Chapter 546

T’Chaka, King of Wakanda POV

“Shuri.”

“Father!” My daughter stood up, greeting me with a smile as the others in the room greeted me as their king.

I smiled back faintly. “Daughter, I come not for our familial ties. Have you discovered the source of the anomalies out west?”

Shuri furrowed her brow, and in a huff, she sat back down. “The atmospheric disturbances made it impossible for our satellites to see what was going on in that American town. I’ve been doing my best to decode the energy signatures that have appeared, but they’re utterly foreign to anything I’ve ever seen.”

Yes...disturbances.

What else to call the strange winter that took hold of a desert town along with an explosion that rivaled the primitive weapons of mass destruction they tout?

“And what of Shield?” I asked, knowing about the worldwide organization as the head of Wakanda.

“I’ve been subtly trying to get into their systems, and I succeeded, but they don’t ’keep anything in easy reach. You told me not to make any noise, so I can’t just brute force through their systems, which is taking time.” She grumbled.

“Patience, daughter. Stealth is more important for now.” I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“I know, I know.” She sighed. “Just so you know, I could have been in and out of their system in an hour if you let me go all out.”

“Of course.” I chuckled, acknowledging her prowess. However, I did not want any traces of us around that organization.

I did not trust Shield; there were far too many strange occurrences about them.

Not to mention, they were the ones present at the town where the person was as well.

The outsider who approached us had appeared at the same place that this strange anomaly occurred; it couldn’t be coincidence.

I regret that I did not give the order to apply more pressure for his detainment.

Perhaps I should have allowed the War Dogs to operate more openly. However, with Shield being nearby, I did not want to risk it. As King of Wakanda, I knew of their leader, Nicholas Fury, a man with the dedication, skill, and paranoia needed for his position. If he even suspected an oddity, he would spend countless resources to investigate.

No, I did not make the wrong choice; hindsight is not a valid regret.

It was a far more operable maneuver to attempt to separate the person of interest from the organization by distance before moving in.

It was simply unfortunate timing.

And now, another incident that required our attention from beyond our lands. It was clear that whatever happened to that small town within the North American continent was something that needed investigating.

Be it a weapon of some design or something else. It was imperative that Wakanda know the source and, if need be, remove it from the hands of those that would use it incorrectly.

So far, we only have the reports from our own agents that were nearby and could see the aftermath of the incident.

The War Dogs we initially had in the small town acting as passersby and travelers had been forced to retreat temporarily after some strange incident with a man drunkenly attacking one of them. Some kind of acquaintance with the target, but we had no identification of him either.

Otherwise, the identities of the people he visited had been verified, and there were no oddities with them. It was as if they had met for the first time and proved immaterial to our investigation.

It just raised further questions and concerns because we were not able to track his entrance into that country even though our spies were inserted quite thoroughly in their systems.

The combined oddities with the monuments that still persisted at the border of our country were making many of us uneasy. Especially now that we confirmed Shield agents had approached and began investigating them as well.

It served to confirm my belief that caution was the best course of action at the moment in how we approached this sensitive topic.

“Oh, I finally got something.” Shuri perked up. “About the colonizer that attacked our people at the border. The organization—Shield—just uploaded a file on him. But…” She paused, reading over it. “It’s nothing that we don’t already know.” She scrunched her nose and grumbled under her breath. “Useless.”

I forget sometimes that for her vast intelligence and technological prowess, she is still so young. 

She may have advanced some of our technology by decades in the short time she’s been in charge of our Science and Technology division, but she has the patience of a broody teenager yet.

“Princess Shuri, I have something.” On another screen off to the side, a man stood up, looking our way with haste in his tone.

“Send it to me.” She replied and began to utilize the devices around her, and the images on her screen changed. “Oh!” She perked up, and we both saw the picture of the man we were after.

“Where is this?” I asked.

“Looking into it right now and…” She continued to operate the equipment. “It looks like Lagos, Nigeria. I have here, ugh.” She grumbled in irritation. “They could at least upload their paperwork properly. It’s barely legible and all blurry. But it looks like some port documents? Nothing unusual, but he did imply that there was Vibranium in the waters, right? Any chance he chartered a boat with a crew to go treasure hunting?”

She raised a good point.

“Do we have any satellites in the area available?”

“Chameleon Four is overhead.” Shuri responded. “Bringing it up and adjusting the coordinates.”

