A wingless Angel strolls in darkness lost in a labyrinth of tunnels. Whispers calling out to him as if familiar. Impossible he knew. In his short life as a Dark Angel with a zest for life he wanted to find a home. Having pushed away the one woman he loved by trying to change her he nearly destroyed her existence. His own persona in question. A man without a true identity. Yes his mind and body belonged to Cameron Scott. Yet, he felt as if he was his own man. It was hard to accept he was twice the man he used to be. Literally.
While his true body was off with friends, he being reborn under a dark cloud of Vampirism and Fallen Angel sheared his humanity. He was far from normal. Although he believed differently. His heart was in the right place if not his outlook on life and love. The Darkness within him wanted to dabble in areas that the real Cameron Scott didn't. That was what distinguished them.
As difficult as the loneliness was he felt that his life was about to take a turn. He could sense it. Home was right around the corner.
"Nope. Dead end. What the hell? Whoever wants me to Come Home needs to send me a road map. He must think I'm Indiana Jones. I'll say one thing. This Pyramid is definitely ancient. I can smell the souls lost in this place. That door up top opened up mechanically. Magic surrounding it. I certainly know the taste of sorcery. Trouble is once I stepped inside it feels like it's hiding from me. Go figure."
Eyes easily adjusting to total darkness a bit of Mother given sonar made his walk a whole lot less complicated. The place was massive. The sand dunes concealing most of its mass and volume. On the interior it seemed to go on forever. Cameron Scott didn't have much else to do. Exploring was all he had left .
Continuing on he comes across a wall consisting of thousands of hieroglyphs. Star charts by the looks of it were woven in between various animals and humanoids. Pyramid shaped spaceships by the looks of it. In awe he examines and memorizes them all for future reference. Fingers tracing along certain characters that intrigued him. It was as if the glyphs were speaking to him. Puckering he locates another winged figure. A hawk in flight. For some reason he was drawn to it. Touching it created a loud humming noise.
"Yeah, that did it. Where's the rolling boulder Dr. Jones?"
Cam listens closer and once more hears "Come Home." He grunts and throws his hands to his sides, "I wiped my feet on the Welcome Mat already. How much closer to home does a guy need to get? Should I have bought a bottle of Scotch for the occasion?"
His voice echoes through the halls. Suddenly the humming ended. A pin could be heard to drop. Suddenly, the wall before him opened sideways. Turned on some ancient pulley. At least there was a squeaking noise to accompany the rumble.
"That's more like it. I guess I used the car key instead of the house key." He turns at an angle to move beyond the wall. Once within the wall closes. A shimmering set of lights begin to honor his way. Like a Christmas runway. Following it leads deeper down in to the bowels toward larger corridors. Reaching another wall of glyphs he records these as well in his mind. Spotting a Bird chasing the sun he chuckles, "Birds of a feather right?"
He caresses the bird and it again retracts the wall. He was on a roll.
Breathing shallow Cam moves forward. Half expecting spears popping out and impaling him. It would serve him right for risking this Pyramid. Of course he had the feeling his strength and invulnerability might rescue him in the end. He hoped. Stairwells deeper yet. Passing over a dozen doors he notes images upon each. A cobra. A cat. A moon. A jackal. A blood red sun. A tree. Then it came...a Hawk.
"This hotel must have a reservation for me. Did I call ahead and forget?" He grins and touches the symbol. Upon contact the image bleeds blood. Puzzled Cam lifts and peers at his hand. It was his own blood. He thought his flesh impervious. How could he be so wrong? Blood drying swiftly he nudges the door and it gives way. Once open he examines the interior before entering. Torches burst into flame upon crossing the threshold. Within were treasures beyond his wildest dreams. Gold everything. Trinkets. Weapons. All gold or encrusted with gems.
