The Lone Wolf | P. Parker [1]

6 // So long, farewell, auf Wiedersan, goodbye

As I follow Bucky down the winding halls of the Wakandan Palace it finally begins to sink in that I'm leaving. I'm saying goodbye to all of this, to this place that took me in, to these people who stayed at each other's sides, to my sister. That's the one that pains me the most, saying goodbye to my sister for the second time, saying goodbye to my sister for an indefinite amount of time.

"You gonna be okay?" Bucky asks, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah I think I will be," I reply, unsurely.

"You're strong kid, stronger than you think. You'll get through this, trust me," he assures me, and though we aren't close I believe him.

"...Thank you, Bucky."

And then the silence returns, but my existential thoughts don't. We walk the halls to the team and I have a more confident expression, hell I even have a slight bounce in my step.

We reach the room where everyone is and we all begin finalising our plans, we leave tomorrow. Scott and Clint are going to their families, they'll negotiate and fight for their right to stay with them, and hopefully now that terms are better or something, Tony will fight for them too. Natasha is adamant on going her own separate way but is nothing less than cryptic on where exactly that is. Bucky is staying here, to be cryogenically frozen until Shuri can find a way to get HYDRA out of his noggin. Wanda is going her own way as well, although she's being more specific, saying she'll be in eastern Europe, possible going to be near home for a bit, both hers and mine.

Sam and Steve are going to go somewhere in Europe also, keeping it strictly to countries they've never been and to people they've never met. And that leaves me, I feel almost like a traitor not only going to Tony but getting to stay in the country they all call 'home' when they can't. We agree to keep in contact, at least a text every two weeks of your general area and your status. Phone calls are okay as long as you ditch the phone the second you hang up, we're on burners for a while.

After we finish I walk over to Wanda, she smiles.

"Are you ready for this, malen'kie?" she asks.

(Smalls)

"Not quite, but what choice do I have, dríocht?" I reply.

(Magic)

"Well, volk, you better go to sleep, get some rest, we leave early tomorrow morning."

(Wolf)

"I- Wanda, it's like 6:30pm. How much sleep do you think I need?"

"You forget that I sleep next to you," Wanda sighs, "I've seen your tossing and turning. I've been there when you awake. You don't sleep much and I want you well rested."

"Well I could just-"

"I am not having a caffeine hyper chihuahua on that jet, now go, sleep," she interrupts me, shooing me out of the room with a smile on her face.

"Fine, fine, but I hope you're ready for when I wake up at half three in the morning," I warn.

"Yeah, yeah Fian, whatever you say," she replies light heartedly and I go to our bedroom.

I get out my bag and begin packing. I fold all of my clothes as small as I can make them before putting them in my bag. I take all my accessories and add them in too, but not without admiring my iron amulet for a moment or two, and then sighing because it won't see the light of day for another while.

I make sure my brass knuckles are still in the pocket I left them and make sure I've still got my money in my wallet. I'm not sure what I'll be able to do with sterling but it'll be worth something to someone, I figure. After I'm done with that I sit next to my bed and sigh. I guess this is it, I'm really going to bed at, I check the clock, at seven thirty-four in the evening, like a child.