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[age-of-heroes-x]

continued from here x @overtlys3xual

Damn, this dude was fuckin’ irritating. Erik wanted nothing more than to hit T’challa in the jaw for giving him the finger but he wasn’t stupid. His time and place would come. Sooner rather than later because he knew T’Challa didn’t have enough hate or fear in his heart to say yes. And he’d told Namor as much, tried to convince him to drown everyone, Wakanda included. But he had relented. He saw Talokan and Wakanda as sister kingdoms and so would not deny the king a chance at an olive branch. Something about playing nice like that made Erik want to puke. He watched T’Challa waste his breath telling Namor there was another way, that Talokan need not make an enemy of the surface. Then he turned to Namor.

The sea king’s jaw was clenched. He accepted the conch back with stoic silence. Still like the tranquil sea before a storm. It saddened him more than it enraged him. If T’Challa had seen what he had seen, seen his own people in chains, seen the violence they had suffered, then perhaps he would be as angry as Namor had been at the American interlopers. He didn’t have the age on him to even fathom. Words on history book pages could not convey how it had hurt. Erik started laughing. Namor could not decide if it was with him or at him. It was because Erik could see Namor was not ready to give up on T’Challa. He could see that he didn’t want to him. But that’s all that happens during war: people get hurt.

Killmonger had seen enough. He walked back to the sea. But, before he was far enough...

“This ain’t gonna go how you want it....” He addressed Namor but spoke loud enough for T’Challa to hear, “Should’a let me kill him what we had the chance.”

A warning. Erik put Talokan’s rebreathing device back onto his face and slunk back into black waters from whence he came. Namor watched him out the corner of his eye as he went. Then, it was just the two kings.

“It wasn’t all magic...” Namor finally answered T’Challa’s question, “..Perhaps it was more the strength of his spirit...There was a spark there that did not need much fanning to roar into a fire.”

He was silent for a moment, testament to his reluctance. And Namor wondered what Erik would have done. Likely killed or captured T’Challa. Then the full might of Talokan and its vibranium would have been brought down upon Wakanda and next, the world. He only wished he were as wrathful a man.

“I do not want that fire to spread needlessly....I do not want to loose him upon you and your people...Perhaps, I did not show you what was at stake. What it is I have to protect.”

Conquest was all he had addressed the first time he held T’Challa captive. He should have taken him to Talokan, introduced him to his people. Perhaps he would be more receptive than Erik to the concept of protecting something beautiful and precious. He produced another breathing device from the gold cuff on his bicep. He offered it to the black panther. 

“I would like to show you my world. I need you to understand why the surface must be held at bay by any means.”

[age-of-heroes-x]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend....but who needs enemies with the company they kept? The wild card Erik Killmonger, the lost son of Wakanda, was nothing more than a contingency. He was convenient and ultimately, their goals aligned. They both knew this and Erik had not thanked Namor for resurrecting him. Though, it was the sea king who had an agenda. Erik was there to apply pressure. He was a known threat. The man had almost brought down Wakanda alone. There was no telling what he could do with the backing of Talocan, the unknown unknown. Unexpectedly, Namor had found Erik to be as clever a tactician as he was ruthless. They were alike, Namor saw himself in the younger, but Erik had not had centuries to curb his bloodlust.

As for Erik, for now, he was here for the fuck of it. Sure, he could see an opportunity to destabilize Wakanda. He still wanted the throne, he still wanted to set fire to the world. And he agreed with Namor's philosophy of strike first. Maybe the surface world was his home too but he had no love or loyalty for it. Erik had so thoroughly distanced himself from everything...It was hard to say what he even held dear now. It was hard to say what he really wanted. Apart from making T'challa sweat. Mission fuckin' accomplished. That time it was just them in the sea cave...He thought about it often.

Soundlessly, they emerged from the water. The shark and the crocodile. Predators with ancient blood. Namor looked at Erik, who was laughing softly. Something about seeing the king of Wakanda like this was hilarious to him. Namor didn't see the humor. In fact, he wished they had met under any other circumstance. As true allies and not coerced accomplices. T'challa was noble, honorable, could level with the fact Namor just wanted to protect his people.

Namor stopped a few paces from T'challa. Erik circled the both of them, he looked so leonine.

"King T'Challa..." He spoke with that same quiet confidence. "Do you have your answer?"

Erik stilled, finally, standing behind T'challa, crossing his arms. "Yea let's hear it, cuz. You wanna win for once or are you still tryna 'do the right thing' ?"

Disclaimer: The following is a cowritten roleplay thread and fanfiction featuring plot points and characters of past and present from Marvel's Black Panther as well as Black Panter: Wakanda Forever. Full respect to all actors, characters, Ryan Coogler, and Marvel.

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Of mutual Interest.

The King sat on the beach. With the moon high in the sky he blew the conch. Watching the water intently wondering when or if the sea King would show. Ever so nobel and honorable T'Challa had taken the time Namor gracely gave him to maul over all sides of the conflict they had at hand.Something potentially horrendous was brewing between their nations, with the world, and themselves. He was anxious to see them again. If he were honest it was all mostly about seeing Erik with the sea King. He thought in honoring him in death and making moves to learn from all their fathers mistakes. Righting the wrongs of Wakqanda's past. He'd be free of the burdens associated with it and could possible usher in an era of true peace during his reign. Though now he was weary about his choice; feeling a bit wrong for having as much ambition as he did. As the task felt increasingly impossible in this world post blip.

They were still rebuilding and revamping Wakanda's defenses when he'd both learnt of France's try at stealing their vibranium from an outpost. Finding Namor and his people shortly after as it seemed he was entangled in the issue too. Being good at heart ,T'Challa had sympathy and genuine understanding for the submariner's cause. But couldn't understand why or how in Bast's name his cousin was involved in this?! Him .With his twisted ideals and conqueror's mindset. The absolute last person he'd chose as ambassador to Wakanda or to serve as Namor's personal concil. So the conclusion he came with was one he felt fair. He thought so at least.

Honoring Talokan, protecting Wakanda, securing their most precious resources. He huffed a sigh seeing silhouettes just feet away from him in the shallows of the shore. Setting the conch down before him he stood to greet them both.

"Greetings K'uk'ulkan and... hello -to you dear cousin." He cut his eyes at Erik's smug smirking demeanor only to shyly smile up at Namor's menacing and authoritative stare. He was a King himself, why did this new presence make him feel this way? For Bast sake.

@age-of-heroes-x