Leander watched as Shuri nearly tripped over her own lab equipment. He felt a twinge of guilt; most people didn't enjoy having their high-security sanctuary breached by a teenager who could walk through walls.
"Sorry about that, Shuri," Leander offered, his voice casual. "I should've knocked, but the metal was feeling a bit too welcoming today. I didn't mean to startle you."
Shuri, who was barely eleven but possessed the intellect of a veteran scientist, set her short sword down on a table cluttered with vibranium components. She looked him up and down, her eyes wide with a mix of suspicion and genuine fascination. "No, no... Leo, right? How did you even get in here? This lab is keyed to the biometric signatures of exactly six people. You're not one of them."
Leander tilted his head toward the massive observation window facing the Great Mound. "I've been hanging out in the mine. It's got a great vibe, honestly. Very peaceful. But five days of meditation is a long time without a snack. I'm actually starving."
Shuri blinked, her brain still trying to compute how he had navigated the mountain's interior. "Five days? You've been in the rock for five days? Come this way," she said, gesturing toward a small break area filled with sleek, silver appliances. "There's freshly baked bread, fruit pies, and milk. I was going to have it later, but you look like you're about to faint."
Leander didn't need a second invitation. He moved with a speed that was almost a blur, settling at the table and devouring the spread. Shuri watched in stunned silence as he finished two entire pitchers of milk and several plates of food in minutes.
"How is that even possible?" she whispered. "Where does it all go? You're not even bloated."
Leander wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, feeling the energy finally beginning to stabilize in his gut. "High metabolism, Shuri. When your body is busy rewriting its own molecular structure, you tend to get a bit peckish. By the way, where's your brother? And your dad? I assume they're still mad at me."
"Upset? They're terrified," Shuri said, pulling up a holographic log. "You disappeared for five days. They thought you were either dead or planning to bring the whole mountain down. Brother and Father are upstairs in the war room right now."
"Five days..." Leander leaned back, a look of genuine regret crossing his face. "Man, I really lost track of time. My phone was destroyed in the energy surge when I started my training—turned to ash. My aunt is going to kill me before your father even gets a chance."
He looked at Shuri, hopeful. "Hey, Princess, could I borrow a phone? I need to make a very awkward long-distance call."
Shuri considered him for a moment, then reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a spare set of Kimoyo Beads. "Take these. We don't use 'phones' here. These beads handle everything. They'll punch through our defense barrier and connect to the global satellite network."
She handed them over, and as Leander slid them onto his wrist, a faint purple light pulsed through the silver beads. The device hummed, recognizing his bio-signature and binding to him instantly. A translucent dial pad projected into the air in front of him.
Leander quickly punched in a number he knew by heart. The signal leaped across the Atlantic, bypassing dozens of secure firewalls until it rang in a clunky, high-tech workshop in Malibu.
"Sir, an unrecognized encrypted signal is requesting a secure line. It appears to be originating from... well, it's untraceable."
"Connect it, Jarvis," Tony Stark's voice sounded over the line. "I'm in the mood for a mystery."
Tony was sitting at his desk, surrounded by 3-D blueprints for what looked like a massive skyscraper—the future Stark Tower. When the call connected, a half-body projection of Leander appeared in the center of his workshop.
"Hey, Mr. Stark. Catch you at a bad time?"
Tony spun around in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he took in Leander's new look. "Leander? Kid, where the hell have you been? Your aunt called me yesterday sounding like she was ready to call the National Guard. I've spent the last twenty-four hours acting like your personal secretary."
"I had a small... incident," Leander said, glancing at the texture of his new vibranium-weave shirt. "My old phone is gone. I didn't realize so much time had passed. What did you tell her?"
"I told her you were doing an intensive internship at Stark Industries," Tony sighed, rubbing his temples. "I even wired her ten thousand dollars as a 'signing bonus' to keep her happy. You owe me, kid. Big time. Also, what are you wearing? It looks expensive, but it's the middle of winter. You're going to catch a cold in that T-shirt."
"I'm fine, Tony. The insulation on this stuff is actually incredible," Leander replied. "Are you still in Malibu?"
"For now," Tony said, his tone turning serious. "But you'd better get back here. I don't enjoy being the middle-man for a teenager's disappearing act. Are you in Wakanda? I've been trying to trace that signal, and it keeps bouncing off a dead zone in East Africa."
Leander glanced at Shuri, who was watching the projection with wide-eyed curiosity. "Yeah, I'm here. I'm heading out now. I should be at your place in about two hours."
"Two hours?" Tony scoffed. "From Africa? Unless you've built a teleporter, you're dreaming."
"Watch me. See you soon, Mr. Stark."
Leander tapped the beads, ending the call. He felt a massive weight lift off his shoulders knowing May wasn't currently calling the police. He looked at Shuri and took the Kimoyo Beads off his wrist, placing them gently on her workbench.
"Is that him? The American who built the iron suit?" Shuri asked. "The arms dealer?"
"He's more of a clean energy guy now," Leander said. "Thanks for the food, Shuri. You're a good person. Most people here just see me as a target, but you actually treated me like a human being."
"Keep the beads, Leo," Shuri said, pushing them back toward him. "Think of it as a souvenir. Besides, you're not much older than I am. You shouldn't be wandering the world without a way to call home."
Leander smiled and patted her head, a gesture that made Shuri scowl playfully. "I'll be back to visit. This trip was a bit of a rush, but I still have things to handle in New York. I'm leaving now."
He turned and headed for the central spiral staircase of the laboratory, but Shuri ran after him.
"Wait! You can't just walk out! My father and brother are expecting an audience. You can't just disappear again after scaring the entire Royal Guard!"
"They'll be fine, Shuri," Leander said as they entered the elevator. "I'm not leaving because I'm scared; I'm leaving because I'm hungry for a different kind of food. And as for getting to America in two hours... well, I told you, I have my own way."
The elevator reached the surface, and Leander stepped out onto the balcony of the palace. The Golden City of Wakanda stretched out before him, a miracle of hidden technology. He turned back to Shuri one last time. "See you around, Princess."
With a light step, he launched himself into the air. His Nirvana Golden Wings erupted with a thunderous crack, their violet-edged feathers shimmering in the sunlight. He accelerated instantly, a golden-violet streak vanishing into the clouds before the sound of his departure even hit the ground.
High above, three silhouettes detached themselves from the palace spires. A Royal Talon Fighter and two escort jets engaged their optical cloaking. Their engines hummed with a low-frequency vibranium vibration, their anti-gravity thrusters allowing them to shadow Leander's flight path with predatory silence.
Inside the palace war room, the projection screen showed a high-velocity heat signature moving toward the edge of the Wakandan shield.
"Father," T'Challa said, his hands gripped tightly behind his back. "The Talon jets are in position. This is the only window we have if you want to neutralize him. If he clears the border, he's out in the open world with our secrets. Do we engage?"
King T'Chaka stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the retreating golden speck. He saw the sheer speed and grace of the boy's flight. He thought of his daughter's report—how Leander had been polite, curious, and remarkably disciplined despite his overwhelming power.
"He could have destroyed the Great Mound," T'Chaka whispered. "He could have killed you, T'Challa. Instead, he made himself a shirt and asked for milk."
The King took a deep breath. "Call Shuri to the hall. I want to know exactly what they talked about. And tell the pilots to maintain distance. If he doesn't attack, they are to do nothing but watch. We will not be the ones to start this war."
The Queen placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes following the screen. "You're making the right choice, my King. He isn't a thief. He's a guest who finally found what he was looking for."