14276/The king returns!

The king returns!
Date of Scene:	27 February 2023
Location:	Wakandan Embassy
Synopsis:	T'challa returns to the Embasy and Shuri catching up on what is going on.
Cast of Characters:	T'Challa, Shuri

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T'Challa has posed:
It is the standard day outside of the Embassy, but inside it is another busy one. T'Challa has been missing for three days, and Okoye with him with no-one knowing where he is at. Him not wanting to do paperwork was one thing, but he had never not reported in, and so people in the embassy are hustling around calling everyone they can to find the missing king. They are starting to get despirate, as they were soon going to send a diplomat to the Avengers mansion, but thankfully today before they can do so something intresting happends. A normal taxi pulls up infront of the Embassy, and out steps although his leg is wrapped up, and his foot is in a makeshift cast is T'Challa. His head was also wrapped up, as he only had the darkned eyes left of his busted up face, and the oposite arm was also wrapped up. He had been near death when Okoye had found him, and though he had enhanced healing it still took him a bit to get over that bad of a beating.

Following him out was Okoye to help him as even with the cane he now sported to keep his weight off his injured leg it was bothersome for him to walk alone. She carried a brief-case of what was left of the nano-suit that had saved his life, though it had taken a beating it was not used to. Bullets, and even worse has been deflected without the suit taking damage, but even with the suit someone of demi-god nature was a bit much for it to take as it was in bad shape.

As Okoye helps him he nods to her in thanks, but adds. "It is okay, I must walk on my own.. I have an responisbility as their king to not look beaten." and pushes off her a bit to limp his way towards the door. Of course Okoye doesn't like this, but she has no choice, but to accept it as she just says "Foolish Pride." in Xhosa then falls to silence to follow him incase he were to lose his ballance.

As the cab pulls away and T'Challa looks back at the Embassy he smiles a bit. "I did not think I would be seeing this place again." he notes though chuckles a bit. "I supposed they will be angry I have fallen behind in my work." he says to his bodyguard though is only joking a bit with her. If people thought T'Challa had no sense of humor, they would know Okoye did not, or at least not when her king was injured as all he gets is a sharp look as he continues on his way.

Shuri has posed:
The last day or two have been filled with more stress than Shuri would like to admit. Contrary to what T'Challa may suspect, she does not constantly monitor his whereabouts. There are other things she'd rather be doing than seeing how long he spends at this place or that, and when. She's got her own things to do, work in the lab and otherwise. Besides, he's smart enough to figure out ways around it.

But, it's unlike him to fail to even check in one way or another. That's why, with a couple Dora Milaje of her own with her, she's been making use of any and all tech on hand to determine his location. Everything so far has come back a failure. "I don't get it. I should have readings for all of this," she says in frustration, pointing at a display pad returning 'null' information. "It's not faulty. Something must have happened. I have his last known location here, and..oh. That's not good."

Whatever it was, /something/ knocked it all offline. A buildup, a spike of energy, something along those lines. Things the suit should have been able to handle under normal circumstances. "We must get to that location and--"

And the doors open to reveal a battered T'Challa, with Okoye shadowing him. Shuri stops to stare at this sight, and not even in this moment does she come up with some pithy remark. Only, "What happened to you?" Relief is masked, her expression showing surprise before it's replaced by something harder.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa opens the door, and limps in and actually smiles a bit more when he sees his sister. He thought she would be mad at him for disapearing, but is glad to see that she was okay, or well frankly see her at all. He moved his arm infront of his chest with a nod, but regretted it as he winced just a little. He knew he was lucky he had the healing of the herb he might of lost use of that arm, though even with it the time it took was a bit longer then a few days. "Hello, sister." he giver her a nod. He limped over to her, and other then saying anything else he just put a hand on her head to reasure him that he had made it back. He does not keep it there for long as she prob would not of liked it, but it made him feel better a bit as he had thought about not being able to see her again. The pain, and bit of sadness on his face, though he smiles just a bit. "I am home."

He looked around a bit at the people running about and sighed, "I see I made them worry.. I am sorry." he paused thinking about how to answer her question. "I am sorry for making you worry. It was a trap by a cheetah human shapped thing." he tries to explain. "It was as strong, as Wonder Woman, but fast as the Flash." he notes with a sigh as it had been a tough fight.

He looks at her, "But your technology saved me sister. Well that, and the suit of course... Though it has seen better days." he looks to the side, "Okoye." as the body guard came up beside him, and opened the case. Inside was the torn, burnt out, remains of the Black Panther suit. The claw marks looked like from a giant cat, and while some were deep, others seemed to get through the suit all together.

