The Eternal Avenger

Chapter Thirty: Wakanda

(Claray's POV):

I followed the Wakandan King as he led me through the aftermath of the battle. I wasn't sure how I popped up on his radar, but I wasn't in chains or wearing a straight jacket, which was more than I could say for Wanda. It took every ounce of self-control I had to avoid dashing over to her, breaking the heads of the soldiers guarding her and setting her free. She saw me walk past, her eyes glassy and numb, and she looked as though she was shutting down.

"Wanda, I'm going to come back for you," I projected into her head. Her eyes followed me, and a small smile appeared on the corner of her lips.

"I know you will," she responded. "Be careful, Claray." I nodded before I was ushered into the back seat of a black, fancy car. I took one last look at the witch.

"I love you, you know, Wanda," I thought quietly. The smile increased on her face.

"Love you too, princess." Despite her captivity, the laugh echoing in my head from her direction made my heart smile. The device they placed around her neck began to glow red, and her thoughts immediately became dampened - they felt strange. The device must inhibit her magic to some degree, but she still smiled at me stoically, nodding, mouthing the words "it's okay" to me as I stared over my shoulder.

T'Challa slid into the back seat behind me, nodding to the driver to proceed. "Where are we going?" I asked curiously. The soon-to-be king looked at me appraisingly, carefully formulating his answer.

"We know what you are, Ms. Ridel," he spoke softly despite his fierce outward appearance. I sat back in my seat, just watching him closely. "I think we could use your help, and you could use ours."

"With what?" My curiosity was getting the better of me. The man smiled at me.

"You'll see." We drove for a short distance before the car pulled up beside an empty field and T'Challa climbed out. I frowned.

"Are you planning on trying to kill me?" I climbed out of my seat, staring over the top of the car at the almost-king, my voice humorless. T'Challa just smiled at me and pressed something on his wrist, a jet materializing behind us in the field. My eyes widened in shock. Two beautiful, bald women descended the jet's ramp, approaching the vehicle. They were holding spears. If my eyes could widen any further, they would have – there was no mistaking the fact that these women were deadly.

"As I said, Ms. Ridel, we could use your help, and I think we could be of help to you." He nodded to the women who followed his lead and led me onto the jet. When they showed me to a seat that was, no doubt, easiest for them to keep an eye on me from, I spun in my seat to face the prince.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Ms. Romanoff can be very persuasive," he said, wistfully. My frown deepened. Natasha?

"She told you?" My heart and my brain were both racing, and it felt as though they were running in opposite directions from each other. I felt like I was being torn apart from the inside. The prince said nothing in response, simply moving past my position to take a seat on the other side of the jet. He reclined his seat, settling in for the journey. I relaxed, recognizing the futility of trying to push the matter further, stretching out as much as the space allowed, the women finally convinced I wasn't going to try some kind of escape, settling into their seats nearby.

(Natasha's POV):

After getting into an argument with Tony back at the compound, I felt anxious and upset about how things had gone down. T'Challa and I had developed an uneasy mutual respect from when we met at the signing of the Accords, and when I approached him about a lead on where Steve and Bucky went, he was eager to make a deal. I sighed, pulling my phone out of my pocket, and pulling up my messages to Claray. "Are you okay?" I typed, hitting send before I could second-guess myself. I thought back to my earlier conversation with the prince. He already knew exactly what Claray was – I didn't bother to ask how. But he told me in exchange for information on where Barnes was likely to turn up, he would make sure that she was kept out of the US Government's hands and taken somewhere safe. I agreed to his terms, tracking Claray's phone to figure out where they were headed, which is how we ended up at the airport in the first place. I sighed again, tossing the phone onto my bed. Wanda, Clint, and Sam were sitting in a prison somewhere. Claray was on her way to Wakanda. I led T'Challa to his target, but then prevented him from catching Barnes, and like Tony said the oversight committee was likely going to be coming for me. I glanced around the room wondering if I had made the right decision, wondering what would become of the ragtag little family I pulled together, and wondering if this place would ever feel like home again. I packed a bag, taking one last look around the room and the compound before heading to the garage, piling my stuff in the car, and leaving Upstate New York – potentially for good.