"Retreat? My people are crying out in despair. How can I abandon them?" Azzuri, seated on the throne, responded to T'Pani's plea with a deep sigh. He rose from the throne and looked out at the smoke-filled city outside, his expression filled with sorrow.
Though his personality had beco darker and more volatile after his injury, and he had purged the tribal leadership to consolidate his power, these actions were also born of necessity.
Under the relentless pressure and greed of Western nations, Wakanda, a nation with vibranium akin to gold and weapons, was like a child ard with treasure and a blade. They would never have a chance to grow.
Azzuri understood this reality all too well.
Over the past year, in addition to consolidating his internal rule and pursuing territorial expansion, he had relentlessly pushed Wakandan scientists to develop nuclear weapons.
He also sought to coerce or bribe Western scientists to provide nuclear technology, hoping to acquire the ans to defend Wakanda before the Western nations moved to destroy it.
It was clear, however, that Azzuri had failed.
The unity and swift response of the Western nations exceeded his expectations.
More specifically, Azzuri and Wakanda's leadership had underestimated the deep-seated disdain that whites held for blacks due to centuries of history—especially in an era still entrenched in racial segregation. (TL/N): I will not remove this, even if truth can be bitter soti.)
Few whites were willing to accept blacks as equals, let alone tolerate the ergence of a black nation stronger than their own.
They were afraid—afraid that a powerful black nation would rise above them, and afraid of possible retribution for centuries of oppression.
Thus, for the weakened Britain and France, as well as the United States and the Soviet Union, the destruction of Wakanda was a necessity.
This was a war that the United Nations forces were determined to win.
In fact, the Soviets and Aricans had already privately agreed that if the UN forces failed, they would launch a massive nuclear strike against Wakanda.
The primary reason for engaging conventional forces first was vibranium.
A nuclear bombardnt would make vibranium mining impossible due to radiation contamination, and even if it could be mined, the vibranium would be unusable.
At first, Azzuri didn't realize this. But after the UN forces started the war—even resorting to chemical weapons—he finally understood.
"Your Majesty, as long as we survive, we still have a chance. With the protection of the Panther God, we can rise again!" T'Pani, sensing Azzuri's desperation, tried again to convince him.
"Yes, we can rise again, but I cannot leave! T'Pani, I have a mission for you!" Azzuri suddenly turned and spoke to T'Pani in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, please command !" T'Pani's expression beca more solemn.
"You are my closest brother, and only you can be entrusted with this task." Azzuri continued, "You must have noticed, right? Since we revealed ourselves to the world last year, the output of the vibranium mines has been halved, and our reserves have been decreased significantly."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I thought it was due to the research of the scientific departnt..." T'Pani replied, confused.
"No, it wasn't. In fact, our ancestors have long foreseen this day. They built hidden depots all over the world, storing considerable amounts of vibranium. After we revealed ourselves, I transferred most of our reserves to these secret locations. The map is in this box, and only the bloodline of the Black Panther can open it!" Azzuri shook his head and took a small box out of his cloak and handed it to T'Pani.
T'Pani was stunned. Only the Black Panther bloodline could open it? But Azzuri was an only child, and none of the queens were pregnant... Wait, the queens?
"Your Majesty, does that an... Nanali is pregnant?" T'Pani asked, his tone filled with surprise and joy.
In this era, Wakanda still practiced polygamy, so Azzuri had several queens. If Azzuri had entrusted him with the box containing Wakanda's future, there could only be one reason—the pregnant queen had to be soone closely related to T'Pani.
That person was T'Pani's younger sister, Nanali. (TL/N: T'Pani is an OC but Nanali is not)
"Yes, she is over three months pregnant. I've even chosen a na—T'Chaka! I've arranged for a submarine off the coast of Somalia. You will take it and a group of my royal guards to the Amazon. The High Priest has already prepared a sanctuary there, where so of our people have been settled in advance. Protect Nanali and the child in her womb..." Azzuri said firmly and placed the box in T'Pani's hands.
"Your Majesty, if that's the case, why don't you co with us? T'Chaka should not grow up without a father!" T'Pani clutched the box tightly, his voice filled with emotion.
"My pride will not allow to flee, nor will Bastet allow it. I am the Black Panther!" Azzuri declared firmly, shaking his head.
"Your Majesty!" T'Pani pleaded.
"Go, my brother. Nanali awaits you. If you delay any longer, it will be too late!" Azzuri smiled and waved him off.
"Your Majesty, take care!" With a heavy heart, T'Pani gritted his teeth and turned toward the back courtyard of the palace, heading for his sister's chambers.
After T'Pani left, Azzuri slowly put on his Black Panther suit. His right arm was unusable, replaced entirely by a vibranium prosthesis.
Fully equipped, Azzuri said a prayer before stepping out of the palace's great hall.
His royal guard awaited him at the gates.
"Yibambe!"
"Yibambe!"
anwhile, the chaos from the earlier airstrikes left the royal city in disarray.
In the midst of this confusion, three white individuals—two n and a woman—quietly infiltrated the back courtyard of the palace.
They were Peggy Carter and her two fellow super-soldiers who had been airdropped behind Wakandan lines the night before.
Using jetpacks and their superhuman endurance, they bypassed the Wakandan checkpoints and entered the royal city. They took a local family hostage and extracted valuable information from them.
Taking advantage of the chaos following the bombing, the trio, now cloaked, approached the palace. Its size and prominence made it impossible to miss—it was the tallest, most luxurious building in the city.
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