CHAPTER 12

Upon his mountain of gold Kahmunrah sat with the hourglass on his lap. He was fidgeting by bouncing his leg up and down and chewing on his lip.

Avery had sent off about a dozen texts to Larry with each passing minute. All of her texts had remained unread leading her to believe that he was preoccupied by the guards. Her anxiety grew as she watched the sand fall on Jed who was now neck deep in it.

"Ya know, I oughta thank you. This here's like a free spa treatment. Good for exfoliating!"

"I'd save my breath if I were you, you don't seem to have that many left. Let's see if we can't. Make. Time. Go faster!" He punctuated each word by tapping the hourglass.

"No! Don't!" Avery desperately called out.

"Need I remind you of your place again, girl?" He raised a hand to her and she flinched away from it.

"I'll dance for you again but please don't hurt Jed any longer." She had to play the bargain card as it was her only card left.

"Mm, that's better. You should know what I want without me telling you. There may be hope for you yet, girl."

As she went to the center of the room yet again, a low rumbling was heard, almost like a plane was flying directly over them. It kept getting closer until it was right outside. One moment there was nothing and the next a wooden plane crashed through the stained glass window. Glass shards rained down upon them. Avery caught a few shards as she ducked and tried to shield herself resulting in little cuts along her arms. She looked up in time to see Larry roll out of the plane while Amelia crashed into a glass display case. Avery winced and hoped she was alright. She carefully picked herself off the floor and was about to make her way over to help them.

"STOP!" Bellowed Kahmunrah effectively stopping both humans.

"How kind of you to drop by, Mr Daley." His words dripped with sarcasm.

Tablet secured in hand, Larry confidently strolled up to Kahmunrah, hand outstretched.

"Give me Jed."

"Not until you give me the combination and the tablet."

"Not until you give me my friends." Avery had made her way over to the men. She stood on Larry's side but was quickly yanked over to Kahmunrah.

"Ow! Hey!"

"I will give them to you the moment I choose to release them!" Larry then reached out and grabbed Avery's arm in an attempt to free her from his grasp. This only served to cause her more pain as a tug of war began.

"Ow! Stop it!" Larry dropped her arm immediately but she was not so lucky about Kahmunrah, who pulled her closer to him.

"Now give me the tablet and the combination. Or else you'll be forced to watch the shaggy headed cowboy die!"

"You aren't getting your tablet til I get my friends." Larry stated firmly.

Great not this again. What is it with men?

For a moment Kahmunrah debated it. "Fine. You know they didn't call me Kahmunrah the trustworthy for nothing." Avery raised her eyebrow at that. She was sure that this was just another manipulation tactic. He was just about to hand both Avery and Jed over when he pulled them back at the last minute.

"They didn't call me Kahmunrah the trustworthy! They called me Kahmunrah the bloodthirsty that kills everything that stands in his way when they don't give him what he wants, in the moment that he wants it! The combination and the tablet… Now!"

Larry made the mistake of reaching toward the hourglass which deeply offended the almighty Pharaoh.

"This is 'no touching zone.' Do not reach across here." Larry, of course, ignored the warning and did it anyway.

"I can't believe you reached across the line!" He started to sound like a child throwing a tantrum and whining about not getting his way. He was losing his 'tough and dangerous guy' composure.

"Gods, I want to kill you if you didn't know this combination!"

The men kept bargaining back and forth, Kahmunrah's voice getting more childlike as he tried to set another boundary.

"Don't cross this line! Gods if you speak again, I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you and your friends!"

She daresay that Larry being the one to push his buttons was one of the funniest things she had seen tonight. Seeing Kahmunrah throw a big tantrum was easily on her top ten list for the night. She grinned even though she was in pain. This was the Larry that she missed, not the corporate suit Larry.

His small army decided then to make an entrance. Capone came in carrying a bobblehead of Albert Einstein, claiming that pi was the combination of the tablet. He cruelly threw him in the air and threatened to punch him if he didn't be quiet. Avery felt for the little fellow, he didn't deserve to be bullied.

