Chapter 100: The Jabari Tribe

“Nakia, Eric has won the support of the entire army, and he has burned every last heart-shaped herb!” T’Challa said in the Great Hall of the Jabari Tribe.

“He came for our resources. The moment my father was murdered, he appeared out of nowhere. Something is wrong here!” T’Challa said.

“You mean he is connected to the one who killed T’Chaka?” the queen asked, looking at T’Challa.

“It has to be connected! We received word from the Avengers. A robot called Ultron is trying to seize a huge quantity of our vibranium, and Father was ambushed at the border tribe by a man in a black cloak with red skin. That man must be Ultron!” T’Challa said.

“Then Wakanda must be under their control!” Princess Shuri said.

“If Ultron wants to take over the vibranium factories, he has to control Wakanda first. Eric must be his accomplice!” Nakia added.

“What does Ultron need vibranium for?” the queen asked.

“The message from the Avengers said Ultron wants to forge a robot army out of vibranium to rule all mankind!” Princess Shuri said.

“What should we do?” the queen asked, completely panicked.

“You must leave Wakanda. I will stop Eric!” T’Challa said.

“We are not leaving Wakanda!” the queen said firmly.

“If they get their hands on my technology, then it will make no difference where we flee,” Shuri said to T’Challa, producing a silver pendant.

“What is this?” T’Challa asked.

“My latest Black Panther suit. It is made of nanovibranium and can absorb energy. I designed two of them. One is probably already in Eric’s hands. I secretly brought this one out,” Princess Shuri said.

T’Challa laughed after hearing that. Shuri helped him fasten the necklace around his neck.

“The Black Panther is still alive, and when he fights for Wakanda’s fate, I will be at his side!”

“So will I!” Nakia said from nearby.

“We have to contact the Avengers and bring them here to help us!” T’Challa said.

“You’re insane! You want to bring outsiders here to help Wakanda?” the queen said in shock.

“We cannot defeat Ultron and his iron legion. If it were only Eric, I might still have a chance, but now we need outside help. If we cannot stop Eric, Wakanda is finished!” T’Challa said.

“All right. I’ll contact them!” Princess Shuri said.

...

Avengers Headquarters

Everyone sat in the main hall, anxiously waiting for news from Tony Stark. Ultron had been out of contact for five days. They all knew he might already be in Wakanda, but they still could not locate Wakanda itself.

Wakanda’s technology was too advanced. Its vibranium shield concealed the nation’s location perfectly. Unless someone from Wakanda led the way, no one could ever find it.

“Has Wakanda replied yet?” Steve Rogers asked Hill.

“No reply at all. Could something have already happened to Wakanda?” Hill asked worriedly.

“It should be fine. Wakanda is not that easy to break into. If something had happened there, then once Ultron got the vibranium, he would have come after us first,” Steve Rogers said.

“There is still no sign of Ultron in the central network. He hasn’t connected to the internet again,” Natasha said.

“No, that’s not right. Ultron should be in Wakanda. Wakanda’s network is cut off from the outside world, so we haven’t heard anything about him for days,” Arthur analyzed.

The others nodded in agreement.

“Then what do we do? Just sit here? Should I go find Heimdall and see whether he can spot Ultron?” Thor said.

“That’s a good idea! Heimdall might actually be able to see Wakanda’s location!” Arthur said, annoyed that he had not thought of Heimdall sooner.

“I have news!” At that moment, Hill received an email from Princess Shuri of Wakanda.

Everyone gathered around. Hill opened the message. It said that Ultron had killed Wakanda’s old king, that a man named Eric now controlled Wakanda, that she believed Ultron had already obtained the vibranium, and that she was requesting the Avengers’ assistance. The message also included the location of the Jabari Tribe in Wakanda.

“Prepare to leave at once!” Steve Rogers ordered.

Two Quinjets arrived at the Jabari Tribe in Wakanda, and the entire Avengers team deployed there.

