❝ THE GREATEST THIEF IN THE UNIVERSE ❞
( KEEPERS OF THE STONES )
xiii. welcome to wakanda
chapter thirteen

◌ ◌ ◌

ASGARD, FIFTEEN YEARS AGO

At first, Helena Eerikdottir thought sneaking into Odin's treasure room was a great idea. Now that she was stuck inside of it with no way of getting out, she thought otherwise.

          The ripped bag slung over her shoulders was almost entirely full of gold and silver and other expensive-looking, shiny objects that she couldn't name. Helena would be making a lot of money, if she lived to sell the stolen items, that is.

                She had planned the guards' routes out. When she had snuck inside, there was only one standing outside, waiting for his partner to take over for him. By now, fifteen minutes had passed by, she was sure there was at least two standing outside the door. If she waited half an hour, she might get lucky and be able to sneak past the one again, but she couldn't sit with that an uncertainty for that long. Plus, Odin himself could walk in at any given moment; he seemed like the type of man to make surprise visits to his treasure room.

                Helena yanked on the straps of the bag, pulling it securely up her back as she scanned around the room for a second way out. No air vents from what she could see, but she was also in a room full of golden, glistening objects, so she couldn't really see much. She stood near the door, pressing her ear against it as she looked down at the crack at the bottom, seeing two shadows standing outside.

                    Helena was young and naive, she would realize some time after, but she would never stop— it was the one thing she was could at — and it's what she was meant to do. From a young, impressionable age, Helena knew that she was a Keeper, and she had been told everyday about her duties to the Stones and the universe. So, she wouldn't stop searching and stealing until she found her rightful possession.

                 " Sir, what are you doing down here? " One of the guards questioned, and Helena's eyes narrowed as she tried deeply to hear the newcomer's voice.

                 " I have been told to retrieve a chalice for my father. " A familiar voice informed them, and Helena felt herself almost freeze.

                  Thor.

                  She wasn't entirely sure which outcome was worse, being caught by Thor or Odin. She didn't want to find out, though, and hoped that the guards wouldn't let him through without a direct order to. He was son to their ruler, though.

                  " You better be quick, boy, " The same guard advised, " you know we're not supposed to let anyone but Odin himself in. "

                   " Vantur, calm down. " The other guard insisted, " It's just Thor, not a big deal. "

                    Helena would've never imagined she'd hear that sentence out loud, in any sort of context.

                   " Thank you, gentlemen. " Thor's booming voice was right in front of the door as it began to crack open.

                  Helena's eyes went as wide as saucers as she quickly backed up, following with the door as she pressed herself between it and the wall. Thor entered the room, golden locks flowing past his shoulders, red cape dragging just past his feet.

                 The door began to shut, and Helena had to resist the urge to reach out and pull it back in front of her. As she heard it click shut, she took a silent breath and held as still as she could.

                 She didn't know how to play this. She'd always been close to getting caught, but she always got away with little effort, that's what made her the best. But now, staring at the back of the God of Lightning, Helena felt stuck. Her mind was racing, and she fought to not run at Thor and attack him. She briefly thought about following right behind him when he left, but she knew that couldn't possibly work.

                " You're not getting out of here. " Thor said as he turned around, making Helena's eyebrows furrow in confusion and alarm; in his hands he held a golden necklace in his hands and a slight smirk on his face. " Not without some help, that is. "

                 Helena felt incredibly confused now, and she could feel herself gaping at him before she finally asked, " How did you know I was here? "

                  " I saw you in the throne room earlier during my father's speech. " He explained, and Helena seemed skeptical; there were dozens of Asgardians listening to Odin, why would he remember her of all of them?

                  " I surely don't have the most recognizable features. " Helena countered, unsurely quirking her lips up.

                 " Maybe not, but I could never forget eyes like those, though. " Thor insisted, and Helena felt an instant burning in her face at the compliment, and her fingers curled around the straps even more as she attempted to clear her throat.

                  " Why-Why do you want to help me? " She asked, shifting on her feet as Thor held an amused grin on his boyish face.

