I do admit that I ended up losing interest in writing this story, due to a combination of severe burnout and my beta-reader becoming extremely busy. So this was a dead fic for a while. But I have decided to finish it. The next few chapters could take a while, but then I am hoping to power through and finish this story in the spring. I am sure everyone who read this story way back when lost interest when the fic was abandoned, and I do not blame them. But I still wish to finish this story.
As Black Panther's jet soared across the sky, Aquaman took in the view from the passenger seat. The Atlantic Ocean glistened as bright as a diamond with the sunbeams radiating off the surface, and there was no land to be seen for miles. Under better circumstances, he would dive in for a swim (albeit closer to land). He was reminded of why he couldn't do that, however, when he found what he and the sea king had arrived to deal with. There was a ship that could be seen down in the distance, with dark smoke pluming in the distance and a crimson inferno that grew brighter as the jet grew closer.
"The last distress reports sent to The Vanguard said there had already been a large number of casualties," Aquaman stated, and that was hard to deny when looking at the burning ship.
"We need to hurry, then, before any more lives are lost," Black Panther replied.
The two could not see who was causing the carnage, but they already knew. It had been reported that Black Manta and Ulysses Klaw, two of their greatest foes, had united to steal a shipment of Vibranium.
Their jet was invisible, so Klaw and Manta were unaware of the heroes' arrival. But the king of Wakanda knew that they were expected. When they would greet their foes, Klaw would bear a sinister jubilance on his face, and Manta would lunge at the chance to finally end the king of the seas.
"Mera wanted to join us," Aquaman said as the two readied themselves for action.
"She is a most capable fighter, Orin. Why is she not here?"
"She's been…aggressive, lately. I worry she would deal with Manta and Klaw harshly. And we have enough controversy as is."
Aquaman had a point, Black Panther thought. Two international leaders, facing off against two supervillains and their group of pirates, could have dire consequences if not handled properly. It could cause an international incident, the likes of which the world had not seen in ages. While Thor and Wonder Woman were technically royalty, both hailed from lands which had been considered mythology until recent years, and both Asgard and Themyscira had little contact with Earth's nations. As kings of UN member states, Black Panther and Aquaman were in a different position. It was discussed about every time they appeared on the news for any situation, be it a supervillain attack or a diplomatic meeting. And for Mera, a queen, to slay two supervillains, could raise many moral debates.
Black Panther decided to shake off those concerns for now. Nothing would happen, he hoped.
As they got closer to the ship, they had a better idea of the situation happening below them. They could see piles of bodies across the ship, and the survivors were forced into a straight line, with Black Manta and Klaw standing in front. Even at this distance, where no facial features or body language could be made out, Black Panther knew fear when he saw it.
Black Manta drew a dagger jolting out of his arm gauntlet, a dagger that had brought a bloody and grisly end to many lives over the years. One of his men forced a screaming and anguished sailor towards him, punching the sailor in the stomach when they tried to kick at him. The henchmen forced the sailor onto his knees. Klaw watched the whole thing with a grin on his face, while Black Manta's face was hidden under his visor.
Tplane was set to autopilot before the cockpit was raised and both Aquaman and Black Panther launched from their seats. They headed down towards the ship, where both would be protected by the Atlantean's endurance and the Wakanda's suit. Black Panther felt a strong wind across his face as he went further and further down toward the ship. He almost prepared himself for the bruising and injuries that were coming his way, but the suit's kinetic absorption would make short work of that.
As they were about to land, Black Panther heard Klaw utter "At last, royalty decides to grace us with their presence!"
Black Panther and Aquaman landed on the ship, ready to end this fight all ready.
Black Manta sneered. "You both took longer to arrive than we expected. No matter. Today, we shall paint these waters red with the blood of two kings!"
