he gives pause. a question that has often crept upon him when interacting with the other acclaimed scientists of the world. his mind ticked over. the clogs behind his temples turned faster and faster. steam cleared away until precise thoughts flowed.

tony stark. a man who was labelled as a futuristic innovator. his designs are beyond what america could ever dream off. stark industries weaponry had repeatedly seeped into the black market  &  into the hands that did not hold the brains to properly wield them. often, t’challa would team up with his friend. creating technology, solving problems,  &  generally innovating the world. yet, he did not find tony to be his equal, his self-destructive tendencies laid that thought to rest. @ironarmored.

bruce banner. a man who is admired for his master of radiation, technology  &  genetics. his own cellular manipulation of his own DNA to control the hulk was to be commended. yet, the very essence of the green personality had hindered any ideas of him being of equal to tchalla. @gammamade.

victor von doom. the very name would stir the blood within the african body that stood for wakanda’s morals  &  soul. the two were masters of chess. kings who played the world as their very own chess board. building to protect what is theirs. using their knowledge to stand against enemies. however, his mind if often clouded by his own greed  &  desire to be the supreme scientist of the world - failure followed in his footsteps.

reed richards, hank pym, hank mccoy, amadeus cho. these men, were - with their faults - intelligent masters of their fields. often times, they would cause the king to stop  &  admire the thought process and extension of their knowledge to create what could only be a figment of imagination come true. it was pride that would not allow the king to  o p e n l y  admit that these men were often on par with his own intelligence. that he respected them for the very knowledge they stood for  &   the passion that drove them to create a better world. 

& so when he speaks. it is not the truth. it was what must be said, for he is a king of a nation that precedes the rest of the world. he is to stand for the knowledge of wakanda. his very mind is the intelligence of his people, much like his heart beats as one with the wakandans.

          ❛   —-   i understand your question to be of curiosity. but it is insulting to think of someone to be equal to wakanda’s intelligence.   ❜

                                  the hand that hung by his side. inched closer and closer towards his thigh. one tap. two taps. he could see his father before him. smiling.  l a u g h i n g. joking with his family. he had wanted to stay in america. t’challa could not remember for what reasons but he and his brother jakarra wanted to explore the west. it wasn’t often that their father brought them along on diplomatic journies. however, he was glad he did.

after the second bang. t’challa couldn’t remember what followed next. he was knocked out protecting his little brother. he came to a scene of pure horror. before him, no quiver to his hand. no slouch in his shoulder was a man intending to kill his mother and an unborn baby, his sister, and sleep at night. time slowed down, thoughts run amuck in his head, one prominent of them all. 

                  where’s daddy?

t’challa picked up the stranger’s gun and fired. dead eyes stared at him in a flurry of anger. it wasn’t until afterwards when the dust settled, the wakandan security disbanded in search of the man who had laid a full attack on the royal family, that t’challa found his father’s bloodied body. motionless and stark against the pale design of the destroyed room. i shall be as strong and as fearless as the sacred black panther!! this do i swear to t'chakka —- my father who is no more!

that day haunted him. followed him through his walkabout and even when he took the mantle of king. it took years for him to come to what happened and even then the  a c h e  of his father’s absence never truly died. he wished every day, prayed to the panther goddess, to bring back what was ruthlessly taken away from. now, with the technology and knowledge, he would never create such a machine. nor would he use the time frogs stored in the wakandan vault. it is never wise to mess with time for the outcome of fixing one problem would result in a bigger catastrophe & he knew deep down. that his father would not want him to take such a huge risk, to endanger wakanda and the world, for the sake of his life.

