After he left the theater, Khonshu immediately walked back to the apartment with the intention of taking a long shower. Not before making a stop at a store to buy soap and shampoo since he finally remembered that he doesn't have any. Once he set foot in the store though, he gravitated to a large life-size cut-out of a purple penguin and picked the shampoo bottle and soap it is pointed to. Choosing not to read the label, in favor of the looking at the bright and colorful flightless bird with cute eyes.
After his shower, he settled on his less dusty bed and fell asleep. Glad to have finally washed the dirt off of his skin.
He stayed there for a few days, going out to do some part-time gigs and returning by the end of the day. He also came across some who are harming civilians. Khonshu reported some. Though for the rest that don't get arrested, they all seem to get into a very nasty accident a few hours later.
One day, the sun was shining brightly as Khonshu walks down the sidewalk of the more commercial districts. Unfortunately, that area is prone to heavy traffic and plenty of tourist walking around. He can hear the them chatting loudly all around him, not to mention all the vehicles honking every few minutes.
Too Noisy, and way too bright.
He said to himself as a car suddenly honked loudly on his left. The god then decided to take a left and find another route. One that is more quiter and less congested.
He walked away from the highway, expertly taking twist and turns until he reached what looks like a more calmer residential area. Khonshu can see teenagers hanging out on the curb, and suspects that they are cutting classes.
It's their future anyway. He reasons to himself.
Khonshu is a God of the Moon, not the God of Schools or Academic affairs, so he decides that it is not his jurisdiction or area of concern if these teens miss out on school. Though he lived long enough to see that some would get tempted to take drugs, then they start to mug civilians, becoming a danger to the innocent.
Maybe it is part of my problem, He thought.
For now, he chose to not do any work. Yesterday he helped a retail store move boxes of merchandise from the truck to their backrooms, and it was exhausting since there were 2 trucks of goods to be unloaded. Khonshu just wants to spend a day walking around the city, feeling the collective soul and life of the city.
When he returned to the apartment at 8 pm, and got to his bed. Khonshu spend half an hour looking out the window, at the not so stary night sky. He can't help but feel nostalgic every time he does this. The buildings, roads, even this universe is different, yet the night sky remains seamingly same. He finds tranquility in this and opened his ears to the vast silence.
Compared to 5 months ago, since he woke up here. Khonshu can now hear a slight echo of the stars as they sing. Though it is still very muffled though, and the Moon god can tell that the tune is actually different.
It reminds him that that this world is different from his own, so much that the Stars sing a different Lullaby than what he knows of his childhood. Khonshu compares it to listening to a symphony from the same time period, but made by different composers from different countries that are miles apart.
Still, This just made Khonshu miss his home, not that he will ever admit it. The moon god would rather swallow Osiris' non-existent penis that say anything.
Khonshu also took the time to think back on the Jake Lockley of this world. The alter is one of the few mortals the god grew fond of, surprising himself.
The Alter was largely ignored, suppressed and misunderstood by practically everyone. Khonshu would use this to manipulate Jake to do his work with little complaint, but the Alter's experience and suffering end up mirroring his own so much that the god can't help but sympathize. It was a harsh reminder that while Khonshu is a god, he is capable of emotions and just as human as the people who used to worship him. This made Khonshu soft enough that Jake, ever the vigilant in the shadows, found this weakness did what mortals say, an UNO reverse card.
Jake found the pattern in Khonshu's strategy, broke it down and threw it back at the god's face. Khonshu still remembers the infuriating alter's smirk when Jake figured it out.
But this didn't end, Khonshu didn't give up and for some reason Jake didn't want to break the contract, unlike the others. The reason is still lost to the god but as long as criminals get what they deserve, then Khonshu is not complaining.
It wasn't all rainbows and flowers either, Khonshu and Jake didn't trust each other from day one and played this game of words, lies and deceit. Making sarcastic remarks and call backs. Verbal bets, threats, weaving words to try and outsmart (or out sass) the other.
Then as the nights go by, the two started enjoying this little game of theirs.
