"Impossible!" snapped Shuri. "Asgradian greats are extinct."

"Oh yes, I know," said Zola. "But before they were driven to extinction, Odin allowed us to study their biology. He thought perhaps we could find a way to clone them, but alas their biology was too foreign to anything in our realm.

"Then how the hell are we supposed to hunt one?" asked Aneka.

"Well since we studied their biology we have enough data to make a-"

"Hard light hologram," finished Shuri. "But that's not the same as actually hunting a real one. Holograms cannot predict actual behavior. You need to program that."

"We did," continued Zola. "We programmed this one to behave similarly to a grizzly bear, protecting its young."

"That's, that's just not real. That's not fair," snapped Shuri.

"I'm sorry, who said any of this was going to be fair little princess?"

"Don't call me little princess."

"I'll call you whatever I want to call you," barked Zola. "This is my domain in case you have forgotten. I told you; no special treatment, not here. Maybe if you kill this thing you might earn a modicum of respect."

"I'll remember this when I become queen."

"IF you become queen." Zola towered over Shuri as the two refused to break eye contact. "But before you start planning for your brother's death, how about you actually kill this thing first."

"Um, am I the only one wondering how we're supposed to kill a hologram?" asked Idie.

"Oh Hanuman give me strength. You're another outsider? She said hard light hologram you idiot," snapped Asira.

"Don't call her an idiot," said Aneka as she ran her shoulder into Asira, "It wasn't very long ago that the Jabari were also seen as outsiders."

"Yes, we were excluded, but we were always seen as Wakandan."

"Barely," spat Shuri from the corner of her mouth. 

"And whose fault was that little princess?"

"Call me that again and see what happens!"

"Enough!" snapped Zola. "You truly are children. And if you continue to bicker among yourselves instead of working together, you will remain children in the eyes of your people forever. Now, what do you want?"

"A fair hunt."

"From the cache Shuri!" said Zola.

"Oh, I'll take a board." mumbled Shuri under her breath. 

Aneka took another board and Idie took a spear. Asira was the first of the initiates to request a swing.

"A what?" asked Zola. "A swing? That is some old school tech." Zola retrieved the swing from the cache and handed it to Asira.

She fastened the swing over her butt and around her hips just as the hover craft arrived on the hill, at the edge of the Mute Forest. The side of the vehicle slipped open to reveal the gorgeous beast.

The Asgardian great stood on all fours towering over everyone. It had to lower its head to exit the craft and as it did the sunlight hit its white feathers which sparkled with a kaleidoscopic gleam. It was truly a beautiful creature, like something out of a storybook. Not quite bird, not quite bear. It stood covered in pristine white feathers as it stretched its black beak into the air. It began making its way into the forest and with every step the earth shook under its tremendous weight. 

"Kill the creature and return to us as women of Wakanda. One final warning Shuri."

"Yes mistress, what now?"

"No tech allowed besides what I have given you. If I find out you have some piece of nanotech up your sleeve that you use during the hunt, you will not pass your initiation."

"Understood," shot back Shuri as she sailed into the forest atop her hover board. 

The team made their way deeper and deeper into the Mute Forest. The forest was called that because of the lack of artificial trees or techno organic matter. Just like all the other forests outside of Wakanda, this one was all natural. 

"I'm heading up to get a better view of things," said Asira. "Try not to break a nail while I'm gone little princess."

With that, two cables shot out of the swing on either side of Asira's hips. The cables spun around a branch and Asira soared into the air after them.

"Don't mind her," said Shuri, turning to face Idie. "All Jabari are like that. Its like they were raised by gorillas."

"Its like the pot calling the kettle black," mumbled Aneka under her voice.

"Excuse me?"

"Come on Shuri. You can also be pretty rude at times."

"I'm just blunt and honest. The Jabari are animals."

"And the panther's aren't even a little condescending?"

"Can you guys just support me for once. Keep talking like that and I'll ensure you shaved your head for nothing."

Aneka motioned as if she was zipping her mouth closed just as Asira swung down from the trees. 

"Okay I found it. Its near the river," said Asira.

"Well looks like you're good for something," responded Shuri. "I've got a plan for killing it."

"Um, excuse me, I'm the one who found it and I've already thought of a plan."

"Well it won't be as good as mine so lets just skip past that."

"See this is what I was talking about Shuri," responded Aneka.

"That's it, you're never going to be a Dora Milaje. Not as long as I'm in the royal family. All that training and head shaving was for nothing."

"What the hell?"

"What the hell? You won't back me up for anything and you want to be part of my royal guard? No way."

"Well firstly I wanted to be part of your brother's royal guard, no one wants princess duty."

"Well you're not gonna get either if I have anything to say about it."

"You little pussy cats need to keep your eyes on the prize," said Asira. "And I actually have a plan to catch this thing."

"We need a serious plan, not some monkey business."

"Wow," said Idie. The three turned to face her as if they had just remembered that there was a fourth member of their team. "What's wrong with you people?"

