THREE YEARS LATER...

Millions across the world struggle to rebuild their lives after the devastation of the alien invasion one month ago. Countless have been left homeless and injured, with countless other lives being lost in the attack. King T'Challa of Wakanda has promised that the previously isolated technologically advanced country will continue to send out aid and resources to the rest of the world, after helping the Avengers to repel the invaders.

"Me?! Why?!" Ayo snapped as Okoye grabbed her spear from the wall. "Because I will be accompanying the King during his visit to America. The Queen Mother will be in command until we return."

"General Okoye..." Ayo sounded somewhat calmer as she continued. "If the princess was ever endangered, you know that I would give my life to protect her. Without question. But I cannot waste time helping her with her experiments when there are surely more important things to worry about in T'Challa's absence."

"Of course you can... lab work can be very unstable. Easy to become endangered." Okoye snarked. Ayo rolled her eyes as Okoye went to the elevator, before calling up to her. "How long will you be gone for?"

"Three days!" Okoye called back as the her voice faded away.

"Right then... babysitter duty..."

On the jet, T'Challa sat watching the news report showing the invasion of the Outriders, before stopping for a moment to think. He sighed, before looking to where Okoye was sitting in the pilot's seat. "Are you sure you want to leave Ayo to look after Shuri?"

"Oh yes, my King. I'm sure they'll have fun, or... or whatever it is the princess likes to do..."

Who gon' pray for me?
Take my pain for me?
Save my soul for me?
'Cause I'm alone, you see
If I'm gon' die for you
If I'm gon' kill for you
Then I'll spill this blood for you, hey

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Nakia yawned as she pulled up the curtain in her apartment window, blinking slightly to adjust to the sunlight. As she looked down to the basketball field, she grinned as she saw the children playing. She felt a great sense of pride warming her heart at the sight of what their hard work had achieved, snapping out of this as she heard her Kimoyo beads beeping.

"What is it?" she asked in slight frustration, as the AI answered "there is a man waiting in the reception centre. He wishes to speak with you."

She clicked the notification to show the footage of the middle-aged, black man sitting in the reception. "Very well... send him to my office."

"Right. My name is Nakia... I am the person you wanted to speak to. Yes?" she asked as she entered the office, seeing the man sitting calmly on the other side of her desk.

"Yes. You are. Um..." the man began quietly. He seemed to be American, as he was dressed in a simple shirt and leather jacket, with black sunglasses over his eyes. As he removed the shades, Nakia thought that the man's face bore an uncanny resemblance to the lead actor from that awful film she had once watched, Passenger 57.

While she couldn't quite put her finger on the name of that actor, Nakia cleared her throat as she said "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but are you by any chance here to apply for our rehousing program? There is plenty of room on the list. There always is."

"What? Oh, um... naw, no... I uh..." the man stuttered, before sighing as he said. "Well... a long time ago, I made a terrible mistake that cost me my life and everything that I cherished most."

"Oh, I see... it's the substance recovery programme then?..." Nakia said, before looking over

"Hm... no... not drugs. You see, I'm a lot like you, Nakia."

"Really?" Nakia said, sounding genuinely intrigued in what this gentleman had to say. "And how so?"

"Well... I'm uh... I'm not from around here... if you know what I mean..."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not follo..." Nakia began, before her eyes widened as the man put his finger to his lower lip, lowering it down to reveal the glowing blue inscription on it. A War Dog tattoo.

"You... you are Wakandan..." she said, her voice sounding short of breath as some feelings sparked within her. They were not just feelings, but almost... memories.

"Ha ha... yes, I am... I've been away for many years. And I must say... it warms my heart to see you again, Nakia." the man said grinning, now with a confident and familiar African accent in his voice. "You really are the spitting image of her."

"Wh... who are you?" Nakia asked, still dumbfounded by what this unusually familiar man was trying to process to her.

"Well... I'd have thought that my charming personality would have told you..." the man snarked. "My name is Achebe..."

Nakia gasped loudly as the realisation suddenly dropped on her like a shower of rocks, before the man stood up, stretching his arms out warmly.

"So why don't you come around from that desk and give your Baba a hug?"