Chapter 24: Straight Outta Wakanda Part 1

At the Staten Island Ferry loading dock, several last minute passengers were taking their seats before the boat took off. Among those passengers were a loving couple and a pair of drinking buddies. As the four took their seats behind each other, the couple leaned back, glancing out at the large mass of people boarding.

"Smell anything, Logan?" Natasha questioned as she made it look like she was snuggling into Clint's arm

"Nothin yet," Logan answered, taking a swig of his beer. "You sure the deal's going down here, Cap?"

"Positive," Steve answered, adjusting his ball cap. "Tony's sources haven't been wrong before."

Clint peered around the deck and saw some shifty looking characters getting out of their seats and walking towards the door.

"We got movement," Clint reported.

"Insects, we need visuals," Nat insisted.

Outside, a shrunken Wasp and Ant-Man hovered near Spider-Man as he clung to the side of the ship.

"You know, I figured a fellow spider themed hero would know the difference between insects and arachnids," Spidey replied.

"Come on, 'Arachnid'," Ant-Man remarked. "We have surveillance to do."

The three of them then made their way to the deck of the ship, where they saw a woman with a long coat and a floppy brimmed hat sitting down not far from the shifty-looking men.

"I think we just located the buyer," Spidey commented.

"Wonder who she is," Wasp said.

"Not sure," Ant-Man replied, signaling some ants with cameras attached. "But let's see what they're selling."

The ants then flew down near the men talking to the woman.

"I trust you brought what you promised," The woman spoke.

"Of course," One of the men promised. "I trust you brought my money."

"Indeed," The woman confirmed. "Though I would like to see what I am paying for, first."

"Is it just me, or is that woman's accent familiar?" Wasp remarked. "She definitely sounds foreign."

"Not sure," Ant-Man admitted. "Any of you guys recognize it?"

"It's Latverian," Natasha answered almost immediately.

"Latverian?" Wasp repeated. "As in Doctor Doom?"

"The very same," Logan agreed, sniffing the air. "I'd recognize his stench on her. She works for that metal-faced bastard."

"Well that's comforting," Spidey let out.

"Of course," The man said before turning to one of the others. "Go check on the merchandise."

The other man nodded and went back into the boat to check on their merchandise.

"Antony, go follow him," Ant-Man instructed.

The ant then flew after him and saw him walk up to a white pickup truck with a tarp over the back. The man flipped open the tarp, revealing several high-tech weapons inside. Ant-Man, watching the events play out from a screen on his wrist, was pleased by the results.

"Bingo," He let out.

"Looks like we got this made," Wasp remarked.

"Yeah," Spidey agreed. "We got the weapons, the buyers, and the sellers, all in one place,"

As the man brought some of the weapons out to the others, some purple dagger made contact with the cluster he was holding, causing them to explode. Everyone jumped to their feet as civilians scattered.

"What the hell was that?" Clint questioned.

"I don't know," Steve replied. "But we better find out fast."

The four of them got up and ran towards the source of the explosion. Back outside, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and Wasp went down and dealt with the dealers below.

"Sorry boys, but the weapons deal ferry was at 10:30," Spidey remarked, webbing one of the goons before slinging him into another. "Ya just missed it."

Ant-Man quickly moved from goon to goon, punching them out as he went. As he leapt towards one more, he grew back to normal size and socked him in the face. Wasp meanwhile flew around zapping the remainder of the thugs.

"Too easy," she quipped

As the three turned towards the woman, they were surprised to find she was gone.

"Where'd the Doom girl go?" Spidey asked.

"We've got bigger fish to fry," Hank declared. "Look!"

He pointed to where the leader of the group was currently facing off against a man in a black cat suit.

The man in the cat suit threw the leader against the wall and grabbed him by the throat.

"Where is Klaue?" He demanded. "I do not intend to ask a second time."

"Hey tabby!" Spidey called out.

The man in the cat suit turned to see Spidey swing up and kick him in the face, knocking him back. The man in the cat suit quickly got back to his feet and charged at Spider-Man. He tried leaping over him, but Spidey quickly shot a web line at his leg, pulling him back down. Spidey ran over to him but was greeted by a kick to the head Spider-Man, quickly flipped backwards in the air before landing on his feet.

