Death Shall Rise

by Nocturnal96

James Ryan never really had a family to love him. Never truly had people to call family. Until he got deployed with two adventure seeking treasure hunters. Now a storm is coming and only time will tell if he makes it out on the other side. Retelling of movie but with an OC. Tom cruise isn't main focus so if you love him I don't recommend this story. reuploaded so hopefully unbroke.

Please enjoy this not so original take on the Mummy (2017). Hope you enjoy it even with my less then stellar writing. Please let me know what you think but don't bother with flames, they are always ignored. If you wish to critique, then please make valid points, not death threats or calling names or other such nonsense. If you hate it that much move on.

They say deserts have the hottest days and the coldest nights. James would forever agree with that statement. Especially after spending the majority of his tour in Iraq. Of course, it didn't help that the lowly private got assigned to possibly the two biggest morons in the United States Army. James groaned as he took a sip from his canteen. The cold water refreshing in the blazing heat. Standing near the horses they were using; he felt a sense of apprehension the longer his fellow troopers were gone.

It was supposed to be a simple recon mission. Scout out the enemy's position and report back. A simple mission for the rookie of the unit to gain more experience. Of course, the two men he was assigned to, Sgt. Nick Morton and Sgt. Danny Vail, seemed to prefer treasure hunting than following orders. Even if Vail kept protesting their various detours. The two had dragged him 100 miles north of their objective to rob some tomb that Nick had heard of. Now, he stood guarding their horses as the two men scoped out their destination. From the sound of gunfire, it seems the insurgents had already occupied the town.

James sighed again and sat on a rock. Removing his Shemagh and running his hand through his short brown hair, James glanced around. Checking his M4 he rolled his eyes at the unfairness of it all. He was stuck with a standard issue M4 while the two treasure hunters get top of the line SCAR's. But that's how rank works he mused.

James jerked up when he heard scrambling behind him and pulled up his M4.

"Hold fire!" Nick said as he and Vail scrambled down the hill. "We're friendlies rookie." The man gave him a devilish smile while Vail pouted.

"Sergeant you cannot go down there. It is crawling with insurgents." Vail stopped by his horse while Nick started prepping his.

Nick scoffed. "Of course, I'm not going down there." He looked at James and Vail smirking. "We all are going down there."

James stepped forward. "With respect Sergeant, command wants us to perform advanced recon 100 miles north of here. We could get into serious trouble just being down here. Not to mention the town filled with insurgents bent on killing us."

"Your concern has been noted private, but you need the experience of sneaking through enemy lines and this," He motioned towards the town. "Will give you plenty." He seemed to consider something for a moment. "Also, I outrank you so you kind of have to do what I say."

"I don't think that's how this works." James mumbled but was subsequently ignored as Vail stepped forward.

"Look if you want to do this at least call in an airstrike first. Maybe it will scare them away." James nodded vigorously.

Nick scoffed. "An Air strike? Bad idea." He shook his head. "We do that and command knows where we are."

"And we will do 20 years in Leavenworth for looting." Vail pointed out and James seemed to choke on air.

"Hey! What I tell ya. We are not looters. We are liberators of precious antiquities. Now stop scaring the kid and get on your horses. Both of you. We need to get to Haram. To treasure."

"Wait didn't the translator we passed say that Haram means forbidden knowledge?" James asked as he mounted his horse already knowing they were going down there.

Vail latched onto that. "Forbidden as in cursed!"

Nick waved him off and pulled out a knife. "Around here that is just another word for treasure." Riding forward he slashed Vails water supply and smiled. "IF you want more water, I'm sure the village has plenty." He called back.

James sighed and waited for Vail to mount his horse before chasing after Nick.

"Besides," The man called back to them, "This will be fun, slip in slip out just like we always do."

*30 minutes later*

Bullets flew through the air as the three men ran for their lives. Muzzles flashed, dirt flew and men yelled as the three tried to get out of the now swarming village. It had started out so well too, James lamented as he slid down an alley barely avoiding a hail of bullets. Vail and Nick right behind him.

They had gotten towards the town center when Nick had accidently hit a pot off a stand with his shoulder. The resulting crash alerted all the Al Qaeda to their position. Now all of them were running for their lives. Ammo almost gone as their seemed to be an endless number of insurgents.

Of course, the chaos wasn't helped by Vails constant yelling about dying and James had about enough of it was they slammed through a door and into a house. "Will you shut the fuck up already!" James yelled before firing a few shots, dropping two insurgents running towards the door. Nick fired as well, dropping another before pushing the two men towards some stairs.

"Let's go gentlemen! Move!" He yelled. Running up the stairs he pulled the pin on a grenade and dropped it. "Grenade!" Everyone jumped to the next building as the explosion sounded behind them.

Taking cover behind a small wall, Vail continued to yell. James ignored both of them and resumed firing. Taking sporadic shots, he was able to down a few more but with each pop up, more and more insurgents surrounded their building. Feeling a sense of cold detachment, he realized he was probably going to die here.

"I'm going to die with two fucking morons." He groaned and Vail wailed again about not wanting to be here as he put away a radio.

"Did you just call in an airstrike?" Nick yelled. Vail nodded and took a few shots.

"RPG!" James yelled before jumping on Vail. The explosion rocked the two men and Nick ran to the other side of the roof. James and Vail followed. Just as they already knew, Insurgents had surrounded their position. Another RPG hit the building and they were forced to jump to another roof. James yelled out as his leg took a hit.

"James!" Vail cried out and started dragging him. "We are going to die!" Vail yelled at Nick as they laid on the roof. James cried out in pain as he tried to apply pressure to his wound while also staying down. By this point he was also the only one with his backpack still on. The others losing theirs in the chase. Taking it off and pulling out his first aid kit James started wrapping the wound.

"I'm sorry guys but it looks like this is it!" Nick called out over the sound of gunfire. Just after he said it two loud explosions sounded behind them and the sound of a jet flew over them. All three men sat in silence as they watched the drone fly away. Vail checked their surroundings and noticed the insurgents scrambling to leave. He cheered before helping James to his feet.

"How are you doing buddy?" He asked as he looked him over.

"Bastards got me in the thigh." James grunted "Hurts like a bit-ah!" They all yelled out as the courtyard below them collapsed, taking the building with it. James and Vail were dragged into the hole but Vail got lucky and got stuck on a ledge. James cried out as he slid into an open abyss. The last thing he saw was Vail reaching out for him and calling his name.

*20 minutes later*

Nick and Vail stood before the gaping hole as their commander, Colonel Greenway, marched up to them. The two had continuously called into the hole after James but never got a response back. After scouring the nearby homes for rope and returning empty handed, the two were forced to wait for help to come.

Now they stood before a very angry looking colonel and forced to explain how they ended up here and why their fellow soldier was in a very dark pit.

"Sir we have to get down there now." Nick began but the colonel raised his hand for silence.

"Would one of you like to explain why we are 100 miles North of your objective? Or how about why one of my men is in that hole?" Both Nick and Vail tried to make up some excuses but the colonel wasn't having it. Shutting both men up he made his way over to the hole. "Let me run another scenario by you. One in which two assholes from long-range reconnaissance, that would be you, run all over northern Iraq just one step ahead of the enemy. Except, instead of hunting for the enemy, you hunt for antiquities, stealing whatever isn't nailed down and selling it on the black market all while dragging a rookie along with you. Meanwhile, these fanatical insurgents trying to erase 5,000 years of history unwittingly cover your tracks. It's a pretty good scam."

Before he could really lay into the two men a blonde woman walked up and slapped Nick. "Where is it?"

"What? Where's what?"

"The letter, the map you stole from me."

"Map?" Nick asked again. "I don't know what you're talking about. How would I have even had an opportunity to steal anything from you, Miss... Miss..."

The woman smiled before turning to Colonel Greenway "Okay. Sergeant Morton, here, thinks that I'll be too embarrassed to tell you that I had him in my hotel room three nights ago in Baghdad. And whilst I was sleeping, he went through my things." She then turned to Nick. "I'm not embarrassed, Nick. Disgusted, yes. Regretful? Certainly. But mainly, just amazed at your ability to mimic all the qualities
of genuine human intimacy, if only for 15 seconds."

The colonel turned to Nick. "Where's the map, Morton?"

Nick held up his hands placatingly. "Okay. Sir, I admit that Miss Halsey and I did spend a delightful evening in Baghdad. A very long and satisfying evening, if her reactions are to be considered sincere. But, sir, I left with nothing more than fond memories. Now, perhaps I may have neglected to say goodbye to her the next morning, only because she was exhausted and I didn't wanna wake her."

Ms. Halsey rolled her eyes and moved around the men towards the hole and gasped as the carving of a face came into view. "It's Egyptian!"

"Is that weird?" Vail asked and Nick scoffed. "We are a thousand miles from Egypt so yeah, weird."

"I need to get down there now." Jenifer turned to the colonel.

The man shook his head. "Not until my men check it out and make sure it's safe and rescue our man." He turned to Nick and Vail. "You two get ropes and prepare to descend. You got my private into this mess, you can carry him out."

Both men nodded and left to prepare but stopped when they heard a pained groan echo from the hole.

"James!" Vail called out.

"You ok soldier?" The colonel asked.

