NEFARIOUS [MOONKNIGHT]

TEN

Vera looked at Layla who watched her with wide eyes and Vera raised an eyebrow.

"Layla?" She asked and Layla breathed in deep and spoke.

"How-How are you alive?" She asked and Vera turned to her right, the woman appearing by her side and she spoke.

"Go ahead. Tell her." The woman said and Vera sighed and looked at Layla.

"You know how Marc explained that when he almost died, Khonshu saved him?" She asked and Layla nodded slowly and Vera spoke, looking at the woman to her right that stood tall, wearing a basket-like object over her head. The goddess looked exactly like Khonshu, ancient and made up of air and cloth.

"I-I think that's what happened to me." She said and before she could explain anymore a male's voice came from beside her.

"That is freaking cool who is-" Steven went to say but Vera threw a punch, getting scared by him. He groaned and Vera looked at Steven and she crouched down to the floor.

"Shit, I'm sorry." She said and Steven nodded and smiled.

"I-it's okay. You're alive! That's amazing." He said and then stood up and looked at Vera

"Who is it? Whose avatar are you?" He asked and Vera blinked and breathed out.

"Nephthys." She said and Steven's eyes widened and he smiled.

"No freakin way! Nephthys is the Egyptian goddess of death. She was Isis's sister." He said rambling and the woman standing next to Vera laughed.

"Isn't he a cutie." She said and Vera looked at her and then looked back at Steven and then Layla.

"Wait, so now you're an avatar?" Layla asked and Vera nodded softly and spoke.

"I think so, she's like right there." Vera said looking to her right and Layla blinked slowly and then spoke.

"We have to find Ammit's tomb." Was all she said and then she got in the car. Vera raised an eyebrow and looked at Steven. Steven gave her a bright smile and then spoke softly.

"It's good to see you, Vera." He said and Vera looked at him and gave him a soft nod and watched as he stepped into the car. She followed and sat in the back. As Layla started driving Steven looked at Vera in the rear view mirror and spoke.

"Do you think Nephthys chose you because you're the Umbra Mortis?" Steven asked and Vera's eyes widened and she spoke dangerously low.

"How do you know about that?" She asked staring at him and Steven looked at Marc through the mirror.

"Why would you ask her about that, Steven?" He asked and Steven cleared his throat and looked at Vera.

"I heard it in passing." He said and Vera blinked and looked out the mirror.

"They only called me that because of my past." She said and Steven raised a questioning eyebrow and spoke.

"Because of being a Black Widow?" He asked and Vera breathed out and nodded slowly.

"Yes." Was all she said and Layla kept her gaze on the road and Steve spoke out again.

"Well, for what it's worth I think it makes you bad ass, dunnit?" He said and Vera chuckled softly at his statement, not knowing Marc was on the other side, savoring that sound forever. Before Steven could say anything else, Layla stepped on the break and Steven jerked forward.

"We're gonna have to go on foot from here." She said and Vera nodded and opened the car door. She stepped out and saw Nephthys leaning against the rock.

"We're going to find Ammit's tomb and then we're freeing Khonshu." She said and Vera scoffed and spoke.

"What are you, in love?" She asked and Nephthys tilted her head and spoke.

"You know nothing, girl." She said and Vera laughed and Layla looked at her wondering who she was talking to. Vera sighed and they began to walk into the cave.

Vera, Layla, and Steven walked inside the maze after Steven revealed that it was shaped like the Eye of Horus. Vera walked next to Steven as she used a flashlight to help light her path.

"Do you think your sista is looking for you?" Steven asked randomly looking at Vera. Vera shrugged and looked at the hieroglyphics on the wall.

"I don't know. Probably not. We always find each other. She probably thinks I went looking for whatever Marc needed." She mumbled and Steven nodded and spoke.

"Her accent is kindof different from yours." He stated and Vera let out a dry chuckle and nodded.

"I was born Dublin Ireland. I was taken by the Red Room and was brought to Russia. Yelena grew up in the States but was also taken by the Red Rooms. We- Almost all of the Black Widows have an accent." She said and Steven nodded and spoke.

"Well, I think that's cool."He said and Vera shrugged and they walked to a table that had blood on it.

"Oh-Oh my god. Is that fresh blood?" Steven asked gagging and Vera clenched her jaw and looked up at Nephthys who was looking down at the blood.

"What is this?" Vera asked the goddess and the woman spoke.

"You need to tell your friends to leave now." She said and Vera looked at Steven who was starting to climb the top.

"I think there's an exit." He said and Vera clenched her jaw.

"Steven, get down now!" She whispered yelled and all of a sudden the air shifted and the hairs on Vera's arms stood up.

"Hide, hide!" Steven whispered yelled and a groaning came from the outside hall, a shadow of a limping man came into view. 

"Shit." Vera said and Vera backed up against the wall, disclosing herself within the shadows. Layla hid under the small table and Steven was up on the top deck.

Vera watched as the zombified sorcerer priest of Ammit was carving out an organ from a man and she breathed in deep and walked slowly across the shadows along the wall.

"Do something, girl." Nephthys said and Vera glared at her and spoke.

"I'm trying." She whispered and the zombified priest snapped his head towards the wall, wondering what was there. Nephthys tilted her head and spoke lowly.

"How can he not see you?" She asked and before Vera could say something, she heard Steven gasp and the priest looked up and began walking to Steven. 

She walked out of the shadows, a knife appearing in her hands and she jumped up on the priest and stabbed him in the neck. He turned his head and looked at her and she brought her forehead forward, slamming it against the priest's. He foiled backwards and Vera looked at Layla and yelled.

"Run!" She exclaimed and Layla began running. The priest ran after her and Vera went to grab his leg but she heard Steven begin to run.

She looked to where Nephthys was and she spoke.

"What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to get Khonshu back?" She asked the goddess and she blinked and breathed in.

"I do not know." She said and Vera sighed and ran back around to try and get to where Steven was going before he could. When she turned, she saw Arthur Harrow standing before her.

"Kiernan Verbeck. What a surprise." He said and Vera tilted her head and clenched her jaw.