Chapter 15
The pair arrived at the empire state building just as it turned dark, Layla turned into the scarlet scarab and chase slung the bag onto their back, the two nodding to each other and chase ran into the building.
"Little cub, we have to take the lifts" A small nod left chase, walking over to the lifts and stepped into one, pressing the highest floor on the menu and stood in the lift, watching the light go across the buttons.
It got to the 28th floor when it stopped, opened it's doors and a small group of zombies shambled in
"Oh my god, give me a break with the bloody zombies!" Chase yelled out, letting menhits armour cover them and began to slice and hack through zombies and the lift began moving upwards again.
Chase dealt with the final zombie just as they reached the final floor and they ran out, grabbing the bag that had the scales in it and ran out, spotting Nyx rounding the corner and a snarl left their mouth.
"Cub. She may have Marc with her" menhit warned.
"What's she gonna do. Kill him? She needs khonshu and his avatar. Now c'mon" a window was heard breaking and the familiar voice of Layla was drifting from one of the rooms.
Chase changed back to their civilian clothes and ran to the room that Layla had crashed through and saw her currently fighting with Nyx. Dropped the bag and pulled the scales out.
"Hey. Nyx, missing something?" Nyx turned to look at chase, a laugh escaping from her.
"Oh chase! Honey, so nice to see you again. Thank you for keeping the scales safe for me" Nyx threw Layla into a nearby wall and walked over to chase, holding her hand out to chase, "you can give them to me now." Chase stepped back.
"No. No this isn't how it's gonna work." Chase stated, "you said, you needed khonshu and his avatar for- for this ultimate weapon."
"Yes. What about It?"
"Let Marc go. He isn't an avatar to khonshu anymore." Chase stated, eyes narrowed and jumped to the side when Nyx lunged for the scales.
"Not until I get those scales!"
"Give me marc!" Chase yelled out, sending a kick into Nyx's back, "give. Me. Steven." Chase pulled nyx up by her hair and swung the scales into her face.
"O-okay- okay- okay I'll tell you where he i-is"
"No. No you show Layla where he is. You don't tell. You show" chase demanded, walking to the broken window and standed by the edge, "or I go over the edge and you'll never know where khonshu is."
"A clever idea, little cub" menhit purred out.
Nyx growled, tugging at her hair and then sighed.
"Fine. Fine. I'll show miss beetle here where he is. But you, my baby girl. You stay here"
"Oh trust me. I'm not going anywhere" chase stated. Nyx and chase stared at each other before nyx left, Layla giving them a look of concern and chase gave them a nod of reassurance. Then Layla left.
"Little cub. Do you intend of jumping out the window anyway?" Menhit asked.
"Oh, oh yeah. As soon as Layla and Marc get out the building, and as soon as Nyx comes back up, we're falling."
—
The basement of the empire state building. Layla felt disgusted that this woman was even alive.
"So, Nyx, was it? How's it feel being the one to break chase's heart?" Layla asked, arms crossed as the descended yet another flight of stairs.
"Honestly? I didn't want to hurt her-"
"Them." Layla corrected.
"Okay, them. I didn't want to hurt them. But I had no choice, in order to get what I needed, I had to get close."
"Chase liked you. Really liked you."
"And so did I. But, sacrifices need to be made" they made it to the bottom and Nyx stepped to the side, "he's in there."
"Open the door." Layla demanded, eyes shifting from Nyx to the door, "open it damnit before I decided to kill you myself!" Nyx held their hands up, inching over to the door, unlocked it and pushed it open.
It was then where Marc rushed out, grabbing a fistful of Nyx's shirt and slammed her into the wall.
"Where's khonshu?"
"Well. That's a nice hello to your…wife, isn't it?" Nyx giggled out, sending a knee into Marc's gut and wriggled out his grip, then began to run upstairs and out of view.
"Layla?"
"Marc! Oh god- you look like shit"
"Thanks for that" Marc drawled out, a small grin on his face and hugged Layla.
"You stink too"
"Again, thanks." Marc chuckled out, holding Layla at arms length and took her in. God he missed her, Steven fronted and hugged Layla twice as hard as Marc had done.
"Layla! Oh wow you're actually here! Wheres- where's chase? Are they here?" Steven pulled away and looked behind Layla.
"They're here, Steven. But we need to get out this building" she urged and Steven nodded
"Yeah, yeah I can agree with you on that!"
