In a room only illuminated by two tall candles three men were standing in silence, observing the fourth that sat on his throne, grabbing a scepter, the symbol of his power. The golden light of the candles danced over his dark frame. He was the Black Panther, ruler and protector of Wakanda. The other men, was a part of the Illuminati. Charles Xaveir, Magnus Lenhserr and Steven Strange. After the news that Ororo had been captured, all according to the plan, The King had been silently staring at the floor with his jaws set. Finally he looked up, meeting Charles calm eyes.
“Are you sure she will live?”
“She is too valuable to kill. They will send her to Neverland as they did the rest of my X-men and Magnus brotherhood. ”
“T’Challa, we have gone through this. She will be the key to free the mutants in Neverland. As we don’t know if her mutant powers will work in Neverland, Strange and Xavier and you yourself have worked hard to make her capable of fighting without her weather abilities.” Magnus added a bit tersely.
“Her affinity for Magic is strong, even if she was reluctant to divulge in the arts. I know how much Ororo means to you Panther, but you yourself agreed that she was the best weapon at out disposal. You swore to let her go when she was ready. “ Steven’s tone was a bit more gentle, but final.
T’Challa rose and threw the scepter aside.
“To hell with you all. Using her, keeping her in the dark. Have you any idea how this will affect her once she finds out, if she will find out?”
Magnus stepped forward, head to head with the tall king of Wakanda, both having strong arrogant features, but Magnus was the more ruthless of the two leaders.
“She isn’t your blood, or more importantly not of your kind. Charles was a fool to let a sapien raise her, when she should have been with her own kind!”
“Magnus” Charles warned, but too late as The black man swung his arm, backhanding the white haired master of magnetism. Magnus caught himself and straightened his back.
“That is the same garbage racist crap that have put you in the position you are in now. Get out of my sight or I swear to God I will rip you to shreds” T’Challa growled raising his clawed hand.
For a heartbeat or two, Magnus met his gaze, before turning his back on the king.
“Forgive him T’Challa. He is as worried as we all are.”
T’Challa sank back on the hard throne, closing his eyes briefly as he tried to calm down.
“I know what I agreed to, and how important Ororo is. And she wants this, which is the sole reason I let her go. If I suspected that she wouldn’t take any part of this I would have kept her away from you. Even if she doesn’t know all of it, the real mission…” His voice trailed off
“We couldn’t let her know. In case they managed to get past her mental blocks and found out. All would have been for nothing and we would be no closer to finding a solution for this. Now we have a chance. With the key persons freed from Neverland we can attack the controller directly and put an end to all off this.” Charles explained, sighing. He was tiered, like all of them. It was vital that their plans succeeded. Years of planning and working in the dark would soon come to fruit. If they were lucky. As they were thinking the same thought, he met Dr. Strange’s eyes.
“There are so many damn if’s and uncertanities. I don’t doubt your talents Strange, but with the little we know of Neverland, how they erase the memories of those sent there..”
“The eye of Agamotto will protect Ororo and show her the truth. It will take time, depending on how much she fights the instincts coming to her, but it will show her who she is and will show the others the truth. When it happens, when they are gathered I will know and can bring them here. Have faith in her” Strange answered the Kings musings. T’Challa nodded, but the worried crease on his forehead didn’t disappear. Silence descended on them, and slowly the other men left the king to his dark thoughts.