We had a bird’s-eye view of the continent as the images narrowed in further until it overlooked the bustling port of our neighbors. 

“Look for the public docks.”

Through her machinations, the images narrowed in, looking above several ships, but none of them looked particularly noteworthy.

That was until we found one that stuck out quite significantly.

It was primitive even by their standards. Utilizing sails and made of wood.

Though, the distinct red hair was unmistakable.

“You can’t be serious.” Shuri shook her head. “Is that made of wood!?”

I ignored her words and focused on the target instead. “Follow him.”

“Should we call for a strike team?” Shuri asked. “As soon as he’s in international waters and no one’s around, we can easily secure him.”

I considered it as well, but there was a better option. “He makes claims of Vibranium; let us see if his words hold true. Send word for a strike team, but they will keep their distance for now.” There was something strange about this man; it is best to err on the side of caution since he has revealed capabilities to see through our stealth technology. We do not know what other means he has available.

And if his words hold true regarding vibranium… it lends credence to his other words as well.

“We will wait until he either attempts to return or he reveals a lost deposit of vibranium,” I told her.

There’s nowhere for him to run now, but it would be best if we secure any lost Vibranium before others can steal it.

However, their voyage was... uneventful.

Other than a strange woman we could not identify—either from poor visuals or otherwise—there was nothing to note about their trip.

The oddity of their ship notwithstanding.

They eventually reached a point where they stopped, and we could see them jump into the water.

They stayed submerged for long enough that it seemed prudent in hindsight to time their descent. Perhaps they carried with them breathing apparatuses that were small enough that we did not notice.

An hour, maybe closer to a second. I ended up having a chair delivered to wait by my daughter’s side while she managed other tasks under her purview.

Eventually, the two resurfaced, and they pulled with them a hefty-sized chunk of stone at first glance.

The metal itself—even in its raw form—was…light. But if it was truly Vibranium, it would still be far too heavy for someone to carry in such a way even if they worked together to get it up onto the ship.

Our concerns were met with an answer. The raw sheen of Vibranium was unmistakable once any debris or algae was pushed away. Even from the angle of the satellite and the overhead and somewhat inaccurate view, we were still able to identify our sacred metal.

“Send them in.” I order Shuri.

It was not her usual designated task to send out commands to our military, but haste required a direct input from this position, and they knew from whom their orders were sent.

“Pale Eagle 04, this is Princess Shuri, under command of King T’chaka. You have orders to move in and secure the target and Vibranium.” Shuri spoke with authority and maturity as befitting her station.

She often is part of military processes by association with her position even if she’s not directly involved, and her experience has paid off quite well.

“Orders received, Princess. Moving to surround the target and disengaging cloaking.”

The mighty aircraft of Wakanda appeared from the images on the screen, several of them surrounding the primitive boat with each.

“Give him a chance to surrender.” I paused. “And get scans on the ship. I wish to know if they have any hidden technology.” It is clear this man has certain technology we are unaware of based on the last time we came into conflict.

“Pale Eagle 04, declare your intentions and order his surrender.” Shuri relayed while she began to fiddle with her controls. “And I’m commandeering your craft’s scanners.”

It took a moment or two before they finally finished.

“Father, it’s completely primitive.” She said with a scoff. “Wood and iron and steel, but I don’t pick up any power sources. Unless you’re scared of them firing a cannonball at us, there’s nothing to worry about.”

I hope that is true.

“The target is ignoring our commands.” The pilot responded. “Target is turning their vessel around and trying to depart. How do we proceed, your Majesty?”

I let out a sigh. “One last chance for mercy.”

“Target responded with a gesture of his middle finger.” The pilot spoke up.

I felt myself twitch a little. “Disable the ship and prepare to capture. If you can immobilize them without unnecessary damage, please do so.” We had many questions that we would like to prioritize over their health if possible.

We expect the ship to be shot, part of it sent sinking into the ocean, and then they would be forced to accept capture to survive.

But no, we could see; the images on the screen showed it vividly enough even from a satellite perspective. 

A shield enveloped their wooden ship, powerful enough to hold off a blast from one of our most advanced aircraft. 

And then, it returned fire.

The supposed cannons fired their own blasts of varying types. An array of colors flashed as all our ships were forced out of the air and hit the waters, turning into fiery wrecks.

Silence permeated the room.

Even my own daughter was completely speechless.

