❝ FLIRTING WITH DEATH ❞
( KEEPERS OF THE STONES )
x. the gang's back together (sorta)
chapter ten

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VIENNA, TWO YEARS AGO

" T'Challa, you look just as awkward as you did when we were children. " Itai's thick Wakandan accent broke in over the many voices cluttering the conference room, causing said prince to turn his gaze away from the streets below, a grin on his face as his old friend strolled up to him, hands in the pockets of his sleek suit.

" You were always the more outgoing one, Itai. " T'Challa insisted as the taller man clasped a hand on his shoulder, an equally big smirk on his face as he briefly glanced out the glass walls of the building before meeting his friend's stare.

" Yes, I suppose so, but you are royalty. These people would much rather speak to you than your simpleton advisor. " Itai persisted, gaining an eyebrow raise from T'Challa, a quick beat of uncertainty before they both broke out into a fit of laughter; after quickly sobering up, seeing the strange looks they were receiving from the serious politicians in the room, Itai added, " Jesus, these people are too uptight for me. Just like this hideous suit I was forced to wear. "

" Sorry, Itai, but not everyone in the world walks around shirtless twenty-four-seven. " T'Challa commented, and Itai only rolled his eyes at that, opening his mouth with another remark ready, when his wandering eyes spotted a woman with short, perfectly styled, black hair, and small, pinched facial features.

" And, what country does she come from? " Itai questioned, intrigued as he directed his friend's eyes to the woman, who was currently speaking with another man in a suit, " Because I would not mind to visit if everyone looks like her. "

" That would be America, my friend. " T'Challa supplied an answer, to which Itai's face contorted, scrunching together in slight disgust before he stated, " On second thought, maybe not. "

" Ms. Romanoff, " A voice suddenly called, catching the woman's attention as she bid a quick farewell to the man she was talking to, before striding over towards the woman that had said her name, " These need your signature. "

T'Challa nudged his friend as he began walking towards the woman, Itai following after clearing his throat and adjusting his suit jacket. The short haired agent turned just as she heard them approaching, finishing off her signature for the woman beside her.

" I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight. " T'Challa commented, gaining Natasha's attention and she slowly turned around to meet his gaze, a small, humorless smirk on her face.

" Well, it's not always so flattering, " She pointed out, briefly glancing over at Itai, who's usually wild curls had been pulled back into a slightly more 'sophisticated' man-ponytail.

" You seem to be doing all right so far. " T'Challa acknowledged, noticing his childhood friend standing idly and uncomfortably as he watched their conversation; he then clapped a hand on the shorter man's shoulder, a welcoming smile on his face as he added, " Forgive me for being rude, Ms. Romanoff, this is my advisor and long-time friend, Itai Madaki. "

" That is a bit of an understatement, " Itai said humorously, holding out his hand to the dark haired woman with a wide grin across his face, " I prefer best friend, who just so happens to make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid. "

" I sometimes find myself having that title as well, " Natasha agreed, giving his hand a firm shake, before T'Challa began to speak again.

" Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill, I wouldn't think you'd be particularly comfortable in this company. " He suggested, and she gave him a small, tight lipped smile as she barely shook her head, hair bouncing with the motion.

" Oh, I'm not. " Her words made T'Challa smile while Itai wondered what happened last time and why he did not know about it.

" And that alone makes me glad you are here, Ms. Romanoff. " He told her, and she instantly cocked an eyebrow.

" Why, you don't approve of all this? " She questioned, and Itai couldn't help but stifle a laugh; T'Challa agreed with the Accords so much he might as well have written them.

T'Challa gave him a dry look before answering, " The Accords, yes. The politics, not really. Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred. "

" Unless you are moving a piano. " Another familiar voice spoke with the Wakanda accent, King T'Chaka appearing beside Natasha with a warm expression on his aging face.

" Baba. " T'Challa greeted his father, and Itai only nodded in response to his arrival, but not through means of disrespect. Itai had admired T'Chaka ever since he was little, sometimes wishing on falling stars that he would somehow be able to be a king like him. Now, though, and even as he grew up, being around the royal family for so long had changed his mind. He'd much rather just give his advice and opinions on things, leaving T'Chaka and T'Challa to decide.

