Chapter 39: Panther's Quest Part 2
Once the Black Panther disabled his signal jammers, the Avengers called back Thor and Hulk.
The other Avengers were quite amused to see Hulk and Rath interact for the first time.
The moment Hulk stepped into the mansion, Rath turned and locked eyes on him.
Hulk raised a brow, silently sizing up the alien with orange-and-white stripes, claws flexing.
Rath jabbed both claws at his chest. "LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN', GREEN GUY! THE NAME'S RATH! AND I HEARD YOU'RE STRONG."
Hulk's expression didn't change. "Hulk is strongest there is."
Thor, leaning nearby with Mjolnir resting against his shoulder, tapped his fingers against the handle. "Others may disagree."
Rath planted his feet. "YEAH! RATH'S GONNA TAKE THAT TITLE FROM YOU CUZ WHEN RATH STEPS INTO THE RING, RATH'S THE ONLY ONE WALKING OUT."
Hulk tilted his head slightly. "LOUD..."
"LOUD? RATH ISN'T LOUD!" Rath stomped a three-toed foot, the floor vibrating slightly. "RATH IS DECLARING HIS PRESENCE WITH AUTHORITY!"
This time, Hulk loomed over the glaring Rath, irritation growing. "Still loud. Still annoying."
Tony's voice rang out. "Do not break the training floor again! I just had it patched!"
"NO PROMISES, TIN MAN!" Rath barked back. "RATH BREAKS FLOORS JUST BY EXISTING!" He then proceeded to stomp one foot and crater the concrete.
"Try break Hulk." He narrowed his eyes as he too broke the floor.
Rath's claws twitched in anticipation. "OH, YOU WANNA THROW HANDS, BIG GUY? 'CAUSE RATH'S GOT CLAWS THAT DON'T KNOW HOW TO QUIT!"
Hulk cracked his knuckles. "Not throw. Smash!"
Before the two could square up any further, Wasp zipped in between them, hovering just above eye level. "Okay, okay, that's enough posturing for one day," she said, planting a hand on Rath's shoulder. "Rath, buddy, how about we let Ben come back before it turns ugly?"
"For him," muttered Hulk.
Rath grumbled but didn't resist as Wasp nudged him back. "FINE. BUT RATH'S NOT DONE BEING RIGHT."
"Yeah, yeah," Wasp muttered. "You can be right somewhere else."
Rath's body shrunk down until Ben stood in his place, brushing dust off his jacket and looking just a little sheepish.
Ben glanced up at Hulk. "Uh… hey. Sorry about Rath. He's kind of a lot."
Hulk stared at him for a moment, then let out a short, low chuckle. "Was funny. Hulk liked that."
"You're not the only one..."
Hulk gave a slow nod. "Next time… we brawl."
Ben laughed. "You're on."
#
"What do you need our help for?" Wasp asks. "You kind of mopped the floor with the four of us." She recalls most the team getting their butts handed to them
"Yeah, well, for the record, I was holding back," Tony remarks briskly. "But Jan's right. We are kind of busy dealing with an army of escaped supervillains."
"My country has been overthrown by just such a villain," T'Challa explains. "A brutal fiend called M'Baku, the Man-Ape. I need your help to get past the Wakandan people, so I can restore the throne."
"Get past the Wakandan people?" Cap repeats, confused. "If your people are following this Man-Ape of their own free will, that's the end of the story. That's what the people want."
T'Challa met his gaze. "Would you say the same if Hydra took over Washington?"
Steve didn't answer.
Ben raised both hands in a calming gesture, his tone even.
"Listen. As heroes, we should try to stay out of politics as best we can. I once tried to stop an alien civil war. It did not go great."
Wasp tilted her head. "What happened there?"
Ben exhaled through his nose, already bracing for judgment. "The people were a red vs blue conflict."
Hank blinked. "They had political parties like Earth?"
"No," Ben said, shaking his head. "The people literally had red or blue uniforms, skin, and aesthetic. Like, everything. It was like someone cranked the saturation dial and picked a side."
Wasp squinted. "How'd it end?"
Ben hesitated. "Um… both sides united together…""That sounds like there's a 'but' after that," Hank said flatly.
Ben winced. "Both sides united together, but they united against me."
"What?!" Wasp said, incredulous. "Why?!"
