much less understand. The man in front of the soldier asked then a question in the strange language and the scientists nodded. “What if.” The man said, turning back the the soldier. “We find a way to remove the program.” The soldier snorted and shook his head but the man plowed on. “You could finally be free and-” “And how long would that take!” The soldier interrupted. “Weeks? Months? Years? I won't risk hurting anyone else!” “There must be a way.” the man sighed. “I won't let you die without at least trying.” The soldier looked at this man, a stranger who had killed to save him and who was now bending over backwards to try and save the soldier from himself. “Cryo.” He said resignedly. “Hydra used it between wipes, you could use it between repairs.” The man objected, vehemently, and began arguing with the scientists in their strange language for several minutes before finally falling silent. One of the scientist stepped forward, a woman with her head completely shaved and a gentle smile on her lips and helped the soldier stand and walk to the cryo chamber they had set up nearby. The soldier eased himself down and felt a strange trill go down his spine. The dread of returning to the deep freeze remained locked in his chest but a new feeling of satisfaction had settled in as well with the knowledge that this time, it was his decision. “Cat.” he called as the scientists finished their preparations and withdrew. The man stepped forward, sadness in his eyes. “What do they call you?” the soldier asked, tilting his head slightly. “T’Chaka” the man said. Smiling the soldier rolled the strange name across his tongue and closed his eyes as the chamber closed around him. “Thank you T’Chaka.” he whispered as ice slid into the blood and bones.
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The soldier awoke with a sharp inhale. The room was the same as moments ago but now filled with darkness and void of people. Pulling himself unsteadily out of the cryopod, the soldier tried to steady his breathing and spinning head. “T’Chaka?” He called, looking for who ever had released him from cyro.No one answered. The soldier took a step out of the chamber and crumpled to the ground, both hands coming up to catch him. The soldier frowned and flexed the fingers of a new metal arm. This one was black, thinner and sleeker than the old one but still unwanted. Two tiny hands appeared out of the darkness and seized the soldier's metal wrist. The soldier jumped, very nearly striking out at the little girl who was twisting and turning his arm with wide eyes and a huge smile. She chittered at him in her own language and reach up to push at his shirt to reveal the shoulder.“Shuri!” Hissed another voice from the darkness followed by a slightly older boy leaping forward to drag the girl away from the soldier.“I am so sorry.” The boy whispered, struggling to keep his grip. “My sister is very insistent when it comes to technology.”“Leave me lone T’Challa!” Shuri whined, wriggling free, clambering into the soldier's lap and pulling his metal arm around her like a shield before sticking out her tongue and resuming her examination. The soldier shook his head trying to make sense of the situation. “What?... When is it?”T’Challa frowned and Shuri wiggled guiltily. “Late…” Shuri mumbled, poking each metal finger and not looking up. A strange twitch ran across the soldier’s face and he gave a knowing hum. “Aren’t children supposed to be in bed when its… Late.”Neither child answered.“We all should be resting.” The soldier muttered, feeling the strength returning to his body with a wave of cold.Shuri looked up, her small face pinched. “You cold Mister Na?”“No, I’m… What did you call me?” The soldier asked trying to shrug away the chill.“Mr. Na, its on your bed.” T’Challa said, pointing to the cryo pod behind them. The soldier turned and sure enough a small label had been affixed to its side with a date and NA written on the name line.
“My name isn't Na.” The soldier said, his lips twitching again. “N.A. means I don't have one.”Both children frowned. “What do we call you then?” Shuri asked, draping her arms across the soldier’s chest.The soldier hummed, keeping his own arms loose around the little girl. “I don't know, what would you call me?”“White!” Shuri shouted, causing her brother to put his head into his small hands. The soldier laughed this time, a real, proper, barking laugh. “How about you?” he asked T’Challa, still chuckling. T’Challa raised his head and chewed on his lower lip. “Wolf” he said, slowing rolling the word around his mouth. Letting his head fall back, the soldier closed his eyes. “White Wolf.” he murmured, over pronouncing the words. “I like it.” He finally decided. Both children grinned before stifling yawns. “Alright bedtime, for all of us.” Wolf said, standing slowly with Shuri still in his arms. “Will you walk us to bed?” T'Challa asked, taking Wolf’s metal hand. Sighing and shifting Shuri to his hip, Wolf squared his shoulders. “Which way?” T'Challa guided Wolf out of the dark lab and into a glass elevator. Wolf stared at the blue cavern sinking below them. “Ive seen some shi...stuff, but this.” Shuri yawned again and nuzzled closer to Wolf. “Wait till you see the sunset.” The elevator doors opened and Wolf flinched away from the sudden light. T’Challa tugged at his hand and lead him out. The grass beneath his feet was greener then was possible, rolling down the sides of the hill they stood on. Stretching out beneath them were jungle covered hills shifting and twisting in a gentle breeze. Distant birds settling in for the night danced across a sky on fire. It was the most beautiful thing Wolf could ever remember seeing and filled his with a desire to stay forever and leave at once. “Where am I?” He whispered.T’Challa yawned, rubbing his cheek against their joined hands and smiled. “Wakanda.”Wolf looked down at the boy, still rubbing at his tired eyes, and smiled. “Come on.” he murmured, kneeling down and allowing T’Challa to climb on to his back. Wolf started walking again as the sun disappeared into the tree lined crags, following the children's’ pointing fingers towards a group of tall buildings. Halfway to the buildings Wolf stopped, falling into a protective crouch while eyeing the darkening field. “Is that Okoye? Okoye is that you?” Shuri asked, head lolling as she looked around. A girl, not far out of her teens and head shaved clean, stepped out of the darkness. She held her spear at the ready and eyed Wolf like a threat to be dealt with. T’Challa leaned around Wolf’s shoulder to wave at the young woman. “Its okay Okoye, he's nice.”Okoye relaxed, fractionally. “Nice or not, I do not know him.”“He knows father.” Shuri said through a yawn.Arching an eyebrow Okoye looked Wolf over again. “We shall see.” Following Okoye into the tall buildings, Wolf tried to follow the children’s lead and trust his escort. The asset’s programming bubbled just beneath Wolf’s skin screaming at his to run, fight, kill. His head was pounding by the time Okoye pushed through the final door. He flinched as a cacophony of voices speaking in a language he didn't know, crashed against him. Wolf stopped, instincts finally winning over as he prepared to run. A small hand reach up and patted his cheek, breaking through his thoughts and he looked down. Little Shuri was smiling up at him, happy and trusting him to make the right decision and keep her safe. Wolf took a breath and forced his feet to walk forward into the room.“Shuri! T’Challa!” A woman shouted, turning to rushed down a short set of stairs and long walkway to Wolf’s side.“Hello Mother.” T’Challa said through a yawn, waving a small hand over Wolf’s shoulder. There were too many unknowns in this room and Wolf shifted slightly to allow the mother, and only the mother near the children still clinging to him. “Sir Soldier?” T’Chaka’s voice cut through the clatter as he stepped through the crowd.“T’Chaka!” Wolf called, eager to see a familiar, if a bit aged, face.T’Chaka looked confused for a moment then his face cleared and he placed a hand to his forehead. “Shuri thawed you to examine the arm, didn't she.”Shuri let out a sleepy giggle and before shrieking as her mother trying to pull her away from Wolf. “No! Noooo! Stay with Wolf! Stay with White Wolf!”Her mother gave Shuri an incredulous look. “White, Wolf?”“Well I liked it.” Wolf muttered with a shrug. “And I did say I'd walk them to bed.”T’Chaka’s smile grew. “Let him Ramonda, perhaps they will stay in bed this time.”Ramonda rolled her eyes and sighed but allowed Wolf to carry the children as she lead him to their rooms. T’Challa went down without a fight, falling asleep with a mumbled apology for worrying his parents. Shuri whined and clung to Wolf and only let go with a promise to still be there in the morning. Quietly closing the door Wolf took a good hard look at T’Chaka and Ramonda, the way they held each other, the way they’re eyes darted to the windows and door.“Thank you.” T’Chaka began but Wolf cut him off. “Who's threatening you?”Ramonda started and stared at Wolf. “How did you know?”Wolf frown and ran a hand up his metal arm. “I know that look, I use to be the cause of that look.”T’Chaka let out a long breath before speaking. “We don't know, but they are determined to see the end of my reign, and my lineage.”A new kind of rage flashed through Wolf. “No one hurt them. Not while I'm here!” he snarled, glaring around the room looking for anyone who would dare challenge his words.T’Chaka seemed lost for words for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “No, Wolf this is not your fight.”Wolf held up a hand. “Please.” He whispered. “Let me choose, let me choose to protect them.”Mouth open and a lost look in his eyes, T’Chaka looked to his wife. Ramonda smiled and took both of Wolf’s hands. “I trust you.” she whispered.-The happiest week of Wolf’s life passed in a flash of long walks through sun dappled jungle, hours spent watching Shuri prove to the world what a genius she was, evenings spent making sure T’Challa focused on the lessons that would one day help him rule the kingdom of Wakanda. This morning he was sitting with Shuri in his lap, sharing a variety of native fruits, while T’Challa painstakingly braided his brown locks that had grown since the last time he was out of cryo.“It's the softest thing you have ever felt!” Shuri crowed, waving a cluster of pink grapes.“I'm sure it is, finish your breakfast.” Wolf said calmly.“He doesn't believe meee!” Shuri whined to her brother.T’Challa finished off one of the braids he was working on, to weave together for the finished look, and rested his folded arms and chin across one of Wolf’s shoulders. “We could go get one.” he offered.Wolf sighed. “Neither of you are going to finish eating until I have one of these scarves are you?”Both children grinned at their friend. “Nope!”“Alright, alright.” Wolf grumbled, pushing himself up to standing and letting the children take his hands and pull him towards a nearby building.“Wolf!” Okoye’s call stopped Wolf before entering the building. He turned as the young warrior ran up to him. While their first meeting had been rocky, at best, both warrior had quickly grown to respect each other’s strength and determination to protect the royal family.“The cell as been discovered.” She said excitedly. “All but one has been taken into custody.”Wolf let out a sigh of relief, the threat was almost over. The breath had barely made it out of Wolf’s lungs when the building behind him exploded. Thrown to the ground by the shock wave, Wolf rolled quickly to find both children gone.No.Wolf ripped the door off its hinges and ran into a firestorm.No!Hallway after hallway of nothing but flames slowly burned away the last week of happiness Wolf had experienced, leaving nothing but anguish behind.NO!But there, there they were. T’Challa hugging Shuri close as they huddled away from the flames. The moment of releaf Wolf felt vanished at the creak and groan from above them. Not bothering to think, Wolf threw himself across the room and braced his back over the children. A scream ripped from his smoke filled lungs as the burning beam and rubble came crashing down on his back, but Wolf held strong. Shoving the fire away from him and pulling the sobbing children into his arms, Wolf staggered on and out into the cool clean air.T’Chaka rushed forward pulling him away from the burning building and into Ramonda’s tearful embrace. Wolf let himself be eased down onto the soft grass and forced his tired eyes to focus. Shuri and T’Challa were calling to him, tears streaming down their soot stained cheeks while T’Chaka and Ramonda’s faces faded in and out beyond them. They were safe. He had done his job and now it was time to rest.Wolf’s eyes flickered shut, a soft sigh slipping between his smiling lips.
