Wonder Woman ✧ T'CHALLA¹ [✓]

18 - Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Part I

HALF AN HOUR LATER, DIANA STOOD IN ONE OF THE WAKANDAN CARRIERS AS IT FLEW OVER THE GROUND, WITH WAKANDAN SOLDIERS, NATASHA, STEVE AND BUCKY ON BOARD. Rhodey, Raevanna, and Sam kept pace overhead, while Bruce ran beside them in the Hulkbuster armor. Diana's sword was gripped in her hand and her shield was strapped to her back, and though her face was expressionless, inside she was absolutely terrified. Her nightmares were coming true, which meant that at the end of all this, she might wind up losing T'Challa. As much as she knew she couldn't be with him, she still couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

"How we looking, Bruce?" Natasha asked Bruce.

It was clear to Diana that the man was utterly delighted as he leap-jogged along, keeping up with the carriers. "Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it," he said. "Wow! It's like being the Hulk without actually-" Suddenly he stumbled on a rock and fell to the ground, and a carrier went by him, from which Okoye gave him a dubious look.

Bruce stood up, regathering himself. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

"I got two heat signatures breaking through the tree line," Rhodey said over comms, catching their attention.

Diana squinted at the trees, realizing that the heat signatures were Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian. She gripped her sword even tighter; she knew they would be back.

The carriers swerved into U-turns, causing the crafts to tilt and allow the practiced soldiers to slide over one side into a run, never coming to a complete halt. A Dora Milaje shouted a command nearby as the last Wakandans joined ranks, and Diana quickly leapt out of the carrier to join them, grinning when she saw the Jabari joining them, led by M'Baku and D'Kenjo.

Once they reached the other soldiers, M'Baku rallied his soldiers with a war chant. They chanted back in unison, and M'Baku stopped as Diana and T'Challa neared him.

T'Challa, now wearing his black panther suit, clasped wrists with M'Baku, shaking it with a smile on his face. "Thank you for standing with us," T'Challa said.

M'Baku nodded, also smiling as he said in Xhosa, "Of course, brother." Facing Diana, he nodded respectfully and said to her, "It's good to see you again, Ambassador."

"Likewise," Diana replied, then grinned at D'Kenjo. "Hello, D'Kenjo."

"Hello, Diana," D'Kenjo said as he smiled back. "Glad to have you back."

Diana's heart twisted a little at his words; she wanted to tell him that she wasn't staying. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, so she simply nodded at him. "Of course."

Turning to face the barrier, Diana, T'Challa, Steve, and Natasha walked to the edge of the barrier, where Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian were standing. As they moved, Raevanna dropped down from the sky and landed gracefully beside Diana, then proceeded forward until they stopped a few feet away. Proxima drew her sword across the barrier consideringly, testing its strength.