The First Kryptonian in Marvel

General (POV)

Kara tapped a gloved finger against her chin, her playful gesture masking the sharp calculation in her gaze. "Now, Your Majesty," she began, her tone teasing yet deliberate, "we have indeed something important to discuss."

The king's jaw tightened, but after a tense pause, he released a heavy sigh. "…Very well," he said, his voice edged with irritation. "You've unmasked a traitor within my family. Speak. What is it you want?"

Kara's smile widened, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Vibranium, Your Majesty. About 100 kilograms." The stolen batch—about 10 kilograms—was a decent start, considering Captain America's shield weighed around 5,4 kilograms, but for her project to succeed, she needed far more.

Okoye let out a sharp gasp, her hand instinctively darting towards her spear. The king, however, held up a hand, silencing his loyal Dora Milaje.

"Ah, I see," the king chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "The true purpose of your little charade." For a fleeting moment, a flicker of something akin to relief seemed to cross his features. "Very well, Okoye," he addressed his loyal Dora Milaje, his voice regaining its regal composure. "Take a contingent of the Dora Milaje to the Royal Vault. Prepare 100 kilograms of vibranium for our guest. It will be ready tomorrow."

Kara blinked, surprise flickering across her face. Such swift acceptance—this unexpected generosity—defied every expectation she had of the Wakandan king. "Your Majesty," she said, struggling to mask her astonishment, "are you certain? Vibranium is…" Her voice softened, genuinely impressed, "is a precious resource…"

The king's lips curved into a faint, enigmatic smile. "Indeed it is, Miss Vasilissa. Consider it a token of... appreciation for your timely intervention."

Okoye, however, remained unconvinced. Her dark eyes narrowed at Kara, suspicion simmering beneath the surface. With a growl of frustration, she gestured toward the unconscious form of Ulysses. "Then perhaps I should ensure this... gentleman doesn't regain consciousness anytime soon." The unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.

Before Kara could respond, the king intervened once more. "Enough, Okoye. Take them away. See to their... disposal." His voice left no room for argument.

Okoye bowed curtly, her gaze lingering on Kara for a tense moment before she turned and gave orders to a pair of nearby Dora Milaje. They hoisted the unconscious duo—Ulysses and Klaue—and dragged them out of the throne room unceremoniously.

As Okoye exited, she cast one final, icy glare in Kara's direction before disappearing from view.

"What the hell is her problem? Karen much? Jeez," Kara muttered under her breath.

"Now, where were we?" The king steepled his fingers, his gaze returning to Kara.

"Your Majesty, is there anything else?" Kara asked, tilting her head slightly.

T'Chaka studied her for a long moment, his weathered face etched with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Finally, he spoke. "One last question: do you want vibranium for yourself or for someone else?"

Kara met his gaze unflinchingly. "I assure you, there is no one behind me, Your Majesty."

A flicker of something unreadable crossed the king's features. "I see..." He closed his eyes and waved a hand. "You may go with Shuri. I need to rest. Remember, there's a banquet tonight. Don't be late, Shuri."

Shuri nodded, linking her arm through Kara's, and exited the throne room. T'Challa, holding hands with Ororo, followed suit, their footsteps echoing through the palace. Kara sensed a silent sigh from the energetic girl by her side, while T'Challa and his sister wore expressions that hinted at unease.

"T'Challa, your father seems to be deteriorating—mentally and physically. When I last came, he wasn't like this. How did he age so rapidly in less than half a month? Is he ill?" Ororo voiced her concern, observing the drastic change in T'Chaka's appearance.

"Recently, my father's health, both physically and mentally, has indeed been visibly declining," T'Challa admitted openly, not treating Kara as an outsider.

"His Majesty's current condition... I may be able to help," Kara offered. "However, I must understand the cause behind his deteriorating health."

The siblings, their eyes dim moments before, now regained a spark of hope at Kara's words. Their expressions silently urged her to continue.

"I am not only knowledgeable in the fields of engineering, biology, and bioengineering but also magic," Kara explained. Though their eyes widened, her claim about knowing magic did not seem far-fetched in this part of the world, where belief in its existence persisted. The three nodded in acknowledgment. After exchanging a meaningful glance with T'Challa, Kara continued, "I can sense that the vitality in you is much greater than that of the average Wakandan, while in your father, it's barely above what would be expected for someone his age. Within you, it is vibrant and life-giving—entirely opposite to his."

In the long, deserted corridor, theirs was the only presence. No sounds of insects or birds disturbed the silence. Kara, aware of the siblings contemplating her words, chose to remain quiet, taking in the peaceful surroundings.

