All hell was bound to break loose at Charles Xavier's domain sooner rather than later. Hell came in the form of the Wakandan King and his cohort better known as the Dora Milaje breaking onto the property. As soon as the high-tech security system announce the uninvited visitors, the skilled X-Men presented themselves, ready to do battle. The Wolverine, had he been there would have been proud for many reasons, but especially knowing who they were ready to fight.
For a man wheelchair bound since in his thirties, Charles Xavier had never moved so fast in his life. It was either that or be front and center of an international crime and from the looks of it, his X-Men would be the ones committing the crime. He sent out a mental note to his X-Men for them to keep their cool while he had a go at diplomacy. "Your Highness." Charles' greeting to the King lacked warmth.
"Professor Xavier," T'Challa returned, as he separated himself from his security detail and made his way to Charles. "You know why I am here."
Charles' lips thinned slightly in irritation. There was no way this man was getting anywhere near his daughter. "I know you are trespassing as an invitation to enter the property was never extended to you." Murmurs of agreement amongst the X-Men could be heard.
T'Challa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was not the welcome he was expecting. Certainly not from one of his father's old friends and his fiancé's father figure. "I remember a time when dignitaries of Wakanda were welcomed here."
Charles didn't miss a beat. "That was during a time when one awaited an invitation and did not take it upon himself to trespass and threaten the safety of my family."
"I'm not here to fight. I'm here to get what belongs to me and leave in peace."
Charles had to stop himself from laughing at the ridiculousness of the vain man's statement. What belongs to him indeed. "What do you think is here that belongs to you?"
"Ororo."
Someone snorted crudely.
Charles took in the tense postures of the X-Men and members of the Dora Milaje and decided that it was time enough to send the King on his way. "You speak of my daughter as if she is a thing to be possessed," he began with clear exasperation. "Let me assure you that Ororo is not a thing nor someone to be controlled. She is her own woman, and she has made her decision where you are concerned. I suggest you accept her decision and move on. Please remove yourself from the premises, your Highness." Charles turned his chair around and began to motor inside, having stomached the presence of the Wakandan King long enough.
"I'm not leaving without her," T'Challa replied, his anger over the treatment he was receiving growing at the bald man's outright dismissal.
"Ya deaf, homme? De professor said ta leave," Remy interjected, his agitation increasing of having to stand there and listen to the pompous ass with his blatant refusal to remove himself from the mansion's grounds. Remy was literally begging for someone to give him a signal to light the King up. This fool had hurt his sister and, in his book, that was one deed that was not going to go unpunished.
T'Challa's angry glance shifted to the dangerous mutant known as Gambit, Ororo's so called brother, then to each X-Man, all standing stoically, ready at a moment's notice to act. The animal was nowhere to be seen. Thank the Gods for small favors. "We did not come here for any trouble. Please let Ororo know I am waiting to take her back to Wakanda."
"Ororo is not here," Charles said, stopping his chair and turning to face the Wakandan.
"Where is she?" T'Challa said through clenched teeth. Then he made the mistake of taking a few steps towards Charles.
All X-Men moved simultaneously, fighting stances at the ready. Remy's charged card was ready to go T'Challa's way when Charles telepathically appealed to them for cooler heads. He looked at the king with cold eyes and a hint of steel laced his voice, "Ororo has made her decision to call off the wedding and not be your Queen."
T'Challa's laugh was rather mirthless. "The decision was not hers to make. I see that your leashed dog isn't here either. I'm smart enough to know where he is, Ororo is too."
Charles gazed at the young arrogant ruler blankly.
T'Challa's voice was thunder when he spoke. "So, she's left me to be with the animal. And I thought myself foolish for believing that there was more than friendship going on between them." He chuckled. "Make no mistake Xavier, I will find them, and I will end that dog's life once and for all!"
"Is that a threat to one of my family members, King T'Challa?" Charles asked bitingly, all pretense of politeness gone. "I do not take threats to a member of my family lightly." As he spoke, he simultaneously contacted Logan to appraise him of this turn of events.
T'Challa faltered, knowing it would be detrimental to further provoke the world's greatest telepath. He attempted to smooth ruffled feathers. "Forgive me Professor, I speak in anger. I simply want to speak with my fiancé. I know that you know where she is and I understand you are keeping her confidence, but as I am to be her husband, I have a right to know where she is."
"I am sorry, your highness, but I am not at liberty to reveal my daughter's whereabouts," the Professor countered, "And as she is to longer be married to you, I believe whatever rights you think you may have when it comes to her are of no consequence to me."
Now, T'Challa was an Avenger, a King, a leader, and a smart man. He knew when to retreat and regroup. He would let Xavier and his mutant posse have this round but make no mistake he would find his strong-willed fiancé. "As you wish, Professor. I shall leave for now, but I will be back, and I will get what I came for. You can deliver that message to Ororo and the Wolverine." With one last hard look to them, he turned, signaling his security detail to follow him.
"That man has a death wish," Scott muttered, shaking his head. He turned to the Professor and from the look on his face, Scott knew he was mentally conversing with someone, no doubt the Wolverine.
