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"So where are we going again?" Ross asked. They were currently all walking up the snowy mountains with blankets latched onto their shivering bodies. Makena was the only one without one as she didn't want to take anything from her father's house.

"We're taking the Heart-Shaped Herb to Jabariland," Nakia responded. Makena trailed slightly behind Shuri as she had looked around keeping on guard at all times.

"Heart-Shaped Herb? What is that?" Makena rolled her eyes at his stupid question.

"It gives whoever takes it heightened abilities," Shuri spoke. Makena glanced at her and looked back away in thought. They hadn't even acknowledged their midnight conversation and Makena didn't really plan to.

"It's what made T'Challa so strong." Nakia's voice saddened at the mention of her ex lover.

"Nakia," the queen spoke up, causing Nakia to turn around and walk over to her. Shuri backed up a bit so they could talk and stood next to Makena. She had been looking around at their surroundings, her shivering hand on her gun at all times.

"I don't like this. The Herb belongs to us. We may be creating a bigger monster with M'Baku. Nakia, you should take it for yourself." Ramonda said.

"I am a spy with no army. I wouldn't stand a chance." Nakia said.

Makena pursed her lips and let out a shivering breath. She tugged her coat closer to her and Shuri glanced at her. "Here, take my extra one," Shuri mumbled. She pulled off her extra blanket and pulled it over Makena. "Thanks," Makena mumbled and Shuri smiled softy.

"We'll go."

They began to start walking again, Makena still in the back until Nakia paused, making them do the same. They turned to see the Jabari men all grunting like dogs and surrounding them. Makena went to grab her gun but Shuri grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Makena grimaced at the men, showing her distaste which they were obviously unfazed by.

They were all led to a big room with a man sitting on some kind of throne. He definitely was the leader from what Makena thought. And he must've been M'Baku, the man Kenni spoke so highly of for some reason.

The Queen was first to step up. "My son...was murdered in ritual combat."

"Were the odds fair?"

"Yes but-" Nakia went to say but he interrupted. "So it was less than a murder than a defeat."

"Do not rub our noses in it!" Shuri defended.

"Silence!" He quieted her and Makena glared at the man who was looking at her in suspicion. "I make the pronouncements here, girl."

"Look, uh. Your highness, the new king is a U.S.-" Ross went to speak but M'Baku grunted. "The new king-" the cut his off once more with all their grunts. "You cannot talk! One more word, and I will feed you to my children." Ross gulped, intimidated and Makena held her chuckle of amusement.

"I'm kidding. We are vegetarians." M'Baku giggled like a child and Makena raised her brows, who knew he could have a sense of humor.

"Can I speak now? Will you guys let me speak?" Makena spoke up, looking at Nakia who had told her not to talk to the man. Nakia sighed and nodded.

"Alright, look here Gorilla man, I don't give a damn about you, or your kids. But a outsider sits on Wakanda's throne and you're the only one who can rightfully challenge him and win with your army." Makena said. M'Baku frowned in offense at her attitude. "And who are you? Little girl."

"Imma just pretend you ain't just call me a little girl. My name is Makena. My dad was Kenni, apparently you two were quite good friends," Makena answered. M'Baku shook his head in amusement, "Ah I knew you'd find your way home some day. You act just like your father, disrespectful, a bit childish and a bad attitude but a big softy on the inside." M'Baku mused and Makena scoffed.

"Call me a softy again and I will rip out your tongue." She threatened with a glare.

M'Baku chuckled, "Yes you're definitely Kenni's daughter. Now, what do you want from me?" Makena glanced at Nakia who nodded and she stepped forward. "This is why I'm here," Makena mumbled before pulling out the Herb from her pocket and showing it to M'Baku.

"To offer this to you. An outsider sits on the throne and only you can help me- I mean us stop him." Makena spoke. Nakia kneeled down and Makena glanced back at her. Yeah there was no way Makena was kneeling to a man. M'Baku stood up, still unsure how to feel and Makena noticed Ramonda kneel, followed by Shuri and lastly Ross. "I don't kneel for anyone," Makena said as M'Baku looked at her with a raised brow.

"Come with me." M'Baku ordered and Ross moved out of the way so M'Baku could make his way out. Everyone followed and Makena walked side by side with M'Baku.

"So, you spoke to Kenni?" M'Baku asked, glancing down at the shorter girl.

"Yep, he told me a lot about you." Makena smirked and M'Baku scoffed. "Oh yeah? Did he tell you how close we were?" M'Baku asked.

Makena nodded, "Yeah, like best friends I guess."

M'Baku chuckled. "Way more than just friends, Kena." He mused. Makena furrowed her brows and her eyes widened in realization and she grimaced. "Oh god, I did not need to know that."

M'Baku chuckled at her reaction and nudged her. "So, what's going on between you and the princess?" Makena furrowed her brows at him and he raised his brows, "Don't play dumb with me. You think I can't see the way she looks at you and how protective you are of her? It's quite obvious."

Makena turned slightly red and he chuckled. "Don't worry. Secrets safe with me, Kena."

