Disclaimer: "I do not own any part of the Mummy franchise. Wish I did, because those first two movies were awesome. But I don't. All credit for quotes and scenes taken from the movie, go to the writers, producers, directors, etc. I own only Alexandra Taren, and any original content that I make her do or say. That is all."
Chapter 7
"I'd take those bigger stones first."
Jonathon had been calling out ideas and orders and thoughts since they'd reached this landslide of rocks blocking their path into the catacombs of the lost city. Alex understands, in her own way, that he's not the muscular type… not the one to move big the rocks. If he tried, he'd simply look ridiculous while these two other men and even her were lifting things he couldn't.
Rick had rolled his sleeves up even higher, his arms bulging with the effort to lift the rocks out of the way. Alex had simply removed her button up shirt and was in her tank top, sweat dripping down her neck as she lifted rocks. And she kept finding herself glancing at Ardeth, wondering how in the hell he wasn't burning to death in his black robes and long sleeves. Seriously. Sure, he was sweating too, wiping at his brow occasionally just like Rick, but he hadn't rolled up his sleeves or anything.
In any case, she supposes it's the 'girl' in her wanting to see more of his skin on display than he's currently showing. She needs to get a grip. Evie could be dying for goodness sake. She didn't have time to be daydreaming about what Ardeth might look like beneath all that black cloth covering him. So, she quickly tells that part of her to shut up each time she looks at him.
That doesn't stop her from looking back again every minute or so, but she always berates herself and gets back to work.
As for Ardeth, though he was glancing at her considerably less, it was not for his lack of wanting to look at her. No… he was simply frightened that he wouldn't have the willpower to look away if he looked at her more than he already was. He'd looked once out wanting to see what she was doing when she stepped back, and had then nearly dropped the large rock in his hands when she'd removed her button-up to reveal the tank top underneath. And yes, there was evidence of sweat running down her back.
There was also sweat running down her face, down her neck, and then down to her chest… past where his eyes could follow. And he'd finally jerked his head back around upon realizing how very much he wanted to see past the edge of her shirt. And now he tells himself, he needs to get a grip. He was a Medjai, for goodness sake. And while not banned from sex by any means… he was definitely supposed to have more willpower than this. The end of the world was nearly upon them, and he was staring at a woman.
A beautiful woman. There was no doubting that. And strong, confident, and smart to boot. But right now? No, this was not the time for that. And so he limited himself to only looking at her when she made some sound that he considered to be distressing.
Meaning every time she grunted at picking up a large rock, or seemed to be running out of breath… basically if she made a sound besides normal breathing, he would glance to see that she was still okay. Yes. That's why he kept looking at her. No other reason. None whatso…
Jonathon, at that particular moment, barks out another order, and Alex hears both Ardeth and Rick stop moving the rocks. That is how in sync their current aggravation is with her cousin. Not that she isn't annoyed too. And she's lived with him for a great deal of her life, so the fact that he was annoying her as well was really saying something.
And not understanding that he's about to be pummeled, Jonathon continues, "Take them from the top, otherwise the whole thing will cave in on us. Come on. Put your backs into it." Alex sighs and is about to just tell him to shut up. But then Rick and Ardeth both stand up straight and turn to look at him at the same time, the promise of bruises and broken limbs in their eyes. Jonathon looks at them both, and then says nervously, "Yes, well, you've got the idea. Chop-chop."
He should've left out the 'chop-chop'. But he didn't, and now Alex can see the look of death in Rick's eyes. Not really targeted at Jonathon by any means. Evie being captured was already putting everyone under a lot of stress. But Jonathon ranting out orders and not really helping right now… yeah, that certainly isn't helping Rick's mood.
But… Jonathon is still Alex's cousin. So, before Rick can do something stupid, like punch him in the face and bash it in, she picks up a huge rock that she's well aware she can't actually pick up on her own. Heaving it and gasping at the weight, she drops it halfway down and lets it roll its way to the floor.
Ardeth and Rick both turn their attention to her, concern taking place of their annoyance for a moment. Long enough for Jonathon to be in the clear of a beating. Sighing, she just shrugs at them, "Damn blasted heavy rock. Come on. We're running out of time." And as Jonathon opens his mouth to concur, she says, "Jonathon. Shut up, or I'll punch you myself."
Turning back to the rocks, she picks up another and tosses it aside. Ardeth and Rick join her again, and then Rick sighs, "Always protecting them. Even when he's an ass." Alex grins a little, but raises an eyebrow, "Firstly, him being an ass is part of his charm." And even though she's a bit tired, she still laughs a little when Jonathon makes an indignant sound at her remark. Then she adds, "Secondly, I have no idea what you're talking about." Rick rolls his eyes, but smirks all the same, "Yeah right."
Alex is about to comment on that as well, but Ardeth drops a rock on the other side of her, and then adds in himself, "I've been here even less than him, and even I know what he's talking about." Rick looks at Ardeth, and then smiles, "You know. I'm starting to like him." Alex rolls her eyes, "Just pick up the damn rocks."
Though if she's honest, she feels a bit flattered that Ardeth has apparently been paying enough attention to her these past few days to know her that well. To know her well enough to have grabbed her so she couldn't take Evie's place, because he'd known she would before she'd even really taken a step forward. And to know her well enough to know that she'd distracted them on purpose so both he and Rick didn't waste time trying to teach Jonathon a lesson.
His hand brushes against her back gently, and she's so surprised by the suddenness of the contact that she sucks in a sharp breath. Not loud enough for really anyone else to hear. But certainly noticeable enough for the Medjai behind her to catch it. When he gets back to her side, there is a gentle smile on his face, before he says softly, "You are not hard to figure out, Alex. Your rules in this life might not be 'normal' by some peoples' standards. But they are few, and not hard to learn, if one is paying attention."
Alex is about to ask him sarcastically, why he was paying so close attention to her. It would've been a brief moment of bravery in this… whatever this thing was between them. But she reminds herself that they don't have time for this right now. Plus, she knows immediately after that she would've blushed ten shades of red. Hell, just thinking about asking him that so boldly was making her blush a little.