The smoke from the destruction rose up into the air, obscuring vision considerably. But just barely, we could get a few still images that were frozen and enhanced as best as possible.

We could see the man in question.

However, there was something very wrong about him.

“Bast…are those…horns.” Shuri whispered.

In the blink of an eye, the ship disappeared, leaving but the remains of our aircraft in the waters, startling everyone.

“What? What happened? Where are they? Did they also have some kind of cloaking technology?” Shuri quickly tried to regain control of the situation. “I’m pinging the remains of our airships, but no one’s responding. Father, we’re getting messages from other places. General K'Tawih is requesting information; he was watching from the command tower during the operation.”

I felt a sense of unease.

I rubbed the Black Panther pendant around my neck, and I faintly felt a further sense of foreboding creep down my spine.

As if to answer, a boom of thunder was heard overhead.

The clear and sunny skies quickly dimmed.

Thunderclouds appeared unnaturally fast and boomed with a primordial fury.

Shuri’s frantic shouts and the commotion that erupted within the building settled because we all heard what came next.

Words spoken on the winds that reach every ear within Wakanda. I knew this for a fact, deep in my heart, despite not verifying it in person.

“It was here, at this place, that Susanoo led a thousand unruly deities in Rebellion.
 A thousand swords standing upon the earth, used as city walls to defend against the enemies. Here! Namely, the Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi! The steel that breaks a thousand blades!”

And Wakanda shuddered.

@***@

Wilhelm POV

I was angry.

I contemplated decapitating all these Wakandas and dropping their heads at the feet of their leader.

I felt like it would leave a strong message.

However, those rather aggressive and intrusive thoughts were shunted away as I felt Jeanne’s arms wrap around me.

I sighed because she knew me too well.

How was I supposed to keep my rage up if she was hugging me like this?

“Are you going to tell me not to do something in response?” I asked her.

“No.” She shook her head, though she didn’t let go. “I know you’re a good person, so you won’t do anything that crosses any lines.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Are you condoning a response from me, Miss Saintess?”

Jeanne pursed her lips. “Will, don’t forget how I lived my life. I prefer if peaceful resolutions can be reached, but I am more than familiar with taking up arms if needed. You said that you were not at fault; I believe you.”

She didn’t give me a chance to respond before she pushed her lips to mine.

It was brief, but she kissed me.

She was red in the face, but she looked like she had gathered all of her courage to do so without wanting to run away.

Though that didn’t stop her from grabbing her long braid and holding it up in front of her face rather cutely.

My anger had lowered somewhat.

But I was still utterly furious.

“Do you mind waiting at Kamar-Taj for a bit?”

She smiled beautifully as always. “I’ll wait until you’re done.”

I opened up a portal for her, letting her head back.

Sir Wiggles and Lady Wiggles also went through to keep her company.

With Jeanne gone, my anger now had focus, and I turned to my ‘captives.’ They were tied up, gagged, and looking rather fearful.

I had plans in my head, ways to get revenge. Ways to show my annoyance, but I realized something.

“Fuck it.” I grabbed the captives, hoisting them up by the ropes, and put my ship away before opening a portal right over at the border of Wakanda.

I didn’t do it directly for my little art project because Coulson did mention he sent people to investigate. But I was more or less at the border again as I made sure to toss my captives onto the ground.

Startled would be an understatement if I was reading their expression well enough.

I realized a rather simple thing.

Why go through the trouble and effort of something elaborate?

I was pissed off, and I wanted them to know.

However, a slight gleam from one of the captives caught my attention; they were messing with those beads on their wrists. 

Right, those were some sort of high-tech thingamajigs. 

Should I have confiscated them? Probably.

Did I particularly care at the moment? I did not.

Instead, I kicked them over as a collective group, all bound together and whatnot, then I sat on top of them and waited.

The clouds of dust being kicked up were a good indication that someone had received a ‘distress call’ or whatever their messages were.

Several jeeps came barreling through the harsh sands of the African plains. All beaten up and rusted, carrying many more Wakandan people

And hey, I recognized one in particular!

“My friend, W’kabi!” I smiled happily despite my anger still not subsiding. 

Weapons were drawn on me immediately.

Spears made of Vibranium along with more ‘mundane’ weaponry—guns, that is.

Were they Vibranium guns?

That would be interesting.

But my mind didn’t wander. It’s amazing how focused I become when I’m pissed off.

