Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.

Let's get to it.


Chapter 26- Kings Stand Together

Just inside the Gates of Erebor, the Dwarves of the Company are all resting against rubble or standing around, overcome with shame. Shame at failing to protect their friends and the Elves and Men from Thorin's madness, shame at not being able to stop Thorin from shunning their non-Dwarf friends from the Company, and shame at remaining shut behind the walls of Erebor while their kin and allies fight against the armies of Dol Guldur. They had shed the armor of their ancestors that they had donned earlier, feeling unworthy to wear the armor after staying shut up in the mountain.

The regret had eaten away at the Dwarves so much that not long ago, Dwalin had gone into the Mountain to the Throne of the King, to try and reason with Thorin, but Thorin had lashed out at Dwalin, threatening to kill him, so overcome with dragon sickness he did not hesitate to threaten his friend. Dwalin had returned to his kin, very downtrodden. Fili had offered to go try again, but Dwalin insisted it was no use.

As the Dwarves stare at the ground, wallowing in their shame and regret, some of them suddenly hear something. The sound of someone moving atop the wall created in place of the ruined gate. Several of them look up to it, and Ori is the one who speaks up, "T'Challa!"

The rest of the dwarves look up and T'Challa leaps carefully down from the wall and lands in the midst of them. All of them feel relief at the sight of him.

"Good to see you still alive, laddie," Balin greets T'Challa.

"It would take a lot more to kill me," T'Challa says with a small smile. Then, he turns serious and asks, "Where is Thorin?"

All of the dwarves look at him in alarm. "Lad, he's too far gone. He won't listen to anyone, and he's threatened anyone who's tried to reason with him. The dragon sickness has taken him. We should've followed you," Gloin says.

"Perhaps. But I'm still going to try," T'Challa says.

The dwarves just stare at T'Challa, some of them feeling they don't deserve the noble Wakandan before Dwalin finally says, "He's either still sitting on the throne, or gone to the Gallery of the Kings."

T'Challa nods. Then, after a moment, he says, "I will return shortly." Then, he turns to the interior of the mountain and strides away from the Company, ready to confront Thorin and hopefully bring him back to his senses.

T'Challa slowly makes his way through the passages and along the walkways of Erebor, slowly making his way towards the throne. As he walks through the kingdom, his footsteps are muffled by his boots, allowing him to hear complete silence within the kingdom.

It doesn't take T'Challa to reach the throne. But when he gets there, he sees that the throne is empty. Remembering what Dwaling said, T'Challa immediately turns and heads for the Gallery of the Kings. Moving a bit more quickly, it doesn't take him long to reach the Gallery.

T'Challa slowly walks through the rubble of what had once been one of the walls that had been broken down by Smaug. As he enters the Gallery, he sees Thorin standing on the golden floor, just staring into the gold.

T'Challa approaches a bit closer, then shouts, "Thorin!"

Thorin turns to face T'Challa, and anger comes over his face. "I told you never to return!" he shouts at T'Challa, hand moving to his sword.

"You do not command me, Thorin. You may be the leader of the Company, but I am not one of your kin. I am a friend who chose to help you willingly. You are not my king. Not that you deserve the title of king anyway," T'Challa says, still striding towards Thorin.

"What?!" Thorin demands, ready to draw his sword.

"You think your grandfather succumbed to dragon sickness? You have made him seem pale in comparison. You have sullied your family legacy, and let down all of your kin and your predecessors. All for gold that you will soon be too dead to enjoy. Are you really going to abandon all your kin and friends in time of war? Is your own honor, your own life, truly worth all this gold?!" T'Challa demands.

T'Challa is now close enough to see Thorin's eyes, and he can see the conflict in Thorin's eyes. However, Thorin's sickness seems in physical control of him, and he draws his sword. However, fast as a viper, Thorin grabs the sword and rips it out of Thorin's hand before grabbing Thorin's wrist in his other hand.

T'Challa looks right into his eyes and says, "I spoke to Bucky. Gandalf found your father in Dol Guldur. Before Thrain died, he said to tell you he loved you." Thorin looks shocked at this. But what T'Challa says next hits even harder: "But I think if he could see you now, he would be ashamed of you."

Were he not in T'Challa's grip, Thorin would've stumbled back. Seeing the effect his words have had on Thorin, T'Challa says, "Thorin, you're not past redemption. You are a Son of Durin, and I thought Durin's Folk don't run from a fight. Follow me, save your kin, and prove your father was right to be proud of you. Come back to us, friend."