Shuri prob knew the amount of metals that could do that could be counted on one hand, but what she might not get, or maybe after some investigation there was some gods at work here which ment magic. As T'Challa turned there were several large scratches on his body that looked to match the suit that had been so deep they had just started to heal though he turns back to look at her. "I am sorry I had to submit it to electricity, and I am afraid it burnt out most of the insides. Thankfully Okoye arived after to help me or I might still be on that islan." he nods to her at that.

With a sigh he looks down for a bit, "I was in bad shape... I didn't want you to see me like that so I told her not to contact you. I knew you would worry, but.." he pauses a moment before finishing. "It was bad."

Shuri has posed:
Shuri's eyes narrow, first from the touch to her head, which she at least allows only as long as necessary (about a second), but more from his explanation. It's one she lets him get through without interruption first, and he'd better believe she's already filing away what he is (and isn't) saying for later. Chances are there will be some grilling that takes place soon, and not the BBQ kind.

Arms cross before she takes hold of the suit, or what's left of it, turning it this way and that, poking and probing at it, already analyzing what she can. "Okoye, if he puts himself in a situation like this again, you will let me know immediately even if it means disobeying your King. He will not discipline you. Some things are more important than my brother's foolish pride."

She says this directly in front of T'Challa, showing no care or concern for how he may react to it.

"As for you," she adds to him, "I will see you in the infirmary, immediately. The Herb will heal you, yes, but you are still seriously wounded and must be examined and treated. While we are seeing to that, you can tell me about this cat-woman that is apparently your better, and how you ended up there."

The 'infirmary' in the embassy is more like a room set aside for basic treatments. Nothing quite like what's back in Wakanda, but that leaves a lot of room for medical technology on a scale beyond what most are used to. She moves in that direction, expecting him to follow. Okoye as well, if she deems it necessary.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa takes his heat pat win, and doesn't push his luck, and looks at her with a nod as he had seen that look before. He knew the tough questions would come later though he could hardly get into how he was tricked now. When she says that to Okoye she gives T'Challa a look that if looks could kill would of taken him out right there. "Believe me.. I had no idea what his highness was doing there. He will not escape me so easily next time." giving Shuri a nod as she agreed to that.

T'Challa looks like he might say something but with Shuri, and Okoye against him he just sighs, and nods. "Yes, sister." is all he says as he turns and starts limping his way towards what was being used as the inirmary following Shuri. He does chuckle a little, and asks, "What makes you think I lost though?" he asks curiously with a small grin, it had taken everything he had, but he had lived through an attack by someone way stronger then him so he took it as a win not to mention the knife. Though with one looks T'Challa looks back down as if he got caught doing something wrong.

T'Challa would stand against all who may come after him, or his people, but his sister had a way of making him think better then to argue the point. As they entered the room T'Challa finally spoke again, "To be fair I believe I stumbled into this one." he notes as he takes a seat with only a little flinch of pain. He let the smile fade for only a moment before he added, "I was actually worried for a moment sister." he said quietly.

He didn't want others to hear it, but his sister, and Okoye were okay, but he looked down at his hands, "I almost killed her, I had the knife to her throat." he says it not as an achivement, but as if disgusted with himself. That thing had pushed him to the point where his instinct kicked in, and he had almost killed her for it without even thinking. This bothered him more then the wounds on his body as he sighed a bit.

It wasn't the knife, or the attempt to kill that got him as he had hunted, and killed before. It was that he was forced to, and when it came down to it he was as vocious as the people they fight. Thankfully he had come to his senses and tossed the blade away before he actually cut the thing, but there was a moment where T'Challa feared for his life, and fell back to a more primal fighting.

Shuri has posed:
There are times to push and times to let things slide. While Shuri knows a thing or two about diplomacy as a matter of necessity, she also knows when to back off. Usually. With T'Challa, that line often shifts. "If you call this winning," she gestures to him, head to toe, "Then I would hate to see what losing amounted to." It's also no secret he is a better fighter than she is. He's had much more training, much more need of it. Again, she is no slouch and she has her own tricks to make use of, but she is not on his level physically.

Okoye's feedback is returned with a nod as Shuri herself tugs a pair of gloves on to see to a few of the more serious-looking wounds once she's taken a check of his bandages. "You said you were on an island. How do you stumble into an island with someone mixed between a cheetah and a woman? What was the fight over?" A brow draws upward at the talk of it nearly being lethal, but some of the cuts make that obvious enough aside from all the rest. "I don't keep up with all of your business, you know. I don't think that's useful for either of us."

