Into the Ring

Chapter Sixteen-Memory

Natasha steps in just behind Shuri. Her green eyes instantly find me and hesitantly scan me. Words burst out of me before I can help it. "Tasha. Christ, I'm sorry." I breathe and move to her, throwing my arms around her neck as hers wrap tight around my waist. Her head shakes against mine.

"Can you at least try not to kill me?" She murmurs before we release one another. She looks me up and down before straightening and releasing one of my curls. "It's like you're trying to prove I've got a heart or something." Natasha teases and I smile.

"Which of course you don't." I joke knowingly and the corner of her lips lift.

"That's right." She responds softly. We both turn to Shuri who has been watching this with a happy grin on her face.

"We were just going to go out and get food. Would you...care to come?" Shuri offers a little hesitantly. Natasha looks a little surprised, but pleasantly so. "It's good for Jo to be out and doing other things. It may expedite her memory." Shuri explains and Natasha and I meet eyes for a quick moment. She sees that Shuri is hiding something as well. She's always been faster than me.

"I'd love to."

"Good!" Shuri says and walks over to her bed. Leaning down, she presses something just under it. A painting over a large chest suddenly moves out from the wall and to the side to reveal a small doorway. Shuri hops up onto the chest and ducks through it. After a moment, Natasha and I copy her. We find ourselves falling with cold metal at our backs. A slide. She has a slide in her painting. God, this place is awesome. Natasha's soft laughter follows me down and I'm glad to hear it. We end up horizontal with the sky above us and Shuri hops out, but we're right after her. Water sounds all around us and I soon find out why. We're behind a waterfall.

"Are you showing off on purpose?" I yell and Shuri grins at me as water droplets cover us.

"Just a side effect of being with me!" She responds and ducks through the water. Carefully, I move forward and duck through it too. We're in the middle of the city, sunlight glinting off the gold buildings, red clay bright and vivid as cranberries, and people wandering the streets in bright colors that copy the landscape. "Pretty incredible, right?" She asks me and I blink.

"Absolutely incredible." I agree and step out with her onto a platform with Natasha at my back. Slowly, it lowers us into the city and attracts quite a few eyes on the way.

"You look nice." Natasha comments and I glance over my shoulder at her with a smirk.

"You do too." I compliment her back. Her read hair is partially hidden by an olive scarf and she's wearing a lightweight dress that falls just above her knee. There are slits in it like mine, two in the front so she can walk freely instead of being restricted. Half her mouth turns up.

"Kinda like Wakandan fashion." She returns as the platform hits the ground.

"All our clothes are practical and the bright colors make them pop. We're flattered you like them." Shuri says as she guides us. Her eyes linger a little on me as I struggle to take everything in and do my best not to squirm under everyone else's eyes. "Remember this is your culture too," Shuri tells me and I nod as we start to walk through the bustling market. "This is the best of Africa." She waves to the colorful ribbons and baskets hanging to the sides. A couple of hollers sound around us in agreement and I find a startled laugh leaving my lips. This is definitely opposite to the streets of New York.

"My mom came to Africa once. A place she'd heard her ancestors grew up. She described it so vividly." I recall flashes of my mother's dark hands gesticulating in the air and her exaggerated expressions. "The land stretching out as far as the eye could see, the heat of the sun like a touch from a hand. I never thought I'd be able to see it." I admit and Shuri's eyes are steady on me to show she's listening.