The White Wolf

XXI

"Ava!" Shuri ran toward Ava and Bucky as they stepped off of the jet, back onto the landing pad behind the palace. Shuri's eyes were wide, her head shaking hard as she ran to them. Panic was in her midnight eyes, her chest heaving and her hands shaking.

The blonde's lips pressed into a concerned frown, seeing Shuri look so panicked. "What?" She asked as they met in the middle Her brows pulled together and Bucky frowned, looking at the teen and stood behind Ava.

"I should not have let the two of you go." She swallowed nervously. "T'Challa knows." Her voice trembled.

Ava scoffed, cracking a smile. "You're pranking us." She shook her head, praying that is was only a joke while her face warmed. "We got back before our 48 hours was up."

"He got back sooner. He was able to come home early, Ava... I- I tried to cover for you, but... I'm so sorry, Ava." Shuri said seriously, tears building in her eyes. It was right then and there that Ava knew she was telling the truth.

She shook her head quickly, starting to panic. Her heart began to race and her eyes grew wide. "Where is he?"

"Waiting for you and Barnes inside."

Ava felt the blood drain from her face, a rock sinking inside of her stomach. "Sh*t." She whispered shakily. She swallowed slowly, looking up at Bucky, fear filling her blue eyes. 

Worry filled his own eyes, and he gently took hold of her hand. "It's going to be okay." He reassured, though he didn't believe it himself. She pressed her lips together with a sigh, the fear in her eyes turning into determination as she looked to the palace, stepping forward. Step by step, she lead the way inside until they, and Shuri, stood before T'Challa and Okoye.

Disappointment. It was written on T'Challa's features as he stared at Ava. He held his hands clasped in front of him, his lips pressed together as he sighed. Okoye couldn't even look directly at her. Ava swallowed as a lump began to form in her throat. She could feel Bucky standing close behind her, just as many nerves radiating off of him as there were radiating off of her.

"I thought you were better than this." He spoke in Xhosa, shaking his head at her slightly. His voice cracked with pain, like she had betrayed him. She opened her mouth to speak, to explain, but he cut her off. "How could you do this? You got my sister to lie to me. I thought you were supposed to be my sister too."

"T'Challa, I can explain-"

"No!" He snapped, his eyes wide with anger. She clamped her jaw shut, flinching slightly. "I defended you, protected you from a proper trial when you killed that man. And you repay me by taking him out into the world, knowing full well the risk it posed to him and the entire country?" He scoffed. 

Bucky stepped up to stand beside her. "Sir, it was my fault, I-"

"I know the truth already. Let this be your one warning. You are here because you are innocent and in need of help, but if you ever pose a threat to the safety of my country ever again, you can find yourself locked in our prison or kicked back out into the world so that the CIA may handle you as they so plan to do if they find you." T'Challa spoke clearly. Angrily. His eyes were narrowed, peering up at Bucky. He then shifted his dark eyes to Ava again. "And you. You shall stand to face a proper trial of the elders tomorrow for your crimes. Until then, you shall spend the night in your own hut. A guard will be at your door to make sure that nobody enters or exits. I hereby ban you from any sort of contact with Sergeant Barnes until the trial makes their decision on further punishment."

Her breath hitched in her throat, her chest feeling like an elephant was sitting on it- crushing her lungs. She felt the burning sensation of tears prickle at her eyes and she shook her head in protest. "N-no, T'Challa, please... We-we're friends, y-you can't do this!" She begged, stepping forward toward him.