𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑 // 𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐈 𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐊𝐔

ＴＨＩＲＴＹ ＥＩＧＨＴ

Ada's uncertainty began to melt away as she listened to Shuri's reassuring words. She realized that her worries were natural as a protector of Wakanda, but she couldn't let them overshadow the incredible opportunity of saving a life.

Taking a deep breath, Ada looked at Shuri with determination. "Thank you, Shuri. Your words have eased my fears. I want Riri to be safe. It's just, after T'Challa... your mom made me stop being the Black Panther until further notice, so I'm a little rusty. I'm just nervous. Really nervous."

Shuri's eyes sparkled with delight as she embraced Ada in a warm hug. "It'll be okay. I promise. Doesn't matter if you're rusty. I still love you either way."

Ada turned her head and saw Riri putting a laptop into her bag.

"You just leave the important laptop on a desk in a car garage?" Ada questioned the student.

"I got 2065-byte encryption on that thing," she said to the woman.

"That's impressive," Shuri complimented. "Ever locked yourself out?"

"Took me the whole semester to get back in," she admitted. "Had to build a functional quantum computer just to crack my own encryption."

"What is it you're building here? Is it Stark Tech?" Shuri questioned.

"I said don't touch anything," she reminded them with an annoyed look.

"Princess, American law enforcement has arrived at your location," GRIOT appeared.

"Shit," Shuri swore.
"Who was that?"
"Her AI."

Shuri walked over to a window while Okoye got the outline of the plot, announcing that they were surrounded.

"I thought you said a merman was after me," Riri asked as she and Ada joined the princess at the window. "That's the feds."

Shuri took one of her Kimoyo beads and let it fly on top of one of the cars.

"Oh, I do not need this shit right now!" Riri started panicking and ripping everything down. "I swear to God, I was doing so well! Goin' to class on time. I must be dumb as hell. Real dumb thinking that the Princess of Wakanda is gonna show up at my doorstep and then shit about to pop off."

She threw the papers in the trash and lit them on fire so no one would even see what she was working on.

"I think that I'm actually gonna take my chances with this merman, because at least he never brought the FBI to my garage!"

"Hey," Okoye got her attention. "Namor sunk an entire ship of CIA operatives because of your little machine. So those popo out there... are the very least of your worries."

"Listen, we need to work together to get out of here," Shuri spoke. "General, they've got us surrounded. Maybe we should just split up."

Okoye chuckled before saying, "Out of the question. Does this vehicle work?"

"No," Riri lied.

"Everything in this lab works," Shuri said. "Including this bike."

"Don't even think about it," Okoye said. Besides, there are four of us."