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Makena sat down at her desk in the lab and pulled out a needle, taking a sample of her blood. "I feel like a lab rat again," Makena mumbled to herself.

"Uh, Makena, can you help me real quick?" Riri called over. Makena nodded, wiping the blood from her forearm and walking up to the second level where Riri was.

"What's up?"

"Can you pick that up and set it on the table for me?" Riri asked, gesturing to the huge vibranium engine on the floor that she wanted to take apart for her suit.

"Mhm." Makena picked it up effortlessly and set it on the table. "Thanks."

Riri went to grab some pliers but Makena leaned over her and grabbed the wrench. "With Vibranium, you always wanna go for the smaller parts first." Makena explained, using the wrench to unscrew a part.

Riri looked back at her as Makena was practically leaned over her shoulder. Makena placed the wrench in Riri's hand with a smile. Riri blinked, having gotten lost in Makena's beauty. "Oh uhm, thanks." Riri mumbled.

"No problem. Let me know if you need help with anything else. I surprisingly have a lot of experience with stuff like this," Makena said with a warm smile and Riri smiled back.

Unknowingly to them, Shuri was watching the entire interaction with a bit of jealousy. Makena pretended not to notice but she most definitely could see the glare and look of disgust on Shuri's face. She still didn't understand why Shuri was being so jealous. Riri was way too young for Makena anyways. And Makena wasn't even interested in anyone but Shuri.

"I definitely will. Good luck on the testing." Riri said.

Makena nodded and walked back down to the lower level. "Need any help?" Shuri asked as Makena was pulling up her current DNA to what her DNA was a couple years back when she first met Shuri.

"Nah I'm good. Thanks though." Makena pulled a strand of her hair back as she grabbed a surgery knife and cut into her forearm. Shuri frowned slightly, never knowing Makena to turn down her help. Makena looked at the screen and back to her healing arm. It was healing twice as fast as compared to last year.

"Woah. Okay, did not expect that." Makena mumbled.

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"I was the tip of the spear in Wakanda's army. This is not me." Okoye spoke, looking at the suit that Shuri and Makena had finished making so it would help give Okoye the same powers as the Talokan people.

"Besides, I'm a civilian now. I turned in my weapon." Makena looked down, somewhat feeling guilty as she could've spoken in behave of Okoye.

"I built you a new spear as well," Shuri said.

"A new one?"

"Yes."

"What is this contraption name anyway?" Okoye asked, still unsure of it.

"Midnight Angel," Shuri answered.

"Midnight Angel?" Okoye grimaced at the name, not liking it.

"Listen to me, Okoye," Shuri spoke in Xhosa. Okoye sighed and looked at her. "This will even the odds against them. Sister, I need you to be ready when I call you. Please."

Shuri took Makena's hand and they went to leave to the elevator but Okoye spoke up, stopping them in their tracks. "Shuri, Kena."

"Yes?"

"How many of these did you make?"

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Makena walked over to Shuri, and pulled the red ball from the rest of them, causing it to return to white. "Think about it like this. Last time we couldn't do it because you weren't in the right mindset. I need all your focus on this, not anything else. I'll take care of everything else. You focus on this." Makena spoke.

"I'm trying, Kena," Shuri replied.

Makena shook her head with a sigh and cupped Shuri's jaw softly with her right hand. "Like I said, stop worrying about everything and everyone else. I've got it all taken care of." Makena spoke softly.

"What about us?" Shuri asked.

Makena pursed her lips and let out a small sigh, disappointed in herself that she even let herself drift away from Shuri. She spent five years trying everything to get Shuri back and now that she has, she let them drift away. "We can worry about us later. And in order to do that we need to not die."

"How can I worry about that later when you're constantly being all close and talkative with Riri? You never like socializing, you can't even socialize with anyone but me. But you're so...I don't know...close to her." Shuri mumbled in frustration and jealousy.

Makena huffed knowing this would come out sooner or later. "Baby, I don't have anything going on with Riri. There's nothing there. She just...she reminds me a lot of myself. I see a lot of myself in her, and I can't help but take a liking to that. You know it's hard for me, finding people I can talk to without wanting to kill them."

Shuri sighed and nodded, "I know. I just thought that maybe you're getting tired of me."

Makena smiled gently and set the ball down to cup her face. "I spent five years of my life trying to get you back, hell I literally took drugs just so I could see your face. You're all I want, and you're all I will ever have eyes for. I don't want anyone else."

"What if it's Rihanna?" Shuri smiled.

Makena laughed, "Okay then maybe I might have to figure out a way to have ya both." Shuri chuckled and nodded, "I'm sorry for letting my jealousy overshadow how much you mean to me. I love you."

"I love you too." Makena smiled, pressing a small kiss to Shuri's lips.

Shuri's eyes widened in realization. "You just said it."

Makena raised her brows, "Say what? Ohhhh. Uhm well, it's true. Have I ever lied to you?" Makena smiled.