"I'm guessing my dad used that nickname for me?" Makena questioned. M'Baku nodded, "He talked about you and Zach all the time. He never referred to you as Makena. It's always been Kena." Makena hummed at the information and he smiled softy. He already felt as if he had a piece of Kenni with him now. And he was gonna do everything he could to protect her.

They entered some sort of outdoor room and in a pile of snow laid the frozen body of T'Challa. Ramonda gasped in shock, "Impossible!" Nakia exclaimed. Makena stood by M'Baku as Ramonda, Shuri and Nakia kneeled down to T'Challa. "Is he breathing?" Nakia asked.

"He's in a coma. Barely clinging to life. One of our fishermen found him at the edge of the river border. He brought him to me." M'Baku explained.

"Why do you have him in the snow?" Shuri questioned.

"It is the only thing keeping him from joining the ancestors.

"We need to get him to my lab. I can heal him there." Shuri said.

"Take him. He'll be dead in seconds," M'Baku stated.

Ramonda looked to Makena with pleading eyes, "The Herb, please."

Makena glanced at M'Baku who gave her nod and she pulled out the Herb. Makena leaned down and handed it to Shuri who passed it to her mother. Makena backed up and watched at Ramonda had crushed it into a purple liquid. "I call upon the ancestors. I call upon Bast. I am here with my son, T'Challa. Heal him."

M'Baku slowly turned away out of respect and Ross looked at him, wondering if he should do it to and decided to also awkwardly turn away. Ramonda poured the liquid into T'Challa's mouth and set the bowl back down. "We must bury him! Cover him. Cover him!" Ramonda rushed. Nakia and Shuri hurriedly rushed to bury the man with snow.

"Praise the ancestors." They all repeated in Xhosa.

"Wake up, T'Challa," Nakia whispered.

After a few long seconds, T'Challa gasped awake and Nakia immediately clung onto him. Makena sent a teasing smirk to M'Baku who was trying to blink away his watering eyes.

"Do you have a blanket?" T'Challa chuckled and Makena pulled hers off and tossed it to him. T'Challa looked at her with curious eyes as he caught it, "I knew you had some good in you." He smiled.

Makena shook her head and Shuri chuckled knowing she was gonna heavily disagree. "Mhm, don't mention it."

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"Killmonger has the full support of your military. And he burned the garden of the Heart-Shaped Herb." Makena informed T'Challa. They were back in the room where they had met M'Baku and were catching T'Challa up on everything going on.

"Of course he did. That's what he was trained to do. His unit used to work with the CIA to destabilize foreign countries. They would always strike at transitions of power like an election year, or the death of a monarch. You get control of government, the military.."

"Our resources," T'Challa finished for Ross who nodded. "Right."

"The great mound."

"Our vibranium, all of my designs." Shuri said.

"He will send our weapons all over the world." T'Challa stood up and pointed to Shuri and Ramonda, "You must get them out of Wakanda safely." He said to Nakia.

"What?"

"What about you?"

"The challenge will have to continue."

"T'Challa, we will not leave Wakanda." Ramonda said, standing up to face her son.

"It is my duty to keep you safe," T'Challa responded.

"If he gets control of our technology, nowhere will be safe." Shuri held up T'Challa's necklace that contained his full Black Panther suit in. T'Challa chuckled softly and Shuri walked over to him and put it over his head, setting it around his neck. Shuri tugged his blanket back over him and smiled gently. "The Black Panther lives. And when he fights for the fate of Wakanda I will be right there beside him."

"As will I," Nakia stated.

"I'm in, too." Ross added. They looked at him, "What? You're gonna need all the help you can get."

They then looked at Makena expectantly and she blinked. "What? If I wasn't helping you then I wouldn't be here," Makena dumbfounded and they chuckled softly at her.

Then their was suddenly a loud yawn that came from M'Baku. Makena turned to look at him and rolled her eyes at his childish act. "Are you done? Are you done?" M'Baku stammered.

"Could you give me and Lord M'Baku a moment?" T'Challa requested. "You too, Makena," T'Challa said and Makena groaned dramatically. Shuri rolled her eyes and grabbed Makena's hand and pulled her up from where she sat on the stairs. Makena frowned as she tirelessly let Shuri drag her away.

"Thank you."

"I owed you a great debt. A life for a life. Consider it paid." M'Baku said.

"Please allow my mother to stay here," T'Challa requested.

"No harm will come to her. I give you my word," M'Baku patted his heart.

"You know, I could use an army as well."

"I bet you could," M'Baku laughed. "But no. I will give no Jabari lives towards your cause."

"It is our cause. It is for all of us."

"Oh, us? Us? You are the first king to come here in centuries and now you speak of 'us'?" M'Baku stood up and stepped down the two steps.

"I cannot speak for past kings. But an enemy sits on the throne right now. We both know the power of vibranium. If Killmonger gains control of it who do you think he will come for next?"

"We will not help you," M'Baku said, sitting back down on his throne.

"Fine. But if you will not do it for Wakanda, do it for Kenni, and his daughter who he loved dearly and trusted you to protect her. Makena wasn't the only one to see Kenni," T'Challa stated. M'Baku frowned at that, now he was even more conflicted.

"Just think about it."

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a.n: yes I made mbaku fruity who cares 😘

already loving the little relationship between makena and mbaku ugh

mbaku ships

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