Joana
The King was nothing like Joana had ever seen before. When she had first met T'challa, she hated him because he was trying to kill Bucky. However, now that she had met him and he had taken all of them under his wing, she saw him in a whole new light.
He was an incredibly kind person, and extremely humble. T'challa had allowed Steve and Sam and the others to stay in his country, but he had done more than that. He supplied them with food and water and weapons when they asked for it. He gave Bucky the best medical attention and was even researching ways to take the Winter Soldier out of his head. He made Wakanda, a strange place, feel like home and Joana was eternally grateful.
When he invited Joana to his coronation, she had to respectfully decline. It wasn't her place to be there. She was a guest and the people were the ones who deserved to go. She decided to stay behind and watched over Bucky.
She had, however, helped Shuri get into her outfit. Joana hadn't worn a corset since she worked in her Gram's shop, but being able to put one on someone else wasn't something she quickly forgot. Shuri complained the entire time Joana pulled at the back.
"Oh, hush up, Shuri," Joana scolded, pulling tighter. "If you stopped squirming, maybe this would be done faster."
Shuri stuck her tongue out at Joana.
Joana was introduced to Nakia before they left for the coronation. She met Nakia while she walked Shuri through the castle. Nakia had a serenity and a power that radiated off of her. She was wary of Joana at first, but Shuri made sure that the two got to know each other.
Joana was more than happy to see Okoye again.
"After this, Joana, we really must see how good you are at fighting. Our King has told us so much about your style," Okoye said. Pride exploded in Joana's chest. She dipped her head in thanks. Okoye crossed her arms over her chest in an 'X' and walked away.
Joana left Shuri with a hug before journeying to Medical Bay. It was strange to her how quickly she had become used to the palace. She had only wandered the halls once or twice with Shuri, yet she knew exactly how to get to the Medical Bay from where she was left. Time progressed differently in Wakanda. She made friends with Shuri faster than she had with anyone. She felt more comfortable with Okoye than anyone she had met since leaving Hydra, aside from Sam.
Thinking about Sam made Joana's heart sink. She missed him, more than she thought she would. The more she thought about missing Sam, the more she thought about missing Steve and Natalia. She sat in front of Bucky's container, trying not to cry. Even though she was now surrounded by new people she felt comfortable around, she was desperately missing the one person who had been by her side since she was 12.
She wasn't sure if this was the worst kind of torture she had endured. Bucky was right there, separated from her by a mere inch of glass. Joana placed her hand on the glass, praying that somehow, he might put his hand up too. When he didn't, she stepped back and put her head in her hands.
As she sat on the ground, she found that there was one person she missed more than any of her friends, one person she would never be able to see again.
Danika.
Danika would never be buried. There would be no gravestone to visit. She had no family outside of her parents, not that Joana knew of. The only thing Joana had left of her friend was memories, and most of those memories weren't good ones. Maybe when Natalia came back, Joana could ask about those Hydra files she dropped four years ago. That might give Joana the closure she needed.
Hours later, Shuri joined Joana in the medical ward.
"How was the coronation?" Joana asked, standing slowly.
"I am never, ever, wearing a corset again," Shuri said with a sigh. She had already changed into a long white dress. Shuri sat beside Joana and looked up at Bucky.
"I haven't given up on him yet, you know," Shuri told her.
"I know. You're doing everything you can. By rights, you shouldn't even have to be the one to do this. If the world was good, Hydra would be the ones fixing this, not you."
Shuri smiled.
"I'm afraid if Hydra tried to fix him, they might just make him worse."
Somehow, Joana laughed.
"You're right."
"Joana, I've got work to do. You can hang around if you'd like," Shuri told her. Joana stood and helped Shuri up.
"I think I'll go to the training room. I haven't used a proper weapon in years. It'll be nice to have one in my hand again," Joana said. Shuri nodded.
"Okoye and the other Dora will probably be there. Have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do," Shuri said with a wink. Joana rolled her eyes.
"Have fun with your toys, Shuri."
"You know I will."
Joana felt a twisting in her stomach that she hadn't felt in a long time as she entered to the training room. She remembered what it was like entering a new city with no one but your sister, looking different from everyone else. The feeling was very similar, but she knew that she was safe here. At least, she hoped she was.
