The tribal council broke into whispers at his declaration.
Had T'Challa said something like that merely a day ago, he would have been scolded or berated for even bringing up the idea.
But now...?
M'Kathu, head of the Border Tribe, remained silent aside from the harsh nod he gave T'Challa. The man looked angrier than T'Challa had ever seen him. Zawavari, head of the Mining Tribe, was locked in a heated whisper with the Merchant Tribe's elder and his mother, and none of them looked particularly against the idea. The River Tribe hadn't yet managed to send a representative to replace their fallen elder.
Yet that missing voice only echoed louder because of it.
"Enough."
His father's voice silenced the council at once.
"T'Challa, even knowing the cost to Wakanda, you still think we must take action? All on a stranger's word?"
"I do, Father." T'Challa bowed his head. "We cannot let this attack stand. Even if the stranger was a charlatan, the Dora Milaje have already uncovered proof that these Skrulls had infiltrated us for nearly a week without detection."
That started another round of whispers.
He had not needed to say it aloud, but it was already on all their minds. Wakanda's secrecy was almost dead, hanging by a thread in the hands of enemies they couldn't even see.
...It was not a pleasant feeling, knowing his country's secret, preserved for thousands of years, was now in the hands of Nazis and aliens.
Bast forgive him, even that thought sounded absurd.
His father let out a long, deep sigh.
"Very well." A hard look settled over his face. "Then by my power as King, I declare Wakanda at war. Do any of the vaunted elders here dispute this stance?"
Silence answered him, along with hard, unforgiving looks.
What else could they say? Their homes had been invaded and their people murdered.
There was only one answer to that.
"Then I invoke the right of the Golden Tribe. Prepare your people. We shall not let this stain on our nation go unavenged." His father's voice reverberated through the throne room, righteous and heavy with anger.
"Yes, my King!" T'Challa and every other council member answered in chorus.
The rest of the meeting was far less emotional, turning instead toward the cold calculus of war. There was intelligence to gather, logistics to plan, and preparations each tribe would need to make.
Even as a prince and the Black Panther, T'Challa had no direct authority over the tribes' personal forces, so he could do little more than answer the occasional question while the elders prepared for the battles ahead.
The aliens' and Hydra's near-perfect strike had every elder treating the matter with the utmost seriousness.
In a way, the attack had shattered the illusion of superiority they had all carried in their hearts.
Wakanda's greatness had been a point of pride for all of them.
Now… T'Challa couldn't help but wonder how much of it had been arrogance.
The meeting ended swiftly, with the members of the council departing one by one to prepare for war, leaving only his father behind in the chamber.
"You have done well, my son." T'Chaka gave him a tired smile.
"It does not feel like it, Father..." He had moved quickly, but even so, many had died or suffered in the chaos.
"'Tis the curse of the Black Panther to chase perfection in duty." His father shook his head. "But you will find the world rarely allows us such ease."
His father rose from the throne and looked out through the windows with a melancholy expression. T'Challa could only imagine the pressure that came with realizing Wakanda's secrecy, preserved through the ages, might very well end during his reign.
"You said this stranger gifted you knowledge of great import to Wakanda?"
"I have already alerted several War Dogs to investigate the tip on Ulysses Klaue." T'Challa paused. Even now, after having time to think about it, the rest still sounded absurd. "He also spoke of a city of sea people called Talokan, and foretold my death, saying I would die of disease."
"Those are certainly... hmm." His father looked at him askance, as though he were half-expecting a joke.
T'Challa only shook his head. "It sounds like the work of a charlatan, I know. But the information about the Skrulls was accurate, so I am willing to treat the rest with caution rather than dismiss it outright."
"Wise, my son. If we can confirm the other information, then I will give more weight to these... stranger claims."
"You are right... though there was one piece of information I think you can confirm." A lump formed in T'Challa's throat, but he was a prince, and he needed to ask. "Father... did you kill your brother?"
His father's eyes widened, and all color drained from his face.
Silence answered him.
"So he was not a charlatan after all," T'Chaka muttered, a hand going to his head.
"Why?" T'Challa's voice came out hoarse.
"It is a long story, my son... one I am not proud of." T'Chaka looked at him for a long moment before sighing again. "I had hoped to take it to my grave and let the sin die with me."
"...Father, the stranger told me my cousin knows, and that he carries a burning hatred for Wakanda in his heart."
"Oh..." T'Chaka paled even further. "That... how could he possibly know?"
How was T'Challa even supposed to describe a man who seemed to possess prescience and the power to battle literal planes?
T'Challa grimaced. "I do not know. He was... a terrifying man."
—
"Bacon pancakes," I sang as I flipped the pan. "Take some bacon, and I put it in a pancake."
A stack of perfectly golden, fluffy pancakes greeted me as I slid them onto the plate.
Man, Jake knew exactly what the hell he was talking about.
"Here, Illyana." I set the plate in front of the little glutton. "Dig in."
The blonde mutant was in the middle of the culinary awakening she deserved. The table was already loaded down with a ridiculous spread, everything from Nepalese food to McDonald's to my own contribution of bastardized American breakfast.
She had already wiped out a few plates, but she attacked the bacon pancakes with particular gusto.
"MMMM!" Illyana practically preened. "It's so freaking soft!"
I chuckled and sat down at the table, watching as she continued her breakfast rampage with all the grace of a tiny blonde locust.