"This is none of your concern," The cat-man snarled in a thick African accent. "Stay out of this"

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Ant-Man replied.

The man in the cat suit looked around to see Ant-Man and Wasp joining Spider-Man. Seeing the odds were no longer in his favor, he pulled a smoke bomb out of his belt and threw it on the ground. The three Avengers shielded their eyes as the smoke cloud engulfed them. As the smoke cleared, the man was gone.

Back at Avengers Mansion, the full team, sans Thor and Hulk, assembled to discuss what had happened.

"Suffice to say, that could have gone better," Cap reported.

"Hey," Spidey voiced, "everything was going great until the crazy, ninja, cat man showed up."

"Crazy ninja cat man?" Tony repeated.

"Someone in a catsuit attacked the aim deal," Wasp clarified.

"Makes me wish I thought to bring my camera," Spidey lamented.

"Well you kinda did," Tony told him, causing Peter to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "I installed a monitoring system into your mask."

"You were spying on me?"

"It was to monitor your performance level, nothing more. Just plug your mask into the computer and we'll be able to see what you saw."

"Alright," Peter replied, plugging his mask as Tony instructed. "Let's take it back earlier in the day."

A holographic screen appeared and displayed Spider-Man looking in a mirror.

"Sup bad guys, I'm Spider-Man, and you just got bit."

"You practice the quips you say to bad guys?" Clint asked.

"No!" Peter defended.

"Okay, okay," Tony spoke up. "JARVIS, a little later in the day please?"

The footage fast forwarded to Spider-Man still in front of the mirror holding a toilet brush.

"It is I, Thor, son of Odin!"

"No, no!" Peter let out trying to block the screen. "This footage is not to be seen by anyone! Especially Thor!"

"Whatever you say, 'son of Odin'," Logan teased, kicking his feet onto the table.

"Just for the record, your impressions are very funny," Wasp complimented.

Finally, the footage arrived at the time of the fight. It showed the man in the cat suit throwing the man against the wall of the ship. Cap suddenly went wide eyed.

"Stop!" Cap ordered, causing the footage to pause.

"See something?" Natasha asked.

"Maybe. Can the projectionist make this any brighter?"

The other Avengers looked at each other in confusion before turning back.

"Uh… yeah," Tony replied. "JARVIS, zoom in and enhance. And uh… make it brighter."

As JARVIS zoomed in on the figure, Cap continued to stare in disbelief.

"The Black Panther..." he said in shock.

"The what now?" Wasp asked in confusion.

"The Black Panther. The greatest warrior of Wakanda."

"You've met him?" Tony questioned.

"I've met a version of him," Cap corrected. "The Commandos and I stopped a HYDRA party from crossing through Wakanda back in the war. For our efforts, the Wakandan people gifted us with this."

He rapped his knuckles against his shield.

"I've heard of Wakanda," Peter recalled. "We've learned about it in school. It's a small, isolated nation in Africa. Known for its secrecy, and the fact that no one has been able to conquer it in its entire history, though no one knows why."

"Though there's a guess," Clint interjected. "That Black Panther guy seems to be a formidable fighter, and his moves are almost superhuman."

"That can't be the same guy Cap fought in the 40's. Grandson maybe?."

"Probably the latest in a long line," Cap suggested. "But that's not the issue here. What would drive such a warrior to stray from his homeland?"

"I think he said he was after some guy named Klaue," Peter relayed. "At least I think that's his name."

"Klaue you say?" Hank asked. "I know of him." He took over the computer, bringing up a picture of Klaue. "Ulysses Klaue. A known smuggler, arms dealer, and black-market tradesman. His specialty seems to be high risk goods. At first it was nuclear weapons, then he tried to make a grab at the Pym particle, but recently, he's set his sights on a more elusive prize. Vibranium."

"The same metal in Cap's shield," Rick realized.

"Right," Hank confirmed. "Extremely rare, and very powerful. Jan, you remember Whirlwind?"

"How could I forget?" she replied. "My first supervillain."

"Well I found out through S.H.I.E.L.D. that Klaue is the one who hired him," Hank told her. "Evidently he stole a sonic disruptor of some kind. My guess, he's found a way to turn Vibranium into a sonic weapon."

"You know…" Natasha spoke up. "Rumors have been circulating for years that Wakanda has a secret gold mine of Vibranium."