A few seconds later and Charles sighed. "I think that is enough excitement for the day. Please, all of you, carry on with your tasks." He wheeled into the mansion without a backward glance. His focus was clear…stopping the Wolverine from committing an international crime, which was easier said than done because the former assassin was hell bent on doing just that. He had an extremely difficult time calming the feral, if the migraine he felt coming on was any indication.
Ororo awoke from her afternoon nap to a string of savage growls mixed with blistering curses. Without thinking, she jumped out of bed, only to land on the floor with a groan. She wasn't surprised to hear Logan bounding up the stairs. That man's hearing was quite superb.
"'Ro?" He roared. It was a miracle the door stayed on its hinges when he busted into the room. His eyes were maniacal and there was an aura of unhinged violence roiling off him. "What the hell?"
"I am alright, Logan," she said, glancing up at him from her kneeling position. "I was on my way to see what has you cursing worse than a sailor."
"And ya fell outta bed?" He asked, bending to help her to her feet. "Ya gotta take it easy, darlin'."
"Not when you are about to commit a crime," she retorted a bit miffed.
Logan's eyebrows shot up at her tone. "What got yer panties in a bunch?"
"Oh, do shut up Wolverine!" She replied, flinging off his arms that were still around her. "And stop treating me like a child."
He took a few steps back, a confused frown on his face. "What ya talkin' 'bout, 'Ro?"
She treaded fingers through her tousled hair. "Nothing, nothing at all." She turned to him, "What is going with you? What happened?"
Logan growled, his anger returning.
She tapped one foot in impatience and folded her arms across her chest. "Well?"
His sigh was one of pure frustration. He held out his hand for her to take. "Come, 'Ro. I'll fix ya somethin' ta eat and let ya know what's goin' on."
She nodded before taking his hand. To her surprise, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her all the way downstairs. He settled her onto one of the stools at the kitchen island, then poured her a glass of orange juice before putting the jug to his head, seriously wishing it was something stronger.
"Chuck had a visitor today."
Ororo's head swung up he meet his hardened glare. "What?!"
"He got more guts than I gave him credit fer. He thinks he owns ya, 'Ro."
She pushed the glass away from her and stood. She knew T'Challa would have done this, but the news was still somewhat surprising. "Goddess!" She walked over to the kitchen sink, peering out the window. "Was there any fighting?"
Logan placed the empty jug on the counter and went to joined her. Slipping his arm around her shoulders he replied, rather calmly, "No."
"You sound disappointed."
"He went there without an invitation. Chuck and the squad had a right ta light him up."
She turned in his arms, resting her forehead on his chest and her arms going around his waist. "We need to put an end to this Logan. He will only continue to taunt our family with his arrogance until one of them snap, most likely Remy, and give T'Challa a reason to declare war on the X-Men."
His arms went around her instinctively. "As far as I'm concerned, he already did that, showin' up without an invite."
'Ro sighed depressingly. "What else did Charles say?"
"Well, the prick threatened ta neutralize me."
She leaned back and stared at him in open-mouthed shock. "Are you serious?"
"Yep."
"This has gone too far, and it is high time I did something about it," she huffed, extricating herself from his hold. "I cannot sit back and have him issue threats like a dictator to my family."
"'Ro," he began, "We ain't goin' back ta New York anytime soon, so…"
"No!" She thundered, "We are!"
The Wolverine rose to the surface immediately, turned on by her challenge. "No? So how ya goin' ta put a stop ta it?"
Before Ororo knew it, the Wolverine had backed her into the kitchen island, effectively trapping her between the structure and his hard body. All the fight went out of her then. She wasn't stupid to tempt the feral beast any further. Her chin dropped to her chest in submission.
"Do you not get it, Logan? I want to, no need to heal from this nightmare. His constant threats to Charles, the X-Men and you only continue to re-open the wounds he has inflicted on me. I cannot heal properly if we do not resolve this."
The sorrow was clear in her voice and his protective instincts kicked in. His arms went around her, and his chin rested on the top of her head. "What happened in Wakanda, 'Ro? Please tell me that bastard didn't hit ya, cause if he did, he's gonna be useless ta the Avengers when I'm done wid him."
Ororo chuckled sadly. "He did not hit me, but it was not for the lack of him wanting to. I think he realized that I would flatten him and his beloved country, if he did."
"So, what happened, darlin'?"
She sighed rather pathetically. She hedged, "It is a long story."
"I ain't plannin' on goin' anywhere."
She escaped his hold and took his hand, leading him to the living room. She motioned for him to sit on one end of the couch while she moved to occupy the other. Her knee came up to rest on the plush cushions when she turned to him. She lowered her head in shame. She hadn't been living up to her end of their deal. He had opened up to her on more than one occasions about his recovered memories, yet sadly, she hadn't delved into what actually went down in Wakanda. Looking at him now, she knew she could tell him anything and he wouldn't judge nor look down on her.
She sighed. It was now or never. "He cheated on me."
Logan nodded, having long ago had his suspicions about the Panther's fidelity.
