#ayo x aneka x oc

[mickimomo]

When They're Jealous

The Sun & The Sky AU

Some things are censored with a multiplication sign, so it's not too explicit.

p.s. @sphinx81 he got punched here. I'll see what kind of pandemonium I can cook up in Storm for M'Baku to get punched by Namora there too. 🤣

Attuma × Okoye

When Attuma is jealous, he makes it extremely clear to everyone that Okoye is his. Whether that be him randomly shouting "Has anyone seen my wife, Okoye? Oh! There she is!" To scooping her up, tossing her over her shoulder and announcing that he's going home to make love to his K'iin. Okoye is always extremely careful to not make him jealous to avoid this, unless she's intentionally trying to make him jealous (when they had a bad argument and he won't apologize first) or when she's tired of someone who's persistently trying to flirt with her despite telling them she's happily married.

If Attuma suspects that she's intentionally flirting with someone, he will not hesitate to lay her out on a table to blow her back out.

In public.

Namora: ATTUMA NO! WE'RE IN A PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENT!

Attuma: *ignores Namora as he speaks to Okoye in Xhosa*

Oni: Why don't we ever do that, Amora?

Namora: In yakunaj, if you need to be pleasured, we will do it at home.

Oni: *bows her head in prayer* Why couldn't it be me, Bast?

Namora: Oni!

Namor: *still eating his food*

Shuri: *has a waitress screen off the area while Okoye curses back at him in Xhosa before she began to frantically apologize and moan*

Aneka: Why would she flirt with the waiter?

Ayo: I don't know, but that's none of my business.

Ross: *minding his business*

M'Baku: *also minding his business*

Okoye does her damn best not to be jealous. In fact, Attuma is such a faithful man. It's rare that she does feel jealous. The only times she's ever felt jealous was when she saw a beautiful warrior talking to him in Talokan. (She really was beautiful, but to her surprise, she was into women... and Attuma was actually telling her that Okoye was his wife... because she was interested in her. 🥴 His jealous ass.) And the second time was when she saw him helping a woman carry some things home because she was pregnant. He just looked like he belonged with her, despite it being an innocent act of kindness. She felt so bad about it that she cried. But it was just the pregnancy hormones. 🥹

Attuma showered her in kisses and fed her chopped pieces or melon to lift her spirits.

Attuma: I was only helping because she was pregnant. My sweet wife is pregnant, and I would want someone to help you if I wasn't around. *feeds her a piece of fruit*

Okoye, trying her hardest to stop crying: I know. But she's so pretty.

Attuma: Okoye, you are the sun in the sky. What could outshine you?

Okoye: *starts sobbing again*

Attuma: K'iin?!?

Okoye: What about at night!? *wails* Doesn't the moon shine bright too?

Attuma: *shocked Pikachu face*

Namora x Oni

Oni is a literal demon when she's jealous. It's never truly Namora's fault. The warrior is completely oblivious to flirting now that she's married and her rest face still scares people off. Despite that, some people are super persistent, and Oni has no issue making it very clear that Namora is married.

She'll watch things unfold quietly and watch how Namora reacts. Then she'll step in and drag Namora away to do some very explicit activities until the only coherent word she can say is 'Oni'.

Oni tilted her head as she kneeled before the dazed warrior and grabbed her jaw.

Oni: Who do you belong to, Amora?

Namora, panting and sniffling from overstimulation: Oni.

Oni: *smiles sweetly as she cupped her flustered cheeks* I don't mind reminding you. Forget as much as you'd like. You will always end up like this when I'm done with you.

Namora finds it very hot but is always careful not to let Oni get jealous too often. Oni has no shame and will definitely do something freaky in public to remind everyone who she belongs to. 🫣 She has literally climbed under a table to eat her out before. Don't ask for the specifics. 🥴

Oni is the type of girl that will finger a grapefruit to get her point across, so I'll let your mind go wild with what else she's capable of. (Yes, she can tie knots with cherry stems. 💀)

Oni: Amora!

Namora: Mm? *looks up at her wife*

Oni: Watch this.

Namora: *watches her wife toss a cherry in her mouth and close it with a super focused look on her face before sticking out her tongue to reveal a sparkling clean cherry seed and a knotted cherry stem*

M'Baku: That is the skill of a woman who has conquered many men.

Shuri: Don't start.

Namora: Oni is a skilled warrior. *furrows her eyebrows* I do not understand the offense.

Aneka: He just called your wife a hoe.

Ayo: Aneka.

Aneka: I'm not gonna lie to her.

Ayo: *shakes her head*

Namora: A hoe?

Namor: *translates before taking a casual sip of his drink*

Namora: *gets up and beats M'Baku's ass*

Ross: *still minding his business*

Oni: *looks at Shuri* Can you do it?

Shuri: Let me try.

Okoye: *eating her food and watching M'Baku get beat up* This salmon is delicious. You wanna try it?

Attuma: *also watching the Namora win the fight* Sure. *eats her offering off her fork* Wanna try my food?

Okoye: Sure.

Now, when Namora gets jealous. You better run. Namora will more than likely send you off to meet your maker or catch and release you into the wilderness, halfway across the world.

Oni is a beautiful woman, and she's usually very friendly until provoked. So it's natural that honey would attract bees. She appreciates those who back down after learning that Oni is married.

What Namora won't tolerate is when you continue to flirt with her wife after Oni informs you that she's married. Provoking and upsetting Oni will get you on her list. And with heightened senses, she knows when it happens whether Oni tells her or not.

Over 15 people have gone missing after flirting with Oni. And Namora being Namora, she always gifts Oni something that they were wearing. Like a watch or blouse. To make it abundantly clear that she did something and will not hesitate to do it again.

Don't worry. These people found their way home months later, absolutely terrified of the couple.

Well. One guy never made it back because he slapped Oni's ass, but Namora won't tell Oni what she did to him. She simply gives her a kiss and pretends she never asked anything.

Namora earned herself the title Sea Demon, because she has been spotted dragging people out to sea a few times.

Just don't bother her wife, ok? 😮‍💨 Leave Oni alone.

p.s. Oni doesn't flirt with people, so it's their fault if Namora has to get them. Bast doesn't mind it either. Namora is the best protector her vessel could have ever had.

Namor × Shuri

Namor does not enjoy feeling jealous and things will always boil down to three options:

1. He'll do something explicit in public to Shuri in a discreet manner, where no one knows what's happening but the two of them.

2. He'll punish her for entertaining someone by edging her for a few days.

3. He ends them. (A last resort option, because Shuri doesn't like it when he does it.)

Not a single soul in Takokan or Wakanda would be bold enough to flirt with Shuri. (They don't want to die, and they know he would end them. 💀)

Shuri: You know what sucks about marriage?

Oni: What?

Shuri: People don't flirt with me or compliment me anymore.

RiRi: You married the King of Talokan.

Shuri: So?

RiRi: Did you forget what he did to Wakanda? If he caught anyone flirting with you- not a single soul would survive his wrath.

Oni: I agree with RiRi. Namora makes people disappear. Namor would definitely make a country or even a continent disappear if someone dared to flirt with you."

Shuri: But what if it was one of you guys?

Aneka: Girl, what?!

Okoye: She wants to watch the world burn.

Shuri: Well, if I kissed one of you, he wouldn't get mad.

Oni: You can't be serious.

Shuri: It's a hypothesis.

RiRi: That shouldn't be tested, genius.

Okoye: We're all basically sisters to you anyways. It wouldn't work out. Especially since everyone's married, but Ri-

RiRi: -it doesn't even matter that I'm single. That man barely forgave me for my invention. He will never be given another reason to want to kill me, God willing.

Shuri: But what if we pretended we did and pulled a prank. Like a joke. A lil jokey joke.

RiRi: That man doesn't play about you. I'm not using my life as bait.

Shuri: You guys don't get it. It's exciting to see him jealous.

Okoye: How hard do I need to hit her to help her think properly?

Aneka: *rolling up a magazine* I got it. *gets up and chases Shuri around*

For this reason, it usually happens on missions when they're in another country, and no one knows who they are because they're undercover.

Shuri handles it pretty well, and will sometimes flirt with random people to set him off because she finds it fun. (Sis is playing with fireworks in a bonfire. What did J. Cole say in that one song about not wanting to be saved? 🫣)

Unlike Namora, Namor doesn't have a partner with unhinged blood lust. So, people can't just go missing without Shuri getting upset. Unless it's to the point that Shuri feels extremely uncomfortable or unsafe.

They have a safeword for when she's fine with him taking them out, and it centers around his real name.

It's only been used twice, so far.

Random guy: Why are you playing so hard to get? *grabs her wrist roughly* We were dancing and everything, and now you're trying to leave.

Shuri: I was trying to be nice, but you're making things difficult. *snaps his wrist like a twig before walking off*

Random guy: *follows after her, reaching for his weapon* Why you-

Shuri: Ch'ah Toh, in yakunaj. Áantení. *hurries outside as she whispers into her kimoyo beads*

(Ch'ah Toh, my love. Help.)

The sound of bullets firing made her panic as she looked around for her husband. Just as the man came outside and grabbed her by the back of her neck, a spear went zooming past the queen's head and into the man's skull. He dropped to the floor, his touch no longer contamininating her skin.

Namor: Are you hurt? *looks her over frantically*

Shuri: I'm fine.

Namor: You didn't fight anyone, right?

Shuri: No. I'm fine. *gently touches her stomach* We are fine.

Namor: *exhales softly* Good. Did you get what you needed?

Shuri: Yes. *holds up a tube of vibranium*

Namor: Then we can go?

Shuri: Yes, my king. *smiles as he peppered her face with soft kisses*

Namor: *scoops her up* Great. You did well, my queen.

Even before she's expecting, they had this safe word prior to in the event Shuri is fighting someone she can't beat on her own. And no, she's not expecting in Storm, lol. Shuri and Namor have kids somewhere around Okoye and Attuma's fourth kid.

Shuri doesn't handle jealousy any better than Namor. Namor, however, doesn't entertain it or initiate it. Even while on missions, he's very dismissive to people who flirt with him.

Drunk Namor however may fuck up if he sees a woman who is slightly reminiscent of his beautiful wife. Although Shuri finds it a little endearing, she will not hesitate to use PDA to make it very clear that Namor is taken. She'll kiss him. Sit on his lap. And in a few extreme instances, she's literally warm his c×ck or given him a h×ndjob. 😳 Do with that, what you will.

Alexa, please play Partition by Beyoncé.

Shuri: Aj K'uk'ulkan. You should be able to differentiate me from other women. *bouncing on his lap in the corner of a restaurant that is slightly screened off*

Namor: I am sorry, my Queen. *grabs her hips as he struggled to stay quiet* I was only confused for a moment.

Shuri: I don't like it when you gaze upon other women. You should only look at me like that.

Namor: I thought she was you for a moment. I looked away once I realized she was not.

Shuri: You tend to struggle when you are drunk. *grabs his jaw and pulls him closer* Let me help you remember exactly who your wife is.

Namor finds Shuri absolutely enchanting when she's jealous. She's so needy and affectionate, yet demanding and dominating- and he can't help but melt under her every single time. Seeing her uptight facade fall while she's making a very public scene makes him very h×rny.

I would type out these scenes in deeper detail, but I'm not trying to get yeeted. I might crank something out and toss it up on AO3, if I have some free time. 🤷🏾‍♀️

What are you thoughts? Am I missing anything?

I contemplated doing something for Aneka and Ayo, but Ayo does not play those types of games with Aneka. And Aneka knows Ayo would get upset if she saw her entertaining someone. So they don't. There's rarely any jealousy between the two because the boundary is extremely clear.

Blooper:

Ross minding his business

[mickimomo]

The Aunts

Namora and Oni

And we can't forget Ayo and Aneka.

Or Uncle M'Baku

You can't have comedic chaos without Aneka and M'Baku. I have a strong feeling that whenever the kids get into something, they want to hide. Those two are the first in line to know. Whenever it's time to beat ass, Oni and Namora are contacted. Ayo is definitely the most responsible. Always cracking down on the rules. 😭 But the others can be responsible when necessary.

Oni is definitely giving spiritual Auntie with a garden, who knows how to take someone out with one swing. And then will continue to pray, like nothing happened.

Namora is the auntie who's always teaching you how to do something. How to fight. How to cook. How to sharpen a spear. How to swim. She doesn't like technology because "it makes you dumb". 😭🤣

To add on, Aneka is the tech-savvy aunt. Definitely the cool aunt. Always on top of trends and showing them how to use technology that isn't brand new out of the lab. But you can bet that if it is fresh out of the lab, she'll know how to use it by the end of the week. (By trial and error, of course.)

We can talk about Ross, Bucky, and Sam (included by association) another time. 🫶🏾

I think I've rambled enough. 🤣

CASTING MY OC’s: Tadeas 🦏 and Xyanza 🔱

Children of Okoye of Wakanda and Attuma of Talokan

+ bonus: Nashuri’s Daughter - Itzia

Tadeas - The Rhino 🦏

He was a sweet sensitive and shy boy growing up, he was very intume with people emotions and how they felt. But unfortunately his parents could not shield him from the world. When he was around 8 years old, he was out playing with the rhinos (his mother often commented how close he was to them and his father said they would be his wayob or spirit animal)

He went following the rhinos, further than he should’ve been, and witnessed a poacher group of hunters. They saw him and decided to try and shoot him, they wanted no witnesses and thought “some young African kid, just get rid of him”, his favorite rhino shielded him from the bullet and died there roaring to Tadeas to run for his life. Tadeas ran for his father and when they went back, Attuma killed the poachers and reported it to Queen Shuri. But Tadeas was different. It changed his worldview. His family gave the rhino a hero’s burial and Okoye comforted her son but noticed his tears did not spill. He was numb. She cried that night bc while he was safe those poachers had taken her innocent son. And she feared she might never see him again.

After that Tadeas focused mostly on training and feeding his rhinos. His father saw how quiet his son was these days and wanted to do something, his daughter Xyanza suggested they take him to Talokan do the first time. See, Tadeas was unable to breathe underwater, he had no gills and so he had not yet been to Talokan even at 9 years old. Though Xyanza didn’t quite see why not.

So they brought him to Talokan, and told him to stay in his room overlooking the city, glass panels giving him and other Wakandans the ability to see the city. At first he did stay put, but Xyanza said “You’re still sad… how about I sneak you out and we can go play a game with the other children!” Not knowing that normal humans will die underwater bc of the dense atmosphere.

His sister held his hand and Tadeas was able to go into the depths of Talokan. They snuck him a mask and the other children of Talokan showed him lots of places, he wasn’t as good a swimmer and they had to hold his hand, but he fell in love with Talokan. He finally smiled looking out at the kingdom and Xyanza was proud she had been able to make him happy again.

Meanwhile, Okoye comes back to the room to entertain her son and call for her daughter only to find they are both gone. Under normal circumstances she would’ve been okay, but she was pregnant again and already hesitant to bring Tadeas underwater so deep. She screamed for her husband and Attuma came running.

They sent a search party to find the children. Namor, Namora and Attuma went themselves to look from them and found them atop a steep cliff on a trench. Attuma raced toward his son and enveloped him in a hug while the other Talokanil surrounded Tadeas like “YOURE NOT WEARING A SUIT HOW ARE YOU ALIVE????”

So they bring him home and he is scolded by his mother who is in tears and Xyanza is given a stern talking to but she didn’t understand he could’ve died. Tadeas is unremorseful however, he has tears in his eyes as he tells everyone how wonderful Talokan is! Shuri does a few tests and discovers that although he is not able to breath water, he still is immune to the depths of Talokan. His father says it’s about time his son began to train with Talokanil children, but Okoye is hesitant once more.

“Umama, please… I have not known happiness in some time. Please let me train. You trust me right?”

“No! You are not old enough to be trusted with such a thing! Attuma, talk to him!”

“I believe it is time, Okoye. We’ve held them both off for long enough, you see how their hands long for the blade.”

“We said, we wouldn’t-“

“This illustrates not forcing them, in K’iino… he reaches for it, just as we did at their age.” Tadeas looked between his mother and father and nodded eagerly at his fathers words.

Okoye shook her head. “I did not know better then.”

“Mama, please!” “I forbid it!” Of course the children eventually began to sneak out and train, which made Okoye absolutely cry from worry. Often she would faint just to guilt trip them but it stopped working when their father informed them what she was doing. Okoye glared at her husband from he spit on the bed as her children shook their heads at her. After that, she finally allowed them to train freely.

Tadeas is very close to his little triplet sisters once they begin to talk, they latch onto him and he is often the one In charge of watching them.

He’s the oldest so he’s very often the one in charge or held responsible for hijinks. He idolizes his mother and father but mostly wants to fully emulate his father. He’s a bit jealous that his sisters can breathe water and not him.

Xyanza - The Eel 🐍

When she was born she had gills and could breathe water as well as air. I’d on the battle field, you’ll often find her in a body con suit that changes color with her surroundings. She is known as the eel for her swimming ability and stealth.

She was able to go to Talokan and stay there for days or even weeks while her brother had to stay home until he turned 14 and he could come unsupervised.

She’s the bleeding heart (very similar to her auntie Nakia) she was Namor’s little grand baby when he would hang around them all the time. She was the sweetest baby and her mother and father predicted she would be sly and cunning. She is a master of stealth even if she is 5’11 and close to 150 pounds. She towered over her mother by the time she turns 15 and Okoye be like “🤨 you think you can beat my ass?” And Xyanza is like “mom, chill, I just asked what’s for dinner…” “I DO NOT SERVE YOU EEL” “Umama be CALM”

She is a good friend of Itzia as well as trains with the Dora often. She and her brother were close until he began to become vindictive and angry as a teenager, they still have their sibling moments but it’s hard for them to be friends with their opposing views.

“Xyanza… your brother still loves you of course… how could he not?”

“He has become so dark and closed off, Mama… I do not even recognize him anymore.” Xyanza weeps into Okoye’s arms. She misses her brother, she misses her best friend.

“He is going through things he must navigate himself. But his love for you has not stopped. He is blinded by rage right now. It happens to the best of us. Do not cry for he is not gone.” :((

She a thickly thick broad too. Very popular with all the youth of Talokanda. Wide hips, lil waists but built! She is STACKED! Call her the Willow smith bc her parents are powerful and she’s a bad bitch.

She very much is an icon in their kingdom, people wear her clothing and suck up to her a lot but it’s not difficult bc she is a sweetheart, though very competitive. When she’s being normal think Ty Lee but when she’s in a competition or match off she turns full on Azula. She’s smart as a whip and very easy to fall for. She has some of her fathers features but her face is her mamas. The side eyes and stank faces are completely her mothers.

Itzia

She’s a goofball fr, he relationship with her mom isn’t the tightest but she still loves her and knows her mother loves her too.

