He woke up feeling disoriented, like someone ran him over on the head. No, that's simplifying things. He feels like someone took every part of his body piece by piece then attempted to put him back together, 3 times all while he is conscious and without anesthesia. It's absolute torture.
Not exactly something he is unfamiliar with. But then he felt like he was being squeezed into the size of a golf ball, before being stretched out like slime.
Speaking of being stretched, he looked up at the night sky.
Funny, he thought. Khonshu is supposed to be dead.
No, not died.
Erased from existence. Yet he is looking up at the very sky he ruled over. But something is very wrong. The Stars, he can't hear them. The stars, the planets, the millions of celestial bodies that he loved and found comfort with. He can't hear them sing, nor can he feel them within himself. As if they aren't even there. He never felt so disconnected to himself more than ever. He raised his hand to the night sky hoping to find something, anything.
At the edge of his vision he saw a tan-skinned human hand. Very human. It took a while for Khonshu to realize it was his own hand. Now he's very alarmed. In panic he quickly sat up, inspected his hand, his back and touched his face. He's still alive. And his body is now human.
How? How did this happen? Khonshu thought to himself.
He should have been erased from existence. No afterlife, or second chances. Just nothing.
Yet he is still here. He can touch his face, his arms and torso. He can touch the grass that he is sitting on. It's both cool from the night air and warm from his body.
He found himself stroking his hand on the grass, finding the sensations rather nice. It's been a very, very long time since he touched things like a normal person, since his body became an incorporeal mummy ghost. It was one of the things he missed.
Khonshu ended up laying down again. Just enjoying the ticklish feeling of the grass on his skin. He found that he is also not naked.
Thank Ra. He thought. He does not have good relations with his father since Ra slowly became senile, but he still uses his father's name out of habit. His mother raised him to respect his elders, despite that respect deteriorating over the years.
Khonshu spends a few minutes just laying down, moving his arms and legs as if he is making a grass angel. He did sacrifice himself to save the world, his world. So he thinks he can indulge in his suppressed child-like curiosities. He looked down to see what he was wearing. A white T-shirt, a pair of beige Khaki shorts with rubber sandals. The kind that you wear on the beach. He inspected his feet to look at them and found them to be very simple; brown leather that goes across the top of his feet and wooden sole.
He looks at his now human body and finds it completely free from any injuries, not a simple blemish or mark. Like his body is completely new.
What in the stars is going on ? He thought.
Khonshu then tried to stand up, he found that his balance as a large mummy is very different from that of a human. He found himself wobbled up a bit, trying to find his center of gravity. Acting more like a newborn deer until he managed to stand up on his own.
There, I got it . He said to himself.
Khonshu then looked around. He found himself in a park. There are trees but beyond are skyscrapers and buildings. He can also see a walk path, and some light posts.
Now Khonshu is curious but even more alarmed. If he is in a park then he didn't die. But something about this park unnerves him. It is not the layout of a park in London where Steven's flat is, or any park he is familiar with, and he has been traveling for 2 millennia. He is somewhere else he does not know.
He needs to find out where he is. So he tried to tap into the moon he personifies, but found nothing.
Wait, He can still feel some signs of his powers, his godhood and divine energy, but something is blocking it. He can't access them completely anymore, and if he can't access his god powers, then He can't find where he is on Earth anymore.
Shit. Now he is very, very alarmed. He is a powerless human, alone in a place he does not know. He never thought that he would be scared, not in a long time.
Actually, he was always afraid, afraid that he made a mistake of choosing banishment over his family, for choosing to fight against an evil that will never stop for a race that will never return the favor, for choosing to not be honest to his Avatar and to himself.
Think Khonshu, you survived 2 thousand years of banishment, you can work with this.
He said to himself, trying to get his thoughts back on course. First thing first, he needs to figure out where he is. And since he can't use his internal divine GPS, he will have to do this the old fashion way.
So he picked a direction, and walked toward it. Standing there, He felt the wind on his face.
Wind coming from the East . He thought even though he didn't know where the East was. It seems to him that some of his godly navigation is working enough for him to know the wind direction.
Khonshu turned to face the East, as his internal navigation senses told him. Then he looked around to find some exit to this park. He decided to follow the walk path to the Park Entrance.
As soon as he reached the streets, he noticed the cars and people outside even though it was past midnight.
