Mysterious encounters and team ups (Moonknight, rift)

[jade]

The light foot steps of Jade’s boots slinked on the wooden floor of the shop. As she turned a key and opened the door for business. Jade opened the singular shade that was over the glass window of the door that read “Obscura Oddities” and had her store hours highlighted in gold writing. The door separated two large display windows that Jade had already brought the metal security gates up from. It was turning out to be a beautiful day, the sun was shining through the windows onto the different varying items from Coney Island, in the time of its glory. Jade for some reason had felt compelled to put in her windows a scene of the old vintage Coney Island from the 50’s. She had collected so many items in her travels and work at the Freak Show. Jade thought it was a way to get people to at least look in the window and maybe have a few come into the shop.

The shop it self didn’t just sell vintage antiques, it was a shop of many unique items ranging from simple vintage New York to Vaudeville items that had been brought to Jade over time. She recently started to have sellers come in with a very different sort of items. They were more oddities then anything else ranging form a variety of taxidermied animals to jewelry made in a strange way from a person who used teeth and animal bones with carve little images in them. Jade enjoyed her pieces just as much as she enjoyed creating art.

In the front of the shop in a corner there was a tiny table with a white tablecloth on it. On top of the table was artwork Jade had created ranging from portraits to landscapes of Coney Island. Jade had a true talent for realistic art. Jade though enjoyed her space in the back of the shop. This was a space where her magic and meditation was performed. A thing veil like curtain seperaed the space from the rest of the shop. Jade would bring patrons back there who wanted her services. She would use her dream walking ability to help them find peace and would communicate with the dead.

Jade now stood behind a class counter top in the back of the store as she looked through her bag for her notebook. She sighed as she realized the notebook was missing. Jade shrugged slightly knowing the spirit world always returned the book to her in one way or another. Having now no way to draw her art until the book found her again Jade decided to pull out an old album full of photos and postcards. She had been wanting to do something with them for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to figure out where in the shop she could display them.

[Rift]

That Morning...

Earlier in the day cab driver Jake Lockley had been working his shift, dropping off his fare at a popular cafe spot. Ever since the invasion attempt by the shapeshifting Skrulls had been thwarted, business had been getting back to normal. There was nothing special Lockley had been looking into, but he was keeping his ear to the ground and eyes peeled for anything of interest. He knew all too well that even if the city and the rest of the world was still reeling from the attempted takeover, criminals didn't change and evil never slept. Sadly, the woman he'd dropped off was an octogenarian meeting her daughter for an early morning breakfast. He had serious doubts that she'd lead him to any mobsters, super villains, or even overzealous vampires.

Truth was he'd been getting antsy just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Times if relative peace were rare, but Jake knew that it only meant things were happening he couldn't see and didn't know about. It was why he hated the quiet times and it was made all the worse for Khonshu's silence. The moon deity hadn't spoken to Jake since the war against the Skrulls had ended. In fact, Marc and Steven hadn't heard from him either.

Maybe he got his fill of blood. Even the green kind. After all he had his Fist out there putting the beat down on alien mooks and savin' folks in streets for days on end. Or maybe he screwed back off to some Pyramid on the moon wherever he goes when he ain't squawkin' in one of our ears, he thought.

Stomach rumbling he got out breakfast sandwich he'd picked up from some fast-food joint he'd stopped at earlier and got out the cab, not wanting to eat in it considering it took so much to just clean out the weird green stains he'd found in it a few days prior.

Bet that pretentious $^#! Grant would complain about it being junk food, but screw him. he could just buy a new cab or have servants scrub it down if something spilled. I ain't got that luxury, he thought.

Sitting on a park bench he started to bite into the greasy sandwich when something caught his eye. On the bench beside him was a notebook. Out of curiosity he picked it up and began to thumb through it, eyeing the sketches within. Whoever it belonged to was pretty good.

He was admiring a highly detailed sketch of a Ferris wheel when a business card fell out. Reading the name of a business on it, "Obscura Oddities" he figured he could drop by and see if anyone working there recognized the book or knew who owned it.

Then Jake saw the next picture. Equally as detailed but this was not scenery. In the pencil lines and shading he could see a form he recognized instantly. It was a man in a white suit and tie sitting in a chair. He had no human head and instead sported a skeletal bird skull.

Suddenly his vision began to darken at the edges...

