Chapter Text
[Location: unknown]
Everything was black, not even stars in the sky.
His feet were moving without his consent, walking him trough a seemingly endless desert.
"I will avenge you dear boy."
The voice echoed in his head, coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
It made him fall to his knees, clutching his head between his hands, trying to make it stop.
When he looked up and could see a tall figure standing on top the dunes he started running, trying to reach them.
But with every step he took the being seemed to drift away further and further.
He reached his hand out, trying to somehow grab onto it from this distance.
A sand storm was building up behind him, trying to swallow him in its depth.
He tried to escape but something pulled him back by his shoulders.
Ahkmenrah awoke screaming and thrashing.
His hands were punching against his sarcophagus, trying to pry it open, but the locks stayed in place.
He started screaming, begging to be let out.
At first in Egyptian, his mother tongue, because it came more natural to him than breathing did these days.
Then he remembered to use English, calling for Larry specifically, trusting the Guardian of Brooklyn to come and free him.
But the night guard didn't come, the locks weren't opened and no fresh air streamed into his grave.
The grave he had been trapped in for thousands of years, either in his tomb back in Egypt, in Cambridge or even at the museum for 50 years.
He had screamed, he had punched, he had begged but no one had ever aided him (even if they knew- KNEW that he was in there and couldn't get out....).
And now, just like then, no one came as well.
His stomach seemed to twist and turn, making him sweaty and nervous.
He felt sick, his hands trembling as he folded them over his heart, feeling it beat uncontrollably fast.
Ahkmennrah started taking deep breaths, just as Larry had shown him, holding them for a few seconds before slowly breathing out again.
The first tries were shaky, as they usually were, but after a few minutes his breathing evened out and his heartbeat slowed down.
As if on cue, right as his heart had become slow enough to hear something different than its pumping, 2 voices entered his hearing range.
At first, they were muffled, too far away for the young pharaoh to hear but soon they started getting closer and with that easier to understand.
"I don't get what you want me to check out Gary.
This room has no windows and has been strictly guarded since we got here."
"I'm telling ya Kale! I heard something!
It sounded like screaming."
At that Ahkmenrah stayed dead quiet, not daring to move a single muscle.
Had these men taken him? Why?
What was their intention and had they taken other exhibits as well?
He heard something that sounded like slap and a following grunt.
"You're an idiot.
Don't waste my time again or imma cut of your damned toes."
It was silent after that.
Too silent for his liking.
After a few minutes of making sure the men had truly left the room he started quietly praying.
"Hail unto thee, O Messenger of the Gods!
Khonshu, the traveler of the night sky, Who traveleth through the heaven like Thoth.
Thou art the Moon, the light -bearer, The moon by night, and the lord of Ma’at.
Thou art great and mighty oh Moon God, Khonshu, messenger of the Great Gods, Traveler of the night sky in the form of the Moon.
Thou art a child in the morning, an old man in the evening, a youth in the beginning of the year who cometh as a child after he becometh infirm, who renewed his births like the disk.
Thou art the Great God, the Lord of Heaven, Thou art the Great God, Khonshu, the Mighty, who cometh forth from Nut.
Thou art the sun at sunrise and the moon.
Thou art Khonshu the chronographer, who holdest the stylus in thy right hand.
Thou art Khonshu-Nefer-Hetep who hast absolute power over all evil spirits which infest the earth, air, sea, and sky.
Protect me from pain, sickness, and disease.
Protect me from decay, madness, and death.
I invoke thee. Show me thy wisdom.
Thou art Healer and Powerful in Magic!
Protect me!
Accept my call for thy, O Great Moon God Khonshu, he who lives forever."
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[New York, Museum of Natural history]
"HOW CAN WE LOSE OUR MOST IMPORTANT EXHIBIT IN UNDER 15 MINUTES??"
Dr. McPhee was screaming at a police officer as Larry entered the building.
The man's head was red and swollen, looking like it might explode every second.
The poor officer (most likely a newbie, judging by how young he looked) was almost cowering under the angry McPhee, trying to explain himself but getting cut of every time.
Larry sighed, deciding to step in.
"Dr. McPhee!" , he greeted as he stepped came closer, gabbing both men's attention, "What seems to be the problem?"
"What seems to be the prob- WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM??
Daley, one of these days you will be the death of me. An exhibit got stolen in the 15 minutes between the day guard and the night guard shift.
Just poof, gone."
He gulped, an uneasy feeling boiling up inside him.
The words weighted heavy on his tongue as he spoke them: "Who...which exhibit got taken?"
"God Dammit Daley!