"Where the hell am I?" James called back. The young soldier rolled onto his back as he returned to consciousness. All around him darkness enveloped everything and what little light from above, made shadows appear at odd angles. As consciousness returned so too did the pain. Barking out a yelp James clutched his knee and realized it had been broken. The bullet wound he had bandaged had also come loose and a small stream of blood could be seen flowing towards the center of the room.

James squinted in confusion as he saw it disappear down a hole of some sort along with some other, silvery liquid. Ignoring the voices from above, he attempted to stand, using a nearby statue of some bird human thing as support. Grasping it he hauled himself up. Vision going black for a second as pain flared in his leg.

"Guys, you're going to want to see this!" He called back up and very carefully made his way deeper into the ruin. Noticing his pack, he hobbled over and picked it and his M4 off the ground. Turning on the flashlight on the gun, he looked around. Seeing an opening before him that his blood seemed to be draining towards, he hobbled forward. Each movement causing him pain. He stopped though when a camel spider came up to him. The creature seemed to take him in before trying to climb his injured leg. James freaked out and was about to swat it away but hesitated. He felt a strange urge to leave it be. Like he knew it meant him no harm. The arachnid climbed up his pant leg to the bleeding wound and proceeded to cover the wound in some kind of web. James frowned as he had heard camel spiders didn't have any webbing but shrugged it off. Letting the arachnid do its thing James felt oddly calm and even eager to let the spider do its work. When it left James followed it towards the other end of the cavern. The arachnid seeming to make sure he was following as it kept turning back to him every few feet. Soon it arrived at some sort of chamber in the back and fled into the darkness. James was about to follow when something caught his attention.

Hearing something hit the floor behind him, he glanced back and saw ropes. Looking up he saw Nick, Vail and some blonde woman repelling down. Facing forward again James gazed down into the other chamber. Several statues lined the outside of a massive pool of silver liquid. All of them facing away. Scanning the room, he noticed a pully system attached to wires jutting into said pool.

Carefully making his way down he vaguely heard his buddies and the woman moving around behind him. Getting down to the last step he flinched as bright lights lit up the chamber. Blinded, he tripped, causing himself to put too much pressure on his broken knee. Crying out in pain he fell forward and hit an old rope. Under the sudden weight and after years of decay, the rope snapped causing the pully system to drag whatever was in the pool, out.

Nick and Vail both cried out and ran to James as this happened, while the woman started recording.

"I'm in a large, man-made cavern adjoining the antechamber. There are chiseled stairs descending from the ledge. There is a canal at the center of them that feeds a ritual well at the base, filled with mercury. Pleated skirts, scarab signet rings. This is a High Priest of Amun from the temple in Thebes. There is a ritual barrier chain that surrounds the well as a warning to intruders. To keep people out. There isn't a single provision made for someone's journey into the underworld. No canopic jars, no shabtis. To be buried in a place like this would have been a fate worse than death." She trailed off as a large sarcophagus emerged from the pool. James who was now sitting in front of it, being tended to by Vail and Nick, stared at it in awe.

As the mercury dripped away, it revealed the screaming face of a woman. James stared in abject fascination as his vision blurred and shifted from the dark cave to sand dunes. He shook his head to clear it but he kept seeing the sand dunes and what appeared to be a beautiful woman clad it white flowing robes. Looking at her he felt an odd attraction to her. Like he had known her all his life and wanted nothing but to be with her. As the woman approached him, words he didn't recognize reverberated around him.

"You have set me free." She caressed his cheek. "You have shared your strength with me. My chosen. My love." She smiled demurely.

The woman was right in front of him now and she was gorgeous, stunning hazel eyes stared back into his own brown ones as her lips closed in on his. She was slightly taller than him Causing her to tilt his head up. While he was only 5'6, it was still strange to find a woman taller than him. Her lips were soft against his and a warmth enveloped him as her hand came to rest of his arm. He felt complete in her embrace, in a way he had never thought possible. He never wanted to leave this dream. Hoping it would last forever.

He was shocked out of his dream when Vail smacked him across the face. "Hey come on back man, you're ok." James looked around a moment and noticed Nick and the woman were arguing. "Doctor Jennifer Halsey, apparently Nick stole the map from her." Vail answered his unasked question. Suddenly his vision flashed back to the woman, her beautifully tanned skin shining in the sun. James shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "Hey it's gonna be fine buddy. I promise." Vail went to pick him up but as he stood a swarm of Camel spiders flooded the chamber.

Vail and James both freaked out and went for their weapons. The spiders climbed all over everyone who raced to swat them off, all except for James who stared in fear and awe as the spiders seemed to inspect him and his leg, never once touching him. Just looking. He was broken from his thoughts as Vail cried out after getting bit and started shooting randomly. James covered his face and Nick started screaming for him to cease fire. Eventually the man did calm down but only after the spiders had retreated into the walls.

"I want to leave man." Vail said. "We need to leave now. Those fuckers bit me!"

"Vail calm down they aren't poisonous." Nick argued back.

"Venomous." Both men turned towards James. "Spiders aren't poisonous. They are venomous. Luckily for Vail, camel spiders aren't venomous. Just really freaky looking."

Both men were silent for a moment before Vail spoke again. "I'm taking James out of here."

Nick nodded. "Colonel Greenway is going to lift that coffin out of here. We can put James on it so the medics can look at him up top. Now come on let's get going, we have incoming." James let the two men carry him from the chamber but when he glanced back at the sarcophagus, a feeling of longing and loneliness washed over him, like it didn't want him to go. He shivered as he forced his eyes to part from the black holes that resembled eyes, ignoring his own sense of loss at leaving the sarcophagus.

A few minutes later and the ancient coffin was tied up and ready to be airlifted out. James who had been briefly looked over by a medic who came down was about to be strapped onto the coffin to be airlifted back to base with it. James looked at the Sarcophagus and shivered. He just couldn't shake the feeling that it was watching him, even as a sense of calm enveloped him. Something about it was off.

"Hey Vail." He called as everyone was going up. The man stopped prepping himself and turned around. "You don't think I unleashed some really fucked up curse on myself, do you?" Vail looked at the young man, barely more than a kid at just 21 years of age.

"EH I'm sure you'll be fine buddy. I mean we survived that shitshow up top and even that fall didn't kill you. You're gonna be just fine." Vail patted him on the shoulder and soon James was strapped onto the coffin and was being airlifted out.

As he emerged from the hole, he noticed a lot of crows had gathered around. All looking towards the sarcophagus. Another shiver ran through him as they cawed and fluttered their wings. As the chopper jerked forward, he watched as the birds took flight and circled around the vehicle. Two of them even perched by his legs causing him to flinch. Thankfully the birds only cawed at him.

The ride from the tomb was bumpy to say the least but James was secured enough that it didn't bother his legs. What did bother him though was the massive sandstorm that appeared out of nowhere. As the wind whipped at his face, he prayed they would land long before the storm hit. Coming to an airfield James was confused as he was picked up off the coffin and escorted on the plane. The coffin wasn't too far behind and Jennifer was already pestering the soldiers about being careful. The sandstorm was closer now and James trembled at the thought of being stuck in it.

He blanched at Vail when he saw how sickly the man looked. "Vail you ok?" The man shook his head and shivered. Coughing heavily the man just continued shaking his head. Black lines came from the back of his neck and seemed to spread up the side of his face. "You need to see a medic as soon as we land got it?"

"Got it." Vail muttered at everyone strapped in. The man laid down and tried to rest. While James sat across from him broken knee bound as to prevent movement. He stared at the sarcophagus as Halsey walked over and began examining it. Throughout her examination he got brief flashes of the woman fighting. When he learned the name of the person in the sarcophagus he flinched as even more images of the woman assaulted his mind. He saw the woman, straddling his waist, markings across her face and arms, raise a dagger and ram it down into his chest. He jerked as if physically struck and noticed Nick get up to move towards him.

"Hey rookie, you ok?" He asked when he got to his side. James looked towards the sarcophagus and nodded. "You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." James rubbed his eyes and looked away. He noticed that Halsey was on her laptop now and realized he was out of it far longer than he originally thought.

"Yeah you fell asleep a while ago man." Nick piped up. "Miss doctor over there isn't too happy we blew a hole in the top of her tomb but I think she with thank us when we land." James nodded before looking out a window.

"Where are we?" he asked when he saw green below them.

Nick sighed. "We are."

"Vail what the fuck are you doing!?" Both men jumped as the colonel yelled. Looking up they saw Vail sawing at the straps holding the coffin in place. "Sergeant, what are you doing?" The colonel stood next to Vail who stared blankly at him. Nick and James watched silently as Vail raised his head. James gasped at the sight of him. The black lines from before had spread and it appeared, he was blind in his right eye. Before anyone could say or do anything else. Vail plunged the knife into Greenway's chest.

"Vail! Whoa whoa man what are you doing!" Nick jumped up as well as two other soldiers who were awoken from the commotion. Drawing their weapons, they demanded Vail drop the knife. Nick stood between them asking them to put down their guns. Halsey stood as well yelling at everyone to not shoot while they were in a sealed air craft. Nick reacted fast however and took one of their handguns and turned back to Vail. Just in time too as he swung the knife. Nick and everyone jumped back and Vail kept moving towards them swinging the knife.