A Short Time Later


Mr. Knight walked down the sidewalk, slowly yet deliberately. He'd parked the all-white limousine in an alley several blocks down so as to not draw too much attention...well, no more attention than he would walking in the open wearing his tailor-made white suit. He clutched a sketchbook in his gloved right hand. Within were various drawings, but the one that interested him most was that of Khonshu. The Moon god had yet to make contact with him, but Mr. Knight knew full well that considering how obscure the bird skulled deity was it was highly unlikely to find a random sketchbook with his visage within.

Could be anything. Maybe an enemy laying a trap for me. Perhaps a rival of Khonshu's is playing some game. A psychic may have picked up on our activities during the invasion, remote viewing possibly and somehow seen him when most others can't. Or maybe the old bird is giving me the silent treatment because he's reaching out to find a new follower. Whatever the case this requires investigation, he thought.

Walking up to the store from the business card he paused, straightened his tie, and opened the door.

[jade]

*Ding* *Ding*

Jade was pouring through an old photo album when a mysterious figure showed up in all white suit. She in any other circumstance may have been a little surprised to see someone from her drawings appear in her shop, let alone carrying her drawings book. She tilted her head for a moment at the sight of the man as she stood up and straightened out her black shirt with sugar skulls on it that complimented a black iridescent flowy skirt.Jade and her rainbow colored hair moved out from behind the counter and greeted the slightly familiar gentlemen in the doorway.

“Hello and welcome to Obscura how can I help you today?”

As if on cue the photo book slouched slight and opened up to some vintage photos. Jade hadn’t noticed what took place as it was behind her and she was use to strange things happening around her. Her emerald Green eyes swirled with hues of violet as they reached the man’s she smiled and spoke with a friendly tone.

Jade felt a spirit tug at her, whispering to her softly as she smiled at the man in the shop. She was very accustom to seeing and hearing all kinds of things after all the man she last saved was blue and fury and as it turned out an X-Men. This moment though Jade couldn’t help but feel like it had been orchestrated by the gods themselves as this man looked at too familiar from her drawings and something about the whispers of the spirts made her know this was the fates.

[Rift]

Mr. Knight met her gaze, taking in every detail. While there was nothing about her that stood out as an immediate sign of danger he couldn't shake the feeling that somehow there was more to her.

"Perhaps," he replied.

Mr. Knight turned away and glanced around the shop for a moment, eyeing the eclectic assortment of items. While he appeared to browse he was actually looking for something, anything that would give him a hint as to who or what was actually behind the drawing of Khonshu. Acting almost as if he were a legitimate customer he glanced as a small figurine of a top hat wearing clown that would likely have given a small child nightmares, an ornate sequined and feathered dancer's headdress that had to have come from the mid-to-late 1800's, and an old flyer for a show depicting bears riding a unicycle.

"Interesting collection. Authentic pieces one and all," he said.

Listen to yourself. Reminds me of long hours watching Marlene catalog new finds or taking steps to preserve old texts from the latest archeological dig. This whole suit and tie thing managed to get you in good with the boys and blue and may have bought you a second chance with the capes and tights crowd, but you notice she ain't around. What good does getting all dolled up prim and proper do if it isn't bringing her back into our orbit huh? For that matter the whole limo schtick ain't exactly helpin' ya reconnect with Frenchie. And Gena and her boys, well they haven't rolled out the welcome mat for 'Mister Knight' back at the diner have they? he heard in Lockley's voice.

Shoving down the alter he turned towards Jade and held up the notebook.

"I found this a few blocks from here. Business card inside had this address. This belong to you? Or maybe an employee?" he asked.

[jade]

“He always thought the devil was a metaphor, but he found out the devil was a child. So he locked that child up”

———————————————————————

Jade watched the man interact with the items in the shop. She couldn’t help but be a little intrigued by his outfit and mask. The truth was she had definitely seen her fair share of super heroes, vigilantes, villains, and unexplained entities now. However she felt incredibly drawn to him as the spirits whispers grew ever so loud. She closed her eyes for a moment to gain focus her mind feeling like a crowd cafeteria full of people. She practically screamed out loud ‘one at a time’ but she maintained her composure.

Almost immediately she felt herself being pulled in by a spirit. She steadied herself on the counter near by, as very compelling spirit who was not going to let Jade ignore them kept hammering away inside her mind practically screaming to be let free, but she remained in control as the man jolted her out of the moment as he questioned the sketch pad that he held. She smiled softly as if a fond friend had been returned to her.

“Ahh yes thy book certainly has a way of finding itself back here.”

She casually reached out for the book while accidentally grazing her hand on the mans hand. Jade stammered her a moment as she spoke.

“Thank you for returning it to the shop. I’d like to repay your kindness if that’s ok. I do spirit readings and spirit drawings. I can do one feee of charge if you would like. I hope I’m not being to forward I would like to just repay you.”

