Ch 73- Killmonger

"I believe this has gotten complicated for all involved." Tony said.

"Yes." T'Challa said.

Okoye said they had failed in their mission and were now bringing a foreign intelligence operative into their borders. Nakia said he had taken a bullet for her but Okoye said that was his choice. Okoye said it was his duty to report back to his country and T'Challa's to protect theirs. T'Challa said he was aware of his duties but couldn't let him die.

"After what he did for Nakia, I don't think you can." Steve said.

Ross was wheeled into Shuri's lab who excitedly said they had another white boy to fix.

"I was the first." Bucky said.

Later, Ross was on the bed as Shuri said he'd live. The Beads trilled and she said W'Kabi was here. T'Challa walked up to stop W'Kabi from coming in and he asked about Klaue. T'Challa regretfully said he had slipped past their hands, angering W'Kabi who said T'Chaka had done nothing when he was in power and he had though it would be different with T'Challa, but it was the same. He walked off, leaving T'Challa behind.

"Looks like I was right about that." Thor said.

"Yes." T'Challa agreed.

"As a king, you must be absolutely sure about the promises you make." Odinson said and all agreed.

Killmonger, Klaue and the others got out near their plane as Klaue assured said he'd lay low and assured they would be paid in time. Killmonger asked him to drop him in Wakanda, shocking Klaue. He then suddenly brandished his gun and shot down one man.

"What the hell?" A shocked Rhodes said as all watched in shock.

"He is turning on the others." Sam said.

"Clearly, he has other plans." Natasha said.

"And those plans involve the others dying." Clint finished for her as they all watched in shock.

"Bad guys always betray each other." Fury said as all nodded in agreement.

Klaue put Erik's lover in the way as she apologized and he shot her as well while Klaue ran off.

Everyone watched in horror and disgust as Peter asked, "But why?"

"He loved her but he loves his plan more." Hill explained to the boy.

Klaue took cover behind wreckage as him and Erik exchanged fire but he was hit on the shoulder and fell down. Klaue said Wakandans were savages and showing his brand, said this was what they did to people like them.

"Well, your own savagery was asking for it." Loki said.

Erik said he wasn't worried as he showed his own scars, saying each was for a kill. Klaue said he was still an outsider when Erik revealed his glowing gums, shocking him.

"He is Wakandan?" Scott asked in shock.

"Yes. He was supposed to be." T'Challa said cryptically.

Klaue laughed and said he had just thought of him as a crazy American but was shot dead.

Everyone flinched at Erik's brutality as Wanda said, "At least Klaue is gone now."

"Yes, that's the bright side of it." Hope said.

"But Erik has other plans." Vision said.

"Very bad plans." Benjamin agreed.

T'Challa walked to Zuri in the gardens as the others left them. He asked about N'Jobu, saying his father had told him he disappeared. He then said he had seen a man wearing a ring identical to his own. Zuri said it wasn't possible as T'Challa said the man had helped Klaue escape and was wearing his grandfather's ring, demanding the truth. Zuri said some truths were too much to bear but T'Challa was undeterred. He said he had promised the king to keep it a secret but T'Challa roared he was his king now.

"So he will tell?" Aunt May asked.

"Yes, he will tell the truth now." T'Challa said thickly.

Zuri said N'Jobu had taken a War Dog assignment in America and he had been assigned to watch, unbeknownst to N'Jobu. N'Jobu had fell in love with an American woman and had a child with her but the hardships he had seen had radicalized him.

Everyone listened with interest.

The scene from the beginning was shown again as N'Jobu justified his actions to T'Chaka, saying the people could overthrow governments with Vibranium weapons and Wakanda could rule the right way. Zuri said in the present T'Chaka wouldn't support him which is why N'Jobu had betrayed them. The flashback showed T'Chaka telling N'Jobu he'd pay for his crimes when he drew a gun to fire at Zuri but T'Chaka blocked and killed N'Jobu with his claws.

Everyone watched in shock and horror, feeling some sympathy for T'Chaka and T'Challa both.

"I'm sorry." Steve said to him but he was transfixed, the pain of that truth still a bit too much for him.

Zuri said T'Chaka had killed his own brother to save him as T'Chaka told Zuri in the flashback to keep this a secret. T'Challa asked about the child and Zuri said they had left him to maintain the lie as the flashback showed one of the children, who none other than Erik, looking up in shock.

"What?" Tony demanded, outraged.

"How could he do that?" Bruce asked.

"Your father left a boy just like that?" Loki asked, now feeling a little thankful to Odin for not leaving him at least.