So no… she'll not be doing that right now. Instead, they continue working. At least, Alex does until she loses her footing once and nearly falls on her face on the rock pile. Ardeth catches her arm and then pulls her back gently. And the flush to her cheeks… well, he chalks it up to her fatigue. Which, Alex is certain, she'll be happy about later. But right now, she frowns a bit when he tells her, "Rest." She shakes her head, "We need to get through." But Ardeth guides her to one of the larger rocks nearby, sitting her down there gently before explaining, "Yes, we do. And Evie will need protecting when we get through. You're no good to her if you can't stand on your own two feet from exhaustion."
She glares at him at him briefly, but there's no real heat to it this time. He has a point, and she knows it. Plus, arguing with him further about this means Rick is working by himself. And since it doesn't look like Ardeth intends to budge until she agrees to take a break, she huffs before crossing her arms and saying, "Fine. But I'm not happy about it." "And I'm sorry to offend you."
And he really is, which she knows as well. Which just makes it even harder to actually be angry at him. She finally just nods back to the rocks and says, "I'll take a break. Just…" "I know." He moves back to the pile, satisfied with her word that she will rest a minute. Closing her eyes, Alex decides to focus on hearing everything around them, trying to hear something out of the norm. But right now, all she can hear is them. The tumbling of rocks and the opening of drafts for wind to get through as the pile becomes smaller and smaller. And Jonathon fiddling with some of the crystal looking stones embedded into the wall. Nothing else. Nothing out of the ordinary.
That is… not until Jonathon suddenly starts screaming.
In a flash, Alex runs over to him and reaches him same time as the other two, and Rick tears off his sleeve to see the bug crawling beneath the skin. Alex grabs his arm and pins the bug so it's trapped in one spot. Jonathon screams again, but this time it's because the bug bursts back out of his arm and then chews its way into Alex's forearm. Jerking back, she curses under her breath and tries to block its path again while Rick gets out his knife. "Alex… this is gonna…" "Just cut the damn thing out!"
Ardeth grips her arm and shoulder to hold her still and steady while Rick gets the bug out, digging into her flesh. As soon as it's gone, he pulls out his gun and shoots it on the ground before it can come back.
Alex then blinks in surprise when Ardeth rips off a piece of black cloth from his robes and begins tying it around her wounds; one on her forearm where the bug went in, and another on her bicep where they got the scarab out at. Rick, seeing she's taken care of, hurriedly goes back to moving boulders and says, "No way they didn't hear that. We've got to move." Alex nods, and then gives Ardeth a look, "I'm helping. Don't you dare tell me to sit down." "I know. And I wouldn't dare a second time."
When she looks surprised at that, he grins slightly and answers her silent question with, "Fire." Alex rolls her eyes, "As soon as this is over, I'm making it my mission to become the ice queen." Ardeth chuckles briefly, unable to help himself. Then moves to help once more with the moving of the rocks. They're running out of time, there's no question of that. There's no way that Imhotep didn't hear that gunshot. He probably had heightened senses for all Alex knew.
When they finally break through the barrier and get into the next room, Rick steps through first and looks around while the others follow behind him. Ardeth goes next, and then Alex pushes Jonathon towards the hole while she looks around to make sure no one's sneaking up behind them.
She's backing out of the hole when two hands gently grip her at the hips. She freezes for all of a second in concern, but Ardeth says, "Come. We must hurry." So, she lets him help her down from the ledge, and then they both turn as Rick takes a shot at one of the ancient mirrors Evie had used before in the burial chamber they'd first gone in.
And upon lighting up the room, Jonathon's eyes went wide at all the gold. Gold statues, jewels, tapestry, even some of the stone. Everything was gold or covered in gold. And as Alex looks around at the other three, she notes that even Ardeth is gazing at the room in surprise and awe. Even he hadn't known all of what was inside. Damn.
As they step down and further into the room, Jonathon asks, "Can you see…" Rick nods, "Yeah." "Can you believe…" Rick responds again with, "Yeah." "Can we just…" Alex and Rick both look at him and say, "No." Snapping back to the present, remembering why they're back here in the first place, Jonathon nods in understanding, though he still looks around the room in amazement.
That is, until they hear the high pitched and squishy sounding moan that comes from behind them. And the hand that bursts up from beneath the floor is something Alex decides should only actually exist in horror movies. It's worse than when the scarabs started piling up out of the floor after Evie had first read from the book.
Rick asks in confusion, "Who the hell are these guys?" Ardeth on his right, standing close to Alex, says, "Priests. Imhotep's priests." Alex stares as they drag themselves up out of the ground and up to their feet. Then she shakes herself and glances over at Rick. Shrugging, she says, "Alright then." She pulls her shotgun from her shoulder and blasts one right in the face, knocking him back a good ten feet, and the others follow suit behind her, shooting them full of lead until the guns they're shooting are out of bullets. Then they hurry backwards to get away, and to find the right statue to get the Book of Amun Ra.
When they finally get there, Jonathon shouts, "There he is! Hello, Horus, old boy!" Alex blasts another mummy in the face, and then says, "Get to work Jonathon!" "On it!"
While he and Rick work on digging out the book, Alex remains at the entrance of this tunnel, blasting away as many mummies and priests as she can to buy them time. As soon as her guns are empty though, she shifts to the side and Ardeth immediately takes her place, shooting while she reloads.
Rick briefly runs up to them, and for a moment Alex stares in surprise when he strikes a match against the stubble on Ardeth's face. Then, as he lights the fuse on the stick of dynamite, Ardeth pauses for a moment when he hears a short sound of laughter from behind him. Turning back to her, he finds Alex has slapped a hand over her mouth. But the grin she was trying to hide was impossible to miss.
At his raised eyebrow, she blushes a little. Though she is about to comment that she's not sorry at all. It was funny as hell. But that's when Rick announces, "Time to close the door." As soon as he throws the stick of dynamite away, Ardeth grabs Alex by her good arm and they all run out of the way to hide behind the statue until it explodes. And thankfully, it takes a few more priests out with it. That would definitely buy them a few extra minutes.
