SHIFTER ─ marvel

XII. A Twin

An idea suddenly pops into my head as we break away from the kiss. I find myself pulling away from him and sitting up, brushing my bangs away from my eyes.

"You know, HYDRA is most likely the reason Analiese can shift," I tell him. "I asked her if she worked for HYDRA and she said no, which is true because she resigned. She wasn't apart of the project I was in...so maybe there was another experiment that caused her powers."

Bucky looks into my eyes for a long moment, before nodding his head. "You want to go back to Becker's lab, don't you?"

I nod. "Maybe there's something there we missed. And there isn't a lot on the experiments both of them were apart of. Maybe the experiment that caused her powers isn't on record. I think we should go. I mean we've searched through every file on them and on shapeshifters and we can't find anything."

Bucky sighs, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. "Alright. Lets go get Alex, he'll want to come too."

-

Alex

"I wish I could go with you," Khari says, guilt etched in his voice. "But M'Baku needs me and—"

I grip his hands tightly in mine, shaking my head. "You're the general of the Jabari, you don't have to explain. I can't hog you. Other people need you, too."

Khari nods his head, releasing a sigh. "You let me know if you need any help, anything at all and I'll be there. Just...please, please promise me you'll be careful."

It is hard for me to leave him, too. But the pain I feel is nothing compared to his. I can see the concern and dread in his eyes, in his face. I know that the pain he is going through now must be unlike anything else. I mean, I just came back from the dead, and now we would be separated. Even if it was for a day at most.

I lean forward and press my forehead against his. "I promise you. We're just going to a dead woman's mad science lab, I think we'll be fine. I'll let you know if a test tube gets a bit too testy. Ha, testy. Get it? Because it's a test tube?"

Khari chuckles, shaking his head. "You're ridiculous."

"But you love me."

Khari leans in and kisses me. I can feel how tensed up his body is, especially as he grips onto my hands tightly, almost like he's afraid to let go. "I do. Take care of Soroya and James."

I lean forward and kiss his cheek, hearing him let out a sigh as I pull away, begrudgingly letting go of his hands and backing up towards the ship. "I still don't know how I feel about this new found friendship of yours with Bucky. First you were holding hands and now you call him James. Next thing I know you're going to be buying curtains and signing a lease on an apartment."

Khari rolls his eyes, looking over towards where the others stand closer to the palace. T'Challa and Shuri can't leave Wakanda, not after just coming back from the dead. They've been busy the past few days helping us and I'm sure it hasn't made the council happy. Them leaving would not be smiled upon. Okoye was going to come with us, but she was requested to attend the same meeting Khari has to today. Nakia offered to come with, but we all know she and T'Challa need some time together. This whole ordeal with Thanos has really messed a lot of things up. No wonder Khari is so tense. I can hardly blame him.

Despite their other duties, they all promised they'd keep up the search for Analiese Remington and try to find any more information on her. I am grateful they are doing this for Soroya. I hate the thought of some crazy woman going after my sister. But I guess this is just her reality now; crazy people constantly trying to kill her.

I walk up the stairs of the ship, winking at Khari before I walk towards the passenger seat. Bucky is in the pilot's seat and Soroya is next to him, looking back at me with a teasing look in her eyes.

"You two are so cute."

I cross my arms, scoffing at my sister. "I know we're cute. You wish you two were as cute as us."

She rolls her eyes, looking over to her ancient other half. "You ready?"

Bucky nods. "To go back to Becker's lab? Absolutely." He says, before pulling us up into the air and away from Wakanda. I look through the window and see the worried expression still on Khari's face as we fly away. The look in his eyes is still burned in my mind even after we've left the border.