Rather lively, does anyone even sleep? Khonshu wonders. The streetlights and neon signs illuminate the ground and people. Both old and young go about their business, as if it is daytime. Khonshu looked up to the sign on the Park entrance and read. Central Park.
Wait, I'm in New York? He thought to himself. He knows New York City as the place where the Avengers defeated Loki. Most people in the world knows of New York, he was aware of Loki and the Chitauri Aliens, but they were defeated so Khonshu found no need to interfere.
But he wonders, why is he in North America of all places? He remembered he was in Tibet.
Did I really die? Are Marc, Steven and Jake okay? He thought while standing there. He had no idea how long he was still until he heard someone yell out to him.
"Hey kid, you okay?"
Khonshu turned his head to look at who yelled at him. On his right, a little distance from him, Khonshu saw 2 guys, one wearing a gray hoodie, another with a Mohawk and black leather jacket.
Clearly street punks. He thought, looking at their attire. But the tone of their voice shows some concern, at least to the one talking to him. He can also clearly tell that they are both wary of him for some reason. Khonshu deems them to be harmless bystanders, probably curious at the random kid staring at nothing.
Why are they wary of me anyway? He thought. He didn't want to alarm them so he called out. "Yeah, I'm fine"
"Oh, Okay then. Shouldn't you be at home?" Hoodie guy said.
"Shouldn't you?" Khonshu said back immediately. The guy in the gray hoodie just chuckles, "Sassy kid" he commented to his companion. The street punk then said, "Just checking if you're real. You never know, lots of weird stuff around here"
Khonshu just raises his eyebrow at this, he is not one to trust strangers, nor talk to them. But those words sounds more like a warning. "What do you mean by weird stuff?" He asked.
"Dude, You're in New York city. The world capital of superheroes and villains, mutants, inhumans, ghosts and other weird stuff that can get you killed, or brought back. You never know."
"That's odd", Khonshu said. He knows of ghosts and vampires. There are plenty all over the world, with plenty of different varieties and subspecies. But now it sounds like it's common knowledge.
"...Are you new here kid?" The hoodie punk asked, coming closer. Khonshu ends up tensing himself, alert now in case they might try to attack.
"Whoa, calm down kid, just asking." Hoodie said. Noticing Khonshu's hostile stance.
"Hey, I'm not just a kid." Khonshu said more loudly now.
"Looks like a fighter. Don't know why you were so worried J." Mohawk guy said, he is less enthusiastic about talking to Khonshu and is trying to get them to leave.
"Right, are you going to be okay then kid? You're on your own in the big apple." J asked.
"I'll be fine. It's not exactly smart to go with strangers. Besides, I know where I'm going. Just looking at the address before heading home." Khonshu is obviously lying in that last part. He can't go home; he never had a home for a very long time.
"Really…Okay kid" Hoodie sounded hesitant, but his Mohawk friend is already saying that they are already late, and they need to leave right now. He glanced at Khonshu one last time before saying. " Take care of yourself kid, you'll need it". The two punks turned around and walked away. Khonshu just watches them until they disappear on the next corner. Now he is alone again.
This does not sound normal to him, Khonshu is wondering why would they just let a kid go on his own, in the middle of the night. While he is thankful that they didn't push to bring him to the police or someone else's home, the idea that they willingly let him go struck with him. Is it normal for them to just find kids walking on their own in the middle of the street?
He knows that New York has more super people. But this is a bit odd to him.
Where exactly am I , Khonshu ask as he once again looks at the Park sign. He then looked up to inspect the night sky, but the stars are barely visible.
Damn this light pollution, He thought. The amount of neon lights and artificial bulbs are blocking the sky, making it unable to see the stars clearly.
This is not going to work. Khonshu remembers every night. So, he has perfect memory of the constellations the night he sent Marc to Tibet. By comparing that to the night now, he hopes to have a better grasp as to where and when he is by reading the stars.
On the wall next to the park entrance is an old poster. The lost god r checked the scheduled date and read it to be April. He is not sure if that is last month or last week. Regardless, decided he needed to get out of New York first, to a place with less artificial lights and clearer night sky. He is also not sure if he needs sustenance now. His divine status allows him to survive without He hopes he can unlock more of his God powers because it means that he will need to find food and sleep to maintain his human body.
So he walked down the street. Passing by stores and people. Some talked like normal and others were obviously drunk.
