MU’s Moon Knight|| Inner Mind PT2

This story contains violence, swearing, brutality, alcohol, and severe depression. If these are triggers for you I advise you to turn away from this story. You have been warned.

Clank… Clank… Clank… CLANK!

Marc faced Jake in the dark realm they stood in; the cobwebs above were barely attached to something in the darkness dancing around them. The air was thick with tension, a storm brewing as the brothers squared off, their eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills. Marc gripped his staff tightly, knuckles white against the polished steel. He shifted his stance, muscles coiling like a spring, ready to unleash his pent-up energy. Across from him, Jake stood poised, crescent darts glimmering in his hands, each one a promise of precision and lethality.

They moved like two predators, circling, calculating, each waiting for the other to make a mistake. With a sudden surge, Marc lunged forward, his staff sweeping low in a mighty arc. The staff whistled through the air, aiming for Jake’s legs, but Jake was already in motion, darting to the side with a deftness that belied his size. He countered with a swift throw, a dart spiraling through the air, aimed for Marc’s shoulder. Marc anticipated the attack, twisting his body just in time for the dart to skim past him, embedding itself in the wall behind. He retaliated instantly, thrusting his staff forward like a spear, but Jake leapt back, the space between them crackling with unspent energy.

The realm echoed with the sound of impact as Marc’s staff struck the ground, sending vibrations rippling through the pavement. They danced around each other, a brutal ballet of strikes and evasions. Marc swung his staff again, this time in a wide circle, forcing Jake to duck and roll. The movement was fluid, instinctive, but time was slipping away, and exhaustion was creeping into Marc’s muscles.

Each swing drew from a well of strength he felt dwindling, but he pressed on, fueled by a determination that ran deeper than fatigue. Jake darted forward, a flurry of crescent darts erupting from his hands like a storm. Marc spun, deflecting one dart, then another, the metal clinking against wood with a sharp, resonant sound. He countered with a sweeping strike aimed at Jake’s midsection, but Jake was already retreating, his form weaving like smoke, just out of reach.

The fight felt eternal, an unbroken chain of motion and reaction, each brother pushing the other to the limits of their abilities. The moon hung overhead, a silent witness to their struggle, casting silver light on the scene of chaos. Each breath they took mingled with the scent of sweat and adrenaline, the palpable charge between them sparking with every clash.

Marc could feel the weight of the past pressing down on him — a painful childhood, unity turned to rivalry, memories tainted by resentment. But there was also a flicker of something else, a bond that neither of them could fully extinguish. With every strike and parry, they were not just fighting each other; they were battling the shadows of their own hearts.

As the fight raged on, Marc’s movements became more frantic, desperation creeping in as he pushed against the boundaries of his own endurance. Jake, too, felt the strain, his breath coming in ragged gasps, every throw of a dart requiring focus and precision. The realm transformed into a battleground, their conflict a testament to the chaos that lay within. Marc surged forward again, channeling every ounce of strength he had left, his staff slicing through the air with renewed vigor. But Jake was ready, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to meet the onslaught. The collision was thunderous, a clash of wills that echoed through the night, a moment frozen in time where the past and present collided.

In that breathless instant, the brothers stood locked in combat, neither willing to yield, both caught in the web of their own making. And still, the fight continued, an eternal struggle beneath the watchful gaze of the moon, shadows and light entwined in a dance as old as time.

“M… Marc, I can’t fight you forever,” Jake said panting, both of them struggling to keep up on their own two feet. “I need you to snap out of it, okay? I need you to use your brain for once!”

Marc roared with rage as he slammed the tip of the staff against Jake's face, knocking him down and rendering him in a daze. In his blurry vision, Jake watched as Marc stood above him with staff in hand, letting the steel rest on his shoulder as he stared down at his brother.

“M-Marc… Steven needs us.” Marc stood there silently, as if what Jake had said just went in one ear and out the other. Suddenly Marc slammed the staff against Jake’s chest and the snap of a rib echoed in the empty void that surrounded them. Jake wailed in pain but he was taken by surprise as Marc lifted the staff and aimed it towards his brother’s head.

Jake didn’t know what to do, his mind was blank. The only thing he thought of was Steven and what he could be dealing with outside. Maybe he was fighting Bushmaster or… what if Carson snapped? Jake snapped back to the situation and just before the bottom of the staff reached his head, Jake blurted out the words Marc never thought he would hear from him.

“I’m sorry!” Jake felt the cold metal through his mask, resting against its fabric, his heart beating rapidly with anxiety. Marc tilted his head slightly, wondering exactly what Jake was apologizing for. “S… Sorry.?” Marc finally replied, after almost an hour of no communication between the two.

“Y-Yeah. I’m sorry. Sorry for making your life a living hell. I wanted to be the Fist of Vengeance, but you and Steven never did. I never considered it because I was more focused on what I wanted, that I never took into consideration of what you wanted.” Marc seemed to almost suddenly come to his senses until footsteps echoed throughout the realm and there stood Khonshu, standing menacingly as ever.

Marc pushed the tip of his staff against Jake’s throat as Khonshu grew near, his overwhelming presence sending chills through both Marc and Jake. The giant fossil then stood above Marc and took a deep breath before reaching his hand out, Marc almost flinching when Khonshu put his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“You have done more for me than anyone has. No god, no mortal can ever amount to you, Marc Spector. I have pushed you beyond your limits and all you gave in return was compliance, loyalty, and determination.” Marc pulled the staff away from Jake’s throat, hearing the man cough and clear his throat as they both looked up at Khonshu.

“I am sorry, Marc. I am sorry.” Marc’s grip on the weapon loosened as it fell from his hand and the loud clash against the ground echoed in the realm.

Suddenly Marc rushed in and hugged the god, squeezing tightly as he buried his masked face into Khonshu’s chest. His muffled cries could be heard as Jake lightly patted Marc’s shoulder, not wanting to the hug but Khonshu dragged him into it as the three hugged each other tightly. When Jake opened his eyes, Marc wasn’t standing there and neither was Khonshu. He looked around to be alone in the void except there was a small light in the distance.

Before he took a step forward, the light grew closer as if it was moving towards him. Suddenly the light was dancing around Jake, like an irritating fly that you couldn’t catch. He held out his hand which caused it to stop and hover above his palm and something about it felt familiar to him. Before he could ponder as to why, it shined bright and blinded him. When his vision cleared he was back outside, his body laid beside Marc as they both grunted in pain.

“Ugh… it feels like I have the worst hangover.” Marc complained which made Jake laugh hysterically. “The fuck are you laughing at?” he asked as Jake helped him to his feet.

“Hey, if the worst thing you got out of that is a hangover then you won! I have to deal with the bruises and broken bones!” Marc scoffed but not before giving a faint smile as they looked around.

“Where’s Steven?” Marc asked as Jake looked beside him to see nobody there. “Huh… he was right here with me before I went in.” Suddenly a large explosion went off in the distance, shaking the ground beneath their feet and a loud roar as the smoke filled the sky.

“He wouldn’t… would he?” Jake asked as the roaring voice of Khonshu filled their minds. “Go there, now! Steven is there with Bushman!” And without hesitation the boys rushed towards the explosion, with the hope of saving the youngest brother from a monster.

To Be Continued…

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Moon Knight and are excited for many more to come!! ~ William

Title Card was made by Daisy

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