We follow M'Baku through the snow to a hut separated from the rest. I wonder why he's taking us here. 

As we enter, Mother releases a gasp. "Impossible!" Nakia gasps. I stumble forward to see what everyone's gasping at. Lying in the snow is T'Challa. 

He's alive! 

"Oh Thixo Wam!" Oh my god! I cry out as Shuri and I rush to his side. Mother lets out a cry of relief, placing her hand on his forehead, Shuri and I hovering close to her. He looks frozen, frost clinging to his face and scruffily beard. But he's alive, right? It doesn't look like he's breathing.

"is he breathing?" Nakia asks, reading my mind. She strokes his arm. I place my hand on Shuri's shoulder, trying to lean close enough to see the rise and fall of his chest. 

"He's in a coma." M'Baku explains. Agent Ross hovers close behind M'Baku, relief on his face. "Barely clinging to life. One of our fishermen found him near the edge of the river border. They brought him to me." 

"Why do you keep him in the snow?" Shuri asks aggressively, glancing back at M'Baku. I glance for a second then return my gaze to T'Challa.  

"It is the only thing keeping him from joining the Ancestors." M'Baku explains. 

"We need to get him back to my lab. I can heal him there." Shuri says.

"Take him. He'll be dead in seconds." M'Baku replies. 

We all pause in shock. I grab Shuri's arm. What do we do now?

"Nakia," Mother says, looking over at Nakia. "The Herb." Nakia pulls out the herb and passes it to mother. Getting a grinding bowl, Mother grinds the herb to liquid, able for T'Challa to ingest it. 

"I call upon the ancestors." Mother prays, holding the liquid herb over T'Challa. "I call upon Bast. I am here with my son, T'Challa. Heal him." I stand up, moving to stand behind them at a respectful distance. From the corner of my eye, I see M'Baku turn to the side, Agent Ross copying him. 

Mother pours the liquid down T'Challa's throat. "We must bury him. Cover him. Cover him!" Mother mutters as she begins covering T'Challa with the snowShuri and Nakia join in and cover T'Challa with the snow. 

"Dumisani a ba Ancestors." Praise the Ancestors We all whisper as we cross our arms over our chests. "Wake up, T'Challa." Nakia whispers. We wait in silence.

Come on T'Challa. Wake up.

Suddenly, T'Challa springs up from the snow, panting wildly. We all release a collective sigh of relief as everyone rushes to his side. 

"Do you have a blanket?" He asks, a small smile playing on his lips as he shivers from the cold. I chuckle as Shuri rests her head on my shoulder. I, in return, rest my head on top of hers. Both of us sighing in relief. Mother looks like she might cry. 

He's okay.

Everything's going to be okay. 

🐺

"Killmonger has the full support of our military. And.. he burned the garden of the Heart-Shaped Herb." Nakia explains as we all gather in M'Baku's throne room. T'Challa looks better, having healed from his injuries and near death experience. 

I sit on one of the benches running down the sides of the room, leaning my head back. I rub my wrist.

"Well of course he did. That's what he was trained to do." Agent Ross says. Of course he did. I glance over at Agent Ross as he continues. "His unit used to work with the CIA to destabilize foreign countries. They would always strike at transitions of power like an election year, or the death of a monarch." He gestured to T'Challa. T'Challa sits across from me at the other side of the room, Nakia at his side. "You get control of the government, the military..."

"Our resources." T'Challa finishes. Our vibranium. Our weapons. Our technology. Those are the only resources that matter in Wakanda. 

"Of course he was trained in this." I mutter, placing my head in my hands. 

Agent Ross nods, ignoring me. "Right."

"The Great Mound." 

"Our vibranium, all of my designs." Shuri adds from her spot next to me. I glare at her from the corner of my eye. Really, she's concerned about her designs. Killmonger will have enough weapons to start World War III (and win) and she's worried about her designs!

"He will send our weapons all over the world." T'Challa stands. He glances around at us. "You must get them out of Wakanda safely."

I snap my head up. "Excuse me?"

"What?" Mother asks. "What about you?" Shuri adds immediatley after. "The challenge will have to continue." He says simply. 

Mother stands up, taking a step closer to T'Challa. "T'Challa, we will not leave Wakanda." 

"It is my duty to keep you safe." T'Challa argues. 

Shuri stands, stepping closer to T'Challa. "If he gets control of our technology, nowhere will be safe." Lifting her arm, she holds up T'Challa's Black Panther necklace. How on earth did she get her hand on that?

T'Challa smirks at Shuri as she places the necklace around his neck. "The Black Panther lives." Shuri states. And when he fights for the fate of Wakanda I will be right there beside him."

"As will I." Nakia says, taking a step forward. 

I feel T'Challa's eyes fall on me as I rub my wrist once again. I glance up at him. "You already know I'm going to fight alongside you so don't even give me that look." I sit up straight. 

"I'm in too." Agent Ross announces. Everyone looks at him with frowns. "What? You're gonna need all the help you can get." He says with a smug look. 

We all smile until M'Baku interrupts with a loud, fake yawn. 

"Are you done? A-A-A-Are you, Are you done?" He asks, his arms lifting in the direction of T'Challa. 

"Could you give me and Lord M'Baku a moment?" T'Challa asks dryly.

We all leave them to talk, escorted out by M'Baku's guards. Agent Ross steps next to me. "Are you okay?" He asks, watching as I rub my wrist for probably the third time. Aww, he sounds concerned. 

"I'll be fine. I think I pulled a muscle in all of the excitement." Agent Ross looks at me with a confused look. "Like, when we found out T'Challa was alive? That excitement?" I glare at him. "Yes, Agent Ross. That excitement." I say with slight annoyance in my voice. "I'm going to fight my first fight as The White Wolf. I can't wait."