T'Challa was on Roosevelt Island—the very place where he and Batman had first met.
By the time Batman arrived in a hurry, T'Challa looked nothing like the privileged prince he once was.
Half of T'Challa's face was severely swollen, and his hair was matted with dirt and blades of grass. The clothes on his back were no longer his ornately embroidered diplomatic attire, but an oversized women's shirt he had scavenged from God knows where.
In the chilly October weather of New York, this flimsy piece of clothing was all T'Challa had on. It did little to ward off the biting wind; it was wrinkled, filthy, torn, and gave off a foul odor.
Judging by a piece of chewing gum stuck to the hem, the shirt had likely been pulled straight out of a trash can.
When Batman found T'Challa, the prince of Wakanda was curled up beneath a tree, shivering violently.
"Come with me," Batman said, standing before T'Challa and extending a hand to him.
T'Challa looked up at Batman. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately remained silent, taking Batman's hand and pulling himself up from the ground.
Instead of taking T'Challa back to Bat Island, Batman brought him to an inconspicuous apartment.
Changing clothes, bathing, eating.
These mundane routines, which had previously been experienced with Dane Whitman, repeated themselves with T'Challa. It wasn't until an hour later that Batman and T'Challa sat across from each other at the dining table in the apartment.
"Tell me what happened, T'Challa," Batman said in a low voice.
"Here...?" T'Challa looked around, seemingly worried that their conversation might be overheard.
"Don't worry. This is an apartment building I secretly bought in New York—the entire building, in fact. You don't have to worry about anyone leaking what you say," Batman replied.
T'Challa nodded. He had changed into a set of black clothes and was holding an ice pack against the swelling on his face.
"Half a month ago, a group of international mercenaries found Wakanda. They seemed to have conducted targeted research on Vibranium, even developing a sonic weapon that they used to brutally murder my father, T'Chaka."
T'Chaka, the King of Wakanda, had been killed?
Batman remained stoic. He knew that while this news was undoubtedly devastating, it couldn't be the sole reason T'Challa had been reduced to such a state.
"They allied with my uncle, M'Baku, to overthrow the Wakandan government. They are frantically mining Vibranium, intending to build a super-army."
"M'Baku used to be a friend of my father, T'Chaka. But it wasn't until this happened that I learned he didn't worship the Panther God, but rather the White Gorilla God, who opposes the Panther God. With the help of those international mercenaries, he even killed a white gorilla and obtained the power of the White Gorilla God."
"They imprisoned me for seven days before I managed to escape."
Batman gave a slight nod and slid a glass of water across the table to T'Challa.
"I saw Man-Ape... which is what M'Baku calls himself now after obtaining the White Gorilla God's power. I saw how he ran with those international mercenaries, how he ruthlessly exploited and whipped the people of Wakanda, and how he turned that isolated, peaceful nation into a sea of blood."
T'Challa drank the water in one gulp. When he set the glass down, Batman could clearly see two tracks of tears streaming down T'Challa's face.
When speaking of his own ordeal, T'Challa had glossed over it lightly. But the moment he mentioned how the people of Wakanda were being oppressed, even he could not contain his rising emotions.
"I've thought it over and over, Batman. You're the only one who can help me."
"What do you need me to do?" Batman asked impassively.
"I need a suit, some weapons, and enough food," T'Challa said. "I didn't eat a single grain of rice during those seven days of imprisonment. I must restore my physical condition, and then I will return to Wakanda."
"You want to take on all of Wakanda by yourself?" Batman asked. "You can't do it."
"I must," T'Challa wiped his tears away harshly, his hand trembling slightly as he gripped the glass. "If I don't go save Wakanda, am I supposed to just let those innocent people live under oppression forever?"
T'Challa looked at Batman, a trace of pleading in his eyes.
"Help me, Batman. Just give me a suit and some weapons. If I survive this operation..."
T'Challa couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He knew perfectly well that returning to Wakanda now was a suicide mission.
Currently, Wakanda was effectively ruled jointly by Man-Ape M'Baku and the international mercenaries. They possessed both Vibranium and sonic weapons, backed by Wakanda's native defense forces and Man-Ape M'Baku's formidable strength.
The former king, T'Chaka, had died too suddenly. Though T'Challa was the prince of Wakanda, he hadn't been able to formally ascend the throne as the new king in time, and consequently, he was not yet qualified to ingest the Heart-Shaped Herb to gain its powers.
Being a mere mortal of flesh and blood, the best-case scenario for him would be to risk his life fighting Man-Ape M'Baku, using his dying breaths to order his people to rise up in rebellion as their new king.
"You need to be alive to be of any use, T'Challa," Batman said, looking at him. "Do you know the identity of those international mercenaries?"
"Do you remember when we last met, and I told you about the stolen Vibranium?" T'Challa looked at Batman.
"I remember. You said the leak of Vibranium was due to a lapse by the Wakandan guards. The reason you didn't recover it immediately was to use it as bait to track down the thief," Batman nodded.
"I just didn't expect that you would buy it..." T'Challa gave a bitter smile. "The man who stole the Vibranium belongs to the same crew as these international mercenaries. Their leader is called..."
Before T'Challa could finish his sentence, Batman spoke the name first:
"Ulysses Klaue."
"Yes, that's him." T'Challa didn't know how Batman knew the name, but it didn't stop him from continuing. "He originally came to Wakanda under the guise of a geologist for an academic exchange. Ever since then, he has coveted our Vibranium mounds."
"His return to Wakanda this time means he is undoubtedly fully prepared," Batman nodded. "Your chances of success are even lower."
"I have no other choice," T'Challa said.
Batman looked at T'Challa, remaining silent.
T'Challa couldn't help but furrow his brows, racking his brain to think if there was any other way.
But after pondering for a long time, he still came up empty. It wasn't until he looked up and met Batman's gaze that realization dawned on T'Challa.
Batman wasn't just going to provide him with gear and support—he intended to go to Wakanda personally to help save his nation!
T'Challa abruptly stood up, his lips trembling as he tried to say something.
Yet, nothing came out. Instead, he balled his hands into fists, crossed them over his chest, struck his chest firmly, and bowed deeply to Batman.
"There's no need for that." Batman steadied T'Challa by the shoulders. "If our positions were reversed, and I were the one who suffered a string of catastrophes instead of you, I believe you would have made the exact same decision."
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