[Leipzig AU] good for trouble

[from_the_outside]

Busan glitters like a disco ball in the night, and no one gives them a second glance as they stroll through the fish market, Sharon in her white dress on Ross's arm, the rest of the team behind them. "Sophia," she says, warmly, and exchanges air kisses with the woman, her pink visor and plastic apron both bright. She knows to expect them, and after she pats Sharon fondly on the cheek, she nods them through.

They spread out through the casino, the team's voices low in her ear. She stays by Ross, playing the part of arm candy, applauding when he wins and consoling him when he loses.

There's no sign of Klaue yet, and the metal briefcase full of diamonds stays locked to the wrist of one of the other agents. "I'm going to get a drink," Sharon murmurs to Ross, and makes her way through the crowd to the bar. 

The martinis here are fine, but not as good as Nat's.

Comments

[marvel_npc]

"She took a bullet for me," Nakia says, disbelieving. "And she is my friend. We are just supposed to let her die?"

Ross glances between them, over Sharon's unconscious body, still in a state of shock over everything he's seeing. "What?" he demands. "What are you saying?"

[marvel_npc]

"That was her choice," she snaps at Nakia, then switches to English and turns to Ross.

"I am not speaking to you," she informs him. "I am addressing my king. Be silent and wait your turn."

Okoye turns back to T'Challa. "They are Americans! We are already at odds with their leaders from before, and it is their duty to report back to their country! And as king, it is your duty to protect ours."

[marvel_npc]

"I'm well aware of my duties, General," he says, quiet but edged. He's been standing at Agent Carter's side, looking down at her and seeing not a golden-haired American, but Nakia, silent and still.

"I cannot just let her die, knowing we can save her."

It is hard for a good man to be king, his father had said. Baba, is this what you meant?

[marvel_npc]

Okoye sighs. He will be a good king for Wakanda, she believes that and always has, but these last few weeks have brought difficult times for them all.

"My king," she says again, softer this time. "I will support you in all things. You know that. But you must be ready to answer these questions. I will not be the only one asking them."

She sighs again. "We will be landing at the mountain, I presume?"

[marvel_npc]

"Let me worry about that, General," he says, but it is more gentle as well.

Instead of answering her directly, he switches to English and looks to Ross. "We will take her to my sister," he says, and glances at Nakia. "I must call her, so she can prepare."

[marvel_npc]

"And the Sergeant?" she murmurs - also in English. "He will want to know."

Ross tenses, she notices, and she gives him a sharp look, but the other man does not say anything.

[marvel_npc]

He will – but T'Challa isn't sure of the best way to contact him. "He may be with Shuri," he says.

"If not, we will call him after."

[marvel_npc]

"Your sister? Is your sister a doctor?" Ross wants to know. He's keeping an eye on Carter's breathing, which so far remains steady, but she's far too pale and still.

[marvel_npc]

"Not exactly," T'Challa admits, and lifts his hand to activate another Kimoyo bead.

"Shuri," he says, quietly, and waits for her to respond.

[marvel_npc]

It is late, but only a little late, and besides she is far too excited from the first real trial of the remote driving system to sleep yet, although she had taken pity on Sergeant Barnes and stopped asking him to help her test things half an hour ago. He had been having fun, she believes, but he is still recovering whether he thinks he is or not and she does not want him to overdo.

She has the music turned up in the lab and is dancing from foot to foot as she throws new ideas up into the holographic model. When the call comes through and interrupts the visualization to display an image of her brother instead, Shuri lets out a loud exasperated noise and sticks her tongue out at him.

"Brother! I was designing!" But even as she says it, a closer look at his grave expression and the fact that he is still wearing the Panther habit causes her annoyance to vanish. Shuri waves her hand at the controller and the music goes silent.

"What has happened? What is wrong?"

[marvel_npc]

"There was an incident," he says. It aches to see his sister's brilliance fade into worry, but there is no pretending that the news he has is good. Klaue gone, Agent Carter injured, more outsiders who will learn Wakanda's secrets.

He sends up a silent prayer to Bast to aid him in this hour of need and continues. "Klaue had allies who broke him out of confinement. Agent Carter of the Joint Terrorism Task Force was injured during the attack. She was protecting Nakia."

He waves a hand and sends the data from the flyer's sand table to Shuri so she can view Agent Carter's vitals. "We are bringing her to you."

[marvel_npc]

Her shock is visible. "Klaue escaped?" She would not have thought it possible for that man to evade the custody of her brother and General Okoye.

Shuri brushes it aside for now in favor of calling up the data on a display next to T'Challa's image, and hisses at what she sees. "This broken white girl is very broken," she says, and ignores the strangled noise she hears somewhere off to T'Challa's side. "You should hurry."

[marvel_npc]

"We are coming as fast as we can," T'Challa promises. "Be ready when we arrive."