" King T'Chaka. " Natasha called, hands folded in front of her like a true businesswoman, " Allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria. "

" Thank you, Ms. Romanoff, " King T'Chaka replied, nodding firmly, " Thank you for agreeing to all of this. Although I am sad to hear Captain Rogers will not be joining us today. "

" Yes, so am I. " Natasha said rather bitterly, as if thinking about the man's nonexistent presence at that very moment.

Itai was curious about where he was instead, and had almost let the question slip from his tongue, but was interrupted by a man's voice coming over the speakers around the room.

" If everyone could please be seated. This assembly is now in session. "

" That is the future calling. " T'Challa announced, a proud smile stretching from ear to ear as he looked over at Natasha with a solemn nod, " Such a pleasure. "

Natasha didn't speak again before she left, only giving the trio a small smile as she turned around on her heels, striding over towards the other people already seated at the tables.

Seeing T'Chaka look so intently at his son made Itai get the hint that he wished to speak to him alone; the advisor shoved his hands in the pockets of his itchy suit and said, " I'll save your seats. " before he headed in the same direction as Natasha.

He almost silently slipped into the seat beside her, which coincidentally happened to have a name tag reading "Wakanda" in front of it. Oh, if Itai believed in fate.

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A little while after the assembly had officially started, it was King T'Chaka's turn to speak. T'Challa had opted to stand near the windows, away from the podium, as he knew his speaking skills were nothing compared to his father's. Itai had left his spot by Natasha briefly to go use the bathroom, and when he had snuck back in, hopefully going unnoticed, he'd nearly broke one of the chair's legs, causing a bit of an awkward pause.

" When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. " The king spoke, and Itai could only watch in awe; he wondered if he'd ever be able to speak so confidently in front of that many people. Sometimes he couldn't even 'advise' without simply pulling T'Challa aside to speak.

" Those men and women killed in Nigeria were pet of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. " T'Chaka continued, referring to Wakanda itself, which had been hidden from the rest of the world for most of its time, " We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back.

" We will fight to improve the world we want to join. " T'Chaka looked down at Natasha for the next part, a small smile on his face, " I am grateful for the Avengers' support on this initiative. Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace. "

Itai now found his eyes drifting away from the king, instead finding T'Challa, who was staring at something outside, a hardened look on his face. Itai shifted in his seat briefly before the unsettling feeling in his stomach grew, forcing himself to his feet, causing the rest of the room to instantly look at him. But he couldn't say anything, couldn't ask his friend what was going on out there, so he just stood, speechless, the room going silent.

Until T'Challa finally spoke.

" Everybody get down! " Were the last words Itai could make out before the side of the building burst into flames.

He felt as if he had blacked out for a few seconds, or even minutes, because the next thing he saw was the quick aftermath of the explosion. The entire left side of the room was destroyed and exposed to the warm air outside, small tendrils of fire and smoke were all around the room, a few bodies lay scattered, whether dead or unconscious, Itai didn't know and didn't want to know. He saw Natasha helping a few others to their feet, and then it suddenly hit him. T'Challa.

His eyes snapped to the area where the windows had been only moments ago, and saw his old friend sitting in the middle of the room, on his knees, with his father laying in his arms. Itai hurriedly vaulted across the elongated desk, running over to the two, stopping just before them.

Ears ringing, he couldn't hear much except the distant sound of an ambulance alarm blaring - or maybe it was a fire truck. He wasn't certain. In the moment, he also didn't feel injured, even though his head felt like it was going to explode and he vaguely remembered slamming back first into one of the other tables.

He was more concerned with his King and best friend laying in front of him, though, but, again, couldn't move as he watched T'Challa check his father's pulse. His friend didn't even look up at him, and he didn't need to; T'Chaka's unmoving body and his son's quiet mutters and whispers told him what he had dreaded.

King T'Chaka was dead.

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AVENGERS TOWER, PRESENT DAY

Back at a place most of them hadn't been for years (and somewhere Helena didn't even recognize), Steve, Natasha, Sam, Vision, Wanda, and Helena walked into the conference room of their old home. Rhodey stood across the floor, speaking to a holographic Secretary of State.

" Mr. Secretary. " Steve greeted rather coldly, nodding at the bluish projection, which began walking over towards the group of so-called 'criminals'.