Shuri scoffed with a nod, "Yes, you have. When you said you didn't like my food but then I found you searching the kitchen for leftovers."

Makena scoffed, "I was just desperate for food. That's a total lie."

"You're such a liar."

"I'm your liar," Makena mumbled in defense.

Shuri raised her brows and Makena cringed, "Okay yeah, I know. That was super cheesy. Never saying that again."

Shuri smiled and pressed a kiss to Makena's lips. Makena smiled as she kissed back, gently being pushing against the desk. Makena pulled away and shook her head, "Come on. You got work to do."

Shuri sighed in disappointment and watched as Makena walked behind the desk. Shuri picked up the ball and changed the formula on it. Makena watched as Shuri placed the ball into the other ones and it turned green and slowly the other ones began to do the same.

"Did you just- Did that just work?" Makena rushed over to stand never to Shuri who shrugged unsurely.

"Griot? What's the confidence rate?"

"98.7 percent, Princess. Would you like me to print the Heart-Shaped Herb?" Griot asked.

Makena and Shuri both shared a look. Makena's was more on the bright side but Shuri was obviously unsure if it would work.

As they turned to look at the printer, they noticed Nakia sitting on the steps. "Hello, Shuri, Kena." Nakia greeted in Xhosa.

"Thought you'd be back in Haiti by now," Shuri mumbled.

"And that's my cue." Makena pursed her lips awkwardly and awkwardly made her exit. She walked past Nakia up the stairs who offered a smile of comfort.

"I'm still Wakandan, you know?" Nakia shot back to Shuri with a little smile. Nakia walked over to the project. "So, this is what you've been up to."

"Yes."

"What you have here, now, it is a chance to restore Wakanda's protector. It would be the greatest gift, since Bashenga's discovery." Nakia said, very impressed with the Princess.

"We'll soon find out. Come." Shuri and Nakia both walked over to the printer. "Makena you can come down now," Shuri mumbled knowing Makena could hear her.

Makena smiled from upstairs and rushed down the stairs to stand on Shuri's left. "Griot."

"Yes, Princess?"

"Print it."

Nakia told ahold of Shuri's hand and Shuri used her other one to hold onto Makena's.

"How would we know if it works?" Nakia asked as they watched it print.

"If it glows."

They watched as it finished up and finally, it glowed. Nakia let out a gasp of shock, "you did it!"

Shuri covered her mouth in shock and Nakia hugged her, filled with joy from the success. Makena grinned and Shuri turned to look at her, almost wanting to cry. "I knew you could do it," Makena praised.

Makena sat on the steps as she watched Nakia work on turning the Herb into the liquid. "Shouldn't we be burning incense or something?" Nakia asked.

Shuri shook her head gently, slightly amused. "Only Bast knows how the ancestors will make it to this lab," Nakia said.

Makena stood up, her hands in her pockets of her overalls as Riri was standing behind the table, nervous for Shuri. Kena walked over as Nakia brought the bowl over to where Shuri was sitting on the hovering table. She moved to the front of the table as Shuri laid down and gave Shuri's hand a small supportive squeeze.

"Are you sure you don't want me to bury you?" Nakia asked.

"No. I need Kena to have access to my chest, just incase I go through cardiac arrest," Shuri said. She moved her hands back onto her sides after holding onto Kena's hand.

"Cardiac arrest? She's joking, right? Right?" Riri asked, looking at Makena who has pulled her Kimoyo Beads off. Makena set them on Shuri's chest, still unsure of any of this but it was Shuri's choice and their last hope.

"She's gonna be okay." Makena gave Riri's shoulder a comforting squeeze and Riri nodded but she still wasn't sold.

"Allow this Heart-Shaped Herb to give you the strength of the Black Panther. And take you to the Ancestral Plane." Nakia spoke. Nakia set her hand atop of Shuri's curls. "Ramonda. We beg you to come to your daughter."

"Praise the ancestors," Makena, Nakia, and Riri all repeated in Xhosa. Makena watched closely as the purple glow appeared on Shuri's skin, her veins appeared visible which told Makena it was working.

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(Ancestral Plane)

Shuri opened her eyes, appearing to be in water, she immediately swam up to the surface. Shuri pulled herself up and sat down, she looked around before standing up. She knew she was in the throne room, and it was exactly how it was left as well. The sky's were a beautiful mix of purple, blue and pink, exactly how Makena had described the Ancestral Plane.

Shuri turned around slowly and cautiously, she noticed someone sitting on the throne. She was hoping it was her mother, or even better, her brother T'Challa. "Mother?"

Shuri walked over but what she saw, or rather who she saw, wasn't who she wanted to see. Erik Killmonger or rather N'Jadaka, sat on the throne, in all white clothing with his leg up on the throne, waiting for her.

"N'Jadaka."

"Lil cousin."

"How?"

"How, is never as important as why, right? You chose me," Erik stated.

"Impossible. I'd never chose you." Shuri shook her head in disbelief.

"Why did you take the herb?" Erik asked.

