》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Makena walked into Shuri's lab, Okoye and Ramonda behind her as her heels clicked against the floor with each step.

"Is it just me or, does this keep getting uglier?" Okoye questioned, referring to the new suit design for the Dora Milaje that was on the holographic screen.

"It's you," Shuri said, a bit offended, from atop the vibranium detector machine.

"So, does it work?" Ramonda asked her daughter.

"Yes. This thing can detect the altered frequency of vibranium, through water, stones, and even heavy metals. Whoever built this is brilliant." Shuri explained, pretty impressed with the machine.

"Come, look," Shuri gestured to a lot of parts she took out of the machine and Makena, Okoye and Ramonda looked at it all.

"Some are custom parts and others look like they are gathered from a junk yard," Shuri explained.

"I am still struggling to believe that vibranium exists outside of Wakanda," Okoye expressed.

"Perhaps, there was more than one meteor, right. Our planet is covered of mostly water so it's really reasonable that the one just landed there," Shuri reasoned.

"This changes everything that we know." Ramonda revealed.

Makena kinda blocked out a bit of their conversation as she worked on fixing her spear. She had accidentally broken it when she was training due to anger. She didn't know why her anger was rised but she wanted to find it out soon before she lost control.

"Those stories are seared in my mind." Makena heard the end of Okoye's sentence, not really understanding.

"That sounds very painful," Shuri mumbled sarcastically.

Makena's hands shook as she became frustrated with the spear not going as she wanted it to. "Calm down, Kena," Makena heard Shuri mumble into the coms, almost like she sensed Makena was anxious and frustrated.

"I'm trying," Makena mumbled back in reply. Makena set down the spear, letting out a sigh of frustration and caught the end of Okoye and Ramonda's conversation.

"It's not the Americans that I'm worried about. This, Namor. He snuck past our defenses."

"That will never happen again," Okoye said.

"He was not alone." The Queen warned.

"She'll be with me. And Makena is coming along so you know she'll be safe," Okoye comprised. Makena pursed her lips not remembering agreeing to that but it was fine if it meant keeping Shuri safe.

"So, when are we leaving so I can see my favorite colonizer?" Shuri asked with a smile.

Makena ran a hand down her face, giving up on fixing the damn spear. Arms wrapped around her from behind, and she already knew it was Shuri. "Are you okay, my love?" Shuri asked worriedly.

Makena sighed, and leaned her hands against the desk. "Not really. I don't know what it is. I'm just...fucking angry," Makena mumbled, shaking her head as she clenched her fists.

Shuri furrowed her brows and looked down at what Makena was trying to fix, wondering if she could help in any way. But was shocked to see it was a vibranium spear, literally impossible to break. Steve Rogers couldn't even break it...but Makena somehow did.

"You broke a vibranium spear? How angry are you?" Shuri questioned, looking at it in shock.

"I broke it with ease. I think that explains it all," Makena mumbled.

"How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Ever since the merman stepped foot in Wakanda..."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Makena leaned on the tree of some kind of woods area, she had no clue. She just knew they were in Alexandria, Virginia. And she watched impatiently as Shuri was drawing Agent Ross to them with her Kimoyo Bead that turned into a little robot wasp.

Agent Ross walked towards them and Shuri grabbed the wasp, putting it back on her wrist into a Kimoyo Bead.

"You didn't think to call?" He asked as they walked forward, well not Makena who stayed in her place.

"Now why would I have your number?" Okoye blantly asked and Shuri let out a little chuckle.

"I meant Makena, because she actually has a phone...with my number," Ross said. Makena shrugged, "I would've but I broke mine on the way here."

Ross gaped slightly, "I'm-I'm not even gonna ask," he spluttered out.

"We are looking for the scientist who built the vibranium detector," Okoye said, getting back to the reason they were there.

"So it was you guys in the Atlantic?" Ross asked.

Shuri, Makena and Okoye all shared looks of confusion. "Come on, mighty ship, lot of casualties," Ross hinted.

"What happened?" Okoye asked.