"Vail what are you doing!?" James shouted from his seat. Vail stopped moving and turned back around. James froze as Vails lifeless eyes zeroed in on him. Vail started walking slowly towards him, knife poised to strike. James moved faster now to unbuckle himself and stand. His knee gave out and he was forced to catch himself on the Sarcophagus. When he looked up, he saw Vail in front of him with the knife, now lowered. Vail reached a hand out to him as if to help him. A shot rang out and Vail jerked. Turning, James noticed the bullet hole in his back. Nick however took another shot and Vail dropped to the floor. James moved forward only to jump back as Nick shot him again.

"I think you got him." James snapped. Everyone slowly made their way around Vail before the plane shuddered. Nick ran to a window and noticed an engine had caught fire.

"Fuck. Everyone, get a parachute now!" Nick shouted before making his way to the cockpit. James wasted no time in grabbing one and putting it on. He noticed Halsey struggling and moved to help her when Nick ran back in screaming. Following him was a bunch of crows which had crashed through the cockpit. The plane shuddered before lurching down flinging everyone all over the cargo bay.

James reached out hoping to grab onto something to steady himself but the plane started spiraling out of control. Rolling around, another soldier flew into his knee. Crying out in anguish with black spots dancing in his vision, James reached out once more and was able to grasp the Sarcophagus. When his hand touched it, the pain lessened and his mind cleared. Able to think freely and move without pain, he pressed himself to the sarcophagus and that same warmth as before enveloped him.

The plane gave a loud groan before a wing split off and tore the side open. One of the soldiers screamed as the loss of pressure tore him out of the aircraft. James screamed as he tucked as close as he could to the Sarcophagus, his face right by its own. As the ship plummeted and everyone screamed, James heard a soft whisper in the wind.

"Setepa-I. My love."

More whispered words filled his ears, drowning out the chaos around him. And he could almost understand them. Something about a chosen one. Off to the side he noticed Nick and Jennifer holding onto the wall by the opening. Nick looked between them and pulled the handle on Jennifer's parachute. She shot out of the plane and Nick urged James to go as well. As the thought of jumping out crossed his mind a sharp feeling of possessiveness drew his attention to the Sarcophagus.

James did his best to ignore it and angled himself for the opening as the ground neared. Flinging himself forward he pulled his own handle and jerked up as the plane plummeted into the ground. James watched in horror as Nick never left the plane. The aircraft hitting the ground and turning into a fireball.

"Nick!" he screamed as the plane crashed outside of an old church. Floating down he noticed Jennifer far above and behind him. Trying to angle his decent away from the burning wreckage he cursed as the wind seemed to push him closer to the flames.

"Shit, shit, shit." James muttered as the wind carried him over the flames to crash into some trees surrounding the crash. Eventually his suit caught in the branches and he was left dangling over a destroyed dock. Below him he could see the Sarcophagus. Cracked open and turned on its side, James noticed a trail of white rags leading away from it.

"This is bullshit." James sighed when he couldn't get the clips to unlock.

Shaking his head, he looked around for anything he could use to cut himself free. Of course, there was nothing on his person or even close to him to help him. All there was, was fire, trees and crows. Now that he really looked around, there was a lot of crows. Shivering as they all stared at him, he looked up and noticed a few helicopters coming to check out the crash. In the distance he heard sirens and sighed in relief.

"Help!" James shouted. "I'm up here! Help!"

A crow landed on his shoulder and James froze. Turning his head, he stared at the bird. Its black eyes seemed to study him before it rubbed its head against his cheek. Cawing the bird repeated the action leaving James completely confused.

"It's nice to see you too?" He wondered, as the crow started pecking at the ropes holding the Harness to the parachute. "What are you doing?" The bird chirped at him and pulled on the ropes with its beak before looking at him once again. When James did nothing but stare at it, the bird flew up to the branch above him and cawed again.

Understanding dawned on him as he gripped the ropes. He started pulling himself up bit by bit until he was able grab the branch. Unfortunately for him, all the jostling he did on his climb weakened the branch and when he went to pull himself onto it, it snapped. The sudden drop and tension on the ropes to the harness caused them to snap, flipping James as he fell down into the muddy bank of a river. Rolling underneath a destroyed dock, he stopped right next to the lid of the Sarcophagus and sticking out, was a decayed human arm. Although as he looked at it, it seemed to be in remarkably better shape than a 5000-year-old corpse had any right to be. There was still some muscle and skin left attached to the bone and instead of a withered old look, it seemed rather fresh.

James groaned as he got up on his hands and knee. Looking at the arm, a great curiosity overcame him and he shuffled over to the lid. Hesitantly, he lifted the lid and tossed it aside, revealing the mummy. Traces of dark hair clung to her head. Her body seemed to only be bone, with only the smallest traces of muscle. No eyes could be seen but he did recognize closed eyelids. James scoffed, no way could a corpse this old have eyes. But he was forced to admit, the little flesh she retained alluded to a beautiful face.

"Welcome to the 21st century my dear." James joked. "It's a little different than what you're used to but I'll show you the ropes." James laughed slightly before sighing. "I'm so fucking cursed."

"We most definitely are rookie."

"Ah!" James screamed and turned his head. "AH what the fuck!" He pushed himself back as Vail stood before him. He looked exactly the same as when he went crazy.

"Hey now calm down." Vail smiled at him. "You're looking a little pale."

"This isn't real." James shook his head, crawling back. "I'm dreaming."

"Not dreaming buddy, now let's get you up and prepared for the lady." Vail moved forward and James started hyperventilating.

"I'm dead."

"Oh no, but you may wish you were dead." Vail smirked and James passed out. "Shit." Vail looked down at his unconscious friend.

With James unconscious, the Mummy opened her eyes. Her eyes, that of a demon's, gazed at her chosen, her love. She reached a bony hand out and caressed his cheek, groaning, unable to properly form words. Her eyes traveled down to his wrapped leg which had started bleeding again. Placing her hand on it she closed her eyes. A few moments went by before a popping sound was heard and when she removed her hand, the bullet that had lodged in his leg fell to the floor. She rested her decaying head on his and moaned. The blood on her hand slowly absorbing into her body, a feeling of weightlessness filled her head as she looked upon James' unconscious form. What little strength she had was sapped from her as she healed her chosen and she was forced to lie back down.

Hearing voices, she let out a loud groan to attract her prey, hoping one would get close enough that she could take his strength. She was so close now, she could practically taste her victory, her prize.

"I heard something down here." A man called out.

"Nick!" The mummy frowned at the blonde's voice. "Nick are you there?" luckily it seemed to be moving away from them.

Shuffling was heard closer and she relished the chance to regain her form. But she was denied as the man cursed and rushed to her love. "I got a live one over here!" he called and soon, more men surrounded him, whisking him away from her.

"His heartbeat is weak; we need to get him to a hospital." She heard a woman's voice and cracked an eye open. She watched helplessly as her love was taken away. Her power was truly diminished if the simple act of healing her broken love, left her this weak. The sound of people moving faded and soon she was left alone. It seemed the people had overlooked the mummy in favor of the man. She sighed, but resigned herself to wait. The blonde would be back. She wanted to study her. She would be back.

However, it wasn't the blonde who came back for her. It was two men who came looking for any other survivors. She smirked as one was foolish enough to put his head right in front of hers. In an instant she was on him, draining him of his soul and strength.

Her body restored itself. Muscle and skin returned. Hair grew and as the man lay mummified, she felt her power grow once more. She growled as the other man ran to their position and launched herself at him as well. As his corpse lay decaying beneath her, she relished in her returning strength. While not a potent as her chosen's blood, their souls would have to do. Looking over herself, she now resembled a half-decayed woman. Her cheek and nose, missing parts of them and her hair not as lush as it once was.

Tying her hair into a loose braid she looked to the fallen men. "Rise, my servants." Their bodies jerked and trembled as they stood. She crouched by the water's edge and looked upon the church where her stolen blade rested. Closing her eyes, she sent out her power and the crows flew off in search for her chosen. Through the link that his blood had formed she knew he was recovering. That was good, at least they were helping her love.

Looking back at this strange land, she longed for her home. To be able to share it with her chosen. She hungered for that day and moved forward, ready to bring that day closer.

*Later in Hospital*

Jenny sat in a waiting room, nervously fidgeting with her hands. Everything had gone to shit ever since that private had released the Sarcophagus from its prison. Not that she could really blame him. Not like he planned on breaking the rope holding it down. Now all that remained was retrieving the mummy and the Sarcophagus. She had been assured that men were sent to get them and now she waited for James to be cleared so they could travel to the morgue and identify the bodies.

A doctor walked up to her and started talking to her about James when the boy walked down the hall, completely fine. She frowned as there was no sign of a limp or pain of any kind from his leg. The only problem she could see was how pale he was. How frightened he looked. His eyes seemed to dart around nervously as if waiting for something to pop out.

As he approached them, she held out her hand. "Private James, we were never formally introduced. My name is Jenifer Halsey. You can call me Jenny. I was a friend of Nick and Vail and I am so sorry for your loss but I am glad to see you walking around."

The boy took her hand in a daze. "Thank you, Jenny. Just call me James. Uh, you wouldn't happen to know where I am would you?"

She looked at him confused. "They didn't tell you?" Clearly indicating the doctors.

"Honestly I never really thought to ask till now." He flinched as his eyes passed over the waiting room.