"To see my family." Shuri answered as if it was obvious.

"Nah, that's bullshit." (I laughed ngl, he's so blunt abt it) "You didn't believe the ancestral plane was real did you?" Killmonger stood up, taking a step towards Shuri.

"No," Shuri breathed out.

"So why did you take it then?" Shuri stayed silent, almost wanting to lie. She didn't really owe him the truth. "You don't have to lie to me," Erik spoke, almost as if he had read her thoughts.

"So I can be strong."

"Strong to do what?"

Shuri didn't respond.

"See? We're more alike than you think." Erik walked past her, looking around the throne room. "I took it to avenge my ancestors too."

"I'm nothing like you," Shuri denied. "You took it for yourself. Then destroyed the rest. Unworthy King. Afraid of being replaced. Just a coward." Shuri said, his back being turned to her.

"No," Erik turned around, obviously not liking her choice of words. "I had the courage to do what was necessary to change Wakanda," He snapped, Shuri kept a straight face, unfazed by his anger. She knew not to react towards anger as it only fueled the person up. She learned that from when she and Makena would argue.

"How many people like your girlfriend did Wakanda protect before I took the throne?" Shuri glanced down and Erik knew he got her when he mentioned Makena.

"Cowards. That was the Panthers that came before me. And before T'Challa." Erik added.

"Don't mention my brother," Shuri snapped. "You're the reason why he's dead. You burned the Herb. Left us with no protector. Then Namor struck and killed my mother. Their blood is on your hands." Every word Shuri spoke the room lit fire, signaling her need for revenge. It represented her anger, her grief, her loss and most importantly, her desperate need for vengeance.

"Nah, that ain't on me. And don't you dare take that away from your mother. She sacrificed her life to protect a young girl from the lost tribe." N'Jadaka spoke as he circled Shuri. What surprised her was the way he spoke of Ramonda, like he actually held respect and appreciation for her. And he did.

"Your father? He was a hypocrite. He would've killed that girl. Shit, he killed his own brother. He probably would've killed Makena too," Erik said.

"Do not speak her name," Shuri defended.

Erik scoffed but continued anyways. He still found it to be bullshit that Makena let one little conversation with her deadbeat dad that she turned her back on him. But then again he didn't hold it against her. He'd probably do the same if he were in her shoes.

"T'Challa, was too noble. He let the man who murdered your father, live. And here you stand. Are you gonna be noble like your brother? Or take care of business. Like me?"

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Shuri gasped awake with a small scream and Makena immediately went to her side. Riri moved out of the way so Makena could be closer to Shuri. "Woah, hey, are you okay?" Makena asked, helping Shuri sit up. Makena would've read her mind but she wanted to respect Shuri's privacy.

"Are you okay?" Nakia asked.

"Who did you see?" Nakia asked. Shuri looked at her, holding anger on her face. Shuri turned to her left and Makena moved back, using her other hand to gesture Riri back. She could tell when Shuri was pissed, it happened rarely and this one probably the most angry she's ever seen Shuri. Which made her wonder who she saw.

"No one," Shuri mumbled. She stood up and Makena slowly walked around the table as Shuri did.

"What happened?" Nakia asked.

"I failed. It didn't work." Shuri lied.

"You're lying," Makena stated as Shuri hit the table in frustration.

"They abandoned me." Shuri said to Makena, almost wanting to cry.

"No, no, they would never do that," Makena said. "I did everything I was supposed to do! I recreated the herb!" Shuri snapped at Makena.

"Okay, okay, it's okay," Makena said, trying to get Shuri to calm down.

"I just did that stupid ritual and for what?!" Shuri exclaimed. "I know, calm down," Makena said, scared to even lay a finger on Shuri.

"Why didn't they come for me?!"

Makena made a gesture for Nakia to keep Riri back and she did as told.

"Are you gonna tell me who did? Or do I have to see for myself?" Makena questioned. She knew this would piss Shuri off but at this point she didn't care. There were only few people who could piss Shuri off this much. And she knew one of them.

Shuri shoved Makena's hand away and turned around, running her hand over her mouth. Shuri punched the manikin that had one of the Dora Milaje armors on it and sent it flying back into the stone wall.

Nakia and Riri both held a gasp of shock as Makena titled her head in surprise. "Shit." Nakia and Riri both expressed.

"Can I get some of that too?" Riri asked. Makena had to hold her laugh as it wasn't the right time for laughs.

Makena stepped forward, still a bit taken back. "I think...you're going to need a suit." Makena stated.

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a.n: her scene with killmonger was so damn good, they wrote it perfectly. i didn't wanna change much abt it obviously but obviously i js had to include it bc that scene rlly adds sm to shuris character

i finally made Makena say the L word, it js felt like it needed to be said, and it adds more to the next chapter so i had to get it done with

i miss when erik and kena were sibling besties </3 he rlly loved kena

the way I'm sick so i can't get 🍃 rn is killing me🧍‍♀️

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