Hey guys,

Ugh, this one was a tough one to write.

Thanks to pandoraandamanda077, MysteryFlower101, JustCallMeWhatever, Lara Barnes, and LeoDaLion for joining the adventure and to the reviewers :)

Enjoy

xo

Chapter 18

Friend

Lex was thrown to the floor after being bound for several hours in a dark cell. She looked around, her eyes adjusting to the light.

"Lex!" Shuri exclaimed bringing Lex's attention to the teenager, who was kneeling beside T'challa. He was still covered in snow, which brought Lex some relief. They removed the gag from her mouth, and Lex flicked her tongue a couple of times to remove the taste and dryness.

"Hhheeeyyy..." she said pushing herself up to her knees gingerly, feeling the ache in the back of her head still, her hands were still bound in front of her. "What's doing, kid?"

"I told you not to come back," Shuri replied moving to check on her.

"Yeah, but if I hadn't..." she motioned to T'challa lying in the snow with a nod of her head. "He wouldn't be here."

M'Baku moved to stand beside her. "You know this woman?" he demanded, hoisting her to her feet roughly. "We caught her with T'challa's body in the mountain by the pass, after she threatened some of my people. Among other things."

She grinned knowingly at M'Baku, evidence of her head butt still visible on his face. He glared at her before shoving her forward and causing her to fall to her hands and knees again, making her chuckle. He was stronger than many men she had met, she'd give him that much.

"Shuri, who is this woman?" the older woman of the group with the teenager, demanded as Lex rolled onto her back and sat up again, throwing a furtive glance towards them.

"She's Alexia Nikulkin, a wanted fugitive of the Joint Counter Terrorist Task Force," a familiar voice, with an American accent piped up. Lex grimaced at the use of her full name and looked across the room to see Everett Ross, the CIA agent from Berlin, standing by the body of T'challa.

"Well, quite a place for a reunion," Lex replied moving to stand. She winced slightly, moving her head to one side to try and alleviate some of the pain there.

"She is a friend of T'challa's," Shuri explained to the women kneeling by T'challa, before turning to look at Everett. "And she also helped bring our father's killer to justice."

Everett's eyebrows raised slightly at Shuri's words, glancing at Lex again. Lex smirked, before looking at the older of the women in front of her. She had to be T'challa's mother. Her dreadlocked hair was white, and she looked like she might be a very proud and stoic woman usually, but right now, she looked quite distraught and confused. She was looking at Lex with a strange look in her eyes, Lex had rarely seen directed at her before. It wasn't fear, or intimidation. It was a look she had only seen once before, from one other person, Bucky.

Gratitude.

Lex looked away from the woman quickly and back to Shuri. "How is he?"

"He's still alive, but I need to get him to my lab."

"Take him," M'Baku warned. "He'll be dead in seconds."

Lex nodded in agreement. "You can't move him, Shuri. Don't these guys have the facilities?"

M'Baku scoffed. "We do not waste our time with such novelties," he sneered, earning a look of disdain from Lex.

"Novelties?" Lex retorted incredulously, before looking M'Baku up and down. Since when was medical aid a novelty?

"There is only one hope," Shuri's mother murmured. She looked to a small woman by her side, who held out a glowing purple seed of some sort.

"What on earth?" Lex breathed, staring. She had seen a lot in her time, but nothing like that. T'challa's mother asked for some supplies to be brought, to which M'Baku obliged, much to Lex's surprise.

She watched as the seed was crushed up and turned into a liquid solution, before being fed to T'challa during some kind of strange ritual. M'Baku pushed her towards Everett roughly, glaring at her warningly when she went to argue, as T'challa was completely covered in snow by the three women.

She considered the ritual for a moment, before deciding it might be best to pay the respects to the Wakandan tradition and move away, walking to stand next to Everett, their attention diverted away from the ritual.

"So, T'challa is harbouring a highly sought after criminal ," Everett muttered under his breath. "Just the one?"

"No, he was healing a criminal, I left and only came back of my own will when I thought they were in trouble," Lex hissed in response, glaring at the American. "There's a difference."

