The Black Panther and Storm in Help Us

Previously in The Black Panther and Storm:

For over ten thousand years warrior kings called Black Panthers ruled and protected the isolated and unconquerable African nation Wakanda. In their isolation Wakanda became the most scientifically advanced nation on Earth. T’Challa was the latest Black Panther, and he believed that his great nation was obligated to use its resources to help the less fortunate; defenseless peoples of the world against tyranny, corruption and megalomaniac super humans.

Black Panther later married Ororo ‘Storm’ Munroe the non-Wakandan mutant heroine. However, in Wakanda the royal couple’s noble endeavors were considered private affairs, which conflicted with their official duties.

Two years ago, Wakanda was fatally attacked by the royal couple’s super human enemy- the mind controlling Darkheart. In the wake of the attack that devastated the nation, the royal couple resigned on the principle of accountability, they dissolved the monarchy and they gave governance to a democratic government.

Two years later, Nginda a secret society member transformed himself into the Hatura- a secret hulking living weapon that was created to stop the Savage Hulk. Storm fought the Hatura and his female accomplice Slay, but they escaped, and a conspiracy removed all evidence of the battle at the Wakanda military facility where the Hatura formula was kept; therefore Storm only had her word, which only the Black Panther believed.

Nginda entered the general election race for President of Wakanda without the fear of being arrested, because Storm had no evidence against him and Nginda wanted Wakanda, to return to the self imposed isolationism, which T’Challa had slowly eroded.

T’Challa and Ororo joined the election race so that Wakanda may help the world and they won it. T’Challa and Ororo then offered Wakanda’s assistance to the world.

However, the nations of Earth were fearful of Wakanda’s omega weapon and the United Nations placed an international isolation policy on Wakanda that would be removed if the country ended the omega weapon program.

Then a terrorist named Kiber declared war on Wakanda and he tried to kill T’Challa and Ororo.

Nevertheless, The Black Panther and Storm continue to help those in need.

 

 

Story: Help Us

 

Earth had moderate contact with aliens for a number of years. Then the alien tycoon Sombre brought his business empire Reged to Earth; he had cheap imaginative consumables and exotic vanity goods, which consumers took full advantage of.

Reged’s twenty five space ships were like mega malls and soon a Reged product was in most households.

The trading blocs and the major world corporations did not like the competition from Reged and they fought back with the slogan, ”Buy Earth Based Products.” Additionally, the Earth businesses lobbied their governments ( they cited reduced profits and job cuts) for an overall trade ban that was placed on Reged and a rhetoric of unsafe alien goods was introduced.

However, Sombre had not become an intergalactic multidimensional tycoon by accident, even though, he had been the only child of gypsy space travelers. Sombre possessed a distinct business acumen, which he used against the obstacles that prevented him from the lucrative Earth market.

Sombre hired a brilliant human business man to be the face of Reged on Earth and Sombre handed the point man a stake in Reged’s Earth division. Secondly, the point man negotiated successful joint ventures with major world corporations, which spawned new corporate brand names in consumables; as a result Reged did not compete  against the other major corporations for market share and position.

Then Reged built an assembly plant on the island republic Tainos that was in the Indian Ocean; parts were brought in from other planets and they were assembled at the plant; therefore, Sombre out maneuvered the Buy Earth Based Products policy adopted by the trading blocs.

But the major countries still wanted to protect their large businesses that were not apart of the joint ventures from Reged; thus, the countries pressured the United Nations for the implementation of a business license for aliens who wanted to operate on Earth.

The business license placed restrictions on types of products that could be traded and markets that could be entered. Moreover, the business license had to be reviewed on a yearly basis and once it was lost an applicant had to wait four years before the registration would be considered.

Joel Abierman the United Nations Secretary General saw through the veneer of the countries that pressed for the business license-they professed free trade but under their terms. Yet the Secretary General was forced by a General Assembly vote to create the business license, which was monitored by a United Nations board.

Reged applied for the business license and won it. But disaster struck Reged seven months before the first review of its license.

