A bit of a shorter chapter here but I thought it flowed better to have T'Challa's resurrection and the battle at the palace split up. Once again, thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for the use of the movie text in this chapter.
Pepper Fan: Is that supposed to make it better? Ross chased the Hulk all around the world to get his hands on him. If the fallout from Tony running his mouth had been explored properly, Ross would have gone to any lengths, including torture, to get the location of Clint's family. The only reason he didn't is because the writers could not have Tony's actions in CW have negative consequences for the other characters.
Jason Hunter: Glad you enjoyed it. T'Challa may surprise you.
Green Hal37: Perhaps I'm not explaining this well. Being Black Panther does not automatically make you king. By CW, T'Challa was already Black Panther, but he was not king until his own movie. Yes, and more. Glad to hear it.
Guest567: Indeed.
After the battle, in a room overlooking Wakanda, Nakia and Okoye hugged as the former confirmed Ramonda and Shuri were safe. Nakia wanted Okoye to come with them but she said while her heart was with them, she could not go with them.
"She'd rather serve that maniac?" Rhodey asked in disbelief as T'Challa sighed.
"Okoye is not loyal to any one king; she is loyal to Wakanda as a whole. The moment Erik steps out of line and reveals he does not care about Wakanda or its people, she will turn on him," T'Challa said confidently, holding no ill will towards Okoye.
Nakia argued they could not turnover the throne to a man who had appeared only hours ago but Okoye pointed out Erik was of royal blood. Nakia argued that he killed T'Challa but argued it was in ritual combat, infuriating Nakia.
"Is-is she serious?" Tony asked incredulously.
"She is only saying the truth," T'Challa said begrudgingly. "He killed me, but it was in the rules of the challenge. It is a defeat, not a murder."
"Still," Scott muttered.
Nakia said Okoye was Wakanda's greatest warrior and asked for her help in overthrowing Erik but Okoye said she wasn't a spy and was loyal to the throne, no matter who sat upon it. Okoye demanded to know what Nakia was loyal to. Nakia said emotionally that she had loved T'Challa, but she loved her country to.
T'Challa sighed sadly as everyone looked at him sympathetically. The constant battle between heart and duty. It was something most of them could relate to.
Okoye said that she should then serve her country but Nakia adamantly said she'd save her country and walked away.
Later, dressed in shawl, Nakia walked into T'Challa's office, where Everett was waiting. He asked what was going on and she told him T'Challa was dead before tossing him a shawl, warning him to come with her unless he wished to be as well. Although shocked, he put on the shawl and they walked out of the office.
"Yeah, Killmonger will probably kill him," Clint noted.
"Indeed Barton," Thor agreed. "A man like Erik Killmonger will not want any witness to stop his plan."
In the City of the Dead, Erik was lying in the red sand as the Heart-Shaped Herb was prepared.
Ramonda and Shuri were in the forest as the latter burst into tears, missing T'Chaka and T'Challa.
"Shuri," T'Challa said pained as everyone felt sympathy for Shuri.
Ramonda heard a sound and drew her dagger but saw it was Nakia with Everett. Nakia said Everett was T'Challa's friend and had saved her life so Ramonda lowered her dagger and was told Okoye and the Dora Milaje would serve the new king of Wakanda, to her and Shuri's shock. Nakia asked them to wait and ran further while Ramonda mused what had happened to Wakanda.
T'Challa clenched his pants legs tightly as his eyes narrowed. It was his father's sins that had happened, T'Challa thought grimly. His father's actions had come back to haunt Wakanda. He would make sure that this never happened when he returned, T'Challa vowed in his head.
In the City of the Dead, The Shaman gave Erik the Heart-Shaped Herb to give him the Black Panther's powers and to send him to the ancestral plane as he was buried in the red sand. He closed his eyes, remembering the Wakandian jet flying off. He had run into the apartment, only to see his father dead. He remembered sobbing and cradling his dead body.
Everyone felt some sympathy for Erik, at least the young boy who had found his father dead. While he may have grown up to be a monster, at one point he had only been a boy who had found his father murdered.
Erik then found himself in front of the same apartment and walked inside, seeing Wakanda's skies in the distance out the windows.
T'Challa was surprised by this. He didn't know that the Ancestral plane could look like that. But he supposed that it could look different to everyone.
He stared at the spot where he had found his father's body before walking over and removing part of a wall, revealing a hidden closet. Finding a book, he turned the pages to see words written in Xhosa as well as English until he found the ring necklace and put it around his neck. N'Jobu was then on the table, asking him what he had told him about going through his things. Erik was suddenly a little child again.
