Greetings, fellow writers and readers!
I am back with another story at hand. I took down one of my others because I lost interest in it quickly. But rest assured, I will not abandon this one. I should be able to upload some of my other ones as well, once I find the path I need to steer them on.
So, what was it that inspired me to do this? Well, I have many reasons, but I'll list three of the major ones that forced my hand to it.
1) Snow White fairy tale (Snow White and the Huntsman in this case). I grew up with the Walt Disney classic, and it's a treasure. However, in the 2012 movie, she is portrayed in a very different view. I just love fairy tales that have the dark elements in movies. To me, this one took a large leap. Although, I thought the ending could use a little more justice.
2) Dr. Matthatten's LOTR/MCU crossover stories right here on the sight. I absolutely love his stories. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to read Return of the Avengers. Yet. If you have not yet read them, I would suggest you go check them out, because you would be missing out on how brilliant he incorporated the Avengers in Middle Earth.
3) Daniel Kamarudin's artwork on DeviantArt. His interpretation of the Avengers in the fantasy genre is amazing. I would advise you to go check him out as well. His work is fantastic!
Well, that pretty much wraps up the introduction. I hope you find this story enjoyable and leave a review.
(P.S. It should be no happenstance on where the name for this fictitious version of Earth came from.)
Chapter One
The Fall of a King
"Baba?
King T'Chaka looked down at his eight-year-old son. Prince T'Challa was beaming up at him with such large eyes that seemed impossible to be his. They stood outside on the balcony of the palace inside of his study, overlooking Birnin Zana, the capital of Wakanda. The sun cast the same bright glow of rays onto the kingdom, even when it was partly cloudy.
"What is it, my son?"
"This is beautiful."
T'Chaka smiled. "Oh, yes indeed."
"I just want to understand why we have to hide it from the world."
T'Chaka looked down at him, now serious. But if one looked closely, there was a tint of poignancy in them. "Many reasons, T'Challa. It has been that way since the tribes of Wakanda have settled on its lands. We must uphold and respect our laws. Otherwise, everything falls out of place and that respect will vanish."
"So, we must always hide, even if there is trouble?"
"Yes," T'Chaka sighed. "Even if there is trouble outside our borders."
"How do we know what is Wakanda and what is not?"
"Look out there, my son. Everything the sun touches is what makes up our kingdom. Our life is like that of the day and the night. One day, T'Challa, the sun will set on my time, and will rise upon you as the new king."
"This will be mine?" T'Challa looked out at the city.
"One day, this country and its people will be yours to govern. The path of a ruler is long and filled with moments that will have you question your worth. But you must remember that everything must exist together with a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all of the people."
"Oh." T'Challa back to his father. "But, what if I'm not ready?"
T'Chaka chuckled. "You do not need to worry of that, my son. Even the kings of the past learn to have themselves prepare when the time comes to take the throne. They train and study—"
"No, Baba. No, I mean…" T'Challa stopped. "I meant about losing you."
His father placed a hand on T'Challa's shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. "If a man does not prepare his children for his own death, then he has failed as a father. Have I failed you, son?"
T'Challa shook his head.
"Then, that time will come when we are both older and wiser now."
"But how can I lead the tribes on best terms, Baba? Tell me how to best protect Wakanda. I wish to be a good king like you." And he meant it. He felt as if his father have been the greatest ruler of all the lands.
T'Chaka met his son's gaze. "You are going to struggle, my son," he warned him.
"Why?"
"Because I know you will grow up to be a good man. And it is hard for a good man to be a great king. So you must surround yourself with the ones you can trust." He gave his son's shoulder a careful squeeze.
"Will you tell me the stories of the ancestors collection, Baba?" the little boy begged. He loved hearing the stories that T'Chaka would say beyond words of his own vocabulary, and his little eyes would light up every time he told them. He enjoyed listening to Wakanda's greatest stories of its history, their mythology, and the tales of epics scribes have written down.
"What story would you like to hear, my son? I think I have told you all that I know of," T'Chaka laughed.
T'Challa paused in thought. It was true that his father told him all of the stories he knew of. He looked up at T'Chaka again. "Are there any stories from the outside that you know of?"
T'Chaka seemed puzzled, but he knew what his son was talking about. He did not like those stories, the ones full of war and violence and sin. He was not a violent man unless he had no other option, only in battle he resorted to those motives. Such stories were practically illegal in the Kingdom of Wakanda. However, there was one story he knew that captivated him during his secret missions.
"Come sit, my son, and I shall tell you the story of the seven warriors that swore to protect the world of Arda and all of the nations — the story of the Avengers."