In the distraction Kahmunrah was finally able to grab the tablet from Larry and carelessly threw Jed in the air behind him. She was thankful for Larry's quick reflexes that saved it from crashing to the floor. Kahmunrah had eagerly put the tablet in the designated space of his gate. He punched in the combination and the tablet began to give an eerie glow. It contrasted its regular golden hue.

"You hear that humming? That is the sound of the end." He smiled gleefully and began to chant some Egyptian words.

Larry decided that now would be a good time to have a heart to heart moment with Avery and Jed.

"You two okay?"

"Could be better." Jed stated the obvious.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around the last couple of years you guys. Maybe if I stuck around and helped vouch for you guys to stay, then none of this would have happened."

"Larry, do you know why I called you?" She asked randomly.

"Uh, because you needed help?"

"That's part of it, yes. I also called you because you were the only other person I could trust in to handle this madness. I knew I was asking a lot of you to come down here and I'm grateful that you did. But now that I think about it, you needed it. Sure the new job might be a great financial benefit but does it really make you happy? Tonight I saw that spark come back when you were taunting Kahmunrah and running around trying to protect the exhibits. I've seen some of your product commercials and I don't see that same spark in your eyes. But if this company of yours truly makes you happy then far be it from me to complain. And I'm sorry for how angry I was earlier and for the harsh things I said. For what it's worth though, I think I like you better as a night guard."

"Thanks Avery. That…that means a lot" Larry went in for a side hug.

"Jed, I'm sorry for the way I left things."

"S'all right. I agree with Avery, that suit you've been paradin around in, it's all gussied up but dead inside. That ain't you. You need this. You need us. Ya know, this night ain't over yet. We've still got some fight left in us."

"I know I'm not giving up just yet Larry." She gave a sure nod.

The gate slowly swung open and immediately the atmosphere changed. The room grew darker, the air grew thicker. Inside the gate was a misty void but slowly something in the distance was making its way towards them.

"Oh god." She never liked horror movies and this was a scene right out of one. She shut her eyes to shield herself.

"Welcome to the extended reign of Kahmunrah. The fifth king of Egypt and now the world!" He took this moment to separate Avery from the group just as warriors with falcon heads stormed through the gate in perfect formation. They were terrifying to look at. Even his three lackeys and their henchmen backed away in terror.

"Send Larry Daley to his doom." The warriors started circling Larry.

"Now I'll show you what real power looks like. The kind of power only a true Pharoah knows how to wield. After I've killed your friend I'll show you what else it can do. I can cast a spell that will bind us for eternity. No, on second thought I'll let him live so that he can tell dear Ahkmen that he has lost his precious girl." He whispered in her ear as he held her close. She could feel panic rise up within her, her fight or flight instincts kicking in. She tried to pull away from him but his grip was as tight as ever. He smugly grinned at her.

"Scared are you? You should be." He said menacingly.

But just as the warriors were about to send Larry himself to the Underworld, a convenient distraction made an appearance.

"Halt!" Octavius pops in riding a squirrel of all creatures. "I ride the mighty squirrel. Do you wish to surrender honorably or will this end with a spilling of blood?"

"This is your big rescue? Please, it's like you expect to lose." The Pharaoh scoffed.

"No, this is!" On cue, a giant Abe Lincoln came crashing in through the rest of the window.

"What is that thing? Attack it!" His warriors didn't understand the command until he cawed and pointed towards Lincoln. His dignity was slipping. The warriors obediently threw their spears but they were ineffective compared to the marbled president.

"Disgusting half pigeons." He swatted them aside with ease. Startled, they turned tail and ran back through the door to the underworld.

So much for his powerful army. I guess the early bird doesn't get world domination.

"Adios, birdbrains!" Jed waved at them.

"Do not return to the Underworld! No! You cannot do this! I was so close to world domination! Get back here you sorry excuses-!" Kahmunrah's pleas fell on deaf ears as they slammed the door shut. Everyone stood in silence much as they had the first time he tried to open the gate. He stood there a moment clenching his fist that wasn't holding Avery, trying to get ahold of his anger and of the situation.