                " Because you seem far too special to rot away in a cell. "

                Helena felt her tough expression fade, if only for a second, before she exhaled, craning her neck to look up at him.

                " Well, then how are you going to help me? " She inquired, and her eyes went directly to the necklace that he raised; it looked delicate and thin, just a simple gold chain. " What exactly will that do? "

                " Trust me. " He insisted, and Helena slowly turned around, the idea of this being a trap still ever present on her mind (but she didn't have any better ideas) and he locked the necklace around her neck.

                 Then, as she turned back around to face him, something happened. She seemed to get taller, now face to face with Thor, and her brown, braided back hair felt heavy and on her shoulders. Helena looked down at her hands to see thick fingers and calloused skin, as well as a familiar looking armor.

                
                 " I don't understand— " Helena spoke, then she realized, when her words sounded as if they had come from Thor, that the necklace seemed to have the ability to mirror other people.

                  " It was one of Loki's favorites growing up. " Thor told her, a happy grin on his face, " You leave as me, they'll never question you. "

                    " And what about you? " Helena asked, still not used to hearing the same voice speaking both sides of the conversation.

                   " I'll come out a little bit later. " He insisted, shrugging, " It wouldn't be the first time I've gotten stuck in this room. "

                   Helena let out a genuine laugh, and almost laughed even harder when she heard it in the deep voice belonging to Thor rather than her own. Before she moved to the door, the thief turned to Thor and, with a grateful smile, she said,

             " Thank you, Thor, I will not forget this. "

◌ ◌ ◌

WAKANDA, PRESENT DAY

" Drop to 2600, heading 030. " Steve told Sam, who sat in the pilot's chair of the jet; busing themselves with conversation, things around the jet, or just sitting quietly were Natasha, Bruce, Vision, Wanda, Rhodey, and Helena, who could not stop the biting feeling in her stomach.

" I hope you're right about this, or else we're gonna land a lot faster than you want us to. " Sam stated, typing in the new information.

Steve must've noticed Helena's odd behavior because he maneuvered his way back to her, resting an arm on a pipe above him, he glanced over at the brunette. Since falling from Xandar, Helena had been given a quick change of clothes, which consisted of a gray tank top and black cargo pants, but she had opted to keep her traditional armor. Her hair also didn't have clumps of blood and debris in it anymore, instead, it was braided back into several warrior-style strands. The blue and black war paint also still streamed across her face.

" You okay? " Steve asked, and Helena blinked to herself a few times before meeting his bright blue eyes. " You're looking a little out of it. "

" I am fine, just. . . nervous. " She admitted, exhaling deeply as she glanced around the jet; then, looking down at the bandage wrapped around her scarred hand, she said, " I am worried, Rogers. "

" We're gonna be okay, Wakanda has the best defense I know of. " Steve insisted, giving her his signature genuine smile; even then, Helena could tell he was also worried, even just a little bit. " It'll take a hell of a lot of force to break the barrier. "

" I believe, I do, it's just. . something tells me that this will not end well. " Helena stated, looking ahead towards the front, watching as the trees they were headed for transformed into a wide, open field.

" Well, welcome to Wakanda. " Sam called from the front.

As they landed within minutes, the quinjet was locked down safely and the ramp dispatched. Steve and Natasha led the group out, Rhodey, Bruce, and Sam next, and Helena watching the back just in case Wanda and Vision somehow got into trouble.

" Should we bow? " Bruce whispered to Rhodey, but it was loud enough to be heard by Helena, who's eyebrows instantly quirked up; she never bowed to Thor, so why would she bow to a King she didn't even know?

" Uh, yeah, he's a king. " Rhodey replied as they approached who Helena assumed was King T'Challa, along with his lined army of women.

" Seems like I'm always thanking you for something. " Steve announced, reaching out to shake T'Challa's hand. The king was silent, but wore a grin on his face.

Bruce cleated his throat and began to bow before Rhodey elbowed him and questioned what he was doing. Bruce looked confused momentarily then glared at Rhodey as T'Challa suddenly said, " We don't do that here. "

T'Challa glanced throughout the group before narrowing his eyes and pointing at Helena, " You. You are the Keeper, yes? "

" I am. " Helena confirmed solemnly, raising an eyebrow at him.

