NOTES

Hey all! This is my first creative writing I have published so sorry it's a little rough around the edges. This creative writing is featuring Erik Killmonger from Black Panther, played by Micheal B. Jordan for all of you who might like a visual. I am currently working on additional chapters. Let me know what you guys think and I hope you like it!

CHAPTER 1

The resistance had been fighting for as long as she could remember and even longer before. She was raised from a child to a fighter and took to the bow better than anything else, even more so than a gun. But of course she knew how to use that too.

The Sultan's Council had been pushing hard for months and the resistance pushed back even harder. The resistance had become a sharp thorn in the side of the council and had caused millions in damage, creating domestic turmoil via bombings and network attacks. Aya had gained much reputation among the enemy forces as the years passed. A reputation of beauty, her flaming red hair contrasted by her blue and green eyes. And reputation of her deadly precision with her bow. She never missed.

The guerrilla attack was supposed to be quick in and out but the council knew they were coming. The battle was fierce and her arrows had taken out many of the enemy soldiers. The metal bridges across the gorge shook with the early detonation of the explosives. Much too early. Soldiers enemy and ally alike were blown off the bridges from the explosion. Aya barely escaped the fall, losing her bow in the process as everything around her shook.

A form appeared as she squinted her eyes to see through the dust and debris. It settled and eyes stared back at her from across the gorge. Her breath inhaled sharply as she felt the metal bridge start to give from under her. While her hands lurched out to hang onto the railing the figure leaped across the gorge and landed on the metal bridge behind her, causing her to turn around to face them.

He was tall in comparison to her, muscular. He had light brown skin and dark brown hair pulled back into rows. He was wearing different attire than the rest of the soldiers. Black and sleek, with an insignia she did not recognize. She looked at him with panic as she felt the metal bridge shake.

She turned and sprinted across the bridge, her flame hair whipping wildly. She could hear his foot steps behind her as she sprinted across the bridge towards the ship. She stopped suddenly, her arms wrapping around the railing as the metal in front of her twisted off and plummeted into the gorge. Without warning she blindly swung out behind her. He had ducked under her swing and she felt his arm wrap around her waist and then her legs as he lifted her onto his shoulder, his other hand grasping the arm that swung at him. Now her only free arm was completely useless as she tried in vain to strike his back, his body armor nullifying any damage she could possibly do. She yelled in frustration.

"AYA! We're coming for you!" She heard Connor yell from the hover, barely audible over the roaring of twisting metal and the fighting. The man carrying her turned and she saw Connor in the entrance of the ship pointing his rifle.

"DROP HER!" Connor snarled over the roar of the hover engine, his eye on the scope of his rifle.

"Are you really going to risk shooting her?" The man laughed and shouted back as the metal bridge swayed. Hesitation showed clear on Connor's face but he didn't lower his rifle. Without warning another hover rose up between Connor and the metal bridge. The man carried her forward onto the ship as she struggled to get away. He stepped through the door of the hover and Aya watched it close behind her as she felt the aircraft turn and shift.

She turned her head to look around the ship but saw no one piloting it. It had responded to a calling beacon. The man suddenly brought her down from his shoulder and she quickly pulled back out of his reach. Before she could say anything the man turned and walked to the console of the hover and set it for whatever destination he intended. The hover lurched and turned toward the hover with Connor and Lisa onboard. Aya ran to the window and watched desperately as their hover struggled, smoke bellowing from the back turbine as it took fire from one of the foot soldiers still on the opposite bridge. Connor shot up a hateful glance and the man beside her chuckled and waved before the hover sped forward almost making her lose her footing. She quickly reached out and grasped the netting on the wall to steady herself, distinctly but slowly edging away from the man who had taken her captive.

He turned his head towards her and she studied his features silently. He stared back, leaning slightly on the wall behind him. He was handsome, looked about her age maybe a few years older. She guessed 25, 26.

"You should sit down, we will be there soon." He said, nodding his head towards the bench on the wall.

"Where?"

"The main city, we have a quarters waiting just for you little bird."

She furrowed her brow at his nickname that he gave her but said nothing, her mind swirled in anxiety at what was waiting for her. Interrogation? Torture? The corner of his mouth tilted slightly upward at her reaction. He turned and leaned over the console. Aya took this opportunity to look around and study the hover. Her fingers fidgeted at the absence of her bow. Her eyes then rested on the back of his head.

Her mind calculated and decided now would be her best chance to fight and escape. With his eyes still focused on the console she slipped the knife out of the sheath hidden under her waist band and threw it skillfully at the back of his head. Her hand was already reaching for the one tucked into her boot when the loud clunk of her knife hit the windshield of the hover and not the intended target. She heard the footsteps rushing forward and she swung upward with the knife. He sidestepped grabbing her arm, trying to lock it out to no avail as she twisted out of his grip. Bringing the knife back around she slashed at his unprotected throat. He quickly leaned back, the knife barely missing his neck and immediately pushed forward, trapping her arm against her chest. One of his hands gripping her wrist as his body crushed her against the wall. She let out a grunt as her lungs compressed and her breath escaped her body.

She sucked in air desperately as she tried to free her arm from his powerful grip. "Drop it." He said calmly, "I know for a fact you aren't as good hand to hand as you are with that little bow of yours." His grip tightened and she let the knife drop to the floor, her breath still struggling to fill her lungs, her vision hazy. The man turned and pushed something on a wall screen not far from her head and a long cylinder slide down and out from out of the wall. "I had a feeling you were going to get feisty little bird." He said as he swiftly picked her up. She protested but couldn't muster any strength after having the wind knocked out of her. He gently set her into the cylinder and she kicked at him rebelliously. He chuckled at her and folded her legs down forcefully as the cylinder container closed over her. She punched and kicked the glass to no avail and let out an angry yell, immediately sucking in air to quell her suffering lungs. He watched her a moment before turning and walking back to the console.

Within the cylinder she realized for the first time how exhausted she was after the battle. Against her better judgement she decided to regain her strength as she drifted off, everything around her closing to black. She dreamed of Connor and Lisa. She dreamed of them making it home safely.