Jake grew to look forward the constant attention and being treated like an actual individual, in the eyes of a God no less. While Khonshu realized he missed the challenge of a worthy opponent who knows how to play the game, and not demand Khonshu make them king of the world or something like that.
They both won't say it but it settled on silent understanding and camaraderie. Like two rivals who grew to understand each other after each blow. Until Marc and Steven found out.
Speaking of Marc, He thought.
The Moon god is now curious on the dynamic and relationship of his counterpart and the respective Moon Knight of this world. But if it is anything like his relationship with Marc, then it's anything but pleasant. Not to mention the odd nature of his counterpart.
Just what exactly is the Other Me?
He thought, looking back to when he first saw and met his counterpart. Still lost on the nature of the Other Khonshu.
The Moon god knows that his treatment of his Avatars is anything but the perfect, healthy and ideal God-Avatar relationship the Ennead strictly advocated. The god stopped caring about following the old labor and etiquette laws, (yes, these do exist) after his 98th Avatar post-banishment.
Which reminds him, Khonshu is now aware that Zeke is an acquaintance of Jake. He let this fact settle.
I was trying to stay away from Marc, but it was under my nose the entire time. H e thought, allowing himself to chuckle at the irony.
Such a twist, I wonder what else fate has instore for me . Khonshu thought as his eyes slowly started to feel heavy. He estimates it to be past 3 am now. He would usually start to feel sleepy at 11 pm, or even 10 pm.
Khonshu is knows that he is getting back into his old habits. It's small like never feeling sleepy during the full moon, and quickly healing his cuts. He then lifted his hand and opened it with the palm upward. The boy god concentrated, mentally commanding his heka to gravitate to his open palm. He can feel the heka flow smoothly, like the waters in the Nile River, until his palm now has a pale glow on it.
In his time practicing and channeling his own heka, he quickly learned that his palm is the most sensitive to reacting to heka compared to the rest of his body.
And then a memory surface, it was 4000 years ago, approximately the 1st hour of the night, inside an earthen room.
"I don't wanna! Why do I have to do this anyway?" A young boy with a sidelock complained, he is laying on his back surrounded with scrolls, stone tablets, an exotic abacus and what looks like a miniature weighing scale. The boy looks like any other child, except for the glowing eyes. It is as pale and bright as the moon.
Sitting close by is an older gentleman, this one sits with the posture and serenity of someone who had this conversation countless times.
'Patience Khons. This is important for your role." the older man said patiently.
"But it's so boring. Why am I even learning this? Just let the mortal magicians handle it. They always do." the kid complained, even louder and whinier.
"I know that this can be complicated..."
"Complicated? You're already talking about taxes. Taxes! Why do I even need to know about taxes? I'm not a court accountant and I don't wanna be one" the child cut in, voicing out his annoyed thoughts.
The older man, whose eyes are also glowing pale with moonlight, just breaths out a sigh. He maintained his composure, the perfect image of a teacher but even he is starting to get annoyed by the younger one's non-stop complaints.
"You may be complaining now, but the magicians and accountants aren't going to be around all the time. They are mortals and have a much shorter life span than us. You will have to know about these kind of things too Khonshu. One day it might be useful, maybe not now but I guarantee it will in the future."
The older gentleman finished. The young just looked up in annoyance, glaring with all the pettiness of a child. "Is that one of your prophecies? Because it's not as fancy or confusing as you other ones."
"No Khons." the older one replied, "This is a promise." he finished, now smirking like it's some inside joke. But it is lost to the younger one, who is just scowls, "Now your being confusing." he said.
The older one just chuckles at the scowl, "Well, let's go back to your lessons, if you look at scroll number 142.."
The younger one groans loudly at this, "We have been rereading that scroll for 5 nights now. Can't we take a break?"
"You still haven't mastered it yet, and your hand position is not right. It should be open palm up, not closed. Your supposed to let it flow, not forcing it like your punching someone's face." The older one explained.