Alex huffs at the dust and dirt that's flying around them. But when she doesn't hear the sound of approaching mummies right off, she sighs and relaxes a bit in relief.
And then… she tenses slightly again. Because what she hadn't even realized before, was that there was very little space to hide behind the statue of Horus. And in light of that… Ardeth had simply pulled her down into his lap, ensuring they were all safely out of harms way. His warm arms were wrapped around her tightly, and once again, she felt so safe with him. A priority. Not that she wasn't to the rest of her family… but he was a warrior. Someone who could fight and die for her, if he chose to. That is how she showed her loved ones that they were her priority.
And right now, in his arms… she felt like a priority to him.
Which she doesn't have time for. But even as she thinks that, when she glances up at him, she finds his dark brown eyes already looking over her. And though she ducks quickly to try and hide it, she doubts he missed the blush that begins rushing to her cheeks and down her neck. God! This was seriously not the time to be swooning over a freaking Medjai.
With that in mind, she quickly hops to her feet, grabs the other shotgun from Rick, and says, "Dig. I've got the door." And she loads up while they hurry to find the Book of Amun Ra.
The reprieve Rick managed to get for them doesn't last long though. And as Alex starts shooting again, Jonathon jerks in surprise. "Alex!" "Jonathon, dig! I got this!"
He goes back to digging as Rick says, "Damn, these guys just don't quit, do they?" Ardeth takes the gun already loaded from Alex, cocks it, and then says, "Keep digging." And then to Alex, he says, "Keep loading." "I…" "You load faster than I do." He pauses long enough to shoot another mummy out of the way, and then turns back to her, "So load, while I shoot. Do not argue."
She glares at him even as she listens to what he says. Shoving the other gun into his hands when he's finished, she begins loading the other immediately.
His hand grips her chin gently, lifting her eyes back to his. Entirely too close for her to continue glaring at him convincingly, he says, "You will have to forgive me the commands I'm giving. I have tried to restrain them, as I am aware you are not a part of the Medjai who serve under me. But…" He glances towards the hole that these mummies keep trying to come from, and then looks back to her, "I am sorry. But this is war, and I…"
Alex takes the gun from him briefly, shooting another priest in the head. Then she places it in his hands, much gentler than she did before. Shrugging when he looks back to her, she ducks her head while admitting, "When we get home I'll work on tempering how mad I get at people for being right before me." And when she sees his grin in response, she knows she's forgiven too.
For a while, they remain like that, working with that system. He shoots, and when he's finished, she hands him the already reloaded gun, taking the empty one and loading in more bullets. Then, finally, she turns when she hears Jonathon remark in awe, "Oh. The Book of Amun Ra."
And then she spins back when she hears Ardeth's shotgun misfire. He tries it again, but to no avail. The gun wouldn't shoot, the priests were still coming, and they were still running out of time. For a moment, Alex simply tries to load the gun she's holding quicker.
Then she freezes when Ardeth spins to look at all of them again. To Rick and Jonathon, he says, "Save the girl. Kill the creature."
Then he turns to Alex. Fingers tracing her face gently, despite all the havoc occurring around them, he grips her chin again. Leaning forward, he touches his forehead to hers. Then he reminds her, "We say you have fire. Prove it. Show him what that means. Save your friend."
And when his eyes open, his grip on her chin tightens slightly. Eyes almost glaring, Alex would say that his next words sounded stern, if he also didn't sound so desperate as he says, "Do. Not. Die." He punctuated every word in that statement, and then released her. And without giving her time to process what the hell he was about to do, he took off into the fray of mummies, battling them, trying to give them enough time to get out. "What are you waiting for?! Get out! Get out!"
Alex literally can't move for a moment. She simply shouts in horror, "Ardeth!" But Rick grabs her by the arm, "Come on!" "Rick! He…" "Trust me! Get down!" She dives down to where he practically threw Jonathon, and then Rick waits a moment longer and throws a stick of dynamite at a wall. Next thing they know, four mummies are taken out in the explosion that follows. Rick glances to look down the hall again, and then turns back to Alex and assures, "He can handle the rest. They're not like Imhotep. He'll be fine."
Eyes widening, Alex realizes that Rick already knows she's falling for a Medjai. Great. When all of this was over, she'd probably never hear the end of it. Still, it was nice to know he'd thought about her feelings, before allowing Ardeth to stay stuck with the other mummies still in the hall. His solution wasn't exactly something she was thrilled with… but it was still enough to appease her worries. For now.
Rick looks at Jonathon after Alex nods that she understands that he's right. Looking him over, Rick asks, "You alright?" Jonathon nods, and then grabs Alex by the shoulder as Rick says, "Let's go!"
They're running down tunnels and corridors, following the sound of the chanting voices now. They draw up short at the chamber though, and Alex says, "Jonathon, you need to be a distraction." "What?! But…" "We can't save Evie if he's down there when we go after her!" "Alright, alright!" "Take the book. Do not let him get it!"
She and Rick wait near some outlying statues, and then Rick reaches up and grabs a couple of swords, handing one of them to her. She twirls it in her hand, and Rick raises an eyebrow and asks, "You actually know sword play?" "To wield a sword is never a thing to consider play." He stares at her in surprise, so she comments, "My instructor's words. Not the worst advice I've ever been given." And then she raises an eyebrow, "And what do you mean 'you know sword play?' Do you not remember that only a few days ago, I almost beat one of his best Medjai in a sword fight?" Twirling the sword again, she hisses, "Freaking mummy psychopath won't know what the fuck hit him."
In spite of the confidence she instills though, as they watch Imhotep about to run Evie through, it takes everything Rick has just to hold Alex back from coming out early. "Jonathon's got this. Wait." "He's…"
She was going to say that he was taking too long. But then she breathes a sigh of relief when Jonathon shouts from above, "The Book of Amun Ra! I found it Evie, I found it!" And she relaxes her tense posture as Imhotep does indeed put down the blade he had been about to use. Of course, then Imhotep begins slowly marching his way towards Jonathon. They needed to move, and they needed to move fast now.
