Chapter Twenty-One: Under African Skies
-x-
The clomping of boots clapping against tiled floor echoed through the vast halls, their owner taking hurried steps towards the set of double doors in front of him. Pushing the doors open, the man stepped into the council chambers, stopping just in front of those gathered. The chambers were incredibly large, its circular shape held up by the sleekly designed pillars, their gold motif decorated with shining Wakandan runes. In the center of the room were six chairs made of pure Vibranium, the chairs forming a half circle all facing the regal throne in the center of everything. And there, resting in the throne, sat the king himself with a squad of Dora Milaje scattered around him.
"Baba." The man said, bowing low to his father.
T"Chaka smiled softly, "h.e.l.lo, my son."
Standing straight, T"Challa"s smile faded to a look of stoic seriousness, "I bring news from N"Jadaka Village."
T"Chaka raised an eyebrow. N"Jadaka Village was one of Wakanda"s many red herrings, the outside world believing it to be the country"s capital. Resting just along the outside of Wakanda"s Forest Wall, it was the last line of defense against outsiders accidentally entering the true capital city, Birnin Zana. Leaning forward, the elderly king asked, "I"d heard there was a confrontation just outside the village, though I figured it to be an overzealous poacher coming a little too close to the wall. We haven"t had an incident outside of that in nearly twenty years."
The prince shook his head, "Our War Dogs stationed in the village reported a colonizer asking questions about key cities within Wakanda, and asked for a squad of Dora Milaje to be sent to further investigate. I happened to be with the closest set of Dora Milaje in the area, so I volunteered to go with them."
Nodding, the king asked, "What did you find?"
"The colonizer looked to be wandering the village to gather as much information as possible. He stuck to big crowds, and made an effort to visit all of the major places within N"Jadaka. After leaving the Shrine of Bast, he somehow deduced he was being followed and snuck off to a secluded section of the village. After calling us out into the open, Ayo led the charge to apprehend him." T"Challa answered.
"Have you questioned him of his motives?" T"Chaka asked, a.s.suming the Dora Milaje had captured the possible spy. He was forced to hold back his look of disbelief when his son shook his head to say no, "You captured the outsider, correct?"
"No, Baba." He answered, mild shame in his voice, "Ayo and her a.s.sisting Dora were overwhelmed by the colonizer. He was strong and fast. More than myself. More than you ever were. He used weapons that could withstand their vibranium empowered spears and, according to Ayo, could almost pierce through their armor. I was forced to step in when it looked as though he was about to deliver a finishing blow. My claws managed to catch him off guard and wound him, but…"
Confusion marred T"Chaka"s face, "But what, my son?"
T"Challa"s face was that of confusion as well, "When I hit him, he…disappeared."
"Disappeared?" T"Chaka asked with a blink.
"The only way I could describe it was that he popped." T"Challa explained, "One second he was there, the next he explodes in a puff of white smoke."
"How…strange." The king surmised, "Has there been any other sightings of this man?"
The prince shook his head, "I contacted the Border Tribe to see if there had ever been another sighting before or after, but W"Kabi could find nothing."
T"Chaka stood from his throne, "Tell him to continue, make it his top priority. A man as dangerous as this must be found. Up security around Birnin Zana and all other legitimate cities in the country, and increase all of their patrols within and outside their walls. Give all War Dogs and Dora Milaje any kind of information we have of the outsider, and tell them to keep their ears to the ground."
"What of me, Baba?"
Walking up to his son, T"Chaka rested his hand on T"Challa"s shoulder, "Sadly for you, dealing with the outsider will have to wait. I have a mission for you."
T"Challa bowed his head, "Whatever you ask of me will be done."
"T"Shan is taking Shuri to Obodo Agha to show her the facility there, despite my protests." The former Black Panther began, "As you know, a small militia group from Ghudaza has begun to crop up just a few miles outside the village, and are showing signs of advancing into our territory. I"ve informed T"Shan of this, but the man insists that Shuri must begin to work on designs she"s drawn up and that Obodo Agha is the only place to do it without outside interference. I"ve been very vocal in my protests, but Shuri has managed to convince Ramonda to take her side."
"And you wish for me to watch over her?" T"Challa asked.
The king nodded, "I"d send Okoye, but I need her to a.s.sist in the search of this outsider, her and most of her Dora Milaje." He patted his son on the shoulder, "You have many gifts my son, but none of them would add anything to the search of this man. They are however, quite useful in protecting your sister from harm. Can you do it?"
T"Challa nodded as he stood ramrod straight, crossing his arms over his chest in a Wakandan solute, "Of course, my king!" He proclaimed.
T"Chaka began to walk pa.s.sed his son, a duo of Dora Milaje opening the chamber"s doors for him as he called out, "Wakanda forever."
"Wakanda forever!" Chorused all other occupants of the room.
-x-
"So, where"s this Wakampa?"
"Wakanda." The Shadow Clone and Illyana corrected.
Naruto rolled his eyes, "Yeah sure, Wakanda. Where is it?"
"Eastern Africa." The clone answered, "From what my clone could see, it"s what most would call a third world country, though there doesn"t seem to be any kind of starvation, lack of jobs, or run-down health care. If anything, they seem to be prospering considering the fact they have almost zero outside a.s.sistance from anywhere else around the world. The only thing this country seems to lack is any kind of modern infrastructure and technology that isn"t decades old. Their most modern city is their capital, N"Jadaka Village, which is about the size of your average suburban city. There"s a handful of government buildings there, a university, and a few shrines dedicated to some of their G.o.ds as well. Nothing special. The clone was about to place a few seals around the capital building when he found his tail and engaged them."
The original blonde nodded, "Where he fought the African Amazons and the cat guy." He sighed as he leaned back in his seat, "Something"s off here."
The clone nodded back, "It all seems a little staged. Like we"re supposed to see this and brush them off. But almost that entire time the clone was there, he felt like he was being watched. Then, anytime he asked questions about the country, people got really skittish. Suspicious even."
"They"re hiding something then." Illyana concluded, "And clearly you made them nervous enough to send out a squad of…whatever it is they are."
Naruto fiddled with the flash drive in his hand, "If anyone would"ve known, it"d have been Fury and SHIELD."
The clone smirked, "And whatever SHIELD knew, we know."
"That"s only if Fury didn"t edit out a few bits from the leaked data." Naruto offered, "Which isn"t exactly his style."
"But it wouldn"t hurt to look." Illyana said.
Naruto shrugged, "I didn"t say I wouldn"t look. It"s too juicy not to."
"Don"t tell my he"s gained even an inkling of your trust back, brat." Kurama growled out.
Giving a mental scoff, Naruto thought, "h.e.l.l has yet to freeze over Kurama."
