The biggest liar

by Haxong

David, one of the four alters that make up Marc Spector, DID patient and recently retired superhero/avatar of Khonshu, is still convinced he's really just playing a VR game and that none of the giant mess the system finds itself in is real. Nothing Jake says can convince him otherwise! Post Ammit-mission, the boys move to New York where they run into Spider-Man and chaos ensures.

11. The thing with cats and bags

Chapter 11: The thing with cats and bags

Your mind scrambled for an answer. You had absolutely no idea what was going on but Marc's wife had you literally pinned to a wall and she knew you weren't him.

"Jake? Recap?" you asked your friend anxiously. This looked like you were deep in shit.

"I'm sorry David, I didn't mean to push you forward", Jake said, sounding slightly panicked.

"Answer me!" Layla shouted.

"This is neither the time nor place", you growled, borrowing Jake's voice, trying to buy time. You grabbed one of the golden spikes pinning you to the wall, pulling it out and not even noticing when it cut your hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry", Jake repeated. "She caught me fleeing Fisks's place with a small army on my heels. Helped me shake them off but now she wants answers and I-"

"It's fine", you replied because this was exactly what you were there for. "I'll take it from here."

"Thank you", Jake said, sounding weak with relief. "I didn't want to hurt her. She's Marc's wife."

You pulled out the second feather – no feather, you realized, looking at it, it looked more like the wing of a dragonfly.

"Who are you?!" Layla demanded to know.

"...Moon Knight", you settled for and pulled out the last wing, then hurriedly checked your side for your precious cargo. You sighed in relief when you felt the ushabti still bound to you.

"We didn't have any kaiju incidents, did we?" you asked.

"N-No. Not that I know of. Was that a possibility?" Jake asked.

You really should've at least briefed Jake before you decided to go solo.

"Never mind", you said. Jake would've definitely noticed if the ushabti had broken so you were relatively sure it was undamaged.

"Where's Marc!?" Layla shouted at you. "You're one of his alters, aren't you!? How could you do this to him!?"

"Where are we?" you asked Jake. "How badly are we hurt? Is it safe to have the boys front or do we still need healing?"

"Yeah, no sorry, you need to stall more. If you lose the suit now, we're dead", Jake said. "I fled towards Queens, no idea exactly where but it's far enough from immediate danger."

Dammit.

"Do you have any idea how much Marc and Steven are suffering right now because of you!?" Layla exclaimed.

"Of course I do!" you shouted back, your patience finally snapping. "You think I want that? You think I don't care about them!?"

Layla narrowed her eyes at you. "So you do know of them. Not like Steven. Do you have any idea what they had to do to get out of that deal with Khonshu? And yet here you are, still working for him! And your costume change – there's more than one of you, isn't there? God. How many are there? Does Marc even know?"

"No he doesn't", you said and took one threatening step towards her. "And it has to stay that way!"

"Why? So you can go on killing people?" Layla laughed hollowly. "Is that it? Do you.. . Do you just need that or something?"

You felt Jake squirm uncomfortably at that accusation.

"You can log off now. I'll take it from here", you promised him. You knew how much Marc's reaction to learning about his work had hit Jake, even when he'd skipped most of his tantrums. There was no reason for him to go through that again.

"You sure?" Jake said, even though he already sounded like he'd rather be anywhere but here.

"Yes, I'm sure", you said. You waited a heartbeat until you were sure he was gone.

"That's it, isn't it?" Layla said, her face twisting in disbelief and pain as she misinterpreted your silence. "I… I knew he was broken. I knew Khonshu was a horrible influence on him. But this…"

"You have no idea what you're talking about", you growled. It was one thing for Marc to hurl accusations at you through the mirror but Layla, Layla had no right.

"Then why do you do it!?" she shouted.

"WE HAD NO CHOICE!" you screamed back.

Layla flinched from your sudden outburst, taking a step back.

You clenched your hands to fists, trembling.

"We had no choice", you repeated, calmer. Fuck it. Marc and Steven already knew there was a Third. So what if they learned about a Fourth? If the former hadn't broken the game, why should the latter? You were just failing nonstop lately anyway.

"Marc only got himself and Steven out of the deal he made with Khonshu. Not me. Not Jake. He promised him his all, he promised him his very being and that included all of us."