"Seriously? It was a joint operation. Us and the SEALs. 30 of their top guys, two of our best officers, friends of mine. Gone. Just like that. You throw in the fact that they were tracking vibranium-"

Makena cut him off, walking over to stand next to Shuri. "Wakanda had nothing to do with that. I give you my word," Makena said, and Ross somehow believed her.

"So who was it?" Ross questioned.

Makena, Shuri and Okoye all stayed quiet and he sighed. "Come on, the way this is supposed to work is I give you information and you reciprocate," Ross said, slighty raising his voice.

"Don't raise your voice at me please," Makena warned calmly but deadly.

"For our own safety we cannot tell you," Shuri spoke up before Makena could do anything. "It's imperative that we get to the scientist before anything else happens. You owe me, Ross. You owe my brother," Shuri said, subconsciously taking ahold of Makena's hand.

"Okay, look. Their are agents who have been sentenced to death for less than what I'm about to give you now. And we got a new director. She's watching me like a hawk." Ross warned.

"We will be very very careful," said Okoye.

"Not just careful. You gotta be fast. The US needs another machine and this kid is the only person in the world who knows how to build one. So they're coming for her," Ross informed.

"A kid?" Shuri questioned. Ross nodded in confirmation and Makena sighed. "Of course it's a damn kid," She mumbled under her breath.

Makena now leaned on her Lexus next to Shuri and Okoye as they were on the MIT campus watching the girl who supposedly built the machine. Makena knew this place well as it's where her brother went to college at, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Makena wore some high rised black jeans with some heeled boots and a purple v-neck crop top with a black leather jacket. Okoye wore a red bodysuit with a blazer and Shuri wore a purple/with some blue, tracksuit. Makena still questioned their fashion choices. They were dressed all fancy looking in America, totally discrete. Note the sarcasm.

"You know people hardly wear tracksuits these days, right?" Makena whispered to her princess. Shuri rolled her eyes, "Your Pinterest says otherwise."

"You went on my Pinterest?"

(SHURIS TRACKSUIT UGH I MELTED)

"Is that an iPhone I see?" Shuri questioned, having seen the girl make some other student pay her through the phone.

"Primitive," Okoye grimaced.

Okoye clicked on her Kimoyo Beads, now on the line with Queen Ramonda. "My queen. We have located the scientist. She is in the American equivalent of a Wakandan village school."

"A school? Please tell me it is a professor," the Queen replied.

"It's a student mother," Shuri said. "We can't give her to Namor."

"Bring this student back to Wakanda."

"Yes, my queen," Okoye said before hanging up the line.

"I've got it from here," Okoye said to both Makena and Shuri.

"Wait, maybe myself and Kena should speak with her. It will be more discrete," Shuri protested.

"I can be discrete," Okoye stated. Shuri looked her up and down with a judging look. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Is it the makeup?"

"No!"

"It's the wrong shade isn't it?" Okoye asked, slighly panicking.

"It's the right shade. Fenty 440, you look good." Shuri reassured, and Makena raised a brow in amusement.

"We can blend in as students. We can do this," Shuri said. "You get five minutes." Shuri cheered but let out a small yelp when Makena dragged her away, already having her eyes on where the girl was going.

Shuri and Makena walked down the halls in silence, unknowingly seeing a few students staring at her. "Bast, I forgot you're like a hero now. Here, put these on," Shuri mumbled, pulling out some sunglasses and placing them on her, also untying Makena's hair to pull it more in front of Makena's face.

"Mhm, as if the Princess of Wakanda isn't totally as noticeable," Makena mumbled, and Shuri rolled her eyes.

Shuri and Makena walked over to the door, Shuri knocking on it. "Yo?!" Makena heard the girls voice and went to speak but Shuri put a finger over her lips.

"Riri Williams?" Shuri asked, mimicking an American accent that sounded exactly like Makena's which made her frown in offense. Shuri chuckled lightly at Makena's taken back face. Telling Makena that Shuri mocked her voice on purpose.

The girl opened the door, looking down at her phone. "Yo I don't do drop bys anymore. You gotta go to the website," Riri said, not paying attention to who was in front of her.