She’s much closer to her father, or she was until he began to push her away when she turned around 13… she doesn’t know why (see this post for the reason) and instead turns her attention to her closest friends, Tadeas and Xyanza for her chosen family. She’s a massive rebel and a bad influence.

She will not do what she’s told, she don’t give a fuck that her dad is the godking of Talokan and her mother is the black panther and queen. She definitely gives “I didn’t ask for this life” but she’s truly the life of the party.

She’s got namor’s trademark wolf smile but besides that she absolutely her mothers daughter. @mickimomo maybe she’s tight with her auntie ora and auntie oni 👀👀

[bestfriend491]

I'm Here

Okoye x Fem Reader

Summary: During the battle of Wakanda and Talokan, your sister, a Dora Milaje, was killed and drowned. You struggle to cope with your new reality but Okoye is there to help.

Angst, Hurt and Comfort

Warnings: Original Character Death, Original Characters included, Includes a child OC 3.9k+ words

TOHUBOHU: A STATE OF CHAOS; UTTER CONFUSION

Okoye sat on a chair in the smaller ship that she had been directed to by Ayo and Aneka once everyone stopped fighting. She was trying to absorb the pieces of information that she had just received. 

The whole week having already been a complete fiasco, there now just seemed to be a ticking time bomb of bad news that blew up as often as possible.

Maybe she hadn't heard it right. She was praying to Bast that she hadn't heard it right, but after hearing the same sentences come out of Aneka's mouth over and over again and seeing the supposed proof standing on the other side of ship, she closed her eyes, needing a break from the world for a while, because the words were starting to feel quite real.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. The potential war between Wakanda and Talokan was just stopped. The alliance was formed and now your nations were not in great danger. 

There wasn't supposed to be another problem.

Rebuilding Wakanda was supposed to be the next thing to take place. With the amount that she had endured, Okoye thought that she could be confident in the fact that nothing else could go wrong. Unfortunately, there was still something much worse that she was currently being told.

"Okoye? Do you need a moment?" Aneka looked between Okoye and Ayo, seeing the soldier struggling to process what was going on, making her feel deeply concerned. The soldier looked up at the two women, all of the layers that she had previously tried to put on to cover up her fear slowly starting to creep away.

Aneka unintentionally offered the former general a look of  pity, knowing that she had heard her loud and clear, and it was just knowing that this was real that was taking Okoye a long time to process. 

"General," Aneka instinctively stated, though Okoye was no longer the general of the Adored Ones but rather now a part of a different part of them. "We wanted to come to you before announcing the news to the rest of the Dora. We know this is going to be a double loss for you and Y/n."

Okoye nodded, understanding that she needed to be quick with her emotions so that she didn't make reckless and hasty decisions.

Not sure what to do for the woman, Aneka and Ayo stood there,  heads bowed, ready to offer physical comfort to the general if need be. 

Okoye felt the tears developing, choosing to wipe them away quickly so as to not cause alarm to anyone. She didn't want anybody else knowing about this before you did. 

"The body is in there?" She asked, straightening her posture and clearing her throat as she pointed to the aquatically decorated coffin that sat on the opposite side of the ship.

Ayo decided to answer this one by nodding. "The one that killed her brought her back up in this after Namor told them to stand down. She tried to say something but I couldn't quite understand her." 

Ayo placed her hand on Okoye's shoulder wanting to offer her fellow sister some comfort.

What were they going to tell you? Nani was dead. Your sister was dead. How did you tell someone you loved that the person that they hadn't lived a day without was no longer with them?

All of these thoughts rattled in her brain, up until the worst realisation hit her.

"Nasda." Okoye whispered with a heavy sigh. 

Aneka and Ayo followed suit at that, finally connecting those dots together too.

Oh Nasda. They hadn't even thought about the 4 year old that was with you, waiting for her mother to come back home. 

Okoye knew that this was your greatest fear with Nani going back into the field; her potentially leaving her child to grow up motherless. It had been a focal point of the main arguments between you and your sister. 

"Y/n, I'm going back - end of story! " Nani yelled at you as you paced back and forth trying to reason with her once again.

"No. It's not the end of story!  You can't just make a decision like that without talking to me, talking to us," you paused, pointing at Okoye and yourself. "about it first!" 

"It's my life Y/n and I can do what I please with it!" Nani defended herself again, not understanding why you were being so difficult, much like how you were thinking the same thing about her. 

" Actually, you can't just do whatever you please with it anymore, Nani. You threw the right to do that away the moment you had Nasda!" Hearing her name, the 2 year old at the time, looked up from where she was playing, to see the two out of the three of her favourite people arguing again.

Seeing her aunt and her mother clearly upset her. She started to whimper, an indication of what soon became a cry.

"Umntwana! (The child!)" Okoye reprimanded the two of you for making her niece upset, shaking her head in disapproval at the both of you.

Okoye turned to her niece and picked her up, consoling her, "Let's take you to bed, Standwa." She whispered to the toddler and left the two of you to argue by yourselves. 

You, still very upset at your sister for making the decision to go back to being a part of the  Dora Milaje without talking through it with you, continued to say what was on your mind, albeit slightly quieter than before.

"You had no right to make that decision without telling me. This whole time, I've been looking after Nasda in the mornings because you said that you had business to attend to, when you were really just training to become a Dora again! " You scowled at your sister, all of the emotions that you thought you had buried when she told you she'd retired from being a warrior, rushing right back up to the surface of your head.

"It's not like you make it easy to talk to you! You always have something to say about my life decisions so why would I want to tell you about this? So that you could judge me some more?!" Nani hit a nerve with that one, knowing that you worried more often than not and it took a lot from you emotionally. You hated how overbearing you could be sometimes, but you were working on it. So her bringing it up in the heat of an argument was a low blow.

"At least I'm actually thinking about your child in all of this. It seems you haven't taken the time as a MOTHER to think about how she would be affected, huh!" You retorted, leaving Nani shocked.

"Stop it! Both of you." Okoye came back from taking Nasda to sleep, putting her hands up to silence you two. 

She instructed you to sit down next to your sister, while she sat across from the both of you. 

"You two aren't even trying to solve anything now. You are just trying to hit each other where it hurts, and you're affecting a child's state of peace while doing so."

You looked down in shame, remembering how your parents fought exactly like this when the two of you were children. Guilt took over your initial anger and you knew that you'd need to apologise to Nasda when she woke up tomorrow. You'd been letting your emotions get the best of you and although your opinions on the matter remained the same, there was no need to do all of that in front of a toddler.

You breathed out a deep sigh, re-centering yourself. 

"Ok. I'm sorry. I didn't need to call out your parenting. I just want us to think about how this would affect her and how everything would work to keep her happy." You were much more calm now, and your point was finally being taken into account.

"I'm sorry for snapping first. You're right, I haven't fully thought about how this will affect everyone else. Especially Nasda." You took her acknowledging her fault as a first step. 

"I get that being a Dora makes you feel the best you ever have, I've seen it in the both of you, but I just don't want you to ignore how dangerous the job really is." Nani nodded, knowing how hard it had been for you to accept both your sister and your wife going into such a dangerous field of work.

"I just want you to know how much I  need to serve my country…" 

The three of you continued to talk that night, a few arguments erupting every once in a while, but quickly being shut down by your wife. 

After that night, Nani did go back to training with the Dora Milaje, and a year after that she was permanently back on the field, with you taking Nasda whenever she needed to travel for work. 

It took a lot from you, having to deal with the constant fear that something was going to happen, but after a while, you started to ease up on her and after so long, you could barely remember questioning her so harshly. It was only when she was reckless that you reminded her of what you were allowing her to do.

Now, Okoye was going to have to tell you that you were right. Something that would bring zero joy to you. 

You never wanted to be right, that's exactly why you'd been so firm in stopping her from going back. 

For the rest of the journey, Okoye asked for the details of what the two had seen when the others were fighting on the other side of the boat, so that she could recite everything to you and be able to answer every last one of your questions. She was also trying to avoid having to open the coffin to see Nani's dead body.

According to Aneka, the two of them had been lured to the opposite sides of the ship when more Talokanils started to infiltrate. Nani had jumped into the water to prevent them from filling the ship with more explosives after the first attack, but one of their soldiers was just a few steps ahead of her and threw their vibranium spear right through her chest, before throwing another water bomb at her, causing her to be blown far into the water. Aneka then jumped into the water, going to save her, when Shuri and Namor came to declare that Talokan was to yield.

Okoye and everyone else, not noticing that Nani was gone, breathed sighs of relief while Aneka was still in the water looking for her. 

It was only when she saw the very same Talokanil approaching her on whale with a box shaped object, did she start to really worry about Nani being alive. 

The Talokanil spoke, saying something that sounded sorrowful, but Aneka didn't have anything to say until the woman offered the box, and she realised that it was a coffin.

Aneka then alerted Ayo, who came with the smaller ship. 

They got the box onto the ship and the Talokanil swam away, while they opened the coffin to see Nani's dead body, her beads red when they checked for her heart rate.

They then turned around to get the general and now here they stood  Okoye looking at the very box that held her Sister-in-law. 

The two waited for Okoye to say something when they were finished telling the story. They waited for her to ask to see the body, but after a while, they knew that she wouldn't be able to do it herself. They struggled but moved the coffin to sit in front of Okoye, the latter forcing herself up and putting her fingers against the coffin's lid, lifting it slightly, before fully and then the lid was open.

There she laid. Nani's body, with a wound right through her chest. Someone had tried to fix it, she could tell. It looked like they tried something very powerful, so she assumed that the woman that killed her tried to revive her with whatever they had down there but it hadn't worked.

Okoye couldn't compose herself now, letting the tears wash over her as she looked at the corpse. Aneka and Ayo joined in, letting the emotions of the past few weeks also pour out. 

Okoye put her hand on your sister's cheek, vowing to protect you and her daughter now that she was gone. She continued to say a few things while looking at her, also trying to figure out how she was going to break the news to you. 

"I've been summoned." You said as you entered one of the more secluded caves of the Jabari-Lands, Nasda in your arms. You looked around to see Aneka, Ayo and Okoye standing there together. 

You had been instructed to go here by M'baku himself, as he stated that there was an important matter that you needed to attend to. 

He looked serious, a lot less happy than when he and the rest of the people had returned from the ocean.

You'd been helping people gather themselves to go back to their homes, now that they were safe again, when he had approached you. You took Nasda from the group of children that she had been playing with, not wanting to leave her without someone she could trust close by while you left to do who knows what.

"Aunty Okoye!" The little girl squirmed out of your arms to attack her aunt with a big hug.

Okoye played along, hugging the girl and smothering her in kisses, but you could tell that something was off. 

"What's going on?" You asked Okoye, as your niece went to hug Aneka and then Ayo. 

Her face immediately fell, and she directed you to sit down.

"Aneka, Ayo, can you please keep Nasda company while I talk to Y/n alone?" The two nodded, escorting your niece out of the cave, and leaving the cave to just you and your wife. 

You turned around to face her, trying to inspect her body, for any clue of what had happened. 

Still subtly smiling, you beckoned her to sit down with you. "What's wrong?" You questioned, placing your hand on top of hers, squeezing it to tell her that you were there and she could let it out.

"Something happened." She stated, closing her eyes as to not reveal the tears developing again. 

You started to inspect her body, looking all over her for any injuries. "What?" You were worried now, not seeing anything obviously wrong, so you couldn't figure out what she was referring to.

"Y/n, Nani-" Okoye couldn't get the rest of the sentence out in one, but your mind was already doing the work for her.

"No," You declared, shaking your head trying to dismiss all of the worst possible scenarios in your head. 

"Nani was stabbed right through the chest with a vibranium spear. She…" Okoye couldn't get herself to just say it. 

You kept repeating yourself. "No." Tears were starting to brim on your eyes now too, and you just wanted her to say something good. 

Nani was stabbed. That you could handle, Okoye just needed to finish it off by saying that she was still okay. That's all you needed from her.

"Sthandwa, she didn't make it. Nani's dead."  she let the tears fall now, seeing your world shatter so quickly. 

You started breathing heavily, tears escaping in a solid stream. 

"No, Okoye. Tell me you're lying!"

"I wish I could, my love." 

She closed the distance between the two of you, hugging you as you fully broke down in her arms. You screamed, trying to convince yourself that it was all a sick joke, that you hadn't heard correctly or that you were having a hyper realistic nightmare. 

No. No. No. 

This couldn't be happening. Not now. You'd only just started to let your guard down with her, and now she was dead. There was no way. 

You asked to see the body, something that Okoye had hoped you wouldn't do for at least a few days, not wanting you to see your sister's body in the state that it was in. 

You'd just seen her that morning, she'd kissed you and Nasda on your heads right before leaving. 

"Where is she!?" 

Okoye pointed you towards the corner where her body lay. 

You flung the coffin open the moment she directed you to where it was. You couldn't deny it then. There it was. Your sister's dead body. 

You walked a few steps away from it the moment you saw, screaming as loud as you could. 

"NOOOO!" Collapsing next to the coffin, Okoye bent down and tried to help you breathe, seeing that you were beginning to grow hysterical and angry. 

"I TOLD HER, OKOYE! I TOLD HER! " You screamed. "I TOLD HER IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS BUT SHE WOULDN'T LISTEN! I TOLD HER TO BE CAREFUL!" rage moved through every bone in your body, both you and Okoye not sure what to do with it. 

Okoye decided to move the coffin, not wanting you to let the anger control you enough to do something to the already dead woman. 

She started to tell you what happened, not wanting you to sit for long without knowing.

Your anger rotated towards different people. At first mostly Nani, but soon, also the woman that had killed her, and at some point even Okoye.

"You encouraged her." You looked at Okoye now, starting to feel the rage burning inside of you. It had now been well over 2 hours of this, and you'd been saying some very concerning things out loud, this being one of them.

"Excuse me?"  

"Everytime that I tried to tell her not to go back. You defended and encouraged her! Every. Single. Time!" You were seething with anger as you looked up angrily at your wife.

"My love, I never thought something like this would happen." She didn't want to fight with you. because all of your feelings were valid, but she also didn't want you to push her away. 

"Leave." 

"My love, please-" You cut her off.

"Okoye I need time to myself! Please take Nasda home with you and LEAVE!" The pain in your voice was apparent. 

Your voice was hoarse and thick, as you cried. 

Okoye left the cave, meeting Aneka, Nasda and Ayo outside, telling them what you told her.

"Aunty, are you okay?" The young girl looked at Okoye, whose eyes had started to water again and tried to wipe her tears. 

"I will be." She declared as she walked out of the Jabari-Lands without you.

Now, you had been in the cave for 3 days. Almost everybody had returned to their respective homes, but you hadn't moved an inch.

M'baku alerted the guards of your presence, and they came every few hours to offer you things. A blanket, food, water.

You wouldn't take any of it, spending all of your time looking at the box that carried your sister's body in it. 

You'd need to leave soon, you knew that. 

You had to plan a funeral, and you'd have to tell Nasda the bad news. You knew that she probably still didn't know, Okoye wouldn't dare tell her anything without you being there. The two of you operated like that together. 

You did everything as a team. You'd definitely apologise for snapping at her at some point, but right now that was the least of your worries.

Your mind was stuck on Nasda. The poor girl was 4 years old and had already lost both of her parents in battle. 

You weren't sure what you were going to do. You and Okoye were her only real relatives left and you didn't know how you'd raise a child with just the two of you.

How were you going to tell her that her mother was dead? 

How were you going to cope with constantly explaining to her what death even meant? She was only 4 after all, and those topics were not the easiest things to comprehend at such a young age.

After hours of trying to think by yourself, you decided that you needed to just stop and take a moment to breathe. You got up, and left the cave, walking along the path that led you out of the Jabari-Lands. 

Feeling bad for leaving Okoye to wonder what was going on, you took your Kimoyo beads out. 

"My love,"  Okoye's voice pierced through, she sounded congested, you assumed from crying so much. 

"I'm coming home." You didn't say anything further than that, your voice still raw from all of the screaming. 

 Okoye hummed an "okay" and left it at that. 

When you got home, you took off your shoes and went to wash your hands, hearing Okoye singing a song that she only ever sang to Nasda when she was upset.

It was getting late, and you presumed that the toddler hadn't been getting much sleep, with you gone. 

You went to the room where Nasda slept when she was with you, feeling a lump in your throat at the thought that it would  possibly become her permanent room.

"Ndibuyile (I'm back)." You whispered seeing your wife holding the now asleep child in her arms. She had tear stains on her little cheeks, something that you hated seeing. 

You got worried for a moment, thinking that maybe Okoye had decided to deliver the news to her without you.

"I haven't told her yet. She just missed you and Nani." Okoye tried to ease your worry, moving slowly back and forth to allow her to fall asleep. 

"Thank you." You croaked, feeling the guilt from leaving her alone for 3 whole days creeping on you. Realising that she had had to look at Nasda and know that her mother was dead. 

You walked towards her and kissed both of their foreheads, giving Okoye a kiss on the lips before taking Nasda out of her hands. 

Your niece adjusted easily to you, recognizing your scent immediately and relaxing. 

Okoye pointed to your room and you nodded.

You stood with her in your arms for 20 minutes, putting her down into her bed when she had fully settled.

You walked to you and Okoye's shared bedroom, where you were met by Okoye standing there waiting for you. 

You walked into her arms, allowing yourself to be comforted while also trying to offer Okoye comfort too.

The two of you cried together for a long time, one round of tears following another.

By the time it was midnight, you laid in bed holding each other.

You were still crying heavily but it had been more of an indication of acceptance of the tohubohu that was your life.

You'd figure everything out tomorrow.

"I'm here, Sthandwa." Okoye kissed you and shifted you, allowing you to sleep for the first night since finding out.

Author's Note: I went to watch BPWF again yesterday and halfway through I had this idea in mind. I want to do a part 2 where Nasda's experience with grief as a child is explored more and the Relationship that Okoye and Reader have is tested now that they are the full time guardians of a child. Let me know how you feel about this.

I think that part 2 might be apart of the holiday post dump though. I'll see how I feel. This one was really just for myself but I hope a few people could enjoy it.

Also, I am loving the requests that I'm getting for my holiday post dump. I'm going to update my work in progress post today so keep watch for that if you've put in a request.

[mxmajor]

I Finished Panaderia De Cazon

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone Masterlist

FINALLY. I HAVE DONE IT. BEHOLD THE MASTERLIST!!!

This is for my ongoing story “Strong as Stone,” which is set in the MCU (specifically around the cast featured in the ‘Black Panther’ movie). It features the following pairings: Okoye x M’Baku, T’Challa x Nakia, Shuri x OC, and Ayo x Aneka x OC.

