Underwater

They went to the Harvest Fest the next day as Alain told them. 

They had a blast celebrating with the locals as they ate, celebrated, sang and danced. The kids all played together while the adults socialized. Shuri danced with Alain when he asked her.

"I know this song!" She simply grooves with the song and Alain follows her. "Way the go, Shuri!" He cheered her up excitedly as they vibe along to the music, the crowd was in high spirits.

T'Challa and Nakia danced closely together, totally in their own world despite the catchy music. Ramonda sat at the tables, chatting with the locals while Toussaint played with other kids.

Shuri looks at the night sky. They were like any other ordinary families, celebrating the harvest festival, being thankful and spending time with their loved ones.

"You said you were leaving this weekend?" Alain yelled at her with the music blasting.

"What!?" Shuri couldn't hear him and he walked close to her, yelling in her ears the same question.

"Oh! Yes! We have been staying here longer than we should! But I suppose I'll be coming back soon to stay with my baby nephew every week!" Shuri yelled back at him.

"Why don't you and your family stay a few days more? I like to show you guys around!" Alain said with a twinkle in his eyes to Shuri.

"I would love to, but I can't decide, my brother and I had—!" Duties. Shuri avoided his gaze.

"Stay." She heard Alain speak gently to her amidst the noisy crowd.

"I can't..." Shuri looked at him apologetically.

The kids bumped into them and Shuri almost tripped, Alain holds her up while supporting her arms. "Hey~ watch where you are going~" She tells a Toussaint that purposely bumps into her and hugs her legs.

"Hi Aunty~" Toussaint beams at her. Sneaky little baby.

"Come, learn to dance with me before you invite girls to dance with you one day~" Shuri picks him up and swayed him in her arms, walking away from Alain smoothly. Until she bumps into her brother and sister. They were kissing sweetly.

"Oh, please—" Shuri covers Toussaint's eyes and giggles while walking away, giving them some privacy!

What a beautiful world we live in—

The festival ended beautifully. They stayed to help clean the beach since their home was just beside the venue.

Until one of the villagers' weather instruments predicted an impending storm, they urged everyone to hurry back home, stay indoors, and be safe. 

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But the world has always been cruel. And sometimes, nature can be ruthless.

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And the harsh reality of nature reveals how small and powerless humans are against it.

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Soon, a heavy downpour hit the area with a thunderstorm raging. Suddenly, a red flare appeared in the dark sky. 

"Shit! A ship is trapped in the middle of the sea!!" One of them called out at the red flare.

And clearly, they desperately needed help. 

But with the current stormy weather, what could they do? 

An emergency call was received with a distress signal immediately after the red flare was shot into the sky.

"Mother, take Toussaint and the other kids home now! Nakia, Shuri, go with them!" T'Challa ordered them and the gears in his head started spinning quickly, thinking of various solutions to save the stranded people.

"I'm staying with you! You need all the help you can get!" Nakia quickly gathered the rest of the adults, they all stood together against the storm, coming up with a solution quickly while—

"Hello!...Hello? MAY— DAY! MAYDAY! This is…ship…we are…stuck…we…10 adults…8 children…on…MAYDAY— MAYDAY—!!!" Alain received the distress signal on his radio phone and everyone heard it through the raging winds.

"SHIT! WHAT DO WE DO!" The people started panicking as the surging waves could engulf the entire ship at any moment.

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Do you have any fishing hooks or harpoons on the ship that you can try to aim towards us? Otherwise, your ship will drift further and further away!!" T'Challa talks to the radio phone quickly, he has a plan.

"Do you guys have any vehicles that have harpoons on them? Get it here, now!!" Shuri quickly said, she knows what T'Challa is going to do!

"We have it!!" Alain and some of them quickly get to the vehicles as she commanded, driving them to the beach.

"MAYDAY! WE…HAVE IT! BUT IT'S TOO FAR…AND THE— STORM!!!!" 

"JUST AIM IT TO THE BEACH! ON YOUR FLARE!" T'Challa quickly estimates where the harpoon will be brought to with the raging wind, he's going to—

"T'CHALLA! THEY ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" Nakia yells at him through the storm.

"—WE MUST TRY, NAKIA!" And he sprints into the waves as the flare shoots to the sky.

"NAKIA, WITH ME!! NOW!!" Shuri grabs Nakia and they bolt towards the woods. They have their fighter! They could save everyone while the others hold off the ship from drifting away!!

Everyone was so confused at what in the world these three are doing but they followed them regardless!

—Turns out, they were not like any other ordinary family.

T'Challa calls— And he was in his Black Panther suit. 

He follows the flare and is ready to catch the harpoon shooting in the direction of the beach!

—The harpoon flew towards them through the strong wind! He looked with all of his focus and—

T'Challa seized the opportunity to dive and caught it firmly in his hands. He then made his way towards the shore, struggling with each step as he faced the risk of being dragged along into the raging waves while grabbing onto the ship's weight. The others were stunned by his sudden transformation and his ability to catch the harpoon with his bare hands, but they still rushed towards him to help pull it up onto the shore. They quickly tied the harpoon with the strongest rope they had to a tree trunk and to the hook of the car. Alain pressed down hard on the gas pedal, trying to steer the boat towards the beach, it was nearly impossible—

But they must try.

T'Challa held onto the harpoon tightly, knowing that it wouldn't hold for long and could break at any moment. "Hurry up, Shuri!" He yells into their kimoyo beads. 

Then, he heard the familiar sound of an engine and saw their fighter flying towards the stranded ship quickly. "We're going to tow them as long as we can until my sister and wife save them onboard!" They all hold onto the rope and harpoon as T'Challa instructed. Holding on with their life—

Shuri and Nakia hover their aircraft on top of the ship, the aircraft shook violently against the furious wind as they worked together, "Can you see them, Nakia?! Press the button and beam them up!" Shuri quickly navigates through the screen, locking onto everyone.

2— 5— 7— 9— 12—! They beamed them up with their Wakandan Technology as fast as they could before the ship started to—

"You might want to pick up the pace, Shuri!!" T'Challa watched as the whole ship began to violently shake and then started to capsize, as the waves relentlessly pushed it over. The entire ship started to turn around—

"WE ARE AS FAST AS WE COULD, BROTHER!!" Shuri watched as the ship flipped and suddenly lightning struck hard at their shield, sending their aircraft shaking violently!

