Series/Universe: The Mummy
Disclaimers: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al. Mummy characters (particularly Ardeth Bey, Lock-Nah, the Carnahan-O'Connell family and Imotep) all belong to Stephen Sommers. Original characters are all mine ... don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first, give them back intact and give credit where credit is due.
Warnings: The usual ... violence, language, and references to ugliness. Oh yeah, and the original characters. Can't forget them.
Spoilers: All twenty-one episodes, both Mummy movies, though more of an emphasis on the second (and my favorite, since it has more Ardeth)
Authors Notes: Get comfy, this is gonna take a few minutes. First and foremost, please be patient ... the prologue is Ardeth-heavy, as I'm laying the groundwork for the rest of the story. Chris and the boys make their appearance in the fourth section, which I'm now writing. There are mentions of them, but Josiah is the only one to actually appear.
This is a one shot deal ... I'm not planning on writing any more stories in this AU (at least, not at the moment). However, if you wanna play in this sandbox, go right ahead. I have no problem with that.
I've changed a few things. First, this is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Mary is Orrin's daughter in this story, not his daughter-in-law, and Stephen's sister.
You'll note, too, that I make reference in later chapters (set in 1933) to the events of the first film being seven years in the past. That's actually canonically correct. While Ardeth and the Med-jai first knew of Rick in 1923, when he was part of the Legion, the two didn't actually meet until 1926. I've also worked around the problem of Alex, since he's eight years old in the second film. Bear with me, I do know what I'm doing.
There's probably a lot more I'm forgetting, but I'll post those author's notes as I post the stories. If you've got the TMR soundtrack, I listened to this often while writing (okay, all the time); especially the pieces 'Evy Kidnapped,' and 'My First Bus Ride.' (the source of one of the best lines in the movie).
With that in mind, enjoy the fic!
On the other side of the country, Orrin Travis was gathering what information he could about Anton van Gesen. His young grandson sat beside him on the floor as the judge read the letter from his Dutch friend in Roswell. Billy was quietly working on a picture for his aunts Mary and Adriana, and Orrin looked down at his grandson's bowed head with a smile. Then he turned his attention back to the letter, his smile dying from his face at the news contained inside. Like Adriana, Anneke van Jolische was an archaeologist, and if anyone would know about the backer for this expedition, it would be Anneke. There was a symmetry to that, since it was Anneke's lectures which inspired Adriana to become an archaeologist.
Thus far, he learned that Anton van Gesen was virulently anti-Nazi and virulently anti-Hitler. That was reassuring in a way, because certain contacts Orrin had within the German government told him that the Chancellor from Austria was seeking supernatural artifacts. Orrin, up until he heard that, was prepared to dismiss Hitler as a nonentity who would eventually overreach, and when he did that, he would seal his own fate.
But this news ... that frightened Orrin. The very idea that someone would attempt to find the Holy Grail, or other such icons ... that they would quest after such power. That did alarm Orrin, for he saw on a local basis what happened when people desired great power. People like Stuart James and Rupert Browner, or Avery Wilmington and Guy Royal, were the result. Orrin had only to imagine those four on a global level, and that frightened him terribly.
His long-time friend did, indeed, have news ... but none of it was good. She knew of Anton van Gesen. Her elder brother went to school with him. He was not an archaeologist at all, but a barrister. A lawyer. Which begged the question. What, exactly, was a lawyer doing, footing the bill for an archaeological expedition? Fortunately (or unfortunately, as the case may be), Anneke had the answer to that as well.
Anton and Katrien's father was a very wealthy man in his native Holland, but he was getting old. He never met his granddaughter, the sole child from his favorite child, Katrien, and he feared he would not live much longer. He heard that in the sands of Egypt, there was a great artifact which could restore a man's youth to him. Anneke didn't know what this artifact might be, but she was suspicious by nature. Especially of people like Jan van Gesen.
Orrin, in turn, was wary of any claim an artifact had to immortality or eternal youth. For one thing, he was too old to believe in such things. And for another, Egypt held only blood and sand, to his thinking. There was a third factor. While he considered magic to be the stuff of fairy tales, he respected the wisdom of local tribal leaders, which as Ko-je, who did believe in magic. There was always a price to be paid, for such a gift as immortality. A gift, or a curse.