"Well, that might explain the readings I'm getting from Peter's mask," Tony noted. "The suit the Panther was wearing was giving off an energy signature almost identical to Cap's magic frisbee."

"If this Klaue has gotten a hold of Vibranium, and the Panther attacked an AIM deal," Cap pieced together, "then it stands to reason that Klaue is AIM's latest supplier."

"We'll look into that more tomorrow," Tony decided, shutting off the computer. "Right now, we all need to get some rest. It's been one hell of a day."

Wasp let out a yawn in response. "Good idea."

"I better get back soon anyway," Peter decided, grabbing his mask. "Aunt May will probably ground me if I'm not home by ten."

"Nobody tell him it's 9:47," Tony quipped as Peter swung off.

It was the dead of night, and just about everyone in the mansion was asleep. Even Tony had forgone his usual late-night tinkering to get some much-needed shut-eye. As silence fell over the mansion, the Black Panther slipped through one of the windows. He slunk quietly through the mansion, making his way to the sublevels with unerring determination. He soon arrived in the assembly hall, where he immediately began accessing the records.

He didn't get far before the elevator dinged. He quickly shut off the computer, jumping into the rafters as Rick Jones emerged from the elevator.

"JARVIS… I can't sleep again. Let me read the archives until I get bored."

"As you wish Mr. Jones."

The screen lit up and Black Panther cursed his luck. He adjusted his position slightly, so he'd have a better grip on the rafters, his claws making a barely audible sound. However, that tiny noise was enough to alert Rick.

"Hello?" he called out, getting to his feet. "Anybody there?"

Panther continued to remain silent. Rick looked around, far from convinced that he was alone. Years of being on the run had made him aware of any possible tails, and his instincts were screaming that he was not alone.

"JARVIS, can you scan the room for me?"

"Certainly sir."

JARVIS performed a scan of the room, checking every corner and crevice. Panther just remained still as the AI did his work.

"Scan complete. You are the only person in the room."

"No, I'm not," Rick declared, looking right up at the corner where Black Panther was hiding. "Come down here! I know you're there! Just come out, and I won't call the Avengers!"

Panther just answered with silence. In anger, Rick pulled out his Avengers ID card, about to hit the call button. Before he could, Panther leapt down from the ceiling and sliced Rick's card. As Rick looked up, he saw the warrior quickly close in on him, wrapping an arm around his neck and putting him in a headlock. This cut off his air flow just enough to knock him out. Panther then let him drop to the floor, before taking off himself.

In the lounge, Thor was sitting in a chair, reading a book on Norse Mythology. He chuckled to himself at the blatant inaccuracies within the pages.

"Sif a goddess of agriculture?" he read off before laughing a little. "Where do they come up with these ideas?"

"Pardon my interruption, sir," JARVIS spoke up

"What troubles you, automated voice?"

"Rick Jones reported someone might be in the Assembly Hall, but I was unable to detect anything. Mr. Jones has since been unable to report in."

Hearing this, Thor held out his hand and summoned Mjiolnir to his hand. As he got up, he saw Logan walking past, downing a beer as he noticed Thor.

"Where's the fire?" he asked.

"The house believes we have an intruder. I was about to investigate, if you wish to join. Perhaps we shall be lucky and find battle this night."

"Heh, sounds like fun to me."

Logan tossed the bottle aside as the two made their entrance to the sublevels.

...

Panther made his way up to the science lab and ran towards the elevator. Just then, the elevator opened up, forcing him to hide as Wolverine and Thor entered the room. As they walked inside, Wolverine slowed his approach, sensing something in the room.

"What is it?" Thor asked, turning back towards him.

"We got company," Logan replied, taking a sniff.

Thor tightened the grip on his hammer as he walked up to Wolverine. Logan looked around the room, trying to find the source of the scent. He stopped at one wall, his eyes narrowing.

"There!" he called out.

Thor immediately tossed his hammer at a stack of machinery, tearing through it and forcing Panther to leap out of hiding. As Thor tried to retrieve his hammer, Panther tackled him to the ground, pinning the thunderer. He quickly whipped around and brought his claws up to clash with Wolverine's adamantium ones.

"Didn't see that coming, didja bub?" Wolverine growled.

"Perhaps not," Panther admitted.

