"You any good with that?"

Jonathan glanced up at Ardeth, ignoring that way his stomach tingled at the man's smirk, before straightening up, his grip tightening on the shotgun. "Three times Fox and Hound grand champion I'll have you know…" he then gestured at the sword at Ardeth's side, "… you any good with that?"

"… You will know soon enough." Quicker than what seemed humanly natural, Ardeth drew the sword and gently pressed it against Jonathan's neck, "Because the only way to kill an Anubis warrior, is to cut off their head."

"I-I'll remember that."

"Before you kill my brother-in-law, can I have a word with you?" Rick called out, clearly amused with the expression on Jonathan's face… and the flush that lined his cheeks.

Ardeth nodded, sheathing the sword and heading back over to Rick.

Jonathan wasn't sure exactly how the conversation went, but it was soon decided, that because Ardeth knew how to deal with Imhotep and anything else they might come up against, Rick would be the one to lead Ardeth's tribe against the Army of Anubis, should they return. Even with a foreign leader at the helm, Ardeth knew they would be willing to be fight with him.

The mark would guarantee it.

"Come." Ardeth ordered, "We will save the child."

…..

When he heard the gunshot, Ardeth thought he was done for.

All this effort that had gone into trying to stop Imhotep and rescue the young Alex, and this was how he died.

Aside from the fact that he felt no pain.

Slowly, he turned around, just in time to see the man who'd aimed the gun at him, fall to the ground. In a slight state of shock, he glanced up to the ledge where Evie and her brother Jonathan had positioned themselves, watching as Jonathan nodded at him.

He'd been attracted to the Englishmen from almost the first meeting, but this was something else. This was… magnificent.

Knowing that he couldn't linger for too long, he nodded his thanks at the young man, before leaping back into action.

He would thank Jonathan properly once all this was over.

….

Up above, Evy was giving her brother a smug look. "See, I told he liked you."

"More like he's surprised that I actually know how to use this."

She rolled her eyes, "Come on Juliet, let's go."

"Juliet? Evy!"

As they raced through the jungle, they quickly met up with Ardeth and a newly rescued Alex. As Evy went to hug her son, Ardeth walked over to Jonathan, an impressed smile on his face, "You were correct… you do know how to use that."

"Thanks…" Jonathan cleared his throat before gesturing back at the jungle area, "… What were those creepy little pygmy things?!"

Silence.

"Oh… that bad." Jonathan winced, but decided to let it go as Alex pulled away from his mother.

"Come on! We have to get to the pyramid! I have to get this bracelet off, now!"

Turning away from the trees and bushes surrounding them, Jonathan waved his hand in dismissal, "Keep it on Alex, it looks good on you!"

"No! You don't understand!" The eight-year-old immediately protested, "It'll kill me if I don't get inside the pyramid before the sun hits!"

Evy shook her head in disbelief, "Oh my God."

And then the sound of something screeching, and bushes rustling came from behind them.

"Time to go!" Ardeth yelled, as Evy lifted Alex into her arms as they sprinted away, with Jonathan scowling behind him.

"That's bad! That's very bad!"

…..

After a terrifying run through the jungle (including a slight mistake over a circle of stones), Jonathan found himself scampering over a large bridge, made out of a fallen tree.

"Wait for me! Wait for me!"

As his sister lit up a stick of dynamite, Jonathan leapt to safety, stumbling into Ardeth's arms, only to pull back in embarrassment as he turned to his sister.

"Where did you even get that?"

"Goodbye present from Rick." She smirked at him, before chucking the dynamite at the creatures that were now starting to clamber over the tree bridge. Less than a minute later, the dynamite exploded, shattering the bridge and sending the creatures falling into the gorge down below.

But the danger wasn't over yet.

"Jonathan! Ardeth!" Evy cried out, gesturing at the horizon, where the sun was slowly starting to rise in the sky.

"Come on Alex!" Jonathan cried out, taking Alex's hand and racing towards the pyramid, batting branches away with his hands as Evy and Ardeth followed on behind, "A little faster now Alex!"

"Uncle Jonathan!" Alex stumbled weakly, "The bracelet!"

It was clearly starting to hurt him, as the nine-year-old struggled to keep up. However, before Jonathan could lift the child into his arms, Ardeth moved forwards and lifted Alex into his own arms, running far faster than both Evy and Jonathan as he raced to save the boy.

