"De fool come t' die, non?" Remy grumbled from where he stood as taut as a bow, waiting for any signal to strike. T'Challa and his warriors once again attempted to gain access to the property unannounced and once again, the X-Men were more than ready to welcome them.
They stood in an arc, surrounding T'Challa in full Black Panther regalia and his band of female warriors. Obviously, he came prepared for a fight, and the X-Men had no qualms about giving him one. Ororo held herself regal and proud, a slight smirk on her face as she entered the fray with Logan at her side. She wasn't a malicious woman, but she took great pleasure in seeing her ex's angry expression when she calmly walked into the arc holding hands with the love of her life. As she gazed back at the arrogant man unblinkingly, she felt Logan's love for her and the support of her family lightening her heart and she fleetingly wondered why she was ever apprehensive about this meeting.
"Say what you must T'Challa and then kindly remove yourself from my home. You are not welcome here." Ororo opened the conversation, her unmistakable power behind her voice.
The King, not expecting her hard tone or words, faltered momentarily. "Is that anyway to greet your future husband, Ororo?"
She couldn't have withheld the sneer that escaped her even if she tried. "As that title does not and would never belong to you, you are extremely lucky that you were greeted instead of being removed by force at this moment."
Pride was laced in Logan's grunt of approval. Someone else, most likely Remy, whistled.
T'Challa's eyebrows shot up and the looks on the faces of the members of the Dora Milajie could only be described as bewilderment. He had to take a deep breath to control his anger at being put down. He tried another approach. Compliments…she was always good at falling for them. "You have grown more beautiful, my love," he replied.
The scorn in his tone was evident to her and there was so little she could do not to roll her eyes.
"We are scheduled to leave for Wakanda in about two hours. Are you ready?"
Logan growled. Flamin' hell, but he itched to sink his claws in this asshole's chest. Ororo, her patience already exhausted, desperately tried to maintain some control, but his full display of conceit was grating on her nerves. She kept up her mask of indifference. "Why do you think that I am going anywhere with you. Maybe I was not clear when I left Wakanda, but there will be no marriage between us."
"You think it's that easy, Ororo? It is not over until I say it is." T'Challa sneered.
Ororo refused to be intimidated. She stared at the man she once thought would be a great partner and shook her head. "Oh, it is over," she countered icily, "It will be in your and your country's best interests to leave here now."
"You do not run this show, Ororo," he retorted haughtily. "I do!" He finished thumping his chest in macho emphasis.
"The only show you will be running is a one man show back to Wakanda," she shot back.
Ororo laughed bitterly. "Do you think I am going to give you another chance to hurt me? I will have to be stupid to fall into your web of deceit and lies a second time, T'Challa. I do not belong to you and never will!"
"The hell you do not," T'Challa roared, suddenly giving the anger he had been trying to contain since his arrival an outlet. "I am not giving up easily. You are mine!"
"Yours to do what exactly? Hand over to the rebels as was your original plan?" T'Challa took a step back at her words, in shock that she had come to learn about that part of his plan. The X-Men saved Charles and Logan, all looked on in confusion as to what Ororo was talking about.
Ororo knew she had stunned him if the look on his face was anything to go by. She laughed inwardly at having stupefied the great Black Panther with knowledge she was obviously meant not to have. "By the look on your face, I guess I was not supposed to find out about that part of your plan for me after we were married. Was having the rebels make me a victim of the slave trade part of your plan? Of course, that was after you somehow rob me of my powers. How did you intend on accomplishing that Panther?"
T'Challa knew then that he couldn't play off her knowledge as hearsay, so he didn't even deny it. "Wakanda is technologically advanced enough that I would have had no problems taking your powers."
Ororo laughed derisively. "You were always jealous of us born mutants. You really believe that you would have succeeded in taking something from me that was innately given? You are more of a fool than I thought."
T'Challa's eyes darkened. "It could still be done."
That threat got Logan's blood boiling. "And ya will be a dead man." There was no mistaken the decisiveness of the feral's words.
T'Challa's eyes never left Ororo as he replied derisively. "Am I to fear you Wolverine?"
Logan growled. His posture radiated sheer violence. "Ask around and ya will know why they call me the most dangerous man on the planet."
T'Challa ignored him, his eyes still trained on the woman he knew could destroy him with a mere thought. "The agreement between your village and Wakanda clearly states you and I are to wed. I own you."
