I don’t know what kind of cosmic joke this is, but I’m in it. A whole new life, and not just any life—Riri Williams’ life. A literal Marvel character. I should be freaking out. Maybe I did at first, but I got over it real quick when I realized two things:
I got a genius-level brain now. I can build stuff I wouldn’t have even dreamed of in my old life. Ain’t no exit door. So, what’s the point of tripping?
At first, I tried to stick to the script—go to MIT, mess with some projects, act like the Riri everyone would expect. But there’s only so much pretending I can do. I don’t have whatever tragic backstory original-Riri had, so I don’t walk around with a chip on my shoulder. Instead, I’m just vibing—cracking jokes, building wild stuff, and trying not to think too hard about what’s coming.
Because I know something’s coming. I just don’t know all the details.
Like, I know T’Challa died. I know Wakanda’s about to get pulled into something serious. But the specifics? Fuzzy. Never got around to watching Black Panther 2 in my past life. That’s the part that gets me. Knowing just enough to be nervous, but not enough to be useful.
“Bro, you can’t just build a mini thruster in your dorm,” Xavier says, staring at the device sitting on my desk.
I shrug. “Why not?”
“Because the RA will literally call Homeland Security?”
Fair point.
I grab the thruster and stuff it under my desk before anyone else gets bright ideas about reporting me. Not that it matters. Word around campus is that I’m “eccentric.” They don’t say it like an insult, but it’s definitely not a compliment.
It’s fine. I work better alone anyway.
But then—of course—some government-type suits roll up asking about my tech, and suddenly I’m packing my bags for Wakanda.
It hits different seeing Wakanda in person. The air smells richer, the buildings feel alive, and the tech? Insane. I don’t even bother playing it cool when they take me into the lab. My hands are itching to touch something.
Okoye’s watching me like she half-expects me to start a fire. “Do not touch anything.”
I throw my hands up in surrender. “Damn, can I blink?”
She doesn’t laugh. Tough crowd.
Then Shuri walks in.
I freeze.
Okay, listen—I knew she was fine. Everybody knows she’s fine. But in person? Different. She moves like she already knows she’s the smartest person in the room but doesn’t need to prove it. That should be annoying, but instead, it’s kind of... something.
Her eyes land on me, and she holds the stare. Just holds it. Like she’s waiting to see if I’ll crack first.
A smarter person would’ve looked away. A dumber person would’ve said something flirty.
Me? I forget how to blink.
Shuri tilts her head, a little smirk creeping in. “You’re the one who built the machine?”
My brain scrambles. I nod. “Yup.”
She hums, looking me up and down like she’s trying to figure something out. “Huh.”
That’s it. Just ‘huh.’
My heart’s doing something weird. I don’t like it.
Shuri’s been showing me around, explaining tech like I don’t already have a handle on half of it. I let her talk, though. She’s passionate when she explains things, and I like watching that.
She catches me staring once. Raises an eyebrow.
“Something on your mind?”
I shake my head way too fast. “Nope.”
She doesn’t push, but I catch the smirk before she turns back to the hologram.
I need to get it together.
The problem with Shuri is that she looks at people like she sees right through them. And every time she does it to me, I feel like she’s pulling something out of me I don’t even understand.
Like right now.
We’re in another strategy meeting, and she’s across the table, casually sipping from her cup while holding direct eye contact with me.
I try to act normal. Nod like I’m paying attention.
Okoye says something important. I don’t hear a word of it.
Shuri tilts her head slightly, like she knows exactly what she’s doing.
I clear my throat. Look away. Look back.
Mistake.
Her smirk deepens.
I’m in trouble.
I need to recalibrate. Shuri’s confidence is a lot, but I can’t keep freezing up every time she looks at me like she’s got me on some kind of lab table for analysis.
I make a game plan. The next time she tries that long-ass eye contact nonsense, I won’t fold.
Easier said than done.
We’re in the lab, working on a way to track the Talokanil. Shuri’s explaining some next-level vibranium science, and I’m mostly keeping up—until she pauses mid-sentence, turns, and pins me with that damn stare again.
