Izzy had faith in Joe's plan. At least that's what she told herself to keep her heart from hammering out of her chest. It had mixed results.
The eight of them, including Ahmose, rowed their stolen felucca across the Mediterranean. Salty water splashed them and stung their eyes. The rocking made Jodie queasy. Izzy's shoulders groaned in pain from rowing her oar. People on TV made it look so easy! She promised herself if they made it back in one piece, she wouldn't complain about warm-up push-ups in P.E. or Tae-Kwon-Do classes ever again.
She tried to distract herself from the feeling of dread seeping through her like seawater in her robes. Her gaze drifted to the water. The dark surface reflected the thousand glittering stars overhead. She chuckled, remembering something she learned doing homework in English class.
Fred gave Izzy a weird look. "What's so funny?"
"I remembered the Greeks believed the Milky Way was created when the goddess Hera pulled baby Hercules away while he was breastfeeding and sprayed… y'know, across the sky."
Jodie wrinkled her nose. "Absolutely ew."
"First thing," Sam said. "Hercules was the Roman name. His Greek name was Heracles, meaning the glory of Hera. Second thing, we're on a rickety boat in the middle of night to meet Mad Jack, and that is what you're thinking about?!"
Izzy shrugged as they made their way to the island of Pharos, the home of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Izzy didn't get a good look at it when they first arrived, but she was able to drink in the beauty of it, even at night. The lighthouse was massive, almost as tall as the pyramids, and it was built in three sections, each one smaller as the tower went up. A statue sat at the top, but Izzy couldn't tell who it was from so far below. A fire at the top blazed brighter than a star, casting light across the sea surprisingly far.
Freddi squinted at the lighthouse. "This edifice is pretty bright. Are we sure Mad Jack won't notice us?"
"Not if you keep your voice down!" Samantha hissed.
"Right! Sorry."
Everyone, except Ahmose and Izzy, covered their heads with plain white headscarves, hoping Mad Jack would assume they were servants and ignore them.
Their little rowboat pulled up at the rear of the island. Ahmose docked the felucca so the boys and their cousins could climb out. On the island was a wall a little taller than Ahmose surrounding the lighthouse. It shouldn't be too hard to climb, at least Izzy hoped.
Joe was the last one to step out. Before he did, he patted Izzy on her shoulder. "We're right behind you."
Izzy tried to smile confidently, but it probably looked like she was having a stroke.
Ahmose steered the rowboat around the small island, and her friends disappeared from view. The grounds were oddly vacant save for a few palm trees and the occasional statue of a god or a sphinx. Izzy thought there should've been guards or some men bringing fuel for the fire, but there was no one there to impede them, for better… or for worse.
They docked at the entrance and Ahmose helped Izzy out of the boat. He held up the bit of rope they had left. When Izzy frowned, Ahmose explained, "It would look more convincing, Priestess."
"Oh, right." Izzy presented her wrist to be tied up. Here goes nothing!
A statue of a god and goddess flanked either side of the entrance. Izzy couldn't tell who the god was, but the goddess was clearly Isis. Izzy hoped that was a good omen.
Past the entrance loomed a shadowy figure. The image of a tall cloaked man holding a silver cane formed like a mirage in the desert. He reclined on a sphinx statue like he was lounging poolside and basking in the sun, instead of initiating a hostage situation for Cleo-freaking-patra. The glow from the hourglass on his cane cast harsh shadows across his cruel and familiar face; a face aged ten years since she last- and first, she supposed- saw him.
Izzy glared at the monocled man. "Mad Jack."
"Isadora Razzmatazz Shabazz." He smirked and hopped off the sphinx. "It's about time we properly met."
"Where's Cleopatra?"
Mad Jack tutted. "So impatient. You get that from Dulari."
Izzy bristled at him casually saying her mother's name, like he had the right.
He pointed his cane at the ground and shot a green beam of light. The glow flared and died, and Cleo was suddenly lying on the ground in a crumpled heap. She lay motionless and shut-eyed, but the movement of her chest told Izzy she was still alive. She sighed in relief.
"Hand over the princess!" Ahmose demanded.
"And have you run off with both of them? I think not! I know that old ruse."