"It better not have, brat. I thought you"d gotten pa.s.sed your blindly trusting phase. I"m going to be p.i.s.sed if it"s still lingering around somewhere in the void you call a skull."
"So, what are you going to do?" Illyana asked, "About Wakanda?"
"Well, I can"t lie when I say that my urge to snoop around is pretty high." Naruto admitted, "The best move would be to go back and get some information." He looked to his clone, "How"s that one technique coming along? That"d make the whole thing go a whole lot smoother."
The clone rubbed the back of his neck, "Well uh, to be honest we still kinda suck at it."
"How the h.e.l.l do we still suck at that move? We"ve been working on it for like a year and a half."
"It hasn"t exactly been top priority." The clone offered.
The original scoffed, "And who"s fault is that?"
"Yours."
"…Oh yeah."
"Idio-"
POOF!
The clone was cut off as it was dispelled by its creator, leaving a small plume of smoke in its place, "a.s.shole." Naruto muttered.
"So, when do we leave?" Illyana asked.
"We?" The ninja asked.
The woman smirked, "You"re forming a team, right? Well, I think it"s time this "team" had its first mission."
"Fair enough." Naruto admitted, "But Wakanda can wait a bit longer, I wanna check out this flash drive first."
As Naruto extended his hand out for the laptop situated in Illyana"s hands, the woman tossed it over to him with a roll of her eyes, "I"m gonna get changed, have at it."
The blonde on the couch ignored her, slipping the flash drive into a slot on the side of the computer. Clicking on the icon as it popped up, a window came up asking for a pa.s.sword.
"s.h.i.t." Naruto cursed, leaning back into the couch as he tried to think of what the pa.s.sword could possibly be. His eyes panning over to the flash drive, he shrugged as he took a shot in the dark by typing what was written on the face of the cartridge, "Secret Stuff." He said aloud as he typed it in before hitting "Enter.""
A ding was heard, signifying the pa.s.sword was a success, followed by another popup, this one containing several dozen files in a single tab. Scrolling down as he skimmed through the file names, he raised an eyebrow at some of the t.i.tles he came across, "Known Hydra Agents, Known Hydra Supporters, Project: Raft, The Ragnarok Prototype, Project: Negative Zone, The Watchlist." He read aloud, both eyebrows shooting up after reading the last one.
Clicking on the file, he read the first name on the list, "Uzumaki, Naruto." He rolled his eyes, "Of course."
His eyes landing on the name right below his, he started again, "Reece, Owen. Born 21 August 1991. Born with the ability to manipulate molecules, Reece has been under SHIELD"s radar since birth. Raised solely by his mother, Reece grew up with very little understanding or training of his abilities. It wasn"t until the pa.s.sing of his mother that his powers truly manifested, the at the time 9-year-old boy bending everything around him in his emotionally compromised state, killing several dozen people. Imprisoned for the safety of Reece and anyone around him, he was held in solitary confinement for the entirety of his 13 year prison sentence, where he trained to control his powers. Deemed a nonliability by Director Fury and Secretary Pierce, Reece was released into the world under severe monitoring. Currently cla.s.sified as a Threat Level: Omega."
After reading the Owen Reece"s threat level, Naruto muttered, "Wow, haven"t seen one of those in a while."
Scrolling down to the next name, he read, "Murdock, Matthew. Born 15 December 1982. Blinded by a radioactive substance at a young age, additional side effects being the improvement of all other senses. After further investigation, signs show that these improvements have reached superhuman levels. Deemed as a nonthreat, though further monitoring is advised, possible recruitment recommended." Scrolling down he read the next, "van Dyne, Hope. Born 3 August 1980. Daughter of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, aka SHIELD Agents Ant-Man and Wasp. Acting board member of Pym Technologies. Skilled in hand to hand combat and distinctly intelligent, it is highly likely that she will either inherit or recreate her father"s coveted Pym Particles suit. Deemed a possible threat, further monitoring is highly recommended."
Naruto continued to skim through the dozens upon dozens of names: Stephen Strange, Carl Lucas, Frank Castle, Darren Cross, Bill Foster, Electra Natchios, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, the list went on. Even Jessica and Illyana were on the list. But there was one that really caught his eye. A name, a person, he"d come across before.
"Walters, Jennifer. Born on 3 March 1982. Paternal cousin of Dr. Bruce Banner. After suffering a fatal gunshot wound, Walters was placed in emergency care, near death. Due to her mother"s pa.s.sing a decade earlier, her only matching blood relative was the conveniently present Dr. Banner, who reluctantly transferred over his blood to save her life. It was after she was released from hospital care that she experienced her first episode, transforming into a, lesser yet still very much Hulkish form. After further observation, we can confirm that she can transform in a manner similar to Dr. Banner, though what it lacks in overall strengths is made up for by Walters keeping her state of mind. Deemed a possible a.s.set, recommend immediate recruitment."
Naruto read over the file several more times, slower and slower each time before he muttered out, "Well s.h.i.t."
"What?"
Naruto looked up to see Illyana dressed in what he could only guess was her "mission gear," wearing a pair of black cargo pants and a dark brown hoodie, with a black traveling strapped to her back.
Sighing as he scratched his scalp, Naruto said, "It"s nothing. Well, not nothing. Just something I really, really need to handle soon."
Shrugging at the other blonde"s confusing answer, Illyana asked, "So, what"d you find on Wakanda?"
"There aren"t any files on it, so if Fury bothered to share, it"s buried somewhere in the cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k that is SHIELD"s dirty laundry. And it"s probably not anything we can"t find out with a little reconnaissance." Getting up with a grunt, he asked, "Think you can handle it?"
The woman smirked, pointing a hand in front of her as a disk of light formed. Taking a step into the portal, Illyana looked to Naruto rather c.o.c.kily, "Are you coming?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You"ve been to Wakanda?"
"Ever heard of Google?"
"Oh."
-x-
Arms crossed behind his back, T"Challa walked down the spiraling staircase heading into the Research and Development Lab, a duo of Dora Milaje at his rear. Reaching the last step, the prince looked over his shoulder, "I think I can make it from here." He calmly dismissed.
Giving a stiff solute, the two women turned on their heels before making their way back to the top. Beginning his trek into the head lab, he calmly nodded at the row of Dora Milaje lined up against the corridor.
He barely stepped foot within the lab when a sharp shout rung out through the circular room, "Brother!"
His stoic facade breaking for a moment as he allowed a smile to cross his face, looking down at the thirteen year-old girl as she ran up to him at full speed, barreling into his stomach as she put all her weight into a bear hug, "Umph!" He coughed out. Prying the girl off of him, he chuckled out, "h.e.l.lo, Shuri."
