Despacito (Slowly)

Khonshu listened carefully to what Dr. Stephen Strange had to say, and had he been able to, he’d be frowning.

You are absolutely sure of this? He asked, once the Sorcerer Supreme finished. He was younger, and far more brash than Igraine, but Khonshu guessed he could learn to like him too. He knew he had been one of the many who had tried to stop the Snap from happening, even if he had failed. But he had tried.

“That was what the Ancient One told me,” Strange shrugged, as the Cape of levitation kept trying to call Khonshu’s attention from behind him, like a puppy missing a friend.  “That these children you were so fond of were to be protected from your followers, and that they weren’t completely human. But also, that I was, and I quote, a thousand years too young to try and peer at their souls. I can’t deny that that made me really curious.”

But they are human, Khonshu frowned, confused. I would have known if they weren’t. And their parents, disgusting and terrible as their mother was, and as stupid as their father is… they’re human.

“What I don’t understand, and I’d really like an explanation,” Strange said, as he crossed his legs and sipped on his tea as if this was a completely normal occurrence in his world. As Sorcerer Supreme, Khonshu supposed it was. Even if he had less than five years of experience. “Why did the Ancient One left instructions to always keep an eye on ‘the Church of the Moon’ and make sure they didn’t get close to those souls, but didn’t say to keep you, the god of said church, away from them?”

The High Priest of the Church betrayed me, wanted to control my power, Khonshu explained. He trapped me in an ushtabi for a month, and your predecessor saved me. After that, we discovered that some of my followers had… strayed from our code.  So while I was avatarless… she promised you all would keep an eye on their movements.

“A Church going against the teaching of their god… where I have heard that one before?” Strange said, chuckling. Khonshu was going to complain that he didn’t come to make a point about other gods and their followers when he heard Jake praying to him. A broken, sad prayer in a way he had only heard twice before. Once when the body had been dying, and the other far, far earlier, in a time that he wasn’t sure Jake himself remembered.

I have to go. He said, standing up. My avatar is praying to me.

“We still need to rebuild the London Sanctum,” Strange said, as he also got up. “Perhaps it’s time I go there to pick up a new building for it.”

The Ancient One told you not to try to peek at my Avatars. Khonshu reminded him, getting ready to step out to the Other Void to travel faster to Jake’s side.

“She also told him not to touch the Eye of Agamotto,”  Wong, another one of the Ancient One’s trusted disciples appeared from behind a door. Khonshu wasn’t sure if he had been listening or not. 

“I’m not good at following instructions,” Strange agreed, and for a moment, he reminded Khonshu of Jake at his most confident. “We will probably see each other again soon.”

*          *          *

Khonshu nunca se había tardado en responder sus plegarias, al menos no desde que Marc había aceptado ser su Avatar. Sin embargo, eso no evitó que Jake sintiera un fuerte alivio al momento en el que sintió la presencia del dios tocar su mente, porque por un segundo, tal vez incluso menos, había temido que también su figura paterna los había abandonado.

I will never abandon you, Khonshu said, as if he was reading his mind. Marc and Steven are asleep?

“Están distraídos,” Jake replied. “Por lo menos lo suficiente para que no sepan que estas de regreso.”

Is there a reason why you don’t want them to be aware of my presence just now, Little Explorer?

“No creo que estén listos para escuchar lo que debo decir,” Jake said, looking down at his beautiful baby that he had manifested in their mindspace. “Marquitos… Mi Cielo…. Él no va a querer saber que no recuerdo toda nuestra infancia como lo he hecho creer. Si lo sabe, se va a sentir culpable por que el cree que fue la causa de que nos mandaran al hospital.”

What do you mean, you don’t remember all your childhood? Khonshu tilted his head to the left, in a way that Jake had learned long ago that meant that the god was frowning.

“Tengo un par de agujeros aquí y allá,” Jake admitted, taking off his hat. He felt a bit naked without it, but he also needed to have something in his hands as he spoke. “Recordé que la bruja dijo que no éramos su hijo, que nos había aceptado en su casa y matamos a su hijo… pero no recuerdo que paso después...”

I didn’t know you had forgotten that. Khonshu said, surprising him.