This list is completely linear. Everything is listed in the order I’ve posted it and in the order it happens (with the exception of my two itty bitty Shuri x OC pieces, but I’ve tacked those on the bottom if any of y’all want to read it).

Also, this is super huge, so I’m tossing it under a cut (if you’re on mobile, I’m so, so sorry).

Edit: As of September 22nd, 2019, this story is complete!

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four, First Half

Part Four, Second Half

Part Five

Part Six, First Half

Part Six, Second Half

Part Seven, First Half

Part Seven, Second Half

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten, First Half

Part Ten, Second Half

Part Eleven

Part Twelve

Part Thirteen

Part Fourteen

Part Fifteen

Part Sixteen

Part Seventeen

Part Eighteen

Part Nineteen

Part Twenty

Part Twenty-One

Part Twenty-Two

Part Twenty-Three

Part Twenty-Four

Part Twenty-Five

Part Twenty-Six

Part Twenty-Seven

Part Twenty-Eight

Part Twenty-Nine

Part Thirty

Part Thirty-One

Part Thirty-Two

Part Thirty-Three

Part Thirty-Four

Part Thirty-Five

Part Thirty-Six

Part Thirty-Seven

Part Thirty-Eight

Part Thirty-Nine

Part Forty

Part Forty-One

Part Forty-Two

Part Forty-Three

Part Forty-Four

Part Forty-Five

Part Forty-Six

Part Forty-Seven

Part Forty-Eight

Part Forty-Nine

Part Fifty

Part Fifty-One

Part Fifty-Two

Part Fifty-Three

Part Fifty-Four

Part Fifty-Five

Part Fifty-Six

Part Fifty-Seven

Part Fifty-Eight

Part Fifty-Nine

Part Sixty, Epilogue One

Part Sixty-One, Epilogue Two

Part Sixty-Two, Epilogue Three -Final Update, End of Story.

Aaand my little Shuri and Dewani pieces!

Paint the Color of My Soul and Kiss Me Under the Moonlight

Balanced and Unbalanced

[mickimomo]

The 'I Worship My Wife' Committee (Part 1)

I just know that Aneka, Namor, Attuma, and Oni have little get togethers where they gush over their wives. And it plays out in my head like this:

Aneka: Thank you all for joining me today. Alright. Well. As always. Let's start off by saying one good thing we have done to show how much we worship our wives. I'll go first. *clears throat* I learned how to give a deep tissue massage and gave Ayo one after she finished training. I also cooked her, her favorite meal. Things definitely got kinda steamy with the wine, but I'll spare you guys the details.

Oni: Nah girl. We share the details. Go ahead.

Aneka: Oh, well, you know. Straps were involved, and toes were curling. I don't think I've ever screamed that much before.

Oni: Oooh. That's why your voice was gone for three days.

Aneka: Yeah. But it was worth it.

Attuma, giving her high-five: Good for you.

Everyone clapped before looking at Attuma.

Attuma: Ah. Well. As you all know. Okoye is pregnant with twins. She's been craving a lot of things lately. She woke up at 3 in the morning sobbing the other day because she wanted something from the market. As you all know. The market is closed at 3 am. But whatever K'iin wants, I'll get it. So I broke into the place she wanted food from, made the meal, cleaned up the shop, left a few pearls as an apology, locked it back up, and brought her back what she wanted.

Aneka: I should have known you were the pearl bandit.

Attuma: I will not tell Okoye no.

Oni: Was udade happy?

Attuma: She was so happy that she rode my face and released after eating. I almost wish I had died with my face between her legs. It was a blissful experience.

Everyone clapped again.

Namor: Wow. That's beautiful.

Attuma: Thank you.

They all looked at Namor.

Namor: So, Shuri has been working on something nonstop without taking care of herself again. Typically, I'd chew her out and drag her to bed. Instead, I decided to come in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and feed her a meal. I'll even come in to feed her a snack. I also forced her to nap with me and go on walks to take a break. And if you look at her now, you'll notice that she's not drinking as much coffee and she's glowing.

Oni: Yeeeess. We love to see a loved one properly cared for.

Namor: Yes. And now that she's not always going to bed tired, she finally has time to get laid out like a domino.

Aneka, snapping her fingers before pointing at the god king: I love that comparison you just gave us.

Namor: Thank you. I learned a lot at our last family game night.

Attuma: Are you trying for a child?

Namor: We will when she's ready.

They all nodded in agreement before looking at Oni.

Oni: Well. Amora has been wanting me to wear her colors more because she thinks orange and red really compliment me. So. Me being the good wife I am, I started wearing a few of her gowns, and she was ecstatic. Then I felt adventurous one day and put on her armor and pretended to be her when she got home.

Namor: Ooooo. How did that go?

Oni: She bent me over and fucked me until I cried.

Attuma: She made you cry?

Oni: Yes. I was so overstimulated, that I couldn't even move away.

Aneka: Is that why you were in a wheelchair for a week?

Oni: Yes, and my wife spoiled me every day to make up for it.

They all laughed softly at the memory of Oni pouting in a wheelchair while Namora tried to cheer her up.

Namor: I knew your lie of hurting your ankle seemed odd. You were pouting way too much with Namora around.

Oni: Beyond these walls. It's still a busted ankle. Amora will be livid if she knows I told you all what actually happened.

Attuma: We won't tell a soul.

Namor: You have our word.

Aneka, nodded in agreement: See. I knew Namora was a freak.

Oni: Oh hush. Ayo is just as nasty with you.

Aneka: And see. We didn't even have to go there.

Should I write out another meeting? 🤣😭

Link to Part 2

[mickimomo]

Banished from Wakanda

A continuation of my late night chaos, where M'Baku has banned Attuma and Okoye from Wakanda for a week.

Note: Okoye isn't pregnant. Yet. This is happening in the sun and the sky multiverse, lol. So she can get tipsy.

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So, Attuma and Okoye were "banished" from Wakanda for a week and expected to apologize and help the owners of the restaurant they had been intimate in.

It had all started with a petty argument when they were getting ready for dinner.

Neither of them knew why they were arguing.

Perhaps the lack of intimacy had them a little more fired up than usual.

Either way, Attuma and Okoye weren't backing down and they were both too stubborn to stay home. So, they went out and joined their friends for dinner.

It probably would have gone well if so many women hadn't been looking at Attuma. Typically the attention wouldn't bother Okoye. He was a handsome man. Of course he'd get looked at. But after arguing with him all night, she found herself mentally spiraling with a few things she was still unpacking in therapy, thanks to her ex-husband.

She was mature.

So fucking mature, most of the time.

But after downing three glasses of something that could get her blood flowing, she was definitely moving into demon time.

"Uh..." Oni looked the couple over skeptically from behind her veil. "...Something is off about you two."

Attuma only shrugged.

And that shrug made Okoye roll her eyes.

"I bet women are easier to handle than men." She smiled.

That was enough to get Attuma to down his own drink now.

Oni blinked at her sister. "Uh... I doubt that. It's more so the soul in the body that makes life easier than the body itself."

"Really?" Okoye mused. "Have you ever been with a man before?"

Oni stiffened at the question.

Namora frowned. "Her former lovers do not matter."

"Well, technically, she shouldn't have any."

"I didn't break any vows." Oni waved off Okoye's gaze.

"Sure."

"I didn't."

"Right. Then I don't think you can really give me any input."

"Fine." Oni raised her hands up in surrender before refocusing on her appetizer.

Namora arched a brow. "If you were not drunk and dear to my wife, I would have run my spear through you for speaking to her in such a manner."

"If Oni can kick your ass, I don't think you're capable of landing a hit."

"I have never tried to kill Oni." Namora's eyes darkened. "Would you like to test that theory?"

Okoye only shrugged before looking away from the table.

"Okay. Well..." Shuri started. "...let's just all take a breath and talk things out like adults."

Okoye snorted. "Attuma doesn't want to talk."

Attuma frowned. "I tried, but you do not listen."

Okoye scoffed. "I listened, but it sounded like you were still missing the point."

"You are always fighting with your words. They do not always mean the same thing. I do not always understand you. How would you feel if I did the same thing to you?"

"That's not even why we're arguing right now."

"We are arguing because you won't forgive me for what I said. I did not mean it!"

"So the entire argument is my fault?"

Attuma let out a groan of frustration before grabbing the bottle of liquor. "Are men easier than women?"

Namor shook his head. "No. Oni was right."

Shuri nodded in agreement with her partner before plucking the bottle from the warrior's hand. "And drinking away your anger is not going to squash your rage."

Aneka lifted an index finger. "Alcohol makes being reckless easier. You're not able to think as well."

The couple both shot her a glare, and she raised her hands in surrender.

Ayo shook her head. "Hey. If they wish to start sparring, I will not interfere."

Meanwhile, M'Baku and Ross continued to read their menus and decide what they were eating. They were not participating in martial drama.

M'Baku didn't want to get punched again and Ross never felt like it was his place to give input without being asked first. At least, not in spaces where he was the outlier.

With all the hostility in the air, he knew better than to speak.

And he was wise not to.

All it took was for their beautiful waiter to return to their table and say. "Are you ready to order?" To get the ball rolling.

Okoye stared up at her and offered a warm smile. "I am." She looked over the menu. "But I'm afraid you're not on it."

Namora choked on her drink and Aneka laughed as they all watched Attuma lift his wife up and drop her on the empty table behind them.

"Attuma no!" Namora snapped. "We are in a public establishment!"

He ignored her as he began to snarl at Okoye in xhosa while pinning her to the fabric.

"You wouldn't dare!" Okoye bared her teeth at him before she began to curse him out in xhosa.

Shuri looked up at the waitress. "Please screen off that area. The public doesn't need to see them."

The waitress nodded before running off. She was fast to get three screens and close the section off. Fortunately, Attuma had half the mind to not begin tearing off clothes until they were properly hidden.

But that grip he had on Okoye's neck had the warrior panting in ways that did not come from exhaustion.

No one in the group was particularly surprised by this, considering that Attuma had been away on a mission for almost two weeks and recently returned. But to lay Okoye out on a table in a restaurant? That was new.

Namora rubbed her temples before noticing her wife was sulking.

"My heart?" She gently touched her shoulder. "What troubles you?"

"Why don't we ever do that, Amora?"

Namora felt like the sun had bounced off her face at the question.

"In yakunaj, if you need to be pleasured, we will do it at home."

Oni huffed before bowing her head in prayer. "Why couldn't it be me, Bast?"

Namora knew she was purple now.

"Oni!"

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The next day, Okoye woke up at home, tangled up in the arms of her husband.

She couldn't recall much of the night before.

All she could recall was being dropped onto a table. Attempting to fight Attuma until he grabbed her neck and them getting nasty while he pumped two fingers in her mouth to keep her quiet.

She clutched her head and inhaled sharply as the memories came crashing down.

She was going to kill Attuma if they got punished.

And when they did get punished, she failed to carry through.

They both left for Talokan after M'Baku made his decree and settled into their second home.

Attuma spent a few hours tidying up the area and retrieving food for her, but Okoye's anger did not diminish.

If anything, it brewed and got stronger with each minute.

She was a volcano who would erupt if he was not careful.

Attuma knew she would come around eventually. He'd just have to get sunburned a little.

After two days of giving her space, he began to leave small gifts as offerings.

First, it was her favorite food.

Then, it was her favorite dessert.

He'd bring her earrings.

Bracelets.

Necklaces.

Extravagant gowns.

Flowers.

Once he noticed she was interacting with his gifts, he began to sing songs for her.

Pouring out a heartfelt apology into the first few songs before moving on to more spirit lifting songs.

Once her anger had mellowed out, she allowed them to start sparring together again.

She even allowed him to give massages that didn't result in her becoming one with the mattress ten seconds later.

By the sixth day of their punishment, Okoye was petting Pakal and acknowledging Attuma as her husband again.

She had been spoiled rotten and pampered like royalty.

Her friends had visited her a few times, too, to lift her spirits.

There was never a dull moment, and for a moment, Okoye could honestly say she didn't miss the pressure of Wakanda.

She never actually felt secure there since the late Queen Mother had denounced her as General of the Dora Milaje. And honestly, she was only trying to stick things out for Shuri.

Talokan hadn't felt like much of a home before, but this somehow felt better than her home back in Wakanda.

The people were very welcoming.

Kind.

Helpful.

Giving.

In contrast to Wakanda, nudity was not frowned upon. Which could be affirmed by their king who wore small shorts while amidst his people and not on the throne.

Their garments came in many styles.

Varying from the elaborate gowns, Namora loved to wear to the simple tube tops and short loin cloths some warrior's wore while harvesting food.

It was all a matter of what felt best and the formality of the event.

But even then.

No one would curse their king if they saw him bare.

Or anyone really.

Which I'd why Attuma was praised by some people when he explained why he was banned.

Some people, however, preferred to be private.

Like Namora. (Although we all know she gets nasty behind closed doors. 🤣)

It brought her some peace to not be looked down on in Talokan.

To be seen as a General and revered in a world she had only visited a few times made her want to never leave.

There's wasn't a stupid council or anything.

Maybe she could stay here for a little longer.

Attuma's head popped out of the water before he crawled out and dried off. "Good morning, K'iin. I brought you breakfast." He beamed as he carried a sealed container towards her.

Okoye blinked away her thoughts before looking at her husband, offering a warm smile.

"Thank you, my love."

Maybe she could get used to this.

[mickimomo]

The 'Worshipped Wives' Committee (Part 4)

The Heartbroken Feathered Serpent

Link to Part 3

Shuri was the last to enter the gilded room before sitting down next to a pregnant Okoye and indifferent Namora.

Ayo arched a brow at the queen.

Ayo: You look stressed, my Queen.

Shuri, waving off her formalities: We have a problem.

Namora: What is it?

Shuri: I've upset my husband.

Ayo: So, you have a problem. Not we.

Shuri: Yes.

Okoye: What did you do?

Shuri: I told him I hated him, and he's been avoiding me ever since.

Okoye: Avoiding?

Shuri: He no longer visits my lab. He does not sleep in our room. I rarely see him anywhere in Wakanda.

Ayo: Any affection?

Shuri: None. He doesn't even look at me during our meetings with the council. He seems so cold now.

Namora: That is called a consequence. Not a problem.

Shuri: And that conment is not helping me come up with a solution.

Ayo: Why did you tell K'uk'ulkan that you hate him?

Okoye: Especially when you know he's extra sensitive to your words.

Shuri: He was being annoying and it was pissing me off. Like- he knows I was working hard on something and he got mad at me because I forgot something he had planned out.

Ayo: Shuri. He planned something out and you stood him up. You're the bad guy in this situation.

Shuri: I am not-

Namora: -You know he will never escape the judgment of others pertaining to the wrongs he's done to you and Wakanda. You saw how everyone was against your wedding. *crosses her arms* You should have just ran your spear through him if you did not want the burden of his affection. It would be more honorable than this.

Shuri: I- *sighs under Namora's glare* Ok. How do I fix this?

Ayo: You're going to have to drop the act.

Shuri: The act?

Okoye: Being difficult with him. You're going to have to be affectionate and open and sincere.

Shuri: Affectionate? Like... PDA...?

Okoye: Yes. And actually doting on him. Everyone wants to feel loved and appreciated by their spouse.

Shuri: Can't I just sleep with him?

Namora: Being intimate with your lover is not a remedy. You must resolve things with words. You know that intimacy holds great meaning between lovers in Talokan. Do not offend Aj K'uk'ulkan further by suggesting such a thing.

Shuri: This sucks.

Ayo: Then maybe you shouldn't go around telling him you hate him.

Shuri: I don't want to hear anything from you Ayo. Let's not forget how you made Aneka cry for those ducklings.

Ayo: Not wanting to deal with duck poop is way less serious than telling Aneka I hate her.

Okoye: I agree.

Namora: The two of you are undeserving of your companions' affection for making them cry and suffer so much.

Ayo: I don't want to hear that coming from someone who's married to a woman with a blood kink.

Namora: Oni likes blood in combat. It does not cross over into our relationship. She is treasured properly unlike your lovers.

Ayo: What about that time you landed her in a wheelchair.

Namora: That was because I pleasured her too much. *shrugs* She was spoiled thoroughly during her recovery. I now know her limits very well.

Shuri: I'm still surprised you top Oni.

Namora: There is no top or bottom. We just do whatever feels right in the moment.

Ayo: Wait! You've been on the bottom?

Namora: Have you ever seen Oni tipsy or after a sparring session?

Ayo: Ah. I understand. Drunk Aneka is something else entirely.

Okoye pulled out a comtainer of cubed fruit before getting teary as she looked inside.

Ayo: Udade?

Okoye, holding up a heart-shaped piece of honeydew with her fork: I've been craving melons like crazy lately, so Attuma packed me a container of honeydew today. *sniffles* And he cut every piece into a heart.

Shuri: I-Is that bad?

Okoye: No. It's just so cute. *sniffles*

Namora: But you are crying.

Okoye: If you were pregnant, you would understand. *pops a piece of fruit into her mouth* These hormones are serious.

They all nodded in agreement before refocusing on the Queen's dilemma.

Okoye, pointing her fork at the Shuri: What are you going to do?

Shuri: Short black dress tactics?

Ayo: Mm... no.

Namora: You should wear something from Talokan.

Shuri: Ok. *makes notes* Then I find him and apologize. Maybe call him my king? Bat my eyes a little.

Okoye: It must be sincere.

Shuri: it will be. I just might need a bit of liquor in my system.

Ayo: Shuri.

Shuri: What!?

Okoye: Absolutely not.

Shuri: That's too much to do sober.

Ayo: You married him!

Shuri: And I'm trying to fix our marriage.

Okoye: Bast give us strength.

Namora: You must be clear and sober with your apology. He will know your intentions, and you may face his wrath if you half ass it.

Shuri: Fiiiinnne. I'll try.

Ayo: And. If all goes well- you'll report back to us with good news.

Shuri: If it works.

Namora: It will work if you are sincere.

Shuri: Right. *takes a deep breath before exhaling* Sincere

End notes:

We finally get to see the other side of the wife worship quad. Namora could definitely be a part of the wife worship squad, but she's never as explicit as Oni. So. That's why she's over here.

Should I write out a snippet of Shuri apologizing to Namor? How long do you think it will take for them to make amends?

Link to Part 5

[mickimomo]

The 'I Worship My Wife' Committee (Part 3)

The Panther's Wrath

Link to Part 2

Namor entered the room and sat down with a forlorn expression on his face.

Attuma: Aj K'uk'ulkan, what is wrong?

Namor: Shuri.

Oni: What about her?

Namor: She got mad and said she hated me.

Aneka: What happened?

Namor: We had an argument.

Attuma: About?

Namor: I've been trying to plan out dates, so that we can spend time together. But she keeps forgetting and getting mad when I get frustrated.