At that very moment the team fell silent. They had all heard it; a rustling in the bushes and the echoing thuds of its footsteps. The great owl was close, and growing closer.

"Seriously guys, I actually have a good plan," whispered Asira.

"Shut up!" responded Shuri.

Asira rolled her eyes, and thank god she did. She caught a glimpse of a patch of white feathers disappearing behind the canopy of leaves above them.

"Its in the trees!" shouted Asira.

The giant monstrosity descended on top of them, its black claws extended like obsidian daggers from its snow-like white paws.

Asira shot a cable out of her right hip into a branch as her body was jerked out of the way. Shuri and Aneka kicked the back of their boards as they shot into the bushes. Idie stood frozen, spear in hand as the Asgardian great owl pounced on top of her.

"Damn Fool!" shouted Asira from her perch on a branch a few meters into the air.

Shuri and Aneka looked back over their shoulders to see Idie consumed by a mound of white feathers. They immediately grabbed hold of their nearest tree, spun around it and raced back to her. 

Asira, firmly perched in the tree, shot her cables at the owl. her left cable spun around its beak, wrapping it shut, as the right cable found itself wrapped around the beast's back leg. Asira braced herself against the tree as she reeled in her cables, pulling at its beak and leg, trying desperately to pull the owl off Idie. A second later Shuri spun off her hover board as it careened into the beast's eye. The owl arched its head back as it let out a deafening shriek. Asira fought against the strength of the Owl. She could not pull it any further back, but she could stop it from moving any further forward. 

Aneka followed after Shuri, kicking her board out from under herself and sending it crashing into the owl's neck. The own fell over to its side, revealing Idie under it. Her eyes were closed and she was not moving. Shuri rolled under her, lifting Idie onto her back as she tried to run.

Half a second later, the Asgardian great owl was back on its feet. It used its front paw to scratch at its beak until the cable came loose, before shaking its head free. Its one eye was still red from Shuri's board, but from the other it fixed on Shuri and Idie, as they tried to limp away. 

Aneka shouted and threw stones at the beast trying to get its attention, but to no avail. The beast lurched forward, its beak snapping at Shuri's head. Luckily it came up short as Asira's final cable continued to pull at the owl's hind leg. But just then, Asira felt a sudden crack tearing through the branch she was using for leverage. 

"I can't hold it much longer!" shouted Asira

"Asira! what was your plan?" shouted back Shuri.

"Oh so now you want to know?"

"Guys!" shouted Aneka.

"The river!" shouted Asira. "It was near the river so we could-"

"Short circuit! I got it!" Shuri pivoted to limp towards the river as the shrill shrieks of the beast echoed behind her. 

With a thunderous crack the branch beneath Asira's feet burst into splinters, sending her crashing into the ground with a thud. The owl bounded forward, galloping on all fours, dragging Asira through the forest behind it. As it did, Aneka noticed Idie's vibranium spear laying on the ground. 

Shuri made it to the river just as she remembered she had not brought her hover board with her. 

Oh Bast! how am i going to short circuit it. she though to herself. "Asira, I need a board!"

"I'm a little busy right now!" shouted Asira as she was dragged through the undergrowth behind the lumbering owl. 

The Asgardian great burst out of the tree line onto the riverbank. Shuri lay Idie, half sunk, on a small island in the middle of the still river, as she turned to face the beast. Its black eyes, like dark pools, reflected Shuri's image back at her. She was out of options. Idie was beginning to regain consciousness on the small island behind her. Asira, a tangle of cables, plants and blood, was laying motionless behind the beast, and Aneka was nowhere to be seen. She reached behind herself, into a small pouch hidden by her belt, where she pulled out a small black pen-like device. 

"Come on you stupid animal!" 

The owl leaped forward into the water as Shuri lifted her device into the air. The device began glowing blue as the owl opened it black beak to reveal rows of blood red teeth. Just as Shuri was about to bring the device down on the water, she felt a hand grabbing her back and throwing her onto the soft green of the island. It was Idie.

With blood still dripping from a gash on her forehead and at least a few broken ribs, Idie stepped forward. She lifted her right hand into the air as the owl's beak began to descend upon her and as she touched the water it instantly turned to solid ice, trapping the giant beast within. Shuri's jaw dropped at what she was seeing.

Idie turned to face her and Shuri saw that Idie's right eye was glowing blue. 

"Who, what are you?"

A single tear began falling down Idie's cheek as her left eye ignited bright red. 

"I, I dont know." 

With that, Idie extended her left arm towards the owl. With a flash, a torrent of flame shot from her palm, engulfing the owl in fire. The beast shrieked and fought against its icy prison as it burned. Flaming feathers flew through the air with chunks of ice, as a glowing beam of fire continued to flow from Idie's hand into the beast. 

Idie clasped her left hand into a fist and just as quickly and strangely as the fires had ignited, they suddenly stopped. Aneka sailed overhead atop her board before careening downward, driving her spear point into the owl's head. The Asgardian great let out one last groan before its eyes rolled backward and its body collapsed onto the ice.