They were frightened too. 

I mean, I couldn’t blame them.

They’ve probably never seen a devil in person before.

“I’m a patient person, W’kabi.”

“You—”

“Shut up.” My Reiatsu flared up, my spiritual pressure descended, and every one of them was forced to the ground. I controlled it precisely enough that they wouldn’t fall unconscious, but they were forced to use all their strength to not be smashed into the dirt. “Okay, admittedly, I like to believe I’m a patient person. Well, I suppose it depends on the circumstance. I’m patient when it matters; let’s settle on that.” I clapped my hands.

He had no rebuttal.

“I have been very patient. Kind even.” I adjusted my seating position amidst the groans underneath me. “I’ve met really arrogant people. The ones with super-inflated egos and whatnot. I don’t like being like them. If some little mosquitoes buzz around my head, I can ignore it.” I’ve met far too many gods, and I’m introspective enough to know I didn’t want to be like Indra at all in that way. And he was just a singular example among many.

“So, I ignored it. I ignored it again. And again. Tell me, W’Kabi, how many times am I supposed to ignore it? Especially when it tries to bite me?” I stood up from my spot, stretching my arms. 

It was rhetorical; I didn’t expect an answer from him. Not that he could answer even if he wanted to.

Sweat dripped down his brow as he struggled to even stay on his knees.

It’s funny; I’ve killed for less.

Yet, how many times had they pissed me off, and I just let it go?

Is it because they’re humans? It’s entirely possible; I can’t deny that I have an attachment to humans through not just my life but my experience as Zelretch as well.

My humanity may be mixed up in a slosh of devilish, demonic, draconic, and other concepts that comprise me at this point; however, my heart will always be human.

…even if it is technically a Dragon’s Heart.

I feel like Ddraig would be taking the piss out of me for that one.

I relented on W’kabi, and I jerked my hand, and he was flung up into my grasp as I grabbed his collar.

“So, my friend! What do you have to say?” I let my anger leak out until it was palpable.

“W-what are you?” He spoke in terror.

I chuckled, tossing him onto the ground.

Storm clouds began to gather overhead. The once sunny day was immediately darkened with the thunder above, matching my own emotions right now.

“Have you ever read the Bible, W’Kabi?” I whispered, squatting down next to him. “Pray to whatever gods you worship; tell them that devils are at their front door.”

I raised my hand to the sky, letting the thunder dance among the clouds.

“It was here, at this place, that Susanoo led a thousand unruly deities in Rebellion.
 A thousand swords standing upon the earth, used as city walls to defend against the enemies. Here! Namely, the Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi! The steel that breaks a thousand blades!”

A streak of lightning fell from the sky, falling into my hand as my divine sword appeared in the world.

I normally wouldn’t call upon my Authority unless I had a worthy opponent, but I was particularly mad right now and didn’t want to bother with their Vibranium bullshit.

If I were in a better mood, I would be more than happy to test the abilities of their anti-magic metal.

At this point, however, let’s see if it can withstand my Divine Might.

Under W’Kabi’s gaze, I grabbed one of their Vibranium Spears, threw it up into the air, and cut it in half with my sword.

I wanted him to see it.

And that was the last thing he saw before I flicked his forehead, forcing him into unconsciousness.

“Up we go.” I made pleasant use of my control over the wind to heft them all up and carry them along with me.

I was going on a walk.

@***@

The storm followed with each step I took.

A whirlwind swept up the surroundings, and thunder and lightning crackled and boomed as I approached ever closer to Wakanda.

They didn’t send anyone to intercept me before I made it this far inland.

How…smart.

Because they would have just been added to my little group of traveling companions.

Yes, the several dozen Wakandans that floated beyond me, very much against their will.

However, once I got closer to their ‘hidden city,’ I could feel a great many presences. First, I stepped through a sort of shimmering field, revealing what lay behind it.

Like a large Bounded Field that merely provided an illusion.

I could see clearly Wakanda’s expansive and bustling metropolis. I could admit that even at this distance, it looked rather majestic.

There was another sort of ‘barrier.’

This one looked much less…accommodating.

The outer perimeter as a means of camouflage and an inner barrier that was the actual defensive measure, I would assume. It’s how we did things back home, and I would assume the same logic applied here.

The best first line of defense was the enemy not knowing you existed. 

And my eyes landed on the people I sensed.

