Wow! The response to this has been lovely! But I'm hella nervous about this chapter guys, no kidding. So tell me if it's okay...
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Panther.
T'Challa's POV:
The elders are all still very unsure about this direction that he has chosen for them. Its daring and ambitious and it opens them up in a lot of ways and Wakanda is not used to being even slightly exposed, whether or not they're vulnerable. But it has to be done. T'Challa knows it has to be done. It's the right thing to do. Their isolation has kept them safe but now that they're in a position of strength, its time they extend what safety they can to others. And T'Challa has to make this work, show them it can be done.
They start planning, start making contingencies, start thinking through programs that will do the most good not just for now but in the future. Nakia helps. She's seen more than anyone else, she's been at the level of those whom they're trying to help and knows what it is they actually need. This isn't a time for grand gestures, it's a time for smart, thoughtful ones.
But first he sets of to do one more thing. He buys Erik's old home, N'Jobu's old home, the place where Erik's dreams were born and his nightmares were realized. It's a good place to start. A grounded place, a real place, a place to right old wrongs. Oakland is also place where Erik first heard of fairy tales, it's a place T'Challa would like to tell those tales to others again.
He visits it personally because he has to, because all of this started here, in an apartment in the middle of nowhere special but where a great wrong was done. This was the place that the catalyst had occurred, the event that that would shape all of their lives. His, Erik's, Shuri's and Wakanda's future. He brings Shuri because Oakland is where the cure should start and they should start with the people they're doing it for, the youths, the future generations. Shuri is a part of that and she'll probably be a part of it longer than he will. He brings Shuri because she'll never be queen but she is the princess and this is their responsibility. He brings Shuri because they're both Erik's cousins.
He also brings her because she's prettier and much more personable than he is. And he doesn't understand half her tech babble anyway.
They' re an instant internet sensation. The king and princess of Wakanda appearing in Oakland, showing of an impossible ship. The kids who have phones film everything as Shuri tells them all about the ship, giving information governments would have given their eyeteeth for, to kids governments had bothered to look all that closely. It's exactly the impression T'Challa needs to give. It's exactly what he wants to show the world; that they're not here to beg, barter and accumulate allies and aid. They're here to help. And they've come out into the open to help those who truly need it.
"Who are you?" asks a kid, the only one who noticed him standing of to the side. And the look on his face isn't fear or wariness, it's awe.
Fairy tales, T'Challa thinks and he suddenly knows it's going be okay.
The news conference is hell. Everyone is clamoring to know if this is the truth. Is Wakanda is really as they've shown and if so how? Some people accept it as fact and instantly try for trade, others accuse them of not being humanitarian with their technology. A few others are wondering what it is they have up their sleeves. A why now? Why have you shown yourself now? Is it a power play? A threat?
He's gone viral, their ships have gone viral. The spears have gone viral. Shuri's more popular than anyone else. People are wondering how this will affect the Sokovia accords. T'Challa says the elder-sanctioned statements to the press and then starts scheduling meetings. It's going to be a busy, busy year, maybe a busy life.
But he starts with the people who have been the quietest. His own african brothers and sisters. They'd expected an outcry of course. Wakanda has had a freedom and technology and protection and medication that they didn't share. Their own people have been the most slighted.
Of course, T'Challa understands the reasoning for Wakanda's separation. The power and technology they have isn't to be used lightly, isn't to be given to persons not mature enough of mind and spirit to use it, even if their hearts are right. Erik is living proof of that. But still, like Nakia tells him, they still could have done something. Send out more people like Nakia to save the enslaved, be a vengeful shadow for those evil men who work in the night. They could have done more while still safeguarding themselves.
He needs to apologize, he needs to be honest about it but also, the hardest thing hell have to do is set boundaries and limits. He cannot drain Wakanda dry, trying to save everyone. He is still only king of Wakanda and he has a responsibility to his citizens. It's going to be one hell of a balancing act And T'Challa doesn't think he was ever that good a tightrope walker. But he's got to try.
Their analysts are already at work on figuring out the response of various countries and how they should in turn respond to them. Soon they'll be able to start scheduling talks with other countries but not now.
The main thing they're doing right now is outreach programs and refugee settlements. But they aren't having the refugees in Wakanda. W'kabi was right when he said that bringing refugees in brings their problems too. T'Challa has seen how much other countries have suffered from refugees flooding borders and clashes between citizens and those they bring in. But also, he need to do this in a way that will help grow other countries. These programs must be treated as a short-term solution while more long-term ones are being arranged. He can't and won't allow things to continue in a way that leaves persons living in camps for year and years. It's not right.
They want to start some school rooms too, teaching trades, getting the young people to better themselves and give them something marketable, keep them from starving. The good thing about Wakandan tech is that it's very not intrusive so they can integrate it into classrooms pretty easily without having to add much infrastructure. When the countries ask what he wants from them, T'Challa says simply:
"We want you to let us help. We want you to let your people have aid. We aren't seeking to take over, we just want to help you stand up on your feet better."
It's difficult for anyone to understand. Nothing comes free in this world. But they're hoping that their brethren will give them a chance.
To the rest of the world, things must go slowly. Medical tech is about all they're really sharing right now. It's all they can trust the governments of the world with and on the plus side, it'll do the most good. Anything else that goes out will be as a result of the outreach programs. They're going to help people not governments. It's not going to be easy, but T'Challa is willing to try.
R&R Please! Back to Erik next chapter!