Aneka: Did you try to remind her?

Namor: Yes. I tried dragging her out of the lab, and she exploded.

Oni: Then it sounds like you need to give her space.

Aneka: Yeah. Knowing Shuri, she'll come around.

Namor: She hates me.

Attuma: They were only words of anger.

Namor: And she meant them.

Oni: No. No. Hey. *gently pats his shoulder* Shuri gets really angry when people drag her away from her lab.

Aneka: Yeah. Whenever she gets an idea, she has to see it through.

Namor: But hate is such a strong emotion. How could she not mean it? *lowers his head* I mean, have any of your lovers ever told you they hated you?

Attuma: Okoye said it once while sobbing because the shaved ice shop didn't have anymore honeydew syrup to make the melon trifecta flavored ice. Being pregnant has often made her feel very strongly, so I do not take it to heart. She cried about it later and refused to leave my side until I had convinced her that I was not offended.

Aneka: How did you convince her?

Attuma: I worshipped her body.

Oni: So you fucked her.

Attuma: That word sounds less heartfelt. It should not be tossed around when describing the acts of lovers. You should not use it thoughtlessly.

Oni: Would you prefer busting it wide open?

Attuma: That sounds violent.

Oni: Making love?

Attuma: That's a nice way to describe making a child.

Oni: Wow. That's deep.

Attuma: Thank you.

Namor: What about you two?

Aneka: I've actually been the one to say it after a really nasty argument. It's rare, but it is my way of expressing that I really am angry and that I feel extremely wronged. Ayo usually lets me work through my feelings, and then we talk it out when we're both calm.

Oni: And I've never told Amora that I hate her, and she's never told me that she hates me either.

Namor: But what if you did?

Oni: Mm. I don't think we would. At least not seriously. I think the closest thing I've done to telling Amora I hate her is call her Namora.

Aneka: But that's her name.

Oni: To everyone else. From me, it always pisses her off.

Aneka: Why?

Oni: Namora is like K'uk'ulkan's second name... the origin comes from sin amor. Without love. When I use it. I am withdrawing my love that makes her Amora.

Aneka: Awwwww. That's so sweeeeeeeet.

Namor: How do you make amends after calling her Namora?

Oni: It usually ends with her fuc- *Attuma glares at her* -I mean worshipping me until I call her Amora again.

Namor: But what if she makes you really angry?

Oni: Then she repents by apologizing and doing everything she can to make amends. And I eventually forgive her.

Namor: I'm not seeing a solution for my own issue in any of this. *groans as he rubs his face*

Attuma: I think you should just wait things out.

Aneka: I agree. I mean. It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. Just give her time to think about it.

Namor: What if she doesn't come back to me?

Oni: She will.

Namor: How do you know?

Oni: K'uk'ulkan. You married my best friend when everyone thought it was the dumbest idea in the entire world. You've endured judgment. Reminders of your wrongs. And so much more.

Namor: That's not making me feel better.

Oni: The point I was trying to make is... do you really think Shuri would marry you and stay married to you if she truly hated you?

Namor: I don't know.

Aneka: She would have ran that spear through your neck on that sandy shore if she hated you. And if not then, she would have definitely gotten you back by now if she truly didn't like you.

Namor: What if she's getting back at me now.

Attuma: I do not know Shuri's heart. In fact, none of us do. All I can suggest is that you give her time. She showed you who she was when she spared you and won your heart. You must trust that she will come around eventually.

Aneka: Yes. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

Oni: And if it doesn't, we'll come up with a grand plan to fix everything. Ok?

Namor: If Shuri does not want me, I will not beg for her. *gets up* I will give her space and time, but I will not wait forever.

They all watched him walk away.

Attuma: How long do you think Shuri will make our king wait?

Aneka: A week?

Oni: Three days.

Attuma: Mm.

Link to Part 4

[mickimomo]

Lunch Time - Oni (OC) x Namora

Attoye and Namshuri are sprinkled in. Along with just Namora, Namor, and Attuma being goofy together. This is extremely short. So don't raise any pitchforks.

Author Notes:

I might write something for the other couples later. This was just a very strong thought I needed to pen down somewhere.

Also, later down the road in Storm, Oni will gain an opportunity to revoke her vow. We aren't there yet... so relax and enjoy the food.

Attuma, Namora, and K'uk'ulkan often get together for lunch and eat the meals their Wakandan partners pack for them.

Attuma is always eating something hearty, whether it's leftovers of something he cooked (because he enjoys cooking for Okoye) or something Okoye cooked (because he loves eating food she's prepared).

This only started because Aneka had brought Ayo lunch, and Attuma wouldn't stop begging Okoye to pack him one, too.

After many days of pouting, the midnight angel finally caved for her shark man.

In the beginning, Shuri refused to cook K'uk'ulkan anything. And he looked so pitiful. She eventually caved when she realized he was refusing to eat lunch because she wouldn't make it for him. It was never as extravagant as Attuma's, but he would always brag to everyone that the Queen had cooked him something.

Even if it was just a small little sandwich, a juice box, and a fruit snack.

Namora, on the other hand, typically packed her own lunch. Being companionless and all... that is until Oni started bringing her food a few minutes before lunch.

The first time she did it, Namora was shocked and flustered. She had asked around if Oni had ever given anyone lunch before and struggled to interpret what the act of kindness meant.

They'd gone from sparring buddies to friends... and now this?

Wasn't this a tradition for couples?

Was this an act of courting?

It didn't help that Attuma and her cousin were merciless with their teasing as well.

Making kissy faces and wild comments.

"Congratulations." Attuma grinned as he squeezed her feathered shoulder. "You have found yourself a mighty woman."

K'uk'ulkan chuckled as Namora smacked his hand away.

"A warrior that could actually kill you, no less." The king grinned. "How fitting."

Namora scowled. "You cannot tease me. You two are worse than me."

"Yes, but you will be just as bad, eventually."

And the god king was right.

Within a span of a few weeks, Namora was down bad for the Vessel of Bast.

Everyone would always whisper and watch the priestess as she'd journey down to the river with a basket of goods.

There would always be a bundle of flowers, something cold and refreshing to drink, and a hot meal that was always ready to eat.

Some days, it would be something she purchased and repackaged.

Other days it would be some arrangement of chicken, rice, and plantain.

Namora preferred the latter because she knew it was homemade.

She could tell by the bandaids the priestess would dawn when delivering the meal and how she would always toss in a few plums in case the meal wasn't "good enough".

It was always delicious and far more appreciated than Namora wished to let on publicly.

Oni wasn't an awful cook, but her skills were very limited in the kitchen. She only knew how to cook five things.

Chicken.

Rice.

Plantain.

Eggs.

and Tea.

Anything else would somehow go up in flames. The warrior had witnessed this first hand after doubting her ability to only be skilled enough to make five things.

Oni had tried to make her hot chocolate and nearly burned down the house.

Then she had managed to turn a knob of corn into a piece of charcoal.

Her last attempt, in which she had attempted to grill fish, almost landed them a one way ticket to the ancestral plane.

How had she cultivated such a small and specific culinary skill?

Namora wasn't sure, but she didn't want to experience the terrors of fire and smoke again.

Today was a homemade meal kind of day, and Namora was practically glowing when the priestess made her way down to the river bank.

Attuma chuckled as he watched the feathered woman make her way out of the water before stopping in front of the priestess.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting. I tried to get here sooner, but I slipped up with the knife while cleaning the chicken."

"You cooked for me again?" Namora's face slowly began to purple.

"Yeah. You said you really liked the stewed chicken I made for you the other day, so I figured I'd make it for you again." The priestess looked down at the basket. "Hopefully, you're not tired of eating the same three ingredients. I try to buy stuff to keep things interesting."

"I will love whatever you give me." Namora looked up at her. "I will not care if it's the same thing."

Oni held out the basket, dawning a series of bandaid. "Then I hope you really enjoy it. I worked really hard on it, but in case it isn't great, I added a few plums."

"It will be enjoyed because it is great." Namora frowned. "Do not diminish your effort."

"I'm just being honest."

"And I will not tolerate your acts of disrespect towards yourself."

Oni huffed but didn't contest her gentle scolding.

Namora gently grabbed the basket before grabbing her hand to examine it. "I will bring you salve when I bring you back your basket."

"You don't have to. I'll heal up eventually."

"It is rude to reject a gift, Yuum k’iino’."

"Then I look forward to receiving your generous gift, In ba'ate'el."

She offered a small bow before slipping her hand out of hers and walked back up the small hill.

When she was no longer visible, Namora turned around to see her cousin and Attuma grinning at her.

"Thank you for the food, Yuum k’iino’." K'uk'ulkan tried to imitate her voice as he turned to Attuma. "Yuum k’iino’, I love you."

"I love you too, In ba'ate'el." Attuma imitated Oni before making fake smooching sounds as he wrapped an arm around the god king. "Eat well. Enjoy." He cooed between chuckles.

Namora was burning dark purple as she glared at them and attempted to take their heads off with a few smooth pebbles.

Both men cackled and hid below the water as she stomped forward.

She huffed. "You are not safe below the water either."

They roared with laughter as the warrior bonked them over the head before settling down to eat her meal.

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone --Part Sixty-Two, Epilogue Three.

This is it, folks. The final epilogue.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s been reading for the past year and few odd months. Your support means more to me than you’ll ever know.

Rating: G for fluff and domestic stuffs.

Taglist: @the-last-hair-bender, @skysynclair19

Two Years Later

 There was, once, a time where her morning alarm was the thing to wake her up each day, save for an emergency mission or council meeting. A time where she could sleep in on her off days, let her body wake up at its own leisure.

Of course, Okoye thought tiredly as she woke up to the sound of hers and M’Baku’s bedroom door swinging open, that was a time before kids.

There was the sound of little feet pattering against the wooden floor, then M’Baku grunted as he lifted Dayo –who had recently turned five—into bed with them. “Good morning, mntana oyimtombazana.”

Dayo smiled wordlessly as she settled between her parents, latching onto M’Baku’s arm as she wriggled under the blankets.

“Dayo! You were supposed to ask if we could go to the gardens!”

Okoye cracked one eye open and saw Zarah peering around the door frame into their room. At just seven years old, their second eldest child had transformed into quite the little mastermind, often roping her younger sister into whatever ideas and schemes she cooked up. “If you want something, Zarah, you can ask for it yourself. Don’t make your sister do it for you.”

Zarah huffed a little, but relented nonetheless. “Can Dayo and I go to the gardens?”

“Can you ask politely?” M’Baku fired back, voice still thick with sleep.

“Can Dayo and I please go to the gardens?”

“Yes, you may.”

“Keep an eye on your sister,” Okoye added as she helped Dayo climb over her and onto the floor.

“Yes, mama!”

M’Baku sighed as Zarah and Dayo took off running down the hall. “I miss sleeping in.”

“Just wait until they’re teenagers,” Okoye grunted. “We won’t see them until noon, just like Khari.”

M’Baku chuckled tiredly and turned over so he was facing her. “Won’t that be wonderful.”

“Hmm, yes,” Okoye murmured sarcastically as M’Baku drew her into his arms. “Two hormonal, moody teenage girls that’ll be each other’s and our throats day in, day out. I can’t wait.”

“Yes, but we’ll be able to sleep in.” M’Baku kissed her softly, fingers tracing down the line of her spine. “What do we have to do today?”

“We’re heading down to Birnin Zana for the council meeting,” Okoye said, shivering slightly as his hand smoothed over her hip. “And I’m helping train the latest batch of Dora Milaje recruits.”

“Right, but we don’t have to leave until noon,” M’Baku pointed out as he slowly rolled her onto her back. “We have time.”

Okoye chuckled as he started trailing kisses down her neck. “We have maybe twenty minutes until Dayo and Zarah decide they’re hungry and want breakfast –or until they break something.”

“We’ve worked with less before.”

Okoye grinned and shoved on his shoulder. “Get to work, then.”

M’Baku grinned back up at her. “My pleasure.”

 ***

 The ride down to Birnin Zana, no matter how many times she’d taken it over the years, was never anything short of breathtaking. The way the mountains gave way to the jungles and plains of Wakanda, how the glittering skyline of Birnin Zana drew ever closer, watching how the main river that coursed through Wakanda bent and shifted… everything looked new every single time, even though she must’ve rode along the rail system well over five hundred times in the past twelve years.

“I never get tired of this,” Okoye murmured as M’Baku draped one of his arms over her shoulders.

M’Baku chuckled and nodded to Zarah, who had twisted around in her seat so she could stare out the window. “Neither does she.”

 ***

 Shuri and Dewani met them at the station in Birnin Zana. Dewani scooped a delighted Dayo into her arms, while Shuri knelt down to hug Zarah.

“You two are sure you’re good to watch them?” M’Baku asked, forehead creasing with concern.

“Of course!” Shuri insisted, waving her hand reassuringly. “We’re going to take them to lunch, and then we’ll head to one of the parks.”

“We’ve got this,” Dewani said as she settled Dayo on her hip. “We’ll meet you at the palace when the council meeting’s over.”

M’Baku nodded, then slung an arm around Khari’s shoulder as Dewani and Shuri walked off with Dayo and Zarah in tow. “Are you ready for your first council meeting?”

“I think so,” Khari said as he dug around in the satchel he’d brought with him. “I packed a few books to help pass the time, and if I go through those I brought something to write in—”

“You can’t read through the meeting,” Okoye said gently as she worked on holding back an amused smile. “You’re sitting in to learn; you need to pay attention.”

Khari’s mouth stretched into a grimace. “Well. That sucks.”

M’Baku chuckled and clasped their son’s shoulder. “You’ll do fine. It’s not as bad as it seems.”

“You complain about council meetings all the time!”

“That’s because your father is a drama queen,” Okoye said as she kissed their son on the cheek. “You’ll be fine.”

M’Baku bent down and kissed her briefly. “We’ll see you later, right?”

Okoye nodded. “Once I’m done training the recruits, I’ll head to the palace.” She smiled as she watched M’Baku and Khari head off, then turned and headed towards the training center for the Dora Milaje recruits.

 ***

 “Relax your back,” Okoye said as she helped one of the newer recruits with her stance. “And don’t hold your hands so low on the spear; you’ll have a harder time controlling it that way.”

It’d been a transformation, going from General to retiring. At first, she’d felt cagey and off balance without the day in, day out routine, the workload, and the near constant demands of her time and energy.

She’d found her routine, though. As M’Baku’s wife and a retired General, she still held enough clout to sit in on various council meetings and advise T’Challa. Training the new recruits had helped as well, to say nothing of the demands that motherhood put on her daily life—

“Okoye!”

And, of course, staying connected with her friends.

She made sure the recruit was good to go, then stepped away and off the mat and greeted Aneka with a massive hug. “It’s good to see you!”

“You too!” Aneka stepped back, clasping Okoye’s shoulders as she beamed. “You look well! How’re the kids?”

“Good. Zarah’s turned into a little scheming mastermind, but everything else is relatively calm.”

Aneka shook her head and chuckled. “She’ll be unstoppable when she gets older.”

“You’re telling me. Where are Ayo and Djabi?”

“Council meeting.”

Okoye snapped her fingers as she nodded. “That’s right. I’m so used to seeing the three of you together wherever you go.”

“It’s been an adjustment,” Aneka admitted with a sigh. “But it’s been good.”

They talked a little further, until one of the recruits called out for Okoye’s help.

“You’ll be at the dinner tonight, right?” Okoye asked before she stepped back onto the training mat.

Aneka nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll see you there.”

 ***

 Dinner was held at the palace later that evening, and could only be said to be a large affair because of how much food was eaten.

But, when you have three Jabari warriors, three Dora Milaje soldiers, five growing children, and one heart-shaped herb enhanced King to feed, you can expect to go through a lot of food, Okoye reflected as she sipped at her glass of wine.

T’Challa, Nakia, and their two children –Bohlale and her younger brother, Amare, who had recently turned ten—sat at one end of the table with Ramonda. Dewani and Shuri sat next to them, at the request of Dayo and Zarah. M’Baku sat next to them to make sure they avoided any spill-related mishaps, and Okoye and Khari sat at the other end of the table to make sure they had two steady sets of hands to help pass various dishes around. The remainder of the seats were taken up by Ayo, Aneka, O’Chenga, and Djabi.

All in all, it was a relaxed affair. A close bond had formed between the group over the past twelve years, meaning that conversation flowed easily. Khari and Bohlale recounted the council meeting for everyone who hadn’t been there –and the two also had some strong opinions about how it had gone, which made for a bit of an argument before M’Baku and T’Challa managed to reign in their respective teenagers—and Ayo, Aneka, Djabi, Nakia, and Okoye spent a good chunk of time talking about some of the latest Dora Milaje and War Dog recruits.

Towards the end of dinner, though, the conversation lulled—

Then Shuri shot a smile at Dewani and cleared her throat. “Dewani and I have an announcement to make.”

“You brought extra dessert,” Bohlale fired off, which prompted a few snorts from the rest of the table.

“Sad to say, no,” Dewani said. “But… we’re gonna have a kid. We decided to adopt.”

“We finish signing all the paperwork next month, and then we get to bring her home,” Shuri said as she fished a few pictures out of her purse. “Her name’s Arjana, she just turned seven.”

Various coos went up around the table as they all admired various pictures of the smiling, gap-toothed little girl.

“Congratulations,” Nakia said, grinning at Shuri and Dewani. “That’s amazing.”

“You two will be good parents,” M’Baku added as he handed one of the pictures off to Khari. “No doubt about it.”

“Absolutely,” Bohlale agreed. “Hey, we should celebrate. You know what makes for a good celebration? Dessert.”

T’Challa gave his eldest a half-stern, half-amused look as everyone else laughed. “We’re having a nice moment right now.”

“Hey, I’m not disagreeing! All I’m saying is that dessert would make it even nicer!”

“She’s not wrong,” Shuri reasoned when T’Challa pinched the bridge of his nose.

He snorted and shook his head. “Fine. Let’s have dessert.”

***

 The Next Day

 The plains of the Borderland tribe stretched out in vast, golden expanses, broken up only by the occasional tree or clusters of houses and rhino pens. The sky was flawlessly blue, interrupted only by the shining sun that hung high in the sky.

The tranquility outside only belied the utter chaos inside the house behind her, though. She and M’Baku had taken their kids to visit Okoye’s biological family for a family reunion –and with a new generation of kids running around, it had quickly devolved into chaos (that Zarah had managed to make herself the queen of, go figure).

As such, she’d stepped outside for a moment just to collect her wits and give her ears a brief reprieve from the jumble of conversation and ecstatic screeching.

