After Charlie, transformed into a Celestial, crushed the lobster monster, the radiant star at the heart of the solar system began to stir.
Buzz~
In an instant, the sun hanging in the sky dimmed, casting the Earth into gloom. A mysterious force invaded, enveloping Charlie. An irresistible pull drained the Celestial power simulated by the Monkey Talisman, siphoning it from his body like a geyser. The energy formed a golden-silver river, streaking through space toward the sun.
"It's that guy!"
In New York, at Stark Tower, Tony stood on his lavish balcony, staring at the darkened sun, his expression grim.
Though he didn't know why another Celestial had appeared on Earth, it was clear the Celestial in the sun would devour this one.
No matter the outcome, it spelled trouble for Earth.
As he prepared to alert Carter, his phone buzzed with her call.
"He said to stay out of it. He'll handle it," Carter said.
Tony glanced at the glowing arc reactor in his chest—the key to activating his Godslayer Armor.
Trusting Spider-Man, he took a deep breath and abandoned the idea of intercepting the Celestial power.
"Got it," he nodded.
…
Meanwhile, in Wakanda:
Charlie, still in his Celestial form, gazed at the dimmed star in the solar system. As if expecting this, he released the Monkey Talisman's power. His Celestial body disintegrated, and the golden river surging into space collapsed.
Buzz~
As the Celestial form vanished, the sun slowly regained its golden glow.
Warm sunlight bathed the Earth again, as if it had all been an illusion.
T'Challa and the Wakandans snapped out of their daze, unsure of what had happened.
All they knew was that Spider-Man had defeated the monstrous beast invading Wakanda in a spectacular way.
"The monster's gone!"
"Long live Spider-Man!"
"Wakanda forever!"
The people of Wakanda celebrated this historic moment.
Charlie, now a streak of light, returned to the Wakandan palace, holding a strange mass of black mist.
"What's that?"
T'Challa stared at the mist, curiosity brimming.
Charlie raised his hand, the black mist writhing and struggling.
But it was ultimately absorbed into his body—or rather, into Corrupted Charlie's soul.
Afterward, Charlie explained, "This is demonic chi. Ever heard of the Eight Demons?"
"The Eight Demons?" T'Challa looked clueless.
Before he could respond, Charlie continued, "Right, no reason you would.
Simply put, this comes from fearsome demons—their unique power. Because of its special properties, it can mutate sea creatures, control them, and drive them to invade Wakanda to consume vibranium."
T'Challa nodded, finally understanding.
"So that's it. These monsters are controlled by some entity to target vibranium." His face grew solemn.
Charlie agreed, "Pretty much."
A moment later, his eyes glinted with a ghostly light as Corrupted Charlie took over.
He smirked, gazing toward the endless ocean. "It's the Water Demon, Baasha. I'd know her demonic chi anywhere. Didn't expect her to be hiding here. Looks like it's my time to shine."
Noticing Charlie's shift, T'Challa's expression wavered.
"Mr. Spider-Man, you… you seem a bit… uh, different."
"A bit extra, right?" Charlie regained control.
T'Challa laughed awkwardly. "Something like that."
Charlie shrugged. "No worries. You'll get used to it."
Then, Corrupted Charlie took over again, laughing wildly. "Hahaha! My fate is mine, not the heavens'! The Water Demon's mine to slay—not even Captain Universe can save her!"
Under T'Challa's increasingly bewildered gaze, Charlie prepared to leap from the heights. But he stumbled, grabbing his own throat.
"Hey, hey, cool it! We need to find the Twelve Talismans first—I sense one here."
"Forget that! I'm not trying to prove I'm stronger than the Water Demon—I'm taking back my lost demonic chi!"
"Little bug, don't do this…"
"I don't care! If the Marvel Universe doesn't give me, Charlie Parker, justice, then righteousness will be lost forever!!"
"Stop shouting, you're embarrassing us!"
"Hmph, such grand ambitions—how dare you stand in my way!"
"Shut it, you're the dark side, the villain! Justice has nothing to do with you. I'm the real deal!"
Corrupted Charlie: "…"
He finally quieted down.
"You've got a point."
Charlie released his grip, rubbing his sore throat.
"Ahem, nutcase."
He muttered, then noticed T'Challa's colorful expression.
With a sheepish grin, he said, "Sorry, been under a lot of stress lately. You get it—as the only superhero who can save the world, I'm drowning in anxiety daily. Developing a second personality is reasonable, right?"
T'Challa, face stiff, nodded mechanically. "Uh, very reasonable."
"My second personality's a bit outgoing, the opposite of my kind, reserved self. It's wildly uncontrollable. That's reasonable too, right?" Charlie pressed.
T'Challa's eye twitched. "Yes, very reasonable."
Charlie continued, "The invincible Spider-Man, who saves the world time and again, is sick. If word got out, villains would pounce, and the world would face another crisis. As justice's best friend and Wakanda's coolest king, you've got a duty to keep this secret, even from your closest allies. That's a reasonable request, right?"
T'Challa snapped to attention, nodding seriously. "Yes, very reasonable."
Charlie grinned, satisfied. "Thanks for understanding."
"I'm honored to see the real Spider-Man," T'Challa said earnestly. "We could be friends. You know, as Wakanda's king, I bear the weight of the nation. I'm often torn, stressed, sometimes wanting to give up. Being a king is exhausting. You might not know, but my heart's been acting up lately. Doctors say if I keep burning the midnight oil, I'll have problems. But you get it—our responsibilities are too big to stop… Mr. Spider-Man, where are you going?"
Mid-speech, T'Challa turned to see Charlie sneaking away.
