Layla was doubting her decision making as she led the group through an unassuming complex of flats, just on the outskirts of the city. It was much cheaper than attempting to rent anywhere near the centre and, when neither of your personalities had much money to their name, that was pretty much vital. Layla already knew what sort of reaction she was going to get when they realised why she was visiting, at least from one of them anyway. She was still debating whether she could trust the people currently following her, but they certainly seemed like the real deal. She'd never thought that she'd be thrust into the world of superheroes but, if the glowing hammer was any indication of the path her life had taken, it was already too late to avoid it.

"How is this person going to help us?" Yaz asked, not liking the fact that they'd ventured so far from where they'd started. It wasn't usually the best plan to allow someone you hardly knew to take you to a rather tatty building that no one would bother looking in if something was to happen to you.

"It's…hard to explain the full details," Layla admitted. She really didn't have the patience to run through the journey they'd experienced in recent months. "All you need to know is that he's an expert on everything about Egypt. Some people might call him an absolute dork…I find his enthusiasm adorable."

"Ah," Dan said with a knowing smirk. "So that's how you know him."

Layla was quick to hide the soft smile that had appeared on her face. "Honestly, I don't know any of you well enough to talk about that."

"Don't mind him," the Doctor told her. "We're just having to meet a lot of people recently, and that comes with an expected level of familiarity that really isn't normal. But when our reality is at stake, there isn't usually a lot of time for small talk."

"This feels dangerously like small talk. It's not something I normally like."

"It's not something they really give you a choice on," Jane remarked. "I was bombarded with questions before I knew what was actually happening."

"I guess we're all coming out of our comfort zones today," the Doctor said, rolling her eyes. Why did people always kick up such a fuss when all she was doing was trying to be nice? She could have been grumpy like her previous incarnation so everyone should have counted themselves lucky.

Layla didn't know what to make of that. "Then I suppose that it's a good job that we're here."

She came to a stop in front of a door that was completely the same as all the others they'd walked past, as boring and characterless as the rest of the building. She sent one last anxious glance at her companions, wondering whether she could turn them away at the last minute. They would probably complain. Perhaps even start a fight. She didn't have her gifted powers anymore (something she didn't know how to feel about) but Layla reckoned she could take most of them if it descended into a brawl. The only unknown was the towering woman with the impeccable physique, the one equipped with the seemingly magic construction tool. That was probably asking too much of her to go up against that.

With no other option, knowing she was going to get backlash from someone whichever choice she made, Layla knocked on the door.

The group didn't know what they'd been expecting. In a building like this, probably someone who was able to defend themselves, large with tattoos covering their bulging muscles. So, when a seemingly mild-mannered man appeared in the doorway after a few moments, they didn't know how to feel. They supposed that there weren't many experts in Egyptology who were also bodybuilders so they shouldn't have really been shocked. He had a mop of messy brown hair on top of his head, and a sunken face that only appeared to light up when he spotted who was there.

"Layla!" he exclaimed happily, the smile making him instantly look fresher.

They also hadn't been expecting him to be British. Their latest endeavour looked to just be a series of surprises that they would have to quickly move on from. For Yaz and Dan, it was nice to hear another accent familiar to theirs. As nice as everyone had been, the American twang was one that could become overbearing after a while. Then again, they knew that the others were probably thinking the same about their distinctive accents. It was a miracle that anyone had been able to understand a word that had been said so far.

"Steven?" Layla asked cautiously, squinting her eyes at the man.

"At the moment."

The Doctor frowned at the comment. If she was learning anything about this world, it was that looks could be grossly misleading. She wouldn't be at ease until she knew the full identity of the person greeting them. And maybe there was a part of her (one she didn't want to acknowledge) that was quietly excited about finding out what secrets this latest individual was hiding.

"What are you doing here?" Steven asked, only now turning his attention to the rest of them. He'd simply been too pleased to see that gorgeous woman to notice anyone else. It was a real problem that she distracted him so easily, but a problem he wasn't intending to fix. "You've brought friends!"

"Not friends," Layla told him. "I'd call them…acquaintances."

"And here I thought that we were really getting along," the Doctor grumbled.

Steven appeared confused, which they couldn't blame him for. He kept looking at Jane as if to make sure that she was actually real, which was the sort of interaction that she was struggling to get used to. In this new form, it was impossible to walk around unnoticed. Perhaps the glamorous armour wasn't helping her efforts to remain incognito, but Mjolnir wasn't giving her a choice on that matter. It seemed that one of the powers that Thor possessed was the need to be the centre of attention, though she had gotten rid of her helmet for the time being. It was as low-key as the outfit got.