I refuse to break this time.
I cross my arms, tilt my head. “You good? Need me to take notes for you or something?”
Her eyebrow quirks up. “You seem... distracted.”
Oh, so that’s how we’re playing it?
I exhale through my nose, slow like I’m unbothered. “Nah. Just waiting for you to get to the point.”
A glint of amusement flickers in her eyes. “Oh? And here I thought you were struggling to keep up.”
Okay, bet.
I lean against the table, all casual. “You think I can’t keep up? That’s cute.”
She hums like she’s intrigued, stepping a little closer. Too close. She knows it, too. She’s testing me.
I keep my face smooth, but inside? Screaming.
Shuri watches me for another beat, like she’s waiting for me to crack. I don’t.
Finally, she smirks and turns back to the hologram. “Alright, Williams. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
I exhale, slow. I won that round. Barely.
It’s been a few days, and I’ve gotten better at not reacting like a damn teenager with a crush every time Shuri does her little intense eye contact mind games. She notices, too. I can tell.
But here’s the thing—when you stop running, the hunter gets more interested.
She’s been upping the ante. Little things. Standing way too close when we’re in the lab. Letting her hand brush mine when we pass each other tools. Saying my name slower than necessary.
I know what she’s doing. I respect the strategy.
But I am not going down easy.
We’re in the palace courtyard when she tries something new. The sun’s out, the air’s got that clean Wakandan breeze, and she’s just... leaning against a railing, watching me.
I glance up from my kimoyo beads. “What?”
Shuri shrugs. “Nothing.”
Lies.
I narrow my eyes. “Nah, you’ve been looking at me like you’re running calculations. What’s the hypothesis, Your Highness?”
The corner of her lip twitches. “That you fluster too easily.”
I bark out a laugh. “Me? Flustered? That’s wild.”
She takes a lazy step forward. “Is it?”
I keep my cool. Barely. “Yeah. You’re gonna have to try harder than that, princess.”
Her smile turns sharp. “Noted.”
I immediately regret saying that.
The next time it happens, I walk right into it.
Literally.
We’re working late in the lab, and I’m running on three hours of sleep and a questionable amount of Wakandan coffee. I turn too fast and smack right into her.
Shuri catches me before I can stumble back. Hands on my waist, steady.
And I freeze. Again.
Her grip tightens, just slightly, before she lets go. “Careful,” she murmurs.
I swallow hard. “Yeah. My bad.”
I take a step back, recalibrating. Shuri’s looking at me again, that same unreadable expression. Calculating. Curious.
I exhale through my nose. “You enjoy messing with me, don’t you?”
Her smirk is devastating. “Immensely.”
Ain’t no way I’m surviving this.
I can’t let her have all the power. Time to test her.
We’re in another strategy meeting. Namor is still a problem, and the air is tense. But Shuri? She’s calm, composed. Always.
So I decide to shake things up.
I lean in, resting my elbow on the table, and mirror her stare.
She notices. Of course she does.
I tilt my head slightly, slow, just enough to make it clear I’m playing her game now. “You look tired, Your Highness. You sleeping okay?”
Her eyebrows lift, just a fraction. She wasn’t expecting that.
Shuri exhales, her lips quirking. “Concerned about me, Williams?”
I hum. “Just saying, if you burn out, who’s gonna mess with me?”
There’s a flicker of something in her eyes—interest. She leans back, considering.
Then she does the pettiest thing imaginable.
She tilts her head, her voice dropping just a little. “You worried about me, Riri?”
Using my first name.
I immediately regret starting this.
My brain short-circuits for one full second, and she sees it.
The slow smirk that follows? Unfair.
Yeah. I lost this round.
I should’ve seen it coming.
One minute, I’m on my way back to the palace, minding my business. Next thing I know, everything goes black.
When I wake up, my head is pounding, my arms are tied, and my suit? Gone.
“Shit.”
The room is dim, metal walls, flickering light above me. Not Wakandan tech. Not good.
I try to move, but my wrists are bound to the chair. Real secure. Someone did their homework.
Then I hear footsteps.
