━━ CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE / layla el-faouly

The two women had come into encounters with each other a few times. It was always because of Marc and his missions. Layla knew exactly what Ronny was and the powers that she held but the women had always had an amicable relationship. They never had time to talk and their dislike had grown from their fighting. Ronny flirted with Layla - like how she did Marc - but it had never meant anything. Ronny did it to piss Layla off. But now she had come to her.

"What are you doing here, Layla?" Ronny asked as she let her hands drop from the door handle. She let the woman in as she crossed over to fold the blanket that had been laying over her. Layla kicked the door shut as she dropped the gym bag and helmet onto the table.

"Marc has been taken," She said simply. Ronny lifted her head and looked at Layla, searching for the lie. Marc wasn't stupid enough to have been kidnapped. He was smart and quick. He could get out of most situations but this, this was wrong.

"What?" Layla nodded her head and began to search through the gym bag.

"By Harrow's men. They were looking for this," Layla proclaimed as she pulled out the golden scarab. Ronny's face dropped. Of course, they were looking for it. Ronny had expected Marc to have gotten rid of it somehow but he had kept it. The compass to Ammit's tomb, a dangerous tool for Harrow to get his hands on.

"Why did you bring that here?" She stepped towards Layla and went to snatch it but Layla stepped away, keeping it out of her reach.

"I need your help." It hurt Layla to admit that but it was true. Ronny was stronger than Layla ever would be because of her status as an Avatar.

"Why?" Ronny asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Marc is acting strange. He's not acting like himself and I don't want to go in there without back-up." That was exactly what Ronny had expected her to say. She was stronger than Layla and Thoth - despite his hatred of Khonshu - would help if it meant the return of the scarab. Or even Harrow no longer had access to the scarab. Not only did the artefact not belong to him but it would mean the return of Ammit which was a danger to everyone.

"Do you mean Steven is still fronting?" Ronny asked quickly. That wouldn't be surprising considering what had happened in the unit but Marc should have been able to take control. He was meant to protect Steven from this, this life. From Harrow and the nightmare that they had found themselves in.

"Fronting?" Layla asked, pulling her eyebrows together as she pocketed the scarab, hiding it from Ronny's view.

"He's the personality that's in control." Ronny attempted to reword it to make her understand but Layla seemed even more confused by the assertion.

"What?" She asked. It quickly became abundantly clear that Marc hadn't told his wife about his other life and personality. Ronny was not the one to break the news. That was a conversation Marc and Layla had to have.

"I'll come with you," Ronny said before she then asked, "Why do you care about what happens to him? You left him." Ronny wanted to steer the topic of conversation away. Layla zipped up the gym bag and passed it to Ronny who hid it under the bed. An unspoken agreement between the two of them.

"Just because I left him doesn't mean I don't love him," Layla said as she grabbed the motorcycle helmet off the side. She leant against the table and watched Ronny as she walked to her dresser. She grabbed a change of clothes, "He's trying to do this all on his own again. He stole this all on his own and it's going to get him killed." Layla lifted the scarab up again, looking over the detailing. It had been more beautiful than she had expected.

"He wasn't alone. I shot people to get that. He took it from me," Ronny retorted as she walked over to the bathroom. She pushed the bathroom door to and began to change into more appropriate clothing. Her cheeks were bruised but she would likely put the suit on again soon so didn't see the point in make-up.

"Do you work with him?" Layla asked as she waited, sitting on the edge of the table. Ronny pulled on her pants, staying quiet before she scoffed.

"No." Ronny put it bluntly. They were meant to be enemies, not that they were anymore. It was too complicated now and she didn't have the time to explain. Ronny finished pulling a fresh shirt on and slipped the jacket over her shoulders before she stepped out of the bathroom, "We need to go. When Harrow realises Steven won't give up the scarab, he's in danger. Harrow has already attacked him once." Layla nodded and the two went to leave the apartment but before she could step out, she noticed Thoth stood in her flat. She stepped back into the room and looked at him. Layla a few steps down the corridor - not having noticed Ronny's delay.

