Black Panther and Storm in Soberk's Ascension

by BFS

Ororo and T'Challa battle Loki

Story: Soberk's Ascension Pt II

Despite what others had thought, we the denizens of the Asgard dimension were never Gods, nor royalty. We were livestock. Like cattle left to graze until fat and then slaughtered on the appointed day, pondered Loki.

Ragnarok was the day of our demise. Violent and horrible so that our released essence provided nourishment for our unseen captors. Then we were reborn, and so the cycle continued.

In between the time of rebirth and destruction, we as ignorant prisoners had lived idyllic with golden apples, mead and wild boar to hunt. In a society that resembled the Vikings on Earth.

Thor had broken that cursed wheel before he exiled me to this wretched place.

"But you Soberk have given me the means of restarting my version of Ragnarok so that I may return to Heroes Hall and wipe the slate clean of my wrong doings in this present incarnation of life. For that I thank you," said Loki with a hyena laughter.

Two curved ten-inch horns protruded his forehead, apart from that he was a humanoid in his prime. His face was long and taunt.

His hands holding the sooty cauldron while staring into the still water that was showing Soberk.

The trickster raised up, and he viewed his primeval citadel. Inhaling the musk scent from wild animal furs that were ubiquitous on the stone floors and walls. The stale mildew pages of old magical texts. It was a primitive dwelling as compared to the structures that were on modern Earth. Still, the silence and coldness of his abode comforted Loki.

The greatest master of the darker side of magic was Loki, the trickster God. Ever conniving due to his alienation from the other Gods and the wish to have things his way. His schemes often entangled mankind; thus he kept an eye on Earth.

His newest plot involved Dr Alex Soberk, because the man had saved the Earth from a seemingly unstoppable plague. More importantly, Soberk had done the deed with magic.

"How did this mortal achieve such a thing?" Loki had asked himself insanely. He had never seen human magic used on such a wide scale. Then again, Soberk did not resemble an ordinary human. Rather the slender mid thirties man had hard brown skin and grey glowing eyes.

Bursting with interest, Loki observed through the waters of time and space Soberk's ascension, and he discovered something that amazed him. Soberk had increased his magical energy with the essence of the creature that caused the destruction of Asgard in every cycle. Surtur.

Presently Loki focused on the water and muttered a command phrase. The liquid became black and it churned for a while as the image in time and space changed. Then the water became placid and the image it featured was that of Kallus who had in his possession the artefact that carried Surtur's essence. It was he who had boosted Soberk's magic.

Kallus looked fifty years old and from the images he was in a den of spies. But he had a hallmark that pleased the trickster.

"He's a schemer like myself," said Loki.

He saw Kallus's hiding place for the artefact. It was in a warehouse that Kallus used as a base.

"Curse you Thor," said Loki in a rabid manner as he recollected that his brother had taken away his ability to interfere with the past. Hence he was unable to steal the artefact from Kallus then and there.

"Still it is a small matter. I will just simply take it in the present time stream," said Loki.

Thus he viewed the warehouse in the present time. There he saw that Kallus was in a stand off against a man and a woman. And Loki was familiar with both of them.

The woman was Ororo. Looking at her, Loki remembered her fragrance and beauty that charmed him even as he was seducing her with the power to replace Thor as Thunder God all those years ago. She had vivid white hair and haunting deep blue eyes. Almost six foot, yet her weather manipulation ability toppled giants.

Standing next to her was T'Challa. The trickster god frowned. He had encountered the man in the Avengers (the super hero group he had indirectly formed through one his schemes). T'Challa wore the unmistakable Black Panther body suit armour. He was in his mid thirties, six foot tall, strong and athletically built.

Loki watched on in curiosity at the confrontation. However, he also waited for the opportunity to steal the artefact.

Chapter

"You slipped," muttered T'Challa, then with blinding speed he was racing into Kallus.

They have finally caught me, Kallus thought as he motioned towards the gun on the nearby table. But T'Challa had arrived in front of him. The next thing the spymaster knew was that the Black Panther had him by the throat. He dropped the document from his hand. A few seconds later, he lost consciousness caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain.

T'Challa then hoisted Kallus onto his left shoulder. He adjusted the sword on his back to make room for the man.