"It's an encrypted file. I wanted to airdrop it," Shuri spoke, now using her regular voice.

Riri looked up, gasping in shock and letting out another louder gasp when she looked to her left, seeing Makena leaning there with a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips as she removed the sunglasses.

Shuri walked past Riri, letting herself in before Riri opened it a little wider, letting Makena inside. Shuri raised a finger to her lips as Riri shut the door. Makena looked around the place, remembering Zach's dorm looking very similar to Riri's.

"You're Princess Shuri. And you're Makena, the chick who took on Thanos." Riri freaked out, looking at the two females in utter shock.

"Chick?" Makena mumbled in confusion, never having been called that before but it was cute.

"What the hell are y'all doing here?" Riri asked as both Shuri and Makena looked around, making sure nobody else was in there.

"Ah shit, am I getting recruited?" Riri asked, with a hopeful look.

Makena raised a brow, holding a smile of amusement. "No," Shuri bluntly stated. Makena seen Riri's face drop a bit and nudged Shuri for being so blunt.

"We are here about the vibranium detector that you built for the CIA," Shuri informed.

"I ain't built no detector for no CIA. I made that for my metallurgy class," Riri responded.

"A school project?"

"Yeah. Professor said I'd never be able to do it. To be young, gifted, and black, though right?" Riri shook her head with a small smile as she walked past Shuri. Makena followed her eyes on Riri who sat down on her bed. Makena smiled to herself at the statement, remembering when Zach said something similar to her a week before he died.

"Y'all probably don't say that, in Wakanda," Riri muttered awkwardly.

"How old are you?" Shuri asked.

"19," Riri answered.

"Brilliance at a young age is not often accepted by the elders." Shuri said, knowing it firsthand.

"How long did it take you?" Makena asked Riri.

"Couple months."

"Couple months?" Shuri asked in slight shock. Makena pursed her lips, impressed with that.

"The hardest part was finding big enough mylar-" Riri was about to explain before cutting herself off. "Wait, did I piss off Wakanda?" Riri asked nervously, getting off the bed.

"Not just us. This place is no longer safe for you. Gather your things and come with us, right now," Shuri practically ordered. Makena looked at Shuri with raised brows, "You're so bad at this baby," Makena mumbled.

"I got differential equations class in like 15 minutes! And-" Riri cut herself off seeing Makena and Shuri's deadpanned looks. "Okay. Okay. You, wait right here. I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Riri said, carefully walking past an amused Makena.

Makena was the first to follow Riri, already knowing that most people tend to jump out of the window to escape. As Riri went to open the bathroom door it already opened, revealing Okoye. Riri immediately backed up in surprise, "Ooh!"

"I had it under control," Shuri protested at Okoye. "Oh yeah, totally. As if the girl wasn't totally gonna just escape through the window," Makena scoffed and Shuri frowned and flipped off Makena. "You would've caught her! Shush!" Shuri argued.

Makena shrugged, and laid down on the bed. Riri raised her brows at her but didn't say anything. "I said five minutes. I gave you six," Okoye stated.

"Get out! Get out of my dorm! Get out!" Riri exclaimed as Okoye and Shuri walked towards the girl. Shuri holding her hands out in protest for Riri to calm down.

"I'm warning you! Do not take another step towards me!" Riri exclaimed, holding a speaker in her hand as a weapon.

Makena chuckled and stood up, "This would be so much quicker if you just let me knock her out." Riri looked at Makena with an offended look.

"See how they teach the children to treat their guests?" Okoye said to Shuri.

Riri threw the speaker and it would've hit Makena but Okoye brought out her spear slicing it in half as Makena moved out of the way unfazed. Okoye retracted her spear and Makena chuckled.

"You brought a spear in here?!" Shuri exclaimed.

"You brought a spear in here!" Riri freaked out.

Okoye smiled, looking back at Shuri, "I like her."

"Tell me about it. She's cute," Makena mumbled with a small laugh. Shuri furrowed her brows at that.

Riri looked around and eventually picked up a heater. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Put it down! Put it- you'll hurt yourself. Come on." Shuri spoke, trying to calm the girl down.

