Spiderman Bites Back

Civil

Shuri was staring at Peter. Refusing to let him out of her sight for even a moment. Partly because he looked to be on death's door and partly because she'd had a compelling reason to put him there. Though speaking practically, there wasn't much room in the tiny compartment they'd commandeered to be separate. So there really wasn't anywhere else to look anyway.

Peter was trying not to blink wrong. If he made Shuri mad at close quarters like this she'd probably rip him a new one, literally. And she'd already reminded him several times that her brother was right outside the compartment. And while he'd be upset at her for stowing away, that wouldn't even compare to how he'd feel finding Peter with her practically up against his knees.

"Can you please stop staring at me like I'm a mouse you're waiting to pounce on? I swear you have that twitching tail energy that cats do when they're hunting."

Despite the severity of their situation, Shuri gave him a Cheshire cat grin, but with malice. "I'm afraid that we're all mad here."

"I'm painfully aware of that" he muttered. Some of the wounds she'd given him were still bleeding since he was running on empty.

Shuri glanced at her kimoyo beads. "We'll be there soon. Just suck it up, broken white boy."

"You're the one that broke me!" he complained.

"Technically that was the world. Then your girlfriend. Then me."

Peter resisted the urge to slam his head into the wall. "Why is it always me?"

Shuri shrugged as best she could. "Unfortunately you're a villain. Villains don't get happy endings."

"I can't even begin to argue with you."

"Because I'm right."

"Because there's no way for me to prove it! The only ones who know me completely and don't hate me are Wanda and Pepper! Wanda can read minds and Pepper only believes me because she saw half of everything and-" he stopped himself from continuing and blowing her secret.

Shuri filed that away in her mind for later investigation. "Okay, bug boy, we'll see your Hydra buddies and figure it all out. Then I'll decide whether or not to cut off your head."

"Leaning into the whole princess thing a bit heavily, aren't we?" he muttered.

Shuri hissed at him.

"And the cat thing, I see."

Shuri gave him a smug look. "You're just jealous because I beat you."

Peter didn't want to argue anymore. So he tried to change the subject. "So why the cat theme anyway?"

Shuri's expression changed. Sitting somewhere between pride and shame.

"The Black Panther has always been the protector of Wakanda. But we can only have one at a time. The title is won in ritual combat, just as our leadership is. And I can't beat my brother."

Peter wondered if she meant literally or emotionally.

"Instead I made myself something similar but unique" she gestured down to her suit. "I even tried to make a synthetic Heart Shaped Herb."

"What's that?"

Shuri pursed her lips. Not looking at him. "I don't know why I'm telling you any of this. We're enemies until I prove you're guilt."

Peter recalled when Wanda had found out about his vigilante side. How nice it had been to have someone he could trust. Or so he'd thought. "Come on. Who else can you talk to about this? I know what it feels like to be alone."