Chapter Text
Sprite and Ikaris sat on the edge of a cliff, watching the nearly erupting volcano. "I’m glad you’re here. Thank you, Sprite," he said. She let out a watery smile.
Ikaris was pleased that he wasn't alone, but he did feel slightly awkward that Sprite, of all people, was with him.
Sersi, Phastos, Makkari, Gilgamesh, Thena, and Druig's mouths straightened into a thin line. They weren't happy that Sprite decided to side with Ikaris in the end.
Ajak and Kingo's hearts ached at the thought of the Eternals coming head-to-head with each other because they knew it would happen soon, while the rest of the group hoped all of this would end soon and that the Uni-Mind would work.
The two saw the Domo arrive in the distance. "Protect the Emergence," he said. "You’re really gonna kill them?" she said in a small voice.
"His declaration that he would kill us made it pretty clear, plus he already killed Ajak," Druig said, causing Ikaris' heart to drop and Ajak to swallow a sob.
Ikaris didn't say anything as he flew to the Domo and burst into the ship. He only found Thena. "Where’s Druig?" he asked.
"Does he really think that she'll tell him?" said Nebula. Ikaris wished she would since all of this would be so much easier, and he wouldn't have to fight the Eternals.
"Druig, Sersi, Makkari, Phastos, and Thena aren't stupid. They have a plan and it's going to work because it has to," Scott said desperately. There was too much hinging on this for it not to.
"He’s busy," Thena said, conjuring a sword and walking toward Ikaris.
"Busy trying to stop the Emergence, hopefully," Shang-Chi said. He had too many things to do and say to his family before dying. He didn't want to die before making up with Xialing.
Tony hoped Phastos stayed far away from Ikaris because the entire plan depended on him and the Uni-Mind bracelets. If Phastos was taken out of the equation then it was game over.
The other Eternals couldn't understand how Ikaris didn't realize that Thena was only a distraction and keeping him busy so Druig could put Tiamut to sleep.
"Thena, play nice. You’ve never had to fight me." "But I’ve always wanted to," she said. The two fought.
Ikaris's face was stony as he refused to admit that he felt a sting of betrayal. Thena was one of the Eternals he liked the most; his sister-in-arms. He had a feeling that the entire team's centuries-old frustration with each other would be pouring out because he had a lot to say to Druig.
"I have, but not like this," Thena agreed. Phastos wanted to do the same thing for a long time.
Everyone else didn't know who would win between the two. Most of them hoped it was Thena, but Ikaris was a force of nature as well. Only a fool would underestimate him after everything he'd done and Thena wasn't a fool.
Meanwhile, Sersi, Makkari, and Druig looked at the volcano. "It’s time to put a god to sleep," Sersi said.
"Thena was a distraction," Ikaris realized.
"Glad you've caught up," said Gilgamesh.
"We can't use this plan this time now that Ikaris and Sprite know," Makkari signed.
"The Avengers and Guardians will be helping us and they have different skill sets and fighting styles that Ikaris isn't familiar with," Druig said as he signed back. He, for one, would have one hell of a time enjoying Ikaris going up against Thor if it came down to it. He even planned to bring popcorn to that fight.
"We have to figure out where exactly that island is. All I know is that it's someplace tropical, but that doesn't narrow it down much," T'Challa said.
"It'll be pretty easy to figure out the point of emergence once the earthquakes start," said Bruce.
Druig activated the bracelet, initiating the Uni-Mind. He, Makkari, and Sersi were lifted into the air as cosmic energy formed around them.
Sprite had mixed feelings, Ikaris scowled, the rest of the Eternals smiled, and the Guardians and Avengers felt like a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders at seeing the Uni-Mind work.
"It's working!" Phastos cried in relief. He didn't doubt his abilities, but too much depended on this.
Thena and Ikaris were still fighting on the ship. He pinned her against the wall but then noticed the golden aura of the Uni-Mind surrounding her. She smirked.
Thena grinned. It was satisfying seeing her get the upper hand on Ikaris.
"He's going to target Druig now," said Loki.
"Let him," Druig said.
Ikaris clenched his jaw. If there was one person he was looking forward to watching himself fight, it was Druig.
Ikaris left the Domo and saw Druig trying to stop the Emergence as the volcanic eruption almost stopped.
The Avengers' eyes lit up.
"They're actually doing it," Sam said, stunned.
"Now they just have to continue doing it and make sure that Ikaris and Sprite don't ruin the plan," Carol said.
"Let's be real, there's a large chance of them interfering, but I'm just glad that there is a plan," said Peter.
"Not like it matters, these things rarely stick to the plan," said Rhodey.
Ikaris attacked Druig from behind, causing the Uni-Mind to break.
The Avengers and Guardians groaned, and the Eternals wished Ikaris would just get out of the way.
"The Eternals have all these amazing powers, but none of them can create a portal," America said, shaking her head. "They could've just dumped Ikaris and Sprite somewhere else."
"I should’ve done this five centuries ago," Ikaris said, seizing Druig. He took him up in the air and threw him on the ground, burying him with his optical beams, leaving him for dead. Makkari wailed.
The color drained out the Eternals' faces at seeing Druig get harmed and Makkari's mouth was open in a silent scream. Druig, on the other hand, was shaken but he wasn't surprised that Ikaris would do this, especially after seeing him kill Ajak. Ajak let out a sob at seeing Ikaris, someone who she considered a son, act so cruelly. Sersi fell ill at seeing Ikaris in a new light.
"Five centuries ago? I'm guessing you're talking about Tenochtitlan?" Druig said.
"Yes," Ikaris said through gritted teeth. Tenochtitlan was when Druig denounced Arishem and he should've known then that he would've been a roadblock in the Emergence.
"…Is Druig actually dead? He's an Eternal, we're more durable than that," said Eros.
"Well, it's Ikaris' optics beams," Kingo said, fury spreading through him. He didn't like Druig very much, but he didn't want him to die or get harmed either. Ikaris was going down the wrong path and it was everything he was personally against.
Ikaris attacked the Domo with his lasers, causing the spacecraft to crash onto the island. Makkari grabbed Sersi and raced toward the Domo to bring Phastos and Thena to safety on the island.