T'Challa did as he was told, his attention set full on his father. He never heard of these Avengers, nor any other known set of warriors. At least, not the ones that vowed to protect humanity.
"Long ago, when the Dark Ages have just begun, the Horned King had unleashed evil into the world, the strongest and most cunning. The people were terrified of what they were up against, even kings refused to send out armies to go to war against them. So terrible were these villains that nature turned on itself and people turned on each other until one day, there came a day unlike any other, when Arda first had its mightiest heroes unite against a common threat: the knight, the alchemist, the behemoth, the god, the assassin, the archer, and the seraph. On that day, the Avengers were born to fight foe-men no army could withstand. And in each battle the Avengers conquered and the enemy vanquished. But that changed when a great evil fell upon them. To keep the people safe, the Avengers hid themselves away, keeping the truth of their existence from the world."
T'Chaka looked down at his son and almost burst out laughing. He had never seen T'Challa so captivated by a story before. Even little Shuri, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, was sitting at his feet with such wonder.
"Do they still hide, Baba?" the little girl wondered.
T'Chaka looked at them sadly. "Yes."
"Why?" T'Challa asked.
T'Chaka opened his mouth to answer, but the doors to his study opened. He looked up and saw his wife, Ramonda, appear. He turned to see what she wanted; however, the look of confusion on her face had him questioning what she had seen or heard.
"What is it?" he asked. "What is wrong?"
Ramonda looked at him. "The elders of the tribes have been called for an audience," she reported. "All but the Jabari Tribe came."
"Who is seeking for an assemblage?" T'Chaka questioned.
Ramonda shook her head. "You must come see. He does not look pleasant."
T'Chaka cursed under his breath. He turned to his two children. "You two stay here. Do not come out unless you are called, understand?"
T'Challa nodded with wide eyes. T'Chaka kissed both of his children before getting up and heading out of the room with Ramonda at his side. Four members of the Dora Milaje waited for them outside. Once the royal couple passed them, the women followed in line with them. T'Chaka could not care how orderly things were. Having someone demand the presence of the four tribes was shocking! Who would dare try that?
When they arrived to the court, T'Chaka swung the doors opened to find the puzzled council members in their seats. He glanced at the empty seat where the chief for the Jabari Tribe would be in. He sat down in his throne, awaiting for the man to make his presence known.
"He's been waiting," the Merchant Tribe Elder told him.
"Send him in," T'Chaka said.
The doors opened once more. All eyes were trained on the stranger that entered. T'Chaka frowned at the individual he had never seen nor heard of. The unexpected guest stood at eight feet covered in dark clothing from head to toe. He wasn't sure if he was seeing things, but the ruler could have sworn that he saw a pair of glowing red eyes beneath the hood.
"Nice throne," the man said.
T'Chaka glared at him. "What do you want? Why have you come into our country when you know foreigners are not welcomed?"
"I want the throne."
T'Chaka glared at him. All of the members looked like as if he had told a joke.
"You have quite a taste in decorum," the man continued, ignoring them. "Must feel comfortable, sitting up here while people outside suffer through war and hunger. Men are murdered, women are raped, children are exploited. It doesn't matter who they are or where they came from, because they are all the same. This nation has the tools to liberate them all."
"Pray tell, what are these tools you speak of?"
"Why, vibranium, of course."
T'Chaka glared at him. "You come into my country to challenge the throne, only to use it for your own agenda? We are not savages, good sir. We do not use our creations as means of war."
"Then I think you don't understand, your Highness," the man sneered. "I never intended to use them as a means of war. Not unless I have to, that is."
"T'Chaka," Ramonda piped. "We have entertained this charlatan for too long. Reject his request."
"Who says I was making a request?" Those blood red eyes looked lazily at her. "Ask him who I am."
T'Chaka stood up from his throne. "I am not going to go through with this, sir. You have wasted our time, and you are wasting yours." He turned to the two guards at the door. "Take him away," he ordered.
The guards seized the man by the shoulders and pulled him away. He angrily looked back at them, his red eyes flashing with hatred. And that was enough to make the River Tribe Elder call out:
"Who are you?"
The person ripped himself free from the guards and turned to the council, pulling back his hood to reveal his face. Gasps emanated from the occupants. His face was truly unbearable to behold. T'Chaka had seen death's heads, dried and withered by centuries, but nothing compared to what he saw. The skin, if he had any, had long been ripped off to reveal strewn flesh and muscle, bare resemblance of the skull revealed. He lacked lips, leaving most of his teeth exposed. His nose was so little worth looking about that you couldn't see it on the face's side, and the absence of the nose was horrible to look at.