There’d been a time where she’d mostly been her own island. Yes, she’d had Ayo, Aneka, Djabi, and her other friends and sisters in the Dora Milaje, but she’d spent a great deal of time alone. Her nights, good portions of her downtime, sometimes her days if she and her friends were running on opposite schedules.

She’d been a stone –especially after W’Kabi’s betrayal. She’d retreated inside herself to making surviving the emotional fallout possible.

And then she’d connected with M’Baku. He’d drawn her out of her shell, introduced her to a world she’d only heard vague stories about growing up, and expanded her circle of people in ways she hadn’t thought possible. She’d had to learn how to balance her “stone” self and “human” self, and then again when she’d had children so she could be the mother they needed and deserved, but it’d been worth every single ounce of effort.

And now…

She was retired from being General. She had a family and her friends and work that made her life meaningful. She was still occasionally a stone –it came in handy when she had to discipline deviant recruits—but she spent most of her time completely and fully human.

Vulnerable. Emotional. Strong.

She looked up as the door next to the bench she was sitting on swung open and smiled as M’Baku stepped out of the house and closed it behind him. “Had enough?”

“Maybe a little,” he admitted with a smile as he sat down next to her. “And I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m alright,” she reassured him as he kissed the top of her head and put an arm around her shoulders. “Just thinking about the past several years. About how things have changed.” She smiled up at him. “It’s been good.”

“It has,” he agreed before kissing her. “This does seem very familiar, though,” he added when the kiss ended. “All we’re missing is a tree to sit under.”

Okoye chuckled as she caught his meaning and leaned against him. “I don’t think we’re missing anything at all.”

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone --Part Thirty-Four.

HELLO! WELCOME BACK!

Previously, we watched T’Challa and Nakia finally get married! Praise Bast, it’s proof that T’Challa finally got off his ass and popped the question!

This week, we’ve got a nice, little interlude with Okoye, Ayo, Aneka, and Djabi. We’re long overdue for a girl’s night, after all.

Rating: Probably a solid PG to PG-13.

Pairings: Okoye x M’Baku, T’Challa x Nakia, Shuri x OC, and Ayo x Aneka x OC.

Warnings: Consumption of alcohol. This one’s pretty tame, all things considered.

@skysynclair19, @the-last-hair-bender

Invest in your friends as much as you invest in your romantic relationships, my dears. Nothing is certain in life, and it’s easier to weather life’s uncertainties with people you trust and care about by your side.

“This is long overdue!” Djabi announced as she set a package of pastries down on the coffee table.

Aneka grinned as she uncorked a bottle of wine. “I couldn’t agree more.”

They were settled in the Dora Milaje break room, taking advantage of the evening and the empty space to have a much needed girl’s night.

Okoye smiled as she set down her contribution to the night --several containers of moderately unhealthy, mostly fried vendor food. “It seems like we’ve barely had time to sit down and talk since last New Year’s.”

“Blame that on the dissolving international political arena, the sociopathic technopath, and the demonic cyborg,” Ayo muttered with a huff.

“No!” Djabi pointed fiercely at the Commander. “Absolutely not! You are not bringing work into tonight. I refuse!”

Aneka poured four glasses of wine, handing them out to her friends and partner in turn. “A toast,” she said, lifting her glass.

“To what?” Djabi asked.

Aneka mulled it over, then grinned impishly. “To King T’Challa, for finally getting past his freezing.”

Okoye laughed as she clinked her glass with her friends’. “I’ll drink to that.”

“Drink to something that’ll never happen?” Ayo snickered. “He’s married to Nakia now. He’ll be freezing every damn day.”

“Well, at least he got off his ass and asked her,” Djabi said with a grin.

Okoye took a sip of her wine, then set the glass on the table and settled back in the chair she was sitting on. “Alright. We need to catch up. What’s been going on with all of you lately?”

“Gaslighting,” Ayo grumbled into her glass.

“Oh, get off it!” Aneka laughed. “Stop being so dramatic!”

“I’m sorry, but what else do you call a torture session that is portrayed by the torturers as for the victim’s own good?”

“I’m lost,” Djabi said. “Because, unless you’re talking about a sadism session gone wrong, I can’t put together what you’re talking about.”

“O’Chenga and I finally took her to a furniture store to get some basic necessities,” Aneka explained.

Ayo rolled her eyes. “You call it a store. I call it hell...”

The overhead lights glared like miniature suns, making the concrete floor gleam forebodingly. Garish displays of color, design, and style were strewn everywhere, creating a chaotic, indecipherable field of obstacles and paths. Countless other prisoners --shoppers, whatever--ambled around, mindlessly swaying from one patch of furniture to another.

She’d braved countless battles, looked foreign diplomats in the eye without blinking, and gone several rounds in the sparring ring with the best fighters that Wakanda --that the world--had to offer. And yet, as she surveyed the setting for the oncoming battle, Ayo wasn’t confident she’d make it out of the damn store in one piece.

Aneka’s hand was a vice on hers, unrelenting and inescapable. She scanned a strategy map with cool precision, nimble mind undoubtedly plotting out the best course to ensure total victory.

Ayo had always loved her girlfriend’s keen intelligence and wit, and now she was devastated --blindsided--to find it being so callously used against her--

Okoye howled with laughter as Aneka swatted at her girlfriend’s shoulders.

“Oh, knock it off! If it was that bad, it’s only because you were being so moody and melodramatic!”

“I am not melodramatic!” Ayo insisted, indignant.

“You called the other shoppers ‘prisoners,’” Okoye pointed out between gasps of laughter. She clutched at her stomach. “Oh, Bast, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard something that funny.”

“It isn’t funny,” Ayo said sullenly. “I barely survived.”

“Yes, it is,” Djabi chortled. “Aneka, you’re gonna have to tell the story if you don’t want it to turn into a tragedy film.”

Aneka huffed as she set her half-eaten pastry on a napkin. “Really, it wasn’t anywhere near that bad. The three of us stopped for breakfast first --and Ayo agreed ahead of time that we’d go shopping--”

“I agreed to go shopping!” Ayo snapped. “I did not agree to going to that hellsite against my will!”

Aneka shook her head, smiling anyway. “Honestly, it was a pretty good time, once you get past Ayo’s dramatics...”

Aneka perused the pamphlet that showed the store’s layout. She already had a general idea of what styles she wanted to aim for --she and O’Chenga had spent several months going over different design choices--and she didn’t want to flounder about needlessly through a bunch of different sections that wouldn’t have what they wanted. As much as tormenting her girlfriend was fun, she didn’t want to sour the experience with incompetence.

O’Chenga’s hand was warm and loving on her arm as he peered over her shoulder. “Do you have our route figured out yet?”

“I do,” Ayo grumbled, still upset at being duped. “Right back out the way we came. It’ll take less than a minute.”

“Oh, hush,” Aneka chided as she tugged her girlfriend to the right. “This has been a long time coming and you know it. If we go this way, we can loop around the whole store and end at the checkout aisles.”

She and O’Chenga compared prices, fabrics, and colors as they meandered throughout the store, while Ayo trudged along with them.

“I have gotten this far in my life without throw pillows,” she griped when the two of them started setting options on the couch they’d picked to see which patterns went best with the soft gray stripes that ran along the fabric covering on the cushions. “I don’t need them now.”

“They look nice,” Aneka said as she eyed the plush, yellow polka dot pillow directly in front of her. “They can be used for extra support and cushioning. They’re fun!”

“They’re meant to sit on a couch and look pretty,” Ayo said, unimpressed. “And don’t pick yellow! I hate yellow!”

Aneka and O’Chenga shared smirks before going back to narrowing down their choices.

“Whoa, wait,” Djabi said as she scooped fried plantains onto her plate. “You didn’t say which pillows you ended up going with.”

“Oh, we went with the solid royal blue ones,” Aneka said. “We all liked the color best.”

Okoye grinned teasingly at Ayo, who was pouting --as much as she pouted--dejectedly. “You picked out throw pillows?”

“All I did was ask them not to get the yellow ones,” Ayo grumbled as she gulped down a swig of wine.

“Djabi, how’d your family reunion go?” Aneka asked as she patted Ayo’s arm.

Okoye raised her eyebrows. “Wait, you already made it through? How’d I miss that?”

“Because,” Djabi groaned. “My mom managed to swipe my communicator on the first night and ‘lose’ it. And I made it through by staying mildly buzzed for the most of it.”

Djabi liked her family. They were loving, fun to be around, and enjoyed a good meal as much as she did. Plus, everyone was fairly laid back, which meant there weren’t stupid bouts of drama every other week.

Unfortunately, for as laid back as they were, her aunts, mother, and grandmothers loved playing matchmaker.

“Look at you,” her Aunt Djani remarked during the second day of the reunion. “In your prime and without a man at your side.”

“And just what is wrong with that?” Djabi muttered as she poured more whiskey into her glass.

“Nothing,” her mother said as she took the bottle and set it out of her daughter’s reach. “It’s just that we worry about you being lonely. We want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Djabi mumbled into her glass. Especially when I’m not being set up with every single guy in the territory.

It wasn’t that she disliked men. She enjoyed them just fine.

She also enjoyed being independent. As much as she admired Okoye and M’Baku’s relationship --or Ayo, Aneka, and O’Chenga’s--it wasn’t something she wanted right now.

Not that her aunts, grandmother, or mother believed her.

“Sleeping alone isn’t good for you,” her eldest Aunt, Zidwe, said. “It can lead to depression.”

“Actually, people sleep better alone because their sleep cycles are less likely to be interrupted by their partner’s movements,” Djabi shot back. “And I’m not depressed.”

“Not yet,” her grandmother muttered.

“There’s a young man--” her mother swatted her arm lightly when Djabi rolled her eyes “--he’s a friend of your cousin’s. He’s the son of one of the sector leaders. Very respectable, a year younger than you.”

“And he’s got shoulders for days,” Aunt Djani added.

“He’s actually here; we managed to talk your cousin into bringing him along,” her mother said. “He’s by the food tables, in the bright red shirt.”

Djabi looked over her shoulder surreptitiously --and, well, her aunt hadn’t been kidding.

He did have shoulders for days.

Djabi smiled internally as she turned around again. Maybe this family reunion won’t be so bad after all.

“Wait, so did you hook up with him or not?” Ayo asked.

Djabi smirked. “I did. More than once. I actually have his number for my nights off.”

Okoye clapped a hand over her mouth as she snorted. “Oh, Bast. Your aunts and your mom found you a booty call.”

“Hey, it’s their fault for always trying to set me up with someone!”

They all laughed together, doubling over and pressing their hands against their mouths.

“Anyway,” Djabi said once they calmed down. “What about you, Okoye? What’s new with you?”

Okoye shrugged. “Not much. I’ve been pretty busy here. Although...”

She did her best to keep her face smooth as M’Baku walked towards her. How did I get roped into this again?

She’d agreed to act as a ‘decoy’ for Shuri and Dewani --yet another escalation in the ongoing prank war between the Chief and the two teens. If she listened carefully enough, she could hear them giggling on the balcony above.

At this rate, they’ll give themselves away. She smiled as M’Baku kissed her cheek. “Thanks for meeting me out here.”

“Of course. You said you needed me, my love?”

Fortunately, she didn’t have to think of some random, plausible enough excuse.

There was a sharp laugh from the balcony overhead, and then Shuri and Dewani dumped a bucket of ice water straight onto M’Baku’s head.

He let out a yelp as the frigid water hit him. He stared down at his soaked clothes and the puddle at his feet, then glared up at his sister and her girlfriend. “Oh, you think this is funny?”

Dewani and Shuri cackled in unison.

“It is!” Dewani crowed.

“It’s for ALS,” Shuri said as she filmed the Chief. “It’s good cause!”

“You will regret this!” he shouted as the girls darted inside the palace. He huffed, then fixed his glare on Okoye. “Really? You decided to help them?”

She smirked and stepped towards him, placing her hands on his chest. “I figured I could make it up to you.”

“Oh, really.” He hefted her over his soaked shoulder before she could dart away and carried her into the palace. “We’ll just have to see about that, ‘koye.”

“And so, the mystery of how Okoye manages to walk properly ever lives on,” Ayo said. “Seriously, though--”

“You’re making the mistake of assuming M’Baku’s on top all the time,” Djabi interjected.

Ayo pointed at Djabi. “That would do it.”

Okoye rolled her eyes. “You two are impossible.”

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone --Part Twenty-Seven

*crawls out of the week* Oof. I’m tired.

Welcome back to the madhouse! This is your resident goblin speaking, here to update you on some news for Strong as Stone!

First: After taking some time and consideration, I’ve decided that this is the last update where we’ll be seeing Trump. I know that he’s wearing on some of you, and he’s wearing on me too, so this is his last hurrah. After this chapter, there’ll be a mention of his impeachment (necessary for some upcoming plot stuff) and then that’ll be it. (Warning: He goes out with a bang. This is Trump, after all.)

Second: After this update, we’re going to take some time for the some serious F L U F F. After a wonderful little plot powwow with @ginghampearlsnsweettea (idk why Tumblr won’t let me tag you :P), I realized that I was going ham on the political blech and the angst. So, yeah. Fluff break coming up. PREPARE YOURSELVES!!!

Third: I actually need your guys’s help for this bit. I do have kids planned for Okoye and M’Baku in the future, but I don’t know how many to give them. I come from a small family, and I tend to lean on what I know, but I’m curious to know what you guys think is a good number. Tell me what you think in my asks, dms, or my inbox on AO3.

Okay, onto the main stuff:

Last time, we saw hints of HYRDA’s involvement in stealing vibranium from Wakanda. Fortunately for our favorite General, the intrepid Agent Everett Ross is on the case. Unfortunately for him, it looks like his brother --General Thaddeus Ross--is involved somehow.

This time, I experimented with a new style of writing. Instead of having Okoye do all the narrating/having the narrator narrate from her perspective, we’re getting glimpses at what O’Chenga, Ayo, Aneka, and M’Baku have been dealing with during a dinner/hang out with the couples (M’Baku and Okoye and Ayo, Aneka, and O’Chenga).

Rating: M for political blech, Trump being Trump, and strong/misogynistic language.

Pairings: M’Baku x Okoye and Ayo x Aneka x OC.

@the-last-hair-bender, @skysynclair19

As constant as your struggles may seem, make sure you take time to support your friends and hear their frustrations as well.

Many of us often travel the same current in the river and share many of the same struggles. We ought to take care to not forget it.

“This has been a long time overdue.”

“Agreed.” Okoye smiled as she flipped over a few steaks on a large skillet. “I can’t wait to hear everything we’ve missed with the festival work and the missions.”

O’Chenga and M’Baku exchanged a long, exasperated look before M’Baku went back to dicing up several large potatoes and O’Chenga went back to prepping legumes, vegetables, and greens for the main vegetarian dish. “I wish there was something light hearted to report,” O’Chenga started as he chopped up a large eggplant. “Unfortunately...”

<<<

“Nephew. I would speak with you.”

O’Chenga grimaced as he watched Elder F’Tendi sweep into the throne room of the Great Lodge as though he was the Chief and his nephew, M’Baku, were his subordinate. Hanuman, what fuels this man? It can’t be common sense, since he clearly forwent that long ago. “I would advise you to address your Chief with due courtesy, Elder F’Tendi. This is not your throne room you step foot in.”

F’Tendi stopped to eye him coldly, then bowed slowly, mockingly. “My Chief. May I council with you?”

“And what if I say no?” M’Baku asked, cocking his head to the side.

“It would be in your interests to not. I am here to speak with you about Dewani.”

“Escort him out,” M’Baku said without hesitation.

O’Chenga smirked as he watched the guards move in to usher F’Tendi away from his friend. Serves you right.

“I hope you know what kind of company she keeps. There are rumors that she’s been caught associating with the Wild Ones.”

M’Baku lurched forward, snarling through tightly clenched teeth. “I will hear no more of your baseless accusations!”

O’Chenga leaped forward, catching his friend’s shoulder with one hand and motioning to the guards with the other. “Escort him out. Now!”

>>>

Okoye frowned. “Wait. Wild Ones? I don’t think I’ve heard of them before.”

“They are a... dark cult in the Jabari tribe. They worship the demon Ravana, one of Hanuman’s enemies,” M’Baku said with a scowl.

And F’Tendi is trying accuse Dewani of associating them to discredit her before the trial for his abuse starts, Okoye surmised. Wonderful. “Well, at least there can’t be any validity to the claim. Honestly, why would he even try to swing that far?” She froze when M’Baku didn’t immediately affirm her assertions. Bast, no. “Is there validity to his claims?”

M’Baku sucked a breath through his teeth. “It’s... complicated.”

<<<

M’Baku pinched the bridge of his nose. Hanuman, give me patience. “Dewani, you realize how this looks, right?”

His baby sister rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m not an idiot, M’Baku! I know this looks bad.”

As soon as his uncle had left the lodge, he’d immediately taken O’Chenga and tracked down his sister. There might not be laws against homosexuality, but there were laws against associating with the cult of Ravana. M’Baku’s uncle had incredible sway with the traditionalists of the tribe, who were already wary of Dewani because of her liberal views and relationship with Princess Shuri. The last thing his sister needed was a legitimate chink in her armor.

But this? This was arguably worse.

“So, you admit to having ventured into the cult’s territory, and you refuse to tell us why?” O’Chenga repeated, confusion evident in his tone and expression.

“I was visiting a friend,” Dewani said, waving her hand dismissively.

M’Baku groaned and rubbed his temples. Hanuman, give me the strength to not whack my sister upside the back of her thick head. “Dewani, I need you to take this seriously. F’Tendi could legitimately have you banished from the tribe on these grounds alone, and there would be nothing I could do to stop him!”

“Trust me, I am taking this seriously!”

“No, you’re not!”

“Yes, I am!”

M’Baku forced himself to take a deep breath. When you agreed to raise her, that meant raising her through everything, including moments like this. Be patient. Seek to understand, not to be understood. “Okay, then I’m not seeing it. Help me understand how you’re taking this seriously.”

Dewani shrugged as she flounced away, evidently done with the conversation. “When the time comes, you’ll see it.”

M’Baku gave into petty temptation and smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead. Hanuman dammit.

>>>

Okoye grimaced as she put the steaks on a plate to rest and covered them with foil to keep them warm. That’s about as disastrous as it gets. “She wouldn’t even give you an answer?”

“No! She refused to reveal anything.”

“Which is highly unlike Dewani,” O’Chenga added as he stirred a mixture of eggplant, legumes, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and goat’s cheese in a skillet.

Okoye nodded, well aware of the teenager’s reputation for boldness and zeal. “No kidding. Were you able to get any hint as to what she was doing in the cult territory?”

