3| Diamond [Pietro M.]

14. Dr. Shuri

Pietro's fingers gently squeeze mine as our linked hands swing back and forth between us. We're currently exploring the Jungle King's palace, or at least what small part of it he's allowing us to see. The walls are intricately carved with magnificent figures, shapes, and geometry that would make perfectionists and those with OCD drool -- aka, me. "Do you think T'Challa would mind if we just moved in permanently?" I ask, my free hand trailing over the carved out areas, the roughness of it gently catching on the callused skin of my fingertips.

"I don't think he'd mind you moving in." Pietro teases as he leans closer to me. I can't help but chuckle and gently shove him with my shoulder. I feel at peace, strangely enough, as we continue down the brightly lit hallway with shining marble floors. I love how the outside world has no idea this place exists, or at least not in the capacity they think it operates.

"Hmmmm...yeah, I doubt it'd be much fun without my partner in crime to cause chaos with." I lean over and place my chin on his shoulder. My eyes turn upward as I flutter my lashes at him before grinning.

"You'd be begging to leave in a week, tops." My boyfriend declares, a half-haughty-half-teasing tone echoing through the main room the two of us have come upon. It has astonishing views of the outside world as the sun sets.

"Ha! Wrong. I'd be here for at least a month. The food here is hella nice." I hold my hand up, my index and middle finger meeting my thumb above my palm before I kiss my fingers in a theatrical display.

"But is it as good as my cooking?" The older Maximoff twin tries to sway me.

"Pietro, babe, we literally set the Avenger's Tower kitchen on fire. You and I suck at cooking. Don't even try me." I scoff while attempting to suppress the laughter bubbling at the back of my throat. Before he can refute my factual point, which I know he wants to just by the look of betrayal on his face, we're interrupted.

"Iris." The two of us turn on a dime. We're confronted with T'Challa's head guard, Okoye. Her face is stoic as ever as she regards the two of us. "Princess Shuri has requested your presence." I look sideways at Pietro with a hint of concern. I give Pietro's hand a tiny squeeze.

"I'll catch up with you later?" I ask while leaving his side. He gives me a brief nod before I'm following the colorfully clad warrior through the halls of the palace towards Shuri's lab. I listen as our boots thunder through the halls in rhythm with our brisk pace. I hadn't noticed just how quiet it was in the palace until now.

After twisting through the palace, we turn the corner and head into Shuri's underground lab. Okoye gives me a brief nod before taking her leave. My eyes follow the experienced warrior until she's left my line of sight. Rolling my shoulders, I turn my attention forward only to be met by the younger royal. Her unbeknownst arrival in front of me gives me a shock, and I find myself lifting my hands in fists while falling into a defensive stance. She laughs at my startled expression. "Okoye is quite stoic, but I think she likes you." The princess turns and waves me after her. My bewildered expression shifts over my shoulder before righting back on Shuri as I follow.

"I don't know about that...she always has this air of disdain about her when she sees me." I murmur to myself and T'Challa's younger sibling. Shuri just laughs as the two of us descend the ramp.

"That's her normal." The lively scientist tells me. She leads me towards a table near the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the hollowed-out mountain. She picks something off the tabletop and holds it in front of her chest with an excited expression.

"A....bracelet? Are we making friendship bracelets?" I question as she holds it out to me with a teasing look.

"No, these are Kimoyo beads. They're advanced communication devices we use here in Wakanda. They're tied to the vibranium and work only here in the country." I give the princess a skeptical look. "Each bead has a specific purpose. One holds all your medical information, another is the AV bead, which we use for holographic display of information." I nod, remembering seeing a few other Wakandians walking around with holograms projecting from similiar looking jewelry. "We also have a communication bead for, well, you know, communicating." I slip the bracelet on and Shuri moves forward to start tinkering with it. "Yours has a tracker on since, well, you're a fugitive." I lift one shoulder up in a shrug. I'm not offended, and I understand the concerns of the natives. It only makes sense. "And another is what I'm gonna use to monitor your brainwaves and abilities." I can feel my jaw clench uncomfortably.

"I'm...sorry, Shuri. I haven't been able to access my abilities since the airport fight in Germany... Something happened while I was on the Raft, bad memories surfaced, and I haven't been able to reattune to them." I motion with my free hand to my eyes. "Apparently my eyes are indicators if I'm in touch with that side of me or not. They've slowly been losing their normal golden shade and have become a mottled blue and gold." I keep my eyes trained on the princess as she stares deeply at my face. She gives me a quick nod, a look of understanding, before brightening up again.

"That's alright. We can test the enhanced part of you then. Find your limits. Maybe I can even find a way for you to get back in touch with your...." Her face scrunches up momentarily as she fights to find the best descriptor of me.

"Energy manipulation." I offer.

"Energy manipulation! I can find out if your other enhanced senses are tied directly to that part of you or if they're independent. But first, if you don't mind, I'd like to run a few blood chemistry tests and get a brain scan. Is that alright?" I watch her closely with my mind teetering if I want this or not. I'm afraid of the raw memories it may unleash, but I'm also just as curious as Shuri about the limitations and boundaries of what I can do.

"Yeah, that's fine. Let's get started."

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AN:

Uhhhhh I'm sorta alive, but sorta not? Just a big ball of anxiety struggling with my muse and motivation right now. But I'm trying c:

Thank you, loyal readers, who continue to support me during this intense time in my life and for being so understanding that I'm really busy and can't dedicate as much time as normal to this series.

I appreciate the continued support for my works, I really do. My life is just about to get a bit more hectic right now though so I implore you all to go easy on me.