The next chapter! I hope you like it and please let me know what you think! Also thanks to everyone who reads this and to all those who write reviews!
I know that I said that Pepper would appear again in this chapter, but I changed my plan spontaneously. I wrote this chapter as a small tribute to Chadwick Boseman, his death makes me really sad. Rest in peace, King T'Challa. Wakanda Forever. I also showed signs of T'Challa's friendship with Everett Ross. Who knows, maybe our heroes will go to Wakanda in later chapters?
I also wanted to let you know that I started reading the first chapters of this story again and I fixed a few mistakes. I just updated the first chapter and the others will follow sometime. The plot won't change so you don't have to worry about this.
While reading the story again, I've been wondering. What's your favourite chapter/moment in this story? Please let me know, I'm really curious!
I also posted a new story, it's a oneshot about Tony and Steve. Just in case anyone is interested in them. It's been on my mind for years now and a few days ago, I took the time to write it.
I don't own the characters or places!
"Let me start with a simple question." Everett Ross started the interrogation. "Why did you try to kill the king of Wakanda?" They were sitting in a small room across from Craig, who was bound to a chair. The only other thing that separated them from him was the large white table. Next to Tony, Steve, T'Challa and Ross, no one was in the room. The others were waiting outside, together with a few members of Ross' team, listening to their conversation.
Tony was surprised to see that Ross was completely relaxed. Or at least he seemed to be. Next to him, Steve was keeping a hand close to his shield that stood on the floor. T'Challa was touching some kind of necklace he was wearing from time to time. Tony kept his hands on the table, trying not to move too much. He didn't want to seem nervous in front of this man.
Because his appearance could make you nervous. Short, blond hair, piercing grey eyes and white skin. And then there was the hateful expression on his face, as if he would like nothing more than to kill them all in an instant. Tony hoped that the chains would hold him, he wasn't eager to fight against this man.
Instead of answering the question, Craig only stared at Ross. "Alright, so you won't answer this question." Ross said simply and made a note on his tablet. "But king T'Chaka was the target of your mission?"
Again, no answer. Ross made another note and smiled, though Tony didn't know why. But sometimes, Everett Ross just smiled instead of showing his frustration, maybe this was also happening now. Tony knew that he shouldn't underestimate him. If he wouldn't be good, Ross would have never come this far with his career.
"Maybe we should start again with a new question. This time even easier to answer." Ross looked at Craig calmly. "What's your name? I already see that you won't answer this, so let me do it for you. Your name is Craig and you're working for Hydra."
If Tony wouldn't have looked at him closely, he wouldn't have noticed that Craig's eyes narrowed slightly when Ross mentioned his name and Hydra. Ross seemed to notice it too, he leaned back on his chair with a wide smile. "So it's true." He muttered. "We're already trying to find out more about you. And your missions. So don't worry, we'll know everything soon either way."
At those words, Tony glanced at his phone. JARVIS was just decoding more Hydra files. Ross knew about this and it seemed like they both hoped that they could look into those before the interrogation was over. Maybe they could make Craig talk when they confronted him with information about his past.
"There's one thing I don't understand." Steve said suddenly. "You tried to kill the king of Wakanda here, on a piece conference in Vienna. Even if you could have done that somewhere else as well. And it would have been even easier than today since the security measures here are so high."
"Maybe he wants to set a sign?" Tony suggested. "Showing the world that Hydra can even kill important people on heavily guarded conferences?"
"Or it was their only chance to get to the king." Ross looked at T'Challa thoughtfully. "It's not easy to enter Wakanda."
T'Challa nodded slowly, he was still frowning at Craig. "He would have never been able to lay a hand on my father in Wakanda." He confirmed.
"He walked past us without being noticed. He's very good." Tony threw in. "Maybe he could have also gotten into your country?"
"It is not possible." T'Challa repeated simply.
"In your position, I would believe him." Ross said with a slight smile. "He knows what he's talking about."
Tony wondered how much Ross knew about Wakanda and if he's ever been there, but he didn't get a chance to ask this question. Steve already continued to talk.
"Bucky was right, he won't tell us anything." He sighed. "Maybe we should just stop this, seems to be a waste of time."
When Steve mentioned Bucky, Craig looked at him attentively. Tony was the first to notice it.
"Steve, I think he knows your friend." He said slowly and now everyone was looking at Craig again.
"You know Bucky?" Steve asked and raised his eyebrows.
Suddenly, Craig began to laugh. "The Winter Soldier." He spat and his smile looked more like a grimace. "We were five once. Now we are just two. And he's as good as dead, now that he's betrayed Hydra. That's why I took his position." He was laughing again and Tony exchanged a look with the others. Apparently, he could talk, even if he said just unimportant things. However, Tony saw that Steve's mind was racing, most probably because of the threat towards Bucky.
