Earth 12/16. USA. Midway City. Midway Collage. 1986. Few months after restart.
It started out as a normal day for Shiera Sanders. She got up, take a shower, eat something, got dress, listen to some music on the radio, and go to class. That was the way things was for her for the last year at Midway Collage. She would hang out with her friends, and talk. She would look up Egyptian stuff and myths. (She always had a thing for it.) and try to buy a pet bird. All and all, her life seem, if a little odd, normal life for a 19 year old girl name Shiera Sanders of Midway City, USA.
However, for the last few months, her normal, if odd, life, was getting more... strange. It started with the headaches. It seem whenever she look and heard about a something, like a kitty, a wolverine, large storms in Africa, a green lantern, and some other things, her head felt it like was getting beat with a jackhammer, and then goes away, just like that. She took the normal meds for that, and even saw a Doctor. The meds did not work, and the doc was not sure what was causing them. Next, was the new teacher in her Egyptology class. Guy was name Carter Hall. He was a Egyptologist from the Midway City Museum. He a name for finding some tombs going back to the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Really cool stuff. However, he was...weird. Hall was always...so nice to her, too nice. Like, it was hard to really explain, but he was always soft talking to her, and gave her good grade, even when her papers was either late, or that get great. Hall also always seem to look at Shiera whenever she was going to her next class, or in the Egyptology class. It was a sort of look you only gave to someone you trust with your life, or care for deeply.
Well, for Shiera, it was creepy and would like it to stop, thank you very much. And to top it off, she was getting stronger. Like, all of a sudden stronger. Yes, she work out at the gym a few times, but now she could run like one of the guys on the track team, and even out do some them, lift people off they feet (Like that nosy freak who try to look under some of the other girls skirt, and sent him flying.) and just last week, she got hit by a car when crossing the street. Normal people? Broken bones, and a stay at the local hospital. Her? Noting more then a few bruise, and cuts.
So, yes. Her life was getting odd, and she did not have a clue on what to do about anything of it. Tell on Hall? Can't, she has no real proof on him, and no one, but her really notice his...thing...with her. And really, she did not feel he was a bad guy. Just having a possible obsession about her. Shiera and most everyone knew that led to bad stuff rather fast. So, her plan was to have a talk about her when classes are over for the day. Not the best of ideas? Maybe, but she was not some weak woman who needed stuff done for her everyday of the week, and she had these...powers. (For a lack of better words.) She could deal with him. What could go wrong? (Famous last words.)
It was late in the day, most students was either hanging out, heading back to they place, or heading out to downtown for whatever reason. She? Shiera was heading down to the archaeology wing. She stop at the door, and look though the widow. She saw Carter Hall at his desk, looking at some mace. OK, that was weird. Next to the desk was two large trunks. One looks to be open and had some stuff taking out of it. OK, even more weird. In the back of her mind, she was really getting a back feeling, and that she should go back. And yet, they was a another part, yelling to go in, and find out the truth. In the end, the letter won out, and Sanders found herself walking into the classroom. Carter looks up, and smiles at her as she walks up. (Creepy!) "Ah, Ms. Sanders, i was hoping you come back after class." He said in a calm way. Shiera was getting a feeling. Not a bad feeling pre-say, but a feeling. "Look, i'm not here for a social call, or anything like that. I'm here because i know you got something up for me, and to be frank, i am really don't like it. So tell the truth, or else, Hall." Said Shiera, who was surprise a bit herself. She was born a stubborn born red head, but even she knew it was bad news to talk bad to higher authority, like someone that could kick you out of collage.
Hall, for his part, did not seem bad, or anything like that. He actually seem happy hear her say thous words. "I was hoping you notice, and to tell the truth, i am sorry about the way i been acting around you, Shiera." He said. "OK...but why?" He just turns to his desk, and takes the mace. He hands it over to her. "Take it." Shiera eyes him and the Middle Ages weapon for a good long second, but she does takes it in her hand. It felt...nice, and...familiar. Like she weird this before, but when? Where? Now things was getting creepy. Hall notice this, and starts to walk to the old projector room the class room had. "Hey! Where you going?" She call to him as she enters the room, the widows was block out. Shiera was serious thinking about walking out, or maybe hit this guy over the head with the mace. This is when something large flew out of the projector room. It flew around the room before landing in front of the redhead. Said redhead was about to try to hit it when she realize who it was. It was Carter. And he was dress up as...well. He had on large, very real looking wings on his back, green and red pants, and a chest pieces with a Hawk in the middle of it. "Wh...what the hell? Are you a...mutant?" Shiera was able to say, taking a step back.. It made sense. She heard about mutants, and all the powers they had. Was Hall one of them?