Klaw darted over towards Black Panther, opening up hisleft arm to reveal the cannon that was stored inside. T'Challa always had an unnerving feeling whenever he saw Klaw's arm open up. Unlike the technology of someone like Victor Stone or Donald Pierce, Klaw's arm looked just organic enough to where this kind of action felt uncanny and unnatural. This feeling did not distract the Wakandan king as he dodged Klaw's rapid fire energy blasts with catlike grace. He slid down and used his foot to trip Klaw. And then when Klaw was on the ground, Black Panther swiped at his back with his armored claws, before grabbing his head and slamming it down.
Meanwhile, Black Manta was having more success against Aquaman, as he cut at the sea king's side with his armored blade. Several of Manta and Klaw's henchmen came charging over towards Aquaman, who swung his trident towards them. The shockwave of his swing blew the men overboard with the force of a tidal wave. But this ended up being the distraction Black Manta needed, as a gleaming blade stabbed at Aquaman's back.
Before Black Panther could assist, he was blasted at by Klaw's arm cannon; Klaw had taken advantage of the Wakandan's distraction. He kicked Black Panther in the head, and even with the suit kinetic absorption, T'Challa would still be feeling a bruise from that. Still, Klaw's reckless attack allowed T'Challa to build the impact of the strike into a forceful counter blast. Klaw was sent flying.
When Klaw got back up, he spat out a drop of blood. "Such resolve. Such determination. If only your father had these qualities."
With the reminder that Klaw had slain his father, King T'Chaka, T'Challa felt rage boiling uncontrollably, across all his insides. He wanted nothing more than to snap Klaw's neck, like Batman had been tricked into doing with the Joker not too long ago. But for a king to do that in international waters…the global implications were not worth it.
Still, Black Panther wanted to see his father's murder behind bars permanently, for all that he had done. And if some bones had to be broken for that to be done, so be it.
"Come on, what's stopping you from using lethal force?" Klaw asked with a grin as he blasted at Black Panther, who leapt up and dodged each of the blasts. "You're a king. Some people on Twitter may get mad at the idea of a king executing people, but who listens to them?"
When Klaw blasted at T'Challa again, Black Panther somersaulted over the attack, landing right behind Klaw. He grabbed his foe but his organic arm, and exerted pressure on it until a snapping sound echoed through the air.
"If I kill you, you won't get to think about the life you've wasted, all the chaos you've ensued for fruitless causes." As Klaw struggled to break free, Black Panther kneed him from behind. "The living are not done with you yet. The living will never be done with you."
"You-you bastard! You stupid little bastard! Your end will be a bloody one! They will never find you in one piece again! You absolute f-"
Before Klaw could finish, Black Panther headbutted him from behind, then lifted him up from the ground and threw him towards the wall, knocking Klaw out cold.
With Klaw taken care of, Black Panther could focus his efforts on Black Manta now. Some of their henchmen came towards them, but Black Panther made short work of them with swift kicks and quick punches, before he caught up to Black Manta. Even with blood coming out of his back, Aquaman refused to let up. He barred his teeth and grabbed Black Manta by his neck, bringing his head down and kneeing it. This cracked one of Manta's helmet lens, but he swung his leg towards Aquaman's shin. Aquaman cried out in pain, and Manta seized the moment to grab Aquaman by his throat. Aquaman gasped for breath as Manta's grip tightened.
"My father's life was cut short because of you!" Manta stated as he leaned in closer. "And now I will send you to him, so that he may exact his vengeance!"
Despite the intensity of their battle, Black Panther noted the irony for a moment; Klaw had killed his father, while Aquaman had accidentally killed Manta's father. But now was not the time to dive any deeper.
"With the blood of two kings on my hands, I'll be the most feared assassin in the world! My fame and wealth will be priceless"
Black Panther was able to take advantage of Manta's distraction and swiped him in the back. Black Manta grunted heavily, letting go of Aquaman as he did so. Aquaman seized the moment and bashed Manta's helmet with his trident. Then he tapped his forehead, and Black Panther knew what this meant. It was not long before Aquaman had used his telepathic control of marine animals to bring over a horde of flying fish, which rose up from the sea like devils and began rabidly biting at Black Manta as they dived down towards him.
"In time, Aquaman!" Manta began as he swatted against the flying fish. "In time, your world will collapse before your very eyes! And I will still send you to my father!"