" You got some nerve, I'll give you that. " He commented, to which Natasha, with a blank face, responded, " You could use some of that right now. "

He clicked his tongue as he glanced past them at the others, then back at Steve, " The world is on fire, and you think all is forgiven? "

" I'm not looking for forgiveness, and I'm way past asking for permission. " Steve assured himself; Helena couldn't help but feel out of place standing with these people, these strangers. She seemed more outcasted than she had with Stark's group, or even the Guardians.

" Earth just lost her best defender. " Steve reminded the Secretary, seeing the dreadful look in Rhodey's eyes at this, " And if you want to stand in our way, we'll fight you, too. "

Ross turned around to Rhodey and, without blinking, ordered, " Arrest them. "

His words made Helena's eyes nearly bug out of her head, but the others didn't seem too bothered by it, so she assumed that they wouldn't let that actually happen.

" All over it. " Rhodey agreed casually, swiping his hand to the side, making the hologram disappear before their eyes.

A beat passed after the Secretary dissolved, and Rhodey placed his hands on his hips, Helena just now noticing the robot-like brace secured to both of his legs. She was puzzled by it, as she had never seen such a contraption, but by its appearance, it seemed to help him walk. She also wondered what story would tell of the cause of it, but figured it'd be best not to ask at the moment.

And then, suddenly, a grin broke out on the dark skinned, slightly wrinkled man's face, and he held out a hand, " Good to see you, Cap. "

" You too, Rhodey. " He replied with an equally big smile, grasping his forearm in a greeting notion, Natasha following him down to the man, briefly hugging him.

" Well, " Rhodey sighed, clasping his hands together as he looked at the others, " you guys look like crap. Must've been a long two years. "

" Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star. " Sam commented, shifting Vision's weight on his shoulder, clearing his throat before asking, " Hey, uh, about Tony. . . Is, uh, was- "

" Both Vero and Sloane were with Tony when he went missing. " Rhodey cut him off, having already anticipated the question; Sam clenched his jaw at that information, nodding slightly.

" Damn kid's as stubborn as his old man. " Steve concluded, trying to keep Sam's spirits high; they didn't know where the Starks were, but that also meant they didn't know for certain if they were dead, and Steve would rather Sam be fueled to fight for Vero's rescue than his death. " Smart, too. I'm sure he's fine. "

" Yeah, speaking of missing people, isn't she the girl that fell from the sky earlier today? " Rhodey questioned, gesturing towards Helena, who stood off to the side, making sure there was a solid amount of space between her and Wanda, who was also supporting Vision's injured body; she was hoping to stay silent until they spoke of the one thing none of them wished to even think of, but decided that that wasn't going to happen.

" Saw her on the news, they looked for you, but by the time any authorities got there, that huge ass Ring appeared and they evacuated. " Rhodey continued, and now, with almost all eyes on her, Helena stepped forward a bit, so that she was slightly in front of Wanda, Vision, and Sam.

" I am Helena Eerikadottir, Keeper of the Power Stone. " She introduced, keeping her bandaged hand against her chest, other hand hanging over the sheathed Sword of Serenity at her side.

Rhodey didn't seem too satisfied with that answer, looking around at the others for some additional information. Vision was the one to speak up, perhaps the Stone gave him an unusual connection to the Keepers.

" She's a friend, one very loyal to the Infinity Stones. " He explained shortly, to which another voice entered the conversation.

" And there are five more out there, just like her. " Bruce said as he walked into the room, gaining all their attention, as well as a few shocked faces, most of all from Natasha; he soon realized that most of them hadn't seen him for years now, and let out a nervous laugh, " Yeah, uh, I'm back. "

" Bruce. . . " Natasha trailed off, and the mentioned doctor nodded his head, wringing his hands rather unnervingly.

" Nat. " He answered, and before things could get too awkward, Steve took a small step forward, holding a hand out to gesture towards Bruce.

" What do you mean, like her? " He asked, which was met with several other curious faces, all except Helena, who had kind of wished they weren't speaking about her while she was standing right there.

" There are other Keepers, people born to protect the Infinity Stones. " He tried to aid, waving his hands around as he continued, " Tony's kid, he's one of 'em. Last I saw, he was with the other three, too. "

" Great, so the people meant to protect the Stones are up in space right now? " Sam questioned, an aggravated tone in his voice as he tried not to think about Vero being in even more danger than he had already been in.

