The Eternal Avenger

Chapter Thirty-Four: Trouble In Paradise

(Claray's POV):

Shortly after Natasha and Steve left, we were all preparing for the day when T'Challa would become king. He and Okoye went on a mission to retrieve his ex-girlfriend Nakia for the ceremony. When she was brought back, Nakia, Shuri, and I shared an instant camaraderie over teasing the prince, and easily became fast friends. It wasn't long, however, before things in Wakanda began to fall apart. I spent most of my time outside the palace working with Bucky and spending time with Ayo, discussing her abilities and working with her on hunger control. The more time I spent with the fearsome woman, the more I appreciated her drive and dedication to her country and to her king. Ayo, Bucky and I were out walking the boarders of the tiny yet impressive nation when our Kimono beads activated. There was trouble. We hurried back towards the palace, only to be met halfway by Shuri, Nakia, Ramonda (Shuri and T'Challa's mother) and a small, anxious looking white man who looked even more out of place than I did.

"What's going on?" I asked, seeing the tear stains on Shuri's face. Her vacant expression was terrifying. Nakia wrapped a comforting arm around Shuri's shoulders, looking at me and shaking her head.

"T'Challa is dead," she murmured, trying not to aggravate the princess further. My eyes widened in shock.

"What?" Ayo immediately snapped to attention.

"I must go," she announced. Nakia nodded sadly.

"Okoye is at the palace expecting you," Nakia informed the woman, who marched off without so much as a backwards glance. I watched her walk away, concerned. "The Dora Milaje are loyal to the throne, not the person who sits on it," the African woman explained to me. I hesitated, worrying about Ayo's safety given the circumstances, but knew the warrior could defend herself.

"What do we do?" I turned to the women, squaring my shoulders, preparing for whatever answer they might give me.

"We are going to head towards the mountains and see if M'Baku can help us," Nakia began. Then the Queen Mother lifted her head for the first time that evening, staring Bucky and me directly in the eyes.

"You two should lay low. We don't want him finding you." I nodded, turning towards the soldier and gesturing towards the forest.

"We'll stay out of sight. Please keep in touch if you need us." Nakia nodded, hugging me swiftly before wrapping her arm around Shuri's shoulder and leading them off into the night. I turned to Bucky and sighed. "Want to go camping?" The super soldier smiled at me.

"I've been hiding off and on for 70 years. Maybe you can tell me more about Natasha since you never mention her at all." I rolled my eyes at the jibe, and he grinned at me. Ever since we started working together, I've been seeing bits and pieces of his sense of humor shining through the gruff exterior. We decided to not return to the palace or his hut and set off with the supplies we had on hand, knowing that – if it came down to it – between the two of us, we could easily fend for ourselves. Unfortunately, however, I left my phone at the palace in my room, expecting to be back, so there was no way I could give Natasha a heads up. Oh well. Doing so would just worry her anyway, and I didn't want the ex-Russian assassin starting an international war on the African continent just to try to find me – which, face it, wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

(Natasha's POV):

I was laying on the floor of my hotel room, legs up on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I picked up my cell phone again, checking for any updates, messages, or texts from Claray. Nothing. I sighed, trying to pull myself out of an anxiety spiral, wondering what could be happening with my hybrid. I heard a commotion outside, jumped to my feet and flung open the door, finding Wanda standing there. Her eyes had a haunted expression, but they were shining bright at the sight of me. I ignored words completely, pulling the young witch into a tight hug. "It's good to see you, Wanda," I finally spoke gently, ushering her into my room. She sat on the edge of my bed, looking around the room. "I know, it's not much." She chuckled.

"I've been in a tiny cell in a straitjacket for weeks, I think I can manage a dumpy hotel," she smirked. At least the incarceration hadn't dented her sense of humor.

"I'm sorry you got stuck there, Wanda. I would have come for you sooner if I could have." She waved me off nonchalantly.

"I know, Natasha." We talked about the rest of the team – Clint had decided to go back to his family, submitting to house arrest willingly. Scott took a similar deal, preferring to spend as much time as possible with his daughter. Wanda was going to come with Steve, Sam, and I wherever the journey took us. The room fell silent as each of us became wrapped up in our own thoughts. Wanda finally broke the silence with a question that sent the pit in my stomach spiraling again. "How's our hybrid?"

(Wanda's POV):

As soon as I asked about Claray, Natasha's face pinched in worry. "What is it? What's wrong?" I rushed to the former assassin's side, grabbing her shoulder and turning her to face me.

"I haven't heard from here is all," she muttered, inhaling deeply, trying to calm herself down. I closed my eyes for a moment, tilting my head in confusion, then couldn't stop laughing. Natasha's brow furrowed as she looked up at me. "What?" I put a hand over my mouth, trying to stop the laughter. Finally, between giggles, I was able to explain.

"She's with Bucky – it looks like they're in the jungle, camping. And she's talking about you – Bucky is falling asleep mid-conversation." A smile ghosted Natasha's face momentarily. I glanced at her, smiling tenderly. "You must have done something right. She's head over heels for you." Her smile couldn't be contained this time, and she visibly relaxed, shaking her head.

"Let's just hope Bucky doesn't get so sick of her talking that he kills her before I get to see her again," she joked. I frowned, closing my eyes again, focusing. "What? What is it?" I reached out to Claray with my mind.

"Are you okay?" I asked. The message I received in return was slightly jumbled, but understandable enough.

"There's trouble in Wakanda. Bucky and I are laying low. We're safe. Keep the redhead away." I turned to Natasha again.

"She says that there's some trouble in Wakanda, but that she's fine. And to keep you away," I said, relaying the message, trying not to laugh again. Natasha rolled her eyes at the exact moment another one of Claray's thoughts came through."

"She's rolling her eyes again, isn't she?" The laugh spilled out of my mouth before I could stop it. Natasha glared up at me from her spot on the bed, and I lay down beside her trying – but failing – to contain myself.

"She misses you," I managed to get out between chuckles. Natasha grumbled in response, and we lay down next to each other, catching up, allowing our minds to wander as we reconnected. Natasha felt like a big sister to me, and I was incredibly happy that she found someone as amazing and unique as Claray was to care for her. Despite her tough exterior, inside Agent Romanoff was a marshmallow, and she allowed the hybrid to take care of her in a way that few others ever could. It was good for her. I allowed my mind to wander slightly to Vision. Despite myself and his attempts to keep me at the compound, I know he was only doing what he thought was best for me. It wasn't his fault, really. I wondered when I would see him again, and if my growing feelings for him would still be the same when I finally did.