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Wolf awoke slowly. He could feel the chill of cyro sticking to his bones but it was fading faster than it had ever before. Blinking and shifting, Wolf tried to sit up but was stopped by a small hand. T’Challa came slowly into focus above Wolf. He was a bit older then Wolf remembered but alive, well and smiling. Wolf reached out, pleased but unsurprised that the wounds he had fallen to were gone, and pulled the boy back down.“S’too early.” He grumbled.A giggle from under his over arm made Wolf smile and he ran a hand gently over Shuri’s small back.“How long?” He asked, closing his eyes and allowing the warmth from the children curled into his sides chase away the ice.“A year!” Shuri whined.“Father said better to be safe than sorry.” T’Challa scolded quietly.“I could have done it quicker.” Shuri grumbled, playing with Wolf's metal fingers again.“I'm sure you could and that one day you will. But I'm going back to sleep.” Wolf muttered, gently squeezing the children. “So either shush, or run along.”Both Shuri and T’Challa fell silent and cuddled closer to the weary soldier. Wolf had never found sleep so easily.-It had indeed been a year since the explosion, T’Chaka told Wolf later, over a huge breakfast spread of all of the soldier’s favorite fruits. The last radical threatening the royal family had managed to escape and rigged their home to explode when they were asleep that night, but was caught in the premature detonation. It had been pure luck that Shuri and T'Challa walked back in just as the explosion went off.“We owe you everything.” Ramonda said, taking Wolf metal hand in her own.Wolf ducked his head, blushing. “You saved me from hydra, it was the least I could do.”T’Chaka shook his head. “You are a hero, let us praise you, just a little.”Wolf laughed at that, raising his head to see the king's face fall. “And I wouldn't say we've saved you yet.” T’Chaka finished, looking down at his own hands.“The asset.” Wolf murmured, hating the taste the words left in his mouth.“We barely understand what happened to you, and without knowing what hydra did we are at a loss as to how to fix it.” T’Chaka said in a lowered voice, glancing at the children.Wolf nodded, feeling the honesty in the king's words. “I don't think I can be much help with that, I've been wiped so many times, I can't remember anything before the last time I woke up in the chair.” At that point Shuri decided that that was enough grown-up talk and climbed up into Wolf’s lap to, as politely as she could, ask to be taken to see Okoye training with the other warriors.Life went back to the way it had been before the attack, but better. Gone were the looks over shoulders and the faint tension of the lingering threat, replaced with the delight of truly getting to know the royal family. Wolf learned of the beauty of Ramonda’s private garden and the peace gained from the simple act of caring for plants. He discovered the anxieties that ran through T’Challa on moonless nights when the fears of his royal future washed over him. Shuri's endless kindness disguised by her snark and curiosity took Wolf surprised most of all, and then again, it really didn't. Finding out that T’Chaka could kick his ass wasn't surprising at all. Finding out that one year was all it took for Okoye to be able to kick is ass was. It was reassuring, however, to know that there were people who could take him down if the asset ever rose up.It was nearly six month before T’Chaka broached the asset subject again. “A what herb?” Wolf asked, shifting Shuri to his other hip so he could walk and talk to the king unobstructed.“Heart shaped. It is used to give the king's of Wakanda the power of the Black Panther and a chance to speak to those who came before us.” T’Chaka explained again, voice still low as he glanced at any who might be in hearing distance.“That doesn't sound like something you should give an outsider.” Wolf said flatly. “And I don't see how seeing a dad I don't remember will help get rid of the asset.”T’Chaka chuckled slightly. “My scientists have created a formula that should let you remember what happened before you were Wolf and the Asset. Once we know what happened we can begin to repair the damage.”Wolf continued to frown and said nothing. Shuri reach up and tugged on a lock of Wolf’s hair to pull his ear down so she could whisper to him. “Don't worry, I'll be there to make sure they know what they’re doing.”Wolf repressed a smile and nodded solemnly. “Ok, I'll be safe with Shuri there.”Too soon the concoction was ready and Wolf found himself back on an examination table surrounded by lab coats. The situation was made only slightly more bearable with Shuri asleep on his chest and T’Challa’s small hands stroking his head. “We're ready” T’Chaka murmured, stepping around the video recording system set up to one side. Ramonda stepped up and collected the children, pressing a hand gently to Wolf’s shoulder as they leftWolf watched until the children were out of sight then screwed up his face and squeezed his eyes shut before nodding. The fluorescent purple liquid tasted surprisingly sweet and cold as it slipped between his lips and took his breath and strength away. It felt like falling through a snowstorm and suddenly Wolf really was falling through a snowstorm, a distant object fading away from his clutching hand. “What do you see?” T’Chaka’s voice echoed around Wolf’s world, calming the sudden fear; this wasn't real, just a dream of his past.“I'm falling through snow, I don't know from what. I-” Wolf stopped short with a flinch as he hit the ground. The world had changed, eerily similar to where he had fallen asleep.“I'm on a table, there are doctors and blood. Oh God my arm!” Wolf gasped, starting at the bloody stump where his left arm had been moments before. He tried to sit up but was shoved back down changing the scene again.“I'm in the chair.” He whispered, eyes darting to the bindings around his flesh and metal wrists. “There's someone here, he's talking but I, I can't make it out.” The man was smiling, almost kindly, at Wolf but he knew it was a lie. Pain was ghosting across gashes, burns and bruises that littered his thinned body. “Thirty years is a long time to wait.” Wolf murmured, translating the Russian he managed to make out from his tormentor. “Pity it was for nothing? He’s, he's holding a newspaper.”Wolf felt his breath shorten, a roaring in his ears drowning out T’Chaka’s frightened shouts.
“No.” He gasped as an all new kind of pain began to build inside him. The world grew more blurred and blinking he realized tears were falling. “No!” he sobbed as the man's smile grew. The pain was unbearable, pulling him inward and crushing him. Gloved hands loomed out of the darkness to push him back against the headrest and pulling down the clamps to press against his face and skull. Electricity shot through him filling what room was left around the black hole in his chest. He couldn't do it, he couldn't fight anymore, there wasn't a point anymore. His screamed were that of a dying man, one who had broken.Then.Nothing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Everything hurt when Wolf awoke this time and the cold was worse than ever.“Stay still a little longer.” T’Chaka’s voice murmured through the fog in Wolf's head. Wolf complied simply because he didn't have the strength. Something warm and soft was pressed against his body and these aches and cold slowly faded. “Can you hear me?” T’Chaka’s voice asked again, a hand gently stroking Wolf’s temple.“What happened?” Wolf groaned, finally forcing his eyes open.T’Chaka slowly came into focus hovering above Wolf. The lines of his face had deepened significantly since the last time Wolf had seen him and his brow was crumpled with worry and sadness. “We nearly lost you.”Fragmented memories slowly rose to the surface of Wolf's mind and he closed his eyes again with a groan. “The herb.”“I am so sorry, if I had know you would react to it so badly I would never-”“It wasn't the herb.” Work said, cutting off T’Chaka’s apology. “It was the memory. His memory.” “I don't understand.” T’Chaka said.Wolf pushed himself onto his side and slowly sat up, grimacing as his head began to pound. “They weren't, Wolf’s, the soldier's memories we went through. They were his, the man we were before hydra. Before he broke into the soldier and the asset.”T’Chaka remained silent and knelt down to look up at Wolf as he rested his head in his hands before continuing. “I saw the moment it happened, whatever was on the newspaper broke him.”“Multiple personality disorder.” T’Chaka murmured. “We thought it might just be brainwashing set up with multiple triggers, but torture combined with knowledge that couldn't be faced or accepted could have caused the creation of multiple personalities to protect him from the pain.”Wolf accepted a pain pill and glass of water from a lab tech and downed it quickly. “Now what?”T’Chaka gave him a sad smile. “Now you go see the children. We didn't dare bring you out of cryo sooner and it has been a long time for them.”“Maybe I should shave.” Wolf muttered, suddenly anxious.T’Chaka laughed, some of the sadness finally falling away from him. “Oh, you have been missed.”Wolf did not shave the beginnings of a full beard that decorated his face nor bother to changed out of the soft white scrubs he wore through cyro before following T’Chaka out of the lab and up to the surface. The stars were out and Wolf paused to marvel at the sights he never grew tired of seeing. “I love this place.” He said without warning. “I'm not sure I ever said it, but, thank you for letting me see it.”T’Chaka seemed speechless for a moment, then nodded, eyes bright. “It was my pleasure.”When they finally made it to the royal family’s quarters, Wolf was rewarded with, not the shouts of the small children he had carried on his back what felt like hours ago, but the crushing hug of a young man nearly as tall as himself and a young lady who could leap up to hang from his waist. “Don't ever leave us for that long again!” Shuri sobbed.T'Challa was crying too hard to form sentences and merely tightened his arms around Wolf.
Thinking his chest might burst open in joy, Wolf let his own tears spill over his lashes as he gently rocked them. T’Chaka and Ramonda joined them, the queen gently kissing Wolf's forehead while the king held them all in his arms.Shuri and T’Challa flat out refused to let Wolf out of their sight and all three spent a good hour collecting every pillow and blanket they could get their hands on and weaving them into a fort in the middle of the floor. “I can't believe it's been so long.” Wolf said, laying on his back and staring at the blanket roof.“Long enough to feel like forever but short enough to have you back in my arms again.” Shuri sang quietly, earning a shove from her brother. Wolf shook his head at the pair and flipped over on his stomach. “Alright alright, catch me up, what's happened since I went back under.”T’Challa hummed thoughtfully before speaking. “Well, Okoye was promoted to captain of the guard last year.”“She's not running the place yet? I'll have to talk to her about her priorities.” Wolf said solemnly, earning several giggles.“Oo!” Shuri squealed. “T’Chay met a girl!”Wolf let out an appropriately large gasp and turned to stare at T’Challa.“She's just a friend!” He stammered. 'Nu uh’s and 'uh huh’s were thrown thick and fast until Wolf was laughing so hard his sides hurt and insisted they all get some rest.-“You haven't asked him yet?” Shuri shout whispered into her mother's ear.Wolf tried hard not to smile as he brushed dirt from his hands. In the past few weeks, since waking up from cryo again, the royal family had been passing sideways looks and quiet whispers. It might have been alarming if Shuri and T’Challa hadn't looked so excited whenever the strange actions occurred. Unfortunately they switched out of english every time they discussed it so even with super hearing Wolf hadn't been able to find out just what they were planning.Today, Ramonda had lured him out of the house with the premise of finally planting the seeds she had gotten delivered from the outside world at his request.“If you two aren't too busy, I could use a hand.” Wolf called over his shoulder as he carefully shaped the earth inside a large glass terrarium.Shuri hopped down and picked up the box of seeds while her mother retrieved a watering can.“Buttercups, daisies and forget me nots.” Ramonda hummed. “Of all the flowers to ask for.”“Well, roses have too strong a smell.” Wolf said. “I like these. They remind me of, well, obviously not home, but of what home should feel like.”The seeds were scattered inside the terrarium, covered and watered by the three in relative peace and quiet. Wolf groaned as he finally got off his knees and closed the terrariums glass door. “Now,” He said turning and folding his arms. “Does anyone want to tell me what all the whispering is about?”“My lady!” Okoye’s call came just in the nick of time, causing both Shuri and Ramonda to smile beguiling at Wolf.Sighing and waving his arms, Wolf shooed the trio of schemers out of the garden. He would get it out of them eventually.The garden was never silent as birds chirped and insects hummed. Small splashes from the tiny fish and frogs playing in the pool near the back of the garden beckoned Wolf. letting himself slide into a hammock chair hanging from one of the trees near the water's edge, Wolf fought to keep his eye from slowly drooping shut.“Still not sleeping?” T’Chaka’s voice mixed pleasantly with the sounds of nature.Wolf shook his head, keeping his tired eyes on the ripples of pond water. “It's not that I can't, I just…” He shrugged, not willing to finish his thought.T’Chaka moved to stand beside Wolf, patient enough to wait for the answer.“I don't want to waste a moment of however long I have.” Wolf whispered, half hoping T’Chaka wouldn't hear. “One of these days you all are going to realize I’m not worth the risk, and I want to see as much as I can, before I leave.”T’Chaka let out a shaky breath, that hurt as much as a knife thrust, before speaking carefully. “Well then, I would recommend you not following me into the great hall.”Wolf frowned and sat forward to watch T’Chaka walk toward away. “... What the hell does that mean? And what are you wearing!?”T’Chaka, dressed in the finery he saved for impressing important people, paused and turned back, tilting his head and shrugging. Wolf was on his feet immediately, choosing to ignore the self satisfied smirk playing about the corners of T’Chaka’s face as he quickly headed towards the great hall. “T’Chaka!” Wolf shouted as the king slipped into the hall.Wolf stopped as his hand closed around the door handle, listening to the excited voices on the other side.“Hes comeing!”“Oh I hope he likes it.”“Do you think he’ll say yes?”“Oh course he will!”“I just want him to be happy.”Opening the door slowly Wolf was greeted with one of the stranger sights he had seen since coming to Wakanda. An honor guard stood to attention, lining the walk to the royal family.
