7

                                    

                                          
Yucatan Peninsula shores 
 "Are you sure this is where you went to save Shuri?" Okoye asks as she suits up. Aneka stands by the beautiful ocean shore with Nakia appearing from her virtual video message from her device. " I am positive. No doubt but Okoye do you think this is a good idea right now? These people are dangerous and we've alre-"
 "Nakia, I know you have your worries but we cannot leave our own behind like this.." Okoye says cutting her off. 
 "I understand. But the safety and risk your putting wakanda in again, our country has lost a lot already. Doing this can escalate things quickly!" Okoye stands in thought and Aneka eyes her from the corner. "Nakia, Okoye and I will talk. I will get back to you." 
Aneka ends the call with a wave of her hand and turns to Okoye. " What are you doing?" Okoye asks and Aneka faces her. " I don't think going down their is the best right now." Okoye looks offended and squints her eyes. " I'm not leaving her here. It's been to long already." "As general, I declare this mission is canceled ." Aneka says as she walks away. " Excuse me?!" Okoye says walking after her. " Okoye, Nakia is right. We cannot risk wakanda again right now. We've just started rebuilding and have our new king, we haven't thought all the way through about this." Okoye scoffs and crosses her arms. 
" I can't believe you Aneka, turning your back from your own." Aneka stops in her tracks and turns to her. " Me? I'm only doing what's best for wakanda. I'm loyal to wakanda. What are you loyal to?" She asks and Okoye trembles and tears brim her eyes realizing the past hurt and betrayal creeping into her skin. " I-i stay. You go then." She stutters and Aneka glances at her and nods before walking off. Okoye falls to her knees ripping the grass out from underneath her. She was sad and angry at the same time. Old emotions rising in her and reminding her off the past shadows that haunted her. She had no idea how she was going to save Asha on her own, but at the same time keep her country safe. She was torn but didn't want to give up on Asha. So she decided to stay longer and find another way. 
  Ashas pov 
I wake up in sweats wheezing for air. I lay up on my cot gasping feeling like I'm going to take my last breathe. All I could think and feel was that I needed water. I run out the hut and head toward the deepest part of the pool of water . I hold my throat looking to the water hesitate to jump in. My air pathway was closing quickly, and so I decide to jump in anyways. As my body comes in contact with the water I go underneath and can breathe easily. I swim deeper down feeling relief wash over me. Realization didn't hit me untill I was under water for what felt like 10 minutes. Oh my gosh. I am breathing underwater. I swim back up to air and look around. My throat suddenly becoming dry. I dive back down and I can breathe again. What is happening? 
I look around underwater and the ocean is open, dark and scary. I scan the darkness only to see a shadow of some sort. It looks like a person. As it becomes closer the familiar face of him comes into view. I lock eyes with his as he swims close to me and observes me. I swim away a little and he swims around me in 360 degree. I follow his movement and he quickly swims back up to the surface. I follow behind and come up for air. I see him step out the water and turn to look at me. "You shouldn't be down their. You can die easily." 
He says and I walk out the water after him. "Tell me why can I breathe underwater for so long? ." I ask avoiding his question and he turns to me. " What?" He says and I touch my throat. " I was underwater for a long time. It's like I was breathing it. Better than air." I say and he walks up to me. His body is close to mine again and I can feel the tension in the atmosphere change.  He lifts his hand and places it underneath my chin observing me. Then he speaks.  "It seems the plant is taking affect now." I raise my eyebrows. 
"The plant ...? The one I ate?" I ask and He looks down in thought. 
"Yes, your transforming now and ..I think it's time." What is he talking about? 
" Time for what?" 
"To see my nation. But before you do you must know the story of my people. If your willing to." I'm in anticipation as he talks. I'm not well aware of what is happening to me but I want to know. My body was changing and my memory was fading from the outside world. I had felt like I was being reborn again somehow and I was intrigued to find out. 
I nod my head in agreement to wanting to know more , and he directs me to sit down. I sit on the chair on the opposite side of where he sits. We lock eyes for what seems like the 100th time with that heavy tension lingering in the air again. Then he speaks. " I want you to know theirs nothing to be afraid of. But my people reach back to thousands of years ago. We were given a miracle of a plant from the rain Gods. Our shaman was lead to find it. This plant gave us a cure to help stop a disease that was killing my people. This lead us to have the ability to live, breathe underwater. My mother was pregnant with me when she took the herb. And now I am the protector of my people. I have hid away from the outside world for centuries."
 As he continues with the story my growing hate for him was slowly withering away and was turning into empathy. The way he spoke about his people and protecting them was so passionate. Underneath it all he was just a man protecting what he loved. I've also learned that he goes by many names. His people call him K'uk'ulkan  but the main name outsiders called him was 'Namor.'