"My father was wrong to do that." T'Challa said in agreement, "There is a chance Erik may not have gone down the path he did if he was with us. Just a chance really."

"Maybe." Logan said.

"But my father didn't do what was humane in this case." T'Challa agreed, still angry at his father for what he had done to Erik.

At Wakanda's borders, Erik dragged Klaue's corpse in a body bag as W'Kabi and some others arrived. He said this was just a little gift as he opened the bag to show Klaue's corpse while W'Kabi asked in Xhosa who he was.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about W'Kabi?" Pepper asked.

"Because something bad is about to happen, Miss Potts." T'Challa said.

Everett woke up in the lab and realized his back was fine now.

"You really have great medical technology." Bruce said.

He asked where he was and a startled Shuri told him not to scare her like that, calling him 'colonizer.'

"Uhhhhh….that is very prejudiced and racist." Rhodes said.

"Yes. Her behavior sometimes could be very disappointing." T'Challa said.

"We can see that." Logan said.

"Well, I'm sure her behavior will improve when she grows up a bit." Clint said.

"Oh it has, mostly." T'Challa said, "But I feel I need to talk to her about this when we get back."

Everett introduced himself and asked if this was Wakanda. She joked it was Kansas as he asked how long ago was Korea. She said it was yesterday to Everett's disbelief as bullet wounds didn't heal overnight. Shuri said they did here by technology. Everett looked around, awed by the technology, realizing the trains moved by magnetic levitation and was told the light panels were sonic stabilizers as Vibranium was too dangerous to be transported at that speed and that was her way to deactivate it. Vibranium was all around him.

"Damn man! How smart is she?!" Scott asked in shock.

"Really smart for her age." Hope said, "A few more years and she will easily be in the top 5 geniuses of the planet."

"If she wasn't so busy, I'd hire her." Tony said.

"I believe she likes it more in Wakanda." T'Challa said.

"That tech is so awesome." Peter drooled.

"Yes it still is." Benjamin said.

Okoye then contacted Shuri through Kimoyo Beads, saying T'Challa's were deactivated and a man was at the border, claiming to have killed Klaue. W'Kabi was transporting him to the palace so they needed to find T'Challa. A hologram of the man appeared and Okoye said he was a Wakandan but Everett said he was one of theirs.

"He was part of JSOC." T'Challa explained to the shocked viewers.

"Very dangerous, those people." Fury said.

T'Challa sat with Nakia overlooking a valley, telling her his father had killed his brother and left a child behind. Nakia said no man was perfect as T'Challa said he hadn't even given him a proper burial and created something worse than N'Jobu.

"Yes. That he did." Hill agreed.

Nakia told T'Challa to look at her and when he did, she said, "You can't let your father's mistakes define who you are. You get to decide what kind of king you are going to be."

"Yes. Only you can decide that." Thor said in agreement.

As T'Challa considered, his Beads suddenly activated and Shuri told him to get there.

"Weren't they deactivated?" Tony asked, "Let me guess- Shuri is smart."

"Yes." T'Challa said.

T'Challa, Shuri and Nakia stood together as Everett told them the man was Erik Stevens who had graduated Annapolis at 19. It was MIT for grad school. He had gone to Afghanistan, wrapped up confirmed kills like video games. He was called Killmonger and after joining JSOC, he could drop off the grid to commit assassinations.

"He is a formidable opponent." Steve said.

"And he managed to raise himself through the ranks pretty well." Sam said, impressed by that.

"Yes. But his overall vision was still not good for the world." T'Challa said and they agreed.

Shuri said he had a War Dog tattoo but they had no record of him. Later, all of them were at court as W'Kabi led Erik in, saying he had served justice to the man who had killed their people and stolen their Vibranium when their king hadn't. T'Challa said the only reason he wasn't dead was because he knew who he was and asked what he wanted. He said he wanted the throne.

"I knew it!" Tony said, "He is playing the Game of Thrones now."

"Nice comparison." Rhodes agreed.

The Elders laughed as he said they were comfortable while 2 billion people in the world had harder lives and Wakanda's weapons could liberate them all. T'Challa said their weapons won't be used for war. Erik said life started on this continent so all people were his people. He said he was King of Wakanda and he wouldn't let its weapons fall into his hands.

"Yeah. That'll be tragedy." Bruce said.