The training room was more like a series of rooms. The ground was covered in red dirt. Those in the other rooms who were sparring were doing so without shoes on. Not sure what exactly to do, Joana slipped her shoes off and left them by the door. The room was lined with all kinds of weapons just like she had seen in the weaponry. She forgot her fear as she looked at the array of weapons around her.
It wasn't until she got to Hydra that Joana fell in love with all things lethal. It was the one thing Hydra taught her that she wasn't so ready to let go of. There was a beauty to weapons craft that wasn't there in other things. It was a vastly unappreciated art.
"Are you going to pick one up, or just stand there staring?"
Joana spun around, as if she was a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Okoye stood in the doorway, her staff glistening in the light from the training room. Joana smiled. She felt the urge to bow but at the same time, she knew that wasn't right. Instead, she just dipped her head. Okoye pulled off her shoes and stepped into the room. She set her staff against the wall.
"So, what weapon are you going to chose?" Okoye asked Joana. Joana looked away from the General standing before her and turned back to the weapons rack. She saw a single bo seeming to hide in the corner. The memory of her first day with Danika flashed through her brain. She was grabbing on to the bo staff before she even knew what she was doing.
"Good choice," Okoye said, picking her own staff back up.
"Are we going to spar, General?" Joana asked, giving the vibranium bo staff a few swings. It was the perfect balance in her hands. She was smiling before he even knew that she was. With a cry, Okoye lunged at her. The two started a dance that was deadly and beautiful and powerful all at once. Okoye and Joana were equals on the field. When one of them landed a hit, the other hit right back. A few of the Dora and War Dogs training in other rooms stopped to watch. They had never seen someone spar with their General for so long.
Joana didn't even know how she had done so. It was true that Joana had been fighting for the good part of 70 years, but there was also a period of time where she was under a hundred pounds and strapped to a chair. Okoye fought like she did, like Okoye had been fighting for 70 years.
"General."
Okoye and Joana stopped their sparring immediately and turned toward the King. Both women were breathing heavily and Joana's muscles were starting to spaz, but she managed to stand still in the gaze of the King. She kept her head bowed. T'challa and Okoye spoke in their language back and forth for a few minutes before Okoye turned to Joana.
"It was a pleasure, Joana. We must do this again when I return," Okoye told her. Her chest heaving, Joana nodded.
"The pleasure was mine, General."
"You are not a Dora. Please, call me Okoye."
"Of course."
With Okoye and T'challa gone and Shuri helping them with their mission, Joana decided to take a walk. She wandered around the halls, unsure of where to go or what to do. She found herself at the room Natalia shared with Wanda. It was nearby Joana's own room. Sam and Steve shared a room as well just beside theirs. When they were all here, the five of them would hang out all the time. She missed the talking and the jokes and the food. It was true that since they left she had allowed herself to become apart of Wakandan society.
Still, she missed her friends. She wished they were there with her now. She knew the things they were doing were important, but there was still a part of her that wished they hadn't gone. She sat in the living room they all sat in the night before the four of them left. It hadn't been very long since they were gone, but it felt like an eternity.
She sat in that living room for hours, reading a book or two. Shuri ran into that living room at midday the next day. Joana was used to not sleeping, but she usually slept for at least two hours. She must have been so entranced with the book that she hadn't realized that time was passing.
"Shuri? What is it?" She asked, setting the book down and standing up.
"I knew I could find you here."
"What's wrong?"
"A lot. Come with me."
Shuri explained the events of the night before and the early morning. Joana listened with pinched eyebrows as Shuri told her everything.
"I've missed a lot," she said finally as they made it to the lab.
"Oh yeah, you definitely have." They walked quickly through the lab. "This is the man."
Laying on a table was a short, white man. He had been changed into a Wakandan robe. He looked peaceful, sleeping as he was.
"This was the man who was shot?"
"Yes."
"And you fixed him?"
"Yup."
"Consider me impressed, Shuri."
Shuri showed Joana around her lab, introducing her to all the things that Shuri was planning on doing. Joana didn't understand half of what Shuri was saying, but she was excited for her all the same.
