Qa'a was the museum’s latest acquisition, having arrived early today. The mummified body was their greatest attraction for at least ten years, and ticket sales to see the mummified remains of the last King of Egypt’s first dynasty had already exceeded expectations.
Qa’a had died circa 2890 BCE (Before Christian Era) and had been buried in the prized Tomb Q at Abydos, but someone seemed to have forgotten to tell the King that he was dead. The rotten, bandaged corpse staggered before the curator, draining life from anyone he touched. Already, three staff had died and the curator remained the only living soul in the room.
He whimpered as Qa’a lurched towards him, somehow able to sense his life force. Behind Qa’a, the skeletal remains of an indigenous hunter rattled to life and shadowed Qa’a’s approach. The skeleton moved like a marionette with razor sharp finger bones ready to slice through any resistance.
The curator buried his face in his hands and whimpered. He couldn’t bear to face such a gruesome end.
The door to the lab suddenly crashed open and the curator peaked between his fingers at the authoritative figure of Jolt, scantily clad in his traditional costume of only dark shorts. The curator recognised him from the Evening News and immediately started thanking his Maker for the rescue.
The lab was small and Jolt quickly found himself running out of room to avoid the Mummy and his skeletal cohort.
“Don’t let him touch you!” the curator yelled.
Jolt took heed and stepped back in the nick of time. Qa’a let out an ethereal screech and a slit seemed to open where his mouth should be. The Egyptian mummy raised his arms and the century-old bandages suddenly unwound, shooting outwards to wrap around Jolt’s wrists.
Jolt grunted as he found himself being pulled towards the Mummy. He yanked against the straps but a supernatural force prevented him from pulling his arms free.
Qa’a stepped closer; his skeleton counterpart by his side. The skeleton’s razor sharp finger bones pointed forward, ready to slice Jolt into pieces.
Jolt struggled against the bonds as the bandages retracted, pulling him closer and closer to the Mummy and certain death. He kicked out, landing a foot in the skeleton’s mid-section. The skeleton rocketed backwards against the bench top, Jolt activated his power, the electricity in his hands causing the bandages to burst into flames. He yanked his arms free and dove out the way, just as Qa’a reached out to touch him.
Jolt snatched the skeleton’s wrist and snapped off a hand. He spun around and swiped the deadly fingertips down the torso the Qa’a. The bandages ripped, and Jolt crisscrossed the razor sharp bones over the mummy’s dressing.
The mummy staggered backwards and the bandages fell away. Underneath, the rotten corpse disintegrated into dust and the creature collapsed into a sorry mess on the floor.
With its master gone, the skeleton rattled and fell, leaving a pile of inanimate bones on the floor at Jolt’s feet.
Jolt moved to the curator’s side and helped the middle aged bureaucrat to his feet.
“Are you okay?” Jolt asked.
The curator was shaken but managed to answer in the affirmative.
“Contact the police,” Jolt instructed him. “Tell them what happened here. They’ll understand. They’re more used to this kind of thing than you realise.”
“”But who are you?” the curator wondered.
“Me? I’m Jolt. Leader of the Superhero League and the guy who just saved your arse!” And with a grin, Jolt sped out the door, leaving the curator thankful to know that the superheroes were still saving the world.
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