I. AN OTHERWORLDY ROADTRIP
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Luna burped a burp so loud it was sure to be heard—if not felt—by the 34-year-old single mom of three next door who was desperately trying to get her youngest (his name was Kevin. He was four-months-old.) to stop crying and go to sleep.
"Okay—but no—seriously!" Luna said, holding a hand to her mouth to ensure nothing else would escape her stomach. "If you really—like, deeply and painstakingly—thought about it... Like, people always debate if a hotdog is a sandwich or not, right? They're all wrong. It's obviously a taco. They're all wrong and I'm right," she concluded and took another sip from her mixed vodka drink. "That's it."
"Having just been explained what a taco and a hotdog are in excruciating detail; no," Pietro said, topping off his drink that was almost only vodka, no mixer. He was faring a lot better than Luna, with a whole bottle gone between the three of them.
"Tacos have a shell," Wanda said, her head on Luna's lap, enjoying the feeling of gentle fingers playing with her hair. "They sound horrible to eat."
"Soft shells exist!" Luna protested. "They're good! Imma order them tomorrow—you think they have taco-take-out in Edinburgh?" she looked sadly out the window, to the cloudy night. "I hope they do..."
"Enough of this!" Pietro exclaimed, sitting up and pointing an aggressive finger at Luna. "Spider-Man," he said. "Who is he?"
A string of red magic slapped his hand out of the air. "Point that finger at my girlfriend again and you lose it."
With a smile, Luna took Wanda's face and leaned down to plant a kiss on her mouth, stopping when Pietro began making hurl-noises. "My hero," she said. "Look, I can't tell you! He wants to stay behind that mask a little longer and I certainly ain't the person who's gonna stop him."
"Fine, keep your secrets," he replied and stood up. "I'm going to break open the last bottle."
"Oh, god, please..." Luna whined and she felt sick to her stomach. "I actually need to go lie down, but someone needs to go shopping tomorrow..." She lifted Wanda's head from her thighs and stood up, albeit a little wobbly.
"You go do it, Moony," Pietro said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, but some of us have an actual job to be at, you spoiled little speed-rat. That's a reference to the famous 'street-rat' nickname this horrible dude Aladdin has, but you wouldn't get it," Luna fired back. "Not you, of course, dear," she said quickly to Wanda.
"Jesus, fine," Pietro said quickly. "I'll go do groceries."
"Thank you!" Luna exclaimed and moved into her bedroom, passing out, but not before making a mental note to never play a drinking game with two Sokovians ever again.
Things had been calm for the past year. The twins and her had acclimated to the Scottish environment and for as far as they knew, nobody suspected that they were fugitives of the UN. A few compromises had to be made for this to be possible; no public displays of powers and at least try to disguise your appearance.
Pietro had shaved his beard but refused to dye his hair like Luna had. Her brown hair was now a light blonde (with a bit of brown showing at her roots, she was too lazy to keep up with it). Wanda's hair had only grown more red, but she had stopped wearing exclusively red colors. It was the best they could do. Besides, things were good. Which was why it was hard for Luna to break the news that she had to leave for a while.
The TV had been turned on, only to provide some background noise as Wanda laid cuddled up to Luna's side on the couch. Some weird sitcom was playing and while Wanda adored them, Luna found them cringe and boring.
However, Luna felt too relaxed to change the channel; Wanda had closed her eyes a little while ago and not opened them since, only twitching slightly every couple of minutes. Luna wondered what she was dreaming about. It had to be a good dream, Wanda's mouth twitched up into soft smiles every now and then. With a careful touch, Luna brushed a strand of hair from her face. She truly was the pinnacle of beauty. Sharp features, fair skin and alluring eyes.
She still couldn't understand that this was her life now, she had never dared to think that she could lead a life like this; her, Wanda and Pietro had formed a domestic bond over the past year and all the trouble from not so long ago seemed like ages ago. She had a home, a job at the music store and a girlfriend who she couldn't believe actually wanted to be with her.
Still, Luna found something missing in her life. The short amount of time she had spent with her brother in the Spirit Wilds had reawakened her longing for a big brother. While Pietro seemed like the most logical replacement for that role in Luna's life, he had taken the role of best friend instead. Luna needed Derek and to cure him of his ailment she needed access to Wakanda's vast library.
Impossible as it was to travel to Wakanda in the past year, because of the attempted (and sort of successful) coup, she had received notice from Shuri and T'Challa that the doors to the palace were once again open to her. In that same notice another reason for her visit to Wakanda was given; Bucky Barnes had taken up residence in Wakanda while Shuri worked on a way to reverse the brainwashing done by HYDRA.
