34 Chapter 31 - Second Battle Part 1

A week has passed since the initial attack, and the situation is eerily calm, which is very concerning. I've spent most of my time with the king's children, training and protecting them. T'Chaka has a great talent for martial arts, while S'Yan may not be as naturally gifted, his strength of will and intelligence shine through.

In the "Black Panther" movie, Killmonger wasn't really a villain in my opinion; he didn't deserve death. Racism and inequality in America were immense, with his people being killed in the streets without justice to help them. While I don't agree that his plan to take over the country was the best solution, his original intention to help his people was noble. Perhaps I can steer him in a different direction from the movie. Killmonger's actions and the Wakandan Civil War don't have a significant impact on the original storyline as a whole.

Speaking of impact on the storyline, I'm pondering what to do with Steve. He stayed with his men waiting for the Nazi attack. Most of the time, he visits Wakanda to converse with me or the king, and it seems he's enjoying the company more and more.

I wonder if I should steal the Tesseract from Red Skull and prevent Steve's freezing. Unfortunately, I can't. Steve has to remain frozen so that Loki can attack New York in the future. After the attack, I'll have two Infinity Stones in my hands, with the Tesseract and the Mind Stone, allowing me to prevent Thanos from attacking the survivors of Asgard, in case I can't prevent its destruction by Hela. I can also prevent the creation of Ultron.

Without the events of Ultron, the Civil War probably won't happen, and all the heroes will be united at the moment of the final battle, avoiding the snap and the time travel. The only issue with the time travel not happening is Steve not returning to his wife in the past, but there are several ways to time travel. Well, that's my plan.

I stop thinking about future events and focus my attention on the two children fighting with wooden staffs in front of me. We're in one of the courtyards of the royal castle, and I'm watching the princes' training, but the fight ends quickly.

T'Chaka seems to be on the defensive because of his brother's flurry of blows, but he's just waiting for the right moment. Soon enough, it comes; he seizes an opening and spins his staff, knocking his brother's feet out from under him. As S'Yan tries to get up, T'Chaka presses the staff against his chest.

"My victory, brother," he says to S'Yan, who looks disappointed for not having won a single bout against his brother.

"Enough, you've trained too hard already. Why don't you take a break?" I suggest.

Both of them look at me eagerly.

"Lord Baldur!"

"Lord Baldur!"

"Did you come to teach us a new trick?" T'Chaka asks hopefully, as they've grown quite close to me in the few days I've been here.

"Perhaps. Why don't you go fetch a training spear for me? Maybe you'll learn something new."

"I'll go!" T'Chaka says excitedly, heading toward the training room. I help S'Yan to his feet.

"You fought well, S'Yan."

"But T'Chaka is much more talented than I am. I can't win a single match against him," he says with disappointment in his voice.

"Talent in martial arts is just one of many things you can have. If you can't beat him in combat, beat him at something else," I advise.

S'Yan lowers his head, thinking about it, and then gives me a more determined smile.

"Thank you, Lord Baldur."

"No need to thank me, child. Now, where's your brother? It's not like him to get lost in the palace," I joke.

"BOOM!"

Out of nowhere, a loud explosion shakes the ground.

"What's...?"

*BOOM!*

*BOOM!*

*BOOM!*

*BOOM!*

*BOOM!*

Five explosions. I walk with the startled S'Yan to the end of the courtyard and see a large amount of smoke rising into the sky from around the royal castle.

(Five explosions, a distraction?)

Suddenly, several soldiers wearing the king's colors enter and form a circle around us.

"Protect the prince!" their leader shouts.

"What's the situation?" I ask.

"We're not sure, sir. Five explosions have occurred around the palace. Meanwhile, the Nazis are attacking the Americans and the king."

(The timing is too precise.)

With the Nazis holding the king, that means the next move is against the royal family.

"Where is the queen?"

"She's in protection in a secure room, sir. Only the princes are left now."

(The question now is, where is T'Chaka?)

"Have your men search the entire castle. Prince T'Chaka has disappeared."

"Yes, sir."

"That won't be necessary, gentlemen. The prince is right here."

An unfamiliar voice draws attention to the second entrance, and I see a man wearing a Nazi uniform with a metal hand.

Beside him stands another man, hunched like an animal, without arms but with shark-like teeth. Behind him, several Nazi soldiers appear, one of them carrying an unconscious child on his shoulders.

"I don't care who you are, but I'm warning you, this child is under my protection," I assert, releasing some of my aura, causing both the German soldiers and my allies to break into a sweat.

"Truly intimidating. If you don't mind, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Colonel Fritz Klaw, at your service, King Baldur."

Unlike all the men present, he's the only one who manages to remain calm after feeling my aura.

"So, the leader of the Jibari tribe spoke about me? And yet you still intend to fight against me?" I question.

"Yes, he did. A king who has lived for thousands of years, a true god. I've never seen fear in that monkey until he spoke your name aloud. But well, these natives can be so exaggerated and foolish despite having such advanced technology. It's actually quite amusing. I don't know what abilities you have to be considered a god, but it doesn't matter. The moment I set foot here, I've already won," Colonel Fritz Klaw declares confidently.