Khonshu avoided them and avoided eye contact. Hoping they don't notice him. As he walked, he tried to see if he knew where north was. He senses a tingle on his left side, so that must be north. Then he tried to find the east, and felt a tingle in front of him. The tried again to find the west and south, and felt the respective tingle on his right and behind him.
Good, I can still find the cardinal directions.
Khonshu decided to head to the coast, follow the shoreline south until he is outside of New York. At least until the sky becomes clearer and easier to read.
Khonshu does not know how long he was walking but he estimated to have done so for 3 hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds. His association and power of time allows him to measure time no matter what, at least earth time.
While walking across the city, he noticed something or many things flying across the sky. He is very aware of Ironman, everyone does since the playboy idiot made it public. As well as Thor and the Avengers. He is already expecting to find them in New York, but the amount of super people he noticed every few minutes are more than what he expected of the Avengers.
I don't remember those people. Khonshu thought. And he knows any and every one who walks under the moonlight. He saw someone walk up the side of a building and 2 guys with wings. While walking further, he saw a floating machine being attacked by people in costumes he had never seen. The mortal god had to hide in the shadows when the super people flew by, hoping that they would not see him. From the outside, it looks like he is trying to run away. Some people think that he is an ordinary kid and for now he will have to play that card.
He kept walking towards the coast, trying to find a way to reach it through the maze that is New York City while trying to avoid the wreckage from the fights. He suspects that he is halfway there by now. There is just so much going on at night that he needs to take detours.
How does anyone sleep here? Khonshu thought to himself. The amount of noise and damages are enough to keep you awake. Not to mention the construction cost from all the collateral damages.
When he finally reached the coast. He found it to be as lively and loud as the rest of New York. He also saw more super people fighting what looks like some secret shipment.
There's always something going on every second.
Usually Khonshu would be slightly annoyed, having this many super people would mean more are fighting to protect the innocent. It would also mean that there are way more and powerful crime lords that would require this much super people to fight back. Like a never-ending cycle.
Hopefully, he won't be kidnapped while staying in the coast. Looking up, the stars are still not clear enough. Annoyed, he walked across the shore south, looking at the dark waters. He eventually came across an abandoned newspaper on the sand. It still looks fresh, so it should be dated today. Khonshu inspected the date, May 2. Not too far off from the Poster, but he can't read the rest.
Khonshu was reminded that his human eyes can't see in the dark. So He looked around, trying to find a light source. There is a lamp post on the coastal road, with a light bright enough to help. So, he walked there and skimmed the page.
Since when did Ironman live again, Didn't he die? Why is Captain America a girl now? Isn't Captain Marvel somewhere in space? Mutant Nation? Where did all these inhumans come from? How many Spider people are there?
His eye's widened further as he continued to read the contents. There are so many events that he doesn't remember, or rather, never happened in his universe. The Avengers are still around. So at least that appears to be a constant thing in this world.
Khonshu is still trying to process what he read when he started to feel tired. Strange, he thought. He doesn't normally feel tired. Until he realized he is human now. He had hoped to feel the downsides of having a human body later. He is way used to not sleeping so this need for sleep is pretty much new to him.
Khonshu estimates it to be 4 am. A few hours before dawn so he will need to find a place to rest for now. He did remembered he passed by an old shack. It is clearly abandoned and was used as a drinking spot for visitors. Khonshu thinks it is enough for tonight and walks back to the shack. There are some freshly used bottles that can be thrown out and a little cleaning is needed, but Khonshu now has some shelter.
As he lays down on the sand, he wonders what will happen to him now. He still has his mission to protect the innocent but he is not sure how he will do it without his powers, he has no knight, no servants. Ever since his banishment, his mission has been the only driving force to keep moving. So much that he let his ideals destroy himself from within.
Khonshu is practically starting from scratch now. Almost like a second life.
He scoffs at this. How can a God be given a second chance? Damnatio Memoriae is the worst punishment to be given to a divine being, to anyone really. Yet he didn't blink out of existence, he is still here.
Well, he probably blinked out of existence in his world. Marc already forgot that a god named Khonshu existed.
Is he back together with Layla? Is Steven still working in that museum? Is Jake still driving around as a cab driver?
These questions haunted his mind as he fell asleep. Khonshu doesn't normally ask these questions about his family. The Overvoid is timeless and he knows his family is fine. But humans are finite beings that change rapidly in a short period of time.