"Stick yourself to the walls and buckle up, everybody!!" Nakia told the people they had saved, they all did as instructed and belts formed on them immediately.

The system began emitting an urgent warning! 

"WARNING! WARNING! Hit by a concentrated lightning strike, and the targeting system is malfunctioning, Princess—!" GRIOT's voice alarm Shuri.

"DAMN IT!" Shuri hits hard on the screen in frustration while Nakia navigates the fighter, dodging the lightning strikes!

"GRIOT! Focus on the shield! Can't let the fighter explode, can we!" Shuri quickly switch to manual control of the targeting system and locks onto the three people left on the surface of the ocean, there are other three buried under the ship, and they couldn't do anything—

"—My daughter! My sister and my daughter are still down there!! Please save them!!" A man screams for help on his seat when he notices his family is not on board.

Waves kept rolling in, layer upon layer, submerging the struggling people on the sea.

"I'M LOSING THEM— I'M LOSING THEM, NAKIA!!" She couldn't lock onto them as the waves kept overthrowing them. They don't have the Wakanda mark that Wakandans have which is behind their ears and on the neck which easily helps the system to lock onto them. Shuri could only lock onto them if—

She glanced out of the window, watching as two children and a woman struggled to survive in the raging storm and dark waves—

The children— they were as young as Toussaint.

Shuri continues to manually lock on them but the waves were cruel, they threw them under the water again, and suddenly—

They were lost in sight.

The children— Toussaint.

The children— Her nephew.

The children— Her umtshana.

The child—

Engulfed by the waves.

Shuri deactivates and unbuckles herself from the seat while Nakia screams behind her, "—SHURI!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!??"

She steadied herself as she gripped the aircraft's wall when the fighter shook, ensuring everyone was buckled tight to their seat, "Hold onto something and do not let go!!" 

"—SHURI!! STAND DOWN! THAT IS AN ORDER—!" Her mother's voice comes through her bead earrings.

She quickly attached her underwater gear behind her ear, snatching a few devices and plugging them into her gauntlet, calling—

"—GRIOT! LOWER DOWN THE GATE!" Her full-set underwater suit activates and covers all over her body as the gate opens.

All the things in the fighter began to fly out because the gate was opened, and Shuri jumped down without a moment of hesitation. 

If it were her nephew in the sea, 

She wouldn't hesitate, 

She wouldn't wait, 

She wouldn't watch him die helplessly,

Shuri jumped down from the fighter,

Into the ocean.

"SHURI!" T'Challa passed the harpoon to others and dived into the waves immediately when he saw his sister jump from the aircraft, trying to save those people, those strangers, those innocent lives.  

T'Challa swims toward the ship that was miles away from the beach. He swims against the wrath of the ocean.

Shuri quickly swims towards them with force, paddling against the strong waves towards the last spot she sees the rest of the three people. She dives into the depth—

Nakia controls the aircraft to hover in the air, her heart beating like crazy while the howling winds scream in her ears, 

"Bast, please protect her." She prayed.

Shuri breaks through the water's surface, grabbing onto two people. She attached the devices to their neck, strengthening the targeting system's aim, "BEAM THEM UP, NAKIA!" Nakia could beam them up immediately while the waves kept overthrowing them.

"THERE'S ONE MORE, SHURI! ON YOUR LEFT!" Nakia navigates as a signal flickered on and off, the targets that were locked on before. The ones that were rescued just now were a woman and a young boy. There's still a young girl left.

Shuri dives into the ocean, checking her surroundings in the deep with difficulty, it was so dark, she barely see anything in the ocean although she had lights on—

And she saw a girl, sinking down into the sea. She quickly swims downwards toward the girl, she was already unconscious— Shuri took off her underwater gear and attached it behind the little girl's ear, the suit formed around her and she passed her oxygen tank to her, giving her oxygen and swimming her upwards to the surface. Shuri holds her breath as calmly as she could, they are going to make it.

Shuri breaks through the surface of the water, holding the unconscious girl up and shouts for Nakia, "BEAM US UP, NAKIA!" She resists against the waves hitting on her face while Nakia starts to beam them up.

There are cargos from the turned-over ship floating all over the sea, it was carried along the raging waves and it crashing towards where Shuri and the girl is—

"FUCK!" Shuri pushed the girl away to prevent her from getting hit as she crashed into the cargo, and the waves rose high and slammed down on her, submerging her into the deep.

"SHURI—!" All Ramonda heard was Nakia screaming for her daughter. Shuri's signal is wiped out from the screen.

Shuri's chest was hit heavily by the cargo. And she couldn't hold her breath anymore. She chokes and inhales water—

The water filled her lungs and she began to struggle, she tried to hold her breath again and tried to swim towards the surface with difficulty.

But she sinks down into the depths, on the verge of drowning—

Unconsciousness starting to take over her—

The last thought she had was— Is the girl saved?

"SHURI!!" Nakia helps buckle up the last girl onto another person as she gears up, it takes a few minutes for Shuri to save everyone, and a few seconds to lose her forever. The fear of losing Shuri consuming over her—  

While she suits up, Nakia misses that a signal suddenly flickered on the screen, 

BEEP………BEEP………

A signal that is not their own—

The signal came quickly from afar, flying from out of the detection range of their radar to where they were hovering—

As the signal gets close, their system starts to get interference. Their entire system starts to glitch—

The signal disappeared. It was so quick as GRIOT himself thought it was a system glitch after the fighter got struck by lightning.

"—NAKIA! DON'T! YOU STAY ON THE FIGHTER! I'M COMING— GET EVERYONE TO SAFETY!"  T'Challa's voice breaks through her fear, Nakia rushes to the seat and tried to calm down while her vision blurred, T'Challa's voice keep ringing through her ears—

"I'LL GO AFTER SHURI! I'LL SAVE HER! I WILL—!!"

Ramonda kneels on the floor while hugging Toussaint to her chest, resisting crying out in agony.

Toussaint hugs his grandmother tightly, trembling as she did.

Namor was speaking to Namora and suddenly, Shuri's voice popped up in his head.

Save her

And followed by the humming of a conch shell through the flow of the water.

The conch shell that he had given Shuri.