Even from her imprisoned position, Evie hollers to Jonathon, "Open the book Jonathon! It's the only way to kill him! You have to open the book and find the inscription!" Jonathon struggles for a moment, hollering back, "I… I can't open it! It's locked or something!" Alex rolls her eyes, "You think?" And then of course, after a moment of delay, Jonathon shouts, "We need the key, Evie!"
Alex does freeze again though when Evie answers, "It's inside his robes!" Jonathon takes off with the book after that, and Imhotep follows. Getting the key was to be his job now, while Alex and Rick worked to get Evie free.
Of course, their moment of surprise doesn't last long. Not that Alex had thought it would. And really, so long as Imhotep was kept busy for a few extra minutes, they might be able to still pull this off. But when he does see Alex and Rick storm out from where they were hiding, Alex hears him shout to his priests in Egyptian. And as they all rise and begin trying to charge at them, she sighs and says to Rick, "Alright, let's keep score. Whoever kills more has to buy drinks when this is over." "And if we die?!" "I'm sure heaven has some rather tasty wine for us to try."
In spite of it all, Rick laughs a little before sailing down towards the sacrificial table. He instantly frees one of Evie's hands and she shouts in relief, "O'Connell!" Then Alex slices through the head of a mummy who had been about to come up and grab Evie's newly freed hand. "Alex!" She simply smiles down at her cousin, "We got you, Evie! Hang tight!" "As if I can do anything else!"
Alex doesn't remark on that, though she does smirk at Evie's witty answer. She'll tell her how proud she is later, after she and Rick have managed to get her off this bloody table. Which takes a while. Longer than Alex would like. But mummies… well, they're really freaking hard to kill!
They finally get down to the last cuff on Evie's other wrist though, the priests having been cut down or sliced in half. Rick looks to Evie and grins a little before commenting, "Mummies." And then Alex shouts in surprise as something latches onto her back and drags her to the ground. "Alex!"
But Alex hears Rick go down too before he can get to her. Gritting her teeth as something bites into her left shoulder, she screams in anger before taking a nearby rock and whacking the mummy's head, until it's nothing but dust on the ground. Grabbing her sword again and jumping up, she clutches her bleeding shoulder and turns to see Rick on the floor. Finding his sword, she shouts, "Rick!" He catches it as she tosses it to him, and then she slices through Evie's other cuff as Rick swipes the legs out from under the mummy that was about to crush him. He falls back and the giant slab of stone he'd intended for Rick landed on him instead with a resounding thud as he was crushed to the ground.
As all three move to the pathway in the room, Evie comments, "Alex! You're bleeding!" But Alex just raises an eyebrow, "All things considered, you really shouldn't be surprised. Worry about it later." Rick nods in agreement, and then they all turn as they hear Jonathon shout, "Rasheem oola Kashka!"
And then more mummies come out of one of the rooms. Except these don't look like easily dispatched priests… if you could call the other mummies 'easily' dispatched. No, these look like warriors, with shields and spears. They are ready to fight and win, unlike Imhotep's priests, who had only been prepared to obey their master and fight at his will. But these mummies? They're killers.
Alex huffs, "Great. Nice job, Jonathon!" "Well, I'm sorry for trying!" As they all take their stances and start advancing towards them, Rick spins his sword and says, "Oh yeah. This just keeps getting' better and better." Alex gives him a look now, and asks,"Really?" He looks to her and then shrugs, "Look at the bright side." "We're about to be skewered by mummies! What is the upside there?" "You could be dying alone."
She looks over at him, and then smirks a little, "Touché." Then Evie looks to Jonathon and says, "Do something Jonathon!" "Me?!" "You can command them!" "You've got to be joking." "Finish the inscription on the cover, idiot! Then you can control them!" "Oh. Right!"
And as Jonathon takes off, he doesn't miss when Alex says, "Sooner rather than later would be nice! I'd prefer not to die in a tomb!" But she looks around and mutters to the others, "Though it would be ironic. We're technically already buried." Evie slaps her good shoulder, "Not now, Alex!" "I might be dead later. It's now or never."
As they're backing up though, Alex jerks when Evie screams, and then her eyes widen at the sight of the mummified Anck Su Namun taking off after Evie with the blade Imhotep had earlier. She's about to go after her, when Imhotep commands the other mummies to advance.
As they get closer, Rick screams in their faces. Kind of like how he's screamed at Imhotep the very first time they'd seen him. But these mummies, they just scream right back at him, their mouths opening far wider than should be possible. They should all seriously see a doctor about this problem.
Rick shakes his head finally, and then says to Alex, "Go after Evie." "But…" "I got this! Your cousin can't fight for shit! Go help her!" And… well, it's true. The first time she'd even fired a gun was in the camp a few days ago, when Rick had handed her one for safety. Aside from that… yeah, Evie couldn't fight for shit. So Alex takes off after Evie and Anck Su Namun, while Rick deals with all the others.
And, as Rick had predicted, Evie is about to be run through, when Alex arrives and clashes her sword with the blade. Standing in front of Evie, she says, "Do not leave my side." "Got it! Hurry up, Jonathon!"
As Anck Su Namun and Alex go at it, Jonathon says, "I can't figure out this last symbol!" Evie turns and asks, "What does it look like?" "It's an uh… a bird, a stork!" "Ahmenophus!" And Alex can't help rolling her eyes when, instead of immediately saying it, Jonathon comments cheerily, "Oh yes, I see."
Alex and Anck Su Namun are still fighting, Alex with her back to a wall now. She'd opted for ditching the sword for now, using her own daggers. She was better with them when it came to dealing with someone with a small blade of their own. A blade that was, consequently, entirely too close to her own throat for comfort right now. Anck Su Namun might not be like Imhotep exactly… but there was still a bit of supernatural strength in her grip that was making this more difficult.
Evie screams when she turns to see where they are again. But even though Alex is certain she would've eventually succeeded in this fight, Imhotep shouts to Anck Su Namun from somewhere else in the room, and the pressure Alex feels being put on her instantly lessens.
Though when Alex jumps in front of Anck Su Namun again to block access to Evie, the two go right back to fighting again. Not having really paid attention to what he said before, Alex asks, "What the hell did he say to her?!" Evie answers shakily, "He said leave the one with fire alive. She may be of use to us if we can keep her."