Reminiscing on the past never worked though, but it would be hypocritical for him to say it, as Khonshu has been living in the past in a way, letting it dictate his actions and affect his emotions.
Regardless of that, Khonshu can't risk being a hypocrite, not anymore. In this new world, he will have to do what he was supposed to do. Time always moves forward, so will he.
As a new dawn arrived. Khonshu curses his father Ra for the sunbeams that hit his eyes.
Ugh, fuck you dad. He thought.
He stepped out to a bright and brilliant seashore. Stark contrasts to the dark yet calm night. Khonshu can see boats and some people already walking on the coastal road. Then he felt an uncomfortable and painful urge in his torso. He knows what this is and was dreading it.
Great, he thought. He will need to find something to eat.
Khosnhu does not have any money, and while he can speak all recorded language, he is very much aware of his bad social skills. He was told many times of how assertive and direct he can be. Ignoring all manner of decorum and etiquette, deliberately not reading the room and saying what is in his mind.
He decided to head to the city, hoping to find something to eat. He recalls that people scouring dumpsters for food. It's low, dirty and is a bad look for him. But he stopped caring about manners or how others think of him that night he got banished.
He managed to see some open dumpster, but there were already a number of people digging through it. Some of them even looked hostile when Khonshu walked closer. He can also sense their aura, an energy emitted from their soul and it is just as hostile as a Venus fly trap.
Life in the city must be hard for them. Enough that they are fighting to keep whatever food they found. Khonshu decided to find another, avoiding the ones that give a hostile aura. Walking until he came across one with 2 young people digging through it.
He came closer, hoping that they were not as hostile as the rest. Once he reaches a closer distance, he doesn't sense a hostile aura from them so they must be more gentle souls at the moment.
One of them, a teen with a blue beanie, noticed Khonshu coming close.
"Hey buddy, are you looking for breakfast? Same thing for both of us." Beanie said. He then dug inside the bin and pulled out something wrapped.
"The diner throws out these earlier so they are still fresh. Supers need to eat breakfast and sometimes they don't finish their food." He said, handing it out to Khonshu.
Khonshu took the wrap, it's cold and clearly bitten by someone with fangs and two sets of teeth. But it looks decent enough.
He quickly took a bite. Glad to have eaten something.
It is also the first solid food he ate in 2 millennia so he savored being able to taste something that is not sand or old linen or thousand year-old regrets. He ends up devouring his food like a beast. The others just chuckled at his actions. Most likely because Khonshu's cheeks are puffed up like a hamster with his eyes closed as he is eating a gourmet steak covered in gold. Khonshu himself is not aware of this and just keeps eating.
"Thanks" He said once he swallowed.
"No problem dude" Beanie said. "You're new here? You look way too clean to be eating out of the dumpster."
Khonshu noticed that the other two have dirt on their jackets and pants. The other kid beside Beanie has clear dirt smears on his face.
Khonshu looks down at his shirt, his white tee has some sand and dirt but it still looks better than his companions.
"Hey, just curious. But I won't push if you're not comfortable. We all have our secrets." Beanie said. Beanie here is a bit friendlier, trying to start a conversation. The other guy is still eating and watching him. Probably silently judging if Khonshu is trustful or not. Khonshu is not mad though, he is actually impressed that the other guy has some sense of preservation and common sense to not immediately trust strangers.
"No, I'm just not sure if I should trust you. I mean, I was sort of just dumped here alone with no money." Khonshu said.
"You're kidnapped?" Beanie said, sounding alarmed now.
"No, It's complicated," Khonshu said. Already digging his hand in the bin, trying to find something else to eat.
"I know some people who can help you, if you were kidnapped."
"I wasn't kidnapped okay!? It's uhh, I choose to be dumped here. I did something stupid and can't go back home anymore" Khonshu said, tired of their questions.
"Zeke, knock it off. He clearly doesn't want to talk about it." The other guy finally spoke.
Khonshu eventually learned that Beanie is named Zeke, while the other guy is named Francis.
"Just call me Fran, it's shorter and less of a mouthful. Francis makes me sound like a nerd." Fran said.
Khonshu debated on saying his name. "Khonshu, just call me Khons, or whatever you like," He said.
"Khonshu? Like God?" Zack asked.
Khonshu slowly raised his head at this, staring at Zack. But he tried to keep his cool.