T’Challa, Shuri and Ramonda matched T’Chaka in their ceremonial best with a careful pattern of red dust painted on their faces.Wolf let the door close behind him and cautiously walk forward. “...Ok… I'll bite, what are we doing today?”“We have a question for you.” Shuri cooed, rocking back and forth on her heels.“Great warrior who saved us from immeasurable heartache.” Ramonda continued, running a hand across her daughter’s head.“Dear one who has given us such happiness.” T’Challa said softly.“Will you join our family?” T’Chaka finished, with a desperate kind of hope in his eyes.In what little of his life he knew of, Wolf remembered death. He had stared down the barrels of guns, the blades of knives. Pain and war more familiar than his own name. He had faced it all free from the fear that now closed tightly around his heart and this one simple request. To be happy. To be loved.Unable to speak Wolf gave a shaky nod, tears spilling over his eye lashes. Then that fear vanished at the immeasurable joy shining off his family that rushed to embrace him. The world spun around Wolf as they took his hands and gently walked him through the simple ceremony, from the lines of red earth painted on his face to the shimmering tattoo on the inside of his lower lip.A great cheer rose up as the world restarted and well wishers began filling the hall. T’Challa gently pulled Wolf’s forehead down to press against his own, smiling like he never wanted to stop. “Hello, brother.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wolf slowly closed his book and lowered it to his lap as T’Challa tripped over a piece of furniture in his pacing for the fourth time. “T’Challa, darling, I love you, but if you don't STOP I am going to scream.”T’Challa glanced guilty over his shoulder and quickly moved to perch on the edge of a chair.Shuri giggle and tugged on one of the strands of Wolf’s, nearly hip length, hair that she was braiding. “Leave him alone, it's a big day.”Wolf squinted into space. “Am I forgetting someone’s anniversary? Your birthday was last week.”“His EIGHTEENTH birthday.” Shuri said as if that explained everything.Tilting his head back Wolf gave Shuri a withering look. She paused. “You do know about the week after your 18th birthday right?”Wolf blinked.“If one is destined for a soul mate, a mark will appear on your skin to guide you to them during the week after your eighteenth birthday.” T’Challa explained. “There are only four hours left for me… Whats wrong?”Wolf’s eyes had gotten huge. “What else do you know about soulmates?” He whispered.Shuri and T’Challa exchanged concerned looks. “Well, when soulmates find each other they become bound till death.” T’Challa continued.“They say that if the bond is strong enough one can feel their soulmate even if a great distance separates them.” Shuri chimed in sounding remarkably like she was reciting a wikipedia article.“Are you alright brother?” T’Challa asked, moving to sit next to Wolf. Shuri finished the bread she had been working on and leapt over the back of the couch on Wolf’s other side.“I… I think I have a soulmate.” Wolf whispered, avoiding their eyes. “When I feel… out of control, there's this, white star in my head and when I touch it, strength flows through me.” he explained carefully.“A star?” Shuri asked before T’Challa could speak. At a nod from Wolf, Shuri began tugging at his left shirt sleeve. “It's really hard to see if you don't know what you're looking for, but I saw your new arm before they put it on you last month and it wasn't there.” Finally getting the fabric over the shoulder Shuri carefully traced an engraved line among the many that formed joints in the metal. “A five pointed star, and I bet if we looked at all your old arms each would have one that were not on the blue prints.”Wolf ran a finger along the lines feeling a faint warmth build in his heart. “I have a soulmate.” He whispered.A cry from T’Challa forestalled all other revelations. The young prince was clutching at his back and rolling his shoulders. Shuri wrestled T’Challa out of his shirt as Wolf ran to the sink for a cool cloth. A set of silver bird’s wings were practically glowing as they burned themselves onto T’Challa’s upper back and down his arms. Shuri started frantically google imaging bird’s wings while the news and congratulations spread thick and fast.Wolf slipped away from the impromptu party that was quickly breaking out. The night air helped focus his buzzing thoughts as he stared up at the stars. He had a soulmate. A soulmate who had unknowingly saved him from the Asset countless times. Brushing his fingers over the star again, Wolf grinned up at the sky. And then he stopped as everything else came crashing back down on his shoulders. He had no way of knowing how long hydra had had him but it had been over 20 years since T’Chaka had found him in that plane crash. Wolf suddenly wished he had died so that maybe his soulmate could be free. Broken and lost in a century that wasn't his own, Wolf knew he would never see his soulmate again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Abso-fucking-lutly not.” Wolf said after a shocked silence.T’Challa’s eager smile vanished. “You said anything!”“I will keep Shuri off your back for a week, swear to spare you the embarrassing sex talk I've been preparing for when you meet your soulmate, feed you peeling grapes poolside till your sick. Anything for your birthday, but that!” Wolf shouted back.“I am 21! The power of the Black Panther has passed to me and I need learn how to control it! You are one of the best fighters in the country and one of the few people who know how outsiders fight! I can't stay in Wakanda forever and I have to be prepared for the fighters of the outside world!” T’Challa argued, following Wolf as he attempted to leave the conversation. “Give me one REAL reason why you would train me, and me specifically! You train with Okoye all the time!”Wolf opened and closed his mouth several times, the truth of the demon lurking inside him balanced on the tip of his tongue. “T’Chaka, back me up on this!” Wolf said turning with pleading eyes to the king.T’Chaka hesitated. “Well, he has a point…”T’Challa gave a triumphant laugh and Wolf tried to burn holes into T’Chaka with his eyes.“I will see you in the ring.” T’Challa said with a slight bow to Wolf before running out the door.“You of all people!” Wolf snarled, ready and willing to tear into T’Chaka. “Know exactly why this is the worst idea ever!”T’Chaka nodded slowly. “I know you are afraid of your own strength. I think this will be good for the both of you. And he has been looking forward to training with you for years, I won't be the one to crush that dream. Will you?”Wolf gave T’Chaka a long hard glare then turned and stormed out to the fighter’s ring. T’Challa was chatting happily to a group of warriors his own age while kitting up to fight. Okoye stepped up to Wolf’s side as he emerged into the sunlight. “You’re really going to do it then?” she asked softly.Wolf said nothing and moved to wrap his hands. Shaking her head Okoye turned to walk back to her post repeating to herself. “This is a terrible idea.”Grabbing her arm, Wolf leaned in close. “If I lose control, put me down.” he murmured, pulling away to assure himself of the conviction shining in Okoye’s eyes. Slowly she nodded.“Are you ready brother?” T’Challa called, now fulling dressed in the skin tight suit tipped with cat’s claws that was the garb of the Black Panther. Wolf said nothing but finished his own ensemble with a knife strapped to his thigh and stepped into the ring. “Lesson one, forget everything you knew about honor.” Wolf said, strolling around the ring as T’Challa circled him in a fighter’s crouch.“To fight with honor-” T’Challa started but was cut off as Wolf charged. Two quick strikes and a sweep to the legs and Wolf had T’Challa pinning to the ground by his neck.“Honor has no place in a fight to the death.” Wolf hissed in T’Challa’s ear. Shoving himself to his feet, the soldier began to pace. “Get up!” He shouted.T’Challa cautiously got to his feet. Wolf attacked again, faster then T’Challa could react, and knocking the prince to the ground again. “You wanted me to train you, didnt you! Get up!”Four more times Wolf pinned T’Challa to the ground and the prince was now panting as he pushed himself back up. Wolf waited till T’Challa was standing to point a metal finger at him. “If you cannot defend then attack!”T’Challa let out a breath and attacked with flashing claws. There was a screech of metal on metal as the soldier blocked with his metal arm and lashed out again to knock the prince to the ground. A dark anger roiled inside the soldier as he shouted again. “Vstavay!”T’Challa’s head snapped up, fear now in his eyes as he leapt to his feet. They engaged but this time the prince held his own, claws flashing in the sunlight as they came down, by pure chance, to rake across the soldier’s chest. Falling back the he rolled coming up close to the ground, knife drawn. The asset did not smile as it eyed its attacker, barely a threat that would be easily dispatched. It moved forward but was struck down again, this time by the butt of a spear. The warrior who wielded it showed no hesitation in leveling it at the asset’s chest.“Wolf!” a voice screamed. The asset convulsed as the soldier crashed into it, fighting for control once again.Wolf’s body writhed on the dirt floor of the training ring as the two personalities battled inside. T’Challa stared in horror from behind Okoye’s protective stance. Shuri was screaming as she fought to free herself from her father’s arms and run to help her eldest brother. Finally Wolf stilled and slowly pushed himself up on his elbows.All Wolf could see was the blood on his hands. Horror and guilt crashed down on him mixing with the pain and exhaustion of fighting the asset, pushed him over the edge. Falling back to the earth all Wolf could do was ask. “What have I done?” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When Wolf awoke he spent exactly thirteen seconds to check and see if the asset remained in the back of him mind. After finding it, still happily lurking beneath his skin, he set about tearing into who ever had brought him out of cryo. Throwing aside the blanket, Wolf surged to his feet and spotted T’Chaka near the control panel.“You. Have some nerve!” Wolf snarled.“It is Shuri’s thirteenth birthday and official coming out as a princess of Wakanda. She has given me her word that if you are not in attendance she will make it her personally mission to see the night become an and I quote “epic fail”” T’Chaka said calmly.Pain flared up inside Wolf’s chest at the time he has missed in the lives of the people he loved. “I nearly killed your son and now-”“T’Challa doesn't blame you for that!” T’Chaka said, cutting Wolf off.“I blame me!” Wolf shouted back. “I let my own selfish desires to be free to put everyone at risk! I am a threat! And it's time you started seeing me as one!”“Where are you going?” T’Chaka asked as Wolf stormed passed him.Wolf snatched up a hoodie and ran out without responding. He started out jogging, dodging the huge trees and thick brush in the jungles surrounding the Wakandan capital but quickly found too many innocent, unsuspecting people willing to put themselves in danger to call out a hello to him. Each friendly face turned bloody in his eyes, pushing Wolf to run faster and faster away from the people he would inevitably hurt. Leaves turned to rocks as his run turned into a climb up crags. Flesh fingers bleeding, lungs burning, and the metal of his arm turning to ice, Wolf fell to his knees, finally spent. Tears splattered down to land on his fingers clenched in snow. Wolf laughed bitterly at that, after all his running he was back in the snow.Standing slowly, Wolf looked at the place he had run too. A few trees forced their way out of the rock and snow-covered ground to reach bare branches into the gray and snow flecked sky. Wolf let his feet find their own pace now and staggered forward. It was what he had been doing since he came into existence alongside the Asset, just keep moving forward, dont look back or else you’ll drown. The guilt of letting himself go to far training T'Challa burned bright in his heart alongside the desire of ridding himself of the asset. Wolf reached up to side a numb finger over the star still etched into his metal shoulder. Who had he been, he wondered, before the asset and the soldier. What kind of man had been the one with a star on the flesh of his shoulder.The cold was seeping in as the gray light dimmed and the snow flurries picked up. Wolf stumbled sideways and pressed his tear streaked cheek to the truck of a tree. Maybe it was better this way, to let the cold consume him and take away the guilt.The feeling of eyes upon him finally pushed Wolf to open his own. A warrior stood a few feet away, watching Wolf. He was taller than Wolf, the sides of his head shaved and dressed in furs, leather armor, and a kilt. When he moved it was slow, setting the spear clasped in his hand to rest against a tree the warrior walked forward. There was no threat in his stance as he approached Wolf and a small smile hide in the corners of his mouth."You look lost." He murmured in a deep voice that sent a pleasant thrum down Wolf's spine.Wolf couldn't help but laugh at that. "A white man freezing to death in Wakanda? Yeah, I'd say I’m lost."The man hummed and took a bundled hanging from his belt, shaking it open and draping it over Wolf's shoulders. The cloak was made of the softest white wool and trimmed with thick silver fur."You look good in fur." The man said, taking Wolf's chin between his calloused fingers. Tucking his thumb against Wolf's bottom lip, the man gently pulled down till the faint glimmer of the tattoo shone through. "And maybe not so lost after all." He continued, eyebrows rising high.Wolf pulled away. "A lot farther than you think." He murmured before offering out his metal hand. "White Wolf."The man gave Wolf a good, proper grin and took his hand. "M'Baku, and if you’re still interested I know a very good place to get lost in and have dinner."Wolf arched his own eyebrow but let a small smile bleed onto his lips. "The son of the Jabari Tribe chef? I am an assassin you know, might not be the best dinner guest."M'Baku laughed and slung an arm around Wolf's waste "It will be a nice change of pace! Nothing interesting happens around here."M'Baku lead Wolf up the path towards the Jabari tribe’s mountain home. The thick cloak, uphill climb and M'Baku's warm arm around his waist quickly warmed Wolf through to his core and helped chase away the dark thoughts rolling in his mind. He also got the distinct impression that M'Baku had a very interesting reputation in his tribe as not a single member of the Jabari tribe gave Wolf a second glance. A group of warriors hailed the pair as they neared the top of the mountain village and pulled them off to a fire and dinner of a thick fish and vegetable soup. it was impossible and then again very possible indeed how fast Wolf found himself welcomed and delighted by the company. He loved this, the meeting and making of new friends. Wolf felt his smile faded as the problems he had run from came bubbling back to the surface. M'Baku was quick to notice and Wolf found himself being gently pulled away from the raucous dinner and out into the quiet snowy night."May I ask?" M'Baku kept his voice low as he guided Wolf with a hand on the swell of his back. Wolf let his body fall against M'Baku and let out a tired breath. “A demon dogs my steps and I don't know how much longer I can stay ahead of him. If my very existence puts the people I care about in danger, how can I allow myself to be free?”M’Baku gently lowered Wolf onto a stone bench beside a small waterfall. “A chain and collar is not a life worth living.”“I am not worth the risk!” Wolf said desperately.The Wakandan fell silent and for awhile they both watched the water fall away into the darkness. “I cannot speak for your family, but I would risk their wrath to keep you here.”Wolf snorted and elbowed the grinning man in the ribs.“Come on! Think of it! The wild ape man keeping the royal family’s beloved White Wolf hidden away in a cave!” M’Baku continued, making outrageous faces in time with the fictitious tale, each outlandish detail causing Wolf to laugh harder and harder till his side were aching.“I’m dead! You've murdered me! Stop!” Wolf gasped weakly between wheezing laughs. “Shuri will single handedly destroy everyone on this mountain if you try and keep me!”“I’m not hearing a no.” M’Baku said in a sing song voice.Wolf swatted at his new friend and stood up.“Less lost?” M'Baku asked, also standing.Wolf let out a great sigh. “I am not looking forward to this conversation.” He muttered.Arm in arm the strange pair made their way back through the village and down the mountain path laughing and joking all the while. M'Baku gently pulled away as they reached the edge of the jungle.