Meanwhile Ororo observed the environment in terms of bio electrical activity, and she had sensed another human in the warehouse. The person was approaching the nerve centre, which had the blaring news monitors and snaking coaxial cables on the floor. However the person was blind to their presence due to the partitions around the area that climbed to the ceiling.

Ororo raised a clenched fist sharply and it conveyed the army signal for halt. T'Challa saw it; hence he stopped his motions. Then she lifted one finger; indicating the number of combatants.

Afterwards she nodded to the ceiling. He understood and nodded back.

Thus Ororo summoned an upward wind current based on the atmospheric conditions within the warehouse. The wind lifted T'Challa and herself silently and swiftly towards the ceiling. The travelled the sixty feet distance with ease, eventually they held onto nearest roofing frame. Then Ororo ceased the upward wind. T'Challa's strength and dexterity came into play as he held on with one hand while the other secured Kallus.

Ororo held on with both hands as she stared down. Her body poised and the hair came down the sides of her face. Her eyes glowed softly. In that brief instant, she truly felt like a god staring down at the insignificant humans.

Loki, Ororo said to herself as the memory of the authority he had tempted her with returned.

Below a thin forty year old woman dressed in black entered the area. She was slightly put off by the loose paper that spun in the air due to Ororo's wind manipulation. Still the woman was a professional and she knew the signs of trouble; hence she drew her side arm.

Now, thought Ororo who was transfixed on the target codename Glimmer for her teleportation powers.

Again, Ororo found it strange that her feelings towards being considered a god were rekindling.

"I overcame this long ago after I had crossed the line that one time," she said inwardly.

Ororo shook her head and resumed her focus on Glimmer. Then the wind rider aimed her right hand at the woman, and she threw down a lightening bolt at the target. There seemed like no passage of time between the moment the silver phenomenon left her hand and its impact on Glimmer.

The low voltage lightening overwhelmed woman's nervous system and subsequently her brain. As a result, she collapsed onto the floor. Her breathing was steady, but she was unconscious.

Ororo performed another scan of the building.

"There's no else here," she said and turn to T'Challa. "You can let go."

He released the frame, and she caught him with the manipulated wind. She also dropped onto the wind cushion. Then they descend gracefully like they were in a mid air ballet.

Ororo checked the woman's vitals and they were in keeping with a person knocked out cold.

She will awaken maybe in the next hour or so, thought Ororo.

T'Challa stood nearby. His eyes on the monitors that replayed Soberk's capture of Midas. Ororo saw him.

He's analysing it. Trying to make the connection between Soberk, Midas and the man he's carrying, Ororo thought.

She watched around the section that resembled a busy office. The noisy fax machines were monotonously sending and receiving multiple documents- to whom and from where? The man would have to explain, Ororo thought.

"So this set up is apart of the organisation Fury spoke of," commented Ororo.

"But how would they know where to monitor Midas, unless they were involved with his escape?" stated T'Challa. "But why would a spy group want Midas free?"

"Apparently they weren't expecting Soberk to spoil their plans."

He looked at her.

"Do you want to stay back and look over the place or me? The last time we left something like this unattended it blew up."

Standing, Ororo remembered the incident. "I'll stay and check around. I don't see any explosive devices in the walls though."

The couple were close to each other and Ororo sensed the uncanny electricity between them. T'Challa slipped his mask off and then he kissed her. Ororo felt a surge through her body. The kiss ended yet she had the lingering taste of his lips.

"Once I have both of them secured I'll come back. But I'll send the secret service as soon as I return to Wakanda," he said.

Then he lowered his body over the woman. In one swift movement, he held her up with his hand and slipped her onto his free shoulder. Now he carried both Kallus and Glimmer.

Ororo listened as he gave his sword the co-ordinates for Wakanda. Then he teleported from her sight.

All the while Loki had watched the couple and when T'Challa departed he decided it was time to take the artefact at the warehouse.

Chapter

Ororo was pondering her refusal of Loki's offer. The web he tried to spin her in with his carefully chosen words.

I had no problem becoming the Thunder Goddess if it was for a worthy purpose. But Loki had an evil intent. I couldn't live with it. And I wasn't about to let myself be used like that, Ororo thought.

She recollected the feel of the Asgardian armour that she had worn and then there was the hammer. Loki had made it specifically for her to wield and it was a means of channelling her powers, manipulating other energies and opening dimensions.

