- B U S A N, SOUTH KOREA -
Police Station
The sun had risen in Busan. A light fog had befallen the city and within it, lied a police station buzzing to life from last night's events. Nakia stood by a window and gazed at the people that walked and vehicles that zoomed by. She watched intently for any sign of something amiss. The Wakandan was ready to react at any given moment.
Deeper within the building was the perpetrator of last night's events cuffed to a chair. Along his face were scuff marks and dried blood earned through the brawl between him and the King of Wakanda looking to pass judgment on the wanted criminal.
Despite his current situation, a grin was plastered on his face. He rocked in his chair and glanced around until his eyes landed on his reflection within the interrogation window. Ulysses Klaue knew all too well that on the other side of it, he was being watched.
Nonetheless, he smiled at his reflection in the window. "Hello," he said, greeting only himself. "I can see you, I can." A wheezing laughter fell from his lips. He threw his head back slightly before perking his lips up to begin making high pitched kissing noises.
On the other side of the glass stood T'Challa, his general - Okoye, Agent Ross with the CIA, and Aadya. A grimace had befallen on all their faces as they observed Ulysses Klaue.
"I need coffee before I deal with," Ross's hands motioned toward Klaue, "that."
Three pairs of eyes followed him as he walked away with a sigh. Ross had interrogated numerous amounts of people within his career, but the simple thought of questioning Klaue wore him out before it even began.
Aadya watched his retreating back before making a suggestion she knew he'd turn down, "I'll go and interrogate him if you want."
The CIA agent shifted to eye her, continuing his stride towards the nearby door. "You're joking, right?" He let out a chuckle and turned to pull the door open.
She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest, returning to eye Klaue and his ongoing antics. She needed a distraction from the million questions that roamed in her mind about the two individuals who stood beside her. But even more so, she felt a sense of gratitude towards the man for saving her after she froze. It was unlike her to freeze at the sign of danger and this unsettled the young woman.
T'Challa was just as curious about the caramel toned woman beside him. He shifted in his stance slightly and subtly to take a quick glance at her. He noticed her reserved stance and the focused expression etched on her features while she stared thoughtfully at the man on the other side of the glass. Dark curls flowed in elegant ringlets down to her shoulders. She sported a more casual attire compared to the dress she wore the night prior.
His memory returned to that of their first encounter and the look of determination on her face while gazing upon Klaue. He wondered about the relationship, if any, between her and the wanted arms dealer. Nothing prepared him for the parties involved and present at the casino. Nevertheless, he was going to return to Wakanda with Ulysses Klaue. It was first his mission as the new sovereign ruler of the nation and he intended not to disappoint.
"We haven't formally met," T'Challa started, turning to face Aadya with a friendly smile, "I'm T'Challa and this is Okoye." He motioned towards his general that stood motionless on his other side. The warrioress sent a weak smile before returning her attention to Klaue.
Aadya's brown eyes locked with T'Challa's before they flickered to his outstretched hand. She took it into her own and they shook.
"I'm Aadya Corlow." The words fell from her lips as her eyes traveled to once again meet T'Challa's dark ones. She noticed his eyebrows furrowed together as his orbs lingered on the woman, thoughts, and questions churning in his mind.
Their handshake was quick and firm. Aadya's hand fell at her side once more while the king pulled his arms behind him and intertwined his fingers together. Nearby, Okoye's eyes never left the wanted arms dealer. Her mind though remained on that of the ongoing conversation between her king and the unfamiliar woman.
"How do you know Klaue?" T'Challa inquired.
Aadya looked to the man strapped to a chair beyond the window. "I oversaw his case for weeks and just recently, I was taken off. It was picked up by a CIA agent--"
"-Agent Ross."
"Yes, Ross," she looked into the dark pair of eyes again with a look of disdain settling into her features, "but I couldn't just let it go." Her shoulders rose and sagged. She took a deep breath as if to release negative feelings brought upon by the memories of Everett Ross taking up the case she worked hard on.
