01. The Friendly Type
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"And then I found him, with the scarab, living 20 minutes from our old place. Now, he's probably going to get himself killed running around Cairo." The brown haired woman muttered angrily as she packed her bag.
"That's why you look so unhappy to be going home." The old woman spoke up from behind the table.
"Anxious, maybe. It's been 10 years." Layla said as she opened a drawer filled with covers for passports.
"Not worried you might've burned too many bridges? All those stolen relics and cheeky antiques?" The old woman, Lagaro, piped up, smirking lightly at Layla.
"I don't steal. They've already been stolen. That's what people forget. I take them off the black market and return them to their rightful owners. I might keep a few to pay the bills." She replied nonchalantly. It was truth. Stealing stolen goods wasn't technically stealing, right?
"Clever you. Not so innocent anymore, eh? I wonder what your father would think of his little scarab now? Hmm."
"We'll never know.", she replied, hurt flashing across her face. "I can't believe he let you teach me how to do all of this."
"Ha!" Legaro scoffed. "The man indulged you. You think his dig sites were any place for a child? Archaeology. One big mess of obsessive bookworms." She muttered the last part.
"Whatever happened in that desert is lost to the sands." Layla scowled at her.
"And what about whatever happened back in Madripoor? Are you sure you wanna put that behind you?"
Layla shuddered at the the thought of Madripoor. A place filled with waywards and criminals, coming in hopes of finding a home after the blip. The main source of income there was working for the Power Broker. But in her line of work, Layla found herself there, either stealing something from Sharon or selling something to her. It was risky, double crossing the Power Broker, but she managed to pull it off. Until she had something worth losing herself. She remembered the face of her love, shining under the moonlight on one of their many escapades. It had been heartbreaking to leave her and move to Chicago.
"It's a hard thing, exhuming the pain of the past. Easy to get stuck. Fixate on what's hurt us." Legaro said softly. She got up an walked towards her.
"Great. Then I won't do either."
"Like you aren't already. I miss your father, too. And Aisha was a delight to have around. But that's your baggage, not mine. Just avoid your old haunts. Call me sentimental, but I worry about you." Legaro sighed and handed Layla the new passport. She hugged her tightly one last time.
"Have a good trip, love."
"Thanks." She kissed her on the side of her forehead and walked out the door, praying to every possible god to keep Marc, and Steven from doing stupid.
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Layla settled on the rooftop of the building after having created a makeshift roof over her head. The heat in Cairo was unbelievable. She fished out a handkerchief from her discarded jacket and dabbed the sweat on her forehead. 'Where the hell is Marc?'
She looked through the binoculars she grabbed from an unsuspecting tourist and searched for her husband. A familiar tuft of brown hair came into view and she quickly packed up her stuff and ran into the crowd at the marketplace. She stopped few feet behind Marc, trying to listen to the conversation. She brought a juice packet and walked closer to him.
"I'm looking for Senfu's sarcophagus."
Senfu's sarcophagus? So the rumors were true. Marc was trying to reach Ammit's tomb. Layla knew how to get to the sarcophagus. She had contacts in the black market and knew just where she'd find the Egyptian relic. But for that, she would need Marc on her side. And she would have to call Aisha. But one problem at a time. Right now Marc was about to create a scene and probably get himself killed. Before he could say anything, she stepped in front of him.
"Right guy, right place. But you're not Egyptian." She sipped her juice slyly.
"Layla, what the hell are you doing here? You shouldn't be here." Marc whispered, looking around nervously as if someone were to shoot him then and there.
"Why? Because my name pisses off a few people in Cairo? Who cares?" She waved a hand through the air.
"It's not the locals that I'm worried about." He tells her. Layla rolled her eyes. "Come with me. I'll help you find what you need."
She led him into a deserted shed far enough from the crowded market to get some privacy but also not too far into the outskirts, so as to avoid unwanted attention.
"So what exactly are we gonna do here? What's the plan?" Marc asked her, as she walked around the dingy area, trying to get pieces of machinery to work.
"It's not pleasant being left in the dark, is it?" She quipped.
"Okay. I get that you're not happy about me leaving so quickly and coming to Cairo. I understand."
"Wait. Is that your apology?" She looked over at him incredulously. Realizing that it was indeed his attempt at an apology she scoffed and rolled her eyes. With the amount of times she'd rolled her eyes at Marc in the past few days it was a miracle it hadn't stuck like that. "That's good. That's really good." She muttered angrily. She placed the last piece on the table and got to assembling the device.