"Phastos needs to get out there. The Uni-Mind designs need to stay safe," said Bruce.
Phastos shook his head. "Nope. I have a few more designs that I want Ikaris to see."
Ikaris landed in front of the remaining Eternals. "Druig’s gone. It’s over," he said.
"How many of us is he going to kill?" Gilgamesh said with resentment in his voice.
"Every last one of us if he has to," said Druig.
Ikaris's face contorted. Why couldn't the rest of the Eternals understand that no one had to get killed if didn't try to stop the Emergence? He didn't want to kill them.
Makkari attacked Ikaris by using her superhuman speed to plunge him onto the cliff. He attempted to retaliate, but she avoided his attacks and relentlessly attacked him, causing the rock behind him to crack.
No one was surprised that Makkari was reacting like this to Druig's death, but they were impressed at just how brutal she could be when she wanted to. Druig sat back and watched Makkari beat up Ikaris with a proud smile on his face.
"Great, now keep Ikaris distracted while the rest of the Eternals stop the Emergence," said Gamora.
"How are they going stop Tiamut now if Druig's gone? He was the only one who could put him to sleep," Mantis said. Everyone froze and shared a highly alarmed look while Ikaris felt a sense of satisfaction.
"Sersi will. It's your fight now, you know what you have to do," Druig told Sersi, who swallowed thickly and nodded. She tried to delay the Emergence, but it didn't work, so she had to stop it. There was no other choice. She had to kill a Celestial.
The volcano began to erupt again, forcing Thena to slice falling molten rocks with her swords and Phastos to shoot them with his inventions. Sersi transmuted them into birds.
"Can you transmutate the entire volcano? It's what I would've done if I was in your position," Wanda asked.
Sersi paused as she digested the question. "I don't think so, but there's a lot I don't know about my powers."
"Now's the time to find out because we don't have much time left!" Thor urged.
"But now Druig's gone so the volcano is going to erupt. Great," said Marc. He turned down the Avengers' offer to join the team and he still didn't want to, but he did tell them to call him whenever there was a world-ending crisis and there seemed to be a world-ending crisis every other day.
Sersi ordered Phastos and Thena to keep Ikaris busy.
"Gladly," said Phastos. This fight was a long time coming.
"I think Makkari's taking care of Ikaris for the time being," said Wong.
"He deserves it," Makkari signed.
"He does," Druig agreed.
Ikaris was ultimately able to block Makkari, grabbing her throat and firing his optical beams at her chest to incapacitate her.
"No!" Druig cried as rage consumed him.
"Is she okay?" Kate asked, concerned.
"He's going to kill everyone," Kingo said, horrified. Shame filled his body; how could this have been the man he looked up to for millennia?
The Avengers hoped the other Eternals were all right, but they found it extremely frustrating that the fight was going this way when everything depended on the next thirty minutes or so. There wasn't that much time left before Tiamut rose. They were aware that Ikaris was the strongest Eternal besides Gilgamesh, but he was going through the Eternals like they were nothing.
Thena and Phastos ran toward Makkari and joined the fight against Ikaris. "Thena, stop!" Ikaris yelled as Thena attacked him.
Thena rolled her eyes. She had been scared that she wouldn't have what it takes to fight anymore, but she was the Goddess of War and she had to avenge Gilgamesh's death.
"Of course, Thena's not going to stop when Ikaris is responsible for Gilgamesh's death," said Quill.
Kro arrived on shore and attacked Ikaris.
Everyone groaned loudly at seeing Kro. A smile crept across Thena's face at seeing Kro; she would finally get to avenge Gilgamesh. If she didn't get to stop the Emergence, at least she could die happy knowing that Kro died at her hand and she would finally get to meet Gilgamesh again in the next life.
"Not this motherfucker again," said Rhodey.
"I get why he's angry because I would be furious if I was in his position too, but can't he pick any other time?" Layla said.
Phastos shot Kro. "Why are you helping Ikaris?" Thena asked. "We can’t let it absorb our powers," Phastos said.
All of them shuddered at the thought of Kro with Ikaris' powers along with Gilgamesh and Ajak's. He'd be unstoppable.
"Too late," Kro said, conjuring an exoskeleton fist. Thena's face darkened.
"That bastard," Gilgamesh spat. "He's goading you, Thena. Don't fall for it."
"I don't care. I want him dead," Thena snarled.
Makkari ran circles around Kro, creating a dust storm around him. Kro stomped the ground, blasting them back.
"Shit, he used Gilgamesh's powers. He's going to be tough to beat when he has both Ajak and Gilgamesh's powers," said Valkyrie.
"If there's anyone who can do it, it's Thena," said Kingo. He didn't like the Eternals fighting, but he looked forward to seeing Thena kill Kro.
Kro captured Makkari, but she was saved by Phastos shooting him, causing Kro to fly back into a cave. Thena followed him.
Druig let out a massive sigh of relief at knowing that Makkari was safe. That was too close.
"Thank you, Phastos," Makkari signed. Phastos smiled.
Everyone else had a feeling that only one person would be leaving that cave alive and they hoped it was Thena.
"Where’s Sersi?" Ikaris said. "You always did underestimate her," Phastos said.
Sersi smiled sadly. She didn't mind being underestimated, but it did hurt that Ikaris thought so.
"I don't know why Sersi's underestimated when she probably has the most destructive powers out of all the Eternals," said Clea. Transmutation wasn't a skill to be taken lightly.
Phastos used his powers to create devices to attack and contain Ikaris. "I don’t know about you, but this is really satisfying, right?" Phastos said.
"Yes, it is," Phastos beamed. Druig agreed. Ikaris's heart jumped into his throat at seeing himself contained; Sersi would stop Tiamut if he didn't get there in time.
"Just keep him like that until Sersi stops Tiamut," said Stephen. Sersi knew she didn't have that kind of power alone, but she did if she activated the Uni-Mind.
The Avengers and Guardians' brows shot up at seeing Phastos' inventions trap Ikaris when nothing else could; when they'd seen Ikaris plow through the rest of the Eternals. Phastos truly was the world's greatest inventor and it made sense why Hephaestus was based on him.
"Let me go, Phastos! I can’t let her do this!" Ikaris yelled.
