Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a fanfiction site...

Irene could only watch, frozen in terror, as the battle commenced around her. Her head screamed at her to do something - anything - but her body refused to budge. She really wasn't cut out for fighting after all.

Evie cartwheeled across the living room floor, kicking one of their attackers while her feet were in midair. She didn't hesitate before plunging further into the fight, blocking the men's swords with her own.

Irene didn't know what to do. Evie had asked her to protect Alex, but how could she when she herself was so useless?

"Whoa, Mum!" Alex's voice interrupted her as the attacker's sword struck against the bookshelf with Evie's own sword blocking him. "When did you learn to do that?"

"I have no idea," Evie answered, appearing just as stunned as Alex. Before she could react, another attacker grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, but she quickly kicked him in the stomach and aimed another punch at his face, sending him toppling onto the ground. "But that I learned from your father!"

At her mention of Rick, Irene snapped back into reality. She knew that they would lose the fight - she could count perfectly fine, and it was obvious that they were outnumbered. Unless she stepped in and did something...but what could she do, exactly?

She looked around, and her eyes met those of the man who had first spoken to them. He must be the group's leader, she realized. And the way he was simply standing there and watching the fight with an amused expression on his face like he could care least what happened to them suddenly irritated her.

Irene had an urge to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face. With a battle cry, she leapt at him, and with her advantage of surprise, managed to knock him onto the ground.

He glowered at her. "You!"

"Yes, me," she hissed, fumbling with Ardeth's gun in an attempt to shoot him.

But he was quicker.

Fast as lightning, he rolled over so he was now on top of her, pinning her neck with his hands. Irene gasped, recalling a similar experience she had had on her last trip to Hamunaptra when one of Imhotep's slaves had tried to kill her. "Did you really think your little surprise attack would have defeated me?"

"No," she growled, and spat into his face. "But at least you're not just watching the battle anymore."

He roared with fury and Irene winced in pain as she felt something slash her shoulder. Something warm and sticky began seeping through her gown, and with a jolt she recoqnized the warm liquid as her own blood.

"Get your hands off her!" Ardeth's voice rose above the sounds of the battle, and Irene found herself choking for air as the man's weight vanished.

She was free.

"Oh? Isn't this interesting," the man grinned wickedly as he and Ardeth exchanged attack after attack. Soon, it was impossible to tell who was doing what; they were both equally fast and skilled.

"What's in the chest?" Ardeth demanded as he blocked another of Lock-Nah's attacks.

"The Bracelet of Anubis!" Evie called back, busy dealing with an attacker of her own.

Irene had never felt so helpless in her life as she staggered back toward the wall, clutching her shoulder in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"They must not get the Bracelet!" Ardeth warned, "Get it and get out of here!"

Irene saw the man come running at Evie the same time Alex did. She opened her mouth, about to warn Evie, when she she saw Lock-Nah signal to someone behind her with a single nod of his head. She didn't have time to think anything of their exchange before she felt a man grab her from behind and cover her mouth.

What happened next was a blur. She heard Ardeth call out to both her and Evie, but then she felt immense pain to her head. If she had thought that the cut to her shoulder was bad, this was a hundred times worse.

And then just...nothing.

What greeted Irene when she woke up was the most awful headache she had ever experienced. And that was only the beginning of her troubles when the man next to her spoke up. "I see you're awake."

Irene turned her head and wished at once that she hadn't. Not only did the simple movement bring even more pain, but she saw that he was fiddling with a gun in his hands. "That's mine!" she said, making an attempt to snatch it out of his hands, only to discover that both her hands and feet had been tied up.

Lock-Nah merely chuckled at her futile attempt. "I'll be holding onto this, lady. Now, I suggest you sit back and enjoy the last moments of your life." Still laughing cruelly, he turned and joined the chanting men.

Now that Irene was alone, she took in her surrounds for the first time. They were inside a room - where, she couldn't be sure, but she had a feeling she had been here many times in the past with Alex...This couldn't be the British Museum, could it? But that wasn't the only thing that was troubling her at the moment, for she saw Evie lying on a stand not far from where she huddled on the ground.

"Evie!" she called out, and her sister-in-law turned at the sound of her name. Her expression alone was enough to tell Irene that they were in an extremely bad situation, and her suspicion was confirmed when Evie mouthed a single word: "Imhotep".

Irene's stomach filled with dread. All of a sudden, her injuries seemed like they were the least important problem to deal with at the moment.

He was back.

As Imhotep exchanged words with the Curator - whom she had often conversed with when she brought Alex to visit the museum, and who she never would have guessed would be the one to bring Imhotep back from the dead - Irene felt panic rising. Just like last time, she had no idea what they were saying, which only made the situation worse.

A woman stepped through the circle and stood directly in front of him. Irene did not understand what was going on, but she knew that they were in trouble when Imhotep turned and roared at them. The woman snapped her fingers, and immediately the men surrounded Evie and began carrying her towards a pit of fire.

This was definitely not good.

"Do not worry, Miss O'Connell," the curator turned and spoke to her while Evie threatened to put Imhotep back in his grave again, "You will be following her shortly. That's what you get for escaping Lord Imhotep's clutches the first time."

"How could you?" she growled, just as Evie screamed in terror.

Irene squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bring herself to watch her best friend burn to death.

But the moment never came.

Rick leapt through the fire, more heroic than ever, and swung Evie onto his shoulder. Irene would have burst into tears of happiness right then, if their enemies hadn't started shooting at them.

Irene felt something barely graze her hands, and then the ropes suddenly fell away. She spun around to see Ardeth standing on the balcony above with his gun aimed at them. Even from that distance, he must have been the one who freed her. He had saved her life...again. "Will I ever stop owing you?" she murmured.

She knew he wouldn't be able to hear her over all the commotion, so she resorted to quickly untying the ropes around her feet before she raced after her brother and Evie.

"Oh, Ardeth!" she cried in relief as he joined them, and she would have hugged him if it weren't for the mummies that had just appeared below.

"Oh, no, not these guys again," Rick groaned with annoyance.

Irene remembered him telling her about the parts of the adventure that she had missed while she had stayed outside, and these guys had not sounded like fun from the description Rick had given her.

Which only meant that...it was going to get even more worse from here.

A/n: I'm sorry I haven't been able to update! I've been really busy lately (not that that's a very good excuse). but 19 reviews for the first chapter! You guys are all so amazing.. /sobs with happiness/ I couldn't not update with all the support I'm getting, so here is the next chapter! It's a bit short, but I wanted to write something to show that I haven't forgotten the story.

(let's just say Lock-Nah took Irene as well because Imhotep didn't end up killing her in the first story, also because he wanted to piss off Ardeth since he knows that she's special to him 8D)

Leave a review and let me know what you think? ;)