A great many of them.

They had an army.

How cute.

They were waiting for me on the other side of the barrier. And the person standing in front was wearing some sort of…catsuit?

It was probably made of vibranium.

And…were there people riding rhinos?

Wait, were those white rhinos? Weren’t they supposed to be an endangered species?

What the fuck was wrong with them? At first glance, they looked like a primitive society based on their weaponry and presumed battle tactics.

We did this back home—the youkai and such—because conventional weapons were ineffective against us. 

I’m fairly sure any of them would die from a simple bullet.

I ignored my annoyance, which quickly was replaced by my still simmering anger, and I walked to the edge of the barrier.

I stood there and looked at the person in the front, and I slowly let 

The person in the cat costume walked up to the barrier, only a handful of guards at his side.

Oh wow, he was very confident in this barrier, wasn’t he? I mean, credit where it’s due, it’s rather impressive. If I hadn’t been pissed off, I would honestly praise it right to their faces.

“You will go no further, monster.” The man in the cat costume declared. “Release our people.”

I looked at him, tilting my head. He had a bit of a belly on him, and he didn’t sound like a young man. Likewise, he didn’t feel…normal? I felt something very faint from him, something rather familiar.

I placed a hand on the barrier, and where my skin touched, it turned red and a scorching heat emanated off it, enough that I could at least feel it.

It wasn’t like the holy water from before, but… weirdly, the same example felt sufficient to describe it. It was like putting my hand on a hot stove.

“The Great Wall of Wakanda has kept invaders at bay for millennia, creature. You will find no kindness awaiting you; release our people, and mercy may be shown.” The cat man stated again.

He was cautious, hesitant.

Oh, he was scared.

I pointed at one of the Wakandans I had ‘captured’ and had him floated off; I kept eye contact with their kid and pushed him against the barrier.

To my surprise, the Wakandan just went right through without any disruption to the barrier itself.

And the cat man looked at me silently as it happened; no words needed to be spoken.

Apparently they have some way to identify their own automatically. I should have suspected enough; they weren’t that stupid.

“Release—“

I rolled my eyes and flung the remainder of the Wakandans across the barrier.

All my ‘hostages’ are gone.

I think he was startled into silence.

“You want to know why?” I asked; he didn’t respond, but I could guess that I hit the nail on the head. “Because I want you to understand, for everything that happens, I have the moral high ground.” Just to twist the knife in a little bit further.

“I am King T’chaka.” The cat man spoke. “The Black Panther, protector of Wakanda. You are not welcome here, monster.”

“Oh my, your majesty, I had no idea!” I let out a faux aghast sound. “Should I also say that I’m technically royalty too?” I scoffed. “And weren’t you wanting me here? I distinctly remember all those commands to ‘surrender’ myself to your people. What’s wrong? I’m here now; why don’t you come out and play?”

He was tense. I couldn’t see his body, but I could read his posture; he was ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

I put a hand on the barrier, and it lit up again; an intense heat radiated out again.

My Aura flared up, and the collision of the two energies caused a rather interesting phenomenon.

“You sure are confident behind that barrier, aren’t you?”

“Wakanda’s great wall has never been overtaken by invaders.” There was a hint of pride in his tone as he repeated his earlier words despite his tension remaining.

Good.

I had something to crush.

The barrier was energy; it was light; it was heat.

I smiled.

These parameters were sufficient.

My shadow grew outwards unnaturally. It elongated, it extended outwards, and eventually it took a rather distinct shape.

And they noticed.

“Riding on the winds of your father Vayu, Hanuman, steal the sun!”

The massive shadow stepped out off the ground, becoming more than just an absence of light. It took form; it took substance as it towered over everyone. Their gazes turned upwards; the shadowy ape form of my Authority reached out, its hand wrapped around the barrier.

There was a moment of tense silence, perhaps belief that even what they were seeing was not enough to breach their barrier.

Relief.

Then, the barrier was ripped apart. 

@***@

A/N

Wilhelm tends to be a bit theatrical when he’s pissed off.

I was supposed to have this chapter out yesterday, but it was also my birthday, and my brother came and visited for the first time in years. I went out with my brother and sister, and we were drinking until very late into the morning. Suffice to say, I was hungover and just dead all day. It has been a very long time since I’ve done something like that, and I’m not as young as I used to be. So yeah, writing the chapter was slow.