"You could've said no", Layla said stubbornly. "Have him chose another avatar."

"He doesn't want another avatar!" you replied angrily. "He wants Marc back. And quite frankly, I think he's stubborn enough to not do his job at all if he can't have us. Someone has to fight this war."

"Why?" Layla challenged you. "Khonshu's an asshole. A manipulative bastard!"

"He's also the only god out of the entire Ennead who still keeps an eye open for any of the Ancients rising again", you argued. "Jake and I are trying to prevent another Ammit situation. It's that bad!"

That at last seemed to get through to her. Layla blinked and relaxed her hostile stance slightly.

"Ammit is back?" she echoed warily.

"No", you replied, "but someone is trying to free Anubis. Which could end up just as bad."

Layla was quiet for a moment, processing the new information.

"Do Marc and Steven know?"

You laughed hollowly. "No. How could they? They're not even supposed to know we're here."

"Why?" she wanted to know. "Why do you hide from them?"

"You… You wouldn't understand", you bit out. "We're not supposed to show ourselves. It's bad that they even suspect there to be another. It's not safe for them to know."

"Why?" she asked again. "You could at least… introduce yourself. Explain what's going on with Khonshu. What's the worst that could happen?"

"They could die!" you snarled. "And I can't let that happen! I won't! I already had a close call, I'm not – I won't risk it again!"

Layla was quiet, just looking at you. You were shaking, your heart racing. Horror images playing in your mind. If Marc found out about all the blood on Jake's hands, on your hands, it was entirely possible that it pushed him over the edge. You remembered his tortured cry as he knelt on that pavement, trying to fight you, repress you, stop you from saving him.

"You really think that?" Layla asked at last. "That it will kill them if you reveal yourself?"

"It's my job to keep Marc alive!" you empathized. "I've done it before. I've done it twenty-three times before. Jake protects us from threats on the outside. I protect Marc from himself. But I can only do that so long as he doesn't know I exist! I can only do that so long as he doesn't fight me!"

Layla blanched. "Y-You mean… Marc tried to-"

"All the fucking time!" you shouted back.

Now it was Layla who was trembling. A lone tear ran down her cheek and she raised her hand to her mouth. For a moment she turned away from you and you saw her shoulders shaking.

"I… I didn't know", she whispered quietly after a few seconds. "I didn't know it was that bad."

You felt a pang of regret, dumping all this on her so suddenly. Marc had been better when he'd been with her but it was also true that her return hadn't magically fixed everything.

"They can't know about me", you argued again. "For their own sake! And they never should've learned about Jake for his sake. He saw how they reacted to Moon Knight, to the blackouts, and it destroys him to know how much they despise the mere idea of him." You reached for her, grabbed her shoulder, turned her around to face you. "Layla", you said seriously, "if you care about Marc, you have to help us remain hidden!"

"Help you?" Layla exclaimed, staring at you with wet, red eyes. "Your secrecy is hurting Marc! And it's already too late. They know you exist."

But you shook your head, a desperate last resort idea forming in your head.

"No. They know a Third exist and that a Third is working as Moon Knight but nothing more. They don't know we are two. They don't know our purpose, our triggers. They don't know our names. So long as they don't know that, they won't be able to accurately and reliably repress us. You have to understand. Marc and Steven are primary alters. Jake and I are emergency fronters. We don't come out often but when we do, it's because we have to. If you can convince them that our work for Khonshu is just and necessary and that they shouldn't fight us when they feel us taking over, we can keep protecting them!"
"You want me to lie to them?" Layla asked aghast.

"It's not a lie!" you argued. "We have to stop Anubis. A lot of people will die if we don't, much more than we have ever killed. All you have to do is leave out some details. Don't tell them about Jake or me. Just tell them there's a Moon Knight and leave it at that."

Layla scowled and her previous weakness was now replaced by a flicker of her usual fierceness.

"If I do that", she said slowly, "if I help you… You have to promise that both you and Jake give up on this job after you've dealt with Anubis."

"What?" you made, incredulous that she would place conditions when Marc's life was on the line.

"If it's really as bad as the Ammit situation", she said, "it gives you leverage to renegotiate the deal, just like Steven did in Cairo."