Alex kicks Anck Su Namun in the chest, knocking her back into a pillar. Huffing, she twirls the dagger in her hand, "I'm going to kill him and anyone else who so much as mentions me having fire ever again. What the hell does that even mean?!" She slices into Anck Su Namun's stomach, but the damn mummy just keeps right on coming.
Which… well, at this point shouldn't have been that surprising. It's not like she had any guts to spill. She was the living-dead. No… it was going to take more to kill her than that.
And luckily, Alex doesn't have to come up with a way to do that on her own. Having all the words he needed now, Jonathon finishes the inscription, "Hootash im Ahmenophus!" Anck Su Namun doesn't stop her attack even for a minute. But Alex can feel that in the rest of the room, all other activity has ceased. The other mummies are now under Jonathon's command. And as Imhotep shouts at them in anger, trying to make them respond, they remain immobile, no longer heeding his words.
And Alex decides that one set of words she will commit to memory so she remember how to speak them properly, are the ones Jonathon speaks next. She doesn't even need to understand Egyptian to know that he orders them to kill the mummified love of Imhotep's life. Or unlife… take your pick.
"Fa-Kooshka Anck Su Namun!" And all those mummies that are still standing from their battle with Rick turn and hurry towards them. Alex backs out of the way, dragging Evie with her as Anck Su Namun looks in surprise at the warriors who have now turned on her. She cries out for Imhotep, though Alex can see he had been heading towards Jonathon and the book. Hurrying away as the warriors take care of Anck Su Namun, Alex says, "I need to help Jonathon. Get to Rick! Go now!" Evie hurries away while Alex dashes up some stairs. Meanwhile, Imhotep is already grabbing Jonathon by the throat, pinning him to the wall behind him.
Never breaking stride, she runs at them at a full-on sprint. Grabbing a sword again, she slices clean through Imhotep's arm. Jonathon drops like a sack of rocks to the ground, and so does the arm she just cut off. Mind you, she completely cut it off. No longer attached to the body. Gone!
But Imhotep is unfazed. Tossing off the remainder of his robes and reattaching his arm… reattaching his freaking arm!... he turns on Alex and grabs her by the throat instead. His huge mouth opens before her as he roars in her face. Kicking him in the chest, she watches him smirk as he says in Egyptian, "You have fire. But you cannot burn me. And when I rule this world as my own, I will keep you as a pet, as a trophy to show off to the Gods. Let them see how I took one of their chosen and made her my slave. Let them see my power!"
But then Alex is dropped to the ground, and Rick stares in surprise as Imhotep turns to him, missing his arm yet again. Alex coughs, but somehow manages to ask, "Where were you when I did that five minutes ago? It doesn't work!"
She scrambles back from them as Imhotep throws Rick across the room. Finding Jonathon with the book, he shouts, "Alex! Evie! I've got it!"
And that sneaky, son of a bitch actually did have it. He had the key. Smiling at him, Alex kisses him on the cheek and says, "You are the most wonderful cousin I could ask for." "I will remember that for future reference. Evie!"
Evie hurriedly opens the book and shouts to Rick, "Keep him busy!" "No problem," he says as he lands on the floor yet again. Alex jerks as Rick shouts in pain again, and Jonathon shouts, "Hurry Evie! Hurry!" "You're not helping!"
Standing next to her, Alex says, "Tell me the word I'm looking for." "Pared oos." "You check that side and I'll check this one." "On it." With that settled, Alex glances at the left page while Evie looks at the right. As proven in the museum, they were faster when they were both trying to find the piece of text they needed. And finally, Alex points and says, "Read it!" "I've got it! Kadeesh mal! Kadeesh mal! Pared oos! Pared oos!"
All four of them then stare in shock, yet again, as a ghostly figure of what looks like one of the ancient horse racing rickshaws, soars down the steps, right through Imhotep, and then shoots back up to where it came from, carrying a ghost like figment of Imhotep away.
But the man himself is still here, and as Rick rolls on the ground and grabs his sword again, he says, "I thought you said it was gonna kill him." Alex glances at Evie in confusion, because she'd thought that too. That's why they'd been so desperate to get the Book of Amun Ra in the first place. So why wasn't it working?
But Evie looks confident that something good did just happen. So even though she doesn't understand what's going on, Alex shouts, "Take him out Rick!" He gives her a dubious look, which she doesn't blame him for. She didn't understand what was going on either. But with nothing else to do except try, he stabs Imhotep through the stomach as the immortal approaches.
And even Imhotep looks stunned, and then looks down at the now bleeding wound in his gut. Because he was, indeed, bleeding. Alex tilts her head and asks, "But… how…" Evie sighs in relief, and then explains, "He's mortal."
The man in question, the now very mortal man, steps back into a river of black, the river of souls, and then looks up at them as his body begins to degrade back to the way it was when they first found him. And as he speaks to them, he drowns in that river.
Evie translates for the boys, "Death, is only the beginning."
Then she turns to Alex and dashes over and hugs her. Sighing, she says, "I knew you'd come!" Alex hugs her back, shaking in relief, But she still comments offhandedly, "Duh. You're kind of important to me." Evie laughs, "Really? I hadn't noticed." "Then maybe we should reevaluate how smart we think you are. Because you're only, like, number one on the list of people I'd die for."
The boys look at them both, and then Rick just chuckles while dropping the sword in the river as well, no longer needing it. Patting Jonathon on the shoulder, he says, "Don't worry. I'm sure you're just beneath her." But Jonathon just shrugs, "It's cool. I know I'm just as important. Alex really only has one level anyways." Alex smiles at him, and then says to Rick, "Congratulations by the way. You have now made the cut." "Oh, just now?" "Well, you've been there, but I'm informing you of it now. So, bravo."
They all laugh, but then instantly jerk as the structure around them gives an earth-shaking jolt. Then some of the walls begin moving and coming down, preparing to close off all exits and entrances. Alex throws up her hands, "What the actual hell?! Have we not earned a break?!" Apparently not, as Rick affirms by grabbing Evie and saying urgently, "Time to go."
