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DoorMan (MCU SI) - #121 : Unlimited Popcorn Bucket!
🕑 Added 2025-08-21 08:59:47 +0000 UTCHE'S BAACCKKKK!
Disclaimer - I don’t own Marvel or any of its characters. The Mighty Mouse does =and I hope it is not standing behind me with a shotgun cocked and ready to blow my brains out the second I have the audacity to press PUBLI——
DoorMan #121
Wakanda [May 2008]
–Colin Baxter–
“Huh, so you can sense them as well,” Shuri commented, not even turning around as he angled his body slightly so he could look at the door. The doors opened on their own a moment later, revealing T’Challa and T’Chaka, father and son duo, in ceremonial garb and the Black Panther garb, respectively.
Both of their gazes bore into him, which was understandable since he was a complete unknown just lounging in their daughter/sister’s lab. Before he could greet them, whoever, Shuri beat him to the punch as she turned around and glared at the duo.
“How many times have I told you that you cannot wear your suit in my lab, especially not that horribly outdated one.”
T’Challa smiled at her, “And if I agree to be the test subject of your newest suits?”
Shuri sniffed at that, considering the proposal, “Then we’ll see about increasing your clearance level.”
“As you command, My Queen,” T’Challa bowed, continuing their sibling banter. Meanwhile, T’Chaka was fully focused on him but before the previous King could ask anything, Shuri preemptively stopped any line of questioning.
“He is my guest. As is protocol, he will be treated with full guest rights of Wakanda. That is my order as Queen.”
T’Chaka sighed at that, the fight and all the energy leaving his body at that, before he bowed at Shuri, “As the Queen commands,” before leaving. The doors closed behind the defeated king–there was definitely a story behind this whole awkward family dynamic but he sensed that it was not the right time for royal drama.
“So,” He began, extending his hand for a handshake, “I am Mysterio.” T’Challa shook it with a wary gaze but did not put any extra pressure to score some dominance points or something equally cringey like that.
“T’Challa, Prince of Wakanda,”
“And the Black Panther, I presume?” He led on, purposefully looking at the suit he was wearing, the Vibranium very clearly visible.
“Yes, that is the Black Panther,” Shuri commented from behind them, something that T’Challa seemed to disagree with, based on his facial expressions but did not say anything to his sister, probably because an outsider was present as well, and like the sensible person that he was, T’Challa did not want to spill their dirty laundry to an outsider.
Apparently, Shuri did not share his approach and blurted out, “Traditions–” Wow, he could feel the double quotation marks there, “--dictate that the King or the Queen must be the Black Panther, acting as both the highest ruling body as well as the highest combat prowess of Wakanda. Well, Traditions can go shove themselves–”
“Shuri!” T’Challa almost shouted, affronted at the colour language.
“Well, you know where. Anyway, I think that whole thing is stupid. Yes, becoming the Black Panther gives a qualitative improvement to one’s brain as well, so overall decision making will be fine but I believe that becoming King should not just be a matter of strength, like it is now. Strength is one thing but intellect is necessary. Which is why T’Challa is the Black Panther and I am Queen.”
“That is not how that works, Shuri. We have been—” T’Challa began, trying to explain something that had obviously been done a hundred times before this.
“Besides,” Shuri continued, oblivious to T’Challa’s explanation, “I don’t have time to go jumping around arresting criminals. I have a country to run and its future to plan. T’Challa here is the muscle anyway, so he remains the Black Panther,”
All the while, he just stood there, waiting for this to be done. IT was also somewhat entertaining so he let it happen. All that was absent was a nice bucket of popcorn that could automatically refill itself. Damn, he really needed something like that from the Ancient One for their next movie night, whenever that is. Despite having telekinetics with him, it was actually just as bothersome to use mental focus to bring popcorn instead of just having it ready in a never ending bucket.
Maybe he could plan that during the week that the SCIENCE! team was scheduled for a vacation?
Nah! Let them relax, away from anything that might remind them of work.
____xx____
“So, what do you need me for?” He asked the million dollar question after going through most of her plans, including the very realistic probability model that she and Griot built for the consequences on the economy and the way their society worked, if her plans for medicines actually went through.
