The longer it took to get to their destination the longer horrible thoughts lingered in Elizabeth's mind. As badly as she wanted to ask Layla about what happened that could lead to their divorce, she opted not to, not wanting to upset her childhood friend.
They have been friends for as long as she could remember, it all started when they were young and their parents brought them over for dinner, ever since then, Layla and Elizabeth had grown closer with both of them growing up to be aspiring archeologists. Layla had graduated first, being four years older than Elizabeth was.
Elizabeth barely had contact with Layla during her time at school, knowing then that she was a busy woman now. But then the events of what happened at the dig site their parents both worked on happened and it was like they had never known each other at all.
The last text she got from Layla was telling her condolences to her Mother and Elizabeth did the same to her Father.
Deep inside, Elizabeth hoped that she wasn't the cause of their separation. She entered this relationship with Steven, not knowing he was already married.
Although, that fact alone broke Elizabeth's heart.
When it was her turn to tell Layla about how she had met the man, she only told her what she needed to know as she is still married to him, excluding the moments when the two were basically inseparable and behaving much like a couple. She also left put the part where she has fallen in love with him.
When Elizabeth saw Layla nodding as if she was convinced, she released a soft, relieved breath before her eyes darted to the mirror, where she noticed that Layla had put on a relieved look on her face, as if she was glad that she found out that they just friends. Seeing this made her heart drop.
Now arriving at their destination, Layla had the motorbike parked behind the tall buildings of the village to not be seen by its inhabitants. Elizabeth immediately felt dread seep into her the moment her feet touched the ground, it was as if this place had that effect on her every time she was there. Then she remembered her sister, who could be in here and would try to stop her if she spotted Elizabeth.
"Uhm, Layla?" Elizabeth turned towards the woman, whose head perked up at the mention of her name, "I think we should separate."
"What? Why?" Layla asked, her voice mixed with surprise and worry as she rounded her motorbike to get to Elizabeth.
"My sister's in there. If she sees me with you, she'll do anything to stop us." Elizabeth took the scarab out of her pocket, Layla asked her to hold on to it as she was worried that it might fall out of her pocket when she was driving. Elizabeth grabbed her hand and placed the scarab on her palm before closing her fingers around it, "Go."
Layla glanced down at the scarab in hand as she drew her hand back towards her. "But what about you, Lizzie?"
"I'll find my way in. I'll help with everything I've got. Just..." Elizabeth joined her hands together and breathed in, trying to calm her nerves as she thought of what they could be doing to Steven right at this very moment. "Just make sure he's okay."
Layla nodded diligently, walking up to Elizabeth to pull her in a one-sided hug before going down the road where Elizabeth told her to go. She watched Layla until her figure disappeared from her sight, at that moment, she allowed herself to turn her head towards the tall figure now standing beside her.
Horus held a somber expression as he kept his eyes on the path that Layla took before looking down at Elizabeth. He was concerned, that even if Elizabeth was a quick learner, their training still wasn't enough. He also knew that if he took over her body to fight for her again, this time, the gods will know and before he even realizes it, he'll be trapped in stone.
"You okay?" Elizabeth asked, concern coating her voice as she gazed at the troubled expression that Horus had.
Yeah. I'm fine. Just worried is all.
"Well, this is what I've trained for, right?"
But you're still not ready, you know that.
"I know." Elizabeth lifted her hand in the air, calling forth the spear of Horus in her hand. Within a few moments, the spear came into her hand in its dormant state. If she had been paying attention, she would've noticed Horus giving her an impressed look.
"But we've got to stop them."
•••
As the door opened on his side of the car, Steven fell with a harsh thud, causing the wind to get knocked off of his lungs. The sound of a cane hitting the ground and glasses clinking near his ears prompted him to look up, spotting Arthur Harrow walking around him in a circle.
"I'm sorry for the wait." Harrow bent down at Steven's level before he handed back the radio to the man he borrowed it from, he used it to get to hear Steven talking inside the car. "We just needed a chance to better understand your situation. Do you have the keys?"
The woman, who was standing behind Harrow, pulled the keys out from her pocket and handed them to Harrow. "Let's get you out of those cuffs. There you go."
Once Steven was free from the cuffs, he propped himself up, still seated on the ground as he watched the two detectives walk away with a terrified look.
"Aren't they terrific?"
"Yeah, they're lovely," Steven replied sarcastically.
