[1] 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙄𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 | 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨

✧ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞: 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥

➸ 2018
📍WAKANDA
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IT WAS cold, so freaking cold, and despite the heat radiating from the three of them being huddled together, it was still freezing.

Galina had abandoned her blanket unselfishly, much to the princess and Queen's dismay, to wrap her arms around the two in comfort.

"I am so sorry." she told them, voice cracking as her hands ran up and down their shoulders. "He was a good man."

"First Baba.." Shuri began in a low defeated whisper. "And now my brother..." she then began to break down. "We didn't even get to bury him."

Galina bit the inside of her cheek at her friend's soft cries and let the girl snuggle deeper into her, tucking her head underneath her chin.

"I know, I know..." she cooed. "I'm sorry."

Galina knew a thing or two about loss, whether it was death ( Aspen ), or loss of friends ( Steve and Natasha ), losing someone dear to you was the worst pain imaginable.

CREAK!

All three of them leapt up to their feet, immediately put on guard as Ramonda unsheathed her knife while Galina readied her energy.

At last, it was just Nakia.

She held out a hand carefully. "Queen Mother, it's just me."

Ramonda's eyes then flickered to the guy behind her, the Russian nearly rolled her eyes at the sight of him.

"Nakia, who is this man?" she questions, aiming her knife in his direction.

"He's a friend of T'Challa's, he saved my life." she quickly explained.

"Where's Okoye?"

"Okoye is not coming." she explained regrettably. "She and the Dora Milaje will serve the new king."

Ramonda let her arm fall slowly to her side and sighed.

"Wait here." Nakia instructed before running back off.

The queen looked off into the distance of the forest, disbelief on her features. "What has happened to our Wakanda?"

...

The sun was beginning to rise when Nakia came back and they continued on their trek up snowy even chillier mountains.

"What's the plan again?" Ross asks through chattering teeth.

"We're taking the heart-shaped herb to Jabariland." Nakia explained.

"Heart shaped herb?" he repeated questionably.

"It gives whoever takes it heightened abilities." the princess said.

"Its what made T'Challa so strong." Nakia added with a tone of mild sadness.

"Nakia." the Queen called as she halted her movements.

This caused for the four of them to falter as well as Nakia walked to the Queen.

"I don't like this." Ramonda dejectedly confessed. "The herb belongs to us — we may be creating a bigger monster with M'Baku." she glanced in the distant direction of Jabariland before looking back to the skillful spy pleadingly. "Nakia, you should take it yourself."