The final chapter of Rando Week. It's another one I've been excited to write.
Chapter 188: At Wakanda's Borders Part Six
Moments Ago - Wakanda's Borders
Iqadi has never climbed so fast in her life. Her body spurts with energy once Imanu pointed a way out of the cave so she went straight for it. She doesn't care if the door to the surface was air-locked. She claws it open with her bare hands.
Water pours through once it opens but Iqadi climbs out. She's suddenly swimming and turns around to see Imanu follow. He closes the door behind him so the Mound doesn't flood. It wouldn't affect it much since it was already damaged.
The water is shallow so their faces break the surface instantly. Iqadi stands, gasping for air as if she's been holding her breath this whole time. She's out in the open, finally able to breathe again. Nothing is containing her anymore. Her body limbers as she smiles, almost collapsing into a laugh as storm clouds form above their heads.
Lightning fills the air as her eyes glow white. Gorgeous, bright bolts crackle against the mark sky, crashing down in repeated strikes that brighten the dark night and accompany the roaring thunder. She's elated because lightning's always her favourite - electricity coursing through her blood, vibrating her bones, exploding in the sky.
Iqadi looks and sees Imanu sitting in the oasis smiling at her proudly. Her mind is dizzy as she exhales a small laugh. She wipes her face with her hand before running it through her hair. As her eyes turn back to brown and the storm clouds settle, Imanu stands and she hugs him tightly, almost crying from the pure joy of him getting them out. She cups his face, kissing him all over before settling on his lips.
"How did you know I could get through that?" Iqadi asks.
"Isn't it obvious?" Imanu asks rhetorically. "You're my wife. Come on, we have to go. I'll kiss you later."
Before they run out of the oasis, they pause when they hear a slow clap of applause. They turn around and see Anasi leaning against a tree. Iqadi realizes this is the same oasis she encountered the hunters and the elephants. It could be a coincidence that their exit from the Mound was in the oasis, but it couldn't be that Anasi is here. However, she can't focus on that due to the brewing storm building inside of her again.
Right there is the cause of the Mound exploding, an earthquake traversing through Wakanda, herself and Imanu falling through the mines, and Kili being kept hostage.
Thunder simmers through the sky as Iqadi's eyes glow bright white in the darkness. Lightning crackles within her fingertips and she fires them at Anasi but they phase through her and her unfazed expression.
"Where's Kili?" Iqadi asks, lowering her fire.
"Where we left her," Anasi responds.
"If you touched her-"
"If she cooperated and just did her homework, then she'd be fine. Look, Princess, congrats to the both of you for getting out of the Mound but I'm on a tight schedule and we're outside Wakanda so there's not much you can do."
Iqadi scoffs. "You're using pesky diplomacy to try and deter me after what you did to my country?" She grins, catching on to Anasi's strategy. "You don't have a plan. It's a poor tactic to show that in battle. Never let your opponent see your sweat or your worry. It makes your enemy think the fight is taking its toll on you, even if I don't have my hands gripped around your neck. Fight until you can't breathe, until you forfeit. And when that happens, you go down smiling. Make them think you let them win. Dear Anasi, I have jurisdiction wherever I please."
Iqadi smiles, full lip as she steps out of the oasis. Her eyes haven't turned back to brown since they last became white. Anasi's posture softens as if she's about to run.
The Panther and its Prey.
"Iqadi, don't touch her," Imanu says from behind her.
Iqadi doesn't turn back. "I trained as a Black Panther in my own home so I've learned my skills from the very best. I'm not reliant on weaponry because I am one. She's no match for me unless I break a sweat killing her. Who says I have to touch her to do that?"
Iqadi's face shifts, a feral flash as her eyes glow. Her body stands firm as her muscles contract and the elements flow through her. A scream is trapped at the back of her throat, feeling like an animal roar. Sparks fly in her own body as her power invades Anasi's body, foreigners against every cell in her body that can't phase through. Iqadi reaches for the elements, gripping them tighter, trying to steal the air from her lungs. To freeze the water in her blood, cause an aneurysm, suck the air out of her lungs. Anything.
"Iqadi, stop!" Imanu yells. "Please. You'll kill her!"
"That's the point," she states, still concentrating her power on Anasi. The winds grow around them, swirling the oasis and tearing branches off the tree.
"But now she and her men will always be the bad guys! Killing her does nothing!"
Iqadi shrugs. Can't be bad guys if they're dead. Her power grows within her and Anasi screams, begging for mercy Iqadi can't hear. She falls over her knees, holding herself and that's when Imanu stands between them, facing his wife.
Iqadi pauses and looks him in the eye. His expression pleading yet stern. She married a man who doesn't support violence, even when she finds it necessary.
"Dear, that's enough," he orders.
Iqadi takes a shaky breath as her eyes turn back to brown, tears starting to form in them. "What would I have done without you?"
Imanu smiles lightly, full of remorse as he wipes her tears with his thumb. He turns around to face Anasi who's lying on her back, gasping for air.
