When T'Challa was born, it was unlike anything Wakanda had ever seen. Not because it was special that a mother died during childbirth, as while that wasn't common anymore, thanks to their advanced technology, it had happened in the past, but because of how N'Yami died. It was as if, all of her life energy that made her who she was, was sucked out of her and transfered into the infant.
"He has your long arms and legs, my love," T'Chaka says to his wife, who has already closed her eyes forever.
"But he has my big head. I wish you two could have gotten to know each other."
On the very same day, the very next minute of giving birth to T'Challa, N'Yami - Chief Scientist of Wakanda, healer, dreamer, orphan queen- departed the unconquered realm quietly. T'Chaka holds his son during the burial and looks out at the lands of Wakanda in grief. His brother is next to him, trying to comfort him and share his pain at least somewhat.
"I had promised to take her to the stars, brother. I... I cannot rule without her." T'Chaka says as tears roll down his cheeks.
"And yet, you must. For Wakanda, for your son."
T'Chaka looks down at his son, his treasure, the only thing he still has of N'Yami. He is filled with unbridled love for the infant boy and vows in that very moment to do everything he can to take care of him. Yet it would take a while for the King to recover. His grief overwhelmed him for weeks, months, and years. He sought escape in drink, courtesans, and dark strategies. His truest joy came from his young cub, from whom the King tried to hide his great sadness and the burden of his rule. But he couldn't. T'Challa was wise beyond his years and very observant. He would surely become the greatest of all the Kings Wakanda had ever seen. Despite his intelligence, though, he was still a child. Something that would change later. T'Challa was to his father T'Chaka what Fëanor was to his father Finwë (Tolkien).
T'Challa's lessons in royal duty began at age five, when he accompanied his father on border inspection for the first time. But intelligent or not, he was still a boy and as such very interested in all things he saw. And so, he walked away, following his curiosity and trying to get to the bottom of things. T'Chaka was furious.
"Am I to understand that Wakanda's finest warriors have misplaced the prince of the realm? He is a little boy. There are ten of you." T'Chaka says.
"My Lord, you know the young prince's strength and agility at this age already; he must have surely used the time we weren't looking to slip away."
"I am aware of my son's intelligence and curiosity, but he is still a boy. Very well, I know his scent as well as my own. It will take longer to find him in this damnable rain. In the meantime, you all can think about ways to survive your exile." T'Challa says, but is interrupted by the voice of another woman.
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(Ramonda POV)
It was the first time that I met my husband, King T'Chaka. I had T'Challa with me and approached the King.
"No tears ran down his face, nor did he ever weep, oh King of Wakanda," I said.
"How do you know who I am?" he asked me.
"The whole continent whispers of Wakanda and its panther kings- they just don't know where to find them," I answered him.
"And yet here you are," T'Chaka said and looked at his son with a stern expression, telling him that punishment would surely follow.
"I am merely a woman on walkabout, Wakandan. My name is Ramonda."
"Women go on a walkabout. Where are you from, Ramonda?" T'Chaka asked me.
"I walk to find the means to resist the great injustice choking the life out of my homeland," I answered.
"Well, you can walk with us now, Ramonda, and we can all get out of the damned rain," T'Chaka said.
That was the first time I met both the father and the son of the royal family of Wakanda, who would steal my heart. I had left South Africa looking for help. Allies, arms or money to aid in lifting the boot of apartheid off the throats of my brothers and sisters. I told myself that my time away from home would be a short one. I was wrong. T'Challa's brilliant mind and charisma, despite his age, and T'Chaka's warm and wise demeanour kept me there. I knew I would someday return to the homeland that needed me, but since T'Challa was a little boy without a mother, I thought he needed me more.
The Wakandans, who still mourned their orphan queen, scoffed at the King marrying an interloper who would raise their prince. In secret, wise Changemire counselled against me becoming a queen. It was hard for me to publicly celebrate the anniversary of my marriage to T'Chaka, even after bearing him a daughter. But another anniversary weighed more heavily on the entire country. It was on the day that they would celebrate their victory over Hydra that another tragic moment arrived.
"Let us begin with a moment of silence for all who have fallen in defence of the Realm..." T'Chaka started his speech, but was interrupted.
"Good afternoon, Wakanda!" a deep male voice said. "My name is Ulysses Klaw, and I am there to petition the Black Panther for mining rights to the metal called Vibranium."
Klaw was backed by a group of mercenaries, who attacked as T'Chaka refused.
"There will be no petition. The only people with the right to mine Vibranium live inside these walls. Leave this place or die." T'Chaka said, and they attacked the mercenaries.
"I'm afraid, I've come too far to do either of those things, King. Now let's see if that Hydra intel was worth all that damn money..." Klaw said, and they opened fire. They also broadcast a counterfrequency that disabled the jammers, stopping us from simply closing our gates. But it would come even worse.
