Command • T'Challa

Chase, part 2

Seconds later, a whole fleet of Audis, which didn't belong to T'Challa, thanks to the police underlights- pulled up, surrounding us. Our little brawl was shut down, and then, before anyone could try to touch T'Challa, he slowly removed his mask, and all the other guys (except Barnes) gasped. Wow, no wonder they thought I was being kidnapped. I totally forgot that they had no clue that T'Challa was Black Panther- I guess, since Barnes knew, I forgot that they didn't.

Hey, on second thought, how did Barnes know?

Shit, now I had even more questions, even as I was getting locked up. They put handcuffs on me and shoved me in a bigger vehicle with T'Challa, Steve, and Sam. Barnes was kept in a containment truck with special restraints. Stuck, in a glass case of emotion, you might say.

Me? I had to listen to a bunch of super-shmucks.

"Do you like cats?" Sam asked, obviously to T'Challa. T'Challa didn't dignify him with an answer.

"Sam-" Steve started to say.

"What, dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?" Sam continued

"Shut up, Birdman." I hissed.

"Why are you with him, anyways?" Sam just wouldn't quit.

"Because I don't have a choice." I growled. I could see T'Challa, in my peripheral vision, visibly stiffening at my words. What, it was true? I didn't have a choice. I had to be there- had to help him. I had no say in the matter, not then, and not now.

At least Sam was being quiet.

"You, not having a choice? You're the one who can't even listen to Tony Stark, and you let this African prince keep you? What the hell is-"

I cut him off. Tearing out of my handcuffs with my powers, I put Sam to sleep inside an old nightmare.No one could try to tell me what was up-

And naturally, I got myself shut up in the same special containment unit as Barnes- rumbling along in a truck with the former Winter Soldier to get to wherever the hell we were going.

..........

"Your suit. It's vibranium?" Steve asked, after Grace had been taken away.

T'Challa sighed.

"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle passed from warrior to warrior. And now because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?"

Steve didn't answer. Barnes was safe in that containment unit, along with Grace, and he guessed they'd be safe for a while. His only hope was that maybe she could be some help to him while they were together. Steve couldn't tell T'Challa what he knew from Bucky's and Grace's files, couldn't say a word.

You see, Steve Rogers knew what happened in that lost year of Grace's life.

And it was his given duty to make sure she- or T'Challa- never knew.

..........

"My name is Bucky." Barnes said, his lip quivering. "I remember."

"Well, I sure don't." I said. I didn't know why he was talking now, because it was irrelevant. No one here gave a shit of he remembered his old nickname or not. All that mattered was what he didn't remember-and it was my job to get it out of him. No one else but Steve knew that.

"Can you help me?" Barnes asked, his blue eyes staring into my brown. I shrugged, feigning ignorance.

"I don't know." I half lied, half confessed. I wasn't totally sure I could help him. Maybe it was better that he never knew. Maybe not remembering kept the nightmares at bay.
Yeah, I knew about those, too. At night you struggle to sleep, images of my precious mother's smile, her voice, her scream, though I never heard it.
I just found here there, bleeding out on the linoleum. Maybe that's why I hated guns so much-maybe that's why I didn't trust any men-didn't matter what color or age they were. I trusted no one, no one except Wanda.