Right now, Orrin was inclined to consider it a curse. The lives of his wife and two daughters were on the line, as well as his seven men. He could not blame Adriana for not wanting to fail her uncle. One of the things which always impressed him about the girl was her loyalty to her family, a family that included Orrin's own. He knew that she would have sacrificed her own life for Stephen's, since he had a small son who still needed him.
No, he could not blame Adriana ... but the rest of the van Gesen family was another matter entirely. While he told Chris Larabee on more than one occasion, hunches didn't stand up in a court of law, he also respected instinct. And his own instincts told him right now that Anton van Gesen was up to no good. Mary and Evie accompanied Adriana, Mary because she wanted to watch her best friend's back and Evie, because the girls needed a chaperone.
If anything happened to any of his women, Orrin would find a way to make Anton van Gesen pay dearly. That was, of course, assuming there was anything left of the lawyer after Chris Larabee and his six men were finished with him. Orrin allowed himself a small smile, picturing such a confrontation. It would probably be on par with the confrontation which took place following Avery Wilmington's death, between Chris and Buck, and Mary and Adriana.
Would Chris ever learn that those two would do exactly what they thought was the right thing, regardless of the consequences to themselves? Not particularly likely. Chris liked to tell people that he didn't believe in as much as he did once, before Sarah and Adam's murders, but Orrin knew the truth. So did his daughter, both of his daughters. Chris was still a protector, and he often tried to protect his little sister and Orrin's daughter from themselves.
During this journey, that task fell to Adriana, who was less sheltered than Mary. She would be watching out for herself, for Mary, for Evie, and for Will Richmond's wife. Orrin shook his head, thinking of that poor young girl. She would destroy the small expedition, for she spent too much time with her husband. No doubt, she came to believe that she was incapable of doing anything right ... she had not the confidence to back his daughters, when the time came.
That wasn't written in stone, of course. Nothing was, especially not where human beings were concerned. They could be the most unpredictable beings on the face of the earth, especially female human beings.
But Orrin wasn't prepared to pin his hope on an emotionally fragile woman being able to stand against her husband, especially not where the lives of his women were concerned. So, it was a good thing he dispatched his Seven. By Orrin's calculations, the boys would probably be in New York by now, if not headed for England, then eventually Egypt. Orrin checked the timeline given to him by his dark-haired daughter, sparing a glance for Billy.
He estimated that they would be on their way across the Sahara by now. Heading for ... someplace. Parts unknown. Billy asked, "Grandpa ... are you worried about Aunt Mary and Aunt Drina?" Orrin looked back at his grandson, who was looking up at him with a worried expression. Orrin didn't know if the child was afraid for his aunts because his father died in Egypt, or if he merely sensed Orrin's own apprehension.
"A little bit ... I'm worried about your aunts, and about your grandmother. What about you? Are you worried about your aunts?" Orrin asked. Billy never knew his own mother. His two aunts were his mothers. The child's shoulders rose, then fell. Orrin looked at the little boy, then put his papers away and picked up the child. Billy went willingly. The judge said softly, "You know, you don't have anything to worry about. Chris will look after them."
He was rewarded with a blinding smile from his grandson, who worshipped Chris Larabee. But Billy said nothing, and Orrin continued, "Billy, why are you worried about them? Is it because your papa died in Egypt?" Billy looked away, and Orrin had his answer. He took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to say. It wasn't so unreasonable. The boy's father died in the country where his aunts and grandmother were now.
"I just don't understand, Grandpa. Gramma doesn't even like Aunt Drina, so why did she go? I know Aunt Mary went, 'cause Aunt Drina is her best friend and she loves her a lot. She told me that. And I heard her tell Chris that my dad died in Egypt, and she wanted to make sure Aunt Drina would be okay. And I know Aunt Drina went, 'cause her uncle needs her. But why did Gramma go?" Billy asked. Orrin sighed and tried to find a way to explain a few things that he barely understood himself.