Ramonda asked T'Challa to reject Erik's request as Shuri said he was Erik Stevens, an American black operative and a mercenary. Erik asked to ask again as T'Challa asked guards to take him away but he announced in Xhosa he was N'Jadaka, son of Prince N'Jobu, shocking everyone as he said T'Challa was the son of a murderer. Ramonda said he was a liar when W'Kabi revealed the necklace, shocking them all to silence.

"Oh boy!" Peter said.

"Now this is gonna be even worse." Scott said.

Erik said he was exercising his blood right to challenge for the mantle of king and Black Panther. An Elder said it was within his rights and T'Challa accepted the challenge.

"You aren't all up there though. So accepting the challenge in that condition doesn't seem wise." Steve said.

"No. It wasn't a wise decision looking back." T'Challa agreed sadly.

Later, T'Challa was prepared for the challenge again as the tribal dance was done. Shuri was confident T'Challa would win. T'Challa's power was stripped away as Nakia arrived and told Okoye she had locked Ross in the office. T'Challa offered Erik one last chance and he threw down his weapons, only to take off his vest and shirt, revealing his scars, "I lived my entire life waitin' for this moment. I trained, I lied, I killed...just to get here. I killed in America, Afghanistan...Iraq. I took life from my own brothers and sisters right here on this continent. And all this death...just so I could kill you."

"So much anger and hatred." Natasha said, disturbed.

"There are always people like that." Clint said.

They fought as T'Challa wielded spear and shield and Erik wielded sword and spear. They were evenly matched, though T'Challa was taken aback by his skill and speed. They were in a deadlock before they continued fighting, T'Challa blocking Erik's blows before tripping him.

"Tell me you won." Aunt May said but T'Challa didn't say a word.

T'Challa asked Erik to yield but he got up and they continued as T'Challa grazed his cheek a bit. As the fight continued, T'Challa was kicked down. He got back up but was grazed on the thigh and then on the wrist, disarming him to everyone's shock. He tried to attack but was stabbed on the side of the abdomen while everyone gasped.

All the viewers gasped as well while T'Challa watched with tense breaths.

Erik ripped the sword out and punched T'Challa down, about to kill him for his father when Zuri stopped him, saying he was the reason and to kill him.

"Oh no!" Hill said as everyone realized what was coming.

Erik said he'd kill them both and stabbed him to everyone's horror. He died as T'Challa screamed in agony.

T'Challa closed his eyes as a tear dropped, remembering his good friend.

"I am sorry." Steve said as all looked at him in sympathy.

T'Challa attacked in a rage but was beaten down again as Erik said their king and Black Panther was nothing. He attacked again but Erik lifted him up and carrying him to the waterfall, threw him down as Ramonda, Shuri, Nakia and Okoye all watched in horror and the former screamed.

"Oh God!" Steve said as all watched with dropped jaws.

"How did you beat him then?" Tony asked.

"Throwing me off was a mistake." T'Challa said.

"No body, so there's always a chance." Odinson said and they nodded.

Nakia led Ramonda and Shuri away as a conflicted Okoye watched. Erik said he was king now as one Elder put a necklace around him. Everyone then saluted to him.

"That's not good at all." Bucky said.

"Nope!" Sam said.

"Like Your Highness said, his vision is not good for the world." Logan said.

"No kidding." Bruce agreed.

Later, Nakia and Okoye hugged in a room as the former confirmed Ramonda and Shuri were safe. Nakia wanted Okoye to come with them but she said while her heart was with them, she was loyal to the throne and pointed out Erik was of royal blood and had killed T'Challa in ritual combat, infuriating Nakia.

"She is conflicted." Steve said.

"Many who are under a bad king face such conflicts." Thor said, "Will you remain loyal to the king or do the greater good?"

"Well, I'd just play Jaime Lannister in such a situation." Tony said.

"The choice is never easy." Pepper said.

"No, it is not." T'Challa agreed, holding no ill will towards Okoye, especially since the Dora Milaje had fought against Erik in the end.

Nakia said Okoye was Wakanda's greatest warrior and asked help in overthrowing Erik but she said she wasn't a spy and was loyal to the throne, no matter who sat upon it. Nakia said she'd save her country and walked away.

"What are they going to do now?" Peter asked.

"Something even I didn't expect." T'Challa said.

Nakia walked to Everett and told him T'Challa was dead before tossing him a shawl and asking him to come with her. He wore the shawl and they walked away.

"Now he got involved in the entire mess too. Poor guy." Fury said.

Erik was lying in the red sand as the Heart-Shaped Herb was prepared.

"Now he is undergoing the rituals." Bucky sighed, "Wonder if his father is on the ancestral plane."