"Ahem, well this is awkward." He said at last.

"It appears my work here is done. Remember son, a house divided against itself cannot stand." Lincoln saluted Larry and made his way out the window.

"So you befriended Lincoln in the hour that you were gone?" Evidently, Avery had missed out on quite a lot as she was held captive. She definitely needed Larry to tell her the details later.

"Now what?" Ivan had asked skeptically.

"Well this night has not gone the way I had hoped it would. I would have liked to see it end with his death. However, a new opportunity presents itself. This charming young woman here is to be mine for eternity."

"A wedding? Really?" Capone asked. He was promised limitless power not mushy romance.

"Oh I promise you it is not a wedding, it is a binding ceremony that will-"

"Da, sounds like a wedding."

"Oh, I love weddings!" Napoleon chimed in. Kahmunrah glared at all three before continuing.

"I will perform a spell that binds this girl here to me for eternity. No matter where she might go or try to hide, our souls will forever be linked!"

"I will never agree to this!"

"Fortunately you do not have to, dear." He walked towards the tablet and began to chant. It began to glow much like it had when he was opening the underworld. Avery stood petrified, guards surrounding her in case she tried to flee. She hadn't the strength nor energy to do that. What if he succeeded, what would that mean for her and Ahk? What would this mean for her alone? As her thoughts progressed, she felt her head start to tingle but it wasn't from her anxiety. The tablet began to glow again and she could feel the power of it thrumming in her head. She dropped to her knees, hands trembling as she pressed them to her head as the enormous pressure became too much. She could vaguely hear Jed and Larry call out to her but their voices sounded far away.

Thankfully, and mercifully, a bugle horn sounded and Kahmunrah stopped chanting. Immediately the pain in Avery's head disappeared and she could breathe again. The tablet grew dim as he growled at yet another disruption to his evening. They all looked over to see General Custer leading the charge as their friends had been freed from the storage pod. She looked to the side to see the Thinker flexing his muscles. He shot her a wink. He must have held up his end of the deal!

"We are not going to attack right now!"

"Yes! Alright guys!" Avery joined in on the yelling as she found herself again. She was relieved that nothing had happened to them. Her team always pulled through. Additionally she would need to thank them for saving her from Kahmunrah's spell. Pretty soon there were clashing weapons and battle cries echoing around the room.

In all the chaos, Larry dropped the hourglass. They watched as it skittered underneath several feet. She was about to rush over to where Jed was when Octavius got there first. He assured the two that he would free Jed. She stood for a moment, dodging attacks, in an effort to figure out how she could best help. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sac shoot her bow and arrow at one of Ivan's men. But while she was preoccupied with that, another threat lurked behind her. One of Napoleon's men was just about to use the saber at the end of his rifle to cleave his way through Sac's back. Time seemed to slow. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Avery grabbed a discarded weapon from a fallen soldier and ran to meet the blade. She used her momentum to push the man back and hit him over the head, effectively knocking him out.

"Thank you greatly, Avery."

"No problem. Now let's show them how women can fight!"

Back to back with Sac, they fought their way through soldiers and gangsters. Avery was holding onto her weapon like a bat, swinging and hitting anyone who dared cross into her path. She had to admit that it was a great way to release some trauma the night had given her. She glanced over at Sac a few times to see how she was faring. Avery had never seen Sac fight, she was always the calm pacifist. Come to think of it but she never heard her raise her voice either. But damn could she fight. Firing off arrows that hit their target with precision. Of course they weren't fatal shots, just enough to slow their enemies down. After they were down, she reached over and plucked the arrow back out.

"You've gotta show me how to shoot a bow and arrow sometime! You're incredible!" Avery gushed, wanting to take up a new hobby and be as great as Sac someday.

"I would be more than happy to teach you!"

As the battle progressed, the tide was turning in their favor. But nearby another battle was beginning. Larry had run into Kahmunrah who was hell bent on enacting some revenge. Just as his blade was swinging at his neck, Larry's hands sprung his flashlight from his belt meeting the blade. All around them the fighting had slowed to a halt as everyone became a witness to their duel.