“Until next time?” He asked cautiously.Wolf smiled, standing on his tiptoes to press his lips to M'Baku's forehead. “I'll sneak out and visit you soon, it'll be good practice.”M'Baku kiss the backs of Wolf's hands and let him go, starting back up his mountain. Wolf watched him for a moment then turned and let himself melt into the darkness.-“It's all my fault. If I had respected his wishes he wouldn't have run away!” Shuri sobbed into her hands.T'Challa pulled his sister into his arms. “No, it is my fault. I'm the reason Wolf went back into cryo, I should have been there to apologize the second he woke up!”T'Chaka sighed as he walked into the room. “A few people saw him heading for the jungle but that was hours ago, Wolf could be anywhere by now.”“He'll be back.” Romanda said with utter conviction while gently wiping away Shuri's tears. “He has too, he's family.”Okoye and her guards walked into the room. “Everyone is waiting.” She murmured.“Let them wait.” Grumbled Wolf's voice as he materialized from the shadows. “We need to talk.”Shuri leapt to her feet, arms out spread but was stopped as Wolf held up a hand. T'Challa stepped forward to rest his hand on his sister's shoulder. “The asset.” He said.Wolf started and look to T'Chaka. “We couldn't keep if from them after what happened.” The king explained, taking his wife's hand. “Then, why? Why risk me being awake?” Wolf asked, at a complete loss.“Family is worth the risk.” Shuri whispered. “You are worth whatever risk we have to take.”Wolf felt his resolve weaken as he stared at the people who love him so much they would put their own lives on the line. He took one step towards his family and was completely engulfed by their gentle arms and words.Okoye cleared her throat, bringing everyone back to reality. Shuri pushed T'Challa and Wolf towards each other and skipped to Okoye's side. “Now that everyone is done being stupid heads make him get dressed. Not that I don't like the new look but you can't dance in a cloak.”T'Chaka peered at the aforementioned garment. “Where did you go to return with that?”Wolf smiled disarmingly. “Oh you know, went for a walk, made a friend, found a cloak. All pretty standard stuff really.”“Really?” T’Chaka commented. “Because it looks a great deal like its from the-”“Hold that thought, gotta go change!” Wolf yelled, leaping through his bedroom door and heading for the closet.“Should I be worried?” T’Challa asked as he shut the door behind them.Carefully removing the cloak from his shoulders, Wolf folded and laid it on his bed without responding.T’Challa took a seat and watched his adopted brother pick through what little formal attire he could stand to have in his repertoire. The room remained silent for a while as the brothers stole glances at each other, Wolf watching T’Challa’s eyes through the reflection of the closet mirror, T’Challa tracing every scar revealed as Wolf changes clothes. “What happened in the ring was my fault.” T’Challa finally said, casting his eyes down.The colorful scarf Wolf had been wrapping around his left shoulder fluttered to the ground as he turned sharply. “You didn't know what would happen.” Wolf countered, continuing before T’Challa had a chance to say more. “I should have told you, years ago I should have told you. But I was too afraid of seeing you look at me the way I see myself.” Turning away again, Wolf placed his hand on the mirror. “Broken.” He whispered.“Then I guess I’ll just have to fix you.” Shuri chirped from the doorway, startling both men. “Stop being so emo and dance with me.” she commanded, grabbing Wolf’s hand and hauling him out and away.While formal speeches and official ceremonies were no doubt on the way, the grand hall was filled with colored lights and loud music. Shuri didn't stop till she and Wolf were out in the middle of the floor and dancing to some new age pop that she knew Wolf would hate. Sure enough the soldier was frowning as he tried to follow along to the beat.“That's for running off on me.” Shuri said as the song ended and something slower came on. Wolf let out a fond sigh and tugged Shuri into his arms. “You know, now that you're officially an adult. It is my solemn duty to bestow upon you the one skill all princesses these days must know.”“How to murder someone with nothing but a fork?” Shuri asked.“One of two things all princesses must know.” Wolf corrected himself. “Since no one else is going to teach you. Tonight you shall learn! How to tell someone to go fuck themselves in sixteen different languages.”Shuri shreaked and dabbed before throwing her arms around wolf neck. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou! BEST PRESENT EVER! Suck it T’chay!”T’Challa gave his sister a What The Fuck look from across the room.“So I'm forgiven then?” Wolf asked, glancing pointedly away from the dance floor.Shuri gave a long-suffering sigh, then became surprisingly serious. “I think I know how to free you.”Wolf froze, staring at his little sister.“Also, you duckface when you fight and it's the funniest thing I have ever seen. Should we start getting rid of the asset in the morning?” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wolf rolled his shoulders as the chill left his body in a rush and yawned. “Why the hell didn't we give you control earlier Shuri, the new cryo chamber is sooooo much nicer.”Silence greeted his little joke and Wolf frowned, pushing himself out of the chamber. Shuri was standing and staring at her control panel, face blank. T’Challa stood in front of her, his eyes looking anywhere but at Wolf.“What's wrong?” Wolf asked, a different kind of cold curling around his heart.Shuri flinched at his question and wrenched away from the controls. Striding forward Wolf caught T’Challa’s chin, gently forcing the prince to look him in the eye. Tears spilled from the corners of T’Challa’s eyes as he opened and closed his mouth, unable to speak.“Shuri?” Wolf asked, panic seeping into his voice.The princess turned, lips quivering as she cried. “Father.” she whispered.Wolf held out his arms and gathered them in and held them tight. As the children of Wakanda let their pain echo out into a world that held a little less light, Wolf felt the hole in his heart he had forgotten existed slowly grew to hold his love for the man who had saved and had given him a family.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Wolf smiled as he watched T’Challa standing in the water, listened to the chants and calls of the tribes, feeling as if the pride bubbling up in his heart would grow too large and burst free at any moment.The ceremony to crown T’Challa was long overdue but the young prince had been insistent; he would not take the throne until T’Chaka killer had been brought to justice. He had left the night they had woken Wolf to enter the outside world for the first time and solve his father’s murder. It had been a long complicated affair involving some nut job called Steelguy or something, that flew around in a suit of armor, being framed so a set of ‘magical’ twins would trick him into starting the robot apocalypse. Wolf stopped paying attention at that point, far more interested in the delightful news of Hydra’s continued existence then the twisting tail T’Challa had sort of half explained while Shuri and Nakia fussed over preparing him for the ceremony.And now here they were, the thrum of the clans’ chants beating in time with Wolf’s heart as his brother and king stood at the edge of the waterfall accepting any who dared challenge him. Wolf’s smile grew with each tribe’s declination to challenge their leader and he wrapped his arms around himself, leaning into the rough rock wall of one of the many tunnels carved into the cliff side. He would be more the welcome to stand with Ramonda and Shuri but despite long years of his family’s insistence, Wolf knew the shadows were where he belonged.A pair of thick arms decorated with white patterns emerged from the gloom of the tunnel behind him and encircled Wolf’s waist while a heavy chin came to rest on his shoulder. “Enjoying the show?” Wolf closed his eyes, his smile growing forced. “Please tell me you’re not going to do what I think you're going to do.”M’Baku laughed as his tribesmen started their barking chant and funneled past him and his friend. “I’ve always wondered if he is really as worthy as you say, now is my chance to find out.”“And if you win?” Wolf hissed, watching the Jabari warriors spread out onto the cliff side.Laughing, M’Baku let go of Wolf and walked out to meet the prince. “Your lack of faith disturbs me!”“Quote Star Wars at me one more time and I’m canceling movie night forever.” Wolf snapped after the Jabari chief.The warriors were fairly well matched, T’Challa being forced to rely on his speed and agility since, without the power of the black panther, he was no match for M’Baku’s brute strength. Blow by blow the fight turned to the prince’s favor and ended with his legs locked around the Jabari chief's neck at the very edge of the waterfall. Heedless of T’Challa’s shouts to yield, M’Baku continued to struggle, his movements inching them both farther and farther over the cliff.“Yield! Your people need you!” The prince yelled, eyes flickering from the warriors to their leader.With final gasp, M’Baku tapped out and was released to his allies who silently pulled him back and into the the tunnels.“Satisfied?” Wolf muttered, purposely not looking at his bloodied friend.The Apeman laughed as he was half carried away into the darkness and Wolf stepped out into the light. The rest of the day passed in a whirl of color and the sad but peaceful smile on T’Challa’s lips after his journey to the ancestral plane. However, Wolf’s hopes for some peace and quiet were quickly shattered as the very next day, word of the resurfacing of the vibranium thief Ulysses Klaue sent the newly crowned king back out into the world. “Well that went south fast.” Wolf muttered as he listened to the destruction of a Korean gambling den echoing through Shuri’s lab.“At least Okoye doesn't have to wear that ridiculous wig any longer.” Shuri say, wrinkling her nose but not looking up from the latest set of gauntlets she was making for herself.Purple holograms flickered to life in one side of the lab as the outline of a car appeared, followed by T’Challa shouting.“Looks like you get to have all the fun.” Wolf quipped as his little sister let out a whoop and jumped behind the holographic wheel.“Don't worry, we didn't forget about you.” Okoye purred over comms before letting out a small grunt and she hurled her spear through one of the chase cars.“Hell. Yes.” Wolf growled with a grin as a holographic racing bike materialized next to Shuri’s car.It was a strange sort of sensation to look out through the screen of his hologram and see the outside world. Wolf had seen technology advance in his sister’s hands for years and there was always the internet, but it didn't quite prepare him for how different the world he had fled from nearly fifty years ago now looked. Pulling himself from his thoughts, Wolf manage to drop into a slide and catch T’Challa as Shuri’s car exploded from a shot of Klaue’s arm. Twisting the throttle hard, Wolf managed to get his brother along side the last car in time for the king to shred the tires and bring the chase to an end.“Whats wrong?” Shuri asked from where she was laying on the floor where her hologram car had dropped her after exploding.Wolf continued to stare through the hologram at the light spattered skyline of Korea. In his mind, he was reaching out to where the white star of his soulmark always hung. “It's nothing.” He lied as the heart stopping realization came crashing down on him.The star was gone.Time seemed to slip past Wolf as his slow steps lead him out to underneath the star filled sky. Desperately, he began searching his head and heart for the bond that tied him to his soulmate. Fear for the safety of the person he was bonded to mixed with the dreadful thought of losing the one weapon he had against the asset, twisting his gut and leaving a sour taste in his mouth.The sound of T’Challa’s ship landing pulled Wolf out of his search and to the realization that hours had passed as the early morning sun rays warmed his back. Hurrying back to the lab entrance Wolf found a rather interesting sight.“That is not Klaue.” He said, pointing at the pale still form of Everett Ross that Nakia was covering with a blanket.“No.” T’Challa muttered, unable to meet his older brother’s gaze.Letting out a long sigh, Wolf squared his shoulders and fell into step along side the floating stretcher. “Oh well, at least Shuri gets to add another broke ass white boy to her harem.” Everett was slow to wake, even my colonizers’ standards, and by the time he stirred Wolf had gotten bored and wondered off while T’Challa, Nakia and Okoye were called before the counsel and W'Kabi’s bitterly disappointed gaze.Shuri, however, made up for her brothers’ absence by focusing all her security cameras on the white man as he began to sit up, as well as sneaking looks out of the corners of her eyes. She let herself have one self-satisfied smirk as Everett slid his fingers over where the bullet holes in his back should have been.“Where am I?” He asked after taking a few steps out of the sickbay. “Kansas.” Shuri response with another smirk but not looking up. Everett’s eyes continued to bug out as he took another couple of steps towards a row of T’Challa’s old suits. “Right. And how long ago was Korea?” Finally turning Shuri eyed the second colonizer she had ever seen. “Yesterday.”Blinking rapidly Everett turned from the suits towards a rack of knives. “Of course it was.”“Don't touch that!” Shuri snapped, causing the man to jump and wrench his hand away from one of the knives like it was a snake about to strike.“Why?” He asked, taking several steps back.Shaking her head, Shuri adopted her best condescending tone. “Because they are very sharp and I just finished fixing you. My brothers will be back soon to figure out what to do with you.Everett paused mid exhausted eyeroll to turn sharply towards the princess. “Wait, brotherS? As in more than one?”Shuri nodded.“I thought T’Challa was the only prince of Wakanda.” Everett stammered, growing more confused by the second.“It’s a long story.” Wolf said as he stepped out of the shadows.Taking at least six double takes, Everett stared at the soldier gently press a kiss to Shuri’s forehead before approaching.“I am Wakanda’s White Wolf, older brother to the king and princess.” Wolf said, holding out a hand to Everett, trying hard not to laugh at the face journey the man was going through.“Oh.” Was all Everett managed to force to the front of his brain and out his mouth as he shook the white prince’s hand. He jumped as his finger’s touched cold metal and finally noticed the black steel that took the place of the White Wolf’s arm.Tightening his grip, Wolf kept Everett close as he tilted his head and eyed him up and down. “I hear you have some experience dealing with Hydra.”Shuri groaned loudly and slid forward across her desk. “Not this again.”Finally releasing Everett, Wolf turned to put his hands to his hips and give his sister his best ‘I’m older than you’ look. “It's a threat that we can not afford to turn a blind eye to.”“They cant get in and you're not going out, how is that a threat!” Shuri argued, leaping to her feet.Sensing the beginning of an argument he only going to understand half of, Everett stepped between the siblings.Angry shouts broke out from the upper floor drew all of their attentions. Okoye and Nakia stomped down into the lab, faces grim. “Your majesties, you are needed.” Okoye said while Nakia folded her arms and glared at the wall.“What happened?” Wolf asked, glancing between the women.“Klaue is dead and his killer has challenged T’Challa” Nakia muttered.Exchanging worried looks with her brother, Shuri hurried forward to tuck herself into Wolf’s arm before glancing over her shoulder. “Stay down here, and don't touch anything.” She ordered Everett before being gently pulled out of the lab.“This is so not good.” Everett muttered, sinking down onto a chair.All four were rushed to the cliff in silence, Wolf finally handing Shuri off to Ramonda as he took his usual spot in the shadows. “This is a terrible idea.” He muttered.“This is the law.” T’Challa murmured, coming up the tunnel behind Wolf.Wolf shook his head, keeping his eyes on Killmonger milling around in the water, smirking like he had already won. “Outsiders have no honor, remember what I taught you in the ring, expect him to fight as dirty as is physically possible.”