"Phastos is the last person who would let Ikaris go free. Tiamut rising means that his family will die," Scott said.
"I don’t think so. I’ve been wanting to clip your wings for a long time, Ikaris!" Phastos responded.
"If he wanted to clip Ikaris' wings, he should've just shot him into the sun," said Gilgamesh.
"How funny," Ikaris said in a deadpan voice.
"I wasn't joking."
Ikaris tried to use his optic beams, but they didn't work.
"HA!" Phastos laughed. Tony, Bruce, Peter, and Jane looked highly impressed with Phastos' technology.
Ikaris was icy with panic as he mentally cursed Phastos. He couldn't fail now when he'd done so much to get to this moment.
Thena walked into the cave with her swords in front of her. Kro wasn't there.
"Where is he?" Thena growled, her fists clenched. She hoped she could get through this without a Mahd Wy'ry episode. It was partly her fault that Gilgamesh was dead in the first place because he was too busy taking care of her to focus on fighting Kro so the least she could do was avenge him.
"Thena. Oh, you’ve changed. You’re broken. Damaged. Useless. You can’t protect any of them," Kro said, appearing behind Thena. He punched her, but she fought back.
Fear fluttered in Thena's stomach at hearing her worst fears being taunted to her.
"She's the Goddess of War. She can protect all of them," Gilgamesh fiercely defended. He had full faith in her.
Meanwhile, Sersi was still running toward the volcano. "Sersi," Ajak called out.
"Oh, that's cruel," said Sam.
"Sprite, don't do that," Ajak chided.
"Sersi has to be stopped," Sprite shot back.
"You’re not powerful enough to do this. And you won’t. You’re not a killer," Ajak said. "Maybe I’ve changed. And is this really who you are, Sprite? Are you really willing to let everyone on this planet die?" Sersi said.
Sprite's lower lip trembled. She didn't like the idea of everyone on Earth dying, but what had the planet ever done for her?
Ajak's illusion faded away as a blade stabbed Sersi. "I’m sorry, Sersi," Sprite cried.
There was a collective intake of breath and the color drained out of Sersi's face. Sprite had a pained expression and tears pooled in her eyes. Ikaris's stomach dropped at seeing Sersi get hurt and that Sprite was the one to stab her.
"Apologizing after stabbing someone isn't helpful," said Marc.
Sprite ranted about her hidden jealousy of Sersi and all the things she missed because she was stuck in the body of a child.
Sprite swallowed down her frustration at Sersi, the world, and herself. She wanted nothing more than to live amongst humans like Sersi and the rest of the Eternals did, but she never got the chance to. Why did Arishem have to make her like this?
Sersi's face crumpled and Kingo closed his eyes at hearing Sprite's rant and the hurt she'd been carrying all this time. Everyone else's eyes softened, but they were still quite annoyed that Sprite had chosen Ikaris' side.
"Just because you're jealous of her, it doesn't mean you have to stab her, Sprite!" Thor said.
"What else was she supposed to do?" Loki said.
Sprite used her powers to create multiple illusions of the volcano. "It’s all over now. We get to start over somewhere new," she said.
Except for Ikaris and Sprite, everyone else scowled at seeing the illusions of the volcano.
"And you'll still be stuck in the body of a child so I don't understand what you're trying to do," said Nebula. "Didn't you see your alternate bodies in the World Forge? You'll be a child in every lifetime."
Sprite's breath caught.
Druig hit Sprite on the head with a rock, causing her to fall unconscious. "Well, that was very moving," he said.
Druig let out a guffaw, Sprite scowled, Ikaris' eyes bugged out at seeing Druig, the Eternals blinked in surprise, and everyone else was taken aback.
"Oh, he's not dead?" Drax said.
Makkari's eyes lit up at seeing that Druig was alive and she wanted to weep out of happiness. She brought him into a tight hug and he hugged her back, just as tightly.
"It would take a lot more than that to kill me," said Druig, taking comfort in Makkari's embrace. Ikaris felt a spark of annoyance; he should've made sure that Druig was dead.
"Can we go back to the old plan?" Sersi said hopefully.
Druig shook his head and sent her a bitter smile. "I don't think so. I might not be dead, but what Ikaris did still would've taken a lot of my strength away."
"Whatever they have to do, they need to do it quickly. I fear there's not much time left," Vision said.
Druig helped Sersi up. "I can’t do this. This is your fight now," he said. She nodded as she turned the knife into water.
"What about the wound?" Ajak said, concerned.
"There's no time for that now," said Sersi. She felt highly anxious at knowing what she would have to do, but there was no other choice now. They were out of time and options.
Thena and Kro were still fighting. She majestically jumped in the air and stabbed Kro in the chest, who punched her back with Gilgamesh's powers.
Gilgamesh was burning with fury at seeing Kro use his powers against Thena. The faster she killed him, the better.
Thena's eyes were now white, allowing Kro to lure her by imitating Gilgamesh's voice.
"NO!" Thena cried, her face turning bone white. Her Mahd Wy'ry couldn't make an appearance now when she was so close to killing Kro.
"That's a new low," said Bucky.
"Give me your hand," Kro said, imitating Gilgamesh's way to get Thena to remember.
All of them glared daggers at Kro.
"You've got to be joking. That bastard," Gilgamesh growled. "You have to remember, Thena. You can do it."
The tears came without warning in Thena's eyes. "I hope so," she said, quietly. Gilgamesh was dead because of her, the least she could do was carry out his last wish and remember.
Kro rolled up Thena in his tentacles and tried to absorb her powers. "Ah, it’s a shame. You and I, we’re just tools of a god. Built to kill."
Rage nearly consumed Thena as she shook with fury while fear twisted in the group's stomach at seeing Thena in Kro's hold.
"Not again," Ajak said, feeling ill. She'd seen too many Eternals in this position at this point.
The Eternals couldn't shake Kro's words out of their minds. Deviants and Eternals—two sides of the same coin and Arishem's children. They were used as pawns for the Celestials and weren't allowed to evolve.
"Thena. Remember," Kro said, stroking Thena's cheek. Thena's eyes turned back to normal. She then freed herself and conjured two blades to dismember Kro, instantly killing him.
