And the butterflies that burst from your fingertips

Eight: Shuri and her newest white boy

It was all a blur, and he didn't mean a blur as in it was fast. No, he meant a blur as in literal blurred vision, tinged with black and red. He could dimly recognise the Compound's medbay, at first, but the moments he could remember there were few.

He evidently hasn't stayed there long, and he had dim memories of a jet, then of being wheeled into an odd lab, unlike any he'd ever seen. The glimpses of tech that he could remember seeing were advanced, far beyond anything he'd ever seen, even from Tony.

Then, nothing.

A big patch of blank, where all he could remember was the feeling of peace, and the inky darkness of sleep. When he finally did awaken, he was disoriented, unsure of where he was and what had happened.

He was a rational thinker, however, and slowly sat up, wincing a little as stiff muscles were stretched by his movements. He cast his gaze around the odd, unfamiliar lab and was startled to lock gazes with a teenage girl.

She didn't look happy to see him awake, but she didn't look mad, either. The look on her face seemed to imply that Stephen had wasted her time, and the words she spoke just implied that further.

"Good, you're awake." The boredom in her tone was obvious, and Stephen simply stared at her.

"Where am I?"

The girl let out a snort, as if she couldn't believe he was really asking her that question. "Wakanda, of course."

"Wakanda... like King T'Challa's Wakanda?" Stephen was moving slowly as he spoke, easing himself onto his feet, and the teenager nodded.

"What other Wakanda is there?" The girl turned to a holographic monitor before her and Stephen winced as its blue glow hit his eyes.

"That's some advanced tech you've got there. Puts Tony Stark to shame."

This earned Stephen a laugh from her. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to have been outdone by a teenage girl."

"Ah, he'd be impressed," Stephen replied truthfully. "You can see how impressed he is when Peter manages to outsmart him."

The girl turned suddenly. "Peter as in Peter Parker?"

"You guys have met?" Stephen's head began to ache a little. He didn't even know this teenage girl, hadn't even truly believed Wakanda was this advanced, and now that he was here he finds out Peter and this girl are... friends?

"A couple of times," the girl said with a shrug. "He might have mentioned me. I'm Shuri, if you didn't realise already."

Shuri.

Now Stephen knew who she was; yes, Peter had mentioned her before, in passing. But she wasn't just some friend of Peter's. She was the Princess, T'Challa's sister.

Stephen wasn't one to get awestruck by this information, though. Instead, he set about trying to recollect his thoughts and memories. As the fight slowly came back to him, his hands fell over the stab wound- or, rather, where the stab would should have been.

He let out a low whistle. "Wow. Wakanda's tech isn't the only impressive thing- the medicinal side is incredible."

"You were out for six hours," Shuri informed Stephen, and he just nodded slowly.

"You healed a stab wound in six hours. Fascinating."

Shuri turned from her screen to look at Stephen. "You sound as if you know something about medicine."

"I used to be a doctor. A surgeon, actually. One of the best." Stephen then paused. "Where is Tony, and the others?"

"After he dropped you here, he went back to try and contain Mordo." Shuri tapped something on her holographic screen, and seemingly endless paragraphs of information hovered in the air before Stephen. "Apparently Thor is no longer going to be able to help the Avengers."

"He's... dead?"

"Worse," Shuri replied grimly. "He no longer has his godly powers."

Stephen nearly collapsed then and there in shock. "Wong was right..." he murmured, then pulled himself together. "I have to help them."

"You barely survived that wound, what you need is rest."

"They don't stand a chance without a sorcerer!" As Stephen spoke, several butterflies burst from his hands, darting out of the lab as soon as they could.

Shuri let out a sigh. "Stark will be returning tomorrow. In the meantime, my brother has told me to tell you that you may do as you please here in Wakanda. The only places off-limits to you are the palace, the private labs, and any places of importance to Wakanda's safety, such as the control towers for the barrier."

Stephen looked around the lab for a moment, then let out a sigh of his own. "Alright. But if Tony isn't here tomorrow, I'll be finding my own way back to New York."

Shuri laughed. "I'd expect no less. Now go on, shoo! Get out of my lab. The exit is that way."

Shuri pointed across the lab, and Stephen nodded, turning in that direction. "Thank you. For healing me."

Shuri just gave him the glimpse of a smile. "No problem, white boy."

Stephen very nearly snorted at this, but caught himself just in time. "I'll get out of your lab now."

Shuri just gave him a dismissive wave as she turned back to her monitor, lost in the tech once again. Stephen just smiled to himself, shook his head slightly and began to make his way out. He liked Shuri, he decided.

She reminded him of Peter. And Peter... Well, Peter reminded him of Tony.

As if on cue, a pale yellow butterfly burst from Stephen's palm and fluttered away.