"All right. Well, no wonder your scales don't balance." Harrow bent down to grab Steven's hand before pulling him back to his feet. Steven turned to face the man with a confused look. A day ago, he was sure this man sent a deadly creature to chase him down.
"It must be very difficult having all those voices inside one head. Steven Grant, Marc Spector, Khonshu." As Steven kept a long stare at the man, Harrow was fixing his clothing before resting both of his hands over his shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze.
"I'm curious, do you think that Khonshu chose you as his Avatar because your mind would be so easy to break or because it was broken already?"
"No, I'm not broken." Steven replied, watching warily as the man in front of him brushed the dust off of his jacket. "Just need some help, maybe."
"That's right. That's why I'm here, to help."
Steven released a shuddered breath, his heartbeat quickening at the sight of the creature that was pursuing him one night ago. The reflection, who told him that his name was Marc Spector, told him that this was Khonshu, the Egyptian god of the moon and that he was his avatar. Harrow noticed this and he placed a reassuring hand back on Steven's shoulder.
"Okay, what is it? Do you see him? You see him right now? That's a privilege I no longer have."
Kill him!
"What's the saying, huh? Is he telling you to kill me?" Harrow queried as Steven's eyes diverted to him. When he returned his gaze towards the god, he had broken any space between them and was now towering over Harrow.
Break his windpipe!
"Yeah." Steven answered Harrow nervously with a quick nod as he glanced between the man and the god.
"Well, just remember, you don't have to do everything he asks. So, before you get excited and put on the cape, I'd love to take this opportunity to show you around."
Steven gasped when the wind had suddenly become stronger and the trashcan flew across the street.
" It's all right, it's all right. That's all he can do without your help." Harrow told Steven in a reassuring tone. "Come."
Steven, still feeling uneasy, followed Harrow into the village. He decided to listen to him to calm his nerves. He glanced back worriedly as the wind started to pick up once more, making him to wrap his jacket tightly around his body.
"See, this neighborhood used to have the highest crime rate in all of the city. There was so much suffering, so much pain..." Harrow explained, he trailed off when he went to greet the people they were waking past. " It was truly heartbreaking. Now people don't lock their doors at night. They feel safe."
Once they came across a man being over a garden, Harrow called him to get his attention. Steven watched with a befuddled expression as the man approached the both of them to show the tomatoes he was harvesting. Harrow complimented the man for his work before he walked away.
"But you don't want to tell anyone, no. People don't want to hear good news. They'd rather cling to their fear, cling to their pain." Harrow carried on as they continues to walk.
"Goat." Steven said, pointing at the goat he heard bleating.
"What? Yes." Harrow chuckled softly before turning his head ahead. He greeted a dark-skinned girl in a different language that Steven picked up as Chinese. Harrow stopped the ball that was going in their direction with his left foot before kicking it back towards the girl who responded to him in the same language with a cheeky smile spread across her lips.
"You all speak Chinese?" Steven queried as they walked past the girl.
"Ah, Mandarin." Harrow corrected him instantly, taking his arm as he led him the other way. "We all aspire to learn three languages. So, we teach each other. We share our knowledge."
They walked through the large doors, leading to a big compound where the rest of the village's inhabitants lingered. Stepping inside, he spotted a group of people seated in front of a screen, watching a film with headphones while others were eating.
"The food's free. You're a vegan, right?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah, so am I." Harrow started walking ahead of Steven, allowing him to take in the compound while he made his way over to the buffet. "You might wanna try the lentil soup. I made it this morning. It's Victor's recipe. Gracias, Victor!"
The man Harrow called looked up from what he was doing, waving back at Harrow with a polite smile.
"He's from the Yucatan. He's...No, he's very funny." Harrow picked up a tray, offering one to Steven before taking one for himself. "I know being on the right side of things is important to you. Khonshu always tried to ensnare those with a strong moral conscience."
You have no conscience.
Steven jumped at the sound of the shelves beside them being slammed and tipped over by an unknown force. The people near them all turned their attention towards the shelves, curious as to what had happened. But it was obvious that it was Khonshu, letting out his frustration on any object like a petulant child.
"You don't have to listen to him." Said Harrow, seemingly unfazed by what had happened before walking away.
Steven nodded at the woman who handed her a bowl of soup before following Harrow to a seat.
"He often throws temper tantrums, like a two-year-old. None of the good respect him. Perhaps that's why he was banished." Harrow continued as he took a seat, waiting for Steven to be seated as well. Steven looked over his shoulder, spotting Khonshu standing on a balcony.
