"IN PEACE - 01. The Conversation with T'Challa"
by Fuuyuki
warning tag: STUCKY, SPOILER of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
Notes: This is one of the short series (may be only 2-3 chapters) I would like to write about how Steve, Bucky and even T'Challa would find (or at least try to find) their peace after Zemo's incident.
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Steve Rogers who was wearing a clean white sweater and bounded with bandages around his head, was now sitting next to an advanced medical bed. On the bed, there was Bucky Barnes who was still unconscious.
x x x x x
When the fight in Siberia was ended in an unwilling internecine way, Steve carried Bucky who was almost unconscious on his shoulder and headed to their jet outside the facility. To their awareness, there's an extra jet set next to theirs. The man who was standing in front of the jets was the one that Steve thought was the least he would like to meet at that moment. The new King of Wandaka, T'Challa dressed in his Black Panther suit. Steve tightened Bucky’s only arm above his shoulder. He could feel the tension from the other to his skin. They barely could go on another fight.
“So, you won the fight.” T'Challa said with a deep emotionless voice.
“No one won in this. We all lost.” Steve frowned with disagreement.
“Did you kill him? I mean Tony Stark.” T'Challa demanded as being a royal.
“Of course not!!” Steve answered with a raised emotion and then he took a deep breath before continued. “Your Highness, it was all set up. There's no enemy here. None to yours as well.” He eyed Bucky who remained silent but tensed and looked back to T'Challa. "Please, please let me explain.”
“Your explanation won't be necessary.” Steve looked at him with an sincere expression, hoping for a peaceful solution. He had already done enough unnecessary fight for one day, or maybe for a century and more.
“I was there,” T'Challa gestured to the opened gate behind them and Steve stared at him with an expected expression. “I followed Stark. I was there when Zemo revealed his plan of vengeance. I knew your Bucky Barnes didn't kill my father.”
“I then headed out. Planned to hunt down Zemo in vengeance for my father.” T'Challa looked down to his suit-covered hand. “When I found Zemo, he was sitting on the edge of a cliff, with a handgun placed in his hands. He noticed I would come. He told me about the story behind his vengeance.”
“I was there standing less than three feet from him. I was capable to kill him in any second. Then I suddenly heard a voice in my head. It said ‘Don't let the rage consume you.’.” T'Challa sighed. “We are all here because the rage brought us here. The rage buried the true and real justice. So I decided to let go my rage and in honor to let my father rest in peace.” T'Challa turned his head looked down from the peak to the iced mountains below them. The sprites of their deaths would set free to race in the embrace of the mother nature.
“And Zemo?” Steve asked quietly.
“He planned to commit suicide but I stopped him. He needs to face the justice and repent for what he has done in the rest of his living.” T'Challa looked at the rear side of his jet where he locked up the mastermind of the whole incident.
“Thank you for telling us all of this.” Steve finally breathed out with relief. He looked to his side and met Bucky who was also looking at him with a pale smile.
“Your Highness, could you do me a favor?”
“T'Challa would be fine, Captain Roger. As an apology to what I did to you and your friend, you are welcome to seek for my assistant.”
“It's Tony. We broke the energy sources of his armor. I am not sure he's still able to send signals for help. I know he’s Tony Stark...but just in case.” Steve showed a soft smile with an unspeakable guilt. “And he really needs a medical attention.”
“Alright. And how about you?” T'Challa stared to the blood stained on both Steve and Bucky’s heads and to the remaining of the broken mechanical arm on Bucky's left shoulder.
“Hiding.” Steve said firmly. “I cannot let them...any of them to have Bucky. There's no concessions.”
“I…..” T'Challa was about to say he understood but when he looked into Steve's eyes, he hesitated and amended. “I might have a proposal.”
x x x x x x
So now, he and Bucky were staying in a secret base of the Royal Wakanda hidden in the jungle of Africa.
Safe and sound. At least for the moment.
The cover twisted when the man under it moved. Bucky struggled a little bit with a mourn before he opened his eyes.
Steve beamed up and put down the sketchbook he was holding and then leaned towards the bed.
“Hey, pal.” he said with a soft gentle voice.
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(T.B.C.)