Rating: PG13 prolly eventually
Author: Angel - http://www.geocities.com/saturnfiction
Summary: The ending of the Scorpion King changed and expanded upon. The O'Connells meet up with some strange people that look very familiar. Almost too familiar.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Mummy or its characters. But I would give a whole heck of a bunch to own Imhotep and Ardeth. ;-)
*
Rick crept through the pyramid, down the hallways that had no long ago been brought back to life. There was a presence at his side which irritated him to no end. He didn't want to fight with this man as his comrade, but he wouldn't turn him back. Not with the prospect of him getting himself killed. Not that he was entirely heartless. That other Imhotep seemed decent, but Rick just couldn't get past that not too long ago his own son had been kidnapped by this man and nearly killed. No, this presence irked him despite the assurance he would atone.
Still, perhaps Imhotep could help him at that. Rick wasn't sure about what was going to happen once they entered the last room, but he was pretty sure it would involve death on one or both of their parts. This wasn't the time for death to be knocking on his door. He had just gotten Alex back! Rick fiddled with the Staff of Osiris, trying to figure out how this gold thing was supposed to kill that big bug.
Imhotep held out his hand, his face a mask of arrogant impatience as he wiggled his fingers for the Staff. Narrowing his brow, Rick slapped it into his palms and issued a challenging look. If he was so smart, let him figure it out. Unfortunately for Rick's pride, he did. Imhotep pressed into seemingly unassuming designs in the gold and the staff clicked and popped. A long blade extended from its bottom and Rick blinked. "It's a spear?" he breathed and the other man shrugged and gave it back, muttering in Egyptian.
O'Connell tested the weight of the weapon in his hands and practiced his arm at throwing. At least now he knew how this thing was going to kill the Scorpion King. He scratched his head and they stopped at a four way section. "Which way?" he questioned, looking to his strange companion.
Imhotep watched his face, trying to figure out what he was talking about probably, then looked down the hall to their left. He pointed and shrugged. Rick exhaled and started down it, followed quickly by the priest. Just what in the world could make this man change so drastically? The image of a face was enough to answer that as far as he was concerned. Evy with blue hair. Evy had sure changed him for the better, so perhaps Alannah could do the same for this jerk. Rick frowned at the idea of her being with Imhotep, though. She was an extension of Evelyn and by all rights should be with the future him, not Imhotep and Ardeth. He was going to have to have a long talk with his friend when this was over, just to make sure he wasn't harboring any secret desires he shouldn't know about. If he did Rick was going to have a heck of a time trying to knock his pretty boy head in.
They came to a large door that was locked and Rick swore, then looked to Imhotep. The priest held up his powerless hands with a shake of his head, then scouted for something they could use to break it. There seemed to be nothing. Imhotep scowled grandly at the door and Rick rolled his eyes. Then the mummy's eyes grew hopeful as he stepped back and motioned Rick to his side. With a frown O'Connell joined, then shrugged. Imhotep pointed at the door and held up his hand, extending one finger, then another and another, counting to four in Egyptian. He looked for understanding and Rick nodded.
The priest counted again and on four, the two took off towards the door, crashing into it with no effect except the pain shooting up Rick's side. They sank to the floor and O'Connell muttered darkly, "Got anymore bright ideas?"
Before Rick knew it Imhotep snatched the Staff of Osiris and got to his feet. He looked down uncertainly, then closed his eyes and held the staff as if offering it. Rick stood up, watching as the priest began chanting. When he quieted, he remained still for an irritatingly long span until Rick huffed loudly.
Imhotep opened his eyes and smiled, then handed him the staff, talking absently in his tongue. Shaking his head and wringing his hands, Rick took the other man by the shoulders and looked him in the face. "Show me, Imhotep," he said, and the priest frowned at the door.
Pulling away, he pointed to Rick's lips and said something in his tongue--the only word Rick catching was 'Osiris'. Then he motioned for him to repeat and he said, "Huh?" Imhotep looked skyward and repeated slower, then waited. Rick saw him wince at the slight mispronunciations, but overall the priest seemed satisfied as he turned to the door.