“¿Te lo dije?” Jake blinked, surprised. That was part of the things lost to the electroshocks. “Nunca lo mencionaste.”

As I said, I didn’t know you didn’t remember. But I do… I also remember that in the end, we figured she must have been lying, trying to hurt Marc. Khonshu sat in the bench near the car. Now Jake’s room looked like a proper garage. And yet, he still hadn’t produced a bed. He still slept outside, in the common room, cocooned between his Corazón and his Cielo.

“Ya no estoy tan seguro,” Jake took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how to address the situation with Khonshu, as Layla had told them that Tawaret had definitely not reacted to the idea of a hybrid Ennead and human nicely.  But he needed to know. “Interrogamos al cultista que trabajaba en el museo. Nos dijo que Harrow era su líder porque ellos creían que era hijo de un Ennead… un semi dios.”

That is impossible, Khonshu said immediately, and he also sounded insulted at the idea. We Ennead don't mix with humans. No offense but you, as a whole species, are too weak.

“Eso no me ofende,” Jake immediately answered. It was true, and, if his suspicions were correct -and now he didn't know if he wanted to share them with Khonshu, since he didn't know how his Padrino would react- he and his soulmates weren't actually included in that statement. “La cosa es que dijo que había una profecía sobre la tumba de Ammit. Que sólo alguien con sangre de Ennead podría encontrar a Ammit.”

And Harrow found her. Khonshu stated, making Jake realize that no one had told his Padrino exactly what had happened  while he was in the ushtabi. He didn't know.

And now it fell to Jake to tell him. Chingada madre.

“No, Padrino. Harrow no encontró a la Lagartija odiosa,” Jake steeled himself. He knew Steven, Marc and Layla had other things in their minds that wouldn´t let them reach the conclusion he had reached. But his Padrino was a god. He was incredibly smart and wise, even if sometimes he let his temper rule his heart. He would know immediately what Jake was saying. “El que la encontró… fue Estabancito.”

*          *          *

“Someone is vandalizing the tablets?!” Professor Alraune was furious, which made Steven swallow, scared. He was just starting this new job, that he loved. He had a chance to improve his education. He really didn’t want to anger the man who had helped to make that happen.

“I… I think so, sir, yes,” Steven replied, nudged both by Reese in the real world, and by Marc in his mind. Jake was silent, so Steven figured that he might have gone to his room to sleep. “The tablet doesn’t show any damage in the picture taken in Cairo, but it’s severely scratched here. And… it was not the only one. Reese and I checked, and there are about ten tablets with similar damage.”

“And super-translator here says that he is almost positive they all have damage in the exact same words,” Reese piped in, slurping her red slushie as always. She didn’t seem to be too worried, but then, she had been at this job for far longer. She probably was sure nothing would happen to her. “Says he got it from context… and from the fact that the last one wasn’t as damaged. As if the vandal had been interrupted.”

“I can’t believe this!” Alraune started walking around his office, making Steven even more nervous. Only the phantom feeling of Marc’s hand on his back kept him from bolting away. “I choose every single person in this department personally! To think that one of my students would be as disrespectful as to damage priceless, ancient relics is…”

“To be fair, most of those are letters from merchants and soldiers… not exactly the Crown jewels,” Reese shrugged. She was, for some reason that Steven didn’t understand, enjoying the situation.

“It may have to do with the conspiracy theory she said she has,” Marc not so helpfully pointed out from inside his head. He sounded as if he was whispering in Steven’s ear, trying to comfort him. “But it could’ve been Roonie, no? Makes sense that those idiot Harrow’s followers would want to erase Khonshu’s name.”

“Maybe it wasn’t one of the interns… of us?” Steven said out loud, correcting himself only in the last minute when Marc reminded him that, of that morning, he was one of the interns. “Could’ve been one of the security guards? Or… someone in Cairo, after they took the pictures?”

“Photos are taken just as the objects are packed for shipping,” Reese shook her head. As much as she was enjoying the whole thing, she didn’t seem to like the idea that one of her friends could be involved.  “But yeah, one of the museum guards could have access to them at night.”

“Well, that is changing today!” Alraune yelled, startling them both. “I’m going to Moench and demand that only me and my team have access to the lab. And that someone who is not that idiot in the front door keeps a close watch on the surveillance cameras, just to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Or ever! This is an outrage!”