Ramonda and Shuri were in the forest as the latter burst into tears, missing T'Chaka and T'Challa. Ramonda heard a sound and drew her dagger but saw it was Nakia with Everett. Nakia said Everett was T'Challa's friend and had saved her life so Ramonda lowered her dagger and was told Okoye and the Dora Milaje would serve the new king of Wakanda, to her and Shuri's shock. Nakia asked them to wait and ran further while Ramonda mused what had happened to Wakanda.

"Lot of bad shit, unfortunately." Sam said.

The Shaman gave Erik the Heart-Shaped Herb to give him the Black Panther's powers and to send him to the ancestral plane as he was buried in the red sand. He closed his eyes, remembering the Wakandan jet flying off. He had run into the apartment, only to see his father dead. He remembered sobbing and cradling his dead body.

Everyone could feel sympathy for Erik right now. Even if what he was doing was wrong, they could understand why he was doing it. And everyone who had lost a parent found themselves relating to Erik there.

The only reason they hadn't fallen like him was because they had a support system, unlike him.

Erik then found himself in front of the same apartment and walked inside, finding a book. He turned the pages to see words written in Xhosa as well as English until he found the ring and wore it. N'Jobu was then on the table, asking him what he had told him about going through his things. Erik was suddenly a little child again.

"I had no idea the ancestral plane could work like that." T'Challa said, shocked at how Erik was in Oakland instead of Africa.

"It works in many ways most people do not know." Odinson said, knowing he'd have to explain to the others that the dimension the Masters of the Mystic Arts tapped into was actually this Astral Plane.

Erik said he'd found N'Jobu's home and N'Jobu said he'd given him the key, hoping he'd find it. Erik showed his gums as N'Jobu said the sunsets there were beautiful but he wouldn't be welcome there as they'd consider him lost, though he was right here. N'Jobu asked if there'd be no tears for him and Erik said everybody died and that was life around them.

"Hardships have made him pretty wise." Odinson said sadly, "If only he was just a little wiser."

"Yes." T'Challa agreed.

And then Erik was an adult again, the king of Wakanda. N'Jobu said he should have taken him back long ago but they were abandoned now. Erik said his home was the one that was lost which is why they couldn't find them.

Everyone could still feel some sympathy for Erik in spite of his actions.

Erik then awoke with gasps and got out of the sand as the Shaman told him to calm down. He was told the Heart-Shaped Herb did all of that so it'd be ready when the time for another king came. He told her to burn it all and when she protested, he lifted her by the throat, telling her he meant it.

"What the hell?" Rhodes asked as everyone watched in shock.

"He doesn't want opposition." Loki told him, "Which is why he's doing that."

Nakia watched from a tunnel in the corner and sneaking towards the garden, took one Heart-Shaped Herb while it was burnt as Erik watched.

"There goes down our old Wakanda." T'Challa said.

Erik then walked into the throne room and sat down, saying black folk never had fire power to fight oppression where he was from.

Sam and Rhodes could understand where he was coming from. But the answer to oppression was never more oppression.

Erik said they'd give Vibranium weapons to the War Dogs who would arm the people against those in power. Everyone would know the truth about them and the world would start over with them on top. The sun would never set on Wakanda. Okoye protested, saying Wakanda had survived by fighting only when necessary.

"Like father used to say." Odinson said and all nodded.

W'Kabi said the world was changing and catching up and soon, they'd be conquerors or conquered. He'd rather be the former. He told the others to get to it.

"He's siding with that guy?" Wanda asked in shock.

"He gave him Klaue. I didn't. Vengeance has consumed him, just like it almost consumed me." T'Challa said.

Nakia, Ramonda, Shuri and Everett walked together as the former said they were taking the Heart-Shaped Herb to Jabariland.

"To the Jabbari?" Steve asked and nods followed.

"They had no other choice." T'Challa said.

Nakia explained the Herb's properties to Everett as Ramonda said they'd create a bigger monster by giving the Herb to M'Baku and she should take it but she was a spy without an army so she'd be no use.

"People can always surprise you." T'Challa said, thinking of M'Baku while the others wondered.

That was when several of the Jabbari arrived. Nakia told Everett to look down and he did as the Jabbari surrounded the four of them.

"Oh boy!" Peter said.

"Damn it!" Sam said.

"This doesn't look good." Rhodes said.

"That's where they were headed anyway." Tony looked at the bright side.

"Now they have to convince them." Steve said.

"It's gonna get pretty complicated now." Logan said, "And then uncomplicated."

Everyone continued watching the recording.