He moved to stand before it and pointed to the moon shaped lock above the door handles. His finger touched the very center, then pointed to the staff. He spoke the words Rick had repeated, then made the motions of holding the staff up and jamming it into the lock. Then he stepped aside and Rick frowned, but nevertheless decided it was worth a shot. After all, this guy grew up around this stuff. Rick picked the spear up and kept his eyes trained on the spot Imhotep had touched. He spoke the words and slammed his weapon into the door.
He fell back with an anguished cry and writhed on the floor a moment, feeling as though he had just been electrocuted. "Son of a...I'm gonna...you son of...uuugh." Rick rolled to his side and considered dying right then and there.
The sound of Imhotep's feet hitting the floor filled the hall as he padded to the door and triumphantly shoved the now unlocked halves apart. Saying something about Osiris, he came back to Rick and prodded his back with a foot. If he didn't have a job to do, Rick would have taught him a lesson about warning someone of the dangers of magic, but someone needed a butt kicking a little worse right now.
With a strangled groan, Rick sat up and stretched his limbs. Imhotep offered a hand and for a moment he just scowled, but looking up showed not the arrogant and spiteful priest that had tried killing him a few times, but someone that wanted to help. Rick took the hand and got up, then grabbed the staff.
They entered the dimly lit hallway and progressed through the pyramid, Rick praying this was the correct way and praying he could pull this off. Imhotep had said something about this being his destiny, but what if he failed? He frowned at Imhotep, remembering a time not so long ago when he had feared failure to this man and had prevailed. These undead things weren't so tough. He hoped.
At the end of the hall was another door and thankfully this one was unlocked, because if it hadn't been Rick would have let the mummy get shocked. The stairway down was dark and claustrophobic as they descended. They were likely to encounter anything down here, from the enormous Scorpion King bug to jackals and mummies. There was a great rustling from the depths below that gave him a chill, the sounds of chains clinking and feet shuffling. When they reached the bottom he could see his foe very clearly.
The Scorpion King writhed in his chains, turning angry eyes upon the two intruders with whom he had been locked in battle with earlier. His arms were chained away from him, making this all too easy. Rick hesitated in amazement at that fact. There was no way he could just run this thing through, then walk away.
And of course he was right. With unearthly snarls the jackals of Anubis that had gone unnoticed until now came from the shadows with weapons drawn and teeth bared. Rick gave Imhotep a quick look and the priest nodded. They separated and Rick ducked an incoming scythe that flew in the general direction of his head. He swung at the beast's legs, knocking it back, and another rewarded that with claws to his back. Rick groaned in pain, feeling liquid begin to drip down his flesh. He glared and promptly cut the thing's head off.
A spared glance to his right revealed Imhotep's own battle, now much the same as Rick's due to his mortality. One of the creatures was backing him into two others that waited and Rick pointed, then cried out as a jackal kicked him in the small of his back. He rolled and darted his feet out, kicking the jackal to the ground. The creature hissed into dust when the ex-Legionnaire dove for him and severed its head.
The Scorpion King howled in fury and shook from side to side in a frighteningly powerful way that made Rick grunt at just how uneasy this was going to be. He thought of his son and his wife, above to face the other man who by all rights seemed more dangerous that this other. Rick got to his feet and fought harder, wanting nothing more than to be back up there with them. He could still smell Evy's hair if he thought about it enough.
Imhotep grunted and hit the ground with a thud, blood coming from his mouth and his cheek red from being hit. Two jackals advanced in deadly intent and Rick swore, hating the fact that he felt morally obligated to help this man. He swung his weapon into the neck of one beast as Imhotep got up and killed the other. The two shared a look and Imhotep smiled, then looked beyond at the angry Scorpion King. He nodded and said something in Egyptian which Rick didn't need translating.
The priest continued fighting and Rick knew what he had to do. Killing another jackal as he headed towards the large, angry bug, Rick stared his enemy down with firm resolve. This was it. This was his destiny. He lifted the spear and drew his hand back.