You scoffed. "You do realize that the only reason Khonshu ever agreed to that was because he knew he had a loophole in us? And even if he agreed, who's going to stop the next disaster?"

"Literally anybody else", Layla said. "You've done enough. Marc has done enough."

You opened your mouth, then closed it again. Abandon Khonshu? Give up the suit? Something ugly and painful twisted in your gut.

To never glide over the rooftops again. To say goodbye to any chance to ever be a hero, to be something more than a mere watcher. To have Khonshu look down at you as weak and disloyal. No more lightsaber, no more keeping up with an Avenger, no more super strength and super healing. No more vengeance brought to those that freaking deserved it, to people who hurt and abused and killed innocents. To let them all just get away with it just like Mom had gotten away.

Did you want that?

No.

"I can't promise that."

"Then I won't help you", she said stubbornly.

"Did you not hear what I just said?!" you exclaimed angrily. "Marc won't be able to take it! Not now, not after you ground down his remaining strength to nothing with those stupid counseling sessions!"

"Excuse me?! I'm trying to help him! I'm trying to save our marriage!"

"You have no idea how to help him! I do! I know him better than he knows himself. I've taken care of him since he was a kid, I know what makes him happy, I know what he needs!" you shouted.

"I know he doesn't need Khonshu!" Layla argued.

"He'd literally be dead without Khonshu!" you bellowed. "Why the fuck don't you get that?!"

"Why do you keep defending that bastard?!"

You threw up your arms and turned around your axis once, thoroughly fed up with her stubbornness. You weren't getting anywhere arguing like this.

You took a few deep breath, trying to calm your angrily beating heart.

"Fine", you said at last, trying to come up with some kind of compromise that you could agree on. "Khonshu is not a particularly... nice entity. And he is using us, I'll grant you that. But I cannot make a decision like that on my own. I'll have to confer with Jake. I'll have to... explain certain circumstances to the boys. As Moon Knight. We can communicate in written word without revealing too much. There might be a third way, a way to change the deal without entirely giving up on the advantages that all of us can accept. If I do that, will you help us then?"

Layla hesitated for a moment.

"If you can find a deal that both Marc and Steven agree to... Yes. Then I'll help you."

You held out your hand to her. "It's a promise then."

She looked at you weirdly but in the end, she shook your hand.

"A promise." You let go again and she asked: "Can I at least know your name now? I won't tell anyone else."

"... David", you said quietly. It was odd how anticlimactic this moment felt. Your first time introducing yourself as yourself to an NPC in the game. But you were just so tired from all the fighting and the arguing and the shouting. It was taking all your energy just to keep up Jake's voice.

Layla nodded. "Okay. David. And Jake, Jake was the one in black and white? Is there anyone else."

"Yes, that was Jake Lockley. We're the only ones, as far as I know. I came after Steven, Jake came last." Now that Layla was no longer threat, you folded your arms in front of you, slipping more into Marc's mannerisms. "If there was ever anyone before Steven, I haven't seen them and I'm almost always watching." A part of you half expected some kind of display to appear, declaring game over from revealing too much. But nothing happened. Maybe Lalya was safe after all? Maybe it was okay for her to know because she was Marc's wife? She hadn't run when she learned about Moon Knight. She hadn't run when she learned about Steven. She hadn't even run from Ammit. Maybe Marc's fears had been unfounded. Maybe she would just... stay? The thought was oddly hopeful. Nobody ever stayed with Marc. Nobody but you.

"Okay... So what's your current mission? What can I tell Marc?" Layla asked.

So you told her. You told her about the threat of Anubis, what would likely happen if he was freed. You told her about the powers of the staff that Jake had witnessed himself, about the robberies committed in Blackwell's name and about the latest victory.

"This is the ushabti", you said, pulling the small statute from under your bandages. "Take it. Keep it save, at least until I can be sure the boys won't reject us when we need the suit. I doubt they know our identity yet. But both Fisk and Blackwell will be after Moon Knight now and they're more likely to find us than you. They must not get their hands on this. There will be another mission to find and destroy the staff and then we have to find a more permanent place for the ushabti."

"I understand", Layla said with a nod, carefully taking the statute from you. "Is there anything else?"