"Good. C'mon" Layla grabbed hold of Stevens hand and began the ascent up and out.
___
"Chase."
"Nyx. Are they out?" Chase asked, making sure to stay by the broken window and Nyx nodded, holding her hands out to them.
"Walking out the building as we speak. Step away from there and give me the scales. It's not too late to join me you know." Chase cast a quick glance to menhit, who nodded, then down to the ground outside. They couldn't see Layla or Marc.
"I don't trust you." Chase inches closer to the ledge.
"Okay okay- they're walking out I promise you." Nyx said, fake panic evident in their voice.
"Little cub. They're out." Menhit stated and a small nod left chase. Right, time to put their acting skills to the test.
"Okay. Okay you were truthful about that…nyx. Do you, do you really think this plan of yours can work?"
"Yes. Yes I fully believe it can work. I just need khonshu and his avatar." Nyx inched closer to Chase, hands reaching out to them and chase grabbed hold of her arm.
"Shall I let you in on a secret, baby?" Chase asked, pulling Nyx closer to them and let their mouth rest against Nyx's ear, "I, am, khonshu's avatar." Chase leaned back, a grin on their face and fell backwards, taking Nyx with them and chase smacked her across the face with the scales and pushed them away.
"Pest I know you hope what you're doing" khonshu huffed out and chase closed their eyes and waited for the ground to meet them.
—-
Layla and Steven had just made it outside to see chase falling out the broken window, Layla holding Steven back and looking away at the scene
"Layla. Layla let me go! Let me go!"
"Steven, trust me. And trust chase. I know, I know you must be scared but chase knows what they're doing." Layla looked at Chase nearing the ground and held her breath, then saw chase change into khonshu's ceremonial suit and gently glided the rest of the way down and landed gracefully, throwing the scales up and down.
"Hey Layla! I think-" chase screamed and jumped away as nyx fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Chase then caught their breath and tried again, "-i think our plan worked!"
"Little pest, Anubis is the god of death. Nyx cannot die" khonshu pointed out.
"I know that you dusty bird! But a fall that high will weaken her, won't it?"
"It will."
"Good! That's what I was after" chase nodded out, catching their reflection in the side of the building and whistled
"Khonshu the suits changed. It's got part of menhits armour in it!" Chase let an approving nod out, looking at the golden chest plate that had now replaced the chest plate of khonshu suit and also found out that their boots matched the plates boots chase would wear with menhits armour, "actually this is an upgrade" chase mused out and khonshu angrily stirred the air
"Take that back"
"No."
"Your windpipe shall be broken!"
"Mhm sure it will big bird" chase turned away from their reflection and felt the familiar arms - and smell (god they missed that familiar smell of sweets) of Steven.
"Chase-! Oh wow look at you!" Chase let their mask fall away and grinned, chucking the scales to Layla who caught them and chase let their hands cup Steven's face, tears in their eyes
"Steven! Oh god I've missed you, you don't even know" chase hiccuped out, pulled Steven into another hug and squeezed their eyes closed.
"I've missed you too, love. And look at you! You look amazing! Is this your suit for khonshu?"
"My new revised one. Yeah. You're looking at the new fist and warrior of khonshu, the midnight lion."
"Stupid name, little cub"
"Seconded, depressed pest"
"Okay alright then you two. What would you call me then?" The two gods stayed silent, "yeah thought as much"
"Chase you- you have two gods? You're avatar to two gods? Chase that-"
"Steven, we had no choice. Look, I need to speak to Marc. Can I speak to him? We don't have much ti-" chase got tackled to the ground by a still healing Nyx, her head turning and clicking back into place and placed her hands on chases throat.
"You. You'll die here. You haven't stopped me. Anubis!" Chase headbutted Nyx's nose and punched her across the jaw and rolled on top, grabbing a fistful of her shirt and smacked her head into the ground
"Khonshu! Stop Anubis!"
"Gladly little lion. Menhit, let's show Anubis to not mess with our avatars."
"Gladly, dust bird" menhit purred out, drawing their sai's out and lunged at Anubis.
Chase was thrown into the side of the empire state building, a groan leaving from them and Marc ran over and helped them up, a small cough leaving chase.
"You alright kid?"
"Yeah. Yeah hey listen, me and Layla know how to stop Nyx.
We need to bind her soul to the scales of Anubis."