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uzumaki-rebellion · 2 years

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“Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 4, Chapter 39″

Need to catch up? Baybee, a lot has been going on! Masterlist HERE.

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"Done been through it all, man Blood, sweat and tears, niggas is dead and shit What the fuck else can happen, yo? I don't think much more, son, word to mother, yo We done seen it all, and been through it all, yo Let y'all niggas know right now Word to mother, for real, for real That shit is the truth, I'm not lyin'

I put my lifetime in between the paper's lines I'm the quiet storm nigga who fight rhyme P, yeah, you heard of him, but I ain't concerned with them Nigga, I pop more guns than you holdin' them Make my route while the sun's out and scold your men Unload ten in broad daylight, get right…"

Mobb Deep – "Quiet Storm"

Erik had only a couple of hours left before he had to pick up his children. He piddled around his office sipping tea and organizing all of his communication systems, and his computers, He also learned how to properly use his table replication of Wakanda. What he thought was simply a detailed sculpture was actually a piece of high tech that allowed him to use the holograph above it to shift the geography below, changing what he saw. The sculpture was made of a substance that felt like fine-grained sand that melted into various shapes and constructions that he could think of. He spent a good hour playing with it, using the holo computer above it to show him what Wakanda looked like in ancient times. He watched with fascinated wonder how the country transformed itself from a small agricultural mix of farmers, herders, and fishermen with sporadic nomadic traveling to the outskirts of their borders into a powerful dynastic kingdom.

The biggest growth came under the leadership of Queen Shuriyah and Erik became enamored with his ancestor. He loaded up e-books from the royal library onto his portable comm tab to study in-depth his grandmother's reign. There were some recently translated diaries that he wanted to read that was written by a woman servant that worked in the palace for Shuriyah. He wanted to know how his greatest grandmother juggled two husbands and twelve children in one household. How did she balance having two partners and sharing children with them both? If it worked for her and other people in Wakanda, why couldn't he create a new, workable family dynamic?

His kimoyo lit up, a reminder to pick up his kids soon. He looked around the office and stroked his finger on his new favorite toy. Tapping the intercom on his desk, Erik had an idea.

"Tlotliso, can you order up four fat cakes, some fruit, blue juice, and butter cookies from the palace kitchen? I'm bringing my kids here at two," Erik said.

"Yes, Prince N'Jadaka," she said.

Erik spent fifteen minutes watching local news reports. There was a constant reminder that the king would make a special press conference announcement later that evening. He left his inner office.

"I'm going down to see Elder Efetobo," Erik said.

Tlotliso and Mpilo sat huddled together around her desk, creating a spreadsheet schedule for Erik. His docket was full, and he had to gear himself up for his additional responsibilities as part of the Udaku household.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Mpilo asked, eager to join Erik.

"No. Finish coordinating my schedule and I'll be back with my children. Tlotliso, make sure there's nothing small and loose hanging around the desks. My son likes to play with things not nailed down."

Tlotliso stood from her seat and walked over to him with her comm tab. Her long legs gave her a graceful dip in her movement. He had to take a step back from her when she held up her tab. Her body heat seemed way too close to him. Erik didn't mean to look, but the top of her dress was tight around her breasts and he could see braless nipples poking through. She was beyond sexy and knew it.

"I need your codes to allow me access to your public website. Mpilo will begin updating your page in the next hour," she said.

He swiped in his code with his fingerprint, and she lowered her lashes. Her gaze went to his mouth, and he caught the partial sigh that escaped her moist lips. She wasn't subtle at all, but he didn't sense that she was seducing him. It was her nature to be sensual, from the way she moved, spoke, and looked at people.

"I'll be back," he said.

Mpilo's shoulders slumped and his face took on disappointment at not being by Erik's side. Tlotliso typed away on her comm tab, not even fazed by the teenager's sour expression.

"Alright, man, c'mon. You can go with me. Tlotliso—"

"I can handle all the interfacing by myself and plug him in later," she said without looking up from her screen.

Mpilo shook his fists like Riki did when he was thrilled to do something with his father. Outside of the office, Noxolo stood guard.

"Heading to Efetobo's office. I won't need you for that," he said.

Noxolo nodded and resumed her watch. Mpilo moved his legs quickly to match Erik's strides. The ride down the elevator to the Council floor was speedy, and they walked into a busy hallway filled with pages, office assistants, and elite guards. All eyes became glued to him as his presence stirred up quite a buzz of excitement and curiosity. A few people even stuck their heads out of office doorways to see him walk past.

Erik glanced at a directory, then made his way to an office facing south. An elite guard at the entrance nodded at him and they walked into an aromatic-smelling reception room that went back in time with the décor and energy. A young man sat in front of a desk and stood the moment he saw Erik's face.

"Prince N'Jadaka, we were not expecting you," the assistant said with a flustered squeak.

"I did not have an appointment. Is Council Elder Efetobo in? I would like to speak with her in private," Erik said in a forceful, formal tone.

One thing he wanted the Wakandans to know was that he would show up at any time.

"Excuse me, Your Highness. I will let Elder Efetobo know you are here."

The lanky young man rushed away from his desk and into a back office. Mpilo grinned.

"Everyone certainly moves like the wind for you, Prince N'Jadaka."

"I make them nervous because of my past reputation."

"I still get a little nervous," Mpilo admitted, "But your bark is much worse than your bite."

"It is still early," Erik teased.

"Prince N'Jadaka, this way please," the assistant said, extending his arm toward another door.

Erik sauntered into an opulent room filled with antiques, plush rugs, and expensive period artwork on the walls. Unlike his own office, Efetobo sat on a low comfortable stool with a matching low round table that had a tea set on it. Nothing in the room was set up like a modern office at all. He stepped into a Wakanda of the past, and Efetobo channeled the spirit of a holy medicine woman ready to counsel a worried tribesman. Next to her on another low stool was Elder Zinzi with a handle-less glazed blackstone teacup in her hand. Both women lowered their heads to him.

"Please, have a seat, Prince N'Jadaka," Efetobo said, gesturing toward the stool next to her.

She offered him tea, and he accepted. He pointed to a corner for Mpilo to stand in, to be kept out of the way. Efetobo rolled up the long wide sleeves of her heavily brocaded dress to her elbows and lifted the lid to an ancient purple clay teapot. The scent of wild berries and herbs tickled Erik's nose. Instead of pouring the tea from the pot directly, she lifted a small wooden ladle and gently filled a teacup for him with it. She offered it to him with both hands and he accepted it from her. Blowing over it to cool the steam, he took a deep sip and smiled.

"Good," he said.

"Made from fruit and plants in my home garden. A special blend from my great-grandfather's recipe," Efetobo said.

Erik glanced over at Zinzi, and there was a sparkle in her eye for him.

"I came here to speak with you openly about the Phuri," Erik said.

Efetobo's eyes darted over to Zinzi, and the other elder shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Erik tapped his kimoyo and pulled up the image of the tattoo on Chuma Inam's body that he quickly snapped while they were in the war hall.

Zinzi glanced at Mpilo, and the boy had the good sense to keep his eyes on the wall and not their huddled circle.

"Mpilo, you hear nothing and see nothing," Erik commanded.

"Yes, Your Highness," Mpilo said.

"Tell me about these people. You are the oldest member of the council and I can tell by your eyes that your memory and knowledge is long and wide," Erik said.

He placed his hands in a cupped manner and held them up to her. It was a sign of respect and deference for her status, despite him being a prince. Efetobo added more dried berries and herbs to the teapot and poured hot water from another stone container over it. Using the ladle, she stirred the contents before gazing at him with troubled eyes.

"They are not the Wolf Tribe. King T'Challa misspoke, but I did not want to correct him in front of everyone. There may have been spies among us there. It is better for them to think we are confused about who they are. Do you trust that child to be here with us?" Efetobo said.

"I trust him. He speaks anything without my permission and he is a dead child," Erik said.

Mpilo glanced over at him, and Erik tilted his head. His intern looked away with spooked eyes.

"Le ndoda ayidlali," Zinzi said.

"You are right, Elder Zinzi. I do not play when it comes to information I need," Erik said.

He enlarged the floating image and placed it above the table. Efetobo regarded the tattoo and folded her hands across her lap.

"The word Phuri has several meanings to ancient Wakandans. My grandfather was a famous historian. He wrote six volumes on the history of the five tribes. There were various clans within the tribes, but the dominant ones made the pact with the Panther tribe. You know what the Jabari did, but there was a small tribal group known as the Phuri. Their ancient totem was the hyena because it symbolized how they acted as a group," Efetobo said.

"Fiercely matriarchal, and tightly-knitted clans made those people bold and highly intelligent," Zinzi added. "Hyenas are not part of the canine family. They are related to the mongoose."

Efetobo nodded her head. "The ancient ones in Canaan, our neighbors to the west, said that the hyena was the one who brought warmth from the sun to the other animals. Some say witches used the animal to ride on and make mischief. We knew them as the clever ones. The hunters who were braver and stronger than a lion."

She pointed to the glowing tattoo on the dead man's skin.

"There was once a Golden Wolf Tribe, but infighting and wars cut down their numbers and the Phuri absorbed them. People today and back then confused the Wolf Tribe with the Hyena clans, just as they confused the hyena as being a dog. The word Phuri means secret in the old mother tongue of the ancients. That lineage was known as the Secret Ones from Lake Kivu, beyond the Warrior Falls. They were against the Udakus from the beginning of our recorded history. We banished them once they became brutal and launched attacks against various tribes trying to enforce their will on the rest of us. Over the centuries, they became a ghost clan, forgotten people… a mere myth we told our children to scare them from wandering into the forests alone. The ghost clan became a secret cult, vowing to return everyone to the ways of the mother. No monarchy. No more Udakus."

"Secret, huh?" Erik said.

"Anytime you see this animal symbol, Prince N'Jadaka, beware. It marks your death," Efetobo said.

"How can I find them? I don't have time to read a bunch of history books, Elder Efetobo, and T'Challa does not want me directly involved with hunting them down."

"I know where you can look," Mpilo said.

All three grown adults turned to look at the interruptive teenager. Mpilo held his head down but faced their direction.

"This child does not follow instructions," Zinzi said before chuckling with Efetobo.

"Come here," Erik said.

Mpilo came to his side and pointed to the tattoo.

"I know where that design comes from. There is an artist in old town who made that style popular. All the young people in my neighborhood love his work. My brother had a small rhino tattoo put on his bicep that looks like that style and color. No one else draws like that except for him," Mpilo said.

Erik held his hands cupped for Efetobo and Zinzi.

"Thank you for your time, Elders," Erik said.

He stood.

"Prince N'Jadaka, you must be very careful and move with cunning," Efetobo said.

Zinzi stood up and placed a hand on his arm.

"You should have Mpilo give the location of the tattoo parlor to King T'Challa and let him look for clues," Zinzi said, "You do not know the country well, and as Efetobo said, there may be spies all over from that cult lying in wait. Do not offer your body for easy killing."

"I have Mpilo, and I can cover up and blend in while keeping my mouth shut. I would rather check the place for myself first before I tell T'Challa."

"Too dangerous," Efetobo said.

"I promise, a casual once over, and then I'll pass the info on to the king."

"Can you not do both?" Mpilo asked.

"Can you mind your mouth when grown folks are talking?" Erik quipped.

"But I gave you a lead."

Mpilo jammed his lips together when Erik glared at him.

"I take my leave," Erik said. He left the room with Mpilo on his heels.

"I am sorry, Prince N'Jadaka. I will mind my mouth from now on."

Erik turned to him.

"I appreciate the information, Mpilo. But with Council Elders, you must only speak when spoken to. Plus, I would've rather had you tell me this when we were alone to keep the king out of it. As of now, they'll probably snitch to T'Challa and he'll go in there all gangbusters to reassure the public and scare off more leads. I have to move covertly for this."

"Sorry."

"I know you meant to be helpful, but I really need you to follow my lead and not blurt out stuff. We need to keep this close to the vest."

"Close to the vest?"

"Kept to ourselves."

Erik glanced at his kimoyo.

"Let's go get my kids."

They marched past offices and more stares.

"Oh, shit," Erik mumbled.

Up ahead, and walking with hard determination in their direction, was Nakia. She paused twenty feet in front of him. There was no avoiding her once she noticed his purposeful strides. Her fists clenched, and she raised her head higher before approaching him with caution.

"Prince N'Jadaka," she said with a voice that sounded like she wanted to spit in his face.

"Nakia. No sense in using phony pleasantries. You're back, huh?"

"Here to help my king."

"I'll get out of your way then," he said.

Erik stepped to the side, but she placed herself back in front of him.

"I wish you were still dead," she said.

He grinned with a sardonic twist to his lips.

"I'm sure you're not alone with that sentiment."

"Now that you are back, I hope we shall never have to cross paths in a negative way because I will kill you. With or without T'Challa's permission."

Two elite guards stepped toward them. Nakia's body language projected the potential for violence.

"I don't have time to indulge in this little chat. I have three children waiting for me. Two of which are heirs to the throne. Unless you want to get arrested, I suggest you fall back."

"Tuh," she uttered under her breath.

She noticed the guards getting antsy.

"You think that because you returned to the bosom of your grandparents' and your children's lives that we are all supposed to forget what you did to us? Bygones are bygones? Watch your back, Prince N'Jadaka," she warned.

"Watch yours," he said, stomping past her.

Mpilo jogged to keep up with him.

"That was not pleasant," Mpilo said.

"I don't have time to worry about an old enemy's feelings about getting her ass kicked by me."

Mpilo looked stressed, but Erik kept moving.

"What do you all think?"

Erik stood behind his children as they took in his reception area. Sydette walked around the perimeter with her hands behind her back. Riki had already discovered Tlotliso's desk and took delight in touching the personal assistant's embedded vid screen. Joba stayed by his side and looked around with curious eyes.

"I like it," Sydette finally said, showing him a dimpled smile.

Tlotliso and Mpilo stood to the side of the hallway entrance and waited to be introduced.

"This is Lady Sydette, Princess Joba, and Prince Riki," Erik said.

"Hello," Tlotliso said.

"How are you?" Mpilo asked.

Joba tugged on Erik's arm.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Joba said.

"Let's eat," Erik said, ushering the little ones to the commons room where Tlotliso had set up their after-school snack.

Fat cakes were always a hit with his kids, and they sat around the oval table smacking their lips with the stuffed sandwiches, and Erik listened to them talk about their school lessons. Riki was extra hyper, and not being able to play outdoors with other children made him fidget in his seat. Erik told them about all the tasks he had to do earlier that day, and then he took them into his office. Their only interest after that was the tabletop version of Wakanda and they spent the rest of their time there playing with the ability to change how the country looked. He gave them time by themselves to play with the landscape as he checked in with his small staff. Mpilo was full of cheesy grins.

"You are an excellent father, Prince N'Jadaka. My Baba would've left me by myself the moment I walked into the room. But you talk with them for a long time. They have so many questions. Your patience is admirable," Mpilo said.

"I missed out on so much of their lives. Every second with them is special to me," he said.

Tlotliso held up her comm tab.

"You are all set to use your office system in every room," she said.

"Thanks for handling all that," Erik said.

Her gaze lingered on him a little too long.

"Is your desk okay?" he asked, directing her attention to something else besides his face.

She grinned.

"Prince Riki was a little gentleman. He asked to touch things before picking them up."

Erik smiled. His son dashed into the room and jumped into his arms.

"Your office is cool, Baba! Can we swim in your pool?"

"I don't have a pool… oh, the bathtub. We don't have swimsuits."

Riki frowned.

"We can swim naked like we do back home," Riki said.

"Another time," Erik said.

Riki jumped down from his grasp and ran back into his office to play with the girls again.

"You have well-behaved children. They love you very much," Tlotliso said.

"They are a blessing."

"Do you want more children one day?"

Erik exhaled and thought about the question. He hadn't considered that at all since waking up.

"Yeah, I do want more—"

"Baba, we wahn see Joba's garden now. Can we leave?" Sydette said.

Her siblings followed behind her, and three sets of little eyes willed him to take them away.

"I'm done for the day. Take messages, schedule me for light duty tomorrow, and you and Mpilo can bounce in the next hour."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Tlotliso said.

Tlotliso stayed focused on him and Erik grabbed Sydette and Joba's hands. He knelt down so Riki could climb onto his back. Mpilo darted out from the inner hall.

"Prince N'Jadaka, the shop?" Mpilo said.

"Later," Erik said.

Mpilo covered his mouth with one hand after realizing he was saying too much in mixed company again.

He walked out with his children and headed for their evening garden check-up.

"Prince N'Jadaka."

Tlotliso stood in his doorway. He turned toward her with his kids all around him.

"It has been a great honor to open this office with you. I hope I can please you in the future," she said.

The words sounded innocent. Her eyes were another story all together. It wasn't flirting. He was the king at spotting that with women. Tlotliso was different. There was nothing overtly heavy-handed, even if the wording was suggestive. She was an attractive woman, and he wasn't about to become the cliché boss that lusted after his assistant. He just couldn't get a good take on her. Efficient, quiet, and productive without supervision, the woman checked off all the good boxes for staff. Erik knew how to conduct himself professionally, but she gave off vibes that she wanted something. Nothing sexual… but something. Prestige? Advancement? She yearned for something. His gut told him so. His daughter Joba didn't act strange, but she hadn't been around the woman long enough to ring any alarms for her father.

"A'ight cool. See you tomorrow," he said.

He herded his brood to the elevator. He'd have dinner with them, see them off to bed, and then head out to the tattoo parlor before T'Challa interfered.

Joba like to see her fairy garden lights come on before it got dark and it allowed the children to stretch their legs outside in cool air with him. He enjoyed the moments with his children when it was just the four of them exploring the royal garden. They talked together and admired the pretty lights all around Joba's growing creation. Her fairy garden was nearing a quarter of an acre, and she had barely used up the space with her designs. They all played with the ceramic figurines and listened to the call of garden birds bedding down for the evening. A thrilling game of sardines commenced, and Erik ran around searching for his children, hiding from him. Riki ruined their secret hiding spot when he couldn't stop giggling whenever Erik walked past a berry bush. Sydette jumped from behind the plant and put her hands on her hips.

"I want to play regular Hide and Seek, Baba! Riki makes it hard to hide together," Sydette complained.

Peals of laughter spilled out of Riki. The boy couldn't help himself. Keeping quiet and hidden was too difficult a task for an extroverted prince.

"One more game, and this time, you all have to hide separately," Erik said.

His daughters cheered and ran off to hide when he turned his back on them. Riki slipped his hand inside his.

"Mi find them with you, Baba," Riki said.

"Okay."

He wandered around the royal garden, holding Riki's hand as they searched for his siblings. His kimoyo lit up. Erik tapped a bead and a picture of a building popped up. Mpilo left a brief text message. Riki gave a loud sigh.

"Baba, you're always working. We're 'spose to have our time with you now," Riki grumbled.

A chill ran up Erik's back. He looked down at his son and saw himself… even heard himself from the boy's mouth. Those same exact words were used by him when he was five and he complained to his Baba N'Jobu about being focused on other things, except for Erik when he was home. He stared at his own miniature doppelgänger and squeezed his son's hand. For months, he worried that his children would have a hard time truly bonding with him. He was a strange giant man thrust into their lives. However, his fears were unfounded. Yani and Disa made sure their children knew who he was daily from the time of their birth. They played videos, looked at pictures all the time, prayed for his soul at night, and the transition into being a flesh and blood father was seamless. Riki, Joba, and Sydette's love was unconditional and forgiving of his absence. They gave him love with their whole hearts and only asked that he be with them as much as possible.

"I apologize, Lil Man. You right. Baba is supposed to be here with you."

"Gwine now," Riki said, waving his other hand at Erik's kimoyo, "finish your business. Mi wait."

Riki sucked his teeth, and Erik lifted him in the air and swung him around.

"I'm here for you, boy!" Erik shouted.

Riki giggled and threw his head back as Erik began tickling him. They found Sydette and Joba behind two intertwined trees that looked like giant emerald lucky bamboo plants from China. The girls had stuffed themselves inside the hollow parts of the bark.

"Time to get ready for dinner," Erik said.

"No, let's stay out here longer!" Sydette said.

She grabbed his fingers and pulled him back toward the interior of the garden.

"Tomorrow we'll be back," Erik said.

Joba rode his back on the way to the palace, and Sydette hugged his waist from behind and walked with her face pressed into his lower back. Riki skipped in front of him, stopping occasionally to stick his nose in a flower or pick up a bug. Erik wanted more days with them like that. They were all quiet, heading back. Only the sound of cicadas in the trees serenaded their slow, meandering stroll.

Their Doras met them at the palace entry from the garden. A young man with suggestive almond-shaped eyes and a friendly smile stood with them, wearing a crisp green palace uniform of drop-crotch pants and a gauzy tunic. He held a serving tray with three glasses of soft drinks and one smaller glass filled with plum liquor.

"Prince N'Jadaka, I am Ramatla… Remy… Lady Galiber sent me to retrieve the children," Remy said.

