WHITE WIDOW
October 6th, 2016
Wakanda, Africa.
Here in the bowels of the Princess’ tower, the light was artificial and cool, a gentle white that was a far cry from the harsh Wakandan sun; though by now, the sun had probably faded. It had been a long day for the royal family – and indeed all of Wakanda.
She didn’t mind the enclosed space anymore. Besides, there was much to do and consider in the present – the dark memories of her time imprisoned were far away. She hummed low under her breath as she worked; trying to soothe the anxious, exhausted girl before her. The lingering vestiges of her own battle-fever were still running through her, equal parts hot and cold – adrenaline battling the frost of her training. It had been close today; too close. Shuri – her charge – had nearly been killed, and even if the girl didn’t seem to realise just how close she had come to death at the hands of her cousin, Aleks knew.
As it was, Shuri had been quick and clever, and had avoided the killing blow. She had a few cuts that needed tending, and she would have some bruises in the morning, but Aleksandrina felt confident that she could take care of it. Deftly, she tied off the end of the bandage she had wrapped over the neat stitches she’d put on the deepest cut on Shuri’s shoulder and sat back to look at the young girl. Shuri met her gaze with wide eyes.
“How do you feel, Princess?” Aleks raised her hand in an outwardly soothing gesture, gently cradling Shuri’s jaw. Subtly, she checked the girl’s pulse. Shuri’s heart was pounding hard enough she could hear it.
“Fine. Good.” Shuri replied, before she blinked. “I thought I told you to stop calling me that.” Aleks kept her face still as Shuri scowled. “especially after today-” Shuri’s playful tone stuttered to a halt as her face dropped; no doubt the battle was coming back to her in all-too real technicolour. “Is it always like this?” Shuri asked suddenly, looking frightened. Aleks regarded her with mute question. “Feeling so…so…everything?”
This time, Aleks touched the girl with feeling, smoothing back the wild curls at Shuri’s temples that had sprung free during combat. “You shouldn’t fear feeling, Shuri. It would be worse to fight and feel nothing at all.”
A sudden commotion from the entryway made them both startle. Aleks had phased through the table and pulled Shuri into invisibility before she had even properly processed the interruption.
“-know she’s here! I saw her, during the battle! I won’t-”
It was Everett Ross.
T’Challa and the Queen Mother had ordered her to stay hidden when news of his arrival had spread. It was because of him, she had not been able to protect Shuri better. It was because of him this whole mess started.
He wasn’t a particularly tall man, but from what Shuri had told her, and from the way he was staring down the Dora Milaje – he seemed to be unusually brave. Perhaps that was why he had come directly to find her, rather than call in for an army of backup.
“I’m right here, Agent Ross.”
Aleks stepped forwards, releasing Shuri from the Grey and nodding to the Dora to let the man through. He was panting, left arm in a sling, and had a nasty black eye blooming. Shuri scurried forwards, planting herself firmly between them. “Mr. Ross – you cannot arrest her! She is on foreign soil, and as part of the ruling sovereignty of Wakanda I refuse-”
“You saved her life today.” Ross interrupted Shuri, staring very hard at Aleks. Aleks gently moved Shuri aside, Ross’ eyes watching her hands on the Princess’ shoulders carefully.
“Yes.”
“And you were involved in the recent exposure of the last Chinese HYDRA cell? The recovery of those NASA-ROSCOSMOS documents? The dissolution of-”
“Yes.” Aleks interrupted him this time. She and Steve had been busy – and if Ross wanted to list off their recent missions and accomplishments they would be here for too long.
“So... you and Barnes have been here, this whole time?”
To that, Aleks said nothing. She would not betray the whereabouts of her partner, and she would not implicate the Wakandan nation in the hiding and abetting of wanted fugitives. “What are you going to do, Ross?” Aleks asked bluntly.
Shuri made a noise, tried to step between them again, but Aleks put a hand out to still her, not looking away from Ross’ eyes. His mouth twisted. “I should arrest you, Ghost.”
“If that is what you think you should do, then do it.” Aleks had stopped running. “But you should know, Agent – I’m not Ghost anymore.” She was not what they made her, and she never would be again.
“Who are you then?”
“My name is Aleksandrina Nikolaevna Romanov,” Aleksandrina took a small step back, and spread her arms, inviting Ross to look at her, look at all of her – the new hair, the new smile, the new suit. The new person. “But you can call me the White Widow.”