"You know about him? Not everyone is familiar with Egyptian mythology that deep to know about Khonshu." He said.
"It's actually common in the city to know about Khonshu. There's actually an active Cult for him, the Church of Khonshu."
"What!?" Khonshu half-yelled
"Yeah, they have meetings every week on Sunday. " Fran said. This only further upset Khonshu as he said "Sunday? Are they Christians or something? Khonshu is an Egyptian God." Fran is not as offended though, "Beats me to why they do that. I met with some of the members, and they actually invited me to a meeting. I turned it down though." he said.
"Yeah, it's a bit weird but they are nice people. Just a bit creepy with the whole cult thing."
"Who in their right mind would be doing this?" Khonshu practically demanded. He hopes it's not Arthur Harrow, or this world's equivalent of Arthur Harrow. His former Avatar actually attempted to start a cult for Khonshu, but he repeatedly and violently rejected every single attempt. The Moon God absolutely refuses to start an orthodox religious following like his family. It has too many responsibilities and He already decided to do his mission and mission alone, not to start a cult that preys on the desperate. Not to mention the endless stream of paper work, rules, protocols he needs to comply, and the huge trouble he is going to get in to if Osiris, or anyone of his family will find out.
"That would be Moon Knight, he actually has an office in the city. And you sounded pissed, did Khonshu kill your mother or something?" Fran asked. Some people really don't care about Moon Knight, except for those that still find him to be way too loud.
Khonshu can't tell them that he is the god himself, so he tried to come up with an excuse.
"My dad was a fan of Egyptian mythology and named me after the god. But I really, really don't get along with him now. My name reminds me of him."
The others thankfully bought it, at least that is what Khonshu hopes. Fran looked a bit more sympathetic after hearing that so Khonshu thinks they believe it.
"Sorry about that dude." Zeke said
"We all have baggage that we don't want to talk about, it's not like it's going to change anything, in the past now." Khonshu just said back and went back to dumpster diving. He also found another half-eaten wrap. This time it's a croissant. He subconsciously smiled at this, he has always wanted to try one of these.
"How about you Zeke? You knew your dad?" Fran asked his friend.
"Me? I never knew my parents. I grew up with other kids. I consider them as my siblings though." Zeke said, holding a plastic pouch that may or may not contain expired sushi. Thankfully Zeke threw it away.
"That would explain why you can be so chatty," Fran said.
"Hey, I love those guys and it's never a boring day with them. You kind of need to learn to talk since your living with dozens of little attention hogging brats everyday" Zeke replied. Khonshu listened to the other two talk. But he is more curious about the cult under his name.
"So about this cult. You said that it is run by this Moon Knight?" He asked.
"Yeah, he runs this thing too where people can go to him for help. There's also a second Moon Knight." Zeke said nonchalantly, his hand extended inside the trash.
What! Khonshu said in his mind. How can there be 2 Avatars? Unless it is a similar situation to Steven and Jake, where they share the same body. But that is a very specific condition that is born from specific circumstances. It is actually illegal to have more than 1 and Khonshu's state prevents him from sustaining 2 physical Avatars. Marc Spector is a special case so he doesn't count.
"Does this Moon Knight have a name?" He asked. Khonshu would demand that they tell him, but he knows that his usually aggressive way of talking is not going to help. It did to his previous Avatars, but he doesn't even have one right now. Despite what everyone says about him, he does know how to calm his voice if the situation really, really calls for it. But if he can yell at people without extremely major consequences to humanity, then he will.
"I think his name is Mr. Knight? He also calls himself that."
That is not helping , Khonshu thought. He knows Steven calls his alter ego Mr. Knight, unless the second Knight is Steven and somehow Marc, Steven and Jake are born separately.
"That's the second Moon Knight?" He asked again.
"No, that's still Moon Knight, the second guy calls himself Dr. Moon." Zeke said.
Khonshu recalls that Arthur Harrow used to be a Psychiatrist with a doctorate. Khonshu also knows that Arthur had used his knowledge of psychology and human behavior to bring converts in the Cult of Ammit. This does not look good. It looks more like Arthur Harrow is still alive and kicking, but it may not be Arthur Harrow. Still, Khonshu knows he is lacking information and just making assumptions, but he is still curious on one thing.
"And they just opened this cult in the middle of the city? Is everyone okay with this?" Khonshu asked. "Forgive me if I sound too skeptical, it's just that I still can't fathom why a highly urban and modern community would just allow cults to be in operations in public."
