The king of Wakanda is not enthusiastic about taking public transport, that is the Wakandan presidential plane. It's been so long since he used this. He will make a stop in Egypt for a refuel, then proceed to the UK.
T'challa lands in the evening. He checks into the hotel and refreshes. His phone pings .
' Did you miss me?
Who are you fucking? '
The next message is a photo and a video attachment. T'challa is not moved by a dick pic and a nut video.
He puts his iphone in the bedside drawer. How did Erik get his new contact ?
In the morning T'challa gets dressed. He checks his phone for new messages.
' You left me hanging. '
Send me a video.
.........'
T'challa puts his phone on silent. Last time he almost opened a video during council meeting. Erik's films are explicit. They head down to the basement to his black Lexus. The ride is short. They pull up to the grey shiny Lilith Makita building.
The king of Wakanda arrives at 0900 hrs, dressed in a black suit and black trenchcoat. It's a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, the sky is a clear blue. The weather is rarely spectacular in the west. He spots his favorite street vendor - Amina from across the street. An African immigrant from Ethiopia. T'challa decides to make a stop and look at a few things.
The wooden animal sculptures are trash. Amateur work. The shirts are too bright. Red and yellow? Gross. He picks an assortment of candy and puts a couple of hundred euro bills in the jar. Amina gifts him an assorted candy jar. Plus a small gift bag and rose for both Ayo and Aje.
The air has a silent eerie quality to it today. T'challa feels uneasy as his panther senses tingle. The other delegates arrive. T'challa hears the annoying crackle again for the third time.
' Did you hear something? '
' Like what Kumkani ? ' Aje asks
' You miss me already ? '
He hears a familiar voice come on.
' Erik ?! ' he scolds. He hacked his beads.
' What's the time over there ? '
T'challa scoffs
T'challa doesn't know how to turn it off. Some kind of home made audio spyware. Erik has been listening in. Yesterday when he was in the shower he had a crackle.
' I'll give you points for creativity. '
' Is it 0930 yet. '
' 0932 hrs. '
' I got a funny feeling. '
' Is something bothering you ? '
' I think there's a bomb. ' Erik hears the Dora laugh and jeer at him.
' Lucky for me I have the panther suit. '
' Weird flex. '
' It's time to build a life for yourself. You have suckled my breasts for too long. '
The static crackles again. Erik's voice breaks. He plays too much. He's trying to mess with T'challa's head again.
' I didn't get that. '
' I said, .... '
The radiowaves scramble the signal.
There is a loud explosion that sends T'challa flying into the Jose Domingo building.
' FUCK ! ' Erik curses.
T'challa lands onto his feet. The panther suit has already activated. He dashes into the building. Rushes across the floor and exists through the next window. He runs down a block or two and takes cover behind what seems to be an Ethiopian takeout restaurant back alley.
T'challa remembers Ayo, Aje and Amina. He thinks he saw them crouch behind the cart. He doesn't know if they made it. He can't go back. This is how they got his baba. They tried to take him out too. He is hit by survivors remorse. He balls his fists as he fights back a sob.
' Talk to me. '
' Erik ? '
' What do you see ? ' After a few sniffles.
' A homeless man, ...garbage bin. '
' Jack him and take his clothes. '
T'challa lifts the lid of the bin to inspect it's contents. It's empty except for the juices stewing at the bottom. T'challa grabs him and places him in a chokehold. He doesn't put up much of a fight plus he reeks of alcohol. He tosses the homeless man into the bin and follows him inside.
There is commotion, everyone is rushing to the scene, the fire fighters arrive, everyone is in a panic. The area is covered in ash, smoke and fire rise from the gutted building.
' The system is about to fall. Deactivate your beads, save the battery. There is a bridge up ahead. Go down there and lay low. Travel at night. '
Erik wishes he could do more. He feels useless.
T'challa is in survival mode. Dressed in a shirt, half sweater, bomber jacket, marvin and brown khakis. He can feel the bedbugs crawl all over his skin with their tiny vicious bites. The clothes stink of stale sweat, piss and alcohol. The shoes are the worst. They squelch as he slips his foot in. Homie probably has fungus, hyper-hidrosis plus the garbage juice seeping into his shoes through the holes at the bottom of the shoe.
This day is barely halfway through. Homeless man wakes up and T'challa clocks him again. He takes a deep breath and exits his princess carriage as Erik calls it. He collects some ash on the ground, rubs it all over his face, clothes and begins his journey down the road, a right turn to Cunningham road and a short trek under the bridge.
He spots a small bunch of people, just three men. Two asleep and one old man up. So many needles. T'challa can hear them break under his feet. Fuck ! He misses his black hard tops.
' Breda, welcom to my humble abode. ' He says joyus to see another person that looks like him.
' I jah man Kevin and yu ah ? '
' Charley Brown . '
' Bless up ! Sidung . '
T'challa takes a seat a safe distance from him.
' There used to be a River down here yu know, it dry up somehow. '
' How ? '
' Babylon a fuk up di wata. '
' Sorry. '
' Mi cool now mi Bredah. '
He lights up his spliff.
' Wut hullabaloo cuz di earth to shake. '
' I'm not sure. '
' Blood clot. How many dead? '
' I just needed to get away. '
' Stay here, there is no fukery. '
He passes the blunt to T'challa but he declines.
' Relax, clear yua mind. '
' Thank you. '
' Respek mi bruddah. '
The afternoon is not so bad. Jah man Kevin tells T'challa stories easing the passing of time, interjected by spliff breaks.
~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
Back in Wakanda, T'challa is feared dead. This is no good news for Erik. He is not about to sit around. If another person seats on the throne he doesn't know what hangs in store for him. He doesn't plan on finding out. Erik is about to leave. He wonders if he should take nanny as a backup. This time he'll try not to get her killed ? Erik has a bad reputation, apparently.
Nanny spots his bag, packed.
' Are you leaving? '
' No . '
' If T'challa is dead....'
' He not. I just talked to him. ' Nanny looks at him confused.
' Don't panic and don't rat. I'm trying to secure him. '
' How ? '
' I am calling an old friend. '
Nanny doesn't know what to believe.
Erik goes to talk to Shuri
' Princess, we need to talk. '
' I know why you are here. '
' Good. You need to seat on that throne. '
' I am nothing like you. '
' This has nothing to do with morality. '
' You will never be the King of Wakanda again. '
' Shit ! It's like talking to a wall. '
He leaves and slams the door. Erik rushes down to the meeting room to find Queen Ramonda talking to Okoye.
' Aunty we need to talk. ' she ignores him and continues to chat with Okoye.
' Aunty I know we have had our differences......'
At 1900 hrs in the evening 10 people come in - leaders and deputies of the tribes come in to vote for the next leader. Queen mother has already explained her intention . Power is a vacuum and it needs to be occupied. Erik is right, the sooner SB seats on the throne, the country will be at ease. After a short discussion and voting Princess Shuri's face is on the every TV screen in Wakanda as T'challa's replacement for the next 90 days.
Queen mother is glad for someone to be able to drum some sense into her head. Even if it had to be Erik. It's so hard to be strong in times like this. They found Ayo alive under the debris, Aje did not make it. T'challa status is still unknown.