"It's alright, Princess. Small, small girl. I am going to give you two options. You can come to Wakanda, conscious or unconscious." Okoye said to Riri who held the heater over her head, ready to throw it.

"You need to be conscious of the way that you look! Walkin' round here with all that ash on yo head," Riri insulted. Makena bent down, covering her mouth to hold her laugh. But Shuri couldn't control hers as she let out a little chuckle.

"Oh, it's funny?!" Okoye turned around, scolding Shuri.

"No. It's not." Shuri mumbled like a little child who'd been scolded by their parents.

"Mhm. I told you!"

"You look good." Shuri said as Okoye touched her head, now becoming a little insecure of her makeup that she assumed was the wrong shade.

"Calm down. We'll leave, okay? And she can deal with that merman with winged ankles who wants to kill her. All by herself." Makena laughed, catching onto what Shuri was doing.

"You got this!" Shuri did a little dance as she walked to the door. "Mmm, with your heater," Okoye spat with pettiness.

Makena leaned on the shelf as they walked out, leaving the rest to Makena.

Riri awkwardly turned to look at Makena. "So um, you ain't gonna knock me unconscious right?"

Makena shrugged. "Depends. You know, you actually remind me a lot of myself. Young, gifted, and black. I was just like you. I always wanted to succeed, prove everybody wrong. But unfortunately, I couldn't make it past high-school."

"And yet, you're like a superhero now. You have everything you could ever want. Top it off, you're a genius." Riri said, putting down the heater.

Makena hummed to herself, "Yeah, I guess your right. But in order to have done that, you have to pay a price."

"And what was yours?"

"Everyone. Everyone I ever loved, showed even the slightest affection for. But I guess that's what it costs, to be a supposed hero." Makena spoke, thinking back to Natasha and Erik.

Riri's faced dropped, feeling bad for Makena. "Nah, don't say sorry. I didn't tell you all that to be sorry for me. I'm telling you because I can see right through you. You wanna be like all these heros, like Iron Man. But you can't be a hero without preparing yourself for a little loss."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. But that was your experience. It's different for everyone," Riri spoke calmer.

Makena let out a little chuckle, "Mhm, that's exactly what I thought. But, now that you get the point, I want you to think carefully about your decisions in the future."

"And by that, you want me to go with you?" Riri questioned.

"It'd be a lot easier on my part. I don't exactly enjoy knocking people out," Makena mused.

"I find that really hard to believe. But why should I come with you? How do I know they ain't lyin'?" Riri asked, backing up slightly as Makena walked towards her.

"If you come with me, back to Wakanda, they can protect you from this man who wants to kill you. I can protect you. So I guess you're just gonna have to trust me," Makena spoke. Riri sighed and walked past Makena to grab her backpack.

Makena and Riri walked to the car with an awaiting Shuri and Okoye. Makena paying no attention to the students looking at them. "Yo, William's! When did you start datin' a superhero?" Some boy from the bench asked, all his friends around him sharing a laugh.

Makena raised her brows but continued to walk towards the car. "None of yo damn business, Joshua! And she ain't my girlfriend!" Riri argued.

Makena smiled to herself and Shuri opened the door to let Makena in. "Nah, let me drive baby," Makena argued as Okoye stepped out of the car to let Riri in.

"You drove here already. Let me drive this time. Please." Shuri practically pleaded. Makena groaned and finally gave in. Shuri cheered and pressed a kiss to Makena's lips.

Riri raised her brows, being caught off guard with the kiss. "Y'all are a thing? I thought you were like single or something." Riri said, looking at the two back in forth, trying to see whatever she was missing there.

Shuri raised her brows at Makena who chucked. "Yes, been puttin' up with her for a while now," Makena said before getting into the backseat.

"We gave off single vibes?" Shuri mumbled in confusion.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

a.n: so if nat died in october 2023 and bpwf is set in 2025 then does that mean shuri and makena have been together for two years? or did I get the tl wrong?

riri and makenas relationship has my heart <3

unedited

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《