There was a moment of silence before it was broken by Thena's sobs. "I remembered," she sobbed.
Gilgamesh kissed Thena's forehead; he had a wide smile. "I'm so, so proud of you. I knew you could always do it."
"Don't die this time. Please," she pleaded.
"I don't plan to."
Marc blinked the tears out of his eyes. He knew better than anyone that mental illness wasn't easy to deal with so he felt strangely proud of her. Even though Gilgamesh was gone, the progress she made over the centuries and her willingness to live hadn't suddenly disappeared. Like him, remembering the love given to him was a reminder that she needed to accept herself.
Everyone else had soft, yet proud smiles and the Eternals were pleased that Gilgamesh and Ajak's killer had finally been avenged. Now they only had to deal with Ikaris.
Thena fell to the ground and gasped for breath. "I remember," she whispered.
They all knew that Kro was doomed the moment he quoted Gilgamesh without truly understanding the humanity he'd stolen from him.
Meanwhile, the surrounding islands were destroyed and massive tsunamis were caused as Tiamut's fingertips rose from the Earth's crust. Thena walked out of the cave to see Tiamut's forehead sticking out of the water.
The Avengers and Guardians let out a strangled noise and immense fear stuck them at seeing just how large Tiamut was.
"Oh my God, it's started," said America, feeling sick. She couldn't lose another one of her homes.
"…That's only Tiamut's fingertips and forehead?" Kate said faintly.
"Ginormous tsunamis were created due to just Tiamut's fingertips," Stephen said, his stomach churning.
Rhodey clutched his head. "What the fuck is going on in the universe?"
"I'm so glad Ego didn't look like this," Rocket said, thunderstruck.
"Ego was just as bad, if not worse," Quill grumbled. And everyone wondered why he had issues when his father was a Celestial. The Eternals had just as many problems as he did and a Celestial created them so technically, they were children of a Celestial too.
Phastos conjured more devices to hold Ikaris down. "Come on, Sersi," he pleaded.
The humans desperately hoped that Sersi would be able to complete whatever plan she had in mind because they were out of options at this point.
When Tiamut had risen enough to expose parts of himself, Sersi began turning him to stone.
"It's a good plan, but it's going to take a while before the entire Celestial will turn to stone," said Gamora.
Ikaris mustered his full force to break free of Phastos' rings with a yell and promptly flew to confront Sersi. His eyes flickered gold as he tried to kill her, but couldn't.
Ikaris's face contorted as though he was struggling not to cry. Could he truly harm Sersi? But she was the only thing standing in between Tiamut's birth.
A sob rose in Sersi's throat. She didn't want to think Ikaris was capable of killing her, but she'd seen him kill Ajak, indirectly kill Gilgamesh, attempt to kill Druig, and injure Makkari. He'd done many, many things she thought he was incapable of doing.
Everyone else's hearts twisted. While Ikaris and Sersi's relationship was broken in the present day, they'd seen how much he loved her. Killing Ajak was one thing, but killing your ex-wife? The person he'd once given his entire heart to? I’m yours, Sersi, if you’ll have me.
Sersi closed her eyes and awaited the end.
Sersi's eyes were dull. She accepted her fate and was fine with dying at the moment, not because it was Ikaris and she didn't want to fight him, but because she wanted to not have to choose to kill Tiamut. Who would want to deal with a burden like this? How could she make a decision that would impact the entire planet and the universe? She wasn't sure that she could do it or if she wanted to do it, but she knew that she had to save the planet no matter what.
Ikaris remembered their life together and how Sersi loved humans before breaking down and crying.
Sobs wracked Ikaris' body, robbing him of the ability to speak—barely allowing a breath to be drawn. He knew he would help Sersi and join the Uni-Mind now. His entire life had been defined by his duty toward Arishem, but he refused to hurt Sersi and the people she loved—humanity.
Ajak was shaking with grief as tears spilled fast and hot. She failed Ikaris, her son.
Sadness flitted across everyone else's face. None of the Avengers or Guardians envied Ikaris's position, but he could still choose to help Sersi. It wasn't too late. They were aware that he'd given up everything for the mission, but was it worth killing the love of your life? Even if he didn't help Sersi, he could choose the Kingo route and refuse to fight.
Sersi continued to transmute Tiamut and activated the Uni-Mind, lifting herself in the air, and connecting all the Eternals, including Sprite. After a moment, Ikaris allowed himself to be connected to the Uni-Mind.
The Eternals, Guardians, and Avengers let out a massive sigh of relief at seeing Ikaris and Sprite finally join the Uni-Mind. Seeing all the Eternals connected via the Uni-Mind was a breathtaking sight. Phastos beamed at seeing the Uni-Mind work.
Ikaris had a desolate look in his eyes. His love for Sersi and her love for him shattered his sense of duty long enough for him to realize that none of it was worth it. He could never physically hurt her. He dedicated his life to duty, but he chose love in the end.
Sprite dashed the tears from her eyes with her shirt sleeve. She'd chosen Ikaris's side because she didn't care about Earth, but she was cursed to live in a child's body in every lifetime. Nothing would change on this planet or the next so she might as well help save Earth.
Sersi closed her eyes and let out a watery smile at seeing Ikaris join the Uni-Mind. She was thankful that he helped her in the end.
Sersi screamed as she turned Tiamut to marble with the power gained from all of the Eternals.
None of them envied Sersi at the moment. How painful must it be to have the cosmic power of nine Eternals flowing through one person?
The lights from Tiamut's eyes were extinguished as the transmutation reached his head; half of Tiamut's head and his left hand palm was visible as his frozen, dead body was stuck in the ocean.
The room was filled with deafening silence as all of them gaped and their mouths turned dry at the striking sight of a frozen Celestial sticking out of the ocean.
"Oh my God," Scott said faintly.
Kingo clutched his head. "You guys really killed a Celestial."
"Welcome to the club," said Gamora.
"There's a Celestial body on Earth? Do you know how rich you guys can be if you mine the resources in it?" Rocket told the humans. "We're the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Terra's in the galaxy, I think we deserve a cut."
The Avengers smiled fondly.
