The Outstanding: Moon Knight
War is hell. The real question is how does one escape hell? Marine general Marc Spector asked himself this question everyday. He was currently fighting in Egypt. Some terrorist group had sprung up there. Marc was so tired from the wars he had fought in that he simply did not have the capacity to remember the name. His father was a rabbi. After begin told how much potential he had had to be a great rabbi all his life it surprised everyone that he turned to join the army instead.
"MARC! LOOK OUT!"
Those were the last words he heard in his sane life.
When he finally came to his senses he found himself drifting down a river in an underground cavern. All his military training screamed for him to pull himself out of the river and get medical attention and help but, his own will made him drift sleepily down the river. Soon, he hit a small waterfall but, once again, Marc's dazed attitude led him to give a half smile before taking the fall.
When Marc awoke again he found himself at the foot of a great statue wearing a white cloak and carrying a staff.
Marc chuckled as he turned his eyes upward…
In New York City taxi driver, Jake Lockley, pulled up to a museum.
He smiled kindly as the old woman he had been driving around tipped him, "Have a nice night ma'am and don't let those kids make you run around too much."
"Oh you are too nice Mr. Lockley." The woman smiled.
Jake loved his job it allowed him to meet such interesting people. As he turned his head he noticed a strange statue on the steps of the museum. It was wearing a shining white cape and a staff. He turned his eyes upward…
In Los Angeles millionaire, Steven Grant, was relaxing on the couch with his girlfriend Marlene Alrene.
"Look what I got at the auction, baby!" Marlene said excitedly.
Steven smiled as his girlfriend rushed to a large crate that had been shipped in from Egypt.
"They say it's an authentic statue of an ancient Egyptian god." Marlene revealed.
"Oh is it now?" Steven toyed.
"Yes it is!" She squealed happily as she removed the packaging.
As the box fell to the ground and bright white cape and a staff became visible. A strange being seemed to be carrying them. Steven's eyes moved to meet the strange being's eyes…
Marc Spector screamed in madness. Visions of the night and what lurked in the deep corners of it filled his mind. He saw a god fighting for vengeance against all sorts of unknown beasts. Then a road lain out in front of him and a solitary person behind him. Then the New York stock exchange flashed before him as he was handed a very large check. Following this was his memories of past wars he had fought in. Three lives merged into one and Marc Spector passed out on the floor in front of the statue. The bullet wound he had in his stomach closed up.
On New York the taxi cab company put up a missing persons alert for Lockley. He had never returned from dropping off his last customer of the night. Similarly, in Los Angeles, Marlene Alrene had called the police to find her boyfriend after he disappeared in the night. At around the same time the U.S. Army had proclaimed Spector officially dead. There was no one to grieve this loss.
Marc Spector stirred once more. The statue in front of him had disappeared leaving the staff lying on the floor before him. He quickly realized that he was wearing the pure white cloak. And found a solid white body armor covering him and strange metal spikes around his fist each spike covering a knuckle. He bent down and picked up the staff. He shook his head and headed down a tunnel with a light at the end of it
A few minutes later he had stripped out of the strange uniform and headed to a store in the airport. There he picked up a large suitcase in which he placed the staff and cloak along with the armor. A few minutes later he was on a plane heading home.
Steven Grant woke up and stretched. Quickly he turned his head. This was not his LA property and that morbidly obese woman next to him was certainly not Marlene. Steven cringed. The last thing he remembered was looking into that weird statue's eyes. The rest was a haze.
"Umm excuse me, Miss, but do you know where this flight is going?" Grant asked the fat woman next to him with a cheesy grin.
She gave him a look like he was high then replied, "Boston," and turned around.
Grant kept his grin up and said, "Thanks, could I bother you to ask where it is coming from?"
The fat lady grunted and replied, "Egypt."
"Egypt! How in the world did I end up in Egypt?" Grant thought. Soon, Grant had fallen back asleep.
Jake Lockley awoke as the plane was landing. He rubbed his face and turned to the fat lady sitting next to him. He noted instantly that he was on a plane. Jake put on his disarming smile as he politely asked the lady where they were landing.
"Listen punk. I don't know if you're on crack or something but for the last time we are landing in Boston."
Jake stammered out an apology as he got up and went outside to find a cab. After he hailed a cab he asked to be driven to Gena Lander's diner in Cambridge. Gena had been a good friend of Lockleys and she had told him if he ever needed help to come to her and now he needed more help than normal.
As the cab drove down the forsaken road a large shining full moon appeared above them. Jake Lockley stared into it. As he stared a suitcase appeared next to him. Slowly he opened it and found a silver white cape and a staff. Jake wiped his head. This was all too much for him. In the road in front of them a man was standing as if he was in pain. Jake's caring nature overtook his concern as he got out of the cab and approached the man.
As Jake drew closer the man changed into a wolf-like beast and charged at Lockley. This movement caused Spector to awaken. His military instinct caused him to rush back to the cab and pull on the cape and armor. He grabbed at the staff and engaged the beast. Dodging every slash and beating away the beast's paws with the staff Spector was truly showing his military prowess. Soon though, Spector grew tired. Steven Grant awoke amid a flurry of claws. He ran his hand across the staff and found a lever. As he pushed the lever a scythe blade shot out of the top of the staff.
"All this weaponry and no way to use it." Grant muttered.
