"This… well, you name the price. I'll—"
Tony stopped halfway through his sentence.
From the moment he entered the palace, everything he had seen was cutting-edge technology. Could Wakanda possibly be short on money? That was a joke. To Wakanda, money was probably meaningless—especially to a king like T'Chaka.
T'Chaka smiled faintly as he looked at Tony. Tony's words struck him as genuinely amusing. Wakanda lacked many things, but money was certainly not one of them.
"Alright then," Tony shrugged. "What exactly will it take for you to sell me some vibranium?"
Money had always been Tony's greatest leverage, but now that it was useless, there was no point beating around the bush.
T'Chaka shook his head.
"I've already said it—vibranium will not be exported. In addition, you must tell us where Ulysses Klaue is. We still have a debt to settle with him."
"Ulysses Klaue?" Tony snapped irritably. "I want to find him too. If I could get in touch with him, do you really think I'd be here in Wakanda trying my luck?"
T'Chaka said nothing, simply staring at Tony. It wasn't until Tony was almost uncomfortable under the scrutiny that T'Chaka finally spoke again.
"Very well. Since the two of you have come to Wakanda, you are our guests. Stay and enjoy yourselves for a few days. After all, you came here as travelers, didn't you? In a few days, it will be T'Challa's coronation ceremony. You are welcome to attend as honored guests."
With a wave of his hand, T'Chaka dismissed them from the hall, instructing T'Challa to escort Lucas and Tony out.
Shuri's eyes darted around twice before she quietly followed them as well.
Once outside, Shuri immediately grabbed T'Challa's arm.
"Brother, I'm taking Tony Stark with me first. Your new suit will be ready in a few days—come try it on when it's done."
Before T'Challa could object, she dragged Tony away toward Wakanda's research center.
"Mr. Norman, I'll take you to your accommodations," T'Challa said gently, his demeanor calm and approachable, much like his father's.
"Just call me Lucas," Lucas replied. "We did intrude rather abruptly this time. Tony's just hit a bottleneck in his research lately."
Lucas hadn't watched Black Panther in full in his previous life, but he had seen plenty of summaries, so he had a general understanding of the storyline.
Still, events had diverged again. In the original plot, the old king died due to Baron Zemo's scheme, leading to T'Challa's ascension. But now, King T'Chaka was alive and well, and the Civil War hadn't even happened. Yet T'Challa was already preparing to inherit the throne.
Was this another butterfly effect caused by his and Tony's presence?
Ever since Lucas entered this Marvel world, many events had changed, though the overall trajectory still vaguely resembled the movies he remembered. Was it truly a case of "small events can change, but major events are inevitable"?
Lucas didn't know.
The future was completely unknown. Perhaps the Civil War would still occur. Perhaps T'Chaka would still be killed. No one could say for sure.
He could only take things one step at a time. This wasn't a movie anymore—it was real life. A very real world.
"I believe you," T'Challa said. "But vibranium truly will not be sold. That is Wakanda's tradition."
Lucas nodded in understanding. He had known from the start that Tony wouldn't succeed in buying vibranium. Coming here with him had always been a long shot.
Chatting casually along the way, they soon arrived at their residence—a two-story house rich in local character, distinctly Wakandan in style.
"Oh, right," T'Challa added. "On the day of the coronation, someone will come to escort you. You're both very welcome to witness my ascension."
"Tony and I will definitely be there," Lucas said. "I'd like to see the birth of a new Black Panther myself."
As he spoke, Lucas glanced toward a distant, towering cliff. Atop it stood a massive Black Panther statue. He knew that beneath that mountain lay Wakanda's vibranium mine.
Vibranium filled Wakanda's underground and mountain ranges. The entire nation was built atop it. Centuries of mining had still failed to exhaust the deposits—proof of just how vast the vein truly was.
After T'Challa left, Lucas took a quick look around the house. It was immaculately clean, fully equipped with modern conveniences, and steeped in advanced technology. He picked a room at random, took a quick shower, and collapsed onto the bed.
Even the bed was more comfortable than any hotel he had stayed in. In less than ten minutes, Lucas was fast asleep, enjoying exceptionally deep rest.
---
Meanwhile, Tony followed Shuri to the Wakandan research center.
The moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by an array of advanced technological equipment. With just the bracelet of beads on her wrist, Shuri controlled everything effortlessly. Tony even spotted the medical pod Lucas had mentioned—the one capable of curing cancer.
Tony's enthusiasm ignited instantly. He and Shuri plunged straight into discussion and experimentation.
Shuri was working on two main projects: upgrading the bead bracelet on her wrist, and designing a new Black Panther suit for T'Challa.
Every Wakandan king received a unique suit upon ascending the throne. The previous king's suit would be melted down and recycled.
Each king possessed more than one Black Panther suit, and no two designs were ever the same. Designing the armor was a top priority—it couldn't resemble that of any predecessor. Even if the appearance was similar, the technology had to be superior.
This tradition existed to push Wakanda's scientists forward. No stagnation was allowed. Only through constant advancement could Wakanda continue to thrive.
Tony and Shuri stood before three mannequin frames.
Two were completely bare. The third wore the previous Black Panther suit—King T'Chaka's armor, which T'Challa had only worn temporarily. Only after his coronation would he be entitled to a brand-new suit.
"Well?" Shuri said. "This is the armor I designed."
Tony stared at the naked mannequins, utterly confused. All he saw were unclothed models. What armor? Was this one of those things only geniuses could see? The emperor's new clothes?
He turned to Shuri.
"What exactly are you showing me? A nude display? I'm really not into mannequins."
Shuri pointed at the silver fang necklace on one mannequin's chest, then at the identical mannequin beside it wearing a gold version.
Only then did Tony realize they weren't entirely naked—they were wearing necklaces.
"The gold one looks better," Tony said, pointing at it. "That suits my aesthetic."
After all, his armor was always red and gold. Flashy was a requirement.
"I agree," Shuri said. "The silver one is just a backup. The materials and technology are exactly the same."
She had designed two suits for T'Challa—one bold and eye-catching, the other restrained and understated. Aside from color and style, they were identical in every other respect.
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