He should have known this would come up again. It was a common theme in his family during the last year, ever since Adriana's return. Orrin sighed, "Billy, it isn't that your grandmother doesn't like Adriana. She just doesn't understand why there are certain things Adriana never talks about, when Egypt comes up in conversation. And your grandmother went, because no matter how old your aunt Mary is, she'll always be your grandmother's daughter. She went to make sure that your aunt Mary took care of herself, as well as your aunt Drina."
Billy shook his head, saying insistently, "Uh-uh! I heard Gramma! She said that she'd never forgive Aunt Drina, that it was all her fault, Daddy died in Egypt." Orrin smoothed his grandson's dark blond hair, trying to explain this to the small boy. He barely remembered his father, and didn't know just how stubborn Stephen was. Or ... Billy continued, "Aunt Mary got mad when she said that. She said it wasn't Aunt Drina's fault that Daddy died. And she said that if Gramma kept her here, and something happened to Aunt Drina, Aunt Mary would never forgive her ... I mean, Gramma."
That sounded like Mary. The two friends made their peace not long after Adriana returned from Egypt. Stephen's death made his daughter twice as protective of Adriana, and Mary didn't take kindly to her mother's insinuations that Adriana was responsible for Stephen's death. It caused a major rift between his wife and daughter ... or rather, widened the rift which was already there. Nor did it help that Evie, who was very fond of Adriana up until that time, called the young archaeologist 'nothing more than the product of poor white trash.' It was unclear if she meant that Adriana's father was the trash or her mother, and Orrin didn't want to know.
Orrin was still reeling from his son's death, and didn't even realize in the beginning that his wife blamed Stephen's companion for the tragedy. Given what they did know, Orrin really didn't see what Adriana could have done to save his son, but that was beside the point. Evie's son was dead, and Adriana was alive, and that was something his wife couldn't seem to accept. Orrin really didn't know what to tell his grandson. He just held the boy on his lap, and hoped his family would come through this, without any further damage.
He stood at the back of his tent, looking through old family pictures when the sound of a throat being cleared drew his attention. "We have received word from our contacts in Cairo. The expedition carrying Dr. Richmond and Adriana Wilmington has left for Hamunaptra."
Those words had Anton van Gesen turning to face the bearer of the news. The young Arab continued, "There may be another problem, however. Rumor has it that your niece warned the Med-jai about the expedition. If this is the case, the patrols around Hamunaptra will be doubled." Now Anton swore in Dutch. Damn that stupid fool! The young man added, almost apologetically, "Perhaps we should remind Dr. Richmond that the agreement was to keep the destination a secret until AFTER they left Cairo?"
"You assume there will be anything left of him, after the Med-jai are finished with him, Khalil. No. No, counting on such a thing would be foolish. And unlike Will Richmond, I'm not of a mind to underestimate Ardeth Bey. I should have never agreed to his proposal," Anton muttered, raking his hand through his graying dark hair. He shook his head, sighing, "I promised Father that I would find the relic he needed, and keep Adriana from being harmed."
"I highly doubt if the Med-jai would allow any harm to come to her. Ardeth Bey protected her once before ... there is no reason to think that his protection would be withheld from her this time. Your father wishes to see his granddaughter before he dies, and ensure that the sacred objects at Hamunaptra never fall into the hands of Hitler's men. There is still hope, sir," Khalil reasoned.
Anton allowed himself a faint smile, saying softly, "I do not fear the Med-jai, Khalil, not where my niece is concerned. I do, however, fear trouble from Will Richmond. He will have no concern with murdering my niece, or anyone else who gets in his way. And in doing so, he would bring the wrath of the Med-jai upon his own head, as well as the head of anyone foolish enough to be associated with him."
The young man in front of him warned him about that personality defect. Anton didn't listen to him, thinking that he could sway Richmond with promises of money. The Dutchman looked at his young companion, adding, "I made a terrible error in judgment, for he has no judgment. I thought our aims were the same, but he will destroy the world to bring his daughter back to life. No. We must proceed with caution, Khalil. Since it's likely that Richmond has told my niece of their destination, a new plan must be drawn up."
