This planet is hot and humid, he learns only two weeks into their mission. He watches as the humans continue on through their daily tasks, despite the sun being so high in the sky. Sweat builds up on his forehead and he swipes at it with the back of his hand. Ajak hasn’t tasked him with observing the humans which means he’s free to go back into the shade and cool air of the domo. But Druig isn’t quite ready to share space with the other nine Eternals. There’s something nice about being alone after weeks of always being near someone else.
And it's not that he doesn’t like the others. He’s really only beginning to learn about them. He admittedly keeps to himself more often than the rest, but he still talks to the others. Well, the other thinkers. The fighters are another story and he’s not sure how to be around them. With the thinkers they’ve already begun to form a system, a sort of bond that works for them. A singular cool breeze washes over Druig and he sighs in relief before hoping that another one follows. Sure, enough it does, but it's then that Druig realizes the breeze wasn't wind. No, it's Makkari, who’s staring at him with an eager smile on her face. Out of all the fighters, Makkari seems to be the friendliest.
“I have to show you something.” She signs, her body borderline vibrating with her excitement. He raises a brow, ready to ask her what she plans on showing him but it's too late. The world blurs around him at a violent pace and when his brain finally catches up it's already over. In just a breath they’re somewhere else. A place where it’s already nighttime. The moon seems almost close enough to touch. It’s full and bathes them both in its light. He turns to see they’re on a beach, far away enough that the ocean waves can’t touch them. Then he notices how the sand seems to be crawling, no not the sand…something else.
Tiny dark green creatures all drag themselves slowly but surely towards the ocean. He’s never seen anything like them before.
“What are they?” He asks Makkari who simply shrugs.
“I don’t know, I just happened to find them.” Then she bends down scooping several of them up. She laughs as she struggles to keep them all in her arms, almost dropping one in the process. The scene is so ridiculous that it startles a laugh out of him. That’s the first real thing he remembers about Makkari. How she always manages to make him laugh just by being herself. Pleasantly surprised by the turn his day has taken, he scoops up a little creature himself. Unlike the ones Makkari is holding, this one seems relaxed in his palms and doesn’t attempt to escape. He brings it closer to his face examining it. The tiny thing seems to have a hard shell protecting its body and big round eyes.
Eventually the pair set their new friends back on the sand and watch them slowly disappear into the waves. They sit there for most of the night, side by side not saying much and enjoying the scene before them. It's their first outing together but nowhere near their last. Years later he’ll ask her why she chose to bring him along.
“I just wanted to show someone, and you were the first person I saw.” She’ll state honestly. And he’ll glare then playfully bump into her shoulder, face melting into a smile when she lightly shoves him back.
He doesn’t really care that the foundation of their friendship is a fluke, he just cares that it happened.
xx
As the centuries pass by, he knows two things to be true:
There’s something not right about their mission.
and
Makkari is his favorite person in the universe.
He thinks the others have caught onto that last fact. He sees it in the way that whenever Phastos has a favor to ask him, he sends Makkari to do it for him. In the way that whenever Sersi is looking for her, she starts with Druig. He sees it in how whenever there’s been a particularly bad argument, Ajak pairs him and Makkari up for a hastily put together side mission.One night in particular, he can’t sleep. In an unusual turn of events, Makkari is the one upset with Ajak. A nearby library went up in flames and Makkari had attempted to save countless scrolls from being destroyed. Ajak had put a stop to it, telling her not interfering meant that they weren’t meant to save human creations.
Where his temper was loud and all consuming, Makkari’s was just as silent as her. He picked and picked at the members of his family until he had nothing left to give. His anger could never be contained, and it often led to arguments, but usually just as quickly as it came, it went. But Makkari had locked herself in her room, refusing to come out. Every night he stopped by and knocked hoping she let him in and tried not to be too disappointed when she didn’t. By the eighth night he was sick with worry and found himself tossing and turning. Finally, he left his quarters for a glass of water in hopes that would calm him for the night. It's by complete accident that he stumbles upon Ikaris and Ajak talking. Neither seem to notice his presence.
“I patrolled from the sky today. An army is slowly making their way here. I give it five or so days.” Ikaris says, his voice, indifferent that there would soon be more human bloodshed. Druig however, already felt like he couldn’t breathe. Already dreading what is to come. “You should send Druig off this time.” It’s a suggestion, while Ikaris never failed to bark orders at the rest of them, he always fell in line when it came to their leader.