Sombre wanted to sell an alien food product to Earth. The product was supposed to be sold under the name of a new enterprise. The product was a vegetable that was called AK-1 and it was grown only on the planet Papan. Cadaver, the point man, who was ambitious and amoral, had bribed the governor of New Cartagena to hasten the entry of product samples into the state for market testing. New Cartagena was a state in Volcanyo a South American nation.

The product samples were transported to New Cartagena in refrigerated containers from Papan and the product samples were distributed for free in the state. Then Cadaver had discovered that several of the refrigerated containers were set at the wrong temperature and the product samples had spoiled.

Later on Cadaver learned that three thousand people had suddenly died in New Cartagena. Cadaver had ran the names of those who had taken the spoilt product samples against the names in a New Cartagena newspaper article about the mysterious deaths. The names matched and it was highly likely that the damaged product samples were the cause of the deaths.

 Also Cadaver learned that the three thousand victims had died within twenty four hours after they became ill.

Cadaver returned to Tainos; he brushed up his knowledge on corporate crime and he had a meeting with Sombre about the situation.

”Product liability,” said Cadaver. Cadaver was born into money, had developed a business mindset and he had taken control of his father’s firm. His interests were judo, women, fast cars, wealth and power. The power and wealth were provided by Reged; therefore, Cadaver wanted to protect the company. ”The scandal will ruin our image, diminish customer trust and hamper the renewal of the business license,” said Cadaver.

”But it was an accident,” said Sombre who was sickened by the thought of losing the business license since he wished to locate all of Reged’s operations on Earth and he had a grand plan of a joint venture for the exportation of Earth products to the rest of the universe.

Sombre acted more like a human than an alien when he was not at ease. Wrinkles appeared on his, normally, smooth brown and orange hairless face. He fisted his four fingered hands. The rest of the heavy body made from solid muscle was taunt in the company president chair.

”Negligence is a crime on Earth,” said Cadaver.

”You handled the shipping. It was your responsibility. Couldn’t I blame you?” asked Sombre.

”No. Actually it will be you who will receive the blame under vicarious liability or employer liability,” replied Cadaver. ”You’re accountable for my actions as an employer.”

Sombre admired and loathed Cadaver’s preparedness, moreover, Sombre hated that he was so inept with regard to Earth’s corporate crime laws. ”It was a different company that distributed the AK-1,” said Sombre, ”Reged doesn’t have to be brought into this scandal.”

”Actually under enterprise liability, all firms that are associated in some way are culpable,” said Cadaver.

Sombre glared at the man he had hired and saw a manipulative beast. ”What do you suggest that we do?” asked Sombre uneasily.

”No one knows that it was AK-1 that caused the deaths except us and we should keep it that way. For all New Cartagena knows, it could have been a new strand of dengue that killed those people,” responded Cadaver.

Sombre had scruples but he badly wanted to keep the business license and he realized that Cadaver knew the weakness. Sombre hated feeling weak. Great god help us for we are weak Sombre remembered his mother used to say.

”I wash my hands of this. Donate something to the state or the country,” said Sombre. ”You have permission to do whatever it takes to keep this a secret.”

Cadaver smiled inside at the success that he had adverted a danger. But Cadaver was not totally honest with Sombre. Sombre had previously asked if all the spoiled products were either consumed or destroyed; Cadaver had replied,”yes”. However, Cadaver had lied. Cadaver had two containers of the damaged product samples that he intended to sell.

Several months prior a private interest group approached Cadaver with the hope of Reged providing them with alien weapons. Cadaver had none and he never expected to obtain alien weapons. However the potency of the damaged product samples was as deadly as any biological weapon. That was Cadaver’s sale pitch to the private interest group. Although Cadaver had left out the details of how he got the potential weapon.

Cadaver’s asking price was twenty million dollars. The private interest group wanted to test the merchandise first. Therefore, Cadaver and the private interest group arranged for the pick up of a few of the items.

