[Virginia AU] we rose up from the falling waters

[nerves_of_ice]

A little over a week goes by, and as it does Bucky falls into a pattern, slow but sure. He wakes with Sharon in the mornings, shares coffee and something that suffices for breakfast, then works a little on searches and checking contacts and sources from other time zones and locations. Mid-morning finds him at the Task Force offices with Riley and his team. Early afternoon finds him meeting with Ross, if there's any reason to; mid-afternoon he checks in with Steve, with Tony, or with Natasha before he goes back to tracing rumors and hints.

Today's different, though. Today is Sharon's first day back at work after her suspension, and Bucky's determined not to do a single damn thing that might possibly make it difficult for her.

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[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky keeps the cloak snugged around him until they’re inside the lab, just in case, but there’s no one else there. Ross is the first to push his hood back as he asks, urgent and a little wary, “Are you a doctor?”

When T’Challa doesn’t protest the removal, Bucky strips his off as well.

[marvel_npc]

"Are you?" Shuri snipes at Ross, as she swings the gurney around in front of the medical scanner, its hexagonal cells vibrating around the central display. A motion catches her eye, and she stares at Sergeant Barnes exposed metal arm, for the moment forgetting her patient.

"I know you!" she says. "Aren't you a terrorist?"

Ross rubs at his forehead, and T'Challa frowns, then looks at the Sergeant.

[nerves_of_ice]

“Never of my own free will,” he says, very steadily. “But if you’d feel safer if I were locked up or otherwise secured I won’t fight it. Just help Sharon. Please.”

[marvel_npc]

Shuri glances at her brother, who gives her a slight nod. She relaxes from her surprise and shakes her head. "That sounds like a very long story," she says, waving it away. "We certainly don't have time for it now. Sharon?"

She leans over the woman, looking for any response. "Can you hear me?"

There is not so much of a flicker of an eyelid, and Shuri grimaces, slightly. "She's deep," she says, and taps a Kimoyo bead. A blue light begins to run over the woman's body, and Shuri watches as several hexagons blur together to create a screen for the woman's vitals; others blink with data as it feeds into the system.

[nerves_of_ice]

“What are you doing?” Ross demands, only for Shuri to glare impatiently at him. “Quiet, colonizer!” she orders. “I am working.”

Bucky holds still and silent, barely breathing, afraid to disturb her. A glowing orange model of Sharon’s spine appears and he hears Nakia gasp and Ross curse. He can’t make a sound as he stares at it and the damage so clearly marked. Sharon should be dead. There’s no way she can survive that. There’s no way anyone could—-

"She will live," Shuri announces, with assurance. "And she will heal completely."

Bucky hears himself make a choked sound of disbelief.

[marvel_npc]

The Sergeant makes a rough, ragged sound, and Ross exhales relief. Nakia smiles, feeling a great weight lift from her chest, until her Kimoyo beads give a chime.

She glances down at them, then gives T'Challa a warning glance. "W'Kabi is here," she tells him. T'Challa nods and turns to the two men. "I must go," he tells them. "Nakia will show you to a place where you can wait."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods, numb with shock and hope, and together with Ross follows Nakia out of the room and down a passageway. (There’s no way he’d be allowed to stay; not with a young woman who knows of his history as the Winter Soldier, not and risk the chance of anything going wrong for Sharon.)

“She’ll come and tell you when it’s over?” he asks Nakia. He can see Ross has the same question. “So I can - we can wait with her for her to wake?”

[marvel_npc]

"Yes," Nakia assures him. She can hear Shuri humming to herself and smiles slightly; it is a good sign. "This way. I expect this will not take as long as the medical procedures you are used to."

She leads them into a small lounge nearby, full of comfortable chairs and with wide windows that look into the interior of the mine. Gesturing for them to take a seat, she goes to a small refrigerator and pours several glasses of water, then comes to hand one to each man. "Shuri is a genius," she tells them. "Try not to worry."