" Do we know who they are? " Steve asked after sending Sam a look of disapproval, turning back to Bruce.

" Uh, well, there's a girl who kills people with her touch, and a girl that a wizard keeps in a necklace, and, uh. . . " The ending briefly died off in his throat as he swallowed, looking up at the others individually before saying, " And Sloane. "

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" So we should assume they're coming back. " Rhodey stated, pacing the room as Steve finished telling them about what happened with Cull and Proxima, as well as Bruce describing the fight with Ebony Maw and Helena's previous encounter with Thanos.

" And they can clearly find us. " Wanda added.

" We need all hands on deck, where's Clint? " Bruce inquired, as if all of the sudden remembering his other fellow Avenger, the only one that hadn't heard from yet.

" After the whole Accords thing, he and Scott took a deal. It was too hard on their families, they're on house arrest. " Natasha told him, arms crossed over her black suit, her hair nearly the exact same shade.

" Who's Scott? " Bruce asked, and Helena, even though she, too, didn't recognize the name, she didn't like the fact that they were wasting time just sitting around and talking about a plan; they needed to act before it was too late, but she also felt that it somehow wasn't her place to interrupt, as if she had less experience than they did, when it was quite the opposite. Out of all of them, she knew the most about Thanos and the Stones, and she knew exactly how powerful they could be together.

" Ant-Man. " Steve replied, and Bruce gave him an exasperated look as he said, " There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man? "

" We need to stay on task, worry about your excessive amount of insects later. " Helena reminded them, to which Bruce rose a palm, nodding.

" Okay, she's right, Thanos has the biggest army in the universe, and he is not gonna stop until he. . . " Bruce began to trail off as he stared at Vision, his voice becoming quieter, " Until he has Vision's Stone. "

" Well then we have to protect it. " Natasha stated as if it was obvious, but Vision had other ideas.

" We have to destroy it. " He countered, and Helena almost immediately exploded, eyebrows furrowed as she took several fast steps towards him, close enough so that he could see the streaks of dirt, paint, and blood dried to her face.

" I cannot let you do that. " She insisted, her voice deadly serious as she looked up at the man, who was a good three inches or so taller than her, but that made no difference to the Asgardian. " Just because your Keeper is absent, does not mean that I'm not the Stone's protector.

The room got tense, and no one else dared to move as Vision kept one hand against his healing stomach wound, using the other to point to the Mind Stone in his forehead, staring down at Helena briefly as he assured her, " I have given a lot of thought to this entity in my head. . . about its nature, but also about its composition. "

" I think, if it were exposed to a sufficiently powered energy source, " Vision began to explain, placing a hand on Helena's shoulder as he passed her, heading towards Wanda, who wore a weary expression, " one very similar to its own signature perhaps, it could destroy its molecular integrity. "

" And you along with it. " Wanda finished his thought for him, staring right up at him, unwavering as she dejected, " We are not having this conversation. "

" Eliminating the Stone is the only way to ensure that Thanos doesn't get it. " Vision pointed out; Helena glanced down at her wounded hand, vivid images of what it had looked like the moment the Power Stone had been ripped from her flesh burned in her mind. She didn't usually care much for the wellbeing of strangers, but she couldn't lose the Mind Stone, she would never forgive herself if it was destroyed.

No matter what the others decided was best, Helena wasn't going to let that happen, whether she became the enemy or not.

" That's too high a price. " Wanda insisted, and Vision gave a weak smile as he placed his hands on either side of her face, his cherry colored skin contrasting greatly to her paleness.

" It's a price only you can pay. " With those words, Wanda turned away, walking towards the wall with a defeated yet troubling look on her face; Vision now turned to the others, hoping to appeal to them.

" Thanos threatens half of the universe, one life cannot stand in the way of defeating him. "

Helena found herself conflicted. His words sounded exactly like something she would say, because protecting the Infinity Stones was all that mattered, in the long run, and if sacrificing her life meant that, then she would do the same. But still, she couldn't let Vision make that sacrifice, because it wasn't his choice to make. The universe created the Mind Stone for humanity, humanity wasn't allowed to destroy it.

