Neferpitou moved like a specter through the inner streets of Wakanda, her retractable claws lightly brushing the polished vibranium floor as she advanced. It had been days since she infiltrated the city, slipping through shadows after her initial clash with the Avengers and the Wakandans. The King had been clear: she was his eyes and ears within the walls, a hidden blade poised to sever the nation's tendons before the invasion began. Now, with the plan in motion, it was time to act.
Her feline eyes gleamed in the dimness of a maintenance corridor beneath the central palace. She already knew the layout—she had mapped it all in her mind, memorizing every weak point while blending into crowds as an indistinct figure or hiding in the ducts. The metallic scent of vibranium mingled with the sweat and fear of the guards patrolling above, oblivious to her presence. *Fools,* she thought, a subtle smile curling her lips. They trusted their shields, their technology, but they didn't see what crept among them.
Pitou reached a panel embedded in the wall, a critical node in the power system that fueled the city's outer shields. She had sabotaged smaller points in the days prior, but this was the heart of Wakanda's defense. With an almost delicate motion, she pried open the compartment, revealing a tangle of wires pulsing with energy. Her Nen flowed like a fine mist, seeping into the circuits. It wasn't overt destruction—she didn't want alarms blaring yet. Instead, she planted a subtle flaw, an overload that would only trigger when the shields were pushed to their limit.
She stepped back, licking her claws with an almost feline satisfaction. Through her Nen connection, she sensed Millena's signal: the portals were open, the troops were coming. Pitou closed her eyes for a moment, envisioning the chaos to come. *The King will be proud,* she thought. She turned, vanishing into the shadows again, ready to sabotage her next target—a communications tower coordinating the internal defenses. Silence was her weapon now, but soon the roar of war would echo through Wakanda.
#### Millena's POV
In the biting cold of the Arctic, Millena stood before a shimmering portal, sweat trickling down her forehead despite the freezing temperature. Nen pulsed in her hands, keeping the passage stable as Chimera soldiers crossed through in silence. On the other side, the dense jungle surrounding Wakanda swallowed the creatures, their carapaces glinting briefly before blending into the shadows. She knew Pitou was already inside, preparing the ground, and that Evelyn was ready to unleash chaos. But the weight of the invasion rested on her—the portals were the lifeblood coursing through the King's plan.
"Faster," Queen hissed at her side, her scorpion tail whipping the air with impatience. "The King doesn't tolerate delays."
Millena shot a sharp glance at her companion. "If I speed up any more, I risk losing control. Do you want our soldiers popping up at the bottom of a volcano? Shut up and let me work." Her voice was icy, but inside she felt the crushing strain of keeping multiple portals open at once.
She adjusted her Nen, opening a second portal a few kilometers from the first, this one positioned near a ravine Pitou had identified as a blind spot in Wakanda's defenses. Elite soldiers—larger Chimeras with reinforced claws and intelligent eyes—began to cross, moving with near-military precision. Millena had trained them herself for this task: infiltrate and await the signal to strike the palace from behind while the main forces distracted the outer walls.
A third portal, smaller, opened near the western border, where Evelyn would be waiting. Millena sent a pulse of Nen through it, a silent warning. *It's time,* she thought. She could feel the earth trembling beneath her feet, even from so far away, as if the planet itself sensed what was coming. The King had entrusted her with transportation, and she wouldn't fail. Closing her eyes for a moment, Millena visualized the mental map Pitou had shared: the compromised shields, the troops positioning themselves, the stage being set for Meruem's arrival.
#### Evelyn's POV
Evelyn hovered above the jungle bordering Wakanda, her wings buzzing like a chorus of starving insects. The sky was streaked with purple and orange, the sun sinking slowly as she gazed at the golden city in the distance. Her ears caught everything: the rustle of leaves, the distant hum of shields, the muffled steps of Chimera soldiers emerging from Millena's portals. She smiled, her sharp teeth glinting in the fading light. Pitou had done her work inside the walls, Millena was bringing the brute force, and now it was her turn to shine.
She raised her hands, feeling Nen gather in her throat like a storm about to burst. Her "Sound Impact" was more than a weapon—it was a symphony of destruction, and Wakanda would be her stage. With a controlled scream, she unleashed a sonic wave that sliced through the air, striking the western border where the first guards patrolled. The sound wasn't loud enough to echo across the entire city, but the Wakandans on the front line dropped like puppets with cut strings, hands clutching their ears as blood trickled between their fingers.
