Arch Between Time

Chapter 2

Blue eyes opened slowly as Ski's cell phone started ringing.

She slowly stumbled out of bed, accidentally tumbling Linx over with the blankets as she pulled them off herself and walked to the living room.

Picking up the receiver, she tried to sound as awake as possible. "Hello? She asked sternly."

The frantic voice of one of her co-workers snapped her awake faster than a cup of old milk and burnt bacon.

"Okay. Calm down! What happened to the second arch?" There was a pause before she got her answer.

"It has been activated!" Ski's eyes got wide at the news she really didn't want to hear.

"What!? Can either of you people follow a simple order as to not touch it!?" She yelled angrily into the phone, slamming it down on the port. She stomped angrily back to her room to get ready for those ingrates to pay hell for not following a direct order.

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Ski drove up to the lab quickly, parking in her normal designated spot. Got out, locked the car, walked into the building quickly and took the elevator to the fifth floor where, the history science division, the division she was in command over, worked.

"What is the meaning of this!? Who is responsible for this?" She yelled. Everyone stopped what they were doing to point at one of the older members of her team.

Ski walked over to him, sticking her nose in his face. It was one of the stubborn and hard to get across kind o guys, the ones who wont listen to their superiors and you can't fire them because they are the sons of the owner of the building, your boss.

But Ski was willing to do it now, so help her god, she would fire the bastard for this.

"Do you have any idea what you have done here!?" The man shrugged and gave her a cocky grin. "You may have just altered time more than it already has been! I want you out of this lab! Now!" She yelled, not noticing what was going on in the closed off room where they held the arches for their safety.

"Tch. Whatever." He scoffed, leaning against the wall, while some of the other scientists tried to catch her attention. She didn't even blink when the flash of light filled the room.

"The only thing I tell you to do is not touch the arches, and you do just that!" She yelled, stomping her foot on the ground, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to see the blond that told her about the order of the second arch with a questioning glance. He didn't need to say anything, she saw the glowing had stopped in the other room and she walked to stand in front of the one way glass.

"Shit . . . " She muttered under her breath, walking to the door, opening it wide, letting light fill the darkened room. She walked closer to the figure, trying to make the best of the situation. The lights turned on behind her, revealing that she was walking toward a young boy that looked about seventeen years of age. He had crystal blue eyes, black hair, and tanned skin. He had a scared, confused, and uncomfortable look in his eyes as she knelt down in front of him.

"Where, am I?" He asked quietly, and Ski gave him a quick smile.

"Japan.' She said calmly.

"W-what?" He said, disbelieving, "That's not p-possible! I was j-just in E-Egypt." Ski sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder, he flinched at the touch.

"Can you tell me who you are?" She asked in the same calm tone as before. It was clear that she was upset about his being there, but she didn't let the agitation show through in her voice and actions. And if he was who she was thinking he was, then she didn't want to upset him more than he already was. He nodded and took a deep breath.

"M-my names G-giza. Who is y-you? H-how did I get in J-japan?" Ski smiled solemnly at him, feeling her spirits sink further as her suspicion where just confirmed.

"I am Ski Hart. I work here in this building. As for how you got here, I can't explain that." She said, reaching up, after noticing the blood trickling down his face, she grabbed hold of his chin and turned his head to the side, inspecting the bleeding cut. "But, as for now, we're going to have to get that fixed."

Ski stood up, waiting as Giza slowly followed suit, and led him out of the room, passing by her curious lab assistants and glaring at the moron who was at fault for this, and took the elevator to the medical wing of the building.

She opened the door with the red cross on it and led Giza in. Instructing him to sit on one of the chairs, he nodded and sat down, and Ski went to get one of the nurses.

"Oh, hello Ski. How are you doing? Are you not feeling well?" A dark-haired nurse with a big smile asked as she walked up to Ski, clipboard in hand.

"I'm fine. I just need stitches." The nurse looked her up and down with a worried look. "Not for me, for him." Ski said with a chuckle, pointing behind her toward Giza, who was looking around the room with a look of amusement on his face.

"Oh, you had me worried for a minute." The nurse said, walking to a cabinet where she pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and a curved needle that was in a paper wrapper, she grabbed a pair of blue latex gloves and shut the cabinet door. She opened one of the drawers under the sink and pulled out a spool of thick thread used for stitches. She took off the lid of a plastic container that was holding cotton balls, pulled one out and put the gloves on both of her hands.

She turned to face Giza, who was now sitting on a different chair, as directed to by Ski, and placed the items on a small metal tray and carried it to the little table next to the chair. She sat down in front of him and looked at his cheek closely.

"Where did you find this kid, Ski?" She asked, sending a look to the rest of him curiously, picking up the bottle of alcohol and one of the cotton balls, she unscrewed the lid of the alcohol and placed the cotton on the mouth of the open bottle, tipping it on its side, soaking the cotton ball with the alcohol.

"It's hard to explain." Ski said, digging her phone out of her pocket, dialing a number before pressing talk.

Giza watched the nurse curiously. He leaned back as she tried to clean around the cut, looking at her as if she was trying to poison him.

"I need to clean around the wound." She said, giving it another shot, only to have Giza push her hand back away from his face gently. "Does he speak Japanese?" She asked Ski, looking up at her from the boy in front of her.

"What- Oh sorry no, he doesn't. What do you need to tell him?" Ski turned back to the two, looking down at a frowning Giza with slight concern.

"That I need to clean the cut, and it will sting." She said, resting her arm on her knee, holding the cotton ball up.

"Giza," Ski said softly, waiting for him to look up at her before she continued. "Let her clean the cut. It will help it to not get infected." She smiled when he nodded, turning his head back to the nurse.

Giza sighed, fighting the urge to move his head back when the nurse held that bad smelling ball of cotton up to his face. Ski shook her head and turned back to her phone, dialing a different number that she hoped would work this time.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end said, it was male and sounded foreign, like he hadn't spoken Japanese naturally, she turned her back to the two in the room.

"Malik, hello, is your sister home?"

"Yeah, hang on."

A pause and a few loud noises later: "Hello Ski, how’s that experiment of yours going?"

"Good, good. Listen, Ishizu, I need to ask a favor of you and your brother."

"Yes, of course, what do you need?" Ski closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Can you come to the lab, and bring some of Malik's old clothes? I promise I will explain everything when you get here."

"Yes. Ski, are you all right? Your voice sounds shaky."

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you Ishizu."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Another pause, only smaller this time, "Malik, can you get me some of your clothes?"

Ski paused at the sound of Malik's voice from somewhere in the background asking what she was playing at. She quickly turned around when Giza let out a surprised yelp, seeing that the stitching process had just started she turned back around. "I'll see you when you get here." She said, hanging up and going back to sit in one of the chairs.

When the nurse was finished with the needle, she stuck it back in the wrapper it came in and threw it the waste basket, along with the cotton balls. She put the alcohol back in the cabinet and pulled out a gauze pad and placed it over the cut, motioning for Giza to hold it in place while she got the clear surgical tape out of one of the drawers.

-----

Ski paced slowly back and forth the lab quickly, a hand on her chin and a serious look on her face. Giza's eyes following her every move as she went over things in her head.

She was so busy with arguing with herself that she didn't notice the dark-skinned woman walk up behind her, holding a plastic bag, until she turned around into her.

"Ishizu, thank gods you’re here!" Ski yelled happily, throwing her arms around the others neck.

"I'm glad to see you too, Ski, but what is this all about? Why do you need my brother's clothes?" Ishizu asked, holding up the bag and handed it to Ski once she let go of her.

"Because, as much as I hate to admit it, I messed up." Ski replied solemnly, walking over and handing the bag to Giza, telling him to go into the bathroom and change into the clothes while she talked to Ishizu. "You remember the experiment?"

"Well there was probably a reason why my father never recorded the end result. And I think I've found that reason."

"What do you mean?"

Ski closed her eyes. She and Ishizu sitting down in a chair. Taking a deep breath, "It turns out that the arches and the chemicals together create a reaction that interferes with the balance of time." She said quickly, all in one breath, that she wasn't audible and understandable.

"What?" Ishizu asked after awhile. Ski sighed again.

"To sum it all up. Two important people in Ancient Egyptian history are here now, in Japan. Right now." Ishizu said, letting what Ski said sink in.

"Do you know how to send them back, or who they even are?" Ishizu was more calm than the scientist expected, on the outside. But, oh yes, she was greatly disturbed by the fact that the space time continuum has changed.

"No, that's another thing my father didn't record. I’m sure I will be able to fix things before they get too out of hand. But, as for whom, please don't get mad, They are the Pharaoh Set and his nephew, Giza. You already, sort of, met him. He just left to go change." Ishizu smiled at her stressed colleague and good friend.

"I'm not angry." She said, placing a reassuring hand on Ski's shoulder. "I just have two questions for you."

"Yes?"

"How do you plan on explaining these things’ start going sour?"

"I don't know yet." Ski said, looking Ishizu in the eyes.

"All right, second questions; Where do you plan on them staying? They can't very well stay in this building, can they?"

"No, they can't. I already have the Pharaoh staying at my place with me and Linx. But I don't have enough room for Giza as well, which brings me to my favor."

"You want Malik and me to watch him until further notice, right?" Ski nodded when Giza walked back into the room, holding the clothes he just had on, wearing the light purple shirt that stopped just above his navel and black cargo pants. "You know that Malik is not going to be very happy about this, right?"

"Why should that matter?" Ski asked, raising a brow with a smile while reaching out to take hold of the clothes Giza held tightly in his arms.

"He is paying for most of the expenses, and he's recently taken up the habit of throwing objects when he gets mad." Ishizu then smiled. "But, I know without a doubt that he will warm up to him in time."

"So. Is that a yes?"

Ishizu nodded with a smile, "Yes, that is a yes. But you know that we have to go back home to Egypt soon?"

"Hopefully we can find a way to send them back before then." A look of realization came over Ski's face, "Shit!" She gasped, louder than she meant to.

Giza jumped, nearly out of his skin, and stumbled backwards, landing on his butt. Looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Sorry. But I left your uncle at my house. I didn't mean to scare you." She said calmly, pulling him up by his arm. "Ishizu, can you please take him home now?"

"Yes, I'll see you later Ski."

"Giza," Ski said, Giza looked up at her curiously, getting over his recent scare. "Can you go with her?" He hesitantly nodded, and walked over to Ishizu. "Okay, I'll call you later to see how things are going."

"All right." Ishizu smiled, turning to walk away, Giza following behind her quickly. While Ski ran to the exit to go home and confront the Egyptian ruler she left at home completely by accident.

------

Ski hurriedly turned the knob to her front door, running in once she got the accursed thing open and looked around the front room.

She sighed in relief when she saw Seth standing straight as ever while curiously looking at her stereo system. She was a scientist, but she still liked the surround sound speakers. He leaned closer to it, experimentally poking the play button.

Automatically, music began playing, her favorite British band, Muse.

Not only where Seth's eyes wide, But he backed away slowly, then he spotted Ski in the doorway. "What is this?" He asked calmly, pointing to the stereo.

"Muse." She answered bluntly, walking over to turn it off.

"No, you foolish women! The box it's coming from." Seth yelled.

"It's called a stereo." Ski said with a hint of annoyance. No matter how important he was, they were going to have to work on the insults, because if there was one thing she couldn't stand more than morons who didn't listen to her, was her intelligence being insulted.

Ski sighed and tried to calm down; right now, with all the turning events, she could really go for a cup of coffee. Or drugs. Drugs would be very good. "My Pharaoh, would you care for a drink?"

"Stale brew." Ski blinked.

"I don't have any."

"Wine?"

"Don't have any of that either." She said, filling the coffee pot up with water and turning it on, letting out a relieved sigh when the machine made that glorious gurgling noise. She looked back to see Seth standing behind her with a confused look. "Would you like some coffee instead, sir?"

"What is this coffee?"

"It is a non-alcoholic drink with caffeine, so it keeps you awake." She said turning around to face him, a bored look on her face.

"Yes." Seth nodded.

----

"Screw it!" Ski yelled, throwing down the cook book and picking up the phone, dialing in the number to the nearest restaurant that delivers.

Ordering more than she knew her and Seth could eat in just one go, with Ichigo Daifuku for dessert, because they where her favorite Japanese desserts she ordered a lot of them.

She looked into the living room once she hung up to see Seth curiously playing with the televisions remote, pushing buttons when Linx came running into the room.

Seth looked down after Linx curiously looked up at him and mewed, getting a look of total surprise on his face. He looked back at Ski, who was leaning on the doorframe with her arms crossed and a small smile on her face.

"What is this?" Seth asked after looking back down at the ferret, who was sniffing his ankle, and stepped away from him.

"His name is Linx. He's a ferret. They're common here in Japan." She said, kneeling down and holding her hand out to Linx, making a clicking noise with her tongue. "He's probably just hungry." Linx came running toward her quickly, Seth watching his every move as he crawled into Ski's open hands.

"What it this?" Seth asked after a while, holding up the black device in his hand, Ski looked up at him from opening the bag of Linx's food pellets.

"Remote, for the television." Ski answered, scooping the pellets into a bowl and setting it on the ground next to Linx's feet and closed the bag up again.

"What does it do?"

"Turns it on."

"Like the other one?"

"Sort of," She said, stroking Linx's back as he ate, and stood up. Walking over to Seth, she outstretched her hand, "May I?"

He handed her the remote and she held it up to the television, pointing it at the screen and pushing the power button.

The screen went from black to having colorful moving pictures of people jumping over the side of a bridge with stretchy rope that ties their feet together. All the while smiling and shrieking in their excitement, and from the adrenaline rush.

"What is this magic?" Seth asked, backing away from the 'magic' box, Ski rolled her eyes with a smile.

"It's not magic. It's technical science. It was developed a while after your time."

"You say that like I'm old." Seth said with a blank look.

"Well, technically, you are more than five thousand year’s old. But your natural age isn't old at all, my Pharaoh." Ski said, trying to cover up the fact that she was calling him old.

The doorbell rang, Ski handed Seth the remote and walked to the door and opened it. She dug through her pocket and pulled out her money, handed it to the delivery man, took the food, smile and didn't accept the change when he tried to give it to her.

Closing the door, she turned back around and headed for the kitchen, a curious little Pharaoh following her, watching as she divided the food evenly (with some left over, for left overs) and gave one of the plates and sets of chopsticks to Seth.

She sat down at the kitchen table and slowly eating, Seth eyeing the food, and Ski's hands, and testingly put the sticks in his hand and used them, seeing that they worked.

When they were done, Seth went to bed, and Ski had the opportunity to make that faithful call she had promised to make. Then went to bed herself, taking Linx with her.