Ben scratched the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. "I… may have accidentally destroyed a cultural statue of their former leader."
Thor nodded slowly. "That will do it."
Steve rubbed his forehead. "Getting back on topic, what you're asking for is essentially help in a government coup."
"You do not understand. The people are the problem." T'Challa turned and walked toward the glass wall of the meeting hall. "Wakanda is not a democratic nation. They follow the old ways. Man-Ape won the throne in combat. They feel they must follow him, no matter if it destroys everything. And the Man-Ape will destroy everything…"
Jan scratched at the back of her head. "I don't get it. I'm sure he's bad news and all, but how can one guy destroy everything?"
Ant-Man typed something into the meeting table controls, and a holographic image of a purple crystalline mineral appeared. "Vibranium. I've studied it firsthand. It's nothing to mess around with."
"And legend has it, Wakanda's sitting on a mountain of it," Tony added.
"The Vibranium Mound," T'Challa confirmed. "It is our treasure and our responsibility. For centuries, we have defended it against any who would seek to exploit it."
Ben stepped closer, Azmuth's miniature form projected beside him. The two studied the mineral.
"Judging from the fight we just had and the name, I'm guessing it can absorb and release vibrations like sound and kinetic energy," Ben said.
"That's correct."
Azmuth nodded. "Efficient, too. The internal structure is dense but reactive. Almost self-adaptive."
"Reminds me of Varsidium," Ben muttered, then looked up. "So… what else does it do exactly? Is it just a super strong metal?"
"You can ask Captain America," T'Challa said. "After all, just by facing it in action, I could tell that it contains Vibranium as well. How America acquired it during the war, I do not know."
Ben glanced at Steve. "Huh. I was wondering how you do the bouncing frisbee thing."
Steve gave a half-smile and tapped the shield at his side. "It's all in the wrist. This baby's gotten me through more battles than I can count. I was told it was some rare metal stronger than steel and a third the weight."
"Refined Vibranium is virtually indestructible," T'Challa said.
"I argue that my Mjolnir is the same," Thor added.
"How so?" Wasp asked.
"I was told my hammer was forged by King Eitri and the dwarves of Nidavellir," Thor replied, lifting Mjolnir slightly, "in the heart of a dying star."
Wasp eyed the hammer. "Damn."
Ant-Man raised a brow. "Bold claim."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Sure, Thor."
"What else can Vibranium do to be worth taking over a nation?" asked Ben.
"It can act as a power source and a more efficient conductor than gold," answered Tchalla."
'So a mix of Varsidium, Infinitum, and Kormite.' "Damn. It sounds like the one and only metal a civilization could need."
"Exactly, and that kind of resource should belong to everyone," Hank said. "Vibranium has the potential to change the world."
"I agree," T'Challa replied. "But not necessarily for the better."
The playboy billionaire has a guilty look on his face. "Uh, yeah. Stark Industries investigated the possibility of using vibranium to make weapons."
Hank's expression tightened. "Seriously?"
"It was a long time ago," Tony said quickly. "My people tried to deal with King T'Chaka. Where's he now?"
T'Challa looked down, hesitating.
"If this Man-Ape is going to put lives in danger, we have to do something," Cap stated.
"Lives are in danger, Avenger. He already killed my father for the throne… Killed in ritual combat…"
That changed the room.
Hulk's expression hardened. Bruce may not remember, but their father was… not a kind man.
Ben turned to Tony. "You might want to get a lawyer. If we go through with this, we need to make as few international waves as possible. The last thing we need is the world calling us terrorists."
T'Challa met his gaze. "If you help me, it will be done in secret."
Ben blinked. "When you say it like that, it sounds even more shady."
Thor stepped forward, resting Mjolnir lightly at his side.
"You say Man-Ape killed your father… in combat?" He waited for a nod, then continued. "Then I offer my condolences, Prince T'Challa. That grief, that fury… Someday, I may face it myself. For an Asgardian, to die in ritual combat is a death honored in song. Still, the loss of a father stirs the storm in the blood."
T'Challa turned to him, tone quiet. "Then, if you understand the rage of a son... will you help?"
Thor looked around at the others, then back at him. "If word reaches the other realms that I, Thor, son of Odin, prince of Asgard, directly interfere in the rule of another sovereign nation… the realms around Asgard will be up in arms. I represent my people and my father. When I was younger, I defied Odin's will. I marched into Jotunheim and shattered a fragile peace with my pride." He paused. "I won't repeat that mistake."