He looked at their vibranium sun. —She's NEAR! Nearer than in Wakanda—

"K'uk'ulkan, there will be a thunderstorm on the surface for the next few hours, we have to tell our whales to stay low—" Namora reported to him, and Namor suddenly grab something and swims away quickly, leaving his order to Namora, "Guard the city—"

Namor flies out of Talokan immediately.

Speeding towards where the conch shell's location is. 

Flying to where Shuri is.

Shuri is…dying… He can feel it.

And Namor was so afraid that he couldn't save her, afraid that he would lose her right before he arrived. 

He could have arrived faster— He's too late—

As Namor saw Shuri sinking down to the depths, he flew towards her and caught her in his arms, not letting her sink down further.

Namor quickly places their rebreather - their respiratory mask over Shuri's face. She's still breathing faintly—

Namor alters the functions of the rebreather immediately, rather than sucking water from the outside into the rebreather, it sucks the water out from Shuri's lungs.

Namor called out to her anxiously.

"Shuri! Shuri, open your eyes. Shuri, Shuri, look at me, please— Shuri, Shuri, Shuri—!!!"

He was almost screaming for her, calling her back to him. He didn't know how long she had been drowning, but he had come as soon as he could. He should have come faster, he was too slow—!

Namor took off the mask on Shuri and sealed their mouths together tightly. Giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Namor didn't know how long he had been giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, it felt like a lifetime, until her eyes under her eyelids began to move and Shuri weakly and painfully opened her eyes, looking at him.

Namor let out a sigh of relief and held Shuri tightly.

He held her tightly and kissed her uncontrollably, relieved that she had opened her eyes.

Shuri weakly wrapped her arms around him and gently patted his arms and back, as if comforting him subconsciously.

Namor finally left her lips and held his hand tightly over her mouth, telling Shuri, "Hold your breath, do not inhale any more water into your lungs, and hold onto me, I'm bringing you back on shore." She was already as cold as seawater. 

Shuri nodded weakly, tried to hold her breath for a few moments, and then hugged Namor tightly. He quickly swam to the other end of the beach with her, carried her out of the sea, and put her on the wet sand. 

Namor supported her and patted her back, letting Shuri take deep breaths while she coughed fiercely. "Breathe, Shuri, breathe, you'll be alright, I'm here—"

She had a severe headache and dizziness but still pointed to the sinking ship in the distance, asking him to save them in her hoarse voice and pained lungs, "...the…sh…ship…save…them…Ch'ah…ship…" She insisted still, after almost dying herself. 

Shuri insisted, just because she almost died herself.

Those are lives.

Namor furrowed his brow in anger, almost being consumed by the insane thought of losing Shuri.

But seeing her now, Namor was filled with heartache. How could she still think of rescuing others in this condition? She almost died!

He made sure Shuri was okay before zooming away and doing as she said… Rushing to save the unrelated individuals. 

If they died, they died.

It didn't matter to him.He only cared about her.

Namor reluctantly swam towards the sinking ship to save the surface-dwellers. He pushed the ship with force, against the raging waves— nearly shoving the ship onto the shore, the ship crash-landed on the beach.

Everyone was stunned on their spot. The moment the sinking ship was miles away and suddenly the sinking ship drifted towards them in the opposite direction of the waves. Closer and closer, and eventually washed up on the beach. It must be a miracle, they think.

Namor couldn't help but think how foolish and dangerous because he could vaguely guess how Shuri ended up drowning in the ocean… To save these pathetic peasants. But he couldn't ignore the pleading look in her eyes…

He swam back to her when he ensured no one was longer drifting in the sea. He swam back to the girl who made his heart insanely ache.

"Shuri? Are you alright? Look at me—" Namor found Shuri wheezing on the sand.

She was gasping and holding her chest, Shuri thinks she possibly suffered from internal injuries from being hit by the heavy cargo and almost drowned. 

He pushed aside her clothes and saw purple bruises all over her chest. He sees red. Namor cradles Shuri's face, covering her hand on her chest firmly, telling her, telling himself—

"You are going to be alright, Shuri, just breathe slowly, Shuri—" Her throbbing heart beats furiously under his palm.

Namor felt heartbroken and wanted to kill someone.

Shuri breathed heavily and faintly heard T'Challa shouting for her frantically through the heavy rain, "SHURI—!"

Shuri spoke with difficulty, "...go…Ch'ah…go…I…I will be fine…go…before…someone…see you…" She pushed him away weakly but he didn't move.

"...go…please…" Shuri pleaded with him while coughing. He won't be able to walk away if people see him.

Shuri coughed until her eyes hurt and tears mixed with rain. 

His heart was bleeding. Namor gently touched his forehead to hers and said, "I'll wait for you." Shuri nodded in a daze. She saw the look in his eyes through her fading vision…he was worried sick…and something else. Then she watched him leave and disappeared into the surging waves while coughing her heart out. 

From afar, Namor watched a man pick Shuri up and quickly leave. It should be her brother. And he left.

Feeling helpless as he couldn't do anything to ease her pain….

Moments ago, T'Challa reached the sinking ship, scouting around quickly, looking for Shuri, his blood running cold as time passed by.

"T'Challa, I can't detect her signal, Shuri's signal is gone just like that, I can't—" Nakia choked up from the other side.

"She's going to be fine, you know how tough she is, Shuri's a tough girl, I'll find her right away, I will—" T'Challa comforts her through the rain, comforting himself too.

T'Challa searched the water area as thoroughly as he could, but still no sign of Shuri. And he heard metal clanking with metal. Someone is in the sinking ship!

"Nakia! Keep trying to connect to Shuri's beads! I think she's not here, she got carried away by the waves—" Or not he would have seen her lifeless body at the bottom of the riverbed.

T'Challa swam under the sinking ship and did find the other three people who left behind to navigate the ship and ensured the others got to safety first. He leads them out through the dark and they lean at the turned-over ship, catching their breaths until the ship suddenly starts moving.

"Not again—" One of them grunted.

"Get onto the ship. Quick!" T'Challa shoves them as the ship moves toward the beach against the tidal waves, this is not possible—! T'Challa grabs onto them, preventing them from slipping under again until the ship hits the shore, it crashes heavily and they all get air choked out of their lungs. The debris of the ship was everywhere on the beach as the heavy rain that's been downpouring had gotten much smaller. As if nature decided to spare them. Most importantly, they saved everyone.