Carter just laughs at that, and said. "Mutant? No, i'm something else. Something much more, and so are you." "OK, so where..." Wait, time out. What did the hell he mean by 'So are you?' If this day was not bad enough. Well, creepy would be better then bad. "What the hell do you mean by 'so am i?' I don't have big wings on my back." She said, Mace still in hand. "I was getting to that." Hall walks over to his desk and gets something, talking as he does. "The truth is, you and i are the reincarnations of Prince Khufu, and Princess Chay-Ara, Ancient Egyptian royalty who started a golden age for all of Egypt after we found a alien ship. However, we was both kill by the priest Hath-Set to the God, Set, and the Golden age ended. Since then, we have been reborn, time after time over thousands of years. This is our latest life so far. We are, and always will be meant together. " He said, full of truth in his voice.
"..."
"Shiera? I know this is a lot to take it, it was for me, but every word i said is the truth, and..." He was cut off by the redhead laughing, and laughing hard. "Oh my! This whole time i thought you going to kill me, or something like that. But really, you just some nut that's a mutant, or some high tech wings." Hall look hunt, but he could take it. "I know it's a lot to take in, but it's the truth. I know they a age different, but something happen after the last time we die. I am not sure myself, but it cause us to be born at different times. " "And memories? Why can't i remember anything about anything you said, and you did." She said, arm cross. "We never remember our past lives when we are born. It takes time, and artifacts to let us remember who we really are. For me, it was the very sword that kill us both in Ancient Egypt in a tomb near Memphis. It show me everything." Shiera just kept looking at him like he was a nut. Princess Chay-Ara? Reincarnation? Lovers forever? All this seem like something out of a old comic book from the 40's, like the Shadow, or the Spider. And yet...it..made sense. Something deep inside her was telling her that Hall...Carter really was telling the truth. That she was reborn a countless number of times. That...
Suddenly, they was a explosion that threw the two across the room. Hall was able to land on his feet, and the two look up, and saw what cause it. Standing before them, was mummies arm with swords, spears, and sickleswords. Hall rush at them, taking a sword, whine Shiera just got up, and look on. "What...what the hell?! What is this?!" Her thoughts was cut short when one of the mummies got pass Hall, and attacks her with it's sword. She panics, and dodges it's attacks. She swings and gets the mummy in the head. Her attack cause the mummy head twist around. The mummy stops it attack, and fix's it head back. Now? She knew this was very, very real in every way it could be. The mummy roar at her, and charge at her again. It was right then that something fill into place in Shiera mind, like a lost puzzle piece, came into finding it's right place, and she swings again, but this time, with true skill, and power. The mummy head fly's off across the room. The others came at her, one arm with a spear, and a another with a sicklesword. The one with the sicklesword attack first. Shiera blocks it, and then dodges the one with the spear. The redhead acts first, garbing the spear with great force and shoves it int the head the it's wider. It falls at the sicklesword attacks her again. She courts it's attack, and then breaks it's head off with a blow to the neck, hard.
The rest of the mummies was beaten by Hall. He turns and see her handy work. "You could hold you on." He said as he started to walk to her. She then realize her own work, and almost drops the mace. 'W..what the hell did i just do?" She said, not believing she took down 3 undead mummies, even as they lay before her, really dead this time around. Carter is about to say something when a net is throw on him, and before he, or she could do anything about it, shocks him to the down. A net much like him is throw on Shiera, and she goes down. Even as electricity enters her body at high voltage, she is able to look up, and saw more mummies, but most importantly, was the one being lead in the room. He...it...had the head of some animal, like maybe a jackal, but it snout was like that of a aardvark. It had the body of a human. It had on a very lovey shendyt, a neck collar of bright colors, bracelets of blue and gold, and walk with a staff that looks to have the head much like his.
It was Set, the Egyptian God of storms, desert, chaos and war.
He smiles like that of a snake as he walks up to Carter net. "Long have i waiting for this day. Too long have i let that fool of a man, Hath-Set, fail and fail again. Too long have i let proxies try and try again, only to fall down like the failures they are. No, this time, i take action, and i be the winner." He said, he rams the staff into Carter, putting him to sleep. Set then walks up to the redhead as the mummies drag away Carter. "Chay-Ara, no matter the time, your face lights up even my heart. Pity you pick that fool, Khufu, of all people. Oh way, no use of crying in the Nile." Just then, they a great light, and Set calls out, and try's to do something. Shiera rubs her eyes and see she is in the middle of what look out a temple from Ancient Egypt. It was beautifully color, with tall columns that supported the roof. Hieroglyphics cover just about everything. They seem to talk the birth of the world, the many Gods, the past glory that was Ancient Egypt, and much more. Large and small statues of Ra, Isis, Thoth, Anubis, and other Gods. She looks around and saw two people. One had the head of a ibis with a scroll, and the other had the head of a jackal.