"It had felt glorious. Wild even," remarked Ororo. In her imaginations she saw what could have been. An uncontrollable entity, hot white eyes and an uncaring scrawl. The epitome of all that she disliked.

"I wonder whatever became of the hammer?"

But there was another aspect of her encounter with Loki. It was similar to the one she had with Dracula the Vampire King.

My darker side has been tempted on so many occasions, Ororo confessed to herself. Thank goodness I had the will to free myself from those demons.

She picked up the document that had fallen from Kallus. It was a dated report on controlling paranormal practitioners. Leaving the nerve centre, she entered the neat rows of archives and read the tags on the manila folders. They all concerned superhuman and supernatural activities.

"They really took Ramonda to get information on Wakanda," said Ororo.

Then she heard Soberk's voice from the monitors. Thus Ororo returned to the nerve centre. All the while she thought about the man's actions with regard to Midas's capture.

I have nothing against gloating after apprehending a criminal. But there was something odd about his reaction, pondered Ororo. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it? He's still new to this level of combating criminals. Maybe he'll ask T'Challa and me for pointers like he did for running his country.

Her attention went to the fax machines. Beeping incessantly. "Won't they ever stop?"

She crossed the floor towards the section were the machines were located. There were twenty-five of the mindless devices. They were placed in tidy columns. Each had a tray that collected the received faxes.

Ororo took out several sheets from a tray. Written on the paper was a language she was not familiar with and she knew and spoke several along with the dialects.

"Probably they have a translation program in here," she said. Watching the computer screens.

Then another thought crossed her mind that of Umba's mother.

"Should we still pursue her now that we have caught the engineer of the plan?" she asked herself.

She thought about her friend Kurt, the Nightcrawler from the X men and the manner he handled the realisation that his mother was a criminal.

"It's the same with Umba."

Her heart filled with joy when she thought about the boy.

Ororo continued in her mind.

We ought to capture her just to find out what she was doing with Apocalypse, Ororo said inwardly.

Eventually she meandered through the office until a door to the outside caught her eye. The electronic lock only opened from the inside; she activated it. The door dragged itself across to her left. There was brilliant sunshine outside along with other grim warehouses. No one else was around

"T'Challa and I should send out a strong message to this organisation so they know never to touch a Wakandan again," she said.

Then she continued in her mind.

The message needs to be public and direct and not just through Fury. Speaking of Fury I wonder if he has found that stolen Asgardian artefact as yet. If I were he I would get Thor on it right away. Unless Fury was hiding the artefact from Thor.

"Hmmm," said Ororo, "you can never tell. There aren't many instruments that are capable of stopping Thor if he ever became mad. Maybe the artefact was such an instrument. "

T'Challa isn't the only one with a contingency for everything, she said inwardly. I'll have to check to see what we have for Thor.

"Psst," someone called out to Ororo from behind her. The voice sounded vaguely familiar to her. She turned around and a bright white light engulfed her. She vanished along with the light. Only her lingering fragrance proved that she was once there.

Chapter

Loki closed the warehouse door, and he hastily headed for Kallus's safe. He didn't mind seeing Ororo in person once more, but he still needed to rid himself of her.

"I'll miss her," he said with the hyena laugh. The lanky frame moving with gremlin mischief.

He was not sure if T'Challa was heading back soon. Although he was certain that the Black Panther posed no threat to him, the trickster wanted to be discreet. His magical aura made him alien like while manoeuvring through the technologically advance office.

Eventually he found the safe and he ripped it open with the Frost giant strength that he had inherited. And in it was the artefact. Small and oval with Surtur's engraved image- a two-horned fiery beast with the Twilight sword.

"Perfect."

He brought his right hand down on the artefact, but a magical forcefield impeded him.

"Ha," scowled Loki. "There's no human magic that can deny me."

He regurgitated a few command words, yet they were unable to remove the spell protection.

"Hog's breath!" shouted Loki dementedly. His eyes became burning red.

Kallus did this, he thought. So he will undo it.

With that thought, the trickster teleported the artefact and himself to his citadel. From there he would find Kallus and deal with him.

Meanwhile, in Wakanda T'Challa was overseeing the processing of the unconscious prisoners and speaking with the head of the secret service. During the pauses he took time to ponder Soberk's behaviour.

I think he feels it's a game, T'Challa thought. When it isn't. I should have mentioned to him in the meeting the risks of involving himself fighting criminals. For one he is putting his country in danger of reprisals from enemies.