Jade remained calm trying to act casual as if the single soft touch hadn’t made her have a connection to him. She was usually more careful to not make contact with people. Again the fates had another plan as if the gods were playing some kind of game with her.




___________________________________________________________________
"To put an end to all the horrors we have seen that’s what God told me.”

[Rift]

Mr. Knight listened to her, his curiosity piqued. Whether she was offering some new age nonsense or had genuine talent for connecting to the spirit world he didn't know, but if she was legit then it may go a ways towards explaining why she'd drawn the moon god.

Still could be a plant. I must be cautious, he thought.

"Spirit drawings huh? Why not? I thumbed through your book and you have quite the talent. Caught Coney Island in all it's glory, even if it has seen better days. I was especially intrigued by one sketch in particular. Man with the head of a bird, a bird's skull to be more exact. Wherever did you come up with something like that?" he asked.

Craning his neck to look around the store a bit more, as if expecting someone or something to leap out at him, he thought he caught the faintest flicker of movement from a darker corner.

Maybe Khonshu is watching after all, he thought. Perhaps this another one of his little tests.

"So, how exactly does this work?"

[jade]

“So you tell them to live, not for the Gods’s for themselves”
——————————//——-.
"Spirit drawings huh? Why not? I thumbed through your book and you have quite the talent. Caught Coney Island in all it's glory, even if it has seen better days. I was especially intrigued by one sketch in particular. Man with the head of a bird, a bird's skull to be more exact. Wherever did you come up with something like that? So, how exactly does this work?"

Jade didn’t know what to say at first because why would this man have such an interest in an Egyptian god unless the god was some how connected to him. Jade tilted her head to the side and reached out for sketch book as she spoke and the pages opened up to Khonshu.
Jade pushed a tendril of wavy rainbow colored hair behind her ear. A fleeting shadow caught her eye and a voice like
no other bellowed back. “Marc is who I seek not whoever he pretends to be.” Jade blinked for a moment feeling the power of the one who had her draw the original
Sketch. A small golden statue appeared on the shelf directly in eye sight of the man, something he would notice and understand the meaning of. Jade exhaled as she spoke.

“It’s not really like a working thing. It’s more I let the spirits do the work. As for the drawing, I was guided to draw it the spirit who it belongs to is a powerful one. A god of sorts from what I understand. I have encountered all kinds of sprits, rulers, and gods. This one though seems to have a purpose they want someone particular.”

Jade shook her head for a moment as she felt the spirit pulling her in deeper. She wanted to tell the man the message but something unexpected happened as she spoke the words were muffled and her mouth almost looked to be distorted.

“Marc”

Was all Jade could get out her eyes swirled from violet back to emerald as she heard the voice from before yelled again “what is that blocks me from being heard from you.”

What that the golden statue from before landed on the table. A perfect figure of the one from the drawings. Jade turned quickly this time catching her breathe as she moved away from the man and the table.

“I’m sorry that doesn’t usually happen like
That, I-I am thankful your brought the sketchbook back, but umm I umm I”

She couldn’t think her head was screaming, something was keeping the God from being known to this man and she felt the energy of Konshu breaking through. She grasped the golden statue her eyes going a deep violet as the shadow entity in the shop grew larger. Jade focused as her eyes turned an Emerald Green. A white light filled her hands like that of cosmos as it appeared to enchant the object, embue it with a soul. She let go quickly and took a sharp
Breathe inward. As her eye returned to Emerald Green the shadow lurking seemed to stop at her feet and vanish into her. Steadying herself on the table again.

“This object it belongs to you. “

Shadow was holding strong not wanting a God like Konshu to Emerge knowing their appearance would only put Jade fully back in control. Jade struggles to stay strong as she looked at the man. She grabbed a singular pen from her hair, it had been holding it up. Her hair now hung at her shoulders in its honey brown and row now colors, giving Jade a wild look. She scribbled a name down on the corner of her notebook paper and tore it off as she handed it to the man, struggling against shadow.

“Marc”

That wasn’t the name she intended to say the one on the paper would be different, but at it was the only name she could say as she struggled to regain control of herself and shadow. The one on the paper though would give the man all the answers he needed.

“I’m sorry that doesn’t happen normally like that. I’m usually in more control.”

Jade regained her senses and picked up her book only for it to fall onto the table
opening again the drawing of Konshu. This time just above barely a whisper Jade
Attempted to say the name but again her mouth distorted and voice did not come out.

“Marc”

She whispered again as the statue on the table shook and teetered towards the man.

