I apologize in advance if this sucks, I didn't have the best luck writing this chapter. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway.
TW: Glad you enjoyed it.
Traveling Guest: Spoilers.
Ellie Bishop: Yep. Indeed Bucky did LOL! Let's put it this way, Ross becomes even more dangerous when he's backed into a corner.
Wakanda
Early night
In the cell he had been placed in, Killmonger seethed. Somehow, inexplicably, his plan had gone wrong. It had all gone according to plan until he entered the throne room. Not only had T'Challa known about what happened between their fathers, but he rebuffed Killmonger's challenge.
Killmonger couldn't wrap his head around it. It was like T'Challa had known what he wanted, what he planned and had been able to prepare for that exact moment.
Outside the cell, W'Kabi watched from around the corner, seeing two Dora Milaje standing guard outside the cell. W'Kabi knew it would be useless to attack now.
W'Kabi had been questioning T'Challa's judgement since he brought the Jabari into the council, ignoring centuries of bad blood. And even before that, W'Kabi had seen T'Challa growing more and more distant from him. But the events in the Throne room had proved, in his mind, that T'Challa was not worthy to be king. They didn't need a politician; they needed a warrior, a conqueror. And Killmonger was clearly one such person.
In the throne, T'Challa sat in the throne, facing his father, who stood standing. It was a long moment before either of them spoke.
"How bad is it?" T'Chaka finally asked and T'Challa sighed.
"As we expected, Baba. The Council is calling for your head, and mine for keeping your secret. They want their pound of flesh, as the Americans say," T'Challa said, linking his hands together in thought. "They want someone punished."
"Then we will give them one," T'Chaka said and T'Challa looked at him curiously. "There is a solution to this, one you have already considered. You just don't want to. But you should not suffer the consequences of my actions. I will take my punishment gladly."
After a moment, T'Challa nodded reluctantly. His father was right; he had already considered a solution to this problem, one that would satisfy the Council. He had just been hoping that his father might have another solution, one that would not tear his family apart.
"Tomorrow, at the next Council meeting…I will announce that you will be exiled from Wakanda. You will be forbidden from involving yourself in Wakanda affairs, violations of these terms will be considered treason and I will have no choice but to order our War Dogs to find you…and execute you," T'Challa said softly, each word seeming to bring him a new onslaught of pain. "I am so sorry, Baba."
"Do not apologize. For it is I who owe you an apology, for putting you in this position," T'Chaka said, walking over and placing a hand on T'Challa's shoulder, smiling at him sadly. "Let me tell your mother and sister. They should not hear it from the meeting."
Silently, T'Challa nodded. He had heard, in two timelines, that it was hard for a good man to be king. But knowing it and living it were too different things.
In his cell, Killmonger looked up when he heard some noise outside. It sounded like talking before he heard what sounded like the piecing of flesh with metal before there were two thuds. Killmonger got to his feet before W'Kabi and several members of the Border Tribe walked up to his cell.
"'Sup," Killmonger said, wondering what they were doing here.
"T'Challa has been my friend for many years. But his decisions since he became king…he has grown into a man I do not recognize. A king I cannot follow. We need a warrior, a conqueror," W'Kabi said and Killmonger smirked.
"And that's what I am. But your pal refused the Challenge," Killmonger pointed out. "You really think we can take Wakanda with just us?"
"The Border Tribe is yours to command. And we brought you this," W'Kabi said, holding out a golden necklace. "From the lab of Shuri. Put it on your neck."
Taking it, and remembering the stories his daddy had told him, Killmonger took it the necklace and placed it around his neck. W'Kabi then placed his wrist next to Killmonger's head and his Kimoya Beads flashed.
"Now, will it," W'Kabi said as he lowered his wrist.
After a few moments, Killmonger found himself dressed and armed in the Yellow Panther suit. He looked down, examining it; a smirk crossed his face beneath the helmet.
"We must strike quickly, the window upon which we can act is closing," W'Kabi said before he and his men bowed before Killmonger. "We are yours to command. What are your orders?"
The Raft
Same time
In his office on The Raft, Ross watched with a blank look as Bucky Barnes and a woman who looked like Elaine Bishop escape in what seemed to be a flying pickup truck. For a long moment, it was silent.
"What do we know for sure?" he asked the man next to him.
"Very little, I'm afraid. We had men head to Bishop's apartment, where she was found, bound and gagged. According to her, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton and two people matching the description of Maria Hill and Nick Fury broke into her apartment, stole her key card and left her there after cutting out the power. There was a breech in the backup server room, I'm afraid," the man paused, afraid to continue but knowing he needed to. "There was a download from that room, Sir. Whatever they downloaded, they seemed to have gotten away with it."