I only punish those who have already done harm. I am real justice!
"What's he saying now? I am real justice?" Harrow told Steven in a mocking tone and soon after he said that, the people watching a movie laughed, as if they were paying attention. Turning back to Harrow, he gave him a questioning look and then asked.
"Can you hear him?"
Harrow lifted his gaze from the soup. "Not anymore. I was his former Avatar. Before you, I was the first of vengeance."
"I'm not the first of anything. That's the little American man living inside of me." Steven started as he pointed a finger at himself.
"And that's, uh, that's Marc?"
Steven glanced up at Harrow. He then decided to divert the conversation away from the murderer living inside of him. When the detective mentioned that Marc Spector had killed archeologists in Egypt, he wondered if he had anything to do with what happened with Elizabeth's parents.
"Soup's... Yeah, it's very good. It's ace. Yeah, it's lovely." He said, complimenting the soup.
"Khonshu punishes those who have already walked an evil path. His retribution comes too late. By the time his fist of vengeance arrives, people have already suffered. Ammit knows this too well. She tears evil up from the root, casting her judgment before any evil's done. That's why we must resurrect her."
"Right. But... Isn't that a bit dodgy? Like, trusting the judgment of a weird crocodile lady?" Steven asked him with an eyebrow raised, he didn't like what his concept of retribution was.
"You don't need to doubt her judgment. Ammit will light the path to good by eradicating the choice of evil, which brings us to the scarab."
The sound of metal scraping against the floor filled Steven's ears. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the people that were seated in their tables now standing up, closing in on them.
"That scarab functions as a kind of compass, leading us to Ammit's tomb. She's out there, waiting, longing to be freed." Harrow explained while more and more people started to surround the both of them. Steven raised a hand, muttering a soft 'Hi' to them as they came closer and closer. Amongst them, he spotted a familiar face.
Arabella Foster.
The look Arabella gave Steven sent shivers down his spine, prompting him to turn away from the brunette and face Harrow once again.
"While the cruel masses deserve to face her judgment. And in the wake of their screams, evil eradicated. Steven, to exist at that moment? Heaven on Earth. So, the scarab."
"Oh, I don't have it." Steven replied, shaking his head.
"No?"
"Honestly, I don't have it."
"Well, maybe you know someone who does? Maybe Marc?"
Don't you do it. Don't you say her name. Do not give Layla up. Just give me the body.
Steven's eyes darted down to the small, metal plate where she could see Marc's reflection popping up. Marc shot him a pointed look, convincing him not to tell Harrow for it would endanger Layla.
"No, I don't." Steven answered.
"May I speak with Marc?" Harrow saw the hesitation in Steven's actions. "Marc, what has Khonshu promised you? That this is your last mission? Then you'll be free? Trust me when I tell you Khonshu is a liar. There's always one last thing."
"Sorry. If Ammit judges people pre-evil, like, before the fact, then, isn't she judging an innocent person? I mean, a thought can't be evil, can it? I think about killing my boss all the time, but I wouldn't actually do it." Steven pointed out.
"Steven..."
"What about a child? Would she kill a child for something they might do in 30 years?" Steven continued as realization was sinking in.
"I'm glad you mentioned that. Sometimes, the cure is a little taste of the disease. The difference between medicine and poison sometimes is only dosage. Consider a diseased limb." Harrow lifted his arm to demonstrate it to Steven so that he could prove his point. "Amputation, horrific and grotesque, is necessary for the larger health."
"But the child is not a diseased limb. Sorry, is that... Is that what... You're all into that, like, killing children and that?" Steven said, turning to the people surrounding them before looking back at Harrow. "Maybe that's just me, but that's... I kind of draw a line there at child murder."
"Do you know what this is?" Harrow turned to the cane leaning against his table, causing Steven to look down at it as well.
"Yep. It's a cane, yeah."
"This is... " Harrow grabbed the came, rising back up to his feet. Dread began to fill Steven as he watched the crocodile-shaped handles begin to omit a soft purple glow. "Ammit's gift to her first Avatar. All right. It contains in it a tiny sliver of her power. I don't wanna use it."
Steven stood up, the chair scraping against the ground as he backed away from Harrow who was stepping closer to Steven.
"I don't," Harrow told him.
"Then don't. I can't help you." Steven moved farther from Harrow, creating a safe distance between the two of them. He was glad he wasn't being stopped by Harrow's men like when he was in the Alps.