“No.” M’Baku’s mouth twisted into a troubled frown. “I can’t fathom that she was actually worshiping demons; Dewani is a devoted follower of Hanuman, and I think she’d sooner die than tarnish Olufemi’s legacy as a priestess. Unfortunately, I doubt it will matter in the eyes of the traditionalists.”

“She’ll be guilty by association,” Okoye concluded. She sucked a breath through her teeth and placed a comforting kiss on her lover’s shoulder. “Do you want me to try and talk to her?”

“You’re welcome to try, but I doubt you’ll get anything out of her.”

O’Chenga shook his head as he added some minced garlic and sea salt to the vegetable mixture. “You definitely won’t.” He grinned jovially after a moment and nodded his head in M’Baku’s direction. “She’s his sister, after all. Their skulls are the same thickness.”

M’Baku shook his head as everyone else laughed. “My friend, the comedian.”

O’Chenga bowed halfway as he transferred the vegetable mixture into a bowl. “I’m here all night. How’s the lawsuit going?”

Okoye rolled her eyes as Ayo and Aneka groaned. “Well, I wasn’t in the United States when this happened, but I think the incident speaks for the situation quite nicely.”

<<<

“Ayo! Ayo! Get your ass out here!”

Ayo smirked as her girlfriend called for her from the bedroom. She’s so cute when she’s impatient. “Calm your tits.”

“I will not! It’s the President! He’s commenting on Okoye’s lawsuit!”

Ayo practically sprinted out of the bathroom, still wrapped in the towel she’d used to dry off after her shower. “Wait, what?”

Aneka was sitting on the edge of the bed, remote in hand and dressed in her pajamas and a scowl. She was glaring at the image of the man in charge of running the United States on their flat screen TV. “They gave a preview before the commercial break. You’re not going to believe this.”

“Frankly, I think it’s unfathomably unjust of the Wakandans to promote this kind of hatred towards the leader of another country,” Trump said in a recording from a press conference. “I fail to understand how they could’ve blown such a minor misunderstanding so far out of proportion.”

Ayo’s jaw dropped. Minor misunderstanding? I was there! He hit my best friend on the ass! What’s there to misunderstand?

“This kind of behavior is going to be the end of the world. Before you know it, we won’t be able to brush shoulders with women without them crying ‘rape!’ The Wakandans are complicit in the disenfranchisement of men everywhere, and I won’t stand for it!”

“Is this scripted?” Aneka asked, brow furrowing. “He’s using multi-syllabic words, and I can’t fathom that he actually knows any on his own.”

It doesn’t matter, Ayo thought as she watched the pitiful excuse for a man gesture stupidly with his hands. This is a nightmare.

“This lawsuit is nothing but a scam being pushed by a government held down by women, and I’m not going to let them take America down with them!”

Ayo sank down onto the mattress next to her girlfriend. This can’t be real. Someone’s going to stop him.

“I won’t be paying any ‘damages!’ America won’t be paying any damages!”

Aneka gripped onto Ayo’s hand.

Ayo clenched her girlfriend’s hand back just as tightly.

“Instead, Wakanda is going to be paying damages to us! The damages for with-holding vibranium, and the damages for trying to start an anti-male campaign to further their own agendas against the free world! You have my word as the President, I’m not going to let anyone fuck with America!”

Ayo realized Aneka was shaking and put her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders. “It’s okay.”

“We’re a great country--”

“He’s an idiot; don’t let him get to you.”

--and we’ll always be a great country!”

Ayo grimaced at the sight of a single tear tracing it’s way down Aneka’s cheek. She brushed it away with a kiss, then took the remote out of Aneka’s limp hands and turned the TV off. “That’s enough of that.”

>>>

Okoye grimaced as she took in M’Baku’s and O’Chenga’s shocked expressions. “Before you ask, yes, he really said all of that. I had a meeting with my attorney the very next day to discuss what we’d be doing next.”

“What can you do next, in the face of that?” O’Chenga said in a shell-shocked voice.

“Not much,” Okoye muttered. “You just sort of have to wait for the idiot to hang himself.”

M’Baku’s hand found hers under the table and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Is there anything good that’s come out of the past few weeks?”

“Well--” Aneka paused as she took a sip of water “--there is, actually. It’s kind of a roundabout story, though.”

<<<

“Why do Americans make their coffee so sweet?”

“Well, actually, it’s likely due to the processing most of their foods go through and the melting pot effect of so many merged cultures. Each immigration group had their own way of preparing food and drinks, and when you stack that all together you’re bound to end up with some bastardized versions of bastardized versions of recipes. Plus, sugar and fatty foods were less expensive in America, so most immigrant families would try to replicate the way the wealthy ate back home.” Aneka felt a rush of warmth run from the top of her head to the tips of her toes at the soft smile Ayo favored her with. “What? It’s true.”

Ayo simply shook her head and continued sipping at her coffee. “You’re cute when you’re nerdy.”

Aneka opened her mouth to reply, but was distracted by a flash of gray-blond hair outside the window. “He’s here.” She watched as Agent Ross walked into the shop and up to the counter, then frowned when he kept ordering for nearly a solid minute. “What all is he getting? This is supposed to be a quick meet up.”

Ayo shushed her gently. “You’ll see.”

Agent Ross walked up to their table and sat down with a grimace. “You’ll have to forgive me for being hasty about this, but my brother’s expecting me to meet him in less than twenty minutes.” He set another thumb drive on the table. “I followed up on the leads that Jhanvi sent me. I was able to find the shipment of vibranium you’ve been looking for. Some HYDRA agents captured it after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell.”

“Good,” Aneka said. “Where is it?”

“That’s the sticky part. The shipment’s in my brother’s name. I can’t touch it without him finding out.”

Oh. Not good. Aneka picked up the thumb drive. “So, this is...”

Everett smiled grimly. “I was able to stick a tracking device on the container. Tell Princess Shuri it contains the link up to the device. She’ll know what to do with it.”

“Thank you, Agent Ross,” Ayo said. “We’ll be sure to follow up on the shipment, keep you clear of this.”

“I appreciate it.” He glanced at his watch, then stood with an apologetic wince. “I’m sorry for rushing out, but I really need to go.”

Aneka watched as he walked out, picking up a heavy paper bag of food as he went. “Was he getting food for him and his brother?”

“Doubtful.”

“It’s the only explanation that makes sense.”

The corner of Ayo’s mouth turned up and she nodded out the window. “Watch.”

Aneka watched as Agent Ross crossed the street, then stopped to hand off the bag to a homeless mother and her children. She smiled.

The news about the shipment was less than ideal. It’d be near impossible to slip the vibranium out of General Ross’s hands without him realizing that it was them.

But, with allies as kind and aware of the world around them as Agent Ross, she felt like they had a good shot.

Ayo tapped on the table with her now empty cup. “Come on. We need to get the drive to the Princess.”

>>>

“He sounds like an honorable man,” O’Chenga said as he sat back in his seat.

Okoye nodded in agreement. “He is. He fought the Border tribe with us, helped take down the ships trying to carry weapons out of the country.”

Ayo drained half her beer. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I need a vacation. All the missions and bad news has seriously worn me out.”

“I think we’ll get a break soon,” Aneka said brightly. “I can feel something coming. Something good.”

“Well, if you’re trying to give me ideas for tonight--”

Okoye chuckled as she watched Aneka swat at Ayo, but she couldn’t help but feel her best friend’s weariness in equal measure.

The past year had been exhausting. It seemed like they kept moving from one disaster to another without a good break from it all.

Okoye let her head rest on M’Baku’s shoulders as she listened to her friends argue back and forth. Bast, please let an end to all the drama come soon.

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone --Part Forty-One

Wow, this just flowed out of me.

Last time: We got to see the end of Thanos! Nebula killed him! The world was saved! Fuck yeah!

This time: things take a turn for the better --and the surprising.

Rating: T for nightmares, doctor’s appointments, and stress.

Oh, and mentions of pregnancy. *waggles eyebrows*

Pairings: M’Baku x Okoye, Shuri x OC, and T’Challa x Nakia.

@skysynclair19, @the-last-hair-bender

Death is not an end, only a transformation. Destruction is not an end, only an opportunity to rebuild. Even the future is not an end to the present, because all the future is the coming moment.

Look for beginnings, my dears, not ends. Some of the most beautiful flowers grow among the ashes of what we once knew.

The air smelled like blood and death. Screams carried on the wind, human and alien alike.

Keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving.

One kill, another kill, and another, and again. Again. Again. An impenetrable sea of black limbs and mouths and teeth, pressing in on her until she was suffocating.

Keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving.

He stood above it all, massive and terrifying as he parted the waters of death and destruction. His smile was cold, cruel, as he lifted his hand to let the sunlight catch on the gauntlet sitting there.

Every instinct in her told her to freeze, to make herself small in the sight of this monster.

Keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving.

The stones glowed for a single, horrible moment, and then he snapped his fingers.

The world exploded into ash. Faces and bodies --friends, family--dissolved into the wind, falling away like distant memories.

T’Challa. Shuri. Dewani. Aneka. Ayo. M’Baku.

She screamed, over and over as they faded away again and again and again--

And then the scene changed, and it wasn’t her new family she was screaming for, but the old one. Two bodies laying in a field, bloodied and mangled in the wake of an explosion.

She was alone, surrounded by smoke and ash.

Always ash.

I can’t breathe--

“Okoye! ‘Koye, wake up!”

She came to with a sob, hands shaking and sweaty in the still darkness of the pre-dawn.

M’Baku’s arms were already around her as he pressed his lips against the top of her head, her forehead, her cheeks, the bridge of her nose. “It was just a dream, ‘koye. Just a dream.”

She trembled in his arms, trying --and failing--to not cry. “I keep seeing everyone die! It’s the King, then the Princess, and Dewani, and Ayo, and you, and then it’s just my parents, and--”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s just a dream. It’ll take a whole lot more than some over-sized purple idiot with his head up his own ass to take me away from you.”

She let out a thready laugh. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I’m not.”

“But I lost you, just like I lost my parents. I lost Ayo, Aneka, half my team, my friends. Everywhere I go in life I just keep losing--”

“And you saved them. You saved me.”

“But I can’t always save everyone.”

“You don’t have to.” He kissed her temple. “Thanos was a once in a lifetime opponent, and he’s dead. I seriously doubt there’s anything else in the universe that could manage what he did.”

She sniffed and wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “You don’t know that.”

“I don’t have to. If I spend every day worrying about what could fall out of the sky, I’ll miss what’s right in front of me.”

She sighed. “I know, I know, it just--”

“It hits deep for you, ‘koye. I know it does.” He pressed a series of kisses against her knuckles. “You’ll find your feet again. I know you will.”

“Not without a lot of falling on my ass first,” she grumbled bitterly.

“That’s just a part of life.” Another kiss on her temple. “And I’ll be right by your side to help you back up when you do.”

She sighed, somewhat soothed, and tucked her face into the crook of his neck. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She tried to go back to sleep, really tried, but was too wired to get anywhere. The dream, albeit gone, still lingered in the corners of her mind, along with a certain itch at the base of her gut. An ache.

A need.

“Are you still awake?”

“Yeah. You alright?”

By way of response, she started kissing his neck, trailing kisses up his skin until she reached his mouth.

He kissed her back with the same intensity, the same heat she’d kissed him with. He drew her up in his arms, clutching her against his chest before rolling and positioning her underneath him.

She clung to the massive span of his shoulders, to him. “Please. Please, please, please--”

“It’s alright,” he murmured as he pressed his lips against her jaw. “I’ve got you.”

She shivered as he moved his lips lower and wrapped her legs around his hips. He always does.

It was Ayo who’d noticed first. The headaches, the dizziness, the stomach problems that wouldn’t go away. “Maybe you picked something up from the Avengers when they helped us defeat Thanos. Or maybe it’s something from the Soul Stone realm, or from where Thanos was hiding.”

Okoye sincerely hoped it was the first option. A mild flu or virus, she could deal with.

Some sort of supernatural or extraterrestrial infection, though? Nope. That was well out of her league.

Either way, it didn’t change where she wound up: sitting on a chair in an exam room in a private medicinal practice reserved for the Dora Milaje and the War Dogs. The practice itself specialized in physical illnesses from the outside world not common to Wakanda, and Okoye felt confident that whatever she’d picked up could be easily dealt with.

The door to the exam room swung open, and a diminutive woman with dreadlocks that hung down her back and clear, bright eyes nodded at her. “General. What brings you to us today?”

“I think I picked up something while working with the Avengers,” Okoye started before she outlined her symptoms. “I’ve been dealing with them for a few weeks now, and nothing seems to help.”

The doctor nodded as she took her notes, then frowned thoughtfully as she looked through Okoye’s file. “You wouldn’t happen to be overdue for your contraceptive shot, would you?”

Okoye froze. “I --what?”

“All the symptoms you described combined together are a dead match for the early onset of pregnancy, General. And... ah, as I thought, you are overdue for the shot. The appointment was scheduled during the midst of the Thanos crisis; that’s probably why you missed one.”

Okoye blinked. She’d been prepared for some sort of illness, maybe even a deadly extraterrestrial disease, but... Pregnant? Could I really be pregnant?

“Have you engaged in unprotected vaginal intercourse in the past few weeks that resulted in ejaculation? Have you noticed any irregularities in your menstrual cycle, or any odd spotting?”

Her period wasn’t that far off, and she’d definitely been stressed enough to set it back a week or so, and as far as sex...

Well, near death situations did make for fantastic reunion sex.

“Fuck. I mean, I have--”

The doctor smirked and nodded. “We’ll do some bloodwork and test for pregnancy and a few viruses that would also match those symptoms. If nothing comes back, we’ll do some more specific tests, alright?”

It’s not like she had a reason to refuse. The best approach to this is to be practical, she told herself as the doctor left to send a phlebotomist in. Panic won’t help anything.

The blood was drawn and the phlebotomist left, and then she didn’t have anything else to distract herself with.

Focus on your breathing, she told herself as she felt her irritation with the unknown start to creep up her spine. You and M’Baku have already talked about and planned on having kids. And you don’t even know if you’re pregnant or not. There’s no point in freaking out when you don’t even have all the information--

A knock on the door sounded, and then the doctor was walking back in. “You’re pregnant.”

Well... shit.

“You’re back early.” Ayo arched an eyebrow as she watched Okoye move around her office. “I thought they gave mandatory time off for the flu.”

“I don’t have the flu.”

“Mono, strep, whatever--”

“I’m pregnant, Ayo.”

At a different point in time, the look of sheer, unadulterated shock on Ayo’s face might’ve been laughter worthy. “Well... okay.” The Commander gave her a careful look. “Is this a ‘congratulations’ situation, or a ‘I’d give you wine if you weren’t growing a baby’ situation?”

That did make her laugh, just a little. “M’Baku and I were talking about having kids, only after Dewani’s trial. And it’s so soon after Thanos, and--” She sighed. “I’m just really tired.”

“I’ve heard that can be one of the side effects.”

“Oh, fuck off. You know what I mean.”

Ayo smirked. “It’s a lot, back to back.”

Okoye nodded, then sighed. “I need to head to the Jabari lands to tell M’Baku. I don’t want to wait, or have him find out from someone else--”

“Go. I’ve got you covered here.”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Ayo was quiet for a moment, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend in a hug. “Congratulations, Okoye.”

She smiled --finally--and hugged her back. “Thank you.”

She had to keep herself from sprinting into the Great Lodge when she finally landed in the main courtyard. You’re going to have to start taking it easier. May as well practice it now.

She might’ve power-walked, just a little. She was too keyed up from the flight to take things slow.

O’Chenga furrowed his brow when he saw her walk into the lodge. “General. Not that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here? Is something wrong in the lower lands?”

She shook her head. “I need to speak with M’Baku. Immediately. It’s a... personal emergency.”

He regarded her for a moment, then nodded. “He’s in a meeting, but I imagine he’ll clear everyone out when he realizes you’re here.”

She followed him to the throne room, fighting the urge to activate her spear and carry it with her. This isn’t a fight. You don’t need a weapon.

She’d known different soldiers to sleep with various weapons or armor pieces for comfort; she’d never thought of herself as the type to assign those sentiments to a sharpened piece of metal.

“Wait out here,” O’Chenga said. “I’ll let him know that you’re here and it’s urgent. Come in once the advisers start leaving.”

She did as told, keeping to the shadows when the doors to the throne room opened. She could hear M’Baku’s voice, hear the pause in conversation as O’Chenga walked in and made his way to the throne--

“I need you all to excuse yourselves for a moment. An urgent matter has arisen that needs my direct attention.”

She waited until various advisers started leaving, then slipped past them and into the throne room.

“What do you mean she didn’t say--”

“She just said it was a personal emergency, and I figured if it was urgent enough for her to fly up here unannounced that you’d want to see her,” O’Chenga said. “She’s here now; you can ask her yourself. I’ll give you two a moment.”

M’Baku was across the throne room in the blink of an eye, simultaneously holding her close and keeping her at arm’s length so he could inspect her, as though whatever she was dealing with would be visible and easily discerned. “‘Koye, what is it? Are you alright? Why are you here?”

She waited until O’Chenga had closed the doors behind him, then ducked her head and swallowed hard. “I went to the doctor’s today, to see what was wrong with me--”

“Are you sick? Is it serious?”

“No. I mean, it is serious, but I’m not sick.”

“Then what--”

“I’m pregnant, M’Baku.”

He stopped, mid-ramble, and stared down at her. “What --are you sure?”

“They did bloodwork to find out. Unless you doubt the legitimacy of that, there’s no way I’m not pregnant.” She fiddled nervously with the cuff of her coat when he didn’t respond. “It’s yours, if you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t worried about that,” M’Baku said after a moment. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “I’m worried about why you look so upset. Is there something wrong with the baby? Are the doctors worried about the pregnancy posing a danger to you?”

“No, no, it’s too early to tell any of that and I’m perfectly healthy. I just... we weren’t planning on having kids until after Dewani’s trial. I don’t want her to feel abandoned by us having a kid of our own.”

“If it’s the timing that’s bothering you, we can always terminate and try again later. It’s not like either of us are on our last legs of life.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think we can. This baby is the heir to your title. I don’t think we can terminate the pregnancy, not without everyone flipping their collective shit.”

“Well, how many people know besides the two of us?”

“My physician and Ayo. I... I told her before I came to see you; I needed her to cover for me today.”

M’Baku nodded and kissed her forehead. “Well, the doctor’s bound by patient-doctor confidentiality, and I know Ayo would take the news to her grave and nowhere else if you asked her. If you’re not ready --if you don’t want to keep the baby--then that’s it. It’s your body, Okoye. This is your choice, and I’ll support you either way.”

Relief flowed through her, and she let her forehead rest against his chest. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to? Terminate the pregnancy, that is?”

