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Chapter 23
Technomancer in MCU
The Royal Guest House, Birnin Zana, Wakanda
–Ed–
I was expecting someone to come escort us for our tour of the city but I didn’t expect it to be T’Chaka himself of all people.
He was dressed in casual attire, looking considerably more relaxed than the last time I had seen him.
The panic in his eyes, when he learned about N’Jadaka’s true heritage, had also subsided and he seemed more confident….somehow.
I shake his hand, “King T’Chaka! Didn’t expect for you to act as our tour guide personally. I thought you would still be in a meeting with your council or getting medical attention for the shock that you received earlier.”
The countenance of the Dora Milaje accompanying him darkened considerably. They tightened their grip on their vibranium spears.
I could even see one was about to advance forward towards me had T’Chaka not cleared his throat and given them a look.
He then turned back to me and said, “Please. Don’t provoke them. They have never seen their King like this, so forgive their impertinence.”
I nodded, “Don’t worry. I know a thing or two about disobedient employees,” and glanced back at N’Jadaka.
To his credit, his face remained stone-faced.
T’Chaka nodded, clearly confused.
“Before we go on our tour, I would like to speak with both of you privately,” T’Chaka asked me.
I shrugged, having a pretty good idea what this was going to be about, “Sure.”
He nodded, clearly grateful, and then dismissed the Dora Milaje, stopping them from entering the suite despite their vehement protests.
Not hearing their requests at all, T’Chaka stepped inside and I deliberately gave them a stink eye and slowly closed the door in front of them.
It was oh-so satisfying.
Inside, the scene could only be described as awkward.
T’Chaka and his nephew were sitting on the sofa, with a cup of tea in their hands.
I smirked as I saw that N’Jadaka was actually trying to be a good host and served T’Chaka tea, who was clearly out of his depth here.
He must have been prepared for an outburst from N’Jadaka.
Maybe even a fight was anticipated by him and seeing the clear lack of any weapons he had on his person, he was willing to get beaten up to clear his guilty conscience.
Snorting at the scene, both of them turned and glared at me for that.
I raised my hands innocently, “What? I don’t think this conversation was going anywhere so really, you should be thanking me for breaking the ice.”
I take a seat opposite T’Chaka, right beside N’Jadaka, signifying my position.
T”Chaka, finally ready to start the conversation, cleared his throat and gave his nephew a look.
Under both of our watchful eyes, he took out a locket and put it carefully on the table.
Answering our unasked question, he said, “This was your father’s. It is the last thing I have of him.”
Hesitantly, with trembling hands, N’Jadaka took hold of the locket and opened it up.
Inside, he could see his father and his mother.
This clearly riled up his emotions as he teared up and holding the locket in a tight grip, glared at T’Chaka.
T’Chaka seemed resigned by it.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
His shoulders slumping, he said, “Look. You can hate me all you want. I was the one who actually killed your father.”
“The rest of Wakanda is innocent.”
“If revenge is what you are after, you can take my life for it.”
So that was his endgame.
Offering his own life in exchange for the safety of this family and Wakanda.
I could respect that. He is a good king and a good father.
And with me here, he would have some reassurance that I would enforce the promise made by N’Jadaka and would not let Wakanda burn.
Too bad this would not work with us.
Not only would T’Challa and more importantly, Shuri hunt us to the ends of the world and take their revenge by attempting to kill us, but we were not here for revenge anyway.
The work Alfred and the doctors back at Ascendancy had done for N’Jadaka had worked wonders for him.
He no longer had rage episodes when someone even mentions Wakanda and T’Chaka’s name.
His abandonment issues had also been finally solved.
The doctors had given him the go ahead for this mission otherwise I would not have let him set foot on the African continent.
Clearly sharing my ideas, N’Jadaka said, “ You can keep it.”
At T’Chaka’s confused look, he said, “Your life. You can keep it.”
“It is not worth anything to me but the trouble it will bring if I took it.”
“Besides it wouldn’t change anything. My father is still dead. So is my mother.”
“My life is all kinds of fucked up. I am still a hired mercenary.”
“I don’t want your life. I want change.”
T’Chaka asked warily, “Change? What kind of change?”
Giving a sardonic smile, N’Jadaka replied, “The kind that sticks.”
“The slow and gradual change that actually stays and doesn’t just revert back once the leader of the movement is gone.”
Laughing at the utter confusion on T’Chaka’s face, I said, “He is not here to take the throne by force if that is what is worrying you.”
“He is here to integrate himself into Wakandan society.”
“To get his rightful place as the prince of Wakanda.”
“The issue of succession will come later on. It will be based on their respective merits, am I right?”
He nodded slowly, still confused but slowly understanding the gist of our conversation.
“Of Course. That is the least that I can do.”
Slapping my thighs, I stood up and said, “Well then. Glad we cleared that up.”
“Let’s go. I am itching to explore the good places of Wakanda.”
“From what I have briefly seen, it truly is a paradise on Earth, no matter its dark origins.”
T’Chaka’s face darkened at the backhanded compliment I gave to his home country.
With a determined face, he said, “You can insult me all you like. I have made those mistakes and deserve the punishment but Wakanda has done nothing of the sort.”
Snorting at his foolish words but acknowledging his love for Wakanda, I nod.
“Wait a minute. You could actually get the throne if you backed N’Jadaka and gain access to the most technologically powerful nation on the planet and yet you do not?” he asked somewhat incredulously, still unbelieving of our motives even after so many explanations.
Tired of his paranoia, I rub my forehead and reply, “Look. If I wanted to, could I conquer Wakanda all by myself? Yes.”
“Do I want to? No.”
“Do I need to if Wakanda can follow me in fulfilling my goals?”
“Your son is of a very similar mindset to mine, so in N’Jadaka.”
“If both the princes share a similar ideology as me and you are old and going to retire soon anyway, why would I waste my time and energy to conquer Wakanda? Especially since lives will be lost either way.”
He looked wide-eyed at me, stunned by my speech.
That was unsurprising as I had just told him that I would get my way anyway, he was not a roadblock, just a traffic signal that would soon turn green anyway.
The look on his face was hilarious.
“Satisfied now? He truly doesn’t care about any of this. It’s just that if he does everything by himself, which he does have the capacity for, Humanity as a whole wouldn’t advance and he would just end up making it completely dependent on him.”
“That’s something nobody wants so here we are, convincing the most powerful nation on the planet, notorious for its isolationist policies, to join our cause and help Humanity as a whole.”
T’Chaka nodded robotically.
N’Jadakka tapped his shoulder and said, “Come on now. Let’s not keep the Boss man waiting. We can talk while we walk.”
Going outside, I could see a hovercraft waiting for us.
It was the royal family’s as I could once again see streaks of gold in the vibranium chassis.
I whistled, “Man you guys truly live extravagantly. People outside would weep if they saw how you use your vibranium.”
“And what is up with this obsession that royalty have with Gold?”
“I mean I could understand the royalty outside, as Gold is the most valuable metal for them. It is a status symbol for them but why would you of all people need Gold for that.”
“You have the 3rd largest reserve of Vibranium on the planet. That’s literally the most expensive material on the planet.”
The King at first looked sheepish at my tirade but then he finally heard what I was saying and his face took a shocked expression.
With trepidation, he asked me, ‘“Wha–What do you mean by 3rd largest vibranium reserve?”
My only reply to that was a smirk aimed at him.
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Word Count - 1516
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