After the trial by combat was announced, it was scheduled for the late afternoon and will take place in the Warrior Falls.
My Sam Fisher raven disappeared and we returned to our sofa. I looked at Wanda, who sat with a balled fist next to me.
She turns to me and says angrily, "That's not right! He clearly used the situation to lure T'Challa into a trap. Let's go and help. I will make him tell the truth."
Then she stands up and wants to run out, but I stop her by appearing in front of her at the door.
"We can't. That's something T'Challa needs to deal on his own."
"But---"
She wanted to say something, but I interrupted her, "Do you think T'Challa is so stupid and doesn't know he is being played? No, he knows exactly what Killmonger is trying to do."
"Why does he then accept such a stupid challenge?"
"Because people like T'Challa think the world lies on their shoulders and they must make everything right, even when it's not their mistake. So if you appear there and he hears the truth, it will not change anything for him."
Wanda still wasn't convinced, that it was the right way and I could see her fighting with herself.
So I pat her head and say, "Don't worry, I promise he will be alright."
This made her calm down a bit, then she looked me in the eyes asks, "Are you sure? Can we go there and watch the fight?"
I nodded with a smile and she finally relaxed. My plan was to watch the fight like this anyway...
Later that afternoon, we went to Warrior Falls after hypnotizing two guards to replace them.
T'Challa's POV:
The last few weeks have been really difficult. First, Nakia moved away to continue her fight against slavery and suppression.
Then I was called by the UN only to hear that the US had lost Tony Stark.
To make this perfect, Wakanda got attacked again. But not by anyone... it was my cousin. I didn't even know existed.
Then the thing with Zuri he... I don't really want to think about it. Even after all this, I accepted a duel with the attacker to pay for my father's sin.
I will win for my father. That is out of the question. The only thing I don't know is what to do with N'Jadaka afterwards.
When the time for the battle came, Okoye picked me up and brought me to Warrior Falls, where N'Jadaka was already waiting for me, tied up in Vibranium cuffs.
We depowered all of his men but not him.
Since they destroyed the heart shape flower, we couldn't depower both of us to fight. That would also make Black Panther extinct... and only depowering him would be dishonorable.
We would also fight without a suit, so every one of us was allowed to use weapons.
He chose a sword and a spear with a broken handle. While I used a shield and a short Vibranium spear. Next to my claws, this would always be my second choice of equipment to take to battle.
We stood opposite each other and I wanted to say, "This is your last---" but he interrupted me and slashed with his sword in my direction.
The slash was so fast that I was sure I would have lost my head if I didn't have my powers.
I block it with my shield and slash at him with my spear, which works like a dagger, but he blocks it with his own spear.
We exchanged blows like this until he slashed down with both weapons simultaneously. Seeing that coming, I shifted my body to the side and kicked him away.
He lands in the water and I point my spear at him. "Give up and keep at last a bit of your honor."
But he slashes again and I had to back off. Then he stands up and says, "Honor? Do you think I give a damn about it?"
He rips his shirt off and shows scars or bumps over his whole torso and back.
"I don't live for honor like you. I only live for my revenge, even when I had to kill old and young people or all these women and men to get here."
Saying that, he runs forward with new-found power and slashes at me.
I try to defend it, but he becomes more and more powerful as he goes. First, he manages to slash my right thigh, hindering my movement and bringing me down on a knee in the process.
Following that, he slashed down with his spear and sword. I tried to block this with my shield, but he simply hit it until I lost my grip and then he kicked it away.
The only weapon left was my short spear, which I thrust forward. However, he blocks it with his own once more and then uses his sword to slash down on my arm.
The next moment I could see something fall to the ground and when I looked to my right, I found a stump where my arm used to be.
"Argh!!!"
"No T'Challa!!!" I could hear my family screaming.
But the pain in my missing right arm made it impossible to think of anything else. Everything before my eyes became dark and I could feel myself falling into the water.
"Is this your king? Take a look at this big crippled hero lying on the ground. You followed not only a weakling, but also the son of a murderer.
Since this battle washed me from all my sins, you people got an opportunity for a better king and I advise you to grab it."
I could hear him using my state to make himself king... opening my eyes a bit, I could see him raising his sword above his head. But when he slashes it down on me, a spear stops his sword.
"No! You are not worth being a king and I will not allow you to kill my only son." My father appeared with the Spear of Bashenga and stopped him...
"Your target is me. So kill me and leave Wakanda forever." Saying this my father steps back and drops the spear.
My body was in shock from the pain, that I couldn't move or do anything to help him...
