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Wakanda has always been my home. It was a nation so powerful that all I wanted to do was be powerful for her. My childhood was a happy one, until I was ten years old. My parents, born of the river tribe, were visiting Haiti when our home was attacked. My mother hid me in the closet and the last thing I heard were the gunshots that robbed me of my parents. But someone saved me that day. It was the protector of my home, the Black Panther. I remember King T'Chaka picking me up and placing me in the arms of the beautiful queen mother, Ramonda.
"Ukhuselekile ngoku mncinci." I remember hearing her whisper to me as she cradled me in her arms. Although my face was buried into her chest, I never saw my parents again.
We had a funeral for them later on, and I remember standing there before their floating tombs. I remember wearing white robes and tears flowing from my cheeks. Queen Ramonda stood behind me, her hand on my shoulder. I remember looking to the other side of her and seeing her children, T'Challa and Shuri. I remember thinking they would never know a pain like I was feeling. Queen Ramonda slowly leaned down toward me, and I looked at her as she wiped my cheeks of my tears.
"Khawutsho ke mntanam uziva njani ngalomzuzu?" she asked me, and I looked down in thought of her words. I felt knots in my stomach as if stones were dropped inside me.
"Ndiziva ndinomsindo, kumkanikazi mama. Ndinomsindo kuba ndingakwazi ukukhusela usapho lwam." I replied. She nodded and looked over at my parent's tombs before they flew up into the sky. She then looked back at me.
"Would you like to become a warrior so that you will always be able to protect the ones you love?" she asked. I looked at her unable to really comprehend what she meant, but I knew I wanted to protect my loved ones. I wanted to protect her.
"Yes, queen mother." I replied and she smiled and nodded.
"I sense great things in you." she said.
And greatness I had achieved.
Normal POV
M'Baku let out a bark of a laugh as his generals reported to him.
"What, are you serious! The John Wick of Wakanda is finally returning home!" he said with excitement. His general nodded.
"Yes, my king. She will be coming by boat in the next hour." he reported.
The warrior he mentioned was Niobe. She was a fierce and strong warrior brought up by the late queen, Ramonda. M'Baku, as a boy, had seen her train even as he grew into a young man. She was nothing but pure will power. She made the impossible, possible. She had outmatched and bested the Dora Milajie in occasions that involved fighting one on one or all together. She may have been knocked down but each time she got up she was stronger than ever. She even became Queen Ramonda's personal bodyguard at the age of seventeen. She was lethal and the queen knew this, which is why she kept her close.
Niobe is smart, cunning, and was given the best technology of the nation to ensure she was successful. There had even been talk that she became a war dog for King T'Chaka, going on assignments looking in on foes that could be a threat to Wakanda. If her intelligence provided credible, she was to eliminate the threat. Even M'Baku could not get her on her back like he had wanted when he demanded to spar with her. She said he was a worthy opponent, but he did not believe it as the spars did not last long. It seemed she wanted to spare his feelings and M'Baku swore he would challenge her the next time they met! There has been talk by the elders that they wanted her to be the next Black Panther since Shuri gave up the title after her battle with the Talokanil.
M'Baku had taken the throne six months ago, and since then he had done much to improve Wakanda. Their security had heightened so they would not be caught off guard by threats again. With their alliance formed to Talokan, everything had been peaceful except for one thing, their fish man of a king. Namor had been meeting with M'Baku wanting the king to allow his people to integrate into their society. M'Baku reminded each time that this was not an easy step.
"I cannot just let your people walk about with Wakandan civilians as if they are entitled to do so. The people still fear your society and trust is not there since you took their queen mother away." he explained. Namor nodded remembering the day the queen drew her last breath.
"I do not expect my people to just come and go as they please. I want their to be interaction, I want to prove to the nation of Wakanda that Talokan can be civil and be in the same room together." Namor announced. He was having a meeting with the king right now when his generals informed him of their warrior's return. This gave the king and idea. He nodded slowly.
"This introduction will need to be a slow transition. I will not force my people to be around you if they do not wish it. So we will need to have your one- two the most, Talokanil in my city at a time for the time being, but it cannot be you King K'uk'ulkan, but warriors of your choosing. They will be escorted by a warrior of my choosing, someone who can stand against your men in if they choose to have ill intent." he replied seriously. Namor tilted his head in thought, before nodding.
"Alright, I understand. But I will choose the two members who will start this bonding experience." he said. M'Baku nodded.
"Who will you choose?" he asked. Namor motioned toward his two best warriors who stood behind him.
"Attuma and Namora." he replied. M'Baku looked at the two warriors who stood with strength and intimidation. He nodded.
"Alright. Then I will choose a warrior that surpasses them both." he said. Now Namora and Attuma held back their scoffs. They had seen the Wakandan's powers, and they did not believe the king's words in the slightest, and neither did Namor.
