Valen: A Collector's Item

Bomber

Spider-Man Does It Again
Elderly Woman Saved By Masked Vigilante
Spider-Man Stops A Bomb
Man Claims To Know Spider-Man's True Identity
Spider-Man Saves The Day
New York's Spider-Man New Permanent Location?

Valen kept scrolling through the news articles she's already read. She was looking for any more news about her favorite superhero. All the while rubbing her heart necklace with the letter P on it.

"Spider-Man saves a kitten stuck in a tree." Shuri read over Valen's shoulder. She knew who Spider-Man really was and what he meant to Valen. Valen told her after a couple of months of staying here because she caught her like this stalking the guy. She had a feeling she could trust her gut that Shuri wouldn't tell anyone.

"Where?" She scrolled back up looking for the article she missed. She glared at her friend when she realized she was being teased. "Not funny."

Shuri widened her eyes before shaking her head. "Okay Little Miss Stalker, it's time to put the phone down." She put her hand on Valen's phone and pushed it down onto the table.

"Can I use your phone? Please, Shuri. I'll get on my knees and beg. I've never asked you for anything."

"You asked me yesterday to fly you to America."

Valen waved her hand dismissively. "Doesn't count since you didn't do it. Matter of fact, you haven't done anything I've asked you for."

"Yesterday I let you try on T'Challa's suit because you asked me to lie to him and say it was for improvements."

She chuckled. "Oh yeah. I look better in it than he does. You have to admit." Valen shook her head, wiping the smile off her face. "I need to talk to him."

"No." Her voice was the law. There was no way to change her mind, but that wasn't going to stop Valen from trying.

"Why? When did Wakandans start taking orders from Tony Stark? Huh? Also, have you talked to him recently? I sure haven't."

Shuri's body tensed for a moment before resuming her relaxed posture. "We don't take orders from anyone. We did however agree to keep you safe, so any outside connections are prohibited until the threat is neutralized."

"Blah, blah, blah." Valen mimicked a mouth talking with her hand. "Same story I've heard a thousand times. Me talking to someone on the team isn't going to magically paint a big red arrow that follows me around until the end of my days."

"That would be very helpful when you go all Randall on us."

She stared at her blankly waiting for her to elaborate. "I don't understand."

Shuri slapped her hand on the table. "You've never seen Monsters Inc.?"

"No. What is that?"

"It's a Pixar movie. Animated monsters scare children for a living. Should be right up your alley."

Valen sat back in her seat with her arms crossed. "Cartoons are for children. I've grown up."

Precisely one hour and thirty-two minutes later

"This is the best movie I've ever watched." Valen said as she sat crisscrossed on the couch. Her shirt held onto a few fallen pieces of popcorn that missed her mouth.