They all follow as he leads the way out of here, though Alex drops back as Jonathon trips. Dragging him to his feet, she pushes him forward, but then jumps in surprise when Evie shouts, "You've lost the book! Jonathon, I can't believe…" All three of them grab her and shout, "Come on!" And as they continue running away, Alex adds, "You can mourn the loss of the book later. When we're certain we aren't about to die in this God-forsaken tomb. Not before."
As they're running back through the golden room filled with treasure though, Alex grips Jonathon by his shirt front as he makes to pause. Gasping from the force of her pull, he asks, "Oh, couldn't we just…" "No!" Evie concurs, and then they all scramble beneath one of the dropping walls. On the other side, Alex says to him, "And you can mourn the lost gold when we aren't about to die. Not! Before!"
"O'Connell!"
Ducking back down to see beneath the lowering wall, Alex and Rick both look back to see Beni hurrying up the steps after them. That little rat! He'd been here the whole time! Not that Alex hadn't thought he was here at first… but he probably, and most definitely, should've already left by now. It wouldn't surprise her now if he were somehow responsible for the walls coming down. She doesn't even bend down to help, though she commends Rick for making a slight effort.
Beni however, didn't seem to grasp heavily enough that he was about to die. That's what Alex thinks anyways. If he did, he would've crawled faster. But he didn't, and so he couldn't reach Rick in time to get pulled to safety. Jerking out his arm before it can get crushed, Rick sighs, "Goodbye Beni."
Alex raises an eyebrow, "I can tell you meant that." Rick just raises one back at her, "Yeah, well, I'm not gonna cry about it." "Good. Let's go."
When they finally get outside, Alex finds Evie and Jonathon about to get taken out by some collapsing pillars. Grabbing Jonathon while Rick grabs Evie, they drag them back out of the way, and then take off through the sand as a gaping hole starts appearing in the ground beneath their feet. Jonathon struggles to keep up, but Alex doesn't let him go, intent on dragging his ass behind her if she must.
When they're finally clear of all the falling debris, Alex turns back to watch as the entire city just caves in on itself, leaving behind nothing but broken and crumbling walls and mountains of sand. Alex is still staring at it with everyone else, when Jonathon screams in fear and Alex spins around and pulls out a dagger, ready to take out whatever else had managed to follow them out of the tombs in the city of the dead.
But it's Ardeth, and he bows his head to her in peace, even smiling when she instantly relaxes and puts away her blade. She can't find it in her to be angry about his sneaking up on them right this minute. She's too happy to see him still alive. Both of his hands are bandaged, but he seems otherwise unharmed.
She doesn't think her heart has ever felt lighter than this very moment. All four people she cares about are safe and sound, finally. Thank God. And if she didn't think she's begin blushing over her entire body afterwards, she might've very well thrown herself at Ardeth, wrapping him in a fierce hug from being so happy to see him again, safe and sound.
Jonathon still gasps in breath before commenting, "Oh, thank you. Thank you very much." Alex laughs at the sarcasm in Jonathon's voice, and then looks back to Ardeth as he says, "You have all earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people." Training his eyes from the others back to her, he says, "You in particular. The woman with…" Alex opens her mouth to protest, but Evie beats her to it, quickly explaining, "She has vowed to kill any other person who says she has fire ever again."
Ardeth pauses at that, and upon his questioning look, Alex says, "Imhotep said it again while we were in there. I've decided it definitely has to be a bad thing. Don't say it again."
He nods that he will heed this wish of hers, though the smirk on his face said he most certainly still believed she had fire. Then he says to all of them, "May Allah smile upon you always." Jonathon nods, "Yes, well, it was nothing. And I suppose you're just going to leave us here?" Rick gives him a slight salute and says, "In which case, stay out of trouble." Evie nods too and adds, "Because… I guess you still have to guard him."
Ardeth nods to confirm all of that, but then looks to Alex again. And she can see the conflicting emotions running across his face. They match the ones running around in her heart right now.
He's staying in the desert. She knows that. It was his duty as a Medjai to guard the lost city, and keep this from happening ever again. Which means… well, she's not sure what it means. It's not as though they even are anything. She just… well, she likes him. She's falling for him. Where Rick wasn't her type, Ardeth was. He was a man of patience under pressure, grace in battle just like her, and he was loyal to a fault. Not that the other three with her weren't, but Ardeth was… he was different. He was like her, and yet he wasn't as well. He had been raised a Medjai, to protect the world. She had been scorned by the world and had raised herself to protect only that which mattered most to her. She could care less about the rest of the world.
But she would not fault him for being a person who held the duty of protecting the whole world. Just because it wasn't her mission, and just because she would never make it her mission, didn't mean she was angry at him for upholding it as his. It was a great burden to bear, and if she's honest, they were all lucky that he had been carrying it… he and the rest of his people… for so long. She doubts they actually would've survived without his help.
Glancing up at him, she decides she needs to say something so he knows she understands he's staying. Why it should matter to him that she understood… she's not sure. Maybe it doesn't, and all the looks and attention he's given her… maybe it's all in her head. But she smiles anyway and says, "We'll see you around. Or, maybe not, since it would probably be very bad to have all this happen again." Jonathon laughs and begins commenting on how correct she is.
Ardeth and Alex are both ignoring him though. Eyes watching her closely, she knows he can see the tiny bit of sadness she's showing at the idea of their departure. It had been a long few days. She's probably lucky that her feminine hormones aren't forcing her to cry right now.
As for Ardeth… oh, there were so many things he wanted to say. Just to her, he wanted to say so much. But he knew… he knew that there was nothing that could be said, that would keep them together. He had his mission, and he could not abandon it. Likewise, she had hers, and she wouldn't abandon it either. Her family, the three people with her… she would protect them forever. Until the day she died, she would be there to watch over them. And Ardeth knows nothing will change that. Not even her heart… if he could even consider himself lucky enough to now have a place there.
He opens his mouth to speak, still not entirely sure what he intends to say. That's when he looks at her shoulder, and freezes entirely. Frowning deeply, he asks sharply, "Why do you look bitten?"