You hesitated. "When you tell them... about us... Make sure Steven's there too. I think he would understand better. He's done at least a minimum amount of research of their condition. It's... It's normal for people like Marc to have people like us. To have protectors. Maybe... Maybe knowing that will help." You needed her to understand that. You needed them to understand, for Jake's sake and their own.

"It's not about the killing. It's not even about vengeance, not only", you said quietly. "It's about safety. Moon Knight makes us safe. Jake protects us from outside threats. The suit heals us. And by venting all this... anger on those that deserve it, Jake makes sure it doesn't get directed at any innocents... Or worse, back at Marc himself."

"Marc doesn't want to be Moon Knight", Layla reminded you.

"Just because he doesn't want us doesn't mean he doesn't need us."

Layla looked conflicted but did not argue with you further.

You made your way back to the flat together, two birds flying side by side. You slipped in through the window. Looking around at how much of a mess the flat was, like a mirror image of Marc's inner life with sticky notes, broken glass, sand and books strewn everywhere, you felt like a stranger intruding into foreign territory with your smooth, black suit that was too dark to spot the blood on it. You dismissed the dark wrapping covering your body. Your face and the world gained a bit of color. A bit of perspective.

"You can give the body back to Marc now", Layla urged you when you just stood there, staring at the mess around you.

"In a moment", you said absentmindedly. "I have to make sure all the wounds have healed first."

Layla looked at you strangely. "Can't you feel that?"

"No. I cannot feel pain in this body", you said.

"None at all?" she asked skeptical.

You shrugged. "Of course not. That would be a hindrance."

Layla sighed exasperated and stepped toward you, grabbing the hem of your shirt.

"Fine, then let me help check-"

Mortified, you slapped her hand away and nearly jumped in your haste to get away from her.

"Don't touch me!" you exclaimed.

Layla gave you a small, baffled smile. "What is it? It's not like I haven't seen that body before. You can't check your backside alone, can you?"

"I can, because of an amazing invention called mirror!" you snarled back and went to grab a pair of pajamas from somewhere below the bed. Then you gave one last dark stare toward Layla before making your way to the bathroom.

She crossed her arms in front of her and watched you with a puzzled expression.

You closed the door behind you, making sure it was locked. Only then did you strip, checking the body over carefully. The bathroom mirror was broken, as was almost every one in the flat but you found a sufficiently large shard of it in the bin. You used it to make sure your back, which you knew had taken several normally lethal shots, was unblemished. Satisfied that the suit had healed all major wounds without leaving so much of as a bruise, you threw on the thin shirt and sleep pants. Suddenly you missed the black bandages wrapped tightly over every inch of the body. The mere memory of Layla's pointed gaze wandering up and down the body sent shivers of revulsion down your spine.

You returned to the main room, feeling very much uncomfortable in Marc's skin as you sat down on the bed. You couldn't wait to leave the front.

"Remember", you said, glaring at the woman one last time. "Don't mention either of our names. No details. They only need to know about the mission and that we're here to protect them."

"I get it", Layla said. You stared at her a moment longer warily, judging her trustworthiness. It was one thing for her to have Marc's back in a physical fight. You could even, reluctantly, trust her with his heart. To trust her with his fragile mind though was another matter entirely.

You fell back into your chair and it was as if a tense knot in your stomach suddenly unraveled. It was so good to be back in your own, familiar body again that you sighed in relief at the feeling.

Before you on the screen, Marc blinked as he orientated himself. At first he tensed up like a rope pulled too tight but when he saw Layla, leaning against one of Steven's book shelves in their familiar flat, he relaxed.

"Layla?" he asked and rubbed his face, tired. "What's the time?"

"Almost 6am", she said, checking her own watch. "Monday."

"Monday?" he repeated, scowling. "I don't... We agreed Wednesday. I'm too early. Wait... Why are you here, in the middle of the night?"

Layla looked at him with pity and Marc immediately tensed up again.

"What happened?" he demanded to know.

Layla sighed. "Can you wake up Steven for this?"

Marc scowled and became defensive. "You can tell me."

"I will", she promised. "I just don't want to tell it twice."

There was a beat of silence and then Steven's blue-framed screen flickered alive, showing its disheveled inhabitant.

"Huh? Marc? What's going on?" he asked.

