Egyptology - Moon Knight

𓀀 Where it All Began𓀀

"I've told you my story, now will you tell me yours?"

"My name is Marc, I'm Khonshu's current avatar, and we have to stop Harrow from releasing Ammit. That's all you need to know."

She was a little taken aback by his answer, used to Steven's sweet nature. This Marc was very down to business.

"So what's next then?"

"Next, I go to Egypt. Harrow's got the scarab, thanks to Steven-"

"Don't blame him."

"-And I need to go after him."

She nodded. "I'm coming too."

"No-"

"Did you not hear me? Or were you too busy blaming Steven? I was Khonshu's avatar, and for a good twenty years. I started out as the daughter of a lover of all things Egypt, and now I have a PhD in Egyptology myself. I'm well versed in all this."

"I get that, but it's too dangerous. No, I gotta do this alone. Sorry, but you can't come."

With that he stalked away, leaving a very taken aback Eva in his wake.

Are you mental?! cried Steven. She's perfect to have along!

"What part of trying to protect her from all this don't you understand?" Marc shot back. "The closer she is to me, the closer she is to the danger. Sorry Lover Boy, but what's best right now is to be nowhere near her."

𓀀 𓀀 𓀀

Cairo

I don't like this. Give me back the body and piss off!

"In your dreams."

Don't talk to me about dreams!

When Marc returned to his hotel room after the very strange experience in the Great Pyramid with all the avatars of the gods, he returned to find a neatly scrawled note in his room.

Someone had been here.

The Egyptian Museum,  14:00

Marc sighed. He didn't have time for this. He had to find Senfu's sarcophagus.

The museum was bustling with tourists and locals. There was a special display on King Tut, of course, which seemed to draw the most attention.

He noticed her red hair right away.

Eva! cried Steven in delight. She's here!

"Yeah, I can see that," Marc responded with much less delight.  He strode over to her. "I told you not to come."

"And what made you think I would listen?" Eva's eyes didn't leave the display. "This is where it all started, you know. God, I love this place." She leaned closer to the display, so close her nose nearly touched it. "Hello old friend," she whispered to Tut.  Then she turned to Marc.  "You know, I did a bit of digging into you, Marc Spector. A Jewish-American mercenary. Divorced from your wife, Layla El-Faouly, and covered in blood wherever you go. A really wanted man."

"All the more reason to stay away."

"I've never been one to avoid danger." She was back looking at the display. "Wonderful things," she murmured. "Wonderful, wonderful things."

𓀀 𓀀 𓀀

Marc was clearly not thrilled to have her along. He was even less thrilled when Layla rejoined them.

However, Layla secured them a meeting with her contact, Mogart, who was the current owner of Senfu's sarcophagus, Sefu being a Medjay who had known the location of Ammit's tomb. Harrow had already reached his goddess's resting place, so they had to act fast. 

"Please just let Steven out before you blow this," Layla told Marc.

"Not a chance," was his response. 

"This is my husband, Rufino Estrada, and this is Doctor Crawley, an Egyptologist we hired to authenticate the sarcophagus," Layla introduced them to Mogart and this crew. 

"Layla, you think I would have anything but authentic?" said Mogart. 

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Just in case."

"Well a pleasure, Dr. Crawley." He took Eva's hand and kissed it.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine. I can't wait to get my hands all over this."

"I'm afraid there will be no touching of the artifact, only looking."

"But I was hired to authenticate it."

"Still, no touching please."

"Very well. I will do my best then."

Layla gestured. "Thank you, Doctor."

Under the scrutinizing gaze of Mogart and his guards, Eva stepped forward towards the sarcophagus. Marc followed.

"Steven's freaking out," Marc muttered.

Eva smiled. "Aw, he must be so excited."

"He is."

They both circled the coffin from opposite sides, taking in the details - well, at least she was. 

Isn't it fantastic? cried Steven.  I've never been so up close to one before without the glass!

"All right, what do you see?" Marc asked, sounding impatient.

"Well, the burial practices are in line with the Studenwachen texts..."

"The what?"

"It's legit," she summarized. 

"No, no, shut up!" Marc hissed. 

"Pardon?"

"Not you, Steven. He's going on and on about something."

"The cartonnage?"

"The what?"

"The material here. It was used in funerary masks."

"That's exactly what Steven was saying -  how did you-"

"Great minds think alike, as do kindred spirits. See if we take this first piece and fold it over the middle piece-"

"Like this?"

"Yes, exactly. Then-"

"Hey, what are you doing-" One of the guards stormed over and grabbed Marc by the shoulder. Marc responded to the confrontation by grabbing the gun from the man's hands and pointing it at the guard.

Definitely the wrong move. 

(Love Steven and Marc's constant arguing! And it appears that another identity is trying to take control...

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed as always! :))