๐Gods and Goddesses๐
Suddenly, she was not in the dimly lit pyramid Chamber fighting Harrow and Ammit, but back out in the desert once again, outside the dig site, she noted. And they were not alone.
"Khonshu!"
"I knew you'd miss me."
"Layla turned you down, didn't she."
"She did - but someone else offered-"
"Eva!"
"Steven?"
"Hey Eva!"
"Marc?"
"Oh Love-"
"Oh baby-"
The two men's voices overlapped as she ran into his - their - arms.
"You were dead! You were dead! You were dead..." She repeated, over and over, as she squeezed him in a giant, engulfing hug, cloak and all.
The bullets and bloody bullet holes were gone, and he looked as though nothing of the sort had happened, like he had been before in Alexander's tomb.
"Oh, you're not hurt, are you?"
"No."
"And Layla?"
"She's all right, she's with Taweret."
"Good! Oh, you look smashing!" Steven cried, eyeing her in the suit.
"Oh - well, thank you."
"It suits you - suits, you..."
Marc just grumbled at Steven and shook his head. "You shouldn't have done this," he told her.
"Nothing I haven't done before - actually, I haven't fought a literal god before. I was all angry, nervous, and nerding out, all at once!"
The suit dissolved then, leaving her in her previous outfit from the tomb, while the armour transferred itself and now appeared on Marc and Steven's body.
Khonshu could have done without the whole lovey-dovey reunion, and was now getting right back down to business. "Ammit has been freed, we were not strong enough to stop her. Marc Spector, I need your help-"
"Ah, just curious about something-" Steven now stood in his own suit, holding up a finger to silence the Moon god.
"Steven Grant I was not speaking to you."
"No, how's this whole new arrangement gonna work then? We do come as like a package deal now, Marc and I, so you're going to have to deal with me. And we are helping you, so you're welcome for that."
The transitions between the two were much smoother now, less both of them fighting for control of the body. It was nice to see. But Steven's words lingered in her mind: We do come as like a package deal now, Marc and I...
"I do think that you should answer my question though," Steven continued, sitting upon a rock and crossing his legs in an adorable manner. It was great to see him standing up to Khonshu now. Him and Marc. Marc and Steven. "How's this deal going to work? And Eva! Now that we're your Avatar again, she needs a new suit too!"
"It's fine, really," she said.
"You're really going to need something," Marc now insisted. "Armour, healing, something."
"You would negotiate now with so much at stake?" cried Khonshu, aghast.
"Yes," said a now very confident Steven. "And, well, we did learn from the best, you silly old bird."
"Fine," grumbled Khonshu, and it was refreshing to see the Avatar with the upper hand over the god. "I will release you both, you have my word."
"Good, I like the sound of that."
"Me too," she agreed.
"And..."
"And I may have something in mind..."
๐ ๐ ๐
"Why have you called upon me, Khonshu? You know I am beyond helping you." A strong, booming female voice spoke, shaking the ground.
"I know, Nephthys-"
"Nephthys!" cried the two Egyptology nerds. "Goddess of the night!"
"Yes, we go well hand in hand," said Khonshu, a joking hint to his voice.
"Don't push me, Khonshu," returned the goddess.
"Sister of Isis!"
"Goddess of the dead!"
"Nerds," mumbled Marc.
"And beer," added Nephthys herself.
"Amazing!"
"Brilliant!" The two continued to gawk.
"We don't have much time - it is no doubt you have felt Ammit's return," Khonshu told her.
"I have."
"The longer we wait, the more people will die. Put your past with the Ennead behind you - I have."
"I chose to leave the Ennead."
"I know. But their Avatars are dead-"
"No!" cried Steven. "Hathor's Avatar, Yatzil, she was so kind!"
"Yeah, she told us about Senfu, helped us get to Ammit," added Marc.
"The Ennead is gone, for now. Please, Nephthys. We need all the help we can get."
"I don't do Avatars - especially ones cast aside by other gods-"
"Oi!" cried Eva.
"I know Avatar's aren't your way. But please, my Avatar - Avatars - will not do anything until their girlfriend here is safely enhanced herself."
"Girlfriend?" the three in question recited.
"Lovers of the night - how sweet." A smirk graced the goddess's lips. "Very well, I grace you, Evelyn Herbert - temporarily - with the inability to wound, superhuman strength, and the use of the Sapphire Crescent. Now rise - rise and become the Shadow Knight!"
This chapter was one of my favourites to write! :)
So I'm dipping into the comics here - hope you liked the direction I went in! I know Randall is Shadow Knight in the comics, and now that we have the Multiverse I bet there's a universe where he's alive and is Marc's nemesis, Shadow Knight, but for now I'm borrowing! This universe's Shadow Knight will be Eva!
Can't wait to meet back up with the badass Scarlet Scarab Layla!
And I have decided that before the end of this story, Eva will be meeting Jake!
Thank you so much for reading and, as always, I hope you enjoyed! :)