[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.

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[nerves_of_ice]

They accelerate down the narrow streets after their quarry, past stalls and vendors and other traffic, heading at high speed for a major intersection.

"We're not going to make it," Shuri warns. Bucky starts to reach for the gearshift and emergency brake to throw them into a drift skid, only to hear T'Challa say, "Keep going!"

Suddenly the car tilts up into the air as T'Challa rolls to the side of it and uses his claws to help them corner. Bucky grins, wide and bright. "I've done the same thing with my hand before," he observes, causing Shuri to laugh as the car lands back on the ground and Wakanda's king lands on its hood.

[marvel_npc]

Ahead, Klaue's men open fire on him, splashing his suit with vibrant purple kinetic energy. He leaps for them, clawing his way up the back to the roof, which peels open beneath his vibranium claws as easily as he might pull apart a thin film of plastic.

No Klaue. He reaches in and removes the driver, tossing him behind the SUV and into the path of the remote-controlled car. "Hey, what was that?" Shuri demands, as the car bumps over the unlucky man.

"Don't worry about it," T'Challa tells her, leaping back onto the roof of the car as the SUV drives up onto the curb and launches itself into the air in a chaos of shattered metal and glass. "You're doing great."

[nerves_of_ice]

They streak onto the bridge over the bay, weaving through traffic and zipping past other cars toward their target. Someone smashes out the back window and opens fire. Reflexively, Bucky holds out his left hand in front of Shuri to protect her, then rolls his eyes at her as she snorts.

"Hey, look at your suit," she tells T'Challa. "You've been taking bullets, charging it up with kinetic energy!"

[marvel_npc]

"Pull around the truck," he orders, and sets himself as Shuri accelerates around the large 18-wheeler. His suit is so full of kinetic energy it's more violet now than black, and as Shuri pulls ahead of the SUV, he leaps to land on its hood.

A second later, the release of kinetic energy sends the SUV flipping back over nose, and he arcs gracefully through the air to land back on the controlled car.

[nerves_of_ice]

A quick series of exchanges later and it's clear that Nakia and Okoye are out of the chase, but they have a lock on which car the target's in - and Bucky has a lot clearer idea what the hell is going on, as soon as he hears Klaue's name. Shuri spins the wheel and sends them down another street, emerging on Klaue's bumper.

"Faster, Shuri," T'Challa demands, to which she yells, "I'm going as fast as I can!" Bucky opens his mouth to make a suggestion, but suddenly they're out of time as Klaue leans out a window and aims at them.

"No no no no no--" The blast from the weapon hits the car in South Korea, and in Wakanda, Bucky and Shuri fall to the ground as the vehicle is destroyed and the link vanishes.

"Brother!" she screams.

[marvel_npc]

He has no time to reply; the resulting explosion sends him ricocheting off towards a building, where he runs along the wall to gain some control over his momentum before leaping for Klaue's SUV. Leery of the weapon Klaue wields, he chooses to attack the near front tire instead, ripping the whole wheel off and sending the SUV into a flip as its nose catches the pavement.

"Klaue!" he shouts, as he stalks forward, as the man rolls out of the SUV and staggers to his feet, clutching the precious vibranium. Around them, people gather in a curious semi-circle. T'Challa releases his claws with a metallic sound. "Did you think we would forget?" he demands.

Klaue aims the strange weapon at him and fires. It disrupts the suit for a moment, but only a moment, and then T'Challa is on him, ripping the thing free of his arm. "Look at me, murderer! Where did you get this weapon?"

"You savages didn't deserve it," Klaue scoffs, and in a fit of temper T'Challa lifts him by the throat and shoves him against the wrecked car as Klaue begs for mercy.

Mercy! "Every breath you take is mercy from me," T'Challa hisses, and prepares to strike.

[marvel_npc]

"Hai, Ukumkani!" Okoye shouts as they race around the hood of Deputy Commander Ross's car. Nakia is grateful, because the sharp command in the general's tone draws T'Challa's attention.

"Ihlabathi libukele," she warns, desperate. If he strikes, all will be lost in the eyes of the world outside Wakanda, a world they cannot ignore, much though some would wish to.

[from_the_outside]

From her spot in the passenger seat, she can't see Klaue well, but the worry in Nakia's face and voice are more than clear enough.

Next to her, Ross leans out the driver side window. "Come on, guys. Let's go, huh?"

A siren sounds, and Task Force vehicles come following behind as she and Ross get out of the car to take custody of Klaue.

[nerves_of_ice]

Shuri breathes a huge sigh and her shoulders slump with relief. "He is captured," she tells Bucky. "T'Challa has turned him over to the authorities. Apparently there are many people around and watching."

