Stars dotted the night sky as an invisible current of air howled past...
The dark canopy of heaven seemed to split open like a massive wheel tearing through the cold clouds, gradually revealing a colossal silhouette. The bright moonlight filtered through the dense dark clouds, casting a cold metallic gleam on Wakanda's fighter jet.
Standing at the center of the aircraft, the young Prince T'Challa, clad in his vibranium suit, held his Black Panther helmet with a solemn expression on his dark face.
"Your Highness, did you volunteer for this mission to capture Klaue yourself, or to rescue that reckless girl?" Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje, sat cross-legged in the pilot's seat.
Her hands formed an unusual gesture... It was her unique method of controlling the aircraft. A holographic map projected before her displayed the terrain below in fluid motion.
T'Challa feigned anger, "What nonsense are you spouting, Okoye? Of course I want to ease my father's burden. Besides, you know W'Kabi is my good brother and your husband. His parents died at Klaue's hands. That shadow has haunted him his entire life."
By nature, he was gentle and kind-hearted, a man of integrity whom his father praised as having the bearing of a true king.
"...I swore I would bring Klaue before him myself. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"
The aircraft hovered above Wakanda's border. After attending the underground black market auction, Ulysses Klaue would return to Sudan by car. The smuggler had connections with a certain councilman who could provide him with armed protection.
If T'Challa stormed the black market and captured Klaue single-handedly amidst an army, it would draw far too much attention and escalate beyond control. So instead, he planned to wait until Klaue was on his way back and take him down then.
As for the "reckless girl" Okoye mentioned... that was the young prince's ex-girlfriend, a beautiful woman from the River Tribe, at least by traditional Wakandan standards.
T'Challa had once shared a youthful romance with a girl named Nakia. But as the future king of Wakanda, he had to study abroad in Europe to understand the world and learn foreign knowledge and culture, forcing them to part ways.
When the young prince returned to his homeland, Nakia had already become the River Tribe's most formidable warrior and joined Wakanda's intelligence network as a super-spy, dedicated to rescuing suffering African compatriots.
Clearly, Nakia had also set her sights on Ulysses Klaue, the notorious smuggler.
"A convoy of fewer than fifty men. I can handle them alone." T'Challa brimmed with confidence.
This was his first time donning the vibranium suit as the Black Panther to fight outsiders.
The black suit that was crafted from vibranium nanotechnology was impervious to blades and bullets, and was capable of absorbing kinetic energy. Combined with the royal family's unique combat style, a martial art blending primal techniques and animalistic hunting maneuvers, it was more than enough to deal with Klaue and his men.
T'Challa put on his helmet, his hands extending sharp claws that he crossed over his chest. Like a cannonball, he plummeted through the open hatch, the roaring wind whipping past his ears. He tossed several metal spheres that glowed blue before transforming into palm-sized discs, magnetically latching onto the lead jeep.
An invisible electromagnetic pulse erupted, causing the front vehicle to lose control and crash into the roadside jungle.
The resulting pile-up triggered chaos...
"The Black Panther! Wakanda's protector! It must be him!" hissed Ulysses, who sat in the middle jeep and was flanked by John and Bobby.
The mutant soldiers wore face coverings, blending in with the private militia.
"Why panic? Wakanda's king is in his fifties or sixties. At best, he's an old panther." John remained unperturbed, sitting as steady as a mountain while the chaos unfolded outside.
The private militia which belonged to the Sudanese councilman formed a defensive perimeter, scanning their surroundings warily.
"He has a son, Prince T'Challa. Rumor has it he recently returned from studying abroad," Bobby reminded softly.
The explosion orchestrated by Ulysses Klaue had killed and injured over a hundred Wakandans, including the leader of the Border Tribe. It was an exceptionally egregious incident in Wakanda's history, which had never before suffered foreign invasion.
Given that, Wakanda's response this time wouldn't be half-hearted. It was unlikely to be the Border Tribe's army. Mobilizing troops would draw too much attention. More probable was the latter option... the Black Panther.
A squad of five cautiously advanced into the jungle, flashlights piercing the darkness. This private militia wasn't just escorting the councilman's friend, they were also transporting a shipment of African women.
The underground black market at the border didn't just deal in smuggled arms and illegal vibranium trade... it also trafficked people. Being considered cheap and high-value, Black women were the most cost-effective commodity...
Pushing aside the waist-high undergrowth, the squad spotted only a wild dog barking furiously. When they looked up, a shadow crouched on a tree branch like a black panther, its sharp gaze chilling their blood.
<...Did you find anything unusual?..>
The militia leader's question went unanswered over the comms.
The next moment, a figure was hurled from the undergrowth like a cannonball, smashing into a jeep with a deafening crash that crumpled the entire vehicle.
Gunfire shattered the silent night...
Streaks of muzzle flash lashed out like whips, shredding the jungle undergrowth. But the black figure moved like lightning, charging through the hail of bullets straight into the convoy. The figure was as swift and merciless as a hunting panther.
In less than ten minutes, the private militia lay defeated. Bullets ricocheting off the vibranium suit sparked harmlessly, their kinetic energy absorbed completely. T'Challa didn't even feel them.
He slashed a jeep door open with his claws, then hurled the gunman firing behind him to the ground. Grabbing the still-spitting submachine gun, he crushed it effortlessly into scrap metal.
Having consumed the heart-shaped herb, T'Challa possessed superhuman strength and endurance. Combined with his indestructible vibranium suit, he was truly invincible...
Having subdued his enemies, the young prince approached the truck at the rear where a dark-skinned girl in a headscarf was comforting others, "Nakia! You shouldn't have gotten involved in something this dangerous."
The entire cargo hold was filled with human merchandise.
"They need me! These people are being bought and sold like livestock–"
Before Nakia could finish, she watched in shock as T'Challa, helmet removed and clad in his vibranium suit, collapsed heavily to the ground.
A white-haired old man in purple robes stepped forward. With a mere flick of his wrist, an invisible magnetic force erupted...
Wakanda's divine protector, the Black Panther, was suddenly humiliated. He rubbed against the ground like an overexcited teddy bear!
Nakia stared dumbfounded as the young and valiant prince of Wakanda thrust his hips against the earth with furious indignation, his expression a mix of outrage and absurdity.
For a moment, the scene was unbearably awkward...