The Assassin Shadow - Bucky Barnes

Chapter 19

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We get to the event site. Shuri and I go next to the Queen Mother and watch T'Challa prepare for battle. The two men settle down and wait for the beginning of the challenge. Killmonger breaks his spear in half to make it shorter. The king watches him carefully, examining his every move.

"He'll never beat T'Challa." Shuri says. "He should've just come to the first challenge and gotten it over with."

I can't help but worry. I have a very strange feeling that something will happen. Something bad. "How can you be so sure?" I ask.

She turns to me and gives me a smile that means 'trust me'. I guess I don't have much of a choice and just have to watch and see who's right. Not that I doubt T'Challa, but what if? Drums begin to be heard, Zuri starts his speech at the same time as making the royal challenger drink a liquid. "The king will now have the strength of the Black Panther stripped away." His face and body are covered with veins reacting to what he has just consumed.

Everyone starts to dance in a certain way. Probably a traditional dance. I look at Shuri and Queen Ramonda and try to imitate them. The young woman looks at me and laughs a little. Am I doing it wrong? "You're pretty good at it, if you must know." She winks at me. We stop when T'Challa starts walking towards Erik. They talk to each other but since they're too far away, I can't hear them. At one point, Killmonger takes off his shirt, revealing a bunch of scars on his chest. When they finally stop talking, Zuri lifts his arms in the air.

"Let this challenge begin!" He then comes to stand closer to us and watch the fight. The two men charge towards one another trying to get the other with their weapons. I look at Shuri and her face is filled with worry. I know that she told me earlier that her brother will not be defeated but I know that she's trying to convince herself too. I look back at the fight, the king knocks down his opponent before cutting his cheek when he gets up. Then, it's the other man's turn to slice the inside of T'Challa's thigh. He gets up with difficulty and simply protects himself with his shield while Killmonger strikes him with several violent blows.

"Snap out of it, T'Challa!" Shuri shouts. He gets up, tries to attack but Erik cuts his stomach from left to right. Then, he does the same with his arm and finally the Wakandan-Americano stabs T'Challa in the lower abdomen. I close my eyes tightly, hiding my face in Shuri's side. It's not that it's too much and that it scares me, because I've seen much worse, but it's that I don't want to see my 'brother' die. The young lady wraps her arms around me and keeps me close to her.

"Stop!" The old man says. I turn back to what's happening, T'Challa is on the ground with Erik being disarmed by the same man who interrupted them. Everyone shouts at the elder to back away but he doesn't listen. "I am the cause of your father's death. Not him. Take me."

Killmonger looks at him, confused, before it turns to anger. "I'll kill both of you, Uncle James." He says before stabbing Zuri too. "No! Noo!" The king cries out before the shaman falls. He tries to attack once again but keeps falling to the ground. "Is this your king? Huh?" He asks towards us. "The Black Panther who's supposed to lead you into the future?"

"Come one, brother!" Shuri yells. T'Challa tries to get up, but is unable to do so. Tears start forming in my eyes, threatening to fall at any time.

"He's supposed to protect you? Really?" He finally manages to get up and tries to hit Erik, but he stops him and lifts him up, walking to the edge of the land. "No." said Queen Ramonda, barely above a whisper. He then throws him over the cliff and I can't stop the tears anymore. I turn around not able to look at the man who just killed him. "NO!" The Queen Mother cries. I can't even imagine her pain, losing her son.

"No, I'm your king." Killmonger says. I look back at Shuri and her mother, they're both hugging each other tightly before the Queen brings me in too. Nakia comes from behind us. "We have to go now." For some second Shuri's mother doesn't move. "Queen Mother, let's go!" We follow her, not staying one more second to see who's the new king. T'Challa's girlfriend takes us into the jungle, where no one goes. We sit on the ground while Nakia goes back to speak with Okoye at the palace. The Queen, Shuri and I stay in each other's arms, not letting go for a second, too afraid that if we let go, it will be someone else's turn to die. We stay like this for a long time, just taking in everything with a heavy silence.

"First Baba and now my brother. Mama, we didn't even get to bury him." Shuri cries. Queen Ramonda tries to comfort her daughter before we hear footsteps behind us. We stand up to face any possible threat, my hands glowing with a purple color and the Queen Mother takes out a knife while putting us behind her.

"It's me. Nakia." She says. We take our guard down when we finally realize who they are.

"Who is this?" Shuri's mom asks when she sees Ross. Nakia places the palms of her hands facing us to show the Queen that there is no need to worry. "That's a friend of T'Challa's. He saved my life." She says.

"Where's Okoye?" She asks. The lady looks at the Queen Mother and sighs. "Okoye is not coming. She and the Dora Milaje will serve the new king." I can read the disappointment and sadness on the older woman's face. Nakia tells us to wait here before leaving again.

"What has happened to our Wakanda?" Queen Ramonda asks. Shuri approaches her and puts a hand on her mother's shoulder to try to comfort her in turn.