Chương 230: Arc Eight. Chapter Two Hundred Thirty. Afrika Shocks
"So, now that I've been grilled, what about you? Because right now, I'm getting the luckiest man alive award, while you're getting the what the hell is she thinking prize."
Shuri leaned back and looked at her own soda, "I will adjust. Life in the public eye is nothing new, but you are right, and so far it has been mainly Wakanda. You need help, and that shall be my task. I cannot help with Parker Industries, as Wakandans are forbidden to interfere with the business and technology of others, but I do think that Tony Stark needs to be taken down a peg. He is brilliant, do not mistake my appreciation for anything more than that. His technology is built on the backs of others, however, and right now, he is revelling in using your nanotech as his own. I shall endeavour to set that right, while you endeavour to find practical and profitable uses for it."
Peter nodded, everything had been returned to Parker Inc barring the use of the nanotech, and that was hidden behind threats and blackmail. He needed to get it back legally and without adding to the feud he and Tony were almost close to settling.
"While I may not interfere, I am allowed to lend you a lawyer or two. You need someone who can take Stark Industries, and I can do that. I will get you back your technology, and make sure that it is never stolen again, it shall be my sincerity gift to you."
Peter raised an eyebrow, "Sincerity gift?" and she nodded,
"Yes, a custom, Similar to a dowry but, I give you something you need, to prove that I am not after you for your herd of goats," and Peter laughed,
"Yeah, not too many goats in Brooklyn, rats are probably the best I can do"
Shuri pulled a face and shook her head, "While they can be cute pets, I do not think a herd of rats was what we quite had in mind." Peter shrugged,
"Uh am I supposed to get you one?" and Shuri nodded,
"It symbolises how much you care for the person, and how much they mean to you. Did you not read the scrolls we sent over?" and Peter nodded,
"Of course, but there are at least three hundred, I'm only on box ten." and Shuri laughed,
"I did push for it to be digitised, but the council was most insistent on sticking to the old ways. So, there is nothing?" and Peter sighed,
"No, there is. But, I don't want you to think it's not good enough" and Shuri raised an eyebrow,
"Oh?" and Peter leaned forwards and as his symbskin rippled, the original harness, with its simple spinal and folded design came into view,
"This was my first technopathic creation, my powers striped it down to a more streamline design, I want you to have it." and Shuri smiled as she lifted the sleek, but incredibly heavy design.
"And can I wear it?" but Peter shook his head,
"If you wish, but it is a bit heavy. Once everything is settled, then uh, we can see about the other half?" and Shuri nodded and took his hand
"Once I prove this is not a trap, you would?" and Peter nodded.
"Only after though. I can't with a living thing Shuri. Even if Wakanda only wants to study it to make sure it's safe, would you give up a living creature, knowing that it was going to spend its childhood in a lab?"
"Do not be angry. I understand. My brother chased you and the symbiotes from Africa to San Francisco and to New York, he spied and kept things from you. I understand your hesitance to allow them to be shared with Wakanda, and I understand I must earn the second half of my sincerity gift."
"See, what did I do to deserve this?" and Shuri laughed,
"You must be favoured by the gods, to be blessed with someone such as me. But now, when we land, there is also my brother and mother you must deal with. I have accepted you, and T'Challa is still sore that you went as far as you did with Ororo," and as Peter opened his mouth to defend himself, Shuri lifted a hand to stop him, "I do not. I understand, I felt Talon and I know, I know" and he leant back and shrugged. "Give him time. He is still recovering from our father's death, and dealing with M'Baku."
"And your mother?" he asked,
"She is angry that her daughter is dating such a rogue, disappointed that T'Challa did not do a good job in investigating you, and upset that you are not the kind of man she wants for her son in law." and Peter frowned and tilted his head, questioning her.
"It is not uncommon for someone to have so many wives, but your exploits as Venom, imagined or not, have made their way to our ears. T'Challa should have kept better tabs on your activities and put an end to them as soon as you were even accused of murder, and of course, the penniless idiot who dropped out of school is still stuck in her mind, never mind the success of your CLS, never mind the harness and the wonderful cream that I have spied on her nightstand. You are still a stupid young man, and I guess, as a mother in law she must defend her daughter from you."
Peter laughed, "Yeah, it's like a rite of passage. But, isn't it usually daughters in law who gets pulled through the wringer for stealing their precious sons." and it was Shuri's turn to laugh,
"Wakanda is an equal opportunity society. You are taking her precious baby, so you had better be good enough."
Peter smiled and drank his coke, "I think I can be charming enough." and Shuri raised an eyebrow
"Not too charming, it is her daughter you are to marry." and as Peter's face fell Shuri snorted,
"It is always too easy." and she leant over and patted his hand, "So many problems, having a princess must be so difficult for you" and as he lifted it and kissed it, he nodded,
"One who causes me so much trouble."
"While I am not innocent, I am also not irresponsible. You however need a leash and a handler."
Peter smirked and raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh you are so bad." and she blushed and shook her head as the other meaning hit home, "A personal secretary who can put up with this, and one who is preferably either already under your spell or immune to it. Someone who is neither enhanced nor a host."
