Welcome to Disney's Magic of Storytelling podcast, brought to you by Wake Med Children's, because inside every child is a story waiting to be told.
Our storyteller is ABC 11 news anchor Joel Brown.
Hey everybody, it's Joel from ABC 11 and I am going to be reading Marvel's Black Panther.
The story is called Vibranium Conundrum.
Here we go.
Wakanda forever, T'Challa saluted the Dora Milaje as he exited his ship.
Welcome home, his younger sister Princess Shuri said.
How was the UN meeting?
I always enjoy meeting with other world leaders, T'Challa said.
But let's just say it is good to be back home.
It is good to be back, Shuri replied.
There is trouble at the border.
T'Challa and Shuri joined Okoye and a group of Wakandan border tribe farmers in the palace throne room.
One by one, the farmers pulled up pictures of their land.
Sheep had gone missing.
Crops had been wiped away, and the farmers' construction vehicles had been destroyed.
Help us, my king, the final farmer pleaded.
Whoever or whatever has infiltrated our border is destroying our land and our livelihood.
If the border has been breached, we must find the culprit at once, T'Challa said urgently.
Okoye and I will investigate.
I'm coming too, Shuri insisted.
This is just a recon mission, Shuri, T'Challa explained, to see what the threat might be.
Shuri smiled.
Exactly.
If we find that the threat is out there, we need to protect what remains immediately.
She lifted her hand and held up a high-tech ring.
What better protection than the portable vibranium shield I invented?
The trio headed out to survey the area, landing on a farm.
These tracks look fresh, Black Panther noted, and the sheep are frightened, Shuri added.
We can't just leave them here.
Black Panther thought for a moment, then turned to Shuri.
We will take them with us, he pointed to a ring under your vibranium shield.
As Black Panther and Okoye followed the tracks through the farm and into a forest, they found more of the missing sheep hiding.
You're safe now, Black Panther said, directing each sheep on the path back toward the shield.
Soon they heard a faint noise ahead, a deep guttural grunting.
Quickly, they hid behind some brush.
Suddenly, one of the branches started to track.
The creature cocked its head and locked eyes on Black Panther and Okoye, letting out a ferocious roar.
It's a giant wild boar, Okoye said, and it looks like we just interrupted his lunch.
Come on.
Then Black Panther saw that the boar was headed straight for where Shuri was still standing under her shield.
Shuri, watch out, Black Panther called.
Shuri held firm, and so did the shield.
Mission accomplished, she said.
Now what?
We need to immobilize it, Okoye said.
I have an idea, Black Panther said, looking back toward the farm where they'd come from with its construction site.
Okoye, he began, you're a fast runner, right?
Okoye grinned, understanding what Black Panther had in mind.
Just try to keep up, she said.
The duo took off at full steam, leading the boar back toward the farm.
Now Black Panther, shouted.
All at once.
The two warriors stopped running and held their ground while the boar continued charging.
Just when he was nearly upon them, the duo leapt skillfully out of the way and the boar fell into a gigantic hole.
Ah, the art of a simple distraction, T'Challa said with a grin.
Not like your fancy technology, sister.
But it did the job, eh?
Shuri rolled her eyes.
Lucky break, she muttered.
Then she clicked a button on her ring to deactivate the shield, but nothing happened.
Uh-oh, she said.
It's stuck.
Stand back, T'Challa called, getting a running start.
He hurled a flying kick at the shield, but it didn't budge.
Sister, how do we pull the plug on this thing?
Shuri's eyes lit up.
I know.
The vibranium is programmed to defend against attacks, but if you approach it slowly it should recognize the tech in your suit and pair up.
Black Panther raised his hand slowly and rested it against the shield.
It's working.
I can control it now.
I guess my tech still needs some work, Shuri said after she and the sheep had been freed, sounding a bit defeated.
Princess Okoye said kindly your technology is wonderful, but sometimes it takes machine and human beings working together to be successful.
Shuri nodded, you're right.
Well, she said poking T'Challa.
I guess I will let you figure out how to get that back to where it belongs.
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