Ch. 1~ Bad Guys and Madji

Jeweliandra Lillian was so used to hearing Jonathan's wild parties every time Rick and Evie left, that she didn't think anything of the loud noises coming from downstairs. It wasn't until she heard men shouting and something crashing that she abandoned the tub she was scrubbing and made her way to the stairs.

"Jonathan? Do you have friends over again?"

Upon hearing her, a group of men in red robes came up the stairs at her. Of course, being who she was, she managed to fight her way down to the woman she worked for. Evie and Alex O'Connell were in the living room. So, Jeweli ran over and stood back-to-back with Evie.

"So, you wanna tell me what's going on?" she asked as she took a sword from one of the men and began fighting.

"We found the Bracelet of Anubis. These lovely gents want it."

"Probably for some nefarious plot."

"Yes, probably. Jeweli, get Alex and keep him back."

"You got it." Jeweli grabbed the sandy-haired boy and pushed him into a corner behind her. "Stay."

"I'm not a dog!" he yelled indignantly.

"I don't care if you're a fish, just stay!"

Diving into the fray, Jeweli clashed swords with a huge dark-skinned man. She had just managed to incapacitate him when she heard Alex yelling. The sight of an unconscious Evie slung over a man's shoulder, and another man wrestling the chest from Alex, caused Jeweli to fly into a frenzy. Unfortunately, when she tried to help Evie, yet another man grabbed her, threw her against a wall, and then fought her with a knife in one hand, and a clenched fist on the other. In short, she got the snot beaten out of her, and a few nasty cuts to show for it. It ended with on e swift right hook to the temple, and she went down. The last thing she saw, was Alex running towards her.

Jeweli came to a few moments later, only to realize that she was alone in the room, but there were gun shots outside. Getting up, she tried to steady herself as she made for the door. By the time she was out, the guns, cars, and men in red robes were gone. However, when she looked around to the statue in the middle of the driveway, she saw three men and a child standing there.

"RICK!" she yelled, running to them.

"Jeweli?!" he grabbed her up in a jug when she got to them. "Oh, God." Rick started checking her. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Rick, then took Evie! I tried to stop them, but..."

"I know. It's ok, Jewels. We'll get her back."

"Now, they have the Bracelet of Anubis. Most likely, they will try to resurrect the Scorpion King so that the creature and kill him." The third man said. he was dressed all in black, with long black hair and strange tattoos on his cheeks.

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet, chaps." Alex pulled his sleeve up, revealing a gold bracelet with a jackal-headed scorpion.

"Is that gold?" Jonathan asked, earning a glare from Rick and a slap on the head from Jeweli.

The man in black took hold of the Bracelet and told Alex, "by putting on the Bracelet you have unknowingly begun a chain reaction that could possibly lead to the end of the world!" Alex's eyes widened in alarm.

Rick pointed at the man, "You, lighten up." At Alex, "You, big trouble." At Jon, "You, get in the car."

"Rick, what about me?" Jeweli ran to catch up.

"Look, Jewels, I know you wanna help, but we're kinda dealing with stuff way over your head."

Offended, she stepped in front of him, poking him in the chest. "Now lookie here, Richard Alexander O'Connell, who was it that saved you sorry ass from drowning in that frozen fiver by my house?"

"You."

"And who was it that convinced Mrs. McGuire that you weren't the one she saw sneaking over the fence to pick strawberries out of her patch?"

"You."

"I do not see how this is at all relevant to our cause. O'Connell, we-" the man in black was cut off.

"She's gettin' there, just hold on."

"And...who was it that saved you from the Delanski brothers and their gang and sent them running home to their mamas?"

"You," he sighed. "fine, you can come, but you have to be careful. These guys aren't just street thugs."

"Yes, sir." She saluted him and they all piled into the car. Jon, Alex, and Jeweli in the back, Rick and the unnamed man up front. "so, Rick...are you ever gonna introduce me to your buddy over there, or am I gonna have to beat you 'til you do?"

"Huh? Oh, Jewels, this is Ardeth Bay. He's a Madji."

"Oh, is this the guy you told me helped y'all defeat the mummy?"

"yep."

"Wait, you told her?" Rick nodded. "And you believed the story?"

She nodded. "Ardeth Bay, this is my cousin, Jeweli."

"A pleasure, sir." She held her hand out over the seat, when he took it, Ardeth Bay said something in what she assumed was Arabic. "Jeweliandra O'Connell, at your service."

"O'Connell? You have the same name?"

"Yeah, our dads were brothers. That explains why she's more like me than I'd like to admit." Rick said sarcastically.

Jeweli punched his arm. "You didn't seem to care much when you got into it with the Delanski boys' gang."

"Pfft, whatever. They were a bunch of scrawny wimps that would've got beat up by a girl scout troupe."

"Yeah, sure. Keep tellin' yourself that."