T'Challa has posed:
as Okay takes the wrappings off, and T'Challa removes the shirt Shuri can see the deep claw marks on his back that must of been there before the suit was on. Okoye checks the progress of the healing, and starts taking some of his arm, the bone was shattered though just after three days it was already starting to look better the emergancy work that Okoye did had prob saved it as without her it could of healed inproperly though it wasn't the worst injury that being his foot when was stomped on repeatly by Cheetah. He would be off it for a while though thankfully again with the healing he should be able to regain use of it eventually. "Losing would of amounted to death," T'Challa says honestly though he didn't look at her as he said it.

There was no doubt in his voice, as he knew if he did not fight as hard as he did during, and after the fight that Shuri would be king now. Falling quiet as he considered what happened he explains a bit better. "It was supposed to be a social gathering on the island to save albino cheetahs." he starts as Okoye starts to get some more herbs as to stop any infections that might want to take hold in his weakened state. He frowned a bit, "They hit us with this gas and things got.. hazy. There was also someone there a large man with claws.." he stops and thinks.. "Victor." he says as that is all he can recal.

He sighs and shrugs, "Next thing I know I am in the middle of the jungle being hunted by this thing." he looks at her seriously, "It wanted to hunt me like I was prey. So other then run I faced it." he smiles a bit, "Perhaps it was foolish, but I will not be hunted.." he says firmly, almost a bit of anger in his voice before he takes a breath to calm himself. "I did what I could, but it was too fast, and too strong, and the claws could even cut through Vibranium after a few slashes." he notes as he had never ran into anything like it before.

He lays back a bit, as the makeshift cast is taken off his foot he can't hide the pain. It was still swollen and purple, as even with the suit he took beyond the normal punishment on it. Speaking through gritted teeth he added. "Whatever it was it fought like an animal. I used that in my favor, and bought time until it realised it would not be so easy to kill a king." he smiled a bit.

After a moment he snapped, as he remembered something else. "It also bit each guest. Didn't hurt them more then that, as only I was the hunted. It was like she wanted them to live through it some hoow, and I just randomly stumbled into her plan." he sighs a bit with a shrug. "I don't know why, but perhaps it is like the Werehyena. Though way stronger, and faster."

Shuri has posed:
Shuri makes a 'tss' sound at the sight of the claw marks, and the broken bones, all the rest. "Brother, you do not need me to tell you how stupid you were to not contact any of us immediately, but I am telling you this anyway. The next time, you might not be so fortunate. I have no interest in being Queen now or any time soon. The longer that does not happen, the longer that means you are here."

Details emerge. A gas, someone with claws named Victor, the cheetah-thing hunting T'Challa, or at least trying to. "Well, this is a testament to my work, but not good enough. It seems I will have to find ways to make the vibranium weaves even stronger if something like that can so easily get through. It has always had a weakness to certain types of attacks, and that may not be avoidable. Did you use any other attacks on it? Sonics? Distractions? Or did you aim to just go claw-to-claw with it?"

T'Challa has posed:
T'challa nods, and considers. "I think I could of summoned the whole Dora Milaje, and still would of ended up in this state." he says as if it were a fact to him. He could bearly handle it, and doubted anyone would of made it. This makes him frown, as he could not get his sister involved in fighting this thing. He looks at her seriously, "If you come across this thing do not think of revenege.. I want you to suit up, and if you can run." he says seriously looking at her with a stern look. "I trust your skills sister, but with this target I do not know what you could do." of course he was thinking in a straight up fight, though with how fast, and strong it was even with her tech it would be darn near impossible.

He sighed relaxing a bit more, "I know you do not want to be Queen, but some fights are put on us. This was one of them." he nods to her laying back "And if I get into one like this again, I am going to end her without hesitation." he says sternly looking at his broken forearm and hand as he holds it in the air. "There will not be a third meeting, as one of us will parish. Though I will not look for the fight, only let others know what is out there waiting for them." he assures her as he did hear her worry about this.

He sighs a bit looking at her, "I did not have much time to adjust." he admits as he considers. "I went claw to claw, until I got my hands on her." he grimace slightly at what that had taken. She had hit him many times at her fastest, "I believe there is a limit to the duration of her speed, so I waited until she ran out and grabbed her." he explains. "I put enough electricity to fry out my suit, and that bearly slowed her down." he sighs, "When I.." he stops and puts his hand down his voice taking more of an ebaressed tone. "When I put the vibranium knife to her throat, she stoped. I could smell fear so I am going to assume Vibranium will work to cut her." he notes. "Nothing else worked, even the holds where one has no leverage she would stength out of, or try to headbutt her way out." he smiles a bit looking at his foot, "Or stomp on feet. There was no skill there, only brute force. I believe that is her biggest weakness."