"To declare victory prematurely is a very foolish thing to do, general," I retort.

Outside of Wakanda, 1943, during the explosions

King Azzuri was finalizing the last details of the collaboration between Wakanda and the American army. Steve agreed to keep Wakanda's incredible technology a secret. Up until now, the Americans only knew that Wakanda possessed a valuable metal, but they didn't have enough to pique their interest. They believe the interest in the metal from the Nazis stems from their desperation to change the war's outcome.

"So, Captain Steve, do you agree with the battle plan?" King Azzuri inquires.

The battle plan decided upon was that when the enemy army attacked Wakanda, they would provide secret support by attacking them, while the allied army would attack directly.

"I have no objections," Steve replies.

"That's good, since that matter is settled, why don't you tell me what's on your mind?" Azzuri suggests.

During the planning, Steve was clearly preoccupied with something else.

"When your wife led me through the royal palace, I had the chance to ask about Baldur. She told me that he has been alive since the creation of Wakanda and possesses unimaginable power. After that, I couldn't help but wonder why you and he don't use that power to end the war," Steve explains.

In Steve's mind, if he had Wakanda's or Baldur's power, he would finally put an end to the world's suffering.

"You're thinking like a soldier, Steve, not like a king. The duty of a king is to make the best decisions for his people. But don't think that neither I nor Baldur want to help other countries. We are leaders of our people, but also their servants. We won't sacrifice the blood of our people unless it's necessary," Azzuri responds.

Steve ponders Azzuri's words.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

A series of explosions momentarily leaves them both off balance.

"What was that?" Steve asks.

"Explosions in Wakanda," Azzuri replies.

*Bbrrzz!*

They shift their attention to the sound of the radio that Steve carries.

"Steve here, report the situation."

"We're under attack, sir. The entire Nazi battalion suddenly launched a full-scale attack. We're at a disadvantage, holding a defensive position."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Azzuri tries to contact Ada.

"All communications with Wakanda have been cut off. I don't think we'll be getting reinforcements," he informs Steve.

"Lieutenant Gabriel, try to defend as much as possible. I'm on my way," Steve orders over the radio.

"Understood, sir."

"Let's go, King Azzuri. We don't have much time," Steve urges.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

As they move toward the attack, a barrage of machine gun fire erupts, causing Steve to take cover behind a tree. Unfazed by bullets, Azzuri charges towards the attackers.

A few meters ahead, he spots a man in grey with a swastika on his chest, wielding a machine gun and still firing at him. Azzuri wastes no time and attacks him with his sword, but the gunman keeps smiling at him.

The sword strike, mere inches from the man's neck, is suddenly halted, and his weapon is pulled from his hand. Confused, Azzuri looks behind him to see a woman in black with a leather whip, who managed to disarm him.

Even without his weapon, Azzuri attempts to strike the man in front of him with his claws, but a gigantic fist smashes into his face, sending him flying into a tree.

"HA!" The giant man appears beside the grey-clad man, screaming as he charges at Azzuri, who, still dazed from the blow, struggles to rise. However, emerging from the trees behind them, Steve suddenly appears and smashes the shield into the giant man's face, causing him to stagger backward.

"Are you alright, Azzuri?" Steve asks, lifting the shield defensively with Azzuri behind him.

"I'm fine, they caught me off guard," Azzuri responds, getting to his feet and standing beside Steve.

"Who are the man and the woman?" Azzuri inquires.

"The man in grey is called Master Man, and the woman is Warrior Woman. They're two Nazi soldiers with enhanced physical abilities. But I don't recognize the big guy," Steve explains.

Azzuri points to the giant man wearing a white gorilla skin.

"His name is White Gorilla, Leader of the Jibari tribe, and the reason for all this chaos," Azzuri reveals.

"You can't imagine how happy I am now, Azzuri. I've imagined taking your life for so many years," White Gorilla says, being the first of the three enemies to speak.

"Are you insane, gorilla? Even if you kill me, you won't become the king of Wakanda. My wife will rule until my children are old enough to govern," Azzuri retorts.

White Gorilla chuckles sinisterly in response.

"And what if your whole family dies? What if all the council members die? Who will rule then?" White Gorilla taunts.

"HA! HA! HA!"

Now it's Azzuri's turn to laugh.

"You may try to harm my family, gorilla, but I doubt that you or any of your allies can defeat the one who protects them," Azzuri declares confidently.

"HA! Azzuri, you fool. Do you think I would attempt an attack without a way to defeat that king?" White Gorilla responds.

"What do you mean by that?" Azzuri questions.

"My people have been planning this coup since the creation of Wakanda, generation after generation, just waiting for the right moment. You are so foolish to think that this is just an impulsive move," White Gorilla explains, smiling

 smugly at the two.

"Now I just have to kill you two. How would you like to die?" White Gorilla asks, confident of his victory.

(T/N: For those of you confused white gorilla is man-ape's alias, who is also m'baku in the movies)

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