The king shook his head in understanding. Aadya's drive was nearly impressive, but there was more that struck him concerning her. He'd have to put that all aside as what really mattered laid just several feet away. He tore his eyes away from the detective to glare at Ulysses Klaue.
Aadya noticed his facial features go lax as she continued to eye him. She was prepared to ask T'Challa the same question regarding Klaue until Ross re-entered the room now carrying a coffee cup within his hand. He made his way over to the small group and glanced at Klaue before looking to the king.
"So," he started, "I figured we could go good cop, bad cop. I'll talk to him first, then you guys go in-"
"We can't let him talk to Klaue alone," Okoye stated in Xhosa. She intended only to communicate with her King. Ross and Aadya turned to the Wakandans in wonder, completely oblivious to the words they spoke.
"Better to let him talk to Klaue alone for five minutes than to make a scene here," T'Challa replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
Aadya studied the two and went over in her mind the possibilities of where they could be from. She wondered what words were being exchanged between the two in private.
"After your questioning, we will take him back to Wakanda with us," T'Challa declared.
Aadya struggled to keep her face neutral at his words. There was the mention of the country that surprised her, but also what he intends to do with Klaue. She fidgeted where she stood and with each moment that passed, the young woman knew the situation for her wasn't looking too good. An elaborate plan would have to be thought up and set in motion. How was she going to get Klaue into her custody?
Agent Ross scoffed in surprise and shook his head no in disagreement. "What? No. Look, I like you a lot. But he's in my custody now. He's not going anywhere," he studied the Wakandans and allowed his words to settle in.
There was no shift in their facial expression. Both were unfazed by his words. He continued, "listen, I'm doing you guys a favor, all of you, by letting you even be in here." He playfully tapped T'Challa on the arm.
Aadya noticed the change in mood amongst the Wakandans at the physical contact. Both pairs of eyes wandered to that of the spot the agent touched before gazing at him. The same fierceness Okoye exhibited last night returned before voicing an incomprehensible threat towards the white man, "if he touches you again, I'm going to impale him to this desk." Her eyes flickered from agent Ross to a nearby desk.
"Does she speak English?" Ross wondered.
Okoye smirked. "When she wants to."
The agent's eyebrows rose and fell in surprise.
Aadya observed the interactions between the three people before her. A frown nearly settled into her features, her mind returning to the news she recently heard at the bar regarding the fate of the ruler of Wakanda. Her eyes lit up in surprise at the realization of why T'Challa's name sounded so familiar to her upon hearing it.
"I'm going in. When I'm done, you guys are up," Ross told them. He turned to the door leading to the room Klaue was in.
"Agent Ross," T'Challa called. Ross turned to him and in doing so, T'Challa's hand gently collided against his shoulder. Unbeknownst to the agent, a hearing device was placed on his shoulder. "I do appreciate your help in Busan."
"You see that?" His eyes shifted between Okoye and Aadya. "It's called diplomacy." He turned away and pulled the door open leading to the room Klaue was in upon reaching it. "You're welcome," he called back before stepping into the room. With the door open, Klaue's singing could be heard. He belted the words to 'What is Love?' and the trio grew agitated with him once again.
All eyes were now trained on Ross stepping into the room beyond the window. Klaue slowed his movements within the chair and glared at the agent taking a seat across from him. All the while, Aadya tried to think of ways to gain the advantage in the situation. Though, there seemed to be no way to meander through the CIA agent as well as the foreign involvement.
A conversation began to take place between the two beyond the window. Aadya's attention shifted to the man beside her who gazed intently at Ulysses Klaue and agent Ross. "You're the king of Wakanda," she uttered.
Both pairs of eyes fell on her. T'Challa nodded his head in confirmation while Okoye didn't know what to make of the woman. The general decided to leave that up to her king while a more pressing matter tugged her attention elsewhere. Not too long after did T'Challa's follow in suit. His jaw clenched as an uneasy expression flashed on his features.