 

Chapter

 

Kiber walked along the rocky beach of the small uninhabited island searching for an ideal spot in which to bury a bomb that would be a component in the trap to kill T’Challa and Ororo the joint Presidents of Wakanda. Kiber was followed by two small floating platforms- one which the bomb rested on and the other carried five shovels. Kiber found a spot and he brought forth five soldiers through his thoughts. Flesh and clothing appeared out of thin air.

Kiber and the soldiers had shaven heads, strong jaws, broad shoulders, firmly built bodies and immortal blood in their veins. The soldiers began to work immediately.

Kiber surveyed the beach and then his gaze went to the spotless horizon where the sky seemed to meet the Greenland Sea. Then his attention returned to the hole that was dug.

However, on the horizon was T’Challa who had traveled into the past and he had filmed Kiber. T’Challa was in a specially made invisible craft that floated like a buoy. T’Challa lay on his stomach in a thermal suit and he spied on the beach through a high powered camera. T’Challa had not gone into the past to prevent Kiber’s trap since it would had created an alternate timeline rather T’Challa wanted the terrorist’s identity.

T’Challa told the two time and space computers on his sword to transport him into the future timeline that he came from. The time and space computers allowed space-time travel, teleportation and they stabilized the dark force energy that was the sword’s blade.

The time space computers obeyed and T’Challa was sent fifteen days into the future. T’Challa appeared in the Defense Division in Wakanda. T’Challa raised the hood and exited the craft. T’Challa was thirty five years old, six foot tall, black, the body of a construction worker, broad forehead and broad shoulders.

”We finally got the bastard,” said T’Challa as a swarm of engineers surrounded him and the craft. ”Contact Ororo, Modakai and W’Kabi,” said T’Challa.

Ten minutes later Ororo, Modakai and W’Kabi were in the operation room. Ororo was a beautiful thirty years old woman, ebony, long white hair, blue eyes and she was dignified in her mannerism as half of the Presidency of Wakanda.

Modakai was middle aged, had a short beard and had a thoroughness about him. Modakai was the head of the Intelligence Division.

W’Kabi was twenty eight years old, one hundred seventy pounds and brilliant in his duty as head of the Counter Terrorism Agency.

T’Challa played the recording of Kiber and his soldiers. ”He is a meta human. These pictures of his face are to be distributed to all the international law agencies,” said T’Challa. ”We will offer a ransom of fifty million dollars for information on his whereabouts and his name. This person should not feel safe even if he fled into a hole and buried himself.”

”I’ll run the pictures through the database and liaison with Counter Terrorism,” said Modakai.

”Counter Terrorism will develop a new profile on the target since the Immortal Army is not a conventional terrorist organisation.” said W’Kabi.

The meeting was concluded; Modakai and W’Kabi departed. Afterwards, T’Challa and Ororo informed Wakanda on the discovery of the terrorist who bombed the embassies.

Then Ororo briefed T’Challa on the new division that she established to give technical support for whenever T’Challa and Ororo were on missions to help other people or nations. It had been fifteen days since T’Challa and Ororo had offered their nation’s assistance to the world yet no one had called the Red Phone in Presidential Office after the number had been made available to all the nations. The main reason T’Challa believed was the threat by the terrorist to strike any one or nation that associated with Wakanda.

The special division consisted of Zuni-she was thirty three years old and was a smart biochemist. Khanta-he was forty seven years old and was a researcher. Ngassi-he was forty two years old and he was a logistic officer. The team members were chosen based on qualifications and experience from a pool of candidates from the various defence agencies. The same agencies that T’Challa and Ororo believed had clandestine groups that either worked for or with Nginda’s opposition party. Consequently, Ororo was unsure if the team contained spies for Nginda.

”I don’t trust them totally either,” said T’Challa as he sat on a table in the division’s operation room. T’Challa and Ororo were alone.

”How long will we allow this farce to continue?” asked Ororo as she wrapped her arms around T’Challa’s shoulders.

T’Challa understood that Ororo wanted to clear her reputation because the real liars to the nation were Nginda and his friend Slay whom had falsified the stories of their origins.