"Why've you brought them here then?" Steven asked, wringing his hands together. "When I first saw you through the peephole, I thought you might have been coming round to…you know…"

Layla's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "Business first, pleasure later."

"Does that mean that there is going to be pleasure at a future date? Because I'd like to prepare myself sufficiently beforehand."

"Steven…can we come in?" She tried to move past him but his arm moved instinctively, blocking her path. She glared dangerously at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'd like to know what's going on before I invite you all inside. Frankly, I'm putting my foot down."

Layla was close to laughing. "As annoying as you're being, I do like seeing this side of you."

"You know I've got loads of layers. I'm like an onion."

"I'm sure that sounded more impressive in your head."

"It did, yeah."

Layla sighed. "I stumbled across these people walking through Cairo. They're looking for information about some obscure pharoah. I obviously saw you as the best person to come to."

Steven's eyes lit up. "Well, why didn't you say so?" He moved to the side, beckoning them all in. "Come on, come on! If I'd known you just wanted a history lesson, I wouldn't have gone all tough on you."

"That was you being tough?" Yaz asked sceptically.

"You don't want to see it when I get into my mean-guy persona, trust me."

The inside of the apartment was fairly bare, as if it had barely been lived in. There was a tatty sofa in the middle, and a few wooden chairs sporadically placed across the room. There was no television but plenty of books, which took up most of the space. The window was open, allowing warm air to come through as the curtains blew around gently. Steven wandered around slowly, watching them all file in. The women remained standing, though Dan was perfectly happy to sit down. It had been a long walk to get there and he wasn't about to miss an opportunity to rest.

Steven scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about the state of this place. I'm not really prepared for hosting at the moment. There might be a few drinks in the fridge but I can't remember how long they've been there for. If you want to risk…"

Layla patiently put a hand on his arm, calming him down instantly. "Let's leave that for later, once you've told us what you know."

"I can only do that if you tell me what I'm actually supposed to be talking about."

"That's…a fair point." Layla looked over at the Doctor, who was perfectly happy to take control.

"We were hoping for you to give us any information on a Pharaoh by the name of Rama-Tut," she explained, looking intently at him. "We believe that he's somehow connected to a growing threat that could see this world thrown into turmoil, so we really need to get to the bottom of who that person was."

"I've had enough turmoil to last me a lifetime recently, so I obviously want to help you. But I've never heard of a Rama-Tut before."

"What?" Layla looked absolutely dumbfounded. "But this is your thing! You talked endlessly about working in the museum and knowing more than the actual tour guides."

"You work in a museum?" Dan asked. "Same here, mate! Well, it's probably classed as volunteering that none of the staff asked for but, like you, I provide a lot more entertainment than the proper guides."

"Finally! Someone understands what it's like," Steven replied, wanting to delve into a more detailed conversation about it. "I did technically lose the job a few months ago for gross destruction of property but that wasn't really my fault. They just couldn't see the jackal on the security videos."

Jane's eyebrows were rising higher with every sentence that was being said. "Did you just say jackal?"

"You know…death dogs. Summoned by the worst deities you could think of to do their dirty work."

"We're getting distracted!" Layla pointed out, growing frustrated at every tangent they went down. "You really don't know about Rama-Tut?"

"Do you?"

"Well…no. But I'm not a proper expert like you. I haven't spent my life researching this sort of thing." She moved closer to him. "I may have bigged you up on the way here so you're starting to make me look bad in front of everyone."

"You were complimenting me, were you? How sweet! What were you saying?"

"Things that I'm regretting the longer you give me that smarmy look."

"Spoil sport. But I can safely assure you that I've never heard the name Rama-Tut. Are you sure that he even existed?"

"He was in that history book!" Yaz pointed out. "Or, at least, whatever that book was that Wong showed us. He must have been real."

"Why are you so obsessed with knowing about him though?"

"It's superhero business," the Doctor answered, trying to avoid that topic.

"Is that why she looks so powerful?" Steven pointed at Jane, who flicked her hair bashfully.

Dan was trying not to be insulted. "Are you saying that we don't look like superheroes?"

" Are you superheroes?"

"That's…not the point. But we have been working with them. The Avengers sent us on this mission!"

Layla folded her arms, looking at them suspiciously. "The Avengers? Why would they send you ?"

"Let's just say that we've been through some strange experiences recently that put us in the perfect position to research this problem," the Doctor replied before Dan could dig himself into a deeper hole.

"What sort of threat are we talking about here?"

"Would you believe me if I said multiversal?"

Layla shrugged. "I've seen enough strange things to not baulk at the idea."

"If we don't find this person or whatever they're connected to, then it might see the multiverse collapse in on itself. This is the only lead we have, which is why we're really desperate for any information you can give us."

