Morning arrived the next day, and sun rays came flooding through the many holes still on the ceiling. Some hit the face of a teen sleeping on an old and dirty couch.
"ugh...Fuck. It's morning already?" Fran said as he blinked his eyes away. He sat up and looked around.
It's looks better now , he said to himself as he surveyed the area. There are still some plenty of boxes but the area is slightly cleared. He smiles at their progress and started waking the others. Zeke groggily got up from the mattress he was sleeping in and turned to his bedmate. The shortest one still sleeping soundly with his jet-black hair covering his eyes.
"Hey. K Wake up." Zeke said as he shook K's shoulders. But the other kid just turned to his side. Zeke shook harder this time until the sleeping kid finally sat up, glaring at Zeke for waking him up.
It is supposed to look intimidating, and maybe it would if Khonshu's head is a skull, but it is currently doing the opposite effect with his messy bed-hair. Khonshu stood up and stretched his arm. Smiling inside when he finds that his body isn't that painful anymore.
Fucking Finally, He thought to himself as he continues to stretch his arms and legs. The other two are talking in the back so Khonshu walked to the window he sat last night. The window glass has broken years ago and parts of the mullion are gone but the frame and the window sill are still sturdy enough.
The three left to eat breakfast, this time Zeke led them to the back of a Chinese restaurant where he greeted the waitress.
"Oh, Hey Zeke, who's your new friend?" The Waitress asked when she noticed Khonshu.
"Hi Ling, This is K. He's new here." Zeke said. Khonshu just waved lightly, trying to be courteous but still clearly did not want to be seen. The Waitress just smiled at the seemingly quite boy, already used to street kids like him. She then gave them 3 paper packs of stir-fried noodles.
"I'll need to get back to work, the restaurant is packed now. Just throw your trash in the bin over there." She said as she closed the back door. The three ate silently on the side-road, watching the pedestrians walk past them in that busy morning. While they ate, Khonshu was thinking about yesterday, and thought of how dependent he was on Fran and Zeke. He came to the conclusion that he does not like it and wants to be more independent. And he can start by getting his own money.
I'm a thousand-year-old God, I am going to earn his own money, like an adult. Khonshu said to himself, ignoring how it makes him sound like a prideful brat.
"Excuse me Zeke" he said. The teen in question looked up from where he is finishing his breakfast. "Is Greg in any rush to complete the repairs?" Khonshu asked.
"No, not really. Technically he only said that if we are going to stay in the Attic, then we'll need to fix the roof. But he didn't exactly gave us a deadline or anything." Zeke said.
Interseting, Khonshu thought. "So, it would be okay if we find other means of getting a living?" He asked. Khonshu remembered that Zeke have other jobs, not just the repair works.
"Yeah, Greg won't mind. I have other sidelines myself" Zeke said. Then he thought of something, putting two and two together on Khonshu's question.
"If you are looking for a job, maybe I can help. I know a guy who can pay you for small time work." He said.
"Of course you do" Khonshu said. He was led to the front of a small convenient store with Fran coming along.
"So, your fine on your own right? You said that you know your way around the city." Zeke said, voicing his concern.
"I already said I do, you are in no obligation to watch over me Z." Khonshu said, now annoyed at Zeke questions and lack of faith in him.
I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Khonshu thought.
"Alright then, just watch yourself. Once you get in look for Harold. He's the cashier and manager of this place. He'll help you out." After that Zeke and Fran said their goodbye's, leaving Khonshu alone.
The mortal god entered the front door, the action ringing the bell above. Inside Khonshu can see a man behind the counter. "Excuse me, Are you Harold?" He said as he walked closer.
The man heard his name and turned around to see a young black-haired kid with sharp eyes. "Yeah? And you are?" Harold asked. Khonshu explained that a friend of his send him here, and that Harold needed help.
"Oh, Zeke? Why didn't you say so. Usually it would be him doing this." Harold exclaimed, he then gave Khonshu a well-packed box and an address.
"Customers send their list of groceries and you need to deliver them. A delivery company is a bit too expensive for now so I just hire a delivery boy to do it. That would be you. Mind giving me your name?" Harold asked.
Khonshu now knows that the Cult of his Other self is still active. So he decided on something else.
"Kay, like the letter K." He said.
"Okay then, Kay. Now off you go kid. I'll pay you for each successful delivery" Harold said and pretty much shoo-ed Khonshu out.