It is the Pharaoh and his tablet that are gone! Both worth more than a-"
His boss's angry rant was soon nothing more than background noises, shoved far away from the night guard's thoughts.
Ahkmenrah had been taken and with him his tablet.
Now none of the other exhibits would come to life this night, or the next, or the one after that.
Not until the tablet was returned.
What was more important though, something that worried Larry the most, was the fact that Ahkmenrah, a young adult, almost young enough to be called teenager, was alone somewhere.
Somewhere with people that took him, probably still locked in that awful sarcophagus.
He gulped, nervously picking at his nails.
He really hoped Ahk was okay.
----------
[Egypt, Cairo]
'Roar' by Katy Perry was playing in the background as Steven washed the blood of his hands and face.
He started rubbing harder as an extra stubborn spot of blood on his left hand didn't want to go away.
"Now I'm floatin' like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee, I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero
You held me down, but I got up (hey)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up (hey)
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh"
As he was quietly singing along a voice spoke up, sounding amused.
"Ya really like that song don't'cha ?"
The Brit looked up, seeing Jake smirk at him from the mirror.
He rolled his eyes laughing softly.
"Yeah I know. It's not as badass and cool as the songs you and Marc listen to.
But I like it."
The other man's expression softened.
"Nah it's a good song. I think it fits."
"Mhm?"
"It fits, to you I mean."
Steven looked up puzzled.
"How so?"
He could see Jake get flustered, looking to the side, as he often did when he didn't know how to express his emotions (a thing they were already working on).
"I mean it's just fits...who you are. You're story, you know?" He gestured in Steven's general direction.
"You went from being an anxious guy at a museum shop who was bossed around by his coworkers to figuring out all this shit we three have going on and becoming Mr. Knight in the process.
I dunno...
I just think that you don't realize that enough I guess.."
As much as Steven was surprised about Jake opening up that much he was double as proud.
He smiled one of his biggest smiles at his brother.
"Thank you, Jake!
That was.. Thank you. It means a lot to me."
He could see the alter smiling even as Jake turned away to try and hide it.
Steven turned back to washing the blood of his- their hands.
Blood Marc had somehow gotten all over them, despite wearing the suit.
Khonshu should seriously consider including a 'cleaning-the-owner' function.
"I will be sure to think about it my son."
A gentle hand landed on his shoulder.
Steven didn't need to look up to see who it belonged to, but he did anyway, out of respect and decency.
When he looked over his shoulder he smiled gently at the god.
"Hey Khonshu."
The old pigeon titled his head to the side.
It was gentle and curious, conveying nothing of the danger it had held towards Romanoff in Hell's kitchen a few weeks ago.
"Hey yourself Steven Grant.
I have come here with a matter of great importance.
It would perhaps be better to include all of you into this conversation. Are Jake and Marc listening?"
Steven shook his head.
"Marc was pretty exhausted after latest fight, so he went to sleep a while ago.
But Jake is here, and we both can fill him in later."
The god nodded at that.
"A prayer has reached me, coming from one of my oldest worshipers.
While investigating I have found another group of humans
stealing Egyptian artifacts.
Amusingly they are in New York at the moment."
New York?
Steven had been sure it would take longer for them to get back there.
Not that he was unhappy, quite the opposite.
Perhaps they could visit Peter at some point...?
He looked back up to Khonshu.
"Which artifacts were stolen anyway?"
"The mummy and tablet of Pharaoh Ahkmenrah."
"Wait! Wasn't that the one at the museum we visited?
The on you liked so much?"
The bird scoffed.
"I don't 'like' him.
He is simply a devoted follower of mine."
"Wait...is? You mean was."
Khonshu chuckeld at that, probably amused by his confusion.
"No my son.
Is.
Who did you think prayed to me to begin with?"
Holy shit holy shit holy shit.
"THE MYTHS ABOUT THE TABLET ARE REAL?!"
"You know of them? Curious.
But yes indeed. I was the god who granted his tablet its power.
Every night, the time my power is strongest, time gets rewinded, his wounds healed.
And with that Ahkmenrah, a child of Khonshu, lives again every night since his death."
Steven couldn't say anything.
Didn't know what to say.
But he really wanted to talk to Ahkmenrah!
He was a honest to God ancient pharaoh!!!
"How do we get to New York in time?
Getting plane tickets would take way too long, the thieves could be gone by then."
"I have more power than you might think my son.
I will open a pathway for you to walk trough.
We will depart with the next nightfall of New York.
Rest now, regain your strength. Farewell"
With that the god left, seemingly disappearing into nothingness.