"So now he's a kid?" Tony asked confused.
"The ancestral plane is a place of many wonders," T'Challa said distractedly, captivated by the scene.
N'Jobu then smiled, asking what he had found. Erik said he'd found N'Jobu's home and N'Jobu said he'd given him the key, hoping he'd find it. Erik showed his gums as N'Jobu said the sunsets there were beautiful but he feared Erik wouldn't be welcome there as they'd consider him lost, causing the confused Erik to say he was right here. N'Jobu asked if there'd be no tears for him and Erik said everybody died and that was life in Oakland.
Everyone began to understand how Erik had become the monster he was today. It didn't excuse what he had done, what he was going to do, but they understood.
And then Erik was an adult again, the king of Wakanda. Realizing what his actions had caused, N'Jobu said he should have taken him back long ago but they were abandoned now. Erik said that maybe Wakanda was the one that was lost which is why they couldn't find them.
"He might have a point," Steve noted but T'Challa shook his head.
"Wakanda has lost its way, but Erik has never left that apartment. He has never moved on from his father's death. He is just as lost as he thinks Wakanda is," T'Challa said firmly.
Erik then awoke with gasps and got out of the sand as the Shaman told him to calm down. As Nakia snuck in through the catacombs, Erik was told the Heart-Shaped Herb did all of that and that it was being prepared so it'd be ready when the time for another king came.
"I don't think he'll like that," Natasha noted as they all felt uneasy.
Erik told her to burn it all and when she protested, he lifted her by the throat, telling her when he told her to do something, he meant it. Nakia watched from a tunnel in the corner before sneaking towards the garden. She took one Heart-Shaped Herb while it was burnt as Erik watched.
T'Challa stared in horror as the herbs, one of the cores of Wakandian tradition, were burned to ash.
"He doesn't want anyone to rise up against him," Natasha noted.
"He is eliminating potential rivals," Thor agreed.
"He'd fit right in with Hydra," Sam said, glancing over at Steve, ho nodded silently.
"Good thing Nakia got one before they burned it," Peter said, trying to remain optimistic.
"But who's she planning on giving it to?" Scott wondered and no one had an answer.
Later, Erik walked into the throne room and sat down on the throne as the council stood assembled. Erik noted black folk never had fire power to fight oppression where he was from and asked where Wakanda was. That ends today, Erik declared as he got to his feet. He would use the own strategizes of colonizers against them. They'd give Vibranium weapons to the War Dogs who would arm the people against those in power, kill them and their children and anyone else who takes their side. Everyone would know the truth about them and the world would start over with them on top. The sun would never set on Wakanda, Erik declared.
"Son of a bitch," Tony whispered as they all stared at the screen in horror.
"He truly is a monster," T'Challa said grimly.
"That's an understatement," Sam muttered disgusted.
"A black supremacist who wants to kill all people of a different race and now has the power to do it. Well, things got a whole lot worse," Clint noted grimly.
"Indeed Barton. This Killmonger reminds me of Loki in New York," Thor said, remembering how insane his brother had been under the influence of the Mind Stone.
"We have to stop him," Scott said, shuttering at the thought of Cassie being targeted by this madman.
"We will," Steve promised with determination.
Okoye protested, saying Wakanda had survived by fighting only when necessary.
W'Kabi agreed but, to Okoye's shock, said the world was changing and catching up and soon, they'd be conquerors or conquered. He'd rather be the former. Erik then told the others to get to it.
"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die," Tony said, glancing over at Steve. "Looks like you were right Cap."
"Not completely. That's not the case for every time. But here, it is," Steve acknowledged.
In the mountains, Nakia, Ramonda, Shuri and Everett walked together as the former said they were taking the Heart-Shaped Herb to Jabariland.
"They're taking it to M'Baku?" T'Challa asked shocked.
"Desperate times, desperate measures Your Highness," Natasha pointed out.
T'Challa nodded after a moment, acknowledging that they had no other alternative. Still, it did not mean he had to like it.
Nakia explained the Herb's properties to Everett as Ramonda said they'd create a bigger monster by giving the Herb to M'Baku.
"Slay your demons today, fight the devil tomorrow," Wanda said softly and they glanced at her. "Something my mother used to tell me. Seems appropriate here."
"You are not wrong Ms. Maximoff," T'Challa said with a sigh.
Ramonda pleaded with Nakia to take the herb but she pointed out she was a spy without an army so she'd be no use. That was when several of the Jabbari arrived. Ramonda told Shuri to look down and she did as the Jabari surrounded the four of them.