"Just so we can get through tonight, maybe let's just give our shit a rest for a moment and just try to strategize before we get to... Mogart's? Mogart? And what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to call a ... friend of mine." Her breath hitched at the mention of friend, which didn't go unnoticed by Marc. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"She'll play an important part in convincing Mogart to help us. The last time he saw me, things were... different. And he has a soft spot for her." She trailed off, her eyes glossing over in memories. Marc was about to get up when she reeled herself back.
"Just so you know, I'm not here to help you. I'm here for me and for everyone else who would die if Harrow succeeds."
"Copy that." Marc replied, not wanting to pry into it more.
"Good."
"I am sorry. For whatever that's worth."
Layla didn't reply. She was determined to not let Marc derail her emotions. People fell out of love. It wasn't a big deal. Keeping someone in the dark about it definitely was. And leaving off in the middle of the night was worse. 'Ironic. Isn't that exactly what you did?' She thought.
Sighing, she assembled the device and called the person who probably wanted absolutely nothing to do with her.
She ran her fingers over the black phone-like structure. It was a device the Aisha had snuck from one of the crates that arrived in Madripoor one day. It had been stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. and Aisha slipped two of the comm devices and rushed to show Layla. She gave one of the two to the former, both swearing to se the device to reach the other when in danger. It was the day she was leaving Madripoor. Layla didn't have the heart to tell her that she'd be leaving that day. Saying goodbye to your love was heart wrenching and so she drugged Aisha and snuck out the window. Six years later, Layla ran her fingers down the device, calling in Aisha, hoping that she'd help them.
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The beeping sound had been going off for the past five minutes and it was starting to get on Aisha's nerves. 'What the hell is that fucking noise?' She rummaged around her bedroom, in her closet and on her table. She turned the entire apartment upside down in search for the source of the annoying sound.
She saw something blinking below her bed and bent down. Her fingers landed on a hard substance and she pulled it back. Her eyes widened at the device. She had forgotten all about it, just like how she managed to lock the memory of Layla away. She had half the mind not to answer it but curiosity got the better of her.
"Hello?"
"Oh Aisha. Thank God. I didn't think you'd pick up... Listen I... uh... I didn't want us to meet like this. But i wouldn't call you if it wasn't important. I need your help Sha."
Aisha couldn't believe it was actually her. She wanted to stay angry at her for leaving her. For marrying that man. After everything they'd been through, the thought of her calling boiled up the dormant anger.
"Why should I help you, Layla?" She spat out. The anger in her voice made Layla wince. She knew she messed up when she left her but she didn't have a choice.
"There's a group of people trying to resurrect a evil Goddess. People will die if we don't stop her."
"Of course it's another evil deity." Layla could practically hear her roll her eyes. "Where do I come in?"
"You remember Mogart? Well intel says he has an important piece of our puzzle. You were closer to him than I was, Aisha. He'd trust you enough to show us what we need."
The other side had gone silent and Layla wondered if the other girl had discarded the comm into some trash can and ran away. Not like Aisha hadn't already contemplated on the thought. Dumping the device, pretending to have never reconnected with Layla would've been much better in retrospect.
She was torn. On one hand, Layla had treated her like shit. She left in the middle of the night after slipping her a few pills. Nothing could have prepared her for the heartbreak. On the other hand, going to Cairo would mean getting closure. Seeing Layla again was just an added bonus.
"Fine." She mumbled.
"Th-"
"But. Once I help you get what you want, i'm outta there. Deal?" If Layla really needed her help, she wouldn't let her feelings in between. Layla's face flashed a look of hurt. She was glad Marc couldn't see her.
"Fine. As you wish. Come over to Cairo, please. And don't tell anyone that you're coming to help me, okay? Please. I'll fill you in on everything here."
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"So, this Mogart guy. He's really gonna have his sarcophagus?' Marc asked Layla, who was looking everywhere but at the girl beside her. Marc could feel the tension bubbling up.
"Yes. I asked around. Mogart's collection is prime gossip for those of us who deal in antiquities."
