Pt3

Rose Potter was extremely satisfied. The Wakandans were very easy to negotiate with. Even with how advanced they were, they were still pretty superstitious. Teddy's metamorphing had instantly reminded them that her sixteen-year-old godson had more raw (supernatural) power than all of Wakanda combined. And if Teddy's presence didn't seal the deal, Goose sure had. The nundu, nearly ignored as it was so rare, even in its native sub-Sahara eastern Africa, in the now nearly extinct wizarding world, was THE myth in Wakanda. The Black Panther suit was made in the image of a slightly humanoid nundu, not that they could imitate the most lethal capability of the nundu, toxic breath that could poison selectively. Neither could Goose, not truly, but the Wakandans didn't need to know that.

Set up with some more vibranium stock, Rose Potter departed Wakanda for the ancestral mansion of House Black, one of the most tightly warded of her properties, and the one she favored above the rest.

King T'Chaka's mood was very well lifted in relief after Rose and her pseudo-son Edward left. He did not mind in the least doing business with them. She was always respectful, and Theodore got along very well with his daughter Shuri, as in dating well. If anything permanent came out of their relationship, T'Chaka didn't mind. As a father, he saw their personalities molded well together, and as a King, he would be glad to have the effortless power, even at such an early stage in his training according to Rose Potter, that Edward wielded, in his bloodline, and loyal, through Shuri, to his family. Even the power the boy had had when he was six years old, when Rose Potter had first brought him along to meet the Wakandan royalty, shapeshifting effortlessly, although not much else, he would have contributed to the European tradition of a dowry for his daughter to have a man with such power, especially one his daughter liked, add such a talent to the bloodline of the royal family. Added in the alliance with Rose Potter, he would not disagree to the possible marriage in the least, especially as both sixteen-year-olds seemed likely to get to that stage in a few short years, just right in their early twenties.

And trading with Rose Potter was even more beneficial than just a possible advantageous, yet still love-based marriage for his daughter (because he knew very well if he tried to pressure Shuri she would state she would never marry and she would be in her right. But as with many parents, T'Chaka wanted to live to see grandchildren). For as Rose could be terrifying at times with the ease her pet nundu, the ultimate predator, obeyed her, they both knew that when she traded with them, they both had different sorts of power over each other. And as they respected each other's mutual power, they both refrained from obvious displays of either, knowing their arrangement was mutually beneficial. What Wakanda had in vibranium, as useful as it was, their gold mines had run out decades past. But Rose, on the other hand, he knew not how she did it but seemed to have a very large supply of gold, and when she paid, she always paid in pure gold coins, knowing that it was better than exchanging any sort of paper currency. She also, knowing she was the only outsider to ever be able to have any sort of access to Wakandan vibranium, much less trade for it regularly, overpaid heavily and on purpose, and they, in turn, treated her as more than a customer, but as a friend of the Royal Family.

But this time, she had not come solely for vibranium. She had gotten a lot of that last time they had met, three months ago. This time, however, she had come not only for trade. She had come with a warning. SHIELD was becoming more and more active, and increasing their own belief in their own power, since the attempted invasion of New York a few months ago, shortly after she had visited the last time, and they may very well come to, kindly or forcibly, recruit his son, who had taken up the mantle of the Black Panther, as T'Chaka was no longer as young or fit as he used to be. SHIELD might also enquire about the nundu.

Her nundu, named Goose after a type of northern hemisphere water bird for some reason, had been seen by the Director of SHIELD, and like Rose, T'Chaka did not doubt that Wakanda was the first place they would inquire about what it was. He did not doubt they would not be happy that it often took up to a thousand men, with losses of life in the hundreds, to take down a wild nundu. Tame ones, however, were the ultimate advantageous animal to befriend, if one could manage. Rose Potter had. She had also asked him to only give SHIELD some limited information while giving away others he did not understand why she would want to get out. But he obliged for an old friend, so SHIELD would find out what Rose wanted them to.

And it seemed she was right on time with her warning, as a message came in that a SHIELD quinjet was requesting to enter their airspace and were requesting an audience with the king for three of their top agents.

He sighed but obliged. He was not afraid of the American-based organization, which, in reality, operated internationally, but they had the power to make life for his family, Wakanda, and its people very difficult.

