T'Challa stood frozen in place...
Unlike in the original timeline, he had not learned about the past events in advance from the high priest Zuri. So, when Killmonger accused the former king of fratricide (of murdering his own brother), it struck like a bolt from the blue, shattering the towering image of his father in his heart.
"Nonsense! The council hall of Wakanda has no place for an outsider spewing such lies!" The now even more revered Queen Mother of Wakanda sharply rebuked, rising to her feet with a furious expression as she glared at the tribal elders present.
The Panther Tribe had always positioned themselves as the royal family. Since the founding of Wakanda, its rulers had all come from their lineage.
From the first Black Panther, Bashenga, who consumed the heart-shaped herb and claimed to have received visions and guidance from the panther goddess Bast, then used his formidable strength to unite the other tribes, this tradition had continued unbroken through the generations.
Aside from the Jabari Tribe, which secluded itself in the snowy mountains and remained aloof from worldly affairs, the loyalty of the other three major tribes to the royal family was far from absolute. Their submission to the throne was rooted in the fact that the first Black Panther, who was empowered by the heart-shaped herb, possessed the strength to protect the tribes.
At the time, the African continent was still in a state of barbarism, its indigenous peoples savage and ignorant, with tribes constantly locked in brutal conflicts that often ended in massacres.
The Black Panther, granted superhuman strength through the heart-shaped herb, provided protection to the other tribes in exchange for their allegiance.
Later, to safeguard their vibranium resources, the five tribes established Wakanda, isolating themselves from the world and concealing their existence. Even when colonizers arrived on the continent, they refrained from engaging, maintaining their role as silent observers.
"Everything he says is likely true. Twenty years ago, there was a case of illegal activity in an apartment in the United States. The victim, suspected to have been killed by gangsters, bore claw marks on his chest. And this royal ring is proof enough of his identity." Sean rested his hands on the armrests, speaking in a calm tone.
He met the conflicted gaze of High Priest Zuri, a faint smile playing on his lips before he continued, "Moreover, whether this is true or false, the high priest should know best. Twenty years ago, weren't you sent as a royal spy to keep watch over Prince N'Jobu?"
The tribal elders exchanged glances. They did recall that before Zuri ascended to the position of high priest, he had been part of the War Dogs, a special unit established by the royal family.
Later, he returned to Wakanda with King T'Chaka, and soon after, the shocking news of Prince N'Jobu's accidental death spread...
"You are no noble prince, no young king of Wakanda! Your father was a murderer! None of you are fit to sit on that throne!" Emboldened by Sean's support, Killmonger's voice thundered as he glared at the bewildered T'Challa, "The Black Panther is Wakanda's protector, the messenger of the gods! Today, I challenge your king! I challenge the Black Panther!"
Faced with Killmonger's declaration of challenge, T'Challa's lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to accept.
"Do not believe his lies. Prince N'Jobu has been dead for years. Now, a stranger emerges, claiming to be his flesh and blood... how convenient." The Queen Mother of Wakanda gripped her hesitant son.
Regardless of the truth, she could not allow T'Challa to accept the challenge.
That would mean allowing her husband, the former King T'Chaka, to bear the stain of fratricide, severely undermining the royal family's authority, especially at this critical juncture...
M'Baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe, had won widespread public support by organizing the resistance. Meanwhile, the royal family's performance during the invasion had been lackluster at best. In fact, one could argue that all of this trouble had been their doing.
From T'Challa's attack on the Kenyan ambassador to King T'Chaka's forced peace talks, the royal family's reputation had plummeted, and dissatisfaction brewed among the tribes.
The Queen Mother glanced at Sean, who sat composedly at the head of the table, her heart filling with wariness.
'Could all of this be part of his scheme?' she pondered.
"If I may speak, I ask for your attention." Sean raised a hand, silencing the murmurs.
He paused, choosing his words carefully, preparing to once again dismantle Wakanda's fragile logic with his rhetoric.
"As far as I know, the people of Wakanda have a unique method of identification that can verify the truth. Moreover, Killmonger previously sought international aid, claiming his father had been persecuted and died in a power struggle. In criminology, there is a method called retroactive reasoning. To uncover the truth, let us trace the timeline."
The Queen Mother clenched her teeth. She knew that allowing Sean to continue could lead to unpredictable consequences, but cowed by his power, she had no choice but to endure.
If this young man gave the order, General Ross could lead his forces back into Wakanda, and their fate would be far from pleasant.
"Over twenty years ago, the young King T'Chaka ascended to the throne as Wakanda's supreme ruler. Shortly after, his brother, Prince N'Jobu, joined the War Dogs, becoming a royal spy sent to live in the United States. This was supposedly a royal tradition. Wakanda established a special intelligence agency, dispatching spies and informants across the globe to gather information and study world affairs."
"...There, N'Jobu met a woman from Oakland. They fell in love, married, and had a child. According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records, Prince N'Jobu was a radical. He even participated in large-scale protests against racial discrimination, becoming a champion of democracy in his community. At one point, he was arrested along with his wife for organizing illegal activities."
"...Twenty days later, N'Jobu was released, but his wife remained imprisoned. Soon after, the Wakandan prince made contact with a smuggler... That is none other than Ulysses Klaue. Torn between rescuing his beloved and liberating his oppressed brethren of African descent, N'Jobu ultimately betrayed his homeland, conspiring with Klaue to steal vibranium."
Sean spoke like a judge presiding over a trial, his tone solemn and meticulous, reconstructing the events of the past before everyone's eyes.
"...What happened next, I assume, is known to all. Klaue's theft of vibranium was exposed. During his escape, he detonated explosives, killing and injuring over a hundred Wakandans. At the time, King T'Chaka found N'Jobu and sought to bring him back to Wakanda to face royal judgment. N'Jobu, of course, refused to abandon his imprisoned wife. A confrontation ensued, and in the struggle, T'Chaka accidentally killed his own brother. Returning to Wakanda, he left N'Jobu's son behind in the United States to cover up the truth."
"...On the surface, this seems like a tragedy of misunderstandings... N'Jobu betraying his country, T'Chaka accidentally killing his brother. But upon closer examination, the truth may not be so simple."
Sean's tone shifted as his gaze bore into the silent High Priest Zuri, "As everyone knows, the position of high priest in Wakanda is reserved for those of great virtue and prestige. Yet, from what I understand, High Priest Zuri was once an unremarkable figure in the Panther Tribe. As an adult, he joined the War Dogs, displaying mediocre abilities with little to distinguish him. How, then, did such a man, upon T'Chaka's return, overcome all opposition to ascend to the position of high priest? Is that not suspicious?"
"...Furthermore, after T'Chaka became king, why did he send his younger brother across the ocean, far from Wakanda's center of power, while secretly placing him under surveillance? This chapter of history is riddled with too many peculiarities worth pondering."
Sean paused, smiling faintly. Then he added, "A Wakandan prince dies tragically in an apartment... a royal orphan is left to wander the streets. Behind this old tale, what lurks? The distortion of power? Or the collapse of morality? High Priest Zuri, can you enlighten us?"
Drenched in cold sweat, Zuri met Sean's piercing gaze, his face ashen. He never imagined this outsider would unravel the dark history of the past with such precision...