”I have a plan to end it soon,” replied T’Challa while he brought Ororo’s warm body closer to him.

”I have a plan also,” said Ororo mischievously. ”If there are spies wouldn’t they try to sabotage us?”

”Possibly.”

Ororo pressed her body into T’Challa’s. ”Lord help us,” said Ororo softly.

T’Challa slid his arms around Ororo’s waist and his lips found hers. He kissed her. ”Let’s forget about spies for a moment,” said T’Challa soothingly.

Ororo kissed back T’Challa long and passionately. Still kissing T’Challa and Ororo teleported to their home and they made love.

 

Chapter

 

The next day the video display Red Phone finally rang. The caller was President Juan Junta of Volcanyo. Junta was a medical doctor before he became a politician, and he had personally investigated the mysterious deaths of the three thousand people in the state of New Cartagena. As Junta had explained to T’Challa and Ororo blood samples from the victims were sent to various labs around the world and the tests were inconclusive. Junta had heard that Wakanda had advance medical capabilities and he believed that the country could help in the investigation. Junta felt it was safe to contact Wakanda since the Immortal Army leader was presumably on the run after the pictures were circulated around the world and the reward set.

”I will be grateful if you would help us in analyzing these blood samples,” said Junta. He had thick eyebrows, a burn mark from a child hood accident was on the left side of the face and fat cheeks.

”We are on our way,” said T’Challa.

However, Ororo glanced at the work on her desk and on T’Challa’s desk. We have to take them along thought Ororo.

”Thank you,” said Junta and he ended the call.

T’Challa and Ororo notified their division and information on Volcanyo was sent to both President’s kimoyos- palm held supercomputers and the computers on the ultra jet plane. Volcanyo was a small nation divided into five states. The country had experienced several years of political violence, which had resulted in three states operating autonomously from the government. The rebel states possessed oil and natural gas, which made their governors rich. The two other states were relatively poor. New Cartagena was one on of the poor states.

Juan Junta was fifty one years old and he was recently elected to the Presidency with the mission of bringing the country back together politically.

The trip from Wakanda to Volcanyo took an hour in the ultra jet plane. During that time, T’Challa and Ororo reviewed Wakanda’s housing needs and they allotted a day to visit the children of a district in the farming communities.

The plane arrived in Volcanyo and it was directed by air traffic control to the Presidential grounds. Junta awaited on the helipad outside of the President House. T’Challa transferred the plane from jet mode to hover mode then he landed the plane. Junta informed T’Challa and Ororo that they had to travel to New Cartagena.

”Then direct us,” Ororo said and gestured for Junta to enter the plane. Junta informed his staff and then he entered the fairly roomy plane. Junta strapped himself in one of the three passenger chairs and in the process creased his business suit. Junta noticed that T’Challa was in the trademark black body armour suit and a sword was nearby. Meanwhile, Ororo was in a black and gold suit with wind flaps.

In five minutes the plane entered New Cartagena. Afterwards Junta directed T’Challa and Ororo to the general hospital that contained the blood samples. Ororo’s eyes caught the construction work on the hospital grounds.

”Adding a new wing?” inquired Ororo.

”Yes. The hospital received a donation recently,” replied Junta.

Once T’Challa, Ororo and Junta were on the hospital grounds they met Trez Cortez the governor of New Cartagena. Trez Cortez was jealous of the other rich states. The jealousy cut deep into the Cortez’s character. He wanted the fancy cars and affluence but he had no means of making the ambitions a reality since his state’s economy was based on a failing fisheries industry.

Cortez guided his state guests into the medical lab. T’Challa and Ororo took several blood samples for tests in Wakanda afterwards they left Volcanyo.

Meanwhile, Cortez received a call from Cadaver who was under pressure from Sombre to donate again in a New Cartagena institution. Cortez who habitually strayed off topic brought up the subject of the Presidents of Wakanda investigating the mystery deaths and Cadaver saw potential trouble.

