Chapter 13 - Black Panther

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"Impossible!" Nakia gasps as the group spots T'Challa laying in the snow. Ramonda and Shuri kneel on one side of him, Nakia and Aleks on the other. "Is he breathing?" She asks as Aleks begins inspecting his wounds.

"He's in a coma. Barely clinging to life." M'Baku answers. "One of our fishermen found him at the edge of the river border. He brought him to me."

"Why do you have him in the snow?" Shuri asks.

"It is the only thing keeping him from joining the ancestors." He explains.

"We need to get him to my lab. I can heal him there." She replies.

"Take him. He'll be dead in seconds." M'Baku tells her. 

"Nakia, the Herb." Ramonda says. She hands it over and she begins crushing it until it forms a liquid. She calls on the ancestors before pouring the Herb in his mouth. Aleks helps the women bury him in snow, removing her robe so T'Challa can use it when he wakes.

After a few moments he gasps awake, sitting up. His family hugs him and Aleks tosses her robe to him. 

"Thanks." He tells her. She nods, squeezing his hand quickly before she and Nakia help him up.

***

"Killmonger has the full support of our military. And... he burned the garden of the Heart-Shaped Herb." Nakia tells T'Challa.

"Of course, he did. That's what he was trained to do. His unit used to work with the CIA to destabilize foreign countries." Ross replies. Aleks nods.

"We did too. We would always strike at transitions of power like an election year, or the death of a monarch. We would get control of the government, military-" She adds.

"Our resources." T'Challa interrupts.

"Right." Ross agrees.

"The Great Mound." He says.

"Our vibranium, all of my designs." Shuri tells him.

"He will send our weapons all over the world." T'Challa announces. "You must get them out of Wakanda safely." He tells Nakia.

"What?" Ramonda asks.

"What about you?" Shuri adds.

"The challenge will have to continue." He replies.

"T'Challa, we will not leave Wakanda." Ramonda protests, moving to stand in front of her son.

"It is my duty to keep you safe." He says.

"If he gets control of our technology, nowhere will be safe." Shuri tells him. She removes her hand from her blanket, revealing his necklace. He chuckles and she places it around his neck. "The Black Panther lives. And when he fights for the fate of Wakanda, I will be right there beside him."

"As will I." Nakia adds.

"I'm in, too." Ross says. They look at him. "What? You're gonna need all the help you can get." They turn their attention to Aleks, and she rolls her eyes.

"Do you even have to ask? Obviously, I'm helping." She scoffs, wrapping her arm around Shuri's shoulders. "Besides you have my...what did you call him? My broken white boy." She adds, making her laugh.

"Are you done?" M'Baku asks after yawning loudly.

"Could you give me and Lord M'Baku a moment?" T'Challa asks. He squeezes Nakia's hand before letting go and she leads the others out of the room. 

***

"Go, go, go! Come on, Ross!" Shuri urges as they sneak into her lab. "Nakia and I will get control of the Royal Talon with this." She explains as Nakia and Aleks take weapons from the table.

"So what do I do?" Ross asks.

"You'll have to fly it." She tells him, placing a Kimoyo Bead bracelet around his wrist.

"What?" He replies.

"You were a great pilot. Don't worry, I'll guide you through it. It's just like riding a hoverbike." Shuri says.

"What? You guys have hoverbikes?" He asks, making Aleks roll her eyes.

"If you can think it, Shuri has probably already made it." She tells him.

"Hey, Nakia, take that." She tells her, nodding towards the armor.

"I'm not a Dora." She protests.

"Just put it on, it's armor!" She replies, rushing towards the exit. "Good luck, Agent Ross." She calls as she rushes up the ramp.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'm doing with this." He says.

"We're counting on you!" Nakia adds.

Aleks laughs at the panicked expression on his face before she follows them out of the room. 

***

Shuri opens the door and immediately takes out the two border tribe men outside. She and Nakia sneak towards the Royal Talon as Aleks sneaks the other direction, towards Killmonger as he fights the Dora and Okoye. 

She looks down at the new knives Shuri had made her with buttons that extend the blades and smiles, excited to try them out. She smiles wider when she spots the Talon taking off, knowing that Ross may be dumb, but he would do his part.

Aleks winces as she watches Killmonger release the energy from his suit, sending Okoye and the Dora flying.

"Wakanda forever!" Nakia shouts and rushes towards them. Aleks follows from the other side, firing her widow bites at him as he approaches Shuri after jumping over Nakia. He turns towards her, and she ducks under his blade, trying to scratch his leg with her own, but the blade slides harmlessly over the suit.

"Shuri, you made these suits a little too well!" She complains, parrying Killmonger's blade with her own as he slices at her and knocking it out of his grip. Shuri rolls her eyes, trying to get an angle to shoot him without hurting her friend.

Killmonger disarms Aleks back, knocking one of the blades out of her hand. He grabs her by the neck and throws her as Nakia rushes at him. She takes the other of his knives and tosses it away before he scratches her leg and tosses her after Aleks. The two lay there for a few moments, catching their breath.

"Are you okay?" Nakia asks as she spots Aleks clutching her side. 

"The bastard scratched me." She scoffs, pulling her hand away to show the scratch on her ribs. 

"Nakia! Aleks!" Shuri calls as she slides down the hill to join them. "Are you all right?" She asks, spotting their scratches.

"We're okay. You?" Nakia replies.

"Yes." She answers. 

"Let's go kick some ass, yeah?" Aleks asks. Shuri chuckles and rolls her eyes before helping them to their feet.




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