Aadya noticed and grew curious. She met their gaze, wondering why they seemed unsettled towards an interaction that couldn't reach their ears.
Ulysses Klaue and Agent Ross went back and forth as their conversation continued. Mouths moved, but not a word could be heard beyond that room. Aadya breathed deeply and attempted to focus her hearing. The thick walls proved to be impenetrable, but instead, she picked up the conversation through the devices attached to T'Challa and Okoye.
Of course, she thought. Her thoughts quieted. Her interest was peaked by the words being exchanged in the room.
"-It's not just a metal. They sew it into their clothes. It powers their city, their tech, their weapons," Klaue stated.
Ross grew curious at his words. "Weapons?"
A chuckle fell from Klaue's lips. "Yeah, makes my arm cannon look like a leaf blower." He motioned towards his arm where the weapon he had during the night was held.
"That's a nice fairytale, but Wakanda is a third world country, and you stole all their vibranium."
"I stole..." Klaue's voice trailed off as he fell into laughter. Suddenly, he jumped in his chair in response to the agent's words. He grew agitated with the man's ignorance. "All of it? I took a tiny piece of it. They have a mountain full of it. They've been mining it for thousands of years and they still haven't scratched the surface. I'm the only outsider who's seen it and got out of there alive."
Aadya noticed T'Challa turn away from the window and slowly sauntered off with Okoye following in his footsteps.
The detective didn't know what to make of the situation or the information Klaue gave. She considered the possibilities of the small country being reserved for reasons that went beyond what she found during her research or the king's pursuit of Klaue being driven by what the man took from the country.
"If you don't believe me, you ask your friend what his suit is made of. What his claws are made of," Klaue finished. At his words, Aadya's memories of T'Challa within the catsuit flooded her mind. It proved to be impenetrable no matter the number of bullets that met the suit. Vibranium, her mind repeated.
The expression on Ross's features couldn't be ignored. He digested the information that was given to him and continued eyeing Ulysses Klaue. A moment passed and he reached for his coffee cup resting on the ground before rising from his seat to exit the interrogation room. His eyes searched until they landed on the king now standing on the opposite side of the room.
Aadya pretended to busy herself. Her eyes didn't waver from Klaue and for a moment she wondered if continuing to pursue this case was worth it. It proved to be a lot more complicated than expected. She considered the possibilities of going back empty-handed and what consequences might rain down on her if her supervisor was made aware of her going against his words.
"Your father told the UN that Klaue stole all the vibranium you had. But now Klaue's telling me you have more?"
T'Challa's eyebrows furrowed together at Ross's words. He mustered a neutral expression while looking into the eyes of the CIA agent. "And you believe the word of an arms dealer strapped to a chair?"
"How much more are you hiding?" Ross implicated.
The atmosphere grew tense in their exchange. Aadya turned intending to observe the trio but instead noticed the other woman from last night barge through the door in a panic. The others in the room rose in their seats in surprise.
"Something is happening out back," Nakia warned the king in Xhosa.
An explosion sounded from the interrogation room confirming Nakia's words. The people within the room ducked and shielded their heads with their arms in protection against the possible effects of the blast. Klaue's shouting filled the room as figures entered through the newly formed gaping hole in the room. The sun's rays shown brightly through the opening, and beyond it was an alleyway where a van waited in park.
On the other side of the glass, a man sauntered over wearing a Mgbedike mask. He clutched a gun in his hands and lifted his arms slightly to point the weapon towards the window.
"Get down!" A man bellowed.
The trigger was pulled and immediately the glass shattered upon the bullets making contact. Looking at the direction the gun was pointed in, Aadya sprinted forward without a second thought. She shoved agent Ross out of the way of any bullets before tackling a nearby Nakia to the ground.
The small room erupted into screams with people scrambling in fear. They ducked behind desks and pressed their bodies against it in an attempt to shield themselves. Objects went flying as bullets came into contact with them.
"Stand down!" T'Challa shouted over the gunshots from his position on the floor. The word on was said firmly in his mind and in moments, he was engulfed with the protection of the Panther suit.