The younger one, in his boredom, starts to roll on the ground like a log. Tired and hungry even though they already ate.
The older one silently groans at this action, expecting it to be another long night.
Khonshu smiles sadly at that memory, he remembers spending another lunar month of that lesson alone, but Khonshu keeps making excuses to avoid it. Practically forgetting everything the next night and wishing that Djehuty would just stop chasing him around.
Now I am actively trying to master this, and it took like 5 thousand years and being blinked out of existence to have some form interest. If only they saw me now.
He thought as he watches the continuous glow of Moon light in his hand. Up close, the god can see it as some form of gassy liquid, a miniature stream of ethereal light with a bit of starry specks in there.
His mind went back to his old lessons, but the thought of his old home is always a sore spot that he quickly perishes the thought.
Khonshu stopped the light by closing his palm, then it is back to being an ordinary hand.
He then turned to face the half moon in the night sky, thinking back to Zeke. He grew to trust the boy, but the Moon god doesn't think that he can maintain that same level of trust anymore, not while Zeke still has contact with this universe's Jake.
I will have to be more careful around him now.
Khonshu decided. He expected something like this. In his thousands of years of travel, the moon god learned to not always trust anyone, his own Avatars and even himself.
In this universe's case, literally.
For the next month, Khonshu followed this routine. He would stay in the theater with the other boys, helping to repair the ceiling and doing quick gigs with them. The autumn season is slowly coming so they need to be fast in patching up the roof. Though if the others noticed that Khonshu seem to be moving faster than normal or breaking wood without the use of a handsaw, then they aren't saying anything.
Yet, Khonshu reminded himself.
After a 4 days, or a week, Khonshu would leave. Saying that he have a long term gig. Before returning after another week.
This did not go unnoticed. Khonshu can sense the growing concern and suspicion, especially on Zeke. But the teen didn't make it obvious. Smiling and going as though nothing has changed even though Khonshu would actively try to shut down any hinted questions.
Fran, though is more direct. Cornering Khonshu one day and asked, "You know, I'm starting to feel like you don't want to stay around us much anymore."
The two finished a quick gig on a Friday afternoon, helping a gardener and are now resting in a small park bench. Zeke went to do his own errand that day, leaving the other two alone. And Fran took this time to voice out his thoughts.
"Ever since you got back, I can tell something has changed now. You got a new place to stay?" he asked.
Khonshu is aware of this and has been expecting it.
"Am I that obvious?" he asked instead of answering.
Fran just looked at the other like Khonshu asked the dumbest question. "Besides the fact that you leave for like, a week now. I can't help but feel like you want to put some distance between you and Z. I also know that Z knows this and is sad about it. He tries to hide it though." he said.
Khonshu just let the corner of his mouth smile, "You two were always sharp for your age, and Z is bad at hiding his emotions" he says.
Fran though thinks differently. "Z is actually very good at it. We just lived with him long enough to read him better than others" He said. The teen is now confused at Khonshu's little smirk. Fran don't understand what is funny about it, But he should be familiar with his friends odd quirks by now.
Khonshu then explained. "Alot of stuff happened, it doesn't involve you two, I'm sure of it. But I did get a new place to stay temporarily. Though for legal reasons, and for your own safety, I can't tell you where it is." he said, his bangs is now covering his entire eyes. It's getting itchy now and Khonshu is thinking of maybe cutting it.
Fran raised an eyebrow at this "Does this have anything to do with the rough crowd you got yourself into?" He asked.
"Pretty much, and it's not that rough. You heard what Zeke's friend, Jake, said. That mess isn't over yet and it's just the tip of the iceberg. I met with the authorities that arrested my attempted kidnapper and they are think that it's not really over yet." Khonshu answered. Though he is withholding information, it's still partially the truth.
Fran is digesting this reason and is a bit skeptical. "And what is your new job anyway? You told us that it is a gig but does it really need you to live somewhere else?" He asked.
Khonshu confirmed this. "It is one of the conditions, They consider me a key witness, since I was one of the lucky ones who actually got away. And it's less of a gig and more of a witness protection program thing."