"I am not yours and will never be," Ororo rejoined, flinging her head back in an attitude of defiance that he had never seen from her before, and again he was temporarily stunned. "That agreement is null and void as far as I and my village are concerned. You threatened to turn me over to the rebels and make me disappear, not to mention invading the lands forbidden to you and you expect my village and I to turn a blind eye to that? You are a damn fool."
The storm brewing in her eyes which were now a cross between their startling blue and milky white, not to mention the barely controlled violence radiating off Logan, told him that he had officially crossed the line and was threading on dangerous territory. The logical side of T'Challa implored him to beat a retreat, but he was past logical at this point. He had goals to accomplish, and he would not be deterred. A scowl materialized on his face, and he took an intimidating step in Ororo's direction. Logan was in front of her in a heartbeat and two distinctive sounds were heard in the stillness of the afternoon simultaneously…his claws releasing from their resting place and a harsh animalistic growl. The King had just given the Wolverine the definitive reason to end him. The telltale sounds reduced the King to a state of paralysis. It was only a command from the head of his security detail, shouted in their native language that snapped him out of it.
The look of murder on Logan's face, the Dora Milajie getting in position to protect their King and the X-Men tense and ready to strike, had Charles finally stepping in and asking for calm. Charles visibly shuddered when Logan's thoughts drifted to him. His friend was currently contemplating murder and ways of disposing the King's body so it would never be found. He was genuinely afraid for the first time in a very long time. "That is enough! Your Highness, as you are trespassing on private property, I kindly ask that you leave."
"As I stated to you Professor Xavier during my last visit, my team and I are not here for a fight," T'Challa began, trying another tactic. "I am simply here to collect my fiancé and leave in peace."
"Ororo has made her decision and has informed you of such, Your Highness," Charles intoned noncommittally. "I suggest you leave our home or face the consequences of trespassing."
"Is that a threat Professor?"
"Take it as you wish, Your Majesty," Charles declared, a hint of steel in his voice and no hiding his displeasure at having to be in the same space as the King. "Now, please do as my daughter has asked and leave."
"I am not leaving without her," T'Challa snapped impatiently. Which part of he wasn't leaving without Ororo weren't they understanding?
"Ya deaf, bub?" Logan spoke up. His voice was a low rumble, but the undercurrents of his tone were lethal. "'Ro don't want ya and she's asked ya nicely ta leave. Yer really tryin' our patience standin' there like an idiot."
T'Challa finally turned to his rival, casting a loathsome look at the former assassin. "I wasn't aware that this matter concerned you," he sneered.
"Anythin' ta do with Ororo concerns me, asshole. Any threat ta her, is a threat ta me."
T'Challa dismissed Logan and turned once again to Ororo. He chuckled self-derisively. "And I thought I was silly to believe you two were just friends. I see you've unleashed your trained dog, Ororo."
Ororo blinked several times then laughed sharply. "Call him what you want, but I am the only one stopping him from shredding you and leveling Wakanda for hurting me."
"So, you tell him jump, he asks how high?" T'Challa turned to the Wolverine. "Never thought you'll become a lap dog."
Logan laughed, a guttural sound, but there was no mirth. He knew exactly how to get a reaction out of the insecure fool. "This lap dog gets ta enjoy her treats." Logan made a show of looking at Ororo and licking his lips and winking before turning back to his adversary.
Though she knew she shouldn't be encouraging him, she couldn't help but smile at him. She rolled her eyes before turning her ire on T'Challa. She could see Logan's rejoinder had the desired effect. T'Challa's face was contorted with rage.
After a few moments of getting her thoughts together, she continued, "Since it seems that I have not been clear enough, allow me to be so now. I have no interest in going back to Wakanda with you or anyone. I have no interest in being your wife now or ever. I have no interest in being Queen now or ever. So, T'Challa for the sake of peace, kindly remove yourself from the premises and leave me and my family be."
"Peace?" He barked, "You want to talk about peace, my dear? There will be no peace for your village."
Ororo's reaction was swift and severe. She took a few steps forward, planting herself firmly in T'Challa's personal space. Her eyes were blazing pure white fury at the arrogant man. The once bright sky darkened and everyone within her orbit felt the hum of her power. "If you as so much as set foot in my village, you will pay a heavy price." A small ball of lighting danced in the palm of her hand, and she opened it for all to see. "I warned you once to thread carefully, T'Challa. Trust me, your war against the Skrulls will be child's play compared to the one I will wage against you and your precious Wakanda."