"Who are you exactly?" Erik asked.

Remy lowered the tray, and the children took their refreshing drinks and sipped. Erik lifted the liquor and kept his eyes on the server.

"I am the new nanny, Your Highness," Remy said. "Lady Galiber sent me down so that you could meet me and I could take the children to give you time to prepare for dinner and rest a bit."

"Nanny?"

"Yes. I was hired a few days ago."

"He's good, Baba," Sydette said.

"What happened to the other nanny?" Erik asked.

"I do not know," Remy said.

Riki held up his hand, and Remy gave him a high five. Erik looked him over. He was almost as tall as Erik, well-built, with smooth caramel skin and full lips. Not as full as Erik's, but he knew women probably went crazy for Remy's looks. He drank his liquor and side-eyed the nanny. There were too many new people around the palace. How he missed the new nanny was something he would talk to Yani and Disa about. He wanted a say in who was around his kids.

"I'll take them up myself," Erik said.

Remy lowered his head and stepped aside to let Erik walk through with the children.

Erik took his time dressing and watched the news on his bedroom vid screen. T'Challa addressed the nation and revealed the name of the bomber. The king was calm and impressed the prince with his open candor. The speech lasted ten minutes and T'Challa stepped away from the podium to allow the head of his nation's security team to speak to their citizens about giving tips on anything they found suspicious where they were.

During dinner, Erik stewed in his seat, ready to raise his issues with new staff hires, but he waited until they dismissed his babies with Twyla. It surprised him when there was no mention of Nakia, but he figured T'Challa learned of his encounter with her. When the family settled into discussing T'Challa's speech, Erik cleared his throat.

"I appreciate everyone helping me ease back into life here, but I want to make it known from here on out that I want to be a part of any new hires. From my office to my children. It makes me uncomfortable seeing people around me that I had no say in picking."

Ramonda glanced at Umama and then T'Challa.

"Everyone has been thoroughly vetted, so you do not have to have concerns," T'Challa said.

"That's not the point. People are being thrust onto me and in my personal spaces."

T'Challa sipped a glass of wine.

"Your concerns are noted. I will make sure you are part of the vetting process in the future."

"Thank you."

Erik cast a look over at Yani.

"I told you we were getting a new nanny last month," Yani said.

Her eyes became surly, and she puckered her lips at being accused of ambushing him.

"What happened to the other one?" he asked.

"She took leave for two months to have surgery on her leg," Disa said.

Erik regarded Disa, and she studied him right back.

"I couldn't be brought in to help choose?"

"You were busy with Shuri in the lab. We didn't think it would be a big deal for the short time. You never paid attention to the old one, anyway," Disa said.

"He's only grumblin' now because Remy is a man," Yani teased.

Ramonda and Umama chuckled.

"N'Jadaka, do you not like your new staff? We can change them if that would please you. We are doing our best to make life less stressful for you," Ramonda said.

Umama broke a piece of her dessert crust and tasted it. Her fingers smoothed the tablecloth near her plate. He didn't want to upset her with his foul mood about the situation.

"I don't want to be left out on important things… that's all," he said, glancing between Yani and Disa.

"I will remind you a few times if anything like this comes up again for the household," Yani said.

The family moved into a pleasant tearoom for coffee and after dinner mingling. Baba Z and T'Challa conversed on royal duties to the country, and the women, all except Shuri, talked about the new nanny and the children possibly returning to school the following week.

"I bet you are ready to get back to the probe like I am," Shuri said.

His younger cousin slid up to him, holding a small coffee cup and a thin, sweet biscuit.

"I am. How are Fury and the others?" Erik asked.

"T'Challa has them on a short lease. For Fury, this is a vacation. The two colonizers, not so much."

"They don't enjoy being subordinates. Taking a backseat is killing them."

"T'Challa is meeting with them tomorrow. Can you come to work with me in the morning? We can be by ourselves until my brother brings them over."

"I can do that," Erik said.

Shuri moved him closer to a card table that held the coffee and biscuit sweets on the side.

"I heard you ran into Nakia," Shuri whispered.

"Yeah. She's not pleased to have me here. Threatened to kill me if I acted up."

"Did she?" Shuri's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "I didn't think she would come at you like that so soon."

"How is your brother handling her return?"

"He is trying to be professional, but there is so much history between them. N'Jadaka, please do not antagonize Nakia."

"I'm not even thinking about that woman. I got more important things to deal with."

Disa approached him.

"Thanks for hanging on to Ogum for me. It was hella cool to get him back. He's right on my desk," Erik said.

Erik rubbed the side of her arm and she grinned with satisfaction. Yani came over and he made room for her as Shuri left his side to speak to her mother.

"I'm happy he is back in your hands. May he guide you well, Your Highness," Disa said, doing an over-exaggerated bow.

"Girl, stop," he said.

He looked at Yani.

"Listen, I didn't mean to sound snappy at dinner. I was caught off guard with ole boy. Sometimes I do ignore the domestic stuff and I probably forgot you all telling me about the switch."

He touched Yani's cheek, then stroked her dangling hoop earring.

"You were great today. I meant what I said in my message," he said.

Yani nodded and lingered closer to him.

"It was a sweet surprise," she said.

"Have you met his new personal assistant yet?" Disa asked.

Yani shook her head.

"I haven't had time to go over to that side of the palace yet. I've been so busy."

"She is a definite character," Disa said. She smirked at Erik.

"Why you say that?'" Erik asked.

Disa turned to Yani.

"Cool as a cucumber. She acted like she didn't want to let me in at first. Acting like an office wife already. Check her out when you can," Disa said.

Yani looked at Erik, then put a hand on her hip.

"Look at his face. She must be pretty because his lips are bunching up," Yani said.

"She's gorgeous," Disa said.

Yani folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh, so we can't have man candy to look at, but you get to enjoy a pretty woman?"

"Always a double standard," Disa quipped.

"I didn't pick her. Ramonda did," Erik said.

"He has us there, Yani. We chose Remy ourselves."

Erik tilted his head and thrust it toward Yani.

"Now there," Erik said.

Yani placed her hand in front of his face.

"Whatever, man. Point is, he's only here temporarily, and he's good at his job."

Erik made fun of her sing-song voice. "He's good at his job…"

"Stop teasing me!" Yani screeched, slapping his arm.

His kimoyo lit up.

"I'm going to bed early. Long day. Have your mutual man candy drop the kids off at my office after their lessons," he said.

He turned to the rest of the family.

"Night," he said, giving a wave.

"Aw! I wanted you to be my partner for the card game we're going to play. I'll be stuck with Baba Z if you go now," Shuri groaned. She sat at the card table shuffling a deck.

"Sorry," he said.

Yani and Disa looked at him with soft eyes. He so wanted to kiss them both goodbye. It felt like the most natural thing to do with the both of them. Erik turned away and felt their stares on his back. He didn't enjoy holding in his affection from both of them whenever they were all together. The urge to smother them with kisses with his arms around them both was hard to keep inside. He needed to do a better job of communicating with them both about the kids. They had great schedules for sharing parental responsibilities, but the little details he needed to work on paying attention to. It still bothered him with the new nanny. Being a man had a lot to do with it. There was something about a man being around his family intimately, most of which were women and girls, that unsettled him. Something about the way he looked bugged the hell out of him, too.

He was too good-looking. Maybe Yani and Disa chose him on purpose to poke at Erik. Having some man candy around probably delighted the rest of the staff, too. He grit his teeth. Remy probably felt like he was living it up with two fine women bosses. Erik groaned. What he would give to crawl into Yani or Disa's bed just to be coddled at the end of a grueling day. A nigga had needs. Bad. Not just for sex. He missed the intimacy he had with them both. If he had his way, they'd both be waiting for him in his bed and he'd just lay there. Between them. Yani could stroke his scalp and Disa could rub on his shoulders.

Settling into his quarters, Erik quickly changed into darker clothing and wrapped a scarf around his face in the street style of the younger Wakandan crowd. He slipped out of his home. His evening Dora greeted him.

"Heading to my office to do some work. I'll be back later," he said.

The night shift Dora took in his appearance, and he ignored her curious stare. Erik took assured steps as if he were staying in the palace for the night. He crossed over the palace bridge and once he stepped into the West Palace, he made stealth moves out of a staff door that led him down steps into a corridor. Waiting for other staff who didn't reside in the palace to leave, he blended in with a group headed out of the grounds.

Free from the protective walls, Erik waited for Mpilo to show up. His intern was right on time with a modified hover bike and eye goggles. T'Challa finally lifted restrictions on their use.

"Hop on," Mpilo said.

Erik climbed onto the back of it, and it was like riding his old motorcycle. He gripped Mpilo's waist, but there was no need to. The bike had gravity belts that held him in place. They floated above the standard land vehicles and Mpilo eased their flying vehicle into a comfortable speed.

"Old Town is close to here. It gets lively and will be busy tonight because people are free to move around without curfew."

Mpilo zipped past other bikes and carefully lowered them to a parking structure. They hopped off the bike and Erik followed the youngster into a well-lit area that still had the red clay earth of the ancient Wakandan city beneath their feet. Unlike most of Wakanda that was designed for modern times, they preserved Old Town Zana to keep the antiquated past alive. Shops, clubs, eateries, and bars lined up the streets as a busy subway system traveled above them and around the entire area. An old-time trolley rumbled on the ground, fueled with vibranium. The word "Old" may have been in the area's name, but the inhabitants, vendors, and club-goers were all youthful and out for a good time despite the attack fears.

"It is around this way," Mpilo said.

Erik chose well with his clothing. He didn't stand out at all.

"There," Mpilo said.

The tattoo parlor his intern shared a picture of earlier was a popular spot. They walked inside and pretended to look over sketches all over the walls. Erik kept silent and allowed Mpilo to do all the talking when needed.

"See?" Mpilo whispered, pointing to several tattoo designs that matched the style of the Phuri hyena symbol. There were no hyenas on the wall, though. Just an elephant, a rhino, a lion, and a bird with its long neck bent backward and its wings taking off in flight.

"That's him," Mpilo said.

There were three working tattoo artists in the shop. The one Erik wanted to see inked a young woman's naked back. Nearly done with his customer, the bulky artist colored in a small yellow sun on a honey-brown shoulder.

"I'll be with you in a minute," the man said.

Erik took a seat next to Mpilo and waited. Twenty minutes dragged out until the artist approached them.

"What can I help you with? Do you need to look at some of our catalogs for ideas?"

"I like the rhino and elephant tattoos. The blue ones over there," Mpilo said.

"Everyone likes those. I made them myself."

"I am Tazi. This is my brother. He dared me to get one."

Erik shrugged and pretended to watch another artist work on a client.

"I am Langa. One should think wisely about getting marked. A dare is not a good reason to ink yourself, young brother."

"I like how they look. Especially the ones you made over there."

"I think you should contemplate long and hard about getting one. I shall be here when you are serious," Langa said.

Mpilo looked at Erik with panic in his eyes.

"I really want to get one. I like animals and the rhino is my favorite."

"Mine too," Langa said.

"What made you come up with that style?" Mpilo pressed.

Langa glanced over at the artwork. There were no other customers who needed his attention.

"I learned it from an old man. No one does that technique anymore. I was lucky to meet him a couple of years ago before he retired to the edge of the Border lands. He may be dead now. He did not look well when he passed down his skill to me."

"Well, at least he taught you how to preserve the beauty of his art."

"That is true."

"What was his name?" Mpilo asked.

Erik held his breath. There was nothing he could do because with one word out of his mouth, everyone there would know he wasn't from there. Mpilo only knew how to be direct. The skills of teasing out information without suspicion were Erik's forte.

"You are asking a lot of questions," Langa said.

The man's eyes narrowed, and he leaned over the counter, watching the two of them carefully.

"You said that tattoos are a serious undertaking. If I am to have one with meaning to me, I want to know the history of the artistry behind it."

Langa considered this.

"He called himself Ozipho. That is all he told me. Grouchy man. Gifted, but very grouchy. He lived in a smelly little hut near a shake club. All I did was to pay him with liquor at that club so he could look at naked women, and he showed me how to make good money with his art."

Langa laughed at the memory.

Erik lifted himself from the seat and pretended to answer a kimoyo call outside. Mpilo joined him a moment later.

"Was that good?" Mpilo asked.

"Not too bad for a beginner."

"He was so suspicious."

"I would be too if strangers walked in chatting me up about something so specific."

Erik looked around.

"Let me borrow your hover bike," Erik said.

"Why? I can drive you anywhere."

"I have to travel far, and it's not for you to be involved with at this point."

"This is national security. I am helping you solve a serious crime."

"You are a kid. I got this," Erik insisted.

"You do not know the country. I have been to the Border lands many times with my family. Let me help you find this Ozipho man. It will look strange to have you wandering around there alone. We can pretend to be father and son on vacation. Less suspicious."

"Doesn't your family need you to be home now?"

"They will think I am doing extra work in the palace late. Nothing to worry about."

A guide would be better than him relying on his kimoyo and lurking in the dark shadows like an obvious creep or mark. A street vendor walked by. Erik grabbed a colorful scarf and paid for it with his kimoyo.

"We should at least look alike with our fits," Erik said.

"Yes!" Mpilo said.

"I'm driving the hoverbike there," Erik said.

"Whatever you say, Baba!" Mpilo said, then he started laughing, making Erik grin at his high-pitched cackles.

Mpilo draped the scarf around his face, and even with his mouth and nose covered, the excitement in the boy's eyes showed a readiness for adventure.

"Let's go," Erik said, leading the way back to the hoverbike.

Chapter 40 HERE.

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#Black Boys Bloom Thorns First Volume 4 #Wet Sugar 2 #Killmonger Fanfiction #Erik Killmonger #killmonger x black reader #Black Panther Fanfiction #Marvel Fanfiction #t'challa #Shuri #Nakia #Wakanda #wakanda forever

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starcrossedxwriter · 4 months

Text

Unbreakable Part 4 (Erik Killmonger x OC)

A/N: So... we're getting into the thick of the plot here! So a lot happens in this chapter - maybe too much LOL but two parts were holdovers from chapter 3 that weren't quite ready lol so this chapter ended up jam-packed. Enjoy!

***

“You know we have staff to do that?” Nakia asked while she nursed Wakanda’s new princess and Naja moved at lightning speed folding all her clothes and straightening up her nursery.

Naja merely smiled and waved off her sister’s statement. “Yes I know. But the staff could use a break every once in a while. Besides laundry and organizing are the few domestic tasks mama taught us that I actually enjoy. How does such a tiny human make so many dirty clothes? She already has more clothes in this closet than I do.”

Nakia merely shook her head and laughed. “We have to change her outfit no less than 5 times each day. And she’ll outgrow 90% of that closet by the time you leave in a month.”

Naja’s shoulders sagged a bit as she realized she only had about four weeks left in Wakanda. She had been so disgruntled about coming and now she did not want to leave. She knew she had to, there was much work waiting for her in Niganda and she missed her life there. But for the first time in a long time, she wondered whether she would miss what she was leaving in Wakanda more. Particularly her sister, her niece and her nephew. The Queen of Wakanda was incredibly busy with the new baby and her regular duties but she and Naja still made time for sister bonding, even if it was merely fawning over the baby together.

“Who knows how big she’ll be when I am able to return again. Those five years with TJ went by so fast.”

“Yes, this time will be very different though. Thank Bast,” Nakia whispered. Naja abandoned her task and squeezed her sister’s hand.

“Yes, it will.” Naja pressed a soft kiss to the baby’s head before returning to her task.

“You ever think about having one of these one day?”

Naja was thankful her back was turned to Nakia as that question hit her ears. Her eyes clenched shut for a moment as if she could block out the avalanche of emotions that started barreling down at her at the question. She had to force her fingers to loosen around the baby onesie she was holding, her tight grip wrinking the pristine fabric. However, she did not let it show beyond that as she quickly schooled her expression into one of pained laughter.

“Nope,” she asserted with a tone that made it seem like the suggestion was laughable to her. “Don’t think years of murdering people make you the mothering type. Hardly a nurturer.”

“I disagree. You were amazing with TJ during his first 5 years. You were always the more nurturing of the two of us.”

“Even if that were true, it would require me to be attached to a man for more than a night.” She winked at Nakia who merely rolled her eyes with a chuckle, always amused by her sister’s flippant attitude about sex. “And there is not a single man on this continent or Earth I am interested in saddling myself with for a lifetime.” She ignored the vision of a certain prince that popped into her head.

“There’s not a single man whose company you enjoy in Niganda?”

She scoffed. “There’s barely a man who can give me an orgasm to enjoy on a regular basis. I certainly don’t enjoy their company. They are merely a necessary means to an end.” She chose to leave out the part where many of her late night callers were men she wanted information out of for the rebellion… her sister hardly needed to know that part.

“You can’t run from love forever, sister.”

Naja rolled her eyes. Here we fucking go… A lecture.

“I’m not running from it. I’ve actively decided I don’t want it. I love this life for you, Nakia. But I… I want something different.”

Naja knew Nakia was not foolish enough to actually believe that lie. Naja had always been the one who wanted what Nakia now had, not being Queen, but to settle down and build a family once she had the adventures she and Erik discussed. While Nakia had yearned for the life Naja now had but had fallen in love with the King, which came with responsibilities she could not ignore.

Sometimes those plans haunted her as vivid nightmares of the future she and Erik planned together when they retired from their posts as War Dogs and returned to Wakanda to serve T’Challa and Nakia as advisors and raise a family together. Fifteen years later and she could still see that future clear as day, only now it mocked her for ever believing it could be a reality, for putting so much stock into childhood fairytales and fantasies that could never happen.

“Love can fit into your lifestyle, Naja. You can have the life you want and make room for love.”

“The only people I love are in this palace right now. You, your children, T’Challa, Shuri. And our parents… most the time,” she muttered under her breath. “That’s all I need.”

“I understand. I just don’t want what happened with N’Jadaka to close you off from love forever.”

“It has nothing to do with him!” Another lie. “Not every decision I make in this life has to do with what he did.” Another lie. She despised just how much of the person she fashioned herself into was because of Erik. But there were some hurts… some wounds she simply could not let go. And no one on this planet, even Nakia, knew how deeply Erik had cut her. Everyone knew he abandoned her and broke off their engagement but their last conversation? That nail in the coffin of their love and friendship? Naja had never breathed those words aloud to another soul. Every time she tried, it felt like the poorly constructed stitches holding it together ripped open and pain flowed as if he had just hurled those words at her.

“I am not saying it does. I had just hoped… since you have clearly forgiven him and you are becoming friends again, perhaps it had softened some of this. I know a future with him is not possible but that doesn’t mean getting to a better place with him will not open doors for others.”

Naja paused but this time for some introspection as she tried to find the words to describe her increasingly complex relationship with a certain prince. She had two hearts where Erik was concerned and she had no idea which one would win out each day. One was held together by duck tape, still shattered and reeling from his actions. While the other, the heart that she tried her best to ignore, yearned for him as she did air to breathe and sustenance to survive. For that heart, he was as critical to her survival as the blood it pumped through her veins. And the control over her actions and her brain ebbed and flowed between the two, toggling back and forth in ways that made her increasingly frustrated.

She wanted to hate him, her hate for him was fuel and she was not ready to let it go. Today or ever. Once those feelings were the most clear and easy aspects of her life. And now? They were murky and she found herself wanting to forgive him so she could experience the once-in-a-lifetime love he offered her again. Since he held her the other night, she could not shake the feeling it left her with, the reality of how much she had gone without in the last 15 years. But she could not pretend that the mere idea of giving into that made her feel ashamed of herself. How could she forgive him so easily? He had not even really worked for it yet. She had to make him work for it, she could not let go that easy. She would hold to the tether of her rage and pain until it broke. Because he did not deserve easy this time.

“I haven’t forgiven him… not yet anyway and I wouldn’t use the words friends. And whatever we are was not intended, believe me. I planned to go to my grave hating Prince N’Jadaka. I still might. But he’s… I don’t know. Every bit the same as I remember and completely different too. And he sees me? In a way no one else really does. So I am willing to give him a chance to earn my forgiveness, prove he’s changed. We are going out together on Friday.” She glanced over her shoulder expecting to see an excited look on her sister’s face. Instead, she saw an expression she could not read fully. Partially shock but under the surface, Naja could not help but wonder if she saw a hint of anger. Of course, Nakia was able to school her face to throw on a fake smile but Naja noticed it too fast. “What’s that look?? You think I’m completely stupid, don’t you??”

Nakia cleared her throat and shook her head. “No, no. You’re far from stupid. I just… Just be careful, Naja.”

Naja scoffed. “I’m surprised you aren’t jumping for joy. Am I to believe the ulterior motive of this whole visit was not to get us back together? Was your husband alone in those intentions? It’s not gonna happen, I don’t want that,” Not really, she added silently in her head. “I just… there’s a part of me that has to know if he really has changed? And I lost a bet,” she admitted.