Steve Rogers led Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, James Rhodes, Tony Stark, Arthur, Thor Odinson, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Wanda, Pietro, Peter Parker, and Scott Lang as they disembarked.

“Why did you bring a cat from home?” Tony asked, looking at the white cat venom in Arthur’s arms.

“If any of you get hurt later, you’ll still need it to save you,” Arthur said, stroking Venom’s fluffy head.

“A cat saving us? A cat?” Tony thought Arthur was joking and burst into laughter.

Arthur and Wanda did not bother to explain. They followed Steve forward, where T’Challa, Queen Ramonda, Nakia, and Shuri were already waiting for them.

“Welcome to Wakanda. I am T’Challa,” T’Challa said to the Avengers.

“Thank you for the invitation. I’m Steve Rogers,” Steve replied, greeting the four of them.

“This is my mother, Queen Ramonda of Wakanda, and this is my sister, Princess Shuri,” T’Challa introduced them.

“Very pleased to meet you. This is Tony Stark, this is Bruce Banner, this is Natasha Romanoff, this is Arthur, this is James Rhodes, this is Bucky, this is Thor Odinson, this is Clint Barton, this is Sam Wilson, this is Wanda, this is Pietro, this is Peter Parker, and this is Scott Lang,” Steve Rogers said, taking a long time to introduce every member of the Avengers.

The Avengers also greeted the four Wakandans warmly.

“I know all your names, especially Arthur. I’m a huge fan!” Princess Shuri said. Aside from her technological research, she liked watching news and videos from the outside world, so of course she had seen Arthur’s videos. She was extremely fond of him.

“Mind your manners!” the queen said, tapping Princess Shuri on the head and telling her not to act out in front of outsiders. Shuri stuck out her tongue.

“Let’s go inside together. This is the Jabari Tribe of Wakanda, and their leader is M’Baku, a powerful ape warrior!” T’Challa led everyone into the great hall of the Jabari Tribe.

The Avengers met the Jabari chief, M’Baku. He sneered at the strangers and looked down on the frail outsiders, not believing they had any real fighting ability.

The Avengers could tell the ape chief looked down on them, but they did not mind. After all, they were on someone else’s turf, so it was better to keep a low profile.

Everyone sat down in the hall. Steve Rogers asked T’Challa, “What exactly happened? Where is Ultron now?”

T’Challa told them everything that had happened and explained his belief that Ultron was in Kansas, where the vibranium veins were located.

Steve nodded, agreeing that T’Challa was probably right. Even if Ultron had already obtained the vibranium mine, only three days had passed since then, so he should not have been able to build a large mechanical legion yet.

“We should act at once. First go to Kansas, disrupt Ultron’s plan, and then wipe them all out here in Wakanda!” Steve Rogers said.

“Then I’ll sneak in and take a look first,” Natasha said. Espionage and infiltration were her specialty.

“You can forget that. Everyone here is Black. I’m more suitable,” Arthur said, looking at Natasha’s fair, delicate skin. If she went, she would definitely stand out.

“Your blond hair is just as conspicuous. I’m the one who should go,” Rhodes said.

“You’re not suited for this. You should honestly just stay with the main force,” Arthur replied.

“I’ve been watching you for a while now. Arthur, are you an Atlantean?” T’Challa suddenly asked. When he saw the Aquaman video his sister had been watching, Arthur had already caught his attention. Atlantis and Wakanda had old enmities, so he was very wary of Arthur.

“Yes. I am the current King of Atlantis,” Arthur replied with a nod.

At once, the way all the Wakandans in the hall looked at Arthur changed. They had never fought Atlantis themselves, but they had heard from their elders that Atlantis and Wakanda had once fought many wars.

“I came here this time precisely to reach an understanding with Wakanda. Atlantis is willing to put aside all hatred and become friends with Wakanda,” Arthur said to T’Challa.

...