Chapter 3
As chase was following the directions to the sanctum on their phone, Nyx's caller ID popped up and spooked chase who threw their phone in the air and juggled about to catch it. Then answered.
"Nyx! Hey hi."
"Hi, listen are you around tonight?"
"No sorry, outta town for a short while. I'll text you when I back though!"
"Yeah okay, sounds good to me. Stay safe, chase"
"I will. Laters" chase quickly hung up and glanced over to khonshu who was looking at them, "what"
A rumble left khonsu, "are you sure that girl is to be trusted?"
"Stay outta my love life. You already ruined it for me once, don't do it again" chase huffed out
Khonshu fell silent. The rest of the walk stayed in silence and chase finally came to a stop and slowly pushed the door open, putting on the suit in case they had any nasty surprises waiting for them.
" 'ello? Stephen, with a ph?"
"You're turning into the worm now" khonshu rumbled out.
"Yeah who's fault is that? Wait…am I?" Chase stood still, then looked to khonshu, "....oh yeah I just realised what I said." Khonshu just shook his head.
Stephen with a ph. God they were stupid, why did they say that? Chase shook their head, walked to the staircase and…saw a floating red cape.
"Hii, hello. Looking for a Stephen strange?" Chase stood there rather awkwardly, looking at the cape before the piece of fabric moved, stopped and motioned for chase to follow.
"You move on, have a date with a nice girl and then you're following pieces of cloth that float by themselves. What a life" chase muttered out, hurrying after the piece of cloth.
The place was big. Like. Really big.
A maze really.
"Menhit, khonshu, any of you two know what this place is?"
"No idea little cub" menhit rumbled out, looking fascinated themself
"You're in the sanctum. And I, am-"
"Stephen with a ph strange." Chase nodded out, then held out his card, "got ya card."
"-doctor Stephen….sorry. did you just, talk over me?"
"....yes. yeah I did that. Listen I don't wanna have bird brain around me for much longer. I'm looking for Marc spector. Went missing a year ago"
"Then, who are you if you're not Marc?" Stephen frowned, motioning for his cape.
"Whoa whoa whoa!! No no don't fight me!" Chase held their hands out, eyes wide and let their mask fall, "I'm his sister. Cersie Spector. Oh god that's a really stuffy mask. Khonshu couldn't you make it breathable?" Chase looked to their left, where khonshu was and all he did was huff.
"You said Marc was missing?" Stephen asked, chase nodded.
"Yes. We think he's missing."
"Follow me." Chase nodded and followed after stephen, looking at all the different artefacts and stopping by what seemed to be an Egyptian weapon. Or ushbati or something.
"Hey ph Stephen?"
"Just Stephen." Strange stated.
"What's this?" Chase pointed to the mystery artefact, knocking it slightly and scrabbled to catch it, "uh actually. Never mind. Lets- let's get to the reason we're actually here yeah?" Chase walked away from the strange artefact and sat down on a nearby seat.
"You. Are the clumsiest avatar I've ever had" khonshu grunted out.
"I was hoping to talk to Marc about asking for his help"
"...his help? What d'ya need help for youre the, all knowing all powerful magic boy here" chase waved a hand up and down, then crossed their arms.
"A small case of zombies."
Chase snorted, "No. No we're not doing that. We came here to find leads on where my brother was. Not to carry his work on because I'm sure as hell I don't want dead KFC bird here to remain my god when I've already got a nice one, cheers." Chase stood up and let the mask fall over their face, "but I think wasting my time will not help me."
"If you help me. I will give you as much information as I can." Stephen stated.
"...khonshu. what about you? What's your thought?"
"The zombies may lend a clue or two to us" chase sighed.
"I'm with insane men. Okay strange. Let's deal with the zombie problem.
____
"So. We're in a mirror world?" Chase asked, looking about it awe.
"Yes. The outside world won't be harmed. This was the only place I could think of holding them" strange explained.
Chase sighed, rolled their shoulders and neck and pulled out some crescent daggers, looked to Stephen and jumped off the building.
And immediately, chase could sense this was old magic.
"Khonshu someone wants our attention" chase murmured out, the zombies turning their attention to chase and they began to throw daggers at the small horde.
"Indeed depressed one. You had sensed the old magic too, I see"
"Let's deal with these first, yeah?"
"I completely agree."
___
"Zombie problem is dealt with. Talk. What do you know about Marc or what he was doing?"
"He was chasing a lead. About something I'm not sure, but he had visited me a few times to see what books there were on old magic."
"Explain? Bit more please" chase asked, looking at the rising sun
"He felt the same thing you did apparently. And he wanted to know if there were any books on it."
"And are there?"
"Apart from the darkhold, no." Chase slumped back in their seat and grumbled, ran a hand down their face and stood up.
"Thank you for the help. Stephen."
And chase left.
___
They got back to the dingy little apartment a little after ten past six, quietly opened the door and went to the kitchen to make a mug of coffee.
"Depressed one, we may be able to know of this magic if we know where to ask" khonshu stated. Chase slipped their coffee.
"You mean taweret." Oh Layla wasn't going to be happy about this when she woke up.
A few hours later, Layla was up and jumped in surprise at Chase leaning against the windowsill with a mug of coffee in their hands.
"Nice night being mx knight?" Layla joked out.
"Oh. Oh yeah. Vampires and zombies. Both in the same night." Chase grunted out, sipping their coffee again, "we need to speak to taweret. She may be able to help us"
"Chaaase! Oh it's so nice to talk to you again!" Chase held a hand up.
"Hey taweret. You came to our aid pretty quick"
"You needed my help! Of course I'll help!" Layla leaned against the wall.
"Last night, me and khonshu noticed old magic. Would you know anything about that?"
"Oh…what type was it?"
"Dead magic" khonshu spoke through chase and they glowered at the bird.
"I can see why Marc wanted rid of you now" chase huffed out.
"Dead magic? Oh…Osiris wouldn't do anything like this…" taweret mumbled out. Tapped Layla's chin then snapped her fingers, "Anubis. He was the god of embalming after all"
"Okay but if it's anubis then, why?" Layla finally managed to ask.
"Unless it's not his will to do it." Chase stated, "could it be a harrow situation again?"
"But Ammit was bad anyway" Layla said.
"Anubis, is not"
"Can ya stop doin' that to me!?" Chase exclaimed, then looked to their phone.
Huh, nyx texted them.
They'll respond later.
"So then. Whoever is the avatar of Anubis, is using his powers for evil instead of good?" Layla asked, rather confused by all of this.
"That's what we're thinking" chase replied with, finishing the rest of their coffee and dumped the mug in the sink, "thanks taweret. Great help"
"Oh anytime! Bye laylaaa"
"Oh please- never do that to me again" Layla gasped out.
"Sorry. But we needed information, and that's new information" chase pulled their jacket on and grabbed their keys, "c'mon. Time to do sightseeing"
"You mean looking in a museum" Layla said
"Yeah. Sightseeing. It'll be fun Layla!" Chase exclaimed.
"Your definition of fun is different to mine" Layla hummed out.