BODY ARMOR [Currently Editing]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 20 [ᴇᴅɪᴛᴇᴅ]

"ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇꜰᴛ... 

ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴇꜰᴛ."

<>

Chapter Twenty

Scene One

[SHURI'S LABRATORY]

[11:05pm]

Hopes were shattered as reality revealed its harsh face. But this wasn't a tale spun from fairy dust; it was a story etched in raw truths. Standing there, her eyes brimming with searing tears, she presented a picture of disarray. Blood coursed from the untreated puncture wound on her arm, tracing a crimson path down her skin and dripping onto Shuri's pristine white laboratory floor. With measured breaths, she tried to regain her composure, her lips parched as she forced her mind to focus. In that tumultuous moment, a whirlwind of thoughts stormed through her consciousness. The fight, Micah's venomous words, his unexpected assault—they all jostled for attention. Her hand moved instinctively to her abdomen, fingers curling around the now healed but still tender injury inflicted by someone who had once been a friend. "Where..." Her voice wavered, words trailing off as she swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat.

"Where am I...?" Her words trailed off, her gaze shifting rapidly between the surroundings and T'Challa, seeking an answer. "Wakanda," he exhaled, cautiously closing the distance between them. Sage's breath caught in her chest at the revelation, her face a canvas of bewilderment as she tried to comprehend his words. "You're in my kingdom, Sage... in my sister's lab... She's been working tirelessly to aid you—"

"Lab...?No..No wait.." Sage's urgent plea cut through his explanation, overwhelmed by the sudden rush of information. Her heart raced, and her breath hitched once again. Wakanda? How had she ended up here? The questions raced through her mind, each trying to make sense of the bewildering reality. T'Challa could sense the turmoil unraveling within her, and a heightened concern gripped him as he noted the continued bleeding.

"Sage, please," T'Challa's voice pleaded, cutting through the whirlwind of confusion that consumed her. Her gaze snapped back to him, a mixture of anxiety and bewilderment in her eyes. "I promise, I'll explain everything to you," he assured, taking a decisive step closer, his attention shifting between her troubled expression and the bloodstained arm. "Just let me help you first," his voice softened with genuine concern, his eyes locking onto hers as his hand reached for her wounded arm.

After a fleeting moment, a sigh escaped Sage's lips, her shoulders sagging as she yielded to the overwhelming situation, placing a measure of trust in T'Challa to guide her through it. As she acquiesced, he gently took hold of her hand, a strange warmth spreading through his body at the touch of her blood. "Come," he beckoned with delicate care, offering her a comforting smile as they moved forward, attempting to ease the tension that gripped her.

In the background, Shuri and Okoye observed the unfolding scene in hushed anticipation, their emotions ranging from worry to anger. "My prince—" Okoye began, a hint of protest in her voice, but Shuri's hand on her shoulder silenced her. "Hold off, Okoye. Trust my brother, he knows what he's doing," Shuri whispered, her gaze fixed on T'Challa as he led Sage across the room to another examination table. "This is risky and inappropriate! She was about to attack you, Princess!" Okoye hissed in an undertone, meant for Shuri alone.

"No, I don't think so... She was just disoriented," Shuri defended earnestly. Though it appeared aggressive, she believed it wasn't an intentional attack. "Princess—"

"Okoye!" Shuri's voice cut through, firm and unyielding. "Do me a favor and fetch a medic. Sage removed every apparatus from her body and she's bleeding now. I need to ensure she's okay," Shuri sighed, retracting her hand from Okoye's shoulder and tending to the items Sage had inadvertently disturbed.