Thorin stares back at T'Challa, and T'Challa can see the conflict in his eyes. Remembering something Steve had once said about Loki's invasion, T'Challa draws his fist back as he says, "Forgive me, my friend." He then swings his fist down and punches Thorin hard in the face, while letting go of Thorin's wrist. The blow knocks Thorin down onto his back.

T'Challa stands there as Thorin groans, holding his head before he slowly starts to try and get to his feet. Finally, Thorin manages to get to his feet and look up at T'Challa.

As soon as he looks in Thorin's eyes, T'Challa can see the difference. The lack of coldness and anger that had been there previously was gone. For a few moments Thorin looks at T'Challa. Then, emotion floods his face, and he says, "T'Challa. My friend. Oh, my friend, what have I done?" He falls to his knees in emotion.

"Welcome back, my friend," T'Challa says. He reaches down a hand and says, "There will be time to atone for your mistakes later, my friend. For now, there is a battle at hand, and your kin are in trouble."

Thorin looks despairing for a moment at the memory of what he has done, but soon fixes his face with a look of determination. "Yes. I have failed my kin until now. Now, I will redeem myself by leading them in battle to the death if it may come to that."

T'Challa smiles a bit. "Good, Thorin. Now, let's go," he says firmly.


At the gate, the Dwarves are still sitting on rubble or just wandering around, still feeling guilt for not helping their kin, but now also worried about T'Challa and wondering if he has found Thorin and how his efforts are going.

As Kili slowly turns his head towards the interior of the Mountain, he sees movement. Looking more closely, he quickly sees Thorin slowly striding towards them, back to wearing the simple clothing and armor he wore during the travels to the Mountain, and wielding a sword in one hand.

Kili, officially done with his uncle's stubbornness and determined to stand up for what he knows to be right, slowly takes a few steps towards Thorin as he begins to shout, "I will not hide behind a wall of stone while others fight our battles for us!" He then pauses before saying in a quieter, more emotional voice, "It is not in my blood, Thorin."

Thorin walks up to his nephew, looking him right in the eyes. After a moment, he says in a quiet but determined voice, "No, it is not. We are sons of Durin. And Durin's Folk do not flee from a fight."

Kili beams, realizing that his uncle has returned to his senses, and the two dwarves rest their foreheads against each other for a moment before Thorin steps past Kili to address the rest of the Dwarves. Looking at his kin, Thorin asks aloud, "I have no right to ask this of any of you. But will you follow me one last time?" As he says this, T'Challa strides out of the dust concealing the interior of the Mountain, stopping behind Thorin, a glad but determined expression on his face.

The Dwarves all stare at Thorin for a moment before they all stand up and heft their weapons, clearly showing their intention to follow their king to the death. Thorin smiles and says, "Let's get that wall down."


On the plain before the Gates of Erebor, things are not going well for the Dwarves of the Iron Hills. The Orcs have caused heavy casualties among the Dwarves, despite the losses they themselves have sustained. Dain had pulled the Dwarves back to the Gates of Erebor to make their final stand against the Orcs. They were now down to about half strength, and a number of them were wounded.

Atop Ravenhill, Schmidt and Azog have been watching the battle with increasing joy. Now, they feel ready to bring an end to one front of the battle.

Azog raises his hand and shouts to the horn blower, "Wait…wait…" After a few moments, a series of trolls, wearing skull-like iron masks and wielding large hammers move through the Orc lines and take up positions in front.

"Advance!" Schmidt orders, and the horn blower blows the horn. The trolls at the front roar, and they, along with the Orcs, begin to advance towards the Dwarves.

However, they are quickly halted. After the Dwarves affirmed they would follow Thorin, Thorin had asked something of Bombur. Now, Bombur stands atop the ramparts of the Gate. Taking a deep breath, Bombur begins to blow the massive horn previously used by Erebor to signal their armies or the neighboring Dale. The sounds of the massive horn blast through the valley. The trolls and Orcs advancing towards the Dwarves halt, wondering what the noise could mean. Atop Ravenhill, Azog and Schmidt's face lose their confident look, knowing the sound means something is coming.

In the city of Dale, Bilbo is temporarily resting against a piece of rubble to catch his breath. His head turns towards the sound, recognizing what it must be heralding. "Thorin," he mutters in a soft voice. Yards away, both Bucky and Gandalf glance in the direction of the Mountain, hope beginning to swell in them.