Aisha looked over at Layla, a ghost of a smile hovering on her lips, before looking out the boat. The image of the purple light of the boat, perfectly bouncing off Layla's face nestled deep into Aisha's mind. It took everything to hold herself back from kissing Layla. 'So much for no catching feelings.' She steadied herself and held the edge of the boat, the rocking of the boat and the jet lag had started making her feel a little queasy.
Eyeing the receding sun, she tried to take in all the information she got. About Harrow, Ammit and the end of the world. It's always world dominion with people. Why cant some villians just sit back and enjoy a vacation for once?
"I haven't heard that sound since... Since our wedding." That snapped Aisha out of her daze. She looked over at Layla and saw her take Marc's hand in hers. She felt her heart dropping deeper into her stomach and tried to tune out the conversation.
"You could've told me. You know? What's it's been like for you. About Steven." Steven. Layla had told her about Marc's alter but she hadn't yet met the man.
"For what it's worth, I had it under control until very recently."
"What happened?"
"Doesn't matter."
Aisha looked away from the duo, feeling like an intruder. She got up abruptly and walked towards the far end of the boat and played with her necklace. It was a gift from Layla. It had a beautiful silver peony pendant. Flipping the pendant in her hand always calmed her down.
The boat docked itself on land and the trio disembarked. Aisha looked at Marc, the moonlight radiating off his face, and she could see why Layla fell for him.
"Okay. Let's get our story straight. This guy's got a lot of friends." Marc spoke up.
"Yeah, and a lot with guns." Aisha retorted
Marc suddenly turned around and looked behind them. Aisha and Layla followed his line of sight and noticed three men in a speedboat.
"What is it? Harrow's men keeping tabs?", Aisha asked.
"I don't know. It could be. Let's go. Now, Remember, your name is Rufino Estrada." Layla reminded Marc as she linked her arms through Aisha's.
"Right." Marc replied hesitantly, eyeing their arms.
"Aisha and I just got back from our honeymoon in the Maldives. You are her cousin, coming to inspect that the sarcophagus is real."
Alisha felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. Layla slipped off one of her many tings and slid one onto Aisha's ring finger.
It felt like a dream walking upto the grand ground, hand in hand with Layla. She'd be lying of she didn't feel a pinch of happiness when Layla called her her wife.
"Bek." Layla called out to the black guy. Aisha recognized him. The two of them used to run import in Madripoor together for a while.
"Layla. Aisha."
"It's been a while. Good to see you."
"Yeah. Ditto. Oh, by the way, congratulations!" He grinned at the two of them. "Right this way."
"Thank you." Alisha replied.
"He's looking forward to seeing you two. After Madripoor I'm sure you guys will have a lot to talk about." Bek said, looking at the two of them. He eyed Marc a bit before retreating back to his position at the entrance "Excuse me for one moment. Mr. Mogart will be with you shortly."
"So what? This joker just puts on El-Mermah games in his backyard, for fun?" Marc whispered, clearly disliking the half naked guy in the horse.
"No, he gets private lessons by the best in his backyard." Alisha replied and Marc scoffed at the idea.
"Come in. Such a delight to see you." Mogart called out, in his overly sweet voice.
"You, too. How have you been?" Layla spoke in her usual charming self.
"Good." He gestures around himself, showing the riches he has collected.
"Thank you for having us over on such short notice." Aisha says.
"Oh, please. I hope you realize you need no excuse to drop by."
"You already know my wife, Layla. This is my cousin, Rufino." Aisha introduced them and felt her cheeks heat up once more.
Mogart lead the trio deeper into the grounds until they reached a protruding glass structure. "I hope you understand this is more than a collection to me. Preserving history is a responsibility I take very seriously."
"A self-appointed responsibility that you alone were able to enjoy, no?" Aisha good-naturely quips.
"Well, I prefer to see it as a philanthropic effort at preservation. Now, if I may ask, why such interest in Senfu in particular?"
"Oh, actually, our purchases are..." Aisha starts off only to be interrupted by Mogart.
"I'm sorry. I'd like to hear from your cousin, if you don't mind." Aisha looks nervously at Marc who simply hums at the man.
"I think I just would love to take a look." Marc finally tells.
"Funny man." Mogart whispers to Aisha and Layla. They murmur in agreement.
"Feel free." Both Aisha and Layla let out a sigh of relief.
As the three of them walk into the structure, Layla whispered to Marc, "Please, just let Steven out before you blow this."