T'Challa tensed, as did everyone else, worried for the group.
"Talk about walking into the lion's den," Scott muttered.
The four were brought before M'Baku in his own palace. Ramonda told him T'Challa was murdered in ritual combat. M'Baku asked if it was a fair fight, which Nakia admits it was and he said it was a defeat instead of a murder. Shuri told him not rub their noses but M'Baku silenced her.
"She really needs to learn when to keep quiet. And that's coming from me," This came, from all people, Tony.
"And when he says it, you know you gotta learn some self-control," Rhodey said and Tony shot him a betrayed look. "Sorry, but you know it's true."
Everett tried to explain about Erik but was silenced to by the entire tribe as they chanted and M'Baku said he'd be fed to his children if he said another word.
"Really?" Steve asked as The Avengers all looked at the screen in disgust.
"No one in Wakanda practices cannibalism, not even the Jabari," T'Challa assured them.
M'Baku said he was kidding and they were vegetarians before laughing at their expressions.
"He's…I don't even know. I don't know what he is," Scott said bewildered.
Nakia kneeled and presented him the Heart-Shaped Herb, surprising M'Baku. Nakia said only he could stop the outsider who sat on the throne. Ramonda kneeled too followed by Everett and Shuri. M'Baku then stood up and told them to come with him as he walked past them.
The viewers were all curious about this, wondering where M'Baku was taking them.
He led them to a tent outside where to their shock, T'Challa lay in the snow.
"You're alive!" Peter exclaimed shocked.
"So it would seem," T'Challa said, surprised that M'Baku had saved him.
"I guess monkey boy isn't all bad after all," Tony noted absently.
"Guess not," Clint mused.
They kneeled close to him as M'Baku said he was in a coma, clinging to life. He explained how a fisherman of theirs had found him and brought him here. Shuri demanded why her brother was in the snow and M'Baku explained that it was the only thing keeping him alive. Shuri suggested taking him to her lab but M'Baku said he'd be dead in seconds if taken out.
"And somehow, I don't think the new king is going to let her take you up to her lab," Clint noted dryly.
"If she can even get passed security," Natasha added.
"Most likely not," T'Challa agreed.
Nakia handed the Heart-Shaped Herb to Ramonda who managed to grind it and calling upon the ancestors, fed it to him as M'Baku looked at Everett who looked away nervously.
Everyone chuckled at that.
They buried him in the snow and chanted 'Praise the ancestors' in Xhosa. Nakia whispered for T'Challa to wake up and T'Challa suddenly found himself in the ancestral plane again, wearing a white kingly robe with black stripes on it. T'Chaka arrived and said it was time for them to be reunited. The other ancestors were there too.
"Well, this should be good," Sam muttered and Steve and Natasha nodded.
T'Challa glanced around at the ancestors before asking T'Chaka why he hadn't brought Erik back to Wakanda. T'Chaka said Erik had been 'the truth I chose to omit'. T'Challa said T'Chaka was wrong to abandon Erik. T'Chaka said he had chosen his people.
Clint barely repressed the scoff that formed in his mouth. T'Chaka could dress it up all he wanted, but he had done what he did not for Wakanda, but himself. Nothing would convince Clint otherwise.
And he saw that he wasn't the only one thinking that, if the looks of disgust on Steve, Sam, Thor, and Wanda's faces were anything to go by.
He was about to defend himself more when T'Challa exploded.
"YOU WERE WRONG! ALL OF YOU WERE WRONG! To turn your backs on the rest of the world! We let the fear of our discovery stop us from doing what is right! No more! I cannot stay here with you. I cannot rest while he sits on the throne. He is a monster of our own making. I must take the mantle back. I must! I must right these wrongs."
Everyone glanced at T'Challa, who had a look on his face that showed he agreed with every word his on screen self had just said.
"That took guts Your Highness," Rhodey said impressed.
"I-he is right. I cannot stand by as Wakanda flourishes at the expense of the rest of the world. Things…things must change," T'Challa said passionately.
"Well said my friend," Thor said, his respect for his fellow prince growing.
T'Challa awoke with gasps as Ramonda, Shuri and Nakia gasped in joy and hugged him while M'Baku nodded with head lowered. T'Challa asked for a blanket and they went off to get it happily.
Everyone sighed in relief, relieved that T'Challa would be alright. But now was not the time to celebrate. Killmonger was still a threat. And the recording was not over, not just yet anyway. So they watched as it continued.