T'Challa stopped. Still I shouldn't scare him away from what he wants to do.

One of the androids that changed Kallus out his corporate clothes and into red prisoner attire discovered the Persian breastplate that protected the man from magic.

What this used for? T'Challa wondered.

The antiquity reminded him of the troublesome Abner Little of the secret group called the Collectors.

This is something he would quite literally kill for, thought T'Challa and he frowned.

Then he sent the antique to the archives section. Afterwards he continued his introspection.

We'll have to tell the nation that the bastard has been caught. Or maybe display him. Years ago he would have been decapitated as soon as he awakened. Now he can be placed on trial. Nonetheless the citizens can feel safe again whenever they travel abroad.

Then there's Nakia Exon? Should we downgrade our search for her? Maybe for Umba's sake we should carry on with it. At least when we find her the truth between her and Shetani might be revealed.

T'Challa out his kimoyo, and he made two quick calls, one to his mother Ramonda and the other to his sister Shuri. The two women stated that they were on their way to the prison.

Ramonda was over sixty. She had fierce brown eyes and an equally feisty spirit. And the citizenry loved their Queen Mother and she loved them back.

For a brief moment, T'Challa remembered his mother's face when he had left as a teenager on his sojourn into wider Africa. In a way he knew that her heart was broken to see him leave unprotected and with no means of communication with Wakanda. Yet she had encouraged him to go on the journey.

Shuri was there also, by her mother's side. She didn't seem aware of the significance of his departure mainly because she was so young at the time.

Now she is an accomplished young woman, thought T'Challa. Ororo and I can even trust the nation's security to her in our absences.

He returned his focus to Kallus. He had a wide face and forehead. A clump of thick greying hair was on his head.

Then T'Challa's mind strayed to Ororo's reaction on the warehouse ceiling. She seemed troubled like she was fighting something internally, he said inwardly. When we get some quiet time I'll ask about it.

He inquired on the progress made with Glimmer, and he was informed that she being placed in a cell.

"We'll have to start an investigation into the reason this organisation freed Midas," he said to the chief officer. "So we'll start interrogations immediately when they awaken."

Thereafter he stared through the window as Kallus was strapped into a metal chair by the androids.

Chapter

The lights were flickering in the room. Still the androids kept at their duties despite the seeming malfunction in the lighting system. On the other T'Challa sensed that something was amiss. But before a word erupted from his throat, Loki appeared in the room.

T'Challa recognised the goblin who had his back arched and a smirk on his face. He muttered a few inhuman words and the androids were laid to rest in violent explosions. He turned to T'Challa and more strange words tumbled from his mouth.

T'Challa was quicker. He pushed down the officers nearest to him on the floor as the window broke into pieces.

Satisfied that the Black Panther was no longer there, Loki performed the most basics of his tricks- teleportation. And he and Kallus disappeared from the room.

T'Challa rose sharply and he leapt through the broken window into the room.

"What does Loki have to do with this?" he asked. His mind working possible scenarios as he turned to the standing officers.

Then his kimoyo rang. It was Ororo.

"Love," he answered.

"Honey, I'm in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. This might seem strange but I think Loki teleported me here from the warehouse."

"No it isn't because he just snatched the kidnapper."

"What. Loki's involve with him."

"Seems like it." T'Challa mind's was racing. Then he remembered the articles removed from Kallus.

"I have an idea how to find them. We'll get Soberk to do a location spell. How does that sound?"

"Great. But since were going up against Loki we'll need the armours. And we don't have much time to spare," said Ororo.

"Okay. I'll come and get you. Then drop you off in the Vault. I'll get Soberk afterwards."

"Got it. I'm at –"

Ororo provided T'Challa with the location. He gave a few orders to the officers to see about the room and check on the next prisoner. Then he told the sword Ororo's location, which was Jbel Toubkal in South Morocco. He disappeared in a golden light.

When he appeared at the site he was greeted by afternoon sunshine and strong winds. A lane of small white clouds ran from the mountain peak he stood on towards the horizon.

The winds were like trestles that held up Ororo from the summit. Her arms were folded as she speculated on the reason Loki had spared her life.

He must also have our meeting in mind, thought Ororo. Then she placed the kimoyo on her belt.

"Another brush with death," commented T'Challa as he took off his mask.

