8260/Pointing a Finger at the Moon

Pointing a Finger at the Moon
Date of Scene:	15 October 2021
Location:	The Midnight Mission
Synopsis:	The Moon Knight called Zatanna Zatarra to the Midnight Mission in order to SCP (Secure, Contain and Protect) a magic mirror that was the portal for a killer. The appropriate spells were said disposing of the mirror in a warded vault in Shadowcrest.
Cast of Characters:	Marc Spector, Zatanna Zatara

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Marc Spector has posed:
    The Midnight Mission is a nondescript building. On the outside it looks like any regular brownstone in one of the less reputable avenues of Queens. Nothing marks it as a Egyptian Temple to a lesser known deity. But to those who have heard the call of Khonshu, (or in this case were directed there by a curious phone call) that is exactly what it is.

    The inner hall is decorated with fine carpets and art pieces that for all appearances seem authentically Ptolemaic. There are a number of potted ferns and dim lighting to heighten the atmosphere of mystique and reverence. To one side are a pair of what look to be office rooms, perhaps for the maintaining of the Mission. Nothing in America is done without a litany of paperwork after all.

    Further in is the temple proper which has been carefully crafted to look as if it truly is in the Egypt of old. Heiroglyphs line the walls and more ferns dot the open congregation area as do a number of simple, yet comfortable looking seats. The lighting here is even more subdued, the eerie silver glow over everything makes the room look like it is perpetually bathed in moonlight. The dominating figure of the room is the towering statue of the god Khonshu himself at the far end of the room. Easily twenty feet tall it has no defining characteristics aside from the crescent motif on its staff, chest, and forehead.

    Even during the daytime hours the temple is filled with a peaceful and calming atmosphere. After all, the moon is ever present, even if unseen. There doesn't appear to be anyone in the building, but appearances aren't always what they seem and Zatanna was called.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    Zatanna was more than happy to receive a message from the Moon as she calls him. It is a rare opportunity as a connoisseur of Egyptian art to view the interior of the temple without the bother of officials or having to bypass museum guards.

    A leaf skitters along the sidewalk blown by the wind of Zatanna portaling in from Gotham to the steps outside the anodyne exterior of the temple. She walks up the stairs and lets herself in through the innocuous front door - entrance to another world.

    Craning her head like a tourist, her heels faintly click on the stone floor as she walks toward the sanctuary in search of Khonshu's earthly representative. A faint smile lights her face as she examines the walls gleaming with hieroglyphs. She stops like so many worshippers before her in awe at the statue looming over the inner sanctum and looks up.

Marc Spector has posed:
    "It's quite lovely isn't it?" comes the low resonant tone from one side of the statue.

    Moon Knight, in his combat suit, steps from the shadow of his god. In his hand is a long staff that looks identical to the one the statue holds. "I had it brought in from the temple where I was born" he says stopping a comfortable distance from the woman. "Thank you for coming. I would usually turn to John for such matters as I called you in for, but his condition is... troubling, to say the least."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    Zee's mouth opens slightly in unvoiced alarm at the news, but, she nods her head in greeting to him "Thank you for your trust, Marc. How can I help? I hope I'm a worthy substitute for John. Do mind me calling you Marc? You are welcome to call me Zatanna or Zee, like my friends do.

    A faint frown clouds her face as she pursues what he mentioned about John. "He keeps so much from me. I'm taking a stab in the dark here and following my intuition. Was it the amulet that he made for Jubilation that hurt him or the wound he took on Perry island?"

Marc Spector has posed:
    There is a falter in Moon Knight's demeanor as he looks at the woman. "I am going to guess your knowledge of who I am under this mask is attributed to a mystical sight and not some mistake I have made in the recent past." He nods as if he accepts his own explaination. "I should expect nothing less from a woman of your considerable talent and skill."

    "In private if you wish to use my name, you may" he replies. "But in company, I would prefer you use the title given to me by Khonshu. My identity is secret not only for my protection, but for others' as well."

    At her other question he sighs. "The amulet if I understand it correctly. I do not know the particulars, but I believe he was using his own lifeforce to supplement the vitae that the young Jubilation needed to sustain herself. It has since been destroyed from what I hear. But that, compounded with a litany of bargains, spells, and poor life choices, has led John Constantine to be... less than reliable with something like the problem I have."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"I can be too cavalier about people's identities at times. Thank you for being so gracious about it. What should I properly address you by?" She tugs at the bottom of her tuxedo jacket in discomfort then nods several times at his reasoning for asking her here.

Ever the diplomat, she replies carefully, "John is extremely gifted. I've learned a lot from him. But, he is often overly optimistic about how much of his personal energy he can share. Self-care can be an issue for him. What is the problem you have exactly?"

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight answers her as he moves back toward the side of the statue. "Moon Knight is fine when I am dressed as you see me. Any of the other titles of Khonshu also work as I am his representation on this plane of reality. Pathfinder, Traveller, Defender, Embracer." He moves past the side and to the back of the statue. "The Fist of Khonshu, also works if you're feeling the need for extravagance. Some have called me such in the past, and the title does strike fear in those who are aware of me."

    He returns to the subtle light before the statue carrying a mirror. It is large, four feet by three feet and looks antique if the gilt frame is any indicator. That frame as well as the looking pane of the mirror is smeared with something dark brown in color. "I need you to take this off my hands and ensure that it is secure and safe and does not see the light of day ever again, if that is at all possible."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    "Fitting names,"Zatanna murmurs, her eyes widening as she watches him return with the mirror. She takes a half-step back from the artifact as though unwilling to touch it until it is named or she discovers its name.

    "What can You tell me about it? How did you acquire it?"