Except for Sh—

"T'CHALLA! Shuri's signal!!! Her signal is detected! She's on— she's on the far end of the beach!! On your right!" Nakia gasped as she saw Shuri's signal flickered back on the screen, far away from them. T'Challa gets up immediately and runs to her. Don't you dare die, Shuri! Don't you dare!!!

"Shuri!!" He finds her coughing at the far end of the beach, holding onto her chest painfully. "...bro…ther…" T'Challa carries Shuri in his arms carefully, her chest was in ugly purplish bruises and she's breathing difficulty.

"Hang on, Shuri, hang on, I'll get you to the medical bay— I'll get you the doctor—" She heard her brother's voice tremble, he's panicking.

"I'm…fine…di…did we…save…every…one…I—" Shuri choked on her breath as she coughed out blood onto T'Challa. More and more blood spilling from her mouth, T'Challa cradles her face, calling for her frantically, blood all over his hands.

Shuri's mind wanders,

—Thank Bast…Ch'ah is not here to see her like this…

"Shuri?!" Nakia landed their aircraft and ran to them, "Oh Bast, she got hit by a cargo just now, it must have punctured her lungs or injured her heart, we must get her back to Wakanda!"

"Shuri!!" Ramonda gets out of the house to check on them once the storm has rested. Oh Bast, she's so screwed this time. Mama is going to—

"We need a doctor now! We need a—" T'Challa held her tightly in front of his chest, Shuri is wheezing, she won't make it back to Wakanda under such conditions.

"I'm a doctor! I'm a doctor! Quick, bring her back to the house! She might be suffering from hemothorax—" One of the villagers sprints toward them and everyone rushes back to their house. Shuri tries to listen to them calling to her, keeping herself conscious.

"...Ma-ma…bro…ther…na…kia…tou…ssaint…" T'Challa understands and signals Nakia to bring the kids back to their room. Shuri doesn't want Toussaint to see her like this—

"You are going to be fine, Shuri—" Her eyes felt heavy.

…Ch'ah…

—She hopes he gets back to safety…

"Stay with us, SHURI, STAY WITH U—" Their voices felt far, far away.

—He lives underwater…right…? He'll be fine…I'll be fine too…Ch'ah…don't…worry…don't…

And Shuri succumbs to the dark. 

Free from the pain.

She could hear them talking around her. But she couldn't make herself open her eyes…

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She fell asleep drowsily when the pain was too much and numbed all her senses. She doesn't know how much time has passed since the incident…

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She woke up and then drifted off again, her thoughts sometimes muddled, sometimes aware of the voices around her, but she was too exhausted to open her eyes, and she didn't know how many days had passed.

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Many had held her hand while she was drifting while awake. She could vaguely guess who was holding her hand…

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The one who held her hand warmly and softly, the presence alone of it gave her tremendous comfort, it was Mother.

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The one who grips her hand nervously at the start, and slowly relaxed, holding her preciously, it was Nakia.

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The one who hesitantly grabs her wrist instead of her palm, and gently tucks her hand back under the sheets, Shuri guesses it was Alain.

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There was more than one person, as they held her hand gently and kissed the back of her hand. She could catch a few words of thank you while she tried to focus her attention but she was just too tired. She guessed it was the people that they saved.

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The one whose hands were incredibly small compared to hers. As Shuri felt all his little fingers wrap around her little finger and ring finger, it was her baby boy, it was her nephew, Toussaint.

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And the one who held her hand firmly, day and night. Especially during the night, letting her know that she's not alone. While she turns in her sleep uncomfortably because of the pain in her chest. He would hold her and pats her back, murmuring gently and luring her to sleep. It was Brother.

Shuri wants to wake up. She wants to tell them she's fine. She wants to open her eyes and—

But she was just too tired. As she fell asleep again, she could feel the breeze.

She smelled the wind carrying the scent of the ocean into the room where she lay. The wind brushed over her face and she suddenly thought of someone, but couldn't remember who it was until her chest throbbed in pain again. She felt so tired and fell asleep deeply.

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It's been four agonizing days.

Namor is going to see Shuri today, regardless of the risk of being discovered.

I will see her even if it means dying today.

Two days ago

After making sure that her family had taken Shuri away, Namor returned to the sea, as the storm was still raging. The whales were all afraid to surface for air, so he and his people were busy helping them to a safer place, to prevent them from suffocating to death.

In the meantime, Namor tried to push the thought of Shuri to the back of his mind, not thinking about her for now, because the more he thought about her, the more worried he became. Her injuries looked severe just from a glance, and she might have to stay in bed for several days, or even weeks or months if they were more serious. 

He shook his head, focusing on what the others were saying. Every time he thought of her,he clenched his fists and tried to hold back.

Namor was afraid that he wouldn't be able to resist appearing by Shuri's side and taking her away with him.

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It had been 48 hours since Shuri got injured, and Namor was desperate to know how she was doing. He tried eavesdropping on the wireless communication here, but it was outdated and he got no results. However, he sensed that their aircraft had been coming and going to the local hospital today, and he guessed it was her family going back to Wakanda to get some medical equipment because the facilities here were inadequate. It seemed that her injury was not suitable for moving, otherwise, they would have gone home already, but that also meant he couldn't see her.

But not even Chaac can stop him.

Namor couldn't resist anymore and sneaked in at midnight. He found out which room she was in, but he didn't go in because someone was with her then. Namor couldn't see Shuri at all, which made him a little frustrated. He hoped she was recovering at least.

He decides to come again tomorrow. 

Namor came again at midnight, but there was someone with her again and he didn't get to see her this time either.

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It's been 72 hours and Namor thought he couldn't just sit there and gaze at the horizon, praying for her.

K'uk'ulkan gathered his people and started to develop a special medicine for Shuri's injury. Namor didn't know what had hit her, whether it was the sinking ship, a rock, the waves, or anything else. Based on Shuri's injury and difficulty breathing that day, he predicted that she might have hit her lungs or heart, or perhaps her sternum was shattered. He and the scientists worked together to develop a medicine that could be applied to her wound and help her recover faster. To ensure that it would not harm her or cause any adverse reactions due to their different body compositions and functions, Namor used it on himself.