The Professor took a moment to breathe, and calm himself down. When he spoke again, Steven was half convinced he’d be firing him, but instead, he was pleasantly surprised.

“You said you think that you know what is being erased?” The Professor asked him directly.

“Ah… yes. In the last tablet… the first one I found, really, but the last one of the bunch, we think the vandal was interrupted? Because he only did superficial damage and not erased the word completely, and it was Khonshu’s… I mean, the God of the Moon’s name. So I went back and checked the others for context, and they all were some sort of prayer, asking for protection and guidance which are also…” Steven knew he was blabbing, but he couldn’t stop himself. He was that nervous still about his position, and about being around people who liked when he explained himself.

“Khonshu’s domains,” Alraune nodded, pulling out some notes. “The Moon, the Paths and Healing… yes… That makes sense. I’m impressed Mr. Grant. You have done a lot of work on your first day.”

“I only took a few photos?” Steven replied, confused, as Marc elbowed him in the Inner space.

“You kidding? You discovered that someone is vandalizing a god’s name in ancient Egyptian relics in modern time!” Reese replied, before Alraune could say anything. “This proves that…”

“This proves nothing, Reese,” Alraune interrupted her immediately, focusing his anger on her. “And if you insist on this, I might start suspecting you of this vandalism, since you are so keen on proving there’s a conspiracy going on.”

“Professor! You know I would never…” Reese began, quite offended, but Professor Alraune stopped her, raising his hand.

"I know you wouldn’t, You are my most trusted T.A for a reason, Reese,” The professor said, placating her. “But you must see how it would look to cops investigating this.”

Reese opened her mouth, then shut it again, skulking. She nodded and sighed. “Point is, most of the other interns wouldn’t have checked the differences in the tablet and the photo. So you did a lot.”

“I agree,” Alraune said. “I believe that this will mean that for now on, and until we can figure out who the vandal is… and if they’re still around, only we three will have access to the recently uncovered relics. Just to be on the safe side.”

Steven nodded, as Marc whispered in his ear. “Good. And the Professor has a point. We need to find out more about this conspiracy Reese believes in.”

Which was marvelous, really, Steven thought to himself. As if they didn’t have enough in their plate with the upcoming trial already, and whatever that was going on with Harrow and if he had really been a demigod, now they also had a possible conspiracy against Khonshu to unroot. Lovely, indeed.

*          *          *

For the first time ever, Marc felt a bit frustrated that someone they knew didn’t know about them as a System. Because there was nothing he wanted to do more than just get to the front, and start asking Reese about that conspiracy theory of hers. If it had to do with Khonshu, with someone defacing… trying to Erase Khonshu from history? Then it was their duty as Khonshu’s fist to figure out what was going on and stop them.

But he couldn’t mimic Steven’s accent for long, and Steven had to work with her so Marc really couldn’t make Steven look insane. So he had to fume in their inner world, keeping himself quiet.

“You are never quiet, luv,” Steven whispered back to him as he accepted a card key from Professor Alraune. Ironically, as the newest intern, he was the only one above all suspicion as he hadn’t been there when the tablets had arrived. “The Old Bird will be happy to know that now you want to defend his honor.”

“We’re his avatar,” Marc mumbled to himself. Then he remembered that, no matter what, Steven also remembered everything about their past, so he had nothing to be ashamed of. “And he has always been there for us… or tried to. You said the tablets were letters from people who prayed to him, right?”

“Yeah,” Steven answered, a bit distracted. Outside, in the real world, Reese was already saying they should keep checking all the relics, just to make sure the ten they had found were the only ones vandalized and Steven was agreeing with her. Marc hoped having two conversations at a time, one with a person who didn’t know about them, wasn’t straining Steven. “I couldn’t read them all, but the few lines I read were praises to the Old bird. About how he protected and saved them from illness. You know? He is also a healer!”

“Well, that makes sense with the suit healing us and all,” Marc replied, wondering where Jake was. Usually, when it came to defend Khonshu, Jake was always ready. “Hey, now that you have the key, we could come in late at night and you could read all those tablets without anyone spying on you. Check what they actually say.”