Jade self corrected and now stoodTall.

“Who’s Marc?”

[Rift]

Mr. Knight watched intently as their brief moment of contact seemed to trigger something within the woman. He'd heard of such things before, mediums of a sort with a touch of psychometry who served as a voice for ghosts, spirits, and ultra-terrestrial entities. Some of course were Con artists simply cold reading a room or a client to milk them out of whatever cash they could. Others were at least a touch psychic sometimes assisting with missing persons cases and the like. Rarely were they the genuine article, a person who not only perceived but conversed with those on a spectral plane. This woman was definitely legit.

Real or not, still makes me wonder. Why would Khonshu actually reach out and speak to or through her instead of just tormenting me as he so often does? Perhaps it is not really him, but another? Maybe Ra or...

Any doubts he had were quickly washed away when Jade drew his attention to the small golden statue. It looked very similar to the drawing she'd made of the moon god, but it lacked the bird skull and instead bore a shroud not unlike the one he himself wore as Moon Knight. In fact it looked like an exact replica of the statue he'd first died at the base of, save for the fact it was made of gold instead of marble.

For a brief moment he flashed back to that fateful night, as he lay in the sand, wounds from the gunshots Bushman had given him staining it red. His mind had raced, wondering just why he had bothered to grow a conscience then and there after so many years of simply killing for money. He'd managed to save the woman, to protect Marlene, but he'd been unable to do the same for her father and in the end it was him paying the price, bleeding out in some long forgotten tomb of an obscure deity nobody paid attention to in the modern age. He stared up at the statue, into the blank face beneath the shroud, wondering if somewhere the moon god was laughing. That was when he first heard him, the voice of Khonshu, making him a bargain.

And ever since then it has been one misadventure after another. First he tries to hollow me out, then he lets me be crippled only to rebuild me and begin demanding blood. And deep down I wonder if the Avengers, if Castle and the others are right. Maybe he isn't real. Maybe it's another alter. But then how did I survive Jack Russell's bite? How did I heal enough to keep fighting after being torn up so many times? Just what game are you playing!

He was startled back to reality by the name Jade uttered. Only then did he realize he was clutching the statue so tightly his hands ached. Setting it back down he looked at her.

"Marc? He's...he's me," he uttered.

Reaching up he peeled back the mask to reveal his face.

"I'm Marc. Marc Spector," he said as if in a trance.

[jade]

"Marc? He's...he's me," he uttered.

Reaching up he peeled back the mask to reveal his face.

"I'm Marc. Marc Spector,"

Jade watched the masked man reveal himself anyone else who hadn’t experienced the things she had would have been shocked and acted in accordance. Jade however was different and as such her expression became neutral. She was holding so much back at this point, if she was to lose control she didn’t dare think of the consequences of her letting go right now. The God like entity echoed in her head reverberating slightly like an echo in a canyon.

“No that’s him, but you are to say my name, what’s wrong with you?”

Jade felt a light glow within her and felt the God move into the statue as Jade once again tried to say the gods name but this time the statue was embued with the gods presence.

“ Marc Spector, yes I know you, well not know but the God like entity that I drew they are connected to you. They had some kind of message for you, one I can’t seem to say. It’s like something keeps stopping me.”

Her voice almost appeared to drop in volume like someone had a switch and wouldn’t allow her to say the last part or at least wouldn’t allow Marc to hear it. Jades eyes now glowed a violet hue as she spoke again with a smile. She looked at Marc with a calm face as she moved across her shop and searched for a book on the shelves. She inwardly sighed looking over the shelves.

“Well looks like the entity found you, guess your good now right?”

Jade gripped the corner of the bookshelf as her true self attempted to take power again and push Shadow who was the one present back to the subconscious of her mind.

“What did they want with you anyway?”

The shop lights seem to dim slightly as the moon grew higher in the sky. This was when Shadow took power night was her place of domain. Shadow was also the reason Jade couldn’t say the name Konshu because with Konshu present it meant Jade might actually gain back control and the last thing Shadow wanted was Jade to know once again she could control herself and Shadow.

[Rift]

It took Marc a moment to realize that he had just admitted to the woman who he was.

Not that it is exactly a secret. The Avengers, the CIA, and up until recently S.H.I.E.L.D were all very much aware of who I am. Marc Spector, former operative and mercenary turned vigilante. Untrustworthy. Dangerous. Psychotic. So what's one more person knowing the truth? he thought, still surprised that he had been so open about even the most insignificant information.

She seems confused. More confused than I am.