"You tell me", Marc replied tensely. "You had the body last."

Steven froze. "Marc... Why are we back at the flat?"

"Where else would we be?"

"I didn't... I mean..." Steven stammered.

"He's listening", Marc told Lalya. "Tell us what's going on."

Layla took a deep breath and sighed. "I've been keeping a night watch, listening to the police line, like you told me to. Around 5am an alert went out about a shooting in Brooklyn. Moon Knight was seen on side."

So that's why Lalya had been there to help Jake.

"Oh my god", Steven said, sounding faint.

You were biting your fingernails, anxiously watching every little twitch on their faces.

Marc cursed and his hand flew to his leg where there used to be a gaping wound. Used to be.

"What did he do?" Marc snarled.

"He broke into a private residence and stole this", Layla said, revealing the ushabti.

"Is that...?" Steven made, equal parts fascinated and horrified.

Layla told them the story, the whole background of the mission, how it was not over yet and how it was likely they would see both Moon Knight and a bunch of hired goons again.

Marc looked pale but composed, like someone who'd just gotten confirmation for the diagnosis of a terminal illness. Steven was muttering things like "That's not good" and "Oh my days, what do we do?"

"And he told you all of that? This... Third? What's he call himself?" Marc asked stiffly.

"He just said to call him Moon Knight", Layla answered and you sagged in relief. "We talked for a bit, yes. He seemed to be fully aware of the two of you and most of what you're doing."

Marc cursed and Steven groaned and you glared at Lalya for saying it like that. Couldn't she be a bit more gentle?

"I mean... I guess that's not too bad, him fighting, if there's so much on the line", Steven said carefully optimistic. "It's sort of like back in Cairo, innit? If we hadn't stopped Ammit, who knows how many people would've died."

"Khonshu could've chosen anyone as his next avatar", Marc snapped back. "He made a fool of us and now we have blood on our hands, again!"

"Marc? Are you alright?" Layla asked.

"What do you think?" he snarled. However he immediately regretted his harsh tone, rubbed his face and added more softer: "I'm sorry. I... didn't mean to snap. It's... A lot, that's all. I thought we'd gotten rid of the damn pigeon for good."

"What's he... What's he like?" Steven asked after a moment. "Aside from the whole Khonshu thing. Can you ask her?"

The question came out a lot harsher when Marc posed it: "So what's your verdict? Do we have a psychopath in our head?"

You winced, glad that Jake couldn't hear them. Layla sighed. "Do you want the good or the bad news?"

"Bad", Marc said at the same time that Steven plead: "Good please."

Marc caved before Layla could open her mouth. He cleared his throat and corrected himself. "Good first."

"Good news, he seems to genuinely care for you two", Layla said and you forgave her just a bit. "It wasn't his intention to cause you pain. He called himself a protector. An 'emergency fronter', is what he said."

"Oh", Steven made, sounding surprised but in a good way. "That makes sense."

"How would that make sense?!" Marc protested. "I protect us plenty."

"Marc, you're the main host, the original personality", Steven lectured him. "When it comes to our condition, there are different categories of alters. A primary alter like you and me, that takes care of everyday life, is different from a protector. Those only come out when there's an immediate threat to deal with."

"So those blackouts", Marc said aloud, "when both Steven and I blacked out and we woke up again with blood on our hands... That made him come out? To protect us?"

"I guess so", Steven said. "There are two different kinds of protectors, physical and emotional ones. I guess I would've been an emotional protector when we were younger. I took over when you were in over your head and I had this tendency to block out or forget obvious signs of something being wrong. I didn't realize that was what I was doing but that's what you created me for."

"I...didn't mean to..." Marc said quietly.

"Oh, it's fine", Steven said lightly. "I had a happy childhood thanks to that. Sort of. I certainly don't mind the memory gaps, not now that I know what's behind it. And I am a primary alter now too so I don't feel like I'm incomplete or something. My point is, what happened to us, to you, was both physical and emotional abuse. It would make sense for you to have a physical protector as well. I... Often times those are alters permanently stuck as children or stuck in the trauma or even inanimate. We can be glad actually, that ours is one capable of holding a complete conversation, much less understand our situation."

"Do you ever remember a blackout like that happening when you weren't already in a fight?" Layla asked gently.