It wasn't much longer before the American man, Agent Ross, woke up. Joana noticed him first and stepped out of the way, thinking that he would probably want to ask Shuri questions. Joana didn't want to get in the way of that. Joana slipped out of the room and turned down the hall to the medical ward to watch out for Bucky. She sat there with him, talking to him and telling him all about the book she read and the things going on in Wakanda. She almost heard him talk back, but he never did.
After a while, she got hungry so she decided it would be best to get some food. Wandering through the halls to the kitchen, Joana immediately knew something was off. Everyone was quiet. Too quiet. There was always whispering, always something going on they wanted to talk about. She passed by the training room and no one was inside. In all the time she had been there, the only time that happened was at the coronation.
Every instinct in Joana's body told her that something was very not right. She should go check on Bucky, make sure he was okay. Shaking her head, Joana told herself she was overreacting.
It was safe here. She was just paranoid. Yeah, that was it. Paranoid.
Breathing deeply, Joana continued to the kitchen. When she got there, one of the cooks looked at her out of the corner of his eye. In very shotty Wakandan, Joana asked if she could eat something. He handed her a plate of food, but said nothing. Joana scowled.
"Is something wrong?" She asked in English. "Everyone seems...jumpy."
"A man came and challenged the King," the cook said. Joana was shocked that he knew English. Most of the other people she had spoken to couldn't respond. She wondered what was different about this cook that he knew English. But that wasn't important now.
"Challenged? Can he do that?"
"He claims he is the son of the old King's brother," the cook told her. Joana's stomach turned into knots. It was only out of T'challa's generosity that she and Bucky and the others were allowed to be here. If someone took over, they would all be kicked out. Or worse.
Joana stood, not having touched her food.
"Thank you," she said to the cook and ran from the room. She sprinted back toward the medical ward as fast as she could. She rounded the corner and ran straight into Shuri and the Queen Mother. Joana was about to bow when she noticed the tears rolling down their cheeks.
"What's happened?" Joana asked. Sobbing, Shuri threw her arms around Joana's neck, sagging against her.
"He killed him," the princess sobbed, clinging to her friend for dear life. "He killed my brother."
Joana held her as tight as she could for a brief second before pushing her away.
"You two need to get out of here," she said.
"Nakia is taking us," Ramonda said, her voice just barely shaking. Joana wondered how she could be so strong. "She is getting the white man and Okoye before we leave."
"You need to come with us, Joana," Shuri said, grabbing Joana's shoulders. "He'll kill you if he knows you're not from here."
Joana shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed.
"No, no, I can't. Whoever this guy is, if he's willing to kill me he'd definitely kill Bucky and the others if they come back. No, I have to stay here. I have to protect Bucky," Joana told them.
"Joana, you can't," Shuri said, her voice breaking. "I just lost my brother."
"I know, I'm sorry. But I can't leave him." She turned back to Ramonda. "You two need to leave. Find Nakia, quickly."
"Go, Child. The ancestors go with you," Ramonda said, taking Joana's hands in hers. Joana felt blessed. She hadn't yet met the Queen Mother, but she was glad that she got the chance too. Joana hugged Shuri one last time before she took off down the halls toward the medical ward. Once she got there, she wasn't sure what she was going to do. The one thing she could do was take a throw rug and cover him with it. There wasn't one inside, but outside, there was a hanging tapestry. She asked for forgiveness from whoever it was that was in charge of Wakanda and pulled the tapestry down. She threw it over Bucky's container, her heart pounding.
She turned to walk away, but found it almost impossible. She looked back at the tapestry, knowing that she had to do everything possible to keep whoever the new king is out of this room. Everything. But before she did that, she needed to warn Steve.
Wakanda was no longer safe.
***
Heyyyyy y'all. So I planned this chapter to go much much differently. I guess we're gonna have more chapters than I thought.
Sorry that it doesn't seem like there's a whole lot happening that happens in the Black Panther movie. There's a whole lot that happens in that movie that I feel like is sort of private to those few character (ie T'challa, Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia), so inserting a stranger (ie Joana) would be awkward.
Anyway, next chapter actually has Killmonger in it, so yay. It's gonna be pretty interesting, sort of HYDRA-esc if you get what I mean.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading, voting, and commenting on this story, it means a lot. I'm really nervous for writing Infinity War (which won't be for at least three chapters, but still). It's gonna be great.
with a whole lotta stress because of school,
authorsbane