Cadaver contacted Sombre for an urgent meeting. At the time, Sombre was on a special tour of the Tainos Island. The Prime Minister of Tainos was also on the tour. The Prime Minister was grateful to Sombre because Reged had arrived after a typhoon had devastated the country and the economy. Sombre’s assembly plant employed most of the islanders and the service industry was centered on Reged. Additionally, Reged built a force field system around the island that protected it from seasonal typhoons. Sombre politely ended his part of the tour and he returned to the Reged building.

Sombre met Cadaver in Reged’s President office. Sombre was familiar with T’Challa and Ororo through the news. Sombre also viewed the Wakanda leaders as threats.

”What do you propose?” asked Sombre.

”The governor of New Cartagena craves wealth. Let us give it to him. We should offer to open a plant in the state as early as tomorrow in return for Cortez to make the state autonomous and to end the investigation by T’Challa and Ororo,” replied Cadaver.

Sombre thought the plan over and then he gave his consent. The plant that Cadaver had mentioned was a pre constructed mobile assembly plant. The plant could fly and it could employ thousands. Moreover, Reged employees were the best paid in the world.

Cadaver flew in a company jet to New Cartagena and he offered the deal to Cortez. Cortez happily agreed. Cadaver convinced Cortez that T’Challa and Ororo would be spies for Junta if they were allowed back into New Cartagena. Also Cortez stated that the international terrorist group may strike New Cartagena if the state continued to associate with Wakanda. Cortez saw the wisdom of Cadaver’s words. In four hours Cortez declared the autonomy of New Cartagena, the new plant that would provide jobs and the danger of T’Challa and Ororo being in the country; hence, they were banned from New Cartagena.

Additionally, several foreign bank accounts were opened for Cortez to receive the windfalls promised by Cadaver.

 

Chapter

 

Junta informed T’Challa and Ororo of the astonishing developments in New Cartagena. T’Challa and Ororo found it strange that they were banned by Cortez when he was so cordial to them hours before.

Thirty minutes later, Zuni informed T’Challa and Ororo that traces of a substance called AK-1 was found in all the blood samples and the AK-1 was grown on the planet Papan.

Ororo told Khanta to find out all he could on Cortez.

T’Challa and Ororo traveled to the planet Papan in a hyper drive spaceship. Papan was the same size as Earth. There was one landmass, which was an island. The rest of the planet was ocean. A beacon guided the spaceship to a docking area. T’Challa and Ororo observed thousands of giant green houses and ubiquitous automatic laser cannons as they flew to the docking area.

The spaceship landed in the docks and a green hunched alien greeted T’Challa and Ororo.

”Welcome to Osi Goods, I am Roa. How may we help you?” asked Roa.

” I am T’Challa and this is my wife Ororo. We will like to speak with the manager,” said T’Challa.

Roa saw that as a problem since Gu the manager was in an angry mood that day because the processor systems had shut down. Yet Roa guided the potential customers to the process station.

”Why all the cannons?” asked Ororo.

”We had problems with land grabbers some years ago since Osi Goods owns all the land here but they have gone now,” replied Roa.

A chorus of loud and rough expletives came from the process station. Roa entered the station and he left T’Challa and Ororo outside. The station went silent. Then came out a six foot two tall creature that walked on two limbs, had tentacles for arms, a squid’s head and eyes.

”I am Gu the manager and owner, how may I assist you?” inquired Gu in a courteous gentle voice when a few moments before the voice was harsh and unfriendly. T’Challa and Ororo laugh inwardly.

”We are here to discuss the AK-1. Traces of it were found in the blood of three thousand humans who had died mysteriously,” replied T’Challa.

”Humans. That’s Earth right?” asked Gu and he scratched the back of his head.

”Yes,” responded Ororo.

”Gu, your product ended up on a planet light years from here. We want to know how?” asked T’Challa.

”I can’t give out information on my customers to anyone,” said Gu.

”If your product is directly involved in the deaths of those people then that implicates you in mass murder,” said Ororo.

”Help us to clear your name,” said T’Challa.

