𝑼𝒔, 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 - 𝑩. 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔

10b

Marcella woke up to the feeling of the rumble of the jet landing. Bucky's head was heavy on her thighs. His eyes fluttered open and he slowly sat up.

Steve and T'Challa walked over to them. Steve had cleaned himself up at some point when they were asleep. "We're here," he said as he reached an arm down for Bucky and helped him off the ground. He gave him a jacket to put on over his shoulders too.

"Where's here?" Marcella asked, looking up at them with tired eyes.

T'Challa lowered his head, open for her to take. She did so and he gently helped her up. He wrapped her hand around his arm and then they started to walk down the landing strip of the jet into the bright outdoors.

"Welcome to Wakanda, Marcella." T'Challa smiled to her. He watched her face light up in a way a child's did in a dinosaur museum.

"Oh my." She gasped. The palace was huge, reaching up to the blue skies. Around them there were soldiers in red clothing and strong spears. There was a welcoming party. Marcella looked towards the city which seemed to be bustling with life, then she turned to look at the view. A beautiful sun lowering onto the horizon.

T'Challa brought her attention back to him. "We will keep you safe here. No one can enter this place without my permission."

Marcella nodded, not quite understanding but knowing somehow he was telling the truth. This beautiful place had existed in the shadows and ceased to draw attention to itself. She smiled, and it felt like she could breathe again. "Thank you, King T'Challa."

He held her hand on his arm as he brought her over to intoduce her, Steve, and, Bucky to his mother and sister. He introduced Marcella as the woman he should've listened to many times and his mother chuckled, "You're always supposed to listen to women, have I taught you nothing?" They all laughed and then T'Challa introduced them to the General of the Dora Milaje, the elite soldiers of Wakanda, Okoye. Marcella was amazed. She already loved this place.

T'Challa and his family took them through the palace and into the large medical area. It was full of technology, clean and white. A year ago Marcella was flabbergasted by an iPad, this was so much more. T'Challa's mother parted and left Shuri with them. Marcella noticed how Shuri was analyzing Bucky like she was trying to solve a problem.

T'Challa sat Marcella down on a chair. He took a steep breath and nodded to Steve when he leaned against the wall behind them. "We have a preposition for you."

Marcella didn't know what to say after Shuri explained her offer to practically refigure their brains. Shuri believed she could fix them; take the words that controlled them so violently, and destroy their physical response to them. She could free them.

There was a few problems, of course. There always would be. Shuri had to start from the beginning on both of them. The beginning started in the ice, asleep.

"You're saying it could take years." Marcella reiterated Shuri's words. The young woman nodded.

Bucky looked at Marcella. His brain had been picked apart for decades. He didn't believe it was possible to try and put it all back together. But she looked so hopeful for the first time in so long.

"Shuri can do it. She's already started studying the leaked Hydra files for information." T'Challa seemed hopeful too. He promised to protected them and give them the resources to complete the project.

Bucky thought it all seemed too good to be true.

"We shall give you a few moments to talk." T'Challa declared before nodding at Steve to follow him. The room went quiet between Bucky and Marcella. She looked to him, wondering where to start.