[oom] the wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go

[nerves_of_ice]

He chooses both the day and the time with care, drifting up by the practice yards of the Dora to speak first with Ayo and then with Okoye in the same morning. In the afternoon he visits Shuri at the lab, later than usual, and delays after fitting and testing the latest prototype to discuss the upcoming surgery. It's no hardship to consider - compared to everything that's come before, it's nothing. Bucky's pretty sure that Shuri knows he feels that way, but it doesn't stop her from wanting to be sure in her planning and his preparations, and he's unwilling to protest the care that she wants to take.

The carefully calculated timing means that he's just finishing up when T'Challa arrives. The other man looks exhausted around the eyes, he notices. Bucky dips his head in a respectful nod and starts to withdraw, only for T'Challa to wave him to a standstill as he asks Shuri about upgraded surveillance devices for the borderlands. He'd expected him to do exactly that, but it's good to have been right, and being able to listen to their conversation gives him the opening he needs. Shuri goes down the hall to fetch something, leaving the two of them alone together, and Bucky meets the other man's eyes.

"Things aren't getting any better, are they." It's not a question. Not really. T'Challa shakes his head. "No. They are not," he agrees. "And there are not enough of us to guard all approaches. I am hoping these--" He goes to Shuri's workbench and stares down at the range of equipment there. "--will make the difference. Or at least buy time."

Bucky nods. "You told me before that you wouldn't ask for my aid unless Wakanda or the world was in dire danger," he reminds him. "That doesn't mean I can't offer."

T'Challa goes very, very still before turning to look at him. "White Wolf."

"This isn't like before," he says, quietly. He has to convince him. He has to. "It's not the same. This is about protection. Send me. Let me help."

He holds himself steady while T'Challa searches his face, and sees in the other man's eyes the moment when Wakanda's king makes his decision.

* * * * * * *

Half an hour later, Bucky leaves the train and heads into the Citadel instead of back to the hut by the lake.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

"Okay."

She reaches out to tug on his shirt. "I can tell you're in mission mode. Why don't you go do whatever else you need to do and I'll head over to the lab?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He runs his fingers into her hair, cradling her neck, and draws her close for a kiss before he nods and steps back.

"Half an hour. See you then."

[from_the_outside]

"Save me a seat," she tells him, smiling crookedly, and waves. "See you then."

She waits until he's gone before finishing her coffee, then heads out herself, quick firm strides taking her to the platform and on the way to the lab.

[nerves_of_ice]

He beats Ayo to the briefing room, but only by a minute or two. Okoye is already there waiting. He listens as they review the list of those among the Dora Milaje who Ayo's recommending for the squad. Most of them, to Bucky's distinct lack of surprise, are among those who were so effective in the field before when they went after the weapons smugglers.

By the time everyone arrives, he and Ayo are studying a large map of Wakanda projected in the middle of the room, and marking spots where the poachers are known to have struck.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon arrives, wearing the same clothes as she was when he'd stopped by her room, with the addition of a slim gold bracelet on one wrist. She takes a spot between two Dora and folds her arms, studying the map floating in the middle of the room before turning her attention to Bucky, Okoye, and Ayo.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky and Okoye trade a look, and he tips his head forward in the slightest nod, ceding the opening to her.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly," Okoye says, as the room goes silent. "King T'Challa has assigned the White Wolf to deal with the poaching problem at Wakanda's borders, once and for all. The Dora Milaje will assist, as will Ms. Carter."

She glances at Sharon.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon nods back at Okoye.

"Whatever you need, General," she says.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good." Okoye turns back to the others. "Ayo?"

"The Dora will not be in the front of the attack," she says, baldly, and stamps the butt of her spear on the floor to quell the murmur that results. "We are the Dora Milaje! We are not the tooth in the dark. The White Wolf will explain why."

Bucky is standing still, outwardly relaxed, and ready when Ayo directs attention to him. "It's not your battle skills on the front line that are needed," he says, calm and steady. "It's your ability to defend in case anyone gets past us, and to take charge of the prisoners. Because there will be prisoners."

The faint smile is more of a hard, sharp showing of teeth.

"So that when they leave, if his highness allows it, they will tell such stories of the warriors of Wakanda and its defenses that children for generations will fear to challenge you."

[from_the_outside]

That gets another murmur, but a more approving one. The Dora are disciplined; they aren't just in this for the fighting.

And they're as much of a security force as Wakanda has. Sharon glances back to Bucky and Okoye, waiting for the rest of the plan.

[nerves_of_ice]

Ayo taps a control at the edge of the map, and the spots indicating the poachers' attacks begin to brighten and dim in slow sequence.

"Based on the pattern," Bucky says, "I think we can predict two or three likely locations for the next strike. I want to split the team into six. Three groups for backup to prevent any who get past the first line from getting away, whether deeper into Wakanda or fleeing back past the border. Three small strike teams to move in, aided by Princess Shuri's latest surveillance technology, and take down the poachers."