“It would take me more than a night, luv. Hyeroglyphs are not easy…”

“You kidding? You read them as if they were English!” Marc argued, and was surprised when that made Steven pause. As if his soulmate was finally realizing how fast he had gotten back into the habit of translating, even faster than the last lessons with Khonshu before the hospital, as far as Marc remembered.

“I… sometimes… they feel as if they were in English,” Steven murmured. “I dunno, it’s like when Jake speaks Spanish to us. I just understand, and… to be quite frank with you, luv… it scares me a little.”

*          *          *

Are you absolutely sure of what you told me, Little Explorer?

Khonshu estaba sentado en el asiento trasero del Riviera blanco, más que nada porque Jake estaba seguro de alguna manera de que ese era el único lugar en su mundo interno donde Marquitos y Estebancito no escucharían su conversación. No quería guardar secretos con sus amores, pero antes de decirles lo que estaba pasando, necesitaba con urgencia saber la verdad.

Know if his suspicions were right.

“Perfectamente seguro, Padrino,” Jake was sitting on the front, because he felt a bit better seeing Khonshu in the rearview mirror. “Lo vi todo, hasta el momento en el que el pinche pendejo de Harrow nos disparó. Estebancito encontró el código de como la tumba estaba construida, donde podían encontrar el sarcófago, y dónde estaba el ushatbi de Ammit. El imbécil y su culto habían estado dando vueltas como gallinas descabezadas pero mi Corazón no dudo un segundo…”

There's something you are not telling me. Khonshu, of course, sensed his hesitation. Jake had no idea why he had doubted the god would. After all, their Piolin knew them better than anyone else in the world.

“Yo sabía cómo llegar al sarcófago… en el momento en el que entramos a la Tumba. No podía decirle a Estebancito o a Marquitos nada, porque además en ese momento estaban todavía peleados, pero…” Jake took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. He had never once expressed this out loud, not even to himself. Not even after his dear Corazón had told him to look for the way to Khonshu in the Other Void. But now, he needed to say it. Because they needed to know. “…en el momento en el que pusimos un pie en la Tumba, fue como si un mapa se dibujara en mi mente. Y yo… sabía que era el camino correcto. No me preguntes como, pero… estoy seguro de que, si Estebancito o Marquitos hubieran quedado fuera de combate, yo hubiera podido encontrar a la lagartija.”

The Pathfinder… Khonshu murmured under his beak.   The Embracer… and of course The Defender…  Why hadn’t I noticed that before?

“¿Notar qué, Padrino?” Jake asked, afraid of the answer. Afraid that he was going to lose the right to call Khonshu Padrino. That he was going to cost Marc and Jake their friend. That he was going to ruin everything for their family. But he needed to know. They needed to know.

An old friend, long ago, told me that she thought that you weren’t… completely human.  Khonshu said, slowly. He wasn’t yelling at Jake that they were abominations, so at least that was a positive in Jake’s book. At the time, I didn’t question her further because I was far more worried about trying to take you away from the Spectors, to protect you from their abuse somehow… Now I wonder if that was a mistake.

“Entonces… ¿Sabías que no somos humanos?”

Half human is still human… Khonshu said, carefully.  We can't continue this conversation without Marc and Steven. They have a right to know, and I am tired of the secrets and misunderstandings. And… if we're going to face the Ennead again? We all need to have all the information.

“Estebancito todavía esta trabajando…” Jake said. He knew Khonshu was right, even if he still was afraid of what Marc would say. At least, he was almost sure that the god's feelings hadn't changed. His dear Padrino was still talking to him, talking with the same tone he always used with them. “Faltan unas dos horas para que podamos tener privacidad…”

Then I will meet you at the apartment then. With what you have told me… now I have a full picture I didn't have before.

“El Ennead seguro va a decir que somos abominaciones, ¿Verdad?” Jake looked down, and was surprised when he felt Khonshu land on his shoulder. It had been a while since Khonshu reduced his size so much, and he was about to ask why he had done so, when he felt Khonshu hug his neck.

You're not abominations, my fledgling. Whatever rules Ma’at gave us, whatever reason she had to forbid us from mixing with humans… you three are a wonder. And absolutely nothing that the Ennead, Ma’at or the Cosmos does, I will never stop loving you, nor trying to protect you or your nestmates, my son.