He picked up a nearby sea rock and smashed his wrist with it, rendering his left hand useless. His people around him gasped in shock and huddled around him worriedly, but Namor remained calm and endured the pain, instructing them to use the medicine on him. By the end of the day, his injury had at least recovered to the point where he could feel his fingertips slightly and move a bit. 

Tomorrow, he will go see Shuri. 

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Namora witnessed all of this. As she watches K'uk'ulkan smashed his own wrist so hard with a fucking rock.

She didn't stop him. 

Besides her and K'uk'ulkan stood a furious and confused Attuma. Who spent the whole night "lecturing" K'uk'ulkan, Namora was pretty sure they both are out of their minds.

"What's the point of smashing your own wrist like that? Are you crazy? Even if you accuse me of disrespect, I still want to scold you, K'uk'ulkan! What's the point of making that medicine? More important than your own well-being? You're insane! You're mad— Are you even listening—!!" 

Namor ignored Attuma all night and couldn't be bothered to respond to his questions. He let Attuma off this time for disrespecting him like that and went back to his cave and rested for the day, waiting to see Shuri tomorrow.

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Namora didn't say anything.

Because she knows that,

No one could change K'uk'ulkan's mind when he had decided on something.

Namor came into Shuri's room at midnight. Prepared to find her pale, weak, sick and someone with her—

He's going to make a distraction and knock' em out from the back.

But he came into Shuri's room, through the opened window, and no one was there. Shuri is alone in the room, sleeping deeply.

The medical equipment by her bedside, the beeping of the heart monitor along with the sound of her breathing, synchronized to calm his restlessheart. Namor finally made his way to her bed and looked at Shuri. Just as he had expected, she was pale and weak, frowning in discomfort and trapped in a deep slumber, unable to wake up.

Her hands were filled with medical needles and tubes, and she was being administered an IV drip. Dark circles under her eyes. She looks so tired. Bloodless.

Fragile.

Namor tiptoed to her bedside, slowly bending down to gently caress Shuri's face with his hand. Shuri furrowed her brows tightly, occasionally coughing softly in her sleep. Namor wiped the sweat from her forehead with his hand, then took out the medicine he had prepared and applied it to her chest.

His hand had recovered quite a bit throughout the day, and he hoped it would help her. He slowly lifted the medical gown and applied the medicine to her chest. The bruise had already faded, but still covered her entire chest.

The cold touch made Shuri uneasy, she tossed and turned on the bed in her sleep, but gradually it became comfortable. Namor sat down in the chair beside her bed, waiting for the medicine to work. Moments later, it seems the pain in her chest seemed to have eased and Shuri's breathing became smoother in her sleep.

It worked. Namor let out a sigh of relief, but he still needed to stay for a while longer to see if the medicine would have any side effects on her.

He carefully covered her clothes and tucked in the sheets to prevent her from catching a cold. Namor held Shuri's hand, which was very cold and small. He placed her cold palm against his warm face and gently rubbed it. 

"Don't be so reckless next time…" 

Look at how many people are worried about you. Namor whispered softly. 

At this moment, Shuri's small hand on his face finally calmed his restless heart these past few days.

When her hand warmed up, Namor moved to the other chair and continued to hold her other hand against his face, feeling the temperature of her palm going from cold to warm. 

Namor stayed for quite some time before he began to hear footsteps approaching in his direction. It was time to go.He planned to come again tomorrow. He removed her hand from his face and kissed her palm preciously. After that, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispered goodbye softly before leaving.

"Rest well, In yakunaj." 

My love.

Namor's heart settled.

Shuri felt the warmth of a large hand on her face, gently stroking her. Her chest suddenly felt cold, but strangely comfortable. The warmth under her palm made her feel inexplicably at ease, and she fell asleep peacefully.   

The next day

Shuri felt the warm sun blazing on her and something wriggling in her arms. Shuri tried to open her eyes, wanting to see the sun and after a few tries, she finally woke up from her long sleep. 

The first thing Shuri saw was her sleeping nephew in her arms, and she gently touched his small face. She then caught a glimpse of her brother, who was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, taking a rest. The father and son sleeping looked so alike that made her heart melt. She felt guilty for causing everyone to look exhausted these past few days.

Shuri longed for the warmth she felt in her palm, which was probably from old T'Challa. 

"...Wake…up, lazy— bugs— the sun's already…shining— on our butts~" Shuri said, struggling to speak because her throat feels so dry.

T'Challa opened his eyes at the sound of his sister's voice, full of surprise that she was awake. The doctor said she might remain drowsy for a few days more. Shuri eagerly took the water T'Challa offered her to drink.

"Slowly, Shuri…thank Bast— You are finally awake." He lifted her up from the bed and let Shuri sit against him, helping her hold the cup of water that she was eagerly gulping down.

"Don't scare us like this ever again…" T'Challa leans down and kisses her temple in relief.

"...Sorry…" Shuri apologizes sheepishly.

"...Aunty…?" Toussaint rubbed his eyes, waking up in her arms.

"...Hi…baby boy…" She squeezed him in her arms weakly.

"Aunty!! You slept longer than me—!" Toussaint buried his face into Shuri, feeling relieved as well. Baba, Mama and Grandmama had been so worried these past few days. 

"...Sorry…your aunty is old~ she needs more sleep than you little baby—" Shuri manages to joke while feeling better. Relieved to wake up from how long she had slept.

"Toussaint, look after your aunty, I'm going to get your Mum and Grandma, be right back—" And Shuri watches her brother, T'Challa rush out of the hospital room in a fluster, she couldn't help but chuckle a little. It had been a while since she had seen him like this, ever since he became King.

And then came a series of hugs and reunions. Her mother hugged her tightly, and Shuri felt even more guilty. But she believed that the choices she made were the right ones.

"—SHURI, what were you thinking?! Don't ever do that again, I'm telling you—" Mama tells her warningly.

"—Can't guarantee it, Mother. But I promise you I'll be more careful next time…" Shuri pouts at Ramonda.

"You still want a next time??? You almost di—" T'Challa gives her a disapproving look.

"Thank you Bast, you finally woke up, Shuri, you've been unconscious for four days. Don't ever jump from the fighter like that— I understand you want to save the people, but please think about us before you do it—" Nakia hugs her tightly. Toussaint was squeezed between them, feeling safe and content. His aunty is a hero to him.