"I shall not ask you to fight my battles for me, only to give me the opportunity."
Thor crossed his arms. "If what you say is true… then this Man-Ape gained power through your customs. If you reclaim the throne by any other means, you risk becoming the usurper." He studied him. "If you want to rule, defeat him the same way he defeated your father."
T'Challa didn't flinch. "Then help me reach them. I face Man-Ape alone. Nothing more."
Thor nodded once. "I will help you reach them."
T'Challa gave a short nod in return.
Hank raised both hands. "Hold on. You want us to fight your people?"
"Not entirely. My people will resist, yes, but they're not the real threat. I want you to handle the outsiders."
From his sash, T'Challa produced a sleek flash drive and inserted it into the console.
"Computer, satellite view of Wakanda."
Tony leaned forward, skeptical. "Wakanda can't be seen on satellite. Trust me, I've tried."
But the table lit up with a real-time map of Africa. The view narrowed and zoomed in, and suddenly, Wakanda was visible. "Zoom in," T'Challa ordered.
Tony's brow furrowed. "Okay, how exactly do you know my systems inside and out?"
"I studied them," T'Challa said. "Inside and out."
The map focused on a mountainous region shaped like a massive anthill, where green-clad soldiers moved through tunnels and loaded up shipments of bright violet ore.
Cap scowled. "HYDRA." Yup. Now Steve was definitely on board.
Tony glared as well. "I also have a bone to pick with them."
The image zoomed again, locking onto two central figures. One had withered green skin stretched across his face, his cybernetic armor fitted with a mounted scythe. A dark blue cloak covered part of his head.
"That's Grim Reaper," Tony said. "Von Strucker's old lapdog." He squinted at the second figure. "But who's Abe Lincoln with the cannon arm?"
"I've met him," Hank said. "Ulysses Klaw. He built a converter that turns vibranium into sonic weapons."
In the back, Hulk grunted without moving.
"Hate politics. Don't need more."
T'Challa turned slightly toward him. "If I become King of Wakanda, you'll have sanctuary. A land title of your own, if you wish it. A quiet place if you ever want to be left alone for a while."
Hulk's eyes narrowed. "Tempting…"
Wasp clapped her hands once and looked around. "So, who's up for invading Wakanda?"
#
The Quinjet roared through the tunnel exit, bursting from the dark confines of the underground system and out into open ocean, its engines flaring as it launched into the sky.
Inside, the Avengers, sans Thor and Ben, steadied themselves as the jet cut through the wind, gaining altitude fast.
Above and behind them, Thor was following behind Ben, transformed into Jetray, as they flew alongside the Quinjet as they left New York and soared above the clouds.
In the Quinjet, the main monitor lit up, projecting a satellite map of Wakanda in pale blues and greens. Terrain markers flickered
"So we need to go through Torment Forest, past Piranha Cove, but we have to avoid the Chasm of What was it? Icy Clouds?"
"Chilling Mists," T'Challa corrected from his seat, arms folded.
"Right. Definitely sounded like a place we shouldn't fly over."
Over the comms, Jetray's voice crackled in. "What kind of defences should we expect from Wakanda anyway. I'd expect that with all that Vibranium, they wouldn't skimp out on anti-air."
T'Challa leaned forward, glancing at the map. "Unfortunately, I wasn't the one who oversaw the development of our defense grid. While I trained for the throne, my sister and the royal generals managed those duties. I was told only one thing: nothing enters Wakanda from the outside without getting scorched."
Hulk crossed his arms. He already hated the conversation on military defenses. He was pretty sure more than half the US arsenal was already used to try to kill and or detain him.
"Right," Jetray said dryly over the radio. "So I'll just keep an eye out for, you know… possible vibranium missiles. Or energy blasts. Or death rays."
#
Cap sat near the window of the Quinjet, watching the stars stretch wide across the sky. The engines hummed beneath their feet, but his attention was fixed outside.
"You okay, Cap?" Hank asked from across the aisle.
Steve didn't turn. "In my day, if something went this high, we didn't call it an airplane."
Hank leaned slightly forward. "What did you call it?"
Steve cracked a faint smile. "Science fiction."