"King M'Baku you should not think so little of my warriors. As I recall your defenses were easy to get through and your army was no match for my own." he replied. M'Baku just smiled leaning back into this throne.
"Of course, King K'uk'ulkan. You and your warriors can meet her today." he said.
Niobe's POV
Wakanda, it had been too long. The last time I was here my home was attacked yet again, and I did my best to defend it. Invaders from the water came. They had vibranium weapons and powers unlike anything I had ever seen. They were drowning civilians, hypnotizing our engineers to walk to their deaths and destroying our homes.
I remember fighting against one of them…
He was going to land a finishing blow on a warrior of the border tribe, when I intervened using my spear to stop his weapon from landing. I spun quickly to put space between us and I held my spear up firmly. This opponent was large and strong, I could tell from the force of his large weapon that almost landed. He had a what looked like a hammer head shark head dress on. From the markings on his stomach and and green earrings in his ears, I deduced he was from some ancient Mayan tribe. But seeing the face mask he wore, some form of rebreather, and his gills, I knew he couldn't survive up here without it.
"Another warrior who thinks she can best me. Let us see." he replied. I understood many languages as was a part of my training as a child and his was no different.
"You will greet your ancestors soon and when they ask who sent you to your death, you will have my name on your tongue." I hissed violently, and he seemed almost impressed by my words.
"You speak the mother tongue… Good." he said before coming at me swiftly, swinging his blade me quickly, and I blocked his blow with my spear, using it to spin around his body and with a blade held in my wrist, I tried to slice his gills, but ended up missing barely. Now he faced me with a glare, his hulking size could overpower me if I was not careful. He's fast, his weapons are vibranium as well as his armor. Who are these people? He came at me fast, swinging his his massive blade at me and I bent my entire body backward and with one blow from his fist into my stomach, I was on the ground, but before he could stomp on me right his right food, I rolled out of the way quickly. I got up on my feet and saw his blade coming for me. I dodged it with my spear and now he was backing me into the closest wall with his brute strength.
My knuckles were sore from holding my weapon so tight and I needed to get space between us. I let my body drop to the ground, and with my knees bent, I slid around him and came up again this time slice his rebreather in half. He growled and I quickly took this time to slice one of his gills as well. He now jumped back and I held my spear up, my stance ready to attack him. He fumbled back, holding his mask to this face and he looked up at me with a glare and I shot it right back.
"My name on your tongue." I reminded venomously. His eyes were filled with rage but the sound of a horn blowing caused us both to look up. He then looked at me and just pointed his weapon at me before retreating. I was about to go after him with a member of the Dora Milaje, Ayo, approached.
"Niobe you must come, the queen is in danger!" she yelled. My attention was immediately on her as I ran toward her, and we were collected in a fighter ship before heading toward the throne room.
I felt nothing but rage after the queen was buried. She was killed by Namor, leader of the Talokan Nation in the sea. They were the second nation that used vibranium and proved to be a strong force against Wakanda. But now we made peace with them. I couldn't believe it. The queen mother is gone. First, she lost her husband, then she lost her son. I wanted to stay and fight for Shuri, but she demanded I leave and continue the mission I was on in Europe, because she needed assurance that they were not plotting something with France against us. I didn't want to leave her, but she promised that she would get retribution for the both of us.
Things are different now in Wakanda. M'Baku took the throne, Shuri has left to properly mourn her brother and her mother, and now everything is well. My mission was finished and so I decided to come home and be a weapon for my people should they need me.
The boat landed at the harbors of Wakanda and immediately, a row of Dora Milaje was standing there waiting for me. I walked down the bridge looking at all of them. They looked at me with strength, but also with looks of challenge in their eyes.
"If you wish to take me head on, I advise that you all should have stretched first." I warned and they looked at me seriously for a short moment until Ayo broke it with a warm smile.
"Welcome home sister!" she said before they all crossed their arms tightly before approaching me. I returned the gesture and approached them as well embracing them all. Foreheads pressed against foreheads, and we smiled and laughed.
"It has been too long." I replied pressing my head to Ayo who nodded.
"That it has. King M'Baku would like to see you before you get settled." she said, and we now began to move from the harbor.
"Is he already trying to get a rematch with me too?" I asked. She inhaled and looked ahead.
"He just wants to brief you on your new assignment." she informed. I nodded with approval.
"I like the sound of that!" I replied, and now she just went ehhh.
"This assignment may not be one you will like." she replied. I tilted my head confused. "The king will explain."
Author's Notes
"You are safe now little one."
"Tell me child, what do you feel in this moment?"
"I feel anger, queen mother. I feel anger that I could not protect my family.