CHAPTER ONE, I need you

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

IVANNA NILOLEAVNA ENTERED the abandoned, run-down building holding her side to help with the blood she was losing after being shot. She was thankful she couldn't feel an ounce of pain in her side as she threw her bag onto the cement ground and peeled the top to her suit off of her body. Ivanna dropped the torn, dark fabric onto the ground and leaned over to inspect her wound. She had received it from Natasha, during the fight, over being on Steve's side. Natasha, however, was the one who helped Ivanna escape, explaining how Ivanna was never her target after all. Ivanna appreciated the help and was promised to have someone helping her get out of Saxony coming her way eventually.

Ivanna inspected the bullet wound on her side, tucking the tank-top she still had on under her bra. She grimaced at the sight of her wound, then stooped down to her bag to start gathering materials to clean up the wound. After stitching and patching up the hole and scrape on her side, Ivanna threw the medical materials into the black bag. Ivanna finally scanned the building she was in, finding metal stairs outside of the window that led to the roof. A few thoughts crossed through her mind at that moment, if she had help coming her way it was least likely that they would be by foot or car, but by a jet.

Ivanna settled on the metal stairs being her best way out of the building and pulled her tank-top out from underneath her bra. She frowned at the blood on it and crouched down to her bag, finding a grey tank-top and jeans. Nodding with a smirk, Ivanna pulled them out and removed the pants to her catsuit. Ivanna pulled her jeans up and buttoned them, then peeled off her tank-top and pulled the grey one on. Ivanna sighed as she put her ruined suit into the bag, then dug for something to tie her blonde hair back. Finding a tie, Ivanna pulled her hair back into a dutch braid and then closed her bag. To finish everything off, Ivanna put her boots back on and situated everything she had with her.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Ivanna paced toward the window with her eyes glued to the flight of stairs outside of it. Ivanna ensured her bag was secure and then jumped out of the window, gripping tightly to the stair railings and then landing her feet firmly on a step. Gaining her balance on the rickety stairs, Ivanna began climbing them to the roof. She remained as crouched as she could, not wanting to risk being caught by someone that could lead to her being arrested.

Ivanna set foot on the roof and glanced around, still no sight of anyone who could be of help to her. Suddenly, she heard a familiar engine running and glanced around. Ivanna gave a knowing glance to the jet lowering down beside her. It was, after all, the one that Natasha had electrocuted T'Challa over to make sure Steve and Bucky got on and left in. It was after that moment that Natasha helped Ivanna leave, and then Natasha disappeared herself. The jet landed and the door was pulled open, Ivanna seeing a familiar form. Steve Rogers stepped forward as far as possible and held his hand out toward Ivanna,

"Steve," Ivanna grinned at the familiar face. A sense of calm and peace came over her at the sight of Steve, "what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," Steve said, returning Ivanna's soft smile and letting her throw the bag she had in his direction. Steve took the bag and set it beside the door, then gripped Ivanna's hand to pull her into the jet. Ivanna noticed the cuts and scrapes, as well as bruises forming, that were littered all across Steve's face. Steve smile again at the familiar face, then pulled back to shut the door, "but we need your help first."

"Why?"

"Someone to trust," Steve nodded and turned away, walking toward the main bay of the jet to where Bucky was seated. This was Ivanna's first glance seeing Bucky after the duo had left at the airport.

Ivanna furrowed her brows at the sight of Bucky and stepped toward him. Bucky's eyes widened at the approaching woman, and reasonably so. Ivanna couldn't blame someone who went through as much as Bucky did. Ivanna smiled at him warmly and sat on the bench beside him,

"Hey Bucky," Bucky eyed her cautiously but visibility relaxed in her presence, "Steve, could you grab me a kit?"

Steve disappeared into the medical bay and then came back with a first-aide kit, slipping it into the blonde woman's hands and watching as she opened the metal case and began digging through it. Ivanna began cleaning Bucky's wounds, and as she finished them she brushed her fingertips along the remains of Bucky's metal arm.