"Oh my god," Wasp said, already perking up. "That reminds me. We really need to catch you up on sci-fi from the past few decades. You are so far behind."
Steve reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a notepad and pen, flipping to a half-filled page. "I've still got the list you guys gave me last time. Haven't gotten through all of it yet. Honestly, I wouldn't say science fiction was my favorite genre growing up. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure for me and Bucky. What we really got into before the war was this fantasy book."
Hank tilted his head. "Really? Who was it by? Maybe we know it."
"I think it was Tolkien," Steve said.
Hank froze, then whipped his head around. "As in J. R. R. Tolkien?"
Steve nodded. "Yeah. That's the name. I remember hearing he had plans to write more, but then the war happened. I always wondered if he finished it. We really wanted to see where the story went."
T'Challa gave a nod from his seat. "He has. And I highly recommend it."
Hank looked like someone had handed him an unopened gift on Christmas morning. "You have no idea. If you're gonna do this right, we'll need about twelve uninterrupted hours—no villains, no calls, nothing. You have to do it properly for the full experience."
Janet leaned back in her seat with a skeptical look. "I've done the marathon. Once. That was enough. I already told you, once a year max. You're still on cooldown for two more months."
"But, Janet," Hank protested, gesturing toward Steve like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He's never watched it before."
Over the radio, Jetray's voice came through, curious. "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it either."
Tony, without looking up from the console, spoke dryly. "Hard pass from me. Not my buzz."
Hulk chimed in from his corner. "It's alright."
Hank ignored both of them. "Now we have to do it. Non-negotiable."
#
The Quinjet cut through the clouds as it crossed into African airspace, descending fast. But something was off.
Outside, Thor soared forward with Mjolnir, and beside him, Jetray veered southwest, matching the original flight plan. The Quinjet, however, wasn't following.
Inside the cockpit, the rest of the Avengers watched the map shift southeast.
Over the comms, Jetray's voice chimed in. "Uh, guys? Where are you? Did I mishear the directions again?"
"This is not the path I laid out," T'Challa said, voice flat, eyes narrowing as he leaned over Tony's shoulder. "You should avoid this area. The jungle here is too well protected."
Tony barely glanced back, fingers dancing over the controls. "Don't worry. The Quinjet has the best cloaking tech there is: Mine." Iron Man replied smugly.
That confidence evaporated a second later as the canopy display lit up red. High-tech turrets emerged from the jungle canopy below, whirring to life. They opened fire.
Energy blasts raked across the sky, slamming into the Quinjet's shielding with bone-rattling force. The ship jolted violently.
"Wakandan defense tech is better," T'Challa muttered.
Inside the cabin, Wasp yelped as the Quinjet rocked again, sparks flying from the ceiling. "Oh!"
"Guys?!" Jetray's voice came through again, louder now.
A concentrated burst struck the turbines. The rear engines sputtered, then cut out completely.
"We're going down!" Wasp yelled as she scrambled to brace herself.
Hulk let out a low groan, stood up from his seat, stomped to the door, and ripped it off its hinges. Without hesitation, he leapt out into the open air.
The Quinjet spiraled into the jungle. Branches cracked. Birds scattered. The sound of metal tearing through treetops echoed for miles.
The remains of the Quinjet ended up tangled in thick vines, hanging high between trunks. Its frame groaned, but it held.
One by one, the team dropped or climbed free. Dirt, leaves, and smoke clung to everything.
Three heavy thuds landed nearby before Hulk jumped into the clearing. He stared directly at Tony. "Bad driver."
Tony brushed jungle debris off his suit and gestured back at the dangling wreck.
"It wasn't my fault. It was…" He pointed sharply at T'Challa. "You owe me a jet."
Wasp stumbled out from a bush, still pulling vines from her hair. She tapped her communicator. "We're alive, Ben. Just a little roughed up."
"Do you want me and Thor to double back for you guys?" Jetray asked over comms.
Hank coughed as he dusted himself off. "I think we're good. We'll update you on the plan. Keep heading toward the city and the mound."
"Copy."
Meanwhile, Tony and T'Challa were still mid-argument.
"You chose not to listen to me, Stark," T'Challa said, calm but firm. "It was a mistake."
Tony jabbed a finger at him. "You and I need to have a little talk, kitty."
Wasp flew between them, her tone light but her intent clear. "Hey, would you look at the time! Shouldn't we be somewhere? Like, I don't know, fighting HYDRA?"