Fran is still not buying it though, "Are you sure it's not a scam? Or maybe they have some ulterior motive. They are giving you a free place to stay and it does sound too good to be true. Don't you find it a bit shady?"
Khonshu just chuckles at this, but it's a deep tone, deeper than Khonshu's own voice and Fran can't help but feel a small chill in his spine at that for some reason.
Sometimes I forget how weird K can be . The older teen thought to himself.
"Oh I can tell if they have ulterior motives. But I understand why they arranged this and argued against it. We talked about it until we reached a consensus." Khonshu said.
Fran though, tilted his head in confusion, "A what?" he asked.
"Consensus...a general agreement" Khonshu said. And when Fran didn't say anything, the god tried to explain what a consensus is. But the words that Khonshu is using sound more like a textbook definition that only further confused Fran even more.
The older teen groaned, cutting off Khonshu's explanation mid-sentence.
"Sheesh K. If you keep talking like that, I would have guessed that you got a job as a junior lawyer or something. You even have the uptight attitude of one. Wait, they didn't hire you as one right?" Fran asked.
Khonshu's face fell, like he was asked to eat poop or do heinous crimes.
"Absolutely not. I despise bureaucratic jobs that involve tenuous rules and mind-numbingly useless protocols." he said.
Or worse, paperwork. And even more worst, paperwork about Taxes.
Khonshu grimly thought, practically spitting in his mind.
Now the Moon God recalls a time when Osiris assigned him to handle the clerical work in the Halls of Truth.
It was punishment for hosting 5-day long party. While a party is generally accepted, Khonshu also invited Hathor, and Set to the celebration. The last one was simply to get on Horus' nerves.
A combination of the Goddess of Sexual Pleasure and the God of Chaos made everything exciting. A little too exciting since it resulted on all the laborers, merchants, travelers or anyone of legal age getting so drunk they started doing gang wars, drunken fist fights, someone (probably Set) drawing a penis on the statue of Horus. Not to mention the impromptu horse races with no supervision, and someone betting their friend to wrestle with a crocodile.
When it was over, everyone had to deal with the horrible hangover. It was so bad that they couldn't go to work for 2 days and there was a huge influx of patients admitting for headaches, body pains, bruises and even lost limbs from crocodile attacks. All of which, Khonshu is ordered to heal and cover.
The Moon god was then ordered to organize the backlog of paperwork in the Duat. Noting every departed soul, their respective offerings, their pet, and their pet's respective offerings from the beginning of the kingdom's creation.
After 5 lunar cycles, and a few fire emergencies, everyone agreed that Khonshu is not allowed to handle any underworld court related paperwork without supervision.
Which reminds him, Khonshu wonders if this world's Djehuti is similar to the Djehuti of his home. Not that the Mortal moon god would ever contact the counterpart of his older brother. Khonshu will need to explain why there are 2 Khonshus now.
"I have no idea about half of the stuff you said K. But I think I have a general idea of it." Fran admitted. Khonshu can tell that his companion is lying but decided against saying something.
"Anyway, what is this gig anyway? Is this going to be much longer than normal? I know that you prefer quick delivery jobs. You never take gigs that involve you staying inside for too long." Fran said. The older teen is right about that since he always sees Khonshu running around.
"One of the conditions is that I won't be confined. I am free to go as I please so it's fine." The god explained. "I did come to see you after I was discharged."
"You did," Fran agreed, but the teen can't help but worry about K. He knows that his friend is scary smart, but can also be very, very dumb.
Though Fran also knows that his friend practically knows his way around New York like a living map, even pointing out shortcuts that Zeke didn't know. "If you get in trouble, just tell me or Zeke about it. Z have contacts that can help." he said.
Khonshu nodded, but the god thinks that he won't need it.
The pair went to the nearby food truck and ordered their lunch. The moon god offered to pay for it, as an apology for his growing distance.
Fran is aware of and just let the younger do this. The older teen just wants to enjoy his companion and his free burger.