They heard M'Baku clear his throat, both glancing towards the bigger Wakandan, who wore a scowl on his face at them. Lex shrugged, motioning to Everett who looked perturbed at the blame being put on him.

As the chanting continued behind them, Lex considered the American before her. What was he doing there? T'challa and his people were secretive about their resources to the point the whole of Golden City was cloaked from prying eyes.

She'd soon have her answer, as behind Everett and Lex, the prone, snow covered form of T'challa sat up suddenly, gasping for air and making Lex jump in alarm.

M'Baku laughed at her reaction, earning a scowl from her as she turned back around to see T'challa looking around wildly, Shuri and her mother quick to embrace the Wakandan.

After reviving T'challa with the 'heart shaped herb' as they called it, and T'challa requesting that Lex be released from her bonds, although M'Baku was disgruntled, he obliged, Everett and Shuri briefed Lex on all that had transpired while she was away, including how Everett had come to be there.

"So this... Killmonger, he's enhanced now, from the same thing that T'challa just had?" she asked curiously, as T'challa strode into the throne room where they were gathering. "His name sounds familiar." She thought about it, trying to place the name. She'd been approached by a lot of mercenaries in her time, rumours got around about her over the years. She racked her brain for the most recent of offers when one struck her.

"Why doesn't that surprise me, you bottom dwellers all know each other," Everett sneered, looking at her accusingly.

"Heh, hold up, no, he came chasing me to join his crew years ago, straight out of the military, I told him where he could stick it. I don't work for mercs, in case you hadn't noticed." She motioned to their current position.

"Anyway," Shuri resumed, looking pointedly at Everett. "He wants to spread Vibranium weapons throughout the world, we cannot allow that," Shuri said.

"And we will not." T'challa moved to greet Lex, taking her hand in a strong shake. "Thank you, my friend, for coming back in my time of need."

"Do me a favour, next time you want to go white water rafting, bring a raft." T'challa rolled his eyes at her. "But seriously, you help me, I help you, T'challa," Lex replied simply, before her lips moved upwards into a malevolent grin. "Besides, I heard there was fight to be had, and Berlin has left me craving action somewhat, after all this time." She glanced meaningfully at Everett, whose eyes widened at the Australian.

"Settle down," T'challa warned her, before looking to Shuri and his mother, Ramonda. He turned to the shorter woman, Nakia, a Wakandan spy, who had stolen the herb and gotten Shuri, Ramonda and Everett out of Golden City safely. "What is the situation?"

"Killmonger has the full support our military," she began as T'challa sat down to listen. "And he burned the garden of the Heart-Shaped Herb."

"Of course he did." Everett looked from Nakia to T'challa. "That's what he was trained to do. His unit used to work with the CIA to destabilize foreign countries. They would always strike at transitions of power...like an election year, or the death of a monarch. You get control of government, the military..."

He trailed off, looking pointedly at T'challa. "Our resources," T'challa finished, a grim look on his face.

"Right," Everett agreed.

Lex pressed her lips into a thin line. She had been privy to some of the weapon's currently under development and Shuri and taught her a lot about Vibranium capabilities in her short time in Wakanda. It was both versatile, and dangerous.

"The Great Mound," T'challa continued, referring to the mountain that was the Vibranium mine that housed Shuri's lab and all the Vibranium.

"Our Vibranium and all my designs," Shuri gasped, her face showing grave concern.

"He will send our weapon's all over the world," Nakia warned.

T'challa sighed, looking to Nakia and Lex, before standing and glancing at his mother and sister "I want you to get Shuri and my mother out of Wakanda."

"What?" Both women demanded, Ramonda standing up abruptly and moving to stand before T'challa.

"What about you?" Shuri demanded.

"The challenge will have to continue," T'challa argued. Lex looked from the man to his family, considering them for a moment as they argued. The spy was silent the whole time, as was Everett. "It is my duty to keep you safe," T'challa said pointedly.

His mother stood and moved to stand in front of him, a look of grim determination on her face. "We will not leave Wakanda."

Lex was thoughtful for a moment, considering the situation and everything she had just been briefed on.