Tony took a breath, then turned toward the group. "Right. Here's the plan: we take down HYDRA, protect the Vibranium Mound, then we deal with Man-Ape."
"That's not really a plan," Hank muttered. "That's a list of objectives."
"Ten percent of plan," Hulk added with a grunt.
Cap crossed his arms. "If we'd followed the original route, we could've mapped out our positions. Worked up a distraction. Something."
"Anyways…" Tony pushed past it. "Getting in should be a piece of cake."
"Do not underestimate the Wakandan army," T'Challa warned. "Which is heading this way."
Tony turned, but T'Challa was already moving.
"I wish you well," the prince said. "But I will regroup with Thor and face Man-Ape myself."
Then he vanished into the trees with a swift leap, disappearing into the canopy above.
"And he left," Wasp said flatly, now perched on Hank's shoulder.
Tony threw up both hands. "You have got to be kidding me! What… I… Okay, fine. Cap, go after him."
Steve didn't hesitate. "Understood."
Tony blinked. "Wow. He didn't argue or anything. Everyone, take notes."
"He's a soldier," Hank said. "He follows orders. Even bad ones. We still have to infiltrate the main city."
Wasp tapped her comm again. "Ben. T'Challa and Steve should be headed your way. If Thor's going with the prince, you and Cap can wait for us to handle HYDRA at the mound."
Tony stepped forward, scanning the treeline. "Considering I've dealt with HYDRA before, us against Wakanda shouldn't be a problem."
A spear sliced through the air and nearly skewered him. "Okay," he said, crouched behind a tree. "Maybe a little problem."
Another spear aimed squarely at Hulk. He caught it midair with one hand, unimpressed. Then he looked down. Two more vibranium-tipped spears had lodged themselves in each of his thighs. Hulk's eyes narrowed. They stung like bee stings. His anger was growing, and he was starting to regret coming here.
City Outskirts
Thor and Jetray touched down at the edge of a cliffside, where the highland air turned cool and thin. From their vantage point just beyond the mountains encircling Wakanda's capital
The city stretched out below them. Towers of metal and stone curved upward, some sleek and glassy, others carved with designs that looked centuries old. A wide river split the city in two, flowing with a steady rhythm, feeding the land around it. The streets didn't follow a grid. They twisted and turned, rising and falling with the terrain, winding through parks, hills, and public spaces that left much of the city shaded in green. Even from here, the skyline shimmered with the glow of energy shielding, transit lines, and clustered tech that hinted at something well beyond what most of the world called modern.
Jetray took it all in, eyes wide. "So this is what those utopia memes look like in real life."
Thor nodded slowly, Mjolnir resting at his side. "Reminds me a bit of Asgard." He paused, his eyes tracing the golden spire at the city's center. "My father has told many a tale of gods who still walk among Midgard's people. This is one of them."
Jetray figured that other alleged deities like Thor existed on Earth. He glanced over. "What god is supposed to be here?"
"Bast," Thor said, voice quieter now. "A child of Ra. Goddess of the Spirit World, a realm said to border both Celestial Heliopolis and Orun.
"Bast and Ra?" Ben thought about one of the Egyptian documentaries from the History Channel, ignoring the Ancient Aliens, which, in a few parts, actually turned out to be true. "Wasn't it Baset or something?"
"Gods have taken many names over time. My father's stories say she chooses one among her people and bestows a blessing upon them. A champion: The Black Panther."
"You're telling me T'Challa was blessed by a god?" Jetray asked, half-skeptical.
Thor shook his head. "No. I do not sense any traces of divine power from him."
Jetray folded his arms. "I guess that makes sense. His father was the previous Panther, right? Probably the last one chosen. And when he died… maybe T'Challa never made a pact. Or didn't pass the trial. Something like that."
"That is what I believe," Thor said. "And I fear that without that blessing, he may not be strong enough to defeat the one who felled his father, who did have the blessing."
"I'm not too familiar with different warrior cultures, but do you think that the King removed his blessing before he was challenged?" asked Jetray.
"It may differ from Pantheon to Pantheon, but for Asgard, we avoid limiting ourselves in combat."
"If that's the case, this Man-Ape must have used something to get on par with a god's blessing."
"Aye. Who knows what powers he resorted to?"