Layla looked at Steven. "If you don't have any clue, then there's one person who'll definitely know if this pharaoh was real."

His expression darkened. "No."

"He would have been there whenever this person was alive! This is our best shot at finding out one way or the other."

"I said no."

Steven's entire demeanour had changed in an instant. The way he carried his body had shifted, his back straighter, none of the nervous habits present anymore. There was a different glint in his eye, one that was more menacing and cold. Layla didn't seem perturbed by the alteration, though the others remained on edge. It felt as if something in the air had shifted along with the person. Jane gripped Mjolnir tighter, ready for anything that happened.

"Are you threatening me?" he asked, his voice changed as much as his physicality, glaring at Jane.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "Do I need to?"

"Marc?" Layla whispered quietly.

"Hold on, I thought his name was Steven," Dan said, now standing up to potentially guard Yaz from the potential threat. Though it would probably end up being her looking after him, as it had been for their three years together.

"It's complicated," Marc replied coolly. "Steven's gone for the moment. You're stuck with me now."

The Doctor stepped forward, staring at him in wonderment. "Dissociative Identity Disorder. Two or more identities, with full consciousness and their full set of memories, living within one body. You are…remarkable! A true example of the power of human minds."

"I don't feel remarkable. Nor am I any sort of example for other people to follow."

"Marc," Layla reiterated. "We need to speak to him."

"This isn't something that we can do. It's solely down to me. You know that already. Would you make me go through that again?"

"Only if it was totally worth it and our only option." She looked to the Doctor, hoping for some assistance.

"Definitely worth it," the Time Lord added. "I can safely say that everyone on this planet…and all the planets beyond…could be in catastrophic danger if we don't get to the bottom of this."

"Why's it up to me to sort that out?" Marc asked bitterly. "I didn't sign up for this. I'm not a part of the Avengers. I should leave that up to you guys."

"I wouldn't be asking unless you were the only person we've got who can help. I can't claim to know what you're planning but, if it'll shed some light on what's going on, then I have to implore you to at least consider it."

"Is there any way of contacting him?" Layla asked. "Some way for you to talk to him?"

"He's always here," Marc told her, his expression grim. "He's always lurking, always waiting for this moment. He's like a parasite that won't admit when he's defeated."

"I'm starting to doubt whether this is a good idea," Dan remarked.

Jane nodded her head thoroughly. "I second that notion."

Marc was looking to the window. "It's too late. He's here."

It was like a cold had descended upon the room, a wind picking up. The curtains fluttered furiously. The sky outside seemed to darken. Marc's expression darkened, seemingly reacting to something. But the others couldn't see what was in front of them, a looming figure hidden from plain sight, only showing itself to those it could use. The figure was delighted about being summoned once again, being given a second chance to play his games. Even if Marc didn't realise that the games hadn't truly stopped in the first place.

"Marc Spector," the voice boomed, unheard by all of them besides the desired target.

"Khonshu…" Marc said in greeting, knowing that he couldn't run away now.

Dan nudged Yaz. "Who's he talking to?" He only got a shush in response.

Yaz was trying to follow what was going on, frowning as less of the situation made sense. The Doctor appeared completely fascinated by everything going on, discreetly scanning their surroundings with the sonic. The readings were going absolutely haywire, though the device had barely settled down since they'd arrived in this universe. Jane's reaction was a bit more serious, as if she could sense another presence that matched her own. If she were technically a god, then that left only one possibility as to the identity of whatever had joined them. Layla, on the other hand, knew exactly what was going on, but looked just as concerned as the rest of them, understanding what the man beside her was going through.

"It seems that you need my assistance," the god proclaimed, his hideous bird-like face peering at him through slots where his eyes should have been. He was still wearing the same, ancient robes that served to accentuate his skeletal features.

Marc gritted his teeth. "I don't. They do."

"If they need me, then they also need you. I won't do anything for them on their own."

He glared at the group behind him, wondering whether this was really worth the price. Even being in the god's presence was bad enough. "What do you know of a pharaoh by the name of Rama-Tut?"

"Ah. A troublesome period in humanity's history, one we gods sought to be rid of. But now the name returns, does it not?"

"So you know him?" Marc spotted some hopeful looks from the others as they attempted to decipher one half of the conversation.

"Sadly. He desecrated the society we'd built. It's not a name I wish to speak of."

"Tell me. Tell me everything about him."

Khonshu appeared to grow angry. "You dare ask for my services as if they come freely? There is always a price."

"I don't think I even want to know…"

"You have forsaken me, Marc Spector. I am not usually a forgiving god but I have made many exceptions for you along our journeys together. I'll give you a second chance. I'll tell you everything you know, everything that will help save your reality. As long as you swear yourself to me once more…"