"Wwwaaaiittt, Wait, Wait a minute," Lex finally piped up, waving her arms around to get their attention. They turned to look at her expectantly, mild surprise on T'challa's face. "Shuri, you still got all that developmental tech in the lab?" Shuri nodded. Lex pressed her lips into a thin line and looked at T'challa pointedly. "If those weapons, tech and Vibranium leave the country, nowhere in the world is going to be safe for them, for you, or anyone else. Just consider that." She glanced at Nakia and Shuri. "You can't be at two places at once, and if he's got the military behind him, you need people who know what they're doing."

As she finished, Shuri stepped forward, pulling back the blanket draped around her shoulders and holding out a necklace of silver teeth, smiling warmly. T'Challa raised his eyebrows in surprise, before grinning at his sister. She stepped forward as he lowered his head to allow her to place it around his neck.

"The Black Panther lives," she straightened the necklace. "And when he fights for the fate of Wakanda, I will be right there beside him," she said matter-of-factly. Lex grinned, the little nerd had guts, that was for sure.

Nakia stepped forward too. "As will I."

Lex narrowed her eyes at the shorter woman, seeing an emotion in her eyes as she looked at T'challa. She raised her eyebrows slightly but said nothing when it dawned on her.

"Me too." Everyone looked at Everett in surprise. "What? You're going to need all the help you can get."

There was a scoff from the throne and all attention turned to M'Baku. "Are you done?" He mocked. "Are you done?"

Lex rolled her eyes at him, earning her a glare from the J'Abari leader. "What's wrong, big man, sad about being left out?"

"Watch how you speak to me, outsider," M'Baku growled at her.

"Or what? I already made you bleed, and you've already seen me better a lot of your men in combat, why don't you set foot in the battlefield, prove you're not all show?" She challenged, beginning to walk towards the J'Abari leader on his throne, smiling alluring towards him. He stood up, staring down at her.

"Alexia." T'challa's use of her full name brought her face to look at him with a scowl. "Enough."

She rolled her eyes, before looking at M'Baku again and batting her eyelashes as she turned and walked back down the steps to stand beside Shuri, who looked at her pointedly. She shrugged innocently and smiled.

"May I have a moment with Lord M'Baku?"

The J'Abari guards moved to escort them from the throne room, leading them to a small entrance hall. Lex stood a little away from the others, deep in thought as she considered how best to take action, looking out over the mountain city. She sighed, narrowing her eyes. They were going to be five against a whole army, as well as the Dora Milaje. Not to mention, dramatically under armed.

Shuri joined her. "I have an idea to get us an advantage against Killmonger."

Lex looked at her expectantly, grinning.

Lex and T'challa made their way towards The Great Mound together, having separated from Nakia, Shuri and Everett, who were going to try and infiltrate the labs and find a way to stop Killmonger exporting any weapons or Vibranium.

As they approached The Great Mound, seeing the spire that sat atop the lab appearing over the hill, T'challa donned his Panther habit.

"So, exactly how do you plan on catching their attention?" Lex asked, taking cover behind a large rock and peering around to see an aircraft taking off from the Vibranium mine entrance, flying in their direction.

"Like this..." She turned to watch as he jumped high into the air, slightly in awe. He leapt onto the jet, ripping into its engine bay with his Vibranium claws. The jet spluttered before exploding and crashing to the ground close to Lex's position. She shielded her face from the blast, the heat warming her face.

She lowered her arm and looked to the wreckage. "Ah, I see." Careful to stay hidden, she looked around the stone she was behind to see all the Wakandan's at the mine's entrance looking towards their position in confusion. She spotted one in particular that caught her eye.

"You've got Killmonger's attention, T'challa," Lex said with a smirk as she spotted a man wearing a rather traditional fur and gaudy gold necklace, a familiar grin on his face, staring out in their direction. She stood up and began to walk up the hill.

The smoke and fire from the jet billowed around them as T'challa climbed over the remnants of the jet, while Lex walked around it, moving to stand in front of it. She pulled the retractable stave from her back, watching as the Wakandans looked at her in surprise and suspicion. She spotted the General, Okoye, she had met her once or twice, as well as a few of the other Dora Milaje.