“T’Challa and I merely want you and N’Jadaka both to be happy. And be able to coexist for the sake of this family. And perhaps that is best done apart. I just don’t want to see you hurt again. There are things you don’t know about him a-”

“I’ll never be hurt like that again,” Naja answered sharply, cutting her sister off. She became immediately frustrated by the insinuation that she was anything like the 17 year old girl Nakia and T’Challa had to nurse back to health like a broken bird. As if Erik or anyone could break her again. She was stronger, she was different. “I know everything I need to know about who Erik is now. We’ll never be more than friends.”

Nakia fell silent and merely nodded, though Naja could tell there was more she wanted to say. “You’re right, you’re right. Sometimes I just get overprotective.”

Naja immediately felt bad for biting her head off. This was Nakia’s job as her older sister. But Naja already felt rubbed raw by N’Jadaka’s clear advances and effort. Old woulds were open and now her own sister was questioning whether she was strong enough to withstand the inferno that was Erik once again. If Nakia could not see how much she had changed, had she really at all?

“I know and I appreciate it. But I don’t need you or anyone else to protect me anymore. I’ll be ok. I promise.”

***

Naja barely laid her head down to attempt to sleep when she got a call on her kimoyo beads. She glanced down, surprised to find a voice message from N’Jadaka.

“Meet me outside. Bring your notes and journals. Got somethin’ to show you.”

Naja could not help but stare at her beads in confusion. She had seen Erik several times throughout the day and he had not mentioned wanting to see her tonight or that he had anything to show her.

Despite all of her questions and annoyances about having to leave the palace so late, she still forced herself out of bed and back into the first set of acceptable clothes she could find. Since she worked late nights at the bar and often did her recon and other illegal activities in the dead of night, all of her clothes were designed for stealth and to hide weapons. It was all the clothes she had so even tonight, when there was no stealthing or defending to do, her light black jacket was still home to four well hidden knives and her soft black leggings held spots for two guns, which she chose to leave at home. She stuffed all of her notes and journal into a small backpack.

She slid on her soundless shoes and out of her room with a mere nod to the Dora assigned to her room. She walked through the palace and out to the landing pad, Erik arrogantly leaning against the Royal Talon.

“That was quick. When I didn’t get some smart ass response, I assumed you didn’t get it.”

“It’s not too late if you need a dose of smart ass. I always have a few in my back pocket for you.”

Erik surveyed her body, taking in her perfect curves and toned ass in her leggings. He licked his lips and winked at her. “What else you got back there for me?”

Naja stopped in front of him and smiled sweetly. “A gun… though I’d prefer a knife. But trust me, you wouldn’t.”

“How you know knife play ain’t a kink of mine, baby girl?”

Naja almost choked before she recovered with a shake of her head as Erik burst into laughter. “You’re my least favorite person on this continent, you know that right?”

“Don’t believe that for a second. Come on,” he gestured toward the Talon as the ramp opened for them to climb on.

“Does our King know we are stealing his plane?”

Erik merely shrugged as he slid into the driver's seat. “More or less. Not my first time takin’ it out for a little ride. But don’t worry, we’re just going to Shuri’s lab. So we won’t be far.”

“What’s at Shuri’s lab?” Not that she did not mind going to Shuri’s lab, she enjoyed learning from the Princess and getting to try out new gadgets before anyone else. However, she did not understand why he wanted to go there with her or what he would have to show her.

“You’ll see.”

Naja rolled her eyes before sliding into one of the seats. The short plane ride was virtually silent though the tension between them, in such a small space, was palpable. Things had somehow both become more difficult and more effortless between theme since he spent the night two days prior. The vulnerability they shared broke down a few barriers in a way Naja had not expected but she did not know what to do now. She was not accustomed to gray space when it came to Erik. They were not friends, they were not lovers but they weren’t enemies anymore either. They were just something else that she was not prepared to decipher or understand.

“So are you going to reveal the big secret?” Naja asked as they entered Shuri’s private workspace. She was surprised to not find the Princess in her usual spot. Everyone knew she did her best work in the middle of the night when she should have been resting like everyone else in Wakanda. The Wakandan Palace was filled with night owls.

“Shuri told me we could use the space at night for a while cause she’s working on a different project downstairs. Wanted to show you this,” he took her over to the giant work table which was usually covered in completed or half-finished gadgets. However, tonight, it was filled with notes and papers, treaties, aerial photos, and a giant 3-D map of Niganda.

“Whoa.” Naja’s hands started grabbing random pieces of paper. There was enough material here to keep her busy for weeks. “What’s all this?”

“Notes from the other three War Dogs in Niganda from the last year, I didn’t tell them why,” he added at the freaked out look on her face. “I just asked all War Dogs to send an update to make it seem routine. After our talk the other night, I pulled some recon photos we had from before the peace treaty talks started. Figured we could use all this and your notes to piece together some more information. And T doesn’t really come down here unless Shuri invites him so it’s a good spot to do shit we ain’t supposed to be doin’.”

Naja glanced at him with wide eyes. “You did all this to help me?”

“There’s nothin’ I wouldn’t do to help you. I know you don’t believe that but it’s true. And you ain’t in this alone, this ain’t just on you to figure out.”

Erik did not have the heart to tell her that his actions were not totally altruistic. He had his own motivations for finding a reason to end these peace talks with Niganda. His future, or rather the future he wanted, was as tightly wound in discovering what Niganda was doing as Naja’s was, if not more so.

She sighed, grabbing more papers. “I do now. Thank you, N’Jadaka. Seriously. Also a bit old school don’t you think?” She gestured to the printed papers.

“Less likely for T’Challa or anyone to notice on our tablets and shit. And stop thankin’ me and let’s get to it, aight?” she nodded with a smile before putting on her game face. “So you said the King is definitely behind the kidnappings? Any theories as to why?”

“Definitely. Witnesses report soldiers taking the kids. It’s possible it is a rogue faction of the guard doing something nefarious and they are getting away with it because most of the people will think it is the King’s orders. But King Bisi runs the guard with an iron fist, hell, most do not breathe without his command. There are claims that his mental health is waning so perhaps someone in the palace is taking advantage of that? But there are few in his court with the skill to pull something like this off besides him.” She sighed. “And I have several theories but none of them are particularly good and haven’t panned out.”

“Ok well let’s hear 'em anyway.”

She started pacing up and down the length of the table. “First I thought intimidation? You know taking the children to keep their parents in line. But that doesn’t explain the first four kids who were all orphans. And the entire country, save the rebels, are already terrified of him. And those with parents… none of them are part of the Front or involved in illegal activity. They are just regular people so that would not make sense. It could be trafficking or labor for the fields? It’s the poorest village of the Capitol and in the country so outside of those of us who live there, no one would know or care that these kids are going missing. The wealthier villages are just happy to remain in the King’s favor. The first few were from the local orphanage, the man who runs it is who sounded the alarm to Dayo initially. But Dayo ruled out trafficking. The kids aren’t showing up in those channels either. Whatever he is doing with them, they are still in Niganda.”

“Yea, and there are a lot easier ways to get bodies… prisoners, rebels. What else?”

Naja glanced up at him with a helpless expression. “That’s it. If we were finding bodies, we’d have more to go on but these kids are vanishing without a trace.”

“Anything else suspicious happened since this started?”

“Not really. Two doctors were kidnapped about a week before the kids started. But we found one of their bodies the same week so we assumed they were both dead and fell into something they shouldn’t have. We never found the body of the second one so maybe that’s something?”

“Yea but most people kidnap adults or kids… kidnapping both is uncommon. What’s the deal with this rebellion anyway?” At her skeptical look, he smiled. “Don’t worry, ain’t gon’ rat you out to T.”

“How else do revolutions and rebellions start in this world? The people have nothing and King Bisi brutalizes them while leaving them destitute. Dayo… he and a couple rebel leaders were once in the King’s court but he escaped after the King murdered an entire village who was ‘harboring’ a father who had stolen from the palace. He realized that the freedom we deserved was only possible if the king was not in power. He created the Nigandan Liberation Front to overthrow the Royal Family and install a true democracy.”

Eek could not help but hear how she used the word “we” to describe Nigandan citizens as if she was not a spy masquerading as one of them. Nor could he stop the smallest kernel of hope from blossoming in his heart. If the rebels succeeded, that nagging reminder of the promise he made that he desperately tried to forget, the reminder that his future did not belong to him at all, would be null and void.

“How likely you think that is?”

She scratched her forehead. “Honestly, I don’t know. We’re inching forward but it could be years. The King loves his grip on power. Many refuse to join the rebellion because they hold hope that his heir will be different but…”

“You disagree? You know her?”

She laughed humorlessly. “No, never met her. Gotten a glimpse of her a few times. She’s been to the village more than once. She’s known for her charity work, feeding and clothing those in need.”

Erik could hear the disdain in her voice. “That’s a good thing, ain’t it?”

“Not when she has the power to ensure there are no poor in the country to begin with. Niganda has the money for everyone to live in prosperity. Her father has chosen policies that hoard resources for him, his council, and the wealthy while the rest of the country starves. Many of the country may love her for it but I won’t celebrate someone saving lives when they are the reason the people are dying to begin with. All Princess Imani is doing is keeping the people on life support so they can continue to serve her family and eventually her interests. As far as I’m concerned, she is as soulless as her father.”

Erik’s eyes grew wide. “Damn, tell me how you really feel. Who knows, maybe she’ll be different.”

Naja did not look up from the written accounts of one of the war dogs she was reading. “Why do you care so much? It’s not as if you have to live under her rule. You met her?”

Erik fixed his face to seem as disinterested as he should be. “Only once at an event. She was a bit vain but hella independent. I’d hardly describe her as soulless. Her father? That nigga definitely. But she seemed like she wanted to do some good.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it. But that’s a ways away, unfortunately. According to the palace, King Bisi is in perfect physical health by all accounts. And despite his age and ailing mental health, the ancestors will have to drag him to whatever heaven or preferably hell is waiting for him before he willingly gives up that throne.” Silence fell for a few minutes before she paused. “Wait… this could be something. Did you read this one from… M’Badu?”

“Haven’t had a chance to read any of them. What’s it say?”

Naja stood and walked over to where he sat to hand him the papers, sliding to sit on the table in front of him. “His cover is a doctor at the biggest hospital in the Western Province, smart cover… that’s were all the wealthy go. A life of comfort as you put it. He reported that half of their supply of medications and drugs was stolen the day after the first child was stolen. Things like anesthesia, blood supply… opioids.”

“So? Could be for a black market or somethin’.”

“No, I know every major player in Nigandan’s underground… none of them have the manpower, capitol, or balls to pull this off. And they are all egotistical men so they would’ve bragged about a score this big. I never even heard this happened, which is saying something. They still small amounts with the help of doctors and nurses in their pockets to avoid attention. Whoever did this has all those things and sophistication.”

“Why you say that?”

“Because… I didn’t think it was relevant but this same hospital houses the country’s largest scientific research center and they had a break in not long ago… about a month before the first child was taken. I don’t even live in that Province and I heard about it. It was the biggest breach of security they’ve ever had. They redid the security for the entire facility and hospital afterward. So this person had to get around all of that and M’Badu said Princess Imani had been there earlier that day visiting sick children. So they had to avoid additional palace guards too.”

“Ballsy to hit the same hospital twice.”

“Not really when you know the health care infrastructure is crumbling. Biggest hospital in the country and the only significant research facility. If you want as many chemicals and drugs as you can get your hands on, this is your only option.”

“What chemicals were taken?”

“They took a bit of everything the facility had. All raw chemicals and drugs that could be used to make a million different things. Dayo and I check the black markets every night to see what will turn up but nothing of note has.”

Erik raised an eyebrow. “Does T know you frequent black markets this much?”

“He knows I check to see if there’s vibranium floating around. But does he know I go almost every night and sell what I can get my hands on? Nope.”

“What do you even have to sell?”

“Whatever I can buy with my War Dog riches without raising attention… and whatever I can steal from the King and the wealthy and give back to the people where it belongs.”

Erik was shocked, and admittedly aroused, at how nonchalantly she talked about theft. A ruthless spy indeed.

“How’d you get into that? Also you must not do much bartending on your shifts with all this extra shit?”

She let out a barking laugh and waved her hand dismissively. “No. Truth be told, I’m a terrible bartender, which Dayo figured out fairly early on. But Dayo is not a fool and recognized I had skills that were far more important to him so he keeps me around to bookkeep for him, manage the bar… flirt with men to get information. And some talents that he appreciates but won’t dare ask how I got. My speciality in the Hatut Zeraze … besides torture and murder, of course, was infiltration. When he realized, Dayo helped me start to steal from the trucks that supply the palace and wealthier restaurants with food and other delicacies. Sometimes from the houses of the wealthy. I take whatever I can and sell it.”

Erik let out a low whistle. “Infiltration… that shit’s hard. I was good at gettin’ niggas to talk but the gettin’ in and out was always my weak spot.”

She shrugged as she looked down at him from her spot. “I’m surprised. All it takes is being a good liar. And you’re the best one I know,” she mumbled under her breath before she could stop herself. She clenched her eyes closed as she saw the hurt flash across his face. “Sorry, habit.” She stood up from her perch she had taken on the edge of the table by him and moved to the giant screen they had in the room. She started writing the information they had on it.

Erik let the papers he was holding fall back onto the metal table. “My feelings for you weren’t a lie, Naja. The things we talked about, the life we wanted to have together… none of it was lies… I just… shit happened and I handled it all wrong a-”

Her hand stilled as she heard his words, painfully clashing against the narrative she had created for over a decade. Her heart wanted her to leap and fall but her brain forced her feet to remain planted where they were until he proved he could be trusted again. All of this was a good first step but that was all it was: a first step.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what? We need to talk about what happened. Let me explain.”

“Look… I want to trust you… get to a place where we can, at least, be friends again, Erik. Because as hard as I try to hate you with my entire soul… part of me will always care for you more than I should. You caught me at a weak moment the other night and I appreciate you being there for me. But nothing that’s happened should make you think the door is open for that conversation. I don’t want to hear you excuses and reasoning… whether or not what you felt was true doesn’t matter anymore. Why you left… why you said those things, none of it matters because it doesn’t change the fact that you left. All that matters is that you did it and you said it. And because of that, we can’t go back. But we can create something new… a new friendship. So all I want to see and hear from you now is something different. That’s all I have space for.”

Erik’s head fell in disappointment at her words. He knew he should not have gotten his hopes up, that he should have listened to T’Challa and not gotten his heart back invested in Naja because she would never feel the same. He knew that was not the only reason T’Challa had cautioned him to stay away but he had not listened. He never listened. And though he knew he should take her words as fact and accept the friendship she offered, he knew it would not be enough. Whatever time he had left of freedom, he wanted to spend what time he had left with her, choosing her. He also knew her better than any other soul on this Earth, there was more than just care for her too even if she did not want to admit it.

Luckily for him, Erik was as patient as he was committed. He would not stop trying and he would play the long game to continue softening that barrier between them for as long as he was able.

“Ok so…” she turned back to him, a determined look on her face as she quickly changed the course of their conversation. “We have missing kids, a doctor, drugs, chemicals, and medication. But no obvious links between any of them. So we have nothing.”

“The links are always there. We just gotta find them.”

***

Nakia stalked through the palace, an aura of anger radiating off of her so strong that the few servants walking about immediately moved out of her way as she raced to her husband’s office. She did not give Okoye a chance to knock or announce her presence as she walked inside. She had tried to not let her overprotective nature get the best of her since her conversation with Naja that morning. However, when Ayo alerted her to Erik and Naja taking the Talon for a late night joyride, she could hold her tongue no longer.

T’Challa glanced up from his tablet as the door opened and she swept in. However, his fatal error was not noticing the look of rage contorting her features.

“I will come up to bed soon, my love. I need to finish thi- what’s wrong? Is it the baby?” T’Challa immediately jumped up as he realized his wife was not there to drag him from his office to get rest.

“What part of ‘Tell Erik to stay away from Naja,’ did you not understand, T’Challa??” she exploded. No one except Nakia could yell at the King of Wakanda and the Black Panther. “Because what is happening right now is NOT staying away!”

T’Challa grimaced. “I told him to stay away.”

“What did you say exactly??”

“That she despised him and that she would never forgive him, which is true. Naja won’t forgive him so there is nothing to be concerned about.”

She shook her head as she paced up and down by his desk. “No it is not true! They are currently Bast knows where in the Royal Talon. He spent the night in her room a few days ago and they are going out on Friday.”

“Nakia…” his voice took on a chastising tone. “You can’t spy on your sister.”

“Do not take that tone with me as if you do not spy on N’Jadaka too. You knew this was going on and you’ve said nothing. You’ve DONE nothing to stop it. I will spy on her all I want when she is in harm’s way. Someone has to protect her, no one else in this country seems to.”

The jab hit exactly where she wanted it to, T’Challa’s face twisting up in indignation. “That is not fair, Nakia. I protect Naja just as I do my own sister. She is my sister in every way that matters. But I cannot stop N’Jadaka from trying to mend fences with her if that is what he wants to do.”

Nakia shook her head. “This is more than mending fences and you know it. He is in love with her and making her fall in love with him again. And you and I and he all know that cannot happen. The only person who is going to get hurt is Naja.”

T’Challa shook his head. “What we are talking about is a hypothetical situation that is 10… maybe 15 to 20 years down the road, Nakia. The King will have to die and she would have to choose N’Jadaka among a list of eligible princes. We have years before it is even a conversation and even then, it is only a possibility. The Princess does not even want to get married.”

“You and I both know that King Bisi did not raise a fool. There may be a list… but every nation on it knows that Wakanda, thus Prince N’Jadaka, is the list. If she is forced to marry someone, which she will have to according to Nigandan law to be queen, there is no one else who would give the Nigandans the power and resources they want and need other than him. Just because N’Jadaka chooses to play the fool and pretend that is not the case does not mean we have to. I am not ok with my sister’s heart being broken in 10 or 20 years either when I can stop it now. Since N’Jadaka and you have clearly forgotten, remind him of the promise he made to this country or I swear to Bast, I will tell her myself.”

“Nakia… Erik offered his life and future for this country and for us. The life he has led… what he has endured because of what Wakanda took from him… he deserves happiness. He deserves hope even if it is only for a short while. Do not ask me to take it from him. I have faith that N’Jadaka will tell her when the time is right. Before it progresses to anything serious.”

“No one deserves happiness at the expense of someone else’s. My sister deserves happiness too… with someone who can actually dedicate their entire life to her, not years with an expiration date stamped to them. I love N’Jadaka like he is my own brother and I wish for his happiness as I wish for Shuri’s and everyone else I love. But I will not allow your guilt for what your father did to hurt my sister. He broke her once and I lost her for years because of it but if he does it again, I don’t think she will be able to get back up. Tell him to stay away from her, T’Challa. I mean it. Before this ill-fated date on Friday. And do it properly this time.”

She did not even wait for him to agree or respond before she swept out of the office, Okoye peering in as if waiting for an invitation.

“I suppose you heard all of that?”

Okoye nodded. “Our queen’s voice does certainly carry when she is impassioned and angry at you. Did you really believe what you told the Prince that first night would stick?”

T’Challa’s head thudded back against the soft material of his chair, his hand rubbing his eyes. “I had hope… foolishly perhaps.”

“Seems as if there is a lot of foolish hope floating around this palace since Naja returned.”

“Do you believe it is my guilt?” T’Challa asked as Okoye handed him a glass of rum from his stash. He sought counsel from precious few people but Okoye was most certainly on that list.

Okoye sighed. “What did you tell me your father said when you saw him in the Planes? You’re a good man, T’Challa… and it is hard for a good man to be king. You want to do right by him to make amends for what your father did and I understand that. But you, who seems determined to carry the weight of his triumphs and mistakes, aren’t accountable for what King T’Chaka did, the fate he allowed to befall his own family. That was his choice and is it a shame that he did not live to take accountability for that, yes. But that how Bast saw for his life to play out. What Prince N’Jadaka lost? That is not a debt you will be able to repay, my King. Even saving his life won’t do it. And you would be a fool to try… and you are not a fool. Prince N’Jadaka must make peace with what he lost and you, my king, must make peace with your father’s role in it. But denying Prince N’Jadaka hard truths because it makes you feel better about what happened to him will do nothing but hurt him when those hard truths come to call. And they always do.”

And with those words, Okoye returned to her post outside his office and left her King alone with his thoughts.

***

“Fuck!” Naja’s frustrations got the better of her as she and N’Jadaka spent another night pouring over all their notes and information. She threw a knife at the wall, the very tip of it lodging into the vibranium. “This is hopeless.”

“We have a good startin’ point. Seems like experimentation of a new drug or chemical or somethin’ is the most likely bet.”

“Yes but what good is that if we have absolutely no way of determining what they are testing and why?”

Erik stared at her for a moment and sighed. It did not matter how many nights they spent working on this, it would never satisfy Naja until they… she found each one of these kids and returned them to their parents.