" But it should. " Steve suddenly said, looking up from the ground, where his eyes had previously been glued, " We don't trade lives, Vision. "

" Captain, 70 years ago you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? " Vision reminded him, striding towards him slowly, " Tell me, why is this any different? "

Steve looked as if he was going to respond, but Bruce spoke before even had the chance, " Because you may have a choice. "

" Your mind is made up of a complex construct of layers, " Bruce continued, glancing around the room at everyone else as he went on with his rambling that usually proved a point, " JARVIS, Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. . . All of them mixed together, all of them learning from one another. "

" You're saying Vision isn't just the Stone? " Wanda figured out what he was going for, leaning forward from her spot against the bar.

" I'm saying, if we take out the Stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left, perhaps the best parts. " He agreed, and Helena didn't like that they were coming up with a plan to actually destroy the Stone.

" Can we do that? " Natasha asked, eyebrows raised questioningly, to which Bruce thought for a moment.

" Not me, not here. " He told them, shaking his head, and Rhodey crossed his arms tightly over his chest at that.

" Well, you better find someone and somewhere fast, Ross isn't just going to let you guys have your old rooms back. " He insisted, and Helena noticed Steve's deep-in-thought expression, not exactly hopeful that he'd have a different idea, fearing it, almost.

" I know somewhere. "

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WAKANDA, PRESENT DAY

" Are you sure of this, T'Challa? " Itai questioned as he and Okoye marched alongside the new king of Wakanda, the White Wolf's shack in eyesight. " How can we be sure this is even a threat to Wakanda? "

" It is a threat to Earth, which makes it a threat to all of us. " T'Challa insisted, to which Itai made a distasteful expression, and Okoye spoke up,

" The King's Guard and the Dora Milaje have been alerted. " Okoye informed, and, without breaking his state down at the White Wolf's home, T'Challa pressed, " And the Border Tribe? "

" Those that are left. " Okoye confirmed, and Itai couldn't help the worry chewing at him; if this threat was as big as T'Challa was acting, maybe they should be a bit more concerned about battle strategy than the White Wolf, who may not even be capable of another war.

" Send word to the Jabari as well. " T'Challa ordered, causing both Itai and Okoye to give him a questioning glance; with a slight laugh and a grin, he commented, " M'Baku loves a good fight. "

" And what of this one? " Itai silently thanked Okoye in his mind for asking the question he had been a bit too concerned to ask; as they continued to walk down the hill of green blades, approaching the small hut, where sheep and goats roamed around inside the fence.

" This one might be tired of war, but the White Wolf has rested long enough. " T'Challa stated, and it was now, as a few of the engineers carried a large, weighted box in front of them, that Itai saw the man himself, bailing hay with one arm. It might have been impressive if Itai didn't still resent him for killing T'Chaka; T'Challa may have been able to forgive him, as it was not of Bucky's own choice, but Itai's mind couldn't help but tell him that a part of Bucky had done it willingly.

The engineer set the box down on an old wooden wagon that had been used to transport the hay to the White Wolf, among other things such as food and clothes. Before he'd left, the engineer opened the box, revealing the vibranium arm that Shuri had been working on for a while, now. It was shiny, spotless, and the dull silver color was brightened by the line of gold that followed where major veins would be in a real arm.

Bucky approached them, long, dark hair a mess, per usual, and his satchel wrapped around his body, covering the stump where his arm should be. As he peered into the box briefly, his eyes darted up to find Itai's, then Okoye's, and finally, T'Challa's, before staring back down at the arm with a less than enthused expression.

In a tired voice, he asked, " Where's the fight? "

" On it's way. "

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note.

that's right, this book isn't dead!

sorry guys, I've just been really procrastinating recently + working on some original stories and this chapter was super hard to write because not much goes on and I haven't gotten to write Itai a lot so it's hard to keep him in character without trying to be overly funny or brave etc

also I hope my boredom doesn't show through my writing this chap oops

If you have any feedback about this chapter, I'd love to hear it! What'd you like about it, what'd you dislike about it? A specific character, relationship, or scene caught your eye? Brotps? Otps?

Any predictions or worries for the future chapters? Anything else you'd like to mention? I'm all ears!

until next time,