Blood & Honor||Bucky Barnes FF

The Plan

Amari sat quietly beside her brother in the lobby of the building, her back aching from the earlier fight. The impact of being thrown onto the table had left a dull throb across her spine, but she pushed the pain aside. It was nothing compared to the weight of failure pressing down on them.

Next to her, T'Challa sat still, his gaze fixed on the floor. His face was unreadable, but Amari knew her brother well enough to sense the frustration bubbling beneath the surface. He replayed the events in his mind—Barnes escaping, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson disappearing, and the so-called evaluator vanishing without a trace. All their efforts had amounted to little more than chaos.

Amari glanced at him, sensing his inner turmoil. "Yeka ukuzibetha ngento eyenzekayo, mzalwana," she said softly in their native tongue. Stop beating yourself up about what happened, brother.

T'Challa remained silent, his jaw clenched, still lost in thought. His mind raced through the sequence of events. The chase had been swift and brutal, but Barnes had slipped through their grasp. The Panther's instinct was to always be in control, to predict and outmaneuver, but this time, he had come up short.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Amari from her own thoughts. She looked up to see Natasha Romanoff walking toward them, her expression serious but calm. Even in the midst of chaos, Natasha had a way of exuding a steady resolve, a trait Amari admired.

"We need your help," Natasha said without preamble. There was no time for pleasantries. "We need to find Barnes. Secretary Ross gave us 36 hours."

T'Challa looked up, his eyes hardening with determination, but it was Amari who spoke first.

"Thirty-six hours?" Amari's voice was calm, but the underlying urgency was clear. "And what happens after that?"

Natasha folded her arms across her chest. "If we don't find him before then, Ross will send a full strike team after Barnes."

T'Challa exhaled sharply, a quiet fury stirring beneath his composed exterior. "I will find him," he said, his tone decisive.

Amari scanned the room, searching for any sign of Tony Stark. The man was always a presence, and it felt strange for him to be absent in such a critical moment. "Where's Mr. Stark? I thought he'd be here," she asked, her voice holding a note of curiosity.

Natasha gave a tight-lipped smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "He's on his way to New York. Needs to collect someone. We're a little... understaffed at the moment," she explained, the understatement hanging heavily in the air.

Amari's Kimoyo beads vibrated softly on her wrist, pulling her attention away. A notification blinked up on the holographic display. "T'Challa," she said, looking over at her brother, "Attache and Ayo are here."

T'Challa gave a small nod, acknowledging the arrival of their trusted allies. "Excuse us, Ms. Romanoff," he said politely but firmly. "We have duties to attend to before we can proceed."

Natasha nodded in return, understanding the unspoken bond of duty that was now laying on T'Challa's shoulders. "I'll keep you posted if I get any news from Tony," she added, her voice calm but urgent.

After long discussions on getting Barnes and how to proceed now that T'Challa would be king, their where finally leaving the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre to get to a hotel for the night.

In the underpass, the low hum of traffic above felt like a distant echo of the storm brewing beneath the surface. T'Challa, Amari, Ayo, and Attache walked toward the car, their footsteps steady on the cold concrete. The air was thick with the tension of anticipation.

Attache, T'Challa's personal diplomatic assistant, walked just behind them, his eyes flickering over the latest intel streaming across his device. "It's just a matter of time," he said, his voice calm and measured. "Our satellites are running facial, biometric, and behavioral pattern scans. We will find him."

Ayo, dressed in civilian clothing but carrying the unmistakable presence of a Dora Milaje, kept pace beside Amari. As they neared the car, the group came to an abrupt stop. Natasha Romanoff was already there, standing in front of the vehicle, blocking their path.

Ayo's eyes narrowed, and her voice was sharp as steel. "Move, or you will be moved."

Amari stepped in quickly, her hand lightly touching Ayo's arm. "Ayo," she said softly, trying to hide her smirk.

T'Challa, with a hint of amusement in his voice, spoke up before the situation could escalate further. "As entertaining as that would be..."

Natasha held her ground but smiled at the exchange, her eyes scanning the group. "You really think you can find him?" she asked, her tone challenging but not dismissive.

T'Challa's gaze remained steady, unwavering. "My resources are considerable," he replied, his confidence unmistakable.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, her smirk deepening. "It took the world 70 years to find Barnes. So you could probably do that in about half the time."

Amari stepped closer, her voice dropping slightly. "You know where they are," she said, more a statement than a question.

As Natasha hesitated, the weight of her decision was clear. The tension between the urgency to act and the need for caution was evident in her eyes. She finally spoke, her voice low but resolute. "I know someone who does," she said, referencing the elusive whereabouts of the missing Avengers. "I'll get the information when I can, but we all should get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow won't be easy on us."

Amari and T'Challa exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. Without another word, they headed towards their car, leaving Ayo and Attache behind to get into a different car. The night was heavy, and though they were surrounded by the hum of the city, there was a quietness that enveloped them as they drove away.

Inside the car, the soft vibrations of the engine filled the silence. Amari gazed out of the window, her mind racing with the events that had unfolded and the ones yet to come. After a few minutes, she broke the silence.

"Do you still think killing Barnes is the right option?" she asked, her voice gentle yet probing, eyes still fixed on the passing streetlights.

T'Challa, seated beside her, didn't respond immediately. His jaw clenched as he considered her words, the memory of his father's death burning like a fresh wound. Finally, he spoke, his voice low, almost a growl. "He killed our father," he said, as if that explained everything. The words were heavy with pain, and for a moment, the sound of them hung between them like a thick cloud.

Amari sighed softly, turning to look at him. "I know. But killing him would be easier for both you and him. If you let him live, he'll have to answer for his crimes, face the consequences of everything he's done. He cannot do that if he's dead." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Like Baba used to say, 'Eyona ndlela ilula ayisoloko iyindlela elungileyo.'" The easiest way is not always the right way.

T'Challa's clenched fists slowly relaxed, the tension in his shoulders visibly easing. His sister's words echoed in his mind, and he could almost hear their father's voice behind them.
"And I'm sure Baba wouldn't want you to have blood on your hands if there's another way," Amari added softly.

T'Challa finally looked over at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You sound just like him," he said quietly, the admiration in his voice unmistakable. "He would be very proud of you right now."

Amari returned the smile, her heart warmed by the compliment. "I hope so. He did so much for me... and I'm not even his daughter by blood. But he never treated me any differently." She paused, her gaze dropping to her hands for a moment. "And don't forget, brother, he would be just as proud of you. He believed in you. In your wisdom, your strength."

T'Challa let her words sink in, his heart swelling with a mixture of pride and grief. He knew his father had always wanted him to lead with honor, and hearing those words from Amari only solidified the weight of his responsibility.

The road stretched ahead of them, but for the first time that night, the burden T'Challa carried felt just a little lighter. With Amari by his side, he realized he didn't have to face this alone. Together, they would navigate the treacherous path that lay ahead, just as their father had taught them.

As they drove on through the quiet night, the bond between them grew even stronger, their shared grief and love for their father guiding them. Whatever tomorrow held, they would face it together. And maybe, just maybe, T'Challa could find a way to honor his father's legacy without letting vengeance consume him.