Naja was fascinating puzzle to him. Depending on the setting and context, he saw a different picture every time he looked at her. When they trained, he saw Naja, the ruthless assassin. She was everything T’Challa said: a lethal beauty… Killmonger’s equal in every way… just as cunning, pragmatic and unemotional as he - maybe more. That night in her room he saw the Naja he used to know, the soft second daughter of the River Tribe who could not wound a fly, much less murder a person. And when they stood among the low blue lights of Shuri’s lab, he saw the Naja he imagined she did not want anyone else to see: a ruthless assassin who was still felt everything far deeper than she should.

He knew the real Naja was the latter version. Just as Killmonger was not the real him nor was the 18 year old he was before he fled Wakanda. It had taken a brush with death and a year to finally come to terms with the fact that it was not an either/or calculation. The real him was the best and worst parts of all of the hats he wore. He prayed to Bast it would not take the same thing for Naja.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Naja looked at him like he had grown several heads. “You’re joking right?”

“We’ve been staring at this shit for hours every night and recycling’ the same theories. Let’s take a break. You know one night ain’t gon’ make a difference.”

“And go where?”

“For me to know and you to find out. Come on.” And with that, he walked out of the lab.

Naja stared at his back for a few moments before letting out a soft chuckle and following after him. She followed his footsteps to the elevator, which took them up to the panther opening of the Great Mound.

“When’s the last time you saw a Wakandan sunrise?” He asked as he walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down, his legs dangling off the side. A small sliver of the sun was visible over the horizon.

“You remembered?” Her entire body stilled as she looked at him.

“If I remember correctly, it was the sunrise over the falls specifically but I figured this would do too.”

While sunsets were always Erik’s favorite thing about Wakanda, Naja’s was the sunrise. Different sides of the most beautiful coin Wakanda had to offer. Naja often snuck out as a child, when she needed to calm her spirit, to the falls to watch Bast bring a new day across all of Wakanda.

“I forgot how beautiful it was,” she muttered as she sat down next to him. “Niganda has a different sort of beauty to it. But it’s not this.”

In the distance, she could see a herd of antelope racing by, the sun only barely peeking out. They sat in silence as they both stared out into the distance. Erik could tell that the picturesque landscape was not doing much as her shoulders still hunched forward with the weight of everything she felt.

“What are you thinkin’?”

“That I can’t find them…. That all these kids are going to die because I’m too much of a failure to connect the dots. ‘A wallflower who will never be quite good enough’ indeed.” The words of her father rang loudly in her head. Aside from her rage for Erik, he was the other man whose words fueled this version of her, fueled her desperate need to be the best.

Erik sighed. “You were always too hard on yourself, Naja. Never saw your potential.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Nobody here saw my potential… my father made sure of that. Nakia’s shadow and nothing more. You know he tried to stop me from becoming a War Dog? Tried to get T’Challa’s father to decline my application.”

Erik bowed his head. “Yea T told me.”

“Of course he did,” she chuckled. She brought one knee to her chest and hugged it. “I passed the trainings and tests and he still tried to go behind my back to stop me from doing it. You know that’s why I became Hatut Zeraze? Wasn’t the route I intended when I applied, even Nakia didn’t go that route. But I just wanted to spite him, prove I could do it. That I was built for it. That’s all my entire life has been. Proving I’m worthy… that I’m something to the people who claim to love me. But maybe all of you were right. I should’ve just stayed in Nakia’s shadow.”

Erik pressed his palms into the warm surface of the mountain’s cliff and scooted himself closer to her so that their shoulders were touching. He placed a tentative hand on her thigh, right above her knee, gently rubbing it.

Her breath nearly stopped at his touch, tender and loving just as she remembered. She felt everything in that simple touch. It had been too long since she let someone touch her for comfort and in the last week, she had let him do it twice. And this time, she had no desire or inkling to pull away from him.

“Nah we were all wrong. I ain’t just sayin’ this, Naja but you can figure this out. Your father’s words… my words… they don’t gotta be what you believe about yourself. You can choose to believe that you’re the woman who took all her pain and fashioned herself into a weapon, someone who people quake in fear when they see comin’. You think I ain’t heard stories about you since I got back?” He nudged her with his shoulder causing her to laugh. “You might’ve started down the road cause of me and your dad and whatever else but where you are now? That’s all you. So own that ’n use it to figure this out. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met. Always were.”

She sighed and glanced at him. “How is that you always know what to say? It’s extremely annoying, in case you were wondering,” she added with a teasing smile.

“I always know what to say with you. But only because I’ve always seen all of you.”

“Oof… all of me? Quite the dark picture I imagine,” though she tried to keep her tone light, Erik could see it. The shame in her deep brown eyes that she tried to hide by dipping her head, avoiding his stare.

“Nah, parts of it are dark… but those parts were always eclipsed by light and vibrancy. There were just too many people contributed to dimming that light. Me included. But from where I’m sittin’, the only person dimmin’ your light ‘n doubtin’ you right now… is you. Can’t hide in the darkness forever, baby girl. Gotta let that sun rise at some point.”

She rested her cheek on her kneecap, his words settling into her mind. She did not have the words to respond to that. Or rather, she had so many words, so many feelings bubbling to the surface that she did not know where to start. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, forcing them away from him as she pushed them back down where they belong.

He did not say anything, thank Bast, he merely just took her hand, lending her as much nonverbal support as he could. She squeezed his hand gently, praying that the small gestured conveyed what her words could not. Her thanks for always seeing her even when she desperately tried to hide.

***

Only T’Challa was at breakfast when Erik arrived, an additional pep in his step despite the somber tone this day usually had for him each year. Today was finally his date with Naja and he would be lying if he said he had not strategically picked today in hopes she would distract him from the painful memories and rage he usually felt. Naja had always been his peace and solace, his place to retreat to. She still was.

Though she would never call it a date, it was close enough to one for him. To an outsider, it might not have seemed like much. But to him, it was everything. Spending the night with her, working with her every night, solidified one fact he had always known: he was madly and insanely in love with her. And her friendship was not enough… he’d do anything in his power to get her back.

“Morning,” he offered as he settled into the seat across from T’Challa.

“How are you today? I know what today is.” The words were simple, T’Challa did not even look up from his tablet as he offered them.

Erik shrugged. “Just another day like any other day.” As much as he loved T’Challa, in his own way, his father was not a subject he would discuss with his cousin. Ever. “What did you want to talk about?”

T’Challa glanced at Okoye who merely offered him a dead pan expression that demanded he get on with it. He closed the cover of his tablet and lifted his eyes to his cousin. Erik could immediately since the tension… a power imbalance that was not usually present when he spoke to T’Challa. He straightened up slightly, he was not speaking to his cousin today. Today, he was speaking to his king.

“You and Naja have been spending quite a lot of time together. Daily sparring sessions. Late night rides on the Talon. You spent the night in her room?”

Erik raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Is that a question cause seems like you know already?” He and Naja’s sparring sessions were no secret around the palace, they were often a spectacle for training Dora and War Dogs alike. Everything else was not common knowledge, though Erik knew he always had eyes on him. But Erik did not understand what that had to do with him being called to the proverbial principal’s office.

T’Challa sighed. “Do not do this, N’Jadaka. You will only end up hurting her.”

“Do what? Stop beatin’ around the damn bush ‘n just say what you need to say.” Erik’s patience was running thin, as it often did when T’Challa clearly had something on his mind but did not want to confront him. Save Naja perhaps, Erik was the only person in the entire palace T’Challa handheld like a child. Like he would pick up and run the moment T’Challa did his job as King and ordered him or told him something he did not like. But Erik was no stranger to hard truths, his life had been shaped by them. There was nothing T’Challa could say that would make him run, not anymore.

“Stop working her! Naja is not a mark or a challenge to conquer. You are falling in love with her and trying to convince her to do the same because you believe you have time. Time to undo the mistakes of the past, time to try again even if it is fleeting. You made a promise and I expect you to keep it. So stop pursuing something that can never happen.”

Erik stilled. He had made that promise to T’Challa and the Nigandans in service to Wakanda, a promise that he was assured may not even happen. Had he foolishly held onto that too tightly? Maybe.

“You told me she didn’t even want to marry. That it was unlikely given Niganda and Wakanda’s relationship.”

“Plenty of monarchs don’t want to get married, N’Jadaka. But she will because it is her duty. And marriage alliances are one way to cement peace, which puts your name at the top of the list. Frankly,” T’Challa sighed. “You might as well be the only name on the list. I’m sorry… I should’ve been more clear when Naja returned about this. That is my fault.”

“Wait, wait. Nah, nah, nah. T, I’m just… I’m just gettin’ her back. This is a once in a lifetime shot. Don’t ask me to give her up. Retract my name from consideration. Please.”

Erik Stevens had never begged another human being in his life, his pride would never allow him to do such a thing. However, for Naja? Pleas were all he had to over, pleas that T’Challa would give him this reprieve as his cousin and not his King. He could not give Naja up, would not give her up.

“The peace between our countries is fragile as it is, N’Jadaka. Any perceived or real slight could tip the scales. I know it is not fair, I know it is not right. And I am sorry. But you made a promise when we offered up your name that you would serve Wakanda’s interests if chosen. And as your king, I expect you to uphold that. Whether it is 5 years or 20 before she is queen, you are as good as engaged to her. You need to start acting like it.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

T’Challa sighed and clenched his eyes closed before saying, “Stay away from Naja. Temper your feelings for her so you can fulfill your duty when the time comes. You can do whatever you want with your life and your heart until then but Naja is off limits.”

“That an order?”

T’Challa stood up and walked over to Erik, placing one hand on his shoulder, which he immediately shrugged off in frustration. “I tried to warn you once as your brother and hers. I hoped the knowledge that she still harbored such anger toward you would be enough to keep you away. But I was wrong. I give you a long leash, N’Jadaka and I do it because you have proven yourself worthy of it. But yes. On this subject? This is me ordering you as King. Do not continue to foster feelings you know you cannot act on. Stay away from her.”

Erik’s hands curled into fists. Those were two things he could not do. “Why’d you even offer up my name when you knew she lived there? If she had not come home, were you ever gonna tell her that the man she despises would be her King consort one day? That I would be leading the country she calls home. Were you ever gonna tell me that the woman I loved more than anyone on this planet was living in the country you offered me up to like a prized horse? I didn’t know where Naja was when I agreed to this but you did… and you said nothing.”

“At the time, I did not owe either of you that information. And I did not say anything because your dedication to this country should outweigh whatever childish feelings you still harbor toward her. Beyond that, Nakia wants Naja here… home with us. I will not pretend as though I do not see this eventuality as a way to push her toward returning here for good.”

“You’re talkin’ about me workin’ her like a mark? As if you aren’t usin’ this shit to manipulate her into comin’ home. Just like you did to get her back here in the first place. She deserves the truth. She can handle the truth ‘n make her own damn decisions.”

T’Challa scoffed. “Bold of you to say as if you did not abandon her and throw a grenade behind you as you went.”

“That was different,” N’Jadaka rose from his chair, his rage getting the better of him. “And you fuckin’ know it.”

“Hardly. You found out the truth of what happened to your parents and instead of trusting Naja with it and what you wanted to go do, you destroyed her to ensure she would not follow. You did not see what Nakia and I saw after you left. It took months to piece her back together. Nakia refuses to see that happen again. Better you hurt her now before she grows too attached to you again.” It will hurt her but it will not break her.”

Erik shook his head, finding his cousin colder than he had ever known him to be. He was not talking to his cousin who was basically his brother. He was talking to King T’Challa, son of King T’Chaka indeed. “That’s cold, T.”

“I know… and I take no pleasure in it. I would love for you and Naja to be what you once were. I will even admit that I may have considered it a blessed side effect of her return when I invited her back. But I am King and that means I must often act contrary to my whims of my heart and do what is best for Wakanda. And whether T’Challa, your cousin and brother, likes it or not, what best for Wakanda is that you are free to secure this alliance between Wakanda and Niganda when the time comes. You and Naja’s feelings and complicated relationship do not supersede what Wakanda needs to survive or what this continent requires to avoid another needless war.”

Erik could not stomach to hear another word. He stood up with such force, his chair screeched loudly against the marble floors. “Yes, my king,” he sneered before marching toward the door, his breakfast forgotten. However, when he got to the door, he stopped. “Your father chose Wakanda and politics over family ’n we all know how that turned out. Thought you would’ve learned from that nigga’s mistakes but I guess you’re more like him than I thought.”

And with that, Erik stormed out.

***

Erik fiddled with his kimoyo beads, dreading what he had to do. Words could not describe how much he hated T’Challa in this moment. He was well within his rights as king and things had only gotten this far because Erik allowed himself to have hope - a fool’s errand really. But here he was and now he was going to have to break his own heart and Naja’s again. He hated himself for it. But he had forced himself to hurt her once to fulfill a selfish need for vengeance. He could do it again for his country. He had no choice.

This was not how he wanted today to go. On today of all days, to have to lose another person he loved, it was too much.

He pressed the button of his kimoyo beads, calling Naja. He hated how quickly she picked up, a soft smile on her face.

“Hey,” he offered.

“Hey… you ok?” She asked. “You sound weird? You better not be calling me to cancel. I let Shuri drag me to get a manicure and pedicure for this…. Painstaking shit if you ask me. I adore her but that girl basically wants to dress me up like a damn doll. I drew the line at her taking me to get my make up professionally done.” At his silence and the grimace on his face, she frowned. “Oh you are canceling.”

“Yea, I’m sorry.” She clearly tried to hide her disappointment, the deep frown that overtook her features. He did not understand how he did this all those years ago. It felt like the worst form of torture to make himself do this again. And as he struggled to find the words, he realized he couldn’t. So like the coward he was, instead of telling her the real reason he needed to cancel, he said, “T’Challa just dumped a bunch of shit on my plate for the peace talks and it’s pretty time sensitive. Will keep me busy ’n workin’ late for a while. A-and honestly… just havin’ a really shitty day. Wouldn’t be much fun anyway. Figured it’s only right to free you from your debt.”

She chewed on her lip for a few minutes before saying, “No worries. Your work and Wakanda comes first and I’m sure you’ve been falling behind since spending every night helping me. All good.”

“I am… really sorry, Naja. I hope you believe that.”

“I do. Still have time for our sparring session tomorrow?”

He could hear the hopefulness in her voice. And that hopefulness felt like a beacon of light in a hopeless situation for him, proof that she felt everything he felt. He lowered the beads so he could not see his face and clenched his eyes closed. He knew he should say no but he heard himself say, “Yea, we’re still on for tomorrow.”

He could see the small sigh of relief she let out. “Good. See you tomorrow, Erik.”

He offered her the same refrain before ending the call and tossing the beads across the room in frustration.

***

Naja paced back and forth outside N’Jadaka’s wing. She knew the Dora stationed there was eyeing her as if she were a madwoman as she muttered to herself while holding a picnic basket and a backpack.

“What are you even doing here?” She whispered to herself. It took all of two minutes after hanging up with N’Jadaka to realize why he had cancelled, to remember that today was his dad’s birthday. She did not even know how she remembered it, a memory so buried deep in her brain that she was shocked she was able to retrieve it. Every year on this day, Erik distanced himself from everyone and everything without a word.

One year, when they were 15, she found him at the Great Mound watching the sunset. He had disappeared and T’Challa, Nakia and Naja were sent to find him and bring him back to the palace. Naja, who knew him best, was the only one who knew where he’d be. She did not approach him at first as he sat there quietly, she just watched him. Like a creep, admittedly. But she watched him, took in every bit of his lean teenage form as her heart ached for him more than it should at that age.

Her heart broke as she heard his deep youthful voice, cracking with the strength of his sobs, offer a prayer to Bast on behalf of his parents, prayed they would come back to Wakanda soon, that they would return to him. She remembered bowing her head as she prayed for the same thing on his behalf. She had never met Prince N’Jobu a day in her life, just knew him as a traitor that most of the country hated, who was likely on the run to avoid facing the consequences of his treason. But even back then, Naja could not believe that was the full story, could not believe that N’Jobu stole what he did for selfish reasons, that he was just a traitor.

And that’s why she was now standing outside his door with a picnic basket feeling rather foolish. But resolved to do what Erik had done for her a few nights ago, show up for him. Because everyone deserved someone to show up for them in their darkest moments.

She bowed her head to the Dora who shifted to the side to allow her to knock. It only took a few moments before he swung his door open.

Naja lost the ability to speak as she took in his perfectly tone chest, the deep V that led down to his most formidable and tantalizing weapon. Her brain and the reason for her visit disappeared as a cloud of lust hazed everything.

“H-Hi.”

“Hey, everythin’ ok?” He wanted to scream at her that she should not be there. She could not be there. This was the opposite of distance. But try as he might, those words refused to surface.

“Y-Yea, yea. Everything’s ok. I just… well, I know you didn’t cancel tonight because of work. I know what… I remember what today is. Your dad’s birthday. And if you want to bury yourself in work, I understand. But I figured you could use a friend while you do it. So I brought snacks and liquor and work of my own. And I have Boyz in the Hood queued up on my tablet, which I doubt is still your favorite movie. But I do remember you mentioning your dad liked it so… I thought we could watch while we work.”

She lifted the backpack and basket in her hands as if to ask him if she was allowed inside.

This woman, he thought to himself. Something inside him wanted to break down in tears at her thoughtfulness. And before this moment, he was not even sure his body still produced those.

“Guess it’s my turn to be shocked you remembered all this?”

“Well… tell anyone and I’ll have to kill you,” she joked. “I remember everything about you too. Much to my chagrin, I suppose. So can I come in?” She asked as she balance back and forth on her heels.

Right then and there, Erik knew he had an impossible choice to make. He could do what T’Challa demanded and be the Erik that destroyed her or he could be the man he wanted to be. And the man he was and wanted to be loved this woman beyond comprehension, adored her beyond comprehension.

It was a gamble, a gamble that could cost him her and everything he wanted. But a relationship with her was worth risking everything for… war, damaging his relationship with T’Challa… he did not care. She was worth every risk in this world.

So then and there, he decided to hell with T’Challa. Fuck his orders, fuck marrying some woman he did not know because of a promise he made years ago. Even if it took every day of the next 20 years until King Bisi was with the ancestors, he would dedicate his life to finding a way out of that promise so he could be with the only woman that mattered in this world. The only person that mattered in this world.

“Only if there’s some lime cake in that basket?”

Her entire body, which was weighed down by her nervousness, seemed to lightened as she walked in past him. “As if I’d bring anything else??”

“You didn’t have to do this. I’m sorry… for canceling on you.”

Naja waved her hand. “I know I didn’t have to. Probably shouldn’t have. But I lost a bet. Besides, this is way better. What would the Wakandans say if they saw their most feared assassin at dinner with their beloved prince? We’d never live the rumors down. Can’t have anything destroying my… how do you Americans say it? ‘Street cred?’”

“I thought I was Wakanda’s most feared assassin?”

Naja tilted her head as if she had to think about it as she sat down on the giant couch in his living room. “Second… did you forget how I was beating your ass on the mat everyday?”

“You forgot what bet you lost to earn this date, baby girl?”

“Beating me twice hardly means anything when I’ve beat you no less than 30 times.”

“Touche.”

He settled on the couch next to her as she pulled out all of their supplies and poured him a drink and hit play on the movie. “Remember when we used to sneak bottles of rum from my dad’s collection?”

He let out a barking laugh. “Yea I remember you bein’ scared as fuck too. Goody two shoe ass.”

“One of my endearing qualities back then. Afraid to steal,” she threw back her head and laughed. “Oh if the 15 year old me could see me now.” She straightened up and raised her glass. “To our 15 year old selves? Maybe they be forever shocked and dismayed by our crimes and debauchary.”

“Cheers.” He chuckled, the first genuine laugh he had all day before clinking his glass against hers.

They did not talk much as the movie played and they both did their “work,” which really was stealing glances at each other and Naja commenting on the movie, which she had not seen since she last watched it with Erik.

“Can I ask you something?” She asked him as the movie credits rolled. “It’s ok if you don’t want to answer.”

“Shoot.” Erik brought the glass to his lips.

“Did you ever find them? Or at least what happened to them?”

His hand stilled. He did not know how to answer that without opening a conversation that she explicitly told him was off limits. He never talked about the truth about his parents, let everyone save T’Challa, Queen Ramonda, and Nakia believe what the rest of the country believed: that his parents had dumped him at the border and disappeared with their fortune from stealing vibranium and selling it to the highest bidder. When he thought about the real story, he found it difficult not to fall back into that vengeful 18 year old he was when he left.

“Yea,” he cleared his throat and sat up. “Didn’t have to look far, they died not long after they dropped me here.”

She did not seem deterred by the sharpness in his tone as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry. I know you doubted it back then but I… I believe that they would’ve come back for you if they could have. Would have faced up to what they did for another opportunity to be with you.” She paused. “Everyone’s fighting to get back to something. And you were worth fighting to get back to.”