[nerves_of_ice]

Ross doesn’t seem to hear her. “Holy mother of God,” he breathes as he walks to the window. “All of this?”

Silently, Bucky accepts one of the glasses, and looks at Nakia, waiting to see what she’ll say.

[marvel_npc]

Nakia smiles, and joins Ross at the window. "Yes," she says, simply. "This is our sacred mountain. The place where the vibranium meteor fell."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Pretty impressive,” Bucky murmurs. “I can see why you’ve been keeping it secret for so long.”

[marvel_npc]

"There are many reasons for that secrecy," Nakia tells him, and gestures around. "All of the technology you have seen is due to our vibranium."

[nerves_of_ice]

“It’s like we just walked into the future,” Bucky tells her, honestly. Ross is mumbling something to himself - calculations, maybe, he’s not sure.

“And I’m definitely getting the impression there’s more to vibranium than the force absorbing thing.”

[marvel_npc]

"You would be correct," Nakia tells him, amused. "But the princess would be able to tell you more about it than I could."

[nerves_of_ice]

He winces, just a little, and says nothing.

Ross turns away from the window. “You said she was the head of some design group?”

[marvel_npc]

She gives him a curious look as she answers Ross. "The Wakandan Design Group," she says, and focuses on the Sergeant.

"Are you concerned? About what Shuri said, before?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky nods. “It was going to come up sooner or later,” he murmurs. “And it’s not like she’s wrong.”

“Barnes,” Ross growls. Bucky shrugs.

[marvel_npc]

"Was she not?"

She isn't familiar with him, but there must be something Shuri had seen or noted. But if he's so dear to Sharon...

Nakia shakes her head. "Whatever your past," she tells him, "I do not believe you mean us any harm. Shuri is still young. Sometimes she speaks without thinking."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I don’t,” he says, voice low. “I really don’t. Things are different now than what she heard about. But I don’t blame her.”

Ross sighs. “Barnes, we didn’t set up this whole liaison deal for you to throw yourself on some kind of sword, you hear me? Things are different. You’re in control of yourself. Now stop it.”

[marvel_npc]

Nakia can't help her smile at Ross's gruff comment. "There we have it," she says, as if that could be the end of it.

"It's been a long day. Would you both like to rest a little, while we wait?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Yes, we would, thank you,” Ross says, before Bucky can say a word. “You must be tired too, miss.”

[marvel_npc]

"Nakia, please," she insists, and gestures towards the comfortable couches and chairs in the room.

"I'll be back in a little while. The king may be... tied up. I will arrange rooms for your stay."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Thanks,” Ross tells her. “We won’t go anywhere.”

Unless Shuri comes to get them, Bucky thinks, but there’s no need to mention it. Besides, Nakia already knows. “What he said,” he agrees, and moves to take a seat in one of the large, almost circular armchairs.

[marvel_npc]

She smiles at him, then heads out of the lounge, taking a different way through the lab so as not to distract Shuri.

She does, however, leave the princess a message, asking her to let the Sergeant and Ross know when the procedure is finished and where, if it was successful – she sends up a brief prayer to Bast hoping it will be – they can find her in recovery.

That task done, she makes her way to the train platform and towards the Citadel, a message to the staff chiming on a series of Kimoyo beads within its walls.

If the Task Force and the Avengers can find Klaue... but, like Sergeant Barnes, she cannot be sorry for T'Challa's choice, no matter what.

[nerves_of_ice]

Time passes, again. Ross checks in with his agents; Bucky keeps an eye on his phone. He texts Steve to let him know Sharon's in surgery, then does the same for Natasha.

Decades of being trained to stand silent and still keep him from pacing the floor. He still wants to.

From time to time he goes to the window and watches operations in the vibranium mine. They have aircraft that look like dragonflies, he notices, and a high-speed train that's nearly silent.

By mutual undiscussed agreement, he and Ross don't talk, save to share updates.