He then pulled a Vibranium dagger out of his belt before slicing Wolverine across the face with it. It left a long gash across his face that quickly healed. He barely had time to react before Panther kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the floor. Just then, Thor shot a blast of lightning at Panther, knocking him across the room.

"Yield intruder," Thor threatened. "Lest you suffer my wrath."

Panther just narrowed his eyes as he gripped his dagger and charged at Thor. as the two duked it out, Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID card.

"Rise and shine Avengers!" he called out. "We got an intruder in the lab! Get your asses out of bed and down here, now!"

Inside one of the rooms, Steve snapped awake upon hearing the call from his ID card. Not wasting a beat, he grabbed his shield and rushed out of the room.

In Natasha's room, her grip on the bars of her headboard was suddenly loosened when she heard the call on her card. She grabbed her gauntlets and slapped them onto her wrists before running out.

Clint was sprawled out on the bed on his stomach, sheets a mess as he slept soundly. Just then, his ID card started going off. He perked his head up, groaning as he rolled off the bed and grabbed his bow and quiver.

Inside Hank Pym's room, he and Jan are sound asleep together in bed, the latter snuggling up to his chest as she did so. Just then, both their ID cards started going off, causing them to wake up and reach for them.

"What is it?" Jan wondered. "Can't it wait until mor-"

"Rise and shine Avengers! We got an intruder in the lab! Get your asses out of bed and down here, now!"

"No, I don't think it can," Hank replied.

"Ok then," Jan admitted as the two got out of bed.

In the armory, Tony was hard at work on one of his suits, AC/DC music blaring as he did. Just then, his music cut out, getting his attention.

"Hey, JARVIS, what gives?"

"Forgive me sir, but it appears the Black Panther has infiltrated the mansion."

That got Tony's attention.

"Then cue up the Mark 7 and let's give him a proper welcome."

In Hulk's room, he was laid out on his bed, snoring up a storm when the ID card went off. He just brought his fist down on the card, smashing it.

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but there is a situation in the lower levels."

"Don't care," Hulk grumbled, turning over.

"It was Rick Jones that alerted me to the situation, but he has yet to respond."

Hearing the possibility that Rick was in trouble was enough to motivate Hulk to get out of bed and smash through the door, making his way to the lower levels.

Meanwhile, at the Parker residence in Queens, Peter was out like a light in his bed. Just then, his ID card started going off, getting him to stir from his sleep. Once fully awake, he rushed towards the desk and silenced it, hoping the noise wouldn't wake his aunt. Upon getting the message, Peter turned towards the closet, seeing his Spider-Man costume laying on the ground.

"So much for getting a good night's sleep tonight."

Back at the mansion, Thor and Wolverine continued to fight with Black Panther. The feline themed warrior was easily able to keep ahead of both their attacks, before grabbing Wolverine by the arm and flipping him onto the ground. As Thor took another swing at him, Panther backflipped over the hammer and landed behind him, kicking his legs out from under him. Just then, the doors to the armory were blasted open, allowing Iron Man to fly in and open fire on Panther, who quickly took off to avoid the shots. He then leapt onto the wall before bouncing off and clawing at Iron Man's armor. This caused him to crash to the ground as Panther struck a dramatic pose. Suddenly, a large crash rang out from the ceiling above, destroying it as Hulk landed. Upon eying Panther, he let out a roar of fury before charging at him. Hulk swung one massive fist after another, trying to hit him, but the Black Panther was too fast for him. After ducking under one fist, Panther struck a nerve under Hulk's arm, causing it to go limp. Enraged, Hulk spun around and tried to use his other fist, but Panther easily struck another nerve, causing that one to limp as well. Panther then took the chance to backflip and kick Hulk in the face knocking him to the ground as the others looked on.

"Did… did he just KO the Hulk?" Iron Man asked.

"Looks like," Logan remarked.

Logan got back up and tried attacking again, but Panther quickly shot out some Vibranium daggers at his feet, causing them to explode and knock him back.

Panther then quickly spun around and caught an oncoming arrow right before it hit him. It exploded right in his face, causing Clint to smirk as he stood at the elevator with Steve and Natasha. However, as the smoke cleared, Panther seemed unaffected. He then tossed the arrow aside and saw Hawkeye standing before him.

"We haven't met yet," he remarked, notching another arrow. "I'm Clint."