Naja did not let go of his hand or break the stare between them as they gazed at each other, their work long forgotten. Erik tugged on her arm, Naja offered him no resistance as his superhuman strength pulled her gently into his lap. His hand cupped her face as he stared into her eyes and saw his future. As breathtakingly beautiful as a Wakandan sunset and sunrise, he saw everything he wanted in this world, his first real shot at happiness.

“You’re what I’m fighting to get back to. No matter what gets in my way or how long it takes. Rhoqo ukutshona kwelanga nokuphuma kwelanga ubomi bam bonke.”

Tears glistened in Naja’s eyes as she heard his words.

Every sunset and sunrise for the rest of my life. As long as she lived, she never forget those words. The words he had said when he proposed, an eternal reminder that they were two sides of the same perfect coin.

“N’Jadaka…” she breathed.

The sound of his Wakandan name on her lips drove him insane. Whether a plea to stop or continue, he could not hope to care.

Every fiber of her being, down to her very cells begged her to fall. The sea was right there, the water felt warm and safe and like everything she had ever wanted. And yet, her feet were still planted. Something still made her hesitate.

And Erik could feel it, every ounce of her that warred with the other. Every cell in her body that pushed her lips to meet his and every other one that begged her to retreat. She was not ready yet, he could feel that… see that. And that was ok. They would have time, he would make sure of it.

He forced himself to muster superhuman self control and stop himself. He pressed his forehead against hers for a moment, Naja letting out a deep exhale.

“I want…” she whispered, her voice breaking with the weight of everything she felt for him and wanted to feel for him. She wanted him so badly but she did not want to regret it tomorrow. “I want you so badly. I’m…” she lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “F-fuck if you ever tell anyone I uttered this, I’ll kill you. But I’m scared. Fucking t-terrified. A-nd I’m j-just not…”

“I understand.” he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “For as long as it takes. I meant that shit.”

“I’m sorry… I should go.” She started to move when he halted her.

“Stay.” At her weary expression, he amended. “I don’t need that. But I do need you… stay.”

Naja nodded, there was no resistance left. Erik shifted so he could lie down and Naja laid between his legs on his chest. He pulled a blanket around them and pulled her in tightly as he cued up another movie on her tablet for background noise.

“And I know… no one can know ‘n this don’t change shit between us,” Erik’s deep baritone filled her ears.

“No, this time… it changes everything,” she whispered back before closing her eyes to go to sleep.

Erik watched her sleep for almost an hour, her soft snores reaching his ears. He did not need much sleep so he merely let movies continue playing while he watched her, committing every feature on her face to memory. Once she was deep enough in sleep, Erik slid out from under her. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bed. He was surprised she stayed asleep through all of the movement, most spies he knew could wake up at mere shift of a body next to them.

However, before he joined her, he quietly snuck to his front door, easing it open. He leaned out, getting the attention of the Dora assigned to him.

“Teela, remember that favor you owe me?” Erik asked lowly, referencing a mission he and the Dora went on to recover vibranium not long after he returned, a mission in which he saved the young Dora’s life. She said she would be indebted to him, a debt he never thought he’d need to call in until now.

“Yes, my prince.”

“As far as Okoye ‘n that nigga T are concerned, you ain’t seen Naja here tonight or any other night. You got me?”

The Dora sized him up for a few minutes, Erik could tell she was weighing the pros and cons of keeping a secret from her superior and King for the prince. However, thankfully, she merely nodded and saluted him, her nonverbal agreeance to his words.

“Preciate you.”

And with that, he closed his door and returned to his bed. Tonight, he would not think of how he would hide what he was doing, tonight he would not think of how he was going to help overthrow the very monarchy he was promised to, tonight he did not think of how he was going to hide a potential engagement from the slumbering woman next to him. Tonight, he merely reveled in the feeling of Naja in his arms and the peace she brought, a night where his heart was calm and at ease.

Tag list: @miyuhpapayuh @pipsqueak-98 @injerafiend @themakingsofdion @lishabaybee @certifiedlesbianbaddie @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @dangerous-history @roguekiki @mysteryuz @shyblackgurl

***

A/N: le sigh... everybody's lying to our girl smhhhh lol so hopefully you caught the couple hints in chapter 3 that Erik was keeping some secrets. But hopefully you also caught the hints that his impending nuptials are not the only secrets he is holding back. So what do you think? How do you think this is going to blow back on him? Cause you know it will lol Drop a comment and let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!

#black writers #michael b jordan #michael b jordan x oc #mbjordanedit #michael b jordan x reader #black panther #michael b jordan fanfic #creed 3 #adonis creed #creed iii

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clearlydiamondz · 5 months

Text

Loyalty to Royalty

Erik!Stevens x OC

Part Seven

- - - - - - - - - -

Princess Imani was the black sheep of her family, never really fitting the female royal type. When an arranged marriage between Prince N'Jadaka and her is set up, she tries her hardest to get away... but she just can’t.

- - - - - - - - - -

Being back home, she was missing Erik. He and T'Challa had their own thing going on as she did too. As her being the Silver Leopard, she and Nakia infuriated a sex trafficking's ring down in South Africa that she caught wind on. She was most definitely was feeling the after affects of that mission, especially right after traveling between the states and home.

"So, how did you like America?" Amarah asked her.

"Honestly, I had so much fun. The food there was so good but I know I gained a few pounds." she said as they sat in the dinning room eating the Oxtail stew that Imani made. "Though they had so many cars. Like... it was unbelievable but it made sense. Everything was so far from each other." she said grabbing her napkin and wiping her face.

"Yeah when we went I noticed that too. I just thought because they were lazy." Amarah chuckled.

"I do too until I seen it. Even I wasn't going to walk that far." Imani stated. Amarah sighed before saying,

"Imani I should tell you something." Imani looked at her in a state that told her to go on but Oshana came in, a tad bit shocked that the two was sitting at the table.

"Hello mother." Amarah said with no emotion.

"Daughter." Oshana acknowledged then looked between the two. "What were you guys talking about?" she asked, confused on why the two of them were talking.

"My trip to America." Imani stated drinking her glass of wine. "I am excited on going back."

"Surprising. It seems like the politicians don't really seem to be a fan of you." she stated crossing her arms.

"Conservatives don't. I think everyone else was pleased." she stated looking up at her as she scoffed.

"Maybe because of the Prince. But you didn't really-"

"Mother just stop." Amarah snapped at her. Oshana looked at her daughter in shock. Almost like she was betrayed by the action. "There is no need for you to be so critical right now. Let's just be glad she made it home safe." Imani looked at Amarah in shock before looking at Oshana.

"Hmm... it seems like you guys weren't just in here talking about America. If you were talking about-"

"Ima cut you off there. You do not run through my mind enough for that." Imani responded to her. At this point, Oshana wasn't caring about Imani and what she was saying. She was shocked about the fact that Amarah replied to her in such a way. She heard the kitchen phone ring as she stood up answering it.

"Imani speaking." she answered.

"Princess Imani! It's Council Jean! Your father is not well! He collapsed at the meeting is on his way to the hospital!" he yelled in the phone as her world stopped.

"What happened to him!" she exclaimed, but her ears heard something.

That's when Imani heard something on the roof. With her eye twitching, she moved the phone. "Council Jean, the palace is under attack..." she whispered.

"Princess is everyone okay?" he exclaimed.

"Send help..." she whispered into the phone before hanging up. "Something is wrong with father." she whispered to them. "Stay behind me, understood?" she warned them. The looked at her confused, before she grabbed a few knives off the table.

"Please Imani, what are you going to actually doing that?" her mother whispered yell. Ignoring her, she heard the footsteps come closer before she through the knife at an angle, down the hall.

She heard a man yell before she ran around the corner seeing two men in all black gear with guns. She grabbed one of their guns in attempt to yank it but he held on to it, the gun going off and bullets hitting the ceiling. Kicking him into the stomach and having him fly through the window breaking the glass. She unloaded the gun before sliding it across hall before she was slammed against the wall, her head hitting it. The man had the in attempt to stab her, the man was about 150 more pounds heavier. She used her leg to wrap around his leg moving her body weight to the floor as he flipped with her. The knife slid across the floor as he flipped her off of him, with her getting back onto her feet in a fighting stance. He stood up, shocked by how fast she was up.

"I don't know who you are, but you are making a bad decision." she warned him.

"Says a lot coming from you." He pulled a pistol out in attempt to shoot but with her reflexes, she tacked him by the feet as the gun went off.

"AMARAH!!!" She heard her mother yell, as she heard Amarah fall to the floor.

She grabbed the gun that she slid before hitting him in the head three good times sending him to the floor. Making sure that they weren't getting up, she ran to Amarah and saw that the bullet hit her in the chest.

"No no no no no." she examined her and saw that there was no exit wound. "GIVE ME YOUR SCARF!" she yelled at Oshana forcing her to hand over her scarf.

"I-I need to call for help!" she exclaimed standing up.

"No! There are no telling how many people are here. We need to move somewhere else to be safe!" she whispered yelled in order. "They were able to sneak pass the King guards on the outside.." she reminded her. "Lemme take her into the wine cooler." she whispered. She picked her up bridal style before they snuck her into the wine cooler, hearing more foot steps above.

Grabbing one of the beads that Erik gave her, she called him.

"Hey gorgeous, I miss-"

"Erik, our palace is under attack." she whispered, holding the scarf on Amarah wound.

"By who!?" he yelled as she heard stuff ruffling.

"I think Americans. I heard an American accent." she whispered. That's when she heard more glass breaking. "There are too many of them, I wont be able to take them and Amarah is in bad condition." she took another bead off before placing it in her wound, her gasping sounds slowly went down as the vibranium went through her system.

"Where are the guards that-"

"They attacked from the roof. We have no way of reaching the out side."

"We're on our way now!"

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

In turn of events, no longer

(Y/N) sat in the chair in the hospital room as she starred at the two bodies that were on the tables, covered. She was still covered in blood, too deep into her thoughts. She didn't realize that her friends were outside talking about her.

"You don't tell me that this is a coincidence." Okoye whispered. "This would have been Wakanda if we didn't have the shield to protect us. Now their King is dead."

"We need to cancel out any other possible theories before we jump the gun and say it was the American's." T'Challa stated, Erik scoffed.

"Nigga, it was definitely America. I seen the footage of the fighting style and the guns. It was most definitely either a black op unit or a seal unit." Erik mentioned. "They were caught surprised because of her strength and wasn't able to take her down." Erik reminded him about the herb that ran through her body.

"I hate to say this, but it isn't suppose to be Amarah on that table. It was supposed to be Imani. The true heir to the throne." Nakia said looking at T'Challa.

"What we need to do is protect her, and protect the lands in Kambaho that has the vibranium. I've already talked to Shuri and the border tribe on what we could do to protect their citizens." T'Challa stated. They were about to say something but the door opened and Imani walked out, still in her gray dress with Amarah's blood.

"Imani beloved, let's get you cleaned up." Nakia whispered to her in a soft tone, but Imani stopped her handing her two tubes of blood.

"My father requested not to have an autopsy when he passed in belief that it would interfere with his crossover with the ancestors. These are mine and his blood samples." she handed them to her as Nakia looked at her confused.

"I'm confused, why-"

"I had the hospital clear out the basement labs for you to work. Can you find any abnormalities?" Imani asked.

"I thought that the Americans didn't get to you?" Okoye stated.

"No, I believe Oshana was working with the Americans to assassinate us." she said.

"Imani.. right now you shouldn't focus on this. You need to-" Erik went to touch her but she stepped back before yelling,

"No!" she exclaimed catching everyone off guard. "N-No, the Americans have no way of poisoning us unless they have an inside person to do so. When they attacked the palace, they knew exactly where to go and where we would be. Not only that, they were attacking and only jumping me. She-" She pointed at Amarah's dead body. "That happened by accident. I'm supposed to be on that table" Sighing, she scratched her forehead.

"If my father and I had died, the person to heir the throne would be Oshana and then her daughter. She would get what she wanted and so would the American's. Their assassination of me failed and I need to confirm it before I take further action." she told him. Nakia looked down at the tubes before grabbing them.

"If what she says is to be true, this is an obvious act of war." Okoye responded.

"It doesn't make sense. Why poison you if they were just going to come in and shoot?" Erik asked. "Seems a tad bit over-kill." he finished.

"Yeah... I have a few questions I need to ask Oshana."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

In the bunker that was miles from the castle, held Oshana. She was told for her protection. Erik and she entered the room as Oshana stood up.

"Where is Amorah!?" she exclaimed.

"She is-"

"She is in critical condition." Imani lied, cutting Erik off. Erik looked at her, catching on to what she was doing. "Wakanda health team is doing everything in their power to save her," she replied as she let out a relieved sigh.

"And my husband?" she asked.

"He's doing okay." Imani choked. She saw the disappointment in Oshana's eyes, but easily covered it up.

"Thank goodness," she said sitting down.

"We do have a few questions for you Oshana. There are some gaps in these events that aren't making any sense." Erik replied sitting across from her. She scoffed.

"What is this, an interrogation?"

"No, but we have to clear up every playing field that there could be a chance that the attempted assassination of my father and I," Imani stated as she looked at her.

"You mean the attempted assassination of my daughter and your father." she corrected her but she shook her head.

"See here is the thing. I'm not stupid. When we were attacked, they only attacked me." she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "In which I had to fight them off," she stated.

"Actually, about that. How were you able to do that?" Oshana asked leaning onto the table.

"Training with the Dora Milije proves to be very beneficial," she stated.

"I saw you throw almost a damn near 200-pound man into a window and shatter it. Ain't no amount of training in the world can do that," she told her. She was about to respond to the statement, but Erik handed her the tablet before looking at it.

The results for both her and her father came up. Cyanide was present in both her and her father's toxicology tests. He leaned down whispering in her ear,

"Even though the herb can protect you, we need to get you to a medical bay just to be sure. Cyanide is dangerous even with the herb," he whispered to her. She nodded looking back at him.

He knew that she was asking for a few more minutes with her before he nodded. "Oshana, I do have a question myself." He asked sitting beside her. "We took a toxicology report on both the King and Imani only to find cyanide in his systems. Do you know anything about it?" Erik asked her. One thing about Imani, she could read people like a children's book. It came to her easily.

The nervousness that Oshana attempted to hide ran through straight across Erik, but Imani caught it.

"Impossible if both the King and Princess had that in their systems they would be dead. And they are alive," she said pointing to Imani.

"Yeah about that..." Imani sighed. "My father is dead..." she snapped at her. The glimmer in her eyes was everything that concluded what she wanted.

"No..." she whispered standing up, creating a show. "No!" she exclaimed, thinking that Imani was next. Imani rolled her eyes, peeping at the exaggeration of her performance.

"How would Cynanide be discovered in his system?" she asked as Oshana scoffed.

"The hell if I know," she exclaimed. Imani nodded before standing.

"That's okay," she said picking up the rest of her stuff. "We will be talking to the people that decided to attack the palace," she said, she and Erik walking towards the door.

"Good luck with that. The black op units are trained not to talk Imani!" she yelled after her. Erik was already out the door before she said that, Imani was still inside the room but with the door open.

"How do you know it was the black ops," she yelled out. Realizing what she said the two of them turned around.

"How do you know it was the American Black ops?" Imani asked her. Standing there silent and in shock she exposed what she knew, Imani turned around to look at Erik. She then turned around and looked at Oshana. "Don't wanna answer that's fine. You can blame them for the death of your daughter also." A gasp escaped Oshana's lips as she stood up.

"You fucking winch. You lied about my fucking daughter!" she screamed with tears in her eyes. "You fucking monster with no empathy, you will die and burn for your sins." Within a split second, the door was shut, locked, and barricaded by a bar that even Erik couldn't get into. She walked closer to her as Erik banged on the metal door, attempting to get it open.

"You see him?" she asked pointing towards Erik and the guards attempting to get it open. "They think I'm about to kill you. I'm not going to lie I'm very tempted to do so," she responded as Oshana looked at her shocked.

"I know you killed my father and attempted to kill me you soulless beast," she whispered to her. "I know about the cyanide in my system," she told her.

"You would be dead if that-" she grabbed the end of the table throwing it against the wall. It caught Oshana off guard, and fear struck through her body.

"You killed my father... and your own daughter. You are the only person that's considered a fucking monster." she snapped at her, but Oshana stood up.

"Blasphemy! I did not kill my daughter. I did-"

"You may have not pulled the trigger, but you sure as hell gave them the gun," she whispered to her. Oshana looked at her in shock. "You get no sympathy from me. Sure you might get 15-30 years from killing your daughter, but killing the King. You might as well make peace with death."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _

She sat in the room on the bed as Nakia did tests and gave her treatment to counteract the poison. "Nakia I feel okay, just let me go." she groaned sitting in the bay of the Wakanda Medical Research Center in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

"And that is why I can't let you go," Nakia replied handing her the test results. "You are the one and only person that has experienced cyanide poisoning with the herb. We gotta keep a close eye on you." Nakia finished as Shuri jumped in.

"The herb could be preventing any type of symptoms from showing up in hopes of saving you, but the poison itself could be working through your bloodstream and not showing any symptoms because of the herb," Shuri said looking at her. "All we are doing is protecting the true heir to the throne. If you die, Evil stepmama takes place." she joked as Imani rolled her eyes playfully.

"So far, vitals are good. We want to keep you here for a couple of more days. Keep an eye on you for the next couple of days just to confirm you are okay." Nakia said rubbing her back.

"Days? I need to make a press conference about my father and Amorah.!" she exclaimed.

"I got that in control," Erik replied grabbing her hand. "As the future king, I'll make the statement about what happened. We will tell the people that you are under quarantine and watch because of the potential poisoning." Erik stated as she shook her head.

"That won't work," Okoye said taking the words out of her mouth. "Cyanide is a poison that can kill any human. Considering she is a human with powers, it won't work because then people will know about the herb." Okoye said. "Plus, killing the King and his stepdaughter is an act of war. We can't lie and say it's something else. She takes the throne, they'll just attempt to kill her also." Okoye mentioned.

"Plus, Americans can twist the truth. Say she killed all of them in hopes of establishing the power of the throne. It's not a good look." Nakia mentioned. Imani held her face in her hands, tears rushing down her face.

For the first time in her life, she was stuck and didn't know how to become unstuck.

All of them looked at each other, knowing what they had to do. "My love, I think you need to come clean about who you are.." Erik trailed off before Imani looked at him.

"I can't," she whispered shaking her head.

"Imani, it's the only way that the world will believe you," Erik stated.

"No!" she exclaimed catching everyone off guard. "My people will know that I kept this from them, and so will the people and council of Wakanda. I can't let you risk that, They will deem me ass untrustworthy," she told Erik and looked at T'Challa.

"I can't let either of you risk that," she told them looking between the two of them.

"You must have forgotten but I'm the king. I made that call because I trusted you." T'Challa told her. "At this point, it's time we come clean,"

"I hate to bud in, but you knew this was going to happen eventually. happened. Though the council will be upset, we can present them with the benefits of you having the herb." Okoye stated.

"With that attack on Kambaho, it wouldn't be surprising if they are going to show hostility towards us. Approaching them with this, and having three people rulers with the herb, we have more than protection." Erik comforted her, rubbing her back.

She wiped her tears, her sadness overtaken with anger as she stared at the blank wall. "Once I'm released, I will make my way to the Wakanda and Kambaho council." she replied, Okoye and T"Challa nodded.

"We do have the Americans in holding. Okoye and I will be questioning them while you get some rest for the next couple of days." Erik said playing with her hair. "You guys, give us a minute," Erik said standing up. Everybody exited the bay, leaving the two of them alone.

"A lot is happening," she whispered to him.

"I know," he said sitting on the bed beside her. Though she was precise with everything she did, she couldn't help but get anxious when too much was happening at the same time. It didn't help her situation that she was a sitting duck.

Her father had died, her country was under attack, she herself was poisoned, she was in line to become Queen now and she had to come out about who she was.

"I don't even know what to do." she sighed putting her head in her hands, in complete defeat. Tears rushed down her face as she tried to get a grip on herself but she couldn't help it.

"Mani.. calm down my love.." he tried to comfort her but she snapped at him.

"I can't freaking calm down!" she yelled before she instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry Erik, I didn't mean to be so hostile but this- this is a lot. I have so much on my plate and my father isn't even here too" she stopped herself before making the realization that her father was no longer with her.

"Oh my..." she put her hand on her chest, her breathing beginning to hitch. "A-And my dad is dead." she cried as Erik grabbed her, pulling her into his chest. "My dad is dead!" she screamed into Erik's chest. Erik seeing her like this made a feeling of rage and anger he had never felt before since his father was found dead.