Zeke just shrugs his shoulders and said. "To be honest, I don't know. Maybe the mayor found them harmless? It's not the weirdest thing in New York. There's also a Scientology Cult and a Bucket Cult here. Don't ask me why a group of people would want to worship a bucket. Whatever floats their boat I guess."
"Do I want to know how you know about these things?" Fran asked, looking at Zeke. He is a bit surprised at how much Zeke knows.
"I know a lot of people" Zeke just answer coolly but refuses to elaborate more. Fran just stares at Zeke suspiciously but didn't ask more.
Khonshu is still eating his croissant but he is also thinking about who is behind the Moon Knight mantle. And if it is still Marc Spector. He hopes his Avatar (former maybe?) is still alive, but he is also unsure if he wants to reveal himself.
He now knows that he is in some parallel universe similar to his own. There is the Captain America and Iron man native to this world, there might be another Khonshu.
And Khonshu is very much aware of how territorial Gods can be. He is lucky at how normal, or strict, it is in his family to share associations, such as him and Thoth, Min, even Osiris over the power of the Moon. His family emphasizes on sharing associations alot. Though that does not stop others from trying to steal it from others like how Set murdered Osiris for the throne.
"If you want to find Moon Knight, his office is open for anyone." Zeke said
"Is it open now?"Khonshu asked before finishing his croissant.
Zeke just lifts his shoulders. "Don't know, I never tried going there during the day. The second Knight has this clinic though. It's free, but sometimes it can be creepy"
"You sound like you've been there." Khonshu points out.
" I did, I kind of needed to get checked. It was at night so he's open, matching the whole moon thing. Doc seemed nice, but he wears this black mask with a white dot on his forehead. His office has this huge Egyptian theme, complete with drawings and there is this huge statue of Khonshu. There's not enough light inside either so everything has this shady half-lit look. Seriously, it's like the statue is just staring at you, It's kind of creepy to be honest. I have no idea how Doc can get comfortable with that little light and that huge statue next to him." Zeke said as he recalled how it was hard for him to stay calm when that huge ass statue there, he swears that its eyes are following him everywhere he went.
My staring is not that creepy, Khonshu said to himself. What he understood though was that Dr. Moon is really committed to the Egyptian theme.
"Are you sure this guy just doesn't have a case of Egyptomania?" Khonshu asked.
"Yeah Zeke, this Doc sounds a little like that one hippy lady that claimed to be Cleopatra's reincarnation. She even started dressing up in Egyptian stuff" Fran said.
"I doubt that the lady actually knows how to speak Egyptian. It's not exactly a common language these days." Khonshu said after hearing Fran..
"Doesn't Egypt speak Egyptian?" Zeke said.
"Modern Egypt speaks Arabic. I'm talking about the ancient language when they still worshiped the gods, which in itself changes depending on the era." Khonshu explained.
"For a guy who doesn't like his name, you really know a lot about Egypt." Zeke said.
"My mum is into this too. Why do you think she married my Dad? She explained more than what textbooks say." Khonshu explained. He is rather proud that he managed to make up that excuse on the spot. He's not also lying since his mother is the matriarch of the pantheon and she did teach him the rules.
"Sure. Well you can see if his clinic is open. We can go if you want. You know your way around here?" Zeke said.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be? Like school?" Khonshu asked back. He was actually thinking of doing this on his own, he really does not, he just met to want to escort him around the city.
"Nah, I dropped out of school months ago. Now I just go where I want to." Zeke said.
Khonshu doesn't know if he should be alarmed by the amount of out of school youths nowadays.
"How about you Fran. Got something better to do?" Zeke said to Fran. The latter looked like he was going to say something, but instead Fran just said that he too had nothing better to do.
"See, How about you K? You want to go back? You're the one who seemed more worried about getting an education." Zeke said.
Khonshu thought about this, he is the one who suggested since Zeke and Fran are younger teens. He forgot that his body is a young teen and he too should be in school, but he really does not want to be stuck in the public educational institute.
He finds their lessons to be rather primitive for him and biased. He can tell the topics are watered down, censored. But as Thoth told him, some knowledge is better than no knowledge.
"I have no such plans." He said.
"So if you're not going, We're not either." Zeke said.
Khonshu tried to explain that they can still benefit in a way if they have a diploma and that public school is free.