She thought for a moment, then shook her head with a soft smile. “No. I really do want to keep it. I’ve only known for half a day and I already love them so much. I’m just--”

“Worried about Dewani,” M’Baku finished. “How about we ask her how she feels about it? If she’s fine with it, we keep the baby. If not, we’ll figure things out from there.”

Okoye nodded, feeling more at ease than she had in a while. “That works.”

“Wait. Are you serious? Are you really serious?”

Okoye nodded. “Ye--”

Dewani let out a whoop and pumped her fist. “Fuck yeah! I’m gonna be an aunt!”

M’Baku shushed her with a laugh. “Easy. It’s not common knowledge yet. We wanted to check with you first--”

“Check with me for what? I’m not the one that has to carry it.”

“We wanted to be sure,” Okoye interjected. “That you wouldn’t feel... abandoned if we chose to keep the baby, in light of your trial coming up.”

Dewani blinked, then lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Okoye. “Keep it. Please. It’ll give me something to look forward to for when all this bullshit is over.”

Okoye hugged her back. “We just wanted to be sure.”

“Look, it’s your baby and body. If you want to terminate, terminate, just don’t --don’t do it for me, okay? I’ll be fine.”

“Well, we both want the baby,” Okoye said as she stepped back. “So termination isn’t going to factor in unless it’s a matter of life and death.”

Dewani nodded, then grinned. “Oh, Hanuman, this is so cool. Oh my gosh. I’m gonna teach them so many swear words. Holy shit.”

“You better not,” M’Baku said, grin undercutting the warning tone of his voice.

“Watch me. Anyway, what’s next?”

Okoye sighed. “Well, ‘next’ involves flying back to the capital and alerting the King so I can start delegating different work duties for the better part of the next year... and then telling my friends, I suppose.”

“Can we come with? Can I come with? I wanna see Shuri.”

“I don’t see why not.”

M’Baku jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Go pack us a couple bags. I’ll come with, too.”

“Awesome!”

Okoye chuckled and shook her head as Dewani took off down the hall at a dead sprint. “To be that young again.”

“I’m good with where I’m at.” M’Baku was quiet for a moment, then grinned down at her. “We’re having a baby.”

She grinned back, excitement sweeping through her. “We’re having a baby!” She giggled with him, and smiled with dizzy euphoria when he swept her into his arms and kissed her. We’re having a baby.

After several months of frustration, it was nice to finally have something good.

As it turned out, though, they weren’t the only ones expecting. As soon as she’d informed T’Challa and Nakia of the news --and, inadvertently, Ramonda and Shuri, since they’d been in the room--Nakia had smiled softly and told her that she’d found out she was pregnant earlier that morning as well.

M’Baku had blinked, then looked over at Dewani and said “I’ve never been so grateful that you’re a lesbian until now.”

The room had exploded into cackles of laughter --a welcome sound in the wake of so much stress, loss, and rebuilding.

Aneka and Djabi --along with a few other women--had outright squealed when she’d broken the news to her women, while others had started trading money.

Because there’d been a betting ring going for when she’d get pregnant. Apparently.

She’d been to happy, coasting on the high of ‘having a baby, building a new family of my own’ to really give it much reaction.

Now, though, she was tidying up her office; it needed a good decluttering, anyway, and it was enough of a low impact task that M’Baku was flipping out --as much as he flipped out, anyway--over her doing it.

“I’ve already talked to Princess Shuri,” M’Baku said. “She said she can have the rail system fully functional in four months.”

Okoye nodded as she filed some old mission notes from when they were tracking down Ross into one of the cabinets behind her. “Is it weird that I kind of want to find a new apartment? I’m still happy to stay with you and use the transport system to commute, but I don’t want to stay at the palace when you’re here. I like having a place outside of work in Birnin Zana, and I’ve got more than enough money from Trump’s settlement suit to make it sustainable.”

“That sounds fine to me.” He grinned. “Honestly, I can’t believe this is really happening. I almost feel like I’m dreaming.”

“Want me to pinch you?”

“No, but I can think of several other things I’d like to have you do to me.”

“And here I thought I was supposed to be the one with the hormonal surges.” She smirked, then looked up when someone knocked on the office door. “Come in.”

Aneka walked in, holding a letter marked with the Border tribe insignia. “This just came for you.”

Okoye raised her eyebrows. “Someone sent a physical letter to me?” 

Wakanda had a functioning postal system, but most interactions were kept digital for efficiency’s sake. Physical mail was saved for formal functions or letters, and death notices.

“According to the note that came with it, the person who sent it is claiming to be your late mother’s sister.”

She felt her entire world go sideways. After everything she’d been through, it seemed impossible. After all this time... is there really someone left? How’d they even find me?

She could feel M’Baku helping her into a chair, distantly hear him thanking Aneka--

And then he was kneeling in front of her. “Hey. Deep breaths. Everything’s okay.”

“It is,” she agreed quietly. “It’s just... a surprise. A big one.”

He nodded. “I know.” He looked down at the small, crisp envelope in his hand, then back up at her. “What do you want to do with this?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. What do you think I should do?”

He shrugged back. “There’s no harm in checking it out.”

He was right, she decided. If everything turned out to be a bust, she could walk away from whatever --whoever--she found through the letter. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

She took the letter from his hand and opened the envelope.

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone --Part Forty

Okay, full disclosure, this isn’t edited. It’s 3AM, I’m exhausted, and my depression is killing me. Don’t @ me.

Last time: Infinity War Part Three.

This time: The conclusion.

(Look at all the fucks I don’t give. LOOK AT THEM.)

Rating: M for injuries and death.

Pairings: Okoye x M’Baku and Shuri x OC.

@the-last-hair-bender, @skysynclair19

There are going to be times when you’ll be exhausted. When your limbs will ache, and your body will be heavy, and you’ll feel like you can’t take another step.

Keep your eyes on the goal ahead, my dears, and don’t stop moving until you reach it.

“We’re not sure how long we can keep the portal open for, so you’re going to have to be fast. Retrieve essential persons only, and then get the hell back here.”

Okoye nodded grimly as she eyed the portal Loki, Wong, and Dr. Strange were working on making.

The plan was simple, admittedly. Sneak into the realm of the Soul Stone, find their missing team members by tracking the vital signs from T’Challa’s kimoyo beads, and bring them back to Wakanda so they could take on Thanos with as full a team as possible.

The execution, however, was going to be infinitely --heh--more difficult. According to the experts at hand --Wong, Strange, and Loki--the realm was patrolled by various demons and monsters to ensure that any of the captives there didn’t escape eventual consumption.

Because the stone itself, apparently, had an active hunger for souls. Which meant, at any point, they could be devoured as well.

Not to mention the fact that Thanos was in possession of the Mind Stone --the yellow gem that had powered Vision--which meant that he was probably already aware of their plan and was devising a way to stop them.

A worthy long shot, if we can get our people back, Okoye decided as she watched the portal spark to life in the center of Shuri’s lab.

“Our communications probably won’t work once you crossover,” Shuri added as she fiddled nervously with one of her display interfaces. “And that could mean with each other, too. Make sure you stay close to one another.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“We’re ready,” Wong announced. “We need to leave now.”

Okoye checked to make sure she had her weapons with her one last time, then walked towards the platform the portal was hovering over with Gamora, Wong, Rocket, Bucky, and a handful of the remaining Dora Milaje.

“Be careful,” Shuri added quickly, before any of them could step over.

“I’m not really sure that’s an option anymore,” Rocket muttered as he crossed over into the Soul Stone realm.

Okoye grimaced and followed the raccoon. He might be right.

The realm of the Soul Stone, admittedly, didn’t look all that much different from how Okoye had expected a magical dimension contained within a supernatural-type gemstone that actively hungered for souls to look. It was a desolate, barren place, with massive outcroppings of rock that twisted and stabbed into the air in jagged spirals. The sky was a stark shade of scarlet, and ghostly, gray beings floated through the air at random, fading in and out of view at random.

“They are the guardians of the realm,” Loki explained in a quiet whisper. “They’re attracted to soul energy. We shouldn’t be all that noticeable right now--”

“But that’ll change once we save the others,” Okoye surmised. When the demigod nodded, she sighed. “We need to keep moving. The sooner we get this done, the better.”

“We’re getting close,” Rocket hissed as he looked at their position relative to the coordinates where T’Challa’s kimoyo beads were still transmitting his vital signs.

Okoye eyed the sanguine sky warily as countless ‘guardians’ flew overhead. They won’t notice us when we’re in the midst of all the other souls here... but once we’re separated again...

“It’s just up ahead! Past that ridge!”

Okoye darted ahead, careful to stay concealed by various outcroppings of rock, and peered over the edge of the ledge.

Thousands of glowing cells lined the crater below them, each of which housed an individual person or alien.

“Shit,” Gamora hissed. “It’ll take days to find everyone.”

Okoye pursed her lips as she assessed the situation. “Then we don’t find everyone. We find our most essential fighters --the King, M’Baku, your sister, anyone we need to make the strongest team possible in the shortest amount of time.” She pointed to the screen on the tablet-like device Rocket was holding. “That’s where T’Challa is. We start there. With any luck, the others will be nearby.”

Gamora nodded, then winced when a ‘guardian’ let out eerie shrieking noise. “Let’s move.”

Winding their ways through the cells was tricky business. Aside from the ghostly ‘guardian’ creatures, there were also multi-limbed, skeletal looking creatures standing sentry amidst the prison-scape. Many of the most direct paths were completely unusable, cut off by some sort of monster or demon in their way.

“We aren’t going to be able to get enough people in enough time if we stay together,” Rocket grumbled as they dodged being seen by another sentry. He tapped at his tablet, whacked it against the ground when it didn’t do what he wanted to, and let out a satisfied huff when it pinged. “Alright, I sent the King’s coordinates to everyone’s stuff. We’ll use him to meet back up in ten minutes, and then we’re getting out, regardless of who we have or don’t.”

“Teams of two,” Okoye added. “No divisions past that.” She nodded at Bucky. “We’ll go find the King.” She crept down a row of cells, motioning for the various captees inside to stay silent as they moved towards the coordinates where T’Challa’s vital signs were.

“Get down,” Bucky whispered, gripping her shoulder to pull her into a crouch as another sentry walked past.

She adjusted her grip on her spear, glaring at the back of the monster until it loped out of sight. “We’re close,” she hissed as they started stalking forward again. “Only a few meters now.” She started counting down the cells, looking for any sign of her King--

T’Challa looked up when they reached his cell, moving from leaning against the back wall of the cell to standing by the door. “General.”

She bowed her head, then lifted her spear and drove it through the chains holding the door on his cell shut, snapping them into pieces. “Let’s get you out of here, your Majesty.”

There were a few other snapping sounds, and then Bucky was helping Steve and Thor out of their cells. “I don’t see anyone else that was with us--”

“Okoye!”

She darted past them and found Aneka, pressing her face against one of the cell doors further down. She broke the chains on the door, then pulled her friend into a crushing hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too. Where’s Ayo? Is she--”

“She’s in Wakanda, waiting for us to get back.”

Aneka let out a sigh of relief as she stepped back. “Okay. Okay. What’s the plan? How do we get out of here?”

Okoye turned around as she heard several footsteps against the ground and saw the others running into view with most --almost all, actually--of their missing team.

And M’Baku.

Okoye felt her heart stop for a moment --felt everything freeze inside her--and then she was sprinting towards him.

He caught her in his arms, crushing her against his chest as he hugged her. “It’s good to see you, ‘koye.”

“We need to go,” Gamora said. “We had to kill one of the sentries, but they managed to send off a flare before we took them down.”

As if to punctuate the severity of the situation, another skeletal being dropped out of the sky mere inches from Aneka’s arm with a metallic sounding screech.

Wanda stepped forward and lifted her hands, tearing the creature to shreds before it could do anything else. “Come on!”

As Okoye had predicted, the journey back to the portal from the cells was far more difficult than their journey in. They managed to escape the prison area without too much trouble, but the guardian creatures noticed the presence of too many souls outside the prison area before they’d even made it twenty feet away from the ridge.

“Keep moving!” Rocket shouted from where he’d opted to hitch a ride on Steve’s shoulder. “Come on!”

“If you haven’t noticed,” Okoye snapped, stopping long enough to ram her spear through the chest of one of the guardians, making it dissolve into a cloud of ash, “we’re a little busy!”

“Well, I offered to help, but someone didn’t want to give me a gun!”

“I am Groot!” Groot added as he caught an errant sentry with a vine-like extension from his arm and whipped it about like a rag doll.

“Exactly!”

“I can see the portal!” Gamora shouted from the front of the group. “We’re almost there! Come on!”

Okoye clenched her teeth together as she sprinted forward, doing the best she could to ignore the shrieks of the monsters chasing them. Bast, please just let us make it...

They practically slammed into the lab, almost tumbling over each other and different pieces of equipment in an effort to get away from the things chasing them.

“Close the portal!” Okoye shouted once everyone was through. “Hurry!”

Shuri did so, bisecting one of the ghost-creatures as she did.

Okoye drove her spear through its head as it collapsed to the lab floor, just to be on the safe side.

For a moment, everything was silent.

And then everyone was smashing into each other again, exchanging hugs and crying. Sobbing.

Shuri practically tackled T’Challa to the floor, clinging to him like he was her only tether to the world.

T’Challa, though, was hugging her back just as hard. “Bast, I’m so glad you’re alright!”

Ayo found Aneka just as fast, pulling her girlfriend into her arms and not letting go.

Tony and Peter Park. The Guardians and Nebula. Steve and Bucky. Friends, companions, and partners alike, all being reunited with each other.

After all the loss and grief, it was good to see.

Okoye leaned against M’Baku’s side as he put one of his arms around her shoulders --then chuckled when Dewani strutted towards them, looking endlessly pleased with herself as she tossed the Chief’s staff from hand to hand. “Oh, this ought to be good.”

The teen smirked as she stopped a few feet away, leaning against the staff as she eyed her elder brother. “You look good for a dead person.”

M’Baku laughed along with the rest of the room and bowed his head. “My Chief.”

“Hanuman, no.” Dewani handed the staff back to him. “You can deal with the elders and all the politics. That shit is exactly not my speed.”

He took the staff, then stepped away from Okoye to wrap his younger sister in a hug.

Okoye smiled as she watched the two siblings hold onto each other.

“Is there even a point in this?”

Okoye looked over at Jhanvi as she assessed their newly refreshed team of people against the intel they’d gathered on Thanos and his fighting style from Gamora and Nebula. “What do you mean?”

The technopath shrugged. “I mean, if these stones are really supposed to give him all the power in the world, is there a point in trying to fight him? We’re stepping up to get our asses dusted.”

She’s not wrong, Okoye admitted to herself. She shrugged back. “Would you rather go down swinging or sitting?”

“Swinging. Any day.”

“Well, there you go. Do you have anything else to contribute to the actual strategy?”

“Yeah. We should just cut the arm with the gauntlet on it off.”

Okoye blinked, then smirked as she added the idea to their working list. “Yes, yes we should.”

The plan --if it could be called that, really--was simple.

Jump Thanos, cut off his arm, kill him, and reverse the effects of what he’d done in the first fight.

Okay, it wasn’t that simple, but it sure as fuck felt like it in comparison to the millions of missions she’d planned and run before now, where she had piles of tactical data and more than a few hours to make a strategy.

But time was of the essence; the longer they waited, the more the Soul Stone would consume the souls it’d captured, and they were all in agreement that they needed to save as many lives --reunite as many families, friends, and partners--as possible.

Jhanvi, Tony, Bruce, and Shuri were tracking the energy signature from the Mind Stone so they could find Thanos. Once they did, the team would break down into two groups; Loki and Wong would take those who had initially survived the first fight with Thanos to Thanos’s location to distract him and fight him head on, while Thor and Dr. Strange would take those they’d rescued to sneak in behind the Titan and --hopefully--get the jump on him. In the midst of the fight, Thor would use his axe to slice Thanos’s arm off, and then someone would execute the tyrant.

Okoye wasn’t sure how they’d reverse his erasure of the half the universe, though --and judging from the grim looks the science experts had exchanged in Shuri’s lab, no one else was, either.

She let out a shaky breath and braced herself against the top of her desk. Now that she was alone, her doubts were starting to get the better of her. Fuck--

“Hey.”

Her head jerked up and relief coursed through her body when she saw M’Baku walk in. We manged to save our friends. We can save everyone else, too.

“Are you alright?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she practically leaped over her desk and grabbed him by the collar of his chest plate, pulling him down for a bruising, consuming kiss.

He responded with a groan that seemed to travel through his whole body before he practically crushed her against him, just as eager to devour her as she was him.

She wound her arms around his neck, almost deliriously happy as he lifted her and pressed her back against one of the walls--

Her kimoyo beads pinged twice, shattering the moment.

Okoye sighed, then broke the kiss so she could read the message. “They’re ready for us.”

M’Baku sighed, but nodded. “Alright. There’ll be time for this... later.”

“You better survive until later,” Okoye said, pointing a finger at him warningly. “If you don’t, I might just kill you.”

He chuckled and pressed his forehead against hers. “Well, Hanuman knows I would never challenge the orders of the indomitable General Okoye.”

“Damn right you wouldn’t.” She tilted her head up to brush her lips against his, just a little. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Now, come on. We’ve got a world to save.”

“Damn right we do.”

Okoye felt like laughing and vomiting all at once when she stepped through Wong’s portal and saw where Thanos had taken up hiding. A farm. He’s on a damn farm. He destroys half the universe, and then he just walks away from it like it means nothing to him.

She was going to put her spear through his stupid, over-sized purple head.

“I’ll give him credit,” Dewani said. “He’s got his irrigation system rigged up really well.”

“Seriously?” Shuri hissed as they walked towards a cabin that stood in the center of countless fields of alien plants; it was the only building for miles, and since Thanos wasn’t out in the open, it stood to reason that he’d be there.

“What? I’m just saying!”

“Can you just focus on what we’re actually here to do?”

“I am --wait, is he not using fertilizer? No bone meal? Hanuman, what a fucking chump--”

“Dewani,” Okoye said as she fought the urge to grin.

“Right.” Dewani smacked the staff she was holding against the porch of the cabin. “Thanos! Get your ugly purple ass out here!”

There were a set of heavy footsteps from inside the cabin, and then the door opened to reveal the monster himself.

Thanos wasn’t wearing any of his armor, save for the gauntlet on his hand. “You should know that coming here was futile. What’s been done is done. Let it be.”

“Well, then you should know that humans are both tenacious and remarkably petty,” Dewani fired back. “Hand over the gauntlet and we’ll kill you quickly.”

The corner of Thanos’s mouth curled up in a smirk. “Your hubris amuses me. Perhaps I will spare you so you can entertain me.”

“You are, like, exactly not my type, dude.”

