Black Star: HYDRA War

丅𝔀𝓔︎𝓷𝐓︎ⓨ︎

THE news report is delivered by a blandly attractive British man.

    "A special meeting of the United Nations in Vienna, meant to admit Wakanda to their ranks, ended in tragedy when a bomb hidden in a news van destroyed the UN building. More than 70 are injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of the suspect, who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes. More commonly known as the infamous HYDRA agent the Winter Soldier, Barnes is linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations. Anyone with information about his whereabouts–"

    You slam the laptop shut, not wanting to watch any more.

    "I don't understand. I thought you fixed him. Why is this still happening?"

    "We don't know where he went after he pulled me from the river," Steve explains dully. "HYDRA could have easily found him again."

    "He's one of their best assassins, they wouldn't want to lose him," Natasha adds.

    "But it's not him," you argue hopelessly. "HYDRA is brainwashing him."

    "We know that. The rest of the world doesn't."

    "Does that 'rest of the world' include King T'Chaka's son, by any chance?" you say dryly.

    "He has a son?" Steve asks.

    You nod. "T'Challa. He's old enough to have taken the throne immediately after his dad's death. Which means, depending on how vengeful he is, we may just have made enemies with the king of one of the richest and most technologically advanced countries in the world."

    "He wouldn't care about being enemies with us, it's Bucky he cares about."

    "Yeah, well, with you on our side, let's just say it's not exactly a secret we're allied with him. And when T'Challa figures that out..."

    "Shit's gonna go down," Tony completes.

    "So how do we stop him from viewing us as his greatest nemesis?"

    "Well, I say we start at square one," Natasha supplies. "Typically, kings deal in diplomacy. Let's give that a try."

★★★★★★

Fortunately, T'Challa is still in Vienna by the time you get there. Since having all the Avengers gathered together in one place to interrogate him would probably raise some alarms, only you and Natasha go to meet with him. Steve and Sam, meanwhile, meet with a mysterious contact who Steve claims might have some information.

"King T'Challa?" Natasha begins. She waits until he looks up. "I'm very sorry."

    T'Challa glances down at the ring he's holding. He fidgets with it as he speaks. "In my culture, death is not the end. It's more of a... stepping-off point. You reach out with both hands, and Bast and Sekhmet lead you into the green veldt where you can run forever."

    "That sounds beautiful," you say softly.

    "My father thought so," he agrees. He slips the ring onto his finger. "I am not my father." There's a hard edge to his voice that wasn't there a moment ago.

    "T'Challa," Natasha says warningly. "The Task Force will decide who brings in Barnes."

    T'Challa stands up. "Don't bother, Ms. Romanoff," he says firmly. "I'll kill him myself."

    "Killing him will do nothing," you say desperately. "We have a common enemy, and it's not Barnes. HYDRA brainwashed him and forced him to bomb the UN building."