"T"Shan told me you"re coming with us to Obodo Agha, is that true?" She asked. Shuri stood just under his chest, her bright smile in play. Her hair tied into a topknot, she wore a loose purple set of Wakandan robes.
"Well of course I am." T"Challa confirmed, "I can"t have my sister wandering the streets of Obodo Agha alone can I?"
Stepping back, Shuri grabbed his hand, dragging him further into the laboratory, "I"ve been training how to fight, just like you did. I can take care of myself." She argued, "It"s stupid we have to leave at all. Who do I have to worry about here?"
T"Challa frowned at his sister, "There are people in this city who don"t agree with T"Shan"s progressive views, or how he"s "spread" these beliefs over to you, the Princess of Wakanda. Some of your ideas challenge tradition, Shuri."
"Like what?" She challenged.
"Ma.s.s producing traditional Black Panther armor for all military forces, for one." The prince argued, "Or developing low-tech medical packages to be distributed among the rest of Africa, and then the idea to create nanotech lined armor-"
"How is the nanotech suit a breaking in traditio-" Shuri interrupted, only to be cut off herself by T"Challa.
"The armor of the Black Panther is a tradition."
"Well, they won"t have time to complain about my Black Panther designs, because they"ll be too busy s.h.i.tting themselves once they see it in action." Shuri exclaimed confidently.
As soon as the princess finished her sentence, a thick baritone voice echoed through the lab, "What have I said about that kind of language, cousin?"
Shuri had the decency to bow her head in mild shame, "Sorry, T"Shan."
The man, despite his thick voice, was shockingly frail in stature, standing just a few inches taller than T"Challa, with his body lacking greatly in both muscle and fat, his bones practically visible. Wrapped in purple robes, the elegant cloth hung off his body as T"Shan gave a quick solute, "My prince." He greeted.
"T"Shan, I a.s.sume you"ve been told I will be accompanying you on your trip." T"Challa said to the older man.
"I have, and I can"t thank you enough for agreeing to come along. Now, Shuri can continue her work unperturbed." Patting the girl on the shoulder, "She truly is one of a kind, this girl."
T"Challa nodded, "So she likes to tell us."
"No, no, no." T"Shan said, wagging his lithe finger negatively, "Shuri isn"t once in a decade, generation, or even a life time. If your father were to allow us to show our research to the world, her name would stand among Achimedes, de Vinci, Einstein, and Stark as some of the greatest minds to walk this planet. And, I hope I live long enough to see the day it happens."
"Hmm…" T"Challa grunted out as he shook his head, "Father would never allow the outside world to know what we"re doing. He, more than anyone, would love to see Shuri"s intelligence be recognized around the world. But in Wakanda, unlike in America, an inventor"s goal isn"t fame-"
"It"s the betterment of the people." Shuri finished.
T"Shan nodded, "Of course, of course. Our king is right in his indisposition. But, perhaps one day Wakanda, and the world overall, will benefit from such a revelation."
"Perhaps." T"Challa said noncommittedly. Walking pa.s.sed the duo, he asked, "How long were you planning on having us stay within Obodo Agha?"
"A month, at least." The head of Research and Development answered as he followed after the prince, "That should be more than enough time for Shuri to get some work done, I"d say."
"And you have heard of the encroaching group of militarized bandits as well?" The prince asked.
"Of course, it was something our king made sure to remind me of. Several times."
"And you don"t think it risky to stay for so long knowing they may try something soon?" T"Challa wondered.
"No, no I don"t." T"Shan answered, "The only reason they haven"t been exterminated by our War Dogs or Dora Milaje is because the rest of Africa would immediately be aware and responsive. They"re only allowed to breath so long as they know their place. Once they step foot in Obodo Agha, however, they"ll no longer be an issue." His smile grew larger as he finished, "And, how can I be nervous, when the Black Panther is our protector?"
-x-
The thick chorus of men laughing, drinking, and telling tale rung through a large campsite that sat in the wide open African valley. Sitting within the center of the encampment was a long canopy, it being the main source of noise and debauchery.
Outside of the canopy was a hive of movement, with several boys going in with a plate full of food and drink, and just as many walking out with empty plates ready to be refilled. One of said boys was walking into the tent dedicated to prepping the meals, confusion on his face as several boys his age brushed pa.s.sed him, all of them clearly knowing what to do.
"Boy!" Called out a gruff voice. Looking over to one of the several guards stationed in the tent, the boy froze up when the guard pointed his a.s.sault rifle in his direction, "Move, now!" He warned.
He needed no other motivation, following after one of the boys that brushed by him. Entering the long line, he stood up on his toes to look over the shoulders of the several dozen in front of him to see one of the guards handing out a set of gla.s.ses filled with wine and other kinds of booze to the boy at the front of the line, his young arms barely able to hold up the tray as he began his trek into the main canopy.
Stepping up as the line moved forward, the boy almost jumped as a voice behind him spoke, "Are you new?" About to look behind him, the voice whispered harshly, "Keep looking forward!"
The boy did as he was told, "Sorry."
"Well?"
Remembering the question, the boy answered, "Yes."
"What"s your name?"
"Bobo." The boy answered, "Whwhat"s yours?"
"Issa." He answered from behind him, "You are from the Abedemi Tribe, right?"
Bobo nodded, his voice shaking as he said, "They told me I would get to fight." Looking around he continued, "I was told to prepare for the worst, but…this isn"t what I expected."
"This is what they make us do when they haven"t gotten the chance to teach us how to fight for them." Issa said, "They"d rather have us work than sit around and stew. That, and we get used to taking orders."
"Well at least it"s not as hard-"
"No, no it"s not." The older boy interrupted, "If you make a mistake, they"ll punish you. And their punishments are random in brutality. They could just beat you one day, then kill someone else"s entire family the next for doing the exact same thing. Just because they pay you to fight, doesn"t mean you"re safe from them."
"Oh."
"Hey! Pay attention!"
Bobo blinked when he realized he"d reached the beginning of the line. After he was handed a large plate, he braced himself as the guard loaded a very large pitcher, around two gallons or so, of wine. Now using both arms to hold up the plate, he turned around, seeing Issa for the first time. The boy, who was three or four inches taller than him, gave him a wary nod. Slowly, he walked out of tent and weaved his way towards the canopy.
Stepping through the thin flaps that acted as the large tent"s wall/door, he blinked at the overwhelming amount of people in the room. There had to have been over fifty people sitting at the long dining table, with several dozen others loitering around them. Several were drunk, others were feeling up the women in their laps, and some were gorging themselves on the food handed to them by the kids that were all around Bobo"s age.
Swallowing the lump that had begun to form in his throat, Bobo tried to find an empty spot along the table to stand. Swerving through person after person, he found himself lost in the chaos of activity. Finding a light at the end of the tunnel when he spotted an opening out of the crowd, he pushed his way through, sighing in relief as his bought of claustrophobia came to an end. Taking a moment to gather his bearings, he realized he"d made his way to the head of the table.