She nodded her head and looked around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. "Well you are currently in the London Bridge Hospital. In London, England. If that wasn't clear."

"Oh." He muttered and his eyes kept glancing at the side and he started sweating. "Hey if I'm good to go, can we please get out of here? I think I need a drink." Jenny nodded and quickly ushered him out.

*20 min later*

"What happened to your leg? I thought it was broken?" Jenny asked as James took several shots in a row before picking up a glass of beer. James sat before her, denim jeans and a white T-shirt now covering him instead of his uniform.

He looked down at his leg and shrugged.

"Did Nick make it out?"

James froze, glass at his lips. He put it down and looked away. "He never made it out." Jenny took a shuddering breath and looked out into the night. The sun had begun setting as they left the hospital and now as they sat there drinking, darkness had overtaken the land.

James was in a world of his own, looking at the news that was covering the crash. He glanced at the bar and once again saw Vail waving at him. Whispering his name. James tried to block it out by taking another swig from his glass.

"Look, James." Jenny spoke up. "With everything happening, I think you deserve to know more about me. I work for a group of Archeologists who believe the ancient Egyptians erased one of their princesses from history. On purpose." James shrugged his shoulders as if to say, so what. Jenny sighed. "That tomb we uncovered, well we believe it belongs to that princess, Ahmanet." James froze at the name as vivid images of a beautiful Egyptian woman flashed through his mind. "We've been searching for something called the Dagger of Set. A ceremonial knife with a large jewel at the hilt. Set is the Egyptian god of death. And legend has it that the dagger and the stone, together, had the power to give Set physical form. I'm convinced it was hidden here in Europe. Stolen by Crusaders centuries ago. I found reference to it in a manuscript written by a Crusader knight that suggested the dagger was broken apart. That the stone was buried with this knight somewhere here in England. A massive Crusader tomb was recently discovered under London. We believe that the stone is in there somewhere. That tomb is what led us to Ahmanet. I think she's the princess in the legend. The hieroglyphs said she murdered her father. Along with his child. She made some sort of pact with the god of death. And then, when I saw those birds, and that sandstorm... You know, I mean... Something is happening." She shook her head. "I think we may have angered the gods." She whispered.

James looked at her incredulously. "Can you excuse me for a moment." He rushed out of his chair and into the nearest bathroom.

Jenny sighed as he rushed off and when he was out of sight pulled out her phone and started dialing.

Inside the bathroom, James went stall to stall making sure no one was inside before turning to the Mirror and freaking out. "You are dead! I saw you die."

Vail chuckled. "Not dead my friend. Just cursed, like you."

"Mercury is toxic right? I must be hallucinating right now. Yeah, yeah, and all the falling and passing out. Concussion. Yeah that's it." James started pacing. Vail started laughing.

"Dude chill out. Look at me. Look at my face. I'm cursed, James. And you're cursed. And there's only one way to break it. You are going to do exactly what she wants, or this is gonna get a lot worse for both of us." Vail explained, finally done with James freaking out.

James seemed to get some kind of grip over himself and turned back to Vail. "What do you mean cursed? You told me in the tomb that there was no curse." James reasoned.

Vail rolled his eye. "Dude look me in the eye and tell me everything that has happened since you released that coffin, has been completely natural." James and Vail were silent. "That's right."

Just as James went to open his mouth the door opened and in walked a group of girls who screamed and yelled at the sight of him.

"Oh, by the way, you walked into the woman's bathroom." James cursed and apologized profusely before leaving and running out the back of the establishment for some air.

"Setepa-i. You know what that means." Vail stated as they walked in the alley.

"No, I…... oh my god." James covered his mouth in horror.

Vail laughed again before looking down the dark alley. "She got plans for you kid. She really likes you." With that Vail vanished and James was left standing there breathing heavily. Trying desperately to understand what and why this was happening.

A deep groan alerted him to another presence in the alley. Turning, all he saw was garbage and darkness. As he looked into that black void, he noticed large rats emerge and clamber over each other, slowly making their way towards him. Turning to leave he stopped when even more large rats came from that direction.

When he looked back to the void a decaying arm shot out. James jumped and rushed back to the door. Slamming into it he found it locked and looked back down the alley. His eyes widened as he saw a decaying woman slowly making their way to him. Her amber eyes shown in the darkness. What really got his attention was the two irises' in each eye. they were odd, but in an exotic, strangely beautiful way. The woman was wrapped in white rags, barely covering her curves. What pale skin remained, contrasted with the dark marking across her arms and face, giving her an almost glowing look in the dark alley. She smiled as if reading his thoughts and continued towards him. The rats, he vaguely noticed rushed ahead of her.

James took steps back as she and the rats advanced on him. He stopped though when he stood next to a gate. Looking at it, he noticed it was locked. He was shocked though when a large swarm of rats shot through the gate and started climbing on and around him.

"Ah get off!" James shouted trying to hit the creatures off him. In his panic he never noticed they didn't harm him or the way the woman watched his every move. He eventually tripped over all the rats and screamed as they all piled on him. "Help me! Someone help me!"

The woman stood above him now and knelt down to stroke his cheek. James froze as she whispered one word. "Setepa-I."

As soon as the word left her mouth, the figure morphed into headlights and James was pulled from the middle of the road by Jenny. Looking around frantically, James tried to recall how he got there.

"James what are you doing?" She demanded as he continued to look around.

"I think, Jenny, you may have been right. We have definitely pissed off the gods."

"What?"

"I am cursed and so is Vail and I don't know what the hell is happening to me." James freaked out once more. "I just saw, the woman in the box, coffin, thing."

"Ahmanet?"

"That one yeah. You read the writing on her box, right?" James asked.

"It's a Sarcophagus."

"Whatever, and the writing you read it right?"

"Hieroglyphics and yes I did."

James shook his head and growled. "Jenny, I don't really have time for all that archeological mumbo jumbo crap. What I need to know is if there was any mention of a curse."

"James, you have had a concussion." She ignored his attempts to deny it. "You were in that tomb for a long time, surrounded by Mercury. Who knows what those toxins have done to you. You need to see a doctor."

James shook his head. "A doctor? I was already in a hospital. I don't need a doctor. As a matter of fact, how does any of that explain how I know that Setepa-I means, my chosen?"

Jenny shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder hoping to calm him down. "You were in the middle east for some time, you probably heard it somewhere and forgot."

James shook his head. "No, I was barely there for two months. Two months Jenny. Not enough time to learn an ancient, dead, language. Why are you backing off from this? You were the one who started this discussion and now I'm telling you that I am cursed. That she is real." James froze as memories of the mummies remains flashed through his mind. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "You know what, your right. I just need to see the coffin and her body and then I will know that there is no curse."

"What you need, is a doctor James." Jenny insisted. "I know a specialist right here in the city."

James walked past her intent on finding a cab. "I can see your doctor after I see the body. Luckily I know exactly where it is."

*30 minutes later*

The taxi driver had taken them as close to the crash site as possible and now they were outside of an old church. The crash was a few miles beyond the church and Jenny started making her way towards the old building but James didn't follow. Instead, he turned towards some ruins that when looked at closely, revealed the river behind them. Moving in that direction, Jenny called out for him.

"James, the crash is this way." She motioned behind the church.

James looked at her then the crash site. "When I landed, I landed right next to her. We were by the river. Weren't you there when they found me?" James kept walked and Jenny followed.

"I was actually by the church." She began. "I only caught up to you when they loaded you into the ambulance." She huffed. "Besides you were found unconscious and everything pertaining to the crash is beyond that church. Who knows what you dreamed about when you landed."

James huffed but kept going, further into the dark desolate ruins. Jenny grumbled about stubborn soldiers before leaving him to go to the crash site. James stopped to watch her leave but turned and looked up when he heard scuffling behind him. Looking around and seeing nothing, he carried on. An odd sense of being watched fell over him and at times, he swore he saw a woman walking around in the darkness.

Eventually though, he was stopped when a door in the back of the church, creaked open. A woman stood in the doorway, cloaked in shadow. She raised her hand beckoning him forward. James looked on, heart beating erratically as he stared at the figure.

Suddenly as if by magic, he was in a desert and the beautiful woman stood before him. Arms outstretched.

"My chosen, my love."

Shaking his head, James realized he was in the main chapel. The alter before him and pews to his sides.

James shook his head. "I'm fucking losing it man." He started walking to the door. "I am not dying in some old church. Nope. Not today." James made it into the vestibule when something pounced on him. Banging his head on the floor, again, he was helpless as four people grabbed his limbs and carried him to the alter. Throwing him on, he was finally able to focus and freaked out at the site he saw.

"Ah!" Four men, all dead and mummified, stood around him holding his arms and legs. "Oh my god, please don't kill me!" James yelled, but the corpses did nothing. James was about to shout for help when another being jumped from the darkness. Stradling his waist, the woman from the alley looked down upon him.

James looked up at her and marveled at her appearance. A true beauty, even if she was missing parts of her face. Her eyes were what truly enchanted him though. four Irises studied him, gazing into his soul. A wheezing breath escaped her as she caressed his face. A small smile spread over her as her fingers explored every part of his face. The smile grew wider as she forced his shirt up, revealing hardened muscle and abs. She groaned as her hands explored his body. James however laid perfectly still, baffled and a little turned on if he was being honest. However, he soon started giggling as he fingers danced over his sides. This seemed to further please the woman who lowered her head and rested it over his heart.

