Chapter 34
In the great dining room, the air was thick with the scent of spices, roasted meats, fresh fruit, and stews that bubbled in elegant silver bowls. Long tables were laid out with golden plates and bowls brimming with colorful delicacies, each dish steaming hot. Ash sat at the center, his face glowing with joy as he devoured the food in front of him, his shoulders bouncing in a small dance with every bite. A grin stretched across his face, full and unapologetically satisfied, as if every flavor was a personal victory. Around the table, the royal family sat in polished high-backed chairs—T'Challa composed and upright, Shuri casually slouched with an elbow on the table, Queen Ramonda poised with quiet elegance, and surprisingly, Killmonger leaned back in his seat with arms folded.
Shuri eyed Ash with thinly veiled curiosity, her lips curled in a smirk. "Do you not eat food where you're from?" she asked with a teasing tone, chin resting on her knuckles. Ash glanced up between bites, his cheeks full. "I eat the same meal that five families eat," he said after swallowing, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "And no, my stomach is not bottomless, I do have a limit." Killmonger scoffed, shifting in his seat with a cocky grin. "You sure?" he asked, his tone half-joking but laced with challenge. Ash met his eyes without flinching and took another slow bite, then chewed deliberately before responding, "Don't you guys have a challenge to get to? Am I interrupting it?" His tone was calm but edged with a dry sarcasm.
Ash set his fork down with a metallic clink, wiping his fingers on a napkin as he looked around. "Cause I can leave. My job is done," he said, his voice still casual but clearly implying he had no desire to linger unnecessarily. T'Challa raised a hand gently, his expression unreadable but calm. "No, stay for a bit. Just until we make sure they are gone," he said, leaning slightly forward as if trying to assure him this wasn't just courtesy. Killmonger stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with a sharp scrape as his jaw tightened and his eyes burned with resolve. "The white boy's right," he said, his voice louder now, chest rising with each word. "It's time the throne went to its rightful ruler." Ramonda's eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a deep frown as she slowly set her glass down, the tension in the air shifting like a stormcloud about to break.
T'Challa and Killmonger stood across from each other at Warrior Falls, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the sacred pool. Killmonger snapped off the shaft of a spear with his foot and held it like a sword, his glare locked on his cousin. The tribal elders, W'Kabi, and the Dora Milaje watched silently from their positions, while Shuri sat beside Ramonda, her face tense. Ash sat alone in the stands, unwelcome and eyed with hostility by some tribes, his presence unexplained to most, as the monsters in the dome remained secret; only the council knew Ash's terrifying potential and the unknown extent of his powers. "He will never beat T'Challa," Shuri said sharply. "He should have just come to the first challenge and gotten it over with." Ramonda said nothing, concern etched deep into her expression.
Zuri stepped forward and handed T'Challa the death herb, the ritual proceeding as he repeated the process of stripping T'Challa of his Black Panther strength while Killmonger watched in silence. "The King will now have the strength of the Black Panther stripped away," Zuri announced solemnly. Killmonger turned his gaze on Zuri and, for a moment, they recognized each other; Zuri looked away, ashamed. Meanwhile, Nakia entered from a tunnel and approached Okoye. "Where is Agent Ross?" Okoye asked. "I locked him in the office," Nakia replied calmly. "He's not going anywhere." Ash remained motionless, watching everything unfold with neither frown nor smile.
T'Challa stood with his short spear and shield, facing Killmonger. "This is your last chance, throw down your weapons and we can handle this another way," he said. Killmonger slammed his blades into the stone. "I lived my entire life waiting for this moment. I trained, I lied, I killed, just to get here." He ripped off his vest and shirt, revealing hundreds of scarification marks. "I killed in America, Afghanistan, Iraq. I took life from my own brothers and sisters right here on the continent. And all this death, just so I can kill you." T'Challa looked at Zuri and nodded, and with reluctant acceptance, Zuri declared, "Let the challenge begin."
Killmonger attacked with brutal knife work while T'Challa countered with agile defense. A leg takedown gave T'Challa the advantage, but he hesitated to strike. Back on their feet, they circled each other until Killmonger lunged and T'Challa managed to knock him off balance. "Yield!" T'Challa demanded. Killmonger snarled and pressed forward, a superficial slash from T'Challa cutting his cheek. Fueled by rage, Killmonger began to dominate the fight, slicing T'Challa's thigh as Shuri screamed, "Snap out of it, T'Challa!" The bloodied king struggled as Killmonger slashed across his stomach and bicep, his compassion now a regret.
T'Challa stumbled, bleeding, as Killmonger dodged and thrust his blade into his ribs. The crowd gasped. Killmonger ripped the blade free, T'Challa barely able to stand before being punched repeatedly. "Get up," Nakia whispered from the stands. Killmonger slammed T'Challa down. "This is for my father." He moved in for the kill when Zuri intervened, knocking away the blade with his spear. "Zuri, no," T'Challa groaned. "Zuri," cried Okoye. "Zuri don't!" pleaded Ramonda. "I am the cause of your father's death, not him. Take me," Zuri confessed. "I'll take you both, Uncle James," Killmonger replied, then drove the spear through Zuri.
Zuri died gripping the spear, falling to the shallow water as T'Challa watched in horror. "No! Zuri no! Zuri!! Noo!" he cried, struggling to his feet. Fueled by grief, T'Challa charged, only for Killmonger to dodge again. "Is this your King? Huh?" Killmonger shouted to the silent crowd. T'Challa swung his spear wildly. "Is this your King? The Black Panther, who's supposed to lead you into the future?" Shuri yelled, "Come on brother!" while Nakia hid her tears beside Okoye and Ayo. "Is there nothing that can be done?" Ayo asked softly. "Him? He's supposed to protect you," Killmonger spat, lifting T'Challa onto his shoulders.
Killmonger carried T'Challa to the edge of the waterfall. "No," Ramonda whispered. "No!" Nakia shouted. Without hesitation, Killmonger hurled T'Challa over the cliff, and the crowd stared in horror as he vanished below. "Nah. I'm your King," Killmonger declared. Nakia quickly moved to protect Shuri and Ramonda. "We have to go now! Queen mother, let's go!" she urged, leading them into the caves as Okoye stayed behind. The new shaman, in shock, handed Killmonger the Black Panther necklace. One by one, the elders and warriors of Wakanda lowered their heads and saluted their new king.