"I don't care," Panther replied.

Hawkeye fired another arrow at Panther, but quickly dodged it. He moved again to dodge an oncoming repulsor blast from Tony. He quickly jumped into the air to avoid another repulsor blast and caught another arrow shot by Hawkeye. He then threw the arrow at Iron Man's gauntlet, shorting it out. Steve then took this chance to lob his shield at him, causing Panther to duck under it as it sailed past.

"What are you doing here?" Steve demanded.

Panther said nothing, simply stepped to the side as the shield zipped past, returning to Steve's hand. Steve narrowed his eyes as Panther just stood there.

"Hey, Panther guy!" Jan called out as she flew down the hole Hulk created. "This is for the mess on the Ferry!"

She then shot out several bio-stings at Panther, none of which seemed to have any effect. Panther pulled out another dagger ready to throw it at her, only to discover his entire body was being covered with ants.

"Make it easy on yourself and surrender," Ant-Man insisted. "Before things get ugly."

Panther just raised his wrist and pressed a button, sending out a sonic pulse that scattered all the ants, as well as knocked Ant-Man and Wasp away. As they tumbled to the ground, Natasha tried her turn, unloading shot after shot from her widow stings to get his attention. It worked as he leapt towards her and engaged her in hand to hand combat. As the two fought, Ant-Man and Wasp grew to normal size and picked themselves up.

"What was that?" Wasp asked.

"A sonic pulse," Ant-Man answered. "I think Tony was right about Vibranium being woven right into his suit."

"So how do we stop this guy?"

"The hard way," Ant-Man admitted.

Back with Panther, he and Widow continued to fight, the former Russian assassin having a hard time holding her ground against her opponent. As he grabbed one of her kicks, he struck her in the stomach, causing her to tumble across the ground as she steadied herself. He prepared to go at her again, only to see the large hand of Giant-Man looming over him. Thinking fast, he leapt onto the hand and ran up the arm, striking it several times. He then leapt up and went for the head.

"Incoming!" a new voice called out, causing Panther to look up and see Spider-Man swinging through the hole in the ceiling right towards him, kicking him back. The two landed on the ground as they stared each other down.

"You know, there are easier ways to meet people," Spidey remarked.

Panther said nothing as he darted towards him, striking at Spidey repeatedly. The webhead easily dodged the attacks, but noticed something odd about them, something that made him reconsider the Avengers' newest combatant. Spider-Man quickly backflipped out of the way, putting some distance between them. Panther was all set to move when suddenly, a repulsor gauntlet from Iron Man was aimed at his head.

"Don't even think about it, kitty," the armored avenger threatened.

Panther looked among them all, as if weighing his options. However, before anything more could be done, Spidey dropped down between Iron Man and Panther.

"Tony, wait," he called out. "I don't think he's our enemy."

"Seriously?" Clint questioned. "Kid, he literally broke in and kicked our collective asses. You honestly expect us to believe he's not our enemy?"

"He may have attacked us, but I don't think it was to hurt us. Not once did my spider sense go off when he attacked me. If he really wanted to hurt us, I would know.

"Your arachnid friend speaks the truth," Panther chimed in, retracting his claws. "My intentions this night were not to cause harm, merely to assess your abilities first hand." He then removed his helmet, revealing the face of an African man younger than anyone had assumed, especially Steve. "I am T'Challa, Son of T'Chaka, and King of Wakanda."

The Avengers became even more surprised and confused by the revelation before them.

"So, what are you doing here?" Jan asked.

Panther remained silent for a moment before responding. "I need your help."

Sometime later, Hulk and Rick had finally regained consciousness. As expected, neither of them was very happy with the Panther sitting at the table so nonchalantly. Hulk nearly launched himself at the man, only stopped by the timely intervention of about half the Avengers.

"Easy, gruesome," Logan insisted. "He ain't the enemy."

"Explains why he's not currently being carted off to some S.H.I.E.L.D. prison," Rick quipped, glaring at Panther.

"That, and he has diplomatic immunity for one," Tony replied. "Rick Jones, Hulk, meet King T'Challa of Wakanda."

Hearing that, Hulk backed down, sitting down in his reinforced chair. He did pull Rick closer to him, but no one said anything.

"Fights well for a King," the green behemoth commented after a moment.