Not gonna lie, they were a little disturbing to read through, since the reports had hyper accurate information, down to the last neighbourhood in cities, areas that would fall sooner than later, areas that would fall because of religious tensions, areas that would fall because of greed and outside sabotaging, areas that would fall no matter what happened.
It was kind of fascinating to see that Griot and every other mode that Shuri built recognised that New York as a city would remain untouched. No large scale damage or riots beyond the initial blip. Most of the models listed the population’s mental resiliency and some other factors as the reason, which both Shuri and he knew were not the real reason for that. Alas, Shuri could not find out the exact reason why all her models gave her the exact same result despite tinkering with the parameters.
After all, New York was the place where the most shit went down and despite all of that happening, no one left that place. Also, most heroes had something or other in that city. The Sanctum was in that place and most of all, he loved the New York skyline and nothing would happen to that as long as he was alive.
“Like you said, my plans are radical and while I do understand the necessity, I don’t think going in with my pace will do Wakanda any favours.”
“No, you will not,” He agreed wholeheartedly, and also a little relieved that Shuri was not just dead set on getting this insane plan of hers rolled out. “But what made you think about medicines only, though? Why not something else? And if you are set on medicines, why not just let it play out over a long period of time instead of shocking the system?”
Shyri was silent for a moment before replying, “Time. Time that Wakanda does not seem to have. Bast agrees as well, that Wakanda needs to be present on the global stage, as an ally and a member of the Earth’s ruling class in less than 10 years.”
His brows furrowed at that particular piece of information. Did Bast have precognitive abilities or something? 10 years puts them around 2018, the same year Thanos began moving, and the year the Snap happened.
Hmm. Something to investigate later on.
“Any idea as to why?” He asked Shuri, to which she shook her head in negative.
“I see. Any other issues you can solve? Like plastic polluting the ocean? Look, all I can tell you is this. No matter which angle you take, the ruling class on the planet is going to want Wakanda destroyed and its resources pilfered, just like every other developed nation on the planet.
What is going to be different is that Wakanda has something that no one else has.”
“Vibranium.” She knew where he was going with this.
“Yes, that. So, no matter how you reveal yourselves, the people in power are going to hate you just for existing. The people might love you, you might solve many of their problems but I know how dumb people can be and how easily they can be swayed, with just a few dollars.”
“So, you say we do nothing?”
“No, that will not work as well. See, you will, first of all, have to work on your security. Prepare for war, but never fire the first shot, I read that somewhere. Work on your logistics. Make sure you have no moles; your people can safely survive inside this bubble for months on end. Plan and plan and plan, then, maybe, you can shock the world without getting the worst-case scenario in return.
“So, no ideal case scenario then?”
“Sadly, no,” he shook his head at that, “the mere fact that your people have been hidden and absent for all the atrocities of the past century is something that will be thrown in your face even when you greet them with a cake in your hands. You need to understand that victory is not an option for what you are trying to do.
You can’t make everyone like you. The best you can hope for is an uneasy acceptance of your existence, along with programs for better integration over generations. Nothing concrete right now, and that, as much as I loathe the status quo, is the way to put your best foot forward without the aforementioned millions dead.”
Shur remained silent for a long time after that, so he took it upon himself to break the ice.
“Of course, you did not need to be told that because you are much smarter than anyone here. You just needed confirmation that you were in a losing position, even before you were born. Unless you just take your country and fuck off to space, giving the middle finger to everyone on Earth, you have to take the current hand and deal with the fallout on the world’s terms, not yours.”
“Excuse me,” Griot interjected here, “Aren’t you underestimating Wakanda? And heavily overestimating the rest of the world? As far as I can find, there has barely been a united front on any subject for the rest of the world for decades now. Why do you think they will unite at the drop of a hat? As if they will drop their hatreds and work against Wakanda the second we reveal ourselves?” The confusion and anger in the voice were understandable.
He didn't even have to explain it himself as Shuri replied, “Human nature, Griot. Something so complex that even we humans do not understand it, yet. People will drop their hatred as soon as a new convenient target presents itself. The ruling class thrives on this anger being directed away from themselves so that is what will happen.”
He sighed at that. The situation? shitty, in a word.
