Chapter 39
The interesting thing about human bodies is just how vulnerable and sensitive they were.
Yelena may have been raised in the Red Room, she may be an avatar of a God, but when it all boils down to it, she’s just a human.
The human body can only withstand torture for so long before it gives up whether the torture had stopped or not. Despite Apep giving Yelena juice to stabilize her blood sugars, he was not well versed in human affairs and limits.
Yelena had already warned him once and she refused to do it again. She was just so tired. She was so cold and her fingers were going numb as spots danced in her vision. At some point, she decided that she just had to give in. There was no point in prolonging such pain if she wasn’t going to be found.
Apep called her a tired child as her eyelids slowly tugged closed and Yelena doesn’t correct him about the fact that she was going to die.
It would be lonely on the other side, she’s pretty sure. But she knew that there was a chance she would see Tawaret again and that her heart might just be good enough to balance on the Scales of Justice. She had been alone for most of her life, being alone might not be so bad in death because she would never have pain again. She’d be free, completely and utterly free for the first time in her life.
She already knew how lonely that would feel.
Her forearm itched, the ink on her arm burning slightly and Yelena shuffled and tugged on the arm restraint to try and make it go away. When she couldn’t, she focused her attention on it.
“My child…”
Yelena jerked at the low rumble, her breath hitching at the familiar voice. Her eyes flickered around the room, searching for the familiar comforting figure. She didn’t dare breathe his name aloud in fear of angering Apep.
“You have been brave, you have done just as I have asked.” The phantom feeling of large hands brushing against her forearm over the ink had Yelena slowly relaxing. “You have not failed me.”
“I’m sorry…” Yelena still breathed out, disappointed in herself that she had let Nour get away.
“Do not be.” Yelena could sink into the comforting voice, wrapped up in the shadows. “You are dying.”
“Yes…” Yelena refused to summon the suit. She didn’t need Apep taking advantage of that. She didn’t need to heal herself to prolong the torture.
“I ask of you one thing before you go,” Khonshu stated.
“Anything…” Yelena would do whatever he wanted. She was his to use.
“Grant me permission to your body,” Khonshu requested.
The thing about Khonshu was that he didn’t even have to ask. He was a God, Yelena was his avatar, he could do what he very well pleased without a word from her. But Yelena had been firm with him about asking before he took control and he was doing so.
“Will you bring me back?” Yelena stared at the ceiling, her eyelids growing heavier. Khonshu was quiet for a moment and the burning in her arm suddenly stopped, replaced with a sense of warmth.
“Fights between Gods can be messy, my child,” Khonshu’s tone took on a tinge of remorse. “I may damage your body beyond repair.”
And what a scary thought dying was. Yelena wasn’t ready yet, not anymore. She had so much more to do.
But Apep needed to be brought down before he plunged the world into darkness and no other God could harm the mortal body he was in. A God in a human body versus a God in a human body would be a fair match.
“If I do go forever, will you find Natasha?” Yelena knew that Khonshu wasn’t Natasha’s biggest fan, mainly because she would distract Yelena at times. “Give her the photo.”
Khonshu let out a hum, a familiar rumble that never failed to soothe Yelena. “I shall.”
“Okay…” Yelena breathed out. Dying a final death was not what she had planned when she last left Layla’s apartment but she supposed that death was inevitable for everyone. Twenty years on earth wasn’t too bad for a Widow.
She could practically see Khonshu looming over her, tapping his staff onto the floor in the comforting rhythm that she liked.
Right before Yelena let herself sink into the darkness, the door to the room slammed open and Yelena tried her best to look over toward whoever entered.
Her elation at seeing Layla as Scarlet Scarab and Natasha as Black Widow was short-lived as Apep appeared out of nowhere.
With no warning, no taunts, and not even a smug comment, Apep took great pleasure in slicing Yelena’s neck open just as he had done with Nour.
“No!” Natasha cried out.
Getting her throat cut open was one of Yelena’s least favorite ways to die. There was too much of a mess and her mouth always tasted like rust and salt for the next few days as the skin knitted back together and healed.
My body is yours, my God
Yelena left one last thought for Khonshu before she gave into the darkness that welcomed her with open arms.
Layla had an uneasy feeling as they approached the place where Yelena was being held. She felt as though they were too late, a feeling that curdled in her stomach like sour milk and made her feel sick.
Layla had never fought a God before. Tawaret had taught her better than that. Yelena had bestowed upon her the importance of respecting Gods and how as an avatar, Layla represented her Goddess.
Apep hadn’t been expecting them judging by his harsh reaction to their appearance. Layla hadn’t even had time to properly take stock of the kid tied down to the table, blood splattered around her in a concerning volume, before Apep grabbed a knife.
There was no time to even try to barter for Yelena’s life. One quick slice to the throat and Apep laughed as blood sprayed and Yelena let out a painful gurgling noise.
“Yelena!” The name left Layla’s mouth quicker than she could stop herself, jolting forward with a weapon in her hand.
Apep disappeared quickly and Layla didn’t have it in her to chase him down, her focus on Yelena. The girl’s eyes were drooping shut, shallow breathing drawing Layla’s attention to the wounds. Yelena’s lips parted as her eyes connected with Layla’s, looking as though she wanted to speak. Layla took stock of the missing tooth and rage burned in her belly, hot and fiery. She shoved that aside to undo the strap on Yelena’s head.
“I’ve got you, kid,” Layla soothed, undoing the rest of the restraints. She knew it was far too late but still hauled Yelena upright. The teenager went limp against her like a ragdoll, the rattling noise as she breathed ceasing as the flow of blood slowed. “Shit. Fuck. God damned it…”
She remembered that Natasha was there, witnessing the whole thing. The woman looked ill, her skin rather pale as she stared at the girl.
