Black Panther: Rise of the Princess (COMPLETE)

Chapter 10: Peter

I didn't ask how, but my skin was now as dark as Shuri's, and I was wearing a dope outfit, really colorful, too. It still had the red and blue highlights, which was kind of fun. Of course, I had my Iron Spider suit, but with the disguise, I couldn't wear it.

I kind of wished Shuri was here with me, but she had insisted on staying in the lab. I could talk to her, though.

"Just mingle, white boy," she teased. "Act like you are not looking for a traitor."

"You know, a guy in blue and red spandex doesn't go undercover that often. It doesn't normally work out that well," I complained, in my new voice. The disguise had even given me new fingerprints.

Shuri laughed. "Yes, I would think so. Why did you choose that suit design anyways?"

"Well, it looks cool! I'm a vigilante, it's fun to have a flashy suit. And I didn't make it, Mr. Stark made it for me. It...it was a gift, what am I supposed to do, say no?"

"Just curious, what did you do before Stark made you the suit?"

"Oh, man, you don't want to know." I rubbed my forehead.

"No, I do, actually!" Great, now she would find out, probably blackmail me.

"Look, why aren't you out here? You're clearly better at this stuff. Why am I the one undercover?"

"Because I'm-"

"Right, right, right, Princess, I forgot, sorry."

"...I was going to say because I have only been in combat a few times."

"Oh."

"But now I can use that too."

"Why do you think I'm going to be in combat? We're just going to find these guys, I thought."

"But what if they want to hurt you?"

"Look, just help me find these guys first. Do you have a location on them or anything?"

"If you see them, I see them, so miiiiiingle."

"Okay, okay, I'll mingle." I waved at the kids passing me, running by with a torch and laughing. Thankfully, all of our suspects were adults.

Shuri told me that the celebration was to celebrate their god, Bast. The festivities would last all night, and there would be a parade and lots of music. People were also starting to bring out tons of food, handing it out to anyone who was hungry. It was so awesome, seeing everyone share their gifts so freely. Not to mention that the food was phenomenal.

I picked up some roasted fruit, none of which I recognized, but it smelled so good that I picked it up anyways. I have no idea what they used to roast it, but it was delicious. There were tons of stands, all filled with different food groups, so I went up and down the streets, sampling the delicacies. Wakanda was amazing.

"Wait! Freeze, and look at that man, on your 11 o'clock." I paused, turning the way Shuri directed me. It wasn't hard, I just had to munch on the steak I was holding and let my eyes wander for a few seconds.

"Is it one of them?"

A sigh blew through the microphone. "No, it is not either of the males, or the female. Keep going, false alarm."

It was kind of funny to hear her use some of the American phrases in her thick accent, but I kept walking all the same. Sometimes, she would use a synonym in a phrase, but it would sound weird. Earlier, she said 'false timer' instead of 'false alarm', and she and I got into a quiet but heated debate as to whether it still made sense. I won.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked her. "If these people are what you say they are, why would they be celebrating in broad daylight? Isn't this a perfect opportunity for them to steal another shipment?"

"Yes, which is why I am monitoring the factory and the loading platform from my lab," she informed me. "Everyone is excused from work tonight, so if I see anyone, I know they are not supposed to be there."

"Hold up, my 2 o'clock." I told her, and I made sure to give her a clean view of who I thought was the female of the suspects. Shuri went silent for a moment, then cheered a little too loudly in my ear.

"Yes! It's her! Quickly, make sure you keep an eye on her. Look for the others!"

She was hard to miss. Her hair was tied up, and she was wearing bright, decorative clothing. Her feet were stepping in sync with the beat of the drums in the distance, and she was performing an elaborate dance. She definitely was not trying to hide.

"Shuri, I don't think that the others will be with her, if it turns out they're working together. She's making a scene, not laying low."

"Well, it is the first lead we have, we might as well stay with it. Don't worry, if the others try to enter the factory, I will know. Just stay close to her and keep blending in."

I decided to sit next to one of the buildings and eat a...I think it was a dessert, while I watched her dance. The Wakandans obviously knew her well, because they were crowding around her and cheering her on. Some of the little girls tried to mimic her complex steps and dance with her, but they didn't have the discipline that she did.

"What's her name again?" I asked Shuri.

"T'Lila, why?"

"Just curious. Some of the watchers are cheering her name. What are the others?"

"P'Joba and N'Kako. Do you remember what they look like?"

"Yeah, kind of." I squinted at the other end of the street. "Do those two look like them? Or am I just going crazy?"

Another pause.

"The ones that are drinking?:

"Yeah, them."

"Yes. We've found them all."

"So now what do you want me to do, your Highness?"

"Just keep watching them, and see if any of them go to the factory."

Stakeout, then. I could do stakeout, especially if I got to eat more of...whatever this is.