“No, as long as there are deviants in the area, Druig shall stay. It is what we’re here for.” Ajak replies with no room for argument.
“And how long do you expect Druig to fall in line for this mission before he decides he’s had enough.” Ikaris shoots back. “We all know it's coming.” He isn’t surprised that Ikaris thinks so little of him. Isn’t surprised that Ikaris isn’t so far off from the truth.
“He will stay and see this mission through, because it’s where Makkari is.” She says in such a simple tone. The way someone would say that the sky is blue or the time of the day. “He may not believe in this mission, but he believes his place is next to her.”
Slowly and quietly, he works his way back into his room. He trembles in his bed out of anger, or something else he isn’t sure. The next day Makkari comes out and takes her place at the breakfast table right next to him. He can’t help the smile he gives her, or the quick squeeze of her hand. And when she smiles back his stomach swoops the way it's been doing lately when it comes to her. He can feel Ajak’s eyes on them, but he doesn’t allow it to ruin his joy.
But he decides he hates the way she can see right through him.
xx
Ajak is wrong. It takes a few millennia, but he does eventually break. It's enough for him to leave the mission behind, it's enough to leave her behind, even though he doesn’t want to. The ringing in his head and the gaping hole in his chest have gotten to be too much. He can’t afford to sit around anymore and watch the endless bloodshed. Not when there’s something he can do about it.
So, he takes the humans, and he leaves his family, this stupid mission behind. On his way he thinks about taking control of all the humans on this planet. He can create a better world. These beings can’t be trusted to do the right thing. They need a guiding hand. But he also knows that if he does that, they will no longer have the thing that makes them beautifully human. They would be nothing more than puppets under the orders of their puppetmaster. And Druig has never wanted to be a god, never wants to be another Arishem. He just wants to see them live up to their fullest potential.
It’s easy at first, being a leader. He erases any desire of bloodlust from their minds, urges them to be kind to one another. His powers guide them into making their small but strong community hidden within the trees of a forest. And for a long time, it's enough. Each generation he’s able to trust more and more until controlling them is only done out of necessity which is rare.
And then the boredom and loneliness sets in. He’s willingly locked himself into a prison, not realizing it until it's much too late. But he would rather stay locked up than let Ajak and Ikaris think they were right all along. He watches the endless cycle of humans being born, living, then dying all the while wasting away in his small hut. One the worst days he misses his family and no matter the day good or bad he always misses Makkari.
xx
He’s just coming back from the nearest trading post when it happens. He and the other men who made the three-day journey drop off the supplies to be sorted and then he’s off to his own hut. Something feels different the moment he sets foot into the place and he’s on high alert. That is until he sees her. Laying in the center of his bed, one of his books in her hands, is Makkari, his Makkari. The world freezes, he forgets to breathe and his heart lurches. Then she’s looking at him, sporting his favorite bright smile of hers and she slams the book shut, no longer interested in reading. In just a blink she’s in his arms and he’s hugging her so tightly he’s worried she’ll break. But she doesn’t, nothing can break his strong little fighter. When she pulls away, he instantly misses her.
“My Makkari you’re here!” He exclaims and he can’t remember the last time he’s smiled so hard. Probably the last time he was with her, before…before…. before…befo-
It had all gone wrong, hadn’t it?
“I’m here!” And she’s just as giddy as him, practically bouncing in place.
“Don’t tell me you missed me.” He teases and Arishem has he missed their little games.
“Fine.” She signs, as if it's no issue for her. “I won’t. But you can tell me how much you missed me.”
So, he does. He tells her every thought he’s had since they’re parting. Relays his victories and his failures, his best moments and his worst moments and she’s here to listen. Well after its dark outside, she eventually stands to leave.
“Stay.” He begs but she shakes her head.
“Things to do, places to see.” She tells him with a mischievous smile. “But I’ll be back soon enough.” And he already misses her, even though she’s standing right in front of him still.
“And are you sure Ajak didn’t send you to report on me?” It isn’t a serious question, and he doesn’t mean anything by it. Is just desperate to keep her around if even for a few more seconds. But the look on her face is strange.
“Why would she want me to tell her what you’re up to? She’s the one who let you go.” Her head is slightly tilted the way it usually is when she’s asking a question that she truly wants to know the answer to.
