White Wolf and Arctic Fox

10

As T'Challa goes to stop the planes from taking off, the rest of us sneak into the Citadel, to Shuri's lab. Immediately, I race to the door that leads to my brother. It remains untouched. I open it, and Ross stares at my cryogenically frozen brother.

"You're safe," I breath. "This is the first time I'm going into a fight without you, Buck. But I have to. Wish me luck. I'll be back as soon as I can."

In vain, I throw a blanket over the tank, to keep my brother hidden, and seal the door again.

"Was that-" Ross begins.

"Nope," I interrupt. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nakia and I will get control of the Royal Talon with this, and Ayana will watch our backs," Shuri tells Ross.

"Alright, so what do I do?" Ross asks as Nakia picks up two circular weapons.

"You have to fly it," Shuri answers.

"What?" Ross questions.

"You were a great pilot," Shuri reminds, shoving a sonic dagger and a white mask into my hands. "I will guide you through it. It's just like riding a hover bike."

"Wait, you guys have hover bikes?" Ross questions.

"Here, Nakia, take that," Shuri tells her, pointing to the armor.

"I'm not a Dora," Nakia says.

"Just put it on, it's armor," Shuri sighs. She throws a white and blue cloak at me, and I put it on, waiting for her to explain. "It's a shield."

I swing the fabric in front of me, and sure enough, it forms a shield.

"Awesome!" I breathe.

"Good luck, Agent Ross!" Shuri shouts.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'm doing," Ross answers.

"We're counting on you!" I call back.

We make it to the hanger, and I swing the dagger at the two guards, and it blasts them with blue energy. Shuri throws the EMP at the Flyer, and it sends the signal to the sim table where we left Ross.

"I made it American style for you, get in!" Shuri calls over the comms to Ross.

"When did you have time to do that?" I ask her in disbelief.

"A year ago," she grins. "I made it a setting, cause I thought it would be fun. I almost crashed into the palace."

The Flyer takes off, and we cheer.

Then, we see Killmonger throw Okoye and two other Dora Milaje off and away from him.

"Wakanda forever!" Nakia cries, charging him.

Shuri and I send blasts his way. He cuts Nakia's leg, and throws her away. Then he comes for Shuri and I. Shuri sends a continuous blast at him, but he breaks her guns. He throws her down, but I charge him from the side, knocking him back. He grabs me by the throat, holding me up. I swing my dagger, but he knocks it away from me. He rips off my mask, letting his own roll back so he can look me in the eye.

"How did your white *ss get into Wakanda," he snarls. "They left me behind, and you got taken into the Royal family. My family."

"I don't know why they left you," I gasp, and his grip tightens in anger. "But I got adopted... because I tried to save someone... instead of just killing people..."

Erik throws me down on the ground, stabbing his spear into my side.

"Ayana!" I hear T'Challa shouting, and Shuri is screaming. But T'Challa is too far away still.

Shuri hits Killmonger over the head with what's left of her guns, and he throws her down again.

"Wassup, Princess?" he asks.

"You'll never be a true king," Shuri says.

He raises his spear again. But I can't even stand.

"Shuri!" T'Challa yells, fighting his way over.

Just before Killmonger can stab Shuri, T'Challa tackles him over the edge of the platform.

"Brother!" Shuri shouts, but then turns back to me. "Oh, Sister! Ayana!"

I clutch at my bloody side, coughing. Shuri pulls my hands away, shushing me. She shoves two Kimoyo beads into my wound.

"This should stabilize you for the time being," she says, holding my hand gently.

"Shuri," T'Challa calls through the comms. "Turn on the train on the bottom track."

"But the stabilizers will deactivate your suit," Shuri yells. "You won't have protection!"

"Neither will he," T'Challa states.

"Right." Shuri answers. "Ok." She turns on the track using the rest of her beads.

I sit up.

"What are you doing?" Shuri asks.

"The fight's still going," I say simply, looking down at the battlefield. "They need help."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Shuri asks, uncertain.

I grit my teeth, thinking back to that time Steve got into an alley fight over me. "The bleeding's stopped. I could do this all day," I reply, grabbing my dagger.

We race down the field, gravity propelling me most of the way, and Nakia joins us. We reach Okoye and Ayo, but are soon blocked in by a circle of Border Tribe shields. We refuse to lower our weapons.

"Surrender!" W'Kabi shouts. "One! Two! Thr-"

He cuts off as men start grunting. They are surrounded by Jabari.

"Witness the might of the Jabari firsthand!" M'Baku yells.

As the Jabari attack, the shield is broken, and we rejoin the fight.

"You are bleeding, little girl," M'Baku says, using his staff to knock out a man about to attack me.

"I noticed," I pant, swinging energy from my dagger at another attacker. "What made you join us?"

"The Queen Mother does not shut up," he answers, irritated.

I laugh. "Yeah, she's persistent."

Then, we see W'Kabi and his rhini charging at us. M'Baku roughly shoves me away and to the ground, but Okoye jumps in front of him in time. The rhino stops, licking her face as she smiles softly. M'Baku runs off to rejoin the fight as I pull myself to my feet. The pain in my side is unbearable, but we're not finished yet.

"Drop your weapon," Okoye tells W'Kabi as hops off the rhino.

"Would you kill me, my love?" W'Kabi asks.

"For Wakanda?" Okoye questions, raising her spear. "Without question."

Looking heartbroken, W'Kabi throws down his weapon, kneeling. The rest of the Border Tribe follows suit.

Shuri rushes to me once she's sure the fighting has stopped, wrapping an arm around my waist and guiding me back towards the Citadel. Okoye supports me from the other side, and we make it to her medical table, one of the few parts of her lab that has survived. I look the door leading to Bucky, and thankfully see it's still sealed.

"I'm going to need you to go to sleep now, Sister," Shuri tells me, sticking a needle in my arm, as Ross walks up to us.