Caught, Charlie rubbed his temples and flashed a sincere smile.
"Gotta pee. Where's the bathroom?"
"Oh, head down, turn left, then right, and go about a hundred meters. There's a palace—"
"Got it!"
Before T'Challa could finish, Charlie bolted, leaving him bewildered.
"The soldiers in the palace will guide you," T'Challa called after him, then muttered, "Spider-Man's smart. He'll get it."
He was sure of it.
Meanwhile, Charlie reached the palace T'Challa mentioned.
The soldiers at the entrance, recognizing the king's honored guest, saluted and let him pass.
Charlie wandered the palace until he found a row of strange vessels.
"No wonder they're the richest nation. Even their bathrooms are this fancy. So spacious."
He studied the row of urinal-like vessels, marveling at their gleaming gold surfaces.
"Even these are made of gold. I'm so jealous~" He felt poor just thinking about it.
Determined to make the most of it, he decided to relieve himself.
Oddly, though, this place only had urinals?
He looked around but found no golden toilet as expected.
Must be elsewhere. Separating the facilities—probably a Wakandan custom.
He stepped up to a urinal, unzipped, and let loose.
Shhhlrr~~
A torrent flowed, the blue liquid in the urinal splashing with bubbles.
Charlie shook off, tucked himself away, and nodded in satisfaction.
"No odor, worry-free. This cleaning solution's pretty, and it's got a weird fragrance."
He gave Wakanda's bathroom a thumbs-up and left content.
Soon after, at the lunch banquet T'Challa prepared, in front of the soldiers, he handed Charlie a vibranium bank card.
"This is Wakanda's private bank in New York. The wealth in this card will help S.H.I.E.L.D. through its crisis," he said with a smile.
Charlie accepted the card solemnly. "What's the password?"
"Your birthday."
"My birthday?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the sentiment.
But Mr. T'Challa, the monster crisis isn't fully resolved. Aren't you worried I'll take this and run?" he teased.
T'Challa shook his head. "No. All of Wakanda trusts Spider-Man unconditionally."
Charlie was floored. These guys are so naive, so pure. So easy to scam.
As he pocketed the card, T'Challa clapped, and soldiers brought out strange vessels.
"These are Wakanda's signature wines, brewed from our mystical heart-shaped herb. Not only is the taste rich and the color clear, but the aroma is layered. Most importantly—"
T'Challa paused, eyeing the stunned Charlie.
"Most importantly, it enhances human physiology, especially that aspect. Very friendly for men. You know what I mean, Mr. Spider-Man."
His smile said it all.
Charlie nodded dumbly. "Uh, yeah, got it. So this is wine?" He needed confirmation.
T'Challa watched a servant pour the wine. "Of course. Can't tell, can you?"
"Uh, nope," Charlie said, his face a spectacle.
As servants handed out the wine to T'Challa, Aaron, and the others, Charlie shakily accepted a cup of the mystical liquid.
"Haha, I heard it's got that effect. Can't wait!" Aaron downed his in one gulp.
Old Man had already finished one and was on his second.
Slurp~
"Oh my gosh, I feel power surging through me—like I'm young again!"
Old Man smacked his lips, eagerly eyeing the servants for a third cup.
More drinks, and maybe he'd start looking for a new partner.
Jade, underage and unable to drink, glared enviously.
"Is it good?" she snapped at Aaron.
Aaron savored the layered taste, squinting. "Delicious. Never had wine this fragrant. It's got a weird tang—bitter, a little sour. Must be Wakanda's specialty. I need another to really get it."
He handed his cup to a servant. "Buddy, one more."
He glanced at the hesitant Charlie. "Why aren't you drinking? Don't like it?"
Charlie forced a smile, setting down his cup. "You know I don't drink. Just juice for me."
T'Challa looked apologetic.
"My bad, I didn't prepare."
He turned to a servant. "Bring out our best juices."
"Yes, sir."
The servant left, and T'Challa downed his blue wine.
He frowned, tongue twitching.
Charlie, guilty, lowered his head.
He didn't notice, right?
Thankfully, T'Challa's frown eased into a smile.
"Excellent. This year's Blue Heart Wine is especially robust. Keep this process," he ordered.
"Yes, sir."
The servants bowed, pleased their king and guests were enjoying themselves.
Charlie exhaled in relief.
Watching everyone raise their glasses again, he smiled warmly.
After the banquet, T'Challa had training to attend.
He invited Charlie to see his training grounds, but Charlie declined.
"I need to check out the deep sea."
"Mr. Spider-Man, thank you for all you've done for Wakanda. I'll prepare a submarine for you."
"No problem."
Charlie pulled out a talisman. "By the way, can you have your people look for something like this? I need it."
T'Challa scanned the talisman with his wrist device. "I'll send people to search."
"Thanks."
Charlie headed to the coast.
Soon, he boarded a Wakandan tech submarine.
The control panel was simple, like a video game.
He quickly mastered it and steered toward the deep sea.
Aaron, Jade, and Old Man stayed behind in Wakanda.
Even if T'Challa didn't find the talisman, Team Dragon would likely stumble onto a clue.
That's why Charlie kept them around.
Gurgle~
As the submarine dove, Charlie had a thought.
"Bro, use the Water Demon's chi to sense her location."
"No problem."
Corrupted Charlie's demonic chi spread, seeping through the water into deeper seas.
Within three minutes, Corrupted Charlie sneered.
"Found it. And it's pretty interesting."
"What do you mean?"
"The Atlantis of the Marvel Universe. Interesting enough for you?"
Charlie paused, thoughtful.
It seemed the Water Demon had already taken control of that place.