The Eternals were now gathering around an altar above the Aztec pyramids. The city was still burning, people were fighting below, blood spilled on the ground, smoke rose to the sky, and screams echoed through the city.
Thena was laying on the altar, her face still pale, and sweat was gathering on her forehead.
Sersi was looking at her body, caressing her hair gently.
“I thought it was a myth.” Sersi commented softly.
“There is no cure.” said Phastos as he was healed by Ajak. “So nobody really talks about it…”
“No, there is a cure, or at least there will be.” added Pluto. “It’s just that people don’t want to study our psyche.”
“And you studied it?” asked Phastos curiously.
Pluto shook his head. “No, the sorcerer supreme did. She has the notes on our psyche, I’ll go to her after this.”
“So she can be cured?” questioned Gil hopefully.
“Pluto, we can’t be sure about that.” Ajak softly said. “We need to go to the Domo, we could take care of that there.”
“You mean erase her memories?” Pluto scoffed. “Not a chance.”
“It’s not your decision to make Pluto.”
“It’s not yours either, it’s Thena’s.” he refuted.
Then, Thena suddenly woke up, her eyes white for a quick second, making the others panicked, but then, she turned to normal.
She stared at the ceiling, then she looked to Pluto, and asked. “What just happened?”
Pluto smiled as he held her hand. “You’re sick,” he said. “I told you, didn't I? You should’ve listened to me.”
Thena’s eyes widened as she heard that. “I- Did I attacked you?”
“Thena…” said Ajak, touching Thena’s shoulder. “You attacked Pluto, almost killed Phastos…”
“Oh no…” she said, covering her face as she massaged it. “I- I don’t remember…”
“You have Mahd Wy’ry.” continued Ajak. “Your mind is fracturing under the weight of your memories.”
Druig was restless beside the door, watching as Ajak talked.
“I need to talk to Arishem about this,” said Ajak. “We need to take you back to the ship, where we have the technology to fix you..”
“But she won’t be Thena anymore.” commented Makkari. “Pluto said it right? You’ll erase her memories.”
Ajak just nodded sadly, making the others frown.
“What if she attacked us again? she could’ve killed all of us.” argued Kingo.
“Kingo, I swear, your cowardice ticked me off sometimes.” refuted Pluto coldly, he turned to Thena, and looked at her softly. “Thena, I can fix you, the sorcerer supreme has the notes.”
Thena smiled at him, tears running down her eyes. She held Pluto’s hand tightly, and said. “I- I want to remember… I want to remember you… Helen… Everyone…”
Pluto just smiled at her, but Ajak interrupted. “Thena, we can’t make sure if the sorcerer supreme could cure you, our best bet is to bring you to the Domo, and-”
“Shut the fuck up Ajak!” roared Pluto, he slammed his fist to the altar, cracking it. The room’s temperature rose considerably, even the stones started to melt. “Are you serious right now?! After all this time, you still care more about the mission than us?!”
“Pluto…” warned Ikaris slowly.
“Pluto, calm down,” said Ajak.
“Calm down?” chuckled Pluto dangerously. “You’re asking me to calm down while you tried to convince my wife to erase her memories?”
“Pluto, you know it’s the safest wa-”
“For you and your mission, not for her.” Pluto’s eyes glew golden, Persephone floating above him, ready to launch Ajak at any second.
The others went alert, and the fighters quickly protected the others, and activated their powers.
“Pluto, what are you doing?!” Gil shouted. “Are you trying to attack Ajak?”
“You’re defending her Gil?” questioned Pluto. “Did you know, that she’s been-”
“Pluto!” cut Ikaris off. “Don’t.”
“Pluto, calm down, please.” suddenly said Thena, cupping his face.
Seeing Thena’s crying face, Pluto calmed down, he then stared at Ajak. “I’m tired of your lies, Ajak, you can lie to the others, but you can’t lie to me, you can’t lie to Thena.”
“Lie? What are you talking about?” asked Sersi, voice cracking.
Ajak clenched her fist. “Pluto, please, calm yourself down.”
“I am calm right now,” he said.
Ajak sighed, and nodded. “Very well, you can bring her to the Sorcerer supreme, but please… give me time to… tell the others.”
Pluto looked down at the cracked altar, and chuckled. “After all this time? You’re still so stubborn Ajak.”
He sighed, he looked at Thena, and caressed her cheek. “We’re leaving, I’ll see you all when I see you.”
“Pluto, wait!”
But then, both of them just disappeared, blue particles floating around the space they used to be.
“And… they’re gone.” said Phastos.
“Ajak, what is Pluto talking about?” asked Sersi.
Ajak just smiled sadly. “I… can’t tell you right now.”
“Why?”
“Please Sersi… trust me.”
“Why should we trust you?” suddenly said Druig. “What are you and Pluto hiding, Ajak?”
“Druig, please, I know you’re upset-”
“Upset?!” roared Druig. “We’ve trusted you for thousands of years, and now Pluto is telling me that you’ve been hiding secrets from us! I thought we’re a family Ajak?!”
“Druig, we are…”
“Then why do I feel like I’m your prisoner, right now?!” questioned Druig again, making Ajak stiffened, it’s the same thing that Pluto told her. “Everytime I used my powers, you forbid me, everytime I tried to save a human that was suffering, you forbid me, what is our mission really Ajak?! Is our mission a lie?! I thought we are supposed to help them advance, not help them kill each other!”
“Druig-”
“No.” Druig continued. “No more.”
He then turned around, seeing the bloodbath below them, his eyes glow golden, and the humans below them stopped, freezing in place, mesmerised by Druig.
Ikaris then stepped in, he slammed Druig to the wall, and said. “Let them go.”
“Or what?” sneered Druig. “You’re going to attack me? You didn’t do it to Pluto, is it because you’re scared that he’ll beat you down again?”
Ikaris frowned, and his eyes glow golden, but Druig kept talking.
“You are blinded by loyalty, Ikaris.” spat Druig. “A pawn to Ajak, a slave to Arishem.”
Ikaris’s eyes glowed more and more brightly, but then, Ajak stopped him.
“Stop, the two of you!” she shouted.
Druig shoved Ikaris off, and he walked to the stairs. He then looked at the other Eternals. “If you want to stop me, kill me.”
He then walked to the humans below, before bringing them to the jungle, away from the city itself.
Ajak looked at him departing, she clenched her fist, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
“You may all go.” said Ajak, surprising everyone. “I- want you to explore this planet… learn what you can from the humans…”
“What about the mission?” asked Makkari.
“The Deviants are gone, Makkari.” smiled Ajak. “You are free. Live your life fully in this world, not as soldiers, but as yourselves.”
“Shouldn’t we ask Arishem first?” asked Ikaris. “We’re a team, we should stick together.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion Ikaris.” stated Ajak coldly. “Do not forget your place.”
Ikaris frowned, but didn’t say anything.
“There’s no reason for you to stay with me now.” continued Ajak. “This is where we say goodbye.”
“But… what will we do?” asked Sprite.
Ajak just smiled. “Find your own purpose.” she said. “And one day, I will come visit you, and tell me what you have learned in this world.”
“And then what?”
“And when the time comes.” she continued. “I will tell you the truth.”