Broken Wings

Chapter 4 Wakanda

The preparations to return to Wakanda went quite smoothly. Talia was quick to agree to being blindfolded for the ride at Okoye's insistence, although the agent had no idea why she should be. It wasn't like she didn't know where Wakanda was on a map. But if it meant getting her father to medical assistance faster, she was willing to do anything. Even cut off her own leg, if it came to it.

Still, Okoye was very obviously displeased by the turn of events. Nakia had since gotten behind T'Challa's decision after the shock of his suggestion wore off, but Okoye remained unconvinced. And she said as much in the jet back to Wakanda, speaking in a low voice in her own native tongue, wary of being overheard by the female agent sitting silently in the corner beside her father's feet.

"Our mission was to bring back Klaue. We failed. This man is a foreign intelligence operative. So is his daughter. How do we justify bringing them into our borders?" Okoye demanded.

"He took a bullet for me." Nakia interjected sharply. Okoye shrugged.

"That was his choice." She pointed out, and Nakia bristled angrily.

"So now we are just supposed to let him die? Leave that girl fatherless?" She shot back incredulously.

"Let us consider that we heal him."

There was no malice in Okoye's voice, just a practicality that was almost brutal in its impartiality.

"It is his and his daughter's duty to report back to their country." She turned her attention back to T'Challa as she reminded him, "And as king, it is your duty to protect ours-"

"I am well aware of my duties, General." T'Challa cut her off a little sharply.

Then, as if realizing he'd been too curt, he added in a slightly softer but no less frustrated tone, "I cannot just... let him die. Knowing we can save him."

Okoye's eyes narrowed and she asked slowly, "Where exactly are we taking them?"

************

Talia's blindfold was removed as they made their way presumably inside. The air was cooler; dryer - controlled. Her suspicions were proven correct as she found herself in a well-lit corridor just off the hanger they had apparently arrived in. Everett was already rolled out on a steel gurney (and he was completely covered, which she found odd), but Talia paused as she realized it had no legs and instead was floating perfectly steadily along.

Filing that information for now, she quickly followed T'Challa as he gestured for her to come with him, and together, they swiftly headed deeper into the corridor. Okoye marched right behind Talia, clearly wary. And Talia didn't doubt that if she so much as stepped a toe out of line, Okoye wouldn't hesitate to arrest her. If not worse. Nakia was much kinder as she walked beside Everett's head and cast him worried looks every now and again.

Halfway down wherever they were, a slim young woman probably not that much younger than Talia herself came around the corner to meet them. Talia glanced briefly at the pretty girl as she came up toward T'Challa; before she tensed as the young woman instead reached over and pulled back the cloth covering Everett's face.

"Great! Another broken white boy for us to fix." The girl said sarcastically before she grinned widely. "This is going to be fun."

"Excuse me, he is not broken nor is his life a game for your amusement." Talia cut in sharply.

The girl looked startled by Talia's outburst while T'Challa cut in smoothly, "Shuri, this is this man's daughter, Talia Ross. Agent Ross, this is my sister, Shuri."