He glances around at all of them. "I'll lead one strike team. Ayo will lead another. Sharon will lead the third." His glance meets hers.

[from_the_outside]

There's a faint flicker of her eyebrows, but she meets his glance steadily and nods.

He's good at this, unsurprisingly. It's the kind of thing she used to do with Ross, with Fury: coordinate and brief the teams and strategize.

The fact that he's found the same kind of trust and camaraderie with T'Challa and Okoye and Ayo makes something proud and happy tighten in her chest.

He's come a long way from being the solitary knife in the dark or the ace up HYDRA's sleeve.

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods back and looks to Okoye. "General, while we're getting into position, if you'd direct the overt placement of new surveillance along the border. Be real obvious about it, okay? That'll help drive them into the funnels where we want them."

Bucky steps closer to the table and starts drawing in the air with his vibranium hand. As he does, flows of likely movement appear around the three target locations, along with lines of sight and effective angles for tracking or hunting or both.

"This area has seen recent reports of large herds, the kind where the poachers could do a lot of collateral damage in their trophy-taking," he explains, as he moves through the choices. "This one has indications of some rarer creatures..."

His jaw sets. "And here is the territory of a large hunting cat, or a group of them. It's a temptation they might find it hard to resist."

The symbolism of killing a panther or other big cat inside Wakanda's borders is impossible to miss.

[from_the_outside]

The Dora on either side of Sharon tense and frown; a susurrus of disapproval runs through the whole group. The poachers might just be poachers... or they might be trying to destabilize an already new and fragile government.

Either way, killing a big cat here in Wakanda would carry weighted repercussions far beyond just the awfulness of the original act.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky waits it out, letting the murmurs quiet, before he speaks again.

"We're going to stop them." The words fall into the air with the weight of stone. He turns back to Okoye. "General?"

She nods at him and rakes them all with a fierce glare. "The White Wolf is right. We will end this threat." As she speaks, Ayo taps rapidly at the bracelet on her wrist. "You all have copies of this map and of your deployment instructions on your Kimoyo beads. Join your teams at your flyers in one hour. Front line leaders, remain with me for a moment."

[from_the_outside]

There's a resounding clanging sound as the Dora thump the butts of their spears against the floor in acknowledgment; Sharon nods at the women next to her as they turn to the door.

Once the others have left, she makes her way over to Bucky, Ayo, and Okoye, and stands easily, her left hand loosely clasped around the wrist of her right before her. "Simultaneous strikes?" she asks. "Or staggered?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"As close to simultaneous as possible," Bucky says. "Depending on where they actually show up. Some of that will depend on how good Shuri's new tech is at spotting them when they cross the border. It's also an open question whether they'll take one spot at a time or if they're going to get greedy and try to go for more, splitting our resources."

"They haven't yet. I don't think," Okoye murmurs. "But I am not entirely sure. One of the attacks came so closely to another, they might have been at the same time."

[from_the_outside]

"If that worked well it's possible they'll escalate and try for multiple simultaneous strikes," Sharon muses. "Do we have any idea how organized they are? Or if there are more than one group behind it all?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"It does not look like there's more than one group - yet," Ayo says. "But if we do not stop this soon, word will spread of our weakness, and then we will have more trouble than anyone needs."

"From what I've looked at so far I don't think they're organized beyond the band level," Bucky tells her, calling up images from previous attacks on the display for Sharon to see as well. "Or if they are, they're organized enough to know how to hide it. Take a look."

[from_the_outside]

She steps closer, folding her arms beneath her chest as she studies the images, but she doesn't see any of the signs of multiple groups she'd been worried about.

"I think you're right," she says, still looking at the images. "Small favors."

Still, she frowns a few of the aftermath photos, and not just because of the death and destruction they depict. "Pretty well armed, though. Could they have moved the product fast enough to upgrade their weapons like this?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not impossible, if they had a buyer on the hook rather than having to seek one," Bucky points out. "But I agree with you - that's a lot of change in a short timeframe."

[from_the_outside]

"Well, the gravy train ends here," Sharon says, and steps back to look at Okoye and Ayo.

"So what's the strategy? Ambush?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"White Wolf?" Okoye says.

"For the most part." Bucky looks around at them all. "Since we know the regions and narrowed down to the most likely locations, we've got the advantage, but we'll have to do a bit of hunting the hunter to come up on them when they're trying to get in position themselves."

After a second, he adds, "They're not likely to get out of this unscathed, but I want to take as many of them alive as possible. That said, your own safety and the safety of the animals we're protecting takes priority."

[from_the_outside]

"Solid copy," Sharon says. "But we don't have to let them feel all that comfortable, right?"

Ayo's grin is sharp and white.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not even a little bit." Bucky looks at Sharon. "How many people do you want with you?"

[from_the_outside]

"Three or four should be plenty while staying pretty agile," Sharon says. "Three lets us pair off. And any Dora's worth at least three of their guys."

"More," says Okoye, and smiles very slightly. Sharon huffs a laugh and nods. "That's for damn sure."