"And king T'Chaka was your target." Ross repeated. "You tried to kill him."
"I didn't try." Craig corrected. "I did." His eyes focused on T'Challa. "Your father is dead, isn't he? I killed him."
T'Challa looked at Craig with a blank expression on his face and he clenched his fists on the table. He didn't answer the question, but in this moment, Tony knew that it was true. King T'Chaka of Wakanda was dead. Killed by an agent of Hydra on a piece conference, on one of the rare occasions he left his country.
"Why did they order you to kill him?" Ross asked, making Craig look away from T'Challa. "Why is Hydra interested in Wakanda?"
"I killed his father." Craig repeated and ignored Ross. Now he was looking at Tony. "Just like I killed your parents."
It took him a moment to realize the meaning of those words. "Wait, what?" It was all Tony could manage in this moment. He stared at Craig. At the same time, he felt the looks of the other three on him. When he glanced to the left, he saw Steve's worried face. "It was a car accident. No one killed them."
"That's what everyone should believe." Craig grinned. "I killed them both. For Hydra."
Suddenly, Tony felt Steve's hand on his arm. Somehow, the small gesture helped to keep him grounded in this moment. What Craig just said couldn't be true. No one killed his parents, it was an accident. Of course there have been policemen who thought that this could have also been an attack, but no one listened to them. Not when it was so obvious that it had been an accident. Bad luck, nothing more. Not crazy Hydra super soldiers who got an order to kill Howard Stark and his wife.
"Your father was a threat to Hydra." Craig continued. "Just like everyone around him."
Tony still felt like he couldn't move. He kept staring at Craig and tried to keep his breathing in control. This couldn't be true. He refused to believe him. "I don't believe you." He muttered.
"Don't listen to him, Tony." Steve whispered. "He only wants to manipulate you. That's how it works with them."
"He tries to provoke us." T'Challa agreed. "We should stop this. He can't tell us anything."
Ross nodded. He also looked shocked. "I'll deal with him, don't worry. He'll be locked up and no one will ever see him again." He decided and stood up.
"The precious metal in Wakanda is the real target." Craig said when they all stood up and wanted to leave the room. "Others want it as well."
T'Challa looked at Craig coldly. "They won't get it." He said simply and left.
Right before Tony could follow him, Craig spoke again. "You can find out if it's true. When you look at the files." Tony looked over his shoulder again and in this moment, he knew that he hated this man. More than anything.
"Let's go, Tony." Steve's voice interrupted his thoughts. His tone was soft and he placed a hand on Tony's back, pushing him towards the door. "Don't listen to him anymore."
And then they were outside again, in the small corridor where the others were waiting. Four of Ross' men entered the small room now, guarding Craig until they were ready to transport him to the next prison.
Tony felt the worried looks of the others on him and T'Challa. He didn't have the strength to smile lightly, like he usually did. Instead, he looked at Ross. "Make sure he'll never get a chance to escape."
"I'll do that." Ross nodded. "Maybe we should keep this conversation to ourselves."
They all agreed. "JARVIS, look at the files. I want to know if it's true." Tony whispered into his phone and didn't wait for a reply. When he looked up again, he saw Steve's concerned face.
"Let's go outside. I need some air." Tony muttered and didn't wait for the others. He just had to get out of this building.
Twenty minutes later, he was sitting on a bench outside. All around him, people were still trying to get an overview of the extent of the explosion. He didn't really see them, he was too lost in his own thoughts.
What Craig told him was true. About five minutes after he left, JARVIS showed him the files. There was everything about this man, his former life, before he was recruited by Hydra, his missions, just everything. His name was Craig Slier. Unlike Bucky, he and the others didn't have special names like the Winter Soldier. Only the first of them got this special treatment.
He killed Tony's parents. The policemen who didn't believe in an accident all those years ago were right. The files didn't say who gave the order. Tony wasn't sure if he should be angry or glad because of this.
For the first time in years, Tony felt completely lost. Everything he knew about his past seemed to be one big lie. His father had been working for SHIELD, and that's what got him killed in the end. It was also mentioned that Craig stole something from Howard, but Tony didn't really care. After all, this had been years ago.
What should he do now? Could he even do anything? Tony doubted it. But the knowledge that his parents have been killed was weighing heavily on him now.
He'd also found something else in the files. First, the mission was meant for the Winter Soldier. However, he wasn't in the country by that time his parents died. So Craig got the order. Tony didn't know how he would have reacted if Bucky had been the one to kill his parents. And he also didn't want to think of what it would have done to Steve. After all, Bucky was very important to him.
Slowly, Tony looked for his phone in his pockets. He really needed someone to talk. He wasn't sure if calling Pepper was a good idea, but he did it either way. Only that she didn't accept the call. When Tony looked at the clock, he noticed that it was still earlier in New York. Pepper must be still at work!