Luna had two reasons to leave and only one to stay.
"Hey, hon?" she said quietly. Wanda's eyes opened groggily. Luna's heart fluttered at the sight.
"Hmm?" Wanda asked.
"Shuri called me yesterday," she began. "She said that Wakanda's finally stable again after everything that happened; Killmonger and stuff. I'm thinking..." she continued, "I could go there. To see Derek and Bucky."
Rubbing her eyes, Wanda sat up straighter. "Really?" she asked. "That is good, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Luna said, nodding. "It's just..." she hesitated. "I mean, they have a huge library that I need to go through. If there's an answer in Wakanda I need to find it. It isn't like Thor is gonna come down here and take me to Asgard any time soon."
"Oh," she replied. "How long do you think you will be gone?"
She shrugged. "No idea. Until I find a way to get my brother back..." She stayed quiet as she tried to guess what Wanda was thinking. She couldn't. "Are you mad?"
"What?" Wanda asked, shock on her face. "Why would I be mad? He's your brother, of course you have to go."
"Then what's that face?"
"What face?"
"That one," Luna said and pointed at Wanda's face.
Wanda sighed and grabbed Luna's hand. "It's my 'I'm going to miss you' face." She dropped the hand, instead grabbing Luna's face. "Because I will miss you. Because I love you."
Luna's cheeks burned as she leaned into the girl's touch. "I love you too. And of course I'm gonna miss you. You know what I'll miss even more?"
"What?"
"This—" Luna said and planted her lips to Wanda's, the kiss immediately returned and deepened.
"For the love of god!" Pietro exclaimed, standing in the doorway, his hands covering his eyes. "get a room, you guys!"
Wanda and Luna separated, giggling. "Sorry."
"So..." Luna began. "We're okay?"
"Of course we're okay, my love," Wanda replied, leaning in to kiss Luna again, Pietro be damned. "Just promise me," she said. "That we will see each other again."
Luna smiled, "I promise."
• • •
With no other means of transportation from bustling New York City to the wondrous Wakanda, the two weeks' long journey on her vibranium glider had exhausted Luna to the point of aching muscles and sleep deprivation, although that wasn't as much a new experience for her.
Yet finally seeing the capital city breaching the horizon, its surrounding areas wonders of splendor and valleys of grandeur, stirred the welcoming feeling within her chest like it had done the first time she had come.
From her bird's view, Luna could see the striking Warrior Falls, heavy rocks breached with rushing waterfalls, and the Royal Palace that towered over the surrounding city. Grand and circular, the palace was guarded at both sides of the entrance with great statues of black panthers.
Luna decided that arriving to the country voluntarily was a much better fit for her, instead of the crash-landing she had done last time. Wakanda was much easier to find, since King T'Challa had opened up her political and social relations to the rest of the world.
She began her landing, flying in circles as she approached the palace. There, in the close distance, a large forest was erected from the ground, a sight that was familiar and disconcerting to her. Years ago, when she had first ventured into the Spirit Wilds, she had felt the ever-present spirit energy the moment she had laid eyes on it.
Looking at it now, a feeling of emptiness settled in her stomach; something was amiss inside the Wilds. There was still energy radiating from it, except it felt entirely different from last time; a lack of spirituality, like the spirit world had retreated back to their own realm and all the spirits had gone into hibernation.
"Well, that can't be good..." Luna muttered. She set her gaze back to the stone lane leading up to the gigantic entrance of the palace and landed carefully.
Folding up her glider and stashing it away, she took in the sight of a place that had welcomed her as one of their own when she needed it most. Luna hadn't realized how long she had been staring at the front doors when they finally swayed open.
Two familiar figures, squinting their eyes against the blazing sun, walked out and met her half way.
"Your Highnesses," Luna curtsied, catching the two humongous eyerolls coming her way.
She was enveloped in a tight hug. Shuri looked better than ever, with short hair and colorful dress.
"It's been too long, my man," Luna said as she broke out of the hug to embrace T'Challa, who looked as kingly as he always did. "How've you two been?"
It was Shuri who responded first, "You would have known that earlier if you did not break your phone, Luna, but we are good. Great, actually."
As T'Challa spoke up, he began leading them back inside of the palace and out of the scorching heat. "Wakanda is thriving, dear Avatar. We were on the brink for a time, but Wakanda is nothing if not resilient."
"Just like her royal family, then," Luna replied. "Heard you almost got usurped."
