A Panther's Purpose

Trial

The Kimoyo beads around Erik's wrist rang and buzzed. He found it annoying, waking up to its sound. He lazily opened his eyes, lifting up his wrist and answering the call.

Shuri's half body hologram appeared. "Ay, geez!" She exclaimed, blocking her eyes. "Some clothing would suffice!"

Erik scoffed. "You see half naked men battle all the time, but it's an issue when it comes to me."

"Of course it is! You are still an enemy in my eyes and you are not in battle."

"Tch. Sure, princess." He shook his head.

She sighed. "T'Challa brought some clothes for you earlier. They should be at the end of your bed."

Erik looked down at the said location, then smiled. "Finally. Somethin I can rock with." He said as he sat up. Shuri rolled her eyes. "Just get dressed. You have thirty minutes." She told him before hanging up.

~

Hands cuffed behind his back, Erik was escorted into the room. King T'Challa sat at his throne. All eyes were on Erik as soon as he came through those doors.

"Bast.." Muttered Okoye. She despised him. And she was even more disappointed for letting him live. His mother, Nakia, W'Kabi, they were all displeased.

Erik stood in hindsight, looking at everyone.

"I was told I was gon' be thrown some questions. So, who's gonna shoot first?" He asked as his eyebrow rose. Okoye slammed her spear down onto the floor, catching Erik's attention as she gave him a hard look.

"Born of a Wakandan who was killed as defense. You have killed many! But just how many? How many of us did you kill, N'Jadaka?" Her voice was raised.

Erik grinned. "For starters, that murder wasn't in no defense. My uncle could've stopped him. But instead he killed him like it was nothin. His own flesh and blood." He took a look around the room. Then his eyes landed on T'Challa's.

"But y'all just chose to call it defense, huh?"

T'Challa eyes shifted downward, unable to keep the eye contact after that question.

He hummed, looking around the room once more. "But to answer your question, " He shrugged. "About two or three thousand."

Disdained looks appeared on everyone's faces, a faint one on T'Challa's. Erik noticed it. And for some reason, it made his grin fade only slightly. Why was it T'Challa's expression that affected him?

"Why did you let him live, T'Challa!?" Ramonda, his mother asked in outrage.

"He is family, mother-"

"So what? He has betrayed his own kind!"

"Because my own kind don't know shit! Look at y'all. All high and mighty livin all fancy. All the vibranium, the strongest metal in the world, and y'all wanna keep it secret to keep Wakanda in the shadows! Millions of people out there that look just like us. Not privileged the tiniest bit. I know because that was my first hand experience." He chuckled. "From my perspective I'd say that's selfish as hell."

Okoye snapped. "We are not putting other countries at war for your troubles! You just want control. Not over Wakanda, not over the US, but over the entire world!"

"You got it wrong, Missy!" Erik shouted, his teeth gritted and his jaw clenched. "I'm tryna get us to rise on top. These whites take advantage because of our past." He shook his head. "Not no more. We're gonna start over-We're gonna be on top!"

"Enough!" T'Challa declared, Erik turning back to him. "N'Jadaka your point is invalid." Erik was taken aback.

"Invalid!?" He shouted. "Y'know what, cuz? I thought you was with the shit. But you really are just like the rest of 'your kind'."

"Look at your argument." T'Challa said. "Look at how you are looking at this. You would not survive."

"Not survive? You should be dead. But you got lucky with that dude on the Jabari tribe. M'Baku?"

T'Challa let out a shallow breath. "And he too was against me. He changed and so should you. You must except that what happened is over and done with. N'Jobu is dead, an act of self defense-"

"Shut up!!" Erik exclaimed. He was furious. "Is this what you wanted!? To break me in front of your people!?" He was screaming now, tears on the brim of his eyes. T'Challa flinched.

"At least you got to grow up with a real family! You don't know what my life was like!!" Tears were falling that he couldn't even feel. "And you claim to care so much. Bullshit!! If you cared, you'd understand. I wouldn't be standing here now."

Erik tried to keep himself intact, but he was too far into his breakdown to calm himself down. "Recess." T'Challa commanded.

"My king-"

"I said recess!" He demanded again. Okoye stayed silent, her and the rest of the Dora stomping their spears twice onto the ground. T'Challa dispersed from his throne, walking up to Erik.

"N'Jadaka-"

"Don't call me that." Erik demanded. "You know me as Erik Killmonger. I don't wanna hear anything else out your mouth other than that."

He was breathing hard and tears continued to fall. Tears of anger an sorrow.

T'Challa shook his head. "Forgive me if my words offended you. It is true, I was not there when it happened, but from what I was told.." T'Challa trailed off. Erik nodded his head.

"You just go by what you was told, huh? Rather than what you know." He asked his cousin, his jaw clenched. "And about that whole friend shit?" He scoffed. "You can forget all that."

T'Challa went silent, fully regretting his poor choice of words. He upset Erik. The one thing he wanted to avoid. He felt a pain in his chest. He didn't want to hurt Erik. He never did.

"N'Ja-" He stopped himself. "Erik.." He resigned back to his outside name. "I am truly sorry.." He said sincerely.

"I bet you are.." His eyes refused to meet T'Challa's.

T'Challa sighed at his own ignorance, turned to face everyone. "I want to postpone this trial." He said aloud. "We will come to a conclusion later in time."

He didn't want to put Erik under more pressure. He was broken. He could see that. And he could tell he felt ashamed. All of these people seeing him cry like this. Seeing him break down and become vulnerable.

He wanted to give Erik the alone time that he needed.