Once he was at front of the store again, Khonshu looked at the address handed to him to memorized it. He then closed his eyes, letting his navigation instinct direct him to the right direction and find the fastest route. Khonshu hopes that it would be quick trip, avoiding busy pedestrians and traffic. But halfway through, he felt 2 souls following him. Khonshu quickly crossed the street and made a quick left. Going around a building to try and lose his stalker. He also managed to get a glimpse of them as he did another quick turn, his sharp eyes quickly taking as many all the details on his two stalkers.
After a few minutes, Khonshu can still feel the two people following him.
For the love of Ra's burning asshole, He cursed to himself as he speed-walked down the sidewalk.
Khonshu first insticts is to fight them, but he is preoccupied with his current duties right now and he is very much aware that he is physically outmatched. He continues to make detours, quick turns, and passing through crowded areas, but his stalkers are hell bent on catching up. So Khonshu decided to try a different approach, one that he personally does not like, but it is the safest and only one he finds appropriate for a situation like this.
Khonshu quickly scanned the pedestrians around him, trying to find an honest soul, and approached a middle-aged businessman standing on the street.
"Excuse me, there are 2 thugs following me and I suspect they want to kill me and steal my package. A skinny man with a red leather jacket, hair he died green 3 months ago, and a tattoo of a 3-legged crow on his lower back. He have a friend, a middle-sized blue-eyed man wearing a blue baseball cap, white vest and blue ripped jeans that is stained with mud on the left leg with a bad eye. Can you please call the police?" Khonshu asked, adding as much details as he can say. The man he was talking to looked annoyed at being disturbed, but he looked up and saw 2 people who matches what Khonshu is describing, coming closer. The man quickly brought out his phone to call the police.
The two thugs noticed that they are now being reported and quickly ran in the other direction.
With that, Khonshu continued to his destination. He is a bit tired from walking in circles, but he managed to reach the apartment door. He knocked twice and is greeted with a young woman.
"You look a bit too young to be a delivery boy, but thank you." She said as Khonshu gave her the box. "I already send my payment online, so you don't need to wait up." she said.
"Your welcome Miss And that won't be a problem." Khonshu said.
"Just call me Annie kid." Annie said before she closed the door.
I'm getting really sick of everyone calling me kid, Khonshu thought as he went down the Apartment complex stairs. He is at the second floor when, he heard a scream. He quickly looked out the stair window, below him is an alley and he noticed a man dragging a young schoolgirl. Khonshu can quickly tell that the man is a drug addict since the mortal god sensed a large amount of heroin in the man's blood stream. Khonshu's sharp eyes also noticed the many needle pricks on his arms and a pocket knife.
He was frustrated on not being able to fight the two thieves, and now he is furious that an innocent girl is about to be raped. The god child quickly looked around. He knows he have no powers so he will have to be resourceful. His eyes found something and he smiled.
Down below, the man is now pushing the schoolgirl on the wall while making a grab at her skirt. Out of nowhere, a whooshing sound can be heard and then the sound of impact. Blood splattered on the wall and on the face of the schoolgirl. She screamed when the man fell sideways, a hammer protruding from the back of his head. The girl quickly ran out of the alley screaming.
On the window of the second floor, Khonshu grins at his handiwork. It's bloody but it gets the job done fast. He looks at the toolbox that is left on the steps. Clearly there was maintenance work on one of the steps and the repair man left his tools unattended while he went out to buy lunch. Khonshu removed the glove on his right hand, the same one he used to throw the hammer. The glove also happens to be in the tool box. He kept the glove though, putting it in his pocket.
I'll need to burn this, He thought.
Khonshu then headed back to the convenience store. When he passed by a burning garbage can and threw the glove in.
"Oh your back." Harold said once he noticed Khonshu enter the store. "You can get your pay now, but there are still more deliveries if you want some extra cash."
On the small wall-mounted TV, it announces the arrest of 2 notorious thieves. Both are guilty of multiple robberies and homicide cases. It also announced a few murder cases, on of which is a drug addict whose skull was crushed with a hammer.
"Man, at least you weren't mugged on the way Kay." Harold said as they listened to the news. Khonshu didn't say anything but he agreed to do the remaining deliveries for the rest of the day.
Soon the sky starts to glow orange as sunsets approach. "Thanks for your help, Kay." Harold says as he closes the shop. "Here, you deserve this. If you need any more cash, I'll see what I can do." He then gave Khonshu a wrapped sandwich for dinner, and waved goodbye.
Khonshu returned to the convenient store 2 days later, asking Harold if there were any deliveries he could make. This time Fran and Zeke came with him from time to time. The three decided to split the work to cover more ground.