In the back of his mind Jake began speaking again. No, she's not confused idiot. She's having trouble talkin'. Borderline pain. It isn't that she doesn't know what to say, it is that she's not being allowed to say it. You've been in combat mode for so long, so removed from other people, that you are not recognizing the signs. If this is what happens when we agree to let you be behind the wheel for extended amounts of time, that you forget how to even human properly, we are gonna have a big problem. You feel me Marc? I know that you are all up in yer head worrying about how Khonshu is linked to whatever is going on, but if you were down in the gutters with folks like me you'd realize that whether he is talking to ya directly or not you still have a role to play and being the Fist is only applicable in some situations. Aside from being the Fist, acting as a hammer, you are also...

"A priest," Mr. Knight said aloud as if answering Jade. "I think they, my patron that is, wants to remind me of the other side of my duties to him. I've been neglecting that aspect of my duties to him and he is not exactly the most direct when he decides to...discipline."

Glancing at the window, the light of the moon washing over him and making him feel somehow stronger, he turned to look at the woman clutching the bookcase.

"Tell me, do you have something to say? A message perhaps or a request?" he asked, his voice calmer and more serene. "Is someone attempting to silence you?"

Stepping forward, the light of the moon seemingly bathing over him to create an ethereal aura, Mr. Knight reached out, his hands palm up.

"Is there something you need to say? A confession of sorts? I admit I am not adorned in the vestments I would normally have for this kind of thing, but if my patron is telling me to have faith then perhaps the clothes do not make the man in this instance."

From the corner of his vision he could have sworn he saw a small, bird headed figure nod in approval as it leaned upon a staff, only top vanish as soon as it was noticed. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.

[jade]

Jade fought hard up against Shadow trying ever so hard to regain control, she knew nightfall was Shadows time. From the back of her subconscious Jade yelled into what felt like an abyss.

“Why can I say GI’s name, what does he have on you Shadow?”

Shadow laughed with a sinister sound. The violet eyes glowing in the darkness of her mind. ‘Do you think another Gods presence is what you need? After everything that you have experienced the vampires, the girls you tried to save, the betrayal is the X men. You really believe still you can control me?’
Jade grew stronger within her mind, but in the Dark Shadow reigned supreme. She couldn’t speak out and Shadow revealed exactly what had happened.’Oh and I took measures of extra security you see there’s a Spell on you. You won’t ever be able to say his name and I conveniently made you forget the book that contains the spell and it’s reversible. It’s for your own good Jade, you’ll see that soon.’

Her eyes blankly stared off as the conversation. Shadow had slipped up in her torment of Jade. She under estimated Konshu who heard everything that was said. Instead of yelling at Jade, realizing now there was no way of her speaking his name. A singular moon beam seemed to highlight the binding of book, in an attempt to gain his attention.

The only thing Marc would have known was while this was happening the very book Shadow had spoken of Jade was near by. Then something unexpected happened Jade for a moment gained control over Shadow.

“I… can’t explain it but I I’ll be ok...I think. I think you need …

The emerald green eyes of Jade fluttered through the violet hues as she spoke. The swirls of colors illustrating the struggle within. She couldn’t say his name but there was a work around that. Her voice strained against the darkness her hand held the shelf just a little too tight. Though unintentional her hand found the only sharp part of the shelf and a cut began to form. In her state though Jade didn’t feel the pain as a single droplet of blood fell going the wooden floor and glistened in the moonlight.

“Statue the statue on the table it’s connected you. He whose name I can’t say…”

Her voice trailed off as if someone had a volume control and she was a tv. Just a murmur could be heard by Marc. Then as the moon light became stronger in the room Jade lost her fight against Shadow, who took full control.

“You have what you need now, correct? I’ll be fine. Clothing and healing are not connected it’s more the person who does that and who they are. So tell me Marc what is the darkness that plagues you.”

Shadow was baiting and switching Marc. Wanting to draw out his crazy in hopes to prove to Jade just how weak she was and why she needed Shadows protection. Her violet hued eyes coldly looked up at Marc.

“I think you got what you came for here. You saw me use my abilities. You saw the drawings. There isn’t more I can do for you.”

Jade was able to move her hand off the book shelf and with the blood stain on the shelf she could at least illuminate where Marc needed to draw his attention.

Konshu became more frustrated with the situation he made that abundantly clearly as the statue seemed to take life of its own and propel itself to Marc’s feet, as if begging to be picked up.

Shadow was too busy attempting to keep Marc’s attention on her to have noticed what happened.

Jade from within grew tired and weaker feeling herself about to slip into the abyss.