Chapter 13
Chase jumped away from an attack coming from Nyx and jammed the end of Nyx's staff directly under her ribcage, then sent a kick into the side of her torso.
And finally, after what seemed to be ages, Strange had showed up and was cutting the masses and masses of undead down in swathes.
"You took your time, strange!" Chase called out, yelped and got thrown onto the ground, a wheezy cough leaving chase and hurriedly rolled to the side before Nyx's foot could even grace their head.
"I was tied up, Miss Lion. Now, let's finish this quickly before anyone else gets hurt" chase stood up, dusted their shoulder and nodded, pulled out their sai's and blocked an attack coming from Nyx, then retaliated with their own, swinging a sai close to Nyx and managed to nick her skin
"Nyx, give it up. It's over. You've lost."
"No. No I haven't. I still have Marc Spector. I have you, now." Nyx smacked her staff into the side of chase's head and a grunt of pain left them.
"I'm not coming with you." Chase said defiantly and sent a foot into Nyx's knee, hearing a sickening crunch and Nyx fell to one knee, grabbed Nyx's staff and hit her across the head, breaking the staff in half with the second half flying off somewhere into the crowd.
Nyx slumped to the ground, out cold.
Chase fell onto the ground, heavy breaths leaving them and groaned. God they hurt. So much.
But, they managed to tag Nyx with the tracker. Khonshu turned his attention to chase, a hand now on his hip, "you fought well chase. But the fight is not over yet"
"Oh it is for me bird man." Chase wheezed out, hearing the moans of undead quietening every couple of seconds, "thank God this is over for now"
"Kill the girl." Khonshu stated.
"No! I need her to go back. Once we get the coordinates of where she is, then we can kill her" chase huffed out, sitting up and yawned. They were tired, they needed sleep.
___
A debrief was happening at stark tower yet again.
"Thanks for helping us out tonight" Sam started, chase waved a hand in response
"This is our responsibility. But, nyx is now tagged with a tracker and as soon as she gets back to her little hole, we can get what we came for and leave. To be quite frank, I'm getting quite sick of America - ah- no offense-" chase quickly blurted out, hiding their face in their hands.
"It's fine. I'm sure you're missing home" Sam waved the comment off.
"Thanks. But, hopefully this is the last time you'll be seeing us. This is a god and avatar problem now" chase stated.
"As chase said, as soon as we got Marc, we'll be leaving for england straight away. So you don't need to worry" Layla added for confirmation.
"Oh no. No we're not worried about all that. Well I mean- now that we know you're here, we need to keep an eye on you guys" Sam stated and a groan left chase. That's what they wanted to avoid in the first place.
"Right okay we'll- we'll tell Marc when we get him." Layla stated, both friends standing up and walked to the elevator.
"Told you" chase murmured out and Layla rolled her eyes at her friend.
___
"Okay so what, we just wait and see if the tracker works?" Layla asked and Chase nodded,flopping onto the sofa, gave it a small smell and gagged
"This sofa stinks. It actually stinks oh my god why didn't Marc get a new sofa-" chase gagged yet again and rolled of the sofa, and sat up.
"It's Marc. When does he ever get new furniture. He can't even manage money" Layla stated, an amused snort leaving chase at that.
"Okay can we get food. I'm hungry. Actually, have we got any food in?" Chase asked, pulling themselves up from the floor, a small groan leaving them and headed to the fridge. Opened it up and then closed it, "no food."
"....chinese?"
"Layla my body needs cooked food, I can't live off takeaway all the time"
"Okay okay I'll go get some ingredients for food." Chase rolled their eyes
"Okay okay be back soon"
"And what are you gonna do when I'm out anyway?"
"I dunno. Read a book? Watch tv? Argue with khonshu is sounding pretty good…actually where is the bird?" Chase asked, looking about, "and menhit for that matter" chase added.
"Probably leaving us alone for once" Layla mused out.
"...hang on hang on" chase walked over to the bedroom, opened the door and saw both gods asleep on top of each other.
"...wow…didn't know gods could sleep." Layla whispered out
"Didn't know those two were friends" chase added, then closed the door with a quiet click.
"I fancy a sweet and sour. I'm really craving it right now" chase hummed out and looked over to Layla.
"Okay okay, ill get the stuff and we can cook it together"
"Sounds like a plan Layla!"
___
"Chase I'm back!"
