Kings, Gods and thieves

Cairo must have been one of the most gorgeous cities Cebra had ever laid his eyes on, the night was lit up with festive looking lighting. The age old building designs really took one back to the days of Brittish colonialism. The night life was bustling but Cebra had no time or little interest in mingling with humans, he had a job to do. Doctor Alvarez had asked Cebra to meet a coleague and escort them to a supposed buried tomb. The Doctor wanted Cebra to see to this coleagues safety as tomb robbersand desert thieves were all about. Cebra headed towards the hotel where they were to meet and rest for the night. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes placing one between his lips. He lights it by focusing energy in the tip of his finger and making a spark, no one notices or cares.

When Cebra arrives at the hotel it's in a rather run down neighborhood, even Cebra who had never been to this city knew that. From behind shaggy curtains and dark windows Cebra can see people peeking out or openly watching the streets. He sits outside the hotel in a park area puffing away and sinks into deep thought. The deepening cloud of smoke surrounding his face gently caresses his skin like long slender fingers of a ghost. His thoughts drift to some of the acquaintances he made over the years. One particular one that stuck out was a young woman he had seen once at a bank hostage situation and once in an insane, deadly game show. When he finally awakens from his meditative state after his cigarette has finished he heads inside the hotel.

The hotel itself was magnificent adorned in gold and white, clearly not real gold or anything expensive. For this area of the city this place looked like no one local could afford it. Cebra entered and checked in on his reservation, he was shown upstairs to his room where his luggage was waiting. When the door is opened Cebra gets the surprize of his life seeing someone he certainly wasn't expecting.

"Y... you? How?"

*

-

Cebra sees Ika sitting on the floor legs crossed and in meditation, immediately Cebra becomes apprehensive. It wasn' t the most pleasant of meatings last time Cebra and Ika were together.

"What are you doing here?"

Cebra's face and tone expressing clear disdain for the young man. He stares him down waiting for a response though Ika says nothing and remains still with his eyes closed in meditation.

"Dont ignore me you little shit!"

Cebra's frustation building he approaches Ika and crouches down in front of him still looking him dead in the eyes. Cebra lets out a sigh and stands back up.

"Well I know you're not the colleague I was supposed to meet... So you were hired as well then. I mean unless you cultists just do charity work."

A moment later the door opens again. A woman steps in with deep blue eyes and ginger hair, a flatering physique to go along with it. Cebra's attention is instantly taken off of Ika as he turn to the woman raising a curious eyebrow.

"Well what do we have here? Excuse me miss, you wouldn't happen to be Doctor Alvarez colleague would you?"

*

Cebra putting his proverbial best foot forward flashes his best charming smile and shakes her hand.

"Cebra Ulkenne, the pleasure is all mine miss Stark. I was told he would be here waiting though it's entirely possible he's out getting food. I did smell something quite delicious a while ago, maybe street vendors?."

At that moment Ika's eyes open up and he tilts his head up towards Cebra and Matilda. He jumps to his feet and stretches while yawning, curiously eyeing Matilda then turning to see Cebra. The sight of Cebra however makes the young man awkwardly back up.

"You? What are you possibly doing here? Dont tell me Alvarez asked you for assistance? You're the definition of violence."

"Wait... we're you sleeping? Also dont be a drama queen. I only blew up one maybe two cargo ships.

Ika's frustration was evident but changed somewhat when he turned back to the woman near Cebra. He walks over to her and bows deeply before her.

"Forgive me for not noticing you were there, this metal man and I are not friends. My name is Ika, I am of the order of binding light. It is good to meet you Miss?

*

Cebra turned back to Ika after Matilda left the room, an apathetic expression painted on his face.

"So... not bad right?"

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

Cebra smirks seeing the naive nature in Ika. Cebra could be an odd person, he had an affinity for messing with people mentaly. He caught on quickly to Ika's more innocent nature when they last met.

"You serious? Kid you are just missing out on so much in life."

Ika expression is a confused frustration, he shrugs and grabs a piture of water from the table pooring a glass.

"Well no I dont think she's bad at all, she came off as a very genuine person Cebra."

Cebra stares at Ika stifling a laugh.

"Yeah ok kid, listen we should probably get looking for Alvarez as well. He really should have been here waiting for us. This isn't exactly the most safe area to be in, or so my travel information has told me."

*

Cebra left the room with Ika following him. The both of them went downstairs to the clerk in the front. Cebra approached him and leaned in being as casual and space invading as ever.

"Hey friend, I dont suppose you could help me out? Looking for a man named Alvarez."

The man replied in Arabic though even through the language barrier Cebra understood body language. Clearly he was saying no and waving Cebra away, the first mistake being he could clearly understand Cebra.

"Hey hey hey dont give me your attitude, you know exactly what I'm saying you fraud. I'm just looking for a little direction come on now."

The clerks voice raised as he seemed to now be cursing Cebra out to the amused expression of Ika. Cebra however was wearing thin in terms of patience, he had dealt with difficult individuals like this before and there was always more than one way to skin a cat. Cebra considered simply grabbing the man and pulling him over the desk and shaking the answers out of him. Before Cebra could reach for him Ika put his hands on Cebra's shoulder.

"Let me handle this before you create an international incident yes?"

Cebra grumbled for a moment staring down the clerk then turned away in frustration.

"Pfft fine if you think you can do better be my guest."