Gu was concerned. He did not wanted his name sullied by a murder accusation.

”I sold one shipment to Earth. The shipment was for Reged,” said Gu.

Funny, Reged is an anagram for the word greed thought Ororo.

”Go on,” said T’Challa.

”I sold it to a human name Cadaver. I sent the goods in special containers. I told Cadaver to keep the goods at a precise temperature else the goods would go bad,” said Gu.

”Thanks for your assistance,” said Ororo.

T’Challa and Ororo returned to Earth with Reged as the next stop in their investigation.

 

Cadaver received a message from the private interest group and they agreed to the twenty million dollar price for all of the damaged product samples. Arrangements were made for payment and a pick up.

Three hours later Cadaver was called back to Sombre’s office. Sombre was in his chair and he stared reflectively outside the office window. Sombre was not his real name but a nickname given to him by the humans since they could not pronounce his name and they chose the distinctive mood that Sombre fell into on occasions. But the mood was really the manner in which Sombre made profound decisions. It was also the mood that his natural ability to rapidly accelerate the age of organisms and objects became powerful. ”I was thinking since we are covering all the tracks that we should do something about Osi Goods,” said Sombre and he let the sentence hang in the air.

Cadaver understood that Sombre wanted lethal action against Osi Goods and the land grabber enemies of Osi Goods would be blamed. ”I will use the karnajs,” said Cadaver.

A karnaj was a tamed lizard like creature the size of a dump truck. It was carnivorous by nature. Moreover, a karnaj was able to fly, create interdimensional wormholes, fired an energy blast from its mouth, its skin was resistant to harm from energy blasts except for dark force and a karnaj became invisible at will.

The karnajs were Sombre’s pets and he had given two to Cadaver. Cadaver kept his karnajs in the basement of his mansion, which was on the other side of the Tanios Island.

Cadaver had only to tell the karnajs that he wanted to travel to Papan and the creatures naturally knew where it was located. Cadaver climbed on the back of a karnaj. Cadaver wore a base jumping suit and a mask. A wormhole opened and the killers entered.

Meanwhile, Sombre guessed that T’Challa and Ororo might become aware that Reged bought goods from Osi and most likely they would come to speak with him. As a result, Sombre called the island’s Prime Minister and asked that Wakanda’s leaders not be permitted entry into the island since they were disturbing him. The Prime Minister guaranteed that Wakanda’s leaders would be stopped.

 

Chapter

 

T’Challa and Ororo were informed about Cortez’s sudden foreign bank accounts. T’Challa asked for information on Reged; he was told that the company operated on the island Tanios and it was the source of all economic activity. T’Challa and Ororo read up on Sombre and Cadaver. One point that T’Challa and Ororo learned was that in business Sombre and Cadaver did nothing without discussing it with each other first.

T’Challa and Ororo decided that it was time to visit Reged. However, the Foreign Affairs Division stated that Tainos had banned T’Challa and Ororo.

”Then we will go to the United Nations with the information,” said T’Challa.

But the United Nations had been mandated by the Secretary General that only if Wakanda wanted to end the Hider machine program would there be cooperation.

Ororo contacted Junta and asked him about Reged. Junta stated that the company had no previous operations in the country that he was aware of.

Ororo studied that a lot of effort was made to prevent the investigation and most likely the perpetrators were covering their tracks. Ororo reached a horrible conclusion and she contacted T’Challa.

”Osi Goods is a loose end, they will go after Gu,” said Ororo.

Since the time space computers had gone to Papan they had stored the coordinates in their memory. T’Challa ordered his sword to teleport Ororo and himself to Papan.

 

Chapter

 

T’Challa and Ororo arrived too late. Thunder cracked, lightening stuck the remnants of the destroyed greenhouses. Dark clouds hovered over the ruined Osi Goods.

T’Challa rushed to the process station and he found the dead bodies of Gu and Roa. Ororo felt a fresh tear in time and space other than one T’Challa and her came through; the tear was the cause of the stormy weather. Ororo located the closing wormhole. Ororo flew to the wormhole; she drew all the planetary energy to her and she directed it into the wormhole.

