Lost + Found [Bucky Barnes] ✓

Chapter 8

My mom answers the door with a surprised look on her face, and her eyes instantly narrow to take in my appearance before realizing that I'm not alone. Her eyes widen with recognition when she looks at Steve, who gives her a polite nod, before she even notices Natasha.

"Chloe," she mutters. "What is going on? Why are you here with these people?"

I start to say something, but no words come out. Obviously. Perfect freaking timing to turn catatonic.

"Do you mind if we come inside, ma'am?" Steve asks, saving the day - per usual.

"Of course," my mother answers, stepping aside to allow us entry. "Come in. Please, call me Zuni."

Steve thanks her politely before going inside, followed immediately by Natasha, while I'm frozen where I stand. My mom watches me closely, so I force myself to move forward so she can open the door, and she immediately snags my arm to pull me aside.

"Sthandwa sam," she tells me, calling me her favorite term of endearment from her native tongue. "What is happening?"

I tug my arm out of her grasp, "Let's sit down."

Bustling past Steve and Natasha, I guide them into the living room and select a small armchair away from the other seats before sitting down. A single tear rolls down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away. I want to take off my leather jacket and gloves, but I'm worried about my mom's reaction. Even if she wasn't always there for us after my dad died, she's definitely a hugger. Last thing I need is to accidentally hurt her too.

"Chloe..." she begins. Her slight accent grates on my nerves for once, even though it normally soothes my soul. She moved to the States after meeting my father, but not even thirty years of living in DC can erase her Wakandan accent.

"Artemis is missing," I blurt out, willing myself to look her in the eye instead of staring holes into the hardwood floor. Tears spring into my eyes, and I'm suddenly a blubbering mess all over again. "I'm so sorry, umama. She was with her friends when I left, and twenty minutes later...they were all...she wasn't..."

I can't even complete a sentence before devolving into sobs once more. My mother stares at me, tears welling in the corners of her eyes, before sucking in a deep breath and turning to face Steve.

"Who have you told about this?" She asks him, a serious look on her face as she struggles to maintain composure.

"Only one other, ma'am," he tells her, clearly confused. Natasha lifts an eyebrow, her eyes narrow.

Zuni nods, "Tell no one else. Artemis will be safe so long as Chloe is protected."

What? I stare at my mother in disbelief, brushing away tears. I don't know what I expected - to be shouted at, to hear her cry, to mumble my repeated apologies for failing my sister - but this was certainly nowhere near the realm of possibilities.

"What?" I repeat aloud. "Umama, they killed her friends. All of them, a bullet to the head. They have Artemis--"

"Yes," She interrupts. "But as long as they do not have you, all is not lost."

It's Natasha's turn to speak up, because both Steve and I are dumbfounded.

"Ma'am," she says slowly. "Am I correct in assuming that there is something you aren't telling us? Something your daughter doesn't know?"

A sad sigh escapes my mother's lips before she turns her gaze on me. Her vibrant green eyes burn with emotion in contrast with her dark skin, and I lean forward in anticipation for any kind of explanation as to what the hell is going on here.

"I always told you that you were special, sthandwa sam," she tells me softly. "I expect you have discovered something new about yourself, yes? Is that why you wear gloves?"

My eyes grow wide and I nod, a breath catching in my chest. I can feel my pulse speeding up, the steady thumping beating loud in my eardrums.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning," she continues, a sad smile on her lips. "I am sorry to tell you this now, but...you were born different. In fact, you were born in Wakanda not America. After your birth, your father and I decided it was necessary to hide your identity from the world to give you a chance at a normal life...and to protect you from Wakanda's many enemies. Your father," her voice breaks while her eyes glaze over, almost as if she is caught in a memory. "He insisted I leave him, and he even arranged a false marriage for me in the States. Johannes was hired to protect us, and he did as much and more - giving us both his name and his life."

"What?!" I gasp. At this point, I am officially struggling to breathe. "No, no, you...you're lying. Dad was, he--"

"He was a wonderful parent to you," my mother interrupts. "But he was not your father. Your father is S'yan, younger brother to T'Chaka. Your cousin, T'Challa, is the king of Wakanda. You are a member of the Wakandan royal family, and it was foretold upon your birth that you would wield a great and powerful gift. A gift that would shape the world."