Caged Bird [T'Challa]

Four

"Asset has been restrained. Clear for injections." A man that was dressed in a full doctor uniform murmured behind his mask. He was blurry just like the rest of the room. Even the bright white light above where Hunter laid.

She felt a prick and something that she could only describe as liquid fire entering into her veins. She could feel the liquid move all throughout her body, scorching everything in its wake. At this rate she thought she would turn to ash.

"Injection complete." A soft feminine voice called in. "Hook her up." She could feel them beginning to put wires all over her body.

She wanted to scream and rip these things off of her. She wanted to run back to the safety of Stark Towers, but these people had sedated her. She could barely move let alone use her abilities.

Since she couldn't move, she cried. The tears soaked into her blonde hair and she began to scream for the one person who had always promised to look out for her. The one person who had also betrayed her, handing her over to these people because of an agreement. All because he felt guilty...

"Hunter!" Her eyes snapped open and she realized someone was shaking her. Her hands instinctively reached out and grabbed onto their wrists in a tight grip. "Shhh, it's okay. You're safe. Everything is alright." The voice soothed.

The blonde blinked away her tears and her eyes finally focused as she looked at the Wakandan King in front of her. "T'Challa?" Her throat felt raw and it hurt to talk.

She watched as the king's shoulders dropped with relief. "You really had us worried there. You were screaming and crying. We feared that something was seriously wrong." He paused as if to think about his next statement. "Are you alright?"

She slowly sat up and nodded. "I'll be okay." She tried to sound reassuring, but it came out like she was almost choking. She cleared her throat and slowly moved started moving the covers off of herself. T'Challa stopped her, his other hand to reach up and cup her cheek. His thumb gently traced the dark circles under her eyes.

"Go ahead and rest a little more. You look as though you could use it." His tone was soft and was only loud enough for her to hear. "I will bring you something to eat in a couple of hours after dinner is prepared."

Slowly, the blonde nodded. She knew that arguing with T'Challa was a waste of time since he would no doubt win the argument. "Alright.." As she laid back on the bed, the Wakandan pulled the blankets over her body. "Thank you."

"You have no reason to thank me." The king seemed to hesitate for a moment before he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead gently. "Sleep well."

After he had disappeared, Hunter brought her fingers up to brush against the area where his lips had touched as her cheeks began to flush pink.

She turned on her side and allowed herself to slip back into a dreamless sleep this time. It felt as though she was merely floating in darkness before a soft voice called her back. "Hunter?" She blinked away the sleep and her gaze landed on Okoye.

The general held a tray in her hands. "Okoye? Is everything okay?" Hunter's voice was thick with sleep as she slowly sat up in the bed.

"The king was caught up in a meeting. He wanted me to apologize on his behalf, for not being able to bring your food like he had promised." Okoye placed the tray on her lap, Hunter looked intrigued. Many of the dishes didn't look familiar at all, but they still looked delicious.

"Thank you, Okoye. I really appreciate the food. No matter who brought it." She offered a polite smile to her and the general's eyes softened.

Okoye hesitated before she took a seat at the edge of the bed. She kept her gaze on the blonde as she spoke. "Shuri and I could not access any information about you. I don't like not knowing about someone who has entered my country."

Hunter paused in her eating and stared at the woman for a second. "I-I would never hurt anyone if that's what you mean." Tears had already began to fill her eyes. This woman could send her back to that hell where they kept her caged up and on display for any scientist that visited. "Please, Okoye, don't send me away. Ask me anything and I will answer it. I promise." Her voice was getting higher, giving away the fear she felt.

Okoye moved and carefully slipped an arm over the young woman's shoulders as she began to hyperventilate. "What is going on?" T'Challa's voice echoed through the silence of the room. He looked at Hunter in his general's arms. "Leave us. I will take care of her." He spoke softly as he walked over and put the tray on the bedside table. As soon as Okoye shut the door, T'Challa took the blonde's face in his hand. "Hunter, look at me. Focus only on my voice. You are safe here. Nobody will hurt you so long as you are under my care." His tone was soft and reassuring.

Hunter blinked a few times, clearing the tears from her eyes as they focused on the king. Taking deep breaths, she finally calmed her hysterics enough to speak. She threw her arms around him, hiding her face in his shoulder as she cried. "Please, don't let them put me back in the cage.."

The Wakandan king gently began to run his fingers through her hair. "Sh, it is alright. I will not allow anyone to put there hands on you, so long as I have breath in my lungs.."

He meant every word too. He would protect this woman with all that he had. Nobody would take her away from him.