"It can still suck with all those bullies. Imagine sitting in a room for hours while the teacher drone on about stuff that's not even going to help you in 10 years, not to mention how boring it is." Fran said.
"Do you guys not like schools that much?" Khonshu asked.
"Graduating does sound cool." Fran said, "It's just that sometimes life in school is not great as it's supposed to be. Public school can be real shit, the treachers can be a huge pain in the ass too. Acting like they are better than you, saying stuff that's not even true and treating you like you're not even worth their time." He finished.
Zeke and Khonshu just looked at Fran. Both of them are thinking the same thing, that Fran had to experience something to have such a bad opinion on educational institutions.
Zeke wants to changed this depressing vibe so he changed the subject. "So that settles it, none of us are going to school. K here probably really don't need to"
Khonshu looked confused at this. Fran ends up explaining to him"I don't know if you noticed you tend to sound like a college professor or some posh rich kid who is stuck in the 19th century."
Fran even imitated Khonshu's last words, while sounding as pompous as he could. "'I have no such interest' You sound way too smart to be a 14 year old."
Khonshu ended up tense. "What about the way I talk?" His voice sounded more defensive than usual. He knew he should calm down but he reacted on instinct.
"Hey, We're not trying to interrogate you dude." Zeke said. He then bumped his elbow to Fran and said,
"You just sound way too stuck-up and pretentious. Like some know-it-all teacher who thinks they are better than everyone else."
Khonshu felt offended at hearing this. "I do not sound pretentious." He said.
"You kinda do K. We just met but you are using words that make it hard for us to understand. It's actually funny, but it kind of makes me feel like an idiot. Where did you learn all those words?" Zeke said.
Khonshu is partially aware that others find his manner of speech to be a bit difficult to understand. Jake repeatedly complained about this, asking Khonshu to speak with more modern slang. Steven though didn't find anything odd about it, he complained about other things but never about Khonshu's speech and words. The god though doesn't care about how people think about him much and would ignore them. But he takes into consideration how his words would just confuse his Avatar, then he will need to explain it multiple times. It is a huge waste of time so he tries to keep his orders as short and direct as possible.
"I was raised to talk like this, my parents also talk like this. And if you think I sound pretentious, my older brother can make you feel like an idiot without even trying." Khonshu said.
The others are more surprised that Khonshu admitted that he had a brother. "You have a brother?" Fran said.
Khonshu then realized what he said. "Yes, but I don't get along with my family anymore. It's the reason I'm here now."
"Sounds like someone has intense family issues." Fran said. He noticed that Khonshu is still digging through the trash. "If you're still hungry, you can ask the diner next door for some leftovers. There's bound to be some after the breakfast rush." He said.
Fran still has mixed feelings about the new guy, but he can see how hungry the kid is. He thinks he might be around 13 or 14 years old. Khonshu looks to be 5 inches shorter than him. He still thinks Khonshu to be too clean, too pretentious. Clearly being used to having a privileged life with how weirdly articulate he is, as if Khonshu is triple his age. Possibly even older. But Khonshu said that everyone in his family talks like that, which sounds like a nightmare.
Fran can also tell that the new guy is lying. He is not sure Khonshu realizes it but Khonshu is actually doing a bad job at hiding his emotions. His facial features makes it very clear that he is upset about Moon Knight. Fran is still a bit wary of trusting the new guy, but Fran himself hiding secrets about his past. And now that Fran thinks about it, he remembers Zeke being defensive when he tries to talk about his old home.
Guess We're all keeping secrets . Fran thought. Though like Zeke, Fran also finds Khon's articulate manner of speech to be amusing. It's like watching an old timey film or a Shakespearean play, something different in this modern world. Like listening to Thor talk on TV.
"You still plan to go to the Doc's clinic?" Zeke asked, breaking Fran's pattern of thought.
Khonshu thought about this, weighing his options. He can tell that the two teens he met are more experienced than him regarding living in the streets. Khonshu can easily find his way around, if he concentrates enough. He also still wants to leave the City and go somewhere with much clearer skies. But he is now worried about this "Dr. Moon '' character and if it might be Arthur Harrow. He also wants to look into this cult, most likely it is for his other self.
"I plan to go through with it, but it is still morning. You mention that you've been there." Khonshu said.
"Yeah, I still remember where it is. Want us to come with you? You might get lost trying to find it." Zeke said as they left the alley.
