"Killmonger has the full support of our military," Nakia told T'Challa. She glanced at me. "And he burned the garden of the Heart Shaped Herb." Ross nodded.

"Of course he did," he said. We all looked at him. "That's what he was trained to do. His unit used to work with the CIA to destabilize foreign countries. They would always strike at transitions of power, like an election year or the death of a monarch. You get control of government, the military-"

"Our resources," T'Challa said. "The Great Mound." Shuri nodded.

"Our vibranium," she said. "All of mine and Chris' designs."

"He will send our weapons all over the world." He turned to Nakia and I and motioned to Shuri and Ramonda. "You must get them out of Wakanda safely." I nodded, but the two female royals were more than a little upset.

"What?" Ramonda asked. Shuri nodded.

"What about you?" T'Challa sighed.

"The challenge will have to continue." Ramonda shook her head.

"T'Challa," she said, "we will not leave Wakanda."

"It is my duty to keep you safe-"

"If he gets control of our technology," Shuri said, "nowhere will be safe." She stepped forward and pulled the black panther tooth necklace from her pocket, putting it around her brother's neck. She smiled. "The Black Panther lives. And when he fights for the fate of Wakanda I will be right there beside him." Nakia nodded.

"As will I." I grinned.

"And me."

"I'm in too." We looked at Ross, surprised he spoke up. "What? You're gonna need all the help you can get." I grinned.

"About damn time, colonizer." He rolled his eyes, and a loud yawn interrupted us. We looked at the Jabari king.

"Are you done?" he asked. "Are you- Are you done?" T'Challa sighed.

"Could you give me and Lord M'Baku a moment?" he asked. But it was more like a demand. The four of us nodded, and I linked arms with Shuri as we exited the throne room.

"Thank you," Shuri said quietly. I looked down at her.

"For what?" She smiled.

"Fighting for us." I smiled.

"Did you really think I wouldn't?" I asked. "For however long I'm here, I will protect you all as much as I can."

"I just thought...since you're here for Sergeant Barnes, that you might stay with him to help him." I sighed and shook my head.

"You're my family too, Shuri." She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck. I rubbed her back. "I take care of the people I care about." She chuckled.

"You protect whoever you can." My smile dropped as I felt a faint phantom pain in my chest. I closed my eyes.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "Yeah, I-I do." She stepped back, eyes filled with worry.

⚠️TW: SH, PTSD, SKIP IF YOU NEED TO⚠️

"Chris? What's wrong?" I looked at the floor, swallowing thickly, and shook my head.

"No, i-it's nothing." She glanced around quickly, grabbing my hand and dragging me past the turn in the hallway where there was a small bench and sitting me down.

"What's going on, Chris? Are you okay?" I wrung my hands together nervously, and she pulled them apart, holding them tightly. "Talk to me. Please." I stared at our joined hands, letting out labored breaths as panic started to fill me.

"It hurts, Shuri," I said so quietly I wasn't sure she could hear me. "It hurts so much. It never goes away. Ever since that day, I just...I always feel it." My hand subconsciously drifted up to touch the spot on my side where I had been shot. I looked up at her. "It's the only thing I can feel anymore. I got thrown down twenty feet and didn't feel a thing." I shook my head, squeezing my eyes closed. "And that's not even it. I have these gaps in my memory from before I died. Things I used to be able to remember. It's like it's fading. Slowly, but it's fading.

"You don't know what it's like, Shuri. To see yourself bleeding and not even feel it. To not be able to remember when you finally escaped the worst prison you'd ever been in." I let out a quiet sob, but as usual (now), no tears flowed. "I have to hurt myself enough to sting just to- to remind myself that I'm s-still alive." She let go of my hands and wrapped me in a tight hug as I shook.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You're okay. You're right here." I buried my face in her hair as I tried to maintain my breathing. "We're going to figure this out, Chris. You're a fighter, even if you don't know it. You've made it through so much, and you won't stop now, not if I have anything to say about it."