The sun was almost right on top of them.

As they approached the pyramid, he made a desperate leap into the area, just as the rays of the sun hit the pyramid.

"Being a parent…" Ardeth gasped for air, Alex rolling off to one side, "… being a parent feels like hard work."

"… I think you'd be good at it." Alex slowly turned to face him, "And I've always wanted a little cousin."

The meaning was clear, but before Ardeth could say anything, there was a loud CLICK, and the bracelet came undone.

Almost immediately, Alex grabbed the golden artefact and threw it as hard as he could, watching as it skidded across the sand.

From the other side of the courtyard, their feet sinking into the warming sand, Evy and Jonathan sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank God." Evy laughed, "They're okay! They're okay, Alex's okay!"

"Yeah, he- "Suddenly, Jonathan stopped, spotting movement out of the corner of his eye.

Meela… Anck-su-namun…. Whatever she was called.

"EVIE! LOOK OUT!" He darted forwards, pushing his sister to one side, just as Meela's fist moved forwards, and a sharp blade slid into his stomach.

Vaguely, he could hear his sister crying out in anguish.

He couldn't say anything, not even when Imhotep appeared over Meela's shoulder, throwing Evie to one side, before turning his attention to Jonathan.

"Ramases…" he hissed, a heavy Egyptian accent in his words, "… brother of Nefertiri. Son of Seti. He will do."

"NO!"

Ardeth's own cry of pain echoed throughout the area, as the blade slid back out and the pair made a run for it.

"Jonathan!" Ardeth continued to cry out, arms reaching out to catch Jonathan, just before he could hit the ground, "Jonathan, no please!"

"Uncle John! Uncle John!" Alex dropped beside Ardeth, hands hovering over his dying uncle as his Mother raced over, stumbling slightly from the force of the impact she'd recently suffered.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed, tears already streaming down her face as she saw the extent of the wound, "Jonathan!"

"He's going to be alright!" Alex desperately cried out, "He's going to be alright!"

It was then that she knew, that she had to get Alex away. "Of course…" she whispered, pulling him into her arms and leading him away, "… of course he's going to be fine."

She didn't want to lie to her child, but it was necessary.

Continuing to reassure her son that everything was going to be alright, and that his Uncle Jonathan was going to live, Evy couldn't help but wince as Ardeth grew more and more panicked, especially at the amount of blood that was now staining Jonathan's suit and his own hands. Most of it was in Arabic, however, the odd sentence did come out in English.

"You're going to be alright." He was now muttering to Jonathan, calloused fingers rubbing tears away from pain-flushed cheeks, "You can get through this, you'll be alright!"

Shaking violently with the pain, Jonathan tried to give Ardeth a reassuring smile (failing miserably, but the effort was appreciated). "T-T-Take care of E-Evy, yeah?" he whispered, "A-and A-A-Alex?"

"Yes but- "

Another pain-filled smile, "I-I-I should h-have said this e-earlier, but…. I-I really l-like you Ardeth. Maybe e-even l-l-lo- "Before he could finish the sentence, his eyes fluttered shut and he inhaled sharply… before going completely limp.

"No, no, no!" Ardeth swore under his breath, painfully aware of Evy's sobbing behind him, "No, come back! Come back!"

Nothing.

"Please… don't do this to me." Ardeth whispered as he lifted Jonathan into his arms and buried his face into the man's shoulder, muffling his own sobs as the situation dawned on him.

Jonathan was gone.

Before he could ever tell the man how he felt, he was gone.

As Alex seemed to realise what was happening, his own tears streaming down his cheeks, grief settled over the small area.

They were all unaware of what was happening in the temple behind them.

…..

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, Evy broke free of her son's clinging hug, gently ordering him to stay where he was, before moving over to the body of her fallen brother, laying him back on the ground and re-arranging his limbs in order to make him look more at peace.

"I am going inside."

Evy turned to Ardeth in shock, watching as the man pushed himself to his feet, turning his face away as one hand reached up to wipe his face clear of tears.

"I must finish this." He answered to her unasked question, "For him."

Without waiting for an answer, he was gone, running into the temple, disappearing into the shadows.

Less than ten minutes later, the entire ground shook and a shadow quickly passed over the land, traveling until even Rick and Ardeth's men could see it.

"And so, it begins." Muttered one of the men by Rick's side.

