𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 | bucky barnes

26: New

One of the workers in the lab took Cat to the Citadel, where T'Challa lived and worked.  Cat didn't know if they really called it work, though.  Ruling a country. 

Two of the Dora Milaje opened the doors to the sitting room.  T'Challa and Steve were sitting at a table and looking at papers.  They stood up when they saw Cat come into the room.  She had cleaned up, was wearing a new suit, and was ready for a mission. 

"Catarina," said Steve, smiling as she walked in.  "It's good to see you back.  You're okay?"

"I am," she assured him.  Cat looked to T'Challa.  "I can't thank you enough for yours and your sister's help," she said, smiling at him.

"It's our pleasure," he said.

"So what's the status on the mission?"

"We're going to the easy facility first," said Steve.  "Not active, just guards."

"I won't be coming," said T'Challa.  "I have some things to take care of here.  But once you get the file, you can come back here and we can use the information to reverse Sergeant Barnes's conditioning."

"Easy," said Cat.

"Not quite," said Steve.  "If we don't find the info there, we'll have to go to the other facility and look.  Much harder, especially once they know what we're looking for.  They could just as easily destroy it.  And even if we do find the file at the inactive facility,  we'll still have to go and take down the other anyway."

"Cause we can't have HYDRA lurking around."

"Exactly."

"So where is this facility?"

"Trier, Germany," said Steve, pointing to a town on the map on the banks of the Moselle River. 

"Not too bad," said Cat.  "When do we leave?"

"I'm ready when you are," he said.

"Then let's go," said Cat.  Steve walked up to her.

"Thank you," he said to T'Challa.

"You're welcome," the king replied.  "And good luck."

Cat smiled and nodded to him, and the two left.  They walked out of the Citadel.  Steve had taken the quinjet there already.  They boarded and took off.

"So, new suit?" he asked, right after they had taken off.

Cat looked down at her new outfit.  Shuri had made it for her just after they finished their discussion.  It was a blue-violet and had extra protection inside that she hadn't had with what she had been wearing at the airport fight.  The gloves Shuri had made also helped her control her powers by holding in what was unnecessary — after-effects from the Indosiate.

"Yeah, new suit," said Cat.  "Princess Shuri made it.  I mean, I couldn't go around wearing just normal clothes."

"I see she added the star," he said, looking at a patch on her left shoulder with a silver star embedded into it.

Cat held up her arm and touched the patch.

"That was my addition, actually," she said, smiling at it. 

"For Buck?"

"Yeah," said Cat. She put her arm back to the side of her.  "So, are we going to pick up Nat and Wanda for this?"

"I forgot to tell you," said Steve. "Wanda's not coming."

Cat turned to face him, confused.

"She's — not?  Why?"