Shades of Panic
AbeoUmbra
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Disclaimer: -peeks out from 'Dehctiws'- Umm…those who are fans of Riddick, Harry Potter, or Xander are going to love me, why? I finished up my twenty-five chaptered crossover of the movie-verse version of 'Pitch Black' and 'TCoR', with Harry and Xander in it!…Okay, okay; I admit writing three chapters a day for it, and none for this one wasn't… fair…I'm…sorry? And, just incase your suffering from amnesia or have somehow missed the past eight disclaimers, know this – I do not own anything. Please do not give me boils! Erm, I mean don't sue me!
Hanic: Besides that, she plans to end the Mummy 1 on chapter ten, yes it's gone by dreadfully fast… –glares at Abeo- However, I promise there shall be some sexy-lemons in-between movies, where the real 'fun' is. This story shouldn't last more then twenty-five chapters at least for Mummy 1 & 2, I might convince her of letting the O'Conner's boy go to Hogwarts, and having Harry and Ardeth as professors there. That's still in Havoc's idea-bouncy area. Remember, feed the bunny and muse!
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That Which Scares Us…
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"It's the creature, he's fully regenerated." Dr. Bey pointed out rather unnecessarily, as they could all see for themselves that Imhotep was quite human looking, and not so…juicy.
"Come with me my princess, it is time to make you mine, for all eternity." Harry was the only one to understand Imhotep, but found it rather amusing when Beni repeated the message, getting the last part wrong – of course.
"For all eternity, idiot." Evelyn corrected, sneering at Beni for his mixed message, Beni merely shrugged.
"Take my hand, and I will spare your friends." Imhotep said, his eyes sliding over to Harry's, Harry swallowed at the dark amusement in them, Harry glanced to Evelyn, he knew what she'd do – and he knew what he had to do.
Beni faithfully repeated the message. It was like listening to a parrot, or puppet- which was what Beni was, really.
"Oh dear – have you got any bright ideas?" Evelyn asked, Rick, looking pale, Harry glanced at him hopefully.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." Rick rushed, Evelyn swallowed. "Think of something fast, because if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after." Evelyn said softly. Imhotep smirked, knowing he would soon have what he wanted.
"No, no." Rick hissed, desperate to bring some sense to her.
"Don't." Evelyn shook, and Harry marveled at her strength of character. To find someone she thought she might love, and then to do something like this.
"No." Ardeth said, also disagreeing with her actions, but seeing the sense and logic in them, as he pulled Rick back from stopping her, and Rick puts his gun away – slowly.
"He must take me to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual." Evelyn said as if to further explain her actions, Ardeth nodded – slowly, agreeing.
"She is right, live today, and fight tomorrow." Ardeth hissed in Rick's ear as she moved slowly away from the group. Rick held up a torch, moving it in front of Imhotep. "I'll be seeing you again."
Evelyn tried to walk to Imhotep, past Harry, but Harry put his arm out – stopping her. She looked at him, puzzled, and he realized, suddenly, why he couldn't let her do it. Harry turned to Imhotep, met his eyes, and said the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm sorry." Harry was surprised to find it was true too. Behind him, he heard Evelyn inhale sharply, and could feel the others gaping at him. Imhotep leered at him, looking him up and down; Harry tilted his chin up defiantly.
"Three thousand years go by, and all you can say is you're sorry? Well, at least you have the gull to admit to them you are more then you seem… I wonder though, do they know your true nature?" Imhotep glanced at Evelyn's face, and laughed darkly, knowing the answer.
"I won't let you hurt anymore people." Harry continued- he spared a glance at Rick, then glancing down – to the sewers. Rick nodded, ever so slightly; it went unnoticed by the rest as Harry turned his attention back to Imhotep.
"You won't let me? What is going to stop me?" Imhotep hissed at him – and Harry's mind raced.
"Take me in her place. You don't need the body, Imhotep, merely a death. Wouldn't it be better for the spell if someone who has lived for as long as I have, died for it?" Imhotep nodded slowly, wary. Evelyn looked upon Harry with open shook –if it was because she had been speaking, and around someone, who was as old as one of her beloved artifacts, or because he willing to put himself in her place – Harry didn't know.
He guessed he'd never find out now either.
"And what would you want in return, Harii?"
For this to work…Harry thought, glancing down as he took a quick look for Ardeth's reaction. He had stiffened; his eyes bleeding to blackness, and specks of stars glittered in the depths. Harry could have cheered; instead he answered Imhotep, with what he could muster of remorse.
"Your forgiveness, Imhotep, is all I ask of you." Imhotep nodded slowly, and motioned Harry foreword. It was the longest five steps Harry had ever taken – before Harry could stop him, Beni took the key from a still and pale Jonathan.