Jetray let out a quiet hum. "That's why you came. To help build up a new Black Panther."
"Somewhat," Thor replied. "My father always told me to make good relations with the other pantheons. My last encounter with Hercules went well. I believe this is another step forward."
"Hercules, huh?" That answered his thoughts on the Greek Pantheon. Jetray raised a brow. "Wasn't he called Heracles, though?"
"He prefers not to be called that anymore. Mother issues."
"Oh, I see. Makes sense. What was he like?"
Thor chuckled. "A fine warrior. And an excellent sparring partner. Our battles shook the very heavens."
"Well, T'Challa mentioned his sister. Maybe she would know about how to get Bast's Blessing."
Thor hummed. "I am sure the queen should know if her husband was the previous champion."
Inside the Vibranium Mound Mine
A pulse of focused sound tore through the chamber. Vibrating energy rippled outward, shattering a black panther statue into splinters of obsidian and dust.
Klaw lowered the cannon fused to his right arm, grinning.
"And that is only scratching the surface of the metal's potential. An army equipped with these could…"
"It'll do," Reaper cut in, arms crossed as he surveyed the damage. His voice was flat, unimpressed. "Baron Strucker and HYDRA, thank you for your openness, your highness."
M'Baku stood unmoved, hands resting on the hilt of his ceremonial axe.
"You think me a fool?" he asked, tone deep and sharp. "I know you outsiders value the Vibranium more than the gold you offer."
Reaper raised a brow. "I'm not one to judge."
Klaw huffed. "Explorers searched for it for centuries. El Dorado. The Golden City. They thought they could find it in South America, but it was in Africa the whole time. A technological marvel. All because it was built on a mound of the most valuable metal known to man."
"The Vibranium has corrupted Wakanda," M'Baku said. "It has weakened us. I will restore my land to its natural state, without the Panther tribe's machines and foreign ideas. If HYDRA will pay my price, they are welcome to it."
"They'll pay more for the Vibranium," Klaw jumped in. "Let me handle…"
Reaper turned his head slowly. "Klaw. Watch yourself."
Klaw didn't stop. "If Strucker thinks he can cut me out, he's mistaken. Only I have the tech to unlock what Vibranium can really do. You follow my lead, or that metal will explode in your face."
Grim Reaper didn't blink. He stepped forward and raised the blade mounted to his arm, pressing it to Klaw's chin.
"Now that's not very friendly, is it?"
A Wakandan elder hurried into the chamber, bowing low. "Lord M'Baku. Wakandan defenses have shot down an unidentified aircraft. One of our army divisions has engaged outsiders within our borders."
M'Baku's teeth bared as he let out a roar that echoed through the mine.
"If HYDRA crosses me," he growled, "you won't live to regret it."
Reaper didn't move. His expression changed only slightly.
"No. This isn't HYDRA," he said. "This is something else."
Klaw grinned. "I shall prepare Hydra's latest project."
#
T'Challa moved like a shadow through the dense jungle, barely disturbing the foliage as he ran. He swung from vine to vine with practiced ease, landing lightly on thick branches and crawling along the canopy.
Behind him, Captain America followed as best he could, leaping across gaps and pushing through tangled underbrush.
"Your tenacity is admirable," T'Challa called back, not breaking stride. "But you are very out of place in the jungle, Captain."
"You came to us for help," Cap replied, navigating over a moss-covered log. "So here we are."
"I thank you for assisting in my quest," T'Challa said, landing in a crouch before springing up to the next branch, "but the final battle is my burden to bear alone."
Cap kept pace from below, his tone steady. "At this point, the Avengers are more of a distraction to get past your own people."
T'Challa didn't argue that. His hands curled into fists as he dropped to the forest floor and kept moving. "Man-Ape is mine. Thor will be there to ensure a fair battle."
"Well, we've got our orders," Cap shot back. "Besides, I owe you one. You saved my life, remember? Even if you don't ask for it, I'll be there in case things go sideways."
T'Challa came to a stop. His shoulders rose and fell with slow, restrained breath. "The sentiment is appreciated," he said, voice quieter now. He turned, not facing Steve fully but enough to be heard. "Man-Ape took my father, and I did nothing. I failed him."
His fists finally relaxed. "I know you can understand that, Captain. I cannot fail again."
With that, the two Avengers seemingly allow the African prince to continue on his way.