And a voice that immediately pisses me off.
“So, you’re the little genius causing all this trouble.”
I glance up. Attuma.
Namor’s right-hand man.
Double shit.
Shuri knew something was wrong the second the door to Riri’s room opened and no one was inside.
She had checked the lab next. No Riri.
Then Okoye had stormed in, her face carved from stone. “We have a problem.”
Now, Shuri’s standing in the war room, hands clenched at her sides, trying not to explode.
“Gone?” she repeats, voice sharp enough to cut.
Okoye nods grimly. “Taken. No traces of a fight. They knew what they were doing.”
Shuri exhales through her nose, slow. “It’s the Talokanil.”
“They left a message,” Okoye adds, passing her a small device.
Shuri activates it, and Namora’s voice fills the room.
“We have your scientist. If you want her back, you know what to do.”
Silence.
Shuri inhales, deep and controlled, but her hands are shaking.
She’s going to burn the entire ocean down.
“You know, if you wanted me this bad, you could’ve just sent a text.”
Attuma doesn’t react.
Riri sighs. “Tough crowd.”
She shifts in the chair, testing the restraints. Still tight. Damn.
“You’re lucky you were useful,” Attuma says, arms crossed. “Namor wanted you dead.”
Riri tilts her head. “He still want that, or am I on the waitlist?”
Attuma’s eyes narrow. “Do you ever stop talking?”
“Nope. Bad habit.”
He huffs and steps closer. “You built the machine. You forced our hand. You’re here because of your own arrogance.”
Riri’s jaw tightens. There it is.
“I didn’t build it to start a war,” she says. “I built it because I could. I didn’t know what it’d be used for.”
Attuma doesn’t look convinced. “Ignorance does not absolve you.”
Riri exhales. He’s not wrong.
But she’s not dying here. She refuses.
Chapter 13: Shuri’s Not Thinking Straight
She’s in her lab, tearing the place apart.
She needs something—anything—to track Riri.
Griot chimes in. “Would you like me to—”
“Silence.”
Her mind is spiraling. Every scenario is bad. Every thought is worse.
They took Riri. They took her.
And all Shuri can think about is how much she misses that stupid, cocky grin.
How Riri would probably make a joke about this if she were here.
How Shuri would give anything to hear it.
Okoye enters, voice firm. “We have a location.”
Shuri looks up, fire in her eyes.
“Then let’s go get her.”
Riri doesn’t do helpless.
She’s been working at the restraints for the last twenty minutes, testing the weight shift, the angles—everything.
She just needs one opening.
Then the door opens, and her chance walks in.
Namora.
She’s alone.
Riri takes a breath, calculating.
Namora steps closer. “You think Wakanda will save you?”
Riri smirks, masking the fear. “Oh, I don’t think. I know.”
Namora scoffs. “You overestimate your worth.”
Riri tilts her head. “And you underestimate Shuri.”
That flicker of hesitation? That’s all she needed.
She twists—hard—snapping the chair leg, launching herself forward, and—
Pain.
Something sharp connects with her ribs, slamming her into the floor.
She gasps, vision blurring.
Namora looms over her. “Foolish.”
Then everything fades.
Shuri moves like a storm.
When they breach the compound, she doesn’t hesitate.
Okoye fights with precision. Nakia moves like a shadow. But Shuri?
Shuri is vengeance.
She finds her fast.
Riri is slumped against the wall, barely conscious.
Shuri kneels, heart hammering.
“Riri,” she breathes, voice softer than it should be.
Riri stirs, blinking blearily. “Oh. Hey, princess.”
Shuri exhales, relief and fury twisting together.
Then she lifts her gaze—and someone is going to pay.
I wake up to the sound of water.
Not the ocean. Not a storm. Just… soft waves, lapping against something nearby.
It takes me a second to remember—pain shoots through my ribs, and yeah. Not a nightmare.
I try to sit up, but my body protests hard.
“You should rest.”
I freeze.
I know that voice. Too well.
I turn my head, slowly, and there she is. Shuri. Sitting next to me, arms resting on her knees, looking like she hasn’t slept.
