~Marvel One Shots~

The Broken Soul | Erik Killmonger & T'Challa Udaku

A/N: This was requested by Sp44wn on AO3. Thank you for another request! I really liked this idea. ♥️

Summary: T'Challa tries to convince Erik to let him help him heal the wound caused at the end battle.

Pairing: None.
Warning: Angst, mentions of death & trauma.

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This was the moment Erik had prepared for his whole life. The moment where death and karma decided to both finally take him away from the world that he had done so much wrong to.

Killing, stealing, hurting, betraying.... he was finally paying for it and he was ready.... well.... that was what he had taught himself to think from a young age. Inside he was still the scared little boy that had lived his whole life in misery. He never meant to turn out the way he did, but years suffering from trauma and revenge destroyed his innocent side. The hatred was all that was left in him and he knew he would never be able to get free from its hold.

"We can still heal you...."

"Why so you can lock me up? Nah. Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors who jumped from ships, 'cause they knew death was better than bondage." He hissed, trying to pull out the knife that had planted itself between his ribcage and heart during their fight.

"Think about this real good, N'Jadaka." He could hear his father speak to him through the blood droning in his ear and he teared up. He wanted to die, he wanted the pain to end, he wanted to be reunited with his father, but he also didn't want to disappoint him by giving up so easily.

He had trained hard for this.... and he failed.

"Erik, perhaps we can still rearrange something.... I know my father did wrong, and it caused him to create something way worse than he feared, but we don't have to end up the same way our fathers did. Take my hand and we will end this cycle." T'Challa held out his hand, hoping the stubborn man would let go off the knife and take it. However the time it took for the man to make a move scared him.

He was scared he would let himself die, and honestly, Erik thought about it, but then his father's words would echo through his mind again. 'Think about this real good, N'Jadaka.' What did it mean? To Erik it sounded as if his father wanted him to live and learn to enjoy life and a part of him wanted it....

Though, a part of him just wanted to pay for what he had done as well. He never regretted standing his ground and believing in what he believed, but the way he handled it and managed to get where was now he did regret.

"I know you feel guilty for what you have done and that means that there is still good left in you. Let's get you home and healthy again."

"I brought Wakanda in danger, I brought everyone in danger. I killed for this shit. I betrayed for this shit. The people hate me."

"We'll make sure you get the help you need mentally and physically, but you have to take my hand and stop thinking about everything you've done then. Wakanda will be able to forgive you for what you did." He watched the man with eyes of understanding, not judging him but rather putting the blame on his own father. This was a boy who grew up seeing only the bad side of the world and T'Challa wanted to change that. "And they will accept that you belong here now."

"I'm an outsider." He growled, hating to call himself that, though he knew everyone saw him as just an African-American assassin.

"No, from today on, you will be a rightful royal Wakandan citizen and anyone who hurts you will be punished by the Wakandan law."

"You promise....?" He looked up, finally pulling his gaze away from the beautiful sunset his father had once told him about when he was a young kid.

"I promise." He gave him a nod to clarify and carefully Erik took his hand, letting the king help him to his feet to bring him to the lab for surgery.

He didn't know why he accepted it in the end, but he wanted to live, wanted to show his dad he hadn't only put a monster into this world. He wanted to learn how to live, enjoy the good things in life.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad with the right help after all?