"My beautiful chosen. My love. At last we can be together." The woman whispered in ancient Egyptian and James noticed he was starting to understand it more and more as time progressed. He looked down as he felt her cool lips press against his chest and over his heart. She worked her way up to his face where she planted a kiss on his cheek. Licking the same spot, she whispered to him. "My love, I gift you the power of Set, may we rule forever." A final lick on his cheek before her arm shot out, destroying a statue above his head.

James closed his eyes as bits of dirt and porcelain fell into his eyes. He froze as her fingers brushed the crumbs away and even gave her a look of confusion. She didn't respond, only smiling down at him lovingly. For there was no other emotion that it could be with how soft her eyes were. James started to relax a bit as she looked at him. He felt contentment and love and longing emanate from her and wondered how that was possible. As if reading his mind, she caressed his leg, where he got shot.

"You have given me your strength my love. We are connected now more than ever."

Her other arm coming back into view however froze his blood. In her hand was an ancient looking dagger. Curved and menacing he started bucking his hips trying to get her off and away from him. She smiled as she rolled her hips in time with his turning him on just as she was terrifying him.

"Please don't! I can do whatever you want just please don't kill me." James said in a panic. Vaguely he noticed how pathetic he sounded, especially for a soldier, but this was no ordinary situation.

The woman looked concerned now and she and her undead servants held him down. Placing a finger over his lips she shushed him. "Do not worry my love, for it will not hurt. I could never harm you." This time she lent down and kissed his forehead. James continued to struggle however, as she raised the knife. Plunging it down, James shut his eyes, waiting for the pain.

It never came. Cracking his eyes open, he saw her bewildered look. The dagger inches from his chest. She sat there staring at the hilt of the dagger. Frustration and anger clouded her face.

"James!?" A startled shout grabbed everyone's attention. All heads snapped to the entryway, where Jenny stood in fascinated horror. Unable to move or speak, only a few squeaks escaped her.

The woman above him looked down at him and James looked back at her before turning to Jenny. "I told you I was fucking cursed. Now help me!" The woman growled, stabbing the knife inches from his face and leapt off of him. Jenny took the time to try and run. Groaning, James focused on freeing himself. With everyone distracted he was able to break an arm free and punch it through the throat of a zombie. Using that, he slammed its head into the alter. The body fell to the floor and James quickly used his new limb to free his other limbs. One by one, the zombies fell, their head falling to ash. James soon stood free over their dusty remains and noticed the woman, Ahmanet, choking Jenny. Grabbing the dagger off the alter, he ran forward. Acting on instinct, he drove the dagger into the mummies back, Ahmanet cried in pain and James did as well as pain laced up his back. Jenny had managed to free herself and she pulled the dagger free and ran for the door. James ran with her, ignoring his pain as best he could and before he left took one last look at Ahmanet. Her eyes hurt, brimming with betrayal and sadness. James hesitated at the door, wanting nothing more than to run to her and hold her. Jenny didn't give him time to do that though. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him out and towards an ambulance.

"You drive!" James shouted as he got into the passenger side. Jenny complied without complaint and got into the driver side. Starting the car both freaked out when Ahmanet leisurely walked out of the church. The sun was rising now and a low fog was coming in but James barely noticed as all his attention was on the beautiful woman watching him leave. Guilt flooded his soul as Jenny drove away.

"I told you I was cursed." James mumbled as they barreled down the road. "You did see that right?"

"I can't unsee it." Jenny said trying to catch her breath. "I need to get you to my specialist." James looked at her confused.

"The fuck is a specialist going to do?" Jenny was about to respond when an undead cop burst through the driver's side window. Jenny screamed and lost control of the car. Swinging to the side and tumbling down a cliff, James felt something take hold of him and pull him from the vehicle. Jenny watched in amazement as he seemed to float out of the front seat. Whatever was holding him broke though as one of the corpses fell into him from behind. James fell forward and landed next to the ambulance that was teetering, ready to fall over.

"Ahhhhh!" He screamed as a loud crunch filled the air. Gasping he cried out again. Looking behind him, he saw the ambulance had landed on his legs. Tears flowed freely down his face as he looked upon his crushed legs. Crying out in pain he failed to see Ahmanet emerge from the fog.

Hearing his screams of pain filled her heart with worry. That stupid corpse wasn't supposed to jump down the hill! And now she could feel the pain coming from her chosen's legs. Rushing forward she saw he had fallen under the vehicle and was trapped. She sensed rather than saw his blood flowing from him. His strength draining by the second. Rushing forward she gave him no time to react before lifting the ambulance and pulling him free. She heard the blonde grunt inside but chose to ignore her in favor of her chosen. He was whimpering in pain as he beheld his mangled legs. Laying him on his back she caressed his hair while muttering her spell. Wiping his tears away she made sure to keep his eyes on her and not his mangled legs.

He groaned as his legs reformed before his eyes. Cracks and groans were heard throughout the woods as her magic healed him. Her chosen would be fine. He would live and soon, be an immortal god. She would make sure he never felt such pain again. As his whimpering died down to small moans, she rested his head on her thighs. She smiled down at him, caressing his hair.

"Thank you." He mumbled and her heart soared. His gratitude filling her with pride and satisfaction. Gently caressing his cheek, she opened her mouth to speak to him. A pained scream came forth instead as a bolt pierced her chest. Looking around she noticed men in dark uniforms converge on their position. A dart struck her neck and she ripped it out. Anger and hate burning in her demonic eyes. Soon more bolts pierced her flesh and pulled her away from her chosen. He was yelling after her, reaching for her and clutching his chest as if he felt her pain. It pained her to not be able to go to him. It pained her even more to see one of the uniformed men shoot him in his own chest, knocking him unconscious as blood poured down his body. She struggled harder then. Trying with all her might to get free and save him. To take all his pain away. But it was all for naught as more and more darts pierced her skin, filling her with mercury. Soon enough she was too weak to move and the men pounced. Putting a bag over her head, she was blind to where they brought her.

*sometime later*

When he came too, he was being dragged down a corridor, a strait jacket immobilizing him and his escorts ignoring him. Pain lingered in his chest where Ahmanet was shot. He felt dried blood coat his chest and body and wondered how he was still alive. Pushing that thought to the side for now, he regained his foot and thrashed violently, trying to get free from his captors. Not expecting his resistance, they were unprepared for his assault. James headbutted one of them and broke their nose. The other punched him in the face while a third wrapped his arms around him. Another few punches to the face dazed him enough that the men were able to get him under control. Blood ran down from his nose and bruises start forming on his face but all his thoughts are on the mummy who fixed his legs, who went out of her way to comfort him and show him nothing but love. It confused him really, how she could try and stab him one second but then go and heal him the next.

'Because I love you. Because you understand my pain.' Then images flashed through his mind, her desire for her fathers' love. Her desire to rule Egypt and be a pharaoh worthy of worship. How it all was torn away because a boy had been born. How her Father abandoned her for a baby. Even after everything she had done to please him. HE saw her kill her baby brother and she showed him why she did it. It wasn't just a sibling rivalry, it was a literal loss of love, something she craved. He could feel it pounding his heart, her need to have someone want her, to love her above all others. Something he could do. When the images left, James realized he truly did understand her pain. That wasn't the only thing he noticed though.

The voice in his head sounded strained and in pain. James focused on it and realized he could feel whatever Ahmanet was feeling. A slight burning sensation traveled up his arms and into his neck. James fought back a groan and tried to send as many reassuring feelings as possible. He wasn't sure why he wanted to reassure her but after the kindness she had showed, he owed it to her.

Soon enough they entered a study or office of some sort. Bookcases filled to the brim align almost every wall in reds and browns. There is a dark almost black desk sat at the other end of the room. Behind him, a medical table stood empty, surrounded by cases of medieval medical equipment, obviously meant to intimidate anyone who entered. Looking around, the room was rather spacious with floor to roof length windows with reinforced glass. A quick glance around confirmed only one obvious entry point.

Trapped.

The men who were escorting him, stripped him of the jacket and told him to stay before marching out.

Facing the desk once more he flinched at the sight of Vail. The man smiled at him. His face even more decayed then last time.

"I know, I look like total shit. I have a request that may fix that actually." James motioned for him to go on. "Please stop fighting her. We both know you want her. Would it really be so bad to live for eternity with someone so devoted to you?" He disappeared then, but left James contemplating what he said. Would it truly be so bad to just give in to whatever Ahmanet wanted?

"Make yourself comfortable!" He was knocked out of his thoughts when a jolly voice called as another man, in a suit with a well-trimmed haircut, stepped in, carrying a file in one arm, his hand covered in a black glove.

"Who the hell are you?" James demanded.

"Who am I?" the man chuckled, setting the files down on the edge of a desk and only picking up a folder of it. "The more relevant question, Mr. James Ryan is: Who exactly are you? In theory, I know all about you." The man turned and walked over to him, standing before him and looking at him through the bottom of his glasses. "An abusive father who hated you but doted on your sister, a mother who abandoned you, average schooling, Army reconnaissance and page after page indicating a decent moral compass. But you see, this file contains nothing of any real value to me. That's why I wanted to see you face to face." He tilted his head down to peer at him over the top of his spectacles.