Someone was going to pay for this.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

@life-in-the-slut-house @gloglamsparks @niahsa @hippieonboard @nanii2x @ejs398 @royaler1999 @luvvvjada @sourbabynaee @tthatkidmimi @kanilive @christinabae @nccu-rnc @youcanttouchthis1001 @jordyn-wkndafvr @ts1mp0ne @meeeeep5 @ravynnn-12 @metra873 @determinednot2fall @trippyscotch @thiswasnevermylifefromtony @itsophiebby @princessmel-1995 @blkmystery @xsweetdellzx @ziirowe @cozyashhh @luvvvjada @reneinii @ts1mp0ne @kaireads2020 @blmcd57110 @ziayamikaelson @babbtdollaaassignn @forevermoremagcon @ajenae @etherealluvrr @lynaye1993 @mscarter213 @automaticdragonmugalien @bethy-baby @softleosworld @meekmillsfrenchfries @hinatasfleshlight @kokokonakon @sociallyawkward18 @raysunshine78 @justgetitoverwith0 @lishabaybeee-blog @rbhp @ladymac @musicisme333

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#erik stevens #erik kilmonger x reader #killmonger fanfiction #erik killmonger #killmonger x reader #wakanda #wakanda forever

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imonawholedifferentlevel · 1 year

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𝗧'𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮'𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ʙᴇᴅ ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ʜɪꜱ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: ᴀɴɢꜱᴛ, ʙᴀʀᴇʟʏ ᴀɴʏ ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢꜱ: ꜱʜᴜʀɪ ᴜᴅᴀᴋᴜ x ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ꜰᴇᴍ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾••☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾••☽────✧˖°˖

You try not to burst into tears as you watch the boy who you called your brother, who you basically grew up with, lay on his deathbed. You were only 8 years old when your parents were killed by the government.

You were going to be next if it weren't for a certain black panther that saved you, a man by the name of T'Chaka. He took you back to Wakanda, where you met his family: his wife Ramonda, his oldest son T'achalla, and his youngest daughter Shuri.

They welcomed you with open arms and treated you as their own, and Shuri instantly clicked. Y'all had the same interest in science and fashion, not to mention that you guys acted the same. Nobody was able to break y'all's bond, and that bond only got stronger the older you got.

When you both turned 16, you realized that you had feelings for each other. You both were obvious at first, which really annoyed the whole family since they knew and tried to throw hints at both of you, but you two eventually caught on to your feelings and confessed to each other.

But that happiness did fill me with pain when T'Chaka passed away from an explosion that happened at a meeting that he and T'Challa went to.

You spent the last two months curled up in Shuri's room, cradling her body in yours as she balled her eyes out about her father's death. It also hit you pretty hard since he was like the father you never had.

Months after his death, a man named Erik Killmonger stepped up to T'Challa, wanting the throne.

They fought to the death, with Erik getting the upper hand and throwing T'Challa over the waterfall, leaving everyone else no choice but to bow down to him as their new king.

You, Shuri, Ramonda, and Nakia didn't want to be at his feet and escaped, but not without taking a breath before they could burn it down. You all left in the cold all the way to the Jabari tribe, where you found a surprise T'Challa covered in snow.

Y'all gave him the hearb and covered him in snow, and moments later he shot back up alive. You all planned with the Jabari tribe to bring Wakanda back to its rightful stage, but it ended with Killmonger dying and T'Challa returning to the throne.

There were many other battles he fought with his family by his side and you by his side, being thankful for everything they had done for you, so it was definitely hard to see him in this state.

"Why didn't you say anything?" You sniffled, wiping your nose. Ramonda placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, and you leaned into her touch. T'Challa smiled, his pale-like features scrunching up with his movements.

"Because I knew you would worry, and I knew my time was up," he said. Even if he was sick, he still kept the pride in his voice; he really was a black panther.

"Where's Shuri?" He asks if you remember Shuri rushing to the elevator and saying that she would fix what was happening.

"She's in her lab; she wanted to make a healing herb to make you better," he chuckles softly under his breath.

"She's always stubborn." A loud cough cut him off, and your heart hurt even more knowing that this was reality.

You scanned him with my Kimoyo beads to check his state, and your heart broke seeing that he didn't have much time yet. You felt hot tears flood your eyes, and he just smiled at you and took your hand.

"You have been an amazing addition to the family. You not only made us happy, but you also made Shuri happy before you came. She never even thought about love until you came. You were all she talked about, so I need you to promise me when I'm gone, and I know things will get hard. I want you to always stay by her side and protect her with your life. Can you do that for me?" You nodded your head, and he smiled widely.

"I need to talk to my mother alone for a second." You immediately left the room, closing the door softly and leaning against the wall.

You could hear hushed voices from inside until silence and the sound of Ramonda's cries filled the room. You put your head in your hands, your own tears falling, knowing that he was gone.

Ramonda came out of the room, her cheeks stained with tears. She saw me and opened her arms.

"Come here, child." You flew into her comforting brace, holding each other tightly. Your tears were of a very important thing you lost, but you both had to do the hardest thing you had to tell Shuri.

You both walked through the halls slowly until you finally reached the lab. You could hear Shuri talking frantically, and you guys walked inside, seeing her holding the herb.

You started to tear up again, seeing the hopeful look on her face. She turned around and made eye contact with you both, seeing the tears in your eyes. She looked in the direction of the ceiling, her eyes never leaving you both.

"Griot, what's my brother's heart rate?" She asked, her voice shaking, "Your brother is with the ancestors."

Ramonda said, her voice quivering. Shuri looked at you, shaking her head, but you slowly put your head down.

"No," she silently said, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ramonda wrapped her arms around her as her daughter broke down.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾••☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾••☽────✧˖°˖

Shuri looked beautiful in white, but this sadly wasn't the way you wanted to see her drums and dancing surround you while you all walked in a straight line, with Shuri carrying the mask of the black panther in her hand and trying not to cry.

Y'all made it to the end, seeing the coffin with the black panther engraved into it. Shuri slowly walked up and put her head on it.

She leaned down on the grave, sobbing into the coffin, Ramonda, and you walked up to her, rubbing her comfortably. She took your hand, squeezing tightly as if you were going to disappear too.

You all backed up as the ship started to take the coffin, slowly raising it in the air.

You all crossed your arms for a few seconds before retreating back home. Shuri immediately went to her room, and you followed after her. She flew onto her bed, sobbing into the sheets and messing up her makeup.

You slowly sat down on the bed, rubbing her back comfortably, and she leaned up, wrapping her arms around your neck and sobbing into your shoulder. You wrapped your arms around her just as tightly, letting her know that you were there for her and that you weren't going anywhere.

Suddenly remembering the promise you made to T'Challa, you kissed Shuri's temple and cupped her chin in your hands, wiping her tears.

"I'm going to be here with you. I promise to do whatever I can to make you happy. We're going to get through this together, ok?" She sniffled and nodded her head, pulling you into a hug.

You were always one to keep promises, and for T'Challa, you were going to make sure that promise never died.

#shuri of wakanda #shuri udaku #black panther #shuri x reader #queen shuri #princess shuri #shuri smut

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tchallasbabymama · 1 year

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I KNOW that after seeing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, y'all are gonna want more M'Baku (and Killmonger)...

So here's a handy guide to my stories. Plus, a look at what's to come for those of you who are new and don't know what to look forward to yet.

Series in pink, oneshots in blue. Everything is 18+ ONLY!

First off, my M'Baku fanfics:

M'Baku's Love

Ménage à Trois

Ménage à Trois Part Deux (coming soon)

Her Throne

Girl of His Dreams

Ready

Tea and Tattoos

Used

Blossoming Ashes (coming soon)

Next up, Erik "Killmonger" Stevens:

All For Us

Black Lace

Baby Body

Don't Forget About Us

The Wedding Guest

Teamwork

The Temple

Also, I have one Shuri fic that I wrote as a way to process my grief.

Stay tuned for more M'Baku! There may or may not be more Killmonger, but I have a Ramonda fic and an Okoye x Nakia fic coming soon!

T'Challa stories here if you're interested💜.

#cecewritessometimes #m'baku fanfiction #killmonger fanfiction #ramonda fanfiction #shuri fanfiction #okoye fanfiction #nakia fanfiction

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pnthrblk · 1 year

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Just saw Wakanda Forever, I cried three times yall. And when I say I cried, It was an ugly cry. It was literally perfect! The way they honored Chadwick was perfect. 1000000000/10! I want EVERYONE to win THAT DAMN OSCAR AND EMMY, MTV MOVIE AWARD. EVERY DAMN AWARD!!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

#black panther #erik killmonger #ororo munroe #t’challa #black panther fanfiction #black panther fandom #storm #shuri black panther #blackpantherwriter #black panther: wakanda forever #general okoye #tchalla #nakia fanfiction #x men storm #tchalla udaku

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kittybeewillows · 1 year

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Chapter 8 of Collision Course is up!

I was NOT gonna leave you guys on that cliffhanger for too long!!!!!! Chapter 8 picks up right away from Shuri's perspective so buckle up! Also! A T'challa, Erik and Shuri hijinks scene because these three deserve to be normal and dorky!

Namor looked at her, smile slowly fading away.

"Are you alright, princess?"

Be rational, Shuri. Remember, he is not your boyfriend. He can dance with whoever he wants. You do not even know if he likes you back!

"Do you always dance with beautiful women like that?" Shuri turned around and started walking away.

Bast!

Part of her felt childish. But the pride outweighed it and kept her going. She was not able to walk away that far though, with Namor quickly catching up to her and blocking her escape.

Namor then looked at Shuri intently, concern and regret etched onto his face. There they were again, those brown eyes, staring at her, as if they could see into her heart and read her mind.

"No, I won't dance that way when I dance with you, because there is no one as beautiful as you," he replied.

#namor x shuri #namuri #seaprincess #shuri x namor #black panther #black panther wakanda forever #bpwf #namor #namor the sub mariner #nashuri #mcu shuri #shuri #princess shuri #shuri black panther #shuramor #tchalla #erik killmonger #nakia

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sunandsstars · 10 months

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THE AVENGERS

Steve Rogers ‘Captain America’

Tony Stark ‘Iron Man’

Natasha Romanoff ‘Black Widow’

Clint Barton ‘Hawkeye’

Bruce Banner ‘Hulk’

Thor ‘God of Thunder’

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Peter Quill ‘Star-Lord’

Gamora

Mantis

Nebula

Adam Warlock

WAKANDA FOREVER

T’Challa ‘Black Panther’

Erik Killmonger ‘N’Jadaka’

Shuri

Nakia Shauku

Okoye ‘Midnight Angel’

M’Baku

Namor ‘K’uk’ulkan’

Namora

Attuma

SPIDER-VERSE

Miles Morales ‘1610’

Gwen Stacy ‘Ghost-Spider’

Peter B Parker

Miguel O’Hara ‘2099’

Hobie Brown ‘Spider-Punk’

Peter Parker ‘Spider-Noir’

ETERNALS

Ajak

Ikaris

Sersi

Thena

Druig

Makkari

Kingo

Gilgamesh

X-MEN

Charles Xavier ‘Professor X’

Raven Darkhölme ‘Mystique’

Erik Lehnsherr ‘Magneto’

James Howlett ‘Wolverine’

Jean Grey ‘Phoenix’

Scott Summers ‘Cyclops’

Ororo Munroe ‘Storm’

Peter Maximoff ‘Quicksilver’

EXTRAS

Loki ‘God of Mischief’

Valkyrie

Wanda Maximoff ‘Scarlett Witch’

Pietro Maximoff ‘Quicksilver’

Bucky Barnes ‘Winter Soldier’

Scott Lang ‘Ant-Man’

Stephen Strange ‘Doctor Strange’

Kate Bishop ‘Hawkeye’

Peter Parker ‘Spider-Man’

Yelena Belova ‘Crimson Widow’

#masterlist 🖊️#marvel #eternals #x-men #avengers #guardians of the galaxy #superhero’s #x reader

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palettesofrenaissance · 2 years

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⠀⠀༺ ˖࣪ 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄'𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐅𝐄 ˖࣪ ∗ ˗ˏˋ🥐🍫ˎˊ˗

⠀I've been wanting to get back into reading more fics, especially getting to those written by my mutuals but I need a little nudge with some help, in part because of my indecisiveness

⠀starting today (sunday july 23, at the start of the week), I want to get into the habit of reading between 1-3 fics a week. so please let me know of fics you've written that you wouldn't mind me checking out!! plus I do leave comments

⠀please reblog this and drop a reply, send me an ask, or whatever to link me to your fic

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑 🥯

if you have an AO3, even better!

fandoms I can read without a problem: marvel/mcu, dc comics/dceu, stranger things

BUT I'm open to trying any fandom. I just want to read and comment ♡

I am a multishipper and AU friendly

I prefer to read female-centered stories and about women of color, but this isn't exclusive

I prefer to read character fics but I'm willing to give reader self insert fics a try (just please no stranger things x reader)

edit: since I'm more of a character fics reader instead of self inserts, you'll have to directly point me to a self insert fic because I won't pick. I can't pick

however, there are things I refuse to read: incest, dd/lg, pedophilia, slave kinks, camming/stripping/prostitution, etc

marvel and dc comics ships that are a HARD NO: stucky, stony, sambucky, thorbruce, thor/carol danvers, thorki, valki, thorjane, darcy/jimmy woo, shuri/any adult, peggysousa. superbat, harley/joker, raven/beast boy, t'challa/erik killmonger, nakia/erik killmonger

(and it would be nice if you checked out my ao3 too. love you! ☺️)

☕📚🍰📖🎵🍪☕️📚

EDIT: I changed my mind. This requesting call goes out especially for stories centering women of color

#it's absolutely crazy how many times this post kept crashing on me #self recs #fic recommendation #fic rec list #marvel fic #fic recs #masterlist

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starcrossedxwriter · 9 months

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Unbreakable Part 2 (Erik Killmonger x Black OC

Warnings: none, just some angst featuring your two favorite neighborhood assassins lol

She knew it was wrong but every night, Naja counted down the days until she could leave. However, with only one week behind her and seven more in front, she quickly found that practice more disheartening than helpful.

She had kept her word to T’Challa thus far, no outward complaints nor did she sequester herself from the family just because he was around. She actually found it fairly easy to simply pretend he was not there. At every meal and family gathering, she talked to everyone but him and he did not speak to her. They just orbited around each other like two planets forcing themselves not to collide.

Was it childish? Perhaps. But was it the best she could do? Yes. And T’Challa and Nakia seemed grateful for it even if it was a bit awkward for everyone.

She missed the days when Erik was kept securely out of sight and out of mind. He and the memories only resurfaced when she was here, which is why she avoided Wakanda. She knew it was foolish to avoid an entire country because of one man. But when you saw and felt that man in everything, his barking laugh in the wind, his youthful smile in the sunset, his passion in the roaring of the falls; and when the dull but still painful edges of heartache accompanied all those memories… It was difficult to find beauty in it. Erik was wrapped up in so much she loved about Wakanda. And when he left, everything felt tainted.

When she was not in these borders, she rarely thought of him at all. Her missions, those in need in Nigada, had always been better occupants of her time. Pretending to be someone else meant that she could lay Naja and her feelings about Erik and her life overall at the border until she returned. Of course, that meant that Naja herself had no time or energy to deal with the insecurities, heartaches, and trials life placed upon her. She just did not think of any of it. But she realized now, confronted every day with a pile of her unresolved feelings, that time did not diminish them. It only made it worse.

She did not think of love either, had yet to find a man worth her time for more than a single night. And she knew she never would. She rarely trusted anyone, occupational hazard, but she could never trust her heart with someone again. At least not in the way she did with him. She had no proof her heart even functioned like that anymore.

She could not stop herself from stealing glances at him every once in a while, studying the ways in which the time had changed him. And it had and not just physically. Like her, he was a different person. Though it seemed as if the teenager she knew and loved, one full of light and laughter was still in there somewhere, beneath everything else. Every once in a while, he would say or do something that reminded her of the old him and she would have to stop herself from smiling or laughing or reminiscing on the memories it would spark. And then she would remember their last conversation, remember what he truly thought of her and their time together, and that little flame died out immediately.

During the day, she spent most of her time with Nakia, only stepping away for the rest of the day to practice her training. It was her favorite stress reliever and helped clear her mind. After which, she would retreat to her room until dinner to pour over her notes once again, praying a clue or lead would jump out at her.

The couple that did were dead ends when she relayed them back to Dayo. But she kept trying. She supposed she was grateful that no child had gone missing since she left but she knew that by the time she returned, that would not be the case. Despite being in another country, she still felt responsible and that she needed to do her part to find them.

“Malika, calm down. We will find them, I promise.”

“I know, I know. I just wish I was there to help you.”

She could practically see Dayo shaking his head. “You are caring for your ill sister. That is hardly unimportant. You’ll be back in two months and we will bring all of them home. For the liberation of Niganda.”

“The liberation of Niganda,” she muttered back before ending the call. She bundled up her notebook and slid it back in her bag before heading down to breakfast.

She greeted the entire family, excluding Erik before sitting down next to TJ. He all but demanded his aunt sit next to him at every meal.

“So what do you have planned for the day, Naja?” Nakia asked as Naja filled her plate with food.

She could already tell she was putting on weight, even in a week. The hard lines of her muscles and body rounded out ever so slightly. She was not complaining though, she looked good.

She sat her glass down and shrugged. “It is the first day of training for the new year of War Dogs so T’Challa requested I spend some time in the training center, meet them, share my ‘more tamed’ experiences in the field.”

Shuri chuckled. “His attempts to lure you into staying are not even subtle anymore.”

Erik’s head jerked up, Naja choosing to ignore it. She could feel his eyes boring into hers as if he was waiting for her answer.

“Well, his attempts are in vain. I am more than happy to visit and see the other War Dogs but once the baby is here and you two are settled, I need to go home.”

She threw Erik a glance and watched as the tension seemed to leave his body but not his face. His face still looked angry for some reason that she could not place.

Shuri groaned, her face twisted up in disgust. “Hearing you refer to Niganda of all places as home is too much to handle.”

“I’m sorry,” Naja offered with a smile as she swiped a piece of fruit off her nephew’s plate, causing the young man to laugh and try to take something off hers. Before she knew it, they were in a play battle with their forks, her prince winning handsomely. “It is a shame my sister can’t join me on the training mat this time around. I miss our sparring sessions,” she winked at her.

Nakia smiled, patting her belly. “I know. But the closer we are to my due date, the less often T’Challa is ok with me even leaving our quarters. I think he’d have a heart attack if he saw me within 100 feet of the training center.”

Shuri shook her head. “He’s going crazy. He was always overprotective but he basically wants to wrap her in bubble wrap.”

“You know I love to rag on the king just like the next girl,” Naja teased. “But you can hardly blame him, missing most of the pregnancy and Prince T’Challa’s birth. It must weigh heavily on him. He has earned the right to bubblewrap you and I’m inclined to agree.”

Nakia scoffed. “I may have been out of the field for some years now but let’s not forget who taught you everything you know. I may not be able to beat you in combat anymore but I am still the older sister who protects you, not the other way around.

Naja offered her a soft smile. “My first and fiercest protector. I know. Just trying to return the favor,” she winked at her.

“I… um… gotta go meet T for meetings. I’ll catch up with y’all later,” Erik mumbled, getting up from the table awkwardly, leaving his breakfast half uneaten.

It was not odd to anyone in the room. Each of them often were the first to leave the table during meals, only able to sit in the same room with their emotions for so long. Naja merely read it as him not wanting to be around her, which she did not mind. It made avoiding him significantly easier if he was also avoiding her.

Naja watched as his back retreated before Shuri’s voice caught her ear.

“So you really aren’t ever going to tell me what really happened between you and N’Jadaka? Have you two really not seen or spoken since you were 17?”

Naja used her fork to stab a piece of fruit on her plate before popping it into her mouth.

“Nope. Not a single word. Neither of us even knew where the other was since he left Wakanda. I knew of his moniker, Killmonger, but other than that, nothing. I don’t even know if he survived the Blip.”

“He didn’t,” Shuri supplied. “So I guess it was more like 10 years for him. Still a long time.”

Naja felt a wave of sadness hit her. He was the sole person she tried to look for during that period. Even with the entire world in shambles, she called in every favor, poured over everything she could get her hands on to find out whether he survived. She never breathed a word of it to anyone, hating herself for even caring what happened to him. But she had never gotten an answer, his whereabouts and life a complete ghost with no discernable trail. So she convinced herself that he survived, that he was somewhere still happy without her. It was easier than thinking of him flaking away as dust in the wind.

Naja cleared her throat, a sorry attempt to lighten the conversation again. “Well, long time or not, you seem to know every other secret around here, Princess. Am I expected to believe no one has told you that one yet?”

Shuri shrugged. “What can I say? I am inquisitive. But I was so young when N’Jadaka left. I remember the engagement,” Naja stiffened uncomfortably. “And then he was gone. But even he doesn’t speak of what happened between the two of you. Why you decided to end things?”

The memories flooded Naja’s mind but she shook them off. She caught eyes with her sister, only holding them for a second before she glanced away. She could not take the pity that floated around in them, as if Nakia would always see her as the emotionally broken girl she found that night.

“Well, it seems as though you have the full story, Princess. He left and naturally, it only made sense to end the engagement.”