Shuri rubbed her spinning head, feeling dizzy at them nagging at her, she hid her face into Toussaint's warm embrace, "—I know, I know…I promise I won't recklessly jump down from the fighter just to save others again…can we take the lecturing to another day…? My brain cells can't process what were you guys saying anymore—"

"If I don't lecture you now, you'll forget it soon. You never take your mother's words to heart!" Ramonda knows she always had a stubborn, headstrong, kind-hearted, empathetic and compassionate daughter. 

"Just in case you wake up and start causing trouble again, as your older brother, I'm used to it, but give me a break, okay?" T'Challa knows that if they encountered a similar situation next time, Shuri would take the same risk.

"They've been worried sick these past few days. Just bear with them… They're just too anxious about you, Shuri. If anything happens to you, what will we do?—" Nakia reasons with her.

"Aunty…are you going to leave me…?" Toussaint's scared little voice breaks Shuri's heart.

"No— my baby, I'm not going to leave you… Aunty is going to be around for a long long time until you are sick of me, I promise you, Toussaint." She assured the little boy.

"I'm not going to be sick of you, Aunty! How do I get sick of you?" He protested adorably and asked.

"Wait till you grow up, sometimes your Baba is sick of my shenanigans~" Shuri says cheekily.

"Now you know? You take pride in it~" T'Challa crosses his arms.

"...Shuri— I will always be proud of you." Ramonda caresses her face, knowing Shuri will take her words to heart.

"Love you too, Mum," Shuri smiled like a child.

"By the way? The air support with beaming people up is such a brilliant idea—" Nakia is amazed by her new inventions, again.

"You think so too? I got the idea from Star Trek that Baba used to watch and I—!" And the family listens to their big baby talk about her passion for invention, creativity and innovation for the rest of the afternoon.

They have to force her to rest when she has talked long enough because Shuri starts feeling tired.  But she still wants to continue despite just waking up from her long sleep and still in the recovering stage. All four of them did successfully make her rest and sleep in the end. Feeling relieved and grateful to have their non-stop chit-chatting daughter, sister and aunty again.

.

.

.

Shuri sneaked out of her ward during the night. She's sick of staying in bed! She wandered to the far end of the beach, sitting on a rock, looking around at the ocean, looking for—

"Looking for someone?"

Shuri was startled and jumped up a bit.

"Fuck! Don't scare me like that, I'm going to have a heart attack—!" Shuri holds her bruised chest, she flinches too hard and her chest starts to hurt. She looks down at the dark ocean, and Ch'ah appears out of nowhere.

"I recalled you were the one giving me a heart attack, Shuri. I went to look for you just now, but you were not in your room." She came here to look for me. They both went to look for each other at the same time. "What are you doing here besides resting in bed and recovering? You should go back—" Although surprised to see her awake, Namor is still not happy about what happened a few days ago.

In fact, he was furious. Shuri's scrunching up her face and pressing on her chest painfully. It reminds him what could have happened if he's too late—

"...You came to my room??? When??? How—?" Shuri looked at him in surprise. She thought he couldn't get out of the water! Shuri recalls being blurry at the time. Wait— It was Ch'ah who carried her onto the beach that day!

"How is never as important as why. And no, I'm not done with you yet. Are you out of your mind? You almost killed yourself that day!" Namor gets angrier as he speaks, recalling the emergency situation which he now finds quite harrowing. 

Shuri would have died in his arms that day.

And Namor's hatred towards the surface intensifies—

She sensed that he was angry, and helplessly said, "Not you too… You're not going to lecture me too, are you?"

But Shuri still thinks she made the right choice despite being bedridden for days.

Except for everyone lecturing on her, now even Ch'ah is—

"If you died, I would have killed them. If you dared to risk your life again, I would kill them— I would kill all of them." 

Every man, woman and child.

Shuri stared at him with astonishment and dread—

…What did he just say???! Does Ch'ah know what he's saying???! She looked at him incredulously.

"...You didn't mean that—" You are not serious, Ch'ah, you do not really mean that—

But Shuri couldn't detect any insincerity in his words, nor did she think he was pretending to care about her. Ch'ah was really capable of doing that, he was not joking. He was deadserious. And he meant every word of it.

Shuri saw the look in his eyes.

ANGER. RAGE. HATRED. BITTERNESS. 

"You can't do that—!" Shuri tried to reach out to him, she tried to—

"Never mess with the ocean. The sea has always been unforgiving—" Namor cut off her.

"I…I'm sorry… I admit I acted hastily without thinking… I'm sorry I let you worry— I just want to save them…" Shuri tried to soothe his sudden change of attitude. As if he's worried he might lose her—

Namor looked at Shuri and said,

"The way of water has no beginning and no end. Our hearts beat in the womb of the world. The sea is our home, before our birth and after our death— " And he was cursed with losing everyone he loved in this life. Although he may never get to embrace death, Namor had known death all too well.

He has seen it all.

"The sea gives and the sea takes. Water connects all things. Life to death, darkness to light—"

And if Shuri had lost her life back then,

Death in the sea,

Namor would lose the only light he had ever possessed.

He will remain in the gloom, the shadows and the darkness of the abyss for eternity.

Namor wouldn't know how he could go on living in the water, the very same water that had taken Shuri's life, how could he survive— How could he live in the water anymore? 

Knowing it had taken away the most precious person he had in this world.

The thought suffocates him.

"...I know you are upset with me, Ch'ah. But I did what I think was right, there were children. Innocent, young children! You can't expect me to watch them die! And just because they are children…they won't make it long in the ocean! They drown more easily and quickly, I need to act fast! Did you not see the waves that day? It's nearly—!!"

Shuri tried to reason with him.

But…

Namor couldn't hear a thing she said. Blinded by the thought of losing Shuri again and living in a world without her again. This time? There would be nothing to reverse it.

"We live in a cruel world, Shuri."

No— that's not true. Shuri was taken aback by his harsh but truthful words, because she believed in—

"Children die all the time."

Shuri thinks of the girl who could've been dead if it wasn't for her.

"I have witnessed countless times—"

Why are you telling me this then—

"People abandoning them in the ocean—"

…Shuri couldn't help but be saddened by it, how could anyone ever do that—

"People tried to drown them in the sea—"

—Then you should understand why I have to save them!