Khalil nodded and started to leave the tent, but Anton added, "And Khalil ... it may not be possible for my father to meet my niece. None of us know what my sister told her daughter about her European family. If my niece is unwilling to meet with my father ... then he should meet at least one of his grandchildren. How would you feel about that, my son?" Khalil stopped and looked at him, startled.
"Are you sure you are ready to do that, my father?" the young man asked in Arabic. Anton abandoned his maps and pictures, walking over to his tall, black-haired son. His final gift from the one woman who ever mattered to Anton, aside from his own mother. He stood as tall as Anton himself, with his mother's raven hair and his father's hazel eyes. Like Anton's own mother, Khalil's mother was a prostitute.
Unlike his own mother, she died before her son reached adulthood, her beauty destroyed by her illness. Anton met her more than twenty years earlier, when he visited Egypt for the first time. He fell in love with her, and when Alia learned she was dying, she sent word to Anton in Holland. Even so, he was fortunate to find Khalil when he arrived in Egypt ... even more fortunate to be accepted by the grieving child who had all the reason in the world to hate him.
And perhaps he did hate him ... but in the ten years since Khalil came into Anton's life, the hatred and resentment melted. His son was nineteen years old, a mixture of East and West, and Anton couldn't imagine loving anyone more than he loved his son. Maybe that was why he agreed when Jan van Gesen asked him to find Katrien's daughter. For all the flaws of the old man, he worshipped his daughter, and it almost killed him when Katrien fled to the United States. Adriana was all Jan had left of her mother.
And to buy the old man time, his bastard son agreed to find the legendary city of Hamunaptra. There, he would find an artefact that would prolong his father's life, just long enough for the old man to get to know his granddaughter ... or, at least, one of his grandchildren. It amused Anton when he thought about it, what he learned while he was in the United States the previous year. It seemed that Adriana followed in the footsteps of her heritage, for both her grandfather and great-grandfather were renowned archaeologists. Just because she was a mere woman didn't deter her at all. At least she was a young woman, unlike Agatha Christie.
Anton returned his attention to the young man in front of him and said, cupping his son's face in his hands, "I have been ready, my son. I simply did not want to push you into anything. You need not make a decision now ... take your time. Wait until this situation is resolved." Khalil was already shaking his head, his eyes bright with excitement. He and Anton lived in Holland for many years, but because Anton himself was a bastard child, he never met Jan.
"I am ready, my father. And, I wish to meet my cousin. Perhaps it will come to pass. We do not know what Aunt Katrien told her about Holland, and perhaps her heart will not be hard," Khalil suggested. Anton smiled almost sadly and Khalil asked, sounding worried, "What is it, my father, why do you look so sad? Do you think Aunt Katrien told her ill things about Holland and your ... our ... family?"
"It isn't that, my son. But Adriana has little reason to trust family ties. It was necessary for her to kill her father last year. Kill, or watch her brothers die at his hand. For all that she is only a woman, I can actually hear my father saying now that she should have been a boy, a son for him to be proud of," Anton replied. Khalil looked shocked and horrified at this news, and Anton shook his head, murmuring, "Foolish, to be jealous of a twenty-six year old girl."
"I see now why the Med-jai protected her, Father. They respect courage, and she must be brave, to have protected her brothers against their own father," Khalil said softly. Anton looked back at his son. Strange, he never thought of it that way. Adriana was a woman, after all, and she had his father's love without the old man ever setting eyes on her. Anton would never be accepted by the old man. Perhaps he began to hate his niece, without really realizing it.
But his son was right. Killing his father to save his family would have been difficult for Anton, who hated his father, even as he loved him. He was a man in his middle forties. And his niece was twenty-five when she killed her father, Avery Wilmington, to prevent the deaths of her two brothers. And, she was a woman. Anton wanted to hate her. For the second time in his life, he was being overlooked in favor of a woman.
But this woman was his niece. She did nothing to him. And by her actions and her alliance with the Med-jai, she had his son's respect. It wasn't that Anton wanted Will Richmond to hurt his niece. That wasn't it at all. But why couldn't his father ever get past his legitimate daughter and granddaughter, to see the son he still had? Katrien abandoned him years ago, and yet he still worshipped her.