“All outsiders?” T’Challa teased, “Even you?”Finally looking at his brother, Wolf fought to keep his tumbling emotions out of his voice. “I would kill him where he stands, if I know you would not stop me.”T’Challa smiled and clapped a hand to his brother’s shoulder, pulling him forward until their foreheads were pressed together. “I know you will do the right thing.”Wolf let the boy he had watched grow into a king, walk out to meet his challenger. “This is gonna suck.”The fight went bad from the start and each kick Killmonger drove into T’Challa body matched Wolf’s metal fingers gouging a larger and larger hole in the tunnel’s wall. Wolf shook his head as the invader kicked his brother again and again. “Come on, get up, get up!” He whispered.His restraint snapping as Killmonger hefted T’Challa up and walked towards the edge of the waterfall, Wolf leapt from the tunnel. Crashing into Nakia’s arms and fighting to get passed her, his screams mixed with Romanda and Shuri’s as they were held by Okoye.The world went silent as the monster who had invaded their home hefted T’Challa over the waterfall. “We have to go! Lets go!” Nakia shouted, dragging the royal family back.Wolf stood, unyielding to meet Killmonger’s cruel and curious eyes. For a moment he let the asset bleed through and showed the murderer of his brother what the face of a real killer looked like. For his credit, the new king masked his fear well and merely shifted into a defensive position, but he knew better. “You’re dead.” The Asset whispered.Pulling himself together, Wolf looped his arm around his sister and pulled her after their mother and into the tunnel.“I want to know everything about that one.” Killmonger said as W'Kabi moved to his side.Emotionlessly, the leader of the Border Tribe inclined his head. “With pleasure, my king.”Shedding their finery, the royal family fled the capital and headed to the north. Wolf had muttered something about a friend in the mountains before ordering Nakia back to the capital to get Everett out before Killmonger undoubtedly executed him. They had barely begun their ascent when the pair returned with something even more important.“Take it.” Nakia whispered, holding the heart-shaped herb out to Wolf. “Take it, become king, avenger your brother.”Wolf refused to look at the purple glowing plant, backing away and shaking his head. “We don't have time to go down the long list of reasons why I should not be king.”“You are a prince, blood or no.” Ramonda said, grabbing her adopted son’s arm. “You are our only hope.”“I’m going to scout ahead.” Wolf muttered, pulling away and quickly vanishing into the shadowy snowfall.“What kind of man refuses that kind of power?” Everett couldn't help but ask.Shuri brushed away the tears that would not stop falling. “The kind who fears what others would have him do with it.”They hiked in silence, what little sound their footsteps made being swallowed by the snow falling around them.“I don't like this.” Ramonda muttered, glancing into the gloom beginning to surround them.All four stop dead as two Jabari warriors stepped out of the darkness, flanking the path ahead. “Where in Bast’s name is Wolf!” Nakia hissed as two more soldiers appeared behind them, spears crossed to force the group to keep walking. They were lead up the mountain, four more warriors joining the guard as they entered the Jabari village and were escorted to M’Baku.“Where is Wolf?” Shuri whispered into her mother’s shoulder but was shushed as Ramonda pulled away.Taking a step forward the queen gathered her strength, fighting to keep her voice even. “My son-”“Lost.” M’Baku said, cutting her off.“Sir.” Everett tried. “The man on the throne-”From his seat above them, M’Baku tilted his head, eyes hard, and gave a barking shout. The chant was picked up by his warriors and echoed around the chamber and forcing the group into silence, their eyes cast down.“You’ve come a long way.” M’Baku said after a moment. “At least try and say something entertaining.”Nakia stepped forward and slowly fell to her knees. Without a word, she raised the heart-shaped herb, offering it to the Jabari chief. Ramonda joined her, head bowed, with Shuri and Everett following suit.M’Baku’s condescending half smile vanished at the sight of the herb. “You have another son. Surely the throne would go to him.”Ramonda was at a loss for words, silently shaking her head.“You challenged T’Challa because you thought he was not worthy.” Shuri said, raising her head slightly. “But when you chose your people over your pride and yielded, it was T’Challa who found you worthy. Please, avenge him.”Something in M’Baku’s expression seemed to fall away and he rose to his feet. “Come with me.”Confused, they followed and were lead out of the village and to a small temple cut into the mountainside below.“Wolf?” Ramonda gasped, spotting her son kneeling inside the structure before losing her breath completely as they drew closer.Buried in half in the snow, looking a shade from death, was T’Challa. Crying out, all three woman rushed forward to the king’s side, shaking hands brushing over his freezing skin just to make sure it wasn't a dream.Wolf continued to gently stroke his thumbs across his little brother’s temps as he shot M’Baku a look. “You were teasing them weren't you.”The Jabari chief finally let the smirk he had been holding in spread across his lips. “I was good, didn’t threaten to eat anyone. Spoiled the fun when they offered me that herb.”“Eat?” Everett asked, staring aghast at the M’Baku.“The herb.” Wolf murmured with a start. “It's T’Challa’s only chance now.”Nakia nearly dropped the small plant in her haste to hand it to Ramonda who began to grind it as she called upon the ancestors to bring their king back. T’Challa made no move as the purple liquid was poured between his lips or as his family quickly moved to bury him completely in the snow. With heads bowed and hands clasped, each whispered their prayers to guild him home.Holding his sister and mother tight, waiting to see if his brother would survive the cold night, Wolf felt something catch at the back of his mind; almost as if this fear and pain was familiar. As if he had held tight to a ice cold hand before and begged anyone with the power to just please, don't let him die. The seconds dragged on and Wolf ran out of gods to plead to, tears beginning to weigh down his lashes, he whispers one last wish to his other half for the strength he could not find.With a great gasp, T’Challa lurched up out of the snow, shaking and laughing weakly as he asked for a blanket.Just a coincidence, Wolf told himself as he pulled away from his family and wrapped his right arm around himself to clutch the star etched into his vibranium shoulder. “You need to tell them.” M’Baku murmured into Wolf’s ear as they lingered for a moment, watching the others help T’Challa up and back towards the village. “If what you told me is true. You have to tell them now.”“I think I liked you better when you were making cannibalism jokes.” Wolf muttered, but accepted his friend’s arm as they started back.All was laid before T’Challa as they walked back to the throne room; Killmonger receiving the power of the black panther, rising to the throne, burning the garden of the heart-shaped herb and his plan to turn the world to war with Wakanda’s weapons.“I will go, the challenge must continue.” T’Challa said as he stood to pace, eyes flickering about as a plan formed in his head.“You better not be thinking of going alone!” Shuri snapped, giving her brother her most stubborn glare. “We will be fighting beside you, won't we!”Wolf said nothing, avoiding his sister’s gaze entirely from where he was perched on the arm of M’Baku’s seat.“Won't we.” The princess repeated, turning her full attention to her eldest brother.The old soldier flinched at her tone and took a shaky breath before speaking. “I can't go back. A man like Killmonger, he’ll have taken notice of me, found my records, my triggers, by now. If I go back I’ll only be a liability.”T’Challa shook his head, reaching out his hands to his brother. “But you've always won against the asset! Your soulmate-”“Is gone.” Wolf snapped, cutting the king off but keeping his head bowed, unable to look at any of his family. “I've felt off since you brought me out of cryo but it wasn't until Korea that I realized why. The connection with my soulmate is gone.”“Why didn't you say anything?” Ramonda whispered, agony in her voice for her adopted son.A mirthless chuckle caught in Wolf’s throat as his tears finally began to fall. “I didn't want to worry anyone and then everything went to shit.”“Language.” Ramonda murmured, walking up and wiping his eyes.Wolf offered her a weak smile before shaking his head again. “Without my soulmate I'm not strong enough to fight the asset.”“They both will be safe here.” M’Baku said, nodding his head towards the queen and her eldest son.“And what of you?” T’Challa asked, turning his attention to the Jabari chief.“I will not force my people to fight.” He answered without hesitation.“Well I'm in.” Everett piped up, simultaneously breaking the tension and causing everyone to turn and look at him. “What? You’re going to need all the help you can get!”The battle went about as well as it could have after T’Challa managed to bring down the first ship filling with weapons heading for the border then proceeded to try and take on the entire Border Tribe. The Dora Milaje helped turn the tide as they rallied to their true king with Okoye leading the charge against Killmonger. “How are you doing Everett?” Shuri called as she and Nakia rushed to join the battle after setting the ex-pilot up in the lab with a remotely controlled ship to chase down other weapon carriers.“Well, uh, I’m being shot at.” Everett said offhandedly. “But I think I'm getting a handle on these controls.”Letting out a growl of exasperation, Shuri turned back around and started running for the lab again. “Never send a man!”Okoye’s shout of warning came a moment too late as Killmonger crashed into the princess. Rolling to her knees, Shuri blasted the invader back, managing to keep him pinned for a moment under wave after wave from her gauntlets. She shrieked as Killmonger’s claws ripped, first her right gauntlet and then the left, to pieces before being forced back and down to the ground. The would-be-king let him mask fall so he could grin wickedly down at the fallen princess. “Sup cous?”Keeping her head high, Shuri glared the man down without fear. “You will never be a true king.”Killmonger dropped his smile and raised his blade.Running full tilt, the White Wolf of Wakanda crashed into the invader and throwing him away from his little sister. They struggled for a moment, sliding across the ground before Killmonger manage to kick out and push them apart.Wolf rolled to his feet and drew the blade strapped to his ankle, ignoring the call from his sister to run.“About time.” Killmonger growled, “Was starting to think I would have to go looking for your ass. Just watch little princess, as I turned your big bro here into my own personal killing machine. Zhelaniye, rzhavyy, semnadtsat!”Wolf arched one eyebrow and started to smirk. “Rassvet, pech, devyat!” Killmonger spat, brow crumpling in confusion. Wolf continued to smile as T’Challa crashed into Killmonger, sending them both over the edge and into the mine below. Shaking his head, the adopted prince turned towards the battle that had begun to fail as the Border Tribe surrounded the last standing Dora Milaje with their shields. He began to run, drawing a second knife and letting out the barking chant along side the Jabari warriors that poured from nowhere to crash into the Border Tribe.True to his name, Wolf howled as he let loose his enhanced strength side by side with M’Baku, sending enemies flying before elegantly changing fighting styles in an instant to dance in perfect harmony with Okoye. Back to back he and Shuri whirled, knocking down any brave enough to try and get close. As W'Kabi let his blade fall to Okoye’s spear, Wolf dropped down into a squat, breathing hard.“Everett?” Shuri called, standing on her tiptoes and scanning the battlefield.Everett’s head popped up from behind a large boulder followed by two thumbs up.Nakia’s eyes searched the flattened grass of the battlefield, a worry line forming between her eyebrows. “Where is the King?”Giving a shout as she spotting him, Shuri rushed into T’Challa’s arms as he crested the slope of the lab’s entrance. Following the princess, the allied leaders approached their king and an apprehensive silence hung in the air as they waited for him to speak.“Is he?” Shuri asked from her brother’s arms, unsure what answer she wanted anymore.“The challenge is complete.” T’Challa murmured with a sad smile.“WHAT?” Wolf shouted, causing everyone to jump.“Why are you shouting?” Shuri asked, giving her eldest brother a confused wave of her arm while everyone else edged away from him.“WHAT?” He hollered again.Shuri pulled away from T’Challa and put her hands on her hips, she shouted back. “WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING!” “He can't hear you.” M’Baku supplied, “He has earplugs in.”“NO, I CAN'T HEAR YOU I HAVE EARPLUGS IN.” Wolf shouted, shaking his head and pointing to his ears.Letting out a loud groan and a massive eye roll, M’Baku reach out to smack Wolf on the shoulder, prompting him to face the Jabari chief and witness him mimicking pulling the earplugs out.“Oh.” Wolf mumble, blushing as he removed the plugs.“Seriously?” Shuri asked, “That was your big idea against getting triggered? Earplugs?”M’Baku and Wolf looked at each other. “Well it worked didn't it?” They said at the same time.T’Challa began to laugh as his legs gave out and he sank down onto the trampled grass. The laughter spread, first to Nakia then Okoye and on until everyone was laid out on the grass laughing up at the star filled sky.
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Tony glared from his very expensive watch to Nick Fury, who had demanded the he attend this stupid conference. It wasn't enough that Wakanda had to come out and announce to the world that it was, supposedly, the most technologically advanced country in the world. No, they had to start setting up outreach centers to share their wondrous tech, like the rest of the world needed their expertise.“I don’t want to hear it.” Fury said, feeling Tony’s glare but not bothering to look at him.Fortunately for Fury, before Tony could launch into a tirade, Everett Ross lead King T’Challa, Princess Shuri and their two guards into the room. Fury stepped forward, inclining his head to the king and shaking hands. “Your majesties.”“Oooh! Is this the great Stark?” Shuri ask before anyone else could speak. “Inventor of that cute little Iron Man tech?”“Cute!?” Tony gasped but was quickly cut off by Fury.“Are you ready to start?” He asked, waving a hand towards the conference door.“Almost.” T’Challa said, giving his sister a warning look. “We are waiting on our brother.”Fury frowned, looking rather taken aback. “I wasn't aware you had another sibling.”“He's become Wakanda most guarded secret.” Everett said, smiling and shaking his head slightly.T’Challa rolled his eyes while Shuri and the Dora Milaje guards gave each other knowing smirks. “He just doesn't like the spotlight.”As if on cue, the back door opened again and two more Wakandan guards stepped through. Following their guards was a tall Wakandan man dressed in a kilt and leathers and on his arm was one of the most beautiful men Tony had ever seen; and he had seen a lot. Long chocolate colored hair hung nearly to his waist in curls and braids, framing faintly tanned, but nonetheless white, skin and sky blue eyes. He sashayed like he knew just how amazing he looked in the simple slacks, a dress shirt, and a Wakandan scarf draped across his shoulder, completely covering his left arm. His right arm was hooked around his escort’s and his smile took Tony’s breath away. “Sorry, sorry. M’Baku and I could not agree on an outfit.” He said, deep velvety voice purring across the airwaves.The tall man on his arm, presumably the aforementioned M’Baku, rolled his eyes and huffed. “You look better in furs.”The man shook his gorgeous head, long locks crossing his chiseled features. “For the last time, furs are not appropriate at a political conference, no matter how good I look in them.”“I’m sure you shine in whatever you chose to wear.” Tony purred, turning on the patterned Stark charm. “Or not.”All eyes turned on the genius, who was beginning to regret letting his mouth run. M’Baku walked forward till his was towering over Tony. “Continue. Please. It's been too long since I’ve had white meat.” He growled with wild eyes.Tony swallowed hard and the mystery man laughed, also walking forward. Tugging M’Baku back, the man gave Tony a smile. “Now, now M’Baku, there's no need for that. Besides.” He purred, reaching out and sliding the back of his metal left hand down the side of Tony’s cheek. “I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”Tony gaped at the work of art that was the beautiful man’s mechanical marvel of an arm. Keeping his eyes on Tony, the man turned and held his hand out to Shuri. The princess grinned, grabbed his hand and tucked herself under his arm. “Some of my best work!” She crowed.Tony’s jaw hung even lower. T’Challa repressed his smile and tilted his head. “Ready, brother?”Wolf smiled at his family and nodded slowly. “Let’s go say hello.”