At the bridge, Steve has successfully been holding off the armies of Dol Guldur from crossing the bridge into the ruins of Dale. He is now surrounded by piles of dead Orcs, but the Orcs don't seem to stop coming, even though the piles of dead Orcs do make it easier for Steve to deal with the Orcs. Now, as he hears the sound of the horn, a massive grin crosses Steve's face. "Yes, Thorin. You came through," he mutters before bashing another Orc's face in.

At the Gates of Erebor, the massive wall of rubble that had been constructed by the Company to seal up Erebor suddenly bursts outwards as a massive bell is swung through the rubble, sending it flying outwards and falling into the ditch before the opening, forming a small walkway from the Gate to the ground beyond. As the dust settles, and the bell swings back into the Mountain, Thorin and the Company come running out through the opening, yelling their war cries and brandishing their weapons. T'Challa runs beside Thorin, keeping at the same pace as Thorin to show he stands with his friend and fellow king.

Atop Ravenhill, Schmidt's face falls, although Azog simply looks frustrated at what he considers a minor inconvenience. Schmidt, however, recognizes the problem this poses. He knows that Thorin's entrance onto the battlefield will inspire the Dwarves and rejuvenate them. This could pose a problem, and Schmidt knows it.

As Thorin and the Company run through the Dwarves, the Dwarves part to allow them through. Running past Dain, Thorin continues running, not even slowing down to look at his cousin. Dain, not the least bit offended, shouts at the top of his voice, "To the King! To the King!"

The Dwarves bellow as one, greatly rejuvenated at their king's coming. As Thorin and the Company continue to run, the rest of the Dwarves follow them, arranging the entire army in a spearhead formation as they charge towards the Orcs.

"Du Bekar!" Thorin bellows as he raises his sword, ready to fight. At the same time, T'Challa's mask forms over his head, he lets out his claws, and bellows, "Ybombay!"

The Dwarves begin with a volley of arrows, killing all but one of the trolls and several Orcs in the front of the army. Then, T'Challa sprints ahead of the army, covering the remaining distance before leaping into the ranks of the Orcs, cutting down every Orc to face him with a slash from his claws. Every time he sees his suit has gathered up enough energy, he discharges it in a burst, sending Orcs flying.

Emboldened by the sight of T'Challa cutting his way through the Orcs before him, the Dwarves mash into the Orc army. The last troll quickly falls to the blades of the Dwarves as Orcs fall like wheat before a sickle. Thorin and the Company lead the way, hacking their way through any enemy to cross their path. They continue their advance, T'Challa moving ahead of them, piercing through the Orc armies like a knife through butter.

In Dale, Bilbo races onto a walkway between buildings, looking at the sight of the Dwarves. Gandalf hurries up behind him, having left Bucky below in the courtyard to continue the fight against the Orcs.

As Gandalf comes up behind him, Bilbo gestures out into the valley. "The Dwarves. They're rallying," Bilbo says with hope in his voice.

Gandalf begins to smile, hope filling his heart. "They're rallying to their king," he says, thinking that all may not be as hopeless as he thought.

Down on the streets, Bard has gathered what remains of the militia that he can find. "Mr. Barnes continues to fight for us! He is not one of us, but he fights for us with all he has. All who are willing to follow in his footsteps, follow me!" He then charges down the street, his men following behind him.

Bard and his men round a corner, and up ahead, they see Bucky fighting tooth and nail along with a few of Lake-Town's professional soldiers that have kind of attached themselves to him, adopting him as their personal commander. However, they hardly even seem to be making too much of a difference as Anguirel slashes through the air, its black blade gleaming as it cleaves through Orc after Orc. Only a few Orcs are getting around Bucky and his soldiers and trying to run up the street. Bard yells a war cry, and leads the men on a charge straight towards the Orcs, the two sides crashing together once more.


On the battlefield before the Mountain, Thorin is cleaving his way through any Orc in his way. As he cuts down another Orc, he sees Dain not far off. "Dain!" he shouts to get his cousin's attention.

"Thorin!" Dain shouts back to confirm that he had heard Thorin. He then charges towards Thorin and jumps onto an Orc's back as he shouts, "Hold on! I'm coming!" Dain grabs the Orc around the neck and uses his grip to make the Orc turn around, swinging his hammer around as he does.

Finally, Dain manages to direct the Orc over to Thorin and hops off its back. "Hey, cousin," Dain says as he hits the Orc with his hammer before turning to Thorin and saying, "What took you so long?" Dain walks up to Thorin, casually hitting an Orc off to his side with his hammer. The two Dwarfs chuckle as they embrace for the first time in quite a while.