"Animal cunning won't save you, King. Your country will be mine and Wakanda will finally become civilised!"
"You come here and make claims of dominion? We are not the ones who need civilising." T'Chaka responded and attacked Klaw.
As they fought, Zuri told T'Challa to leave at once since that wasn't his fight. But T'Challa refused to leave the sight of the battle. He saw that his father needed him, since the strange weapon of Ulysses Klaw was harming him in some way. Before Klaw could kill T'Challa in the midst of his struggle with T'Chaka, my husband threw himself into the line of fire and took the full brunt of the attack.
"FATHER!!"
T'Challa was always smarter and wiser than his age would suggest. However, despite his intelligence and maturity, he was a child and acted like one. But when he was 11 years old, he witnessed his father die, sacrificing himself to save him, and the child died. I saw understanding and confusion on his face, and he looked at his hands and at the dead figure of his father in his arms. Zuri wounded Klaw and managed to take his hand, forcing them to flee.
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(T'Challa POV)
Reincarnation... who would have thought? Sixteen years have passed since I was reborn as T'Challa, son of T'Chaka, Prince of Wakanda. I was not powerless, not at all. I was given one of the Meta Essences CYOA in this new life of mine. The Essence of the King. The moment my father sacrificed himself for me, to save my life, that was the moment I was technically the new king, and that was the moment the Essence kicked in. At that moment, all of my memories from my previous life were unlocked.
After my father's death, S'Yan, my uncle, assumed the role of acting regent, and I started to use my knowledge to prepare for the future. The Essence of the King gives me a lot, and that is an understatement. Firstly, it has enabled me to reach a body just above the peak of human ability. This means that I am now, at 16, stronger than Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America. I was gifted with infinite willpower, endless endurance, and stamina. My memory is perfect with limitless storage. But that's not all.
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- Immense skill in conducting war on a strategic and tactical level.
- Good handle of logistics and how to raise and train a force from a small band of soldiers to entire armies.
- A mastery of economics, logistics, politics, and other things needed to run a functional power.
- Charisma to bend the will of entire nations and the sheer presence of a monarch that others would describe as divine.
- Optionally begin with a kingdom of your own design, from its general people, cultures, customs, military, etc. Its initial size can be up to that of a proper continent. The Kingdom can retroactively insert itself into any new world you visit or be housed in its own shielded pocket dimension. Most entities will be unable to pass to your realm freely unless they are significantly powerful, such as gods.
- A signature bloodline with several benefits up to your discretion. It can be passed on to your descendants.
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It was truly special. I have already decided on a bloodline, which will greatly help me in this Marvel Multiverse and the plans I have created.
I have used these past five years wisely and amassed all the knowledge Wakanda can give me, or at least most of it. After I gained my memories, I sent out several spies to America. They had but one task, and that was to find one man: Professor Turner, the great-uncle of Billy Turner, the scientist who perfected the Golden Sentry Serum. I would be stupid if I allowed a meth addict like Robert Reynolds t get his hands on such a powerful serum. I told the spies that he would most likely be located somewhere in western Pennsylvania, in an unnamed research facility. And they have truly found him, sadly, it was already too late, Robert Reynolds had gotten his hands on the serum before they could. But it matters not, I won't give up, and since Professor Turner is still alive, and the spies managed to get all his belongings and research, I will simply recreate it and make it better than the original.
But I am not just stopping there. I have also started to research Deep Space, which I will then move on from and go to the Superflow, and finally the Neutral Zone. That's also why I will find Blue Marvel's hideout somewhere in the deep ocean and try to recreate his 'accident' that gave him his powers. All of those plans will take time, which is why I have been so thankful for my intelligence and capability to keep knowledge stored in my mind forever.
The project I have been working on the longest and am the closest to completing. I call it: 'Artificial Photosynthetic Bio-Nanites' or more conveniently 'Star Cells'. They are actually artificial universal-donor stem cells, basically surgery without bleeding or infection. In other words, a substance which I will use for precise, clean cuts during surgery. They heal the very wounds they cut immediately, so there's no bleeding or infection. The question is whether or not I am ready to have it become publicly known yet. Because there is something else, I know, thanks to the comics, that will allow me to basically 'cure death'. And it will require an encounter with the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool himself. But more on that later. There are so many things I want to do that will take time.
Shuri has also proven to be a genius and is interested in everything I do. She has started to play around with Vibranium and will surely improve the Black Panther suit in time, giving it more features and making it so much better. I'm glad to have such a capable and loving sister. I am also thankful that I lived as T'Challa and didn't just take over his body.
But right now, I was sent on the Wakandan rite of passage to roam the land. This will be simple for me, and I will use it to further my plans here in Africa. I have some time now and will use it as well as possible.
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Send your ideas for things he could use, discover or other things.