He elects not to respond to her first question yet. That will be a difficult conversation to have with many... especially W'Kabi. "Shuri, is Sergeant Barnes in the lab? I need to speak with him, also."

[marvel_npc]

"I will," she assures him. "And no, he is not. I sent him to rest half an hour ago."

She frowns in thought. "I can ask one of the guards to send him back, or ... I do not think he carries the one Kimoyo bead I provided when he first arrived. It only calls Mya and he is very reluctant to do anything that he thinks will bother anyone. Oh!"

Shuri brightens. "He does carry the tablet that I gave him. Here." She taps on her bracelet, transferring the communications link code to T'Challa. "He uses it like an antiquated device for video and audio only, but it has holographic projection capability."

[marvel_npc]

"Thank you, Shuri."

He means it, from the bottom of his heart. "Please monitor Agent Carter throughout our flight. We will see you as soon as we can."

After a moment's thought, he adds: "And I would not be surprised if Sergeant Barnes comes back and wishes to assist. They are close."

[marvel_npc]

"Ohhh. I see," Shuri murmurs. At any other time she would be delighted to uncover this knowledge so that she could tease Sergeant Barnes with it, but under the circumstances --

"I will find something he can do to help."

[marvel_npc]

"Thank you, sister."

He sighs, but he has put off this other call long enough. "I will alert you when we are close."

She nods and he finds a small, tired smile for her, then waves his hand and looks at the others. Nakia's expression is full of worried compassion, and he shakes his head minutely at her. "Deputy Commander," he says, looking at the other man. "Please be patient a few more moments, and I will explain all I can."

He doesn't wait for an answer, just moves away from the table where Sharon Carter lies, pale and still, and to a part of the flyer where he can raise a small privacy bubble.

That done, he takes a breath and sends a signal through his Kimoyo beads to Sergeant Barnes's tablet.

[nerves_of_ice]

After leaving Shuri with her strict orders to 'go rest' ringing in his ears, he'd headed reluctantly back to his apartment, not tired or sleepy in the slightest. He'd almost chosen to retrace the path from the other night down to the lake instead, but decided to wait for morning to avoid the chance that anyone might wonder what he was doing wandering around alone at night.

Having taken a quick shower, he's sitting up in bed and reading when the tablet on the side table chimes. It's not Sharon or Steve, he sees, but a code he doesn't recognize. Bucky sets the book aside and reaches to activate the call, then startles as an image forms in the air above the screen rather than a video appearing on it.

"T'Cha-- er, your Highness?"

[marvel_npc]

The Sergeant looks relaxed and comfortable, his hair drying into a slightly loose mess, and T'Challa wishes with all his heart that he does not have to say the words that will destroy this man's calm.

He has worked so hard for this peace. It seems cruel to distress him – but T'Challa knows he would far rather find out at once than realize his friends had hidden something of this magnitude from him. "Sergeant Barnes," he says, and finds he cannot even attempt a smile. His face is too grave, his eyes too worried.

"I would not disturb you, but I believed you would wish to know. We are returning to Wakanda."

He takes a breath. "I am sorry to tell you that a short time ago, Sharon Carter was injured while protecting Nakia. We are bringing her to Shuri for treatment."

[nerves_of_ice]

He hears the words, of course he does, but at first they don't make sense. Bucky stares at T'Challa in blank silence, unable to accept what he's just heard.

Understanding sets in with the force of an avalanche in the next instant. He's on his feet before he knows he's moving, as if he could somehow throw himself through the image and to T'Challa's side.

"Injured?" It sounds like what it is: a desperate plea. "Not dead. Not dead--"

[marvel_npc]

"Alive," T'Challa promises. It is all he can do for this man in this terrible time.

"She is stable." He elects not to add for the moment. "I am sorry, Sergeant. It gives me no pleasure to tell you this."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Alive," he whispers, clinging to that like a child to a promise. "Stable."

Bucky swallows hard, still trying to take it all in.

"Is Nakia okay?"

[marvel_npc]

"Yes." His voice is very, very gentle.

"Nakia is perfectly fine. Agent Carter saved her life."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good. Good," he repeats. "I'm glad. Sharon would be too. Will. Will be."

Agent Carter saved her life. He'd just talked to her, not two hours ago, and she'd been smiling, she'd said everything was secure and it was only talking left--

"What happened?"

[marvel_npc]

T'Challa's expression sets, grim. "Klaue," he says, the word a curse in his mouth as the man has been a curse on their land. "Associates of his attacked the Task Force space where he was held and broke him out. One man had a gun, an automatic weapon of some kind. Nakia was in the line of fire."

He will not soon forget the fear that had risen in him then, bitter and choking. "Agent Carter realized what was about to happen and pushed Nakia out of the way. She was struck instead."