Ardeth Bay interrupted them, "Forgive me for startling your boy. But, once the Bracelet has been put on, we only have seven days until the Scorpion King arises."

"I'm guessing that's not generally a good thing." Jon asked.

"Oh, he's gonna destroy the world." Rick told him.

"Ah, the old 'Destroy The World' ploy," he in back in his seat.

At the museum, Rick turned and looked at his son, "Ok, look, I've got a very important job for you. I need you to stay here and protect the car."

"Dad, just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid." Alex snarked. Rick smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I know you're not."

Jon piped up, "Don't worry, Alex. if you hear any screaming, it'll probably just be me."

"Maybe you should stay in the car, too."

"Good idea, old chap."

When he looked at his cousin, Jeweli smirked at him. "Don't even think about it. I may not know anything about mummies, but I know how to kick some ass." Rick just nodded and got out.

"Go get 'em, Aunt Jeweli." Alex quipped.

"Thanks, kiddo. I help get her back, I promise." She kissed his head, then got out and went to the trunk. Rick opened up the weapon satchel he always kept.

"You want the shotgun?" he asked the Madji.

"No, I prefer the Thompson."

"Jewels?"

"Nah. I will take the rifle and a couple of pistols, though."

As they were loading up, Ardeth Bay caught sight of Rick's tattoo. "If I were to say to you, 'I am a traveler from the East, seeking treasure...'"

"Then I would say, 'I am a traveler from the West, I am the one you seek.' What..."

"It is you, then?" He grabbed the other man's wrist, "You bear the sacred mark."

"What? That? Nah, I got that slapped on me while I was in prison at Cairo." They finished, "Let's roll."

As they passed through the museum, Ardeth Bay stopped Jeweli, "Perhaps it is best if you do wait in the automobile."

She just pushed past him, saying, "Not a chance. Evie's my family. And, while I appreciate the concern, I assure you, I'm perfectly able to take care of myself."

Then, and hand clamped down on her arm, pulling her backward. Pulling out a knife, she turned and severed the hand off of the mummified arm reaching from a sarcophagus.

"Holy Hell!" She yelped.

"I really hate mummies." Rick pulled Jeweli towards the main plaza.

The sight they were met with could have come straight from a horror film. The chanting, the book, the fire, and the bowing to the giant piece of amber in the middle of the room. Off to the side, Evie was bound hand and foot on a table, like some sacrificial virgin.

Her cousin turned to them and crouched down. "Alright, here's the plan: I'm gonna go down there and get Evie. Ardeth Bay, I want you up here."

"What about me?" Jeweli asked.

"I need you up here sharp shooting. You keep these guys off my back. he can handle the masses, but you get the ones closest to me and Evie."

"Got it." Suddenly, there was an acceleration and amplification of chanting, then a roar that made them all look over the rail. A mummy stood, having just burst out of the amber. He was bigger and more agile than the mummies they'd seen earlier.

"Oh, no," Rick looked at them. "I'll be back."

Jeweli looked at the man in black after her cousin left. "Who is he?"

"He is Imohtept. He was High Priest to Pharaoh Ramsis II. It was he who killed the pharaoh...along with-" a woman standing next to the mummy started speaking.

"What's she saying?"

"...She says that she is the reincarnation of...Anok-Su-Namun. That was the pharaoh's second wife." he looked at her, "She was Imohtept's lover."

"Uh, yuck. Who would admit to sleeping with that?"

"Someone who has much to gain."

"Hold up, she's talking again."

He listened in for a moment. "She said that she offers Evelyn's life as a gift."

"Oh, no! Come on, Rick. Where are you?"

"Patience. I am quite sure O'Connell has a plan. have faith in him."

Jeweli grabbed the front of his robes and pulled his face towards her. "Don't you dare. I have more faith in Rick than anyone, I know what he's capable of. he's been like my brother since I was a baby. So, you can just shut the hell up." She pushed him away and focused back in the goings-on...just in time to hear the crazy woman yell.

"BURN HER!" She had a weird smile, like she wanted nothing more than for Evie to die.

"Get ready," the brown-haired woman said.

Ardeth Bay responded by clicking the safety off his gun. Just as the men were about to throw her in, Rick leapt over the flames and scattered them, sending two into the fire. Sensing he needed help, Ardeth Bay and Jeweli stood up and started shooting.

One of the best things about growing up with Rick O'Connell, competition drove her to become one hell of a crack shot. Unlike the Madji, whose quick rounds made him shoot from the hip. Together they had already picked off most of the men. Those that hadn't been shot ran from the building.

"Jeweli!" Evie called as she and her husband ran towards them. "Come on!"

The two stopped shooting right as the undead priest called up his evil undead minions.

"Hebodut setna!" Imohtept pointed at them.

"What'd he say?" Jeweli yelled.

Ardeth Bay held no qualms as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the railing. "'Kill them!' Run!"