Flesh and Bone ◇ Bucky Barnes ◇

XL: Fetter

Joana

"Sam?"

"Joana? What's wrong?"

"You guys can't come back to Wakanda."

"What do you mean?"

Joana heard pounding footsteps outside her door. She turned back to look at it.

"Someone has taken over Wakanda. Sam..." Joana sighed, holding the phone closer to her ear. "T'challa is dead. His cousin has taken over. He doesn't like foreigners. You can't come back."

"Are you safe?"

"You can't come back, Sam."

"Dammit, Joana! Are you safe?"

"No, Sam. I don't know."

"Where's the Princess? The Queen? The General?"

"They're gone. They've left. He would have killed them."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"I need to stay here. Bucky's here."

"Dammit, Joana," Sam muttered into the phone. For some reason, tears gathered in Joana's eyes.

"You can't come back, Sam. He'll kill you. He'll kill all of you," she whispered back.

"You stay safe, okay, Joana? You stay safe. We're coming to get you."

"No, Sam! Let me talk to Natalia."

"Joana-"

"Let me talk to Natalia," she snapped. A few moments passed.

"Hello?"

Just hearing her voice made Joana let out a breath of air.

"Natalia, listen to me. Do not come back. Do you hear me? Do not come back to Wakanda. Not until I tell you it's safe. Promise me, do not let them come back here," Joana said desperately, holding the phone with both hands.

"I promise, Joana, they won't come back. But you have to promise me something in return."

"Anything."

"You stay safe. Don't get killed. And keep- nevermind, I don't need to ask you that."

"What? Just say it."

"Keep James safe, will you?"

"You know I will."

"Good. You know, Sam and Steve are really going to hate me if you die."

"I know."

"So don't die, okay?"

"Okay."

"And, Joana?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything."