"Gentlemen, I'm sure both of you are wondering what exactly you're doing here. But if you remember hard enough, it'll come to you in time."
Up until this point, the day had been pretty routine for both of the men that found themselves standing in a dream like haze, almost... within another world entirely. But Steven Grant and Jake Lockely weren't within another universe. They were in their own mind. And the one man who remained completely unphased by it all was the man that brought them both into this place. Unknowng to them, it was themself. Marc Spector.
"What in god's name..."
"The hell is this? Some kinda dream?"
Spector stared back at both of them for a moment, as they looked around, surveying their surroundings. Faint images surrounded them... Both familiar and unfamiliar. Vivid playings of three seperate lives. One of them being that of poverty and pitifulness. The other being of wealth and greatness. Complete contrasts, those two were. But the third... the third intrigued both men, as they watched unfamiliar elements play out before them. One of a mission. His mission. One forgotten by both of them, but one they were still very much apart of. The mission of Khonsu.
Eventually, Spector ceased his silence, as they looked back at him.
"Believe me... This is no dream. Similar, maybe. But a bit more factual."
"...Beg your pardon?"
"I think he means this is... real."
Lockely turned to the well dressed individual beside him, who looked back at him with a familiar face. It was-
"...Holy god. You're me?"
"In a sense, he is."
Lockely and Grant turned back to Spector, who folded his arms.
"In another sense, he couldn't be less you.", Spector answered.
"This is Steven Grant. He's a billionaire financer in Manhattan. Almost the complete opposite of you, Lockely."
"-Lockely?", Grant asked.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, but... I've heard that name before. At least I think I have."
"You have. To refresh your memory, His name is Jake Lockely. He's an underpayed cabbie living in Brooklyn.", Spector answered, as Lockely's eyes widened at Spector's knowledge of his own life.
"Wait a minute. Just how do you know all of-", Lockely began to ask, before stopping for a moment.
"-Better question. Who in the hell are you?"
Spector was silent, for a moment. He had told himself he wouldn't do this, long ago. But the time was right. It simply had to be done.
"I'm many things, Lockely.", Spector answered.
"I'm you. And I'm you, too.", Spector continued, turning to Grant.
"But for now, I have another name. Marc Spector ring any bells?"
Both men looked at Spector in horror, as they both realised something: They remembered this man. Abiet vaguely, but the name almost locked itself at the forefront of both men's memories once spoken.
"Marc-"
"-Spector."
A moment of silence passed. Spector realised what was happening just before Grant and Lockely did. And it was just what he needed, at this point.
"You!?"
"You!?"
"Well, it took you both long enough.", Spector answered, with a sneer.
"But I guess that was my mistake for keeping you both in the dark."
"...Keeping us both in the dark? Is that what you're calling it?", Lockely answered, bitterly.
"Don't insult us! This wasn't supposed to be how it worked, you know that!"
"Maybe so, Lockely, but you're forgetting something.", Grant stated, turning to him.
"You're the reason it even happened in the first place."
"-What?"
"It's true.", Spector answered.
"And if you weren't still so hotheaded, maybe your comprehension of that would've kicked in by now."
"Hey! Don't @$#*ing make me look like the bad guy, here!", Lockely yelled, pointing to Spector.
"You're the one that shut us out, pal!"
"-Maybe you're right.", Spector answered, after a brief pause.
"But it's pretty clear that all of us made mistakes in this. Otherwise we wouldn't be here right now."
"I'm still not exactly sure of everything.", Grant stated.
"Just what transpired to complicate the situation?"
"Allow me to explain.", Spector answered, scowling at Lockely, who was about to say something.
"Many months ago, we had forged a plan to capture the underworld mobster known simply as 'Hammerhead'. The mission was a matter of getting in, getting out, and getting on with both of our lives. But we ran into... unforseen circumstance."
"...And that would be?"
"Vigilance.", Spector answered.
"Or more of, rather, considering we'd be hypocrites to say we weren't doing the same. But none of us expected the turnout of that evening. I complied a list of names from that night. Vigilantes known as Spider-Man, Shang Chi, The Iron Fist, The Black Cat, and an unnamed female assassin for The Kingpin were among those that partook in the battle that night against Hammerhead."
"And they were problematic?"
"To a point, no. But this is where Lockely's mistake was made.", Spector responded, as Lockely raised an eyebrow.
"The battle was interrupted by Spider-Man's idiocy. I have suspicions that he's not very old at all, but I'll save that for another time. The point is, Spider-Man was the one that set Lockely off, due to an earlier failed battle. Because Lockely was angered, he was distracted. And that's where it went downhill."
"Wait..."
Spector and Grant turned to Lockely, who was beginning to piece it all together.
"That assassin... She stabbed me, right?"
Spector nodded.
"Right in the chest. You never really did get over it, either. Remember that ulcer you're always complaining about?", Spector asked.
"It isn't an ulcer, genius. It's a scar from your mistakes."
"I still don't understand. Surely there's more to this?", Grant asked.
Spector nodded, once.
"Once our easily tempered friend, here, was impaled by the assassin's sai... Hammerhead unfortunatley made his move. He unmasked us... nearly exposed us to everyone. Threatened our very being by learning of our identities.", Spector continued.
"He was put into a coma not long afterwards, but the damage had been done. The whole operation was about to collaspe under us."
"...So you did the only thing you could to ensure it didn't happen again. And that was locking us out?!", Lockely asked, angrily.
"-Yes, actually.", Spector answered, bitterly.
"Or rather, locking you out. You couldn't be trusted to handle this new situation, considering you were the cause, so I gave you a probation of sorts."
"...Him? What about me? Why did I have to be reminded of all of this, if he's the only one who-"
"Because you weren't apart of it. Or any of our previous missions, really.", Spector cut off, turning to Grant.
"Infact, you're not even Steven Grant."
Grant's eyes widened again, looking at Spector in horror.
"-You might want to explain that one to him. Doesn't seem as if he took it very well.", Lockely answered.
"Be quiet.", Spector responded to Lockely.
"You're not who you believe yourself to be, either."
Lockely raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? I've been Jake Lockely all my life-"
"-Jake Lockely didn't even exist before this." , Spector cut off.
Jake's expression was suddenly reminicant of Grant's earlier shock, as both men stared at the only person who seemed to have any answers.
"You're actually the real Steven Grant.", Spector continued, looking at "Lockely".
"What?", "Grant" asked.
"But if he's really Grant, then who-"
"Marc Spector."
The true Grant and the true Spector looked at eachother, confused, before looking at the man who now lacked a name.
"Then what the hell does that make you?", Grant asked.
The figure was silent for another moment. But within an instant, both Grant and Spector watched as the figure morphed into something more fearsome than either of them. The figure wore a cape and mask, covering his features. But the one distinction that caught both men's eyes was the crescent shape on his chest. They had both seen it within their dreams... and they both knew that this day would come. The day they'd have to face the wrath of the moon, once again.
"Moon Knight.", The ghostly figure answered, staring back at both of them with little emotion, if any at all.
"-Well, I definatley remember you now.", Spector stated, uneasily.
"Yeah.", Grant said, in agreement.
"Then you both know what you must do."
Grant and Spector turned to the origin of the new voice that spoke, only to find the most out of place sight within the area; A little, redheaded young girl, swinging on a child's swingset. She stopped swinging, as Grant and Spector looked at eachother.
"Please tell me you know who this is.", Spector stated.
"How would I know? I didn't even remember my own name until now."
"It isn't important.", Moon Knight answered them both.
"From now on, and once again, she will be your link to me. She'll be my eyes and she'll be my ears to whatever decisions you will make. But I will be the one to carry them out, from now on."
"And what are we supposed to do? Dance around here in limbo while you live out the rest of our lives?", Grant asked.
"There are certain areas of which I am unessential.", Moon Knight answered.
"You both play a role in this mission. Spector's wealth gives us access to many unatainable elements. Your contacts and your expertise of the street life within our base of operations gives us infiltration. But I will fight the battles. And I will bring completion."
Both men remained silent, for a moment. But eventually, they nodded.
"When you return to conciousness, you'll both remember everything once more. As you once did. And more importantly, you'll know what must be done.", Moon Knight stated.
"It's time."
Before their eyes, Moon Knight faded back into the darkest corner of the dreamlike area they still found themselves in. Spector turned to Grant once more, as Grant looked back at the young girl, who continued swinging, silent... emotionless to both of them. After a moment's passing, Grant turned back to Spector.
"...Okay, the little girl creeps the hell out of me."
"...Shut up, Grant."
"She does! She creeps the hell out of me."
And with that, both men faded to blackness, leaving behind the mess that had been created for good. By the time one of them woke, they had reassumed their former life. But with a new set of eyes, and a new knowledge that would change them forever. Change them back into they once was, at least.
Marc Spector, once believing himself to be Steven Grant, awoke to his bedroom's ceiling, with a weight on his chest. At first he thought it to be the familiar weight that he felt within his own heart before. But looking down, he realised that it was Marlene's head, nestled onto his chest in a loving manner. For a moment, Spector almost smiled. But he knew that there was work to be done. Everything else would have to wait.
Looking up, Marlene raised an eyebrow.
"What did you say?", She asked.
"It sounded like you whispered something. 'It's time'...?"
"You can drop the act, Marlene.", Spector answered, before getting up and out of bed.
Marlene raised an eyebrow.
"Steven, I'm afraid I don't-"
"I know everything.", Spector answered.
"My name isn't Steven Grant. It's Marc Spector. And you don't have to hide that anymore."
For a moment, Marlene was silent. But eventually, she sighed, sitting up, covering her nude body with the bedsheets as Spector began to don new clothes.
"About time. I don't think I could've taken another night of that.", Marlene stated, bitterly.
"-As I recall, we did that all the time before.", Spector answered.
"I meant the lies, Marc.", Marlene responded.
"Pretending to love you when you don't even know half of what we've gone through. Calling you by a different name. Trying my best not to mention Moon Knight, or anything else that might've lead you to the truth."
"Well, all of that is over.", Marc stated.
"It's just you and me, again."
"Seems that way. I guess.", Marlene said, kneeling as she wrapped her arms around her knees, putting all of this together.
"So, what now?"
"Now, Marlene...", Spector answered, finishing dressing, before walking over to a wall, and opening it, revealing another set of attire. An all too familiar one to both of them.
"We begin work on the final piece of this puzzle."
Phase one had been completed. Now, the time had come for action. The time had come for completion. Preparation for a moment they had all waited for in the past year.
It was time for
vengeance.