Kahmunrah was definitely a skilled warrior, no doubt about it. All his boasts were true but he was losing. With each hit that his pride took, he became more furious and determined to kill Larry. Compared to what he was up against, Larry was managing well enough on his own until he tripped. He fell to the floor.

"Now I'll have the tremendous pleasure of killing you myself!" He leapt up for the killing blow when a bright light momentarily blinded him. Larry was able to dodge the blade at the last second. He nodded to Amelia who hurriedly pushed the combination on the tablet, causing the gate to once again open. He had the upper hand and used it successfully to push Kahmunrah back.

"What are you?" The Pharaoh asked in stunned disbelief.

"I'm the night guard." He pushed Kahmunrah into the gate of the underworld. He yelled that this wasn't the last time they would hear of him. Avery got a creeping feeling that he was directing it at her. But as the gate closed and seemingly locked itself, those fears were drowned out by the noise of cheers all around. She couldn't resist joining in.

"The battle of the Smithsonian. Perhaps the greatest battle the world will never know!" Custer announced while posing over the pile of treasures.

"We'll know." Larry had said, a sentimental look on his face. His eyes dropped to his watch.

"Oh man, it's two hours til sunrise. We gotta get you guys back home!"

"They don't want us there anymore, Gigantor!"

"Well I do," Larry said firmly.

"And so do I," Avery said, coming up behind Larry. "For once, Larry and I are on the same page here. We'll think of something but right now we need to figure out a ride."

"Perhaps I can help in the matter." Amelia stepped forward offering a fast solution as she pointed toward the plane.

While preparations for the journey back were being made, Avery excused herself to track down the mannequin and swap clothes again. Thankfully the dress was no worse for wear. She made it back just in time for boarding. They all surprisingly fit on Amelia's red plane. It was larger than it looked from the outside. Everyone settled in for the flight as Amelia expertly piloted her plane even with all the extra cargo. Larry was standing near her and casting odd glances at her before he resigned himself to sitting next to Avery.

"What was that all about, hmm?" She whispered while nodding her head towards their pilot. Larry flushed.

"It's, uh, it's nothing really. It wouldn't work out anyway." This caused her to raise an eyebrow.

"So Napoleon was right…You do like like each other!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!"

"No, she's got a point, Gigantor!" Larry groaned as he had forgotten that Jed and Octavius were in his pocket.

"Yes, I've seen the way you've looked at her tonight." Octavius had to chime in.

"I knew it! Larry and Amelia sitting in a tree-" She couldn't help but tease him just a little.

"Alright, I'm just gonna go sit by Attila now." He tried to get up but she pulled his arm and he relented.

"Sorry, Larry. I think it's sweet you have a crush."

"Alright, did you get it out of your system now?" He nudged her with his elbow, his face still very much red. She thankfully nodded and resigned to looking out the small window. The plane ride seemed to have lulled her into a nap. Her head rolled onto the shoulder of Sac who smiled and let the girl rest. She was able to reach into her satchel, pull out a salve that would help with the bruising, and gently apply it to the girl's face. She admired Avery's bravery these past nights.

They had landed on a surprisingly empty New York street. Well at least their cover wasn't blown. Avery dashed up the stairs, tablet in hand, ran as fast as she could to get a moment to talk to Ahk. He was laying in his sarcophagus confused, last night he had not awoken. Was something wrong with the tablet? And now tonight he was alive once again. Peculiar.

"Ahk!" It was her unmistakable voice.

"Avery?" He called as he struggled to unwrap himself. By the time she had reached him he was out of his sarcophagus. She threw her arms around him and hung on tightly. He was not prepared for her to leap into his arms so he swayed a little before correcting. He pulled her back to look at her and was horrified to see her face red and bruised with shallow cuts littering her arms.

"Avery my gods, what happened to you? Are you alright?" He reached out and gingerly touched her face, only stopping when he saw her wince.