“Yes but that doesn’t ex-”

Naja stood up abruptly, unable to start her day rehashing how the love of her life abandoned her without a thought.. “My apologies, Princess. I really should be heading to the training. I can give you all the details on Erik and I another time. I shall see you both later.”

She knew it was wrong just to abandon the conversation like that but she had never even really discussed that night with anyone. It did not feel like breakfast conversation as if she were relaying her latest tryst with a one-night stand.

She hated being in her own head, her own thoughts and feelings. She wished she could be Malika again, a woman who thought of nothing beyond her job at a bar and liberating a country from a tyrant. Those were actionable steps, things she could actually do, problems she could fix, plans and thoughts that consumed every waking moment. Her job was her escape from everything else, from her life. She had been running from Naja and her mess for 15 years. And with the chains T’Challa had placed on her, the bitch was finally catching up.

Naja took a deep breath as she entered the training center beneath the palace. It was vast, home to both the Dora and War Dogs’ training programs. Her eyes twinkled as she took in the upgrades they had made since she was last there. It was advanced when she attended her first session. But now? The tech, the weapons available to them were truly a sight to see.

“Naja!” Eshe, the leader of the War Dog Initiative, waved her over. “Welcome home.”

They shared a salute as she gestured for Naja to follow her. She glanced over at the young women all practicing with spears. They were focused, moved as one body as if they shared one singular breath. It did not matter how often she saw the Dora train, they were mesmerizing every single time.

“Why did you not take the Dora route?” Eshe’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Oh…” she shrugged. “Wanted adventure, wanted to see the world outside our borders, and I wanted to do the thing that would be the hardest. That would challenge me the most.”

Eshe nodded as they walked to the War Dog portion of the center, the students sitting in neat rows waiting for their session to begin.

“Don’t let a Dora hear you say such a thing,” Esha warned, causing Naja to laugh.

“Our General would certainly have an opinion on that,” she admitted.

Eshe took her around to each of the new recruits, each one introducing themselves individually as they asked Naja questions. She was more than happy to share her experiences, or at least the ones that aligned with the War Dogs’ new purpose.

Watch and report, she kept having to remind herself as thrilling tales came to mind. She knew those would be far more interesting and entertaining but T’Challa wanted to keep that aspect of the initiative quiet for as long as he could. And that meant that, even within the program, most were not privy to what their fellow spies once did in the field. She was the old guard now, at the ripe age of 32. She had so much she wanted to tell them about the world and the trouble they would see. But then she would have to tell them to ignore it and she could not. Because she was not able to ignore it either, not anymore.

“Perhaps you would like to show them the type of combat skills they will learn during their training?” Eshe tilted her head toward the training mat.

Naja groaned. “Eshe…” It was not that she could not do it. But Naja did not enjoy being on display, having a group analyze every movement while she trained.

“Please? Who would like to volunteer to test out their skills with Naja?”

“Me!” N’Jadaka’s American accent filled the training center, Naja having to force her face to remain neutral.

This fucking bastard, she thought to herself.

“Oh Prince N’Jadaka! Bless Bast you were able to join us for our first day of training.” She glanced at Naja. “The prince is the Panther’s Tribe’s liaison with the WDI, all requests from the palace and briefs go through him and Princess Shuri for now. But soon they will transition to him fully.”

I am going to fuckin’ kill T’Challa.

“Is that right?” She offered through gritted teeth. “Well, I’d hate to harm a member of our royal family. I suspect I’d be thrown in Fort Hahn for such a crime.”

Erik grinned slyly. “I can handle it.”

But first, I’m going to kill him.

Eshe ushered them to the training floor. “No weapons. I want to show the recruits what you can do with just yourselves.”

They both nodded. She rolled her eyes as he stripped his shirt off, forcing her eyes not to follow the trails of scars across his chest and abdomen, all of them leading to a deep V that poked out of his joggers. She might despise him but she did not have to like him to recognize that he was still the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. She knew it was pure lust and nothing more but it made her uncomfortable. To feel anything toward him that was not indifference and dislike.

Everyone watched intently as the pair sunk down into their fighting stances. They circled each other, Naja sizing him up. Time outside of Wakanda had done much for his physique. His body was a brute weapon, carved over time and experience.

And she could practically smell his arrogance from across the room, the arrogance of a man who never lost a fight. Amusement danced in his eyes as he watched her studying him. Because she was not the strongest person in the room, Naja had to attack first and fast. She benefited from her short stature and lean body, years of dance lessons that she hated parlayed well into hand to hand combat.

She took a deep breath, clearing her mind of all else, even thoughts of the man in front of her, before she pounced. That was her strategy. Every person across from her in a fight was the same: her opponent. And her personal feelings, positive or otherwise, did not play a part.

Erik’s arrogance quickly faded as he took in the ferocity of her attacks, making him question his choice to get into the ring in the first place. He had been trying to find his in all week, a soft spot to just speak to her. But they were rarely in private and she did not even glance his way any time. After hearing her intentions to attend training, he convinced T’Challa that he also needed to be there. He thought, perhaps, if he let her use him as a punching bag at training, it would give them a chance to speak if nothing else. But now he wondered if he would even live to get the chance to speak with her. His lack of consistent training and refined skills showed. And the only thing that made him a match for her was the heart-shaped herb that coursed through his veins. Otherwise? She would have had him on his ass in no time.

Naja ignored the ache in her limbs as they both threw blow after blow. Moves and countermoves back and forth across the mat.

A hard push sent Naja tumbling to the ground, the young woman immediately able to catch her footing and bounce back to her feet. She chuckled as she approached him again, faking him out with a punch before delivering a swift but powerful kick to his abdomen, the man also falling down.

“I see someone got some Bast-ordained enhancements. It’s a shame we both know you would not win in a fight without them. Not so weak now, am I?”

Her chest heaved slightly, the young woman slightly out of breath but that did not deter her. She would win, her pride would not allow anything else.

He chose to ignore her last statement, his own voice from their last conversation ringing the shame bell loudly in his ears. Around her, it was deafening. “You know I can take you with or without ‘em.”

“You sure about that? Our King would’ve had me on my ass minutes ago. I guess all those blessed by Bast are not… created equal.”

He let out a vicious growl before pouncing again. Their skillful movements were more like a piece of art than combat, everyone mesmerized by their dance as they responded to each other as if they shared one mind. Everyone, including the Dora, stopped to watch them. One could have heard a pin drop in that room, only their grunts and the sounds of their blows filling the room.

Erik found it hard to keep up with her the longer they went. He did not even recognize her now, not really. On that mat, he saw everything T’Challa had warned him about. The woman he knew was still in there, he had seen glimpses when they were around the family. The soft, caring, and gentle girl he loved beyond reason. But the woman who battled him as if he were a sworn enemy? She was lethal, she was unforgiving, and she would not stop until he was on the ground begging for mercy.

And a moment of weakness on his part would give her her moment to shine and remind everyone why she was Wakanda’s fiercest warrior. His mind was not fully on the battle at hand as he examined her for the first time. Even in just a week, her body had started to fill out a bit compared to when she arrived. It looked good on her. She still had the same body shape as he remembered, her hips a bit fuller as she grew older. But she was still as beautiful as he remembered, perhaps even more so. In the heat of the battle, she had shed her tank top, fighting in only a matching sports bra and leggings set, that showed off her hourglass shape.

He could not help but study her smooth skin, it was flawless. Well, all except for one scar that caught his attention. He could only see half of it, part of it poking out of her leggings on her left side. He imagined it covered the entire length of her torso. In his curiosity and concern of how she got it, he gave her an opening for a punch and kick combination that knocked the wind out of him and sent him flailing to the floor.

One minute, his eyes were trying to memorize her form and the next, he was seeing stars against the ceiling. Naja straddled his hips, her forearm pressing into his neck with slight pressure.

Her long braids shielded both of their faces from the crowd as they laid on the mat for a moment. Both of their chests rose and fell quickly, their heavy labored breaths loud against the silence. His hands moved to her hips, anchoring her against him even as her arm partially crushed his windpipe.

It was the first time Naja had made eye contact with him, expecting to find nothing there for her. But instead, she saw a look of adoration, pride, and love. A look that sparked something in her that had been long buried, something that thawed the frigid ice surrounding her heart and soul, even if just a bit. It was warm and comforting, like hot tea when you’re sick, and her soul begged her to bask in it. She allowed herself to feel so little, it was a necessity for her survival. But her heart begged her to linger in this feeling, to remember how it felt to have someone look at her like he was right now. However, the moment was fleeting. Her brain could not stand it, quickly reminding her who he was, convincing her she and what she saw were wrong.

You don’t know him. You never really did, a bitter voice reminded her, the voice snapping her out of that trance and reminded her that she hated him.

“Yield,” she muttered, increasing the pressure on his neck. Her eyes remained on his, though the glare she usually had returned with a vengeance.

She only released him when she heard the three distinct pats against the mat and his voice call out, “Damn, aight. I yield.”

She removed her arm and sat up. Neither of them moved immediately, both of them paralyzed on the floor as they stared at each other, his grip tightening on her hips. It was not painful but it reminded Naja that he was there, his touch strong but still gentle in a way she remembered from their youth. Her brain immediately began to wander down dangerous pathways, ones that she knew would lead her nowhere good. That ironclad facade she held to so tightly? It was now splintering, hairline fractures stemming out like a web from one single blow.

She immediately shimmed out of his grasp, overwhelmed by how uncomfortable the last 2 minutes had made her.

It seems their moment was lost on everyone else as thunderous applause filled the center. She merely smiled and thanked Eshe as she quickly put her shirt back on. She made quick work of her goodbyes after vowing to return the next day for a lesson, desperate to put as much distance between her and Erik as quickly as possible.

What the fuck was that? She thought to herself as she rushed down the hall to return to her quarters.

She knew what that feeling was. It was not hatred, it was not lust, it was not indifference. It was something much worse… longing. It had felt so foreign and odd that it scared her. A feeling she had not felt in 15 years, a feeling she had sworn off with all other notions of love. But she had felt it, even if it was just a short burst for a mere moment. And she felt it for him. In that moment, she found herself wanting to give into that feeling. She longed for, not just him, but the things he once provided: love, comfort, safety. It was not until she was in his arms again, even in a fight, that she realized how desperately her soul had missed receiving those things from someone.

She shook her head quietly to herself. You can’t do it, that bitter voice screamed at her, drowning out every other positive feeling with a tsunami of rage and pain. You’d be the weak idiot everyone thought you were if you ever give into that again, ever let him or anyone else break you again. You don’t need him or anyone else, it reminded her. Love is nothing but heartache and misery.

It hurt but she knew that voice was right. That was how she survived this long.

“Naja! Yo! Wait up!”

She tried to keep walking and ignoring his voice but her short legs were no match for the heart-shaped herb. She reminded herself to ask T’Challa how his cousin even came to take the herb, a shocking turn of events she had not been expecting. She was not surprised, but fairly annoyed, to find him standing in front of her blocking her way moments later.

“Good fight. Where’d you learn all that shit?”

“Training.” She offered him nothing else before trying to turn and continue down the hallway.

“Hold up, hold up. Just give me 2 minutes, aight?” He asked.

As much as she wanted to deny him even that courtesy, she found herself wanting to hear what he had to say.

“One.”

She watched as he rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth for a brief moment before he recovered.

“I just… we ain’t talked since you got back and I wanna clear the air. Make sure we good? Since we both gonna be around for a while, we should be cool, at least. I’m sorry, you know… for what happened between us. It wasn’t my- ”

Naja shook her head, raising a hand to stop him. She should’ve followed her initial instinct because she could not listen to this. And then she felt it. Those fissures may have let in a bit of light, a positive feeling that she had suppressed for years. But it also let in the ache she had built the facade to keep out. She could not have one without the other so she decided long ago to feel neither.

“Stop. I do not want your apology nor do I need it. We both know you aren’t actually sorry.”

He scoffed. “How you know that? You don’t me.”

“The sad thing is I do know you. And you don’t say shit you don’t mean. So you might be sorry but it is to ease your own guilt and shame, not because you actually think you did something wrong. Because if you did,” she raised her voice as he tried to interrupt. “You would’ve found a way to apologize before 15 years passed. And don’t act as if you and T’Challa did not keep in contact during those years. It insults both of us. If you were truly sorry, all this time wouldn’t have passed before you decided to do something about it. This,” she gestured at him. “Is merely a sad and unnecessary attempt to assuage your own guilt so you don’t have to feel like the villain anymore.”

She closed the space between them and looked up at him. “And I do not care how many good deeds you perform in service of Wakanda. In our story,” she pointed between the two of them. “You’ll always be the villain. And I’m not required to forgive you simply because you’re tired of living with what you did.”

He bowed his head. He did not argue or fight back, even though his pride made him want to. Her words, her anger, were justified even all these years later and he knew this was his punishment for taking the coward’s way out back then.

“I broke your heart, I know that shit. And I fuckin’ hate myself for it. But if you just let me explain w-”

She let out a mirthless laugh. “You didn’t just…” she took a deep breath to steady herself. She hated how he still had this effect on her, how angry she still was after all this time. “You didn’t just break my heart, Erik. Y-You… took pleasure in toying with it before you crushed it. But hey,” she shrugged. “I get it. I made it easy for you. I’m weak, right? A pathetic liability that was forced on you? A hindrance to your goals and plans… Seems like you did well for yourself without the weight of a weak, unloveable thing like me holding you back.”

He flinched at the venom in her tone and the words she chose: weak, pathetic, unloveable. They were words designed to deliver the sharpest of blows. But they weren’t her words. They were his own, daggers he had thrown once because he knew they would cut the deepest. He had not meant them and he regretted them the moment they left his lips. And her reaction in that moment still haunted him. But there was no way for Naja to ever know that.

“The shit I said was inexcusable… I know that. But -”

“And yet here you stand… full of excuses. My life would be better served if I never had to see you again. But since our King does not see it fit to allow that, I will only say this one time to you. If all you can offer me is excuses for what you did, we need not speak again. You did what you did, you said what you said. We can coexist in this palace for my sister and T’Challa’s sake but I will sooner join our ancestors and Bast in the fucking Ancestral Plane before I ever forgive you for it.” She started to walk away but stopped turning back to him.. “Oh and don’t think I didn’t know what that little game was. Your shallow attempt to break the ice? Didn’t even make a dent.” She knew that part was not true but he did not need to know that. “Learn to live with your guilt as I’ve learned to live with the pain you caused. And perhaps, I can get through the next seven Bast-forsaken weeks without wanting to stab you as I do right now.”

This time, she was truly finished, turning away from him and walking down the hallway to the elevator that would take her back to the main portion of the palace.

However, as the doors slid open, his voice called out behind her.

“What did you do with it?”

She clenched her eyes shut. She knew exactly what he was talking about. She stepped into the elevator, holding the door so it would not close.

“The night before my first mission, I went to our spot on Warrior Falls and I threw it off. And I walked away from you and that life forever. Any more questions?” Hurt flashed across his face but he covered it quickly. At his silence, she nodded. “Good. Goodbye, Erik.”

***

“These are amazing, Shuri. Thank you.” Naja’s finger ran over the sharp blade of a set of four knives, her eyes drinking in all the new gadgets Shuri showed her.

When she saw the message to meet Shuri at her lab at 3 am, she knew she was in for a real treat. And the young scientist did not disappoint.

“Figured you'd like them. They’re yours to test in the field. Just… keep it to yourself.”

Naja’s face lit up with a sly smile.. “Ah so these are not standard issue for all us leashed war dogs?”

Shuri did not look up from her computer as she responded. “My brother is the only gullible idiot here who believes you are merely watching and reporting. If you’re gonna break the rules, which I wholly support, you should be safe while you do it.”.

She walked around and kissed the young woman on the forehead. “You know you’re my favorite one here, yes?”

“I’m everyone’s favorite,” she muttered nonchalantly.

Naja did not argue with her, she was not wrong. She gestured toward a few mannequins across the room. “May I?”

“Of course. It’ll be good to see them in the hands of someone actually skilled. I almost took my assistant’s eye out last week.”

At that, Shuri finally stopped working to watch Naja. She picked up two of them and twirled them in her hands, getting a feel for them and their weight for a moment. They were perfect as if Shuri had created them with her hands in mind.

With perfect precision, she hurled each one across the room at rapid fire, Shuri not even noticing her pick up the other ones before they were lodged directly in the heart of each mannequin.

“I see why Nakia said you prefer a knife,” Shuri muttered, letting out a low whistle.

Naja laughed. “Guns and knives both are highly effective. But knives are quicker, stealthier, quieter. And in interrogation, more intimidating than a gun could ever be. But it’s a poor marksman who pretends the tool matters at the end of the day. Regardless, I hit my mark every time.”

She plopped down in the seat across from Shuri, continuing to examine the less lethal tech the young woman offered her. Advanced listening devices, updated kimoyo beads, bullet proof clothing, computerized glasses for in the field. They sat in silence for the most part, Shuri only speaking up to offer directions or side notes on each device. However, most were merely upgrades of what Naja already had so she knew her way around most of it.

“I’m sorry for the other day,” Shuri offered, ending a particularly long stretch of silence. At Naja’s confused expression, she added. “For bugging you about you and N’Jadaka. We just haven’t had a minute alone for me to apologize. I shouldn’t have pushed. T’Challa says I’m too inquisitive sometimes.”

Naja waved her hand. “Long forgotten, Princess. Your inquisitiveness is why you are our greatest scientist. And my attitude toward him doesn’t necessarily dampen curiosity,” she admitted. “I thought just ignoring him would be easy but even his breathing vexes me,” she muttered.

“You two were in love?”

Naja bowed her head, her restless energy forcing her to walk over to pull the knives out of the foam statues across the room. Her mind recalled her friendship and relationship with Erik, one that took up all the formative years of her youth. She had not been able to stop thinking about him since the training center, her emotions far more complex and jumbled than the first time she saw him. At first, all she felt was rage at being blindsided. But being back here in such close proximity to him made her feel so much more, all the good and all the bad. But that voice in her head still yelled above them all. Anytime she lingered in the good memories for more than a moment, it reared its ugly head, reminding her that those moments were a fantasy and a lie.

Though she loathed talking about her feelings, about as much as she loathed acknowledging her feelings at all, she wondered if Shuri was the only person in the entire palace she could actually talk to without judgment. T’Challa and her sister would merely offer her pity and sympathy, which she did not want. Okoye would offer her nothing except a reminder to get over herself, which would not be unfair, but she also did not need. Her parents… well, that was a foolish notion to even consider. But Shuri, she was the only one who did not remember the broken Naja, the person she tried to erase from all their minds. And perhaps that meant, she was the only person Naja was safe to peel back the curtain with even just a little, the only person for whom vulnerability would not confirm Naja’s weakness.

“Well… I thought we were,” she admitted. “I mean we were 17 so love is an odd concept for that age, I suppose. But yea, for all I believed and still believe love to be, I thought we had it.” She spun one of the blades in her hand as she walked back to Shuri’s desk. “He did not agree. Rather foolish now that I think about it. Girl loves the boy and the boy does not love her back. Tale as old as time. Not even an original one, I’m afraid.”

“But you two were close before you dated?”

Naja chuckled. “Yea we were… I was the forgotten younger sibling. You know I adore my sister but when we were young… She was the eldest, heir to the River Tribe, and she had caught the eye of the future king. My parents knew, at worst, she would be on the tribal council one day and, at best, she would be Queen of Wakanda. Nakia was the Sun and I was Pluto or one of Jupiter’s moons floating in her solar system. Insignificant. She never made me feel that way but my parents took every opportunity to remind me that I wasn’t as talented or strong as she was, that I couldn’t do the things Nakia could. ‘A beauty to gaze upon,’ my father used to always say. ‘And nothing more.’” She sighed. “When Erik moved here, we were like 12. He was the only outsider and didn’t quite fit in so he was always running after T’Challa. I was always running after Nakia. One day we realized that we had more fun running after each other.”

Naja smiled, picking up one of the sonic guns Shuri showed her. She shot a few rounds into the target before turning back to her. “You know we used to sneak to the Falls and find caves? We did it for the last couple years. Became a competition on who could find the best ones with the best view of the sunset. I won in the end, I suppose. The last one I found, the night of our graduation, gave a perfect look at all of Bast’s glory.” Her eyes stared off into the distance for a moment as if she were back in that perfect moment. “But we’d just sit in those caves or by the river for hours and hours and listen to the falls and talk. About our parents, about the future. The adventures we wanted to have and the places we wanted to go. He’s the one that inspired me to be a War Dog, we were gonna join together after graduation. We even submitted the application together in our final year of school. He was the first person, outside of Nakia, to make me feel like I was worth something more. That I could do more than serve as Nakia’s right hand and marry the son of the merchant leader or whatever second-best option my parents had designed for me. And he proposed in that last cave I found… a month before training was to start.”

“That sounds beautiful. And then he just left?”

Naja nodded, the happy memory that was floating around her eyes immediately souring. “Yep. Three days later? He called me, ended things, and was on a plane out of Wakanda an hour later. No phone, no way to contact him, and a vow that he’d never come back.”

