For someone who was usually in control of any given situation, the Doctor was growing increasingly annoyed that she had absolutely no clue what was going on. The man, either Steven or Marc, was certainly acting as if he was talking to someone actually there. It was just that, if he hadn't lost his mind and was having a psychotic breakdown, they couldn't see who it was. She'd dealt with invisible creatures in the past and they were always tricky customers. And, if this was their best shot of finding out what on earth Kang meant in relation to the threat they were facing, then she didn't really want to be kept out of the loop like this.

The only solace was that the others appeared to be suffering with the same conundrum. Dan was wearing a confused look on his face, though that was mainly his default expression since he'd joined the Tardis. Jane, as a woman of science, was struggling to process what was going on, but her recent experiences had taught her to avoid reaching conclusions without all the information. Yaz was looking to her for answers that weren't coming; the Doctor could tell that Yaz was more concerned about her lack of knowledge rather than the actual situation. A part of her felt like she was letting her friend down by not having any explanation, as if she was always the one who was meant to provide the answers. In a very real sense, that was her primary job when she was leading these humans on a myriad of adventures. There was a part of her that felt slightly excited about the unknown element, though she was only going to admit that to Yaz if she felt it was safe to do so.

Layla, having known this man previously, appeared to be used to his erratic behaviour, providing a small level of comfort for the others. She seemed to be waiting for the apparently one-sided conversation to reach its natural conclusion, not that they had any indication as to when that was going to be. Yet, despite having an inkling of what was happening in front of them, the Doctor would have been quick to say that she looked more concerned than any of them. It felt like she was dreading what was going on because she knew the implications, compared to their collective dread at the thought of something occurring outside of their control.

The Doctor sidled up next to her, her eyes still fixated on Marc as he scowled at a spot on the ceiling. "What's he doing? Is he okay?"

Layla nibbled on her bottom lip. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"We've experienced plenty of impossible things," Yaz told her, joining the conversation. "You'd be surprised at our threshold when it comes to the bonkers things life can throw at us."

"And, from what we've seen, there's very little in this world that can be classed as normal," Dan added, not wanting to be left out. He hated it when that happened. "So you may as well tell us, because we're the sort of people who don't get out of your hair until we've got what we came for."

"And what did you come for?" Layla asked suspiciously. "We'd moved on from this part of our lives before you showed up. We'd finally gotten away from its grasp, and it's because of you that this has been dredged up again." She laughed bitterly. "I can't believe that I actually made myself think that we could get our normal lives back. We were going to share that together…until I bumped into you three. I'm starting to fantasise about a reality where I wasn't in Cairo when you were, a reality where we could have ignored this problem. Ignorance is bliss, but I've never been allowed to be ignorant of anything ."

The Doctor gave her an apologetic smile. She considered telling her that, if the barriers across the multiverse were failing, then there was every chance that there was a reality where they'd never come across one another. But that definitely wouldn't have helped the situation.

"I want to say sorry…" she began tentatively. "...but I can't until I know what I'm saying sorry for . What were you running from before we met you?"

"The gods," Layla answered simply.

Dan frowned. "I hope you're talking figuratively."

"We've never been that lucky." She gave the Doctor a hard stare. "You don't seem as shocked as I might have imagined. People would normally be running away from me by now if I'd sprouted such information. To be fair, it's something that I normally like to keep close to my chest."

"Thank you for being so open with us," the Doctor replied earnestly. "But there's no need to be worried. I've had plenty of run-ins with gods in the past, some of them more real than others. Whatever you've got to throw at us, I can handle it. And I can vouch for these two that they'll at least approach it with open minds."

"Not to mention that I've met a number of gods," Jane told them. "I think…I technically am one at the moment. Though, with the way you're talking about them, I should probably have kept that to myself."

"I don't think I could lay a scratch on you."

"It sounds as if you've thought about it."

"I've been taught to always be like that. Don't take it personally."

"As long as you've come to the realisation that you don't need to hurt any of us," the Doctor said gently, testing the waters.

Layla raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I'd tell you whichever way I chose? Where's the fun in that?" She may have liked watching them squirm. "It's helping that your reactions to what I'm saying have been a lot more calm than what I'd typically get from people."

"Well, we're not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill sort of people."

"I'm starting to see that, yeah."

"I feel like we're glossing over the fact that she said that we're dealing with gods," Dan reminded them. "Isn't it bad enough already to be dealing with the collapse of reality? Of course gods had to be thrown into the mix too."

"The gods of Ancient Egypt are still very much prevalent in society today," Layla explained. "They operate through avatars…people who devote themselves to the individual cause that a certain god is centred in. In return for their service, they're granted powers beyond any normal human. The powers of the gods themselves."

"And…how do you know this?" Yaz wondered, feeling like she already knew the answer.