Shuri activated her hand cannons and aimed them at Thanos. “You’ve committed unspeakable atrocities against the universe, Thanos. Surrender now, and your death will be swift.”

“You couldn’t defeat me before with an army at your side. What makes you think you can do so now?”

Okoye angled her spear at him. “Because this time, you don’t have any backup to help you.”

There was a loud scream from overhead, and then Thor slammed down onto the roof of Thanos’s cabin, bringing down a massive bolt of lightning with him.

Okoye ducked as the shack exploded into thousands of pieces --most of which bounced harmlessly off shield erected by Wong and Loki--then charged after Thanos. “Come on!”

The oversized alien rolled to his feet with a growl. “I will not tolerate this insolence!” He curled his gauntlet-clad hand into a fist, Infinity Stones glowing in their settings. “You will all die here!”

“Think again,” Tony said as he started firing mini-missiles at Thanos. “Maximoff, now!”

Tendrils of red energy crept across the gauntlet, curling around the stones and effectively halting whatever attack Thanos had planned.

“Hit him with everything you’ve got!” Steve shouted as he darted towards the Titan. “And get him in position for Thor!”

It was over before it started. With Wanda rendering the Infinity Stones useless and with no army to support him, Thanos was no match for the sheer number of fighters bearing down on him.

Okoye jammed her spear through one of his knees, knocking the giant to the ground --

and Thor was there right after, driving his axe through Thanos’s forearm as the Mad Titan let out an anguished scream.

“Oh, that’s nasty,” Peter groaned as Thanos’s hand fell limply out of the gauntlet.

“You know, blood’s actually really good for plants,” Dewani said.

“Are you serious--”

“If I focus on what actually just happened, I’m gonna pass out, Shuri.”

“It’s over,” Tony said, helmet retracting so he could stare Thanos down. He gestured aimlessly with the gauntlet. “Now, tell us how to reverse what you did.”

“I did the universe a favor. I brought balance--”

“You know what? Nevermind. We’ll figure it out without you. Someone kill this guy.”

“Nebula,” Gamora said softly. She jerked her chin at Thanos when her blue-skinned sister shot her a confused look. “He’s yours.”

Okoye looked at Nebula, then at Thanos, then held her spear out to the woman. “Aim for the head.”

Nebula grinned ferally as she took the spear and stalked over to Thanos. She braced her foot on his throat and angled the tip of the spear towards his forehead. “You should’ve killed me when you had the chance.”

Thanos glared up at her, defiant. “It would’ve been a waste of parts.”

Nebula screamed and drove the spear through his head with a sickening crack.

Everything was silent for a moment as Thanos’s body went completely limp.

Dewani gagged. “Oh, Hanuman. I’m really gonna throw up now.”

“Is this gonna work?”

“We’ve been asking that question ever since Thanos arrived in Wakanda to inform us of his plans. I’m not sure there’s even a point in asking it anymore.”

Okoye kept her gaze trained on one of the many monitors in Shuri’s lab as Wanda, Dr. Strange, Wong, and Loki gathered around the gauntlet. “Let me know when they start.”

“Alright, in three... two... one...”

She could almost feel the energy in the room change, but kept her gaze focused on the screen.

At first, nothing happened.

And then, a little counter began pinging rapidly.

“It’s working! It’s working!”

They’d done it. They’d reversed Thanos’s slaughter and restored the universe. News stations were running story after story on the “reverse rapture,” speculating about just what had happened and showcasing different heartwarming stories about families, friends, and couples that had been reunited.

Okoye leaned against the trunk of the tree she was sitting under, exhausted and numb in the wake of everything that had happened, everything they’d done. I feel like I could sleep for a year.

It was done. They’d defeated Thanos and saved the world.

She opened her eyes as she heard a set of footsteps approach.

M’Baku smiled down at her. “Come here often?”

“Not often enough, it seems.” She shifted over on the bench so he could sit next to her, then slumped against his side. “I’m so tired.”

M’Baku pressed his lips against the top of her head as he put his arm around her. “It’s over now, Okoye. You can rest.”

She nuzzled his shoulder. “Believe me. I plan on it.”

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone --Part Twenty-Nine

Welcome back!

Last time, we watched our group visit various colleges and school in America! And Trump was impeached! Good times!

This time, we watch Okoye and her team track down General Ross’s stolen vibranium --or, at least, they try to.

Rating: T for mild language.

Pairings: Okoye x M’Baku and Shuri x OC.

@the-last-hair-bender, @skysynclair19

Don’t go into every match expecting a win. There’s no fault in being confident in your abilities, but arrogance is the greatest downfall any person will ever encounter. There will be times when your opponent will outsmart you, outfight you, or simply be a step ahead of you.

There’s nothing wrong with it happening. It’s life. It’s the way of the river. So, instead of beating yourself down when you lose, breathe deeply and focus on how to do better next time. Do what you can to put things to your advantage in the next match.

It’s a matter of whether you want to move forward or whether you want to stay where you are. In all things, my dears, I urge you to move forward.

“Do you know what you’re looking for?”

Okoye shook her head. “Not specifically, no. Shuri and Jhanvi tracked the cases into Northern Canada. We weren’t able to get a specific location, though. Agent Ross’s tracking device stopped transmitting during what we think was the last leg of the journey.” She folded another sweater and packed into her duffel. “We’ve got the possible location parsed out to about fifty square miles out in the forest. We’ll be searching around there for anything suspicious.”

M’Baku snorted. “So, you’ll be tramping around in the cold. In the forest.”

“Yes, my love. The irony of the situation isn’t lost on me either. Fortunately, I’m taking this.” She held up the hooded fur cloak M’Baku had given her, taking a moment to enjoy her partner’s smile before tucking into her bag as well.

“What happens if you don’t find anything?”

“Well, it’ll be a wasted few days and I’ll come home with complaints and tired feet.”

M’Baku chuckled. “Well, fortunately, New Year’s will happen right after you get back. You’ll get a good vacation after that --and I’m told I’m a good listener.”

“Hm. How are your foot rubs?”

“Utterly phenomenal.”

“Well, then it sounds like my bases are covered for either outcome.” She zipped up her bag. “I need to go. Everyone else will be ready soon.”

“Alright. Be safe, my love. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“I will.” She blew him a kiss, then hung up the call, slung the strap of her duffel bag over her shoulder, and walked out of her quarters at the palace.

She had a flight to catch.

“How, exactly, did I pull shit detail and wind up in Canada on a mission to hike around in the woods while winter is still going?”

Okoye smirked at Ayo. “Because you’re the next in line to be General, and it’s important that you possess a well-rounded array of experiences before I step down so that you can handle anything that comes your way. I’m just taking my mentor-ly responsibilities seriously, dear friend of mine.”

Ayo glared murderously at her while Aneka laughed. “Next time we spar, I’m going to aim a few ‘well-rounded’ blows at your head.” Okoye grinned --then went straight faced as the other member of the mission team boarded the ship.

Steve Rogers, alias Captain America.

She didn’t miss the tension in shoulders or the darkness swimming behind his eyes. He looks like he’s spent six weeks in a war zone. She supposed, though, that it would come with the territory. 

They were tracking HYRDA, after all; the same organization that had tried to kill Mr. Rogers and tortured his best friend for decades. 

It was natural that he’d be on edge. “Sorry for being late,” Steve said quietly as he stowed his bag in one of the wall panels.

“You’re fine,” Okoye said as she hit the control to close the bay door and start the launch sequence. “We’re still on schedule.”

He nodded by way of greeting to Ayo and Aneka, then asked “What’s the plan?”

“We’re searching the last known location Agent Ross’s tracking device,” Okoye said as she steered the craft towards the outer border of Wakanda. She hit the cloaking device as they passed through the holographic shield that surrounded the inner part of the nation and steered the ship up to higher altitudes. “With any luck, we’ll find the vibranium and whatever else HYDRA has there.”

“And if we don’t?”

She could hear the anxiety in his voice, just barely constrained as it thrummed under the surface. I hope that isn’t going to be a problem. She knew enough about Captain Rogers to know that he was a capable fighter and a good leader or team member --and that, when wound up, he could be a bit of a loose cannon. If he costs us this mission, or causes one of my friends to get hurt... Okoye pursed her lips and put the thought firmly out of her head. 

Going down that path wouldn’t yield anything productive. 

“Then we go back to Wakanda and draw up another plan.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

Okoye looked up and met the man’s tense gaze. “We’ll find them, and we’ll take them out. Bottom line, we won’t let them get anywhere near Sargent Barnes. I promise.”

He relaxed a little at that, nodding and retreating back into the cabin of the ship.

Ayo walked up next to her, watching Captain Rogers while she did. “Is he going to be a problem?” she whispered in Wakandan.

Okoye sighed as quietly as she could. “Hopefully not.”

Cold. Bitter cold. Agonizing, bitter cold.

She’d acclimated better to the cold over the past year, thanks to her frequent trips to the Jabari lands.

But the Jabari lands had crackling fires. Steaming hot springs. Thick furs. And M’Baku.

Canada didn’t have any of those things.

Aneka’s teeth chattered as she peered out of the frost decorated window of the safe house they were staying in while they were on their mission. “People live out here? How is that even possible?”

“They go ice fishing, too,” Steve said as he brought in a stack of chopped wood from outside.

“Ice what?”

“They sit on frozen rivers, drill holes in the ice, and fish.”

Aneka’s eyes widened and she mouthed the word ‘insane’ before looking back outside.

Ayo walked up to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around Aneka’s shoulders before glancing over to Okoye. “The sooner we’re out of this frozen hellscape, the better. What’s the plan?”

“We’ll spend the next few days searching the woods to the North of us. Most of it is accessible by car, but we’ll have to hike through some of it,” Okoye said as she set up a portable mini-heater on the dusty kitchen counter. “We --Captain Rogers... what are you doing?”

“Building a fire.”

Okoye exchanged a slow blink with Ayo and Aneka, then looked back at the Captain. “We... we have a heater. We don’t need a fire.”

“This cabin is drafty. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Okoye shrugged when Ayo gave her a shocked look and mouthed the words ‘just let him do it’ to her second in command. “Okay. Well, we know the last place the tracker transmitted a location was in this area, and there aren’t any airports or any other places where they could easily leave the area.”

“Did it just run out of batteries?” Steve asked as he lit the kindling with a match.

“We thought about that, but when we tried to scan the area we weren’t able to. This area is protected by a dampening field of some sort.”

Steve grimaced. “Well, that’s suspicious.”

“No kidding. If we’re going to find any hints of where they are or where they’ve gone, it’ll be here.”

Two days of nothing.

Well, if you counted all the snow they’d trudged through, it technically wasn’t nothing.

But, if you were looking for positive results, it was an assload of nothing.

The roads hadn’t yielded anything telling, so they’d had to start hiking through the dense forests for any signs of anything suspicious. So far, there weren’t any bunkers, boot marks, or any signs of life in the dense woods.

“Maybe the just drove through here while the batteries gave out,” Aneka had panted at one point, breath clouding in the cold air.

“Maybe,” Okoye had agreed as she’d adjusted the hood over her fur cloak. “But that doesn’t explain the dampening field.”

They were back out in the thick of it again, tramping into the last quadrant they needed to search.

Okoye looked over at Captain Rogers as he hiked next to her. “Are you holding up alright?”

He nodded and gave her a mildly confused look. “You know I’m a super soldier, right? I was created to handle conditions like this.”

“Where I come from, it’s considered rude not to ask.”

He let out a small huff that might’ve been a laugh. “Yeah, I’m alright. You holding up okay?”

“Well enough. I’ll be glad when I’m out of here and back in Wakanda.”

“So will I. I didn’t think fur was a standard material in Wakanda.”

Okoye lifted her gloved hand to her cloak and smiled slightly. “It isn’t, except for the Mining and Jabari tribes. This was a gift.”

“From the Jabari Chief.”

Okoye shot him a mildly startled look. “And you know that how, precisely?”

“Princess Shuri brought his sister to one of Bucky’s sessions. They mentioned your relationship then.”

Well, that makes sense.

And, if she was being honest, she didn’t mind her relationship being public knowledge as much as she used to. She’d adjusted to the idea over the past year, and trusted that M’Baku would protect the more sensitive human side of her consistently.

That, and having two teenage girls be privy to most of the details makes total privacy borderline impossible. Immersion therapy.

“What the hell?”

The Captain’s startled tone broke her out of her reverie --and she stared, shocked. “How...”

Directly in front of them was a ten foot by ten foot patch of forest that was completely taken over by dense, dark green vegetation that stood nearly as tall as Okoye. The plants and weeds seemed completely unaffected by the harsh winter weather, and not one stray shard of frost clung to the leaves or stalks of the flora.

On a hunch, Okoye took off one of her gloves and stuck her bare hand into the vegetation. “It’s warmer here. That explains why there isn’t any snow or frost.”

“Yes,” Aneka agreed as she paced around the perimeter of the spot. “But that doesn’t explain there are plants growing everywhere.”

Ayo pushed back some of the vegetation and revealed a vent in the ground that was spewing hot steam. “Something tells me that shouldn’t be here.”

“Agreed. I think we may have found our base,” Okoye agreed.

“Awesome,” Aneka said. “Now how do we get in?”

“Over here.”

They followed Captain Rogers over to a mound of snow that, when they got closer to it, was definitely too large to be a drift.

He brushed off a side and quickly found a metal door and a keypad. “I think we’ve found our base.”

“I think we have,” Okoye echoed. “We need to update the King and gather up some supplies. We’ll come back tonight.”

“It was just... out in the middle of the woods?” Shuri snorted incredulously. “That’s not a very convenient location.”

“It’s not meant to be,” Okoye said. “It’s meant to be impossible to locate without coordinates. If it hadn’t been for the vent and the vegetation, I doubt we would’ve found it.”

“About that,” Shuri said, her projection wavering as she moved around her lab. “There’s something that’s bugging me. Why were plants growing? I mean, I would’ve bought a patch where snow or ice wouldn’t form, but plants?”

“They looked really healthy, too.” Dewani squished into frame with Shuri, looping an arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders. “Which doesn’t make sense given the conditions.”

“I fail to see how it matters,” Ayo said in a polite voice. “We’ve found the base and we know how to get in. What do plants have to do with anything?”

Dewani and Shuri exchanged a long, uneasy glance.

“Well, large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can help plants to grow larger,” Dewani said tentatively, “but it would take a large amount of genetic modification to get them to grow out of season, added nutrients or not.”

Okoye stopped and raised an eyebrow as she eyed the two girls. “What is it?”

“Well,” Shuri said, “Phosphorus can be used to calcify organs. Potassium can be used to treat high blood pressure. Nitrous oxide is laughing gas…”

“You think they’re torturing and experimenting on people in there and that whatever they’re using leeched into the soil,” Steve surmised grimly.

“It’s one of the very few logical explanations,” Shuri said. “I doubt the HYDRA agents are hobbyist gardeners.”

Okoye grimaced. “So, we might be dealing with a group of genetically modified individuals with who knows what abilities in an underground bunker where they might also have access to vibranium and-or vibranium based weapons.” She drummed her fingers against the table as Ayo swore behind her. This just went unbelievably sideways.

They couldn’t afford to not head in. They needed to track down the missing vibranium and get it out of HYDRA’s hands.

But going on with the team they had now? 

Suicide, plain and simple.

“We’re going to need back up,” Okoye said. “Probably as much of it as we can get.”

“I can send out one of our stealth ships; I’ve been modifying the engines to work more efficiently so that it can fly at faster speeds. I could have a team to you in… six hours,” Shuri said.

“Good. I’m sending you a list of names and supplies we’ll need. This is a rush order; make sure everyone’s ready to go as quickly as possible.”

Shuri nodded. “I’m on it.”

Okoye sighed as the call ended and rubbed the back of her neck. “What is it about anything going wrong? Stanley’s law?”

“Murphy’s law,” Steve supplied helpfully.

“Right. Well, remind me to find Murphy and punch him once this all over.”

The cold was suffocating in the dark. Without the sun to warm the woods, the temperature had dropped nearly thirty degrees.

I should’ve brought M’Baku, Okoye thought as she crept through the darkened woods. He’d be right at home in all of this.

As soon as Shuri’s ship had arrived with the rest of the team --Djabi, two more Dora Milaje members, and the rest of Steve’s team save for Bucky and Scott Lang--they’d finished equipping everyone and departed for the entrance location. They closed in on the door quickly, walking as quietly as they could as the snow crunched under their boots.

Okoye nodded to Wanda and activated her spear as the Sokovian opened the door with her powers. 

When nothing leaped out of them, they filed down the stairs and into the bunker.

Here we go, Okoye thought as she turned on her night vision glasses. Bring it on.

Empty.

The damn thing was empty.

They’d searched the entire bunker --and it was smaller than expected, there was no way they missed something--to find nothing.

No vibranium.

No people.

No computers.

“They knew we were coming,” Clint Barton, alias Hawkeye, said quietly, eyes scanning the space like something was about to manifest from the walls --which, given their track record for weird happenings, wasn’t entirely impossible. “This happened recently. The dust still hasn’t settled.”

“What do you think they were doing down here?” Sam Wilson, alias Falcon, asked as he walked from empty computer bay to empty computer bay.

“If I know HYDRA,” Wanda said, accent thickening as she eyed the cells and stasis tubes, “they were experimenting on people. Again.”

Ayo turned her head to look at Okoye. “What do we do now?”

Okoye pursed her lips and sighed. “Take pictures of everything. When that’s done, we’re heading back to Wakanda.”

Halfway through the flight Aneka made the discovery.

“Agent Ross’s tracking device is transmitting again!”

They all rushed to gather around Aneka, staring down at the display projected by the younger soldier’s kimoyo beads.

“Why are they in the middle of an ocean?” Djabi asked. “Are they on a ship?”

Steve swallowed hard. “No. They’re at the Raft. They moved whatever they had in that bunker to a prison controlled by General Ross.”

Shit. Okoye hissed through her teeth. “There’s no way we’re getting that vibranium back without tipping off General Ross that we’re on to him.”

“No --especially since the only ones who know about the Raft are him, the crew that runs it, and us,” Steve agreed.

Okoye tapped at her kimoyo beads. “I’m contacting Jhanvi. I’m sure she’d like the challenge of hacking into an underwater base. We’ll have her watch and see just what they’re doing before we try and break in.”

“Why not head out now?” Aneka asked.

“Because I’d rather know if they’re making superhumans again before I send my people in there,” Okoye explained as she typed out a quick message to Jhanvi. Once she was sure the message had sent, she set her mouth in a firm line and went back to examining the pictures they’d taken of the bunker.

They’d catch General Ross and retrieve the vibranium. She was certain of it.

But will we catch him before he launches whatever he has planned?