Work Text:
Marc sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand as he stared at the message on his phone.
- Messaging Tony Stark:
Tony Stark: So, there’s a blood moon or eclipse or whatever today!
Tony Stark: So, y’know, was wondering if our favorite moonpie knew about this!
Tony Stark: Decided that since you’re all moon-related, that’d I’d throw a party for the blood moon!
Tony Stark: We’ll start at 8:00, though the moon should last till around 2:00.
Tony Stark: Meet at the top of the tower!
Tony Stark: See you there, Moonpie!
Marc set the phone down, not knowing what to do. Should he go? They were being awfully nice for throwing a party for the moon. And Tony seemed very enthusiastic. Should he go?
“I think we should go. Can you imagine the view from Stark Tower! The moon would look bloody amazing- no pun intended” Steven remarked, voice warm and excited.
Marc sighed. “Jake?”
“¡Steven wants to go, nosotros vamos!” Jake responded
“Alright” Marc responded, picking up the phone and preparing to type his answer.
- Messaging Tony Stark
Moon Knight: We’ll go
Tony Stark: Great! Will Big Bird be there?
Marc paused, taking a moment to think before typing out his response.
-Messaging Tony Stark
Moon Knight: Maybe, he appears whenever he wants to. Even if he doesnt show himself hes always watching.
Tony Stark is typing…
Marc waited patiently for the billionaire to respond, somewhat curious as to what his response would be.
Tony stark: So hes always watching?
Marc frowned, confused as to what he meant.
Moon Knight: What do you mean?
Unlike last time, Tony took no time at all to respond.
Tony Stark: Does he watch you while you take a shit?
“What? No! He doesn’t…does he?” Steven asked, starting to sound concerned
“Don’t know why you’re so concerned amigo, it sounds kinky to me” Jake replied, like the bastard he is.
Marc sighed heavily, closing his eyes tightly. “No, Khonshu doesn’t watch us shit. I shouldn’t have to say this”
Marc opened his eyes, exhaling heavily, and beginning to type.
Moon knight: No, he doesnt watch us shit. He waits outside or goes away to whatever the fuck he does when he isnt around.
Tony Stark: What does he do when he isnt around?
Moon Knight: Fuck if I know
Tony Stark is typing…
Tony Stark: Its almost 8
Moon Knight: Coming
Tony Stark: Havent even gotten to the foreplay yet!
-
Marc closed out of messages, turning his phone off and shoving it in his pocket. He stood up, making his way to the door and proceeding to leave. There was no point in getting ready, while the Avengers knew their first names, they didn’t know their last. The Avengers didn’t know their identity yet, so they’d just wear the Moon Knight armor.
-
Marc leapt from the roof, landing heavily on the sidewalk, before casually walking into Stark Tower. He made his way up to the receptionist counter, a kind woman who happily told him FRIDAY would let him in. From there he made his way to the elevator and stepped in.
Instead of the usual elevator music, a different tune played.
“Fighting evil by moonlight
Winning love by daylight
Never running from a real fight!
She is the one named Sailor Moon!
She will never turn her back on a friend
She is always there to defend
She is the one on whom we-“
“Is that fucking Sailor Moon? Is Tin Man mocking us?” Jake growled
Marc just rolled his eyes. Of course Tony would tell his AI to do that. Why did he expect anything less?
After a brief, agonizing eternity filled with the cheery Sailor Moon intro, the elevator dinged, signaling his arrival at the top floor. The doors slid open, and he exited the elevator.
Tony threw his arms out dramatically “Sailor Moon! You made it!”
Clint snorted in response, and Marc rolled his eyes, making his way up to Tony, exchanging a firm handshake. “Thanks for inviting us”
Tony grinned behind his bright red sunglasses “Don’t mention it”
Khonshu appeared behind him, In his signature three-piece suit. “Yes, at least someone can appreciate a lunar event” he gestured to Tony with an arm, staff missing.
Tony smiled brightly “Big bird! Knew you’d make it!”
Khonshu grumbled in response, and Clint approached, clapping Marc on the back. “Glad you could make it man”
Marc nodded in response, only to frown in confusion as Khonshu started making chirping noises. The noise attracted everyone’s attention- Khonshu has never made a sound like that before. Marc quirked a brow under his mask. “You okay?”