The room quieted once the shooting ceased. Breaths of relief were heard until a grenade was tossed into the room. The metallic object knocked against the tiled floor until it stilled. The sound drove eyes towards it and widened in realization. T'Challa quickly scrambled towards the grenade and veiled it with his body. The Panther suit absorbed the blast.
Beyond the shattered window, the attackers began to flee through the opening with Klaue in hand still strapped to the chair. The man wearing the mask began shooting again as he strode backward towards the others now planning to make their escape.
The king jumped to his feet and sprinted after them. The shooting subsided as the masked man pulled himself onto the moving van. T'Challa made his way outside with inhuman speed and leaped towards the vehicle in an attempt to board it. To his surprise, he was met by a grenade that exploded immediately after connecting with his suit. The force of the blast caused him to fall backward and land hard on the ground, knocking the breath out of him.
He watched the van doors remain open with the shooter hanging onto a metal bar on the roof of the van as it took off. T'Challa removed the panther mask and eyed a necklace that dangled from the man's neck. On it, a ring danced wildly against his chest.
The King rose to his feet and continued to watch in frustration and bewilderment even after the van was out of sight. Behind him, Okoye made her way out of the hole and ran towards him. "My king!" She called after him in Xhosa. She grew agitated at Klaue's escape but pushed the feelings down. There was a matter more pressing at hand. "Nakia," she said, motioning towards the building.
T'Challa finally tore his eyes away at her words and made his way back towards the police station. The room was now blanketed in a light smoke and silent with no one muttering a word. Broken glass laid by the interrogation window and desks were moved from their original places in the room with objects now laid scattered about, broken and some intact.
T'Challa's eyes found the small crowd that gathered over a still body and made his way over to stand beside a kneeling Nakia.
She looked up at him with sad eyes. "She just jumped in front of me." T'Challa looked to find Aadya, blood pouring from a gunshot wound to her side. Her breaths came out uneven and pained. His blood went cold at the sight.
Agent Ross pressed two fingers to her neck and sighed. "She needs immediate attention, or she might not make it."
T'Challa thought momentarily whilst staring at the bullet wound. "Give me a Kimoyo Bead," he told Nakia as the idea came to him. The king placed his hand out before him.
She immediately complied and pulled a bead from her bracelet to place into his hand. He gripped the small, circular object and pressed it into Aadya's wound.
"This will stabilize her for now," T'Challa said. His eyebrows furrowed in thought as he continued to eye the woman on the floor. Her breathing eased the moment the Kimoyo Bead settled into her skin. He gazed at her still face thinking of the only solution that might save the woman.
"We will take her with us," he heard himself say. "We can save her."
***
The royal aircraft traveled high above the hilly and mountainous plains below. Dusk fell, and the setting sun cast an orange hue across parts of the darkening sky. Within the ship, laid a motionless Aadya on a platform in the middle of the aircraft. T'Challa, Okoye, and Nakia stood over the woman, worry set in each of their faces.
Nakia gazed at the woman in worry while T'Challa stood with his arms folded over his chest, preparing for the onset of questions he knew would come from his general.
Okoye sighed. "Our mission was to bring back Klaue. We failed. How are supposed to justify bringing this woman into our borders?"
"She took a bullet for me," Nakia reminded her.
Okoye appeared unfazed. "That was her choice."
"So now we are supposed to let her die?" Nakia wondered, her face lighting up in surprise at Okoye's abrasiveness.
"Let us say that we heal her. It will be her duty to report back to her agency we know nothing of," Okoye turned to T'Challa, "and as king, it is your duty to protect ours-"
"-I'm well aware of my duties, general!" T'Challa snapped. "I cannot just let her die knowing we can save her."
Silence settled between them. A question lingered in Okoye's mind as she continued to gaze at T'Challa wearily. "Where exactly are we taking her?"
The king stared into the eyes of his general. He considered telling her.
But instead,
he decided against it and looked away.