"Don't give me another mission, Thoth. This is more important," Ronny said. Her voice was even and calm but there was annoyance bubbling below the surface.

"I did not come here to give you a mission. I wish you luck. Khonshu is a stubborn and cruel bird. He despises Arthur Harrow and will do anything to protect his own interests. Be careful. Trust only those who are worthy." That was all he said before he disappeared from sight. Ronny narrowed her eyes before she left the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her and jogging to catch-up with Layla.

"What did he say?" Layla asked.

"He told me to be careful." Layla nodded and Ronny looked away, wondering what Thoth meant. Those who are worthy. He has never doubted her judgement before but there was something about his words that worried her. She knew Marc and Steven were trustworthy. Marc had refused to kill her even when he was given the opportunity and Steven was... well Steven. There was nothing he would do to speak against her.

But Ronny shook the worry from her mind and focused on what they have to do now. Saving Steven was the most important thing.

-

Ronny knew that - unlike Layla - there was no easy way for her to sneak into Harrow's cult town. It would be near impossible. Her face was well-known. She was a well-known non-believer. A threat to them and someone who they would try and kill on sight.

But the hat Layla had given her and the change in clothes had made her slightly more inconspicuous, especially considering that the cult followers were much more interested in Harrow and Steven's draw-out discussion about ethics. Layla and Ronny stood at the back of the crowd when Harrow turned on Steven.

And without any prior warning, Layla suddenly stepped forward and announced that she had a hold of the scarab. Ronny wanted to smack her around the head for it but resisted the urge slinked out of the way, disappearing into the shadows. She hoped that Harrow had not spotted the familiar brunette. Thoth was watching, sitting on the ledge of one of the high up open arches. He was concerned, Ronny could feel it but she was out of sight of Harrow for now which meant she had time to plan.

"You couldn't possibly understand the value of what you're holding. Let me have that, I'll keep it safe," Harrow demanded as Layla stepped closer to Steven, making her way across the room. Ronny just knew this was going to go wrong. She could feel it and watched as Steven's face tangled with the confusion and fear of his situation.

"Summon the suit," Layla demanded, her voice quiet but loud enough. It was directed at Steven and he stared at her.

"Sorry, what?" He asked and Ronny felt like screaming. She glanced over at Thoth and he wasn't even looking at her.

"Summon the suit." Her voice was more demanding but Ronny stopped paying attention as they devolved into bickering. The entrance would be too crowded for the three of them to escape through and the floor she had tried to escape through last time was a dead end. But there was more stairs that she had neglected to run up the last time she was here. If they went up further, there must be a way out. Someone like Harrow would have secret exits.

Ronny skirted around the edge of the crowd, moving towards Layla and Steven before Layla ran. Ronny followed after, bounding up the stairs after them. Steven glanced back briefly to spot the brunette and his eyes widened. She sent him an awkward smile before practically having to push him to keep going up the stairs.

They got to a platform, the stairs breaking off into multiple directions and Steven ran forward, straight into a waiting stranger. Ronny grabbed his hand and pulled him back behind her. She threw a punch at the man's face and ducked under the punch that came her way before she lunged at his stomach. They collapsed to the floor and in a mess of elbows and hands, she managed to knock him out.

Steven grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet before they took off running after Layla who was beating up her own man of choice. She threw him off the platform and Ronny's eyes widened in slight surprise. Layla went to run the way he came from but Ronny grabbed both of their arms.

"That way is a dead end, this way," She ordered as she dragged them down another corridor. They took off running and eventually came to a set of doors. They ran through and Steven bolted the door on Layla's orders while Ronny looked around the room.

There was nothing that would immediately help them escape but there was a lot of artefacts. Stolen artefacts. Ronny gently shook her head before her head snapped to the door that began to rattle under the weight of something.

"I'm going to die in an evil magician's man cave," Steven catastrophised as he looked from the door to the artefacts spread across the room. Ronny looked to Layla who seemed to have become more panicked but Ronny tuned out their conversation as she looked for a way out. The window could be smashed and gone through. There were two doors but they would probably lead further into the compound. But there was a ladder that should take them out onto the roof. Ronny's head snapped back to the door as the banging became louder and whatever was on the other side was about to break through.