❛   —–   no.   ❜

       ❛  —– there was but one woman that had captured my attention. but it would seem our relationship was best suited for a friendship.  ❜

         ❛it is NOT something that i have any inclination of spending hours upon.❜

                    i was alone. heading on my walkabout. i was excited by the prospect. a chance to test my survival skills. and a chance to be my own man, unburdened by title or expectation. and perhaps, a chance to make a true friend.

as a prince, he had many companions, young men and women who claimed to be his friend. after time, the young prince could discern those that were blinded by royalty and those that didn’t. there were not many outside of the royal family that was true at heart in their motives. 

it was on his walkabout that he found his true love. he had been with girls before. but none held a candle to the wind rider.

of all the things i saw on my journey….nothing compared to the first sight of her.

he could remember the instant attraction, the undeniable and all consuming desire he had for her. t’challa was entranced with her beauty, her intelligence, her strength, her courage, and the morals of a pocket thief.  

it was his anger, his need to take revenge upon his father murderer that pulled them apart. he was a foolish boy. just a boy who fell in love at the wrong time.

                    ❛  it is no secret that the woman that  c a p t u r e d  my heart was ororo  ❜ 

there is a silence that becomes  a l m o s t  overwhelming. held with an unbridled tension. a claw could slice it away before his glare. the question was a privy to his private life and his inner thoughts that no one but the goddess bast has heard off. not something he was willing to voice aloud. but was there anyone that he is scared of? 

his father? even in death, the weight of his fathers presence follows him to every day life. as a child, every move he made, every choice he made was to please his father. to get his approval. to finally achieve that ‘i’m proud of you.’ but was he scared of him or scared of never fitting into his black panther suit?

his brother? the constant feeling of hunter  h u n t i n g  t’challa at every turn he made outside of wakanda. sought to SEDATE the anger that burns within him, the hatred he holds for his youngest adopted brother, the need to take the throne from him as he believes that its his right. yet t’challa doesn’t fear his brothers plotting motives or his brother himself. 

the goddess bast? her wrath is something to be feared off, whether wakandan or not. her anger and rough hand can make life  h e l l  upon anyone that wronged her. but his fear is not as great as before he claimed the black panther title. for his soul was not consumed and she had chosen him to be the new panther. every move he makes is by her guidance and for the protection of wakanda. there was no cause of fear.

enemies of future and past? he was a man, there was always a notion of fear nipping at his stomach, fear for the loss of wakandans that he could not prevent. yet it is not the enemies themselves that stirred these feelings. but to be a disappointment & to be too weak for his nation.

friends? does he fear the motives of tony stark? the set ways of steve rogers? the powers of wanda and stephen? the double personality of bruce? natasha and how he is unable to predict her moves? hawkeyes accuracy? they were no threat to him or his country. 

aliens? beasts? monsters? the unknown and the impossible? all of which he has trained himself to defeat. to be able to face the unknown and to come a  w i n n e r. 

he is scared of loosing his country. scared of loosing his abilities and will to protect those that look to him for their strength AND survival. he is scared of not a person but the loss of many at his own hands or unable to stop others. 

❛  ———————-no.  ❜

          he was twelve, his sister grew impatient as their father’s meeting with the US government dragged on. ears placed snug against the door but the young prince of wakanda heard nothing from the other side. the room was encased with vibranium that absorbed any sound. yet he stayed there. even shuri joined him. 

then the handle twisted, he pulled his sister back and held himself tall,  r e g a l, the stature of a man his father would approve of. he seemed angry, their was lines set in his face and his teeth grind together as he began to usher them from the room. then it hit, a vibration that set his ears on edge. the pain was nothing like he heard before. he knew his father could protect himself and so he steps in front of shuri. wrapping his body over hers. protecting her from whatever the danger was. he heard her sobs. he wanted to cry but knew that was not what his father would approve of. 

out the ground a man came. the floor shook with the bullets that were released from his gun. the bodyguards, his father, government workers fell down one by one. t’challa in a rage pushed his sister on the floor picked up the gun from the fallen government bodyguard and fired. 

his first shot clipped the mans thumb, the second blew his hand off. hands shaking and tears brimming his eyes. klaw, the man who had worked with his father, who t’challa never trusted, had just killed his only father. killed the king of wakanda. killed the black panther in a COWARDS battle.

it was then as he asked the panther goddess bast for safe journey for his father he vowed to get revenge for the downfall of a man that a nation loved. that he loved.

❛  —————–a  c o w a r d  named klaw.  ❜