"Payday." He grins darkly. Entering the door seals behind him, "Oh here we go. Trapped forever. Stupid move Scott." He tries the door and it reopens easily, "Huh! Guess not." He then turns again to look over the beauty of it all. A large golden sarcophagus was the biggest item in the room, "Well hello, Tut."
Moving in further he spots a gold carving of a hawk on its surface. Bloody palm tempting fate he touches the hawk as he had each other one that led him through the passages. This one was no different. With a resounding hiss and a released lid it mechanically gravitates up over the Mummy within. As it rises he hears a loud shrieking noise. Like a true Falcon might make. His eyes grew large. As the noise fades Cam looks closer leaning in over the corpse. On its head was a leather cap shaped like the head of a Hawk. Its brow forming into a hardened leather beak lined in gold. Its eyes leaving shadows upon its wearer.
"Now that there stocking cap is a thing of beauty." He decides after careful thought to remove it. Nothing happened to prevent it. With a shrug he pulls it over his hair and steps to a large mirror. Somehow still fully intact. Posing with it he had to grin, "Damn that looks good."
While still checking himself out the image alters. The original owners visage claiming Cameron's reflection. He stood back a step peering with curiosity. The new image smiles back. Cam had to turn to see if the Mummy had risen. Although a newborn Man his memory drifts back to all of the old...new movies of his youth. Including the black and white Mummy with Boris Karloff. Half expecting it to have risen up to challenge him.
"Nope. Still not breathing. Okay Fella, mind telling me what's up?" His gaze returning to the mirror. He could only see himself now. The spirit had evidently moved on. Huffing his cheeks Cam decides to check out more of the Pyramid. Keeping the leather cap. Once outside the door it slams shut. Any entry denied.
"Here goes the curse. Wait? I'm already a curse. Vampire blood. Angel blood. Now Falcon blood? I'm a mixed breed for certain."
"WELCOME HOME MY SON." The echo no longer inside his head. It echoed through the entire Pyramid. If he could know the truth he would realize the shockwaves sent more of the sand disguising the Pyramid crashing downward.
"Ummm? What's up Daddio?" He swallows dryly.
"SOON WE SHALL ALL BE REUNITED."
"All? Umm! I'm an only child Pop."
"NO MY SON. YOU ARE ONE OF MANY. YOU ARE BUT THE FIRST. AWAKEN ME HORUS."
"Whoa. Horus?" He ponders a moment realizing he had heard the name before. Ancient Egyptian Gods. Horus the Falcon God, "Well pluck my feather and write home to Momma."
"YES. ISIS SHALL RISE. MY WIFE SHALL LIVE ONCE MORE."
"Isis? Isn't that a terrorist group?" He knew differently. It was in his steely nerves to make jokes. Calming his humor he thinks back. What little he knew of the Egyptian Gods consisted of Horus, Isis, Anubis, and Seth. To him known as Set. He had seen way too many movies. His template did that is. Even he had trouble deciding what to believe as canon.
"Dad? That makes you Osiris, right?"
"YES."
"Okay. Where exactly are you? Let's sit down and bond over some Wine."
"IN TIME MY SON. YOUR BROTHER COMES."
"My brother? Say wha--? Oh shit. My other self. Great."
Outside the Pyramid flew the other Cameron Scott aka Lightmare. He was still laughing over letting James Ian call him that. Sadly, it was growing on him. Reaching the caverns the X'Orr had vacated he finds the Pyramid. The dunes had lifted away exposing it more clearly.
"I'm boggled. I thought Eden was in Iraq. That's only 80 miles away. This can't be Egypt. Can it? This Pangaea gets confusing. For all I know Yankee Stadium might be 100 miles away. So, what's a funky building like you doing out here? Resting on top of the Grand Canyon of caverns."
Light armor glistening in the sun Cam soars around checking out the architecture. Old definitely but in perfect shape. The dunes had obviously preserved it. That or for all he knew it might have arrived here a month ago. Lost in Time itself. Stranger things could happen. Choosing to rise higher he faces the peak. It was gold. Bright like a beacon.