Evelyn laughed, the sound blending with her own sonic wave. She flew higher, adjusting her position to target one of the automated cannons guarding the wall. Another scream, more focused, and the device shuddered, its internal mechanics vibrating until a burst of smoke and sparks erupted, disabling it without damaging the vibranium outer structure. *They think they're invincible,* she thought, her eyes gleaming with excitement. *But I'm the end of their arrogance.*
She felt Millena's signal through the Nen—the portals were open, the troops were in place. Evelyn swooped down in a dive, landing on a tall tree to watch the advance. Below, the Chimera soldiers moved like a black tide, their claws tearing the ground as they raced toward the walls. The shields still hummed, but she knew Pitou had weakened them. It was only a matter of time before they gave way completely.
#### Pitou's POV
Inside Wakanda, Pitou heard the distant echo of Evelyn's scream. *Perfect,* she thought, her eyes narrowing as she moved to her next target. She was now in a ventilation duct above a control room, watching the Wakandan technicians monitoring the shields. They hadn't yet noticed the flaws she'd planted—the alarms were silent, the screens showing normal readings. But she knew the system was on the brink of collapse.
With a silent leap, she dropped into the room, her claws slicing the air before the two guards could react. The first fell with his throat slit, the second with a blow to the nape that left him unconscious. Pitou had no time to play; the King needed her efficient. She approached the central console, injecting more Nen into the circuits. This time, it wasn't subtle—the screens flickered, and a high-pitched hum filled the air as the outer shields began to fail in a cascade.
Pitou exited the room as swiftly as she'd entered, climbing back into the duct. Through her enhanced vision, she saw the first signs of the invasion: shadows moving beyond the walls, the glow of Millena's portals, the tremor of the ground beneath the Chimera soldiers' feet. She smiled, connecting to the King through her Nen. *It's done, my lord,* she thought. *Wakanda is yours.*
#### Millena's POV
In the Arctic, Millena felt the strain reach its limit. Four portals open at once—one for the main troops, another for the elite, a third for reinforcements in the ravine, and a fourth, smaller one to stay in contact with Evelyn. Nen burned in her veins, but she held steady, teeth gritted as the last soldiers crossed. The camp around her was nearly empty now, save for Queen and a few guards awaiting the King.
"He's coming," Queen said, her voice cutting through the silence. Her tail pointed to the horizon, where a green figure approached, Meruem's Nen pulsing like a beacon. Millena shivered, not from the cold, but from reverence. She closed the smaller portals, focusing on one final, larger one that would carry the King straight into the heart of the battle.
"Warn Evelyn," Millena ordered, her voice hoarse with exhaustion. "The King wants a spectacle."
Queen nodded, sending the signal. Millena opened the final portal, the air trembling with energy as Meruem approached. She dropped to her knees, not from weakness but from respect, as he stepped through, his golden eyes fixed on Wakanda. *It's beginning,* she thought.
#### Evelyn's POV
Evelyn received Queen's signal and smiled, soaring higher as the sky darkened completely. The King was coming, and she would be the trumpet heralding his presence. She opened her mouth, gathering all the Nen she could, and unleashed a scream that tore through the night like a sonic explosion. The sound struck Wakanda's walls, shattering windows and making the ground quake. The shields, already weakened by Pitou, flickered and fell in several spots, leaving gaps for the Chimera hordes.
Below, the soldiers surged forward, a sea of claws and fangs rushing toward the city. Evelyn saw the Wakandans react—alarms blaring, red lights flashing, Dora Milaje warriors racing to the walls. But it was too late. She dove down, directing another sonic wave at a defense tower. The structure shuddered, its internal systems frying with an audible snap as smoke poured from its joints, disabling it without touching the outer vibranium. The guards' screams were drowned out by the roar of the invasion.
And then she saw him—the King, emerging from Millena's portal, his imposing silhouette stark against the black sky. Evelyn landed on a fallen tree, her eyes shining with devotion. *He's here,* she thought. *And Wakanda will burn.*
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Dawn was near, but the light wouldn't bring salvation. Wakanda's shields were falling, the Chimera troops were advancing, and the King stood among them, a force of nature ready to claim his prize. Pitou, Millena, and Evelyn had paved the way, each with her own dance of destruction. Now, the true war would begin.
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