Marvel: The Enlightened One-Chapter 97: [] - Either You Hand It Over, or I’m Coming to Get It Myself (Bonus)

Chapter 97: [97] - Either You Hand It Over, or I’m Coming to Get It Myself (Bonus)

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On the vast African savanna, a convertible jeep sped across the plains.

Inside, Hawk held the steering wheel with one hand and a phone with the other, glancing occasionally at the cheetah keeping pace with the vehicle in the rearview mirror. On the other end of the line was Gwen, who was still touring the campus at Berkeley.

Today was Gwen’s fifteenth day in California.

It was also Hawk’s first day in Africa.

Don’t ask why it took him so long.

Fifteen days ago, he had arrived at the airport in Paris, ready for his connecting flight to Africa. He was just about to board when he got the news: rebels had taken control of the airport.

It was a sad story.

What was even sadder was that it happened three more times.

Since Hawk had chosen airports that were close to Wakanda, his rebooked flights were, naturally, to other nearby countries. But as if inspired by the first group, the anti-government rebels in three other small African nations had eagerly joined the party.

The four small countries bordering Wakanda were instantly plunged into chaos.

The African server’s matchmaking system was working its magic.

But—

In the end, Hawk had made it to Africa. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

There were a few bumps in the road, but the final result was what mattered.

As for the process?

Just a few minor inconveniences.

"GRRAAAAHH!!!"

The cheetah chasing the jeep let out a roar and, with a powerful leap, landed in the back of the vehicle.

"..." Hawk, who had just finished his call with Gwen, turned and casually slapped the cheetah across the head, sending it flying out of the jeep.

The cheetah let out a pathetic yelp.

Hawk glanced in the rearview mirror. The stunned cheetah was shaking its head, looking dazed but otherwise unharmed. He smiled faintly, then hit the gas, speeding toward his destination:

Wakanda.

...

To call Wakanda a country was a bit of a misnomer. It was more of a tribal nation, composed of several different tribes.

At least, that’s how the outside world saw it.

The current king of Wakanda was T’Chaka, the chieftain of the Golden Tribe. The Golden Tribe was the core of Wakanda, and almost every king in its history had come from their ranks.

This was all public information, easily found online.

But very few people in the world paid any attention to such a small country. Aside from the occasional news report when King T’Chaka went to the UN to plead for foreign aid, in the eyes of the world, Wakanda was no different from any other invisible African nation.

And so, Wakanda played its part, periodically begging for aid at the UN General Assembly while secretly hoarding vast quantities of Vibranium, developing in the shadows.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were playing the long game—building their strength in secret before revealing their true power to the world.

Until today...

SCREECH!

Hawk slammed on the brakes. The jeep’s tires skidded across the savanna, coming to a halt in front of a small settlement of about thirty tents.

This was the Merchant Tribe, the public face of Wakanda, a front designed to maintain the illusion of a primitive, third-world nation. In reality, they were responsible for the nation’s trade, economy, and foreign affairs.

Hawk got out of the jeep. He immediately saw it in the distance—a massive, primeval forest.

But—

When Hawk opened his senses, that’s not what he saw.

He saw a massive golden dome, like an inverted bowl, covering the entire forest, an area larger than three of the neighboring African countries combined.

Just as he’d thought.

Wakanda was hidden within.

...

Hawk pulled his focus back to the men emerging from the settlement.

They were thin, with the clear signs of malnutrition, and they carried crude wooden spears.

Their appearance, their clothes, their weapons—it all screamed primitive. The only one who looked slightly better off was the elder leading them, whose clothes were a little more intact.

The elder, holding a colorful staff that likely symbolized his status, led his wary, spear-wielding tribesmen to Hawk.

After composing himself, the elder smiled and spoke in fluent English. "Outsider, welcome to Wakanda. Are you here to trade with us?"

As members of the Merchant Tribe, their primary role was to manage the flow of goods between the various Wakandan tribes. They also served as Wakanda’s first line of defense, pretending to be poor, starving villagers to interact with the outside world, trading cattle and sheep with the few outsiders who ventured this far.

He assumed Hawk was just another trader.

And he was right. Hawk was here to make a deal.

He smiled back at the elder. "I am."

"A merchant from Shanin was here yesterday and bought over a hundred of our cattle. We only have about fifty left. How many do you need?"

"One ton."

Hawk’s smile didn’t waver as he stated the quantity he required.

The elder’s expression froze.

Seeing his confusion, Hawk smiled again and added, "Of Vibranium. One ton."

"..."

The elder’s vacant expression snapped into focus. His heart pounded in his chest, but he just looked at Hawk with a blank, confused look. "Vibranium? What is that?"

It was a convincing performance. A simple tribesman from the African savanna would have no reason to know what Vibranium was.

His men mirrored his confusion.

Hawk had no time for this. He pulled out his phone, checked the time, and then looked at the elder. "It’s four PM. I’ll give you one night. By seven AM tomorrow, either you bring me the Vibranium, or I’m coming in to get it myself. What happens then will be on you."

With that, he turned his back on them, got back in his jeep, reclined the driver’s seat, and lay back, closing his eyes to conserve his energy for the battle to come.

Outside the jeep, the elder’s hand tightened on his staff.

The other Wakandans looked through the window at Hawk, who seemed to be asleep, and then at each other.

One of them lowered his voice, but before he could speak, the elder shot him a sharp look that silenced him instantly.

A few moments later, the elder led his men back into one of the tents.

A few of the other villagers, as if seeing an outsider for the first time, stood at a distance, looking at the jeep with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

You had to admit. They were good actors.

It had fooled the entire world, even convincing the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that Wakanda was a failing state, securing substantial relief aid each year.

But, they weren’t dealing with the UN.

They were dealing with Hawk.

And he saw right through them.

...

Night fell.

A bonfire was lit in the center of the settlement. The Wakandans gathered around it, singing and laughing as if celebrating some local festival.

But even as they celebrated, they kept glancing out of the corners of their eyes at the silent jeep parked just outside their settlement.

As they talked, a few of them seemed to forget to switch back to their native language and continued to whisper in English.

"Is he still in the car?"

"Yes."

"Speak Wakandan."

"It’s fine. He’s too far away to hear us."

"He’s still lying down?"

"Yes. He hasn’t moved since he got back in the car this afternoon."

"What about the elder?"

"He’s gone home."

"Good. We’ll wait for orders. Keep watching him."

"Alright."

Their whispered conversation ended, and the men seamlessly blended back into the impromptu, all-night bonfire party.

In the jeep, Hawk, who had heard every word, just smiled. He dismissed them from his mind and sank his consciousness into his Cosmo.

...

The next morning, Hawk pushed open the jeep’s door, got out, and stretched. He pulled out his phone, checked the time, then found an open space and began his daily ten-thousand-punch routine.

From inside one of the nearby tents, two Wakandans watched him through a small slit in the fabric.

A little while later, footsteps approached.

It was Lunn, the elder from yesterday.

Having returned home under the cover of darkness to report the situation, he was now back, this time with a dozen more Wakandans.

Just as Lunn was about to lead his men out to drive Hawk away—another jeep appeared in the distance.

Is that his backup??

The elder thought, and he motioned for his men to wait.

Hawk also saw the jeep approaching.

And he saw who was driving.

Bruce Banner.

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