Next to the werewolf a strange apparition of what seemed like a half bird half man appeared, holding a scythe. Grant did his best to follow the motions of the bird man. Soon enough the werewolf had been injured enough o give up and limp away. The bird man nodded and disappeared. Grant once again was awestruck as Spector awoke.
Spector returned to the cab quietly as he removed the cape and armor and returned them to the suitcase.
"Take me to D.C. I can cover the charge." Spector said unemotionally.
"Sacre bleu! After that anything you want Mr. Lockley." The cabbie replied.
Spector was left with his thoughts the rest of the ride home. The fact that the man called him Lockley instead of Spector surprisingly troubled him the most.
II.
Dawn was approaching rapidly. From his seat in the French man's cab he could see the rays of light begin to color the clouds. After about another hour the man who introduced himself as Frenchie pulled up to the hotel Spector had ordered him to drive to.
"Thanks for the ride. Keep your head down and don't mention what you saw last night," Spector stated as he reached into his pocket to pay the man, "I'll need you again tomorrow morning. I'll call you."
As he brushed his hand across the bills Spector fell into a deep sleep and Steven Grant awoke.
Remembering what had happened the previous night Grant shivered a little. By now Grant was almost used to waking up in strange places which allowed him to smile at the cab driver and head for the hotel.
The light from the new day made Grant feel almost woozy.
"Must have been that beast from last night." Grant reasoned.
Soon he was in a comfortable bed in a dark room in the hotel. Grant had fallen asleep and no one woke to take his place.
In a small dirty part of Britain a clandestine meeting was occurring.
"Hello sir, I have invited you here to inquire about your services." The sharply dressed man said with dignity.
"What exactly would my services be, sir?" The dark man asked sarcastically.
"Years ago Steven Grant, a wealthy American, scammed me out of a great deal of money. I want him dead." The first man said carefully as if in fear someone might hear.
The dark man chuckled to himself, "And you thought that the Bushman might be the man for this job? Why me there are many capable assassins in America."
"Well you see there is one problem. Apparently Mr. Grant has gone missing. Find him and kill him and you will be paid handsomely."
"Get me a ticket to America and consider the job done, sir." The Bushman announced.
"Wouldn't you like to know my name, Mr. Bushman?" The rich man questioned.
"You don't know mine and I don't know yours. Let's keep it that way." Bushman said as he turned and walked out of the alley and into the shadow of another building.
Back in Washington D.C. the night was rising and along with the night came Marc Spector. He stretched nonchalantly before he realized he had not checked into the room he was currently residing in.
"I've got to stop blacking out." He scolded himself as he grabbed the suitcase and called the cab driver.
Minutes later the cabbie arrived at the hotel to pick Spector up. As he opened the door he drifted into a sleep and Jake Lockley woke up.
Instantly recognizing the cabbie he greeted him with a warm smile, "Hello Frenchie. Can I ask you why I'm getting into your cab?"
"Euhh, sir you called for me." Frenchie replied confusedly.
"Hmm, I guess I must have or else you wouldn't be here." Lockley laughed.
"Oui, sir. Where to?" Frenchie asked.
"The airport I suppose." Lockley grinned. He still had not gotten used to the black outs.
As Lockley was on his way to the airport the dark man was arriving in JFK. He had taken out the picture of his target and wondered how he would be able to find this missing man. Then, luck struck. A man seemingly very similar to Grant stepped into the airport. The Bushman approached him.
"Hello sir, in a couple of moments you will find yourself dead." Bushman whispered darkly into his ear.
"Umm, excuse me?" Lockley replied with a confused and worried grin.
"You heard me Grant, your days are numbered."
At the mention of his name Grant sprung from his sleep and sprinted towards the door.
"That's right little rabbit. Make the game more fun." The Bushman grinned widely.
Back outside Grant had run into Frenchie's cab again.
"Hurry to the police station, NOW!" Grant screamed.
"Bien sur mon ami." Frenchie replied nervously.
Soon enough Grant and Frenchie arrived at a police station. Behind them a dark man was following. He fired off a couple of shots as Grant changed into the shining robes and armor. He popped the scythe out and deflected the bullets that didn't bounce harmlessly off his chest plate. Soon he had taken refuge in the police station.
"Hello, my name is Stephen Grant from Los Angeles, California and some man just tried to kill me." Grant announced to the policemen.
The policemen looked at him skeptically in his strange outfit before responding, "Ok sir let's check your name on the computer."
A policeman in the back cross referenced his name as Grant noticed one of the policemen's guns which startled Spector awake.
"Where am I?" He demanded.
"Umm sir you just arrived at the police station. You said someone tried to kill you?" The first officer asked nervously. He had seen this type of person before and did not want to mess with him.
"Well I'm leaving. No one tried to kill me. I'm Marc Spector and I'm here to report to the president on the status of my team in Egypt."
The police man was not going to let this lunatic get anywhere near the president. He whipped out a taser and stunned the surprised Spector before calling the psychiatric ward.
Outside the Bushman watched angrily.
"So you've escaped this time little rabbit. Next time we shall see who gets lucky"
When Spector awoke he was in a cold dark cell. Through a crack in the wall he saw a single eye.
"Hello friend," the voice behind the eye said maniacally, "My name is Carson Knowles. Who are you good stranger?"
Spector looked back through the hole at the seemingly floating eye.
"I wish I knew who I was."
Then light streamed through the window at the top of his cell and Spector felt woozy before drifting into another world of