Izzy wanted to bum rush the old fool; shock him to submission and be done with him, but she reminded herself of Joe's plan. Keep him distracted. He loves to talk.
"What's this all about, anyway?" she said, channeling some of Fred's crass attitude. "Do you want revenge for me electrocuting your butt days ago?"
A dismissive wave of his hand. "That was over ten years ago. I'll consider it water under the bridge... if you're obedient."
Mad Jack's smirk turned into a scowl. "I thought I told that foolish Pharaoh to take those earrings away before sending you here!"
"We tried," Ahmose lied, "but they cannot be removed. She even tried it herself."
"Then why not slice off her ears? That khopesh at your hip isn't for show! Do I have to come up with an answer for everything?!"
Izzy winced. "What?"
"Relax. You'll still be able to hear. Somewhat."
"No!" Izzy was louder than she thought she'd be but didn't soften her voice. "What do you want with me? I don't even know you. You're out of luck if you think this would get you The Book, w-we don't even know where it is. And if this is about revenge on my parents-"
Mad Jack cackled so hard he held his gut like Izzy told him a good joke.
"Jumping to conclusions. Now that you get from Anthony. I'm not here for revenge, girl. At least, not where you're concerned." He stepped forward, dominating over her even though he was ten feet away. "I have before me exactly what I want."
Izzy shook her head. None of that made sense with the man she knew him to be. Mad Jack was a psycho who wanted The Book to control space and time. Unless Izzy was holding The Book right now, he should have no interest in her.
Mad Jack pointed his cane at Cleopatra and turned his attention to Ahmose. "So if you don't mind, use that fancy sword of yours to remove her ears, or Egypt gets annexed early!"
Ahmose ignored his terms. He charged at Mad Jack, sword drawn, ready to strike.
"Wait!" Izzy cried.
It was too late. Mad Jack shot a beam of light at Ahmose. He froze statue still, sword dropping and landing point down in the ground. Mad Jack raised his cane and Ahmose rose as well until his frozen form dangled above the water. The threat was clear: one wrong step and he'll send Ahmose plummeting to his doom.
"That should keep you both in place." Mad Jack leered at the lighthouse behind him. "Berenice! Get your lazy hide over here!"
Berenice emerged from the lighthouse entrance, arms folded and eyes hard and angry. She looked everywhere except at Mad Jack. "I told you I didn't want to be a part of the exchange."
"It'll all be over soon." Green light flashed in his free hand and a knife appeared. He tossed it to her and she caught it clumsily. "Remove her ears. Quickly!"
Berenice looked at the knife then at Izzy. Izzy's heart drummed in her ears. She was powerless. Even if Mad Jack didn't have Ahmose as a hostage, Izzy was tapped out of magic. She couldn't take Mad Jack and Berenice on alone, and her friends' sneak attack was taking too long.
"No."
Izzy's eyes widened at Berenice.
Mad Jack's eye twitched. "No?"
"This has gone farther than you promised! I only wanted-"
A blast of green energy destroyed part of the lighthouse wall next to Berenice's head, leaving behind a smoking crater. She cowered and covered her ears.
"I don't care what you want. You can't say no to me! You owe me your life! Without me, you'd be in a hole waiting to join Marie Antoinette and Anne Boleyn in the Headless Queen Club! If you want to be Queen of Egypt, you will do what I say! Now get her!"
Berenice shook. She tightened her grip on her knife. She looked at Izzy, then Mad Jack, and charged.
Izzy jumped to the side and dodged the first swing of her knife. She wasn't so lucky the second time. Another swipe and the blade grazed her cheek. Izzy winced in pain, warm blood trickling down her face.
"Don't kill her, you nincompoop!" Mad Jack shouted as Izzy ducked another attack, the knife running clean through the ropes around her wrist. "I need her alive. I- AH!"
There was a loud splash. Izzy sprung at Berenice and headbutted her in the face. She felt the crunch of her nose, and Berenice crumpled like a Jenga tower. Izzy staggered, disoriented. She didn't know if it was her or the island spinning around, or if she'd really seen Fred bum rush Mad Jack and tackle him like a linebacker.