Rick hit the floor and the spear went flying, landing at the feet of the Scorpion King. He looked at it, just out of reach, as one of the jackals tore his back and shoulders to shreds. Relentless claws dug at him until he thought he would pass out. So this was what it felt like to fail horribly. He thought about Evy again, about her pretty face.
"O'Connell!" Imhotep shouted in a heavy accent, and Rick listened as he sprinted to his side. The creature on top of him hissed to dust, but there were others coming to replace it. The priest yanked him up and grabbed the spear, thrusting it into Rick's hands.
"Dizzy," Rick managed, feeling quite weak just now. His back felt like it was on fire. "You do it." Staggering slightly, he handed the weapon back, but Imhotep refused, reprimanding him sharply in his own tongue. It was his destiny. Rick turned back to the Scorpion King and wavered on his feet, tempted to brush away the mummy's help.
The Scorpion King laughed at his weakness and jerked at his bonds, likely wishing for all the world he could have a little fun and kill both Rick and Imhotep. His eyes glittered in triumph as the seconds passed, bringing more jackals into the arena. It was now or never and Rick wasn't about to let that thing get away with that smug expression. He raised the spear again, ignoring the snarls that were now mere feet away. "Laugh now," he said, tossing the spear weakly. "'Cause you won't be laughing in Hell."
For a moment he thought he missed because he hadn't been too agile at the time he had thrown it, but the enraged and wholly terrifying sound that came next told him he had indeed hit the mark. The Scorpion King screamed and shook, then hit the floor heavily. The pyramid shook and Rick thought he was going to topple over. Imhotep kept him on his feet and seemed to say something in a very urgent tone, but Rick wasn't able to consider it just now.
A loud crash came from behind and Rick looked back, seeing a large pillar laying on top of the body of the Scorpion King. The room was collapsing. He wondered briefly where the jackals had gone to, but forgot it as soon as Imhotep began pulling him towards the exit. He thought it was a little ironic, but under the circumstances Rick didn't mind the help anymore.
The stairs were rough and tiring, but there was a very definite need for haste right now. Rick grumbled the whole way, feeling he had just earned a few months worth the privilege. When they reached the top of the stairs he could see the walls cracking and crumbling. He was going to complain very loudly if he died after everything he had just been through.
Imhotep helped him through the rest of the temple without complaint--at least one Rick could translate, and when they entered the final hallway he felt a sense of hope at last. They were going to make it.
But something caught his attention from outside, a loud whooshing of air that made him wonder if the whole oasis were coming down around them. "Just great," he murmured and Imhotep urged him forward. If he got out of this he was going to take an extended break from coming to Egypt.
The end of the hallway was within sight and sunlight streamed in, but beyond Rick saw leaves and debris flying around. The strange whooshing got louder and he frowned. The noise wasn't just wind, it was something else. Something unnatural. Some kind of machine. "Whoa," he breathed as they finally exited the pyramid. The great machine was something Rick was vaguely familiar with, but way more sophisticated in appearance than the few helicopters he had seen in the science papers Evy brought home. Michael hung from the door and motioned them to hurry.
Imhotep ignored this modern technology and dragged Rick along. The wind current was powerful, but O'Connell fought to keep balance until finally Michael helped him into the helicopter. He flopped onto his stomach and groaned when Evy touched his wounds. "Not the shoulders, honey. I'm gonna die."
"Goodness!" his wife exclaimed, smoothing his hair back and petting his cheek. "What on earth happened?"
Closing his eyes, Rick sighed, "A jackal. Just where did you get this thing, or need I ask?" He looked up at her.
She smiled and glanced to the front as it lifted into the air. "When we saw the Scorpion King disappear we were overjoyed until the ground started shaking. We knew the oasis was starting to collapse, but there was no way we could hope to escape. Not until Alannah and Michael went back to the future so he could learn how to pilot this contraption."
"It took me a good few months to study and finally buy one of my own," Michael said from the front. "I think you should know, the future is secured. We succeeded. Our friends were a bit disoriented and unfortunately remembered everything, even the more painful lives they led in the alternate timeline, but the important thing is that from this day forward the Med-Jai will see to it that the Scorpion King can never reawaken." He glanced back with a smile. "At least not up until our time."
