Black Panther: Rise of the Princess (COMPLETE)

Chapter 37: Shuri

Within minutes, civilians were aware of the danger and locking down their buildings. Those with weapons were warned to arm themselves in case of an invasion, and those without made sure that no one could get in. HYDRA may have our vibranium, but they don't know how to best use it. Not the way that I do.

"They are going to aim for maximum damage," Peter warned me. "Wakanda is one of the biggest obstacles between HYDRA and world domination. Once...if they get in, they are going to hit you with everything they've got."

"Do you think I have not realized that?" I retorted. "Why else would we have travelled so far north just for our vibranium. We understand what they are capable of."

He shook his head. "It's not about that, but if you know what their target is, you will know how they are going to act. Unless your armies have a 'one-defense-fits-all' type of deal going on. They have eleven ships, we've gotten that already."

I opened a diagram of the barrier around the city. "Once our ships come through, the barrier will close. No one will open it except by T'Challa's command. Not even HYDRA will be able to get in."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. I designed this barrier."

"Because the float got in yesterday."

I glared at him. "I am well aware, Peter. Are you suggesting that I have forgotten?"

He raised his hands and backed up. "Never mind, your Highness. Just, don't mind me, over in this corner."

"Don't do that, I-" I sighed, frustrated but trying to reason with him. "What is it?"

"HYDRA got into Wakanda with a float," he argued, "and we got into HYDRA with a tiny cat droid."

"It was a remotely controlled stealth observer."

"Gazuntite. What I'm trying to point out is that HYDRA might already have gotten through. They managed to do it once already, and if we just figured out about D'Arku five minutes ago..." He shrugged, "I'm just saying, I don't think you want to risk it."

Ndiqalekise. "I need you to stop being right about things that are bad," I told him, activating the defense stations spread around the city. They were equipped with scanners that could pick up any radiation known to Earth, and they would definitely find unrefined vibranium, if it existed on the streets.

He came up behind me to watch, while mumbling under his breath, "Would you rather I be wrong?"

I ignored him, initiating the scan. True to Peter's prediction, five sources of unstable vibranium were loose in the city. It unsettled me, because there were five generators for the shield that protected mentioned city. If even one of them were damaged, the reliability of the shield would deplete, possibly enough for the HYDRA ships to break through.

Peter did not need to know that to know that the vibranium, whatever it was, needed to be destroyed. "What can we use to get those out of here?"

"Here," I said, handing him a case I kept in a drawer, for safe keeping. "SHIELD has developed something called a 'splinter bomb,' have you seen them before?"

"I don't work for SHIELD, I've never even heard of it," he admitted it."

I opened the case to show him. "Just throw one of these at every source, after you press this button. It works like the splinter bombs, but better."

He nodded. "And it will destroy the vibranium?"

"Yes," I assured him. "I will stay here to monitor and make sure nothing else happens."

Peter turned to leave, shedding his jacket and sweats so his suit would fit easier. As it spread over his leggings and undershirt, he tossed his phone on the counter behind me, probably in case SHIELD called again.

As soon as the doors shut, I kneeled by the projector and screamed. I thought we were close to being done, done with HYDRA, done with lying and betraying, except now they were on their way here, and everything that had been handed down by Father for us, for T'Challa and I, to protect, was in danger. Our people, the designs and weapons we had, and hid from hands that would use them to destroy, our very land was at risk. Generations of progress, of innovation, of life had laid hidden and prosperous for centuries, but it could all be torn apart in the next day. We had one hour, and possible not even that, to stop all that we dreaded from crossing our borders.

A hand rested on my shoulder, and I feared for a moment that HYDRA had already come, but it was Peter. Apparently, the doors had shut, but he hadn't left. He was kneeling behind me, not saying a word.

I silenced myself, except to say, "You should have left already. The vibranium could explode at any second."

Peter, quietly and gently, retaliated. "So could you."

"I can't do what you do," I went on. "I can't react with a plan at a moment's notice. I can make whatever you need, but I cannot fight them off, not even with the power of the Black Panther. If you sit in a corner, I have no one to follow."

He moved his hand, covering my clenched fist with his warm palm. He did not speak, but just let me breath and think. There was no way he could have known, but I had not had time to just think since we got off the ship. I let my mind drift off, just for a minute, with only his hand to tether me to reality.

"You can blame yourself for everything that's happened, but that isn't going to help fix it," he told me. "I'm not going to sit in a corner, but I need someone watching my back. Right now, that's you."

For the first time, I looked back at him. "Then go. I will be here to save your skin."

He squeezed my hand and stood up. "You might start redesigning your suit while you're waiting for me," he suggested. "Chances are, you're going to need it."