"COME HOME." He hears inside his head.
"I think I just did. Let me park the car I'll be right in." He chuckles thinking of Hendrix his Dodge Charger. Eying the gold top he notices a door open. Just as it had for his other self. Intrigued he flies toward it halting before entry. Rubbing his chin he worried what might be inside. Would he ever get out? Phasing through a starships hull was one thing. Through the walls of this puppy another. Not wanting to be trapped. After careful thought he calls out mentally, "You out there James? I mean Scholar?"
"I'm here. Wow. I hear you loud and clear. You wouldn't believe this but I'm talking to Moe. His name is really Mantegra. We just pranked Sophia."
"Sounds great. Tell my Monkey Buddy I said hey. Listen. I'm back at the cavern entrance. There's a massive Pyramid hidden under the dunes. A door at the top just opened. Before I head in I want you to tell Ruby to give me 24 hours. If I don't come home have Malcolm go all King Kong on this Pyramid and break me out. Hear me?"
"Yeah. I'll tell them. Cam? I just heard my Mom and Harpea talking. I gotta go. If you can hear me inside I'll be here listening. Be careful."
"Will do Super Buddy. Lightmare signing out."
Nothing. No reply. Cameron shrugs and draws closer to the opening. Shadows within he takes his first step inside. The door closing behind him made him test his theory. Expecting to be a prisoner he phases his hand out the doorway. It passes through with ease.
"That's a relief. Okay...if you're out there Voice I'm home. I think."
"YES RA. YOU ARE HOME. COME JOIN YOUR BROTHER HORUS IN THE GREAT HALL."
"Ra? Egyptian Sun God. Umm! I'm not Egyptian. I can't even walk like one. Trust me the Bangles rolled their eyes at me for trying."
"COME."
Lighting his own stroll through the same corridors he reaches the first wall of glyphs. Stopping as his other half had he memorizes them. With a strange expression he mutters, "Deja Vu." Dawning on him that in a sense he had already seen these. Utilizing his light he locates a heat signature over the Hawk he realizes that was where he had touched it. Being called Horus he had to recall James nicknaming his other self that. Coincidence? Had to be. If a Hawk gave him entrance then obviously a Sun would be his first choice.
"Bright boy Me." The wall opens once more allowing him to slip through before sealing. Testing his phasing ability he groaned at his inability to slip through, "So much for walking through these blockades. Must be a mystical barrier or something." With a scowl he moves on.
As his other self had he comes upon the secondary wall. Seeing the heat signature again he touches the sun glyph above the Falcon. Another entry gained easily. After a lengthy walk he finally reaches the hall of doors. Examining each he discovers one ajar.
"The cat must have got out. Chasing mice? No litter? Had to run to Wally Mart?"
"YOUR SISTER HAS ABANDONED US."
"Sister? Say what?"
"BASTIA. SHE HAS AWOKEN EARLY. LEAVING HER HOME WITHOUT EVEN A FAREWELL. SHE WILL BE PUNISHED."
"Punished? Lil' harsh there.
"MY WILL BE DONE. WELCOME HOME RA."
"Yeah. About that. I prefer Lightmare these days."
Hearing nothing further he shrugs and locates the door with the blood red sun upon it, "Guess this is the Ra Ra Room. Any hope I might find belly dancers inside?" Opening the door his own light leads the way. Like his other self he finds amazing treasures offered to this Ra. A sarcophagus vibrating with energy. He was almost afraid to open it. Then as he reaches out his hand phases through, "Oh now you wanna ease on down the road. What's up with that?"
Fingers becoming tangible he wonders why the solidity of the lid didn't cut his fingers off . He was phasing through it yet touching the physical within. Blown away he feels an intense heat. Probing about toward the head he finds an amulet and phases his hands back out with it. The small amulet was pure gold with a mirrored center. A sun he presumed by its roundness. Looking it over he admires the craftsmanship.