NEFARIOUS [MOONKNIGHT]

FOUR

Vera began running across the rooftops of the houses in Cairo. She watched as the man ahead of her jumped over the cement tiles and she grunted, pushing herself past her limits to catch up with him.

He ducked under a line of clothes and Vera snarled, as she ducked under it as well, her white Black Widow suit getting dirtied with sand.

She watched as he tripped over a basket and Vera used a ledge and pushed herself into the sky. She landed right on top of him and she punched him in the face.

"Where is he?" She yelled and the man smiled.

"Where is Dreykov?" She yelled and the man brought his leg up and kicked her in the stomach, pushing her over to the other roof. She grunted as she landed with a hard thud and she heard the clashing of a knife. She looked up seeing Marc fighting some men. She tried to get up but the man who kicked her jumped over and landed before her.

He looked down and smiled, kicking her in the ribs. She gasped for air and she hopped up and spun a roundhouse kick right to his face. He fell over and Vera used this opportunity to slide beneath him and kick his knees in. He fell and one of the mercenaries that Marc was fighting came after her and she turned before the knife he held hit her in the face.

"Marc what the hell!" She snapped and he yelled as he dealt with the old one.

"Don't kill them, they know about Harrow." He said and Vera rolled his eyes as the man she was fighting from Dreykov held a red vile. Her eyes widened and he spoke.

"ispugannyy?" (scared?) He said in Russian and Vera breathed in deep.

"gde ty eto vzyal?" (where did you get that?) She asked looking at the vile and he smiled and before he could do anything, a mercenarie grabbed Vera by her collar and threw her next to the ledge of the roof. Vera landed with a thud and she tilted her head, seeing the street many feet below her.

Dreykov's assassin came up to her and Vera grabbed the knife from her pocket and shoved it into his thigh. He groaned and fell to the floor, grabbing Vera's throat.

"Stupid bitch."He said and he began squeezing her throat. Vera began gagging as he gripped her throat and she reached her hand down and grabbed the knife from his leg and jammed it into his throat. He looked at her as the red vile fell near her face and Vera twisted so it wouldn't fall and she kicked him in his stomach, throwing him off the edge.

Vera gasped as the red liquid evaporated into thin air and she breathed in deep and she looked around to where Marc was, finding nothing but bloodied knives littering the ground. Elle stood up from her spot on the floor and she grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed Elle's number.

After the first ring, Elle picked up. "Hello?" She asked and Vera breathed in deep and spoke.

"Elle, Dreykov's son is back. He's back and he has what I thought was Red Dust, but he's altered it somehow. To take over instead of break the manipulation." She said and Elle breathed in deep and sighed.

Vera walked through the streets of Cairo, as her red hair was pinned up in braids.  She clenched her jaw so hard, it felt as if her teeth would break under the weight. She knew that they should have killed Nikolas Dreykov when they had the chance. Her, Elle, Yelena and Natasha had more than one shot and they didn't take it. Vera walked past an alley, keeping her head focused ahead of her and she felt a hand grab her wrist, bringing her into the alley. 

Vera' s flight or fight response took over but before anything could happen the scent of teakwood and whiskey filled her nose and she knew exactly who it was. Marc held her against the wall, a hand covering her mouth and he spoke.

"I need your help." He said and Vera looked into his brown eyes and he moved his hand off her mouth.

"With what?" She asked and he looked into her green eyes and spoke.

"Finding Senfu's sarcophagus." He said and Vera's eyebrows furrowed inwards.

"What the hell is that?" She asked and looked at her lips and spoke.

"I need help, Vera." He said and she clenched her jaw and spoke.

"Marc-" She went to say but he placed his lips over hers. Vera kisses him back, as Marc wraps an arm around your waist to tug your body closer. When you feel the need to breathe, Vera leans back only a little, still close enough to feel his shallow breaths against her skin.

"Please." He pleaded and Vera nodded and looked at him.

"Then you'll help me kill someone." She said and he looked into her eyes and he spoke.

"Okay." He said and Vera raised an eyebrow and Marc looked her up and down as if he wanted to devour her and she shook her head.

"I don't even know what your favorite color is and we had sex. Twice. Not to mention you just kissed me and you don't even know anything about me." She said and Marc breathed in and spoke.

"I know enough." He said and Vera looked out into the street and spoke.

"Let's find this esophagus then." She said and ducked under his arm and walked out into the street.