Ororo was like the conductor of an orchestra as she commanded quarks, anti matter and bison with the gestures of her hands. The wormhole was forced to widen.

T’Challa understood Ororo’s actions and that the murderers had made their escape through the wormhole. He teleported to Ororo and he held her around the waist. Then T’Challa and Ororo teleported through the wormhole.

They emerged in a large presumably empty room and immediately T’Challa’s panther like senses alarmed. Ororo also felt two large movements in the air currents but they were not visible; therefore, Ororo switched her view of the environment from normal to atomical. Ororo saw the electrical  nervous systems of two enormous creatures, which were coming towards T’Challa and her. In a heart beat, Ororo dropped the temperature in the room; subsequently, the karnajs’ bodies were wrapped in ice and they became partially visible.

T’Challa pressed a button on the sword handle and the nano robots that sheathed the dark force blade retreated into the hilt and T’Challa rushed into the karnajs. T’Challa leapt and stabbed the first karnaj in the head.

The second karnaj fired a energy blast from its mouth at Ororo. She responded by firing back a fierce blast of plasma energy from her hands. The two energy blasts collided.

T’Challa withdrew the sword and he flipped from the dead karnaj to the neck of the second karnaj; he slashed the karnaj’s neck before he landed on the floor. Energy flowed out the wound and the karnaj fell sideways.

The room became quiet. Then T’Challa heard it. Footsteps. Running. Coming down the stairs. T’Challa pressed his back to the wall near the archway. The person paused when they saw Ororo. T’Challa moved off the wall; he caught the person by the arm and he pulled. The person fell forward.

T’Challa recognized the person’s face; it was Cadaver. Cadaver expertly kicked the sword out of T’Challa’s hand. Unshaken T’Challa tightened the grip on Cadaver’s arm. T’Challa pulled up the arm and he punched the elbow hard. There was a crack as the arm was knocked from its socket and it became dislocated. Cadaver gasped yet he used his free hand to hold T’Challa’s shoulder for support. Cadaver banged his forehead hard into T’Challa’s face. It had no effect.

T’Challa crashed his left heel into Cadaver’s right knee joint and broke it. Therefore, the pressure of Cadaver’s body weight shifted to the left leg for support and he was unbalanced.

T’Challa released the dislocated arm and he seized Cadaver’s other arm. T’Challa stepped to the left of Cadaver. T’Challa kicked Cadaver’s left leg and Cadaver fell onto his back. T’Challa dropped his left heel onto Cadaver’s throat and T’Challa pressed down until Cadaver lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Ororo had gone up the stairs. She still used the atomical vision to search for hidden traps. At the top of the stairs was a door that was ajar. Ororo cautiously pushed it open. Then she returned to the normal view of the environment. The first thing she noticed was a window that had a view of the blue Indian Ocean. Secondly she saw the large pool. Ororo looked about some more and it was clear to her that they were in a mansion.

T’Challa exited the door with the unconscious Cadaver on his shoulders. T’Challa dropped Cadaver on a chair. T’Challa observed Cadaver’s wealth.

”So Reged is definitely behind the deaths,” said Ororo. ”Cadaver’s personal computer should be linked to the company therefore we can gather more information.”

T’Challa found the computer and he attached his kimoyo. The kimoyo hacked through Reged’s passwords. T’Challa accessed the recent projects folder and New Cartagena was a sub folder. T’Challa opened it and the folder was empty.

”I have an idea,” said Ororo. ”Let Sombre believe that Cadaver has double crossed him. Have Sombre come here so we can force a confession from him.”

T’Challa looked at the unconscious Cadaver. It was an uncertainty if torture would force Cadaver to confess.

”We will do a voice impersonation of Cadaver and let Sombre do the rest,” said T’Challa.

Ororo used her kimoyo and she contacted Ngassi; she asked for a voice manipulator. T’Challa teleported to Wakanda and he returned with the voice manipulator. The device was a small computer shaped like a box with two mini wireless microphones. T’Challa found video records of Cadaver on the computer and T’Challa played Cadaver’s voice for the manipulator to develop the speech patterns.

