Soldier Of Summer: The Equinox

Knives and Rings

   "Ah, so you're the broken white girl that I'm supposed to fix!" Shuri turned away from Evyr and held her right hand out for me to shake. Up until then I had kept my metal hand in my sweatshirt pocket, so it was weird when I pulled out my hand to shake.

    "Oh there's your arm!" Shuri rolled up my sleeve to examine it more closely, and I recoiled at the sudden motion.

   "Oh, I'm sorry," she really did sound ashamed of herself. "I forgot you are sensitive to the touch."

   I smiled. "No worries," I said to put her at ease.

   "Wait what?" Evyr said. "I thought we were here for me. Why do you need fixing?"

   "We'll we are here for you," I responded, a little proud of myself for having the attention I must admit. "But I also need a new arm, and have for a little bit."
  
   "I had no idea this was happening," she turned to Steve, a little hurt that she wasn't in the loop. He shrugged sorry, and she huffed in frustration.

    Shuri brought me to a table with a bunch of different gadgets on it.

    "I have many different designs for your new arm Auriana," Shuri smiled as she pulled out a drawer with different models of arms, all made of Vibranium. There were twelve in total.

    "Wow, you are thorough." I grazed the one that looked like my dad's. It was navy blue with gold stripes on it.

   "I like to have choices," Shuri said. "And don't worry, all your measurements are correct, and each arm has different weapons for you to use."

    "Hey!" My dad cut in. "I didn't get any weapons, why does she get weapons?"

    Steve looked down at his feet and Bucky clenched his teeth.

    "You told them not to give me any weapons!" he mocked being hurt, but I knew that he didn't really care. I think that he was even relieved that he didn't get weapons. Even with the trigger words out of his head, he didn't trust himself.

    "I can't believe you get weapons!" Evyr grinned and shook my shoulders, not even really caring anymore that she was the deciding factor of saving the world. It was as if she was a normal girl picking out clothing at a mall with her big sister.

   If only that was the way things actually were.

   I nodded. "I know Evyr. But I do have a question." I turned to Shuri.

    "Shoot."
 
    "I have to make this look like a flesh arm. I mean these are all great, but none of them look like a normal arm," I said.

    "Why?" Evyr asked.

     "Because I feel like people would be more comfortable if I looked like them."

     "I guess..." Evyr was obviously not in agreement, but it was my arm so she stood back a bit.

    Shuri nodded and pulled a different drawer, which had a bunch of rings in it.

    "Rings?" I asked.

    "Yes!" Shuri exclaimed. "They will create a flesh covering for your arm when you put it on. I modeled it after my brother's suit, which is carried within the teeth of his necklace."

    "It is quite excellent technology," Bruce smiled.

    "Thank you Banner," Shuri turned back to me. "You can try one of them on if you'd like, see how it feels."

   I took off my sweatshirt, under it was a gray athletic tank top. She grabbed a thin silver band, and placed it on my metal index finger. It was weird to see flesh growing on my arm. It grew quickly, and the whole thing only took a few seconds. The color matched my skin tone perfectly.