Alex blinks in surprise at the sudden urgency in his tone. Weren't they past all this by now. But she glances down at her shoulder anyway. And yeah, she's still bleeding. In fact, she'd almost forgotten the wound was there. Shrugging, she says, "One of the priests bit me. I'm fine." But even as she says it, judging from the look on his face, she supposes that maybe she's not as fine as she thinks she is. Sighing, she asks, "What? Am I gonna die now? Because that would suck immensely at this point."
Evie steps over, but Ardeth forces his camel down to the ground on its knees. Holding out his hand for Alex, he says to the others, "I will not leave you here. I will see you back to Cairo. And you…" He looks directly at Alex, "I will take you to the finest healer in the city. She will tend to this. And given enough time, no, you will not die." Nodding, Alex says, "Sounds a bit better."
She prepares to swing on behind him, but he pulls her to the front. Pulling her so she sits sideways on the camel, both her legs falling over the left side, he keeps her in front of him in his lap. Holding her close, he says, "You will rest while we journey. The more energy you expend, the quicker this poison takes effect." "Poison?" "Yes. Poisoned with death." Alex blinks at that, and then huffs in annoyance, "Great. For the record, if I turn into a mummy, I'm gonna be super-fucking-pissed."
Jonathon, on the ground, runs his hands through his hair worriedly, "Shit! Not only do we leave empty handed, but Alex is going to die!" Alex gives him a look, "I'm not going to die, you idiot. And we didn't leave empty handed."
Jonathon gives her a look back, obviously asking what they hell they're leaving with, if they aren't leaving empty handed. And to his surprise, she smirks a little before gesturing to Rick and Evie, who are locked in a heated kiss. Sighing as she leans her head back onto Ardeth's shoulder, she says, "Finally. It took them forever."
And Alex would've waited for them. She really would've. But they still needed to prepare the other camels for the journey. And Ardeth refused to waste anymore time. His worry appeared to increase with each passing moment, which made the others worry as well. And Alex…
Well, she's not ready to die. So she offers no argument with him as he sets off. She only asks desperately, "They'll be safe." Squeezing her closer, Ardeth says, "Your family will be fine. That much, I can promise you. There is nothing in the city left that can harm them now." Resting against him, she nods and whispers, "Thank you." "No, Alex. Thank you." And without further ado, they take off into the vast desert before them.
They're halfway there when Alex begins feeling it. Her body doesn't just feel tired, but it feels weak and frail. Sighing and shifting, she feels her entire body ache, like every muscle was straining or needed ointment to sooth and make it function again. Ardeth pulls her tighter against his warm body, and she realizes that she even feels cold, despite the heat that is provided by the sun and the desert around them.
Huffing, she says, "This dying thing? It really sucks." Ardeth lowers his lips to her head, kissing the top tenderly, "You are not dying." "I feel like a frail old woman." Ardeth kisses her again and says, "You are not dying." "Because I have fire?" "Because they would not survive losing you."
She doesn't contest that, but then her heart leaps when Ardeth concedes, "Nor would I, for that matter." Leaning back to look up at him, she finds his dark eyes trained down on her. Smiling a little, she curls back into his body and says, "Good to know you care even when we're not facing down a mummy who brings about the end of the world." "The end of the world will come one day, and I will face it head on, as always. My emotions and judgment are never clouded by such thoughts and obstacles."
Alex nods, and when she winces at the motion, Ardeth kisses her head again before assuring, "You will live, Alex. Believe that." "I believe it." "Good."
In Cairo, he stops at a wooden shack-like building on the outskirts of the city. Entering it alone, he then comes out and gently helps Alex off the camel. By now, it hurts to even so much as breathe normally. Rick and Evie come up behind them and Rick says, "We'll pay them whatever they want." Ardeth cradles Alex to his body, trying not to hurt her more than necessary. Worriedly eyeing her clammy skin, he turns back to them and assures, "There is no cost for this. You have all helped save the world. The woman inside knows this. Be patient. Alex will be fine."
Inside, amidst scented smokes in the air and the heat and plants, Ardeth places Alex on a cot and speaks with the woman in Egyptian. Alex listens as they talk, understanding at least that the woman believes it may take at least the rest of the day before she's well again. It had apparently been a while in her mind, since Alex had been bitten. Ardeth then stresses that he will not leave, and the woman gets to work.
Reaching out for Ardeth, who looks down and then kneels beside her, taking her hand in both of his, Alex asks, "Why do you have to stay? Don't you have… 'cough'… duties… 'cough'… responsibilities?" His hand brushes some of the strands of hair from her face. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, his thumb brushing against the backs of her knuckles, he simply says, "Right now, my duty is to you. To save you." And Alex can't help it. She asks, "Why?"
Her eyes are so heavy now, and it hurts to try and keep them open. But she hears Ardeth say as he kisses her forehead again, "Because you mean much more to me than I ever imagined anyone ever could. You will not be alone Alex. I am here. I will not leave you."
She passes out after that, and true to his word, Ardeth remains by her side. It takes her the remainder of the day and well into the night to heal. The woman soaks bandages in a special blend of healing remedies, designed to cleanse out the poison of death that was put in her by the mummy that bit her.
Her body goes in and out of cold and hot, sweat constantly soaking her. Ardeth does what he can, wiping her off with a cloth on her forehead, face, and neck.
She was so strong. He knows she feels weak, and she will probably hate the fact that she'd become to vulnerable at all. But if she could only see herself the way he was right now. He'd seen this type of poison take effect before. He'd heard the wailing, the crying, the screams that would fill the night air because of the pain one had to go through. Even in unconsciousness, this poison seemed to almost always demand that type of reaction from those afflicted.
But not Alex. She was sweating, and her body was shaking. Her breath was ragged, and at times it seemed she were about to stop breathing altogether. But she never screamed. She didn't curl into a ball and try to wither away. No… no, she remained strong. So strong.
And when she opens her eyes finally, the stars are out, and she feels fine. Completely and totally fine. Her clothes are damp and sticking to her… but other than that, she feels great. No pain. She shifted her shoulders slightly and it didn't seem to hurt. She was fine.