She’s staring at me like I almost disappeared.
Like she’s afraid I still might.
For a second, I don’t say anything. Then—
“Not gonna lie, princess… kinda thought I was dead.”
Shuri exhales through her nose. “You almost were.”
There’s something in her voice—something heavy. But I don’t touch it.
Instead, I force a smirk. “Damn. No dramatic last words? I had a whole speech planned.”
Shuri doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t even crack a smile. That’s when I know it’s bad.
“I’m serious, Riri.” Her voice is low, almost dangerous. “They took you. They could have killed you. And I—”
She cuts herself off.
I frown, shifting slightly. “And you what?”
She doesn’t answer right away. Just stares.
And for the first time since I woke up, I realize her hands are shaking.
I swallow.
“…Shuri?”
She blinks, like she just remembered I’m here. Then she gets up, quick.
“I need to check something,” she mutters, turning away.
And just like that, she’s gone.
I don’t see her for hours.
And I tell myself I don’t care.
It’s easier that way.
I focus on healing. On not thinking about how she looked at me like that.
But later that night, I hear her outside my room.
Pacing.
I don’t call out to her.
She doesn’t knock.
We keep doing this—this avoiding thing.
Because if I let her get too close, what happens when she leaves?
Chapter 18: Almost Isn’t Enough
I’m back in the lab, finally able to move without feeling like my ribs are trying to kill me.
I’ve been working for hours, but my mind is elsewhere.
Which is probably why I don’t hear her come in.
“Still pushing yourself too hard, I see.”
I don’t jump. Barely react. Just glance up.
Shuri leans against the doorway, arms crossed.
I raise a brow. “You keeping tabs on me now?”
She doesn’t take the bait. Just walks in, slow, watching me.
“…You should have told me.”
I blink. “Told you what?”
She exhales. “That you were struggling.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Shuri, I got kidnapped. It’s not like I planned it.”
She steps closer. “I mean before that.”
My stomach twists.
I roll my shoulders, forcing a smirk. “I’m fine, princess.”
“No, you’re not.”
Her voice is too soft. Too knowing.
And it makes me panic.
I turn away, grabbing a wrench—something, anything to focus on. “Seriously, I’m good. I don’t need—”
“Me?”
I freeze.
Slowly, I set the wrench down. “Shuri…”
But she’s already moving closer. Too close.
Her eyes are searching, intense. “Tell me you don’t care. Look me in the eye and say it.”
I swallow hard.
I could lie. I should.
But my throat won’t work.
Shuri exhales, shaking her head. “That’s what I thought.”
Then she turns to leave.
And the second the door closes, I finally breathe.
Because if she keeps pushing, she might actually break through.
And that terrifies me.
I don’t know why I go looking for her that night.
But I do.
And I find her on the balcony, staring out at the city.
She doesn’t turn when I step beside her. Just says, “Can’t sleep?”
I huff. “Could ask you the same thing.”
She smirks, barely. Then, “I meant what I said, you know.”
I glance at her. “You say a lot of things.”
She exhales, turning to face me fully. And I regret coming here instantly.
Because she’s looking at me like I matter.
Like she sees every wall I’m putting up and doesn’t care.
“Riri, I—” She stops, exhales again. Then, quieter, “I almost lost you.”
I shift. “I’m still here.”
“That’s not the point.”
She takes a step closer. I don’t move.
“I know you think you have to do this alone,” she says. “That if you don’t let people in, it won’t hurt when they leave.”
My breath catches.
She shakes her head. “But I’m not going anywhere.”
And that? That is too much.
I look away, forcing a smirk. “Damn, princess. That almost sounded like a confession.”
She sighs, rubbing her temples. “You are infuriating.”
I grin. “I try.”
Then I turn to leave—because I have to.
But before I step inside, I hear her whisper, almost to herself—
“I’ll keep trying, Riri. No matter how long it takes.”
And for the first time in a long time…
I don’t know if I want to run.
The battle is over. The ocean is calm again, the last echoes of clashing weapons and cries for mercy dying down into the stillness. The aftermath presses down on my chest like a weight, but I refuse to let it sink in. I can’t let it.
