C186(1)

Africa

A man was covered in tiny wounds, his face scratched by thorns and branches, and his suit in tatters. He was running in a panic, with a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. field agents hot on his heels.

After running for so long, the middle-aged man was nearly exhausted. If it weren't for the safe haven just ahead, someone as pampered as him would never have run this far.

No gunshots rang out behind him—his men had likely been either killed or captured.

"It absolutely cannot fall into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands."

This man was a drug lord, and he had drawn S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention by stumbling upon something incredible. But he was also bold—reckless enough to believe he could take on S.H.I.E.L.D. agents without consequences.

When he discovered them snooping around, he didn't hesitate to strike first. The male and female agents who infiltrated his territory died miserable deaths.

That single act, combined with whatever strange object he had obtained, led S.H.I.E.L.D. to respond with overwhelming force—three full teams of Level-6 field agents, plus backup troops, descended on his stronghold. 

They annihilated his entire organization.

But the drug lord himself had managed to escape, and he had already made a deal with someone powerful. 

If he could just make it to safety, he would sell them the object—and in exchange, he'd secure a clean slate and access to his hidden wealth.

"It's all because of those two bastards! Why should I have to turn in what I found? Damn it! More than ten years of building my empire, gone just like that! But as long as I sell it, I can get a new identity… I still have money saved—"

His frantic muttering was cut short when he slammed headfirst into something invisible.

Boom!

Dazed, he stumbled back, blinking as blue energy rippled in the air before him. A massive, shimmering dome of light flickered briefly before fading into invisibility once more.

Had he not just crashed into it, he might never have noticed it at all.

His eyes widened in frantic relief.

"It's here! I made it! Hey! Come and pick me up! I have the item!"

The drug lord pounded against Wakanda's invisible barrier, his voice laced with desperation. But the high-tech forcefield absorbed the impact soundlessly, rendering his cries useless.

"Let me in! Don't you want the damn thing?!"

He slammed his fists against the barrier, throwing nervous glances over his shoulder. If S.H.I.E.L.D. caught up before he was taken in, he was done for.

Wakanda

Inside Wakanda, the female border guard assigned to monitor the invisible barrier watched the scene unfold. Without hesitation, she sent a report to King T'Chaka.

A short while later, T'Chaka arrived at the scene, flanked by the Dora Milaje.

"What's happening, Darcy?" he asked.

The border guard, Darcy, gestured toward the desperate man still pounding on the barrier.

"Your Majesty, this drug lord is behaving strangely. He came straight toward Wakanda, shouting that he has something valuable. That item appears to be why S.H.I.E.L.D. is hunting him."

T'Chaka's expression darkened at the mention of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is after him?" he asked. "Do we know what it is?"

Darcy shook her head.

"Not yet. But S.H.I.E.L.D. has already wiped out his entire operation, which means whatever he's carrying is extremely important to them."

She looked to her king for direction.

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

After thinking for a moment, T'Chaka ordered, "We do not need frequent contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. Have the nearby guards drive this man away."

As the King of Wakanda, T'Chaka had been raised under the nation's strict policy of isolation. Apart from necessary exchanges, Wakanda rarely interacted with other countries or organizations. 

This secrecy was why even Hydra remained ignorant of Wakanda's true nature.

However, something about this situation felt wrong. Wakanda did not appear on radar, and to the rest of the world's satellites, it was nothing more than an empty stretch of African grassland.

So how had this drug lord managed to fly in and land so close—heading directly for Wakanda?

"Find out who has been in contact with this man from the beginning of this ordeal," T'Chaka ordered. Then, without another word, he turned and left with his royal guards.

Outside Wakanda's Barrier

"Damn, dishonest bastards!"

The middle-aged drug lord had been shouting for what felt like forever, but Wakanda's invisible barrier remained unyielding. His frustration slowly turned to dread.

"Don't you want the damn thing?!"

Suddenly—

Hiss!

A two-meter-wide entrance silently opened in the barrier.

From within, two bald, dark-skinned women stepped out, each wielding a long spear. Their presence was imposing, their expressions unreadable.

The drug lord's face lit up with relief.

"Finally! What the hell took you so long? S.H.I.E.L.D. is right behind—"

Before he could finish, one of the women thrust her spear forward, the cold metal pressing against his throat.

Her voice was calm but unwaveringly firm.

"Leave. Now."

The drug lord froze, his confidence evaporating.

"W-What? What are you doing? We had a deal! Don't you want the item?"

"Leave Wakanda. Immediately."

"But—"

Before he could argue further, movement in the distance caught their attention.

….

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