A pained expression crossed T'Challa's face. He breathed deeply, "Erik Killmonger was misguided, but not wrong. I hope to honor him by doing my nation right."
"That's good," she said as they treaded the halls of the palace, still as grand as she remembered. "I don't mean to divert the topic of conversation like this, but I heard you guys had another visitor?"
"Ah, yes," Shuri said. "Our white wolf. He's staying at the edge of the city, near where you entered the Wilds."
Luna nodded as she made a mental note. "And my brother?"
T'Challa turned a corner. Suddenly they stepped into a large, open room which looked a lot like a hospital. "Right here," he said and walked deeper into the infirmary and towards a closed-off room. "We moved him into his own room a while ago. He may be comatose, but I'm sure he would like the privacy. Your room is just down the hall, the same as last time."
"We will leave you alone for now," Shuri added as she nodded to the room that held Derek. "But please, join us for dinner in an hour." She gently grabbed Luna's shoulder and with an empathetic look said, "Derek has not been responsive to any mystical ritual so far..."
"What're you saying?"
"Nothing... Just, don't get your hopes up by thinking all the answers are in some book."
"Where else would they be?"
"In time," she replied. "With enough time, his spirit could heal itself."
Luna looked at her through clouded eyes. "I don't have time."
Shuri and T'Challa left her by herself and the air grew many times thicker. The shadows cast by the African sun were elongating as the day came closer to the end, the time ticking away at a tediously slow pace. Luna stood where the two had left her, staring at the closed blinds that obscured her vision into her brother's room. It had been years since he had gotten hurt, since she was the reason he had gotten hurt. With one deep breath, Luna twisted the doorknob.
There he laid in perfect stillness, as if he were simply asleep. Derek's hair and beard were still in the same condition as two years ago, being cut every so often by his caregivers. A thin blanket had been thrown over him, not so much to provide warmth, but more so to give the illusion of sleep.
A steady beeping came from the vital signs monitor connected to various places on his body. It had spiked at multiple random times since he had been there, T'Challa had said to her, but Shuri had ensured him that everything was under control. Watching her brother's lifeless body, Luna wasn't too sure about that.
A comfortable chair had been set next to his bed. Luna took her place with a small tremble of hesitation and nervousness. He looked almost peaceful like this, but Luna could guess that whatever was happening inside his mind could not be the most comfortable experience. She took his hand in hers, surprised by the warmth, and placed a gentle kiss. It was many more minutes until she found her voice again.
"Been a while... How've you been, bro?" She gave a sad chuckle when he gave no response. "'Course, you're comatose, how dumb of me... Look, I didn't ask for any of this, okay? I didn't ask to be a hero or an avenger and I sure as hell never asked to be the Avatar. I'm pretty sure if Raava never chose me, you would've never gone on your expeditions and you never would've left me the first time and you would be by my side right now." She had raised her voice, not in a scream, but in a desperate, tired exclamation.
"Jesus, look at me, fucking crying over here," she added and wiped her eyes. She sat there for another minute in the thick silence, staring out of the window that looked out over the entire city below.
Twinkling stars were beginning to turn visible as the sun was retreating for the day. Somewhere out there were the answers she was looking for, laying in a vast library in a castle built of pure gold. Of course Thor had chosen now of all times to turn his status to 'unavailable'. That left only the limited library of Wakanda for her to explore and hopefully, by some miracle, find a cure.
"Ever since Sokovia, I've been wondering at every turn if what I was doing was the right thing, constantly second-guessing myself. You and I both know that that hesitation can be lethal. Even now..." she continued, the image of her love flashing through her mind.
"I sometimes can't believe that she stayed with me, let alone for almost a year... Her name's Wanda," she told Derek, smiling at the thought of her. "Smart as a whip, lethal as a gun and—she's fucking gorgeous, man. I look at her sometimes and I can swear she's an angel in those moments... yeah..." she trailed off.
"You'd like her. I wanna do right by her, I wanna do right by everyone but for the past year I've felt like I can't do anything right. But this," she pointed at her brother, "this is the right thing to do. To cure you of a mistake that I made. That's the only thing I'm sure of."
Luna didn't stay much longer after that and instead got settled into her guestroom down the hall, taking a quick moment to freshen up before moving to the grand hall for dinner. Two of the Dora Milaje were posted up at the entrance and with a nod they opened the doors for her. Inside, a table was set up with a buffet that made her mouth water instantly.
