The high-tech advancements that vibranium has brought to Wakanda go far beyond what was shown in the movies.
Blake personally watched as Wakanda's old king brought out a metal block roughly the size of two bricks. After a few taps on it, the metal block stretched and transformed several times, eventually turning into a small house of more than ten square feet.
The small house even extended four clawed legs, which firmly embedded themselves in the ground.
"My father was deceived back then. Captain's Shield isn't the only vibranium in the world. They lavishly used this stuff to make tents in the wild, but there's nothing high-tech about it—it's just thin!" Tony grumbled, clearly upset. Who knows how much he longed for a set of vibranium armor.
Plus, he resented the way most of the Wakandans here looked at others, as if they were country bumpkins.
"I know what you're thinking. I promise, one day, I'll get you some vibranium and make you an unbeatable suit of armor!" Blake patted Tony's shoulder and stepped into the house.
Everyone already knew the cause and details of the situation, so there was no point in discussing it further. Loki had confessed that the portal could be closed with the scepter, and Dr. Selvig, upon awakening, confirmed this.
Now, the focus was on how to quickly enter and close the portal!
In this vibranium-made "tent," they set up a small conference room with tables and chairs. The group sat in a circle, discussing how best to coordinate, get in, and shut down the portal.
"Frankly, I don't think we need to discuss any battle plans. Your energy shield is excellent. It effectively blocks these aliens and traps them in such a small space. But now that we're here, all you need to do is what you were already doing!" Tony said, spreading his hands.
"This is Wakanda. It's you who brought trouble to our land. What you need to do is hand over the scepter, and we will naturally close the portal!" Okoye said with her characteristic air of calm pride.
"When did Wakanda turn into a matriarchy? Is this your new queen?" Tony asked the old king in an exaggerated tone.
"Do you want to fight, you coward hiding in a metal suit?" Okoye stood up angrily.
"Are you talking about him?" Tony pointed to Black Panther, who was seated beside the king. "Also, speaking of cowards hiding behind metal, who fits that label better than you all? Secretly developing behind vibranium. Without this metal, would Wakanda even make the top fifty in Africa?"
There are only about sixty countries and regions in Africa, so when it comes to mockery, Okoye is no match for Tony.
However, as the captain of the royal guard, Okoye wasn't one for too much talk. Hearing this, she immediately picked up her spear.
Silently, a fireball the size of a washbasin appeared in Blake's hand, spinning slowly on the table. Thor's hammer also started crackling with lightning.
"This was Loki's doing. He is one of us, from Asgard. If you're dissatisfied, Asgard will take responsibility for it!"
He said this as his hammer sparked with lightning, which hardly looked like taking responsibility. Were they planning to "hammer" the problem away?
Blake had no intention of opposing Wakanda, but he, too, disliked the condescending manner of the royal guard captain.
The old king raised his hand to stop Okoye.
Finally, Natasha spoke up, giving the other side an out before the old king could respond.
"Now is not the time to assign blame. This alien invasion is a threat to all humanity. We're here to solve a problem, Your Majesty."
"That's right! Our top priority is to solve the problem. I won't ask you for the scepter. We'll send a team to collaborate with you, and closing the portal will be our main objective. Let's work together to resolve this!"
The old king's words eased the tension, and he continued.
"However, these Chitauri, invading our planet and draining so much of our energy... just closing the portal seems a bit too lenient."
He signaled Shuri, who brought out a tablet showing a screenshot from a hidden ground camera, taken when the Chitauri forces first arrived. It was aimed almost directly at the wormhole, showing masses of Chitauri soldiers.
After Shuri magnified one section a hundred times, they could see a four-legged, crab-like cosmic warship. Though blurry, its general form was recognizable.
"I guess this might be their command ship or base! If, before we close the portal, we were to hit them with a nuclear warhead…"
The old king, usually kind and benevolent, showed no mercy when it came to dealing with invaders.
"You've developed nuclear weapons?" Tony and Hawkeye said almost simultaneously.
Tony sounded surprised, while Hawkeye, from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s perspective, was concerned. Wakanda was a high-tech country with vast vibranium resources. If their secrecy was a cover to start a war, maybe to conquer the world or invade other countries, it would be catastrophic.
"There's no need for such surprise. If we had such ambitions, we would have unified Africa during World War II, while the whole world was at war. We acquired the warheads on the black market after the Soviet Union collapsed. As you know, revealing our vibranium would make us a target worldwide. We don't claim we could withstand the world, but we need some means for self-defense…"
…
Apart from Blake, the Avengers consisted of the original six, while on Wakanda's side, Black Panther and Okoye led a ten-person guard team. This was the team chosen to enter the energy shield after everyone agreed on the plan. As everyone went to prepare, the old king pulled Blake aside.
"Let me first apologize for Okoye's actions. Wakanda's isolation and our technological lead over the world have inevitably fostered some pride and arrogance in our people," the old king said humbly to Blake.
"I understand. There's no need to apologize for that. Did you hold me back to talk about…?"
Blake was somewhat confused. Minor frictions in early-stage cooperation are normal. Despite Okoye's pride, both Black Panther and the old king seemed approachable, and Blake had a good impression of them.
"Cooperation! Wakanda can't remain isolated forever. We need to engage with the world. But our vibranium would instantly draw global attention, so we need the right opportunity," the old king said calmly.
"I know about your actions, especially how you dismantled the Red Room. I heard you threatened all the senators in Congress?"
"Well done, young man. But we both know that won't last; those greedy politicians won't tolerate anyone standing above them. In this, we share the same position."
"And now, the opportunity has come. An alien invasion—this is not just a matter for Wakanda or the Avengers. Doing good should be known, especially something that would make the world owe us a favor, don't you think?"
With a kindly smile, the old king looked every bit like an old fox to Blake.
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