“You… you called her Yelena…” Natasha whispered.
“Yeah…” Layla clenched her jaw. “I did…”
Natasha let out a wet laugh, reaching up to cover her face. “I should have known… I should have fucking known!”
Layla watched Natasha kick a hole in the wall. She wanted to tell Natasha that Yelena came back sometimes but she didn’t know if that was the case. She glanced over to where she could see Tawaret standing nearby. “Would you… would you check?” Layla whispered to her Goddess. “See if she’s okay?”
Tawaret inclined her head and disappeared to go and guide Yelena through limbo as she usually did.
Layla peered down at Yelena and slowly gathered the girl up into her arms. Dead or not, she wasn’t leaving Yelena to rot all alone.
She was reminded of the time that the Gods had killed Yelena to try and entice Khonshu. Layla had held the girl as she died and she carried her when she lived.
“Come back to me,” Layla whispered into blonde hair, strands crusted with dried blood. “Come back, I know you can. You’ve done it before. Don’t leave me hanging, kid.”
Layla jolted when the hoodie Yelena was wearing faded and was replaced by her usual White Knight uniform. Hope bubbled through her as she tugged the mask off of Yelena’s face to watch the skin on her neck knit back together. “That’s it,” Layla encouraged, getting Natasha’s attention. “Come back. I’m right here.”
A soft groan left Yelena’s lips and she suddenly sat up, reaching up to cradle her head in her hands.
“It’s alright, you’re okay,” Layla reached out to set a hand on Yelena’s shoulder to steady her. “Apep killed you but you’re back.”
Yelena’s head tilted up to peer at her and Layla froze at the eyes staring into hers.
“Yelena?” She repeated slowly, the grip on her shoulders loosening.
“No…” Yelena’s voice had taken on a raspy tone, deepened slightly despite the healing gash on her throat.
Suddenly, every bit of etiquette that Tawaret drilled into her head about meeting a God flew out the window. Layla let the body go. “It’s an honor to meet, you, Khonshu…” she gave a small bow of respect.
Khonshu let out a small grunt, inspecting the room before him, bringing Yelena's hands up to his face to look at the missing fingernails. He moved to slide off the table and onto his own two feet, wobbling slightly under the weight.
“Woah!” Layla didn’t care if she would get scolded by Tawaret for manhandling a God, he was in her friend’s body. “You need to take it easy.”
“Cease your touch,” Khonshu swatted her hand off but did sit on the table again. “I have much work to do.”
Layla retracted her hand as though she had been burned.
Natasha was watching quietly from the sidelines and to be honest, Layla had forgotten that she was even there until Khonshu turned his gaze onto her.
“Natasha Romanov,” he greeted. “After years of seeing your faces in clippings of magazines and newspapers, it is refreshing to see you in person. You have been an object of obsession for my avatar, often distracting her whenever your face or name is mentioned.”
Natasha fumbled for a good reply, unsure of how to interact with an ancient Egyptian God. “I hadn’t realized she was alive…” she finally settled on.
“It was her choice,” Khonshu said, slowly leaning down. Layla tried not to wince at the fresh blood dribbling from an open wound in the stomach that had blood seeping through the white fabric of the combat uniform. Khonshu reached into Yelena’s boot and slowly pulled out the plastic baggie that Layla recognized. Khonshu extended his arm to hold the item out to Natasha.
Natasha hesitated before slowly moving forward. Layla could see just how the woman longed to wrap the girl up in a tight hug and never let go but didn’t dare with a God behind the wheel.
Natasha took the item from Khonshu, her eyes growing wide at the sight of the photo strip that had been so carefully preserved by Yelena. The baggie was smeared with blood but the object inside, although weathered and faded, was in good condition.
With that done, Khonshu slid to his feet once again. It seemed wrong for a God to be piloting the body of a teenage girl, short and angry.
“Where are you going?” Layla demanded as Khonshu started to march on unsteady legs toward the stairs.
Khonshu paused, turning to glance at her as he raised an eyebrow. “I would watch your tongue, mortal,” he hissed, the words sounding wrong coming from Yelena’s mouth. He turned to face the stairs again. “I am to finish this.”
Layla wanted to grab him, to shake him by his shoulders and tell him that he was taking advantage of a dead child’s body and that she refused to let him damage it. But she could practically hear Yelena’s lecture about respecting Gods and she swallowed down the anger, letting it fester in her chest instead.
Natasha, however, had no such qualms. But as soon as she reached for Yelena, Khonshu struck at her with a weapon and Natasha had to jump away to dodge it.
“Do not try to stop me,” Khonshu boomed, straightening up and somehow managing to make the tiny body look intimidating. Yelena radiated power and strength, her usually soft hazel eyes nearly an iridescent blue.
“Are you going to bring her back?” Layla managed to demand, swallowing hard around the fear that surged through her.
Khonshu stared at her, Yelena’s lips twisting, and Layla’s heart sank.
“I shall endeavor to deliver her body back to you,” was all he said before he started up the stairs again. “Do not follow me.”
Layla had to grab Natasha to stop her from darting after Yelena’s body.
“What are you doing?” Natasha slapped Layla’s hand away.
“It is a matter of a fight between Gods now,” Layla told her quietly. “Mortals are not to get involved.”
“Then what the hell are we supposed to do? You seriously cannot be suggesting that we just sit back and let Khon--” Natasha started to ramble but Layla slammed a hand over her mouth before she stated his name.
“Names have power, Natasha,” Layla said, yanking her hand away before the woman sunk her teeth into her. “There is something else we can do to help.”
Natasha raised an eyebrow and Layla let out a sigh.
“We have to call a meeting with the Council of Gods.”