PROLOGUE: City That Never Sleeps

She ran her hand languidly across the floor-length glass door, watching as it went. No reflection. She still hadn't become used to that, not in all these many years. Looking out through the doors into the dark sky, she noted how beautiful the full moon was tonight. It made her hungry... that was something she had become accustomed to only too well. The penthouse suite was very luxurious. When she was still numbered among the living, she would have been in awe of such a place. She would have dreamed of living here. Now she couldn't wait to get back out into the night, to hunt under the light of the moon. The hunger overrode almost everything when it was strong enough. If she did not hunt and feed, the hunger would overwhelm her, and she could do something foolish and become exposed, and tonight she was very hungry. Very hungry and very agitated.

She did not know why she had been summoned here. The recent clearing of Hell's Kitchen was not her fault. Something very thorough had gone in there and cleaned out all her kind at the street level. Very thorough, and very efficient. Information had completely stopped coming in from the outposts within a few days of the first going silent.

The attempt to re-establish a street presence in the City had been halted almost as fast as it had begun. There were too many of them now, these so-called metahumans. Something would have to be done about it, soon.

In the darkness behind her a presence stirred.

"Come and sit, Tessa" a feminine voice intoned from the darkness. "We have much to discuss."

It was a quiet evening in the universe, Stephen Strange mused to himself. Perhaps he might enjoy several hours of sleep for the first time in many nights. Sleep was more of an indulgence for the Sorceror Supreme now, who had become in almost every sense, an immortal.

The recent tumult in the small balkan nation of Transia had been dealt with, and no major mystical threats had arisen since. Aside from some minor issues, it hadn't been this quiet in a very long time.

That was fortunate, as he would have to spend a great deal of effort to properly train the young sorceress that now ruled Transia. A great deal of effort, and time. He had already asked Wong to find an assistant to help with upkeep at the sanctum, and with other mundane affairs while he saw to his commitment to mentoring Spiral.

It was fortunate that young Peter Parker had recommended a young lady to him for just such a position. He looked forward to meeting her once Wong had shown her about the place.

In addition to training Spiral, he also needed to set his new acquaintences from the Transia affair to work addressing the minor supernatural issues that arose from time to time in the City while he was away. The man-wolf Fenris would be able to suss out the threats with his occult sense, and the others were more than able to deal with any problems. If the Avengers dealt with interstellar foes, and SHIELD with most other things, this group would be able to take care of those mystical threats that were sure to crop up until he returned.

Not expecting any mischief from the likes of Dormammu, or Mephisto, or, especially not now, Chthon, these 'Roughnecks' would do just fine with whatever else came up.

Satisfied that all was in order, he retired for the evening to enjoy increasingly rare rest in good, old-fashioned human sleep.

A few more pictures of himself in action, and he could call it a night. Old J.J.J. would curse him out again for not having anything else fit for print, but Robbie would snap them up, just like always.

Now, if he could only figure out a way to make it to class regularly! Dr. Connors was not at all impressed with his attendance record, and his grades were starting to show it. He'd have to figure something out, and fast. He couldn't let Aunt May down, not after everything that had happened last year. Uncle Ben . . . the memory was still too fresh, even now.

Before he knew it, he had almost swung his way into the side of another building. Stupid. When he was out like this he had to remember to stay focused! At some point, he knew he was going to run into something or someone tougher than a gang of thugs, or a low level costume. He had to be ready.

At least Mary Jane had lined up an interview tonight for a full-time job to help her until she could hit the big time. Well, he had really lined it up, but she didn't know that. How could he tell her, 'oh by the way, Hon, I'm Spider-man, and I talked to my new buddy, you know, the sorceror supreme of our dimension, and he needs a new secretary to help out with some of the books and things.' Yeah. Right.

As he came up on Central Park, he noticed a routine mugging already in full swing. Webslinging his way down to where the crime was happening, he took note of the perp. Under the bright streetlight, the guy was making no attempt at subtlety with his would-be victim.

"You're not too quick, even for a criminal," he quipped. He just warming up, and he was getting better at this part every time. "Don't you know you're not supposed to try that right out in the open? And by the way, no means no."

The would-be perpetrator turned to face him and snarled incoherently. The guy looked like he needed to see a dentist, and go out in the sun more often. What a perv.

"Geez buddy, gettin' out and catchin' a few rays wouldn't hurt that pasty skin, either," he zinged. " 'Course, where you're going you aren't gonna get much chance for that!"

When the guy's eyes started glowing red in response, he knew he had gotten his wish. This wasn't a street thug, or a costumed wannabe. He cracked his knuckles.

The Moon Knight had felt the might of Khonshu overwhelm him as soon as darkness fell. It was the first day of the full moon cycle, and as the disc reached its zenith in the sky, his own physical power grew to its greatest levels.  In the City that Never Sleeps, there were more than enough problems to draw his attention, and he would need every bit of Khonshu's power.

Nothing in all his days as an army ranger, nor in his later career as an agent of SHIELD, had prepared him for what he had become. He was a creature of the supernatural, now. A fist of justice shining in the dark night. When Khonshu lifted his broken body up from where he lay dying in the darkness so many nights ago on some forgotten mission in Cairo, he had been transformed. His broken body was healed, but more importantly, so was his empty soul . . .

Even so, it was all of his training and experience that kept him alive from full moon to full moon. He was as skilled an operator as they came. A master of all forms of combat, survival, disguise, espionage, and . . . other, darker things. His former masters at SHIELD thought him dead. All the better to be free to do what he was meant to do.

Rumors were spreading amongst his occult contacts that the vamps weren't all gone yet.  He was convinced that Fenris had gotten them all, though.  That could only mean that there were more, but higher up, insulated from where his contacts would have heard more about them.

If that were true, then he might have sent his old friend back to Wisconsin a little too soon.  To lure Axel back would take a year's supply of Leiney's.  He might just have to call a local distributor he knew . . .

"Please come in, miss Watson," he said, bowing low.

"Thank you, sir," the young woman said. "And thank you for this interview,"

"It is my pleasure," Wong smiled slightly. "If you are truly as was recommended, then my own duties will be greatly lessened as a result of your employment."

The young woman smiled back, and Wong could easily see why she had been referred. She had an easy charm, an old soul, despite her apparent youth. He understood completely why young Peter was so smitten with miss Mary Jane Watson.

"And please, I am Wong," he said to her smiling more broadly.

The woman held out her hand to him. "And please call me Mary Jane, if that's alright."

Wong nodded back to her in reply.

"The doctor has already reviewed your resume and references, and so in all honesty, this is as much your opportunity to assess whether you are as interested in working here, as we are in having you work here."

"Well, okay. Does that mean I am about to get a tour?"

"That is exactly what it means."

Wong knew she was going to fit right in.

She rose from the divan, the room still barely illuminated in the moonlight. It was late now, but there was still time to hunt.

"As you wish," she said into the darkness, bowing low. "It will be difficult to accomplish, but it will be done."

"See that it is," the voice responded, an edge creeping into its tone. "Or you will not be pleased with the fruits of your failure."

Cursing to herself, she exited the suite as quickly as she could. She felt angry and confused, and for the first time in many decades, she felt scared. Her meal tonight was going to pay twice, once with its suffering, and once with its blood. She was not yet sure in what order she was going to exact that payment . . .



(published 7/26/2013)