"You were right, your brother is not a good person." She quickly filled him in on what had happened within the last 48 hours. He was shaking with rage by the time she finished detailing the horrors his brother committed towards her and of Jed. Right now his priorities were focused on her.

"If there ever comes a day when I see him again, I will show him no mercy like he did at my death. I will personally see to it that he suffers tenfold what he has done to you. He has crossed a line in hurting the woman I love." He stopped ranting when he felt a gentle hand on his face.

"Don't. Don't stoop to his level. That's not who you are. He's gone. He is now forever trapped in the Underworld where he belongs. I'm fine. I mean I'm not fine fine. But I'm still standing and breathing so that's gotta count for something right? Just wow, coming off of the adrenaline high from the past two days I feel like I might pass out." He started rubbing circles in her back.

"I am more than relieved that you are safe and here with me now." She leaned into his touch, momentarily forgetting her troubles. Her eyes widened as she remembered something.

"Oh, right, there's one last thing I need your help with…" She trailed off.

"Oh?"

"The Smithsonian is a wreck, the stained glass window is shattered, the exhibits are everywhere. Everything is a huge mess. Way more than a simple explanation could fix. I know it's a lot to ask of you but is there any way you can utter a word from here on the tablet to fix it?" She looked at him with a hopeful expression.

"I am not sure, I have never used the tablet for something of this magnitude but it is worth a try. I do not wish for you to get in any trouble." He took a deep breath to center himself and concentrated on the tablet muttering words in Egyptian. The tablet glowed brighter than she had seen before. Probably because of the distance they were from the actual place and of how much magic was needed to take to complete the cleanup spell. After the spell was said, he slumped over momentarily as it evidently drained his energy. She caught him and steadied. Shortly after he regained composure.

"There, it is done. Though I am not certain if it has worked."

"Thank you for trying anyway. I guess I'll see if it worked later tomorrow, err, later today? I really gotta get some sleep. Speaking of sleep, we gotta get you wrapped! It's a few minutes til sunrise!"

As soon as she finished helping him, she came downstairs to find that Larry was talking to Teddy.

"The key to happiness, I figured it out. It's doing what you love with the people you love." He pulled Avery in for a side hug.

"Actually I was going to say physical exercise but the love thing is good too!"

"Thank you for bringing them back safely. Welcome home son. And welcome home Avery."

They watched as his flesh turned to wax again as sunlight streamed in through the windows.

"So what's the plan now Larry? I doubt they can hide in the basement forever. And I'm sure the Smithsonian will raise the question as to why they have a bunch of empty crates. I doubt I could convince them that it was all a prank without getting fired."

"I think I have a plan. Let me walk you through it over breakfast. My treat." Nothing sounded better than a nice steaming hot plate of pancakes.

After calling in to take a personal day, Avery knew she needed to go back to the scene of the crime to know for sure if the tablet fixed everything or not. If not, then she better change her name and move countries. Stepping into the grand cathedral-like room, she briefly closed her eyes before opening them. She had to do a double take. Was this the same room from last night? The stained glass window was beautifully restored, like a plane or statue of Lincoln hadn't smashed through it. She went over to the window and tentatively touched it as in her sleep deprived state it could have been a hologram or a mirage. But it was real. Thank God. And the pile of Kahmunrah's gold and treasures were not to be seen. She couldn't believe it, everything was as it should be. She reminded herself that she needed to thank Ahk and his spellcrafting. Only then did she release a breath of air that she held. She actually found herself laughing out of disbelief. She caught the attention of Brundon who was just entering for his shift.

"Hey, Avery. Are you feeling okay? No offense but you look like hell. Was it that dude who was here with you yesterday? Just say the word and I'll track him down!" He patted his flashlight for emphasis.

"Honestly Brundon, I'm just really tired. It's been a crazy night." She laughed once again leaving the night guard puzzled. He probably thought she was crazy but at this point she couldn't care less. After exiting she went back to her apartment and promptly took a long nap.

Next chapter will be the finale! Sorry I didn't go into more detail with the battle between the two men, but you've watched the movie so you know what I'm referring to!