Maria Hill's finger pointed not to some distant horizon, but directly toward the hidden Wakanda—concealed behind its projection of untouched wilderness.
The battle between Hawk and the Demon Hulk was over. But for S.H.I.E.L.D., things were just beginning.
After all, both combatants had emerged suddenly from that "forest."
While Hill spoke with Hawk, her agents on the ground had already begun their sweep. At the forest's edge, scanners revealed what lay beyond: an invisible barrier. Excited, they reported their findings into Hill's earpiece.
Hawk followed Hill's gesture.
There, more than a dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents worked feverishly, holding devices to measure the energy shielding that protected Wakanda.
Hill studied Hawk's face. "You can't say?"
"I can." Hawk shrugged, eyes glinting. "That's Wakanda. The real Wakanda."
Hill blinked, caught off guard.
So Hawk told her—plainly, without exaggeration.
Wakanda's wealth of vibranium. Its cloaked prosperity. Its masquerade as a destitute state, begging at the United Nations for aid and grain subsidies.
To Hawk, it was nothing but hypocrisy. Aid stolen under false pretenses could have saved countless lives elsewhere. No matter how advanced Wakanda's science, its deception made it no better than parasites feeding off the world.
Hill's shock was palpable. Even greater than when Hawk had casually vowed to turn Mephisto's skull into a chamber pot.
Mephisto was distant.
Wakanda was here.
How could she reconcile the image of a starving African nation pleading for handouts with the secret empire of technology Hawk described?
Hawk saw her doubt and smirked. "Don't believe me?"
"Honestly… not really," Hill admitted.
Hawk didn't argue. His gaze shifted back to the shimmering veil of the vibranium dome.
…
Inside Wakanda's royal palace, T'Chaka sat weakened in a wheelchair, the cost of Hawk's blow heavy on his body. He lived only through advanced medicine and sheer will—but he knew his days as Black Panther were ending.
On the command screens, he saw the S.H.I.E.L.D. strike teams outside.
Once, Wakanda had been invisible to the world's peacekeepers. Now, exposure was inevitable.
His heart sank. The age of isolation was over.
…
Back outside, Hill received a tablet from her agents. Scans revealed the outline of a massive golden dome. Her doubts cracked. Hawk might be telling the truth after all.
She turned to him. "How do we get in?"
Hawk chuckled. "We? No, not me. My business here is finished. But if you want in, I'll break the barrier for you."
Strength, not hoarded wealth, was what he valued. Vibranium was nothing but a tool.
Hill thought quickly, then nodded. "Then I'll ask this of you, Hawk."
If true, Wakanda's duplicity had to be reported to the world powers. A hidden superpower masquerading as a beggar was unacceptable.
She glanced at him. "Do you need space to summon that golden armor of yours?"
Hawk blinked, then laughed. "Did you like it?"
"It was… impressive. More imposing than Stark's suits," Hill admitted frankly.
Hawk's smile widened. Behind him, a fiery phoenix flared. The armor reformed piece by piece, until he once more stood as the Phoenix Saint, radiance burning.
Hill couldn't help but feel a shiver of awe. There was beauty in the danger, terrible and irresistible.
Hawk's voice cut through. "Pull your people back."
"Understood." Hill quickly ordered her agents to withdraw, gathering scientists and operatives to a safe distance.
…
In the Wakandan palace, Shuri leaned to her father. "Father, divert all power to the shield. He just fought that monster—he won't have the strength left to break through."
T'Chaka gave a weary nod.
Outside, Hawk's cosmos ignited. Flames danced across his body, his aura blazing toward its peak.
"Phoenix—Wing—Rise!!"
His roar split the air as a fiery phoenix burst behind him. His fist shot forward, wrapped in cosmic fire.
It slammed into the dome.
The vibranium shield flared, golden light washing over the land, ripples spreading like cracks on glass.
"Shield integrity—40%! …20%! …5%!!"
"Energy reserves depleted—cannot sustain!!"
CRACK—
With a sound like the world itself breaking, the great dome shattered.
And in that instant, Wakanda was revealed.
Not a poor, helpless nation—
But a kingdom of impossible wealth, rivers of vibranium, and technology rivaling the world's greatest powers.
The mask had fallen.
…
(End of Chapter)
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