"Does that hurt at all?" She asked the brunette man softly after noticing the ways he slightly flinched, maybe out of fear of Ivanna hurting him, Bucky shook his head. Ivanna tilted her head, watching Bucky closely before frowning. Ivanna didn't need to know any further before she spoke again, "Tony did this?'

Steve was still beside her, having left only to put the jet in auto-pilot, "I can't get anything past you."

Ivanna turned her head and studied Steve's face, "You're hurt."
"I'll live," Steve received a warning glare in response and grabbed her arm, pulling her to stand beside him, "how did you get out of there?"

"Natasha, after she helped you and Bucky get out of there she brought me to the building back there. We agreed that our best bet was the both of us going separate ways," Ivanna explained slowly, recounting everything that happened after Steve and Bucky had gotten away, "Where will we go?"

"Wakanda," Steve nodded, "T'Challa can help Buck, and you if you need it."

"I've already taken care of myself," Ivanna lifted her shirt, exposing her bandaged side.

"You're great at hiding that," Bucky mumbled from his spot. His brown eyes were on her bandage and they raised to her blue ones, "the pain from the wound."

"It's nice to hear you," Ivanna teased, smiling in his direction, "pain immunity. Can't feel it."

Bucky nodded and looked back to where his arm had been blasted off at. She could tell Bucky was in some sort of pain, it's what was racing through his mind every time she looked at him. Steve seemed calm, or as calm as he could be, as they flew out of Saxony. Ivanna stood behind him, offering to take over since she knew how to pilot, teasing him that the last time he did something like this he ended up in the 21st century. It was enough to make him smile and even got a laugh out of Bucky, which was enough for Ivanna.

Steve did switch her places, only when Bucky wanted him for something. She took over the flying until they reached Wakanda, where she helped Steve and Bucky get inside. They were all soon separated to be cleaned up, Ivanna being forced to let people properly clean her bullet wound. When they left the small room she was in she changed her clothes, putting on clean jeans and a black t-shirt with a tan jacket over it. She tied the jacket and put her boots back on, walking to the door to find Steve.

She was led to a larger medical room, finding Bucky sitting in the bed cleaned up and in much better shape than he had been when they arrived.

"Hey Bucky," she smiled at him, setting the bag beside the bed and looking him over, "you look much better."

He returned the smile and gave a small nod, "Thanks, you too."

They both turned to the sound of Steve's voice, he had changed out of his suit and with a bandage on his forehead. He grinned at the sight of Ivanna and his best friend, joining them.

"Buck," Steve greeted the dark-haired man. Ivanna saw the interaction starting and turned, leaving the room and letting the two friends be alone.

"Miss. Niloleavna," T'Challa was walking in her direction, his hands clasped behind him as he smiled at her, "you look much better."

"Thank you," she smiled and dipped her head, "thank you for letting us come here."

"Of course," he gestured for her to walk alongside him, "it feels much better to know the truth, and to help a man rather than hurt him."

"I'm sure," Ivanna looked at the ground as they walked, her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

"Please know that you are always welcome here in Wakanda," T'Challa informed her, "and you will always have a place here if you can not seek it elsewhere."

"Thank you, T'Challa," they walked in silence for a moment longer, before she couldn't keep the words she wanted to say back, "Natasha. Do you know where she is?"

He gave her a sad look and shook his head, "I wish I could help you, especially after what you've done for me and my people. But I'm afraid I haven't heard of her since before she ran off with you."

"But if you do hear anything," Ivanna paused, lowering her gaze to her ground as her thoughts filled with anything that could happen to Natasha, "you'll tell me?"

"As soon as possible," T'Challa gave her a small smile, he took Ivanna's hand and brought it to his lips, causing her to smile at him in return, "I promise."