"Yes another one." Ororo lowered herself into his opened arms and kissed him deeply.

They teleported that way. The sensation sent a thrill though their bodies. They emerged out of compressed time and space and found themselves in the Vault. It was a hidden storeroom in the Manga mountain range that contained souvenirs and confiscated items from their battles.

Their lips detached. "I love you," said T'Challa.

"I love you back. Now go find Soberk."

Eventually they parted from the warmth and comfort of each other's arms. And T'Challa left like a whisper.

Soon after, Ororo inquired from the Vault's artificial intelligence the location of the armours.

"3rd quadrant," responded the dull computer.

Subsequently Ororo flew over the inhabitants of the Vault. Things created in the pits of evil that were difficulty to destroy and too dangerous to be left in unsafe hands. But not all the items in the Vault were for evil. Some like the armour required safekeeping. She landed in front a showcase.

Resting inside were the two God blessed armours. Specially made for combat with supernatural entities. In the inert state, the armours were four-inch grey bars with the panther crest imprinted on the front.

Ororo opened the case and she pressed her finger on the crest of the first bar. A nano computer read her genetic code. Suddenly the bar lit up. It made a noise as though gearing towards an action. Ororo kept her finger on the bar until it transformed into glittering dust that rolled over her body and eventually merged with her uniform.

Ororo kept her breathing steady as a pre configured armour formed out of the glittering grey dust. It clung onto her curves and bosom. Thin arms from the armour rested on her temples. They transmitted her instructions to the rest of the protection.

Ororo checked that she was still able to reach the vibranium bladed knife on her belt. Afterwards she took the next armour from the showcase.

She went to the locker that contained the spare surveillance equipment. She wanted a miniature tracker and voice transmitter. The circular item was so small that it rested on her fingertip.

I'll put this on Soberk, thought Ororo. We can't afford to lose him in a battle with Loki.

Ororo returned to the area she had appeared. There she tried to make her own connections between Loki and the kidnapper based on what she had seen in the warehouse.

"Well, the files showed that they dealt with the paranormal," said Ororo. "And Loki is deep into magic like Soberk."

She rested on the staircase for the moment as her pondering continued.

"Maybe T'Challa's right. We should be cautious with Soberk."

Therefore Ororo decided it was best to place the transmitter on Soberk without his knowledge.

Chapter

After coming off a call from the White House, Soberk wrote into his Blackberry "Meeting with US President. Tomorrow at 1.25 p.m."

Then he resumed helping rescue workers search for bodies in the rubble of the International Criminal Court detention centre. Half of which had been destroyed in Midas's escape.

And even though Soberk knew the carnage was orchestrated for his behalf he shamelessly lifted out bodies from the piles of concrete like a hero.

"You're going to make it," he told the victims encouragingly while he healed them with his powers. Yet in his heart he felt no compassion for them. It was all an act to win praises.

Helping him was the fact that the Black Panther and Storm had left the prison grounds and had not returned. Therefore everyone had turned to him for assistance.

Yet Soberk believed the glory he received was his due after a lifetime of punishment by the overpowering personality of his late father. He had been the son of a gruesome dictator that believed his mother was traitorous and thus executed her. And the father took out his anger over the mother on him.

He often remembered the torment in the Great House where he lived with his father and half brothers. There he was reduced to the point where he had little self worth. That was until he left as a young man.

Thus he viewed his permanent disfigurement as a small price for something he never had.

"Soberk," T'Challa called out from across the tide of yellow and black jacketed rescue workers.

Chapter

T'Challa was quick to the point. Soberk readily agreed.

"This Loki. He's major threat to the world?" he asked.

"One of the biggest," replied T'Challa.

"So how are you going to defeat him?"

"With speed, cunning and guile."

It was T'Challa's confidence that drew out Soberk's ego. Thus he said, "Then I want to do more than show you his location. I'll go with you and fight him."

T'Challa did not want to block Soberk, despite the danger.

In all regards he was a novice. He may have succeeded against a Midas who was without his power suit, but Loki was a different kind of challenge, thought T'Challa. Nevertheless he said, "I knew you were going to say that."

Thereafter the two travelled in nano seconds from the Netherlands to Wakanda. They materialised at the entrance to the Vault. Ororo had sealed off the rest of the storeroom with a metal door.

"He's coming along," said T'Challa.