…

"Alex…"

Alex turned his attention away from the body of his uncle, focusing on his mother (who was still crying slightly).

"… I know this might not be what you want to hear right now, but he's gone to a better place." She briefly glanced over to her brother, "Remember when you had to study the Bible, the so-called 'good book.'"

"…. The book."

Evy frowned at the whisper, "What?"

"That's it. That's it!"

"That's what?"

Alex pushed himself to his feet and started pulling at her clothes, "Come on Mom! Come on!"

"What are you- "

"- That's it! The book!"

…

"You're too late Medjai!"

Ardeth glared at the Curator, his grip tightening on the torch in his hand.

"I have released the Army of Anubus! Lord Imhotep shall soon kill the Scorpion King and take command."

Already drawing his sword, Ardeth didn't really react to the words, "Not by the time I get through with him."

When the curator started screaming, Ardeth didn't even flinch.

The man deserved everything that he got.

…..

"Alex, sweetie…" Evy grunted as she tugged on the hastily crafted reed sledge that she was now using to pull her brother's body through the corridors of the temple, "… I know you don't want all this to be real, but this might not bring him back! The Ancient Egyptian has to be flawless!"

As they came to a junction, she sighed, dropping the rope. "Which direction now?"

"Right."

"And how do you know that?" Evy winced at her tone. Yes, she'd seen the wall and the writing, but there was no need to treat it like a lesson.

Alex held the torch up near the wall, "Kasheesh Osirian Nye…. Basically, this way to the Scorpion King."

As he strode off in that direction, Evy couldn't help but smile proudly. "That's my boy."

There was a chance this would work.

…..

"Meela."

The woman turned around and glared at Evy as she strode closer.

"Care for a rematch?" Evy asked, moving into a defensive position as her mind flashed back to the fight her past self had once had with Anck-su-namun all those centuries ago.

This bitch had killed her brother and she wasn't going to get away with that.

Her eyes never strayed from the woman, not even as Alex went to steal the book Meela had been guarding.

"This is for my brother." She hissed, suddenly lunging forwards as the fight began.

…..

Ardeth strode calmly through the corridors of the Temple, not even flinching as the sound of a gong being struck echoed throughout the deserted away.

In the distance, he could see that Imhotep was the one making the noise, probably hoping to summon the Scorpion King. The chamber rumbled violently as the walls quivered and a loud bellow echoed throughout the room.

Once again, Ardeth didn't care.

He just needed to kill Imhotep.

Lunging at the ex-mummy, Ardeth slashed and swiped at the man, not even caring when his sword was knocking into the cracks in the floor.

He still had his fists.

"So, you wish to kill me Medjai?" Imhotep hissed in Ancient Egyptian, "And then you will kill him and send his Army back to the Underworld? This I cannot allow…" he smirked, "… It will be so satisfying to kill you again. A shame I will not hear the screams of Ramses this time."

Ardeth snapped.

…

Evy winced as the other woman's nails broke the skin on her face, running her fingers over the wound to check for blood, before smirking at Meela, "What? Is that all you've got?"

Meela was silent, pulling a pair of Sai out of the hands of a nearby statue.

"Great…" Evy whispered, "… come on Alex, hurry up."

In a darkened corner, Alex was frowning at the book, lips forming the words as quickly as possible as he sat by the body of his murdered uncle, "Hootash naraba oos Veesloo. Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei…"

The fights continued.

"… Efday Shokran. Efday Shokran… Mum! I don't know what this last symbol is!" he called out in panic.

"What does it look like sweetie?!" Evy groaned as she and Meela duelled.

"A-A bird! A stork!"

Evy couldn't help but smile at this, wincing as Meela grabbed her collar, "You are so much like Jonathan!"

"Mum! What's the symbol?!"

Just before Meela could stab the Sai blade directly into her throat, Evy pushed her away, knocking her to the ground before leaping back and crying out "Ahmenophus!"

"That's it!" Alex turned his attention back to the book, "Efday Shokran Ahmenophus!"

Lights flickered, and a loud noise echoed throughout the room, causing Alex's eyes to widen.

….

"Ah!" Evy yelped, one hand pressing against her shoulder, which had recently been scratched by the sai, a thin line of blood staining her shirt.

Just before Meela could make the killing blow, a hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbing her wrist and preventing it from going any further.

"Don't you dare touch my sister!"