"Because I was one. For a very short period of time. Things were desperate and I didn't have much of a choice. To be fair, it came with a pretty cool suit. I sometimes miss it. The outfit, not the obligation to do another creature's bidding." The wings would certainly have come in handy a few times since she'd left Taweret behind. "The thing is…your service can be quite a peaceful process, depending on the god you're working with. Marc…sadly…was discovered by Khonshu."

"God of the Moon," the Doctor said, nodding her head. Layla looked impressed at her knowledge. "I always felt an affinity with that god. His name literally means traveller, and his main job was to help aid the passage of time. I felt that summed me up fairly well."

"Trust me…you don't want to be like Khonshu. Those fables have been fabricated over the centuries, obscuring the true nature of that particular god. He likes to call himself benevolent, using avatars to carry out a supposedly deserved form of justice on wrongdoers in society."

"Doesn't sound so bad to me," Dan commented.

"It sounds as if he made himself judge, jury and executioner," the Doctor remarked bitterly, starting to understand. "Now, if Marc was selected as his avatar…that means…"

"That he was the puppet being directed by the strings, yes," Layla finished. "He was the one who had to carry out the justice."

"But he got away," Jane assumed. "Like you."

"You can't escape them for long. Once the gods have their eyes on you, there's no place that you can hide forever."

Khonshu scowled at her, not that Layla could see. Nor could one really tell when he was frowning, thanks to his face being a skull. There was very little movement afforded in his expression. He turned his pointed head back towards Marc, whose visage hadn't changed from the grim look set upon his face. Khonshu was bitterly disappointed that the man had turned against him after so long, their relationship souring to this detestable point. What had gone wrong? Marc Spector had been the perfect sword for him to wield; now his blade was blunted and useless.

"Have you heard the way she talks about me?" he fired at the man before him. "After all the good I've done for this world."

"You know, the worst thing about you is that you still think you're good," Marc spat.

"You're wrong about that. You still don't understand my philosophy. I've never claimed to be good . But my deeds are. Sometimes, the process to reach the most desirable outcome is more morally grey than the end result. I won't apologise for that."

"And that's the choice I have to make, right? We need the information and the only way we get that is if I do this morally grey thing."

"Maybe you're starting to understand after all."

"You can't be considering it," Steven suddenly said, taking back control whilst he saw the situation falling out of hand. "We just got rid of him!"

"We need this," Marc replied, knocking his other self back. "They said that this information is crucial. And I've never been above a bit of self sacrifice before."

"Why are we even listening to these people? We don't know them! They could be lying! This could be a trap! A part of Khonshu's plan to bind us back to him forever."

"Do you think he realises that we can hear him?" Dan asked the group whilst the man tussled with himself. "I'm trying not to be insulted by the fact that he thinks we're untrustworthy!"

Marc chose to ignore him, deciding to deal with Steven first. "I don't care about what they say. That's not why I'm considering this."

Steven was there again, his face falling as realisation dawned. "Of course. The one thing that is always going to unite us."

"Layla. If Layla is asking us to do this, after knowing what it feels like and what it almost did to all of us…then I have complete faith that this has to be done. I trust her more than anyone."

"Even more than me?" Steven was trying (and failing) to not sound offended.

"Especially more than you." He looked over to the woman in question, seeing her smiling sadly at him. It filled him with an even stronger resolve that this was the only path he could take. She hadn't led him wrong before.

The Doctor was by his side as swiftly as Khonshu was normally able to sneak up on him. "I don't mean to intrude or anything…"

"I'm getting the impression that you actually do."

She gave him a lopsided smile. "See, we're already getting to know each other. We're practically friends by this point. And I look after my friends. It's a duty that I take very seriously, which means that I need to know what you're planning. We've been left in the dark for far too long."

"The only way he'll tell us about what happened with Rama-Tut is if I pledge myself to him once more. There's always a price when it comes to him."

"Let me speak to him."

"Pardon?"

"If he spoke to you before you were granted his powers, that means he can show himself to anyone he fancies. It must be some sort of power play, hiding himself from view whilst terrorising people. Well, I want to talk to him…face to face."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Steven asked.

"It's not up to us," Marc argued.

"The woman has spirit," Khonshu muttered. "And there is more to her than meets the eye. My interest is piqued."

The Doctor wasn't expecting it to work so fast. Normally, when she asked for things, she never got the response that she was looking for. She was doubting whether this was actually what she wanted when the towering figure showed himself for the first time, allowing the other occupants in the room to see him properly. Dan stumbled backwards, almost falling over a chair. Yaz's first thought was to grab hold of the Doctor, dragging her away from the imposing creature. Jane, on the other hand, had her helmet on, prepared for battle. Seeing a threat right in front of them, she flung Mjolnir in Khonshu's direction, only for him to disappear from view temporarily, reforming in a different corner of the room. The hammer returned to her, and she had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"You may have the powers of a god, but I am a god," Khonshu bellowed in his deep voice.

"Let's not antagonise him any more than we need to," the Doctor suggested, silently telling Yaz to keep an eye on Jane for the time being. She stepped forward, refusing to be intimidated by the powerful figure. "I'm guessing you're Khonshu then."