"Not a chance." He whispered back. Layla had to control herself from rolling her eyes. Instead, she resorted to entwining her fingers with Aisha's. Something she used to do to calm herself. The action just seemed so natural to her body that she didn't even register the way her thumb brushed over the back of Aisha's hand.
Marc walked ahead whispered something to his reflection in the sarcophagus, who seemed to be hell bent on not cooperating. He sauntered back to the duo and said, "Will you give me a minute? I gotta talk to Steven... Just keep him occupied."
Layla looked over at Aisha and turn around just in time to see Bek walking in.
"He just needs a couple minutes in there alone, 'cause...", She tries to reason with him
"Yeah. He is... He's praying." Aisha blurts out.
Bek noticed Rufino fiddle with the sarcophagus and raised his gun in alarm "What are you doing?" He pushed aside Layla and placed an arm on Marc's shoulder.
"Marc! Don't." Layla screamed. Too late.
His military training caused him to catch Bek by the hand and pull him down. He kicked him in his face and pulled out his own gun in a flash.
"Shit."
"Do you really think I'm an idiot? Get on your knees." Mogart ordered
"Anton, stop!" Aisha tried to reason with him, playing the 'I'm your friend card'. Layla pulled her back, not wanting her to land into more trouble.
"Get on your knees!"
"Okay. Okay!!"
"Aisha, I was so ready to make peace with both, you and your wife."
"You don't understand. We're trying to save many lives." Aisha spoke up from the ground
"Hey, pal. Take a look inside the sarcophagus. There's somethin' really, really big." Marc pointed to the open sarcophagus.
Another man, clothed in black garments approached Mogart and whispered something in his ear. A Cheshire cat-like smile spread over his face as he walked to the center of the ground
"Well, that's interesting. It appears we have a concerned third party here. Get up." Two men grab each of them and pull them up forcefully.
"Whatever they've told you, I'm sure I can offer you something much more tangible." Marc tried to bargain.
"Why settle for a clue when you can have the treasure?" A white haired guy spoke up from the shadows.
"Anton. Anton, don't listen to this man. He's trying to stop us from reaching..." Aisha cried out
"Please, stop. He's gonna kill millions, trust me!" Layla screamed.
"Are you seriously talking about trust?" Mogart whipped towards them.
"Please, there's no need to descend into violent accusations." Harrow sweetly spoke up.
"Each one of you has so much more in common than you know. Layla, you keep thinking that distance will prevent the wounds from your father's murder from reopening. But something stands in your way. Your husband doesn't tell you the truth. And Marc, you don't tell her because you know that if you do, she'll see you exactly as you see yourself, as unworthy of love. And you, Aisha. You poor girl. All you ever wanted in life was to be loved by the ones you call family." Layla's face was devoid of all emotion at the mention of her father, while Aisha felt the tears glisten in her eyes.
"You piece of shit." Marc swore at Harrow.
"Anton... The lore surrounding these relics, I offer proof that it's real. This sarcophagus doesn't belong to anyone." Harrow tried to reason with the man. He seemed too bewildered to actually do anything.
"Would you like to see for yourself?" Harrow offered.
"Yes. I do."
Harrow raised his staff and chanted few verses. Purple tendrils of power emitted from the staff, creating cracks in the earth.
"That's just a taste of the godly power I offer." Harrow mutters before he limped backwards, somehow melting into the darkness.
"Hey, he's gone. Where is he?" Everyone looked around in a frenzy, trying to find Marc who had managed to escape his captors. Aisha and Layla looked up the glass tower and found a masked figure, looking down at the group with glowing eyes. The initial shock wore off and people started shooting at him. A man grabbed Aisha by the neck and pulled her down. She kicked him in the face and knocked him out. Layla was struggling against a man, when a golden crescent struck him in the chest. Aisha ran towards her with the gun she snatched from her assailant and shot the people behind Layla.
Marc landed next to the duo and engulfed them under his cape as a group of men shot in their direction.
"Buy me some time." Layla asked.
"We can do that." Aisha grunted, as Marc let them go. She shot down some more people before quickly turning on her heels and running to Layla. She pulled out her knife and handed it to her.
"Stay safe."
Layla felt her heart clench. Even when their life was in danger, Aisha managed to make sure to keep her safe. Layla opened her mouth to say something but chose to simply nod at her before running to the sarcophagus.