"In Wakanda, aside from the renowned rare metal vibranium, there is another equally precious element," T'Challa finally said, deciding to trust her.

"We call it the Heart-Shaped Herb. If vibranium provides Wakanda with technological advancements and the formidable Black Panther suit, the Heart-Shaped Herb grants me abilities far beyond those of an average person—strength, endurance, reflexes, speed, and more."

"A year ago, I passed the tribal trials and, with great joy, consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb during the blessing ceremony of the Panther deity. My father gifted me the Black Panther suit, and it was the happiest day of my life. I gained recognition from the united tribes, took on the responsibility to protect Wakanda, and allowed my father, who had toiled for most of his life, to finally rest."

In front of a workshop door built within a natural stone cave, T'Challa halted, gazing up at the sky, he hesitated, his expression darkening. "But the herb doesn't stop the passage of time. My father was the Black Panther for decades. While the herb granted him extraordinary abilities, it never stopped his body from aging. Injuries, stress, and the wear of years—those effects accumulated, hidden by the strength the herb gave him."

Kara frowned, understanding the implication. "The herb is still granting him vitality, but it's being drained—burned through by the weight of his years."

T'Challa nodded grimly. "Exactly. The herb enhances vitality, but it cannot undo the toll life has taken on him. My father always seemed invincible, but the truth is, he's carried those years in silence. Now that he's stepped down and I've taken up the mantle, his condition is accelerating."

"Have you considered having him consume the Heart-Shaped Herb again?" Kara asked, raising a practical suggestion.

T'Challa shook his head, his expression conflicted. Being more open-minded, he had suggested this idea, only to face strong opposition from his conservative parents and the tribe elders and priests. "It is forbidden. The herb is meant only for the Black Panther, the protector of Wakanda. Once the mantle is passed, the herb cannot be taken again—it would be seen as defying tradition and dishonoring the balance established by the Panther Goddess, Bast."

Kara rolled her eyes, her skepticism clear. "For a nation with some of the most advanced technology on Earth, your traditions sound like they're holding you back."

T'Challa managed a small, rueful smile, his tone thoughtful. "Wakanda is a paradox, Kara. We push forward but remain anchored to our roots. It is both our strength and our challenge." He looked out across the vast, vibrant landscape of Wakanda from the workshop window, as though the land itself echoed the complexities he described.

Kara crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes as she contemplated his words. "A paradox, huh?" She shook her head. "I've seen more of those than I care to count. But I'm not here for philosophy, T'Challa. If you want to help your father, you'll need to make some choices."

She paused, her gaze shifting between him and Shuri. "I'm not saying you're wrong to honor your traditions, but this isn't about pride or history. It's about survival." Kara's eyes flickered momentarily to T'Chaka's condition. "You're holding on to something that's draining your father, and I doubt there's a lot of time left."

T'Challa shifted uncomfortably but held her gaze. "It's not as simple as you think, Kara. Some customs must be respected. The Black Panther isn't just a protector of Wakanda—he's a symbol. A symbol we've built on these traditions."

Kara tilted her head, her expression flat. "And while you're busy upholding that symbol, your father is dying. Tell me, T'Challa, which is more important to you—tradition or the future?"

T'Challa hesitated, caught between duty and the harsh truth.

Kara, sensing his struggle, gave an exaggerated sigh. "If that's the only issue, I may have a way to help your father."

T'Challa raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "What do you mean?"

Kara's lips curled into a confident smirk. "Get me a plant. I'll show you."

Shuri, quick as ever, dashed off to the workshop. Moments later, she returned with a lush, green plant in her hands. "Will this do?" she asked, placing it carefully into Kara's waiting palm.

Kara looked at the plant, her fingers brushing its leaves with an almost reverent touch. "Yeah. Thanks," she said, her voice quiet as she concentrated. A flicker of energy sparked around her fingers as she focused, and then a dark, swirling energy rippled from her fingertips and enveloped the plant. The vibrant green of its leaves began to fade, curling at the edges, the once-lively plant wilting in real-time. It became dry and brittle within seconds, its vitality visibly draining away.

Ororo watched the transformation with a sharpened gaze, her lips pressed into a thin line. "So, you can drain life force... but what does that accomplish? You'll need something more than that to help."

Kara didn't respond immediately. She simply touched the plant again, this time with the gentlest of motions. The black energy evaporated, replaced by a warm, radiant white light. A soft hum filled the air, and slowly, the plant straightened. Its leaves unfurled, and the vibrant green returned. Life surged through it, restoring its vitality as though it had never been drained.

"Replenishing life force... you'll be using your own?" Ororo's voice was tinged with suspicion as her sharp eyes bore into Kara.