"Yes, you can. I need to know, where is the scarab?"
Steven didn't answer, not wanting to endanger Layla and Elizabeth, who was there when the detectives came.
"Where is the scarab?" Harrow pressed him more but only was met with silence as Steven backed say from him.
Until.
"I have it!"
Steven and the rest of the people inside the compound turned to the voice. His eyes immediately fell upon Layla, whose arm was raised in the air with the golden scarab in her hand, infazed at the number of malicious looks sent in her way. Steven was glad to see her but he wondered.
Where was Elizabeth?
"You couldn't possibly understand the value of what you're holding." Harrow extended his hand towards the approaching woman, silently telling her to give it to him. "Let me have that, I'll keep it safe.."
There is no deal in this, Marc. Fix this. Fix this!
Layla walked over to stand at Steven's side, eyes warily viewing the people surrounding them.
Layla turned to Steven and said. "Summon the suit."
"Sorry, what?" Steven replied with a puzzled tone.
Layla turned to him with now a look of disbelief in her eyes as she stepped forward. "Summon the suit."
"Summon the soup? What are you saying?"
"The suit! Summon it! And keep this safe." Layla handed the scarab to him, shoving it against his chest before it dropped to his hand when she let go of it.
"So be it."
Layla grabbed Steven's hand, leading him dep in the compound where she spotted a flight of stairs. Steven glanced down at the scarab worriedly before putting it in his pocket.
As the pair were escaping, Harrow got down on one knee, planting his cane on the ground as he began chanting in an unknown language. The ground beneath him began to crumble and under it, a bright purple light illuminated the room. Harrow continued his chant until a creature's hand shot out from the ground.
As Steven was about to round a corner, a man appeared from the doorway, he was prepared to take Steven on to take the scarab when someone punched him from inside the doorway he came out of.
Steven's eyebrows knitted together in curiosity when the man appeared to be disoriented from the punch before the person proceeded to kick him off the balcony, tipping him over the railing before landing on the wooden platform below, breaking it in the process.
Steven's breath hitched as the figure came out of the doorway, but he calmed and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips when the figure turned out to be Elizabeth.
She peered over the balcony, eyes filled with surprise as if she couldn't believe that she had done that on her own.
"Elizabeth!" Steven said, bringing the woman's attention to him. Only at that moment did he notice that she held a black pole in her right hand. "That was amazing!"
"Thank you. But we got to go. Follow me." Elizabeth ran up the stairs, meeting Layla who then defeated one of Harrow's men on her own as well.
The two of them followed Elizabeth, who led them into an empty hallway. She pushed on some of the doors, only to let out an exasperated huff when all of them wouldn't budge open. But they eventually found a room with an unlocked door, the brunette quickly closing it and bolting it to prevent anyone from following them.
"We need to find a way out," Elizabeth told the both of them with a stern tone as she walked past Layla and Steven, eyeing darting around the room to look for a way to escape.
"Oh my god. I'm going to die in an evil magician's man cave." Steven stated with fear in his voice. All Steven could think of was the danger that he felt was closing in on them. Everyone in the room in this building was in danger because of him.
Layla and Elizabeth were in danger because of him. The thought of not having able to help them caused his stomach to churn uneasily, the bile rising in his throat.
"No, Hey. Listen to me. Listen to me." Layla said pointedly as she walked over to Steven and grabbed his arms. But his attention was caught by the loud pounding on the door. Elizabeth was standing close to it, causing panic to rise in his chest. "Your name is Marc. There's a suit. I've seen you use it. You bring it out."
Layla told him, urgency evident in his tone. But all he could think about was the thing that was trying to break in, with only Elizabeth guarding it.
Let me in, Steven!
Let m in. There's no more time!
Glancing down at the mirror behind Layla, he saw Marc Spector. Soon, their voices started to overlap, making his anxiety worse as it is. Steven glanced between the two with eyes wide in panic, their voices filled his head until he could no longer bear it.
"Please stop! leaving me alone, both of you! No!" Steven begged them, hands clutching his head as he fell on both of his knees. His desperate plea caught Elizabeth's ears causing the brunette to take her attention off of the door. Gazing down at Steven with sympathy, she decided to walk over to him, where Layla was trying her best at calming him down but to no avail.
"Hey," Elizabeth said in a soft voice as she got down on one knee and placed the weapon next to her feet. "Steven?"
Steven lifted his head when he heard the familiar sound of Elizabeth's voice. She reached for his hands, taking them off of his head before giving them a reassuring squeeze.
"You can do this." Elizabeth encouraged him, a soft smile tugged the corner of her lips as she gazed at Steven directly in his eyes. Steven felt his heart calming as he started at Elizabeth's eyes, finding solace in them.
But no matter how much he wanted to bring out this suit that Layla was talking about, he didn't know how to. He also didn't want Marc to take over, worried about what he will do if he was in control especially when he found out what Marc had done in Egypt.
"I can't." he said softly, shaking his head dejectedly, "I'm sorry, I can't. I can't do it."
Elizabeth released a soft breath, her hands moving up to his face to cup his cheek while oblivious to the weird look Layla was giving her and Steven. "It's all right. It's all right.."
"We'll just find another way." Layla stood up, eyes darting around the place until she spotted a metal ladder on the wall. Elizabeth nodded at Steven, silently telling him to follow Layla before standing up.
"Wait. Where are you going?" Steven asked worriedly as he rose to his feet, watching Elizabeth walk towards the door that was mere seconds away from breaking. Before Elizabeth could even answer, a jackal broke in, letting out a loud cry as its glowing green eyes were dead set on Steven.
"Jackal! Jackal!" he cried out as he began stepping back in panic. Layla followed the pair's gazes, confusion filled her features as she stared at the space in front of them.
Another jackal appeared, this time, its eyes were focused on Elizabeth before it jumped in the air, pouncing her before it pinned her to the ground.
Elizabeth was quickly able to her weapon from the ground, holding it in front of her immediately to defend herself while the jackal tried to claw at her. She then planted her right foot against its belly and with all the strength she was able to muster, she kicked the jackal back.
The jackal released a pained cry as it slammed against the open door, the jackal beside it moved away before charging toward Steven. Elizabeth saw it all with her eyes wide in terror as the saw Steven getting thrown out of the window by the jackal.
Elizabeth got back on her feet, facing the jackal that recovered from the hit it received from the brunette. Now on all fours, it was prepared to attack Elizabeth once more.
The jackal charged at Elizabeth, and with every blow it delivered, Elizabeth was able to divert it away from her. But she was too caught up with having to strike back that she had forgotten that she was backing up to the window before the jackal slammed its head against her body, knocking her out of the window.
She rolled on the roof, unable to hold on to the edge before plummeting towards the ground.
"Oh shit!" She screamed as she gazed at the ground getting nearer.
Elizabeth curled up, arms and legs covering her front as she prepared to land. But she never fell, she didn't feel the hard concrete beneath her as she lowered both her arms and legs. It took her a while to realize that she was still a few feet above the ground.
"Oh god, oh god." She looked over her shoulders, eyes widened when she found a pair of silver and gold wings sprouted from her back, keeping her high in the air.
"Oh my god. What the hell? What in the bloody hell?" she screamed, eyes still staring at the wings on her back while keeping herself upright. "This is mad!"
Keep steady, Elizabeth!
"Right. Right. It's just...wow..."
You can celebrate later. Look up!
Listening to what Horus had said, Elizabeth looked up, spotting the jackal jumping off the window before it crawled from the roof down to the ground. Elizabeth, still adjusting to the wings, managed to descend to the ground. Once be feet touched the ground, her wings retracted, disappearing as if it was never there in the first place. The jackal's growling caught her attention, prompting her to face the creature once again.
Are you ready?
Elizabeth released a soft huff and nodded. She lifted the staff before it turned into the spear of Horus. "I am."
The jackal charged, meeting her halfway as she battled the jackal. She was now able to move more freely now that they were in a much wider space.
The jackal now stood on its hind legs, swiping its sharp claws towards Elizabeth's head who was quickly able to bend down to quickly avoid it.
Elizabeth retaliated by swinging the cutting end of her spear at its stomach, slicing it open causing it to release a loud, pained cry. With one swift movement, Elizabeth spun around her heels, getting down on one knee as she used all of her strength to bring the other end of her spear right through the jackal's chest, her back facing the jackal.
With the jackal dead, its body turned to sand as Elizabeth got back to her feet, turning around to face the remnants of the jackal she fought, blown away by the wind.
A similar cry coming from another jackal filled Elizabeth's ears, causing her head to perk up and look at where the noise had come from. Without a moment to lose, she ran to where the jackal was, assuming Steven and Layla were there.