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned back. She would see that he tried to call her and then she would call him back. In a few hours. He really wished that this day would finally end and that he could go home again.
Suddenly, someone cleared his throat. Tony already expected to see Steve standing there, but instead, he looked at T'Challa's face. The prince – no, now king – of Wakanda was looking at him calmly. "Would you mind if I sit down?" He asked politely.
"Not at all." Tony answered, a little surprised. Why would T'Challa want to talk to him? Tony had already assumed that he would go back to his father now, or right to Wakanda.
"I assume you already did research on what this man said to you?" T'Challa asked after a few moments of silence.
Tony nodded. "It's true." He admitted with a sigh. "I already feared that when he mentioned it the first time."
"It seems like Hydra has control over both of our lives." T'Challa said thoughtfully. When Tony looked at him, he saw the grief in his eyes. "My father didn't survive his injuries."
"I'm sorry." Tony told him. "We should have done more to prevent this attack." And it was true. They've known about it all along, but in the end, they weren't able to stop Craig. The guilt made him feel sick.
"It is not your fault." T'Challa threw in. "You did everything you could. Hydra is responsible for this. And this man who is locked up now. The one whose mind is being controlled."
"I would love to deal with him myself now." Tony muttered darkly and already imagined himself beating up Craig. Making that stupid grin vanish from his face.
"Anger won't help us in this situation." T'Challa's voice was still calm, but Tony could see the storm in his eyes. "We have to consider every step carefully. We're walking on dangerous ground now."
"I know that it won't help, but maybe it would make me feel better." He admitted and ran a hand through his hair.
"It wouldn't. Or did that happen in the past?"
"No." Tony muttered after thinking about it for some time. "Only made things worse."
T'Challa bowed his head with a small smile. "Then you shouldn't let vengeance consume you. You should keep going and try to find the ones who are responsible for all those things as a whole. And when you stop them, it will all come to an end."
"Our target is Hydra itself." Tony told him. "That's our mission. The Avengers will stop Hydra and their plans."
"So you already know your target." T'Challa noted.
Tony groaned. "You make it sound so easy."
"Things are only as difficult as we make them to ourselves. My father always said this to me." T'Challa explained when Tony looked at him curiously.
"He was a great man."
T'Challa nodded. "And I will miss him greatly." Again, they were silent for some time, until T'Challa spoke again. "In my culture, death is not the end. It's more of a stepping off point. You reach out with both hands and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into a green veld where you can run forever."
Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sounds peaceful." He noted.
"My father thought so." T'Challa agreed. However, Tony noticed that he didn't mention his opinion about this. "If we can help you in your fight against Hydra, we will. Wakanda is a country of strong warriors. And then there's the Black Panther, our guardian. When they killed the king, they made it our fight as well."
"And now you will be king." Tony said.
T'Challa nodded slowly. "I will." He agreed simply, a thoughtful look on his face.
"You will be a good king, I'm sure of that." When T'Challa looked at him in surprise, Tony smiled slightly. "Don't ask me why, but I just know this."
A small smile appeared on T'Challa's lips. "Thank you. And also for your help concerning Klaue. I now that you gave Ross the lead to find him."
Tony nodded. "He promised me something and I did this for him." He shrugged. "Simple agreement. I bet Ross will help you looking for him?"
"Yes, we will do this together." T'Challa agreed. "First, I didn't know what to think of this man, but I really like Everett." Huh? First names? Tony decided not to say anything concerning this. He didn't want the future king of Wakanda being mad at him.
"Who knows, maybe Klaue is also working for Hydra. They're all after the Vibranium." He said instead.
"We will have to find out." T'Challa muttered. "But that shouldn't be your concern. You have to deal with Hydra."
"You should tell us the story with Klaue either way." Tony threw in. "And we'll let you know how things with Hydra are going. And if your help is needed."
"So we have an agreement." T'Challa smiled.
Tony nodded. "Seems so."
The sound of footsteps interrupted their conversation. This time, it was really Steve who joined them. Together with Bucky and Natasha.
"How are you feeling?" Steve asked when he sat down next to Tony.
"Better." He replied with a glance at T'Challa. "It's still a lot to take in, though."
"You don't have to deal with this alone." Steve whispered. "We're all by your side." Then he turned to T'Challa and asked how he was feeling. Apparently, the news of king T'Chaka's death had already reached the others.
For some time, they kept talking about the events of the day and other, more unimportant things. Later, Clint, Bruce and Thor, who've been helping at the destroyed building, joined them as well. Just like Everett Ross, who wanted to talk to T'Challa.
When they finally reached their hotel again, it was late in the evening. Tony wanted to call Pepper once he was in his room, but then he was too tired and fell asleep the moment he sat down on the bed.