"How the heck are we supposed to scale this thing?" Sam cried, staring up at the wall.
The wall was about eight feet tall, made out of the same white limestone as the pyramids. It was smooth with no enclaves or footholds. Sam was right, how the heck were they supposed to scale this thing?
Fred sized up the wall like it wasn't a problem. "Haven't you heard of parkour?"
Freddi rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Fred. Even you can't–"
He didn't let her finish. He rushed at the wall, foot landing on the middle and using that to jump and grab the top of the wall. He pulled himself up, shimmying his legs to climb and sit atop.
"Oh my God, he really did it," Jodie muttered.
"In a dress, no less." Samantha tossed Fred the length of rope they got from Ahmose. He caught it and dropped to the other side, probably landing effortlessly. After a moment, Fred flung the rope back over.
"I tied it to a statue of the lion guy thing!" he called over the wall.
Sam gave it an experimental tug. "Yup, this is totally safe."
Samantha smacked Sam on the back. "C'mon, Gramps! We don't got all night."
Reluctantly, Sam scaled the wall, gripping the rope so tight his knuckles turned white. Samantha followed, then Freddi who had to be convinced opening her eyes would be safer. They were all going as fast as they could, but Joe was still worried they were taking too long. He didn't want to leave his friend at Mad Jack's mercy any longer than he had to.
Joe's turn. He had Jodie jump on his back. He wasn't as strong as Fred but he tried not to think about that as he was about to scale a near ten-foot wall with a questionable rope and his great-granddaughter clinging to him. No biggie.
"Hold on," he told Jodie.
"You don't have to tell me twice."
He grasped the rope, kicked off with his foot, and landed back on the wall with both feet planted on the wall. Jodie on his back made him wobble before regaining some semblance of balance. One step, then two. On the third step, he prayed his knees didn't buckle.
He should've prayed for the rope.
Halfway up, the rope frayed in the middle from their combined weight and unravelled. Joe jumped down before the rope broke with a SNAP and gravity sent them sailing to another busted ankle.
"Are you guys alright?!" Freddi called over the wall.
Joe cupped his hands over his mouth to be heard over the waves. "We're fine, the rope snapped! We'll meet you on the other side!"
"But Mad Jack'll see you guys," Sam said.
"We don't really have another option." They just had to hope Izzy could distract Mad Jack long enough for them to get a jump on him.
A beat of silence. Then Fred said, "Good luck, guys."
Joe and Jodie traversed the island without issue. Joe didn't want to think about what Mad Jack might have done to the guards that were supposed to be here. When they made it to the entrance, Joe motioned for Jodie to stay back as he peeked around.
"Don't—" Jodie started.
"I'm just getting a look."
He ignored her glower and peered past the wall. He caught a glimpse of Ahmose's and Izzy's back as she stood tall against his uncle who was laughing like a maniac. Typical.
Mad Jack had long ago stopped feeling like a major threat to Joe. Not that he ever stopped being dangerous, but after five years of failed attempts to steal The Book, Joe couldn't help but not take him seriously sometimes, even if he should.
"What's going on?" Jodie whispered.
Before Joe could answer, Ahmose shouted. He didn't even need to turn back around to see Cleopatra's bodyguard levitating in the air, paralyzed, the glow of magic surrounding him.
Jodie gasped. Joe wanted to run in then and there, but Jodie grabbed his arm and shook her head.
There was a blast like something exploding, followed by Mad Jack squawking louder than the waves. Izzy screamed and Ahmose the glow dissipated around Ahmose as he fell to the water.
Too much was going on for them to play it safe any longer. The two of them ran (or hobbled, in Jodie's case) past the entrance to find Fred had Mad Jack pinned. He had an arm twisted behind his uncle's back as he flailed like a toddler at nap-time. Freddi was helping Izzy stand. Berenice (when had she gotten there?) was passed out on the ground in front of them, blood trickling out of her nose. Sam and Samantha carried an unconscious Cleopatra to safety by her arms and legs.
With all seven of them, they'd had Mad Jack outmatched and incapacitated. Maybe they could get this bozo locked up, even if it wouldn't be forever. The possibility still got Joe's adrenaline going.