Unlike every other part of the table, this area was rather spa.r.s.e, with only one person sitting at the end. This man was…strange. The man was obviously from African descent, his head shaved with golden gauge earrings hanging within his earlobes. He was tall, with a thin frame that was wrapped in a loose blood red tribal robe. His posture was straight, and he ate with a civility not shared by anyone else in the room. None of that though was what made Bobo uneasy.
It was his smile.
His lips seemed to be permanently stretched out as far as physically possible, maybe even a little more so, with almost every single one of his teeth showing as a result.
Bobo"s attention was taken away from the man"s mouth, said man raising up his gla.s.s to signify its need to be filled. Noticing that he was the only one around with a pitcher of wine, Bobo knew he had no choice but to step forward. As he walked pa.s.sed the man"s guards over to his side, he took a hand out from underneath the plate, the boy reaching over to grab the heavy pitcher. Both arms now shaking from the strain, Bobo did his best not spill a drop as he hefted the thick flask to where it was just over the man"s gla.s.s. Pouring the rich red wine into the clear gla.s.s, sweat began to build along Bobo"s brow as the swirling drink came close and closer to the brim of the cup.
And, just as he lifted the pitcher up to stop pouring, a muscle in his arm spasmed, causing him to reflexively bring the pitcher up a little too fast.
His heart practically stopped when he heard the liquid drip onto the man"s arm, splotching the intricate robe in the process. But his heart didn"t stop for long, because though time seemed to freeze over, he could still hear his pounding heart beat ringing through his eardrums.
The man turned his head slowly to look Bobo in the eye, forcing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up as he the man still had his smile in place, "My, oh my, oh my. It seems we"ve made a spill." The man spoke calmly.
"I-I…" Bobo stuttered out.
Seeing Bobo"s fear, the man began to chuckle, "Oh don"t worry, we all make mistakes. Don"t we?"
"Ye-yes. Yes sir."
"Well, what"s the point of making mistakes if we don"t learn from them, eh?" The man said lightly, "You"ve learned from your mistake, right?"
"Of course, sir." Bobo forced out.
"Prove it."
Bobo blinked, "I…I"m sorry?"
Slowly, the man extended the hand holding the gla.s.s of wine before dramatically spilling the contents onto the floor beneath him. His gla.s.s now empty, he put his hand back to where it originally was, "Prove it." He repeated, though this time his voice held a clear undertone of danger to it.
Gulping, Bobo picked up the now slightly lighter pitcher of wine, his arm this time shaking from fear. Wine swished and sloshed as he moved the pitcher closer and closer to the empty gla.s.s, coming to a stop as it came to hover over it once again. Closing his eyes and taking a breath to calm his nerves as best he could, Bobo slowly poured the wine into the gla.s.s. His nerves weren"t calmed enough however, the creeping feeling of dread spreading through his body as his arm began to involuntarily shake, causing the wine to spittle out of the pitcher enough to miss the gla.s.s, the red liquid landing on the man"s hand.
Pulling the pitcher back, Bobo waited for the man to speak, sweat beading down his face.
"Huh." The man sighed out. Looking over his shoulder to one of the guards behind him, the man called out while pointing at the guard"s sidearm, "Abayomi, if you"d please?"
Abayomi withdrew and presented the pistol without hesitance, "Here you are, Mr. Achebe." He said before stepping back into place.
Achebe looked over the pistol as he said, "A Vector CP1, very effective Abayome, thank you." As he did, he flicked the safety off.
Bobo fought every instinct he had not to run away, knowing that no matter what that if he ran he was dead. He could only pray that Issa was right when he said punishment was fickle in this camp. His stomach nearly flipped when Achebe raised the gun in his direction, pointing it directly at him as the older man stared into Bobo"s very soul.
He practically collapsed when Achebe spun the gun around so that the grip was facing him.
"Take it." Achebe offered.
"Whe-where do I put-"
"Abayome, take all this off the boy"s hands, will you?" He asked pleasantly, motioning towards the boy"s handful of wine.
His hands now free of the tray and wine, Bobo wrung his arms out as he was finally given a reprieve. Seeing Achebe motion with for the gun in his hand, the boy gingerly took it, cradling it as he asked, "What do you want me to do with it?"
"You know who runs this camp, right?" Seeing the boy shake his head, Achebe continued, "His name is Daki. No one knows who he is, where he"s from, why he does what he does. Very few even know what he looks like. The only thing we know about him is a story, a tale told and pa.s.sed along to any that follows him. Would you like to hear it?"
"Ye-yes."
Achebe"s smile, somehow, grew, "They say that Daki was a holy man, who lived a quiet, prosperous life with his beautiful wife. That is, until war came upon his village. After two days and nights of fighting within and around the village, a group of tired and wounded soldiers came to his doorstep asking for shelter. While Daki wanted nothing to do with the bloodshed, he knew it was his responsibility as a holy man to not turn a blind eye on those in need. So, he let the soldiers stay in his home, and ride out the battle until it subsided. He healed them, fed them, clothed them, and sheltered them, asking nothing in return. And after several days, the fighting finally stopped, and Daki bid farewell to the soldiers. But, as his back was turned, the soldiers stabbed Daki thirty-two times. They then took his wife, razed his home, and left him for dead. And so, he lied there, crying out for help. Crying out to anyone who would listen, pleading for vengeance."
"How did he survive?" Bobo asked, enthralled with the tale.
"Some say he sold his soul to the devil." Achebe answered, "Imbued with a new sense of purpose, and gifted with attributes from the devil himself, Daki hunted down and killed the soldiers who"d betrayed him, stabbing each of his victims thirty-two times. But, he didn"t stop there. Their families, acquaintances, neighbors, even Daki"s wife, none of them were spared from his wrath, all stabbed thirty-two times."
"Wow." Bobo muttered, "That"s-"
"Daki is a very firm believer that mistakes are human nature. He made one, and now he"s learned from it. So long as we learn, the mistake can be forgiven. Sadly, it doesn"t appear that you have learned anything from your mistake. Now, I understand that spilling wine is a minor offence. Incredibly so. But still, how would it look if I let it slide? Then, everyone will think it"s okay. Daki can"t have that."
"I-I…I understand sir."
Achebe nodded, "Good. Now, point the gun to your temple, and pull the trigger."
"WhWhat?"
"I thought you understood?" Achebe asked. Rubbing his chin in thought, he continued, "Perhaps this will better help you understand. You"re from the Abedemi Tribe, correct?"
"Ye-ye-yes." Bobo practically cried out.
