Tangled Paths | Bucky Barnes

Chapter 31: I'll be seeing you Sugar

31
I'll be
Seeing you
Sugar

Wakanda, Africa July 9, 2016

Bucky shook Darla awake gently as they started their descent. Her eyes fluttered open and he smiled down at her.
"Hey Doll, I think your gonna wanna see this." He explained to her in a gentle inviting voice. Darla sat up in confusion as she saw Sam and Wanda standing behind the cockpit. She glanced at Steve who gave her a nod so she slid off the cot and moved over to the front of the Quinjet and stood on the other side of Sam from Wanda as Bucky moved to sit back down across from Steve to finish their game of cards.

"Open the barrier. We are approaching." King T'Challa instructed.
Darla furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as the Quinjet began to descend into the trees. She grabbed onto the back of Nat's chair to brace with a gasp when suddenly they were once more in open skies.
The lush forest was simply a visual and physical barricade that hid what Wakanda was hiding from the rest of the world. Wanda let out an audible gasp at the view. The place was beautiful. Large lakes and rivers, lush forests, animals everywhere, tones of farmland, mountains, and a huge city that Darla was having a hard time believing and wrapping her head around. The place was huge, there were floating trains, bustling streets, and lots of shops, and the city was full of citizens who waved in welcome as the Quinjet headed for the palace.

"I'm still dreaming, right?" Darla asked.
Sam reached over and pinched her without looking away, he was sporting the same look of amazement on his face. She pulled her arm away and said 'ow' while shooting Sam a light glare.
The Quinjet slowly began to land at the large medical Center beside the palace. Several bald women with spears like the one Darla fought in Berlin stood on the landing deck along with three other women. When they finally touched down the cargo bay of the jet began to open as Nat and T'Challa powered down the jet. Darla approached the back of the jet nervously as Bucky and Steve stood.
"It's okay. We're safe here. They helped Steve and I recover after Siberia." Bucky explained.

"Alright.." Darla answered cautiously as the cargo Bay finished opening. Wanda and Sam had both changed but Darla was still in her grey sweat pants and long sleeve grey active-wear shirt as she moved to exit down the ramp with the other six. Darla recognized one of the bald women to the right of the ramp as Ayo, the woman she fought in the airport. She attempted not to stare at her as she walked down the ramp between Bucky and Steve. To her left were three women, One of which were wearing a large interesting hat. She didn't recognize her or the other tall girl beside her, but she did recognize the other not-as-tall girl standing on the other side of her as the woman she saved in Lagos.

"Cinza?" Darla asked in disbelief which stole everybody's attention. The girl smiled as Darla took a step back and cut behind Steve to go to her.
"Hello, Darla." Cinza chuckled. Darla hugged her tightly and Cinza hugged back lightly while patting her on the back as everyone watched the exchange.
"You two know each other?" King T'Challa asked as he approached.
"Yes, my king. Darla is the one who saved me from the carnage in Lagos." Cinza explained to him. T'Challa turned his attention to her.
"It appears that Wakanda owes you a great debt as well as the apology I was going to offer." He said carefully.
"I don't understand," Darla replied looking around.
"I was working as an undercover agent when the explosion happened." She explained. "I've now retired and I help King T'Challas sister out when I can in her lab." Cinza finished as she pointed at the tall girl who looked no older than eighteen and stood beside her.
"Hello, I am Shuri. I have heard many great things about you from the white boys, including how you managed to trick my brother." Shuri smirked as T'Challa rolled his eyes. The woman on the other side of Shuri cleared her throat stealing everyone's attention.

"Where are my manners? For those of you who have not met her. This is my Mother, The previous Queen of Wakanda, Ramonda, and my sister Princess Shuri. and off to the other side in red are Wakandas Special Forces, the Dora Milaje. They serve as our country's protectors and my personal guard. So no Darla, before you ask Ayo does not hold any hard feelings about your fight. The woman in gold is General Okoye." He explained as she bowed lightly. Darla nodded and waved lightly at everyone. "Mother, Sister, Cinza, Dora, this is Darla Grant, Samuel Wilson, and Wanda Maximoff." he finished as Sam and Wanda gave a small smile and a nod.
"Come, we will take care of that cast," Shuri explained as she ushered for Darla to walk with her as she led all twelve of the others to head inside. Once they'd gone to the lab they put Darla in a chair and set her up with an IV to help with her severe malnourishment and Dehydration, then Cinza removed her cast. Steve leaned in the doorway watching her with a worried look on his face.