Reflection

Shuri awakened in the med bay, everyone was surrounding and fussing around her. She looked around in a daze, as if the man she met was just a mere dream.

"Shuri! Thank Bast, you're awake!" Her mother, Ramonda hugged her tightly, squeezing the air out of her lungs. "Hi, Mum~" she tightly embraced her, she must be worried sick.

"Shuri! Thank Bast, you are safe!" Okoye barged into the lab, wearing commoner clothes… Ayo let her in. "What happened? Where did they hide you? We couldn't find your location through your kimoyo beads, but we got the signal from your earrings, we were going to get you but—"

"Ah-ha! We found you on the riverside! Sleeping like a pig!" M'Baku's loud voice startled her, Shuri rolled her eyes at him, "Now you oink like one, M'Baku!"

"Oh my god, Princess Shuri, we thought you were dead!!" Riri hovered at the side, letting out a relieved scream.

"Are you hurt, Shuri? Are you feeling any nausea, pain, or discomfort?" Ramonda caresses her face. "No, Mama, I'm not- wait, I was hurt— but they healed me…" Shuri tells them everything, including the man letting her go.

"That's impossible…" They all didn't believe her.

Shuri shrugs triumphantly, "Guess I'm persuasive~" The mysterious man came to her mind again. He kept his word. She noticed Okoyo was not in her Dora Milaje outfit. "Mother, Okoye—"

"I have failed my duty, My Princess. This is what I deserved…" Okoye was ashamed. She told Shuri everything after she lost her.

"No, Mother, you have to reinstate Okoye. It wasn't her fault she lost to a more enhanced being! They have vibranium!" Shuri drops the bomb. Everyone was shocked to the core as chattering erupted in the med bay.

"This changes everything that we know." Ramonda looked at everyone.

"The Great Mound, all of the legends and fables, those stories are seared in my mind—" Okoye couldn't believe it.

"That sounds very painful." Shuri quip. Earning an annoying tsk from her.

"So they want to kill this child of a scientist for the machine she built? I've been saying that these technologies would kill us!" M'Baku points his carrot at Riri.

"Hey! You can't blame everything on me! It was a school project!" Riri counters. Shuri burst out in laughter at how brilliant she is.

"Alright, Riri, you are in Wakanda now, you're safe—" Shuri said and immediately rose from where she was sitting.

"Brother!! Mother, T'Challa—!!!" She immediately runs to his room and finds him sleeping peacefully on the bed.

"The King's condition worsened when we took him out for a checkup, Princess. Fortunately, we were able to stabilize his heart rate through the synthetic heart-shaped herb you made, he barely made it… thank Bast, you are back now, Princess Shuri…" Her fellow scientists surround her, informing her every detail about their King's condition when she was gone.

"Thank you… all of you…" Shuri thanked them gratefully. If she came back any later—

"He must have known, you were out there alone…" Okoye comforts her.

"He did…" Shuri firmly held T'Challa's hand in hers, placing it on her cheek, feeling his warmth.

"You know you never make it easy for your brother…" Ramonda wraps Shuri in her arms, kissing her forehead like how T'Challa would always do.

"Brother, I'm home… I'm safe, do not worry about me. Wakanda is safe—" Wakanda is no longer safe. 

"Mother, Nakia and Toussaint, are they well?" Shuri asks quietly. "They are safe, Aneka is with them." It is best for them to stay away from Wakanda for now, no matter how much Shuri wanted them to be by T'Challa's side. After all, T'Challa and Nakia wanted her nephew, Toussaint, to grow up away from the pressure of the throne. And to spare his son from witnessing his death. 

T'Challa didn't want his son to go through the pain he had once experienced, to watch his Baba die before him.

Shuri looked at herself in the mirror, she was back in her room, all alone. As she looked at her reflection , her soulmate…

She prayed to their goddess, pleading desperately.

"Bast… Time is running out. Please allow me to heal my brother of this illness, and I will never question your existence again."

And then I will never question the existence of soulmates ever again.

One week later

"Princess!! Intruders!! Someone has invaded the city right through our rivers!! They are now right in the heart of the city center! General Okoye and Dora Milaje have rushed there!!" One of the scientists rushed through the door to inform her—

"That can't be!! Are the river barriers destroyed?! Any casualties?!"

"...None, princess. The barriers are still working, no guards were hurt… They came silently without a single trace."

"Engage all defenses! Evacuate everyone that lives by the river. GRIOT! Alert the tribes, assign more guards outside of the king's chambers, tell Mother to stay with T'Challa—!!"

Shuri quickly paced to the sand table and got her helmet, she can't let Okoye have all the fun, she will join the fight.

Shuri looks at her black panther helmet, resting her forehead against it briefly as usual before putting it on, she—

Shuri finally remembered something.

"GRIOT! How many days since I have returned to Wakanda!"

She forgot… she's been busy tending to T'Challa's sickness and making a new synthetic heart-shaped herb. 

SHE. FORGOT.

"Seven days. A week, Princess Shuri."

He's here.

Shuri let out an incredulous sigh, mixed with unbelieving and astonished groans.

She quickly puts on her helmet, "Prepare the sunbird, GRIOT!" and rushes to the hangar.

"How's the situation on the ground? Are we under attack?" Shuri flies through the Wakanda sky, heading towards the city center.

"The general and one of them are engaged."

"How many people are there?"

"Four more are just watching on the side."

"Is there someone wearing an extremely exaggerated helmet? With feathers on it?"

She hopes he comes in peace.