She screams.
"I told you should would scream first." Said the jackal man, Anubis, to the ibis headed man, Thoth. By now, the more rational part of Shiera's mind took over, and was having a bit of a breakdown. "Calm yourself, Chay-Ara. You are with friends." Said Thoth as Anubis goes up to her. She yells, swings and hits him up side the head and he goes down. "Ah! I always hated Nth metal!" He said as he pull himself up as Shiera took a step back. "Ok, i what answers! And i what them now! So far, i been told i'm some Princess from Egypt, my collage teacher is my life long lover and dress up like a bird, got attack my freaking mummies, and then a God! A freaking God! So i really, REALLY! Need to be told the truth right now, or i will..." She was yelling before the two Gods. They look at her, and at each other. Anubis then turns to shadows, and disappear. "What the h..." She starts to say, before he pops up behind her, grabbing her from behind. This gets him a another hit from the mace, but also lets Thoth puts his hand on her forehead. Before she had time to react, she is put to sleep.
Some hours later. In the dreams of Shiera Sanders.
She walks up to the balcony over looking Memphis. Her lover was looking out at the city, and the Nile, it's people going about they daily business. She comes up behind him, and wrap her arms around him, kissing him on his shoulder. "Khufu, you are worry, why troubles you?" She ask him. When something felt off with her Prince, something needed to be done. "It is what the wizard said. A ship falling from the sky? Who would say such things? Nabu is not making sense, my love." He said to her. "You must not doubt him, Khufu. It may sound like the foolish words of a man with too much to drink, but i trust him. You must..." She was cut off by the sight of something falling from the sky. Even from afar, you could get a basic look at it. It seem to be golden looking bird with black smoke coming from it. It..
Shiera open her eyes, and nearly jump out of the bed she was not. She first check if her cloths was still on. Yep, good they. She got up, and looks to see the God of Wisdom and God of the Dead looking at her. "Do you remember, Chay-Ara?" Ask Thoth. She thought for a second and said "Yes, but i only remembers parts and bits of...life, or past, or whatever i have in my head right now ." The bird headed man nodded. "I should have know. Set magic is stronger then what i first thought." He said, looking a a scroll. Anubis (With some red marks from the mace.) helps her out from bed. "You are..." He started, but was cut off by the redhead. "I know, i know, who i really am, and all that, but why are you, Anubis, and Set the hell here? And why the hell can't i remember that much?" She ask. "Forgive me, Chay-Ara, but not even i know what happen to you, or your love. What i know is this. Set, having become tire of his followers failures to destroy you both, took matters into his own hands. He came to Earth, breaking several age old rules, and after building a alliance with some mutants, sought you and Khufu out, and kill you both. He almost took your souls if not for Horus, and Sekhmet actions. The two sent that being of chaos back to his rightful place, but your souls was damage in the battle. I, Isis, Anubis, and Osiris did what we could, but your soul was much more damage. We had no choice, but have you reborn much later then your love. And now Set is at his old games once more." Said Thoth.
Shiera knew he was telling the truth, but then a mass headache hit her. Anubis helps her over to a chair and table. "So, what the hell now? I got to find Khu...i mean, Carter, and like right now." She said, in a annoying way. She could fight, just give her a sword, or mace, and she be good. "Hey, i understand, Chay-Ara, but we don't have a clue where that Set is, or what he's up too. Don't worry, i leave something left of him to beat." Said Anubis. He may be the God of the Dead, embalming, and funerals, but he could fight, and hold his own just as well as the others. You think the trip to the afterlife was easy? Without him, or Osiris, few souls would find they way. "Hey, i may have worship you, but this may fight, and only, my fight." She said, getting up to face him. 'Really? Your soul is not even complete! Set most likely have the best of undead warriors at his side, he would know by now we are helping you, and you think you can face him? This is foolish love at work." Shiera face goes red. 'Why you little.." "Enough!" The two look and saw it was Thoth. "We must not fight each other, not now, or even, but he is right, Chay-Ara. You must rest, while we find Set, and see what he is up too."
Shiera was about to yell at him so more, but knew what the God said was true. She did NOT what to die again so soon. "Do you at least know where Carter is?" She ask Thoth.
"Sadly no, but i may have found someone that shall help us. Tell me, have you heard of a man call...the Sandman?"