"And I'm the son of a Celestial so isn't Tiamut like my celestial uncle or something? Technically, I can claim that celestial body since I'm from Earth too," said Quill.
"I don't think Tiamut is our uncle. Anyway, he's dead," said Mantis.
"That Celestial is in unclaimed territory filled with many valuable resources. How long until the world's governments start getting interested and start fighting over it?" T'Challa said. He wasn't unaware that the rest of the world was highly interested in vibranium.
The Avengers sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," said Natasha.
"I don't know if we'll need the Uni-Mind this time, but I'll create it just in case," said Phastos.
"That's probably a good idea," Eros agreed. "There are a lot of other Eternals out there in the galaxy who need to learn the truth about their mission and themselves."
"Are you going to help us stop Tiamut?" Gamora asked him, who instantly said, "Yes."
"And will you help us kill Thanos?" Nebula asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Eros hesitated. "He's my brother," he said quietly.
"He's our father and we're going to murder him anyway."
Eros bit the inside of his cheek as he had a look of devastation. He had to let go of the past; whatever Thanos he knew when he was a child was long gone and a monster was left in his place. "I'll help," he said, swallowing thickly. He knew he would have to face Thanos soon, but he didn't think he had the strength to fight him. However, he'd do it because it needed to be done, and for Gamora and Nebula.
Sersi's suit glowed with the remaining cosmic energy and she healed her wound. Ikaris looked at Tiamut's corpse in shock as he broke down crying.
Ikaris stared at the sight of a dead Celestial, utterly devastated. He had never known that could've been possible. The Guardians told him that they killed a Celestial and that they lived on the severed head of a Celestial, but it was still different seeing it. He failed his mission, the one thing he'd dedicated his entire life to. What did he have to live for now? He was a soldier without a cause. For millennia, he'd been secure in the knowledge that he was doing the right thing and sacrificed everything for it, even turning against his family, but none of it was worth it in the end. Ajak and Gilgamesh would've been alive if it wasn't for him.
"I’m sorry," Ikaris cried. Sersi put a hand on his cheek and brought their foreheads together. "I know," she said.
"Will you help us this time, Ikaris?" Sersi asked quietly.
Ikaris closed his eyes and a fresh round of tears rolled down his face. He nodded. "Yes," he croaked. How could Sersi still be capable of such kindness when he'd failed her time and time again, and carried out horrible acts? He'd been a horrible husband, lying to her for centuries and then leaving her without an explanation. He failed in his mission and failed at being a good husband.
The Avengers appreciated that Sersi wasn't the most typical type of leader, she wasn't the strongest or the most confident. She was softer, gentler, and filled with self-doubt, but she summoned the strength she didn't know she had and won the day by choosing her love for Earth. In the end, it was the strength of her conviction and Ikaris' love for her that got him to surrender and allow her to stop Tiamut.
Ikaris got up and flew into the sky and into space. He took one last look at Earth and flew straight into the Sun.
Ikaris's face crumpled as he burned from guilt. He distanced himself from living a human life after leaving Sersi because what was the point? All of it would end one day. And after that, he fell back into his old soldier ways and became the person who was able to kill his own family members for the cause only to fail again because he still loved Sersi too much to kill her, therefore, failing his mission and also making his previous actions for nothing. He also noticed that he took one last look at Earth, the planet he'd spent his entire current lifetime on, the planet that Sersi loved and protected, before flying into the sun. When you love something, you protect it. It is the most natural thing in the world, Gilgamesh had said, so why did he struggle to do the most natural thing in the world? Maybe things would've been different if he'd listened to love rather than duty, but he had another chance to change things now, didn't he?
The Eternals' faces were etched with sadness and their stomachs dropped at seeing Ikaris flying into the Sun. Many of them had issues with him, but he was still a part of their family; the person who they'd fought alongside for millennia.
Tears spilled down Sersi's cheeks. She loved Ikaris once and had given him her whole heart. She felt her heart shatter at seeing Ikaris kill himself.
"Don't do that, Ikaris!" Ajak scolded. Her eyes were red and puffy.
Ikaris looked at her, stunned. Ajak had a watery smile and she hugged him. "I've failed you and it's my fault. I'm sorry, Ikaris. It would've been kinder to spare you of the knowledge."
His eyes were wide as he hesitantly hugged Ajak back. Why would she still be kind toward him after seeing that he would've been responsible for her death? But her embrace felt warm and it'd been a really shitty day. He tightly wrapped her arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder. How could a son not take comfort from his mother?
None of them were particularly fond of Ikaris, especially the humans since he was actively trying to destroy their home, but they couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Ikaris didn't form attachments with humans like the rest of the Eternals had so he had no reason to save them. Plus taking into account his strong faith in Arishem and his position as second-in-command, it wasn't surprising that he did what he did, and felt like he failed to the point where he had nothing else to live for and flew into the sun. Luckily, he would be helping them stop the Emergence in their universe now.
Besides, the irony of Ikaris flying into the sun wasn't lost on any of them. It was also ironic that three Eternals who died, despite their godly power, died a very human death like the figures in the stories they influenced—Ajax, Icarus, and Gilgamesh from Greek and Mesopotamian mythology. Ajax was defeated by Odysseus in a battle for Achilles' armor and his disappointment drove him mad, and then went on to kill himself with the sword he had received from Hector, emphasizing the changeability of human fortune and human nature like the actual Ajak. Meanwhile, Icarus flew too close to the sun and was a symbol of hubris and overconfidence, and Gilgamesh died of old age. The Epic of Gilgamesh was about a hot-headed king, who eventually humbled with time and with the help of Enkidu, a good friend. He spent his days hunting for the answer to unlocking immortality, and though he died of old age one day, his accomplishments outlasted his life. Similarly, Gilgamesh's accomplishments far outlasted his life as his love and kindness toward Thena allowed her to kill Kro. They were all very human attributes.
Sersi walked to Makkari, Phastos, and Thena on the shore. "How? How did you do it?" Phastos asked. "When I touched Tiamut’s palm, I felt energy surging into me. Tiamut joined our Uni-Mind," Sersi said.
Everyone was taken aback.
"Tiamut…helped us?" Ajak said, baffled.
"Huh, so there is at least one good Celestial out there," Quill said.