"You lived in Wakanda, a protected place where people never needed to hide who they were— and you lived in the shadows, not knowing what the world is like."

No. Wakanda will not live in the shadows anymore, because she knows that her brother, T'Challa, will change the world. And she had seen the world— She had fought alongside on the battlefield against Thanos. Bloodshed. All she sees.

And a group of remarkable people who became something more. Who worked together and fought the battle to protect Earth.

To bring back everyone.

They brought us back.

She had witnessed Tony Stark's death. A brilliant mind of a person, a beautiful soul— who once everyone thought he was no hero.

He is. 

And he changed the world. By sacrificing himself.

—Where were you then?

Shuri felt anger boiling in her.

"You are young, Shuri—"

Stop. Everyone should stop telling her she's young, it doesn't mean anything— 

Stop telling me I'm young! I have seen it all— When she thought T'Challa was dead after the fight with Erik Killmonger. The dread of it.

"You have no idea how cruel the world is."

I do.

"And they die all the time." Innocent children. Namor's gaze became sorrowful. 

He thought that living for so long would make him immune to these feelings, that he had become numb.

"And what if they were supposed to die that day?" And when death comes, there is no way to stop it. No one could stop it. Not even god.

"Risking your own life…to save them,"

"Was not worth it."

But no.

Looks like living for 500 years was not long enough.

It is precisely because of this that if something were to happen to her, he will not be able to bear the pain of losing her again. But in the end, he knows that he must endure it, for his people need him. So he had to bear it. So he endured, when Shuri disappeared five years ago. Call him weak or cowardly, but he didn't want to experience that heart-wrenching pain again. It was unbearable. It was too agonizing.

Namor would never forget the day he lost her, the feeling of his heart being brutally ripped out, left abandoned in the depths of the sea. 

His soul would never be whole again.

He made it through. He can only continue moving forward, for his people, for her. At least knowing that even if she is no longer here, he can still cherish the memories of her. Even though he never met her. Even though all he heard was her humming the hateful language in his head all these years. Even when everyone from this generation had died, and the people from the next generation had passed away, and the generation after that is also gone,

He won't be gone.

He will still be here.

And he will remember Shuri.

He will always remember her.

Always.

"No."

Shuri's voice trembled.

Shuri looks at him, heartbroken. By just looking at him. By the voice of him. By the words that come out of his mouth. By how wrenching his gaze was looking at her—

She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"How could you say that—"

It was all too cruel to her ears, and to her heart. Even though she had known long ago, that the world had always been cruel and merciless.

"How could you—!!!"

But Ch'ah's words break her heart.

The value of a person's life is immeasurable.

There's no question of worth, only to save or not to save. If she hadn't saved them, she would have regretted it for the rest of her life. She would have resent herself, she would have hated herself—

"I said what I said. You should not risk your life like that ever again—" Namor couldn't stop himself. He tried to let Shuri see.

To him,

That her life,

Is more important than anyone else.

"Then what if I was supposed to die that day?!" Shuri retorted fiercely, "What if I was supposed to die saving them?! And my life would have been worth it! At least in my last moments, I know I died saving innocents rather than watching them die when I could have done something, it would have fucking meant something—!!" 

It was Namor's turn when his voice trembled.

What if Shuri was supposed to die that day?

Like she would die anyway. Sooner or later, he would lose her anyway—

But not so soon.

"NO— I won't let you—!" Die.

Namor held onto her hand that reached out to him tightly, as if by doing so, 

Shuri would never leave him one day. Not so soon. When he had just found her.

"My life is my own! And I can make my own choice— It was none of your business!" Shuri said furiously and fury clouded her, 

His crushing grip clutched her hand with such force that it caused her agony. But not as painful as her heart.As if her bones were on the verge of breaking, shattered and crushed. Like her heart.

"I'm not a heartless monster like you."

Shuri shook off his hand forcefully and stormed back to the hospital. Leaving Namor numbed on the spot by what she said. Shuri gets back in bed and shuts herself from the world.

How could he be so unreasonable, domineering, heartless, like a monster— 

No— she shouldn't think of him like that—

Shuri spent the whole night replaying what Ch'ah had said. His words had stung her deeply.

Yet she was also frustrated with herself for thinking that way about him.

He's not a monster—

He's just afraid.

—Of what?

Shuri felt anxious, her heart aching not only because of the cruel words he spoke, but also because of the look in his eyes. Her heart was in pain because of him, and Shuri wondered—

—What is wrong with me?

That her heart felt this way.

Shuri fell asleep briefly when the sun appeared in the sky. Still disappointed and—

"—Shuri? Is it your injury? Have you not slept the whole night? Is your chest pain again?" T'Challa reached out to cradle Shuri's face worriedly, her dark circles were so obvious. He shouldn't have listened to her and went back to rest yesterday and ended up leaving her alone in the hospital.

.

.

.

And something fell into place in Shuri's mind.

.

.

.

Her brother's palm on her cheeks,

.

.

.

This is not the same sensation and touch she felt at that moment.

.

It is not the warmth of the hand that had woken her up from her long sleep.

.

.

.

Shuri came to a realization…

…Ch'ah said he had come to look for her in her room… It was possible that he might come into her room before with the risk of being discovered, just to see her—

"...Brother? I want to go home…can I recover in the villa instead of here…? I…" Shuri speaks up lowly, upset with herself about the thought that had dawned on her—

"Alright, is that what you tried to come up with all night? ...Shuri? Is everything okay?" T'Challa's tone went from playful to trying to cheer her up and instantly became incredibly concerned. Why did such a sad and pained expression appear on my little sister's face?

"I want to go home…" Shuri repeated and felt so tired.

"We'll discharge right away. Toussaint is going to be so happy you are back home. Wait for me, I'll go handle the paperwork." T'Challa asked the nurses to look after Shuri before he left. Something's not right.

They went back home in the afternoon. Shuri cuddled with Toussaint for the rest of the day, sleeping on and off, and accompanying him to his daily nap. She had dinner by munching a few bites and went back to sleep. Restless.

She wanted to push him out of her mind, but she found that she couldn't. 

Ch'ah had taken over all of her mind, her thoughts, her spirit, and her soul.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Shuri has been sleeping on and off. She slept late and woke up close to early morning dawn. The movement of her nephew crawling into her arms startled her awake.

