Caged Bird [T'Challa]

Thirteen

Hunter had practically paced a hole in the floor before she finally sat down next to the throne, placing her head in her hands. The day had cycled through and it was the next morning before the tribe leaders had returned. 

They said nothing to her, barely even sparing a glance to the blonde as they took their seat. Hunter was quick to notice that Shuri and Ramonda had not returned yet, but her thoughts were interrupted when her sensitive ears picked up the sound of the Dora Milaje's footsteps. Hunter lept up, running to the door to greet T'Challa. "I was worried that you..." Her words trailed off when she was met with the sight of Erik. Her heart sank as she shifted her gaze to Okoye, but the woman wouldn't look at her. Okoye looked as though she was about to cry and it caused Hunter to fear the worst.

"Not who you were expecting, Hunt?" Erik joked as he took a step towards her only for her to take one back. "You gonna be like that now?"

She almost choked on her words as she spoke "Where's T'Challa?" She looked around at the tribe leaders when Erik didn't answer her, but none of them looked up at her. She looked back to Erik, who was practically smirking down at her.

"Oh, him? He dead." Erik finally answered her, causing her blood to turn cold as ice. "Threw him right over the edge of the fall." 

Hunter shook her head, setting a glare on him. "You're lying..." Her voice was barely above a whisper at first. "You're lying! Where is he?" She shouted at him, she shoved him back, but he barely even moved an inch.

The Dora Milaje hesitated before they grabbed the blonde, pulling her away from Erik. "Don't worry, you won't even notice that he's gone Hunt." He grabbed Hunter's chin forcing her to look up at him. "I promised myself that I would come looking for you when I avenged my dad, now I have found you and you ain't going anywhere. " He looked to the two warriors who held the blonde. "You know where to put her, and make sure she doesn't leave."

Hunter couldn't even find the will to struggle against the warriors as they drug her away. She felt empty. Her heart was heavy and felt as though it was cracking like a mirror that had been thrown to the ground. The Dora Milaje had brought her to an empty room and locked her in.

Her heart rate increased along with her breathing. She was locked in a cage once more, this time there was no way of escape. Nobody was coming to help her. She fell to her knees, finally allowing the pain to consume her.

She didn't know how long she had been lying on the floor, her tears long since dried. She forced the air to move in and out of her lungs, each breath feeling more painful than the last. She wished her heart would just stop beating.

"We used to be tight. I finally find you again, and you ain't even happy to see me." Erik's voice filled her ears, causing her body to tense.

Slowly she pushed herself into a sitting position, glaring at him slightly.  "You're not my Erik." Was all she managed to get up before the man jerked her up by her throat. His grip wasn't tight enough to completely choke her, but it did make breathing difficult.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I grew up. Yeah, I had to grow up real fast thanks to my own uncle." He brought his face close to hers. "I learned that if you want something in this world, you have to steal it away. Nobody gives things out to people like me." Before she could protest, his lips were on hers. Her tears renewed themselves as they ran down her face.

She knew there was no point in fighting, he would win and she couldn't concentrate enough to shift. She wished so bad that she could shift as his hand moved from her neck to her waist and her breathing became less strained.

Hunter closed her eyes tight and let her body go numb, hoping it would all just be over quickly.