Blue Phoenix - MCU Civil War Replacement

Chapter Thirty Eight

I'd been up in the library with Ramonda, learning some of the history of Wakanda when the pair of Dora Milaje that were standing sentry at the library doors had received the call that I'd want to head to the lab. They'd been in the lab almost every waking hour for the last three days so I was excited to see what they'd found.

Steve smiles at me from where he sat along the windows that looked out over the city and gets up to stand beside me as I stop in front of Bucky and Shuri, the later grinning ear to ear. He'd insisted on staying with Buck and judging from the look of joy on his face whatever I was about to see had to be good.

"I was told to come down for some good news?" I ask looking between the three of them.

"So, I think... no I know we have done it. Do you want me to walk you through what we did?" Shuri starts, bouncing on her toes.

"How about you give me the cliff notes?" I laugh, looking from Shuri to Bucky.

"Okay, so after dinner the other night I came back down here and looked at everything we did..."

"Please tell me you've slept? It's been three days." I interrupt.

"I slept some. Anyway, an idea occurred to me last night and I ran with it. Once James showed up this morning we got moving and well I think we've done it."

"I'm lost. What have you done?" I laugh, looking between them.

"The words, what Hydra did... I think she's figured out how to fix me." Bucky says.

"Really?" I ask excitedly, "How?"

"I went over the scans you brought from when you activated him and though I still think it'd have been easier if we'd done our own scans here, yes I think we've done it. Here look."

Bucky climbs up on the table and Shuri brings up and the image of his brain pops up again.

"As you know, we think most, if not all of the damage from what Hydra did is here." Shuri zooms in on a part of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, "It is very shriveled and just looks unhealthy even on the inferior scans you brought with you."

"Yes I saw that. You think you can fix it?"

"I do. It will take a few days to fully reverse the effects of years of damage, a month at most. I've run several simulations of what should happen but there is always the chance it will vary slightly with the real thing but I'm comfortable saying a month."

"You're going to stay here for a month?" I ask, focusing on Bucky.

"I think it'd be safer for everyone if I did." He replies quietly, hanging his head and rubs his palm with his thumb. "And it'd give Shuri time to make my new arm."

I move to stand directly in front of him and use my finger to tilt his head up so he meets my eyes. Seeing the unshed tears I give him a lopsided grin and take ahold of both of his hands.

"If that's what you want to do I'll support you one hundred percent Buck. Do you want Steve or I to stay with you?"

"No, you two have better things to do than to babysit me." He smiles weakly, "Besides, the peace and quiet here might do me some good too."

I sense Steve walk up to stand behind me, Bucky looking up at him with an expression I can't put a name to. His grip on my hands tightens and it's then I realize he was nervous about what Steve would say.

"Whatever you need Buck. We're with you til the end of the line." Steve smiles, resting a hand on my shoulder.

Bucky visibly relaxes and I look at Shuri who was watching us with smile on her lips as she hugs her pad in her hands to her chest.