"Wait, Tiamut willingly gave up his life to save Earth? I'm not complaining, but why?" Layla questioned.
"Is it possible if Tiamut saw why the Eternals were trying to save Earth when he was connected to the Uni-Mind?" Wanda suggested.
"That might be possible," said Loki.
"Well, I, for one, am grateful that Tiamut decided to join the Uni-Mind of his own free will," said Stephen. He realized the price it took for the incredible act of creation, plus it was funny that even in Mesopotamian mythology, Tiamat was the goddess of chaos and creation, and she'd been killed by her own children.
Kingo wondered if maybe the Emergence was the wrong way to go about things if Tiamut himself chose to save Earth. Ikaris felt hollow inside; he'd done all that and Tiamut decided to sacrifice himself in the end. Who was he to go against a Celestial's choice?
"I always wondered how we survived the destruction of other planets that we were on. By being connected to the Celestial as it emerged," Phastos said.
The Eternals made a sound of realization.
"I never thought about it like that," said Eros. How many lifetimes had he lived?
"We became one…even Ikaris and Sprite all because of Tiamut," Makkari signed.
"That's a beautiful way to think about it," said Jane.
Druig and Sprite walked toward the rest of the group. Makkari's face contorted as she trotted to Druig and brought their foreheads together.
Makkari and Druig had soft smiles. They couldn't believe that the two had come out of this conflict, safe and alive, but they were grateful for it.
"Is he gone?" Sprite asked tearfully. Sersi nodded, causing Sprite's face to crumple.
An ache pushed against Ikaris' heart. He didn't know where he stood with the rest of the Eternals now, but he knew that their relationship had probably been ruined forever.
Sersi said she still had energy left from the Uni-Mind and offered to turn Sprite human, though she warned her she'd no longer be immortal. Sprite accepted and touched Sersi's outstretched hand, turning human.
Many of the Eternals weren't pleased that Sprite had chosen Ikaris' side, but she was still a part of their family. They'd seen her struggle with her immortality more than the rest of them and now she could finally get what she wanted.
Sprite's breath caught. "I would become human? I can age?" she said in a hopeful voice.
"I'll do it if I still have remaining Uni-Mind power this time," Sersi said.
"Thank you," she said, quietly. It was strange knowing that the person who she'd been jealous of for so long was the one who would give her the thing she wanted the most—to be able to age. She could finally live her life the way she wanted to.
Stephen couldn't help but think about the Ancient One's last words. Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short. And she was right.
The Avengers and Guardians thought that 'Eternals' sounded like a grand concept, but it seemed like a curse in the end. Thena's mind collapsed due to her memories from past Emergences since Arishem didn't erase it properly, seeing tragedy after tragedy took a toll on Druig, Sprite was cursed to live as a child for eternity, and Ikaris had been burdened by keeping a secret for millennia, thereby destroying his marriage.
Two weeks later, the remaining Eternals were sitting in Ajak's house, watching the news about Tiamut and eating food. "The sudden appearance of an enormous stone figure in the Indian Ocean has left more questions than answers for authorities."
The Avengers sighed.
"Of course, it will. How is anyone even supposed to explain that?" said Bruce.
"I'm expecting another UN meeting to be called," T'Challa scowled. He hated those. Valkyrie wanted to weep at the thought of more politics.
"I can't believe that there's a giant stone Celestial just sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean," said Shang-Chi.
"Does the Celestial fall under international waters or a country's territory?" Sam questioned.
"Shit, I don't even want to think about the politics that this is going to cause," Rhodey groaned.
"I hope you guys understand just how valuable Celestial minerals are," Gamora warned. "The minerals found on Knowhere sustain the entire colony."
"You guys did that?" Ben asked in disbelief. "I love you so much," Phastos said.
Phastos was just happy that Ben was taking all of this in stride.
Thena was in the kitchen and she put her hand in the toaster. "Are you okay?" Jack asked. "I get confused sometimes," she said. "Yeah. Me, too," he said.
Phastos chuckled, but he was glad that Jack was getting along with Thena.
"So, Dad said you’re the goddess Athena. "'Thena.' Drop the 'A.'"
"Minerva does exist, though. We saw her in Omnipotence City," said Thor.
Thena scowled. "She's awful."
"It's probably for the best that Thena isn't Athena. Who would want to be related to Zeus?" Marc said.
"What’s your superpower?" Jack asked while jumping to try to reach an orange on the shelf. Thena conjured a sword, stabbed the tip of the orange, and gave it to him.
Phastos yelped. "Thena!"
"What?" Thena said, cluelessly.
Phastos was scandalized and he hurriedly dumped his plate onto Makkari's lap, much to her annoyance, and ran toward the kitchen. "Almost gave you a shave and a haircut, didn’t she? Stand behind me, actually," he told his son and made him cover his ears.
"Don't be dramatic, Phastos. The sword didn't even go near him," said Thena.
"You conjured a sword!" Phastos shot back.
"Yes, that's what I do."
Gilgamesh snickered.
"You know that your babysitting privileges are completely revoked, right?" Phastos said.
Thena rolled her eyes.
"So can I babysit instead?" Makkari asked.
Phastos balked. "Absolutely not. And you'll just let Druig near him," he said while signing. Makkari pouted.
"Come on, Phastos! I won't teach the kid anything too awful," Druig protested.
"Violence is never the answer. Right, T? You gotta always use your brain, hmm?" Phastos told Jack. "Like you did fighting on the beach?" Thena said.
Everyone snorted while Phastos groaned.
"Your dad spoke calmly and firmly to the bad guy and he had no choice but to listen to me, so no violence," Phastos said. "The kid is ten…not stupid!" Makkari signed.
All of them let out a guffaw and Makkari shook her head, exasperated.
Phastos asked when they were leaving.
"I hope soon," Phastos grumbled under his breath.
Druig entered the kitchen and Phastos told Jack not to go anywhere near him.
The group was amused and Druig was unimpressed.
The Eternals were standing in the field outside Ajak's house. "Wow, Dad, the Domo's so cool," Jack said. "Your dad fixed that with his bare hands," Phastos said, proudly.
"With absolutely no violence," Phastos stressed.