"I don't know", Marc said frustrated. "I have to question every blackout I ever had now. I always thought there was only Steven! Now he says we can be glad our protector is not an imbecile. But what does that say about me when in reaction to a threat, instead of creating someone that, I don't know, runs away or something, I created someone that goes straight for the kill?!"

"Would you have preferred someone that ran away?" Layla asked skeptically.

"I mean, I kinda ran away from violence", Steven muttered. "Maybe Moon Knight only jumps in when that's not an option?"

Marc groaned and held his head. "Can you give me the bad news? I just want to get this over with."

"The bad news", Layla said, "is that he has no intention to stop working for Khonshu."

"Of course not", Marc sneered hostile while Steven simply asked: "Why?"

Marc repeated his question aloud and Layla answered:

"I didn't really understand it. He was... rather upset and defensive."

You were not!

... well maybe a little.

"He said he'd try and communicate with you by writing if you'd let him and to find some kind of compromise that everyone could agree on. So I guess you can ask him yourself", she explained.

Steven looked mollified at that but Marc was still scowling.

"Writing?" he echoed. "Why wouldn't he just talk to us?"

Layla's face was carefully neutral as she searched for the right words.

"That was a compromise I convinced him of. At first he was very much against the idea of any sort of communication. It sounded like he was afraid you'd try to repress him. Terrified, really."

That was totally not true. You were just... really worried, that was all.

"Moon Knight is afraid of us?" Steven said incredulously.

"I wonder if we could..."

"Wha-Marc, no! That's not the right way", Steven protested and you could've kissed him. "Moon Knight already only gets a tiny shard of our life, and a really ugly one at that, too. It wouldn't be fair to try and suppress him. We have to learn to work with him. So long as he's not hurting us or any innocents, we can handle it."

Marc grimaced, looking guilty and sighed. "You're right, Steven. It's not... as bad as it first looked. We can handle it."

"That's all I had for you", Layla said more gently now and cupped Marc's face. "Why don't you get a few hours sleep? The bookstore won't expect Steven back for a few more days because of the leg, will it?"

"Okay... Fine", Marc muttered, leaning into her hand. "You come to bed too though, you've been up all night."

"I'll take a quick shower, then I'll join you", she promised and kissed him gently on the lips. "You're not alone, Marc. Not in your head and not out here and that's not a bad thing."

Layla left his side to head to the bathroom. Marc pulled off his shirt, being used to sleeping without and curled up under the bedsheets. He was exhausted and his screen went black immediately when he closed his eyes. Steven's screen went black too.

You leaned back, tired yourself after that particular roller-coaster of emotions, the distant sound of a shower still sounding through the speakers.

You had just left your chair to crawl back into your hammock when the screen flickered to life again.

You raised your gaze, watching as Marc propped himself up. There were voices in the background and Marc got to his feet, rounding the corner of the wall that only loosely separated the sleeping area from the open kitchen and living room. He spotted Lalya, fresh out of the shower with only a towel around her body and a second wrapped around her head, standing at the entrance door, speaking to someone on the other side.

"Layla? Who is it?" Marc asked. It was way too early to receive any visitors, mail or otherwise. You sat up, heading back to your chair. If it was police or Blackwell's men you might have to step in or wake up Jake.

But then Layla stepped aside, looking at Marc with that by now familiar, disappointed and betrayed look.

In the doorway stood Maybelle Parker, holding the crutch you'd totally forgotten about when you sneaked out of her house the previous evening.

"Marc", Layla said, the accusation clear in her voice. "Seriously? You didn't tell her about me? You didn't tell her that you are married?"

XxX

AN:

Whelp, one whoopsie chases the next one lately. Poor Maybelle. Poor Steven. Poor everyone!
David somehow survived talking to Layla by leaning into the personas of the others. She does not realize he is only a child and would've probably acted much differently if she'd known. But David's claim of how many times Marc tried to end himself scared her enough to comply with his wishes for now. Whether that's actually a good idea or not, well… I'll never tell.
Marc's had so much luck with his wife. Guess how Steven and his girlfriend work out in the next chapter. Will they A) End up in a happy love triangle, B) Break up or C) Someone will find some excuse to make her ignore all the massive red flags.
Write me in the comments what you think will happen...