“I’m only fooling.” He tells her, worried he’s ruined the mood and wanting it to pick up again. “And she didn’t let me go, I left.”
“She could’ve let Ikaris stop you.” This Makkari looks different but it's hard to explain how. A little less full of excitement as if something heavy weighs her down. “She let you leave Druig.” He’s lost as to why she wants to have this particular conversation, but he can live with it. If it lets him steal a few more of her seconds.
“Whose side are you on?” He asks playfully tugging one of her braids. “Besides it hardly matters, what matters is I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do.” Druig searches for a sign of playful Makkari returning but there is none.
“Doesn’t it matter?” She asks. Then she’s gone and he’s alone with his thoughts.
It doesn’t matter he decides late into the night after he still hasn’t gone to sleep. Too busy breathing in Makkari’s scent, knowing it will be gone in just a mere few days. But there’s a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach and his head hurts in a way it's never done before.
It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.
It matters.
xx
True to her word Makkari does visit more often, though it's never as long as he’d like. She also never leaves his house, refusing to spend even a minute with the villagers. A sign that she doesn’t agree with what he’s doing but misses his company too much to stay completely away.
Today she sits across his bed with her back to the wall, while he lays in her lap a book in hand. The light drags her fingers trail through his hair makes it hard for him to stay awake, but he refuses to sleep. Refuses to waste any of their precious moments together. She’s quiet today and hasn’t said much but he doesn’t mind. Some days she talks a lot, telling him every detail of what she’s been up to since they last saw each other. Other times she barely speaks, and they spend the day wrapped in comfortable silence.
Despite his best attempts his eyes do grow heavy. He can forgive himself for falling asleep, he thinks. It's not often he gets to drift to sleep with the warmth of Makkari underneath him, but before he gets too far, he feels a light pressure on his lips. Startled, he opens his eyes and only sees brown. Takes him a moment to realize the pressure he feels is her lips on his. After that it isn’t hard to catch up, he brings his hand to the back of her head to keep her in place as his lips move against hers. They’ve done this before. On drunken nights where they pretend nothing happened the next morning. Or on nights when it got to be all too much and the only things that kept him grounded was the feel of his bottom lip being nipped by her teeth. He thinks they’ve spent a lot of time making excuses when they could just be together. Or could’ve. Makkari is not willing to stay in this prison of his own making, and he's far too gone in a sense of duty to leave these villagers now.
She does eventually pull away and he tries to hide how breathless he is. It might not have been their first kiss but each kiss they shared felt special enough to be their first.
“What was that for?” He asks, though he’s not complaining.
“Just for being you.” She smiles and then lends down to give him another quick kiss, before she’s back to stroking his hair. He does fall asleep after that and when he wakes up, she’s long gone. He tries not to feel too bitter about that.
It doesn’t work.
Why is he always missing her?
xx
“I got a letter from Gil and Thena. They want me to come for a visit.” He’s sitting on grass while Makkari plays in the river. She seems just as surprised as he is as she climbs out and sits across from him. Drops of cold water fall on his skin but he doesn’t mind. Could never mind anything she does.
“And you want me to tell you whether you should go or not.” It’s not a question. She knows him too well for it to be one. “I think if you didn’t want to go, you wouldn’t have even brought it up.” She pokes the tip of his nose with her finger, and he catches her hand in his, turning her palm towards him and placing a gentle kiss there.
“You always know just what to say beautiful.” She smiles and he tries to keep his heart contained within his chest. “Have you ever gone to visit them?” He asks. She shakes her head and looks off into the distance. He knows her well enough to know that she’s done with this particular question, so he doesn’t push. Feels like he shouldn’t push it for his sake and hers.
He leaves a week later and finds his brother and sister deep within Australia on barren land. They both welcome him easily but also shy away from whatever it is they need from him. Choosing to catch up. Once they reach dinner, the real conversation begins.
“Could you put Thena to sleep?” Gil asks and he almost laughs thinking it's a joke. But then the look on their faces point to it being a more serious request.
“Why?” He really wants to know. Druig is used to his siblings being weary of his powers. The only one who’s ever willingly let them into their mind is Makkari, her trust in him too big for her to ever fear his gift.
“Gil deserves a break. He hasn’t left my side since that night. I want to give him some time alone.” Thena says and fair enough. No one else had volunteered to take on the hard task of keeping up with Thena. Even from his spot across the table, Druig could see all of the new battle scars she had given Gil.