I should’ve left already. Gone back to my life. But here I am, standing in the same spot, waiting for her.
Her footsteps approach, light but purposeful. I don’t turn around, though. It doesn’t matter how much I want to. I won’t give in. Not yet.
“Riri.”
Her voice, soft but determined, cuts through the quiet.
I force myself to stay still. To not turn around.
“Riri, look at me.”
It’s not a command. It’s a plea.
I bite down on my lip and exhale slowly, trying to focus. She’s been persistent, and I’ve been dodging it—dodging her. But she won’t let me get away this time.
I turn, finally meeting her gaze.
Shuri stands there, not an inch of hesitation in her stance, but there’s something almost raw in her eyes. Something… softer than the usual fire.
She doesn’t need to say it. I know what she’s going to say.
“You don’t have to do this, Riri,” she says, her voice low, but carrying the weight of everything between us.
I want to laugh it off, I want to say it’s fine. But it’s not. None of this is fine.
“Do what, Shuri?”
Her lips tighten. “Push me away. Don’t shut me out.”
I shake my head, avoiding her eyes, trying to keep my walls up. Trying to pretend like everything I’m feeling doesn’t matter. Like none of this matters.
“I’m not shutting you out,” I mutter.
Her brows furrow, and she steps forward, closing the space between us. My heart is hammering, my hands are shaking, but I don’t let myself move away. I won’t.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” she continues, voice quieter now, like she’s afraid of saying too much. Afraid of breaking whatever fragile thing we’ve built.
But I feel it, the tug in my chest, the part of me that wants to pull away. “I’m fine.”
But we both know I’m lying.
And Shuri knows me better than anyone.
She reaches for me then, her fingers brushing mine. Just a touch. Not too much. But it’s enough. And damn it, it’s too much.
“I’m tired of watching you run,” she whispers, her voice trembling just slightly. “I’m tired of waiting for you to see me the way I see you.”
I inhale sharply, feeling my defenses cracking, but I fight it.
“No, you don’t get it.” I pull back, just an inch, but it’s enough to make her freeze.
She doesn’t look hurt, though. She looks determined. “I get it more than you think.”
I bite my lip, my chest tightening with the words I’m trying so hard to keep inside. The things I don’t want to say. But she won’t let me keep hiding.
“I—I can’t do this, Shuri,” I admit. “I can’t do this with you.”
Her eyes soften, but there’s no pity there. Just understanding.
“You don’t have to be perfect for me, Riri,” she says, voice steady. “You don’t have to have all the answers.”
I swallow, hard. Her words hit me harder than I want to admit.
“I don’t—”
But she doesn’t let me finish.
“I love you, Riri.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I can feel them in my chest, the weight of them pressing down, making it hard to breathe.
I open my mouth to say something—anything—but nothing comes out.
Shuri’s face is calm, but her eyes are wide, almost vulnerable. “I love you,” she repeats, like she’s not afraid to admit it anymore.
“I don’t know how to do this,” I whisper, my voice cracking slightly. “I’ve never—”
She steps closer, just a little, closing the distance between us until I can feel her breath on my skin.
“It’s okay,” she murmurs, reaching up to touch my cheek. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”
And that’s when I lose it.
I step back, shaking my head. “No.”
Shuri’s hand drops. She doesn’t chase me this time, but she watches me, waiting for me to say what I really need to say.
“I can’t keep running, Riri,” she says softly. “But I won’t chase you if you’re not ready.”
I feel the tears prickle at the edges of my eyes, but I blink them away, refusing to show weakness. “You should go,” I say quietly. “Before I ruin it.”
But she doesn’t move.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
And I know, in that moment, that she won’t. She’s not going to leave me alone in this, no matter how hard I try to push her away.
I swallow the lump in my throat, but the tears don’t stop threatening to fall.
“You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily,” Shuri says with a soft smile, her hand brushing my cheek again.
And for the first time in what feels like forever, I don’t feel the need to run anymore.
So....opinions?
Longest one yet