"I will take that as a compliment," Panther remarked.

"Best you can get out of him," Spidey replied. "Me, I know talent when I see it. I've had… fairly good experiences with cats in black."

"Webs, what happens in your free time is your business." Tony quipped. "Besides, T'Challa here has quite the story to tell."

"Indeed." Panther held his mask in his hands as he sighed mournfully. "I do apologize for attacking you, but even in Wakanda, we have heard tales of 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes'. I wanted to make sure that you lived up to your reputation."

"We aim to please," Clint remarked, "but that still doesn't explain what you were doing down in our restricted area."

"I was looking through your database for information on the man I am after. His name is Ulysses Klaue."

"Right, we know about him," Hank replied. "Possesses a device that can turn Vibranium into a sonic weapon."

T'Challa's fists clenched, his teeth gritting as a fleeting look of rage and grief passed over his face. "Yes." His voice was soft, laced with pain and regret. "I have seen the effects. It has… very destructive capabilities."

...

Several weeks ago…

High above the continent of Africa, a lone stealth plane glided through the night sky. Inside, its occupants were prepping for their mission. Leading the mission was a man named Ulysses Klaue, who was currently messing with a special cannon he had been working on for some time. All it needed was the proper power source, which was the purpose of the mission.

"You all know what we are looking for, yes?" Klaue questioned his compatriots.

"Yeah, some kind of special rock, right?" One of the soldiers asked.

"This is something much more than a 'special rock'," Klaue told him. "This rock, Vibranium, is more powerful and more valuable than you could ever imagine.

"And we're supposed to find it out here in the middle of nowhere?" The pilot questioned.

"Tell me something," Klaue spoke. "Ever heard of Wakanda?"

"Yeah, it's some tiny third world country," Another soldier answered. "Sells… like textiles and shit like that."

"All a front," Klaue dismissed. "What they got hidden in these jungles is more than anyone can imagine."

"If it's so well hidden, how do you know about it?" Another soldier asked.

"I tried coming here once, had a friend on the inside," Klaue explained. "Didn't work out then. Making up for it now. Set your course for heading 1-3-8."

"What are you crazy?" the pilot asked. "We'll crash!"

"Then ask yourself, would you rather risk crashing due to the trees, or crash because I put a bullet in your head?" Klaue proposed. "At least one of those ways involves everyone walking out alive."

The pilot gulped, then set the heading as instructed. The plane soared straight for a jungle outline. Everyone save for Klaue braced for impact, only for the plane to phase right through the trees, revealing what could only be described as a science fiction utopia.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Wakanda," Klaue introduced.

...

Inside this bustling metropolis, a young woman with tribal tattoos across her scalp and a traditional battle dress approached an older man on a grand throne.

"Okoye..." the man greeted kindly. "What do you have to report?"

"Shuri has detected intruders in the eastern quadrant, King T'Chaka," Okoye replied. "I am gathering my warriors to combat them, though I believe I may know who is behind this incursion."

"Who? Speak."

"Klaue. The only outsider to ever breach our borders. It appears he is trying again."

"I knew it was only a matter of time before he returned." T'Chaka rose to his feet. "Ready the Dora Milaje and engage the outer defenses. Nothing gets in or out."

Okoye bowed in response before heading out. T'Chaka then got off his throne and went to a display case, containing a black cat themed costume. He wasted no time putting it on as a younger man burst into the throne room.

"Father! What is happening?"

"Klaue has returned," T'Chaka informed as he put on the helmet. "He is leading an army of outsiders in an invasion."

"Then we must fight him!"

"No T'Challa! I will aid the Dora Milaje in fighting him off. You will stay here and protect your mother and sister."

"But father-"

"Each of us has a duty that we must perform." T'Chaka instructed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It is my duty as Black Panther to protect all of Wakanda, and it is your duty as prince to protect our family."

T'Challa was hesitant but could not disobey his father and his king. He bowed respectfully.

"Yes, father."

With that, T'Chaka bolted out of the palace towards where Klaue and his men were spotted.

...

The plane landed in the woods, Klaue and his men all exiting with their guns ready.

"Be on your guard," Klaue warned. "They know we're here."

"Klaue!" T'Chaka cried out.

Klaue and his men turned to see T'Chaka with the Dora Milaje standing before them.