"Well fine then." Achebe said with a nonchalant shrug. His smile still in place, his eyes gained a hard, angered edge to them, "If you don"t shoot yourself in the temple right now, I"m going to send every soldier I have to that village, and they"re going to raze it to the ground. They will tie up and gag all the men they find, and force them to watch as every single child is murdered in front of them, and as all of their women are raped and defiled until they are unrecognizable. Every possession they own will be eradicated, their G.o.ds and shrines destroyed, and their homes used as firewood. And as the men quiver and beg for death, watching as everything is taken from them, I will tell them why this happened. Because some sniveling, useless, waste of breath, boy couldn"t do one simple thing!"
BANG!
The crack of gunfire silenced the room, all its occupants jumping as they watched one of the new recruits shoot himself in the head, spraying his own blood all over the man at the head of the table. The quiet lasted only a second longer before going back to normal, all conversations continuing as though nothing had ever happened.
Achebe sighed as he wiped a glob of blood off his face, turning back to face his meal as a couple of guards began to cart off the corpse at his side. Raising his gla.s.s for the third time, the man said, "Wine please."
Issa walked forward, taking the half full pitcher of wine off his tray, slowly pouring the liquid into Achebe"s gla.s.s, using all his effort not to spill a single drop. The gla.s.s filled, Issa placed the pitcher back on the plate, waiting for Achebe to speak.
Taking a sip of his wine, Achebe seemed to notice Issa still lingering around. Waving him off flippantly, he continued to sip at his drink.
Knowing he was dismissed, Issa nodded before taking several steps back, ignoring he large puddle of blood at his feet as he did.
-x-
The Next Day
Location: N"Jadaka Village
-x-
"General…are you alright?"
Okoye looked over to her subordinate, an eyebrow raised as she said, "Yes Baya, why do you ask?" The general fought back the urge to flinch at her icy tone, her eyes softening on her fellow Dora Milaje.
Baya hesitated for a moment, "I apologize ma"am, but you seem…preoccupied."
The general sighed as she turned back to the surveillance screen, "I am fine Baya. I just want to find the outsider as soon as possible so that I may a.s.sist our prince. The situation he has found himself sets me on edge." She then pulled at her leather coat, "That and these clothes we have to wear makes me feel naked."
Baya smiled, "I understand. Even if these clothes are woven in vibranium, it is still uncomfortable to be outside of our armor. And T"Challa can more than handle himself. How many times must he prove that to you?"
"His ability to take care of himself is not being brought into question, Baya. What"s questionable is why those militia men are so close to Obodo Agha. They"ve become too brazen." Okoye sighed, "If I had my way, we"d have obliterated them by now. But, the council wishes to be a bit more cautious in handling this slightly renowned militia. They fear if we interfere too soon the world will be more likely to notice."
"Well, in the end it doesn"t matter. Once they step foot on our land, they will cease to exist." Baya said.
"Indeed-"
Okoye was interrupted by Eday barging into the surveillance room. Seeing her general"s curious gaze, Eday gave a firm Wakandan solute before saying, "General, I have news."
"Speak, Eday."
Loosening her stance, Eday did as her general commanded, "Soya has found the colonizer."
On alert, Okoye said, "Where is he? Take me to him."
Eday walked over to the general as she fiddled with her Kimoyo Beads, "Soya, send me the video feed." She spoke into the bracelet.
"Understood." A voice answered back before a hologram shot out of the center bead, showing a 3D video of the outsider sitting at what looked like a diner with a blonde-haired woman.
Most of her focus on the video, Okoye asked, "Is this live?"
Soya"s voice projected from Eday"s Kimoyo Beads, "Yes, General."
"Why do you ask?" Eday asked.
"Because," Okoye said, her voice holding a dangerous edge, "the outsider mocks us."
The two other Dora Milaje looked down at the hologram, watching as the outsider looked directly back at them, waving cheekily as he did.
"Grab your weapons." Okoye ordered, "This fool needs to be put in his place."
-x-
"Do you really think it"s a good idea to antagonize them like this?" Illyana asked, doing her best to look inconspicuous as she sipped on her tea.
Naruto shrugged as he took a drink from his own cup of steaming tea, "We need them to come to us and we know they"re watching out for us. So, why not make it easier for them to find us? And look at them, not even trying to hide that they"re surveilling us. Disgraceful." He said, his eyes pointing at the woman standing a block away. Like the others that his clone had fought, she was bald with black tribal tattoos all along her clear scalp, though unlike the others that wore a more traditional looking red and silver armor, she wore a black leather ensemble, with a decorative silver neck ring wrapped tightly around her windpipe.
"Whatever, I just want to know what the game plan is after this. Surely we"re not going to fight in the middle of the street?"
The blonde ninja smiled, "I"m sure we"ll figure something out."
"Why are do you have to be so relaxed about this kind of stuff?" The sorcerer wondered with a huff, "I don"t know about you but this is a little nerve wracking for me."
"That"s because you don"t usually do this kind of stuff. After a while, the nerves go away. Don"t worry, my first mission I was a nervous wreck. My teammate had to save my a.s.s after we got jumped by the people wanting to a.s.sa.s.sinate our client." Naruto admitted nonchalantly, finishing off his cup of tea.
Illyana blinked, "Wait…what?"
"Yeah, my first mission outside of my village we were protecting a client from a.s.sa.s.sins, we got jumped and I froze up." Naruto said with a shrug.
"But, weren"t you like 12 when you became a ninja or whatever it is you were?"
"Uh huh."
Shaking her head, Illyana said, "Don"t you think that"s a little f.u.c.ked up? You were a kid being sent to fight off and kill other people!"
Naruto hushed her as he looked around, "Not so loud, geez."
"That"s why this doesn"t bother you." Illyana harshly whispered, "Because you"ve been killing people since you were a kid."
"I didn"t kill anyone until I was 16."
"Definitively, you were still a kid."
"Maybe here, yeah sure I would"ve been considered a child. But where I"m from, you became an adult the minute you put on that headband. It might"ve taken a bit for that to sink in for me, but it"s true." Naruto said, growing tired of their current topic of conversation.
Illyana sighed, sensing Naruto"s agitation, "Doesn"t that make you sad though? Knowing you never really had a childhood?"
"The moment I was conceived I was destined to never have a normal childhood." Naruto said before he paused, his features hardening, "They"re here."
Blinking as Naruto calmly stood up, she asked, "What do we do?"
"We go over to them." He answered as though it were obvious.
"And what, talk?" Illyana asked with clear sarcasm.
"Yup."
"…wait, what?"
Scrambling up in order to follow him, the duo crossing the street in the direction of the four warrior women.
Giving a charming smile, Naruto gave a lazy wave as they came upon them, "Yo! Which one of you is in charge?"