*          *          *

Steven opened the door to their apartment, feeling a bit confused but also nervous. After being silent most of the day, Jake had come out from his room to tell Marc that they had to be home as soon as they finished in the museums, no stops, no talking to new coworkers, no offering extra hours. And as much as Marc wanted to interrogate Reese about that conspiracy theory of hers, he had seen something in Jake’s eyes that made him rely the message to Steven immediately, adding an extra “And let’s not make him wait.”

When he realized that Khonshu was standing in the middle of what could be called the Living Room, watching Gus, Gus 2.0 and Not Gus swim in their tank, he felt even more dread. Not because Khonshu was there, as he now welcomed the sight of the Old Bird, but because Khonshu seemed… nervous.

Steven couldn’t remember a time when Khonshu was nervous around them.

“Back from your trip, Old Bird? Did you find something interesting?” Steven started saying, quite aware that Marc and Jake were also paying attention. And, to add to the mystery of everything that was going on, he could feel Jake’s nerves. He started closing and opening the body’s hands, and Steven wasn’t sure if that was him or Jake doing it.

Jake told me what the cult of Ammit believed about Arthur Harrow. Khonshu said, looking straight at them. He was right now still about three heads taller than the body, his bird skull almost touching the ceiling beams. He also told me that it was you the one who found Ammit.

“I… I had a lot of help…” Steven stammered. “You… Layla… Marc…”

“Only someone of Ennead blood could find Ammit…” Marc repeated in their mind, and Steven  could almost see the cogs starting to click in his head. The same cogs that were now spinning in his own. “… But… we’re… not.”

The way Jake tells it… you were guiding Layla, not her guiding you. Khonshu sat down on the same chair he had sat before, looking at them with his big empty eye sockets. It was just then when it dawned on Steven that the god was not just watching the body, he was actually seeing them, their souls, probably intertwined or over each other in the body itself. It was weird, and at the same time, very reassuring. Unlike everyone else in the world, Khonshu saw THEM.

“We’re not half Ennead!” Marc yelled, taking control of the mouth. “We can’t be. We were born to Wendy and Elias Spector, in Chicago…”

“No, we weren’t,” Steven said, automatically, at the same time that Khonshu replied. No, you weren’t, and Jake murmured “No, no es verdad.”

“What?” Marc was now in full control of the body and turned around to see the nearest double mirror, so he could face Steven and Jake’s eyes -and probably being able to avoid Khonshu’s gaze, Steven assumed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Wendy…always told me we weren’t her son,” Steven said, taking control of the mouth just because that way Khonshu would also hear, even when he was also sure that the old Bird could hear them without them speaking. But it was also comforting, how Marc let him, how he felt Jake hugging holding his hand in the Inner Space. How they used to be and were learning to be again.  “At first I thought she meant I wasn’t you… but one day I overheard her telling Rabbi Spector that taking us in had been a mistake. I… think there was a bit more but that’s still foggy. In the memories I gave Khonshu, it may be clearer.”

Do you want them back now, Little Scholar? Khonshu asked, his voice incredibly tender. The most tender he had ever heard the god.

“Not yet. To be completely honest with you… I’m a bit afraid of what I will remember. But also, I want them with you, untouched and unchanged, at least until the trial. I got the feeling we’re going to need them.” Steven answered, and he felt Jake tighten his hold on his hand. Jake was very nervous.

“La bruja también me grito que no éramos su hijo,” Jake added, taking over the body, as Marc fell on Steven´s arms. Marc was trembling, and Steven knew that he was reaching the same conclusions Steven had… the ones that Jake apparently already knew. “Pero a mí me llamo monstruo, no asesino.”

You are not a monster, you are just… different, Khonshu got up from the chair and walked towards them, carefully, as if he was giving them all a chance to get away. To Steven’s surprise, Jake let go of the Body and pushed Marc forward. To give Marc a chance to… what? Run? Yell? Steven didn’t know. But Marc remained in place, as Khonshu did something that Steven didn’t think was possible, not in the real world, not as he was in a completely different plane of existence, invisible to all but his avatars. Khonshu, great god of the Moon, embracer, pathfinder and defender of innocents… Hugged them. And I don’t know how it happened, but now I know it's true. You ARE my fledglings, my children. I always called you that, because without knowing the truth, I already considered you mine. The fact that it is true, only fills my bones with joy.