Erik listened to him and laughed, "Ha! Why should I? This is what I was born for and now that you interfere, you will die with your son, while Wakanda gets a new king."
Does he think it's so easy to become king by killing everyone in his way?
But as I looked around, I was only greeted by stoic faces... except for my mother and sister, who were held back by some female and male guards.
Are these people serious?
Erik grabs my father's shoulder and thrusts his sword forward. Time slows down and I see his sword slowly approaching my father's torso.
"No!!!" I tried to stand, but to no avail... suddenly the sword stopped and Erik and everyone around us seemed to be frozen in time.
"Is this how a warrior and a king should behave? Fighting half-heartedly against a ruthless enemy? This made you not only lose the battle, but everyone around you will suffer too."
Turning to the voice, I see a guard stepping forward.
He was standing by my family when I noticed him before, but I didn't see his right glowing eye back then.
"David?! Please save my father and bring my family out of here."
He kneels down to me in response and says, "Why don't you save them? It's your fault they are in this situation, so stand up and fight for the people you care about."
"I can't get my body to ---" I try to explain my situation, but he interrupts me.
"You can't? Do you know why Erik is so much stronger than you? Because he has his own goals and nothing will stop him until he accomplishes them. In contrast, you have no goals of your own that really drive you forward.
What is he talking about? My goal is to protect Wakanda and serve my country no matter what.
"Naive thinking, false honor and living by standards set for you make you the weak person you are.
As long as you don't drop this bullshit from the past and be more selfish, there will always be someone who will use this weakness to take everything from you."
Being selfish he says... Am I even allowed to be like that? Could I have stopped Nakia from leaving if I had been more selfish or changed this outcome? But now it's too late for me to do anything...
"If I give you a chance to win, what will you do?" He asked me with a smile.
If I had the chance, I wouldn't allow anyone to bring me into this situation again... "I will make a future where no one will ever be able to take something important from me."
Hearing this he stood up and I could see the commas in his right red eye change and fuse into something like a black star.
"That's good enough for me, so awake!"
RetMod
Hey guys and welcome to the next chapter.
First of all sorry that I couldn't upload a lot of work lately.
I will try to upload twice a week from now till work becomes normal again...
The next chapter will be the end of the arc.
Stay tuned.
After the trial by combat was announced, it was scheduled for the late afternoon and will take place in the Warrior Falls.
My Sam Fisher raven disappeared and we returned to our sofa. I looked at Wanda, who sat with a balled fist next to me.
She turns to me and says angrily, "That's not right! He clearly used the situation to lure T'Challa into a trap. Let's go and help. I will make him tell the truth."
Then she stands up and wants to run out, but I stop her by appearing in front of her at the door.
"We can't. That's something T'Challa needs to deal on his own."
"But---"
She wanted to say something, but I interrupted her, "Do you think T'Challa is so stupid and doesn't know he is being played? No, he knows exactly what Killmonger is trying to do."
"Why does he then accept such a stupid challenge?"
"Because people like T'Challa think the world lies on their shoulders and they must make everything right, even when it's not their mistake. So if you appear there and he hears the truth, it will not change anything for him."
Wanda still wasn't convinced, that it was the right way and I could see her fighting with herself.
So I pat her head and say, "Don't worry, I promise he will be alright."
This made her calm down a bit, then she looked me in the eyes asks, "Are you sure? Can we go there and watch the fight?"
I nodded with a smile and she finally relaxed. My plan was to watch the fight like this anyway...
Later that afternoon, we went to Warrior Falls after hypnotizing two guards to replace them.
T'Challa's POV:
The last few weeks have been really difficult. First, Nakia moved away to continue her fight against slavery and suppression.
Then I was called by the UN only to hear that the US had lost Tony Stark.
To make this perfect, Wakanda got attacked again. But not by anyone... it was my cousin. I didn't even know existed.
Then the thing with Zuri he... I don't really want to think about it. Even after all this, I accepted a duel with the attacker to pay for my father's sin.
I will win for my father. That is out of the question. The only thing I don't know is what to do with N'Jadaka afterwards.
When the time for the battle came, Okoye picked me up and brought me to Warrior Falls, where N'Jadaka was already waiting for me, tied up in Vibranium cuffs.
We depowered all of his men but not him.
Since they destroyed the heart shape flower, we couldn't depower both of us to fight. That would also make Black Panther extinct... and only depowering him would be dishonorable.
We would also fight without a suit, so every one of us was allowed to use weapons.