James looked at the man before him in amused confusion. He had absolutely no idea what he could say to that. "Who are you?" He repeated when nothing else came to mind.

"I am a doctor." The man responded, clearly unimpressed. "Chemical pathology, neurosurgery," the man stepped past him to a desk beside the medical chair. "Member of the Royal Society. I am also a lawyer. My name is Jekyll. Dr. Henry Jekyll. There you are!" The man grinned as he picked up a locked briefcase of sorts and carried it back to his desk, throwing a casual: "These days, I specialize in immunology, perhaps. Infectious diseases perhaps," at James as he passed. "I would like to, if I may, Mr. Ryan, to tell you a story."

James shook his head as pain and heat flooded his arms and neck. He felt her pain as they did whatever they were doing to her. Whatever this doctor was doing to her he would pay them back tenfold. She had saved his life, multiple times and even if she intended to stab him, he owed her a debt. A debt he would gladly pay to their kidnappers. Looking down he was still in his bloody cloths. He didn't care about whatever story this doctor had but as he suspected, the doctor didn't care and told it anyway.

"A story about a patient of mine. A man of promise. A man who believed he was beyond reproach until he got ill." James glanced down as Jekyll popped open the locked case revealing four thin vials of a yellow substance within. "The disease manifested itself in subtle ways at first. And then it grew into an overwhelming desire, an unquenchable thirst, for chaos, for the suffering of others."

Jekyll seemed to struggle to breathe for a moment, his skin taking on an eerie grey tone, his eyes starting to flash amber as he worked on slotting the vials into a crude looking device with four needles sticking out of the end of it.

"He was quite fortunate. He himself was a physician. And if evil were a pathogen, to be reasoned then there must surely be a cure." Jekyll pressed the needles into his hand, having pulled the black glove down to reveal a disfigured patch of skin where he had clearly injected himself a number of times in the past. A moment later the grey skin receded, the glow faded from his eyes as he slumped in his seat, catching his breath. "I would like to, if I may, Mr. Ryan, to show you something."

Eager to move on and get a proper layout of whatever facility this man had brought him to, James nodded. As Jekyll led him from the room, he felt a feeling steadily rise in him. Taking a moment from his observation to examine this feeling, he realized it was Ahmanet calling out to him. And he was getting closer. James smirked as Jekyll led him closer to Ahmanet.

As they got closer, James' body tensed further. He ignored the thuds of their footsteps and Henry's presence beside him. James can only focus on pain. Its dull pangs trudge through his body: unfamiliar. James's stomach curdles as stifled groans start to echo though his ears. They're high-pitched: almost palpable in its agony.

Jekyll and James enter quietly. The room is near empty; computers to the right and multiple stairways that lead to other levels on the left. The entire room is metal and concrete with harsh greys and blacks. In the center of it all is Ahmanet. The princess is forced to her knees; her arms are held together tightly behind her back and raised by a chain. The chains link to a collar around her throat, night against the dust of her skin, and silver tubes connect to the collar. The inky ponytail graces the floor as Ahmanet's body shivers holding in her cries.

Her head suddenly lifts; the amber eyes glow.

Her hitched breaths cease as she takes in James. She takes in the blooming bruises on his face. James's face is a mottled mess of reds and blacks: an adept cloud of fire. The now crusty shirt he is wearing is stained with blood, his blood, and where once, white shown through, now only a dark red remained. One..two..three holes at least are rusty with slight trails of blood as if someone shot James through and through.

A harsh growl echoed through the room: low and deadly.

They don't say a word. They don't have to. The two cannot look away from each other. James stands before her staring into those gorgeous eyes, unable to look away. Ahmanet can't keep her eyes off of her chosen, bloodied and battered. She would love nothing more than to go to him and whisk him away.

A low moan escapes Ahmanet's lips as she leans forward. Her eyes are an odd combination: furious and full of unspoken fear. Her eyes never stray from the holes on the bloody shirt, as if she could burn the fabric through her stare alone. James watches her intently and slowly lifts his shirt to everyone's surprise. Ahmanet visibly relaxes as she sees no holes in him. Unlike her James thinks as he looks upon three holes littering her chest. He blushes lightly when he realizes what he had been staring at.

Ahmanet seems to notice and gives him a sly smile before her gaze moves to Jekyll and it becomes a sinister snarl. The meaning is clear, he would pay for what had happened to her chosen.

Jekyll steps in front of him, blocking his view of her. "Welcome to Prodigium. From the Latin monstrum vel prodigium," he pauses sweeping the room with a cursory glance. His blue eyes linger on James's. " A Warning to Monsters."

"What is happening to her?" James asks once Jekyll moves to the side.

The man glances at her before turning to James and standing next to Jennifer who James just noticed was there. "We're embalming her with mercury. At minus thirty-eight degrees, the mercury in her veins will solidify. She will be safe for dissection then. I apologize for our lack of decorum," Henry rambles on. "We had very little time to prepare for our guest and only the information Jenny could provide for us. In truth, she works for us."

James swings to face him. Astonishment written all over his face. He wanted to lash out, yell at him that this was wrong but Ahmanet stops him. Pulling his consciousness into the desert. She embraces him when he looks to her. "Be calm my love. We shall be together soon. All you need do is distract them long enough for me to get out."

James was back in this Prodigium. Looking towards Ahmanet for a moment to see her smile to him. "What business is this exactly?" James voice is strained but hopes no one suspects it is from anger.

Jekyll, unfazed by his outburst answers calmly. "Evil, Mr. Ryan. Recognized, contained, examined, destroyed. She is, by far, the most ancient we have ever encountered."

"Henry," Jenny interjected, "This isn't how we should study her. She is the only link to a time we barely even know about."

James rolled his eyes at her. Leave it to the Archeologist to not even care that a living breathing woman was in chains and currently being tortured.

"It's for the greater good, Jenny. I am sorry. She is the most ancient evil we have and will ever witness. We cannot allow her or her God to destroy this world." Jekyll certainly didn't sound sorry.

This hypocritical piece of shit.

James silently seethed. Keeping his anger in check was what Ahmanet needed so that is what he would do. It was hard though. Jekyll wanted to dissect her like an animal, like a specimen in a lab. Jenny wanted to use her for information, to fill in gaps in history. Neither of them cared about her.

Neither of them cared about how her entire life had been built up to a single purpose, to rule her country…and it was taken from her. Neither of them cared about the utter devastation and hopelessness she'd felt that she'd had no other choice but to sell her own soul to Set for help reclaiming her birthright. Neither of them cared about how her plans had been torn to pieces and she had been captured and bound and imprisoned as though she weren't their ruler but a monster.

They didn't care about her pain or her joys, they wanted to use her. And he would be damned if he let them.

"She is a threat, Jennifer," Jekyll was arguing, though James barely heard it, a pounding in his ears causing a ringing in his head. But a single thought did get through to him, when he saw how Ahmanet was looking at him with concern. He wanted to reassure her he was fine, but that was when he realized the cause of her fear.

"Hold on, hold on," he cut in, turning to them. "Where does that leave me?" James was starting to suspect they needed him for something if they had bothered taking him as well. And if they were willing to ignore every moral out there to dissect her, then what would they be willing to do to him.

Suddenly her worry made sense. She was afraid they would kill him. Like her previous chosen had been killed. James blood ran cold at the thought.

"Cursed, Mr. Ryan," Jekyll stepped over to him. "This is not some common cold you have. Some chicken soup and a good night's sleep will not make it go away. You have been selected as the vessel for the ultimate evil. And we are the only ones who can rectify that."

Ahmanet spoke just then, her voice echoing through the room, soft yet powerful, alluring in its grasp of her ancient language.

James didn't know if anyone else could understand her, he didn't care really, all he knew was that he could. To him it sounded like her voice was caressing him, soothing any lingering fears or doubts that Jekyll could have ever brought out of him.

"You cannot change your fate." she whispered.

To anyone else, he was sure, her words sounded like a threat or a warning, but to him it was a reassurance. While James wasn't too certain about becoming a vessel, he also knew that out of everyone in this room, Ahmanet was the only one with his best interest in mind. She seemed to sense his thoughts and tried to give him a reassuring smile but the mercury in her vein seemed to cause her even more pain as it got steadily colder. James barely resisted the urge to flinch as he felt that same pain.

Pushing past the pain she continued. "The curse will never be broken. My Chosen One was murdered. You will take his place."

"Am I your only chosen then?" James didn't even realize he had asked but he couldn't take it back now.

Ahmanet nodded. "You are my only one. The only being I would gift this honor to. My love, my chosen, we will rule together."

"You'll kill him then have your god take over his corpse." Jenny cried, seeing James slowly walking towards the mummy in a daze, needing to snap him out of it especially after hearing him speaking a language he couldn't possibly know unless it was due to the mummy before him.

Ahmanet shook her head as much as she could. "I will not kill him…" She inhaled and used her connection to his mind just as he had hers. "I will give him eternal life," she told them, using English. "Make him a living God unbound to anyone."