Though he asked the question, he already knew the answer. Of the three newcomers, the one in the center with a golden neck ring, rather than silver like the other three, held an incredible amount of authority in her stance. Wearing a red leather jacket with black dress pants and a pair of comfortable sandals, she and the others were clearly trying to blend more into the crowd, something that would"ve been much more difficult had they been wearing their armor.
"I am." The woman answered, "We are here to bring you in for questioning. Make this easier on yourself and your friend and do not resist, or we will be forced to use lethal force."
"Oh, and of course by questioning you mean see who I"m a.s.sociated with, get as much on them as you can from me, and then kill me…right?" Naruto asked, "Well, how about I get all that out of the way. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I"m not working for or with anyone. I"m only here out of general curiosity, so I"m really not in the mood to hurt any of you. But, if you threaten to attack me or my friend over here again, I"ll make you regret it." Putting on his cla.s.sic smile, he finished, "So, what"s your name?"
The woman that had been watching him stepped up, "How dare-"
"Soya." The leader cut off, "Enough."
"Well?" Naruto asked, ignoring the woman now named Soya.
Lowering her arm, she raised her head, looking down her nose at him as if to say he was below her, "My name is Okoye. I am the General of the Dora Milaje. I am here to bring you in for your "curiosity," and I am not in the mood for your games. So, if I have to tell you to give up one more time, I"ll make you regret it."
His smile still in place, Naruto asked, "Alright, where do we take this then?"
Eyeing Naruto for a moment, Okoye answered, "Follow us."
-x-
"So, this totally doesn"t feel like a trap." Illyana mumbled.
The non-Wakandan natives looked around the large s.p.a.cious park the Dora Milaje had taken them too. It was away from the urban part of the city, and was uncharacteristically devoid of people. Standing in a Mexican standoff, Naruto fought the urge to spit out a western whistle. Looking around, Naruto reached out with his senses to see if anyone else was waiting around to ambush them.
Raising an eyebrow, Naruto said, "You"d think so, but we"re the only ones here."
Okoye ignored the two, looking to her subordinates, "The man is mine. Do not interfere."
The three behind her smirked, all giving a solute in unison.
Naruto sighed as he pulled off his jacket. Applying chakra to the seal on his wrist, a puff of smoke surrounded him with an audible pop. The smoke clearing, the ninja twirled around his chokuto around, giving it a few test swings, "Can you handle the other three? I think the general is wanting to take me on one on one."
Illyana nodded as she summoned an Eldritch Tao Mandala, a fiery circular symbol, to her left hand, "I can handle them." She said with mustered confidence, though Naruto could still hear the nerves on the edge of her voice.
Seeing the outsiders preparing themselves, the four Wakandans reached behind themselves, pulling out a metallic cylinder. Holding the object out in front of them, Naruto blinked when they extended out, turning into gleaming spears with a resounding thw.a.n.g.
"If you can"t, tell me. There"s no shame in needing a helping hand." Naruto said.
"I will only ask one last time." Okoye called out, "Surrender yourself to Wakanda, now. If you do not, I cannot guaranty your survival today."
Naruto frowned, "All we want is to see what"s going on in this country. We don"t want to harm anyone. This fight is pointless."
"If that is the case, why don"t you just leave. Ignore what you"ve seen, and go about your life like nothing ever happened here." Okoye offered.
"We both know you"d never let us go like that. Something is going on in this country. And whatever it is, you"re willing to kill for it." The ninja smiled, "You can"t dangle something like that in my face and expect me not to see what"s going on."
"Enough talk then." Okoye exclaimed before sprinting over to the man across from her. Jumping into the air, she thrusted her spear downward towards his face.
After a quick roll out of the way, Naruto was forced to get on his feet quickly to keep the spear tip from slamming into his kneecap. Swatting the next set of prodding jabs, the ninja positioned his sword to lock into Okoye"s spear. Using his superior strength, Naruto began to push Okoye back. Feeling her step off balance, he snuck his foot behind her and pulled her legs out from under her. Grabbing her airborne body, he hurled her away from him.
Flipping midair, Okoye drove her spear into the ground to slow herself down. Coming to a stop, she huffed as she dusted off her jacket, "How have I not broken his sword yet?" She asked herself.
Hearing her, Naruto said, "What isthat thing made of anyway? I"m sure if I wasn"t pumping chakra into the blade it"d have chipped by now."
Okoye narrowed her eyes, "Do you really think I"d tell you that, outsider?"
"Well, most people do." Naruto admitted, "It"s a mix of my charm and their stupidity that gets them to blab about what makes their moves tick."
"Well I can a.s.sure you outsider that I find you extremely lacking in the charm department." Twirling her spear around she finished, "And I"m most definitely not stupid."
Charging forward to strike again, she was quickly forced to stop to reflexively parry, as Naruto had decided to throw his sword like a javelin, the blade covered in a thick sheet of lightning. However, as soon as her spear made contact with the sword, a violent jolt of electricity went through her system, momentarily stunning her. Jarred from the stun, she was unable to get her defense up quick enough to stop the fist that slammed into her face. Blood and spittle spraying from her mouth, she was too wrapped up in pain to notice the other uppercut that slid under her jaw, sending her up in the air, with a stomp kick finishing off the combo, forcing her to tumble to the ground.
Illyana grunted as she used her Tao Mandala to block Soya"s mighty swing, skitting back from the force of it. Sighing in frustration as she batted away another swing, the sorcerer forced to only have a fraction of her attention on the Dora Milaje in front of her, the rest of it on the other two prowling around her like stalking jungle cats. Summoning an Eldritch Whip into her free hand, she gave it a testing snap before whipping it at Soya, the fiery rope wrapping around her vibranium spear. Pulling her forward with a sharp tug, Illyana released the Mandala in her hand in order to summon a portal, the bright disk forming right in front of Soya, enveloping the woman completely. Closing the portal, Illyana then summoned another portal, this one a couple hundred feet in the air, sending the Dora Milaje into a freefall.
"Soya!" Baya called out, watching as her fellow Dora Milaje fell from the sky.
Illyana, her face scrunched up in concentration, summoned another portal, this one directly under the falling Soya, before opening up one more, this one right in front of Eday, sending the still moving Dora Milaje into her comrade at full speed.
Baya scoffed as both Eday and Soya were taken out of the picture. Focusing her attention on Illyana, she twirled her spear around viciously before pointing the tip of her weapon in Illyana"s direction, electricity sparking off it, "Die!" She screamed, throwing her spear as hard as she could.
Illyana yelped in shock, ducking the spear just as it was about to drive its way into her brain. She quickly realized though that the spear was a distraction, figuring it out as Baya slammed her knee into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her, before taking a fist to the cheek, sending her to the ground.