"...What's wrong, Toussaint?" She holds him worriedly.

"I have a nightmare, Aunty…" Toussaint whimpered slightly.

"I dreamed that you are not around with me anymore…"

Shuri's heart breaks.

"Now that's a terrifying nightmare, huh? But if you think about it, it's such nonsense~ Your Aunty, me, is well and alive, cuddling with you in my bed. And— your dad and mum would probably freak out if they don't find you in your bed tomorrow. Come, I'll take you back—" Toussaint shakes his head furiously in her arms, and Shuri gives up.

"Can you fall asleep again?" Shuri gently pats her umtshana's back.

"No~~~" Toussaint whines.

"You want me to read you a book?" Shuri chuckled at the suggestion. She would fall asleep herself first.

"No~~ I don't want to sleep…" Toussaint wiggled in her arms.

"Then~ you wanna have some pen patat?" Shuri lures him with food.

"No~ Mama said I can't eat too many sweets…" Toussaint whines again.

"Okay, Mama's words are the laws, remember that! Hmmm…then—" Shuri thought of—

"You want to take a walk on the beach?" She'd seen T'Challa always bring Toussaint to do that.

"...yes…?" Toussaint finally thinks his Aunty suggested a good idea.

"Let's go, then!"  Shuri picked him up and wrapped him in blankets to keep him warm, put on a jacket herself, left a note, and the Aunt and Nephew went for a walk on the beach just outside of their villa. 

She puts him down and lets him play around while she follows him closely. Shuri and Toussaint held hands, strolling along the beach, simmering their feet in the waves, both feeling giddy at the sensation. Her umtshana, Toussaint's bright and loud laughter blew away the lingering pain that was clouding her all along. They walked and walked until Toussaint started to feel tired and demanded a hug. Shuri lifts him up into her embrace, hugging him safely in her arms, as she walks to the far end of the back.

She walked back to the same rock where she sat yesterday, sitting on it while cradling Toussaint in front of her chest and rocking him to sleep more soundly, forgetting about her pain totally. Her baby nephew had grown so much in just two weeks, she hopes she doesn't miss him too much when she returns to Wakanda. She'll come back to Haiti as frequently as she could anyway.

Shuri sat on the rock, where she had a disagreement and argument with Ch'ah, where both sides didn't agree on what each other did or said. 

She still doesn't agree with what he is saying! But…

Shuri wanted to try her luck…but she knew it was impossible.

He wouldn't have come here anymore after she called him a mons—

Shuri watched as the waves rolled in from the distance, fast and precise, until they stopped right at the edge of the rock she was sitting on. Namor emerged from the water, without giving her a chance to catch her breath and said,

"I want to apologize for yesterday, but I stand by what I said."

Namor looked at Shuri helplessly, because of her he hadn't slept and his mind was full of her angry face and the words she had scolded him with. He came to apologize because he was afraid of Shuri getting too angry and couldn't recover properly, damaging her health.

Shuri always knew luck was on her side.

"I didn't mean what I said yesterday, I want to apologize…I'm sorry…" Shuri said while looking down at him while whispering softly. Not wanting to wake Toussaint up.

"...You are not the first or last person to say that," Namor said nonchalantly, although Shuri's words had stung him the most. Because it came not just from anyone but her.

Shuri's heart shattered. She shouldn't have said that—

She held Toussaint tightly in her arms. Trying to focus on the little boy rather than looking at Ch'ah's deep eyes.

Namor noticed Shuri was…holding something…?

He raises his brows, swims closer and tries to peek slightly, Namor was a bit caught by surprise by what he saw—

…

…

…

It's a boy.

It was a little boy in her arms.

Not older than fifty… which is five in human age.

Suddenly, a wild guess appeared in his mind, Namor's eyes widened in shock and blurt out,

"A chan paalo'?" He subconsciously lowered his voice, since he saw the child sleeping in her arms.

"What…?" Shuri murmurs back softly. What did he just say now?

It takes Namor four heartbeats to say this.

"Your baby?"

Shuri's mind short-circuited and recovered quickly. Oh~~~ this again—! He means Toussaint. Shuri blinks a few times, and decides to get back at him for his "children die all the time" speech, to let him know that—

"Yes." Shuri nods firmly, continuing patting Toussaint's back soothingly.

Namor's face was blank as he was in a surprise shock.

Shuri already had a son…?

He tried to look closer, reaching out his hand to remove the blankets and see the boy's face—

Shuri cradled Toussaint protectively against her chest, not letting Ch'ah see.

Giving him a "Don't touch, just look" face, raising her eyebrows at him. Namor puts down his hand unwillingly.

They fall into silence until Namor finally asked curiously,

"...Who's the father?" He wants to know so that he could—

"Pftttttt—" She covers her mouth to prevent herself from laughing too loud.

Shuri felt a secret joy in her heart. Ch'ah had taken the bait!!!!

"Owhhh~~ just a boy~~" She replied to him.

"…Just a…boy??????????"

Namor had expected more than that.

"It doesn't matter. Only he matters—" Shuri smiled lightly at him. Feeling victorious at his shocked and confused face.

They fall into silence again. Until—

"Why are you showing me him?"

Remembering they just argued yesterday, he wasn't expecting Shuri to show up, but he tried his luck and was glad he came. But was received with a tremendous shock.

And incredibly confused.

Clearly, Shuri wanted to keep this a secret—

To protect the boy.

But now, she's showing him to him…

"Children are the greatest creation of their parents."

She hopes Ch'ah understands…

"Just like my baby…" My nephew.

"He will and always will be my family's greatest legacy." Their glory and pride, my little sunshine and a blessing to their family. The only time when Shuri believed Bast had blessed T'Challa and Nakia with Toussaint, who had such a beautiful little soul.

"They are a blessing from the gods, are they not?"

Shuri hopes he understands…

Namor looked at the bundle in her arms and back to Shuri.

He saw…

Namor does—

He may not father any children, but as K'uk'ulkan, he's not only their god to his people, but a father to all of his children as well.

He knows what Shuri wants to tell him desperately.

He does understand.

Namor looked at Shuri, 

The sun slowly rising behind him shone on Shuri's gentle smiling face,

Shuri's eyes were filled with all the love she had for her child.

Namor had always understood…

Because he felt the same way for his.