The table was surprisingly of an average size, with enough room for about six chairs. Two of those had been discarded, but at both sides sat Shuri and T'Challa and at the head of the table, with her hair wrapped in a stark white scarf, sat queen Ramonda. The queen was the epitome of stately beauty; high cheekbones, sharp eyebrows and pointed lips that had been pulled into a kind smile.
"Your highness," Luna bowed her head and waited for the queen to return it before taking a seat at the other end of the table. "Thank you for inviting me to dinner and, of course, for taking care of my brother for so long. I promise I'll find cure quickly and we'll be out of your hair."
"You are the Avatar, girl," queen Ramonda said. "The Avatar and the Black Panther have historically worked closely together. It is our pleasure to care for her brother."
"Still, if there's is anything I can do to return the favor..."
"We will know who to ask," she answered before looking down at the spread of food on the table. "The kitchen has outdone itself today and I am quite hungry. What is it Americans say? Tuck in?"
• • •
Waking up to a wonderful morning, Luna had an extra pep in her step as she got herself ready for the day; breakfast first, then a quick check-up on Derek before she made her way out of the palace and into the city below.
Even early in the morning, the streets were bustling with merchants setting up their stands and all the shops began to open. She had expected to feel out of place in the city, their culture was so different from hers, but the people were helpful and pointed her to the place she was trying to get to.
At the edge of the city, the palace rising high above her, she made her way across a vibrant green meadow, adjusting her hat to keep the sun from blinding her. She walked closer, the Wilds towering menacingly in the distance and that same feeling that something was missing from in the Wilds washed over her. She shook it off and directed her attention to the hut that stood in the meadow, a large hanging tree casting it in its shade. There wasn't a door, but a piece of cloth provided the entrance to the hut.
Without a surface to knock on, Luna called out to the person inside. The person inside quickly invited her in. She pulled the cloth out of her way and stepped in.
Bucky Barnes was wearing something that looked like a colorful toga and where his left arm was supposed to be hung a protective fabric. His hair was longer than the last time she had seen him, less greasy and tied in a loose bun. He put down whatever he was doing and turned to face her, his eyebrows creasing in confusion.
"Hello?" he asked. "Can I help you?"
Luna breathed in deeply. She had met him before, when he was semi-mind-controlled, but she didn't know back then what she knew now. This was the person who killed her parents, the person who ensured she would grow up alone and lonely in a dreary orphanage.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked, her voice more confident than she felt.
He tilted his head, digging deep inside his mind. "You were at the airport. Peggy's great-granddaughter. Luna, right?"
Luna nodded. She knew it wasn't him, of course, who killed her parents. Rationally, she knew it was HYDRA that killed her parents. But Bucky was HYDRA's weapon, and Mary and Peter's blood was partially on his hands.
Bucky, noticing the change in the girl's countenance, invited her to sit down with him at the table in the middle of the room. "Do you want something to drink?"
"No, I'm fine—" she cleared her throat. "I'm... not really sure what I'm doing here. I'm friends with Shuri and T'Challa," she said when she couldn't come up with anything else to say. "They've been taking care of my brother for a few years now."
"And your brother is the unconscious man in the infirmary?" Bucky asked.
"Yeah. They told me that you were staying here as well and... well, I thought I'd come say hi. And ask you a few questions, I guess."
"Well," he said slowly. "I appreciate it. What do you wanna ask?"
"When you were with HYDRA—" Bucky flinched at the turn in conversation, "What do you remember from that time?"
"Uh... Not a whole lot. It takes time for my mind to parse out the details. I remember those days like they're lucid dreams."
"And—I'm really sorry but I have to ask this—you were under complete mind-control? Like, no bodily or mental autonomy?"
"Right, like that," Bucky replied, his face falling into one of pity, like he could guess where Luna was going with this.
Luna sighed and pulled out her parents' SHIELD file, putting it in front of Bucky on the table. "Last page," she said. "Tell me, do you remember them?"
"Mary and Peter Carter..." he muttered, something flashing behind his eyes as his face went slack for just a second. He closed the file and handed it back. "They're your parents," he assumed.
"Yes," she replied. "I'm sorry for confronting you like this. I just..." she thought for a moment. "I don't know."
"I remember," he said finally. "I remember all of them. I'm sorry, Luna." He rubbed his face and said to himself, "God... Peggy's grandkids..."
"Look, I didn't mean to intrude on your space like this, but I needed to know." After a minute of a pregnant silence, she added, "I don't blame you."
He looked up, shocked.
"Like you said, HYDRA was controlling you. I came here simply to confirm my own suspicions. As much as I want to, I don't blame you. And for what it's worth, I do forgive you."