The three have finished their breakfast and are just standing. Fran though is leaning on the wall. On the main street, they can see people walking about on their business.
"I think I can manage my way around here. You don't need to escort me there." Khonshu said.
"Hey, We got nothing better to do and you're one of us now. Us street kids need to stick together." Zeke said.
"I'm not a kid." Khonshu said in response, a bit offended at being called a child.
Fran scoffs at that, "For someone who uses big words, you sure are short on height, kid."
"You're acting like a parent who can't leave their kid alone." Khonshu pointed out.
"Hey, sorry for being worried about your safety dude. I do have a conscience, you know." Zeke said, trying to look as innocent as possible. But Khonshu is not buying it. He can sense there is something under Zeke's friendly face for some reason.
"You always tend to act like a nanny Zeke." Fran said, he then turned to Khonshu to say.
"Khons, you are pretty much a kid and believe me or not, there are people who like that. I do not mean in a good way." Fran said, sounding more serious than before. Unlike Zeke, Khonshu can hear the genuine warning in Fran's voice.
Fran continued, "Word on the street is that there are gangs just picking up homeless or lost kids at night. And if you haven't noticed, We're homeless kids." He finished, gesturing to himself. Even Zeke looked serious. Khonshu just looked at the two, hoping they were just joking.
Did he hear that right? Kidnappings on the Streets? Khonshu thought.
"Aren't the authorities supposed to investigate this matter? Or any of the hundreds of superheroes in this city?" Khonshu asked, he finds it hard to believe that not one superhero, or the dozens of freelancing hero organizations has picked up on the kidnappings.
"Yeah, they are but there is always something going on that needs their attention. Like an alien, a demon or some invasion from a super villain or something. Green Goblin is back so Spiderman is busy for the next week…Wait, it's the boy of spiders." Zeke said, but the last part is a bad imitation of Khonshu's manner of speech. Fran just laughed at Zeke's antics.
"Ha ha ha, I'm glad that you find me to be very amusing." Khonshu said in the driest voice his young 13-year old body can make.
"Sorry dude. But seriously, it's dangerous to be going alone. I kind of like you, you're funny in your own way." Zeke said.
Now Khonshu finds that completely insulting. As if the other's see him like a jester or a clown. Thankfully Fran saw Khonshu's clear angry face and tried to diffuse this.
"Forget about what Zeke said, K. It would be much safer if we stick together. Life here can be dangerous." Fran said.
Khonshu is now reminded that he still looks like a human and is as powerless as one. He already "died" once as a God, and he does not want to know if he can as a mortal. He also understands why the other's are concerned. As the Patron of Travellers, he is very much aware of the dangers on the road, even within your own home. He has seen such hostile elements ranging from bandits, thieves, and all types of predators.
"Very well, you can accompany me. It's not like you have something else better to do." He said begrudgingly.
"And you really need to work on your speech K." Zeke said.
"My speech is not a problem." Khonshu declared.
"Whatever you say K." Fran said. They then left the alley.
As they walked on the sidewalk, Khonshu was looking around, clearly observing the familiar but at the same time unfamiliar city during the day. While he was busy, Zeke stepped back until he was beside the smaller boy.
"So, How long were you in New York?" Zeke said. Khonshu wasn't expecting to be asked immediately so he turned his head in surprise. Has his sences really dulled since he got here?
"Very recently actually. You could say that I ran away, but I didn't expect to end up here." Khonshu said.
Zeke looked down, he already took notice of how clean Khonshu's shirt is. As if the latter just left home. "Yeah, I can see that." He spoke. Khonshu is now familar to Zeke, so he just rolled his eyes.
Zeke would continue to ask questions, trying to get Khonshu to open up. The latter would try to entertain them as much as he can, while also trying to not tell everything. Each answer gets vaguer than the previous one.
"Z, can you stop interrogating the new guy? You're going to scare him and I'm getting a headache listening to his bullshit answers." Fran said. He already noticed that Khonshu is getting defensive and how cryptic his answers are getting, so much that Fran wonders if Khonshu's parents fed him riddles for breakfast every day.
Zeke stopped after that, but he couldn't keep his mouth shut so Zeke just pointed out the many places in New York he liked. Talking about his favorite restaurant, his favorite spot to sit, to relax and to find free food. Zeke explains that he does errands for some diners, and he gets free food in return. So, it's a fair deal.