Ika using the little Arabic he knows asks again if the clerk knows where Alvarez is. Though the clerk is a bit less dismissive he still says that he knows nothing. Ika looks down past the clerk noticing a small trace of some white powder. When he takes a closer look at the man he notices how many scars he has from picking his face. His eyes are also a little glazed over as well as him being a little twitchy. Ika speaks to him in a whispered tone, the man seems to have an instant change of heart even having a look of fear on his face.

After a short exchange Ika returns to Cebra who saw the whole thing, curious he cannot help but inquire.

"Ika what was all that about? He looked ready to piss himself scared."

"... Drug abuse is a terrible thing, especially in this country. We should get moving, we now have an address at least."

Leaving the hotel Ika and Cebra travel through narrow streets and alleys, the feeling of being watched is palpable even at this late hour. From out of seemingly nowhere a man rushes up to Cebra and Ika holding a hand gun, two other men come from behind to surround the two. Cebra and Ika stop dead and face the man in front hidden by a bandanna. At first he speaks to them both in Arabic using a harsh tone. When Cebra and Ika look at each other confused the man changes to English.

"You go back to America, this country and everything in it does not belong to you American. You go home now or in a box, I do not care."

"Who the hell are you?"

"You will take Alvarez with you or he dies, like you and your woman friend."

A grimace came across Ika's face thinking something might have happened to the doctor or the other cohort in the group.

"What have you done with Doctor Alvarez? You'll tell me or I'll make you eat that gun."

"Enough of this, I want answers now."

Cebra moves towards the man in front ignoring his hand gun. The man fires off three rounds at Cebra. Each round stops at Cebra's chest and bursts into a metallic mist. Cebra backhands the man onto the ground. Ika changes his stance to lightning foot and teleports behind the other two in a blink. He kicks the back of one mans leg so he falls then hit his head against a wall knocking him out. With incredible agility he hits a knife out of the other mans hand and side kicks him into the wall hard knocking him out.

Cebra picks the man up off the ground with the gun, brings him close to his face as Cebra makes his own eyes glow red.

"Answers now!"

*

"Wait wait please I did not know."

"That guns would be useless? Yeah I bet you didn't. Which begs the question what idiot would send street thugs after beings like us?"

"Please dont hurt me, I can take you to Alvarez!"

"You're bloody right you will, this isn't a negotiation you little urchin."

Cebra pushes the man foreward a feet, behind him Ika handles the two other men by the back of their shirts. Ika and Cebra force the three men to walk in front of them to keep a close eye on them. A good thing though that these men showed up, Cebra had no idea where he was going. That fact had not yet occured to Ika as he was just following Cebra who was far too proud to admit it now. The men exited the alley looking both ways to an empty street as if looking for a way out of the situation. Cebra shoved the thugs forward again and cleared his throat loudly.

"Dont even think about it, you run and I'll remove your feet friend.

Ika looked at Cebra disturbed by his threats, not entirely sure if he was just threatening them to keep control or if he'd do it. Ika started to feel like he might have to be the one to hold Cebra back if he was provoked, something that proved difficult in the past. The men led Cebra and Ika to an old building, nothing like the rest of the architecture. The symbols that adorned the outside might have been hyrogliphs for all Cebra and Ika knew. The three thugs stopped outside and turned to Cebra with a stern sullen look.

"Your friend is inside, but perhaps you'd prefer to wait for the woman to arrive first?"

Cebra and Ika looked at each other.

"You wanna go in or wait? No telling what's inside. Could be a trap or something."

"If it's anything like this ambush we dont have anything to worry about."

Just then more footsteps could be heard against the stone street, another group was approaching them.

*

Cebra smirked at Matilda's joke imagining tipping them over the side of a cliff as his sadistic humour influenced. Ika couldn't take his eyes off of the building, he felt the age in it and the presence of a man inside. The three men that were with Cebra join the ones that were with Matilda. The only difference being the one's that were with Cebra are rubbing their wounds and limping a bit.

"Hey kid"

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"Yeah yeah, anyways. Can you translate the hieroglyphs on the wall there?"

"Why would you think I was capable of doing such a thing?"

"Well you study this mystical stuff dont you? Being a monk and all. Also your order has had a relationship with the Medjay no?"

"What a foolish assumption. The order of binding light and ancient Egyptians may have had some dealings with spiritual leaders. But to consort with Medjay was a kin to consorting with the KGB. They had no interest in religious affairs."

"Huh... So you're useless here."

Cebra folds his arms looking back and forth from Matilda to the building. It occured to him now what everyone's role here was. Matilda was definetely the brains, which was pretty obvious in retrospect. Cebra was quite strong and capable but it's likely he was here because of his stealth and espionage capabilities. Ika proved in the past to be able to handle foes of a mystical and otherworldly nature. Now Cebra was convinced there was more to be concerned about than common dessert thieves and bandits. And normally when the risk is high the reward is something of equal magnitude. If this was truly another case of some powerful magic then Cebra knew he'd have a hard time.

An elderly man arrived at the entrance, the man was instructed to guide the group into some room further in. Cebra was hesitant to just trust these people, however they didn't exactly have any means of harming Cebra. Ika followed immediately as if he didn't even remember his earlier comment, the fact Matilda went in as well made Cebra think he might be a bit paranoid. At any rate he follows Ika and Matilda keeping a watchful eye on every corner and every wall for anything suspicious.

*