"Thank you, again, T'Challa,"

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Steve and Ivanna agreed that it would be best to stay in Wakanda for a short while, as T'Challa had offered them a place to stay to keep them safe for as long as they would need it. Steve and Ivanna discussed the idea and decided it would be best for them until they could figure out how to help Sam, Clint, Scott, and Wanda or find Natasha. Ivanna would persistently check-in with T'Challa for their first few days hiding out in Wakanda, asking if he knew anything about Natasha. And every time she asked, T'Challa would give her the same response: we have been searching as much as we can, but there hasn't yet been anything on Natasha.

But the pair hadn't been staying in Wakanda long before Shuri, T'Challa's sister, had summoned the presence of both Ex-Avengers with news for the both of them. Ivanna didn't hesitate to join T'Challa to go to his sister's lab, and neither did Steve. Ivanna and T'Challa remained beside one another on the way to Shuri's lab and found the princess with a message of sorts pulled up in front of her. Ivanna paced directly toward Shuri, being greeted with a faint smile from Shuri.

"What is it?" Ivanna questioned when she reached Shuri and the screens she had pulled up around her. Shuri moved her holograms and on-screen messages around in front of her. Shuri put her attention on one specific message and gestured toward it for Ivanna to read.

[ Ivanna, it's Natasha. I'm glad you've remained safe but this is important. I need you in Budapest. ]

Ivanna read over the message multiple times, making sure that what she was seeing was correct and true before she pulled away from the message and glanced around the group of people surrounding her. Steve's hands rested on his hips and T'Challa's arms were crossed as her eyes met each of their own.

"What is it?" Steve finally asked.

"It's Nat," Ivanna's eyes dropped to the ground in front of her and she crossed her arms and released a deep sigh, "she needs my help."

"Should you go?" Steve questioned.

Ivanna pondered on the idea and if it was any other situation would've told Steve no. But this was Budapest, Ivanna had put the pieces together soon enough when it came to the idea of being in Budapest. Natasha wouldn't have any other reason to call for her sister to join her in Budapest of all places.

"I have to go," Ivanna finalized and looked up to Steve watching her doubtfully, "I need to find a suit of some sort and I need to go."

"Then let me go with you," Steve suggested, "the more of us and the longer we're all together, the better off our group will be."

"No Steve," Ivanna shook her head, "Natasha would never call me to Budapest for something small enough that you could come. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't."

"I'm sure we could get you some weapons and such," T'Challa concluded, "and then we'll get you sent out of here and to Budapest."

Ivanna smiled gratefully and nodded, "Thank you, T'Challa."

"It is my pleasure to help you reunite with Miss. Romanoff," T'Challa smiled with a deep nod and then turned to guards and scientists around him, giving instructions and watching them all leave the room.

After a short time of waiting, Ivanna was greeted by T'Challa providing her a new set of weapons for her to use. Electric and magnetic batons, and guns that she had never even seen at SHIELD before. Shuri arrived with a suit for Ivanna, explaining how new everything in the weapons and suits was thanks to Wakandan technology. Ivanna thanked the siblings and tucked everything away, then went to search for Steve.

It wasn't too hard for Ivanna to find Steve, standing outside her room and waiting patiently for Ivanna to set foot out. He glanced over the blonde, seemingly annoyed at the new revelation of Ivanna leaving Wakanda when she was just as illegal as Steve himself. Ivanna smiled at Steve, it was sad, but it was a smile that caused Steve to nod,

"You'll be careful?" He questioned, "If you get caught we're all in danger."

Ivanna nodded, "I have no reason not to be careful. It's Budapest, plus Natasha and I are a team. We are fully capable of keeping one another safe and fighting alongside each other."

Steve knew this just as well, he had watched the two women work with each other for as long as he could up until the airport battle.

After saying their farewells, Ivanna was leaned a small jet to help her get as close to Budapest as she could, then instructed to find a train or some other way to fully enter Budapest. Ivanna agreed, thanking T'Challa for helping her one again before she made her way to the jet and was ready to leave Wakanda.

And leave Wakanda she did.