One day, Khonshu was bringing a bag of vegetables and milk to a customer and he felt his godly instincts spike. He quickly jumped back, just in time to avoid the large chunk of concrete zooming past him and hit the building on his right.
"Hey Kid! You need to get out of here!" A male voice yelled at him. Khonshu looked ahead to see who was screaming. The hair is a bit more blond but he recognizes the logo and the purple garb, it is Hawkeye. Khonshu looked at the fight further from him, and noticed heroes flying and jumping off the walls. All of them try to contain an out-of-control robot.
The god child had to agree with Hawkeye, it is too dangerous for him to stay. He can also see pedestrians and civilians already trying to get away.
"What are you waiting for kid. Go!" Hawkeye yelled as he pulled bow back. Khonshu quickly turned around, running until he was a good distance away. He realized that he would need to find another route to his destination now, so He closed his eyes to once again get a bird-eye view of the city. He can see the fight in his mind, and the roads around it. With that he tries to find a safe and fast alternative route. The route end up being longer so he had to jog to make it in time.
Back in the fight, Hawkeye was thrown to a lamp post and landed on his back. He groaned when he opened his eyes, and noticed the silhouette of a round object in the bright blue sky. It's a bit faint but Clint can tell it is the moon. He quickly jumps sideways when the robot starts to throw cars at him.
Once Khonshu returned to the store, he was even more exhausted as the roads got blocked and he had to keep trying to find another route. "Hey Kay." Harold greeted the god child. "Zeke and Fran came back twice, and they are on their third delivery." He spoke. "What took you so long?" Khonshu had to explain about the fight and roadblocks. "Oh, yeah, that happens. Anyway, that's not a problem. You can take a break; you look like you ran a marathon." Harold said as he gave a cold can of coke to the tired kid. Khonshu eventually went back to work after a short snack break, delivering grocery bags while also avoiding an occasional fight.
In the aftermath of a certain fight against a robot. Clint looked up at the sky and he could still see the round outline of the moon. Very much outshone by the sun but it is still there if you squint hard enough or bother to actually look. He just shrugged at this since is not that interested in astronomy or space stuff. Preferring to leave that to the experts or Stark. Currently Clint is tired, sore, and maybe broke some ribs. He ends up forgetting about the odd moon in favor of not wanting to die from internal bleeding and infection.
On the other side of town, a bald man is looking up from where he is drinking coffee. The man just watches with intense interest, raising his eyebrow when the moon faded away like it was never there.
Inside an ordinary convenient store, a small kid looks over his shoulder in alarm. Khonshu has this feeling that someone is watching him with intense focus, and he doesn't like this. It would usually be him doing the watching, not the other way around.
"Here's your next delivery Kay." Harold said as he finished taping the box, shaking Khonshu from his thoughts. He will have to put that paranoia in the back of his head for now, but he won't forget this new and unnerving feeling.
Khonshu would come to the convenient store for a few weeks, until one day Harold announced that Khonshu won't be needed too much anymore. But it is not in bad faith, the manager explains that the extra hands helped him but he is being scrutinized about hiring minors. So, Harold had to hire a legal delivery company, or a much older delivery boy to handle the heavier packages.
"I can still give you small stuff but it's not much." Harold assured Khonshu. The small packages are quick enough that the child god can get it done in a few minutes. His previous deliveries and trips around town made him very familiar to the neighborhood. Enough that he no longer needs to expand his senses to the sky anymore since he practically memorized the streets. As a result, Khonshu ends up with alot of spare time.
Harold just asked him to do menial tasks around the store such as cleaning, arranging items and lifting boxes. All of which Khonshu completed perfectly and fast. But he finds it all very boring. Khonshu arranged a display of apples to be a perfect pyramid, and rearranged it again to be an upside-down pyramid out of sheer boredom. Harold is surprised at this and asked Khonshu if he can arrange some sardine cans on the front window display.
"I was thinking, maybe a fish or a something seafood related." Harold suggested. Khonshu ends up arranging it to an impressive lighthouse. Harold then asks if Khonshu could make something with the cans of spaghetti, he made it to a miniature Sphynx.
By the end of the day, Khonshu is internally glad that the store was finally closing. "Sorry if it was slow for you. But thanks for your help, Kay. My store is always open if you need extra cash." Harold said once he locked the front door and left for his home. Khonshu though, won't return in the future, maybe sometime but he is not exactly satisfied with just staying inside for most of the day.
In the other side of town again, a bald man with glasses is looking out of his window. But that faint moon never showed itself again.