Jenny frowned as she looked between Ahmanet and James. He had been staring at her, unblinking, his gaze almost…enthralled…and she needed to help him, break him free of her hold before it became too strong. She had noticed he had become more fixed on Ahmanet every second they were in the same room together. His eyes, unwittingly, searching out hers. "You murdered your father," she called out, bringing up every broken piece of information she had on the legend she knew, hoping to jar James out of his trance with the truth of the princess before them. But he already had the truth. He had been shown through their connection. James though, was eager to see what Ahmanet would respond with.

Ahmanet turned her head to Jenny. "I loved my father with all my heart. I only wanted his love in return."

"You killed his wife!" Jenny continued to accuse. "Their child."

"They were different times." Ahmanet seemed to struggle as the mercury continued to be pumped into her.

James knew that he should be appalled at the murder of a baby but he also knew that he had no right to judge how people in ancient times, handled their problems. He had seen how her culture worked through her eyes. So, while he may not agree with her methods, he could also understand why she did what she did.

Ahmanet, instead of continuing the argument, instead turned her gaze back to him, locking eyes with him, and everything washed away when she smiled at him. He was pulled back to Egypt where the princess stood before him, holding his hands. "The day of the awakening will soon be upon us," she whispered to him, standing so close to him he could feel her pressed to his chest. She smirked as she felt his reaction to her body. She leaned down to kiss him and he raised his to meet her. Despite his fear over being overshadowed by Set, he could recognize her genuine love for him. And after years with nothing, he craved hers.

When she pulled away, he found himself lying on a bed in the middle of the cool Egyptian night, a silken canopy billowing around him from a room clearly made for royalty. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized it was Ahmanet's chambers from her past. And there she was, walking towards him through the billowing cloths, her white gown seeming looser around her, her hair unbound, her body free of its jewels.

"You will become Set," she intoned. "The world will fall to your desire. You will have power of life, over death. And you will have me…" She reached the end of the bed and reached up a slow hand to the front of her dress, a light tug all that was needed for it to fall away, baring her body to him as she had her soul. "I will be your queen," she added, leaning in to crawl over him on the bed. "All you need do now, is to allow me to finish the ritual and all shall be yours." She smiled down at him as his hand came up to cup her cheek, she knew she had him. Even if he didn't realize it himself.

"James!" The man jerked slightly and Ahmanet frowned. "Wake up!" James took his eyes off the Egyptian goddess before him and looked for the annoying voice to shut it up. Ahmanet leaned down and kissed his neck, drawing his attention back to her. Drawing him even further into her embrace.

She felt her illusion crumbling as the mercury was increased leaning towards his ear, she decided to warn him of her fears in case he didn't realize it himself. "They will kill you. Just as they killed my chosen before you. It burns."

"What?" James asked breathless.

"It burns!" Ahmanet's scream shattered the illusion as she convulsed in pain on the floor. James fell as well. The same pain shocking him to his knees. He started yelling in pain as well and he barely registered Jenny yelling for them to stop.

"Fascinating." Jekyll mumbled and if everything else wasn't enough, that alone brought him to the top of his shit list.

As Jenny requested, the mercury levels were dropped and James was able to stand, albeit on shaky legs. Jekyll excused himself, pulling out his phone on the way out. Jenny moved forward and helped James steady himself. Once she knew he wouldn't fall, she escorted him to one of the walkways overlooking Ahmanet.

Ahmanet watched it all, glaring at Jenny for daring to touch her chosen. She continued to glare at her until she was able to ignore the burning from the mercury. When she was able to do that, she went to work. Beginning to cast her spell, she reached out for anything that she could use to help her. Seeing a spider rise from the grate in front of her, she smirked. Freedom would come soon and after, their revenge.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." Jenny spoke softly. Both James and her were sitting overlooking Ahmanet. The mummy knelt on the grating, keeping her eyes down. James barely made out the movements of her lips. "Just try not to worry. We will fix this. Henry is a smart man, I'm sure he will find a way to help you."

James turned his gaze away from Ahmanet to stare at Jenny. He just had such a hard time believing her. He scoffed. "You really think he is any better than her?" James shook his head. "No, Jenny, he won't help me."

Jenny grabbed his arm in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. James only felt caged. "You don't know him like I do. Trust me, ok?"

James remained quiet, unwilling to argue with her. He needed to plan an escape and talking to Jenny wasn't going to help.

"Mr. Ryan, A drink?" Henry stood behind them and looked at James expectantly. Felling a headache start to form, James nodded. Hoping that alcohol would send it away. Plus, walking around this facility may yield some results for an escape plan.

As Henry led James away, Jenny walked down to Ahmanet. She had questions and if Henry was going to dissect her then now may be the only time, she could ask them. As she got closer, she saw the mummy freeze and smirk.

"What you have seen, what you must know." She wondered aloud and Ahmanet shifted her focus onto Jenny. "I have studied the words of the old gods."

Ahmanet looked intrigued for a moment before giving the younger woman a patronizing look. "The. Old. Gods?" She smirked at Jenny's expression. "Your language is simple. What you truly wish to know is what lies beyond the veil of death. To know what I have seen."

"Yes." Jenny nodded eagerly.

Ahmanet gave a smug smile. "And you will. When my chosen kills you."

"James will never be your puppet, monster." Jenny growled before turning away.

Ahmanet chuckled. "I have no need to pull his strings." Ahmanet noticed Jenny ignoring her and tried a different tactic to unnerve her. "They have found the stone; you have brought my chosen here. What do you think they will do with him now?"

Jenny turned back briefly but offered no comment before hastily leaving. Ahmanet smirked in victory before returning to her spell.

*with James*

The walk through the halls didn't reveal any new information and James was starting to get frustrated. He had no idea where they were located and had no idea as to the layout of the facility. Henry had led him back into his office and James was left on his own while Henry got them drinks.

He was looking at different skulls when Henry came back. The man held out a drink to him and stated. "Welcome, to a world of gods and monsters." James took the drink, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the theatrics. Quickly taking the drink and downing it he hoped to speed this along. "Evil has many names, Mr. Ryan." Henry turned back to his desk and set his own drink down. "Take Set for example. The god of death. In the bible, Satan or lucifer."

"Right, the devil." James interrupted.

"Yes, quite right." Henry smiled. "So, you see, evil is the shadow that exists just outside our world continuously searching for a way to come in. For a way to become flesh and blood. Either we wait for that day to arrive, or we can fight it on our own terms. Which brings me to you."

"Yeah, about me. What is your plan for removing this curse? DO I need like 7 specific beetles and eat them under a red sun on the 4th day of the new moon or some shit?"

"Mr. Ryan, this is not a movie. There are no guidelines on how to break curses. No manual to read or specific steps to follow. These things are complex. When one is dealing with the salvation of humanity, certain sacrifices must be made."

James was about to speak up when the man who shot him in the woods entered. "Excuse me, sir. They found it."

"Found what? The stone?" James asked when Henry smiled and beckoned the man to leave.

"Well Mr. Ryan I can now say with absolute certainty your curse will be broken within the day." Henry smiled down at him and James felt a cold chill run down his spine.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" James asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Mr. Ryan, you must realize that my hands are tied. I mean, you essentially killed yourself when you freed her. You, the perfect host, resourceful, strong in body, and absolutely devoid of any form of a decent soul."

"What?" James balked. "The fuck does that mean asshole?" James snarled and noticed Henry starting to sweat.

"I am sorry Mr. Ryan but you are going to die." Henry moved to his desk. AT this time Jenny came in.

"Henry, are you going to kill him?" She asked as the Doctor opened the silver case and started fidgeting with the various vials and mechanisms.

"Jenifer." Henry began as he tried desperately to work the vials into the device.

James cut him off before he could speak to her. "Of course, he is. How else would he end the curse?" James rolled his eyes but paid very close attention to Henry, who was shaking so badly he could barely hold onto the injector.

James lunged when Henry dropped the injector with a pained scream.

"No!" He yelled and the man from before ran in, freezing at the sight of Henry. His veins were turning black and his eyes were clouding. His voice attaining a more demonic edge to it. "Mr. Ryan, I need it." He groaned as he reached out.

"I don't think so Doctor." James smirked but that fell as the power suddenly cut out. James noticed everyone's confusion and lunged across the desk. Jamming the injector into Henry's neck the man gasped as the needles pierced his throat. The black in his veins beginning to recede and red blood beginning to flow down his neck. The man who shot him moved forward to try and rip James away from Henry.

The man got ahold of his shirt and yanked back. James, already in an awkward position was thrown to the floor where Jenny tried to help him up. Henry, now gasping on the floor pleaded with the man to stop Ahmanet and Set before he choked on his own blood.

"James what are you doing?" Jenny asked frantically as she tried to make sense of what she just witnessed. James however wasn't listening as he grabbed her and used her as a shield when the guard drew his sidearm.

"Let her go!" The man shouted. James watched him closely, vaguely noting the doctors still form.

They all stood there for a few moments. The air primed with tension ready to explode. And explode it did. For mere moments later explosions sounded in the distance and the lights burst, plunging the room into darkness. The guard, who had stood under a light flinched as shards fell around him. James took advantage and quickly threw Jenny aside before ripping the gun from the man's hand. Without much thought, James pumped two rounds into the man's chest and when he was on the ground, another in the head.

Jenny was screaming and looked on the verge of tears. James turned the gun on her and she pleaded for her life. James fought back the urge to roll his eyes before putting a bullet in her head. As Jenny's body fell to the floor, a wave of satisfaction washed over the link he had with Ahmanet.

