A short chapter but only because I'm balking at writing the actual meeting. XD. Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Panther.

"The council wants some explanations about where you're going with this," T'Challa explains to him when he comes to see him three days later. "And it might benefit you to not be out of the loop, see the whole picture."

"You want to stick me in a meeting," Erik's voice is flat. "with the old farts."

"Shuri and I will be there too," T'Challa says like that's somehow supposed to make this more appealing.

"Hell no," Erik says.

"You're attending the meeting in person," T'Challa tries to tempt.

"In chains," Erik says because there's no way they're going let him walk in there without some kind of restraint. Hell he doubts it's even going to be anything as simple as handcuffs.

"Restraints," T'Challa says. "In a chair. But it has a view."

Erik gives him a look.

"Please cousin?"

Erik blinks, narrows his eyes at his cousin and puts out a shot into the dark. "You two just don't want to suffer though the meetings alone don't you?" He says after a moment. The flicker of guilt suffuse with amusement in T'Challa's face tells him he's right. "Ain't I being tortured enough?" Erik demands.

T'Challa throws up his hands. "We are banging our heads at some of them," he said. "You seem to have gotten them to move pretty quickly so we thought we'd capitalize on that. And yes, it's probably going to be less long if you're there to explain everything instead of passing the questions back and forth through a medium. And," he added grudgingly, "we wanted company to suffer since half of this meeting is about the things you set into motion. Misery does love company after all."

Children, Erik thinks, both of them. "In that case," Erik says, "you two should come by more."

"Deal," T'Challa said.

"What?!" Erik sputters. T'Challa leaps for freedom before Erik can reply. It's the damn most graceful run Erik has ever seen somebody do.

"Just cause you're not here to hear me say no cuz, doesn't mean that I agree!" Erik yells at his back. "T'Challa!"

Well shit. Cuz is lucky he's in his cage because there's no other way he'd get him to do anything. Oh well, might as use the opportunity to scout a way out.

They gas him. No kidding. He's gassed until he's unconscious and when he awakes he's already in the council chambers. He's strapped to a chair by vibranium restraints. His arms are pinned down and his legs and he's got bands across his chest and waist. Even his thighs have extra bands on them.

"Really?" he says. "Overkill much? I didn't even get the walk. Don't you know you're supposed to exercise your prisoners frequently cuz. I'm sure it's somewhere in the Geneva conventions."

"You wouldn't have let me get the walk either," T'Challa pointed out. "And I did talk them out of putting a band around your neck."

Eric freezes for a bare moment at the thought of being collared. He relaxes in the next second. He's glad that his cousin had at least that much sense Or Erik might have been forced to kill him slowly instead of quick and he's not that into torture.

T'Challa continues as if oblivious to Erik's reaction but Erik can tell he isn't. "At least being unconscious saved you from being awake through the indignity of being laser shaved by Shuri."

"Say what?!" Erik demands. But sure enough his weeks of growth are gone. "I mean, thanks for the shave but I could have done it on my own."

"I'm afraid you've been persuasive enough with your skills that we weren't willing to hand you a razor." There was a pause and then T'Challa adds softly "And you haven't been persuasive enough that I am sure you would not cut your throat."

"Screw you!" Erik snarls, rage uncoiling and lashing out. "Screw you to hell and back!" T'Challa raises his hands but stays silent. He's already said all that he can say on that score and Erik's already heard it all. Erik snarls wordlessly at him, muscles bulging and pushing against the restraints. Erik flexes his strength, feeling the extra strength given to him by the herb come into play but the restraints don't move. Still he tries. If he could just get his fingers around T'Challa's throat and crush it, it's be worth it if he's put down by the Dora. It takes a long moment for Erik to calm some and his rational mind to reassert itself. Not yet. He can't do that yet.

When it's clear that he's calmer, T'Challa says almost conversationally:

"Hey I talked Shuri out of shaving you to look like Tony Stark."

Erik's anger abruptly dissipates as he considers the sheer horror of waking up shaved like Tony Stark. He almost, almost thanks T'Challa.

"Princess got a sick sense of humor," he says after a moment. T'Challa half smiles.

"You're only seeing the tip of the iceberg," his cousin assures him. "I've been at her mercy since she was born."

In times like this it's hilariously easy to see the bond between T'Challa and his sister. Erik hasn't seen much siblings that genuinely and openly care for each other like this, not to mention they're a brother-sister pair with a large age gap. But they do. In a softer world Erik thinks it would be something to envy. Here in the real world, it's just a weakness, just a thing that can cut you open, leaving you bleeding for years. Erik knows the pain that loving someone opens you to. It's why he's never loved anyone since.

"I'd say you have my sympathy," Erik tells him. "But that would be a lie."

"Oh and you balk at lying?" T'Challa's eyes are softer, not yet smiling but poking gentle fun at him.

"Why I'm an honest man cuz," he says, tilting back his head to give the impression of ease. It's only then he realizes that the chair he's chained to is made so that he sprawled out lazily. It's how he would have sit if given the choice and Erik wonders if it's for him or a show for the elders. Actually, it's probably both. If both his cousins aren't divas Erik will eat his shoe.

T'Challa tilts his head. "You have never lied to me," he says thoughtfully.

"See," Erik says, "honest man."

"Still doesn't mean you balk at lying,"

"See now you're trying to pick a fight," Erik replies but its strangely lacking in heat or malice. Damn he really is glad to be out of that cell, even if he's just in a bigger one.

T'Challa laughs and its only then Erik sees the lightening of tension in his face. He's not worried about Erik though, not now. He's worried about the upcoming meeting.

"The real fight is coming," his cousin replies, confirming Erik's suspicion of that the meeting isn't going to be all roses. Looks like he's still the life of the party after all.

R&R Please!