"I need you both to get behind me, now!" Ronny ordered as she scrambled to grab their arms. Steven looked terrified as he looked from Layla to the door and then to Ronny. But he didn't move until she shoved him, "The ladder, now," She snapped. She then summoned her suit. Whatever Harrow had summoned was going to kill her if she didn't have her ceremonial armour.

The bandages wrapped around her, the mask growing across her face and the cape appeared in a few seconds and she glanced back at Steven whose face was somewhere between wonder and complete terror. She gave him the most comforting look she can before the door suddenly smashed through and an Egyptian jackal came right for them.

It was grotesque. Nothing like the paintings. The face was sunken in and the black skin seemed to be barely clinging to the bones of the thing. It's hands were human-like as he bounded at her. But she moved first and punched it across the snout. It was thrown against the wall from the force of her punch alone and Steven stared dumb-founded.

"Steven! Come on!" Layla shouted to the man but he didn't move. Ronny lunged for the beast, doing anything she could to try and keep it down and away from the man. But it was stronger than her. Ronny was distracted, worried that it would get to Steven and Layla and that would be her detriment. She glanced back to see if Steven had moved and it was that moment that the jackal had a hold of her and threw her through the glass window. It shattered around her as she plummeted to the street floor.

The only reason her bones didn't shatter was because of the cape that wrapped around her, protecting her from the fall. She scrambled to her feet and was about to jump to get back to them when suddenly Steven came hurtling out of the window.

He landed much more smoothly than Ronny had, now wearing a suit. Not Marc's ceremonial armour but a suit, a proper white suit. Ronny stared in disbelief and watched as he began to bicker with his reflection over it. Marc, again. He looked gorgeous. She had to stop herself from gawking as he straightened out the jacket, seeming rather pleased with himself.

"Steven, are you okay?" She asked, interrupting them as she walked over. She couldn't gawk at him any longer. His head turned to look at her. Her hood had disappeared now but the mask was still in place, muffling her words slightly. That look of awe passed over his face again and she suddenly felt self-conscious.

"So this is what you do, yeah?" He asked, putting away the poles he had pulled out of nowhere behind his back again. She nodded her head.

"A little bit. The Jackal is new but not surprising." She shrugged. Steven nodded and opened his mouth to say something but then said jackal came straight for them. What came next was a mess of fighting. Ronny tried her best to help Steven and protect Layla - who couldn't see the jackal. But her frantic concern for those around her quickly became her detriment.

The last thing she remembered was being thrown through a car windshield, protecting Layla from another attack from the jackal.  Only she hadn't put her hood back over her head and so when her head smashed through the glass, it knocked her out cold. 

She woke up with Layla hovering over her, concern etched across her face. Thankfully, Layla only had a few cuts on her face from the fight. Superficial damage. This inclined Ronny to feel a little less guilty over everything. She was back in her civilian clothes and the bruises had already formed from her mask which were making her cheeks ache.

"Where's Steven?" Ronny asked as she pushed herself to sit up. Layla glanced around before she met Ronny's gaze.

"Gone. Harrow has the scarab," Layla said. Ronny groaned and felt like collapsing back to the floor but instead, she forced herself to sit up. Thoth stood at the mouth of the alley, looming over the women. But he didn't seem angry, just concerned.

"Could you give me a ride home?" Ronny asked. Layla nodded and got to her feet, helping Ronny up. Their night had been a disaster but Ronny had faith that Thoth knew exactly where she needed to go now. She had been following Marc for years. This would be no different. Well, apart from the whole saving the entire world bit.

-

NOTE
layla and ronny <3 , we didn't get as much interaction as i wanted between them but they are both simply ICONIC. i'm not totally happy with this chapter, i like how i integrated ronny but there is something just off about how i wrote it. i'll likely come back and edit it if it keeps bothering me but i hope you enjoyed either way <3 thank you for reading :)