Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Days had passed since I had arrived in Wakanda. My new home was bare and void of anything that reminded me of home. There was only one single mirror placed above the small sink in the restroom and I could barely recognize the person staring back at me. My hair was longer than it had been my entire life, the ends falling nearly past my waist. The color was stained of a dark cherry in an attempt to create another false identity.
I'd lived so many lives and been forced to be so many people that sometimes I can't even remember if Josephine was the person I am or the person I was told to be. I felt like a fractured image of myself.
Later one afternoon a sense of restlessness washed over me. I hadn't seen much of James for the past few days, mostly just glimpses of him out in the flower fields or walking off in the forest alone. I felt an ache in my chest. I missed everything from Natasha to my home in the city.
From the small window of my hut, I could see the bright lights from Shuri's lab in the distance. I combed through my wavy hair with my fingers, twisting it into braids, and set off in the direction of the lab.
When I entered the lab Shuri was engrossed with her work, tinkering and fixing images reflected on a hologram.
"Hello, Josephine," she greeted me. I could hear the smile in her voice. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find your way here,"
"Just can't help myself," I shrugged, taking a seat on one of the vacant chairs.
Shuri waved her hand over the hologram and it disappeared. "Your father mentioned your heart issue when we spoke on the phone,"
My eyebrows raised. "He knows I'm here?"
She nodded, twisting her lips. "He's working on a deal with Ross at the moment to bring you home, but as long as you are with us you are safe from being taken back. Don't worry, he thinks you are in Paris," she winked as my eyebrows drew together. She noticed and began to explain further. "And all he thinks is that he's talking to you through your artificial intelligence,"
"You stole W.A.T.S.O.N?" I blurted out, suddenly feeling protective of him. W.A.T.S.O.N. was mine.
"Only his voice. Here. Take this," Shuri said, handing me a watch-like object.
I examined the object with a mix of confusion and disappointment. "A Fitbit? You're giving me a Fitbit to monitor my heart?"
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
"No," I sighed, shaking my head. Okay, that was a total lie. "I just expected a high-tech heart monitor crafted by you but instead it's a Fitbit. A sad Fitbit."
"Does the same job." Shuri shrugged.
"I suppose," I replied, securing the watch around my wrist.
"Plus that seems like a lot of extra work," she continued. "We will get all your vitals here and document them to see what further treatment we can administer at a later date. It is better to get on top of this now than to wait until it is too late," she explained and I nodded in agreement. Although I didn't think any of this was really necessary. My heart wasn't a big deal.