"There would be," Bucky murmurs. "And if he'd executed him in public like that outside Wakanda -- it wouldn't have been good, Princess. Especially with his particular skills. Captured's better, he can arrange to have him brought here and dealt with. It'll be okay."

[marvel_npc]

"T'Challa will bide his time," Shuri agrees. "He will not leave Klaue there, or with these other men. Not after everything Klaue has done to us, how Wakanda has suffered at his hands."

She removes her communicator from behind her ear and leaves the sand table with a reluctant sigh. "That was fun, though."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Are you kidding? That was incredible," Bucky tells her, grinning. He can't help but be delighted by the technology, even without the slightest clue about how it could be possible.

Still, he'll feel better once he hears from Sharon. It's not hard to put together the fact that she'd been looking into alternate uses for vibranium a few weeks ago with her sudden trip on Task Force business with what apparently would have been a notable black market sale from a known vibranium thief.

[from_the_outside]

Klaue turns out to be a singularly annoying captive. He doesn't seem to care that he's been captured and instead spends his time singing 'Don't Stand So Close to Me" at the top of his lungs.

As Ross grinds his teeth and the caravan winds its way towards the Task Force's safe room, she takes moment to pull out her phone to text Bucky. It's looking like it'll be a long night – what's left of it, the night is already hurtling toward dawn – and she doesn't want him to wait up if it'll take a long while before she can call.

hey, long night, might be a while yet before I can call
I can call tomorrow if it's getting late there

[nerves_of_ice]

They’d had to start the test series over, but it’s not like he’s in any hurry - and at this point neither he nor Shuri are worried about what the results might show. He’s perched on a stool nearby while she reviews the data, and his attention goes immediately to the tablet when it chimes.

A soft, amused breath escapes him as he looks at the screen. A long night, huh? He just bets.

as long as you’re ok
that’s all I need to know
call when you can
its fine

[from_the_outside]

I'm okay
at ease
call you when I can

She slides the phone back into her pocket and tries to remember the time difference between South Korea and Wakanda.

The Wakandans, unsurprisingly, are grim and silent through the ride – aside from Nakia, anyway. She winks at Sharon when their eyes meet, and Sharon suppresses a huff of laughter as they pull in to the safe room. T'Challa and Okoye have a low conversation and the General glances over the Task Force personnel as they get out of their cars, then turns to leave.

"She is getting our things," Nakia whispers to Sharon, who nods.

"What?" she says, and gestures to her pretty white dress. "You don't want to stay in evening wear for this?"

[marvel_npc]

"We are quite stunning," Nakia returns, dryly. "Including Okoye. And yet."

She hasn't had the opportunity to observe T'Challa with outsiders like this before, but cannot fail to notice that this, at least, seems more familiar to him than she might have expected. She is going to have to find out more about how things took place in Vienna and Berlin.

"You know we are going to have to come to an agreement, yes?"

[from_the_outside]

"I know that," Sharon tells her. "And you know that."

She folds her arms and looks over to where T'Challa and Ross are talking. "Do you think they know that?"

[marvel_npc]

"Yes, but I suspect they are in very different places as to what it must be."

The Task Force team brings Klaue in and secures him in the little interrogation room with its two-way mirrored window, while he pokes fun at them the entire time.

"He is very irritating," she notes.

[from_the_outside]

"At least he's not telling us all about his evil plan," Sharon points out. "I hate a villain monologue."

She leans onto a desk and watches as the other agents set up monitors and start brewing coffee. "So I hear you met my special gentleman friend."

[marvel_npc]

"Mm," Nakia agrees. "He is very thoughtful. I can see why you like him."

[from_the_outside]

"I'm just in it for the good looks and charm," she says, then slants a half-smile at Nakia to let her know she's joking.

[marvel_npc]

She laughs very softly to keep from drawing attention.

"Of course."

[from_the_outside]

"Is he doing okay?" she murmurs, after a moment. "Really?"

By himself out there in Wakanda, now with Steve and Tony gone, too. She's absolutely certain he's been downplaying what he's been thinking and feeling, not wanting her to worry.

[marvel_npc]

"He is," Nakia assures her. If her friend begins to worry too much, she will hound T'Challa for things he is not yet willing to grant, and that will be detrimental to Nakia's purpose as well as Sharon's own.

"He is very quiet, and has been keeping much to himself, but I believe Shuri is determined to see to it that this changes. T'Challa as well, now that he has more time to give."

[from_the_outside]

"Good."

She lifts a hand and pats Nakia's arm. "I'm going to go change. Back in a minute."

[marvel_npc]

"Take your time," she says, amused, and goes to meet Okoye as the other woman returns to the room with a pack in hand.

"This will be difficult," she murmurs, and Okoye nods. "Yes. But we cannot leave Klaue with them. Under any circumstances."