"And you…you are not of this world, nor of this dimension. You're far from home. Yours is an energy that I haven't experienced in a very long time."

The Doctor caught Layla looking at her with wide eyes. "I told you that we were telling the truth." She shoved her hands in her pockets. "If you've sensed this energy before, then that means you've dealt with other multiversal entities, right?"

"You're an intelligent person. But do you really expect me to provide you with any information for free?"

"He won't do anything without me," Marc growled. "There's no point delaying any further."

"Only if you're sure about this," the Doctor said to him. "I wouldn't ask you if there was any other way."

"I've managed to wriggle free from his control before. I'll be able to do it again. And anyway…with the way things are seeming, I can sense that some sort of fight is coming. If that's the case, you're really going to want the other guy."

He stood before Khonshu, who looked down upon his servant. "I'm glad you're seeing sense, Marc."

"I'm not doing this for you."

"It was never for me. You first gave yourself up to save your life."

"Now I do it to potentially save the world. Maybe I should be thanking you for giving me the opportunity to grow as a person. Or maybe I should be planning on ways to kill you for putting me in this position. I'll probably choose the latter."

"That sort of fight and anger is going to make things so much easier. It's good to have you back…Moon Knight."

Marc's eyes began to glow, orbs of dazzling blue. His back arched under the strain of the process. Dan looked to be considering moving to help him, but Layla kept him back with a strong arm. Any interference could potentially jeopardise the entire thing and she didn't want to risk Marc's life any more than she currently was. Jane put herself in front of them all, knowing that any repercussions of whatever was going on would harm her less, preparing herself for some sort of aftershock. It never came though, as they watched the man's clothes change, transforming into a cream outfit. Dan thought it resembled a mummy, which was pretty fitting for the location. He wasn't going to tell him that with the way he was looking now, fully robed and masked. It was a sight that Layla had never wished to see again, but she couldn't ignore the way the air now crackled with his untempered power.

"Can we all get a suit like that?" Dan asked, rather liking the look of it. "I reckon I could pull it off."

"There's absolutely no way that you'd look good in that," Yaz retorted, laughing at the mental image of what it might have looked like.

"I'll have you know that I look good in anything. The only reason why I brought it up is because we're starting to look quite underdressed." He eyed Jane, who was resplendent in her armour. "We're working with superheroes now! We should look the part!"

"I'm no superhero," Moon Knight assured him, feeling on edge as he spotted Layla slowly walking towards him. "No hero has to do what I do."

The woman stroked his covered cheek tenderly. "Is that still you in there? He hasn't changed you in a different way?"

"For once, I think he chose not to play any games. Which gives me hope that he'll stick to his promise and tell us what happened." He faced the god, standing much taller now, feeling that familiar sense of power coursing through his veins. "Am I right, Khonshu?"

The hideous figure bowed its head. "I have always been a god of his word, especially when it concerns someone I care for as much as you."

"Cut it out with the fake pandering. You never once cared about me. I'm a tool in your eyes. Well, if you want that tool to do the job, you're going to have to give us what we want."

It was almost nonchalant, the movement that Khonshu made with his arm as he transformed their surroundings. The dingy room melted away, replaced by the arid landscape of a bygone Egypt. Sand whipped around them, leaving them in a sweltering desert (though they couldn't strictly feel the heat, it was like their minds were telling them they were supposed to). They looked around, seeing the pyramids in the near distance, the signs of civilization not too far away. The sort of built-up settlement that some of them hadn't expected to exist this far in the past.

"When is this?" the Doctor asked, cautious to move forward. She could sense that it was a mere projection rather than any actual teleportation taking place. She could taste the artificial nature in the air.

"The day he arrived," Khonshu explained gravely, gesturing with his crescent moon staff towards a spot nearby.

They watched in silence as the air fizzled with a strange energy before the space seemed to be torn in two, a hole appearing in the fabric of reality. The Doctor was fascinated by the sight of the portal, wondering what lay beyond, but was even more curious by the figure that stepped out. It was a man, wearing clothes that didn't remotely match the time period. He seemed amazed by what he'd just done, as if he'd expected it to fail. Perhaps he hadn't even meant to do it. But he was quickly dusting himself off, beginning the march to the nearby city.

"When people woke that day, they never anticipated having a new pharaoh by the time night fell," Khonshu continued. "But he was able to persuade their minds unlike anything I'd seen…unlike anything I've still seen up to this point."

"Pharaoh?" Moon Knight echoed. "You mean that guy is Rama-Tut?"

"A name he believed gave him a better chance of assimilating into our society. A society he wanted to transform, bringing technologies from his own world that would have diverted the natural progression of humanity. The gods attempted to stand in his way in the effort of preserving the righteous path, and it took all their united might to eventually be rid of him."

"You said that Rama-Tut was a name he created for himself," the Doctor said. "Do you know what his real name was?"

Khonshu peered at her. "When he first arrived, he called himself Kang."