I stood off to the side in the tribal council room next to Shuri. I don't know why I was invited too. I'm never involved in these. Maybe because the guy is from America?
"Is this man Wakandan or not?" The river tribe elder spoke in xhosa. I'm getting good at understanding it all, I study it in my free time.
"Tell us what is going on!" another elder said.
The doors opened and there stood Eric. I tensed up, he looks like he's exactly where he wants to be. I glanced at T'challa who lifted his head.
W'kabi escorted Eric to the middle where the council surrounded him.
"Speak." T'challa said in xhosa.
"Speak" W'kabi translated it for Eric.
"I'm standing in your house. Serving justice to a man who stole your vibranium and murdered your people...justice your King couldn't deliver." He spoke with hatred.
I inhaled as T'challa stood up and walked right up into Eric's face. The dora all moved to stand behind him.
"I don't care that you brought Klaue, the only reason I don't kill you where you stand is because I know who you are...now what do you want?" He spoke softly with intimidation.
I put my hands behind my back and wait for what he was gonna say.
"I want the throne." He lifted his head to motioned towards it. I scoffed and looked at Shuri.
The entire room laughed and scoffed at him. "My goodness." one of the elders said.
"Y'all sittin' up here comfortable. Must feel good. There's about 2 billion people all over the world that looks like us but their lives are a lot harder, Wakanda has the tools to liberate them all." He spoke, looking around the room.
"And what tools are those?" T'challa never took his eyes off Eric.
"Vibranium. Your weapons." He replied.
"Our weapons will not be used to wage war on the world. It is not our way to be judge jury and executioner for people who are not our own." T'challa explained.
Eric has a point, kind of. The world would definitely be different if Wakanda stepped in when there was wars. Many outcomes would have changed. But like he said, It's not Wakanda's job to fix it all.
"Not your own? But didn't life start here, on this continent? So ain't all people your people?" He started getting more annoyed at T'challa clearly.
"I am not King of all people. I am King of Wakanda. And it is my responsibility to make sure our people are safe and that vibranium does not fall into the hands of a person like you." T'challa and Eric were having stare down at this point. The tension in the room kept growing and growing.
I crossed my arms, this is starting to bore me. Eric is insane, smart but insane.
The elders murmured at Eric's disrespect and Ramona suddenly spoke "Son, we have entertained this charlatan for too long. Reject his request."
"Oh, I ain't requesting nothing! Ask who I am." He looked over at the Queen mother.
"You are Eric Stevens. An American black operative. A mercenary nicknamed Killmonger. That's who you are." Shuri stepped up, I looked over at her and touched her shoulder.
T'challa clearly is hiding something, I can tell by how he's responding and wanting this to be over.
"That's not my name, Princess. Ask me, King?" Eric looked back at T'challa.
"No." T'challa turned away.
"Ask me." He said again.
T'challa lifted his hand. "Take him away."
"Who are you?" A elder yelled at Eric.
"I am N'Jadaka, son of Prince N'Jobu!" He yelled back. The room got quiet for a second. I don't know who Prince N'jobu is but he sounds important.
"The son of N'Jobu?" One elder looked around in disbelief.
"I found my daddy with Panther claws in his chest . You ain't the son of a King you're the son of a murderer!" He was angry.
I looked at T'challa. That's what he was hiding.
"That's enough." I said but my voice was drowned out by the yelling elders.
W'kabi held up a necklace with a ring on it. "I'm afraid not Queen Mother."
"The descendant of N'Jobu."
"Hey Auntie." He said to the Queen Mother as W'kabi placed the chain into her hand.
"I'm exercising my blood right to challenge for the mantles of King and Black Panther." Eric looked around the room.
"Do not do this T'challa." Queen Mother said.
"T'challa don't." I spoke up. He's not one to shy away from a challenge but Eric is strong and has a strong will to win.
"As the son of N'Jobu he is within his rights." An elder brought up.
"He has no rights here." The Queen Mother said back.
"The challenge would take weeks to prepare." The river tribe elder reminded everyone.
"Weeks? I don't need weeks. The whole country ain't gotta be there I just need him...and somebody to get me out of these chains."
T'challa sat down and looked at the ring.
I rubbed my forehead with stress. I know what he's gonna say.
"T'Challa, what are you going to do?" I said quietly.
"I accept your challenge."
Damn it.
• • •
I walked into the lab, stress filled my body. I though everything would be better here but there's really no place on earth that doesn't have arguments and wars.
I lifted up a table and flung it against the wall.
"You really need to find better ways to destress." I heard a male voice behind me. It was Ross.
"Well boxing doesn't help as much anymore." I took a breath and walked over to fix the table.
"See what happens when you don't listen?" He chuckled.
"I never listen." I finished fixing it and turned to look at him.
"You know...Tony's looking for you, since you know he technically has legal custody of you."
"I thought it was temporary." I huffed.
"Not anymore...I'm sorry about it all, You don't deserve to lose everything like you did." He actually has empathy wow.
"I still have some things, like my freedom for example. If I returned then I'll be treated like a villain ya know."
"No, Tony would protect you from all that. He has a good legal team."
I laughed." You're not that bad."
I looked at the time on the wall. "I have to go, Eric challenged T'challa for the throne and I have to be there to witness.
"What?" Ross said with disbelief.
"It's a long story, I'll be back."
I waved and ran out forgetting what I went in there to do.
Yo I finally updated. I have covid rn so I got time to write. Stay turned because I'll probably post another chapter tomorrow. I haven't finished it yet lol.