"Distraction did not work it was able to spot me even though I was out of sight, and down wind." he noted. "It is an excellent hunter in the jungle, and at night." he conisdered sonics. "I did not try sonics, as that is his weapon." T'Challa said with disgust as Claw came to his mind. Though his tone evened back to the serious tones, "Though it might be able to delay the best, and the one called Victor is not near her level he seemed to be her subordinate, and left when the hunt started." he did not think he would of made it if both were after him as he would not of been able to focus on the Cheetah

Shuri has posed:
"His weapon or not, we must use what works," Shuri says. She knows who he speaks of. "/Especially/ if it works to protect you better. It makes no sense to ignore a tool or method that may be beneficial just because an enemy makes use of it already. Think of it as a last resort, especially if this..thing has stronger senses."

She double-checks the wounds by disinfecting them - only a brief "This will probably sting" is offered by way of warning - and scans of the broken areas reveal in real-time how serious they are and what may need further doing in order for things to set and heal properly. All the while, her attitude is..chiding.

She notes, "I have been working on my own version of the suit, not because of any plans to succeed you soon, but for reasons like these. If you are a target, I may be as well. The 'weak little sister,' used as a pawn, as bait, to get to you. I'm no fool, T'Challa. Everything yours has, mine will have as well." Maybe even more, since she can experiment with different ideas more directly.

"But you will rest, if that means ensuring the Dora Milaje are posted outside your room on my command not to let you out. Whoever she is, I can see how dangerous this was. I will come up with an excuse for you while you recover, but next time you will call for me as soon as possible. I can't help you if you won't let me."

Of anything related to this, that is probably the part that stings her the most.

T'Challa has posed:
As she puts on the anti-septic he does breath in a little, but smiles and nods to her, "You are right of course sister." he says as he too would consider it, "Perhaps something in the suit to prevent the loud noise from distracting us both, and a few.. Flash-bang like materials to cause it?" he suggest, though it would be a while before he was working on his suit again. "If only I had an inventor sister that could not only fix the suit, but make it better." and grins at her. "I expect this would be a good time for it." he adds

His wounds are still extensive, as the only thing that can be done is reseting things, and letting them heal on their own. Okoye had done her job well in patching him up, and thankfully with a change of bandages, and a few poped bones he should be alright. He looks at her with a sad look, "Sister you may think me mean to cut you out of things such as this, but you are my little sister." he sighs a bit. "I just want to protect you as your the only family I have left." he looks down a bit remembering father. "I am sorry if I am overprotective, but I assure you in this case you could not of helped me so please do not make that face."

T'Challa was a sucker for the Shuri sad face though thankfully it was rare. It struck him right to the core, and he would do anything to avoid it. The only thing he could not do was watch her get hurt as if anyone dare put a bruise on her he would end them. The hot anger of that posiblility flows through him as he makes a fist with his good hand, though it flows away again as he looks at her. "Next time, if I can I will call you." he reluctantly adds, "Now go... let me rest, and practice because when the call comes you want to be ready." and he closes his eyes as he is leaning back now as Okoye is helping rebandage what is there so it is covered again.

He opens one eyes, and smiles at her. "You don't want to follow me as the king, but if it is.. how do they say it... Cracking skulls you are on board worries me sister." and chuckles a little bit as he closes his eyes again. "But I understand, picturing you here in my spot angers me so much I want to hurt someone." he sighs a bit, "I am sorry for not taking your feelings into consideration. Forgive your older dumb brother?" and smiles a bit.

Shuri has posed:
Shuri levels a stern look T'Challa's way as she moves back around within his field of view. "I am always thinking of ways to improve the suit. It wouldn't be difficult to program it to automatically protect your ears when you use the noise, or apply a dark filter over your eyes so you don't blind yourself. It does you no good if what you use takes you out as well, though for a moment I considered letting you find out what it's like when we test it." She may yet do that.

There is an audible sigh followed by a breath that seeks patience, if her eyes closing is an indication. "Even if I couldn't have helped you in that moment, that is not the point. I could have helped get you out of there sooner so we would not be left wondering what happened to you, if you were even still alive or not. You know /I/ am also trying to protect /you/ with all of this." She gestures at him with a hand, then to the remnants of the suit that has seen its last legs.

Shuri finishes the check-up and, after rebandaging the places that need it, she says, "Okoye, will you see that he gets his rest? I have some work to do, and I am not listening to him talk about hurting someone for me." She waves a dismissive hand at the seeking of forgiveness, adding on her way out, "I'll have dinner brought for you later." Her pace is brisk as she departs, grabbing the tattered Black Panther suit in one motion.