Ororo bounded and gagged Cadaver. T’Challa placed Cadaver in a chair that had a high back. Ororo discovered on the computer that there was an audio system wired throughout the mansion. Therefore, Ororo joined the voice manipulator with the audio system through the computer. T’Challa tested the voice manipulator, Cadaver’s voice and speech pattern was heard throughout the mansion. Ororo positioned her kimoyo on a wall so it would record the intended discourse. A live signal was also sent to Ngassi in Wakanda. Finally T’Challa using Cadaver’s voice contacted Sombre on the phone and called him over.

 

Chapter

 

T’Challa and Ororo waited for eight minutes. T’Challa had the microphone attached to his mouth; Ororo and him monitored the mansion’s security cameras from the computer. A limousine pulled up and parked in the front of the house. Sombre alighted from the limousine and he walked to the front door. It was opened. Sombre entered and closed the door behind him.

”Cadaver” shouted Sombre.

” I can hear you fine without the shouting. Osi Goods has been destroyed,” said T’Challa.

Sombre was shocked that he heard Cadaver’s voice over the audio system. ”Good. So what is it that you want to speak about?” asked Sombre. ”Speak with me directly.”

”Sure I am in the west wing,” said T’Challa. ”What happened while I was gone?”

Sombre slowly went to the west wing. He felt that something was amiss but he could not say what it was. ”The Wakandans tried to come to the office but I got the Prime Minister to stop them,” replied Sombre.

”I want out,” said T’Challa.

Immediately, Sombre stopped proceeding to the west wing. ”What! This was your scheme even though I went along with it!” said Sombre.

”The three thousand deaths that we caused in New Cartagena and Osi Goods. It is too much for me. I thought I could handle it but,” said T’Challa.

”We caused! It was you who screwed up the temperatures. What happened to your speech about the deaths reducing the chances of renewing the business license?” shouted Sombre.

”I change my mind,” said T’Challa.

Sombre fumed. He rushed towards the west wing. Sombre fell into deep thought as he contemplated murder. There was a chair in the west wing but the occupant could not be seen because of the chair’s high back. Sombre moved as quickly as his body permitted. The power in Sombre to accelerate the aging of objects surged to his hands. ”Bastard,” said Sombre and he aimed both hands at the chair. Suddenly the chair and Cadaver rapidly aged.

Ororo gently tapped T’Challa’s shoulder. T’Challa took up his sword and he leapt over the balcony that was above the west wing.

T’Challa’s sudden appearance startled Sombre. Sombre realized that he was caught; in desperation he directed his powers at T’Challa. T’Challa avoided the powers by teleporting to the front of the chair. Ororo shot a low voltage lightening bolt into the distracted Sombre. Sombre fell unconscious.

T’Challa barely recognized an elderly Cadaver who looked over ninety years old. T’Challa removed the gag and the binds.

 

Chapter

 

Copies of Sombre’s confession were anonymously sent to several major news agencies and the United Nations alien business license board. An embarrassed Cortez was accused by his constituents of being apart of the cover up of the murders and he was forced out of office. Junta found out from New Cartagena’s government records that a foreign company had been allowed to test its products on the populace without proper protocols.

Cadaver could not travel to Volcanyo to face charges because of an age related illness. Nevertheless, a video court with equipment and satellites provided by Wakanda allowed for the trial to proceed.

A special United Nations tribunal found Sombre guilty; he was sentenced and was given a daily dose of nanites to suppress his powers.

 

Meanwhile, a courier delivered the last of the items that Cadaver had sold to the private interest group. The courier was one of Kiber’s soldiers. Kiber considered the hunt for him a minor handicap since his 100,000 soldiers were capable of doing his bidding while he remained in a secret laboratory with his biochemists who were creating a lethal virus specifically for Wakanda.

 

Next Story: Population Control

~ by blackpantherfanstories on October 13, 2008.