"Now to get the hell out of here." James muttered as he left the office and started down the corridor. Ahead, he heard the sounds of panic as people ran around trying to contain fires and restore power.

Guards were shouting orders, computers overloaded and scientists struggled to save whatever data they had on them. James used the confusion to enter Ahmanet's chamber unnoticed. Everyone seemed to ignore him as he locked eyes with the Egyptian princess. Her beautiful eyes locked on his and her smile filled his heart with joy.

In the back of his mind, he knew this was crazy. Helping an undead mummy escape her captors seemed counterproductive to any sane thought process. But he owed her at least that much. For saving his life, for loving him, for healing his broken legs. He could at the very least grant her freedom from this living hell.

"Setepa-i." Her voice was like a gentle caress to his ears and he smiled at her.

He approached her and all the chaos seemed to fade as he got closer. "I'm getting you out of here." He crouched before her and started to try and free her from her restraints. She nuzzled her head against his shoulder as he worked.

Their moment was broken however when a guard finally noticed them.

"Hey, get away from her!" A pump followed the command and James knew a shotgun was pointed at him. A sense of dread filled him as he knew there was no way he could avoid the pellets that would undoubtedly end his life.

"My love, do not worry." Ahmanet whispered in his ear. "I will deal with this pest."

James nodded and raised his hands. Surrendering to the man behind him.

"Drop the gun dirtbag!" The man shouted. James dropped the gun and as the gun hit the floor, Ahmanet twisted herself and climbed the chains. The guard, who didn't expect her to move, yelped before training the barrel of his gun on Ahmanet. He got two shot off before she swung down and tackled him. The man screamed as she sucked his soul from his body.

James watched in horrified fascination as her body regenerated. Her rotten flesh replaced by new, bones were once more encased in flesh and skin. She gasped a breath and ripped off all the restraint left on her. James noticed that everything about her now glowed. Her hair now shone a healthy midnight and her full lips now a healthy red. James was blown away by her beauty. Her eyes shown with life and her tattoos now seemed complete and, in his opinion, made her even more beautiful.

Ahmanet blushed under his gaze before moving to him and taking his hands.

"My love." Her accent sent shivers down his spine and she smirked down at him. "Let us leave this place and fulfill your destiny."

James flinched when she turned towards the dagger. She glanced around and noticed more and more people yelling in terror and guards filling the room. Snarling as they raised their guns and took aim at her and her love.

She dropped James's hand and raised her arms, her power surging through her. "God of death. Protect my chosen, I summon the sands of Egypt, devour these insignificant mortals and clear our path!"

Immediately after she finished every piece of glass shattered and returned to sand. The sand swirled around to the growing fear of everyone in the room. The Sand soon swept down and seemed to wash everyone away. The only thing left was their lingering screams as the sand swept through the bunker.

Ahmanet looked around and smiled. No more danger to her chosen. Looking back at him she was pleased to see how impressed he seemed with her power. "Soon my love, soon you shall have this very power. To shape life as you see fit." She went to him and kissed him.

"That's… brutal." James muttered still unsettled by what he just witnessed. Ahmanet frowned but chose to ignore it for now. Grasping his hand once more she tugged him through the halls. As Ahmanet brought him closer to the surface, screams of panic reached him. "What is happening up there?"

Ahmanet smirked. "My Love, our way is being cleared. The sands of Egypt fill these streets so we may reach our destiny." Soon after Ahmanet flung a door open and James was startled to find a raging sandstorm in the middle of London. A few bodies were scattered about and all the windows were destroyed.

"Your people's love of windows has payed dividends for us. For their love of glass, our sand is everywhere and will consume our enemies. We shall rule this world as gods." Ahmanet stated proudly as she sauntered down the street, James following behind.

Looking around James felt a pit form in his stomach. "These people didn't deserve this though."

Ahmanet glanced back at him. "Worry not about the masses, for they are sheep to our wolves."

"Senseless slaughter isn't right though. I mean, the guys in that bunker thing definitely deserved what they got but these people don't even know you exist." James shook his head and pulled his hand from her grip. "I care for you. I can't really explain it but I do. I just can't follow you on this path if you continue to kill innocent people. That is where I draw the line."

Ahmanet turned fully and regarded her chosen. She took him in and saw how young he was. How scared he truly was with all the changes that have been happening for him. The wanting in his eyes to be close to her, to be loved by her. She also saw his strength of will, that he truly would leave if things didn't change. She locked here eyes with his and a small battle of wills commenced. While she had no plans to deny him, she didn't want to submit without some kind of resistance, her pride would not allow it. When he held her gaze and even hardened his own, she bowed her head.

"Very well, my love." Ahmanet looked back up. "We shall do it your way." She held out her hand and silently prayed he would take it. When he did, the sands around them died down and settled. Sirens were heard in the distance and cries of terror and confusion were heard as well. "Let us fulfill your destiny."

They continued through the city before Ahmanet lead him down into a subway and through the tunnels. Soon they reached the end of the line and Ahmanet stopped James. "Wait here my love. Let me clear out these pests." She kissed him and took Set's dagger. Turning toward the tunnel she raised her arms once more and cast her spell. "Arise my warriors, and serve me." The magic coursing through the air destroyed the lights in the tunnel and Ahmanet walked into the darkness.

The next thing James heard was gunfire and screams. They didn't last long however as a horrifying screech drowned everything else out and soon all was silent. "Come, join me my love." Ahmanet's voice filled the tunnel and James made his way to her. At the end of the tunnel four bodies laid on the ground and a large door was opened. Inside he found a bunch of kneeling crusaders and Ahmanet standing behind them. In her hands, the reformed Dagger of Set. The red stone shone in the dim light and she beckoned him forward.

Walking into the room, the crusaders disintegrated and all that was left was James and Ahmanet. He stood before her and she took his face in her hand. Bringing him in for a kiss, she savored it and actually giggled. "It is time my love. Are you ready?" She asked, her eyes never leaving his.

James looked away uncertain. It was never really his intention to go through with this ritual. He still knew next to nothing about it other then he was going to be stabbed and somehow become a god. He didn't even want to be a god. He just wanted to save her from a fate worse than death. The second one she would have received in her life. Now, she had brought him here and was ecstatic to perform the ritual. "I don't know."

Ahmanet frowned in concern and caressed his cheek. "You have nothing to fear Setepa-i. I would never harm you. This will not hurt."

"But will I still be myself?" James wondered. "I don't want to lose who I am." He grimaced and whispered. "I'm scared."

Ahmanet softened at his confession and embraced him, shushing him as a tear ran down his face. "It is natural to have fear of the unknown. I do not begrudge you your fear. Know That I will never let anything happen to you. I promise you will still be you, the man I love, my chosen. DO you trust me?" Her words reverberated through him and he took a shuddering breath before nodding. "Then let us complete this ritual." James while still unsure, felt a lot better after her comforting words and laid down on one of the tombs. Ahmanet straddled his wait and gave him one final kiss before pulling up his shirt.

She stared into his eyes as she raised the dagger and with one final, reassuring smile, plunged the blade into his heart. As she had promised, there was no pain. In fact, there was nothing at all. For a good five seconds James lay there is a daze wondering if that was it. Then everything went black.

Ahmanet watched as her chosen writhed below her. Her comforting smile turned to one of fear as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he stilled. No breaths, no twitching, nothing. Ahmanet reached out a hand to touch his face, hoping beyond all hope he would wake up. The gods answered her prayer as he gasped awake and sat up. His hand went right for the dagger and ripped it out. Throwing it away James coughed as air once again flooded his lungs. Ahmanet cried out in joy and embraced him. Rubbing his back as he regained his strength.

When James finally got a handle on himself, he looked into Ahmanet's eyes and blinked. His vision was clearer, his body felt more invigorated than it had ever felt before. When his hand gripped her arm, it felt as if her knew every fiber of her being. Like he could see her life, past and future.

"Welcome back, Setepa-i." Ahmanet caressed his cheek and stared into his duel pupiled eyes.

James smiled at her and brought her in for a kiss.

"Hello my queen."

I wanted to try something different with this. Write a whole story in one long chapter. A lofty goal as all my previous stories, I wanted/needed to hear what people thought about the story as it progressed. I find that just writing the whole thing into one chapter is much more refreshing and makes sure that while my ideas may change slightly, the story itself never truly deviates from the original course. I do however want your feedback on if I should continue with this kind of writing. Obviously, if the franchise is huge, like the MCU, this will not work but for individual movies, then I can do it. As for the story, I was let down by the original movies ending. I enjoyed the movie immensely and I am sad that the monster verse they promised has been put on hold/scrapped. But I sought to change it to what I thought would be a better ending. I looked up similar stories such as this one and was disappointed by the lack of them. So, I sought to make my own. This is one of the reasons my other two projects were delayed. What was supposed to only take a weekend and be barely 10,000 words, stretched to a month and many more words. I make no illusions that this I a masterpiece. It isn't. But I do hope you enjoy this story and its ending. The ending is intentionally open ended. I leave James's ultimate fate up to you. THERE WILL BE NO SEQUAL. I have no plans for it nor will I attempt any. Should the studio continue their work on the monster verse, then I might come back to this but it is highly unlikely.