Show Me ↝ Black Panther

08

Shuri's lab was a true work of wonder. Though he'd been there countless times already, N'Deke found himself marveling at the high-tech equipment surrounding him. He basked in the constant buzzing of machinery and the sleek interior. The Dora Milaje that had been escorting him and T'Challa stopped at the entrance, and the young man smiled upon seeing Shuri already waiting for them.

She bowed mockingly. "My King."

T'Challa rolled his eyes. "Stop it. Stop it."

Shuri chuckled as they exchanged a handshake. She then turned to N'Deke. "My best friend. How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Convince the whole assembly to let you tag along on the mission?"

N'Deke sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck. "Oh that. I don't know, really. Everything happened so fast."

"Well you better know soon so I can get T'Challa to let me come too."

"You already know the answer to that, Shuri," her brother said.

"It was worth a try." She led them down a set of pristine stairs. "I've already sent a car ahead to Busan for you. So, who're you taking to Korea with you? Aside from Mr. Rebellious over here."

"Okoye. And Nakia as well." T'Challa's small smile didn't go unnoticed by either of the duo.

Shuri had to stop walking for a split second. "Are you sure it's a good idea to take your ex on a mission?"

"Yes. We'll be fine. Besides, you're gonna be the one we'll need to call should we need backup."

"Yes! Okay, I have great things to show you both." Shuri gestured them to one of the tables. "Here are your communication devices for Korea. Unlimited range, also equipped with audio surveillance systems."

"I'm sure N'Deke won't need these," T'Challa said, scanning over the devices.

"Actually, my enhanced hearing does not include unlimited range, or audio surveillance systems."

"And, correct me if I'm wrong, it's limited in large crowds," Shuri completed.

He nodded. "That is correct."

The king raised an eyebrow. "Really? The Sound Tribe is interesting."

"I know, right?" Shuri beamed. "Check these out. Remote access Kimoyo beads. Updated to interface directly with my sand table."

"Ah." T'Challa turned his attention to another piece of technology. "And what are these?"

"The real question is what are those?" Shuri pointed at her bother's shoes. "Why do you have your toes out in my lab?"

N'Deke couldn't help but burst out laughing as T'Challa wiggled his toes. The latter chuckled. "What, you don't like my royal sandals?" He hoisted his foot up onto a table. "I wanted to go old school for my first day."

"And I bet the elders loved that. Try them on." Shuri set the soles down, waiting for her brother to step in them.

N'Deke suddenly zoned out as his attention snapped to a gleaming object behind him. It felt as if it was calling out to him. The same way his wooden flute had called out to him the day of his second initiation.

He walked over to it, and his eyes widened the tiniest bit when he saw what it was. A flute, made completely out of vibranium. And what more, it looked exactly like the one he had.

He detached his own flute from his belt and compared it to the one on the table. They were almost identical. The one on the table had a blue button, a touch so subtle he'd nearly missed it. Had Shuri made this specially for him? It couldn't have been today. From the looks of it it had taken her some time to complete it.

He jumped when he heard a loud crash, snapping him out of his trance. Shuri laughed as she recorded T'Challa, who was sprawled on the floor.

"Delete that footage!"

N'Deke sighed, the corners of his lips tugging upwards at their antics. A sense of nostalgia overcame him as a thought popped into his head. Had he and Akina ever been like this before? Had they ever been this close? If they were he had no recollection of it. Even when he was younger she was distant, though she had never been this harsh with him.

Shuri noticed where he'd wandered off and headed over to him. "I see you've found it."

"I did. Last time I checked I already had a perfectly functioning flute."

"This one isn't just a flute silly. Here, try it."

She picked it up and handed it to him. N'Deke twirled it around. It was lightweight. He turned it around. The button was actually a subtle switch. Curiously, he pushed it to the left. The instrument shrunk. Not drastically, but just enough to be easily hidden or snuck around.

"I'm assuming pushing it to the right makes it big— Woah!"

N'Deke stumbled back as the flute morphed into a sleek baton. He brought a hand to his chest, attempting to calm his racing heart. "Shuri! You should've warned me beforehand."

"Sorry," she said, even though he had a feeling she was enjoying scaring them senseless. "Lightweight and balanced, perfect for warriors of any level. But this was the prototype." She held her Kimoyo bracelet to the area behind his ear, and he blinked in confusion at her. She brandished another flute, exactly the same as the previous one. Only this one had no switch.

"What did you do?" N'Deke asked as the new flute glowed a faint purple.

"It has recognized your handprint, which means it will only respond to you. You can tell it to transform with your mind. Or if you're more comfortable with the switch, you can stick to that one too. Personally though I find it boring."

"Have you ever fought with a weapon before?" T'Challa asked as he came up to them.

"No. But I have a feeling I'm about to learn very soon."

"It can also emit vibrations that will momentarily destabilize your opponents. Long enough to finish them off. Now, last but not least." Shuri picked up three small, circular devices that were hiding right behind the weapon. "These are audio amplifiers."

"How do they work?"

"Give me your flute."

"What?"

"Trust me."

Reluctantly, he gave her his flute. Shuri stuck one of the audio amplifiers to the underside and returned it to him. "Play something."

N'Deke thought for a second and settled with something simple. Much to his surprise, the melody came out much louder, playing through the whole lab. He stopped.

"You can adjust it as you wish. It will amplify sound up to 20 kHz and above. How you choose to use that information is up to you."

"You really outdid yourself," T'Challa complimented.

"That's nothing." Shuri waved him off. "And one last thing. You two better come back to me alive. Hear me"?

N'Deke grinned. "Heard you loud and clear."