"Can we go to space, too, one day?" "Let’s wait till you get your learner’s permit, okay?"
"That still won't be enough for some people," Tony said, side-eying Peter.
"It was an accident!" Peter defended.
"Hey, Phastos. Take care. This world is lucky to have you," Druig said. "Thank you. I know you’re not a hugger, so…" Phastos trailed off. The two shook hands and Druig brought him into a hug.
Phastos and Druig's chests warmed. They weren't the closest Eternals, but they respected and appreciated each other. They'd both lost faith in humanity and had regained it along with a new appreciation for it as well.
"You think when we find the other Eternals out there, that they’ll accept the truth the way we did?" Druig asked Makkari while signing. She nodded. "…Because the truth will set them free."
"They need to know too," Eros said.
"Join us then. The truth will be more convincing if two sets of Eternals from different planets tell them the truth," said Druig.
Eros took a deep breath. "I will."
Druig, Makkari, and Thena boarded the Domo and left Earth. Meanwhile, Sersi was in London with Sprite and Kingo. Sprite was on her phone and Kingo was packing Sprite's bags in his car.
"Oh, Sprite's coming to live with me?" Kingo said.
"Don't ditch me this time," Sprite said.
"I won't because you'll be living in my house."
"Told you that thing was addictive. Please visit?" Sersi asked. "I’ll try. When I get time off from school," Sprite said grumpily.
"Listen, I'll probably be paying for your tuition and you'll be going to a nice, fancy international school, alright?' Kingo said. "I have a beautiful, sea-facing penthouse apartment and you'll get your own giant room. Do you know how much that costs in Mumbai? What more could you want?"
"Fine," Sprite grumbled. She was just grateful that Sersi didn't seem to hold any grudges against her.
"Oh, wow. Listen, it’s gonna be good for you to be in a human environment. You’ll pick up some social skills. Oh, you didn’t think you needed those? That explains so much," Kingo said.
"You can start now. There are a couple of kids over there," Kingo said, pointing to Peter, Kate, America, Shang-Chi, and Groot.
Sprite eyed them and turned back to Kingo. "I'm older than everyone in this room besides the Eternals and you want me to make friends with human and tree children?"
Kingo sighed. Maybe they should take baby steps.
Sprite and Sersi hugged each other farewell. Sprite sat in the car. "Sometimes I wonder if we did the right thing. Killing Tiamut," Sersi said.
"You did," T'Challa said.
Gilgamesh's words echoed in Sersi's mind. When you love something, you protect it. It is the most natural thing in the world, but then why did she feel so uneasy about it? If it was so natural, then it shouldn't be a difficult decision in wanting to protect the planet, and yet she felt weighed down with enormous guilt because by killing a Celestial, she'd stopped new worlds from being created. The Avengers and Guardians seemed to think she made the right decision, but they were biased. They were either human or had connections to Earth. She was an Eternal, she had to think about the bigger picture as well.
Stephen didn't envy Sersi's position. He knew what it was like to have the entire universe's burden on his shoulders and also be wracked with guilt, but he was still human in the end so he was thankful for her decision.
"It’s too late for that. But you followed your heart. We all did. Even Ikaris," Kingo said.
Ikaris's eyes were dull, but he felt content with knowing that he wasn't truly capable of hurting Sersi.
Kingo saw Dane across the street. "Looks like someone’s waiting for you. He’s a lot cuter in person," he said.
"You should find him, or anyone else," Ikaris said quietly. They both knew that they weren't going to work out now.
Sersi's head whirled toward him. "What?"
He shrugged. "Dane seems nice."
Dane and Sersi walked in a garden. She informed him of her adventures, noting she still couldn't transform him into a giraffe unless she happened to be in a Uni-Mind again.
"What is with this man and giraffes?" Kingo asked.
Wanda wondered if she could turn people into giraffes.
Dane asked what she would do now. She wasn't sure but said that she couldn't pretend to be human anymore. "I love you, Sersi. I don’t care what you are," he said. Sersi hugged him.
Sersi's breath caught. She knew her relationship with Ikaris was truly over, and she felt like she was finally in a position where she could move on.
Ikaris's throat tightened at the confession, but he knew he fumbled his chance with Sersi.
Dane reminded her about their conversation about secrets and said he had one about his family history, which was…complicated.
"So do a lot of us," said Eros.
"A lot more than I expected, honestly," Shang-Chi said. It made him feel a little bit better about his own messed-up family.
"Poor guy. I don't think it can get worse than our families," said Quill.
Sersi became petrified and unable to move except for her eyes. The clouds parted and Arishem appeared in the sky, standing over Earth, placing restraints on Sersi, Kingo, and Phastos. He summoned them off the planet to the palm of his gigantic hand.
The Eternals whimpered, the Guardians gaped, and the Avengers let out a strangled noise.
"Oh fuck," said Druig.
"I knew there would be consequences," Ikaris muttered. But it was too late for that now.
"Arishem's bigger than I thought he would be," Nebula said.
"He's nearly three times bigger than Earth!" Clint exclaimed.
"I'm starting to think we got lucky fighting Ego and not any of the other Celestials," Rocket said, eyes wide.
"Why was I kidnapped? I didn't do anything!" Kingo said. Sprite's eyes widened as she realized the only reason she wasn't taken was because she, technically, wasn't an Eternal anymore.
"You have chosen to sacrifice a Celestial for the people of this planet. I will spare them, but your memories will show if they are worthy to live. And I will return for judgment," Arishem said as he transported all of them through a black hole.
There was a loud silence as they all digested that. Panic flared in Sersi's eyes; they were going to pay for their decision now. Dread twisted in Ikaris' gut; this was exactly what he'd been afraid of, but there was nothing he could do now.
Tony, Peter, Bruce, and Jane's jaws dropped at seeing Arishem create and travel through a black hole. Arishem didn't follow science at all.
"Oh shit," said Valkyrie.
"This is going to happen in our universe too when we stop the Emergence. Arishem's going to kidnap us," said Gilgamesh.
"At least I know he'll kidnap me so I can warn Ben," said Phastos, his heart sinking at knowing how worried Ben would be at him suddenly disappearing with no notice. Not to mention that Jack would also be concerned about his absence.