"I am Ultron, protegee of the Avengers! I am the mistake you have made of me, T'Chaka! You're not a king, you're a murderer!"
"You lie!" Ramonda shouted. "You're words are nothing but lies!" She turned to her husband, but all she could see was the guilt in his eyes. "T'Chaka?"
"That was a bit dramatic," Ultron said. He glared at T'Chaka. "I've been a citizen here long enough to exercise my right. I challenge you for the mantle of king and Black Panther!"
"You cannot consider doing that," the Border Tribe chief said to T'Chaka. "Not to this…being."
T'Chaka was not, but he knew he was trapped. He could see the blood lust in Ultron's eyes as the liche continued to stare at him. There was also a great fear that filled his heart. Could he do this and risk his throne, his country, his wife and children? He would not do this because Ultron was being unreasonable, and yet he knew as king, he had to maintain the traditions.
"What's the matter, old man?" Ultron taunted. "Are you afraid? Has that little mistake you made turned you soft? Tell me, T'Chaka, do you rule to tame the savages? I would like to know so that I can set them free once the throne is mine."
The council looked to T'Chaka. He could only look at Ultron in the eyes. There was a long pause. He finally gave him the answer they had all dreaded. "I accept."
At the Challenge Pool arena, T'Chaka had been stripped of his power of the Black Panther. Ultron only stood by, watching with boredom at how they would just go on in life with such ridiculous traditions. He waited until the darkness of the veins disappeared, where the shaman, Zuri, handed T'Chaka a shield, a spear, and a mask shaped like a panther's face. T'Chaka took the items, placing the mask over his face and held his weapons in his hands.
"Please be careful," Zuri told him.
"Do not worry," T'Chaka said. "I will not lose to this soulless monster."
"But?" Zuri dragged.
"Should anything happen to me, please ensure my wife and children are protected and hidden safely from him," T'Chaka requested in a low and serious voice.
"You have my word," Zuri assured him.
T'Chaka smiled. He turned to Ultron. "Ultron, I have but one request of you. Look me in the eyes and tell me why you choose now to take the throne before we can begin."
Ultron tilted his head. "Seriously? I've got my reasons. Reasons that I'm sure you don't want to know. It won't matter in the end, because I'll just kill you."
"Then we shall begin," T'Chaka said smoothly.
"Oh, I wouldn't be in such a rush," Ultron said. "After all, not everyone is present."
T'Chaka looked up at him with suspicious eyes. Was Ultron waiting for someone to arrive? He should have known there was someone accompanying him. And with the way T'Chaka felt right now, it was going to be a show to remember.
His ears caught the sound of two small voices yelling and protesting. At first he could not make out who the voices belonged to. Children were not allowed at the Challenge Pool. Not unless…
Oh, no.
The crowd by the entryway parted with shock and murmurs of panic as a figure emerged. The stranger was more human than Ultron but still bizarre in appearance. His skin was red and embedded with metal plating in a strange pattern. His blue eyes were segmented with no clear sign of red veins. He was dressed in green and yellow robes with armor concealed. T'Chaka and Ramonda were horrified to see him carrying their two children, struggling to get out of his arms.
"What is the meaning of this? Children are restricted from this area. Why have you brought them here?!" T'Chaka demanded, whipping around to face Ultron with eyes filled with hatred.
"I just thought it would be rather nice for your kin to be aware of the situation," the liche said simply.
"Baba?" T'Challa called out. The newcomer brought them over and, with gentleness, set him and his sister down next to Ramonda. The queen quickly grabbed hold of her children and pulled them away from him.
"Do not fret," she whispered. "Everything will be all right." Oh, how she hated Ultron now for having her son and daughter dragged out here to watch their father fight to the death for the throne. She could not bear to have them see this. It was exactly why kids at a certain age were not allowed anywhere near the Challenge Pool.
"Yes, everything will be all right, little one…as long as your precious daddy wins," Ultron assured them, looking down at the children.
"No!" T'Challa shouted, turning to T'Chaka. "Baba! Baba, don't do this! He will surely kill you."
"And that is why I will not lose," T'Chaka said.
T'Challa wanted to believe him, but he felt dread snake into his mind. He could not imagine his father dead at his feet, body thrown down the waterfall. He looked over and saw Shuri, the small child clinging tightly to their mother. He could not think of seeing the state she would be in once this was over.
T'Chaka and Ultron circled each other suddenly, waiting to see who would make the first move. The Dora Milaje faced them at the edges of the pool, spears raised and poised. The crowd silently prayed to their gods that T'Chaka would come out victorious; however, the look of Ultron may prove to be a fatal and hopeless fight.