A few gasps as well as Gambit's "Mon dieu" were heard at the uncharacteristic threat from the peace-loving weather manipulator. T'Challa's eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered, though slowly. He took a few steps backward. "You dare to threaten me?"
"I dare Panther," she spat. "I know the Council has your head on the chopping block and you cannot afford another war at this time. You attacking my village and the neighboring lands will be seen as a declaration of war and by the Goddess, it is a war I intend to fight with every fiber of my being."
"And the X-Men will be by her side," Xavier intoned matter-of-factly.
T'Challa took his time and looked at his audience. The small voice in his head finally got through to him, telling him that he was fighting a losing battle. A quick look at the dangerous Wolverine ready to chop his head off drove that fact home. But he refused to accept that his goals to gain more power and strengthen Wakanda were going up in smoke. With a smug grin he muttered, "Do you think you and your family," he spat the word with distaste, "can take on the might of Wakanda?"
Ororo laughed. "You mean a weakened Wakanda, do you not? Do you really want to tempt the Goddess and find out?" She took a deep breath and drove home her point. "You underestimated me Panther. You thought that I would roll over and accept everything you wanted to do all because you showed me some attention, whispered sweet nothings in my ear and wanted me to be your Queen? You thought that I would not find out that you were going to take away my abilities and then hand me over to the rebels to do as they wish?" Ororo's laugh was downright harsh. "I know everything and if you so much as cross me in anyway, Wakanda will cease to exist. What I did the last time I was there was just a sliver of what I am capable of."
His response was defiant. "You should have been grateful that I wanted to marry you, considering your track record. Not even a loser like Forge wanted to marry you."
She saw Logan take a step forward and gently shook her head at him. She had this one. "Your ego was just too damn big for our relationship to work. I am grateful that I had enough sense to see you for the man you truly are and got out while I could. You are vile, corrupt and depraved. It was a painful lesson for me to learn and I am not grateful for the pain I have endured because of it, but believe me, I have learned my lesson. And I should thank you."
There were looks of awe, disbelief, pride, and fear at this side of Ororo she was giving them a glimpse of.
T'Challa looked at her in bewilderment. What the hell was she thanking him for?
Ororo could not help the brilliant smile that lit up her face at what she was about to say next. "Thank you for making me see that the only man for me is my beloved Wolverine. The true love of my life. You see, I was about to settle for you, but thank you for being the arrogant, immoral, self-centered person you are and making me see that I belong with Logan. Logan was the man I measured you up against and as always you fell short. Simply put, Your Highness, you were never and would never be a match for the great Wolverine."
She watched as the smug expression slowly disappeared from his face, to be replaced with one of outrage. She took delight in hitting him where it hurts.
"How dare you? Do you know who you are talking too?" T'Challa seethed. How dare she attack his masculinity and pride by comparing him to that mongrel mutt? He was of royal blood! A King! "You owe me!"
Thunder rumbled. "I owe you nothing, T'Challa! Not one damn thing!" After a few calming breaths, Ororo cocked her head to really study her ex. That is when she saw it. He was a defeated man. She could see in his eyes that he knew that his ill-advised plans for domination were now effectively dead. Though he was egotistical, she knew he wasn't a stupid man and wouldn't dare ignore her warnings. Fed up with the drama, Ororo knew it was time to take her leave. Her face was expressionless and her voice forceful and dismissive. "Have a nice life T'Challa. For the final time, please remove yourself from the premises."
With those words of finality, she turned around, grabbed Logan's hand, and walked away from this painful chapter in her life. Reaching the clearing that led down to the lake, she called out without turning around. "Please make sure the Council is notified of everything that was said here today."
Sensing that this was the end of the road, T'Challa bellowed her name and how she couldn't treat a King this way. "Do not turn your back on me, woman!
Ororo and Logan moved in sync as they moved further away. Charles Xavier casted a final look of reproach on the man that had caused his daughter heartache before turning his chair and mentally giving his X-Men their instructions to escort the King off the premises before returning to their duties.
Remy, on behalf of his sister, couldn't resist one last jab at the defeated King. "Au revoir asshole."