"You sure that was a smart idea?" Anna asked with a small laugh as she sat down beside me. "We're cutting it pretty close to meetup time."
"Logan forced us to stay up for a four-hour freaking call, yelling at us. He can wait a few minutes. Plus, I said twelve-thirty-ish. The classic power of ish gives us a solid extra twenty minutes to play with."
"I'm not helping you if the guy who calls himself Colossus wants to punch you in the face when we get back there," Anna said, poking at me.
"Betrayal," I gasped, leaning back dramatically. "How could you leave your beloved to be touched by another man?"
I wiped away false tears.
"Or are you the type who likes watching your lover get stolen away? My, my. "
Anna choked on absolutely nothing. "What!?"
"Weep, weep, if it is for you beloved I'll—"
Soft fists immediately started pelting me as Anna turned red, and I just cackled harder while she kept hitting me.
Illyana, meanwhile, completely ignored us in favor of her breakfast.
By the time she finally finished, the table looked like a battlefield.
Illyana leaned back in her chair with the deeply satisfied look of someone who had seen heaven and decided it tasted buttery.
"That," she declared, patting her stomach, "was amazing."
"You're welcome," I said graciously.
Anna snorted and stood first. "Come on, Romeo. If we're already abusing the meaning of ish, we should at least clean up before we leave."
"Look at this," I said, getting to my feet. "The romance truly is dead."
"It died the second you started making that joke." Anna stuck her tongue out at me.
"You wound me."
"I'm trying to."
I clutched my chest as Anna started stacking plates, then joined in before she could throw something at me for real.
We got the table cleared, leftovers packed away, and the plates rinsed out without too much trouble. Best to not piss off the wizards by leaving crap in their communal kitchen.
"You are never saying that weird lover theft thing again." Anna bumped my side while drying off one of the plates.
"Never? That feels restrictive. Oppressive, even." I grinned
"Try it again, and I'll get the Ancient One to beat you up."
I considered that for a moment.
"Counterpoint," I said, drying my hands, "what if I'm simply too lovable to hit?"
"That strategy hasn't worked once since I met you."
"Then I simply need to work harder."
Anna groaned, but there was a smile she was trying not to show.
Illyana looked between us. "Are you guys married now?"
"Uh…" Anna turned away red-faced.
"Sure!" I shamelessly agreed.
Anna made a strangled noise and covered part of her face with one hand.
A slow clap echoed through the room.
All three of us turned to find the Ancient One standing in the entryway, serene as ever, with the faintest trace of amusement on her face.
"How touching," she said mildly. "It is always nice to witness young love."
"Teacher… not you too…"
I gave the Ancient One a thumbs up. "See? She gets me."
"I wouldn't go that far," the Ancient One replied as she stepped fully into the room. "But I do understand that if I leave you unattended much longer, you may invent an even worse conversation."
"That is slander."
"It is observation," she corrected. Then her gaze swept over the kitchen. "More importantly, unless you plan to arrive late and immediately make a poor impression, it is nearly time to meet the X-Men."
That got us to straighten up a little.
"Right," I said, pushing off the counter. "We're pretty much ready."
Anna nodded and brushed at her clothes. "I should grab my jacket."
"Oh my books!" Illyana slid off her chair a second later.
The two of them headed off to their rooms, leaving me alone with the Ancient One in the now much quieter kitchen.
She watched them go, then reached into one of her sleeves and pulled out three necklaces.
They were simple at first glance, each one merely a silver chain with a small medallion at the end.
"I thought it prudent to prepare for this meeting with a bit more care," she said, holding them out. "These will shield your mind."
I took them, turning one over between my fingers in surprise. "Thought you weren't supposed to meddle."
"In part."
I looked down at the necklaces again.
"Charles Xavier is a hero," I said. "At least, I think he genuinely wants to help people. But he's also... very opinionated."
The Ancient One gave a small hum of agreement.
"I don't think he's evil," I continued, "but I also wouldn't put him past doing evil in the name of good."
"No," she said softly. "Nor would I."
She folded her hands into her sleeves again.
"There are many kinds of dangerous people," she said. "Some destroy through cruelty. Others do so through certainty. Charles Xavier is a man of great compassion and conviction. Those qualities do not always sit together as peacefully as one might hope."
I huffed out a quiet breath. "Yeah. That sounds about right."
"And while I do not doubt his intentions," the Ancient One continued, "I would rather he not develop too much curiosity regarding the mystic arts."
I glanced at her. "You think he would try to force you guys to help?"
"I think," she said, "that gifted men who are accustomed to understanding the world rarely enjoy being told there are doors that should remain closed to them."
That sounded incredibly like Xavier, honestly.
"Noted," I said. "No mind-reading wizard drama if I can help it."
"That would be appreciated."
A moment later, footsteps returned from down the hall.
The Ancient One lifted the necklaces slightly. "For the two of you."
Anna blinked. "What are they?"
"Protective charms," I said. "Mind stuff."
They simply nodded and put them on without much thought.
Sparks bloomed in a bright circle through the air, widening into a portal that showed the grounds of the X-Mansion waiting on the other side.
The Ancient One stepped aside and gestured toward it.
I looked at the portal and exhaled. Now let's just hope it didn't explode this time.
***
Comments and Thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Likes are like a drug to me and boost my creative juices.
I have advanced chapters on Pa tre on/daisyberry if you wanna read ahead.