Walking away from the still coughing colonizer, Baya plucked her spear out of the ground where she"d thrown it, "Get up!" She yelled, "We"re not done yet colonizer! Get up!"
To emphasize her point, she swung the blunt end of the spear into Illyana"s side, putting her on her side as she cried out in pain.
Finally getting back her breath, Illyana muttered out, "If you want me to get up, then stop hitting me you G.o.dd.a.m.n b.i.t.c.h." Only to take a hit to the face with the b.u.t.t of the spear.
Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Illyana summoned a portal beneath her, swallowing her up.
Baya looked around, watching as another portal appeared a few yards away, with Illyana dropping out of it. Quickly scrambling to her feet, the sorcerer said to herself, "I really need to get a weapon of my own. A sword or something, that"d be nice."
The Dora Milaje across from her looked her up and down, "Are you some kind of witch? Is that where these strange abilities come from?"
"The correct term is sorcerer. But yeah, pretty much." Illyana admitted.
"Come then, witch. My general will be most angry that I took so long to defeat someone like you."
The "witch" rolled her eyes, "I told you, I"m a…you know what? Screw it. Call me whatever you want, freaking b.i.t.c.h."
Baya narrowed her eyes dangerously, dashing forward with her spear pointed out ready to impale the woman in front of her.
Illyana quickly raised her hand up, summoning a portal disk in between her and Baya, or more specifically the spear. Her forward momentum to heavy, Baya was unable to stop in time to keep her spear from entering the disk, only able to stop half way. That was enough for Illyana however, as the disk closed, cutting off whatever didn"t make its way inside, bisecting the spear"s handle in half.
Bringing up another portal, she grabbed the other half of the spear as it fell out. Summoning another disk, she drove the spear into it as a second one appeared right above Baya"s foot, the spear leaving the second portal and driving its way into its owner"s foot, the Dora Milaje screaming out in an angered pain.
Releasing the second portal, she formed another, this time in front of Baya"s face. Throwing the hardest punch she could muster into the first, she watched in satisfaction as it came out the second right into the Baya"s temple, knocking her out.
Naruto, seeing Illyana"s fight from the corner of his eye, smiled in satisfaction at seeing his friend"s clever use in her abilities. Quickly ducking under another jab from Okoye"s electrified spear, he smirked as he said, "Despite the fact you"ve yet to hit me, you"re actually very skilled."
Okoye, sweat sheened along her temple, said, "So are you. I am one of Wakanda"s greatest warriors, and never have I faced someone with such skill. It is unnatural. Unhuman." Attempting a kick as her spear was blocked for what felt like the hundredth time she asked, "What are you?"
Palming her leg, he took a swing with the kunai he"d used to replace his chokuto and watched as it bounced off her jacket, "I"ll tell you what I am if you tell me what your clothes are made of."
"I would never betray my country"s secrets." Okoye grunted out, trying out a back handed swing to try and get him to back off for a moment.
Jumping back, he reached out for his chokuto as he channeled Magnet Release, attracting the sword to him in a manner similar to Thor and his hammer, "You"re a good soldier then. Though, I do have to question how great your country is if they react this way to every guy that asks a couple questions."
"There has never been anyone like you asking these questions. A man with gifts such as yourself is dangerous to our country. Precautions had to be made to ensure its continued safety." Okoye said, using the conversation to catch her breath.
Naruto smirked, as he thought, "This place acts like a Hidden Village back home. These ladies must be their version of ANBU or something."
"Now isn"t the time to make comparisons brat." Kurama said, "She"s stalling. More than likely she"s called for backup after your partner took out her help."
The ninja scoffed, "Don"t you think I"ve figured that out already?"
"I can never be sure with you."
"Fair enough."
Naruto sighed as he said, "Sorry Okoye, but our little game is gonna have to come to an end. I let you take your shots on me cause I wanted to see how Magik would do on her own. Now that I see she can handle herself, I don"t have any real reason to keep this up."
Okoye"s face became marred in annoyance, "How dare you presu-ahck!"
Her tirade was cut off as Naruto appeared behind her, grabbing her in a sleeper hold with one arm and grabbing her arm holding the spear with another. Gripping her tight, he flinched as she back to kick and squirm, sending sharp jabs into his side with all her might in a desperate bid to escape. It proved fruitless however, as before long she went limp in his arms.
Looking down at her, he sighed as he said, "Sorry." Gently placing her over his shoulder, he walked over to Illyana, "You ready?" He asked.
Still catching her breath from the continuous use of her powers, she gave a thumbs up, "Ready as I"ll ever be, I guess." Looking to the other three Dora Milaje, she asked, "What about them?"
Naruto shook his head, "We only need the general. Anything they know she"d know, and then some. Grab on, I"ll get us out of here."
"Right." Illyana said, gripping his shoulder as she prepared herself for the jolt that was teleporting via Hiraishin.
"Hold on." Naruto warned. And then, with a flicker, the three of them were gone.
-x-
Location: Obodo Agha
-x-
"This is…impressive."
T"Challa looked around the Obodo Agha laboratory, clearly impressed by the variety of different inventions loitering the warehouse like area. From the experimental hover bikes, the prototype Dora Milaje armor pieces, to the next generation of Kimoyo Beads. As he walked around, eyeing a new vibranium Mand.i.n.ka sword, the metal in the blade giving off a soft vibration.
"I"m sorry my prince, but I need you to step away from the sword. It is quite volatile." A stern voice called out from behind him.
Looking for the source of the voice, T"Challa said, "My apologies."
The man that spoke nodded, his heavy stature making T"Challa wonder why he was there to begin with, though his pure-white ensemble showed that he was a member of the Technological Research Division, "That sword is still in the testing phase. If our prince were to find himself injured, I"d hate to think which one of my subordinates would take the blame for it."
T"Challa"s eyebrows furrowed, "I would take full responsibility, I a.s.sure you."
"Hmm." The man grunted out, "Perhaps, but taking responsibility and taking the blame are two different things entirely-"
"M"Baba, enough." T"Shan ordered, his face stern.
M"Baba bowed to T"Shan, "My apologies." He grunted out before stalking off, giving T"Challa warning glance as he did.
"I don"t think he likes me." T"Challa muttered.
T"Shan sighed as he watched M"Baba walk away, "I"m sorry T"Challa. That"s M"Baba, he oversees this facility. He"s a bit of a…safety nut." As an afterthought he continued, "That, and he"s not a fan of our current bureaucracy."
"Why?" Shuri asked, knowing she"d be working with the man quite a bit.
"He, like many here, believe we should share some of our technology with our fellow man. However, unlike myself, he"s very vocal in his distaste." Looking to Shuri he smiled, "I wouldn"t worry about it too much young one. I"m sure once he gets to know you, the two of you will get along just fine. He might not show it, but he is very impressed with your work."
