After Infinity War

Part 18

SHURI

'I don't know!' I reply, for the last time to all of their questions. 'I don't know why she won't come out, I don't know where she came from. I guess she has anxiety? Something? I don't know! All I know is she has a link to the stones and she can exploit that and bring my brother back...she can bring everyone back.'
'How did she get her powers? She's from Earth right?' Tony asks.
'Some nuclear explosion. She didn't give me details.' I reply, 'She used to work at NASA. Best pilot they had.'
'What are her powers?' Natasha asks. It's just Natasha, Bruce, Steve and Tony in the room; Thor and Rocket has to run a quick errand in Europe, some space vigilante they've been tracking down for months. They seem to have a relationship built on absent-Thor lost his brother, and Rocket lost his adopted son. They rely on the other. It works. Clint went to put Lila to sleep and Pepper was taking care of Peter.
'Strength, endurance, stamina. Flight, a sixth sense and a resistance to poisons and toxins.' I relay the information back to him.
'She has a run in with each of the stones, she's come across each of them before and has a slight control over them. The soul stone, she believes that everyone who was...killed...she thinks they're inside the stone, a part of them, their minds. She thinks we can form a link between us and them and bring them back to us. Once we've broken the wall between us and them, the rest of the world will follow.' I say, carefully so that I get the information right.
'I don't get it.' Steve says, sitting down on the sofa, Natasha perched on the table in front of it. Tony stand behind the sofa, both hands on the back.
'It's like we're building a bridge.' Tony says, instantly getting it, 'they're on one side, we're on the other. We need to make a way for them to get back; like the bifrost between our world and Asgard.'
'And once we've made that connection everyone can cross back?' Natasha says, 'seems too easy.'
'Where do we come in?' Steve asks.
'She says...she says there needs to be a link formed between someone on one side and someone on the other. So, say Steve, you've known Bucky for years, so you have that connection, you'd be able to bring him back. Once we have four or five connections, the wall between our world and the stone breaks, and everyone can return.'
'But someone needs to break the wall.' Tony concludes.
'Exactly.'
'Well I'll go in for Bucky.' Steve says without hesitation.
'And I'll go in for my brother.' I say.
'Shuri, it could be dangerous-' Steve starts before I cut him off.
'You forget, that I am the queen of Wakanda now, and with that I am the protector. While I might not wear the uniform, I hold the title of the Black Panther. And I will go in for my brother.' I say to silence.
'I can bring Wanda back.' Natasha says, breaking the silence, 'She was a friend. And Clint will want to go in for Laura and his sons.'
'I'll get Peter.' Tony says after a moment. He lost multiple people he was close to and his decision to focus on Peter must have been hard, 'I promised his Aunt I would do everything I could to bring him back.'
'I'm guessing Rocket would like to go in for his family?' I think allowed.
'Yeah he loved that Tree.' Steve says.
'That's six people. We don't need any more than that. Carol said she could only get a few of us through and we only need four or five to work.'
'When's the soonest she can set it up?' Natasha asks, quietly.
'She said she'd be ready by tomorrow. We should tell the others.' I say.
'And we're just meant to trust her?' Natasha asks.
'What other choice do we have?' Tony asks, 'this is our last chance to save the world. So we're going to take it.'