And just like that, Steven knew that it was true. Khonshu was their father, and knowing that made his heart sing with joy.

*          *          *

Marc was shocked to feel Khonshu’s arms around him. From the moment he had become his Avatar, he had understood that Khonshu was unable to interact with the world around him, and now he had his memories back, he was almost sure that he had never touched him. Just, hovered around them because the god knew he was not allowed in their plane of existence. But now he was touching him, he was hugging him and calling them their children, and Marc knew, deep down, that it was true.

That fleeting wish that he had had as a child had become true. He, they, had a father who actually cared for them. Who loved them and accepted them, and had done all he could to keep them safe, even if the Spectors hadn’t.

After the initial shock, Marc hugged the god back, surprised that yes, he could actually feel the tunic that Khonshu always wore, right there, with them, not in their inner world of the mind. He could feel the bones of Khonshu’s fingers on his back, and the warmth that came from the god’s energy.  And, for the first time in his life, he felt that connection between the four of them. His soulmates and their god.

No.

Their Father.

As they were hugged by Khonshu, Marc’s mind was reeling.  Would things have changed if they had known before? He wasn’t sure. The god wouldn’t have been able to take them away from the Spectors, not without an avatar back then, or some mortal help. He wouldn’t have been able to save them from Dr. Emmet and her torture. But knowing that they had him? Knowing that their father loved them? Maybe that would have made all the difference in the world.

“But we have him now, luv,” Steven whispered on his ear. “He’s not leaving us.”

“Él nos encontró cuando éramos niños… y nosotros lo encontramos de adultos,” Jake added, from the other side. “Pero ahora que sabemos la verdad… nada nos va a separar.”

That was true, Marc knew. He could feel it in his soul. The connection between them was stronger now, different from when he had accepted to be Khonshu’s Avatar without remembering their past. As he realized that, he suddenly remembered how Harrow had spoken about his time as Khonshu’s Avatar. How angry he sounded, both at having been the Moon Knight, and having lost the privilege. And, despite the high emotions he was feeling, of perhaps because of them, he started to laugh.

If he had still been alive? Harrow would have hated them even more because of their deep connection to their god.

Marc? What is so funny? Khonshu asked, sounding concerned, and confused. But not angry. Never angry. Why Marc hadn’t noticed before that Khonshu was never angry with them? Why had he been so blind?

Regretfully, Marc moved away from the embrace, missing the warmth of phantom feathers the second he did. But he knew that they needed to talk, and it would be easier if they weren’t also hugging.

“I was just thinking… now no one can say we aren’t worthy of being your Avatar. We’re definitely not makeshift.”

Khonshu blinked, tilting his head to the side. When he did that, it was when Khonshu looked more like a pigeon than ever. It made Marc almost start laughing again, but he felt Steven elbow him, so he managed to keep the laugh controlled.

True… Although… I am sure Horus at least will try to turn the situation against us. Given…

“The Rules,” Steven took control, but Marc didn’t mind, He just fell into Jake’s arms, and smiled. If he had to say something, he knew Steven would let him. Their co-fronting was becoming easier and easier as the hours went by. “Tawaret told Layla about those. We… We’re not supposed to exist, right? I mean, not Us, us, as we are, but… any children of Ennead and humans. You broke a rule? Or… how did we come to be?”

I… don’t know, Little Scholar. I have my suspicions but the truth is… I can’t tell.

“¿Tuviste una noche de copas, una noche loca?” Jake asked, sounding calm but Marc could feel the nervousness of his soulmate. “¿Y se te olvido todo lo que paso en ella?”

Not quite. See, 39 years ago, I was kidnapped by my own High Priest… In Chicago, Khonshu began explaining. I always assumed I was encased in an ushtabi until I was rescued by the Ancient One, who at the time was also the Sorcerer Supreme, a full moon cycle later.  But now… I wonder.

“You couldn’t have… had us… inside an ushtabi,” Marc came up again, his mind connecting dots and not liking exactly where they were taking him. “And that only brings us to another question… Since you are our father… Who is our mother? And how did we end up with the Spectors?