Concurrently Ororo stepped close to T'Challa and Soberk as she exchanged the armour for a personal item of Kallus. She gently bounced into Soberk for a wisp of a second, and thereby planted the transmitter on him. He was totally unaware of the contact. Meanwhile Ororo kept the receiver in her right ear.

"Were you informed of the likelihood that we may not return?" asked Ororo.

"Actually no," replied Soberk.

Ororo stared him directly in the eyes. "We don't know what Loki has planned. We may even have to sacrifice ourselves to stop him."

"I'm not afraid," said Soberk. Even though mentally he was questioning if it was a wise move to go with them. He wanted to be around to revel in the glory.

"Also Loki is a deceiver. Don't trust anything he says." Ororo said.

Meanwhile T'Challa removed his right glove and he pressed on the crest. Grey glittering dust draped him as it had done Ororo. His new armour joined with the vibranium weave suit he wore.

"What's this for?" inquired Soberk.

"It protects us from some of his magic like energy projections and transmutations," responded Ororo.

"What about me? Where's my guard?" Soberk sounded troubled.

"You have the ability to transmutate your form we don't. If he turns you into anything then you can always change back," said T'Challa assuredly.

"I've never done such a thing before," said a concerned Soberk.

"Then you'll learn along the way." Ororo handed him Kallus's watch.

Soberk took the item. "By the way while you're gone who looks after Wakanda?"

"We have contingencies for that," answered T'Challa.

"Hmmp." Soberk performed the location spell. His eyes became bright grey. A mystic fire covered his clothes but did not burn them. "I've found him but he's veiled to me. I will not be able to place us at his exact location, but just a short distance away."

"So be it," said T'Challa.

Soberk concentrated. Suddenly the three were sucked into a vortex. They reformed inside of a subterranean labyrinth. The ceiling was a few feet from their heads. The tunnels seemed unused and devoid of life. A dead man's silence and stillness lay behind every turn.

"Stay sharp Soberk," said T'Challa while he withdrew the sword from his back. The techno skin that coated the dark force energy blade slid into the hilt.

Is this Asgard? He wondered.

Meanwhile visible lines of electricity formed out the corners of Ororo's eyes. She clenched her fists. Then she scanned the vicinity.

"I have no scent," said T'Challa.

"And I don't see anything mildly biological," said Ororo.

On the other hand, Soberk was aware of Loki's presence. He was magnetised to it.

"I can sense him," he said and pointed towards the stone wall on his right. "Through there."

T'Challa slipped his kimoyo from his belt and it showed Kallus's face on the screen. "This is the person he took."

Soberk looked at it. At first he didn't recognise Kallus because the spymaster had worn a disguise in his presence, but the more he viewed the picture it became apparent T'Challa's quarry and the mastermind of his ascension were the same person.

"I see," he said

Ororo pointed her opened palms at the wall. "Stand back," she said.

Then she emitted searing lightening bolts from her hands. The lightening began drilling into the hard rock.

Chapter

Elsewhere Loki was bemused that Kallus had no fear of him. And he understood the reason.

"We are the same," said Loki as he stared at the human imprisoned in the metal chair. "I can torture the information out of you in so many ways. But then you have done the same to others. So I'm not going to waste time finding your breaking point. But I'll make you an offer."

"Either shut up or free me," said Kallus drearily. He had awakened disoriented. When he had seen Loki, he remembered the file the organisation had on the trickster.

"Release Surtur's essence and I will give you all of Wakanda's secrets or better yet, destroy it," said Loki. He had realised the spell on the artefact was Asgardian and one he didn't know of.

Then he gestured with his left hand, and the chair raised off the ground; it floated towards a small pool of dark water. Kallus stared down.

"Observe," said Loki and whispered a smatter of words. Thereupon the pool waved and then bright coloured images through time and space appeared on the surface. Finally the images settled on Wakanda. A montage showed people oblivious to the viewers of their private lives.

Then Loki released a train of strange words from his lips and in his hand formed an imitation of Mjolnir (Thor's hammer). The very same one he had presented to Ororo.

"I believe you know what this is and what I can do with it," teased Loki.

Kallus was emotionless. He knew more about Asgard than most of Earth's population due to his father and an Army Rangers team that had explored the godlike dimension. "No deal."

"Why?" asked Loki holding back his rage.

"I don't know what you're going to with that thing-"

"I assure you that it has nothing to do with Earth or humans."