Kara lifted an eyebrow, her smirk widening as the plant stood fully restored. "Don't you worry about that," she said, her tone casual. "Let's just say I've got enough for a very long time."

The workshop fell into a contemplative silence after Kara demonstrated her abilities. Shuri leaned against a table, her expression thoughtful. "So, what do we do? Her offer sounds... unconventional."

Kara crossed her arms, her smirk barely contained. "Unconventional gets results. You saw it with your own eyes." She gestured to the revitalized plant on the table, its vibrant green leaves a vivid reminder of how lifeless it had been moments before.

Ororo glanced at T'Challa, her voice calm but direct. "The question is, do you believe this is the right path? And do you think your father would accept it?"

T'Challa's arms were crossed, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "It's not just about what I believe. Father is a proud man. Accepting help—even in this form—may be a challenge for him. But I can't ignore what we've seen." His gaze flicked to Kara. "Still, restoring vitality to this degree is... unusual. Are there risks?"

Kara tilted her head, her confidence unshaken. "No more risks than doing nothing. I've told you—this isn't about rewinding the clock to his prime. I'm just bringing him back to where he should be for his age, letting him live out his life as nature intended. Stabilizing him is all this is."

Shuri interjected, her voice measured. "And that might be exactly what he needs. We've watched him weaken day by day. If you can stabilize him, Kara, there's no reason to hesitate."

Ororo nodded, her gaze steady. "I agree. Kara has been clear about the limits of what she'll do. This isn't some overreach; it's giving him what he's already earned—a chance to live his remaining years without the toll of past battles."

Kara smirked, glancing between them. "Exactly. This isn't a miracle; it's just balance. I don't deal in 'cures' or 'second chances.' If he accepts, I'll bring him back to baseline—nothing more, nothing less."

T'Challa sighed, the weight of the decision evident. "Father's word will be the final say. But I'll bring this to him. If he agrees, then we proceed."

Shuri offered a small, encouraging smile. "He trusts you, T'Challa. If anyone can convince him, it's you."

Kara nodded, her expression softening. "Good. I'll be here when you need me. Just say the word."

T'Challa turned to Shuri, his expression stern but laced with trust. As he reached up to remove his suit, the damaged material protested with faint crackles. "The suit needs—"

Before he could finish, Shuri intercepted, deftly taking the charred remains from his hands. Her sharp eyes assessed the battered suit for a mere second before she snorted. "This suit? Seriously?"

T'Challa arched an eyebrow at her audacity as she casually tossed the suit into a side room filled with prototypes and failures. The clang of vibranium hitting metal echoed a sound that would've horrified anyone else.

"Shuri!" he exclaimed, half-annoyed, half-amused.

"Relax, Brother." She flashed her mischievous grin, already one step ahead. "I've got something better in mind."

T'Challa folded his arms, watching as his sister rifled through her workstation, pulling out what appeared to be a simple necklace with sleek, interlocking vibranium panther fangs. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked, turning the understated piece in his hands.

Shuri rolled her eyes dramatically. "Honestly, with all that vibranium-enhanced brilliance coursing through your veins, you're as dense as Ulysses Klaue's plans." She leaned closer, tapping her bead bracelet against the necklace, initiating a verification process. "Say the words: 'Activate.'"

T'Challa hesitated, a skeptical look flickering across his face. Before he could ask another question, Ororo Munroe, standing nearby, took the necklace and gently placed it around his neck. "Trust her," she murmured, her voice as calming as the breeze she often commanded.

T'Challa's features softened as he turned to his girlfriend, brushing a tender kiss across her temple. "Thank you, my love."

From the side, Shuri muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "Witnessing the Panther King reduced to a love-struck fool—science is truly powerless here."

"Shuri..." T'Challa warned, his voice carrying both affection and exasperation. With a deep breath, he finally uttered the command. "Activate."

Instantly, the necklace came alive, vibranium threads weaving across his body like liquid metal. Within moments, the suit materialized, fitting him perfectly. The new Black Panther suit shimmered with a subdued brilliance, sleeker and more agile than his previous design.

"This... this is nanotechnology?" T'Challa marveled, flexing his arms and testing the suit's responsiveness. He launched into a series of acrobatic moves, a grin spreading across his face as he realized the upgrades.

"Yes, and you're welcome," Shuri said, stepping back with a satisfied smirk. "Oh, and it's twice as durable. Try not to ruin it in two days."

Turning to Ororo, Shuri held out a pair of gauntlets adorned with a similar panther fang motif. "These are yours. Built for your fighting style. Enhanced ejection capabilities for direct attacks and an integrated energy shield in the cape. You're welcome."