Blinking at the implications, Rick thought it all through and had one question. "You mean for a few months in your minds we were all dead? No, don't even answer. I don't wanna think about it." The psychologist laughed. "So, what are we going to do now?"
The helicopter shivered in the air and Michael glanced out the window. "I'm taking you to Ardeth, my friend. Then Alannah and I are heading back to our own time."
It was over and they had succeeded. Rick breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but thought about just how close he had come to losing everything. He could see the same reflected in Evy's eyes as she squeezed his hand.
The helicopter made its descent and shuddered to a stop on the sand below. Michael turned it off. From outside many voices could be heard--the voices of the Med-Jai. Rick groaned as Evy helped him up and out the side. He looked up, seeing countless black clad warriors watching their arrival. He wished they'd knock it off. "Mom! Dad!" said a small voice and Rick nearly forgot his pain as the boy ran up. He swept Alex up into a hug, protesting fervently when arms encircled him. Alex made a face as he pulled away and rubbed two bloody fingers together. "Ew, Dads. You coulda warned me." Rick laughed and messed Alex's hair up, watching him in wonder of the fact he had him back and there was nothing else to fight. Then he sat back on the helicopter floor. Evy pulled their son close again and held him, much to his embarrassment as he grumbled darkly.
Michael and Alannah stepped around and Rick could see her stomach had increased in size since about fifteen minutes ago. She rubbed it and smiled, a hint of sadness written in her dark eyes. "Why didn't you travel back to before...?" He trailed off, not wanting to mention it, but unable to quell his curiosity.
"Because you succeeded," Michael replied for her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "To have gone back may have endangered the time line. He would have wanted it that way."
Before a reply could be made Ardeth ran up with Jonathan and Izzy at his heels. He looked up at the helicopter and breathed, "I would love to know what happened, but I'm not sure I know what to ask first. The jackals disappeared mid battle."
Michael motioned to Rick. "We followed your instructions and beat the Scorpion King. The danger is over, so long as we keep our eyes open. The last time he was awakened it was in 2001. A woman who called herself Cassandra seemed to drop practically from the sky that year. We don't know much, but we do know she was powerful enough to call the Bracelet of Anubis from the sand and use it to wake Mathayus. Things may be different this time around, or perhaps she will try the same way. But now we know to look for her. We can stop the second rising before it even happens."
With a nod the Med-Jai looked around, great relief written in his eyes. It was a great burden lifted, but the effects would be felt by them all in due time--Alannah and Michael most of all. "Where is the other Imhotep?" Ardeth asked and Rick winced.
"I'll tell you later," he answered for the unhappy couple. A thought occurred to him. "Speaking of which, what are we gonna do with this one?" Rick pointed at the other priest, who stood unassumingly in the shadows with an uneasy expression. He was waiting for someone to take revenge. Rick wasn't sure how he felt about this. He wasn't crazy about the idea of having him hang around, but he supposed that dragging him out into the desert and killing him might be a little harsh.
Rick expected Ardeth to respond, but Alannah's uncertain and pleading tone brought up an entirely different prospect. "Actually, I sort of had an idea. I suppose after all he's done, Imhotep's not exactly welcome here, is he?" She didn't wait for a reply. "Well, I thought if he wanted to and if you don't mind, Michael...can we take him home with us?" Alannah asked as if she were begging for a puppy and Rick smirked, recognizing that tone all too well. He gave his wife a teasingly stern look and she stuck her tongue out.
Michael touched her blue hair and Rick also could recognize the look of a man who had a few misgivings, but knew he would have to compromise. "He isn't him," he said softly, in a way that made Rick glare at Ardeth, who looked suitably confused.
"I know," Alannah replied with a reassuring smile. "But he has nowhere to go. At least in a way the man I loved can meet Danae."