She rounded a corner and almost immediately spotted Layla in a kneeling position on the ground while a man in a pure white suit was being thrown against a car, seemingly overpowered by the jackal. When the jackal now grabbed the man in the white suit by his neck, this caused Elizabeth to act.
She lifted the spear over her shoulder, eyes focused on the jackal. She took in a sharp breath as her hands tightened around the spear.
"Clear!" her voice boomed in the streets, capturing the attention of the two in front of her, including the civilians walking along the sidewalk.
Elizabeth threw the spear and aimed it right at his head but her jaw fell slack in shock when the jackal dodged it, instead, the spear lodged itself deep in the wall across the street.
After witnessing Elizabeth's failed attempt at hitting the jackal, Layla looked for anything to attack the entity that only she couldn't see. She eventually spotted a dirty alcohol bottle, quickly picked it up, and threw it at where she assumed the creature was.
The bottle shattered upon impact, and the liquid inside outlined what the creature was supposed to look like. Layla felt herself freeze as she gazed at it in terror. The jackal then grabbed Layla by the neck, holding them both before throwing them both off in different directions; Layla hit the wall behind her while the man in the white suit fell completely to the ground.
But he quickly got back to his feet to retaliate, only to be pushed back against the car with so much force that the car behind him moved as well. With the jackal distracted, Layla took this as an opportunity to strike back, she quickly spotted the broken bottle and grabbed it before attacking, only to be intercepted by the jackal before it struck her, knocking her back to the ground.
As the jackal went to pick up Layla from the ground, something sharp struck its back causing it to stop its movements. Steven released a surprised gasp, his eyes immediately caught the blades shaped like feathers now sticking out from the jackal's back as it cried in pain. This allowed Layla to get back to her feet and get away safely.
He looked to where the blades were coming from, only to find Elizabeth sprinting towards the jackal before jumping up and bringing a knee up to the jackal's chin, knocking it backward. But the jackal quickly recovered and swiped its claws towards Elizabeth—who was still descending from her jump.
Steven's jaw dropped when a pair of silver and gold wings sprouted from Elizabeth's back.
With them, she was able to fly backward, avoiding the jackal's attack safely. Steven stood back up, watching her in awe as every flap she made with her wings, she released a strong wind current, able to blow the jackal away far enough from the both of them so they could recover even with so little time.
"Oh, my God. Elizabeth." Steven walked up to her as her feet touched the ground, "That was amazing, you...you were flying!"
"Steven? Is that...you?" Elizabeth eyed him quizzically, taking in his whole appearance. But what she focused more on is the pair of glowing white eyes that Steven now possesses. One look at it and she remembered the same eyes staring down at her before she had fallen unconscious. As realization kicked in, Elizabeth found herself smiling. She walked to Steven, hands reaching up to his face that was now obscured by a white mask.
"Oh my god, it is you!" she exclaimed with bliss as she smiled wider.
"Look at you! You look like...you look like." Steven stammered as he tried to find the right words.
Elizabeth chuckled softly. "Like what?"
"Like an angel."
Elizabeth found herself chuckling at that, her stomach getting filled with butterflies. But she knew that wasn't the time so she redirected her attention to the jackal who was charging up at them. Elizabeth gasped in surprise when Steven had suddenly moved in front of her, getting thrown away in the process, leaving her to face the monster on her own.
Give me control, Steven. You can't handle this.
Steven peered up, only to see Marc's reflection staring back at him pointedly. He huffed and said with determination. "I think I can."
Steven quickly shuffled back to his feet, it seemed that was just in time for Elizabeth was able to distance herself from the jackal by delivering a strong kick right at its belly.
"Get away from her you!" Steven's caused not only the jackal to turn its attention to him but also Elizabeth, who watched him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I see you, you plug-ugly coyote. You're in the wrong ends, mate. You're my yard now."
Steven got rid of his jacket, throwing it on the ground as he began rolling up his sleeves while walking towards the street, leading the coyote far away from both Elizabeth and Layla.
"Yeah. Come on. Come on." Steven continued taunting it as the jackal followed him, growling maliciously at the man and waiting for ample time to strike. "That's right. Come on."
Elizabeth ran towards Layla, helping her up from the ground as the curly-haired woman stared at her in awe.
"What..." Layla breathed out, her eyes focused on the wings that were on Elizabeth's back.
"I'll explain later." Elizabeth told her as she patted her arm. The two women then turned their heads towards the jackal Steven was facing when it let out a threatening growl.