Aisha ran back to the ground to help Marc who seemed to be surrounded by masked men. She stepped over one of the bodies and picked up a spear. She broke it in half and wielded it like a make-shift sword. Slashing through the men, she reached Marc who was struggling to hold his ground. The two of them cut down the enemy in a beautiful symphony of destruction. She took down one of his opponents when she felt Marc freeze up behind her.
"Marc?"
"Oh! Sorry. You all right?" The suit of bandages and the cape was immediately replaced by a well fitting white suit. 'This must be Steven.'
Looking at the number of bodies littered around him, Steven shouted out, "That's it. All right, time out. That's it, time out! Guys, let's all calm down, yeah? We're all worked up. Let's all just, like, chill the F out and talk for a second."
Distracted by the change of suit and accent, she failed to notice the guy behind her and grunted when she felt a sharp blade graze her thigh. She quickly slashed behind and struck the man through his skull. Turning around, she saw many more men coming at them. She fished out a gun from the body suit of the man she killed and started firing at them.
"We might need Marc!" She shouted over the loud bangs. She turned around and saw Steven being impaled by spears.
"Steven!!"
"Take the body. Take the body, take the body, Marc." Steven shouted as he got impaled multiple times.
Aisha was struggling to hold her own ground but managed to shoot the people closest to Marc. Each step she took felt as if her leg was being dipped in lava.
At the sound of Layla screaming, she turned around to find Mogart standing a few feet behind her, with a spear in his hand.
"Layla!" Both Aisha and Marc yelled when Mogart raised his spear menacingly. She noticed Marc running to her and focused on taking down the men around them, providing a clear path for him. Her body screamed at her, every joint begging her to stop. She saw flashes of gold take down the last of the men as she fell onto the ground, her legs giving out under her. Layla came into view with her crescent moon necklace in her hands.
"You okay?" Aisha managed to mutter out through the pain.
"Yeah. You?"
"I'll live." She grimaced. "Do you have it?" She turned to Marc, who was panting and wiping away the sweat on his forehead.
"Yeah. I have it. We need a car."
"Yeah, come on." Layla pulled up Aisha and she grunted. She felt the extent of the wound and struggled to stand. Layla hooked an arm around her and helped her walk to the car.
Marc managed to find a discarded jeep and hot wired it. Layla helped Aisha onto the back seat and settled into the drivers seat.
"Ay. I really liked that jacket." Marc muttered as he removed his jacket, fully covered in dirt, grime and dried blood. "Oh, well."
"What was Harrow talking about? He said I had a right to know."
"I have no idea."
"I never told anyone except Aisha why I really moved." She looked back to find Aisha looking up at the roof of the car, clutching her bloody thigh. Layla motioned for Marc to give her the med kit which she gladly took.
"I mean, but he knew, he just saw right through me."
"He's just trying to mess with you. You know, he's trying to get in your mind. No, don't let him do that. You know, he's got this idea that he can see the true nature of people or some baloney like that." Marc retorted.
"If that were true, I don't think he'd have a bunch of homicidal maniacs as his disciples, would he?" Aisha asked as she tightened the white bandage on her thigh. The cut didn't look very deep but it still hurt like hell.
"So, it's not true? What he said about you and..."
"No, it's not true. No, he's just trying to divide us. Don't let him get in your head."
"Every time I learn something new about you, I think, "That's it. There can't possibly be any secrets left between us." And then something else pops up, and it's like I've not known you at all. "
"Yeah. You haven't. You don't." Marc bit back. "And you, Aisha. What did Harrow mean by wanting to be loved by the your family? I'm not the only one who seems to be hiding stuff now, yeah?! I hardly even know you. I literally knew about you a few hours ago"
Aisha stiffened. Layla stopped the car in a deserted area and looked over at her. She knew what Harrow was talking about. It was a major dick move bringing it up and Layla flicked the side of Marc's head.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"We've got a map to assemble. We don't have time to revisit the past now."
Aisha looked at her and thanked her silently. She simply smiled back and hopped out of the jeep with the map pieces in tow. Marc looked at Aisha once more before joining her. Aisha sat in the back, took a few breaths to get a gold of her bearings, gently got off the car and limped towards the duo. Her thigh burned at every step but she bit down the tears.
"Try that." "Maybe, actually.." "This one?" "Okay. Uh... No."