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“Anything?” Shuri asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the tattered blueprint spread out on her table and smacking Okoye’s hand away for the third time.Thousands of miles away in an extremely cold old Hydra bunker in Siberia, T’Challa sat back on his heels in front of the crate he had been going through and tugged at the collar of the jacket he had thrown over his black panther suit. “Nothing, it is all faded or broken.”Everett’s head appeared over the edge of a huge crate nearby as he stood up and squinted at the pages of a half burned red book. “This is surprisingly hard when you don't speak Russian.”“Stop stop stop! Go back two pages.” Wolf called, waving at the screen in Shuri’s lab that was displaying the view from the camera mounted on Everett’s headlamp.Turning the pages back, Everett held as still as he could while Wolf slowly translated the half faded script.“Winter Soldier, that! That's the code name they gave me. And I think that's a file number, see if there's a computer terminal anywhere.” He finally called out, flicking his fingers to send highlighted snap shots of the relevant lines on the page to the slowly growing holo-file against the back wall that held the information they had painstakingly gathered over the last couple of months. Everett tried to say something but the video feed began to blur and quickly cut out again.“Damn it!” Wolf shouted, pushing away from the screen to begin pacing the length of the lab.Nakia paused in sorting through the holo-file and walked over to the video screen. “It is just the snow storm, the feed will be back again soon.”Wolf came to a stop in front of the glowing wall that held every last scrap of information about his life before Wakanda. Flicking a few hovering screens away, he came to the only photograph. It was faded but could still be clearly seen as Wolf locked inside a cryo-chamber. He continued to frown, letting his eyes unfocused to see his current reflection in the screen and ran a hand across his clean shaven face before tugging at the choppy haircut he had insisted on getting to mimic his younger self.“We are going to find them.” Shuri murmured, walking to her brother’s side and pressing her hand over his new shimmering silver arm. “The star came back so they are still alive, there is still hope.”A soft ping from Shuri’s computer drew their attention as a small red and gold email envelope bouncing on the holo-screen.“Maybe Stark has found something.” Okoye said, trying to sound hopeful for her friend’s sake.Wolf sighed but followed his sister to the terminal. “I can't believe you two became friends, what does the billionaire playboy philanthropist have to say?”Shuri frowned as she skimmed through the email. “One of his little Avenger friends is being hunted by Shield, he doesn't believes the charges and is going to help which means he cant help us right now.”“An Avenger being hunted by their ally? Who pissed Shield off enough for such a thing?” Okoye asked, unconsciously gripping her spear a little tighter.Shuri scrolled down the email and shook her head. “Well that can't be right, he says it's Captain America.”“Whose Captain America?” Wolf interrupted.Shuri turned to give her brother a look of horrified shock. “You don't know who Captain America is!?.”Wolf rolled his eyes. “I know that they shot him in ze legs because his shield is the size of a dinner plate and he's an idiot, but no I don't know who the actual real life guy is.”Snickering, Shuri tapped a few keys to pull up the attached wanted poster depicting a blond man in a blue stealth suit decorated with white stars.“Stevie?” Wolf whispered, narrowing his eyes.All three women whipped around to stare at the soldier.“You know Captain America?” Nakia asked incredulously.Wolf shoot his head, unable to look away from the blond man that was making his head and heart spin. “No, no that, that's Stevie, I know Stevie. How do I know Stevie?”“Whose cares! You know him!” Shuri shouted, leaping away from her computer to snatch up a duffel bag. “He is in trouble so you will need guns, knives, EMP bead rifle, hair bands, body armor, and a grenade launcher! You know, just in case.” “Woah!” Wolf yelled, waving his arms as Nakia and Okoye added a vial of an untraceable poison and two vibranium spears, respectively, to the bag. “He could be an enemy of mine, or worse, an old Hydra ally! I mean, Shield is hunting this guy down for a reason right?”“Then kick his ass, drag him back here and we will get our answers the old fashioned way.” Nakia said as she added an extra pair of handcuffs to the bad, as if it were the obvious answer.Wolf snorted and tried to turn away but was pulled back by his little sister as she dropped the duffel at his feet.“What does your heart tell you?” Shuri murmured, pressing one hand to Wolf’s cheek and the other to the star on his metal shoulder.The old soldier took one last look back at the poster, at the blond’s haunting blue eyes. Pressing his lips to his sister’s forehead and snatch up the duffel straps, Wolf started running to finally meet his past- The string of swear words leaving Sam’s lips kept pace with the line of bullets being fired at him as he dropped into a dive, trying to escape the pursuing jet.“Language.” Steve quipped with a breathless chuckle over the comms.“Oh fuck you Rogers!” Sam muttered while bullets ricocheted off one of his wings as he tried another sharp dive. A bullet from in front and to the left nearly hit him as he tried to shake his tail. The cursing stepped up several notches as he spotted the glint of a sniper’s rifle aimed towards him from a nearby rooftop. “Could really use a hand here guys!” “Hold on Samwise, on my way.” Natasha called over the comms.Sam snorted, switching to wide arcs in attempts to not be shot out of the sky. “Two done, one to go.” Steve called. “Try not to die Sam, I'm going to need a ride.”“Oh yeah, I’ll get right on that!” Sam yelled back, his head starting to hurt from trying to watch the jet and the sniper at the same time. A sharp grunt came across the comms followed by several crashes. “Crap, you’re on your on Wilson.” Natasha gasped.“Are you kidding me!?” Sam shouted, barrel rolling away from the jet’s fire.“Guess I find my own way.” Steve muttered with a audible shrug of his shoulders.“Your concern is touching!” Sam hollered, turning sharply and heading for the sniper’s perch.Something hissed past Sam’s head causing him to spin as he was thrown off balance and turned in time to see the jet behind him stop in midair, open its cockpit and flip upside down. The pilot fell with a scream out of the aircraft and as the cockpit closed the now empty jet shot off away from the Falcon.“The fuck?” Sam muttered, watching the ghost jet tear into a group of Hydra agents on ground, who had been keeping a few Shield fighters pinned down. Another crack echoed down from the sniper’s nest, drawing Sam’s attention.“You dead yet?” Steve asked, a grunt punctuating his sentence. “I made it to the third carrier in case anyone was wondering.”Sam was too confused to roll his eyes. “Ok, so I know I’ve been out of the game for awhile but does Shield have some fancy tech that can turn planes into drones?”“What the hell are you talking about?” Agent Hill asked, voice partially drowned out by gunfire.Sam hummed and flew around to the backside of the roof, rolling as he landed on top with both of his guns raised. A man, with choppy shoulder length hair and dressed entirely in black leather except for the left arm which had been cut away to show off a high tech silvery prosthetic, gave Sam a long slow blink over the stock of his riffle. Turning back the man fired another shot at a jet which promptly expunged its Hydra pilot and begin reeking havoc. The ten agents laid out, either dead or unconscious, behind the man, did not move.“Ok,” Sam drawled, still pointing his pistols at the man. “So no on the drone tech, how about a sniper with a metal arm, does Shield have one of those?”-Wolf smiled and disassembled his EMP rifle, listening to Nakia, Okoye and Shuri shrieking through his comm as they rained down death and destruction with their remote controlled fighter jets. He turned back to the bird man who was still eyeing him with pistols drawn. “I don't work for Shield.” He said in answer to the man’s question.“Hydra then.” The man said, tightening his grip.Wolf gave a pointed glance at the group of agents he had laid out upon reaching the rooftop moments ago.“I’ve come to the conclusion that in this fight, if they're shooting at me, they’re the bad guys.” The man nodded at the bodies, “Jury is out on them.”Wolf nodded and shrugged, “That's fair.” Bending down, he dropped the piece of his rifle back into the duffel and strapped his pistol to his thigh before looking back at the man as he straightened. “I came here to find Steve Rogers. Burning Hydra to the ground, just a bonus.” Wolf paused and took a longer look. “Your superhero name wouldn't have anything to do with large birds of prey would it?”“Falcon.” The man answered, still eyeing up the soldier. “Why?”Wolf chuckled. “I should introduce you to my little brother.” He said with a knowing smile.The Falcon slowly lowered his guns. “The free world as we know it is ending and you’re trying to set me up with your brother?”“Better now then when we’re dead.” Wolf said with another shrug.Falcon shook his head and pressed a finger to his ear. “Hey Cap, I got a guy here-” Stopping mid sentence his face twisted as his head jerked around to stare at one of the huge floating carriers. “Steve? Steve!”Wolf looked between the Falcon and the carrier, chest tightening as he murmured under his breath. “Shuri?”“Got it.” Shuri answered and with a faint click the audio from Wolf’s comm changed. Several voices he didn't recognize were calling out for Steve while the sounds of someone wheezing, grunting and basically having the ever living shit beaten out of them echoed down the line.“Damn it!” Falcon hissed, taking two steps towards the edge and extending his wings.Wolf seized the man’s arm and growled. “Get me up there.”The Falcon stared at him for a moment then nodded and took hold of his metal arm. Wolf decided very quickly that being carried through the air with nothing but a guy’s grip between him and a very hard stop, was the worst thing ever, but kept his mouth shut and teeth clenched as the winged man flew them towards one of the carriers. They nearly made it.Just as they crested over the side of the carrier, armed guards began to shoot, hitting one of the mechanical wings and dropping them like stones. Wolf acted fast, keeping hold of Falcon and grabbing hold of the side of the carrier just below the deck. While the soldier’s metal arm had no problems holding up the bird man but his flesh and blood shoulder was far from happy holding them both and Wolf had to grit his teeth through the pain.“Let me go!” The Falcon yelled, wiggling about in Wolf’s grip.“Like hell!” He yelled back, looking at the bird man like he was insane.“I have a parachute and if you don't take down this damn thing it won't matter anyways! I’m trusting you to save Steve, you gotta trust me to save myself!”Wolf sighed as he looked down into the Falcon's eyes. “I hate this plan.” He grumbled, but let go.“Good shoot! Good shoot!” Nakia shouted over comms a moment later.“Come to me pretty flying future brother in law, I will make you a not terrible pair of wings.” Shuri crooned.Wolf let out a breath, pushing his worry for the Falcon away and turned his attention to the deck above him.-Steve gasped as Rumlow’s fist connected with his ribs again and again. He staggered backwards, falling back against the railing of the catwalk. There wasn't a part of his body that didn't ache or feel broken and he was fast running out of options. Both the chip and his shield had been knocked out of his hands as his ex-coworker handed the captain his own ass.“I really thought this would be harder.” Brock said, brushing droplets of the captain’s blood from his sleeve. “Or maybe it is true.”“What might that be.” Steve groaned, rolling his eyes.“That you have a death wish.” Rumlow said with a leering smile.Steve let out a breath and slammed his boot into the Hydra agent’s chest, knocking them both down in the process.Surging to his feet, Rumlow picked up his pistol and took aim. “Either way.” He growled. “I’m bored.”The tension fell from Steve’s shoulder and he pressed a hand to the words etched over his heart, wondering if the first thing he would see on the other side would be Bucky.The sound of pounding boots echoed around his head as he watched Rumlow pulling the trigger. The world seems to slow as his view of the Hydra agent became obscured when his shield slid in front of him. Long brown hair, icy blue eyes, and a jawline his would know anywhere, followed as Bucky slid to a stop, shield held up to protect them both. The world restarted as three bullets bounced off the shield. Bucky whirled, firing off shots as Rumlow leapt away and vanished into the shadows of the carrier.Steve gaped at his soulmate, returned from the dead.-Wolf frowned as he eyed the dark corners and recesses where the Hydra agent had vanished. “Bucky?” Steve Rogers asked, his voice cracked and raw.Wolf spared a glance over his shoulder. “Whose Bucky?” He asked, his turn away causing him to miss the pain that spread across Stevie's face at his question. “We need to leave.” Wolf muttered, holstering his pistol and reaching down to pull the blond to his feet.“No, no. The chip, we've got to-” Steve said, cutting himself off with a gasp of pain. Digging in his pocket, Wolf pulled out the bulky looking chip thing that he had grabbed while picking up the shield.“Gotta replace one with it, and run like hell.” Steve said, pointing Wolf towards the control center. Nodding and waiting a moment to see if Stevie could stand on his own before letting go, Wolf turned towards the center.Steve’s shout of warning barely registered as Rumlow barreled out of the darkness and crashed into Wolf, sending them both falling down onto the glass bottom of the carrier. Dropping the shield, Wolf rolled up into a fighter’s crouch and drew one of his knives. Rumlow grinned and shook his head. “Well I'll be fucked, the Winter Soldier alive and well after all these year.”Anger running like fire through Wolf’s veins sent him sprinting forward to slash twice before burying his knife into the agent’s shoulder. Ignoring the man’s screams, he struck again, feeling his arm re-calibrate to add just that much more to his strikes to the solar plexus, throat and skull. Kicking out, Wolf sent the man sprawling to the floor and bent to retrieve the chip once again. “Hydra really doesn't make them like they use to.” He muttered, twirling the chip between his fingers before turning and running back to Stevie.The blond had managed to remain standing and appeared to be valiantly trying to find a way down to the floor of the carrier that didn't involve just falling on his ass. Wolf smiled, shaking his head at his punk, and did a short dash to give himself enough momentum to leap up and grab hold of the bottom rung of the railing with his metal hand. Pulling himself up, he carefully handed up the chip to his Stevie with a grin.The blond had just wrapped his battered fingers around then chip when Wolf felt himself being dragged down. As he fell his vision when white for a moment as a howl of agony echoed around his head from a time long past.No, not white, not entirely.Crashing to the floor brought Wolf back to the carrier and the Hydra agent’s boot slamming into his ribs, but even as he rolled to his feet and blocked a second kick, flurries of snow drifted across his eyes.“Bucky!” Stevie’s voice howled again, sending another wave of snow across Wolf’s field of vision.“Bucky?” The agent purred before spitted out a mouthful of blood. “Oh my, how deliciously cruel. You don't know do you?”“You talk too much.” Wolf growled, staggering to his feet and drawing another knife.