"You weren't here waiting for us," Imanu tells her. "You couldn't have known since you presumed us dead and probably didn't see or know about the Mound's exit. You were expecting someone else at the border. You had men that my wife chased away, men who were waiting for something but you're here to sign-off instead. What were you planning? Vibranium trade-off? Weaponry enhancement?"
"Stupid diamond-encrusted message and international borders," Anasi curses in a grumble.
Imanu doesn't know what she meant, even looking at Iqadi for recognition and she doesn't have any, but he smiles at himself since it sounded like defeat. "And now you got stood up potentially by people who got stopped along the way or who know better than to come near Wakanda. You and your men better stay on this side of the border or better yet, remain in a grey area between nations because we're telling all our allies about our evening. Surely, our neighbours felt the seismic effects and are now trying to contact us for updates. If you dare get close enough to step inside again by any means, you won't have time to turn around."
Anasi remains quiet as Iqadi approaches her. Hair drifting in the night wind as her eyes stare down at her.
"You're lucky I value my husband more than my own life and that he was here to let you go," Iqadi states. "I wouldn't have."
"I'll change my mind if Kili is harmed," Imanu warns. "You'll handle it."
"He won't stop me." Iqadi purses her lips as she leans down closer towards Anasi. "I'll give you a headstart."
"Rest assured, your sister is fine," Anasi says. "Annoying, but fine."
"I'm the only one who can call her annoying," Imanu responds.
Anasi rolls her eyes as screams are heard from the other side of the border. Running in the dark from Wakanda's farm façade is Kili, springing ahead of her captors. She yells their names as she approaches them. Imanu runs to her and they collide into a tight hug, both crying and sobbing as they fall on their knees. Iqadi smiles contently, looking up to the stars and blinking away tears.
"Are you good?" Imanu asks, trying to look at her face for any marks. "Did they hurt you?"
"No, no they didn't dare touch me," Kili responds. "I'm too valuable."
She sticks her tongue out at Dulamah.
"Good," Imanu says. "Eat all the palace food you want after this."
Kili glances down at Imanu wearing the Black Panther suit and shrieks. "Dear Panther God, Imanu, who let you wear that? It looks so much better on her."
Imanu laughs as he catches Iqadi's smile. "It does."
-o-
After getting Anasi and her team searched and escorted far from the border, Iqadi, Imanu, and Kili headed back to the palace. Clean-up and repairs were already in-progress there and in the country. The Mound would be needing more time and attentive care before operations could start again.
Everyone cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes before eating. They contacted their parents after calling the neighbouring countries and allies about the seize and potential threat. Everyone will be home early this morning to continue settling matters.
Before they knew it, it was already the next day. The sun hasn't risen but it's on the horizon. Their parents might be home in a few hours at most.
"I'll finish in here," Imanu says. Their office is a mess and not only because of the earthquake.
"No, no," Iqadi argues, "there isn't much left."
"Exactly. I'll handle it."
He kisses her and Iqadi still hesitates on calling it a night. She glances at the work and yawns, which proves Imanu's point. When he gives her a look, she frowns.
"You'd better be up soon," she says.
"I'll try," he responds, smiling as he kisses her again. "I'll see if our parents come home first so I'll brief them."
Iqadi heads out and Imanu shuffles through electronic files, swiping through them to make sure nothing was tampered or wired. Their aides said everything was fine but he had to make sure. Even he's yawning in his seat but the day took more of a toll on him than Iqadi. Besides, it won't take him much longer.
Imanu glances at the doorway and sees Kili sheepishly standing there.
"I thought you were asleep," Imanu tells her.
Kili shrugs as she walks into his office. "I haven't done my math homework yet. Binomial coefficients."
"Are you serious?" He asks exhaustedly. "Kili, I will stamp a royal decree on it or something. Besides, school for you is cancelled until at least next week."
"I know."
"And you know binomial coefficients. You can do trinomial in your sleep by now."
"I know but I just want you to help me."
Imanu pauses, not arguing because he sees the sincerity in his sister's face as she holds out her math binder. She doesn't need his help in math, especially with binomial coefficients. It's been a wild day and he's shocked she didn't call it a night after she ate so much at their belated dinner time. Kili sat with Iqadi and Imanu as they were making calls and fixing solutions while trying to feed the other person. But now he knows why she's here at dawn asking for homework help. It's the same reason she sat with them earlier. Too much of their day was worrying that the other person was dead followed by themselves possibly dying soon.
Binomial coefficients are the new way to ask to spend time with each other without explicitly asking.
"How many questions have you done?" Imanu asks as he pulls out the chair next to him.
Kili smiles as she sits. "Iqadi did the first question. I did nothing else."
Imanu groans jokingly. "You're lucky that school's cancelled."
"When are Mom and Dad coming home?"
"Soon."
Like Mark of Athena, shoutout to Saga for traumatizing me.
And that concludes Rando Week and Season 5 of PNG. Season 6 will start next week and it's a good one.