Black Panther: Rise of the Princess (COMPLETE)

Chapter 29: Shuri

I really wished I had brought some armor or my blasters with me. I felt comfortable fighting the suit I had design ages ago for emergency situations, but it wasn't a nano-suit. It just had vibranium padding woven into the fabric, so it was comfortable to move in, and looked better. I had never worn the type of suits I made for T'Challa.

Did I think about it? Once, when I wanted to add more design to my brother's suit. I knew he would never choose to wear a suit that had impractical or decorative designs, which was why the flashier of the two suits I made had been left for Eric Killmonger to take. I knew the only way I could make some of my more creative ideas come to life would be if I made another suit for myself, but this was eight years ago, long before I became a Black Panther. I wouldn't dare make myself a suit when T'Challa alone could call himself the Black Panther, not I.

There was no time to experiment with intricate details right now. Once we got back to Wakanda, I could play around with my suit, if I didn't give up the power before then. Right now, though, we had to find this Commander, take back our vibranium, and get T'Challa and Okoye back.

So for now, I simply duplicated and adjusted the same design for T'Challa's suit. While I resized it, though, Peter spoke up. "Not to interrupt you, but is this ship going to be able to transport all of the vibranium back to Wakanda? It looked like a lot was in the base..."

Ndiqalekise, he was right. The four of us couldn't get all of the crates out, much less do it discreetly. We couldn't leave it either, because if reinforcements came, or if someone else tried to take advantage of our absence, we could lose it all over again. HYDRA had made cyborgs with it, and there was no telling what other terrorist groups might try.

I paused. That reminded me of something. "You mentioned something about Steve Rogers?"

Peter looked up at me. "Huh?"

"During the fight earlier. One of the cyborgs was Steve Rogers."

It took him a second, but he remembered what I was referring to. "Oh, yeah, I probably wasn't supposed to say that."

"I thought he had been killed," I said, turning back to the new suit. "Was it a clone?"

"No, that's the crazy thing," Peter explained, rubbing his head. "Somehow, HYDRA stole his brain after he died and, and they saved it. They put it inside the cyborg, and now...it's like it's really him. I think he's medically alive again."

"But he's a cyborg now?" I confirmed, and he nodded. "That's practically unheard of."

He snickered. "What, did HYDRA manage to impress even you?"

"We don't interfere with the dead," I said shortly.

Peter flushed red and looked away. "Sorry. I shouldn't have."

I switched the subject before I thought about it too much. "We can't ask SHIELD for help, since it is a nationally private affair. I'd rather not involve them until we have to."

"Yeah, I don't blame you," he said, picking up my cue. He thought for a second, then asked, "Do you know anyone personally inside the outreach center? Someone that might be able to lend a ship or two?"

"I'm sure I can convince someone to listen to me, even if I don't," I assured him. "Actually, now that I think about it..." I pulled up communications and searched for D'Arku's name. Who better than to ask for help than the person overseeing the Outreach Centers?

The call went through, and D'Arku's face hovered over my wrist. "Your Highness, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

I smiled. He was so dramatic sometimes. "Nothing good, I'm afraid. I need a favor."

"Anything for you, Shuri. What is it?"

"I need you to mobilize a retrieval unit from the Stockholm center. HYDRA has been stealing resources from Wakanda, and we have a chance to take it back."

He froze, his face stiffened in shock. "That's an oddly risky favor, Princess. Are you sure?"

"D'Arku," I pleaded, "They set up the bomb at the parade last night. They've tried to use our vibranium to build an army of cyborgs, and if we don't destroy every last piece of HYDRA, they will do something worse than what they've already done."

D'Arku's face fell. "So it's true, HYDRA is attacking our country."

"We don't have a choice," I insisted. "I'm going in now to bring their leadership down. I just need ships ready to load our vibranium and get it back to Wakanda."

He nodded and sighed, relaxing his shoulders. "Well, luckily for you, I am actually at the Stockholm center right now. I will be there with you, as soon as I can."

I smiled gratefully. "Thank you," I told him, and severed the connection.

Peter was smirking in the corner. "It must be nice to be a Princess. You probably have connections all over the place."

Shrugging, I returned his grin. "Just in the right places. D'Arku has been in charge of the Outreach centers for years. The people there will listen to him."

"Once your suit's done, we can head out. If we get your brother and the General, we have a better chance at taking down this Commander guy."

I pointed to the controls to the mini-Panther. "Get the suit back to T'Challa. He's going to need it."

Peter nodded and got to work, while I finalized the suit. I was about to submit the design for creation, when I decided to indulge in one area. I opened the file for the necklace that the suit would hide in when I would not be using it, and altered it. Instead of the many teeth on my chest, I opted for a single, delicate tooth to hand down like a pendant. It suited me better anyways.

After all, I was not my brother. He was a King, and I was a scientist.

But I, like him, had become more than that. I was a Black Panther. It was time to protect my country.