"America? Really?" Ororo asks, hearing T'Challa's explanation about his talk with Winston.
Ororo had just returned from swimming with Emma, and they wanted to change in their room when T'Challa arrived and told them what happened. He had long talked with Ororo about enrolling her in school, and that it would help her and him if they did that. She was more than interested to see her father's home country again, but unsure whether she truly wanted to stay alone for a while. This solution was one she could live with, however, since T'Challa was never more than a call away.
"I thought you might like to attend the same school as Emma does," T'Challa says.
"What do you think, Emma?" Ororo asks.
"I... I'm very happy about that. And you think my father will truly do what you asked of him?" Emma asks.
"He will."
Emma was more than happy. Her time at school was a constant bullying by a 'Miss Perfect' called Matilda. She was so unlike the Matilda from Roald Dahl and constantly made fun of her and did everything to make her feel bad. But if Ororo, whom she had hoped to see as her very first friend, would attend her school, she would surely start to like it there.
"I think it's a perfect idea, love. What should we do? Should we celebrate this, Emma?" Ororo asks, excited to have someone her age to spend time with.
"Uh... sure if you like."
"No, no, no. You need to speak your mind. Tell me if you like it or not. Otherwise, this won't be a friendship based on mutual understanding. Here, let me tell you..." Ororo went on and on and started to form Emma. In time, she would surely change and become a proud and confident young woman with her powers unlocked. T'Challa had already noticed her headaches and knew that it was only a matter of time until she unlocked her mutant powers.
.
The week of the holiday passed by very quickly for Emma. After she had been taken under the wing of Ororo, who employed T'Challa's help in exploring Cairo, she had finally gotten time to breathe and enjoy her life and not feel miserable all the time. So when the time came that she had to return, she was saddened. But her big hope that Ororo would truly join the Snow Valley School for Girls made her get through it. And indeed, Winston Frost had managed to get an appointment for Ororo to take an 'entrance exam' to see where she stood and whether she could get into the same class as Emma. T'Challa knew that it would be a piece of cake for her.
They boarded the ship, which would take them to Massachusetts. It was one of T'Challa's own ships, which he created for his secret spy network to get around unnoticed. It might look normal on the outside, but inside it was as futuristic as they came.
"So what do you think of Emma?" Ororo asked after they had lain down on deckchairs and were enjoying the sun.
"Why does that matter? I find her to be a sad young woman, who has had to suffer under the abusive man that is Winston and a mother who wouldn't go against him if her life depended on it." T'Challa says.
"Is that so? Tell me honestly, did you talk to her father about her and her siblings?"
"I did. He won't be as abusive as he was before, or I'll take away his business and hand the position of CEO to his son, Christian." T'Challa tells her.
"Why not do it immediately?"
"Because having an experienced man like Winston run things until Christian is older and finished with his studies is the better choice. I won't have all that much time in the coming years to take over everything, despite my going to America for business reasons, too." T'Challa explains.
"What exactly do you need to learn still in America? Didn't you say that Wakanda was far ahead in technology?" Ororo asks.
"Yes and no. There are always uses in getting an official degree, especially for the businessman, Carl Lucas. But the most important reason for going to America is so that I can get hold of the pioneers of certain fields who managed to create extraordinary things without Vibranium. One such man is called Myron MacLain. He has a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering and is the one who created Captain America's shield." T'Challa reveals to Ororo, who has snuggled up next to him.
"Truly? Is it special then? I thought it was just a symbol."
"Haha. It is a symbol, but also much more than that. It was an accident, created by Myron MacLain, who combined three different metal alloys to create it. It is virtually indestructible and will be very useful for Wakanda to have."
"If it was an accident, how are you going to replicate it, if not even the creator could?" Ororo asks.
"Because I know each of the three components used to create the original one."
"Ahh, my man, the genius." Ororo laughs. "So why do you need to go there?"
"All I need is a sample of the third component called Proto-Adamantium. I am hoping to find some of it, and if not, at least get an indication of how he went about creating it. And if I can't get that, at least get some of the next phase, the True Adamantium, which MacLain created trying to replicate Proto Adamantium."
Ororo understood that T'Challa seemed to know much more than he could imagine and had a lot of plans for making Wakanda safe and secure. She never asked him how he knew, or why he was so concerned with being ready or what he was trying to be ready for, because she trusted him completely. She would go to America and study there, together with Emma and acquire a master's degree of some kind. After she was finished, she would go to Wakanda with T'Challa to finally see his country and where he was born, and meet his family and people.
They enjoyed their journey to Massachusetts and the ship's comfort for as long as they could. It would take a while before they were reunited like this again. When they made it to Massachusetts, they were welcomed by members of T'Challa's spy network who posed as an employee of Panther Enterprises.