Something the weight of a mountain left Bucky's shoulders as he relaxed. "Thank you, Luna, truly."
Luna didn't overstay her welcome any more and travelled back through the city towards the palace.
Next on her schedule was the library. Making her way through the hallways of the palace, she eventually found it, massive rows of bookshelf going up all the way to the ceiling, each filled with an array of different-sized tomes and scrolls, but only a single plank on the smallest shelf was dedicated to the Avatar and its history.
She stacked the books that she could carry and brought it to the infirmary, making multiple trips back and forth until three stacks of books stood on the table in Derek's room. With a sigh, Luna sat down and opened the first book to its first page.
That is how it began. Long days and even longer nights Luna sat in the infirmary, watching over her brother, scouring the yellow and fragile pages for anything that could help her.
Hope seeped out of her as tome after tome came up empty. Failed ritual after failed ritual. Shuri came in every so often to bring coffee and force Luna to come to dinner, trying to get her to call Wanda and Pietro. But Luna found that she couldn't, she was in a position where she couldn't focus on anything other than this.
One morning a couple days into Luna's downward spiral, Shuri entered the room with a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Buried deep inside the pages of the tome, Luna thanked the girl off-handedly.
"Luna," Shuri began. "You should go outside, breathe some fresh air."
"Sure, I'll go later."
"I don't believe you."
"That sounds like a you-problem."
Suddenly, the book was ripped from Luna's hands.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, sitting up straight as she looked at a smug Shuri. "What's your problem?"
"You are killing yourself, Luna," Shuri said harshly. "You are not sleeping, you are barely eating and you have not been outside in days."
"I'm trying to save my brother's life here, okay!" Luna cried. "Would you do any different if it was T'Challa?" she took the lack of an answer from Shuri as a yes. "Derek's vitals have been spiking more often and for a longer time since I've been here. I don't know how long its gonna take for his heart to just give out, okay? So don't judge me for putting his needs before my own. Not when you would do the exact same thing for your brother."
Shuri nodded. "You are right, I'm sorry. Here's your book back," she said and as she handed the book back to Luna, it slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground.
Luna picked it up, her eyes scanning the page it had fallen open on. "I think I found something," she muttered. "A ritual."
"Luna, you have tried many rit—"
"No, this seems legit." She put the tome on the table beside her and stood up, putting one hand on Derek's forehead and the other where his heart was. She read the words in the tome, muttering beneath her breath.
A breeze flew through the room.
Luna's spirit travelled through the air as she meditated, trying to gain access to Derek. She found a barrier, something holding her back. Like a firewall for which she needed a key. The key was power, and she needed more of it.
"Luna!" Shuri suddenly shouted, pulling Luna out of her trance.
"What?" Luna exclaimed angrily. "I almost had it!"
The cold coffee standing on the desk began boiling.
"You were hurting him," Shuri said. "He was shaking, vibrating almost."
Luna looked down at Derek, who was already as still as a corpse again. She needed a key and she knew exactly where to start looking.
Pushing past Shuri, she sped through the halls of the palace. She opened the huge doors and ran outside onto the vibrant meadow.
"Heimdall!" she shouted furiously into the sky. She had only heard Thor shout the name a few times, but he had always been picked up by a rainbow beam of light. "Heimdall! Thor! Anyone! I need your help!" she yelled, her voice scratchy. "Heimdall, you son of a b—"
Shuri watched as Luna was enveloped by a violent, colorful beam of light. When it subsided, all that was left was a steaming, intricate pattern on the grass.
• • •
Luna was suspended in space, many colors, some of which she didn't know the name, sped past her. She didn't know how long she was there for, but when she finally felt something solid beneath her feet, her legs crumbled in on each other and she fell to the ground.
The floor was of a gleaming gold and perfect marble. There, she caught her breath and swallowed the bile that had travelled up her throat until the sound of heavy footsteps and metal scraping against metal penetrated her hearing.
She looked up and saw a man, not much taller than her, standing above her. His head was shaved bald, a pattern of tattoos on his light skin. He had donned dark metal armor and tied to his side was a large assault rifle.
Luna glanced behind him, where on a golden pedestal a great sword was inserted in some sort of machine. Even further than that, Luna could barely see a humongous rainbow bridge. Looking back at the man, she suddenly remembered how Thor had described Heimdall, and this was about as far as you could get from that.
Standing up and meeting the man's eyes, she glared suspiciously, saying, "You're not Heimdall..."