Bound By Purpose

Wakanda Forever

It's not at all the panicking mess I had envisioned it to be. The lab is mostly empty as I enter, I was still in their system so that was a good sign. I don't feel a need to immediately reach for my gun because there doesn't seem to be a soul around. I turn left and follow the extremely familiar corridors to the room where Bucky is kept. I walk up to the control panel intending on opening it up. I stop and look up at his beautiful face. Did I really want him to be brought back into the world into the chaos. I let out a breath and step away. The situation is not yet dire. As I turn I'm given a fright. I jump back due to the shock of seeing a face. 

"Malo." I say clutching my chest and looking up at the ceiling in relief. "What are you still doing here?" I ask going to meet him. He was a young lab assistant whom I'd met a couple of times. He had eyes for Shuri anyone could tell that.

"They all went to see the challenge." He answers. "Shuri asked me to stay here." 

"Have you had contact with her?" I ask suddenly hopeful.

He shakes his head and leans against the table behind him. "I've had contact with some of my family in the city. This man... he claims himself to be one of us. His plans aren't good I fear."

"So there's a resistance?" I ask.

He shakes his head again. "People fear him, but we have to respect the rules of the challenge."

I look around the lab. "Are we holding this position or..." At that moment I feel a buzz on my wrist. I look down at the cloth bracelet Shuri had given to me. Of course it meant something, much more than just a symbol of my bond to the royal family. I hold out my arm to Malo admitting that I had absolutely no clue how to use it. He touches it once...

"It's just a tracker." It stops buzzing. 

"Do you think that's good news or bad?" I ask. 

He shrugs. "Could be either one... Shuri never does anything without reason so I suppose we'll find out soon enough." I look over to Bucky once again contemplating what I should do. "You don't have to stay. I can wait here for a sign from her, or from someone within the city."

Wakanda had become my home in these short months I'd been here. "No." I answer, "I'm staying."

"What about Barnes?"

I give him a genuine smile. "I'll let him rest a little while longer. No sense in waking him just yet." The last thing I wanted or needed was for James to be brought back into this mess. "We need to find out exactly what is going on in the city." I turn away from Bucky's chamber and head towards the elevator. I type in Shuri's code and the doors open for us. 

We start to ascend and as the doors open to Shuri's personal floor, Malo is hesitant to step out. "I've never been up here before."

"Don't take personally. She doesn't even let T'Challa up here." I pause remembering the situation. Malo touches my arm gently in a comforting way before we both step out onto her floor. She keeps her secrets here. She had let me up here only twice, both times to advise her on my suit she was creating. It had no windows but she did have a system in the city that could relay information back to the lab if so needed. Sitting down at the chair I try to crack the code, upon failing the password it scans me. Upon realizing that I am in fact not Shuri it shuts down on itself. "Well shit." I say leaning back, I'd thrown that opportunity out the window. "I should've let you handle that shouldn't I?" 

"Yes you should." He says. He steps to my side and leans over. "I bet I could figure this out."

"Have at it." I say wheeling the chair back. Knowing that I'm absolutely worthless when it comes to modern tech I give myself the liberty to have a look around at Shuri's hidden projects. I smile, in a way she was a young Tony Stark, just as smart and always tinkering, always thinking and creating.