Khonshu turned to him, the chirping momentarily ceasing. “Can you feel it?”
Marc stared at him in confusion “Feel what?”
Khonshu gestured vaguely with his hand, mulling over his words “The tingle”
Marc frowned “If you mean the fact that my balls are itchy than yeah” Marc joked lightly, trying to diffuse the awkward tension.
Khonshu just stared at him in disapproval, ignoring the way the others snickered. He stared at him for a moment longer -like an angry dad scolding their kid for swearing- before turning to Tony “The peak of the eclipse is about to start soon, is it not?”
Tony checked his ridiculously expensive watch, before nodding “Yep!”
Khonshu chirped again, before continuing “You’re in for a surprise, my Moon Knight”
Marc stared at the bird in a mix of confusion and concern. Just what did this ancient god mean by ‘surprise’?
Khonshu gestured towards the open air outside. “Come”
Everyone stared at him, before Bruce awkwardly started to go outside, the others quickly following suite. Khonshu teleported outside in a swirling tangle of bandages. Sighing, Marc followed the others outside, crossing the painfully clean room. He crossed the threshold into the open air beyond, the soothing, calming chill of night greeting him. The moon was a dull, washed-out vermilion in the sky. The moonlight cascaded down like an invisible waterfall of soft light. As soon as the light reached him Marc understood what Khonshu meant. The tingle.
Marc hadn’t even realized he had stopped moving, staring at the night sky, at the moon far above.
“Wow” Steven remarked
“You okay there Moonpie?” Tony asked
Marc took a deep breath “Yeah…” he breathed out
“It Is time, my Moon Knight, are you ready?” Khonshu asked, no longer in his suit but in his traditional Egyptian garb.
Marc wanted to ask what he meant, but his mouth moved on its own accord, saying words he hadn’t wanted to speak “Yes”
“Marc? Marc are you alrig-“ Stevens concerned voice asked, but Marc unknowingly tuned it out.
“Then the ritual shall begin” Khonshu stomped his staff into the ground, sending a bluster of algid wind.
“Is this normal?” Steve asked, glancing at the others
Thor just stared dumb founded at the scene “You don’t even know what you’re about to witness”
This peaked Natashas attention “What?”
“A god at his full strength” Thor responded
Khonshu held his staff up to the moon, preparing to speak “Let all of the sanguineous acts committed by my avatar spill in incarnadine color in the name of the moon now turning crimson. Let the blood of the sinners coating their hands flow out under the morbid light of the blood tinted moon, and let it shield them. Let the blood of the sinners strengthen the power of the moon, so the travelers of the night may more protected by my avatar.”
At that Marc felt pure, unbridled power surge through him. Blood pooled at his hands, soaking the bandages and dripping into puddles on the ground. The strangely chilled blood spread through his armor, before dripping down onto the floor in tiny rivers; like a hellish waterfall. In mere moments his armor was soaked through with blood, dying it red. Marc finally came to his senses, feeling invigorated.
Across from him, Khonshu had a transformation of his own, veins and sinew forming on his skull, muscles and tendons forming around its ivory surface. Next there was skin, and then feathers, and eyes forming. Wing bones and muscles formed on his back, four wings. Feathers extended from their naked surface.
The avengers watched in awe at the transformations, speechless.
And then Khonshu opened his eyes.
His eyes were a swirling depth of moons and stars, like an endless galaxy caught in a seers crystal ball.
Khonshu chuckled “I forgot what it was like to have skin”
Marc stared at him, angry and confus-
Jake blinked, before narrowing his eyes at Khonshu “What the fuck was that?”
Khonshu narrowed his eyes at him “The ritual” he explained, as if someone had just asked him something common, like how old he was.
Jake glared. Though he couldn’t complain too much. He glanced down at his new attire, blood red three-piece with a nice fedora.
“Luciendo sexy…” he muttered
Jake flexed his hands, feeling strength tingle under the surface. Or maybe he was just horny.
“How long will this last, birdo?” Jake asked
Khonshu hummed “Until the next time you perish”
Jake grinned, the power, the fun he could have with this…
“No one tells me shit around here…” Coulson muttered, just having walked in.