She flicked her wrist, opening the stave to full size easily. This one had been specially developed by Shuri and given to her before she left Wakanda. It was made with Vibranium.

"N'Jadaka!" T'challa shouted, retracting his helmet from the Panther habit as he stood upright on the remnants of the crashed jet.

"Wassup?" Killmonger shouted back, smirking smugly.

"I never yielded," T'challa shouted back, begin to walk towards the top of the hill, spreading his arms apart expectantly. "And as you can see, I am not dead!"

"All that challenge shit is over with!" Killmonger retorted, motioning to himself. "I'm the king now!"

"Typical American! Backing down from a challenge," Lex shouted with a smirk as she also walked up the hill, drawing his attention to her. "You're no Wakandan!" She glanced sideways at T'challa, giving him a wink. She knew Killmonger hated being called out, she'd done it to him before and they had nearly come to blows then.

"You don't belong here, Nikulkin, you're the outsider here!" Killmonger retorted.

"You're just as much an outsider as me, Erik!" She saw Killmonger's nostrils flare angrily, and the Wakandans around him glancing at each other questioningly, hesitating to continue what they were doing.

Killmonger looked around at them all. "Get those planes in the air! Carry out the mission!" he ordered. The soldiers began hurrying to continue their duties, moving crates into jets and preparing to depart to defend.

Lex touched the small dome attached to the back of her ear. "Now, Shuri, hurry."

"Copy that," Shuri radioed back. In the corner of her eye, Lex saw Shuri, Everett and Nakia duck up the rear of the labs, slipping inside.

Lex and T'challa continued towards the top of the hill, Lex watching Killmonger carefully as he turned to a man on his side. She read his lips, gripping her stave tightly and grinning malevolently. "Here they come."

Sure enough, the man beside Killmonger called his men to attention and they began to charge down the hill towards them. Lex began sprinting up hill, T'Challa streaking ahead of her. She was surprised when she saw a line of men form halfway down the hill from them, drawing their capes across their bodies and a line of high tech shields forming from them.

"Leave this to me, get ready," T'Challa warned, before he jumped high into the air, managing to leap above the half formed shield wall. When he landed on the other side, there was a massive expulsion of energy from his armour, causing the men to be thrown forwards, their shield wall disintegrating.

Lex grinned again as she leapt into the air, bring her stave down with great force, and beginning to fight her way through the attacking Wakandans.

She ducked as a Wakandan tried to swing his hooked blade at her, spinning her stave easily and knocking his feet from beneath him, before turning to block another strike behind her. She continued to duck and weave, counter attacking where she could, but they were somewhat outnumbered.

She looked back up the hill to see the Dora Milaje trying to fight against Killmonger. While he was outnumbered, he was proving to be far stronger than the four women. She planted a well timed kick, forcing another Wakandan to fly backwards into his counterparts and giving her the chance to make a run for it.

Lex charged up the hill, straight towards Killmonger as he managed to disarm one of the Dora Milaje, holding a blade to her neck. The General looked on in dismay, her eyes distraught as she looked at her subordinate, being held by Killmonger with a blade to her neck.

With Killmonger's attention on the three Dora Milaje in front of him, Lex launched herself high into the air.

"Wakanda Forever..." the Dora being held captive in his arms murmured, addressing her fellow Dora.

As Killmonger tensed his arm to finish her, Lex managed to slip her stave in between the blade Killmonger held and the Dora's throat, using her momentum to swing herself around. The blade moved away from the Dora's throat, and she was quick to slip out of his grasp as he turned his attention to the Australian who now swung her body around and kicked out at him with both her feet.

Killmonger was thrown backwards with great force, landing several metres away, as Lex fell to the ground, rolling quickly to her feet and crouching, a malignant grin on her lips, her tongue poking from her lips teasingly as she eyed the familiar American, her short black hair blowing slightly in the breeze. She was really beginning to enjoy herself.

OOOooooooohhhh she's just soooo...sigh

xo

Krayzee