"Ooh, lookie here. Lookie here." Steven taunted it once more, angering the creature further. It placed its front legs over a car hood, it crumpled like paper under its weight as it released yet again another roar at Steven.
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. My name is Steven with a V." he sang to himself as the jackal got back on the ground, its actions told him that it was ready to strike. The jackal then pounced over to Steven and before it got to him, Steven was able to deliver a strong hook right at its jaw, knocking it down.
A surprised breath escaped his lips as he glanced at his fist before turning to the jackal who seemed disoriented from the punch it received.
"Wagwan!" Steven shouted with his fists lifted in the air triumphantly. "I did it! You got planted! Elle! Layla! Did you see that?"
"Steven, look ou—" Elizabeth shouted to warn him for the man was busy cheering himself that he didn't see the jackal had recovered. Before he could do anything, Steven got kicked toward the street, almost getting run over by a car.
The jackal quickly followed, fighting Steven that made the onlookers watch him with odd looks. Elizabeth heard one of them assuming he was having a seizure while another one same he was some fancy drunk.
The jackal then picked up Steven from the ground after it took him down before slamming him against the bus in front of them multiple times until Steven was able to break free from the jackal's grasp.
Steven was holding onto the jackal's arms to prevent it from attacking him again when he heard a loud honking coming from a car that was approaching fast. Without hesitation, he moved the jackal over to the front of the car so it hit the creature, but he ended up getting knocked back as well as the jackal.
A groan escaped Steven's mouth as he lay on the ground. Pain filled his whole body as he propped himself up to sit. The sound of the jackal growling caught his ears as he turned, spotting the creature a few feet away from him.
Holding onto the bus, he hoisted himself back to his feet, meeting Marc's eyes staring back at him as he caught his breath.
That was a hell of a punch back there.
Marc quipped as he gazed down at an exhausted Steven, his hands placed on his hips.
Look around. Someone's gonna get hurt if you don't let me help.
"All right. Do it. Take control. For now." With Steven finally relenting, Steven's eyes rolled to the back of his head as Marc took control of the body. As he did, the suit in his body changed its appearance as well.
Elizabeth was leading the people away from the jackal to prevent them from getting hurt when she noticed Steven now walking towards them, now in a different suit.
Khonshu. Horus said in a voice filled with contempt.
"Khonshu?" Elizabeth queried, turning around to face Horus for answers.
"Get it out of here!" Layla told Steven and he was quick to head the other way, jumping up from a car he used as leverage to get to the walls, climbing up while the jackal chased after him in pursuit.
Elizabeth raised her hand, calling back her spear to help when another loud cry sounded off from the distance. Turning her head to where she heard the cry, she spotted another jackal on top of the roof where Steven had gone to.
"Oh, bloody hell. I gotta go." Elizabeth told Layla, her eyes trained on the jackal. "Get somewhere safe, yeah?"
Layla nodded and ran off before Elizabeth used her wings to fly up to the roof and follow the jackal.
She spotted the jackal, lagging behind Steven and the jackal he had been fighting since earlier. Realizing that she had no use of the spear currently, she resorted to manifesting feather blades and using them to intercept the jackal.
She released several towards the jackal's path and before it jumped over the blades, Elizabeth called them back. The blades struck the jackal, unable to escape because of the strong pull as if it was being pulled back with ropes. As soon as Elizabeth descended to the floor, she drew her spear and drove the blade straight to its back, burrowing it deeper until the blade came out of its chest.
Elizabeth let go of the blades, letting them clatter to the floor before they dissipated into flurries of light.
"I hope that's the last of them," Elizabeth said quietly as she looked behind, checking whether another jackal was coming to follow Steven.
Only one way to find out. Follow your friend.
Elizabeth spun around her heels, immediately spotting Horus standing beside her with his hand outstretched while pointing at the distance. Elizabeth nodded and used her wings to get to where Steven was as fast as she could.
•••
He failed.
Marc Spector failed.
After he defeated the jackal, he checked himself for the scarab. When he found nothing, he let out a loud frustrated scream as he sank to his knees. He no longer have anything that would lead him to Ammit's tomb, all of his efforts just like that were gone.
So, this is what it's like. Being on the inside?
Upon hearing Steven's voice, Marc turned and looked over his shoulder where he saw Steven with a worried look gracing his features in a shattered mirror behind him.
"Yeah." He simply replied.
It's horrible.
"It's all right. You're all right." Marc reassured him, but that wasn't the case for Steven who started to breathe heavily.