As the two separate, Dain pulls away. He's about to speak when T'Challa leaps over a fallen Orc and slams his fist into the ground, dispersing the energy out of his suit and sending a number of Orcs flying. He walks up to the two and says, "We've gained the momentum back. Now, it's time for a clinical strike."

"Who is your friend here?" Dain asks.

Thorin beams with pride. "Dain, this is my friend, T'Challa, the King of Wakanda. It was him that brought me back to my senses. He also goes by the name the Black Panther, and he and his friends have been a vital help to my Company."

Dain smiles welcomingly. "A pleasure then to meet you, King T'Challa," he says. He looks at T'Challa's suit and says, "It seems your title is well deserved."

"Most gracious of you, Lord Dain. A pleasure to meet you at last," T'Challa says.

Dain smiles in appreciation, then looks around at the battle around them and says, "There's too many of these buggers, Thorin." He turns back to his cousin and says, "I hope you've got a plan."

THorin turns his gaze to Ravenhill and says, "Aye. We're going to take out their leader."

"Azog," Dain mutters under his breath.

Thorin swings himself up onto a goat that has come up beside him. "I'm gonna kill that piece of filth," he growls with hate for Azog in his voice.

"Thorin, you cannot do this. You're our king," Dain protests.

Right then, a chariot pulled by six goats pulls up alongside Thorin, with Balin driving and Dwalin, Fili, and Kili in the chariot with him. "You know, it's been a while since I've done this," Balin points out, a bit nervous about this task.

"A king must do what must be done for his people's safety," T'Challa says to Dain, drawing the Dwarf's attention. T'Challa inclines his head slightly, then turns to Thorin and says, "I will continue to aid your people. Go."

Thorin nods, then raises his sword and shouts a war cry as he urges his goat forward. The goat takes off running, and Balin follows behind with the chariot.

As they ride off, T'Challa turns to Dain and says, "Now, Lord Dain. Let's fight." He then turns around and cuts down an Orc coming at him from behind.

Dain grins as he sees T'Challa in action again. He hefts his war hammer and bashes an orc's head in as he follows T'Challa.

As T'Challa and Dain move through the Orcs, killing any that stands in their path, T'Challa suddenly notices something. On the edge of the fighting, he can see an orange glow. Looking more intently, he sees a circle of orange energy, growing larger and larger. Soon, it has enlarged into what looks like a massive portal. On the other side, T'Challa sees a very familiar sight.

Then, T'Challa realizes that figures are moving through the portal. Their identity comes quickly as he hears the sound of hundreds of people shouting, "Ybombay! Ybombay!"

T'Challa can hardly contain his excitement. "My people have come!" he shouts, and he begins to sprint through the battle, heading straight for the portal.

By the time T'Challa has gotten out of the fighting, then portal has closed. But in its place is an army of Wakandans. The Kingsguard, loyal Border Tribe members, members of the Jabari, and the Dora Milaje leading the way.

As T'Challa reaches the front of the army, he sees Okoye, fully decked out in her battle armor and wielding her spear. She grins slightly at T'Challa and says, "My king. It is a great relief to see you again."

"Words cannot describe how happy I am to see you, Okoye. But how did you get here?" T'Challa responds in delight.

"The sorcerer who aided Mr. Barnes. He called himself Doctor Strange. He came to Wakanda and said that you needed help in a foreign world you had been brought to, and ordered me to summon an army to be brought to aid you. Once we were ready, he opened the portal to bring us here," Okoye says.

T'Challa smiles brightly. "Your timing could not be better. My friends and their armies are struggling against these monsters. These monsters are called orcs. We must defeat them, or all the innocent peoples of this world will be subjugated to the will of an evil being whose power cannot be fathomed. We must stop them at all costs."

"We will follow you, my king," Okoye says, gripping her spear more tightly.

T'Challa looks at the rest of the people in the army. "My people! We must do all we can to preserve the freedom of this land!" He pauses as he turns around to face the battle again, then he shouts, "WAKANDA FOREVER!" The army bellows their war cries, and charge after T'Challa into battle. Across the battle, Dwarves, Orcs, Elves, and Men watch as the army of Wakanda joins the battle.


And, I'll end the chapter there. Hope you like this one. Next chapter will probably finish the battle, and will show the face off you've all been wanting to see between Steve and Schmidt.

As some of you suspected, the Wakandans have arrived to assist in the battle. I won't be able to show as much of them in action as you'd probably like, but I'll try to show them fighting.

It'll probably be at least a week and a half before the next chapter is up. Until it's up, please leave a review, and stay tuned!