Thank God.
Sitting up, she then jumps when Ardeth's head jerks up from the cot. He'd apparently fallen asleep at her side. Smiling at him, Alex assures his worried gaze, "I'm alright." He nods, and even though he'd told her that she would be, his hands slide up her arms, over her neck, and then cup her face, as though he needed to be sure of that himself.
Not that she was going to complain. God, she wanted this man something awful.
Smiling again, Alex gently puts her hands over his. Assuring that he looks her in the eye, she says sincerely, "Thank you." He nods to her, but does not let go when she removes her hands from his. Instead, he pulls her close and hugs her head against his chest. And though surprised at first, Alex sighs and melts into his hold. Never in her life had she felt the need to have someone make her feel safe and protected before. It was her job to do that for others. But Ardeth… he made her feel that way.
But he couldn't always. She remains in his arms a few moments longer, soaking him in for all it's worth, and then pulls back. Looking to the woman sitting nearby, she says, "Thank you, for everything." Ardeth translates, and the woman replies that it has been an honor to tend to and revive one with so much fire.
Alex decides to let it slide since she obviously didn't know the new rule regarding that word.
Upon exiting the tent, Ardeth explains, "I sent your family home. They were tired and needed rest." Alex nods, "Thank you." Silence engulfs them, and then Alex sighs, "Well… goodbye. I mean… you're leaving, right? Back to the desert?"
Ardeth watches her for a moment, and then nods, "And you are returning home to your family." Alex nods, and then pauses as she realizes that she wasn't the only one pondering if there was even a chance of them seeing each other again. She… well, she didn't want to lose him. And she hadn't even really been sure she had him until this moment.
But she did. And she knew it because of the look in his eyes. A look that matched her own. He didn't want to lose her either. But they both had their duties and responsibilities. His was to the world, to guard Imhotep's resting place and see to it that he was left in the ground this time. Alex's was to her family, to those few that she would die and kill for.
They were going in complete opposite directions. It was pretty hopeless.
She stares at him a moment longer, and then comes closer. Wrapping her arms around him, holding him tight and hiding her face against his chest and robes, she says, "I will never forget you. Long as I live. I promise." He holds her in return, his lips finding the top of her head again. Sighing heavily against her, he says, "Nor will I forget you. You have my word."
Pulling back, he then asks, "Do you mind if I have this?" He gestures to one of the strips he'd used to wrap one of her wounds from the scarab earlier. And though it seems an odd request to her, she nods and takes the one off her forearm and hands it to him. He nods, and then leans down close again. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he says, "Your fire is not a bad thing. Never lose it." She stares at him for a moment, but then nods before saying softly, "Goodbye, Ardeth." "Goodbye, Alex."
He's on his camel, preparing to leave, when she edits, "Alexandra." Turning back to her, tilting his head in confusion, he waits for her to explain. And she blushes a little, because maybe it's stupid to want him to know at this point. But she does want him to know, so she says, "My whole first name. It's… It's Alexandra. You know… just so you know it." The gentle smile that graces his face makes her happy that she'd told him. And with a final nod, he replies, "Be safe, Alexandra." "You too."
She watches him ride away until he's out of sight. The only man she'd ever felt something other than brotherly affection for, was riding off into the desert. Would she ever see him again? Would it matter? How was she going to face the world back home, knowing the man she wanted would always be here, fighting to keep them all safe from an otherwise unknown evil force?
Sometimes the world is cruel. Alex knows that all too well. And she curses under her breath at it, for finding another way to screw her over, yet again.
She spends the next month with Evie, Rick, and Jonathon, planning their next move. The Bembridge Scholars finally accept Evie's application. Alex suspects that the previous curator had something to do with Evie's application never getting accepted in the first place. And so their plan is to move to London, and they are of course bringing Alex with them. Jonathon's coming to, finding a place of his own though. A bachelor pad, as he'd called it.
Alex had offered to find her own place, considering Rick and Evie were getting married and all. But Evie insisted that Alex stay, or at least live in a neighboring house. Even Rick, who Alex thought would've agreed that she needed to get her own space, thought it would be good to keep her nearby. Smiling down at her, he'd simply said, "I'm family now. And that means, just like these two, I get to show you I appreciate all your efforts in my own way. So… I think we should find a place that just has like… a wing Alex could have to herself. We have plenty of money to work with thanks to Beni leaving the sacks on the camels, so that shouldn't be too hard."
It was a week after moving in, and Alex had just settled down in her new room to read a book for a while, when something pecked at her window. And upon seeing the falcon resting there, Alex opened it and tilted her head. "A little far away from home, aren't you?"
Then she saw the note attached to his leg, and he even held it out to her to take. She took it and opened it gingerly, and couldn't deny the tear that fell from her eye as she read.
"Dear Alexandra,"
I know it has been many days since we last saw each other. I heard you were relocating, and I wanted to give you time for that. Even now, I am sorry if this finds you at a bad time or place. I am back with my people, and we are guarding the resting place. Yes, it still needs guarding. Even more so now. Apparently, the fact that the city caved in on itself drew more attention than even we anticipated.
I do hope you are well, and that your family is doing well also. I hope you find everything you are looking for in life and more. If you wish to continue this correspondence, please send a letter back with Horus. He is my falcon, and he will always find me. And if you are wondering how he found you… that is why I took one of the bandages back from you.
With much devotion,
Ardeth"
Alex just stared at it, read it repeatedly for a good five minutes, and then invited Horus in by widening the window a little more. Picking up a pen and grabbing a small piece of paper, she smiles as she begins writing back, knowing somehow that these letters will be the highlights of her days, weeks, and months to come.
She may never see him again, but she knows no one will ever come close to Ardeth. Even if Evie can convince her to go on a couple of dates now and then, they will never be up to par. She'll always be comparing, and that just won't do.
She'll die an old maid. But she'll have these letters.
And somehow, though not quite entirely content, she thinks she could maybe find a way to be happy with that.
Chapter 7! And that concludes the events that took place in the first Mummy film. Chapter 8 will begin with the second Mummy Returns, approximately 10 years into the future. Hope you like it so far! :)