"What other choice do we have? We have to stop the Emergence," Ajak said.
"Hopefully, Sersi's memories would show that we're worthy to live," Sam said.
"How are we supposed to deal with this now?" T'Challa said. No one had an answer for him.
"How come Arishem didn't appear when we killed Ego?" Mantis questioned.
"Because he was a faulty Celestial. I doubt Arishem cares about him," said Gamora.
London was in chaos as the people tried to make sense of what happened. Dane breathed heavily as he knew what he had to do.
"In addition to the giant Celestial sticking out of the ocean, the planet has to now deal with Arishem's gigantic face showing up in the atmosphere and kidnapping people," Bucky sighed.
"London's catching up to the number of weird things New York has to deal with too," said Clint.
The Domo flew through space. Thena, Makkari, and Druig were in the lab, looking at a hologram of the Earth. "It’s been weeks. We haven’t heard from any of them. It’s like…they’ve disappeared," Makkari signed.
Makkari's shoulders slumped. That's exactly what happened.
"Why didn't Makkari, Thena, and Druig get kidnapped?" America asked.
"Maybe because they weren't on Earth?" Carol suggested.
"Arishem. We have to go back," Thena said.
"Absolutely not," said the remaining Eternals.
Thena and Makkari felt something and Thena conjured her blades.
Dread engulfed all of them.
"What now?" Thena said, exhausted.
A colorful portal appeared and Pip the Troll stumbled out, drunk.
"Oh, it's just Pip," Eros said, relaxing.
Gamora raised a brow. "You know him?"
"Yes, he's my friend."
Pip cleared his throat and introduced the royal prince of Titan, brother of Thanos, the Knave of Hearts, Defeater of Black Roger, the great adventurer, Starfox of Mystery Planet.
"Oh, it's just Eros," said Nebula.
"It's not surprising that I would've caught up with you all after you stopped the Emergence," Eros said. He had an idea of where Arishem took Kingo, Sersi, and Phastos.
"Is that what you've been doing all this time? Going on adventures?" Layla asked.
"While on the run from Arishem? Yes."
"Who would want to be introduced as the brother of Thanos? Everyone wants to kill Gamora and Nebula for being the daughters of Thanos," Drax stated, conveniently leaving out that he used to be one of them.
"I keep telling Pip to not introduce me that way, but he does it anyway," Eros said, exasperated.
"Thanos' brother?" Makkari signed, shocked.
Everyone snorted.
"Yeah, that was a shock for me too," Quill said.
"I wasn't expecting to ever meet you either," Nebula told Eros.
"Did you want to?" Eros asked.
"No."
Gamora elbowed her sister, who shoved her back and rolled her eyes. "We just never thought about you much. Of course, Thanos told us about you, but we hated anything to do with him."
Eros smiled sadly. "I understand."
"Gamora and Nebula are the better nieces. You don't want to meet the other nieces and nephews," Mantis said. The Avengers and Guardians shuddered at the thought of the Black Order; Gamora and Nebula scowled deeply.
"Those psychopaths," Thor grumbled.
Eros exited the portal with a joyful smile. "What a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my fellow Eternals."
"How many other Eternals do you know?" Ajak asked.
"A couple. There are a lot of us and we're spread throughout the galaxy," Eros responded.
He told Pip that he didn't have to do the whole thing every time, but Pip said everything Eros did was impressive. Eros agreed.
Nebula and Gamora rolled their eyes while Eros grinned.
"I’m Eros. This is Pip. And you are as beautiful as legends say, Thena," Eros said.
Thena raised an eyebrow.
Eros said he was there to help. "Your friends are in big trouble," he said, lifting his communication sphere. Thena and Makkari were instantly interested in seeing the sphere. "And we know where to find them."
The Eternals looked at Eros for an answer. "The World Forge," Eros said.
"Oh yeah, that makes sense," said Sprite.
Meanwhile, Dane was in his office, psyching himself up to open a long, rectangular wooden box. He opened it to reveal the Ebony Blade, which whispered eerily.
Wong, Stephen, Clea, America, and the Eternals sucked in a breath.
"Isn't that the—" America started to say.
"Ebony Blade," Clea said, the color draining out of her face.
"…Is that a bad thing?" Shang-Chi said.
"Dude, just look at it. Of course, it's an evil sword and it's whispering. When has that ever ended well? Look what happened to Gorr," Peter said. Jane, Thor, Valkyrie, and Loki had a pained expression at the reminder.
"I mentioned that it's the dark counterpart to Excalibur," Wong said, shaken.
"Why does Dane have the Ebony Blade?" Sersi said in disbelief.
"He said he had a complicated family history," said Druig.
"This is one hell of a family secret!" Sprite exclaimed.
"I always wanted to see the Ebony Blade," Thena said, highly interested. Sue her, she liked swords.
"Okay, I get that the Ebony Blade isn't a great thing, but why?" Bruce asked.
"The Ebony Blade was enchanted to cut through any object, to prevent the death of its wielder, and to deflect any magic, but it also carried a curse that would slowly corrupt any user and cause a lust for violence, bloodshed, and death. It grants its wielder the powers of the Black Knight," Stephen explained.
"Another sword that corrupts people," Jane said, shaking her head.
"So, Dane shouldn't touch it!" Sersi said, frantically.
"Death to me is reward," Dane translated from Latin as he read the description etched into the box.
"Yeah, that tracks from an evil sword like that," said Rhodey.
"I’m sorry. I have to try," he said, nearly touching the blade. The material on the blade sensed his hand and guided itself toward him.
"NO!" they cried.
"Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Whitman?" Eric Brooks said, off-screen.
"He absolutely is not," Loki said.
"I hope we're all in agreement that we're going stop the Emergence?" Ajak asked. There were sounds of agreement from the Eternals, Avengers, and Guardians. Ikaris closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes."
"Great, none of us have to fight each other," said Thor.
Text appeared on the screen: The next recording is about the Guardians of the Galaxy.
"Oh, back to us? Hopefully, Mantis and Drax don't kidnap someone else this time," Quill said, giving the two a pointed look. Mantis pouted and Drax snickered.
Eros' face lit up. He was looking forward to finding out more about Nebula and Gamora's lives.