𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑 - MCU

II. FIVE YEARS

II. FIVE YEARS
__________

may 2023
five years after the snap

The jet landed safely on the wide meadow beneath the burning Wakandan sun. Steve, rubbing the last of his nap out of his eyes, turned off the autopilot and opened the bay doors. The palace was a sight for sore eyes. Wakanda had taken the snap harder than a lot of other countries. With T'Challa and Shuri gone, the heavy mantel of leadership had fallen on the shoulders of Queen Ramonda, formerly King-mother.

Now, she stood feet away from Steve, flanked by an exhausted-looking Dora Milaje, who Steve knew to be called Okoye.

"Your majesty," he greeted with a nod of his head.

"Mr. Rogers," she returned and gladly took his elbow when he offered. The Queen was clad in the color of mourning, a beautiful black dress made from the lightest material the dressmakers of Wakanda could find, to battle the constant heat. "Your message was vague, and I allowed you to travel here because we owe you and your team a great deal, but do not test our welcome. What brings you here?" Queen Ramonda asked.

Steve sighed deeply, feeling his shoulders growing heavier by the minute. He thought back to the last few weeks and how hope had crept its way back into his heart, after Scott Lang randomly appeared at their doorstep. False hope, Tony had said when Steve had come to him. But even Tony had come around to the idea.

Banner had gotten Thor to come back from New Asgard and Natasha was able to locate Clint and bring him back. Steve had accompanied her on their task to convince Tony to leave Pepper and their young daughter, Morgan, to help them figure everything out.

They were only missing one person now, and Luna Carter was known to have travelled to Wakanda four years ago, on the reliable information Tony had provided. Apparently, she had gone to him prior. To meet Morgan, Luna had explained to Tony. Tony said it had felt more like a goodbye. That was where the trail got cold. Nobody had seen or heard from her since. So, here he was, on a fool's journey to find the girl he had come to think of as a sister.

"Luna," he answered as he shook off the flashbacks. "I heard she came here a few years ago."

"Indeed," the Queen answered. "She was... in a state."

"A state?" he questioned.

"Upset," Okoye answered. "Irrational. 'Freaked out.'"

"Why?"

"She would not tell us," the Queen said. "But there is someone who might know. Right here," she added and lead him across the meadow, straight towards an enormous forest of massive, branching trees that seemed to reach the heavens itself. But when Steve tried to peer closer within, the darkness made sure that all he saw was ghostly shadows.

However, the closest building to the forest was one he recognized; Bucky's old hut. A pang of grief shot through his body, leaving him cold despite the sun beaming down on him. Somebody else seemed to occupy the hut now, cast in the shadow of the large hanging tree.

Approaching slowly with the Queen and her guard, the strange man came into view. He was shorter than Steve by only a little, but similarly muscled. His dark hair was cut short and a beard of the same color was starting to grow on his sun-kissed skin.

Steve, frowning, turned to the Queen. "Who's this?"

She ignored his question and smiled brightly as they reached the man, sitting peacefully at a small table beneath the hanging tree, basking in the sun, his biceps stretching the short sleeves of his shirt.

"Derek," the Queen greeted. "You have a visitor."

The man looked up with a welcoming smile, which dropped from his face as he spotted Steve walking a step behind Queen Ramonda and Okoye.

Steve averted his eyes from the man's too-small shirt, which was surprisingly difficult to do, and stepped forward, his hand stretched out. "Steve Rogers."