Kissing her head and making Rick glare at his friend again, Michael conceded and said, "I don't mind." He looked over the group of friends as Alannah took Imhotep aside. "We will always have you with us in the form of others reborn, but we will miss knowing you as we know you now." He turned his head and smiled at his counterpart. "I am honored to have come from you, Ardeth. Through knowing you I was able to contact the Med-Jai of my time--they even expected me, and learn of their ways in my time learning about piloting this."
Ardeth bowed his head once and offered his future self his hand. "I am honored to have been reborn as you, Michael. You are a good man with great kindness." His dark eyes traveled to Imhotep, then rested again on his counterpart with a curious glimmer. "I hope my children greeted you well."
True to Ardeth's spirit, Michael caught on immediately and shook his head. "To reveal your future would be unfair. I was greeted well by all the Med-Jai." Ardeth grinned and the psychologist mirrored his expression, turning to face Rick.
This was good-bye. Rick regretted that, but knew it was how it had to be. Through his pain, he stood and extended his hand, shaking Michael's. "So this is it, huh?" He pulled the other man closer and nodded to Alannah. "You take care of her, or I'll find some way to possess my future self and shoot you. Got it?"
Michael laughed. "I got it, Rick. You fought well and met your destiny. Rest well, for in two months time you will have to do it all again with a new foe." His face was very serious.
"What!" Rick burst, not realizing the joke until Michael's lips twitched. He slapped the other man's shoulder and hobbled back to sit on the helicopter, muttering, "Very funny."
The next to receive Michael's good-bye was Jonathan, who joined Michael at the chopper after being beckoned. "You, my friend, were very well liked it seems, from what they can recall. Aaron sends you this to remember him by." He pulled out a small, green object and handed it over.
Izzy looked on, muttering, "He gets gifts? No fair."
Jonathan examined it with a furrowed brow, then looked up and shrugged. "No offense, old boy, but what on earth is it?"
"It's a piece cut from a motherboard, from inside a computer," Michael replied, reaching for something else. He pulled out what Rick could see were four small, paperback books. "Ryan sends you these, so you'll know what happened to Frodo."
Pocketing the motherboard piece, Jonathan took the books happily and held them away from Izzy's grabbing hands. "Give them my thanks." He examined the cover of the first book.
Michael nodded and suddenly grinned. "Don't you have any Back To The Future quotes for me to tell Ryan you said?"
"Back To The Future?" Jonathan replied, looking up from his book. "What's that?"
The psychologist's eyes widened in thorough surprise and he laughed. "He didn't show you Back To The Future? That would have been my first choice, given the circumstances." He looked suitably regretful as Jonathan demanded the story.
Rick puzzled over what that meant, taking the hand of his wife who stood beside him. He kissed it and breathed, "This is all very weird." A desert breeze traveled over them. It felt very peaceful, or maybe it was just him. He wasn't sure, but he wanted it to last.
His wife leaned into him, her lips coming quite close to his own, but halted when a voice laughed and said, "Yuck!" It wasn't Alex.
Glaring up, Rick smirked and said, "Yuck? Yuck?" Alannah wrinkled her nose and winked, and O'Connell looked up at his wife with a mock wounded expression. Mustering all the puppy dog charisma he could, he pouted, "Do you feel that way?"
With an arch little smile Evy looked him over and shrugged. "Sometimes."
He looked from Evy to Alannah and Evy again, his eyes slit. "Yuck," he repeated, then pulled his wife into his arms. "I'll show you girls yuck." He pressed his mouth against his wife's, kissing her deeply and passionately. This felt very good, very restful and nice. He leaned his forehead against hers and breathed deeply, watching her and exploring every ounce of love for her. "Thank God it's over," he said, and she kissed him again.
"And if another, undead, grumpy mummy comes our way?" she breathed, running her hands through his hair.
Rick shook his head firmly at that. "Uh-uh. The future's ours."
*
:O It's over! Hehehe. Thank God. ;) Sorry for the cheesy helicopter ending, but I couldn't think of any other plausible way for them to get out of the oasis before it collapsed--other than all of them going to the future, and I wasn't prepared to go into that. Thanks, Marcher, Deana, Lula and everyone else who reviewed in the past!!! You guys rock!!! -Angela