Trapped in the Shadows

Chapter 44 - Wakanda

The quinjet landed in Wakanda and I couldn't help but smile at seeing the technologically advanced city once again. I hadn't been able to visit since Thanos and I was grateful to be able to see Shuri in person again, despite the less than wonderful circumstances.

She and the King were awaiting us as we landed, Shuri immediately running up to me and wrapping her arms around me. "Oh it is so good to see you. I know we have remained in contact electronically, but there are so many things that I wanted to hash out with you in person. After your operation, of course."

I smiled as we broke apart, "Well then I will certainly have something to look forward to, besides all of this being over. However I do apologize that we had to come to you, I know how sick you are of fixing broken white people."

"No, I am tired of my brother bringing me broken white boys to fix, you're different. You are a friend that I am happy to use my technology to help."

"(Y/N), it is so nice to see you again," King T'Challa spoke, extending his hand to me.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty," I replied, accepting the handshake. "I am very grateful to you as well as Shuri."

"It is my honor to host you and your family until Shuri can get the traces of brainwashing out of your mind. Although, I was expecting a larger party."

"We didn't want to overwhelm you as my family is quite large. The Avengers agreed that Tony and Peter would be the best people to accompany me."

Once we were finished with pleasantries and shown the rooms we would be staying in, Shuri brought me down to her lab. Although both of us would love to have more time to catch up in person, I was quite eager to remove myself from Hydra so Shuri agreed to get straight to work.

"I am just going to start by running some tests to see how similar your brainwashing was to Bucky's. Since it was by the same organization, I expect it to be like his, with the exception of yours being a result of more advanced technology," Shuri explained as she lay me down on a medical bed and started running around her lab.

Peter came in to sit next to me as she was finishing up and analyzing her results to see if a similar treatment to Bucky could be used. He gave me a reassuring smile as he sat down next to me and took my hand in his.

"How are you feeling?" He asked me, rubbing his thumb along the back of my hand.

"Honestly, I'm a little nervous. But if there was one person I would trust to get whatever Hydra put inside of me out, it would be Shuri. And I am looking forward to a future where I do not need to fear myself becoming an evil version of myself whenever anyone says my trigger words," I confessed, wishing that Shuri could hurry her work up and just get it over with.

Before we had left for Wakanda, I had talked to Bucky about the treatment he had received for his brainwashing and he had assured me that it wasn't too bad, although he had experienced terrible withdrawal as part of the programming of his brain had been rewired. It was unlikely that I would suffer as much as I hadn't been subject to brainwashing nearly as long as him, but I was still a little nervous going in. But I did know that nothing could be as painful as the actually process Hydra had used to brainwash me.

He gave me a smile, "I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" I inquired, perching myself up on my elbows.

He took his phone out and revealed a face call with Ned and MJ. Ned immediately started waving like a little kid and MJ flashed me one of her rare almost-smiles. My eyes lit up and I cried out, "MJ, Ned, how have you been doing? I am so sorry that I haven't been able to hang out with you guys since coming back, but we've been pretty busy with the Hydra raids. Not to mention the fact that I still have Hydra's brainwashing in me."

"And you could randomly turn into a deadly assassin and rip our throats out," Ned finished my thoughts with his typical enthusiasm. "Don't worry, (Y/N), if I have to go, it would be an honor to be killed by you."

"Let's just hope that it will never come to that. Hopefully soon I will be able to trust myself again and we can have a little get together at the compound," I spoke, feeling guilty that I hadn't had a chance to hang out with them since my return from Hydra. To be completely honest, I had a great many other things on my mind and exacting revenge for what Hydra did to me had always overshadowed the friends that I had left behind.

However I pushed those thoughts aside and asked, "how have you all been these past four years? MJ, I know you're living with your roommate from college and a few other friends so I take it your parents haven't forgiven you for pursuing your passion?"

She shook her head, "although they have started talking to me again, which has been unexpected. I'm currently working at an art gallery and I think that the proof that my degree can still get me a job has made them realize that they may have been too harsh on me. Oh, and I have some great news! One of my coworkers got a glimpse of my drawings and convinced the head of the art gallery to put them on show for a week or so and an author of a children's book saw them and has asked me to do illustrations for his new book."

"That is wonderful! You have to tell us as soon as it's published!"

"Oh, so you're in need of a children's book? Is there something you'd like to tell us?" MJ teased, causing Peter to turn bright red.

I rolled my eyes, "of course not, but we would love to see your first professional work! And Ned, how have you been?"

"Your father hasn't told you?" He asked in curiosity, causing me to frown. "Mr. Stark found out that I was the one who hacked into Peter's suit to remove the tracker and turn on all of his extra functions, so he offered me a position at his company."

"Oh, so then we are coworkers! That is wonderful!" I cried out, realizing that this was the most normal I had felt since Hydra.

It was at that moment that Shuri came back with the results of her test, forcing us to hang up on our friends. She then explained, "ok, so I will be administering a similar treatment to the one that I gave Bucky and then you'll have to stay here a while longer to make sure that your fully recovered before sending you back to the compound."

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(A/I): Do you think that Shuri will be able to fix what Hydra did to you? Also what do you think the mysterious leader of Hydra has up their sleeve? I hope you enjoyed this chapter!