     "I don't need to tell you the arcana attached to mirrors. Hathor, goddess of beauty and Ra, both have connections to them," she narrates, still careful to not let her image be reflected in its surface.

Marc Spector has posed:
    "I hope that neither are connected to the entity that emerged from it to kill a man two nights past" Moon Knight replies. "If so there is a much bigger problem rising." He sets the mirror down, the reflection facing the solid stone of the statue of Khonshu and explains.

    "I got word that there was a death under suspicious circumstances at a house upstate" he starts. "I went to investigate, taking The Archivist with me... I thought his particular abilities could give some insight to the nature of the death." There is a tug at the mouth area under the mask, maybe a smile. "He did not disappoint. But I will get to that." He glances at the mirror for a moment before resuming his tale. "We arrived at the house in question, it was abandoned as most old houses tend to be. There was one conspicuous detail about the place though. All the mirrors in the house were covered with thick black cloth. Save this one" he gestures to the large mirror behind him.

    "This one's cloth had been torn, or simply tugged away to reveal the reflective glass. Another woman, she called herself Morrigan--I believe she is a witch, a vampire, or both--was also there investigating the scene. After a moment, Jon managed to tap into the spirit of the man who died. As the man's ghost told it, he was killed by something that emerged from the mirror. Long claw-like nails, a bloody gash of a mouth, and a white blood-stained nightgown." He looked at Zatanna, wondering if she would recognize the creature he spoke of.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    Zatanna pinches her lower lip, digesting his words, nodding at different points in his narrative, encouraging him to speak. After a long thoughtful inhale, she says gravely, "I've met Morrigan and worked at her side when dealing with dark magic. It doesn't surprise me to hear she's involved.

    You," she emphasizes you, "are a brave man to handle the mirror so lightly if it has already allowed someone to kill through it. I think I know who it is that took his life but I won't say the name aloud unless I want to summon it. I'm sorry a life has been taken by this evil. But, glad that you had the archivist with you to scry the deceased soul and learn how he died. That is one less step onto the dark side for me."


    After a glance around the room, "Is it proper for me to do this in the God's presence?"

Marc Spector has posed:
    "I do not think Khonshu will mind" Moon Knight replied with a nod to the statue. "I engaged the creature who killed the man, it emerged from the upstairs of the house, somehow. I was unable to dispatch it before it fled, hence why I am calling for you. I do not know if it is still tied to this mirror, but to think that it could use this portal as a means to kill once means it could do so again. I wish to see that one avenue is at least taken from it."

    "As long as you don't damage the temple, your gifts are as sacred as his are to me." The Fist of Khonshu regards the magus with interst. "I take it that I should step away from the artifact?" he asks.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    With a nod to the Knight and another to the God's statue, she says, "Don't let your face be reflected in the mirror. The thing lurks waiting for a chance to grab at someone even one such as yourself, protected by a God. Place the mirror on the floor there," the magician indicates a space to the right of the God's pedestal.

    After he has complied she approaches it like it is a mad dog on a chain, not letting her image be seen in its glass. I am going to put it in a safe place in my house. We have a magically warded safe for things as dangerous as this. I want to make sure I've cast the right spells so it can no longer be used as a portal for the entity that reached through it to kill the man you spoke of."

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight watches with a nod. He's also being quite careful despite his complete lack of fear of the creature he encountered before. "I will feel relief knowing we managed to avenge Denny Samuels' demise, even if not completely." He is no mystic, but Blood Mary's presence is so widespread that he knows destroying one mirror--or at least eliminating it from her control--will not actually stop her terror.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    Zatanna looks sympathetically at him, "How did your friend come by it? It has been charmed to be a portal for the evil that struck, you know."

    She squares her shoulders standing a few steps away from the object and takes a breath, deep in her diaphragm like a diva preparing to sing, and intones,".live rof latrop a sa rewop sti ekover eW .dnilb ti ekaM .rorrim siht fo eye eht revoC" ("Cover the eye of this mirror. Make it blind. We revoke its power as a portal for evil.")

     The mirror darkens, closing like the eye of a serpent with a snap.

    She quickly follows the first invocation with, ".tsercwodahS ni tluav eht fo ytefas eht ot oG" (Go to the safety of the vault in Shdaowcrest.)

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight waits til the spells are cast to answer. He shakes his head. "He was not a friend. I did not know him. He was simply a man called to do some renovations on an old house. Wrong place, wrong time." He stares at the blackened mirror. "I simply had my ear to the ground in some places and was given reason to investigate by..." He looks up at the statue.

    He then looks at Zatanna. "So it is done then?" he asks. "Can the physical vessel be destroyed without breaking the invocation of must it remain intact for both the spell to hold?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    The mirror winks out of existence in the temple and is whisked away to a shelf in a warded vault inside a warded house in Gotham.

    She shakes her head gravely at him, "I've yet to decide. It depends on the power placed in the spell and who wielded it, knowing the evil they were committing. My house is warded so nothing can enter it. Something I didn't want to chance in a sacred place like this," she gestures broadly to the sanctuary.

    "It is done. It will not return nor will the one using it bother you if I have had my say."

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight nods in relief. "Thank you, Zatanna. Your assistance in this matter is appreciated more than you likely know." He pauses and looks a the woman for a while. "Should I come across more things like that in my travels, I may call on you again." He seems somewhat apologetic. "Like I said, I would usually call on Constantine for this before now. But I feel that placing more on his plate at this time could result in... less than savory results."

    "In the meantime, I thank you. Know that you are always welcome here" he gestures to the temple proper, "should you need a palce of refuge or simply peace."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The Magician of Words bows silently and smiles her thanks to him.