Ororo slid on the gauntlets, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "Impressive," she said, testing the cape's shield projection with a subtle motion. "You've outdone yourself, Shuri."

T'Challa, clad in his new suit, landed beside her with a theatrical flourish. "We match now," he said, gesturing to their complementary designs. His playful grin was met with a roll of Ororo's eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips.

Kara, who had been silently observing, joined the trio, tossing a sleek vibranium sphere between her hands. "The suits look great, but let's see how they perform. Test run?"

Shuri crossed her arms. "Let's just hope T'Challa doesn't break this one on the first trial."

T'Challa smirked, stepping forward. "The Panther god has blessed me, sister. Let's see if your tech can keep up."

Soon, the group arrived at a pool near the edge of a cliff, the sacred N'Jadaka Arena of Wakanda. Known as a ceremonial dueling ground, it was primarily used for royal challenges and Black Panther trials. The arena was hidden within Wakanda's dense jungle, with intricately carved stone platforms and pillars seamlessly integrated into the verdant flora.

In the first round, Kara faced T'Challa within the arena's ancient and solemn confines. Her immense physical strength immediately outmatched T'Challa, creating an evident disparity. Recognizing the imbalance, Kara chose to limit herself to hand-to-hand combat, suppressing her raw power to focus on pure skill.

As the sparring progressed, Kara began analyzing T'Challa's combat style. Beyond the formidable vibranium nanosuit, T'Challa displayed exceptional physicality, slightly exceeding even Captain America's capabilities. The rhythmic clash of movements and the sharp zing of weapon contact reverberated through the jungle as Kara skillfully countered T'Challa's calculated strikes.

Fueled by the arena's historical gravity, T'Challa executed an agile somersault, accelerating mid-air with his vibranium claws extended. The sudden burst of speed caught Kara's attention. She raised her forearms to intercept, the polished vambraces of her suit meeting T'Challa's strike with a sharp Clang! The force of the impact reverberated across the arena.

Kara exploited the opening created by T'Challa's exertion, twisting within his guard and driving a precisely calculated punch to his midsection. Vibranium circuits in the Black Panther suit activated, their hue shifting to an intense purple where her blows landed.

The suit's kinetic absorption system triggered on her second strike, releasing the stored energy in a thunderous Hum-boom! The resulting shockwave rippled outward, displacing water from the pool and shaking the jungle canopy. Kara, anticipating the effect, assumed a defensive stance to test her resilience. Despite the blast, she only slid back a few centimeters, her feet firmly planted. T'Challa, more accustomed to the suit's mechanics, spun mid-air to dissipate the force.

Ororo and Shuri, initially observing from a safe distance, were astonished by the raw power displayed. The shockwave spread rapidly, its kinetic energy threatening to reach them. Reacting swiftly, Ororo activated a nanotech defense system.

"Activate!" she commanded, deploying a high-capacity energy shield from her cloak. The transparent shield shimmered momentarily as it absorbed the wave's force, effectively safeguarding the duo.

T'Challa maintained his crossed-arm stance, his gaze unwavering, while Kara held her defensive posture.

"I lost again. You are no mere opponent, Kara," T'Challa admitted, his voice steady despite the immense challenge. He straightforwardly removed his battle suit, the admission of defeat clear. "But Wakanda's strength lies not only in power but in the heart of its people."

Kara nodded; her expression thoughtful. "Then Wakanda's heart beats strong, Your Highness. But your new suit is impressive."

With a smile, Kara gave a slight nod of acknowledgment to T'Challa. Her words weren't just courtesy, she was genuinely admiring T'Challa's combat spirit.

T'Challa and his group returned to the workshop, the weight of the fight still lingering in the air. As the primary designer of the new suit, Shuri needed to check its various parameters following the recent battle.

"Nanomaterial wear and tear at seventeen percent? My goodness! Kara, are you even human?" Shuri said, staring at the screen, her eyes wide in disbelief.

T'Challa quickly interjected, "Cough, cough, Shuri, mind your words!"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry, sorry, I was just too surprised!" Shuri, now reminded by her brother, snapped back to reality and quickly apologized to Kara, still visibly astonished. "I mean, during the product testing phase, I had Ororo use her vibranium spear at full force for almost an hour, and we only saw three percent wear and tear! But you two—how long did you fight? Five or six minutes? Kara, I'm starting to think you're not even human!"

The princess continued to stare at the screen in awe. One detail she didn't explicitly mention: once the nanomaterial wear and tear exceeded 70%-80% percent, the suit would fail to provide complete protection.

Finally, after recalling Kara's effortless prowess during the battle, Shuri had a realization. Her brother had no chance of winning from the very beginning.