Ultron lunged and delivered a blow into T'Chaka's chest, knocking the king off of his feet. He leaped forward and raised his sword, but T'Chaka rolled out of the way. The king kicked at the liche's legs, knocking him temporarily off of his balance. With each hit, the Dora Milaje moved in closer, forcing the fighters closer to the falls.
"Come on, Baba!" T'Challa called out. "You can do it!"
Jumping to his feet, T'Chaka swung his leg around and kicked Ultron in the abdomen. The challenger grunted in pain but recovered, rage in his eyes. Mercilously, he attacked with his swords. T'Chaka used his shield and spear to block each attack his opponent made. He could hear T'Challa cheer him on, and that made him fight even harder. He would win this for his people, for his subjects and for his country. But he definitely will win this for T'Challa.
Crossing his arms, he used his weapons to push into Ultron and steer him towards the edge. The liche sneered, raising his hand that held his sword and brought it down. T'Chaka quickly brought up his spear to block the attack and shoved himself back. Once more Ultron pounced and banged his swords against his shield and spear. However, the next time he defended, Ultron got smart and delivered a kick into his side.
T'Chaka could hear the gasp of fear that came from T'Challa and glanced over quickly. He set his eyes back onto Ultron, grinning tauntingly at him. That smirk had the desired effect on him, his rage causing him to lose focus and rush forward, bringing up his spear in a challenging blow. Their weapons locked momentarily as T'Chaka swung them both around before delivering a powerful strike to Ultron's meaty jaw with his shield. The liche fell to the ground, splashing water. He glanced up and once more rounded at T'Chaka, this time his blade making contact with his thigh.
T'Chaka let out an agonized cry at the sudden pain that swelled in his leg. Blood slowly trickled out of the wound and into the water. T'Challa covered his mouth in fear. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Zuri's kind eyes looking down, doing his best to assure him. His father knew he had to finish off his competition once and for all. He barely had the chance to formulate a plan when Ultron took a swipe at him once more, this time on his shoulder. He twirled his spear and tried to once more to jab Ultron, but the liche was faster. He stepped forward and met him halfway, placing himself directly in the path of his advancing enemy. Before T'Chaka could let his stroke fall, Ultron reached up and grabbed his wrist, stopping him before the tip could touch his torso. With one swift move he buried the tip of his sword into his ribs.
T'Chaka let out a guttural gasp, the metallic taste of blood on his tongue. Ultron twisted it, making the pain worsen. He pulled it out and kicked him in the shin, sending him onto his knees. Ultron brought his fist down onto his head, knocking him down some more.
"Get up," Ramonda pleaded. "Please, get up."
"I've been waiting for this moment for years that passed," Ultron verbalized with a wicked sneer. "I trained, I lied, I killed just to get here. All the things that I have done just so I could get to you." He raised his hand up, ready to take T'Chaka's life.
"T'Challa!"
Ultron felt a pair of small hands grab at the straps that made up his armor and yanked hard on them. He looked down to find the young prince pulling at him.
"Leave him alone!" T'Challa shouted.
"T'Challa, no!" Zuri rushed forward and grabbed him. The boy cried out, kicking and screaming, trying to pry himself free. The shaman passed him back to Ramonda. "Take your children and get as far away from here as you can."
Ramonda nodded and held her children tightly to her. She turned and ran out of the area. The man that brought the children there didn't do anything, but only watched them. They did not bother to acknowledge the frightened and intense reactions of the crowd when they left.
T'Chaka glared up at the liche. He let out a cry and swung at Ultron. He dodged every attempt the king blindly made to defeat him.
"Okay, I've lost my patience." The liche pointed his left fingers at the king. Streams of red sorcerous energy shot out of them at T'Chaka's chest. The king released a cry of pain as he fell into the water after being and the crowd was horrified at what they saw. The pain worsened for T'Chaka as his back dug into the rocky bottom. He tried to get up, but Ultron swung his leg and his boot connected with his jaw. T'Chaka could barely move. Ultron seized the opportunity and picked up the man, slinging him over his shoulders. He marched over to the falls and raised him over his head.
Meanwhile, Ramonda rode off as far as she could on a stallion, holding her two children as close as she could with tears in her eyes. T'Challa cried out for his father, while little Shuri was sobbing. The boy wanted to go back. He had to go back. He couldn't let his father die at the hands of that…thing. He needed to have him lead on until his own death came. But he knew that even if they had turned back, it would be too late.
"T'Challa…forgive me," T'Chaka rasped.
"And now ends the Black Panther," Ultron declared as he hurled T'Chaka over the falls.