“You’re right.” Rumlow said, nodding sagely. “Keep it short and sweet shall I? Zhelaniye.”Pain blossomed behind Wolf’s eyes as the asset crashed into him. His knife clattered to the ground as his hand dug into his scalp, a scream forming on his lips.“Rzhavyy” Rumlow laughed, clapping his hands like it was all some great game.Fighting through the pain, Wolf charged, tackling the agent and shoving his hand over his mouth. “Run!” He shouted to Steve, fighting to keep the man from speaking another trigger.“Not without you!” The blond shouted back, stumbling towards a ladder down.A small flutter went through Wolf’s chest at those words, familiar but unplaceable. His slip was enough, however, and Rumlow flung him off and shouted. “Semnadtsat! Rassvet!”The asset flung itself against Wolf who fell back against the ground, scrabbling with a weak sob. “You see, Captain. Your darling Bucky survived his fall and was found by us. Pech, Devyat.” Rumlow explained as he stood and began to pace around the tormented soldier. “Took a great deal of drugs and torture but we broke him. Turned him into the greatest assassin the world had ever seen and unleashed him upon our enemies. Dobroserdechnyy.”Bending down, he squinted at Wolf as a choked sob burst from the soldier’s throat while he continued writhed against the glass floor of the carrier, slamming his head against it in desperation. “Lost track of him nearly 50 years ago, good thing the triggers still work eh? He’ll be back under our control just in time to be the perfect peacekeeper for a brand new world.”Wolf clenched his jaw and took the sudden lull in triggers to throw himself onto the Hydra bastard again. “Do it!” He pleaded to Steve, tears running down his cheeks. “Please!”“Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu! Get off! Odin!” Rumlow spat out, throwing Wolf off again.The asset was winning. With the connection to his soulmate still lost to Wolf, all he could do was roll over and curl into a ball with his forehead against the glass and his hands digging into his throbbing head.A shout, a crash, and suddenly the carrier was shuddering, explosions going off all around them. Wolf pried his eyes open to see his Stevie struggling with Rumlow for a moment before being kicked to his knees.The agent grabbed a fist full of the blond's hair and twisted his head back to force him to look at Wolf. “I want you to see it, see what they turned him into when you let him fall.” The agent sneered.Tears continued to fall as he looked at the man that he knew and didn't know. He summoned up the last of his strength and mouth the word 'run’.But the blond shook his head, wincing at the tightness with which he was being held. “I'm with you!” He yelled.“Gruzovoy vagon!”Wolf felt himself fall, the asset finally taking control.“Till the end of the line!”The world fell away until there was nothing but sunlight. It was right there, right in front of him the whole time. All he had to do was reach out, take hold and finally stop falling.Bucky opened his eyes. The strength of the love that Stevie held for him poured thick and fast across their bond as he held tight to the image of his soulmark in his head.“Soldat.”Bucky slowly sat up, keeping his movements ridged and face blank. “Ya gotov otvechat.” He said, speaking in the emotionless monotone of the asset, despite feeling the whole world bubbling beneath his reclaimed skin.Rumlow grinned and let Steve's hair go. “kill him.” He purred, taking a side step away.Turning to face them, Bucky pulled the third of his knives from an ankle strap and marched forward. There were tears in Steve's eyes and his pain came across their bond bight and hot, but Bucky forced himself to keep his face blank. The knife twirled in his metal fingers, flashing in the sunlight coming through the sides of the carrier, finally stilling with it's tip clasped between Bucky's finger.“Please.” Steve whispered.The blade turned one last time, the handle now firmly clasped with the blade along the soldier’s wrist as he raised it. “Please remember.” Steve sobbed, leaning forward and clenching his bloody hands.Even with his emotions tumbling and memories flooding back, Bucky’s aim was precise. Up between the seventh and eighth ribs, with a vicious twist just for good measures, left Rumlow’s mouth gaping as he fell to the ground, the knife buried in his heart. Bucky stumbled back as his tormentor fell, letting the breath he had been holding go in great panting gasps.“Bucky?” Steve asked in a voice so small, Bucky could have swore that it was that skinny punk from Brooklyn gazing up at him through his lashes on that rusted fire escape as the curling lilac words cooled on his chest, uncertainty and desperate hope in his eyes. Falling to his knees, the old soldier dragged his soulmate into his arms and buried his face into the crook of Steve's neck.“Just fucking once would you listen to me.” Bucky mumbled, “Got no idea how dumb that was, punk.”The tension fell out of Steve’s body as the beloved warmth he had always felt from his connection with Bucky finally, finally started flowing again. “Worth it.” He whispered, letting his eyes fall close.A crashed and the resulting shock waves rumbling through the carrier, as all three ships continued to blast each other out of the sky, brought Bucky screeching back to said rather pressing issue“Shit.” He whispered, watching the destruction around him. “Ok, we gotta go.”Tugging Steve up and half carrying, half dragging him, Bucky managed to get them to the middle of the glass bottom of the carrier. Digging in his pocket, Bucky dropped several kimoyo beads onto the panel they were standing on and pressed a finger to his ear. “It's all you sis.” He murmured over the comms to Shuri.Tugging his exhausted soulmate close, Bucky smiled and pressed their foreheads together. “Just hold on a little longer doll.”Forcing his eyes open, Steve stared back and shook his head. “Waited long enough.” He muttered and dragged Bucky down. Neither felt the glass beneath their feet break as years of separations disappeared with that one kiss. Bucky's hand was pressed over the words on Steve's chest, 'end of the line’, while Steve's fingers would have left bruises if the shoulder, and the star it held, had still been flesh.The fall into the remote controlled jet, blasting underneath the crumbling helicarriers at just the right moment, was a short one; but the sudden stop was enough to send Steve’s broken and battered body into unconsciousness.He awoke three days later to the soft sounds of Trouble Man playing alongside the beep of hospital equipment.“Bucky?” He croaked, throat dry at what he could not feel.“I'm sorry.” Sam murmured, leaning forward from his chair next to the bed. “He brought you to us and then just. He just turned around and left. Didn't say a word.”Shutting his eyes did nothing to stop the tears spilling out as Steve’s heart broke one more time.Thousands of miles away in a lab beneath the jungles of Wakanda, Bucky closed his eyes as the agony he was causing his Stevie came loud and clear across their bond. “How long?”“Six months.” Shuri murmured as she carefully bandaged the deep gash Bucky had cut into his palm by clenching his hands as he forced himself to walk away from his injured soulmate. “You won't even feel the time pass.”“No.” Bucky said, pulling gently away and walking to the cryo-chamber. “But he will.”“Wolf.” T’Challa tired, reaching out for his brother’s shoulder..“He's in pain and I can't be with him!” Bucky snapped, pulling away from the king's touch. “Nothing you say will make that ok! He's in pain and it's my fault! He's hurting and there's nothing I can do!”Shuri stepped forward and pulled Bucky's forehead down to her own. “To love is to forgive, have hope brother, let him feel only goodness from you.”Bucky's shoulders slumped but he let T’Challe take his hand, frowning as he felt his brother press something into it. Opening his hand, he couldn't help but smile. Bent, battered and rusted, but still clearly legible, were a set of dog tags. One tag read James B. Barnes, the other, Steven G Rogers. Slipping the chain around his neck, Bucky laid back into the cryo-chamber one last time and gently rubbed the tags between his fingers. He reached out in his mind to take hold of his soulmark and let the happy memories flow forth as he drifted off to sleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Steve smoothed down the corners of the surveillance photo of Bucky running down the streets of DC with a duffel on his back. “This is where he abandoned the bike and went on foot.” He murmured, hooking a piece of blue string around the thumb tack the held the photo. Letting the string slide through his fingers, the blond looped the other end around a second blurred photo of Bucky fighting ten Hydra agents. “To this building where he met you.” he murmured, letting go of the blue string. “So where the hell did he get the bike?”“Here,” Sam said, pulling yet another photo of Bucky out of the piles of police reports and security camera footage from all over DC that was spread across a small table that had six desk lamps clamped to its edges to offer the only illumination in the dark room. “Witness said he yelled something about diplomatic immunity and took off with it.”Steve pinned the photo up and used another length of blue string to connect it before stepping back to look at the whole board. It was covered in photos from that day in DC when Bucky had come back from the dead only to disappear again. Blue string connected his movements through the city to Shield’s HQ, red to show his movements through the compound and up onto the carrier and black string traced him after the battle to a vacant lot out of camera angle where he had vanished into thin air. “And he ran to the bike from that same lot.” Sam said, stepping around the table to pin and connect one last photo of Bucky to the board. “Where he appeared from nowhere.”“Another dead end.” Steve growled, running a hand through his hair, long and disheveled after six months of looking for his missing soulmate. He turned away from the DC board to stare at the much larger board against the right wall. Old Hydra reports with Natasha’s scribbled translations in the margins hung alongside photographs showing Bucky’s descent into the Winter Soldier. In the middle of the board yellow string connected several reports and the accompanying photos of the charred remains of an airplane to pins in the center of a map of Africa with Wakanda circled in red ink. Stepping closer, Steve ran his fingers across the photo of the melted remains of a metal arm, the red star on it’s shoulder still clearly visible.Light suddenly flooding the room caused both men to flinch and cover their eyes.“You know,” Tony said from the door way with his finger hovering over the light switch. “When I told you to vacate the war room I meant ‘get ready for the party’ not ‘please make a super creepy murder wall in the coat closet’” “And I told you I didn't want a party.” Steve snapped, shifting folders and photos around on the table in attempts to look busy while completely missing the look that Sam and Tony exchanged over his head.“Ok well, you might not be happy about the whole surviving Hydra/Shield meltdown, but the rest of us kind of want to celebrate that you’re still breathing so get that pretty little ass of yours ready to shake it.” Tony said, waving towards the open door.Not quite ready to give up, Steve glared at the map and twirled a piece of string between his fingers. “Have you had a chance to talk to Wakanda yet?”“Yeah, I got a call this morning.” Sam and Steve turned sharply to glare at Tony.“King T’Challa called to RSVP to the party.” The genius said with a shrug as he turned and walked out of the closet. “You can get your drink and interrogation on at the party. And if you’re planning on keeping that beard, Rogers, at least trim it.”“Do you ever get the feeling he always knows more than he lets on?” Sam asked as Steve self-consciously ran a hand across the beard he hadn't bothered to shave off.While it really was the last place Steve wanted to be, he had to admit that Tony did throw the best parties.The genius always made sure to include something for everyone to enjoy. Mario kart for Peter and the kids, mead and meat on the bone for Thor and the other visiting Asgardians, red wine and a snake to keep Loki from getting out of control and challenging Stephen to a magic duel again, all while keeping the decibels down to a level that didn't bother the more sensitive Avengers, were just a few features of today’s party.“Told you you'd have fun.” Tony said, tapping one finger to the corner of Steve’s smile. “And I got to admit, I wasn't sold at first, but the beard really is a nice look on you.”Steve rolled his eyes and tugged at the collar of his flannel shirt. “I'll have more fun when I can question King T’Challa about the Hydra plane that went down right next to his borders.”Giving the captain an over the top roll of his eyes, Tony waved towards the elevator. “Well you’re in luck, Friday says they just arrived.”Swallowing his sudden anxiety, Steve followed the genius as the elevator doors opened. King T’Challa and Princess Shuri had gone for an inconspicuous look with the former in dark wash jeans and a dark purple sweater while the latter had opted for leggings and a cropped hoodie. Okoye and M’Baku, on the other hand, were every inch the intimidating Wakandan warriors guarding their royalty. Tony stopped short as the elevator doors closed behind the group. "Wait, you didn't bring your Adonis of a older brother? Uninvited! Get out!"T'Challa rolled his eyes. "He is down stairs," he said, pausing as he eyed Steve. "He is meeting an old friend tonight and is a bit nervous."Tony grinned and slapped Steve on the shoulder. "Well! I know the perfect cure for that! One of Cap's patented pep talks. Go get him, Tiger."Frowning as he resisted being shoved out of the door, the blond crossed his arms. "First you throw me a mandatory party that I didn't want and now you’re kicking me out?"Tony got behind Steve and put his shoulder to the super soldier’s back, redoubling his efforts to push the stubborn man towards the elevator."I think you will find talking to Wolf... illuminating." Shuri said with a smile that could only be described as evil. "Now where is my pretty little Birdy?""Birdy?" Steve asked as he was finally pushed into the elevator.The closing doors cut off the scene of Princess Shuri shoving the King of Wakanda into Sam's arm while cooing over how cute their babies would be."Friday?" Steve asked with a sigh."The adopted prince of Wakanda is currently pacing in the garage, I'm afraid there isn't much information on him, however." The AI informed himSteve snorted. "It’s Wakanda, of course there isn't much."There was a pause before Friday spoke again. "While the country has remained relatively secretive, his Highness the White Wolf has remained almost completely out of sight of the public, governments and even Shield. Which is probably a good thing in retrospect.""Almost completely?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow.Friday adopted her 'if I had eyes I would be rolling them' voice. "Boss was quite a bit gobsmacked when he first met the prince at the Wakandan press conference and spent most of the meeting attempting to paparazzi him. This was the best shot he got."An image flickered to life on the doors of the elevator and Steve forgot how to breathe.It was Bucky. His hair was even longer, hanging in loose waves, but it was unmistakably him. Bucky was the adopted prince of Wakanda? The adopted prince of Wakanda that was pacing in the garage? Bucky was in the garage of Avengers’ tower!?Breaths coming in short and sharp now, Steve hugged himself as he reeled with this new information. With a family in Wakanda, maybe Bucky didn't need him anymore. With his left arm replaced with metal, maybe the soul mark that had tied them together since they were teens in 1920s Brooklyn no longer existed. Fear and doubt tied the blond's stomach in knots as the floor number continued to count down. The image vanished as the elevator doors opened onto the darkened garage. Steve's eyes raked the room, heart in his throat. "Your Highness?" He called into the darkness, taking the cowards approach of pretending he didn't know who the White Wolf really was.A hand waved from behind a nearby pillar.Steve took another breath. "Your family is waiting for you." He said, trying hard to keep himself from completely falling apart. A sigh echoed around the garage and a shoulder appeared from around the pillar as Bucky shifted, murmuring to himself. "Maybe this was a mistake." It would have hurt less to be stabbed but Steve kept his voice even. "Meeting your old friend?"The prince didn't respond. "Maybe it is." Steve murmured, voice growing thick from the tears weighing heavy on his lashes. "People change, make new families, find new people to love. They move on."