Protect her, Anton, his father said. No, that was not a request. It was a plea. He begged Anton to protect his niece. The man who never asked Anton for anything, who never wanted anything from him, was begging him for this. Over and above the artefact which would prolong his life, Jan wanted his granddaughter safe. He wanted to see her. Protect the niece whom Anton never seen, the daughter of a sister whom Anton hated for throwing away everything Anton ever wanted. And because Anton wanted the love of his father, he agreed. But was it truly the fault of the daughter that the mother was a faithless bitch? Was it the fault of the daughter, when she killed her father to protect her brothers? Surely that demonstrated that the weakness of the mother wasn't repeated in the daughter?
And who was Anton to hate this girl he didn't know? What did that make him, a man who hated a girl twenty years his junior for crimes committed by her mother? Anton didn't like the answer to that question. Didn't like it at all. He liked even less the fact that even at forty-five, he was still trying to win his father's love. Perhaps sensing this, Khalil said softly, "Father. Adriana is not my cousin and your niece because Grandfather said so. She is our family, and we are hers. You taught me that family is everything."
"Aywa," Anton answered heavily. He looked at his son with undisguised affection. The boy was right. He reached over, cupping his son's cheek, and asked softly, "How is it that my nineteen year old son is so much wiser than I? Yes, Khalil. We will retrieve this artefact of your grandfather's. But we will continue with the other part of our plan, because it is necessary to protect your family. Always."
There was still a rational part to Will Richmond. A part which kept trying to take control. A part which cried out in horror when he struck Adriana Wilmington. That part of him even knew why she did it ... he left her little choice, if she wanted to live. If she wanted the other women to live. But the stronger part, the dominant part, hated her nonetheless for her interference. He heard a sacrifice might be necessary to bring Allison back. With her betrayal, Adriana made herself the prime candidate.
Originally, Will planned to use his wife as the sacrifice. It was only right. Charlotte was Allison's mother, it was fitting that her death restore their little girl to life. If he was a spiritual man, he would have considered it full circle. The mother giving her life for the child. However, he wasn't a spiritual man and he never forgave Charlotte for letting Allison die. She was her mother, for god's sake! He ignored the rational part of him, which told him there was nothing Charlotte could have done, nothing anyone could have done. For two years, his grief blinded him to all facts save one: his little girl was gone.
He cast several malevolent glares toward the Med-jai who overran their expedition. They would all pay. Once more, he ignored the rational voice telling him that he was warned. Not just once, but repeatedly. From what he learned during the last few minutes, he was also very lucky to be alive. Adriana was called 'Ameerah,' by the Med-jai, which meant princess. It seemed that she was considered something of a Med-jai princess, adopted sister to their king.
Huh. If the look their king gave the little bitch was of a brotherly variety, Will would eat his boots! He should know. He used to look at Charlotte like that. Before Allison died. Before his wife betrayed him by failing their daughter. Will became aware of several glares from various Med-jai, all of whom thumped him after he backhanded the little traitor. He promised himself there would be payback for that.
Not that any of them looked particularly worried about it. He could tell from their expressions that they thought he was less than a man. Like he really cared what a bunch of backward, superstitious Egyptians thought? He didn't. And as he told the traitor before he left Cairo, he had no problem whatsoever slaughtering the entire Med-jai tribe if it brought his daughter back. What were their lives compared to hers?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And so he sulked and made his plans. He would kill them. He would kill them all. They stood in his way, they prevented him from doing what had to be done, to save his daughter. But as Will made his plans, a pair of dark eyes caught and held his. The eyes belonged to Ardeth Bey, and they told Will, 'I know what you are. I know what you plan to do ... and I will not allow you to carry out your plans.'
Will tried to tell himself that the barbaric Egyptian didn't frighten him. He tried to tell himself that he was no more afraid of Ardeth Bey than he was of Chris Larabee or the rest of his thugs. But Ardeth Bey merely smiled at him coolly, as if he knew exactly what Will was thinking. And that did frighten him, more than any of Larabee's glares or any of Vin Tanner's softly-voiced threats of what would happened to him if any harm came to Eve and Lilith.