"Welcome to America, Prince T'Challa. My name is Ezzo," he says.
"Thank you for meeting us here. May I introduce, Ororo Munroe." T'Challa says.
"My pleasure to meet you, Lady Ororo. Please, this way, the house has already been prepared for you."
T'Challa made sure to make use of the time and buy a lot of land and infrastructure. So buying a big mansion in Massachusetts for Ororo and him, or any of their family, was a no-brainer. They settled for a short while and got to know the house, and then set off towards Snow Valley School for Girls. Ezzo drove them to the school, where they were awaited by the Headmistress, Ms. Cruikshank. She was an arrogant woman, T'Challa noticed right away, and saw her disdain for the colour of their skin. But that was no problem for him, because very soon, the woman would be very surprised.
"Greetings, Mr... Lucas, isn't it?" she says and doesn't even offer her hand for a formal greeting.
"Yes, Ms... Shawshank, was it?" T'Challa asks, making fun of her.
"Cruikshank. Not, Shawshank, not even close," she says angrily.
"Oh, I apologise, Ms. Crookskank, but I'm sure that happens often, does it not?" T'Challa continues.
"...No. Usually, those who hope to get into this school are somewhat respectful. Especially if it is my decision whether or not girls get to enrol here, in MY school." Ms. Cruikshank says.
T'Challa helps Ororo to a seat in front of the woman's desk and then takes a seat himself. He places one leg over the other and looks around the room for a moment, seeing the books she has read, to find out whether his first impression of her was indeed correct. After confirming that it was, he turned back to her and smiled politely.
"Apologies, former headmistress, I am usually much more poised and don't make such mistakes. But I'm sure you will get over it eventually."
"Excuse me?"
"You are excused. If you could pack all of your things and then get out by the end of the day, that would be appreciated. I think someone else will show us all of the rooms and accommodations." T'Challa says and stands up.
"Who do you-"
"I already had such a talk a while ago, so allow me to stop you there. The school is no longer your property, Ms. Cruisshank. I bought it yesterday as I was almost certain this might happen. You can take your arrogance and entitlement, which are way out of place, and look for another job. Good luck with that. Now, if you would excuse me, I would like to have a look around." T'Challa says and leaves the room with Ororo.
As they walk out of the former headmistress's room, they are met with a young man wearing glasses. A teacher, from the looks of it. He walks up to them and asks politely.
"May I help you? Are you looking for Ms. Cruikshank?" he asks.
"No, we already had the pleasure of meeting her. I am Carl Lucas, and this is Ororo Munroe. Ororo will be joining the school from tomorrow onwards, and we would have liked to have a look around. Who are you?"
"I-I'm... Ian Kendall... a teacher here. Did Ms. Cruikshank already sign you off on everything?"
"Ms. Cruikshank has been relieved of her post, I'm afraid. A new headmistress will arrive soon. But until then, you are on your own." T'Challa says and finally gets to have a tour of the school. It's a rather small school, but it offers a very good education for girls who are interested in going to University, and that's all that matters. Ororo got to see everything she wanted and was also pleased with it. She could live at Snow Valley, which was also something T'Challa might take care of, if she expressed her desire to do so.
After a full day and a rather restless night, it was finally time for Ororo's first day in school. T'Challa accompanied her personally.
"I'm going to be fine, T'Challa. If they try to bully me, I'll deal with it, and the new headmistress should arrive soon as well, so that is something. I'm sure she's going to be a good one." Ororo says.
"Yes, I'll make sure that she is. I'll see you later. If there's anything, call me, alright?" T'Challa asks.
"Perfectly alright, my prince," Ororo says and kisses T'Challa, leaving after seeing Emma arrive with the butler, Bryce.
T'Challa watches her leave and is then approached by Ezzo.
"Where to now, Prince?" he asks.
"Western Pennsylvania."
"Professor Turner?"
"Yes. It is time to meet the man and have a look at the experiment notes and other observations he made, now that the Sentry is a known hero. It is time to get it going finally." T'Challa says, and Ezzo turns on the car, driving to the airfield.
The private plane takes T'Challa to Pennsylvania, where parts of his spy network have long established themselves after finding Professor Turner's location. They had the job of observing him and copying any notes he made, but not to catch him yet. That's something T'Challa watned to take care of himself. Robert Reynolds was a dangerous and unstable creature. If he found out something was wrong, they would have a dangerous situation at hand, and T'Challa wasn't yet ready for a being of his calibre. But he would be soon.
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I would welcome feedback.
The second FML is still unclear. If you have ideas, I'll welcome them.