Black Panther: Rise of the Princess (COMPLETE)

Chapter 33: Shuri

We had access to everything from HYDRA's system on our ship because of our mini-panther, so once I got back onto the ship with Peter, we were able to look through all of their restricted files. While I was in the Commander's office, though, I also managed to steal his credentials, so we didn't have to code our way into his account either. Everything from their resources to their bases to their bathroom break schedules was at our fingers.

I decided to investigate into the cyborgs first. If I could pull up information about them, Peter would have to tell me what had happened. It wasn't hard to find, because the crates of vibranium had been labeled and tracked through HYDRA's facilities. All I had to do was find a crate that was shipped to Germany, and used to build a cyborg. The file on the crate included a link to the profile for its cyborg, and within minutes, I had what I needed.

"This design is crude," I said, quite offhand, but it got Peter's attention. "It seems more robot than human. A better technique would have been to replicate the bodily functions within the machinery, not just the structure."

He sighed, finally giving up on trying to avoid the subject. "Well, I'm just glad that someone else designed it, and not you. If HYDRA managed to make this, I don't wanna see what you could do."

I kept talking while I looked for a profile on Steve Rogers. I still hadn't forgotten his slip up from earlier. "If I had designed it, I would not have created cyborgs in the first place. Innovation is different than manipulation, and HYDRA manipulated their soldiers too far."

"I don't even want to imagine what it was like for the soldiers," he agreed. "Hopefully they didn't feel anything from it."

Captain Rogers' profile filled the screen. I looked over my shoulder at Peter, who glared back at me and put his hands on his sides. "Well there's no more hiding it."

"Is he truly one of them?" I asked. "Why would HYDRA want to revive him, even in such a horrible way?"

"He was already an Avenger," Peter argued. "Add his...upgrades..on top of that? Not only was he the best cyborg they had, but it was a real slap in the face, too. I never thought I'd see Captain America in a HYDRA suit." He paused, then added, "Then again, I didn't think I'd see him at all, anymore, but..."

Peter trailed off, and I knew he was thinking about the Infinity War. The last battle of the war had taken place on Wakandan soil, and although I hadn't met Peter back then, I had been there, doing what I could to help. Bucky had carried Steve's body to my lab, hoping I could save him, but he had been dead for too long, and I couldn't bring him back. I couldn't be a god.

"Wait," I said, holding up a hand, before turning back to the HYDRA files and searching for any agents that were labeled as spies. Unfortunately, the ones that were had either been cyborgs, and were now destroyed, or had no name, no profile photo, and no identification.

I growled and slammed a fist into the counter, not expecting to dent it. Peter flinched a little bit, before teasing, "Easy, don't break your ship."

"HYDRA would have needed Steve's brain to make a functioning cyborg," I explained, ignoring him. "If a spy had been in Wakanda even before the Infinity War, they could have removed the brain while his body was in my lab."

As Peter processed my words, his face lit up in realization. "I was thinking about that, last week. How did they get the..the...but if they were there...but who has access to your lab?"

I grinned, not pleasantly, but victoriously. "Not many. It will definitely narrow down our search, though, especially after I track his body through our security footage. Steve Rogers is a large person, his body will not be easy to hide, even from recorders."

"Any chance we can find this person based on their profile on HYDRA's system?" He asked, and I waved at the other projection.

"See if you can, but we need to get back to Wakanda." I called my brother on my bracelet. His image appeared over my wrist, and I spoke quickly.

"Brother, we've found a way to find our spy, but we need to return home. May we take the ship?"

He nodded. "Go. I will come later, with the vibranium, but if you think you can find the source of our troubles, then hurry."

I ran to the cockpit and began to activate the engines. "We will. I will make sure we tell you if we find anything."

"Usisi?"

I looked back at him. "Yes, ubhuti?"

T'Challa stared at me through the call. "Be careful."

Nodding, I breathed and focused. "I will, I promise."

The call ended, and I activated the autopilot, entering the coordinates for Wakanda. We were so close, so close to finally resting and stopping HYDRA, we had to finish this, to make sure our people were safe.

I walked back towards Peter. "Did you find anything?"

He shook his head. "HYDRA's smarter than they let on, sometimes. They have a mission center for their spy, but it can only be accessed through the system, not from an outside account. The spy had to come to the facility every time they wanted information from HYDRA. There's nothing to trace, no number, no ID, no nothing."

"The spy did have to leave the outreach center in order to get to Stockholm, though," I mused. "I will ask D'Arku to look through their records. Something will have to turn up, if we cannot find answers at the lab."

"You have to finish your suit, too," he reminded me. "I kinda want to be here when it happens, so you should hurry and do that, too."

I nodded. "Just this once, but there's something else that needs to be done as well."

"Like what?"

Pulling up a third projection, I opened the folder of my more recent projects and designs. I found the one I was looking for and showed Peter.

"Oh, I saw that earlier, back when Romanoff got burned," he said, pointing to the research I had pulled up. "It creates synthetic skin cells, right?"

"That's what SHIELD can do," I affirmed, "But I have been trying to create something bigger. Something that could replace injured organs after a battle. Or, in the case of Steve Rogers..."

His eyes grew wide when he realized what I was proposing. "Cloning DNA. Creating a new body."

I nodded. "Do you think he would want it?"

He looked up at the files, skimming over the research I had conducted over the past few months. It was an ambitious goal, even for me, because not even vibranium could act as a substitute for organic tissue. I had not tested it yet, or even begun to attempt to clone an organ, much less an entire body. If Captain Rogers wanted it, though, I was willing to try.

"I'm not sure," Peter answered finally, "but I know a way we could find out."

"How?"

He pulled out his phone. "I have a friend, someone who could talk to him. I bet if you simplify it and explain it to her, she could pass the message along." He handed it to me, and I looked at the contact name.

"Who is 'Agent Raven'?"

"Someone we can trust."