The Panther's IronHeart (Shuri x Riri)

Aftermath

Lelani gazed out at the endless ocean as her fingers unconsciously softly caressed the petals of the heart-shaped herb. She was being surprisingly delicate since her entire life she was aggressive with everything that's what her mother always said. Lelani soft hazel eyes were entranced looking at the sea as she and Solay were flying closer to home.

Lelani's breath was steady as she stayed silent the only noise was Solay's frustrated grunts of pain as she leaned over her destroyed armor.

"Stupid. I'm so stupid I'll just redesign the wings and make their patterns more sporadic so that bitch doesn't know what hit her next time I come for her. Fucking Riri Williams that little..."

"Are you going to continue talking to yourself?" Lelani's gaze lazily drifted towards Solay as she watched her fuss incredulously

"Fuck off. You're one to talk seeing as you don't have a scratch on you," Solay bitterly stated as she continued to apply ointment on the cuts along her legs.

Lelani didn't entertain Solay with a response because why should she?

"I'm sorry Lani I'm just pissed off. I shouldn't have taken that out on you, I know it isn't your fault..."

"It's fine. I get it," Lelani knew where the conversation was going and she immediately wanted to steer it in another direction. She didn't feel like digging up the old bones of her past.

"Right. So... do you want to talk about what happened back in Wakanda?"

"What's there to talk about? The mission was successful we infiltrated and retrieved what we needed." Lelani knew she was being flippant with Solay by avoiding her actual question "Look Solay I'm good quit hovering,"

"You got it, no more hovering," Solay went back to struggling to wrap her bandages.

Lelani slowly walked over to her and grabbed to wrap her as she gently extended Solay's leg and carefully put pressure on the wounds and quickly wrapped Solay's leg with precision grace.

"Better?" Lelani asked

Solay tested the hold on her leg and smiled at her friend "It's alright I guess,"

Before Lelani could respond the pilot spoke loudly and said "There is an incoming call from the director I am going to be pushing her through,"

Fuck. Lelani lifted herself from the floor preparing for whatever tirade the director was going to start with.

A couple of moments later a screen came down and Director DeFontaine's face was shown the older woman's expression was stoic but Lelani could see the stress lines throughout her face. The director's streak of purple hair was starting to fade a bit. Her black suit that she was wearing was tailored beautifully but was also pressed so sharp that the suit alone could kill someone. Just like Director DeFontaine her presence was so sharp commanding an entire space effortlessly.

However, right now to Lelani, she was just filling the space unnecessarily, this woman's presence already feeling like a sharp thorn in her side that she couldn't reach.

"Well, are you going to say anything?" Director DeFontaine demanded

"I mean you called so you're more anxious to talk to us right?"

"Oh as always Lelani, giving me information that I didn't ask for keep it up and I swear..."

"You'll do what?" Lelani gave her a cold stare

The Director was just about to say something when Solay jumped in "Okay enough arguing please so the mission was a success,"

For the first time since Lelani has known the Director her face went up in shock as her eyebrows lifted in fascination. "Really? The princess is gone?"