"I caught him in the act. And he blamed me and my morals for him cheating. But that was only the beginning of my lessons about the great Black Panther." Her eyes squeezed shut as the pain of that fateful day washed over her. Catching him being unfaithful was painful enough, but their no holds barred argument that followed was agonizingly eye-opening.
After aiming a bolt of lightning in the concubine's direction, she had turned her ire on her would-be husband. She paid no attention to the naked leader of the Dora Milaje scrambling out of the bed.
Ororo shook her head. "Should I even waste my breathe asking why?"
T'Challa smiled sickly. "Well, you are the one who wanted to save yourself for our wedding night. I am a King with needs that must be taken care of. Should I apologize for satisfying my needs elsewhere?"
"It always has to be about you."
"Of course. Did you truly expect me to remain faithful to you? You do know traditional Wakandan customs."
"Aww…yes. The wife bears the children and gets to be understanding as everything she wants is at her beck and call, while the husband gets to live life as he pleases."
T'Challa's eyes narrowed in anger. "You did know we are strict with our traditions. You did not believe that I would change once we are married? If you did, you are more naïve than I thought."
Ororo smiled sadly, her heart breaking as she listened to him. She felt as if she was in the twilight zone. "I thought that you were ready to be a man and a true leader. At least one who I would be proud to call my own. There is nothing naïve about wanting love in a union."
"You are so gullible, Ororo!" The half-naked King exploded. "Did you actually think I was marrying you because of this grand love you thought we had?"
That stung. "So enlightened me as to why you are marrying me?" Her tone matched his. There was no way she was submitting to him.
T'Challa laughed wickedly. It was a sound she had never heard from him before. "What does all men with power want? More power of course."
"Only the foolish ones," she answered bitterly. "How does marrying me fit into your thirst for more power?"
T'Challa shook his head, annoyed as if he was explaining something simple to a child. He had everything all figured out. He was going to marry her, secure the lands, then get rid of her. The rebels across the border were all to willing to lend him a helping hand in having her "disappear". "Wakanda is currently rebuilding and it's only the natural course of things for her to become greater than she was. It is time for Wakanda to reclaim what is rightfully hers and be the world power she was destined to be."
Ororo wracked her brain to decipher what he was alluding too. She gasped in horror when it finally hit her. "You want my village and its neighboring lands?" She asked incredulously.
Her village and the neighboring village were long ago disputed lots of land between Wakanda and Kenya, but a tenuous peace allowed the inhabitants of the disputed areas to live without fear of war. It was clear that T'Challa wanted to be great, wanted to be the greatest King Wakanda had ever had. The only way he saw to achieve this maniacal goal was to become powerful in his own right, ruling over a vast nation and accumulating wealth beyond anyone's wildest imaginings. Marrying her would secure him that power he craved.
Her shock quickly turned to outrage when she realized just how horrible this man before her truly was. "That is one goal you will never accomplish, T'Challa. Mark my words and by the Goddess, you will die before you set foot on those lands as their ruler."
The King made a beeline for her, intent on grabbing her, but the sudden dip in temperature stopped him. "Are you threatening me?"
"You do know who you are speaking to," she returned, her voice laced with her power. "Do tread lightly, T'Challa."
He turned on his heel and grabbed his shirt and pants, haphazardly putting them on. "No wonder everyone who you claimed to love has left you. Forge, your parents."
That was an unexpected knife to her heart. "You have nothing to offer anyone. No wonder I cheated on you and why I have been doing so since we became engaged."
Ororo stepped back as if he had slapped her, her heart shattering. The tenuous hold on her powers slipped and the once bright sky darkened. Thunder rumbled in the background and lightning danced across the black sky.
She gave up her control to the elements. Downpours rained down on Wakanda and wicked winds destroyed as they did their mistress' bidding. She gazed at her affianced, truly seeing him for the first time. She wasn't going to leave with her tail tuck between her legs, giving him any satisfaction. She knew just how to hurt him as he did to her. She was going to strike him with a severe blow of her own. "You are wrong, T'Challa. There are people who I know love me and would do anything for me. I am going home to my family and to the Wolverine."
The rage that contorted his face at the mention of his nemesis gave her some satisfaction. With that parting shot, she hurriedly left his quarters, her head held high. She didn't break down until she was back in the comfort of her village, in the arms of her adopted bibi.
But this wasn't the end of her lessons about the King of Wakanda and her heartache. T'Challa's machinations went deeper than anyone thought. A day after returning to the village, Ororo and the village leaders were preparing the official message that would nix the marriage between her and the King, when, a member of the rebel faction who appeared to have had a change of heart after learning what T'Challa had in store for Ororo, confessed the King's agreement with the rebels. The vileness of the man she was willing to give up everything for was front and center as every foul detail of the agreement was conveyed to her and her village leaders. Apparently, T'Challa had a plan to lure Ororo out to the border where the rebels would be waiting, and somehow cut off her powers. After which, he will gladly hand her over to the rebels for them to dispose of her anyway they saw fit. It was a sick and twisted plan, which propelled Ororo back to New York and her family in record time, where she would take up her X-Men duties as if nothing had happened and pretend that her entire life hadn't been turned on its axis.