"Grab his cane!" Joe told Jodie. He scooped up Ahmose's fallen sword and brandished it at his uncle, hoping he looked braver and cooler than he felt.
"Get off me, you musclebound meathead!" Mad Jack shrieked at Fred digging his knee into his back.
"It's over," Joe said. "We're not letting you get your hands on The Book."
"HA! What makes you think I want your stupid Book?"
Silence full of disbelief washed over the island as everyone looked at each other.
Joe's sword point dipped a hair. "Um, how about the fact you've been trying to steal it for years?"
Jodie, cane in hand, walked up and frowned at the madman. "You've tried to kill us a million times to get it."
"You want to use it be the ruler of all space and time," Freddi said.
"How is that seriously a question?" Joe asked.
Mad Jack wasn't concerned with whether that made sense or not. He used their collective confusion as a distraction to buck Fred off and grab Jodie by her hurt ankle. Jodie cried in pain as she tumbled to the ground. In a fluid motion, Mad Jack leapt, stole back his cane, and shot Jodie in the hip with a blast of green light.
Joe's heart sunk. "Jodie!"
Without thinking, he swung the sword at Mad Jack. His uncle blocked the blade with the shaft of the cane and kicked him in the gut. Joe gasped for air and fell sprawling on his butt.
Izzy ran to Joe's side, but Mad Jack had learned from their earlier encounters. He froze her in place before she got close enough to shock him and flung her still form at Fred. He managed to catch her, but not without both of them taking a fall.
How had they'd lost the advantage so quickly? Joe's mind went into overdrive. It wasn't too late to regroup and try to overpower him again. Maybe if Joe, Izzy, and Fred attacked at once… then one of them would get blasted or tossed in the sea. Maybe they could… or they can try…
They may have lost their advantage, but they still outnumbered him. His uncle was mad, but he wasn't blind. He eyed them all with venomous rage until his eyes landed on Izzy's. Joe expected her to be scared, but she surprised him by glaring back. Mad Jack's eyes lit with mirth like her defiance amused him.
"Until next time," he said in a sing-song voice and pulled out his pocket watch. In a blink, yellow light enveloped him and he vanished.
The second after Mad Jack warped, Ahmose returned to the group, drenched head to toe. He tied Berenice up and slung her over his shoulder, a thousand percent over this adventure.
Joe checked up on Jodie. Mad Jack's attack seemed to be more to stun than hurt her. The blast had hit her brand new satchel, a gift from her uncle Sid. That seemed to upset her more than being shot at with a magic laser beam.
Sam and Samantha found the island's residents bound and knocked out on the first level of the lighthouse. They were woozy and one puked his dinner next to a statue of Isis (which Joe was sure she wouldn't appreciate) but they were otherwise safe. They lent them a larger boat to take the princesses back. Thankfully this one used sails instead of paddles.
Cleopatra woke halfway back with such a start she startled Sam overboard. Luckily they were able to fish him out.
Berenice was still knocked out by the time they got back to the palace. The Pharoah and his men were ready to toss Joe and the others back down the hole with her until Cleopatra and Ahmose vouched for them. The Pharaoh looked like he still wanted to throw them in the Nile for safe measure, but one look from Cleo changed that. Even ancient kings had soft spots for their daughters.
"Exalted guest!" the Pharoah said dryly. "On behalf of the royal family, I offer my deepest apologies."
A beat of silence. Two.
"That's it?" Fred asked, and would've said more to get them into trouble if Jodie didn't slap her hand over his big mouth.
"What he means, your highness, is it's quite alright. We thank you for your hospitality-"
"We do?" Joe muttered.
"But it's time for us to head back home."
They turned from the throne and headed down the hall to their guest rooms.
"My guest!" Cleopatra approached them in the corridor, Ahmose in tow. "My apologies on my father's behalf. He is proud and doesn't easily admit his wrongdoings."
"No kidding," Fred muttered. Sam elbowed him.
"I, however,s recognize when I've been helped and I thank you greatly." She nodded and Ahmose bowed. Cleo took off her crown, a slender tiara of gold that encircled her head. She handed it to Izzy.
Izzy held up her hands. "I-I-I can't accept this from you."