Peter leant back, "I have no idea. It's a lot of trust to suddenly dump on one person. I mean, we'd have to tell them pretty much everything." and Shuri nodded. "MJ might know someone, or maybe Pepper. I mean, she had to handle it for Tony."
Right now Peter was beginning to feel out of his depth. From a high school dropout to sudden royal Wakanda was a blur of fighting, murder and sex. Stepping back to take a breath and he was overwhelmed by just how much was going on. Add to that he had to find someone to trust with every secret, to handle the fact that not only was he Venom but the task force he was setting up, it was too much. Marriage seemed like a small thing to outing himself to the world.
"Stay away from journalists. Even if they are on your side, there is always the lure of the story." and he nodded. JJ was slowly going further off the deep end, and with Ultron and Hammer becoming headlines, there was now the theory that Venom had created him with Stark. It was half true but it still didn't make his promotion of Venom's newer cleaner image any easier.
Peter leaned back and rested his hands on his head, and looked over at Shuri, "I know what I want. Parker Inc needs to be better than Stark. Billionaire, Philanthropist, but not a playboy. There is a lot of good that can be done in the world, with my tech and your contacts and influence. People will stop caring about polyamory, and start caring when I give sick kids legs or housing."
"Housing?" and Peter nodded,
"The inside of the bathhouse is my webbing, mixed with a little concrete. Imagine 3D printing a house with that, easy to make and use, just add water to a bag, or even sell it premade and build homes anywhere. Once it's dry it's really tough." Peter had been thinking of just how far he wanted to take things, and while he was an ass, Hammer had been right.
Stark created problems. Sokovia, the Middle East, and Obadiah were all due to Stark's ego and Peter knew that Parker Inc could go down the same route. He needed to be equally as heartless and benevolent. Rich? Great, then the top of the line bells and whistles model will cost you. Poor? The victim of some asshole with a cause and a bomb? Then you can get a lifetime grant, just advertise the CLS and it's yours. He remembered what his uncle told him, and while it applied to his powers it also applied to the money and the technology he could make.
He wouldn't become the next Stark, he would show him that he needed to up his game to become the next Parker. The days of alcoholic bullies with money enough to buy the planet but the personality of a politician were over. Philanthropy had gone out of fashion, and it would be up to Peter to bring it back, and with Wakanda's help, he could make it happen in more than just America.
"I recognise that look. My father had it often enough. I take it you have made your decision." and Peter leant back, smiling and nodding,
"Yup, Peter Parker, New Hero for a New world, but I will need your help, and Peppers, Livs and a whole bunch of people. If I approach Spider-Man, thank he'll just punch me, or think I could maybe get him on my side?"
Shuri shrugged. "I have no idea. The celebration for the totemic champions is taking place at the same time as our announcement, so you can speak to him there."
Peter took in and let out a sigh, "Fisk, anyone else I know?" and Shuri tapped on her tablet and handed it to Peter,
As his brow furrowed he looked at the list, Aaron was on there, but so were two names he had been given by Fury, Sam Wilson, a Shield Agent and Scott Lang, a potential for Shield before they discovered Hank Pym was his mentor. If the phrase bad blood applied to anyone, it was Hank Pym.
If Tony Stark quit drinking and instead took asshole pills every day then you would get Hank Pym. Blaming Shield for a disastrous mission he lost his wife on, he refused to share any technology he created, even leaving an agent, Ava Starr, crippled and unable to live properly, rather than help Shield to cure her.
To see his name rang bells in Peter's mind and as he frowned he pulled Scott's file, and Shuri peered over the edge of the tablet, "ahh, the Ant-Man. Yes, we have already had words with Mr Pym, and Scott is to be thoroughly checked before he enters Wakanda." Peter shrugged, and she laughed, "read his technical powers," and his eyes went wide as he saw.
Quantum shrinkage. Pym had figured out how to miniaturize anything, as well as affect its molecular density. He could shrink a building and make it weigh no more than a coin, or make it heavier than a neutron star. It was incredibly dangerous but impressive technology.
"You think he'll try to take stuff?"
"He is a totemic warrior, and as such he is accorded all rights of hospitality we can give him, but yes, I think unless we screw things down they will be missing by the end of the celebrations," and Peter laughed,
"I'll make sure he behaves, Sam will probably want to talk to me, and I'm sure Scott will follow." Most of the pictures showed them together, with an attractive black-haired woman. His powers were all technology-based, and in that, Peter had a huge advantage.
The air stewardess, who Peter noticed giving him glances throughout the flight, came over,
"We are landing soon. I will take these and once the light goes on it will not be long until we land." and she bussed their cans and wrappers,
"And that is something else you need to decide. Many Wakandan women saw that video, and as I said, many exploits, real or not, have reached our ears. You will have many desirable women chasing you."
Peter leaned back and grabbed his seatbelt. Taking a breath he clipped it around his waist and shook his head,
"No, Selene taught me causal relationships aren't my thing. There needs to be a spark of something or," and he shrugged one shoulder, "its just sex, and well." and Shuri laughed,
"Oh we are also well aware that those stories are not imagined." and as she bit her lip and stared at Peter's waist, "and we are looking forward to finding out for ourselves."
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