Ross was silent for a long moment as he thought this over. The Avengers had the upper hand, at the moment. He had heavily decrypted the files there, but it was only a matter of time until they managed to break it. And then, his greatest secret would be revealed.
He couldn't prevent that, he knew. Trying would be a waste of time and effort on his part. He needed to accelerate his plans, quickly.
Wakanda
Same time
"First, we take his mother and sister," Killmonger said as he, W'Kabi and the Border Tribe walked through the halls. "T'Challa will have no choice but to accept my challenge if he wants Mom and little sis back. That'll be the only way we can take Wakanda."
The rounded the corner but stopped, freezing. Standing several feet away was T'Challa, standing with Okoye, M'Baku and the combined force of the Jabari and Dora Milaje.
"Going somewhere, my love?" Okoye asked icily, her eyes stormy as she glared at W'Kabi.
"Did you truly think that I would not have eyes watching him, W'Kabi?" T'Challa asked softly, staring at his former friend in disappointment. "Is this truly how you want to be remembered? As a traitor?"
"Better a traitor, than a coward. Border Tribe!" W'Kabi cried and his men raised their spears.
"You are outnumbered, N'Jadaka. You cannot win. Stop this now and you will be allowed to stay in Wakanda as a guest, should you so choose," T'Challa said softly, knowing Killmonger would not agree.
With a smirk, Killmonger raised his dagger, the Yellow Panther Suit emerging around him. With a sigh, T'Challa called his own, Black Panther suit as Okoye tapped her spear on the ground, a motion that was echoed by the rest of the Dora Milaje before they aimed their spears at Killmonger and the Border Tribe. M'Baku and the Jabari began their usual chant as they readied themselves.
Then, the two sides rushed each other. T'Challa and Killmonger launched themselves at each other, the two trading blows as their allies attacked one another. The Border Tribe summoned their shields, using them to block the attacks of the Dora Milaje and Jabari as Killmonger attempted to strike T'Challa with his knives. T'Challa easily disarmed Killmonger before sending a kick to his abdomen that sent his cousin flying into a wall, falling down on his side.
As he saw T'Challa making his way towards Killmonger, W'Kabi tried to make his way over and strike his former ally when he was grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.
"Witness the might of the Jabari first hand!" M'Baku roared before throwing W'Kabi into a wall hard enough for the other man to get knocked out.
"Stop this now, Cousin. You cannot win. And even if you did, do you think any besides the Border Tribe would follow you? You want us to become just like the people you hate so much," T'Challa said as Killmonger got to his feet.
"The world took everything away from me! Everything I ever loved! But I'm gonna make sure we're even. I'm gonna track down anyone who would even think about being loyal to you and I'm gonna put their ass in the dirt!" Killmonger snarled before rushing T'Challa.
As Killmonger and T'Challa continued to fight, their armies battled it out. Although the shields were proving a bat of a challenge, ultimately the Border Tribe was no matched for the combined force of the Dora Milaje and the Jabari. The last Border Tribe member standing was quickly overwhelmed, using his shield to block the strikes of the Dora's spears until he was grabbed from behind by a member of the Jabari and lifted into the air.
"Surrender. You are beaten," Okoye said coolly.
Realizing she was right, the Border Tribe member reluctantly dropped his weapons to the ground.
Killmonger tried to use his claw to strike T'Challa but T'Challa grabbed his arm, stopping him. Forcing Killmonger back, T'Challa grabbed him arm and twisted. There was a crack as Killmonger howled in pain, his arm broken. T'Challa then released him before releasing all the Kinetic energy in his suit that had been built up during the fight. The blast sent flying, crashing through a window and over the ledge, falling from the castle down below.
For a moment, it was silent as T'Challa, the Dora Milage and the Jabari staring at the stop where Killmonger had last been seen before T'Challa retracted his helmet before turning to M'Baku.
"M'Baku, have some of your men search below and retrieve him," T'Challa ordered.
"You really think he could survive such a fall?" M'Baku asked surprised.
"Perhaps. But I have learned not to underestimate my enemies. And if he has fallen, he deserves a proper burial," T'Challa said with a sigh.
It was going to a mess to clean this mess up, he knew. The betrayal of W'Kabi and the Border Tribe would send ripples through Wakanda. But, at the moment at least, Killmonger was defeated and they were victorious. That was all that matter for the time being.
Things went easier with T'Challa knowing W'Kabi would betray him and Killmonger not being given the Heart Shaped Herb.
Next chapter, we explore the fallout as Ross steps up his plans.