The Deep ☼ SHURI UDAKU

☼ Chapter Seven ☼

Wakandan War

☼

They are standing in Warrior Falls, Ramonda in the middle of Shuri and Nerissa, holding onto their arms as she looks worriedly down at T'Challa kneeling, Erik ripping a spear apart.

"He'll never beat T'Challa." Shuri says, smiling down as if she's not at all worried but Nerissa knows she is- Ramonda knows too. "He should have just come to the first challenge and gotten it over with."

Zuri brings forth a bowl that'll take away T'Challa's extra strength and brings it to T'Challa's mouth, turning to call out to everyone in attendance, which isn't much but still.

"The King will now have the strength of the Black Panther stripped away."

T'Challa downs the liquid, staying still for a second before his veins turn black, his body convulsing in pain. The crowd stands still as he gets up, groaning.

Killmonger shakes his arms, death staring T'Challa. "This is your last chance. Throw down your weapons and we can handle this another way." T'Challa says, aggravating Killmonger even more.

Erik throws his weapons in the ground, chest going up and down as anger fills him. "I've lived my entire life waiting for this moment." He begins to unzip his vest, still talking. "I trained. I lied. I killed. Just to get here." He throws his vest down, going to lift up his shirt.

Nerissa eyes take in the sight of multiple scars, all over his abdomen. "I killed in America, Afghanistan, Iraq." He throws his shirt down as well, muscles flexing as he moves. "I took life from my own brothers and sisters right here on this continent!" He points to the ground, reaching for his weapons.

"And all this death.." he lifts a knife looking weapon to T'Challa. "... just so I could kill you."

T'Challa's face doesn't give a single thing away. Not fear not sadness not anger. Nothing.

He nods to Zuri who turns to us, "The challenge has begun!" He pushes his spear into the ground and walks forward, leaving them to fight.

Nerissa watches as Killmonger rushes forward, beginning the brawl. She holds on tight to Ramonda's hand, feeling the fear seeping out of her, as they take blows and give them. T'Challa slices Killmongers face, Erik glaring even harder.

T'Challa's inner thigh gets cut and Shuri yells. "Snap out of it, T'Challa!"

The tension rises as the fight continues, T'Challa getting his abdomen sliced open and then a spear shoved through his stomach.

Nerissa hears Ramonda gasp, pulling Shuri and her closer.

Erik punches T'Challa a few times before raising his weapon, "This is for my father!" He goes to swing but Zuri stops him, T'Challa exclaiming

"Zuri! No!"

A few people from the small crowd call out to him to stop him from doing this. Nerissa looks down with tears in her eyes, watching as Zuri speaks to Erik.

"I am the cause of your fathers death! Not him! Take me!"

Nerissa shakes her head, knowing that Killmonger won't care- he'll only be glad he took more people out. That's the type of person he is.