He chose a sword and a spear with a broken handle. While I used a shield and a short Vibranium spear. Next to my claws, this would always be my second choice of equipment to take to battle.
We stood opposite each other and I wanted to say, "This is your last---" but he interrupted me and slashed with his sword in my direction.
The slash was so fast that I was sure I would have lost my head if I didn't have my powers.
I block it with my shield and slash at him with my spear, which works like a dagger, but he blocks it with his own spear.
We exchanged blows like this until he slashed down with both weapons simultaneously. Seeing that coming, I shifted my body to the side and kicked him away.
He lands in the water and I point my spear at him. "Give up and keep at last a bit of your honor."
But he slashes again and I had to back off. Then he stands up and says, "Honor? Do you think I give a damn about it?"
He rips his shirt off and shows scars or bumps over his whole torso and back.
"I don't live for honor like you. I only live for my revenge, even when I had to kill old and young people or all these women and men to get here."
Saying that, he runs forward with new-found power and slashes at me.
I try to defend it, but he becomes more and more powerful as he goes. First, he manages to slash my right thigh, hindering my movement and bringing me down on a knee in the process.
Following that, he slashed down with his spear and sword. I tried to block this with my shield, but he simply hit it until I lost my grip and then he kicked it away.
The only weapon left was my short spear, which I thrust forward. However, he blocks it with his own once more and then uses his sword to slash down on my arm.
The next moment I could see something fall to the ground and when I looked to my right, I found a stump where my arm used to be.
"Argh!!!"
"No T'Challa!!!" I could hear my family screaming.
But the pain in my missing right arm made it impossible to think of anything else. Everything before my eyes became dark and I could feel myself falling into the water.
"Is this your king? Take a look at this big crippled hero lying on the ground. You followed not only a weakling, but also the son of a murderer.
Since this battle washed me from all my sins, you people got an opportunity for a better king and I advise you to grab it."
I could hear him using my state to make himself king... opening my eyes a bit, I could see him raising his sword above his head. But when he slashes it down on me, a spear stops his sword.
"No! You are not worth being a king and I will not allow you to kill my only son." My father appeared with the Spear of Bashenga and stopped him...
"Your target is me. So kill me and leave Wakanda forever." Saying this my father steps back and drops the spear.
My body was in shock from the pain, that I couldn't move or do anything to help him...
Erik listened to him and laughed, "Ha! Why should I? This is what I was born for and now that you interfere, you will die with your son, while Wakanda gets a new king."
Does he think it's so easy to become king by killing everyone in his way?
But as I looked around, I was only greeted by stoic faces... except for my mother and sister, who were held back by some female and male guards.
Are these people serious?
Erik grabs my father's shoulder and thrusts his sword forward. Time slows down and I see his sword slowly approaching my father's torso.
"No!!!" I tried to stand, but to no avail... suddenly the sword stopped and Erik and everyone around us seemed to be frozen in time.
"Is this how a warrior and a king should behave? Fighting half-heartedly against a ruthless enemy? This made you not only lose the battle, but everyone around you will suffer too."
Turning to the voice, I see a guard stepping forward.
He was standing by my family when I noticed him before, but I didn't see his right glowing eye back then.
"David?! Please save my father and bring my family out of here."
He kneels down to me in response and says, "Why don't you save them? It's your fault they are in this situation, so stand up and fight for the people you care about."
"I can't get my body to ---" I try to explain my situation, but he interrupts me.
"You can't? Do you know why Erik is so much stronger than you? Because he has his own goals and nothing will stop him until he accomplishes them. In contrast, you have no goals of your own that really drive you forward.
What is he talking about? My goal is to protect Wakanda and serve my country no matter what.
"Naive thinking, false honor and living by standards set for you make you the weak person you are.
As long as you don't drop this bullshit from the past and be more selfish, there will always be someone who will use this weakness to take everything from you."
Being selfish he says... Am I even allowed to be like that? Could I have stopped Nakia from leaving if I had been more selfish or changed this outcome? But now it's too late for me to do anything...
"If I give you a chance to win, what will you do?" He asked me with a smile.
If I had the chance, I wouldn't allow anyone to bring me into this situation again... "I will make a future where no one will ever be able to take something important from me."
Hearing this he stood up and I could see the commas in his right red eye change and fuse into something like a black star.
"That's good enough for me, so awake!"
RetMod
Hey guys and welcome to the next chapter.
First of all sorry that I couldn't upload a lot of work lately.
I will try to upload twice a week from now till work becomes normal again...
The next chapter will be the end of the arc.
Stay tuned.