"You expect me to believe that."

Abruptly Loki became aware of Soberk's presence. He lowered the chair at the edge of the pool.

"I'll give you until I return to change your mind," he said. The hammer disappeared into nothingness. Then he teleported to the intruders.

Kallus smiled insanely. Since he had the perfect opportunity to learn Wakanda's secrets yet he couldn't because Loki and all his kind were also considered the enemy.

Chapter

Ororo made steady progress through the stone. T'Challa and Soberk followed behind. Yet Soberk was beginning to think differently about T'Challa and Ororo. He saw in them genuine valour and belief as they continued into the unknown, so they could thwart a powerful adversary.

The world is better off with true heroes, he thought. But I can never be that.

Then Loki appeared at the right of the group and he captured them in separate forcefields.

Immediately T'Challa made a war cry as he slashed out his forcefield and he sprinted towards Ororo; barely evading a magical blast of energy from Loki that streamed behind him.

T'Challa sliced the front of the magical forcefield that imprisoned Ororo and it split in two. Consequently Ororo fired her lightening at the dark God. Loki merely motioned the snaking attack away to his left by flicking the left fingers.

Still Ororo had a few more tricks. She shot lightning bolts at the ceiling above Loki. As he was repelling the falling rocks, she released lightening into the ground in front of him. The sharp movement beneath his feet felled the trickster. And before he regained composure, T'Challa was pouncing at him with the sword aiming for the trickster's head.

Like a reflex, Loki muttered a phrase that should have been the end of T'Challa. Instead the amour protected him, and he was tossed away from Loki.

Meanwhile Soberk tried in vain to free himself. His mystic fires blazed inside the forcefield concealing him.

Loki spotted Soberk.

"He's the one leading them to me," said Loki. Consequently both of them disappeared from the eyes of T'Challa and Ororo.

Loki brought Soberk into a sealed off tunnel. Then he removed the forcefield. Soberk stared intently at the trickster.

Put up a shield in case he attacks, Soberk thought. Meanwhile the mystic fires on his lower arms extended like twelve-inch blades. Have no fear of him, was the mantra that played in his mind. Therefore he willed his nerves to be calm.

On the other side, Loki calculated Soberk's countermeasures and thereby he devised a series of attacks.

But let's not be too hasty, thought Loki.

"Soberk," the trickster said. "I know your secrets. Like the plan that you and Kallus had hatched to bring down Wakanda. The staged escape of the prisoner so that you brought him in. But I particularly enjoyed, as one viper to another, was you pretending to befriend Storm and the Black Panther when you're their enemy. And those secrets will remain with me as long as you stall Storm and Black Panther from finding my lair."

Soberk remained quiet. His focus was on Loki's expected attack.

"What do you say?" asked Loki.

"No."

The trickster became enraged. He whispered a hex. Soberk's shield barely stopped it and was shattered. Still Soberk moved forward quickly. He swung the fire blades at Loki and made contact on the shoulders. Loki laughed like a hyena as the blades broke against his body. Then the trickster spewed another spell from lips and it started tearing out the magic from Soberk.

Chapter

Ororo's lightening and plasma energy clawed a path through the stone tunnels.

"Loki does not know a transmitter is on Soberk," she said to T'Challa.

"Still do we trust the words of a known liar," he said while watching the tracker from Soberk's beacon on his kimoyo.

"Then we'll have to trap Soberk into a confession," said Ororo soberly.

"We're almost there."

At least we were correct not to fully trust Soberk, thought T'Challa.

Ororo pushed her powers further; mentally she was nearing her threshold where she was in control of herself.

I'm a mutant and not a goddess, she reiterated to herself; remembering the phrase Xavier had used when he had found her as a teenager.

Eventually the final wall succumbed to her will and it collapsed. Instantly she saw Loki draining the magic out of Soberk.

The trickster threw aside Soberk.

"I have spared you twice Storm. I shall not again," he said and evaporated out of sight.

T'Challa dashed to Soberk and knelt on one knee besides him.

"He's alive but weakened," said T'Challa. There was no response from Ororo. Hence he looked up at her.

Her eyes were closed and her arms extended as though in a trance.

"I know where to find Loki," she said, "he's using the hammer."