Shuri smirked playfully as she began to walk away, "I"m sure if he causes me any trouble, the Black Panther will be there to show him his place. Right brother?"
"I thought you could handle yourself, huh?" T"Challa prodded.
"Why handle it myself when I have the Black Panther nearby?" Shuri asked in exasperation, "Use your head brother."
"I"ll be a too busy making sure no one from outside the city is trying to kill you to defend you from a school yard bully." As he began to walk away, he said, "I"m going to get ready. I"ll be with you in a moment, don"t bother waiting for me."
"One of these days I"m going to build you a suit that makes "getting ready" a redundancy." Shuri called out.
T"Challa didn"t bother to respond, instead waving his hand in a quick goodbye.
Shuri looked to T"Shan, "Do you really think people outside the city are going to try and come after us?"
"It"s hard to say child. To try and fathom the thoughts of those savages is a pointless endeavor I find." Patting her on the shoulder, he said, "Focus on your work Shuri, let your brother worry about everything else."
Shuri smiled at her mentor, "Right."
-x-
Location: Outside of Obodo Agha
-x-
"Is this information true?"
"Yes." Achebe answered, "It appears that the Black Panther is accompanying them to Obodo Agha."
"That will make things a little more complicated."
Achebe nodded, his smile awkwardly in place, "Agreed, though I"ve been a.s.sured it will be handled. All that matters is that we get our hands on the package."
"Hmph you misunderstand me. It is not Black Panther that worries me. The entire point of this is to force Wakanda"s hand. No, it makes things more complicated for them."
"Yes Daki, of course."
Their conversation was cut off by a soldier entering their tent, "Achebe, the soldiers have been mobilized. We"ll be entering Obodo Agha in two hours."
Achebe sighed, "Captain, can"t you tell I"m in the middle of talking to Daki?" He asked, his voice holding a dangerous edge.
"Oh, uh…" The captain stuttered, looking back and forth between Achebe and Daki, clearly nervous. His eyes stayed on Achebe for a second, a shiver running down his spine from his crooked smile, before he looked to Achebe"s hand. Or more specifically, the hand puppet that rested upon it. The puppet was rather simple, looking like a cartoonish version of Achebe, only his face was decorated with a vicious frown, "I-I"m sorry sir. I just-"
"Leave."
"Yes sir!"
"Captain?" Achebe called out.
The captain stopped, "Yes sir?"
"You"ve learned from this, yes?"
"Of course."
"Good."
As the soldier left with his tail between his legs, Achebe sighed as Daki spoke, his voice as coa.r.s.e as gravel against sandpaper, "A little harsh, don"t you think?"
"I"m sorry Daki. All I want is to follow your mantra."
"It"s not my mantra." Daki corrected, "It"s ours."
Achebe nodded, "As you say."
Walking behind his desk, Achebe sighed as he looked down at Daki, stroking his hair back into place before gently taking his companion off his hand. Opening a drawer, he lightly placed him on an impressively soft cushion.
Locking the drawer, Achebe flattened out his robes as he said, "Rest well, Daki. By the time you wake back up, we"ll be one step closer. Sweet dreams my friend."
-x-
Location: Outside of N"Jadaka Village
-x-
"You sure we"re good here?" Illyana asked, looking around the rundown warehouse they found themselves in.
Naruto nodded as he created two chairs that faced each other from the ground beneath him, "My clone found this place while he was exploring. I"ve got a gang of clones surveilling the area, and we can just go somewhere else if we get found out."
Propping Okoye up on the chair, he molded chakra into it so that a few binds sprouted around her to keep the Dora Milaje in place. Taking the seat in front of her, he closed his eyes as he took a calming breath, "Magik-"
"Why are you calling me that?" Illyana asked.
Grunting in annoyance, his eyes still close, he asked, "That"s your stage name, right? Well now it"s your superhero name. Congrats."
A smile spread across her face, "My superhero name." She muttered wistfully.
"Yeah, uh huh. Can I continue now?" Naruto asked. When she nodded he said, "This move takes a lot of concentration, so I"m going to need you to be as quiet as possible. Understand?"
"Yes."
Nodding at her answer, he took another big breath in before saying, "Ninja Art: Psycho Mind Transmission." Going through several hand seals, he paused on the last one, gathering up his chakra until he broke the seal with his right hand, though keeping the half seal in play. His free hand covered in a fiery chakra, he placed it on Okoye"s head.
Illyana watched as, seemingly, nothing happened. Other than the occasional facial twitch from Naruto, nothing happened between the two for several minutes.
That is until Naruto"s eyes swung open, gasping for air as blood began to leak from his nose at a steady pace. Grasping his head, he rested his hand against his nose to help stop the bleeding.
Rushing to his side, Illyana asked, "Naruto! Naruto, are you alright?"
"I"m fine, it"s just a headache." Naruto grunted out, "G.o.d, now I have way more respect for Ino"s dad. That move is ridiculous."
"What happened?" The sorcerer asked, "What did you do?"
Getting up, Naruto wiped the remaining blood off his face, "I read her mind."
Illyana blinked, "Wow. Did you get anything?"
Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, yeah I got a bit. This whole place is a sham."
"What do you mean?" Magik asked, confused.
"Wakanda. The whole G.o.dd.a.m.n country is a f.u.c.king sham. Half of their cities are a smokescreen, created to convince the world that they"re a weak country with little resources. But they"re not. They have a monopoly on the greatest metal around, and they"ve used to become the most technologically advanced country on the planet. And instead of using that technology to help the world around them, the h.o.a.rd it like a bunch of misers." Naruto chuckled, though there was no humor in his voice, "And they send people like Okoye here to take care of anyone that comes close to the truth."
"That"s terrible." Illyana said.
Naruto shrugged, "They believe it to be better for everyone that they keep to themselves. And…I can see their point." He admitted.
"How? If they"re really this advanced, think of all the people they could help-"
"And think of all the destruction people would wreak once they got their hands on it. I"ve seen wars that use weapons similar to what Wakandans are using, and it"s not pretty." Naruto sighed, "You share vibranium with everyone, you"re asking for another World War. And it"ll be just like the first one: more advanced weapons with old tactics, leading to nothing but more and more death."
Looking to Okoye, Illyana sighed in defeat, "Well, what do we do with her?"
"Drop her off in the city. I need to come up with a plan." Naruto said.
"A plan for what?"
The ninja"s frown made Illyana nervous, not used the man"s more serious expression, "I need to learn more before I go to Birnin Zana and talk to King T"Chaka. I need a different perspective."
"Whose?"
"A panther"s, I think."
Illyana blinked, "…what?"
Naruto sighed in defeat, "Never mind."