Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

A/N: After this chapter, I hope for the story to start speeding up a bit. The next chapter will be posted before Wednesday.

Chapter 3: Warring Responsibilities

The spicy soup-based Wakandan dish filled the office with a delicious aroma. Shuri had remembered her favorite foods from her visit to the African nation years prior. That filled Olivia with a warmth like no other.

She delicately took sips as Shuri filled her in. "Jak is still bitter from being passed over for King, even though father gave him an important Council position. I don't know what he's planning, but it cannot be good."

Olivia remembered Jakarra as a bit standoffish but willing to join the other kids in the games they would play. The frequency decreased as he got older, joined the Wakandan Army and started to hang out with that ilk. The bad blood between the elder siblings obviously had started to boil over. Shuri seemed confident in her deescalation tactics, but Liv detected a worrying undertone nonetheless.

"T'Challa has been brooding, well more than usual. You know how he gets. Father had been slowly shifting power to him, but the attack was really sudden." Shuri sniffed, her upbringing not allowing her to show too much emotion, even in front of Olivia.

Olivia could relate. One of the primary reasons why they bonded so quickly was from shared commiseration; the weight of the unrealistic expectations of their respective patriarchs was smothering at times. She respectfully bowed her head while the other woman composed herself and instead focused on the fine, exported fare. The dish was spectacular, vibrant in flavor with spicy undertones and a hint of bitterness. Liv was lowkey considering T'Chaka's request just for the access to authentic Wakandan cuisine.

A small smile played on the royal's lips. An uncharacteristic snort soon followed as she watched Olivia practically inhale the delicacy. Her and T'Challa really were so much alike, which was why Liv had to come to Wakanda. She was one of the few individuals that could bring light to her big brother's eyes. They would all need every bit of happiness in these harrowing times.

"In what capacity would I fall under if I accepted your father's request?" Olivia asked, finishing up. Though it was pleasing to hear about the day-to-day activities of Wakanda, they needed to get down to business. The late king's request lay heavy on her spirit, the answer surprisingly easy.

Shuri perked up and quickly produced a document from her golden satchel.

"The position of U.S. Ambassador to Wakanda recently opened and I hear you have the ear of the new President….."

She had prospered. Mellie Grant was the President of the United States of America, in what would be one of the closest races in the history of this country. Hollis Doyle's racist rhetoric eventually caught up to him, with a close advisor of his caught on tape saying the most disgusting things. Wading through the recordings, Mellie felt dirty and ashamed, while Olivia had to quickly leave the room to regurgitate her breakfast. Once that tape had been leaked, the millennial base quickly mobilized and shut the dwindling fool's campaign down. Liv had made sure, however disparaging the message, all of the media networks ran that story into the ground.

It had worked, though Mellie's faith in Olivia's abilities had not wavered a bit. Someone of her caliber was a rarity and Mellie wanted her deeply involved in her administration, as her Chief of Staff. Liv demurred a bit, wanting to get her life back together and to catch up on events, which was completely understandable. Though they had their past differences and Mellie apologized profusely for calling Olivia the most derogatory of names(and spent a matter of months insufferably sucking up to the younger woman), they actually understood each other. With Fitz out of the picture, similarities started to be found and they held a decent friendship. Their mutual disdain of Hollis Doyle and his faction helped immensely.

The resolute desk was in order and the first one-hundred days were in full-swing. The interim CoS(only there as a placeholder) had given notice about a message from the new Wakandan king, T'Challa. She had sent her condolences in the aftermath of the attack and was pleased to see their ally bounce back so quickly. Their vibranium stores had served the U.S. well, so keeping relations current between the two nations was a no-brainer. That was why she pushed the appointment of a new U.S. Ambassador to Wakanda up the docket. Ambassador Arnold "Arny" Jackson had been an unfortunate casualty of the Vienna attacks and the void could no longer be ignored.

This is why Fitz drank all the time. Mellie thought to herself as she looked through the possible candidates. Foreign service officers were always a good pick, and the Senate wouldn't fight her on it.

Those geezers love me. They love their power, too.

As she deliberated, a knock on the office door interrupted her thought process. The door opened to reveal the object of her previous internal ramblings.

"Olivia! I'm glad to see you're up and about."

Olivia and Mellie exchanged sincere smiles, a stark difference from just a few years ago. Personal growth was a wonderful thing.

"It's good to be up. Moping has never been my forte." Liv spoke, stepping into the oval office and sitting her bright yellow Prada bag on the couch. Her monochrome Proenza Schouler blazer soon followed, as she made herself comfortable. While beating around the bush was also not in her playbook, Liv wanted to ease the other woman into her request to be appointed Ambassador to Wakanda. Olivia had an inkling Mellie would not give her up without a fight.

Turns out, her intuition was spot on.

"But Oliviiiiiiia! You're my number two. You can't leave me, not now."

Mellie and her ex-husband were remarkably similar, even if they would both fervently deny it.

"Mellie, I know this is sudden, but.."

"But nothing!" Mellie interrupted, face starting to pout up. "I neeeeeeed you. You are the heart of my team!"

As Mellie worked herself up in a tizzy, Olivia didn't bother to mask her rolling eyes and increasing amusement. Fitz and Mellie were cut from the same cloth, so similar tactics to get her way would probably work. Tweaked a bit, of course. As far as she knew, Mellie had been eyeing Marcus and was firmly on that side of the street. The doe-eye effect transcended gender and sexual orientation, though. It had gotten her and T'Challa out of numerous detentions during their time at the academy, as well as helped smooth over some of the rougher arguments between her and Fitz.

"Mellie" Olivia started, halting the woman as she attempted to conjure up tears. "Not only do I have a long-standing friendship with the ruling family of Wakanda, this is where I excel. All my years of schooling and grooming makes me the perfect Ambassador pick. The relationship between our countries need to be stronger than ever, especially considering their international push for the Accords and the Avengers factor."

Mentioning the superhero group always elicited an interesting reaction.

The new President sat smack dab in the middle of her office. Her sulky expression slowly melted away as she processed Olivia's words. Liv could see the cogs turning as Mellie considered the ramifications of her Ambassador pick on the world at large. Now to go in for the kill.

"During my break, I had an epiphany of sorts. I've spent so much time trying to push others towards their goals that I neglected my own. I am proud that I helped you and Fitz reach the highest office in the land, but I need to focus on myself. This is what I want, Mellie."

Cue the puppy eyes that have broken stronger foes. Adding a slight pout to her full lips to finished the overall effect. Her trademark quiver was a bit overkill, but it provided the necessary ethos.

The first woman President was putty in her hands. Her only remaining obstacle was to pinpoint which articles of clothing from her voluminous closet to bring for her new assignment. Shuri would surely get a kick out of that.

Her next adventure was on the horizon. Lucky her.

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WakandanGladiator