Three that dismounted were a dark-skinned bald man with an eyepatch, called Director Nicholas Fury, Rose had said. The two on his left and right were a not-at-all-dangerous looking man in a dark blue suit and a younger woman with dark hair pulled back in a bun. Agents Colson and Hill, Fury's second in commands and most trusted agents. Coulson was on Rose's side, but very reluctantly and could not be trusted yet, Rose had said. Fury would provide the most resistance, and Hill just followed his lead.

He welcomed Fury into his palace, the man just barely providing the necessary decent manners. Upon entering his private office, Fury gave him a look that said he wanted to talk on a serious matter.

"King T'Chaka, I come on serious matters." he nodded. This was expected, he wondered how Fury would phrase it. "I have witnessed the presence of a person, not that she is human, just looks the part, with extremely advanced supernatural abilities. We do not know much about her, or if she will become a threat, but the closeness of her abilities to those of the Asgardian Loki who tried to take over New York a few months ago is disturbing. She identifies as Rose Potter, but no records as to her identity are to be found. Our only clue as to her origins and possible motives are her animal companion, identified as a nundu, and looking like a large, black, panther that can teleport through shadows or darkness, we do not know of any other offense or defense capabilities of her companion, named Goose. We would like to request permission to look in your Royal Archives, as well as for any information you may have on the possible hostile."

Interesting, the way Director Fury was phrasing it. "Director Fury, We would not have anything on the Nundu in the Royal Archives. If it is truly a nundu, I envy you for having met one, especially for having come out alive, and admire Rose Potter for having one not only tamed, but as a friend." he leaned back in his wingback chair. It was imported, and so comfortable, it was truly worth replacing an ancestral metal or wooden chair with. "The Nundu is a myth, it is a myth. It is said to be born as a normal house cat kitten, but in its youth measure at around three feet in height. It is said to have a long lifespan, that of a century or more, and after its adolescence, it was said to grow to up to twenty feet in height. The last time a nundu was seen was a few centuries ago, and even then, we do not know if it was truly a nundu or a very dangerous panther. The nundu has toxic breath that is selectively lethal, after getting infected with the breath it could stay dormant in an organism for up to a decade until the nundu decided the infected was an enemy. It is also, in all reports, equal in sentience to human adolescents, if not adults. Taming one is said to happen once in a millennium, and the person who manages to do so is extremely respected and an honorary Wakandan automatically. They are said to walk silently and have always been described as the ultimate predator, never being taken down with less than several hundred to a thousand skilled warriors, and especially with a fully grown adult nundu, there are dozens if not hundreds of casualties. However, a tame nundu has not been seen in so long, I do not know what they can and cannot do, as they are often described as even more dangerous than their wild counterparts, as they gain intelligence the longer they are around their taming human, and may even share abilities with their human if they are superhuman. We truly do not know enough about a nundu, but I would very much like to meet one, especially if my life was not on the line in the process. And this Rose Potter as well. I have heard of my citizens, the richer ones with their own stocks of vibranium, talking about a young woman of the same anime and description, and possibly trading vibranium with her for large amounts of pure gold, which we severely lack in Wakanda. As for whether or not she is hostile, I doubt it. Some citizens have permission to bring guests into Wakanda once in a while, and if she was vetted to be allowed into the country, she would not be hostile, at least not to civilians and residents of the planet as a whole, plus, overall she doesn't seem to come from off-world. Citizens of the earth are a lot less likely to want to destroy it, or even large cities on it due to the global effect. I cannot say for her origins and intentions, but she is not Wakandan, one trait none of us have is red hair. Therefore not under my jurisdiction by birth."

"Can you find out anything?"

"I can, most likely, get in contact, and probably will, I would very much like to meet a tame nundu, even an adolescent one."

"Thank you for your aid"

"Your welcome, Director."

Just as the director was ready to board the quinjet and exit the airspace, King T'Chaka informed him, "As for the question you never asked, whether or not I have met her or her Nundu, I have. She was just here this morning, director. And I believe I should inform you that she is, in fact, an honorary citizen of Wakanda, and most definitely not hostile towards my country, or earth as a whole."

"Could you have told us earlier?"

"This is not an American court system, with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, Director. You are in my country, one with an absolute monarchy. Your jet is waiting for you."