"I can never apologize enough about your father," Aquaman began, as he tightened his grip on his trident. "But that doesn't excuse your wanton disregard of life!"
And Aquaman swung his trident towards Manta one more time, and the supervillain fell to the ground, unconscious.
With their foes vanquished, Black Panther and Aquaman both stopped to catch their breath, before they saw the passengers on the boat, tucked away in the corner, shaking and terrified. Political consequences be damned, Black Panther thought. For now, the focus was getting these people off the ship and into safety. Black Panther buried all thoughts on the future into the back of his mind as he walked over and began to aid the victims of this calamity.
A few days later, T'Challa and Orin were heading towards the meeting room of the United Nations headquarters, preparing for the latest conference. It was an unusually calm day in New York City; the usual morning rush was occurring all through the city, but T'Challa and Orin had beat all the traffic and were now walking into the UN building. As they did so, T'Challa had a video of the infamous J. Jonah Jameson pulled up onto his tablet.
In the video, J. Jonah Jameson snorted loudly and then sneered as he raged about last night's attack. "Cam the Vanguard truly not spare any other superheroes?! Every time T'Challa and Aquaman get into a brawl, we worry about starting a war with the two most powerful nations on the planet!"
Jameson was notoriously mocked as a 'lunatic', but every now and then (particularly when he wasn't taking the opportunity to bash Spider-Man), he would make an argument that contained a hint of common sense. And the sentiments he was expressing now were shared by many across the world. T'Challa swiped up on his tablet to get rid of Jameson, and he looked up to hear the thoughts of a much more credible reporter, who happened to be his teammate's wife. Though T'Challa had a feeling that she would express similar sentiments.
And indeed, when he swapped that out and pulled up footage of Lois Lane, she was mid-report, "As our world grows more paranoid and mistrusting, it is starting to appear odder and odder that the Black Panther and Aquaman continue to engage in battle, despite the world tensing up more and more each time they take action."
While Lois' words alone would not be enough to dissuade T'Challa at the moment, he'd be lying to himself if he didn't feel a great disappointment to hear her say that.
"But on the other hand, this is also a world where the disconnect between our leaders and the people feels almost irreconcilable. To that end, it can be reassuring to see two world leaders that actively fight for the safety of all people."
Lois would face criticism from this, including people accusing her of being biased. Whilst it was not common knowledge that she was the wife of the one of the world's premier heroes, it was known that they had a close friendship. But T'Challa knew he didn't need to worry on her behalf.
"Alright, T'Challa, I've held my tongue long enough," Aquaman stated as they walked through the UN Building, heading for the entrance of the meeting room. "It wasn't that major of an incident. Two supervillains were terrorizing sailors to seek the treasure aboard their ship. Something had to be done, and people shouldn't complain about who had to do it."
"How long do you think it will be before this incident is brought up?" T'Challa asked as he turned off the monitor and then headed over to meet up with the sea king.
"This time, I'd give it about five minutes."
T'Challa chuckled, but in a half-hearted manner, where his smile did not reach his eyes. "How optimistic, Orin. I give it a single minute." And if Black Panther was being honest with himself, he expected it to be even quicker than that.
And indeed, it was only a few minutes before the UN conference began shouting about the incident in question.
"It was an international incident waiting to happen, just like the rest of them!"
"It was Manta and Klaw! They've faced against them in the past, and something had to be done!"
"Just because they've defeated them before doesn't mean they will defeat them every time! And what happens, then?"
"That will never happen, so there is no point in considering the matter!"
T'Challa and Aquaman sat together. T'Challa just stared into space, pondering the elephant in the room that reared its head in almost every day, the one regarding two heads of state serving as members in the Vanguard of Justice. It had been a source of controversy from the Vanguard's inception, with people crying paranoia about potential international incidents. Thor and Wonder Woman were royalty in of themselves, but their situations were different, as Themyscira and Asgard did not engage with the countries of the world in the same way that Wakanda and Atlantis did.