I feel like I can scarcely move.
"It's all right, just breathe through it. It gets easier."
How long have you been doing this?
"I don't know. It's...a long time." Marc answered, looking away from Steven with guilt. He then brought himself back to his feet, facing Steven once again. "Long time."
I don't like it. Can I have my body back?
"I can't do that right now, Steven," Marc told him.
Please. I'm taking it back.
Steven squeezed his eyes shut, using all of his willpower to take over his body once more. But nothing happened and he released an exhausted huff as he reopened his eyes.
"Sorry. We've always managed to keep a wall between us but something changed." Marc explained to Steven softly, "The one who controls the body has become stronger."
Steven started shaking his head, not wanting to believe all of this was happening.
"The reflections help, but most of the time, it'll take all your willpower just to be a fly on the wall," he concluded, looking down at Steven pointedly.
You can't do this, keeping me trapped in here. You have no right. My whole life...I can't go on a bloody date. I can barely keep a goldfish alive. I lost my job. It's been you. It's always been you! Eating away at parts of my life like a parasite!
"Look, when I am done, when I have repaid my debt you will never see me or hear from me again. I promise you." Marc told him truthfully, a hard look set on his face, "We wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Khonshu and my...servitude is the price that I pay."
What kind of servitude?
"The kind that leaves me covered in blood," Marc answered as he lowered his gaze to the ground.
Yeah, well that blood is on my hands! You ruin people's lives. Everything you touch, you ruin. You hurt people, you abandoned your wife. You left her stranded!
"I did not! I am protecting her! You don't know what you're talking about!" Marc said in a firm tone as he pointed a finger at Steven.
Yes, you did. I saw!
"Khonshu has his eyes on her. He wants her as my replacement! I'm never gonna let that happen, you hear me?" He argued back he began to walk to a much clearer mirror where Steven followed.
You're a liar! I don't believe you! I don't trust you. You hurt people! I don't trust anything you say! You hurt people!
"I'm never letting him near her–" Marc rolled his eyes as Steven continued to argue. "Just shut up!"
I will never give you a moment of peace, I promise!
Out of frustration, Marc began kicking the mirror—letting out a strained 'shut up' every time his foot stomped the mirror. By the time he was finished, Steven was barely discernable in the state the mirror was in.
"Steven?"
Marc snapped his head towards the direction of the voice, his gaze softened when he saw Elizabeth slowly descend from the air and once her feet touched the ground, her wings disappeared.
"What are you doing here?" He asked her with a grim tone.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay." She replied with a hand close to her chest.
"Well, now I am. Now go." He told her firmly with a dismissive wave of his hand, turning around now that his back was facing her.
Don't talk to her like that!
"Steven," She paused, swallowing the lump forming in her throat as she stepped forward. "What's going on?"
"My name is not Steven...It's Marc."
Elizabeth raised both of her eyes, confusion danced in her eyes as she gazed at Steven. "I-I don't understand."
"You don't have to. Steven is not here."
"Steven..."
"I told you! It's not Steven, it's Marc!" He said with a raised voice, frustration evident in his tone. Marc noticed the way Elizabeth visibly flinched at the way he spoke. When he saw this, his face softened, realizing what he did.
Elizabeth bit her bottom lip, holding back the tears that threatened to spill before she left. That alone told her that Steven was no longer there. Marc turned just in time to see her running and as he watched her leave, guilt formed in his chest.
You swore he would not interfere.
Marc turned to where he heard Khonshu stood. "I know. I'll handle it."
You have proven you cannot.
"I will."
Ungrateful, Marc, altering the terms of our agreement. You were nothing more than a corpse when I found you. You think you own this body?
Khonshu's laughter filled Marc's ears when he gazed at the ground beneath him, his hands curling into fists. He turned and now found Khonshu now standing behind him.
It belongs to me.
"We'll find the scarab." Marc swore to him.
Too late. Harrow has it.
"Then we'll find another way. We'll get to Ammit's tomb first."
You know I'll protect you with everything I have. You are worth protecting.
"I'll do whatever it takes then. Then you let me go."
I know that you enjoy the work I have for you. We need each other.
"We have a deal." Marc said back.
Let me remind you, should we part, you may not like my next candidate, near and dear as she is to you.
It didn't take long for Marc to realize that he was talking about Layla. Marc nodded in understanding.
"Where are we going?" Marc asked.
Where the hell do you think?
•••
A bit of a messy chapter but hey! Marc's finally here!