"Daniel… Daniel, trouble! Trouble!" Jonathan came barreling across the deck, clutching an open bottle of liquor in one hand while trying to dodge bullets and falling debris.
He looked more like a panicked drunk than a man under attack — weaving left, stumbling right, somehow managing to keep most of the alcohol from spilling even as chaos erupted around him.
"I have eyes — I can see that," Daniel said flatly, not even turning.
"So what do we do?" Jonathan panted, waving the bottle like some ill-advised torch.
"Nothing." Daniel smiled—calm, stupidly confident—and, before Jonathan could interpret that as permission to do literally anything, Daniel scooped him up like a sack of potatoes and heaved him over the railing with one smooth motion.
Jonathan's muffled yelp was cut abruptly short as he hit the Nile with a huge splash.
"Dan! That's my brother!" Evelyn shouted, mouth open in shock.
Daniel didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, wrapped an arm under Evelyn, and lifted her into a quick princess-carry, turning to face the nearest line of attackers. "That's why you're following him," he said, deadpan.
Evelyn's eyes flashed. "If you throw me into the river, I will be very angry," she warned, jabbing a finger at his shoulder even while dangling in his arms.
Daniel gave her a lopsided grin. "You'd better be."
Before she could process that, he simply let go.
"I hate you!" Evelyn shrieked as she plunged backward into the Nile with a tremendous splash.
Daniel dusted off his hands, unfazed. "I'll take that as a compliment," he muttered, turning toward the remaining flames and chaos on deck.
"Where the hell is Rick O'Connell?" Daniel muttered, scanning the burning deck through smoke and chaos.
He spotted Rick near the stern, locked in combat with two Medjai warriors. Without hesitation, Daniel charged forward, grabbed one of the attackers by the collar, and hurled him straight through a wooden wall. The boards splintered on impact.
Rick blinked. "Remind me not to get on your bad side," he muttered, still trying to understand how someone with such a slim build could throw a full-grown man hard enough to punch him through a wall.
"The ship's sinking — we should leave!" Daniel shouted over the roar of flames. He definitely wasn't planning to stick around and find out how deep the Nile was tonight along with the ship — so swimming it was.
Without waiting for an answer, he vaulted over the railing and dove straight into the dark waters below.
Seeing Daniel dive headfirst into the river, Rick exhaled sharply and slung his weapon bag over his shoulder. "Here we go again…" he muttered.
Just then, the terrified warden Gad grabbed his arm. "What do we do?!" he yelped as the deck tilted under their feet, the whole ship groaning like a dying beast.
Rick flashed him a reassuring grin. "Don't worry. You stay here — I'll go get help."
Before Gad could even blink, Rick vaulted over the railing and splashed into the dark river below, leaving the warden staring after him in disbelief.
The flames spread fast, crawling across the deck and devouring the railings. Gad's eyes darted around — fire above, water below, and not a trace of "help" anywhere.
He realized, far too late, that Rick's words had been nothing but payback for the prison stunt.
"Mashallah!" Gad cried, clutching his turban as he jumped overboard after him — just as the ship exploded behind him, sending a wave of heat across the Nile.
***
In the river,
"Mate, I can't believe you threw me into the river!" Jonathan sputtered, paddling furiously to keep afloat.
"To save you, Jonathan," Daniel replied, effortlessly treading water beside him.
"A warning would've been sufficient next time you try something like that!" Evelyn shouted, her hair plastered to her face as she glared at him from a few feet away.
Daniel grinned. "Where's the fun in that? Adventures are supposed to be thrilling."
Evelyn splashed a wave of water at him. "You're insufferable!"
"Yeah, but you're still alive, aren't you?" Daniel shot back.
Rick O'Connell, already swimming ahead, called out, "Alright, lovebirds—save the flirting for later. If you don't want to be fish food, start swimming that way!" He pointed toward the distant riverbank.
Daniel sighed dramatically. "Well, you heard the man. Forward, team."
Jonathan groaned, "You sound like we're on a bloody holiday tour."
"Technically, we are," Daniel said, grinning as they followed O'Connell toward the bank.
*****
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