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Life is a lonely existence for Malka these days. The lab T'Challa had given her is more than generous, and she has Shuri whenever she needs an extra set of eyes, but every failure weighs heavily on her. It has been months, and she has made little progress.
Everyone else may be excited about T'Challa's inaugural day, but Malka cannot bear to think of leaving her lab. She arrives early in the morning, says hello to Bucky's sleeping chamber, and gets to work. Normally, on her way out, she sits by him and runs her fingers over the edge as if he can feel her before she trudges back home to the outskirts of the city at the edge of a farm.
She wishes it was as easy as a switch. As if she could just cut power to the whole program and cripple it, but she has to consider their minds. Cutting power would mean killing them both, which is not an option. Damn her program, and damn the maniacs that made her create it.
Malka finds herself walking out of her secluded lab when she hears Shuri's voice approaching. She holds her steaming tea in hand as she approaches the girl and the newly appointed king, bowing her head. "Morning, your majesty."
"Good morning, Malka," T'Challa replies. Every time he sees her, she catches him looking at her eye. Upon arrival in Wakanda, someone had looked at it, examined the damage, and deemed the eye unsavable. Malka has since adjusted, but every time she passes the mirror too quickly, she sees someone long dead staring back at her.
The Black Panther's claws had cut straight through her eye, a large scar spanning from her brow to her cheekbone. Her once brown eye now appears milky with broken color swimming in what should be the iris. A doctor had offered to replace the eye entirely, but Malka declined.
"I hear you are already leaving," Malka says. "A king's work is never done, I suppose."
"No, it is not," he nods. "Shuri was just showing me around and telling me what I am taking with me."
Shuri grins as the trio approach a table. "I will be back up," she explains giddily. "And I have great things to show you, brother. Here are your communication devices for Korea." She closes a small case on the table and hands it to him. "Unlimited range, also equipped with an audio surveillance system. Check these out. Remote access Kimoyo Beads. Malka helped update them to interface directly with my sand table."
Malka shrugs. "It was mostly you."
Shuri nudges her side as T'Challa walks forward. "And what are these?" He motions to another table.
"The real question is what are those?!" Shuri exclaims as she points to his sandals.
"Oh, oh! I know this one," Malka says. "Crocs?"
"I have so much to teach you still, my young Padawan." Shuri clicks her tongue, shaking her head. "Why do you have your toes out in my lab?"
"What, you don't like my royal sandals?" T'Challa chuckles as he hoists his foot up. "I wanted to go old-school for my first day."
"I bet the Elders loved that." Shuri takes two devices from the table. When T'Challa steps on them, boots encase his feet. "Fully automated. Like the old American movie Baba used to watch, and I made them completely sound absorbent."
T'Challa stomps his feet, yet no sound comes out. Malka lets out a low whistle. "Those would have been very useful when I was sent to kill people. Instead, I just learned how to be quiet."
"Guess what I call them," Shuri grins. "Sneakers. Because you...never mind. If you're going to take on Klaue, you'll need the best the design crew has to offer. Exhibit A." She points to the last of three mannequins, this one wearing T'Challa's suit.
"My design," T'Challa says.
"Old tech."
"Old?"
"Functional, but old. Hey, people are shooting at me! Wait, let me put on my helmet.'"
"Enough." Malka can tell T'Challa wants to laugh.
"Look at these," Malka says, motioning to the two mannequins wearing only necklaces. "It's truly incredible tech."
As T'Challa glances at the gold necklace with animal teeth, Shuri asks, "You like that one?"
"Tempting, but the idea is not to be noticed." T'Challa moves in front of the silver necklace. "This one."
Shuri scans her bracelet against the back of T'Challa's head. "Now, tell it to go on." The suit spreads over the mannequin as Malka smiles at T'Challa's muted amazement. "The entire suit sits within the teeth of the necklace. Strike it."
"Anywhere?"
"Mmm-hmm."
Malka purses her lips as Shuri lives to regret that statement. T'Challa slams his foot into the gut of the suit and sends it flying across the lab.
"Not that hard, genius!" Shuri shouts as she hurries after her suit.
"You told me to strike it. You didn't say how hard."
Malka holds a hand in front of her mouth to muffle her laughter as Shuri rants. "I invite you to my lab, and you just kick things around?" She carries the suit back to its place.
"Well, maybe you should make it a little stronger—hey, wait a minute." T'Challa frowns at the purple glowing around the gut.
"The nanites absorb kinetic energy," Malka explains as he runs his fingers over the suit. "It holds it in place for redistribution."
"Very nice."
With a sly grin, Malka nudges Shuri's side as she says, "Strike it again in the same spot." The two girls step back, and Shuri begins to record.
"You're recording?" He asks.
"Research purposes," Malka replies innocently.
T'Challa shrugs and strikes again. This time, a burst of purple energy sends him flying across the room and toppling over a table of equipment. Shuri bursts out laughing as Malka grins. "Delete that footage!" T'Challa orders as he struggles to stand up.
Malka rolls her eye and helps him to his feet. "I wish you luck, majesty. I have to get back to work."
"Any success?"
The playfulness in her heart dims as she shifts her jaw. "Not yet. Soon, I hope."
"Maybe you should take a day off. You look as if you have not slept in days."
"I have been through worse." She purses his lips. "Besides, I enjoy seeing him every day. There's something just...it puts my mind at ease. To know that he's not alone. I guess this isn't a totally unfamiliar situation."
Pity plagues his expression. "You will find a way. If anyone can, it is you. Good luck, Malka."
"You too, your majesty."
✗ ✗ ✗
This act will admittedly be sort of short. I loved Black Panther, but I don't think Malka has a real place interfering with T'Challa's journey.
Also, I am FINALLY done with finals, so you get the first chapter of the book!