"You know, T'Challa," Aquaman began, doing the very uncharacteristic act of sheepishly rubbing his neck. "I never thought I would get to this point. My father insisted on isolationism from the rest of the world, barring his interactions with the Liberty Brigade."
Orin took a deep breath before continuing, "And then when he was ousted from power, Attuma adopted that same strategy. To this day, it feels surreal to be the first ruler of Atlantis to open up its resources to the world."
Black Panther nodded in agreement, as he was the only person who could relate to that overwhelming pressure, and the lonely reality one was forced to live in whilst shouldering this heavy responsibility. "I was only able to make the case to open up Wakanda to the world after Grodd's attack. That ape left a scar upon my country, reminding it that it was not invincible."
"That reminds me of something," Aquaman continued as the two finally took their seats. "We came to the world as broken nations, but we quickly built ourselves up, and now the world constantly looks to us for guidance."
And indeed, that came up right as some of the American delegates were discussing the role that Atlantis and Wakanda played on the world stage. Matters being discussed included how the councils of each country prevented them from getting more involved, and how outdated these councils were in the 21st Century.
"Indeed, Orin. Do you ever take a look at those Americans, tired of their country acting as the world police, trying to shift that role to us instead?" There was a brief pause, as T'Challa took a moment to really ponder their future, as leaders of such powerful nations and as members of the world's premier superhero team. He would never admit this to anyone, not even his closest comrades, but sometimes, T'Challa's stomach would take a nasty churn from the pressure.
Aquaman broke the silence. "I have to say, I don't envy all those conversations about how Wakanda stood by and did nothing while the rest of Africa was ravaged by war, both internally and from the Europeans. Every time someone makes that argument, I feel dread and discomfort on your behalf."
"Yes, it is not an easy subject to discuss to discuss. Truth be told, that's part of why I like being a superhero. Saving the world from aliens, robots, and demons often requires simpler solutions than the complexities of international politics."
"I must concur."
The atmosphere of the room changed swiftly when the glass at the top of the building shattered, shards glistening like ice as they rained onto the ground. T'Challa and Aquaman both leapt from their seats and looked up at the ceiling above, where they saw a familiar figure drabbed in red and purple levitating down towards the ground. And it was not long before Erik Lensherr, also known as Magneto, landed in front of the sea of UN desks, facing the many leaders and delegates there.
When Wakanda and Atlantis reconnected with the global community, it completely changed the balance of power on Earth, with the United States of America going from the leading global power to a distant third behind these two absolute titans of nations. Genosha, on the other hand, had enjoyed isolationism since its founding just three years ago. It was one of the most powerful countries in the sense that its citizens were almost entirely mutants, who all had superpowers, but Magneto was not nearly as interested in helping out the world at large as T'Challa and Orin were. So why he was here, T'Challa could not figure out.
"Look at you all," Magneto stated, waving his hands through the air while pacing around. "Engaging in petty squabbles against each other instead of acting to better this world. Many countries tire of the way the Western world uses its so called 'democracy' to hide its imperialistic intentions. My partner agrees with this sentiment.
And it was at that moment that another figure descended from the hole in the ceiling that Magneto had created. Black Adam, the first champion of the wizard Shazam, who was exiled and banished for misusing his power. He wore an all-black suit, with golden armored boots and a massive lightning bolt spread across his chest. His face bore a dark scowl on it, and his arms were crossed. He landed besides Magneto.
"It was foolish of your governments to think that you could scheme to steal from us without noticing," Black Adam began, as Black Panther and Aquaman darted from their heads and headed over towards the two of them. "And now, we give you this one chance to face judgement, before the price must be paid in blood."
What was happening, no one knew. T'Challa tapped into his ear comm and signaled for the rest of the Vanguard for reinforcements. While he and Aquaman would struggle to best either one of these foes even combined, they could still hold off these two long enough for heavy-hitters such as the Martian Manhunter and the Hulk to step in. If that could be avoided, it would be a blessing. Black Panther had to choose his words carefully, for if he didn't, it could spell nothing short of a disaster that would anger the entire globe.