The Imagination Latibule: Moon Knight - The Rise of the Moon

Chapter 24

You felt a sharp pain in your stomach.

You looked down. 

There was a knife inside you, and a stranger grasping the handle.

Nothing could have prepared you for the pain. You'd read books, watched movies, but the inability to even scream as the wind was knocked out of you was paralyzingly shocking. "I..." you gasped, and clutched onto the man's arm to stay standing, but he tore himself from your grip and you dropped to your knees, the knife sticking out of you. The man, piercing blue eyes and a vice-like grip, glared at you. 

"Where is Marc Spector," he said, voice thick and gruff. You pressed your hands to the wound, blood dripping through your fingers. You had no clue what was going on. It's like you'd suddenly drunk a litre of vodka. The world span, and you barely knew who you were. 

"Who..." you grimaced, and the man grabbed your hair, yanking your head up towards him.

"Where. Is. Marc. Spector."

"I don't know," you wept. "I don't--"

"--Hey y/n, we're back," Marc called as he opened the front door, and you managed  a hellish scream to warn him as the stranger ran at him. Despite being unprotected by Khonshu, Marc dodged the attackers first blow and threw a punch that landed almost perfectly. The man dropped to the floor with a groan. He wasn't unconscious, but he wasn't standing, and Marc stared at him like he'd seen a ghost. You let out a weak groan, and Marc snapped out of the trance like state he was in. 

"y/n," he breathed, rushing to your side. He dropped to his knees. 

"Oh my god love," Steven murmured.

"I'm so sorry," Marc cried. "I didn't know he'd.... you've gotta run. Get out of here."

"I can't -- I... it hurts," you whimpered and he shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks.

"I know, baby girl, I know," he said. "Listen, I'm gonna pull this out, and there's gonna be a lot of blood. You need to keep pressure and run."

"I can't."

"You can," he said, "you've got to." Wrapping his hands around the handle. "He's here for me which means you're not safe around me. You gotta get as far away as possible."

"Who?... Marc, please I-" and then he pulled it out and you screamed, and he pressed your hands to the wound as blood seeped out of it. The anguish on his face was immeasurable as he pushed his arm under yours. 

"I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry, I know it hurts but you gotta go," he said, and he hauled you up. Your stomach was burning as he urged you towards the door, and then he yelled out, a guttural, deep, yell. Grabbing a towel from the back of a chair and clutching it to your stomach, you looked back at him. The man was on his feet, hands around Marc's neck. 

"Where do you think you're going?" he said, the look in his eyes one of pure hatred.

"Leave him alone," you threatened, grabbing a letter opener from the desk and wielding it shakily as you staggered forward.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to kill him. That would be too kind. I'm going to kill you."

As the imposter let Marc drop to the floor, Steven, barely conscious, yelled through the reflection. "Run!"

You did as you were told, flinging open the door and sprinting down the corridor, thumbing the elevator button until it arrived. You saw the man running at you but the door shut before he could reach you, and his yells echoed throughout the halls of the building. When you got to the ground floor, you fled past the broom seller who's cries of 'are you alright' fell on deaf ears. It was late, and there weren't many people about, so your choices had gone from blending in to losing him in the maze of London streets. A bang echoed from behind you and the man – another avatar? One of Ammit's followers? – flung open the door to the building and gave chase. Easily faster than you but not as well versed in navigating a city such as London, you managed to avoid capture at first by sneaking through the shadowed alleyways. But as you continued to bleed, you felt more and more lightheaded until you yourself couldn't remember where abouts you were, and you headed to the lighter streets for guidance.