“And you never found out why?”

“Why he left?” She shook her head. “Nope. You’d have to ask him. Or T’Challa. I tried to press T’Challa for it but he would never say. And eventually, the reason stopped mattering. Our time together, the promises we made, they meant nothing to him. So I just decided it would be the great mystery of my life and another person to add to the list of people who believe I’m not good enough… worthy enough...”

“Is that why you prefer to be in Niganda as Malika?”

Naja laughed, her head tilting as her eyes found her reflection in the pristine metal of the blade in her hand. “Well there’s not much joy in being me. But Malika… she has a purpose, people need her… Wakanda needs her. She’s the best version of me. The only version of me that is worth being.” She stopped herself, realizing she was being far more vulnerable than she intended, more vulnerable than she had been in as many years. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, my princess. I didn’t mean to drown on and on about my issues. You wanted to know what happened and that’s it. Not that interesting of a story. I should head to bed. They are inducing Nakia tomorrow, will be a long and exciting day for us all. You’ll be ok in here by yourself?”

“Of course. And yea, Ayo’s on shift tonight. But before you go, I don’t mean to speak out of turn and you can tell me to shut up if you want but I see the way N’Jadaka looks at you, Naja. And the way you look at him. That is not nothing.”

“I wish that were true. Then my memories would feel more like memories and not like fantasies I was too foolish to realize weren’t real.”

With that, she turned to leave. When she made it back to the palace, she returned to her room and slid into bed. She groaned loudly, frustrated at her emotions. They felt like an avalanche barreling down on her and she did not want it. She had let a weakness she thought was long buried show tonight, let her guard down when she should not have. A week and some change in his presence and she was already turning back into that pathetic girl again, so weak and emotional and soft. And all it had taken was one conversation and a couple stray looks down the dining room table.

You’re pathetic… were back then and still are. Some things never change.

But she had changed. She stared up at the ceiling, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. She tried to force him out of her mind, tried to feel rage… at least that felt good. But even that was hard to conjure up. She just felt lost.

She reached into her side table and pulled out her notebook and grabbed her phone.

She hit the callback button, waiting patiently until she heard Dayo’s voice on the phone.

“No new news yet, Malika.”

She nodded. “I know, I know. But I thought we could go over the evidence one more time? Figured you were just sitting in the back, tonight’s always a slow night anyway.”

She could almost hear his smile through the phone. “You really never rest, do you?”

Naja scoffed. “Not when there’s work to be done.”

Dayo’s deep laugh filled her ears before he nodded, going over the latest details with her again.

She took meticulous notes, every brain cell devoted to his words and this task. If she could not avoid the avalanche of feelings barreling toward herself, Naja could press pause on it to escape behind a wall that even Erik could not breach. Even if it could only last a few hours, she could retreat to Malika whose life was an entire lie but still somehow easier to deal with than her own.

***

Naja worked on her footwork as she moved across the mat alone. She was not surprised to find no one willing to practice with her when she took a break from sitting with Nakia to train. Labor was moving slowly and Nakia was asleep, which meant everyone could go off and do what they needed to do until she woke up again.

She had returned to the training center several times, sparring with the new War Dogs as practice. However, after accidentally injuring one of them, most were not willing to risk bodily harm to get on the mat with her. In her defense, the woman had asked her to push her but Naja did not realize she had pushed a bit too far. Thankfully, her injury was fixed within minutes. Now they all still enjoyed watching and taking pointers from Naja but no one volunteered to fight her.

She had been working for a while, only stopping to check her beads for an alert from T’Challa to return to their quarters. However, her concentration was quickly broken by Erik standing on the mat watching her.

She glanced down at her beads, figuring T’Challa had sent for her, though she did not appreciate the messenger. “Is it time?”

“Nah, no change. Docs said it could be a couple more hours.”

“Ok so why are you here?” She knew her tone was rude but she could not hope to care.

“Heard you scared all the puppies,” he remarked. His hands waved down at his workout clothes. “Figured you needed a sparring partner.”

All she could do was scoff. “I’m good. Besides, nothing I said in our last conversation should’ve given the impression I wanted to speak to you again.”

He chuckled, stepping onto the mat as he kicked off his shoes. “You ain’t gotta speak to me. You were right. Last time was a sorry ass attempt to break the ice. My bad. But that fight was the best training I’ve ever seen. So I figured if we train together, we both get what we want. You get to use me as a punching bag every day, which I figured would make you happy and I get more chances to break that ice between us. Worst case, I’m the only nigga who loses here.”

Naja eyed him, searching for an ulterior motive or some other plan she was missing. But she did not see anything. He did have a point, he was a far better opponent for her than any of the students and it would be nice to use his face as a punching bag. However, she knew it was dangerous waters. However, as much as every fiber in her being wanted to scream no, demand she stay the course of avoidance where he was concerned, she found herself doing the exact opposite.

“Fine. But just know, you’re gonna lose. I can use you as a punching bag but you can't break the ice if I don't talk to you.”

He merely smirked and sunk down into his fighting stance. “I think you forgot how much I like a challenge, baby girl.”

And at the sound of those two words, Naja realized that maintaining her hatred for him would be a far harder challenge for her than breaking the ice would be for him.

Simply put? She was fucked.

Tag list: @miyuhpapayuh @pipsqueak-98 @injerafiend @themakingsofdion @lishabaybee @certifiedlesbianbaddie @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @dangerous-history @roguekiki @mysteryuz

***

A/N: Ok so some of the tags aren't working (so sorry friends!) I'm gonna see if I can fix it asap cause that's so annoying! Alright so, I actually LOL'ed that everyone's comments on part 1 were just "well wtf did that nigga do??" hahaha y'all really wanted sis to like get her life together and that made me cackle. But I really wanted to focus on Naja this chapter and how she handles (or rather wholly avoids) her emotions, which is why she is still BIG mad 15 years later lol

So we got some insight this chapter, bits and pieces of the puzzle to answer the "wtf did this nigga do" question, but we have miles to go :)

Drop a comment and let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!

#black writers #michael b jordan #michael b jordan x oc #mbjordanedit #michael b jordan x reader #black panther #michael b jordan fanfic #creed 3 #adonis creed #creed iii #erik killmonger #erik killmonger angst #erik kilmonger x reader

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clearlydiamondz · 8 months

Text

Loyal to Royalty

Erik!Stevens x OC

Part Four

- - - - - - - - - -

Princess Imani was the black sheep of her family, never really fitting the female royal type. When an arrange marriage between Prince N'Jadaka and her is set up, she tries her hardest to get away… but she just can’t.

- - - - - - - - - -

The following morning, Nakia and Imani woke up early to go for a run in the morning dew. With the perfect temperature, it was a must. "Princess please slow down. Not everyone can be as fast as you." Nakia panted bending over as Imani turned around chuckling.

"Sorry, I usually don't have anyone running with me." she replied before she grabbed Nakia's shoulder making her stand straight. "Hands on top of your head. There is no oxygen down there." she joking said as Nakia hit her with her towel on her thigh making her laugh.

"Soo... it seems like you and Prince N'Jadaka is getting quite familiar with each other." she wiggled her eyebrows as Imani rolled her eyes.

"Don't think to much of it." she responded sitting down in the grass as Nakia sat down next to her.

"How could I not, you guys looked more in love last night than me and Challa." she bumped shoulders with her.

"I'm really good in what I do." she responded back as Nakia laughed.

"I see. Have you seen the tabloids?" she responded as Imani looked at her confused.

"Already?"

"You may work hard but Wakanda works harder." she laughed as Imani shook her head. "I gotta look for myself." Imani said standing up and dusting her butt off and then helping Nakia up.

They were now at the palace, in the kitchen making smoothies. Imani sat at the counter on her iPad looking through the online articles and blogs. Not only were they viral in Africa, they were top trending in the States.

The new royal couple seem to come out of no where, but boy are we excited! American business owner, Erik Stevens, are now getting married to the Princess of Kambaho, Imani, daughter of King Z'Kiri have made their relationship public as they were seen with King T''Challa and his wife, Princess Nakia. Erik Stevens, also known as N'Jadaka in his father's country, were found out to be blood after the death of King T'Challas father. It is rumored the two will be the new royal couple in the Country of Kamabaho. More insights later to come.

"I was not expecting to be trending in America." she said in shock as Nakia laughed.

"I mean yeah.. it's not like everyday Americans have someone marrying royalty." she said pushing the smoothie her way as she took it opening another tabloid. Pictures of them were shown sitting on the front row, talking and smiling with each other. Damn, they looked real good.

One of the pictures had her laughing as Erik stared at her in awe. If she wasn't a fool, it looked as if that look was genuine. She continued looking through the pictures.

"Ayo, you got to see this!" Shuri came into the kitchen with her tablet, which she had on twitter. "Don't know if you know this but y'all are trending on twitter right now."

Me: Mom can we go watch Coming to America

Mom: We have coming to America at home

The coming to America at home:

That one made her laugh loudly.

She continued to read through the tweets as Erik came in. "Goodmorning y'all." he said sitting beside Imani as she looked at him with a smile.

"We are trending on twitter right now." she told him as he chuckled.

"Yeah I caught wind of that. Some of my niggas back home in Oakland saw it and hit me up." he chuckled sitting back in the chair.

"So, this will probably mean that you will need a publicists." Nakia said cleaning up the mess from the counter as Imani groaned.

"Oh god, I didn't even think about that." she said but then she thought about it.

"Well why would we need to do that?" Erik asked.

"Well for some interviews and events to be approved, we need a middle man to direct these things." she said as Nakia nodded.

"I mean I'm not sure how comfortable you are with American tabloids but you most definitely will need to do so if you plan on talking to them. You know how messy they can get." Nakia rolled her eyes.

"Don't even get me started. Took one look at the Shaderoom and my goodness are they misrable." Shuri rolled her eyes as Erik chuckled.

"I'll have to run it by my father. I'm not sure how comfortable he is with that." she said, then Erik looked at her.

"I mean, it's only fair. That is MY home country after all." he said. He was expecting her to say something negative but all she did was sigh.

"And I completely agree. But my father has a distrust with the American government. Not the American people. They know for a fact they'll try to mounvier some way to get vibranium. Especially with us trending right now." she said scratching her forehead.

"Seems like you did your job a little too good." Nakia smirked.

"Well, Nakia and I have some stuff to work down in the lab." Shuri grabbed her stuff before putting a hand on both of their shoulders.

"I wish you the best of luck my Coming to America rip offs." she said laughing. The two of them playfully rolled her eyes. They left the kitchen as Erik looked at her.

"What do you think your father will say?" he asked her standing up as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Honestly, my best bet is he'll say no. And quite frankly, I wouldn't feel too comfortable also." she said standing up. He turned around and looked at her.

"And why is that?" he said crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at her. If it wasn't for these circumstances, Imani most definitely seen that and would be turned on. His muscles were nicely on display with the black T-Shirt, and don't get her started on the grey sweat pants.

"I mean, I took a look on the Political news tabloids. They are already talking about trading with our Country if Wakanda isn't up for it. And I'll be damned if I let that happens."

"Well that doesn't have nothing to do with talking to American tabloids." he mentioned leaning against the counter.

"Not yet it doesn't. America is like-" she stopped her self before saying something offensive about America to this American.

"Say what you need to say. America ain't all that great to folks that looks like us." he chuckled noticing she was beating around the bush.

"You give America an inch, they'll want the same amount of miles from the Sun to the Earth." she said as he laughed.

"Well, this is something that needs to be discussed with King Z'Kiri." he responded. For some odd reason, she was a little offended by it.

"And why can't we come to this conclusion together. I mean, we will be the next King and Queen." Not it was her turn to cross her arms with an attitude.

"Okay, for one drop the attitude." he said grabbing her arms and unraveling them as she rolled her eyes. "For two, you seem a little hesitant. Plus, with the two of us as rulers no way America will step over us or Wakanda." he stated. "You already know what's up with me."

That bought her back to the first night they met. He was very adamant and helping black Americans and she knew damn well he would try to prevent that from happening. Maybe she could take this as an advantage for her country to be protected.

"Okay.. I admit your right." she whispered as he turned around with a fake shock.

"Me? Right? You have a fever." he said touching her forehead as she smacked his hand away as he smiled at her. Gold teeth, white straight teeth, dimple smile. Damn, why he had to look at her like that.

"Why you staring at me like that?" he asked her. Thinking quick on her feet, she pointed to his smile.

"Your gold teeth compliments you well." he smiled even harder to show it off.

"Eh, I have a nice collection of grills. Might get you your own." he winked at her as she laughed.

"My father would have a heart attack." she chuckled then nodded. "That would be nice."

"Aye, you can't be my woman and not walk around with some gold on your teeth."

______________________________________

Her trip to Wakanda came to an end. As much as she didn't want to leave, business needed to be attended at home. She walked through the halls before she saw her father, Amarah and Oshana sat in the living quarters reading and/or watching the television.

"Oh your back!" he exclaimed closing his book with a smile on his face. "I see you represented your country very well, daughter." he smiled at her as she nodded.

"Yeah, N'Jadaka was really supportive." she said scratching her forehead. "But father, there was something that the two of us needed to discuss about the news. I'm not sure if you know this-"

"Yeah you guys reached the Americans." he said standing up. "Seems like you guys are getting a positive feedback."

"Well not that exactly. Politics." she said as he groaned.

"It's not in your place as queen to make political decisions. You need to leave that with your father and Erik." Oshana said rolling her eyes.

"Listen, I'm really not in the mood to go back and forth with you right now. Dad whenever your free, please." she said looking at her father.

"Of course."

"Well since queens are being involved in politics now, I demand to be there for this conversation." she said standing up as Imani groaned. "Don't catch an attitude now. You're not even the Queen yet. That title still belongs-"

"Still belongs to you whatever. If you are that pressed fine. You can sit." she gave her dad one last glare before returning back to her room.

"I honestly can't with that disrespectful little girl. How dare she speaks to me that way." she snaps at her husband as Amarah budded in.

"I would never speak to you like that, yet you give her this grand opportunity." Amarah said annoyed.

Later that evening, the three of them sat in his office.

"For started Erik and I thought it would be necessary for us to higher a manger and publisits. This way, we can control any information that is leaked through the public." she started off as her father looked at her confused.

"We don't have publisits and we are fine." her father said.

"I know father, but these are different times that we live in. Any tiny bit of information that leaks out whether it's the marriage or the vibranium supply that we have here, we need to control it." she stated. "We are trending right now, and by my calculations may be trending until we are married. With this, plus the uproar about vibranium we need to have a tight security on what is put out on the internet. It's not just Wakanda or Oshana that we have to worry about at this point, it's the whole world now." she convinced him.

Her father didn't want to show it in her face, but damn was he proud. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could depend on his daughter to run things smoothly, but he just couldn't depend on her... is it because she is a woman. Or is because she is young. Maybe it's both.

"And what does Prince N'Jadaka have to say."

"He believes that we should have some control over the media in America too. This may be doing interviews, or working with officials but we cannot let them get the chance to over step us and take our natural resources away like they have any other country." she stated as he nodded.

"This could be a proposition that we make with the council. I trust your judgement daughter." she nodded before continuing.

"So, I don't know if you have read their political news lately but they are already having conversations about trading with us instead of Wakanda." Imani started off. "Even though Wakanda signed the Sokoivia Accords, they aren't giving up their vibranium and I don't think neither should we." she said.

"I agree." he said but his wife cut her off.

"I don't see why not. Vibranium is expensive and we can make money off of the trade. " Imani closed her eyes before saying,

"It's not about the money Oshana. It's about the distrust of deadly materials being handed over to the Americans. It's the dangers of Vibranium getting to outsiders." she said as Oshana groaned.

"Girl you're acting like America is going to go on a killing rampage. If we trade with them, this will result in them not overstepping our boundaries and making money at the same time. Is that not the goal?"

"No, it's not." she snapped at her. "Look, I know you are new to this but when I say trading with the Americans for the most deadly substance would be the downfall of this country, it will destroy us." she stated.

"You let them have just a bit of vibranium, they are going to keep asking for it, and asking for more. And when we either say no, or we can no longer provide it because we are emptied out, then what. Because the last time I checked I don't see America trying to rebuilding the countries that they have stolen violable resources from. They will leave us bone dry. And don't even get me started on the accords. We did not sign it, so that gives them any other reason to put a target on us." she stated looking at her. "Do you even know what the accords is?" she asked her as her mother looked at her father for back up.

"But with the money that-"

"Do you know what Sokovia Accords are?" she repeated herself but her step-mother was silent. She looked to her dad.

"And you thought bringing her in here was a smart idea. Tuh." she chuckled shaking her head.

"Okay you wait just a minute. Now I have every right to say what I think is better for this country as queen. And I think that idea is dumb as hell."

"Lady you don't know even know what the Sokovia Accords are. Do you not know that if we express to them hey we have vibranium and would like to trade, we will most likely not even make any money from it all. Because it goes against the One Nation." she stated to her.

"Then just sign the-"

"Father please stop this nonsense." she looked at her father. "I can not sit down and have a proper argument with someone who doesn't even know what she's talking about. All she see's is dollar signs." she rolled her eyes.

"That is far from my truth!"

"You literally just said and I quote 'Vibranium is expensive and we can make money off of the trade'. That is as close as your truth then I don't what." she responded back as her father stood.

"Enough! The both of you!" he yelled at the two of them. "Daughter, I hear you and I am listening. I've told you before I trust your judgement. We will discuss this further more with N'Jadaka." she smiled but then it dropped when he said, "Further more any decision that is made will still go through me and your step mother as we are your king and queen. I will also take into consideration what she has to say also." he stated as her eye twitched. "Understood?"

"Yes my king." Imani mumbled under her breath. Her looked at Oshana.

"Yes beloved king." She bowed her head at him.

Oshana entered her daughters room, closing the door. "Well how was it?" Amarah asked sitting up from her bed.

"She's as stupid as her damn mother." Oshana spat out sitting on the bed. "They will not trade with America over some foolishness. Does she not realize how much money we would receive."

"She probably doesn't understand. America needs to know we are willing to trade with them." Amarah said. That's when a thought came to the queens head.

"Pack your stuff. We are going to America."

______________________________________

Erik stood in front of the mirror completing his last set of bicep curls. His mind racing with everything that has happened in the last few weeks, but his mind started to drift off at the thought of Princess Imani.

The way she walked, her confidence, the way she talked, the way she could take control of a room. As bad as he didn't want to admit it, he was definitley crushing on the princess. Even finding solace in the idea that they will eventually become King and Queen.

But his thoughts overwhelmed him with the thought that those feelings were not mutual. She was pretty adamant on keeping it strictly business where as she was doing what she had to do for her country. But there was no foul rules on getting her to accept him.

He was deep in thought on how to win her over when he heard his phone ring. Answering it thinking that it was her since everyone he knew communicated through their bracelets, he answered it.

"Hello?" he answered putting the weight down.

"Prince N'Jadaka has a name ring to it." the girl said on the other end. It most definitely wasn't Imani.

"Who's this?"

"Wow, so you move and become prince and forget about me?" Immediately he recognized the voice.

Arianna Cope.

His sneaky link when he was back in the states. They fucked on occasion, not really making any moves past just wanting to fuck each other. Well that was until he caught feelings. Wanting more with her than just a fuck, she laughed in his face. That was the last time he spoke to her.

"Ohh." he chuckled. "Thought you lost my number."

"Eh, I never deleted it to be honest." the girl chuckled on the other end. "I seen your new little girlfriend. She's cute."

"Beautiful isn't she."

"Bet her daddy gotta lot of money." she laughed as Erik laughed too.

"Yeah.. but she got her own too." he said walking around the gym. He wasn't going to lie, he did like her. A lot. And really did miss her a lot. But he didn't want to mess up any chances of being King. He wasn't letting no hoe or bitch get in his way.

"You always went for the girls with big dreams huh. She got you over here trending and shit. Everybody been hitting me up about you... about us." she trailed off the last part. He closed his eyes looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah well... there ain't no real us is there." he responded as she sighed. "You made that known long ago."

"That don't mean I didn't miss you." she said. Their was a long pause before she spoke again. "You still there?"

"Yeah, just thinking."

"About me, I hope."

"I was." he bluntly said. "But not in the way you were thinking."

"Boy please, don't be acting all brand new now that you got some royal blood in you and some royal pussy." she scoffed with a laugh.

"Nah I ain't acting brand new, but you are." he laughed. "You laughed in my face when I wanted to be with you. This could have easily been you, living in a palace. Anything you ever wanted and needed and you missed that opportunity. " he was lying his ass off, but he just wanted to flex on her.

"Mhm, I still got love for you though. You know that."

"I'm sure you do." he looked up and saw T'Challa walking in. "Aye look though, I gotta bounce. I appreciate the call though." he said.

"No problem. Call me soon , okay."

"Yeah.. I'll see about that."

_______________________

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#Erik Killmonger #Erik Stevens #n'jadaka #Wakanda #Wakanda forever #black panter #gold jaguar

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