"Bastet seemed cool too."

>>———>

THE AWKWARD SILENCE WAS KILLING ME. My brother and Sam sat on the maroon couch in my living room, while Marc hovered in the armchair.

"I'm sorry, what are you to my sister?" Jamie asked, sending a steely look to Marc. I sighed in exasperation, having not missed my brother's guard dog mode.

"He's my friend, Jamie." I explained, sending my brother a 'please calm down' look. "Who happens to be married to the greatest person in the world and the most badass woman that I know."

Bucky opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the door open. In walked Layla El Faouly, as if I had summoned her.

"Lulu, why are there avengers in your flat?" The curly haired woman asked, eyeing the two men on the couch.

"Laylay, this is my brother, Bucky and his friend, Sam." I started to explain. "They were stalking me."

"It wasn't stalking, I was making sure that my sister wasn't dead." Jamie argued, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, is he always like this?" Sam asked me, pointing at Marc, who was staring down the men on the couch.

"Marc, why don't you let Steven take over, if you're planning on scaring the shit out of Sam?" I suggested, causing my neighbor to roll his eyes.

Just as Bucky and Sam started to question what I meant, Marc closed his eyes and let Steven take over.

"Hi, there. I'm Steven with a 'V', good to meet you." Steven introduced himself, accent and all.

"Marc has DID, Steven is his alter." I explained, leaving out Jake's existence per his request.

Jake cussed me out in Spanish one time for accidentally spilling hot coffee on him. I've been sworn to secrecy by the colorful alter and I'm not a snitch.

"Cool." Sam said, deciding not to question it further and Bucky just nodded in understanding.

"So what happened there?" Bucky asked motioning to my prosthetic leg. "Was that Hydra or the Red Room?"

"This is actually fairly recent, three years ago we fought this goddess and her psychotic avatar. Son of a bitch stabbed me with my own swords." I explained, nodding to the twin katanas by the kitchen. "Damaged enough major arteries that there was no choice but to amputate."

"Her goddess refused to heal her." Layla scoffed, sitting on the arm of the chair that Steven occupied.

"Goddess?" Sam asked with raised brows.

"I was chosen by Sekhmet to be her avatar four years ago, she thought having my past as a widow would be perfect for her crusade." I told him, rolling my eyes at the thought of my former mistress.

"Why wouldn't she heal you?" Bucky asked curiously, an edge in his tone.

"Because I tried to bring Marc back from the dead." I stated, placing a hand on my abdomen, where one of the stray bullets hit me.

"Should have accepted Isis' offer." Steven commented, as Hermes hoped onto his lap and laid down.

"Oh, definitely!" Layla agreed, petting the fluffy cat.

"Bastet seemed cool too." I pointed out, remembering how she'd complemented my flat.

"She was really nice." Steven nodded, saying. "And she did that cool force field around you after you renounced Sekhmet."

"I'm so confused." Sam said, seemingly intrigued.

I started explaining the whole Ammit situation a couple years back and how after the goddess of healing didn't let me heal my friend, I renounced her. Then how Bastet and Taweret became Layla and I's patrons in order to beat Ammit and Harrow.

"You've been busy, surioara mai mica." Jamie joked, a glimmer of worry on his face. (Younger sister)

"So have you, fratele mai mare." I countered simply. (Older brother)

It was no secret that the Barnes siblings had been through some messed up shit. 

Jamie simply nodded in agreement, his posture becoming tense. I carefully assessed his nonverbal response, deciding that a segway in the conversation was needed.

"I'm ordering Thai, who wants what?"