Layla and Marc were trying hard to place the map together. Aisha leaned against the hood of the car and watched them. She never liked puzzles anyways.
"Anything else? I'm not getting any whole constellations. It's just little pieces and fragments." Layla sighed. "This is gonna take forever. Marc, we need Steven. He understands all of this." She says gesturing to the pieces of cloth littered on the hood. "I really think it's worth giving him a shot."
"He won't return the body." Marc whispered out, as if in pain.
"Marc, we can't wait. It's okay, just let go.We don't have time. Wait. What are you doing?" Marc angrily gathered the pieces and grabbed a torch before storming over to a clearing.
He knelt down on the coarse sand and spread out the pieces of the map.
"All right, go ahead. You're in."
"Cheers, thanks a lot. All right. Yeah. Here we go." Aisha could see the transition clearly. The shift in the body language, the way he hunched his shoulders instead of broadening them like Marc's were a clear indication to Steven fronting. Layla helped Aisha move over to Steve. They could hear him mutter under his breath.
"Don't need that. I don't need that."
"Steven?" Layla placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze to become transfixed on Layla. Aisha coughed uneasily and Steven turned to her and smiled softly before directing his attention back to his work.
"Egyptians invented modern navigation. There's not a lot of landmarks in the desert. So they came up with a way to get about using the sun and the stars. It's bloody genius, isn't it?" He explained as he placed the pieces one on top of the other and folded it to form a beatiful star.
"Et voilà."
"Whoa."
"It's French." Aisha couldn't help but let out a giggle at the man. He turned around and smiled widely at her. He looked like a proud child.
"I know. So, what do we do with it?" Layla asked.
"Well, I'm not sure, but if... Wait, hang on a minute. You see that? You see those little pinpricks there? That's a constellation." Steven held the map to the sky, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the holes.
"We should be able to triangulate the stars into coordinates, right?"
"Let me just scan it." Aisha piped up, taking out a tablet like device from Layla's bag. She typed in some numbers but the screen returned an error. Scrunching her eyebrows, she looked over at the constellation and typed in the numbers once again.
"Not working. Why isn't it working?"
"Yeah, yeah, you see, Senfu... Senfu marked that tomb, like, 2,000 years ago. And stars drift over time. Not much as far as stars go, but it could mean the difference between us searching miles away from where we're supposed to be looking. So unless we know exactly what the sky looked like on that date, we're buggered." Steven explained. Layla and Aisha let out groans. How were they supposed to get to Ammits tomb now?
"Khonshu?" Steven asked the air beside him. Aisha was still spooked by the idea of having a god loom over you, making your choice for you. She couldn't imagine the pain of being tethered to a powerful being for eternity.
Steven looked next to him incredulously, as if Khonshu just said something absolutely crazy. (Which in retrospect he did). He nodded and climbed up the small dune and braced himself. He extended one arm ahead and started waving it in a sliding motion. Aisha and Layla stumbled back as they watched the sky turn back. The earlier ink black sky had now turned into a medley of colors that resembled the galaxy. Aisha stood back in awe at the sight.
"Whoa! Oh, man! This is mental." Steven exclaimed, snapping them out of their stupor. After a while the sky stopped rotating and Steven indicated that it was the night they were searching for.
Aisha and Layla quickly put in the data and held the tablet to the sky.
"Its working!" She shouted out.
"It's working. Yes. Good. I can feel my energy leaving me." Steven groaned out, and started slipping. Aisha stumbled over to Steven, fearing he might fall over.
"Oh, God, I don't know how much longer I can do this."
Layla shouted out in joy when the device read out the coordinates. 29 degrees north, 25 east.
As soon as she shouted out the coordinates, the sky returned to its normal black color and Steven slumped forward. Aisha pulled the body towards her, trying her best to keep it from falling over. She felt a searing pain shoot up her leg and stumbled forward, dragging Steven along with her.
"Aisha! Steven!!" Layla saw them tumble down the dune and ran forward to help them. She got a hold of Aisha and pulled her off, and then focused on trying to get Steven, or Marc awake.
"Hey, Steven? Marc? Come on. Come on! Where are you? Marc? Come on. Aisha gimme a hand in picking them up please"
Beside her, Aisha groaned in pain. Layla snapped her head at the sound and noticed that the brown sand beneath her leg had started to change into a shade of deep crimson.
As always, comments, reviews and hearts are greatly appreciated ! <3