With a slight smile on his face, T'Challa said, " Good. Maybe you can talk some sense into Itai. "

" Itai? " Natasha asked, cocking an eyebrow as Helena crossed her arms over her torso, an equally questionable look on her face.

" We have come to the conclusion that he is the Keeper of the Mind Stone. " T'Challa explained, wagging a finger at Helena. " She may be the only person that can convince him of his duty. "

" Well, that's comforting. " Rhodey commented, earning a glare from the Asgardian.

" So, how big of an assault should we expect? " T'Challa asked as he led the newcomers towards the center of Wakanda; the Dora Milaje were close behind, following their every step.

" Uh, sir, sir, " Bruce called, grabbing onto Steve's shoulder to get near T'Challa, " I think you should expect quite a big assault. "

" How we lookin'? " Natasha inquired, and T'Challa answered confidently, " We will have my King's Guard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and. . "

As they approached a tall, futuristic looking building, people crossing every which way, preparing for the oncoming war, a man that was familiar to most appeared, like a black sheep. Pale skin and smooth, long brown hair, and a Vibranium arm, the White Wolf revealed himself.

" And a semi-stable, hundred year old man. " He finished with a grin, accepting Steve's welcoming smile and embrace.

" How you been, Buck? " Steve asked as they separated, and Helena watched the interaction with so many questions flowing through her mind; questions that would have to be answered later, after they win.

" I'm okay, " Bucky paused, an amused glint in his eyes as he added, " for the end of the world. "

◌ ◌ ◌

In the laboratory, T'Challa's younger sister, Shuri, had already begun examining Vision and the Stone. As the others filed into the room, the king approached Helena with a man who had the same dark skin as T'Challa, coarse hair hanging from his face in intricate braids that only added to the mysterious tattoos curled around his face.

" Helena, this is my advisor and best friend, Itai Madaki. " T'Challa announced, clasping a hand over the other man's— Itai's —shoulder. " Itai, this is Helena Eerikdottir. She is the Keeper of the Power Stone, and I believe the two of you need to talk. "

Itai gave T'Challa a questionable look as he let out a slow chuckle, " No, I don't need another lecture, T'Challa. "

" I would not anger her. " T'Challa advised his friend, glancing over at Helena with a bemused smirk, " She seems like her lectures consist more of fists and not words. "

" The structure is polymorphic. " Shuri declared, eyebrows drawn together as she finished scanning the Stone's properties; in her palm she held a holographic model of the Mind Stone.

" Right, we had to attach each neuron non sequential. " Bruce informed her, leaning over the exam table as well, his glasses fitted over his nose as he peered down at her chart.

" Why didn't you just reprogram the synopsis to work collectively? " Shuri suggested, raising an eyebrow at the scientist, who looked at her, puzzled.

" Because. . we. . didn't think of it. " It sounded more like a question than a certain answer, and Shuri only smiled as she said, " I'm sure you did your best. "

" Can you do it? " Wanda asked, standing by on alert as she held one hand to her chin.

Shuri's eyes analyzed her face briefly before she replied, " Yes, but there are more than two trillion neurons here. One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures. It'll take time, brother. "

T'Challa seemed to be deep in thought as his eyes met his sister's, and Steve spoke for him and the others in the room, " How long? "

" As long as you can give me. " Shuri insisted, and, almost as if on cue, Okoye's watch began to glow and ring.

She opened the alert and they all watched as a blue hologram appeared on her palm. It seemed to be the layout of the force field protecting Wakanda, covering it from the Earth.

" Something's entered the atmosphere. " She announced, and then there was a crackling coming from Steve's earpiece.

" Hey, Cap, we got a situation here. " Sam called, and within the next second they heard a loud explosion, and the floor began to shake with the impact.

Helena moves towards the window, joining Steve as they both looked out the tall glass to see the debris of a space ship bouncing off of the forcefield.

