Veronica Barnes: Trained to Kill

XXII.

Date: 3/11/2017
Location: Wakanda

Veronica looked out the window of the jet she was in as it soared through the sky and through an invisible barrier. Loki sat in the plane with her as well, telling her stories of Thor and himself when they were little.

"He would love you," the God spoke in his usual accented tone. "He always said he wanted a niece."

She laughed as the jet continued to fly. "A niece? Are you suggesting you two are similar to my uncles?"

"It's better than daughter, is it not?" he questioned. The girl rolled her eyes and stood from her seat as he did. "We say goodbye to your father, which I am sure he will love to see me, and then we head off to Asgard where we rule side-by-side."

"That's the plan," she nodded, watching as the doors began to open by themselves. She stepped out, Loki following behind her as they made their way through the tall grass to where a man stood with two women to his sides.

"Veronica," he spoke as she stopped in front of him. "It is nice to see you again." He reached a hand out to her, ungloved as he wasn't in his Black Panther suit.

"You, too, T'Challa," she responded, taking his hand in hers before dropping it to acknowledge the girls. "You must be Shuri," she smiled, watching the girl nod. "And Nakia."

"He won't shut up about you," Shuri spoke, watching as her brother shot her a glare. "Oh, don't look at me like that, brother. You know he does, you, Ayo, and Okoye have heard it too."

"Yes, we have, but we ultimately decided not to tell his secrets to her," he groaned, shaking his head. "Ayo is waiting for you on the other side of the field to take you to the White Wolf." His body turned to Loki, watching as the God crossed his arms behind his back. "We will take Loki inside until you have said your goodbyes."

She smiled before making her way through the grass to the other side of the field where Ayo stood in her Dora Milaje uniform. Veronica herself was wearing a pair of black combat pants, a tight black tank top with a leather vest over top, and her black utility boots, her hair chopped off at her shoulders now, a last minute decision she had made while getting ready the night before. The hair made her look older, like she could be in her early to mid twenties. She looked more like her mother, now.

"Veronica," Ayo spoke in greeting, holding her staff at her side. "He is this way."

She walked in silence behind the woman down a hill to where a hut stood at the side of a pond. When they arrived, Ayo gave her a nod before walking back up the hill to leave her in private with her father.

Her hands reached towards the curtains that hung on the opening of the hut, moving them out of the way to allow her to step through. Bucky sat on the floor, his hair still long and down to his shoulders, the same length as her's.

"How has Wakanda been, White Wolf?" she asked getting his attention.

He turned to look at her before standing up off the ground and wrapping his right arm around her in a hug, his left arm gone. "Veronica? Why are you here?"

"Saying my goodbyes," she spoke, making him narrow his eyes at her in confusion. "I had an offer from a friend to go with him to his home, which I am afraid is not on this planet."

"What sparked that?" he questioned. "Did someone die?"

She shook her head and scoffed. "Worrisome that the first thought we think of when we hear that sentence is to ask if someone is dead." She crossed her tattooed arms across her chest, each individual flower inked against her skin gleaming in the light. "I had a rough exchange of words with someone after getting arrested for being an assassin and then freed by Tony Stark. I've always wanted to go to Asgard, anyways."

"Asgard?" he asked. "Are you friends with Thor now?"

A laugh escaped her. "Nope. His brother. Speaking of which, Sam is really fond of me."

"He's annoying. There's always something with him." Bucky dropped down on the floor, leaning against a wall.

"You are correct there," she shook her head, sitting down on the floor beside him. "He calls me 'Mini Barnes'."

He nodded his head as he chuckled, leaning back against the wall. "Did your mom say anything to you?"

"Yeah, she did," she replied, smiling over at him. "She saw the same thing I saw, but the roles were reversed. Our best guess was HYDRA planted an image in our head with their fancy tech shit."

"They'll do that," he replied, trying to make a joke, but it came across as painful. "Were you pardoned when you were arrested?"

"Yeah, they pardoned me." Her voice was riddled with sadness as she looked over at her father, looking sad and disheveled. "Do you just spend every day here in Wakanda like this?"

"Mostly. Sometimes Shuri and Ayo come down to talk, but I'm mainly on my own. The kids like to come down when I'm wearing the medal arm to hang off it like a jungle gym."

She grinned. "I bet they like that."

He swallowed roughly, the lump in his throat still remaining there despite the attempt. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Veronica's eyes found his as she shook her head. "You can't help that you weren't there. Neither can mom. I found a way out. I found a way to you both, and we need to focus more on the time we have together now more than the time that was lost."

"You're very smart." His lips formed a sad smile as he looked away from his daughter. "You're like Natasha in that way."

"I'm going to get you out of this, dad," she spoke, ignoring his statement. "We'll get you pardoned and back to the states so I can spend time with you. I promise."

Bucky nodded his head to her, watching as she moved towards him and embraced him close to her. "I'll see you soon," he whispered to her.

"See you soon."

...

Veronica met Loki back up at the palace, T'Challa staring him down as they sipped tea together. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her pants, glancing between the staring contest the two were stuck in.

"Alright, alright," Shuri spoke in annoyance. "You two princesses haven't stopped staring each other down since you got here. Loki is a friend of Veronica, and we trust her."

The girl laughed, putting her hand on Loki's shoulder, breaking him from the chance. "We need to go, now," she spoke.

He nodded, standing up from his seat and bending over to sit the tiny tea cup down on the table in front of him. "Yes, we do." The two walked from the building, Shuri and T'Challa following behind them. Loki wrapped his arm around Veronica's waist, his physique disappearing and image turning into Thor. "Heimdall," he spoke, holding his hand up that hoisted a fake Mjolnir.

The two disappeared in a flash, leaving behind an imprint on the grass they stood upon, Shuri smacking her brother on his arm. "Be more accepting, brother."

"I am accepting of people," he spoke. "Just not when they mark up my fields with their God embellishments."