"Priestess," Cleopatra said in a mock-serious tone. "It is unlawful defiance to refuse your ruler a request."
Izzy couldn't argue with that. She took the gift in reverent silence, holding it like it was made of glass.
Cleopatra, despite everything that happened, fixed them with a radiant smile. "Blessed travels, my friends." And with that, a future queen spun on her heel and walked away.
The six of them found themselves back to their rooms. Joe and his friends had packed light for this little impromptu trip, so they helped the girls pack. Freddi and Samantha cooed over Iz's fancy new diadem and helped her put it on her head so her pigtails wouldn't get in the way, meanwhile, Sam and Fred argued over whether or not she should pawn it once they got back home.
While they were all distracted, Joe took Jodie aside to talk to her alone. "What was all that about?"
"I know. Izzy must have made some impression on Cleopatra for her to give her her diadem."
"No, not that." Joe did think that was pretty cool. A crown from a princess? That's like getting a baseball signed by the entire New York Yankees team. "I meant about Mad Jack saying he doesn't want the book. What is he pulling?"
Joe didn't expect Jodie to have an answer, but her hesitation proved him wrong.
"You know, don't you?"
Jodie muttered a swear under her breathe. "Even if I did, I can't tell you. Something like this is classified information."
Joe rolled his eyes. "After everything you can't just tell me nothing."
Jodie chewed her lip. She avoided his eyes as Freddi came over and brought over her sparkly pink and lime queen duffel bag.
"Is this... about what you said about Izzy? About how she's not supposed to be here?"
Freddi dropped the duffel bag. "You told him that?! What, did you tell him about Jocasta, too?"
"Freddi!" Jodie hissed.
Joe frowned. "Who's Jocasta?"
Freddi gasped and covered her mouth. She scooted back to the others, worried eyes darting between the two of them. It would've been funny if Joe wasn't so annoyed.
Jodie massaged her temples. "I swear, when we get home, I am going to strangle-"
"Okay!" Fred's big mouth interrupted her as he and the others gathered around the two of them. "Good job guys, we saved Cleopatra but we still need to fix The Book. I'm glad we're not dead, but I don't want to stick around for Head Slicing Day."
Izzy played with her earring. "Freddi and Samantha said you needed my help to fix it?"
"Maybe not." Jodie was more than happy to have a break in her and Joe's conversation. She pulled The Book from her singed satchel and flipped out open. The pages were back to normal; no glitches or green flashing lights in sight. She smirked. "As I thought.
Sam gaped. "But how?"
"Mad Jack's magic damaged it, so his magic fixed it."
Joe inspected the book. "That's... lucky."
Jodie shrugged and flipped to the right pages. "I'm just ready to go home and wash the desert of my hair."
Freddi shook Izzy's hands enthusiastically. "It was so nice to finally meet you!"
"Yeah!" Samantha agreed. "Next time, we should hang out without the threat of death hanging over us. Just us girls."
Izzy smiled and awkwardly twirled her pigtail. "Sure, if all the girls are okay with that."
An uneasy look Jodie's way. To Joe's surprise, she smiled and nodded. "Of course! Any friend of these bozos is a friend to us."
Izzy beamed.
Fred frowned. "Who you calling a bozo?!"
The girls' response was to chuckle as the green mist wrapped around them, sending them back home.
It was like they never left. Same clothes, same time of day, same arcade. They were home.
They all cheered and high-fived in excitement and relief.
Rin marched back with a new soda. Her dark eyes flashed in confused annoyance. "You guys trying to get us kicked out or somethin'?"
"Rin!" Izzy jumped and hugged the black-haired girl. "Welcome back!"
"I was only gone a minute, get off!" Rin tried to shake Izzy off, but Izzy had kung fu strength. Rin eyed Fred's crown, which was still on his head. "Or was I? That thing's seen better days. Were you playing in traffic while I was gone?"
"Something like that." Fred FINALLY took off his stupid crown and tossed it in a nearby garbage bin.
Rin looked at Izzy and pointed at her diadem. "Oh, hey! I didn't even see that in the claw machine. You won it while I was gone? Is that real gold?"
Izzy backed off Rin. "Oh, um..."
