Black Panther: Rise of the Princess (COMPLETE)

Chapter 22: T'Challa

It was not difficult to tell that Shuri disapproved of the plan, but I just couldn't tell what HYDRA had planned for us, and I needed her to find out. The easiest way to do that was to give them the upper hand.

Peter changed into civilian dress, while Okoye and I walked on to get a head start. We were the ones HYDRA needed to see. We did not speak for many minutes, but I felt her staring at me as we walked.

Eventually, I gave in. "You think we shouldn't have split up," I predicted.

"Even with her new strength, she is vulnerable," she argued. "Peter Parker is a vigilante, not a protector. Has he ever had a charge before?"

I sighed, seeing her point. "I do not disagree, General, and I do not think he has, but I am not counting on him to protect her."

Okoye's eyes began to burn holes into my skull. "And why is that? You are leaving her in the open!"

"The best place to hide," I countered quietly. "They are searching for me, not her."

"And what of Parker? He is not hiding."

"And how do you expect me to hide a vigilante, Okoye?" I asked. "You have implied yourself that he is undisciplined, so what makes you think that he would stay in the ship?"

"Then what is the point of all of this? What your plan, Your Majesty?"

I looked straight ahead, thankful that we had thought to deactivate our communication devices before talking. "To be captured."

Okoye was bursting out of her skin. I had no doubt that this went against every instinct in her, but I had seen what needed to be done. We were not the ones who would win this battle.

"What will being captured achieve?"

"It will spur them. Once they know that our lives are directly in danger, the two of them will find a way to stop further violence."

"You are resting the responsibility of our whole country on a young white man and your sister."

"And both of them are more able to understand HYDRA than us," I insisted. "We are not the offensive strategists that they are. I cannot see their next move, but they will."

My General was still not convinced, but she looked ahead and did not say so.

Sometime between when Shuri has awoken from the Ancestral Plane and the moment we walked onto the ship, I realized that I had no plan to stop HYDRA. I knew the building they might be occupying, but I did not know if they were stationed there, or if they hid away somewhere else, or if the entire outreach center was compromised. I was no expert on betrayal, and most of my enemies fought out in the open. I did not know how to stop a hidden opponent, not without Nakia at my side. An American, however, might have a better idea, and my sister knew more about their culture than I did. Hopefully, they would know what to do.

It was a risk, I had no argument for that, but Peter Parker had fought HYDRA once before, and Shuri was more competent than anything they could have. That was all they needed. I had to believe it would be enough to stop them right now, because I had nothing else to use.

I reactivated our communication devices. "Mr. Parker, how far behind us are you?"

"About two blocks, your Majesty," he replied. "I can see you from where I'm standing."

"Good. Maintain your distance. Shuri, what can you see?"

Her tense voice spoke in my ear. "Lots of white men, only one of which looks like Peter."

I imagined that Mr. Parker laughed, but he managed to hide it, because I heard nothing. "Any sign of HYDRA?"

"Not from what I can tell right now," she replied. "I could probably see more if I was with you."

While her point did not go unnoticed, Peter interjected before Okoye could reprimand her. "Scan for vibranium. Not in the buildings, but more on people. Maybe we missed some of the cyborgs from last week."

"Last week?" Okoye questioned. "Was that what all of the chaos in Kentucky was for?"

"Yeah, they sent 199 of their cyborgs to track us down."

"What happened to the 200th?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, I think-yeah, that one was Cap."

I nearly froze. "Steve Rogers?"

".......I should not have said that." I heard some faint cursing on his end of the line.

"How?" Okoye asked, but Shuri interrupted.

"T'Challa, you're surrounded. Twelve men are spaced around you on the street. You need to get out of there!"

Okoye turned to me, and her eyes spoke for her. Last chance to change your mind.

I nodded. "Mr. Parker, is there any way we could evacuate the civilians? This may get dangerous."

"On it," came the quick reply, and about twenty seconds later, he landed on the cement a few meters in front of us.

To me, who had anticipated a diversion, I could see that the fall was calculated, and hadn't hurt him very bad, from the way he had landed. To anyone else, however, it looked like he had fallen from the roof of the building on the side of the street. A few second later, a large dumpster fell off after him. He must have pulled it down after him.

The civilians began racing away from the streets, except for a few people who ran over to check on him. Those who stayed in their place, like us, stared in our direction.

"That's them," Shuri warned us. "And the ones checking on Peter are armed as well. I hope you have a plan, brother."

"You aren't going to like it," I confessed, watching them as they pulled weapons out of their jackets. "Just be ready."