" We got more incoming outside the dome! " Rhodey shouted over the comms, and Helena's eyes went wide as she saw the dozen or so ships begin to land just outside the protective force field. The impact of the tall ships sent a shockwave through the ground, so strong that it even hit the forcefield, sending a spike of blue up it.

Steve looked past Helena at T'Challa, and they shared silent words before Vision began to rise off of the table. The man started to walk towards them as he insisted, " It's too late, we need to destroy the Stone. "

" Vision, get your ass back on the table. " Natasha ordered, turning around and heading for the door just as T'Challa nodded solemnly.

" We will hold them off. " He declared, and Steve looked to Wanda, who's sullen expression seemed to increase when she realized that the moment she dreaded most was coming.

" Wanda, as soon as that Stone's out of his head, blow it to hell. "

The witch nodded firmly, " I will. "

" I'm coming with you— " Itai called, but T'Challa shook his head at him, standing near the door with the others.

" No, you will stay here and protect Shuri and Vision. " He declared, and Itai opened his mouth to reply, eyebrows pulled into a narrowed look. " That is an order, Itai. "

Itai shut his mouth, exhaling angrily before moving to stand opposite Shuri. T'Challa then looked to Helena, who unsheathed the Sword of Serenity. She understood what his calculating stare meant and she nodded to confirm this.

" Evacuate the city, engage all defenses, and get that man a shield. " T'Challa ordered, pointing at Steve before they marched out of the room, leaving a few of the Dora Milaje and the King's Guard at the front of the room; Shuri quickly began her work on Vision, and Helena grabbed Itai by his bare arm, practically dragging the man to the windows.

                      " Hey, I don't know what part of royal advisor you do not understand but— " Itai's complaint was interrupted by the Asgardian as she released his arm, sharp blue eyes staring directly into his.

                      " I do not think you understand the severity of this situation. " Helena snapped, " A Keeper's duty is to protect the Infinity Stones and the universe. You cannot do that if you don't accept what you are, and you are a Keeper. "

                    " No, I'm not. " Itai insisted, glaring back at the woman with intense amber eyes behind the black ink embedded around his skin. " I'm not meant to save the world, I'm no hero, and I'm certainly not going to be responsible for what will kill us all. "

                   " It is your purpose to protect the Mind Stone. "

                   " It is my purpose to protect my King! " Itai retorted, and Helena gritted her teeth as her hand clenched around the handle of her sword.

                   " Your king understands that this is your responsibility, why don't you? " She demanded, pointing towards Vision on the table.

                   Itai just glared at the woman, and Helena took his silence as defeat, but it didn't satisfy her. He still wouldn't budge. Helena saw him as a coward, and she wondered why Thoricus Maragos would choose him. He would be gravelly disappointed now.

" Fine, you want to be a coward? " Helena spat, shouldering him as she moved past him, swinging the sword in her hand as she went to the door. " You can stay here and hide, because you will be of no use to either of them if they make it passed the army. "

As Helena angrily left, Itai's eyes drifted to the window. He could see Wakanda's warriors lined up on what would soon be a bloody battlefield. He could even seen T'Challa in his easily recognizable Black Panther suit. On the other side of the force field was the many Black Order ships.

" You are no coward, Itai. "

The man turned around to see Shuri still cautiously pulling apart the Stone and trying to separate it from Vision. She didn't look up at him, but she offered him a half smile while she concentrated.

" I do not believe that so much anymore, Shuri. " He admitted, walking over towards the table, hands behind his back as a downcast expression fell to his face.

" You must, you are the only one that can keep this Stone out of Thanos' hands. " She reminded him, finally sparing a second to look at him. Her youthful face showed nothing but determination and honesty. " I believe that you are not a coward, but you must believe it yourself to prove it. "

Itai looked from Shuri to Vision, who's face was contorting in discomfort. The yellow glow of the Stone drew in Itai, and he felt the guilt over him growing. He had to do something, he couldn't just sit by idly while Wakanda and the rest of the world battled to live.

He could not be a coward.

◌  ◌  ◌

note.

and now shit's about to get crazy

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,