The White Phoenix 13: A Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Fanfiction

Chapter 2: I Am My Father's Daughter

The United Nations building. 

'Last night, there was another attack on one of our outreach facilities. Proof of the involvement of a member state is being uploaded to your mobile devices as we speak.' All of the members in the room opened their phones or computers to look at the evidence. 'And as for the identity of the attackers...' Ramonda stood, and the doors opened. The Dora Milaje walked through in ceremonial grey garb, and I followed behind them in my white suit, along with the men who were responsible for the attack on the outreach centre. 

'Kneel!' Okoye shouted in Xhosa, and they did so. She turned to the female French representative. 'You're welcome,' she said in French, and walked away. 

'Let our gracious response to this incursion be an olive branch,' Ramonda said, walking to stand beside the Dora Milaje. 'Further attempts on our resources will be seen as an act of aggression and met with a much steeper response. We mourn the loss of our king. But do not think for a second that Wakanda has lost her ability to protect our resources. We are aware of the ongoing efforts by some to find vibranium outside of Wakanda and wish you the best of luck.' 

'What does Adelaide Lehnsherr have to do with all this?' the councilman spoke. 'Why is she here?' The room went silent except for the flash of cameras. 

'I've got every right to be here, Councilman. I owe Wakanda my life. They saved me, and I have loyalty to them.' 

'You're the daughter of a known mutant supremacist, and you're a murderer yourself,' the French representative spoke. 

'You're right... I am my father's daughter. I always have been, always will be. There's nothing you can say that will or won't change that. But as much as you fear vibranium and their resources...' and I walked over to the female representative's table. Suddenly, the pen that was in the male representative's hands flew out and aligned itself with her throat. I felt two security guards step behind me. 'Relax, boys. I'm not going to do a thing.' I turned and stepped away, the pen still floating until I looked at it, and it dropped to the floor, eliciting gasps from several in the room. 'As much as you fear Wakanda - you also fear me. And what you fear, you seek to take as your own. And if you can't take it for your own depraved uses, then you destroy it. But the last thing I am is a murderer. And if you can't accept that the times that I have murdered were not of my own volition, then there is seriously something wrong with you. My actions in this room today were of mercy. I only give mercy. Mercy was given to me by the Wakandans, where I should have been dead. Their king should have killed me where I stood. I deserved to die. But I was granted amnesty, and a new home in which to dwell, to live among the Wakandans as one of them. I will take their stance on the matter and defend them for as long as I have life in my lungs.' 

The Wakandan border. A day or so later. 

I sat on the other end of the jet, watching Okoye pilot the ship. The queen sat on the other end, holding her royal hat in her hands as the television announcer spoke about the events that had unfolded the day before at the United Nations building in Switzerland. 

'Queen Ramonda of the nation of Wakanda gave an electrifying speech at the UN yesterday, while members of her military, accompanied by the White Phoenix, better known as Adelaide Lehnsherr-Barnes, escorted captive mercenaries onto the floor of the UN. A year has passed since Queen Ramonda was reinstated as ruler of Wakanda following King T'Challa's death from an undisclosed illness last year. All eyes are on the tiny, powerful nation, as it finds itself increasingly isolated...' 

'My Queen,' Okoye spoke in Xhosa. 'Approaching the river border. We are home.' The invisible gates opened, and the ship flew through to the citadel. 

Shuri worked in the lab, intently moving things around on one of the screens. 

'Princess,' her AI, GRIOT, spoke. 

'Just a moment.' An elevator began to slide down behind Shuri, but she paid no mind. 'I'm in the middle of something.' 

'I understand, Princess, however...' 

'You're disrupting my train of thought.' The door of the elevator opened and Ramonda stepped through. 

'Shuri.' She turned. 

'Mother.' 

'I was trying to tell you,' the AI spoke. 'The Queen is here.' 

'Thank you,' Shuri replied, turning back to the screen. 

'That thing unnerves me,' Ramonda spoke. 'I think that one day, artificial intelligence is going to kill us all.' 

'My AI isn't like the movies, Mother. It does exactly what I tell it to do.' 

'Yeah, if only children were the same. Everyone seems to be working diligently.' 

'Yes. Rapid emergency response task. There could be any number of unknown threats on the horizon, and they're creating solutions.' Ramonda walked over to a design on the wall. 

'What is this?' 

'Exo-Suits for our army. It grants the user superhuman strength, speed and durability. But, as always, Okoye had notes.'

'What were her notes?' 

'She hates them.' 

'What about recreating the Heart-Shaped Herb? Have you made any progress on that?' Ramonda asked. 

'Excuse me, Princess. Nakia, daughter of Yaa, is trying to reach you again,' GRIOT said. 'Maybe you should -' 

'Maybe you should continue your calculations as I have instructed.' 

'As you wish, Princess.' Shuri turned to her mother again. 

'We do not need the Herb, Mother. We need new technology.' 

'What of the Black Panther?' Shuri walked away from her. 'The mantle has unified our nation for centuries.' 

'The Black Panther is a relic, Mother. I wasn't trying to save the mantle with the Herb, I was trying to save my brother.' 

'Oh, Shuri,' Ramonda said softly to herself as her daughter went over some of the other screens in the room. 'Do you know what day it is?' she asked. 

'Tuesday.' 

'The date, child.' Shuri turned to her. 

'Brother's passing.' 

'One year ago, today.' Shuri put her stylus down and walked towards her mother, taking her hands in hers. 

'Have you planned anything?' 

'Yes. It involves you taking your mother for a drive.' 

'Right now?' 

'Right now. And you can leave your Kimoyo Beads here.' 

'Mother!' 

'You won't need them where we are going.' She reluctantly slipped off her bracelet and handed it to her mother. 'And the other two.' Shuri scoffed, smiled, and pulled off her earrings.