"You are trespassing on Wakandan soil," T'Chaka threatened. "Leave now, before my generosity expires."

"I have tasted your 'generosity' before," Klaue remarked, pulling down the side of his shirt to reveal a nasty brand mark of an African symbol. "I have no desire to taste it again."

"Then you leave me no choice," T'Chaka replied, signaling the Dora Milaje. "Take them!"

The Dora Milaje then readied their spears and moved in. The men saw this and one of them snorted.

"Spears?" one questioned. "I thought these people were supposed to be technologically superior."

The soldier then tried shooting at the Dora Milaje, only for his bullets to be deflected by one of their spears.

"Oh."

"Guns, so primitive," Okoye remarked, extending her spear before stabbing right through one of the men's rifles.

The rest of the Dora Milaje made their way to the rest of the soldiers, deflecting their bullets and taking them down with ease. T'Chaka even took out a Vibranium dagger from his belt and threw it at the ground, causing a massive explosion that sent everyone flying back, including Klaue. When he picked himself up, he saw that the dagger was still embedded in the ground.

"Perfect," Klaue let out, smirking.

T'Chaka continued taking down soldiers with relative ease. His fingers sported metal claws that cut his enemies down no problem. He then turned towards Klaue, pouncing towards the man with animal-like grace.

"It is over, Klaue," he declared. "This time, you will not get away with a mere brand."

"I've always admired your grandiose nature T'Chaka," Klaue commended. "It's almost a pity I have to kill you."

He then took out his specialized cannon, now loaded with the Vibranium dagger, and blasted T'Chaka with it. The force of the cannon sent him flying back and crashing onto the ground hard. As he picked himself up, he saw that his suit was sparking pink electricity.

"What on…"

Before he could comprehend what was happening, Klaue blasted at him again. This time, not letting up as T'Chaka's suit took on more and more power. T'Chaka dropped to his knees, unable to withstand the pain the suit was causing him.

"Funny thing about Vibranium, it absorbs vibrational energy," Klaue explained. "But I'm betting even your precious rock has its limits."

Okoye heard her king's distress, immediately attempting to run to his aid.

"My king!"

Klaue laughed, aiming his cannon at her and firing. She immediately fell to her knees in pain, her staff crackling with the same energy T'Chaka's suit was coursing with.

"What kind of king allows his subjects to suffer so?" Klaue taunted. "What will you choose? Flee and save your own life, or save your honored guardswoman?"

"Okoye…." T'Chaka let out, still writhing in pain. "Go… now…"

Okoye remained on her knees, unable to move after the blast. Klaue slowly took aim at her, setting his cannon for full blast. Using what strength he had left, T'Chaka ran towards Klaue and leapt in the way of the blast. The final hit from the cannon seemed to charge the suit to its limits, causing it to explode. The blast sent everyone flying back, the pieces of his Vibranium suit fluttering down like some sort of gruesome confetti.

"NO!" Okoye screamed.

She went for her spear, but the blast had reduced it to nothing. Klaue surveyed the explosion and had a satisfied look on his face. He looked down and saw the remains of T'Chaka's Black Panther mask.

"Take what you can and pack it up!" Klaue ordered picking up the mask.

Okoye looked up at Klaue, seething in rage as she charged at him. He merely blasted her with the cannon, knocking her back into a tree where she slumped to the ground, out cold. Klaue's men gathered what they could of the Vibranium and bolted back to the plane.

...

"With my father's death, I was forced to take both the mantle of warrior and King. Now, in order to avenge this tragedy, I have followed Klaue here to America, hoping to stop him from bastardizing my country's resources."

"And if he's working with AIM, then it's only a matter of time before more of those sonic weapon things start popping up," Logan put together.

"The Vibranium Klaue stole must be returned to Wakanda, and Klaue himself must be stopped." The way T'Challa said that last part put everyone on edge. There was a coldness in his voice, like that of a man prepared to do the unthinkable.

"We have to find him first," Natasha reminded him.

"Help me find him," T'Challa slid his mask back on, his claws elongating threateningly, "and I will handle the rest."

...

And now, one of my favorite Marvel Characters. If it wasn't clear, this Black Panther is very much his MCU version. It was the best depiction of him so far, (with EMH coming in at a close second) and the movie was amazing.