Chapter

The trickster changed the image in the pool from Wakanda to Aranzi. Then Loki activated the hammer over the country that Soberk ruled. Great thunderstorms began taxing the land as punishment for Soberk's actions.

Then the trickster raised Kallus from the ground. "Listen carefully human. I'm going to make you relive the pain of all that suffered from your hands." The Asgardian's voice was deep and vexed.

"Being in your company is a pain by itself," retorted Kallus.

Loki dropped Kallus roughly. The chair he was strapped to made a clang noise.

"Why you-"

A rumbling came behind the wall on the far right. Moments later it was ruptured and Ororo flew through the opening. Loki barely glimpsed T'Challa to the back. Then the Black Panther was gone like a ghost in the forest.

Subsequently Loki lurched backwards as he felt a sudden presence. It was T'Challa who had teleported for the surprise strike. Loki was fast as the Black Panther and he dodged the initial attack. Nevertheless T'Challa adjusted quickly and he trimmed off Loki's right hand from the arm. Importantly it was the hand that held the hammer. With a phrase, Loki shot T'Challa away from him.

Unbeknownst to the trickster, Ororo clutched the fallen hammer. She directed her powers through it all the while dispelling the dark impulses it created in her. Then Ororo swung the hammer at Loki who was focused on T'Challa.

The trickster turned around from the Black Panther and into the full swing of the hammer. It smashed into the left side of his face. Toppling him. Ororo bore down on the now disfigured deceiver with the hammer. In fear, he repelled her with his hands and the hammer faded into the air; flinging her a few metres from where he lay. Then he tried to stand. That's when he lost his head.

Diving T'Challa decapitated the God with a timed slash. The head fell, bounced on the horns and came to rest within striking distance of Ororo. She pulled her knife from the belt and stabbed it into Loki's broken face. He yelled in agony. She lifted the head and tossed it into the pool; hoping that it drowned him. Instead he was sucked into time and space. Disappearing in an upheaval of the waters.

Chapter

T'Challa promptly secured Kallus in the chair.

"What's your connection to Loki?" he asked but as expected Kallus remained muted.

"T'Challa, look," said Ororo as she neared a pedestal that had the Surtur artefact resting on it. "It's the weapon stolen from Fury." She took up the small and oval vessel.

T'Challa stared down at Kallus.

"We'll eventually find out what happened here," he said. Then T'Challa dragged the chair behind him as he walked along the stone floor. He was heading for Soberk who was dragging himself out the wall opening.

T'Challa was aware that Soberk was unable to heal himself.

"We're going back to Wakanda. You'll get treatment there," said T'Challa dryly.

Ororo flew over with the artefact. Subsequently the group left Loki's lair.

Five hours later, T'Challa and Ororo met with Nicholas Fury the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in a designated secret place. He was a man who benefited from slow ageing; hence he resembled a person in his forties. His hair was a mixture of grey and black. The body was that of a commando. And no one dared made a joke of his eye patch for an injury sustained in World War II.

He was presented the artefact. T'Challa and Ororo explained how they recovered it.

"But what does it do actually?" inquired Ororo.

Usually Fury would have said none of your business, but since she helped him out a tight spot he obliged.

"At full power. It can bring forth Surtur the destroyer of Asgard and he's one of less than a handful of entities who can defeat Thor." In those words he admitted the reason the weapon was kept secret. "At lower levels, it can increase magic."

And it disappeared the same time Soberk's powers increased, thought T'Challa.

"But out of curiosity was the woman you captured with the kidnapper thin-" Fury described the person from the surveillance footage.

"Yes," replied Ororo.

"We also found that she had teleportation DNA," said T'Challa. "Why do you ask?"

"Because she stole the weapon," replied Fury.

"Now we have a common enemy with regards to this organisation," said Ororo.

"We do," said Fury.

Afterwards they departed from the meeting place.

Chapter

T'Challa and Ororo poured over the evidence that they had on Soberk and it was thin. Since most of it was based on Loki's words.

"We'll have to let him go for now," said Ororo, sitting at the desk.

"But going back to your earlier I idea. We can ensnare him. Say we go along helping him set up his country and then we-"

Ororo listened attentively to T'Challa's scheme and she liked it.

A day after Soberk returned to Aranzi, but he had lost his magical healing abilities. And he was concerned that Kallus might eventually reveal the secrets to T'Challa and Ororo.

I'll have to reach him somehow before that happens, he thought.