He looked away from the Med-jai king, right into the cool green eyes of Eve Travis. The woman whose son died, while that little bitch lived. Here was a possibility, then. She had to want revenge. She had to want payback for her son's death. Will couldn't read the expression in her eyes when she looked at the traitor, but that wasn't important. She had to hate that girl, for being alive when her son was dead.
Yes. That was a very good possibility for his escape. Will leaned over, ignoring his Med-jai guards, and said softly, "Help me get loose, and I can help you get revenge. That little traitor's alive, when your son's dead. That ain't right! I want justice for my daughter, Mrs. Travis. Just as you want justice for your son. Help me get free, and I can help you get that justice. I can help you avenge your boy."
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Richmond," came a chilly voice. Will glared at Mary Travis, but if her mother's eyes were cool, her eyes were downright icy. Lilith ... or was she Eve in this particular set? Will could never tell which was which, although since Lilith was considered a night demon in this country, the little traitor was probably the best choice for her. The blonde woman whom Will now considered the Eve of this expedition continued with a nod toward Ardeth Bey, "That man has already avenged my brother. He killed Stephen's murder, the same man who would have raped and murdered my best friend."
Her mother's head jerked toward her, and Mary continued, "That's one of the reasons she won't talk about what happened, Mother. Because Stephen pushed her to safety at the last minute, buying Ardeth enough time to reach them, before the man ran him through with a sword. He made a choice, Mother. He knew he couldn't save himself ... he knew that he brought disaster upon their heads. And he chose to save Adriana, or at the very least, buy her time, even if he, himself, couldn't save her. Will you really spit on your own child like that, by denigrating the choice he made, the dying choice he made?"
Will saw the color drain from the older woman's face. And with it, he saw his hopes of using Evie Travis to get what he wanted. She whispered, "That man avenged my son? He killed Stephen's murderer?" Mary Travis nodded, and the older woman continued hoarsely, "Why did she never tell me? Why has she allowed me to blame her, for all this time? Why would she never tell us the truth?"
"Ameerah was protecting us, Lady Travis," responded one of Will's guards, "we are better able to carry out our sacred duty in secrecy, and Ameerah knew that. She was trying to protect us. She was trying to protect Ardeth, first in her leaving, and second in keeping silent about the Med-jai. And did it never seem possible to you, my Lady, that Ameerah blamed herself for your son's death? That she could not forgive herself, for not preventing it?"
"Could she have?" the woman asked hoarsely, and the man shook his head slowly, sadly. Evie Travis demanded, "How do I know that? How do I know that you aren't protecting her? I hear what you call her! I know that to you, she is a princess, an adopted sister to your king. And of course you would protect your king's sister. How do I know that you are telling me the truth?" Perhaps there was hope for Will, after all.
"Because the man who killed your son was a follower of He Who Shall Not Be Named. A renegade who has caused terrible harm to my people. Who has tried, on more than one occasion, to kill our leader. The man who killed your son, Lock-nah by name, was twice Ameerah's size, and a skilled swordsman. How do you expect her to prevent the death of your son? She is an excellent shot with the pistol, and learned to fight among the Med-jai. But she had not the skill to prevent your son's death," the man replied.
And with those words, Will saw his chances fade to nothing. He saw that hope fade with the tears in the old woman's eyes. He heard it fade when Mary Travis quietly told her mother, "For a year, you've blamed the wrong person for Stephen's death. Will you really allow Stephen's memory to be blackened by this pile of manure, who wants to resurrect his dead daughter? Who would destroy the world to do it? I know what he seeks, Mother, and what he seeks would end everything. Is that what Stephen would want?"
"No. No ... he'd never forgive me, if I allowed that. He'd never forgive me for allowing myself to be used in such a heinous fashion. Excellent attempt, Mr. Richmond ... but you lose," Mrs. Travis snarled at him. Worse than that. With this attempt, Will made another enemy. He was running out of time, and running out of advantages. Well, it was just a matter of time before the Seven arrived. Maybe he could use one of them to his advantage?
To be continued...
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