"Hey, that's mine!" Jonathan yelped at him.
"Thank you." Beni mocked, bowing to him. "Goodbye, my friend." Beni told Rick, all the while edging closer to Imhotep. "Come here." Rick growled at him – Beni, of course, had a little more sense then that.
"Kill them." Imhotep ordered even as he pulled Harry close- keeping a tight grip on Beni; Imhotep turned into a funnel of sand, alike to a tornado, with Beni and Harry in the 'peaceful' embrace of the center.
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"No, let him go, let him go, you monster!" Evelyn yelled after it, Rick stopping her from going very far and running after him, even as the crowd closed in on them. Rick motioned a still Ardeth to the drain cover, lifting it, as one by one they went down it – Evelyn first, and then Ardeth.
"Come on." Rick urges Jonathon, who looks down in the darkened sewer with some disgust.
"What about my puzzle box –and Harry?" Jonathan asked, reluctantly going foreword.
"We're gonna get them back- you next." Rick said as Jonathan went down, motioning to Dr. Bey. The crowd was closing in, tighter, and both knew only one of them could make it before the other was killed.
"Go." Dr. Bey told him, knowing this.
"Come on." Rick urged, but Dr. Bay yelled and charged the crowd choosing to sacrifice himself, Rick jumped down, and closed the drain cover, they listened to Dr. Bey's final moments, and then rushed to find quick transport to Hamunaptra.
By the next day, Rick, luckily, had a plan – he, Ardeth, Jonathan, and Evelyn arrived in a car to a plane port early the next morning. The three walked up to him – hoping Rick wasn't about to get them all killed.
"Morning Winston, a word." Rick asked, the man looked up, squinting at him, somewhat red. Evelyn hoped very dearly that it was because of the sun rather then the drink.
"So, what's your little problem got to do with his majesties Royal Air Corp.?" Winston asked amusedly.
"Not a damn thing." Rick told him frankly, grinning slightly.
"Is it dangerous?" Winston asked, somewhat hopefully.
"Well, you probably won't live through it." Rick answered, again, far too truthfully – if a bit lightheartedly then Evelyn approved of.
"By jove, do you really think so?" Winston inquired; Ardeth thought the man had likely never been in true danger in his life if this was what he what he was hoping to do with it.
"Well, everyone else we've bumped into has died, why not you?" Rick thought, smiling slightly, as if they were discussing pleasanter topics.
"What's the challenge?" Winston asked, willing to be amused.
"Kill the bad guy, and save the world." Rick answered; Winston stood and shook his hand. "Ha, ha, Winston Havalock, at your service, Sir." Surprising it took very little time for them to get on their way.
Rick sat in the 'back' seat of the plane (with Evelyn in his lap), behind Winston, with Jonathan and Ardeth strapped to the wings. They flew over a hill and Rick checked to make sure they were alright. To which Jonathan replied "Do I bloody well look alright?" and Ardeth was too busy thinking about something else entirely.
Remembering, actually, when Imhotep had called out Harry's name – Harii, memories had flooded back to him. Memories of being Death, one of the Eldest Immortals, and of Chaos, his once love – now frozen in the Between, and of his sisters.
Which reminded him, he was going to have a long talk with Eternity about 'memory' key words for Immortals locked in the bodies and memories of their own making…
Then, Ardeth –or Death as he was referring to himself as once more, felt Imhotep, and turned, seeing a sand storm appearing behind them.
"See that, I've never seen one so big." Winston yelled to Rick.
"What? Never?" Rick yelled back to be heard over the roaring sand.
"No." Winston yelled back as the sands pulled up into a wall, and the form of a face, Rick glimpses it, staring in horror. "Oh. My. God. Winston, pedal faster!" Rick urges as Winston tells them to hang on.
The plane spins, out of control, and Death flexes his power- shifting the balance – in payment for one life. He couldn't chose it, but he knew one was better then all of the mortals dieing – Harry would never forgive him for that.
Rick falls out, with Evelyn alive, if cradled in his lap. Death, of course, lives, being Immortal and all.
"Excuse me; a little help would be useful if it's not too much trouble." Jonathan grumbles, Rick goes to help him as Evelyn and Death watch as he is saved, leaving…Winston.
"Winston, Winston." Rick calls, touching his neck in search for a pulse, there isn't one – Death knows that.
The plane shifts too quickly, and Death calls a warning. "Quick sand, get back, quick sand." Rick leaps away, and they watch in silence as the man who had just helped them, and his plane, sink into the sand. Lost forever…
Rick, in a show of unexpected sorrow, salutes him, and the others set out to finish what they started.
Together, they walk into the desert- to Hamunaptra.