"Yes." He's here.  

Shuri looks down through the window, Okoye is fighting with a big, blue man. Both of them were not wearing helmets or masks. There are four more by the river, three blue people… and him… with his dazzling golden awe-striking colourful feathery huge captivating serpent headdress.

"Urgh, I should have bargained for one month!!" Shuri groans loudly with a hint of annoyance, along with amusement.

He came for her.

"We are not done here yet, you big oaf!" But Okoye had to give that title to M'Baku, this one is a skilled fighter, the way he weaves his spear with brutal strength and precision. Okoye's blood boils with excitement, although she had lost to him last time, she was never the one to back down from defeat. And they are in their home, she will not lose.

No one in the entire nation is a match for her in combat; he could serve as an excellent sparring partner. 

It seems the opponent shares the same idea, as they wouldn't have engaged in combat the moment they met otherwise. Okoye intends to thrash him, to utterly defeat him, and to wipe away the shame he brought upon her, nearly causing her to lose the honour and identity she held dear for her entire life.

While on the other hand—

Okoye can't beat him! Shuri was sure they were enhanced just like their king, the guy with the feathered headdress!

Shuri lands the sunbird and rushes out to them. Telling the rest of the Dora Milaje and guards to stand down, she had everything under control.

As Okoye narrowly avoided being struck by the spear of the intruder, Shuri swiftly tossed out a small device that emitted a magnetic field, firmly immobilizing his spear. Seizing the opportunity, she loads her gauntlet and fires at him, momentarily stunning the man.

"Hey! Pick someone your own size! Okoye! I’m signing up M’Baku for this task!"

Shuri refrained from summoning her suit right away from the panther habit necklace resting on her neck, reserving it for the crucial moment, as it was her last resort.

She hopes if she uses the Black Panther suit for the first time, T'Challa will be there to witness it.

"Get back, Shuri!" Okoye yells.

The big guy successfully got his spear back after a few moments. He fought with increasing determination, thrusting his spear at them. Okoye pulled Shuri backwards then surged forward again to meet him in the fight. 

Shuri fiddled with the gears she had prepared to counter him, relying on her instincts to guide her. As she observed from the sidelines, her attention shifted to him. 

His gaze ignited her like fire.

His intense gaze had never wavered, piercing through her helmet and locking onto her eyes. Even the white hoodie she wore seemed powerless against the force of his gaze.

What's wrong with him???? Shuri rolled her eyes, forgetting he couldn't see her face.

Shuri sighed in frustration, how long were they going to keep fighting like this? Seizing the moment when Okoye was knocked back, she unleashed her loaded gauntlets toward him, causing him to stagger backwards. The man seemed provoked by her seemingly harmless attack and he swung his spear forcefully at her. Shuri remained calm and instantly cranked up the intensity of her projectile and aimed for his shoulder—

Namor swiftly kicked Attuma away into the distance, effortlessly deflecting the princess's projectiles with his vibranium spear. Closing in on her in an instant—

Before she could react, Shuri instinctively summoned the suit, materializing it around her immediately. With her hand raised and ready to fire at him, Namor abruptly grasped her wrist, raising her hand towards the sky and forcing her shot to go astray. His other hand crushed her remaining gauntlet into scraps. 

Namor and Shuri stood mere centimeters apart, their faces almost touching, as if they could feel each other's shallowed breath. 

In a tense standoff, neither of them gave ground, locked in a battle of wills, their gazes locked through their headdress and helmet.

An unwavering challenge. They will go down fighting.

It felt like a century had passed, but eventually, Namor lowered her hand. He playfully tilted his head at her, prompting Shuri to let out an annoying groan. 

Alright, she can't see his face, but that head tilting at her was just ridiculously childish! Shuri found herself hating that move he had just pulled!

She doesn't know whether he is provoking her or trying to earn her favour!

Shuri takes a step back from him after he lets her go. Until his hand snaked from her wrist, winding its way up her arm, and shoulder, then cradling her face, much like seven days ago when she curiously traced his visage. His fingertips explored her features, then it happened again. 

Shuri could feel his gaze sweep over her entire form, appreciating her current appearance, clad in her black panther suit and poised for battle.

Shuri couldn't take this man anymore! 

"You're here," she said softly, breaking the silence between them. To her surprise, the words came out slightly breathless.

The man seemed taken aback by her soft tone and choice of words, visibly pausing for a moment. 

Shuri smirked triumphantly, tilting her head at him playfully.

Tit for tat, right? Shuri is amused. 

The man finally seemed to snap out of it, his hands cupping her face even tighter. She smiled at him.

"...You came." 

Breathless, as Shuri whispered.

She continued to murmur softly…

"You came for me."

His grip tightened, and his face drew closer, as if he intended to kiss her as punishment for teasing him. Shuri tilted her head slightly in defiance, challenging him with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Namor let go of her, taking a step back and finally putting a still poor distance between them.

He tucked his hand behind his back, as if trying to etch the feeling of holding her face into his memory. He gave her a polite nod, and she reciprocated.

Shuri watches as the man nodded at her, now we are all being polite and civilized, huh?  

She had only just realized that she had forgotten to ask his name—

But before Shuri could dwell on it, he called out to her—

"Princess."

…

…

…

Shuri stood there, seemingly entranced as if caught in a hypnotic spell.

The princess's astonishment was clearly evident as he finally spoke to her with a formal address. A satisfied smirk danced across Namor's features, concealed behind his breathtakingly beautiful headdress.