“Please." Bucky whispered, pushing away from the pillar and into full view. “Tell me you haven't.”The look of confusion that clouded Steve's face vanished at the first tear that slipped from the corners of brunette's eyes and suddenly he was running. Bucky took a shaky half step forwards as his soulmate crash into him. For a moment they simply held tight to each other, breathing as one. Steve pulled back a fraction to cup Bucky's face in his hands, gently wiping away the brunette's tears while his own fell unabated. Bucky looked exactly as he had, appearing out of the darkness to save Steve from Rumlow but the blond could see his own fears, reflected in the soldier’s light blue eyes.Taking a breath, Bucky reached up to lay the metal fingers of his left hand over where he knew his own words were etched over Steve's heart. "With you, till the end of the line." He recited, pouring every ounce of the happiness and love he finally remembered across and into the words that tied him to Steve.Steve's hand fell to clutch desperately at where the white star had once been on Bucky's left shoulder as he brought their lips crashing together. It was urgent at first, teeth clashing, give and take pulsing like the tide as both found reassurance that the other was alive and well in their arms. Slowly clutching fingers turned to soft caresses as their desperation fell away until they simply stood, foreheads pressed together breathing the same air.“You thought I moved on?” Bucky whispered, weakly attempting to tease his lover.“After what I did to you. You have every right to your new life.” Steve mumbled, lowering his eyes and shrugging.Frowning, Bucky opened his mouth to argue but the faint echo of a car door slamming set both super soldiers on edge, eyes scanning the darkness for danger. Steve hook his arm around his soulmate’s waist and pull him into the elevator. “My floor, Friday.” He murmured, blushing slightly as Bucky pulled him closer still.“What about your party?” Friday curiously asked.Frowning, the blond tilted his head back to glare at the ceiling. “If Stark didn't have this whole scenario planned out from the beginning, I will go up and suffer through the rest of the night making small talk. Ask him, I'll wait.”Friday went silent for a moment before responding in her 'I don't get paid enough for this shit’ voice. “Boss says you two better be able to walk tomorrow for team bonding brunch.”“I can work with that.” Bucky purred, taking advantage of the unprotected column of throat before him, causing his Stevie to let out a truly sinful moan. Mouthing down to nip at the blond's collar, Bucky's eyes flickered up for a moment as the elevator opens. He pulled back slighting, parting his lips to speak but finding Steve's tongue in the way as he was dragged in for another searing kiss. With a soft snort, Bucky rolled his eyes and reached down to tug his soulmate’s thighs up.If Steve let out a squeal of surprise when Bucky lifted him off the ground without so much as a grunt, only the two of them would ever know. Heart pounding, he wrapped himself around his soulmate, burying into the crook of his neck just like he did before the war, before the serum. Easing the blond down onto his huge bed, Bucky frowned as he saw his tears and quivering lip. “Stevie? Darlin’ what's wrong?” He murmured, wiping them away with a metal thumb.Steve said nothing but pushed off his soulmate’s jacket and tugged off the red henley he was wearing underneath it. He couldn't help it. One hand pressed over his lips to stifle his sobs, Steve traced the mass of scars that radiated out from the base of the metal that replaced his lover’s shoulder.“It's not your fault.” Bucky whispered, catching on to his lover’s guilt coming across their bond.“I let you fall.” Steve sobbed, turning his head away, no longer able to look the love of his life in the eye after all the pain he had caused him. “I didn't even go back and look for you, I should have gone back, I should hav-”Pressing his hand over Steve’s soulmark, Bucky dropped down to capture his lips and silence him. Licking and nipping his way in, Bucky waiting until he had his Stevie gasping for breath and completely speechless before pulling back slightly. “We could spend an eternity pondering the what ifs of our ridiculous lives, or we could say fuck it and revel in the fact that the universe was kind to us today.” He murmured, keeping his eyes locked onto Steve’s to see his words sinking through his lover’s thick head. “And you know me, I’m a fuck it kind of person.”“Fuck it?” Steve whispered, tilting his head slightly and giving his soulmate a watery half smile.“If you insist.” Bucky said that crooked half smile that never failed to leave Steve breathless. The brunette lingered for a moment, however, pulling his Stevie’s hand up to trace the faint lines cut into his shoulder. He smiled as he watch the realization light up the blond’s face. “Shuri normally paints it, but I was hoping you would do it this time.”With a soft moan, Steve dragged Bucky down into another kiss by his shoulder.Cool metal and burning hot flesh fingers slipped up the blond’s sides, rucking up his shirt before pulling it off completely as they broke apart. Leaning back slightly, Bucky began a thorough perusal of his lover’s body, running his hands over the old scars he knew and finding new ones along the way. By the time he had ghosted across every rib and down the flat plane of Steve’s stomach the blond was shaking beneath him.-Steve woke gasping as he dragged himself out of the frigid waters of his nightmare. His whole body was shaking violently with the cold that never seemed to leave him after the ice. “Bucky?” He whispered, ashamed at how his voice shook.Only silence answered him.Flailing to free himself from the strangling covers only confirmed his worst fear as his fingers found the other side of his bed empty and cold. Bucky had left again, left Steve alone and cold again. Curling into a ball, Steve wrapped his arms around himself to try and stop the shaking as pain spread out from his heart.Light spilled into the bedroom and across the bed to nearly blind Steve as a door was wrenched open. Blinking the sudden spots away, he squinted as his breath caught in his throat.“Stevie?” Bucky asked, framed in the soft yellow light with his long hair pulled into a loose bun and dressed in a pair of Steve’s sweats that were slightly too big on him and his red henley.Steve let out a choking sob as his soulmate rushed to his side, cradling him as he fell apart in relief. "Don't leave me, please god don't leave me, please!” The blond cried, clutching weakly as his body continued to shake in Bucky’s arms."I’m here, I’m here." Bucky murmured, gently rocking his soulmate as crushing guilt constricting his chest. “I’m with you, never leaving you.”“You left me in DC.” Steve mumbled through his sniffles and hiccups, instantly regretting the words as they left his mouth but unable to stop himself. “You chose to go back to your family in Wakanda.”Gently pulling away, Bucky cupped the blond’s face in his hands, cold and warm against his flushed, damp cheeks. "Darlin’, look at me." He whispered, waiting until Steve’s dark blue eyes slowly raised to his own. “When I crashed into Wakanda, I had no name and no memories. All I knew was that the only thing that stood between the asset taking control and killing anyone and everyone that got in its way, was the white star and the strength it gave me.”Steve’s eyes widened at hearing that and Bucky smiled. “The strength that came from you. Its what King T’Chaka saw in me that made him decide to save me. He promised that he would find a way to set me free. He kept that promise over and over again, giving me more freedom and happiness than I ever thought I deserved.”The brunette closed his eyes for a moment and let his arms slide around the blond’s waist before continuing. “With his death, T’Chaka’s promise passed to T’Challa and Shuri and has finally been fulfilled. Shuri freed me from the asset and T’Challa set me free to be with the one I love.”Swallowing the sudden rush of nerves, Bucky looked down into his soulmate’s eyes. “If he’ll have me that is.”Steve gave a watery laugh, trying hard to keep himself from bursting into tears again. “I would do anything to be with you Buck, I’d move to Wakanda, I’d give up fighting! If it meant I could be with you.” Bucky stiffened, eyes wide. “You’d give up the shield for me?”“I’d throw it out the fucking window right now if you asked me!” Steve said, making as if to get up and make good on his word.Tightening his grip and blinking away the tears that now threatened his own eyes, the old soldier shook his head. “Nope, not letting you out of my arms. You can throw it off the roof tomorrow.”Falling back and nuzzling against his soulmate’s chest, Steve managed to almost look shy, gazing through his lashes. "I wasn't in your arms when I woke up."Smiling, Bucky tucked a strand of hair behind the blond’s ear. "Your shivering woke me so I went looking for blankets, and my shirt." he said raising his metal arm pointedly.Steve frown and glance up at the ceiling. "Friday? What happened to the Cold Feet protocol?"There was a moment of silence then a faint click followed by Friday's voice as the blankets and mattress of the bed began to warm. "Sorry Boss, your earlier activities confused the vibration sensors and the protocol was turned off."Bucky laughed as Steve attempted to bury his blushing cheeks in his chest. "Thank you Friday" he called, tugging the warming comforter over the both of them.- The next time Steve woke was to the faint rays of sunshine peeking around the curtains. Strong arms were wrapped around him with another body spooning up behind him. "Buck?" He whispered, a weird mix of excitement and fear tightening his throat."If you expect me to be awake at butt o'clock the morning after cryo there had better be a fuck ton of coffee waiting for me." Bucky groused, his stubble scraping at the skin between Steve's shoulder blades as he stirred.Laughing, the blond rolled over and cuddled closer to his lover. "Friday, can you put the coffee on?""I'll try and keep boss from bogarting all the caffeine." Friday responded.Steve was first out of bed, blushing every time he saw his soulmate watching him as he walked around naked, trying to find a clean pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Bucky eventually got up to wrap his arms around Steve when the blond moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Shooing the still sleepy brunette towards the elevator, Steve paused for just a moment and impulsively snatched his dog tags off the top of his dresser and shoved them into his pants pocket, sliding his fingers across the practically pristine surface clearing reading as one Steven G Rogers and one James B Barnes. They rode the elevator up, arms around each other and trading lazy kisses."Look what the wolf drug in!" Tony shouted as the elevator doors slid open."Don't be jealous the Wakandan Adonis likes my ass more than yours, Stark." Steve quipped as he broke away from his lover, earning several laughs from the Avengers spread around the kitchen and living room of the tower. Natasha and Clint were arguing over the spatula and burning another pancake on the griddle while Wanda and Vision worked in perfect harmony at the omelet station. Shuri and Peter were taking turns devouring whatever they could get their hands on and talking Bruce's ear off with theoretical science, not that he was complaining. M'Baku and Thor were arm wrestling in the living room while Okoye appeared to be in a deep philosophical conversation with Pietro and Scott.“Wow Steve, you kiss your boyfriend with that mouth?” Clint teased as Natasha shoved him out of the kitchen with her foot.Flipping the archer off with the hand that was draped across Bucky’s shoulder, Steve accepted a one of the mugs of coffee that floated over to them on wafts of red mist and mouthed a thank you to Wanda. “Steven Grant!” Tony gasped, one hand over his arc reactor and the other waving towards Shuri and Peter. “There are children present!”Looking completely and utterly insulted at being referred to as a child, the princess of Wakanda flicked her hands up, saying something in sign language that had both Clint and Bucky cackling.“Don't let your brother see you sign that.” Bucky called, taking another long sip of coffee before pausing and looking around and letting out a long sigh.“Alright,” He called putting one hand on his hip and giving his little sister The Look. “Which closet did you lock T’Challa and Sam in?”Shuri made an over the top gasp, flinging herself backwards with a hand over her heart. “I would never! Lock our great KING!”“He's in that one.” M’Baku interrupted, waving towards a door down the hall.“Traitor.” Shuri muttered, dropping her act and slumping down.Bucky shook his head and refilled his coffee cup before walking over to free T'Challa “You must stop locking our brother in closets with random bird people.” The key was still in the door’s lock and Bucky tugged the door open. Sam was leaning against the wall of the closet, eyes wide and with a shirtless T'Challa splayed across him. Bucky took a long slow blink and a long slow sip of coffee observing the loose belts, scattering of hickeys and Sam's hands pressed possessively across the glittering silver wings on T’Challa’s back. Lowering his mug, Bucky gave the men a smirk. “Fucking superb you funky little birdman”Bucky closed the door, not waiting for a response and wandered back to Steve's open arms. “Looks like Wakanda is going to have that royal wedding sooner than they thought.”Shuri cackled before leaping up and collecting her winnings from the less intelligent Avengers who had been dumb enough to bet against her. “Men can get married in Wakanda?” Steve asked, eyes wide.“And New York.” Tony grumbled despairingly. “Seriously Rogers, google every once in while, just set it to random and educate yourself.’Steve ignored Tony in favor of giving Bucky the biggest smile ever, tightening his arms around the brunette's waist. “Marry me.”Bucky arched one eyebrow, still waiting for the coffee to kick in.Pulling away and dropping to one knee, Steve pulled his dog tags out of his pocket, holding them up with one hand while holding Bucky’s metal hand with the other. “Marry me.” A love sick smile spread across Bucky’s face as he looked down at his soulmate. Setting his coffee cup down he held the freed hand up in time to catch an object M’Baku threw from across the room. Turning it over in his hand, Bucky shook his head. “It took us eight months to track these down and you go and steal my idea.”Letting the chain fall to hang from his fingers, Bucky held up the rusted and bent dog tags. Barely legible, one read James B Barnes and the other Steven G Rogers.Surging to his feet, Steve giggled, exchanging several kisses with the love of his life before finally pulling back for long enough to loop his tags around Bucky’s neck. “With you.” He murmured.“Till the end of the line.” Bucky finished, smoothing his own battered tags against Steve’s chest.