The Royal Palace of Wakanda, the council chamber.
The central holographic projector emitted a soft hum, projecting a bloody and violent image into the void.
That was the scene of the " Blood Diamond Legion's " annihilation.
A golden afterimage darted among the militants, its claws tearing steel like paper. The half-human, half-leopard figure danced amidst the hail of bullets, each pause accompanied by a spurt of blood.
Finally, the image freezes.
She stood amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, her body covered in blood.
The ferocity in those vertical pupils gradually faded, transforming into a deep-seated weariness and confusion.
With a dull thud, the image went dark.
"Brutal."
The elder of the Merchant Tribe, seated on the left, was the first to break the silence.
She was a plump woman, her fingers nervously twirling the Vibranium ring.
"Rational slaughter—this is a Beast out of control. Your Majesty, this uncontrollable creature is a ticking time bomb. I do not recommend leaving this dangerous element in the capital, not even for a minute."
"Danger?"
A cold snort came from the right.
W'Kabi, the elder of the Border Tribe, stood up, the heavy armor plates on his body clanging together with a crisp sound.
Instead of fear, his eyes burned with an almost fanatical admiration.
"What do you know? That's a warrior's instinct! She single-handedly wiped out an entire fully armed warlord army. Look at her movements, that's not just random biting! It's hunting skill etched into her bones! It's art!"
"Art?" The River Tribe elder slammed his staff into the ground with a loud thud. " W'Kabi, is all you think about is fighting and killing? Look at her destructive power! If she gets out of control here, who will be responsible?"
"More importantly," Elder River turned to the throne, his expression grave, "Her appearance will attract outside attention. S.H.I.E.L.D.., and that recently surging Vought International, are searching for Vibranium like mad dogs. She's caused such a commotion at the border; if we expose Wakanda by taking her in..."
That's enough.
The argument stopped abruptly.
All the elders bowed their heads, awaiting the king's judgment.
" Ashara, tell them what you've found. Let them see what this dangerous guest of ours is carrying."
Ashara stepped forward, her fingers moving rapidly across the control panel.
"Elders, please prepare yourselves mentally."
A complex set of human skeletal scans appeared on the holographic screen.
This skeleton is not a normal, deathly white color.
Countless dark golden specks of light are densely distributed in the crevices of the spine, the long bones of the limbs, and even the skull.
"This is..." W'Kabi was stunned.
" Vibranium." Ashara's voice trembled, "But it's not a product of modern technology, nor is it some kind of lucky gift."
She zoomed in on an image of a section of leg bone.
"Through carbon isotope tracing and energy decay analysis, the technological characteristics of this Vibranium deposition technique can be traced back at least three hundred years. That was one of the darkest periods in Wakanda's history."
The hall fell silent.
Three hundred years ago, it was a chaotic era when Wakanda was not yet fully unified, and various tribes were fighting each other for control of Vibranium.
"In that era, our ancestors had not yet mastered the technology to gently guide Vibranium energy."
Ashara pointed to the shocking points of light, her voice filled with pity.
"In order to control certain Deviants bloodlines are too powerful and prone to going out of control, some radical priests invented this Spirit-Locking Technique."
"Melted liquid Vibranium was forcibly injected into the infant's bone marrow at a specific temperature."
Liquid Vibranium.
What does that mean?
"This will cause lifelong suffering. With every breath, with every heartbeat, Vibranium will rub against her nerves. Every moment, she is being tortured."
"How could this be..." W'Kabi murmured to himself, a flicker of pity crossing the tough man's eyes. "You mean, she endured this hellish torture because..."
"In order to lock in the power."
Ashara brought up a new energy waveform diagram.
"The energy reaction within her body was extremely violent; without the suppression of these deposited Vibranium, she would have already self-destructed due to energy overload."
Just then, the dark gold line suddenly twitched.
"Buzz--"
The sound was shrill and mournful, like a wounded cub searching for its mother, or like a wanderer who has been away for a hundred years knocking on the door of his home.
This is "resonance".
It was the "Perfect Echo" fabricated by the Vought Research Institute's microchip, a device powerful enough to shatter the psychological defenses of the Wakanda.
But to the Wakanda present, this was the weeping of their bloodline.
Did you hear that?
T'Chaka spoke, his voice deep and powerful.
T'Chaka rose from his throne and walked down the steps.
"This is the lament of Vibranium. Only those who possess the oldest blood of Wakanda can evoke such a powerful empathy from the raw ore."
"Combining the intelligence gathered from the S.H.I.E.L.D., and this physical examination report, the truth is now very clear."
"She wandered the world, killing off warlords to silence them and prevent the power originating from Wakanda from spiraling out of control, and to keep the secrets of Vibranium from being discovered by outsiders. She didn't want anyone to associate her with Wakanda."
The logic is complete.
The merchant elder who had just been advocating for her expulsion now covered his mouth.
The elder of the River Tribe also put down his scepter and lowered his head in shame.
They mistook a wanderer who had been bearing their curse and guarding their secret for a hundred years for an intruder.
"This is simply... blasphemy," the Mining Tribe elder muttered to himself. "We enjoy peace and prosperity within the barrier, while she suffers hellish torment outside."
"This is a disgrace to Wakanda, and a debt we owe."
T'Chaka around.
"Although it's still unclear which lineage she belongs to, I really can't think of anyone in this world who, besides our fellow Wakanda, could be connected to the Bast, Vibranium, and transform into a cheetah. The person lying in the medical room is a child with our blood flowing through her veins."
"Your Majesty." W'Kabi one knee, clenched his right fist, and struck his left chest heavily, giving the highest military salute.
"She deserves the treatment of a warrior. No, the treatment of a hero! The Border Tribe request that she be provided with the highest level of protection!"
"It's not just about courtesy, Ashara. I want you to do everything in your power to heal her body and ease her pain."
"We need to tell her..." T'Chaka looked at the fallen figure, his voice as gentle as a loving father's, "She's home. There's no more torment here, only family."
The meeting is adjourned.
The elders left one by one, their hearts heavy. They were preparing to welcome this "returning traveler" with the finest supplies and the most honorable ceremony.