"I don't know about you guys," Joe said as he stood and stretched, "but it feels like I haven't eaten in over two thousand years. Anyone wanna grab a bite?"
Izzy grinned at him, grateful for the distraction.
They agreed and left the theater to grab a bite at the nearby hot dog stand. Joe tried to enjoy the moment of peace with his friends, and not dwell on the last twelve hours or the fact his unhinged uncle wanted his friend and was up to... something.
Whatever. Mad Jack was always up to something. All they needed to figure out was what it was. If— no, when he got in touch with his uncle Joe, they'll explain everything and finally have some help with handling the stuff concerning Izzy.
Izzy…
Joe couldn't help but think about how Jodie said she shouldn't be here. She said she meant Izzy shouldn't be on their warp, but Joe wasn't so sure. First, Izzy showed up in their lives out of the blue because her dad goes missing, and now Mad Jack wants her for some reason. And somehow she wasn't supposed to be here? What did that even mean?
He watched as Izzy said something that made Fred laugh, Rin roll her eyes, and Sam shake his head in disbelief. Izzy smiled sheepishly and busied herself with her hot dog. She seemed so natural with them, so at peace and comfortable. Joe couldn't imagine why she shouldn't be there with him- them! With them.
Joe couldn't make heads or tails of it, but that didn't matter right now. Right now, he was having fun with his friends, and that's all that mattered at that moment.
Once again, Berenice found herself rotting in a jail cell, too far away from freedom. Her hole was much less luxurious this time, only tall enough for her to stand, but no room for her to sit, much less lie down. Not that it mattered much, soon she'd have all of eternity to lie down.
Her emancipator was gone, gods know where. He was nowhere to be seen since she's been back, and she'd hoped her father grew some intelligence and did away with him as soon as possible.
What part of her still capable of feeling anything felt sympathy for the pigged-tail priestess. She was about to find out, like Berenice, the full extent of wrath a father could bring on his daughter.
A flash out of the corner of her eye, followed by her guards toppling like statues. The scuff of shoes on dusty ground grew louder until a familiar face leered over her, grinning grotesquely.
Berenice glared at the man, Mad Jack. "You."
"Me," he sing-songed and squatted over her hole. "I believe you have something I want."
Wasting no time, Berenice yanked the amulet from her neck and tossed it at the villain's feet.
"That was easy." He picked up the Eye of Horus and beheld it in reverence. "You've been obedient, despite your incompetence. Perhaps I could take you with me."
He grabbed Berenice's face with one hand and studied her. He was surprisingly strong despite his slender build. She had to brace herself against her cell wall to stop him from tearing her head from her shoulders prematurely.
"I could zap you of all thoughts or individuality," he mused. "Make you a proper pet, hm?"
She just glared at him. Her grizzly fate was no doubt better than becoming his mindless accomplice. She'd rather die a fallen queen than live as a vacuous minion.
Mad Jack shrugged and dropped her. "No skin off my nose. I've already got one mindless buffoon running errands for me. Why bother with another?"
He stood and pocketed the amulet. "I admit… I got reckless, trying to secure the amulet and her. I won't need her until I've finished things, but at least for now I got what I came for." His eyes were distant, not speaking to her or even himself.
Berenice rubbed her bruised jaw. Like always, she didn't understand what he was going on about. She no longer had even the mildest of curiosity about his ramblings. Still, she couldn't help but ask…
"Is it not enough the priestess has fled back to Flatbush? Do you desire to hurt your daughter so greatly you cannot let her rest?"
"Daughter?" he said the word with the utmost disgust. "When did I ever say she was my daughter?"
She stared at him, mouth agape in confusion. "But… I assumed-"
"And you know what that makes out of you and me?" His face softened ever so slightly. Berenice was adept at reading minute facial expressions, after a lifetime of dealing with others who always had ulterior motives. "I suppose I feel a certain… possessiveness over her. Her mother, she was my…"
The hard, manic look snapped back in place and he smirked at her. "Have fun tomorrow. In your next life, try not to get to ahead of yourself."
Laughing at his joke, he pulled something gold from his sleeve, and in an instant, he was gone in a golden flash of light.