"Hey welcome baaaack." Chase walked out the bathroom, a towel wrapped around their body and helped Layla with the bags, dumping them on the kitchen table and began to unload them, "I forgot what having a shower feels like. Definitely brings the serotonin up to the front" chase mused out and checked their phone.
"So, how does the tracker actually work?" Layla asked.
"I'm not quite sure. I think peter said it's voice activated?" Chase scratched the side of their cheek. Glanced away for a while and looked back to Layla, "the trackers voice activated yeah? Me and Peter work on it that day we looked at the archived footage. He said that if and when Nyx is by Marc, the tracker would activate by hearing Marc's voice and ping the location to us" Layla stated at chase in utter confusion.
"...chase? Are- are you okay there?"
"Yeah? Why?"
"...you weren't quite sure on what the tracker did, then you suddenly spoke like you made it" a small laugh left chase and shrugged.
"Braincells like to wake up when they want to. But once Nyx speaks to Marc or Steven, the tracker will activate. But until then we just have to wait, unfortunately" chase sighed out, "but let me get changed and we can get started on foooood" an amused snort left Layla and watched as her friend walked into the bedroom to get changed.
___
Dinner was amazing. Chase had actually forgotten what homemade food tasted like.
"So." Layla started, knocking some pork about on her plate, "we haven't actually sat down and spoken about your mental health chase. But we have that chance now." Chase let a small gulp out.
"I'm actually pretty tired-"
"No. Chase I know what you're doing and I'm not letting you. I know when someone is hiding something. So please, don't hide anything" chase sighed, their head dipping slightly
"Fine fine I'll tell you. It really hasn't been doing…all that good.
With the voices and memories resurfacing to tuning out and…nyx…I feel more broken than I was beforehand. And- and it scares me, Layla. I wake up, eat, talk with menhit and that's it, I can't remember half my days until the evening.
I'm missing blocks of my life and it's terrifying me. I didn't even know I was going on a date with Nyx in london if I didn't write a note down about it!" Chase leaned back in their seat and ran a hand through their hair.
"I- I read up on dissociative disorders before - when the thing with harrow was done and over with - only to learn more about what Marc and Steven have but i- I always had a feeling. Just a small nagging feeling that I had something…similar, y'know?" Chase's free arm waved about slightly and a small nod left Layla.
"Chase, we'll figure out what's going on. We'll figure it out, okay?" Gently grabbed hold of chase's hand and squeezed it slightly in reassurance, "we'll figure it out."
"Layla im- I don't know if we'll be able to. Doctors have diagnosed me with clinical depression, anxiety, PTSD. You name it I can guarantee you, I've probably had it."
"There's an underlying cause."
"I know that. I know. It's what's given me them lot innit?" A wry smile made its way to Chases face, "the voices I…when I was working in a store before- I heard voices every so often. Just, just faint. Faint whispers. Didn't get too bad or anything but, after I left. They got worse. Telling me to trust them."
"..oh chase, sweetheart you've really been through it haven't you?" Layla didn't need a full explanation, just chase telling her what they have was enough.
"I'm just…tired Layla…so tired.."
"Have you ever considered, going to therapy?"
"Layla my dad is a psychologist. Therapy don't work on me, I've tried it in uni before. Had a year of it and never went back. Faked it til I made it" chase chuckled out, yawned and looked out the window
"Okay, how about, you go again. But, this time I'll come with you." Chase blinked
"You'd- you'd actually do that? For me?"
"Hey. You're family now. I…I seem to collect people who are broken for some unknown reason" Layla joked out and the two giggled
"Just Marc, Steven and the depressed artist. What a brilliant group you have Layla" chase grinned, stood up and put their plate away in the sink
___
Chase was out and about at two in the morning, mainly to get some air and to reevaluate some life decisions.
"Little cub? You're face is twisted in pain"
"I'm thinking."
"About what?"
"Stuff. Anywaysaw uh- so you and khonshu getting all snuggly" chase let a grin settle on their face
"We were both tired little cub. And he was annoying me" menhit shrugged out
"Oh yeah you were definitely annoyed with him whilst fighting Anubis. For sure"
"Little cub, I am warning you now. I will be going to Marc Spector to be his god if you don't stop talking about this"
"Ew and have khonshu as my permanent god? No thanks. Although the healing and- and the flying is cool- no don't leave me" an amused rumble left menhit and looked to her avatar
"I would never leave you."
"Good. Good glad we got that sorted"