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

Chapter 25

It's not your time yet.

Those words, playing over and over in your mind. But then Taweret said something else. 

The Duat is under attack.

She could've said, I really fancy a snack - you were so out of it you weren't certain, and Taweret was the kind of girl friend you could imagine yourself having a snack and a movie night with, or something of the sorts...

Damn, your brain really was frazzled. But one thing you were sure of is that Taweret sounded scared. When Khonshu fought Ammit he didn't seem scared, so you worried at the thought of something that could terrify a God. 

But screw worrying about that, you had you to think about. When you lost consciousness, you were bleeding out in a random side road in London, and unless cobblestones had got really comfortable, you were no longer there. It took a while for you to open your eyes. Something about the darkness was comforting, so when you did, and the room around you was equally as dark, you breathed a sigh of relief. 

You had no idea where you were, except that wherever it was, someone was looking after you. You could smell a freshly brewed cup of tea by the side of your bed, feel a warm blanket covering your feet, and a drip feeding what you could only assume was morphine into your arm. Mmmm, nice. Your clothes were different, warmer, and as you lifted the blanket you realised you'd been changed into a pair of pyjamas. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you noticed a slight red light coming from beneath the double doors. It dimly lit the room; plain, undecorated... not even a light bulb. Whoever's bed you were in, they didn't care for homeliness. 

"Can I come in?" you heard a voice call suddenly - an American voice - and you froze, breath hitching in your throat. "It's okay, I'm a friend," he then said gently, recognising your fear. You weren't inclined to trust a random voice, but you were no longer dying, and all signs pointed to the voice being the reason. 

"Um... yes," you croaked, and the doors slid apart. A man in a smart pair of trousers and shirt rolled up to the elbows walked in. He carried a caring smile and gentle demeanour. Not like the greatly you received with Raoul. 

"y/n," he said, and you raised your eyebrows as, rather than sit directly in the chair by your bed, he had to feel for it. Despite the darkness, he wore a pair of round, red tinted glasses, and didn't quite seem to look your way. You figured he was blind. It explained the darkness. "How are you feeling?" 

You couldn't find the words to describe what was going through your head. "Like I've been stabbed," you settled for. 

The man chuckled. "That's fair." He grabbed a cloth by the bedside and submerged it in a cool bowl of water. "I'm Matt." 

"That's a common name," you said, trying to keep the mood light. He chuckled lightly, raising the ice cold rag to your head, and you let out a shaky breath of relief. 

"Matthew Murdock," He introduced, holding out a hand. You raised yours to shake his, grimacing slightly. There was a pain in your stomach you were growing wearier of by the second. "I'll sort that." He seemed to acknowledge the pain despite you not mentioning it as he adjusted the drip feeding morphine into your arm. 

"Thank you," you said. "I'm y/n, but... you knew that. How d'you know who I am?" 

"You think we wouldn't keep tabs on the people who turned back the entire night sky?"

The 'we' was ominous but you forgave him all things considering. "Fair point. I'm guessing you're the one who saved my life?" Matt nodded humbly and you clasped his free hand. "Thank you." 

"You're more than welcome," he replied. "I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you. Marc Spector would never forgive me." 

"You know Marc?" you asked, pushing yourself further up the bed. Matt pulled the pillow further up behind your head. "And Steven to?" 

"Haven't had the pleasure. I'm Marc's lawyer." He smiled to himself, like some inside joke. "I'm Moon Knight's lawyer," he corrected. 

"You know?" 

"There are more people with secret identities than you think." 

"D'you know where he is?" you asked worriedly. "He'll think it's his fault. He'll repress Steven and go on some rampage and endanger himself--"

"-- y/n, don't--"

"--Cairo, he'll go back to Cairo, and--" 

"--y/n!" Matt cried, hands on your shoulders as you tried to get up. "He knows you're safe. I called him. I told him I'd found you." 

"So where is he?" 

Matt sighed. "I don't know." 

"Does he know where I am?" 

"No. He can't." 

A quiet swamped you both as Matt, wanting something to do in the moment, readjusted the blanket over you. "If Marc trusts you, so do I," you told him.

"We'll find him." 

It was at that moment you heard a door opening, and a voice called out. "Hey Matt, I'm back. They didn't do a 6 pack so I got 5 bulbs and a lamp. You pay the electric bill, right?" It wasn't the voice you were hoping for, but it made you happy none-the-less.

"Stay put, or I'll have to stitch you up again," Matt said. 

"Stitch me up? But you're..." you caught yourself, realising you hadn't confirmed your suspicions. Matt grinned like he could read your thoughts.

"It depends on your definition of the word blind," he answered, before excusing himself and leaving the room. He pulled the door to and you strained to hear hushed voices. But then the door opened and you breathed a shaky sigh of relief as Layla appeared. 

"Layla," you greeted, and she nearly burst into tears seeing you. She was dressed from head to toe in what you could only describe as spy wear, and looked like she hadn't slept in hours. She was cradling a lamp under her arm, one that she nearly dropped when she saw you. 

"y/n," she breathed, sinking onto the bed. "You're ok."

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," was your response as she gave you a hug, barely touched you in fear of causing you pain.  When she pulled away, you stared her down, a serious look in your eye. "I wanna see Steven and Marc. You know where they are, right?"

Layla shook her head as Matt reappeared at the doorway. They shared a glance, and Layla looked back at your sorrowfully. "You can't," she said. "They're being hunted by Raoul Bushman. It's not safe for you to be within 100 miles of them." 

"But..." you stared over Layla's shoulder. "You're American," you told Matt, and a sickly realisation hit you. "This is your home?" 

"It is." 

 "...Where are we?" 

"Manhattan. Hell's Kitchen." 

"New York?!" You cried. "No, I can't be. I've gotta get back to England. To them..."

"They'll be fine y/n," Layla said. "Marc can take on Raoul no problem." 

"It's not that," you answered as she plugged in the lamp. "We're all in danger."

"How?" Matt asked.

"When I thought I was gonna die, I heard Taweret."

"The goddess of childbirth?" 

"That's the one," you said. "Layla, she said that the Duat was under attack, she sounded terrified. It's too much of a coincidence that on the same day Marc's past catches up to him, something goes wrong down below." 

"Under attack by who?" Layla asked.

"I don't know." You looked at her, and both sighed.

"What?" Matt asked. "What's wrong?" 

"We know what we have to do..." Layla trailed off, and you nodded.

"Talk to Khonshu."