[oom] a shadow in pursuit

[nerves_of_ice]

It's been well over a month since the auction, a couple of weeks since the procedure, and Bucky thinks they're all beginning to settle into what he thinks of as 'after.'

Sharon's at the lab with Shuri this morning. He's supposed to swing by there later or tomorrow, depending on how far she's gotten with the latest prototype - he'll wait to hear. In the meantime, he's concentrating on chopping up the latest fallen tree.

It's good work. Clean work, in more ways than one.

Comments

[marvel_npc]

"What the hell?" Ross plants both hands flat on the ground on each side of his head, then has to keep from whiting out as his right wrist shrieks in agony. He tries to turn his head to look up at Sharon and whoever's holding him and quickly discovers that's a non-starter.

"Upset-- what the -- okay, okay, I'm not resisting, now let me the hell up," he snarls.

[from_the_outside]

"Close your eyes," Sharon instructs him, and looks back at Bucky, worried.

"You should get out of here," she tells him, quietly. If Ross sees him, if he learns –

She can't let him be caught, too. "I can take him to T'Challa."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Call Nakia," he suggests, without releasing Ross. "Let T'Challa make the decision."

[from_the_outside]

She nods and digs in her pocket for her phone, watching Ross as she does.

He was a good boss. She doesn't want him to get hurt.

But she also doesn't want to go to jail. "Hey," she says, when Nakia picks up the call. "We've got a situation.

Her friend's voice instantly changes from warm and teasing to sharp and businesslike. "What kind of situation?"

"Everett Ross is here," Sharon says. "He made me." Her glance flickers to Bucky. "The White Wolf has him pinned, but we're at a little bit of an impasse."

"Has he seen the White Wolf?" Nakia demands, and Sharon shakes her head. "No," she says. "Not yet. Are you with T'Challa? We might need him out here."

[marvel_npc]

"White Wolf?" Ross asks. He's seething internally, but might as well learn what he can with his face pressed into the grass. "You can let me up, I already said I'm not resisting, and Carter's got my weapon anyway."

"Quiet," comes the low, rough voice from behind him. "The king will decide what to do with you."

[from_the_outside]

Nakia isn't with T'Challa, but Sharon can hear her imperious voice as she commands the Dora to let her into the meeting and the quiet dialogue that results. It's only seconds later before she can hear T'Challa ordering everyone out of the room. There's a short moment of quiet, and then Nakia must hit the speaker icon, because T'Challa is speaking directly to her.

"What happened?" he demands. She tells him, standing sidelong to Ross and Bucky even as she casts glances their way. "Is anyone hurt?" T'Challa asks, after he's absorbed the information. She looks at Ross.

"How's your wrist?"

[marvel_npc]

"Just a second." Ross flexes it carefully, hissing with pain, then stretches his fingers and makes a fist before he sets his hand against the ground once more. "Bruised as hell," he reports, "but I don't think it's broken. Maybe a cracked bone, at most."

This is going to be a cluster of epic proportions, he just knows it. "Hello, your highness," he adds.

[nerves_of_ice]

He stays silent, and keeps his hand positioned on Ross's neck and his weight on his back to avoid any chance of a quick jerk to escape. Curiosity has to be eating the man alive, he's sure, but they've got enough other problems as it is.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon thumbs the speaker on her phone, and T'Challa's voice comes through, clear and exasperated even through his perennial self-possession. "Agent Ross," he says. "I apologize for the surprise. Ms. Carter has remained here in Wakanda at my invitation."

He pauses, then addresses Sharon. "Ms. Carter, kindly escort Agent Ross back to the Citadel. I'd rather not have this discussion over the phone."

"Are you sure?" Sharon says, dubious. "Pretty sure he really wants to arrest me, and I can think of a few ways that might go badly."

"I understand your hesitance," T'Challa tells her, "but the Task Force's jurisdiction does not extend into Wakanda." He pauses, meaningfully, before continuing. "Will you be able to bring him alone?"

Meaning, she supposes, both can she and will Bucky allow it. She knows the answer to the first, but not to the second. "I can manage," she says, though the look she gives Bucky is questioning.

[nerves_of_ice]

He doesn't like it, but he nods assent. He'll do what T'Challa's asking.

He also doesn't move yet, waiting for the call to be finished and Sharon's attention undivided.

[marvel_npc]

He has to fight not to wince when T'Challa confirms Carter's welcome. He was right: epic proportions.

"She won't have any problem," he puts in. "After all, I'm definitely interested in hearing this story."

[from_the_outside]

She nods back at Bucky and refocuses on the phone. "Copy that," she tells T'Challa. "We'll be there soon."

He drops the call after acknowledging, and she slides the phone back into her pocket, attention on Bucky rather than Ross. "It's fine," she says, quietly.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky nods, although the darkness in his eyes tells a different story.

"Hold him," he says, glancing pointedly to the grip he's got on Ross's head before he tips his own backward toward the nearest stand of trees, indicating where he's going to vanish.

[from_the_outside]

She comes over to take his place, making sure Ross is firmly against the ground, then nods to Bucky.

"I'll find you after," she promises.

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods again, and then he's moving, running for the treeline at top speed.

[marvel_npc]

"Think you could let me up now, Carter?" Ross growls. He'd been sorely tempted to try to pull free and get a look at this mysterious White Wolf as he departed, but decided to go with the better part of valor this time. Things are enough of a mess as it is.

[from_the_outside]

"You have no idea how lucky you've just been," she says, and waits until Bucky's disappeared into the trees before she lets go and stands up, stepping far enough away that he won't be able to get the gun back without a tussle.

And Bucky's still watching. She's certain of it. "Let's go."

[marvel_npc]

He gets to his feet and brushes himself off, ignoring the shooting pain in his right wrist as best he can. The look he gives Carter is glacial.

"This isn't anywhere near over yet," he promises. "Don't get cocky, Carter."

[from_the_outside]

"Me?" she says, dry as dust. "Cocky?"

She tips her head at the Citadel and waits for him to fall into step with her before she takes her phone out again and texts Nakia to have ice packs, ibuprofen, and an ACE bandage available when they arrive. "What are you doing here, anyway, if you didn't come for me?"

[marvel_npc]

Ross gives her a disbelieving look, right before his eyes narrow in thought.

"You tell me what you were doing in Prague, and I'll tell you why I'm here."

[from_the_outside]

She runs a quick mental calculation, then shrugs.

"I was assisting King T'Challa," she tells him, picking up the pace. "I infiltrated the auction on Wakanda's behalf to retrieve the plans and prototype for sale."

[marvel_npc]

"You infiltrated--" He breaks off there, thinking quickly as a number of possibilities become clear.

Something else does, as well. "Goddamn it." Now he sounds exasperated. "I'm here to apologize for the Task Force's failure to retrieve the plans and prototype."

[from_the_outside]

"I wouldn't feel too bad about it," Sharon says. "We planned it that way."

She glances at them as they head back over the hill towards the Citadel. "I didn't think you saw me."

[marvel_npc]

"You never were able to run that fast in heels." Ross glances back over at her as they come up the slope side by side. "I made you as you slipped through the door. After you dropped back to take that guy down before he could do the same to me."

He turns back toward the Citadel, his expression grim. "That's the other reason I'm here, by the way. To apologize for my rogue agent. What the fuck, Carter."

[from_the_outside]

"I'm not your rogue agent," she says, stiffly. "I'm not an agent at all, not now that I'm on the CIA's watch list."

An escort of Dora wait for them near the launch pad, silent and stoic. Sharon eyes them as she continues. "And I don't have anything to apologize for, so you can take that off your to-do list."