“How about I stay for two weeks? If I need to put you to sleep, it's a bridge we’ll cross when we get there.” Both are relieved by his suggestion and Gil reveals he’ll head out by morning.
“I wasn’t sure you’d agree to this.” Thena tells him though it's hesitant and so unlike her it almost makes his skin crawl.
“Why not.” He shrugs, it's not like they had ever been part of the problem. No, that had been Ajak and Ikaris with the leash they kept him on and Phastos with his terrible inventions.
“Wouldn’t blame you for not forgiving me after I lost myself that night.” She trails off and Druig feels relieved. That’s what has been bothering her. What happened in Tenochtitlan so many years ago.
“Nah, I don’t blame you. Neither does Makkari, he adds.” Hoping that eases her guilt but it doesn’t seem to.
“You don't know that.” She hisses and it's fierce enough to almost scare him. But he doesn’t back down, he never does.
“I do, listen I know that she forg-'' But he’s cut off by Gil who shakes his head at him.
“Let’s talk about logistics.” He says, making it clear that this conversation is over for now and Druig gets it. Wouldn’t want to set Thena off, especially if he’s meant to watch over her for some time. The rest of dinner is spent creating Gil’s tentative schedule.
His stay is nice. Thena for the most part keeps to herself, and they hardly interact. It’s probably luck that nothing happens in these two weeks, and he can’t wait to tell Makkari about it.
They do have one last conversation before he leaves.
“Did you mean what you said?” She asks, barely a whisper. She doesn’t have to offer further explanation; he knows what she’s asking.
“I did.” He keeps it nice and simple the way Thena likes it. For her sake he ignores the tears traveling down her face.
When he arrives back at the compound, he finds that he didn’t miss it as much as he thought he would. He did, however, miss Makkari.
xx
“Did you take my book?” It’s been missing for a few days now and it's one of his favorites. A collection of poems from ancient Egypt that he’s kept in great condition all this time. Now he can’t seem to find it. Makkari rolls her eyes from her spot on the floor.
“Please.” She signs giving him an amused look. “Between the two of us I’m not the one who takes from the other.” She’s pointedly looking at the red and black bracelet resting on his wrist. And it’s true. Makkari has a vast collection and over the years he’s found himself “borrowing” things he likes from her, never quite managing to return them. She’s never minded.
“Want it back?” He asks, shocking his wrist down in front of her face. Offering her the chance to take it yet knowing she won’t. But the tempted look on her face makes him second guess himself and he worries she might actually take him up on his offer. Turns out he mistakes her intentions, not realizing her plan until after he’s already pulled off the bed and onto the floor beside her.
He pounces on her in an act of revenge and the two roll around both trying to get the upper hand. Druig knows that she could easily end their little competition the moment she wants to and enjoys she’s in a playful enough mood to keep it going. Until his body reacts to her nearness and there’s no hiding what’s suddenly on his mind. He pulls away quickly ready to apologize but Makkari doesn’t look disgusted with him.
“Come back.” She tells him, before pushing him onto his back and climbing on top of him. His hands instantly go to her waist, holding her in place as she leans down and kisses him. And then they’re both moving against each other, losing clothes in the process. Tears flood his eyes as they learn each other in a new way and Makkari wipes them all away. He decides he likes her on top, taking control, keeping him at her mercy. He'll never feel as good as he does in this moment. When they’re done but far from over, he marvels in the feeling of her body against his. Traces the same words into her skin over and over again.
I love you; I love you; I love you; IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou.
xx
The world is ending and both Ajak and Gilgamesh are dead. He doesn’t even get the chance of feeling joy from being right all along.
Phastos is somewhere still working on their plan. The rest of them are scattered around the domo except for Makkari who he’s looked for but hasn’t been able to find. He does find Thena though and the two begin to talk.
“Revenge won’t bring peace to you Thena.” You would know a voice deep within his mind whispers.
“But killing it might.” Thena says through gritted teeth. Then she turns to him. “How did you do it Druig? How could you stand up for me after what I did to Makkari?” What a strange thing to bring up now, when the world may be ending. He thought she had long gotten over her guilt. It was the mahd wy’ry not her.
“It was a mistake, Thena. You didn’t mean it and we would be blind not to see that.” He doesn’t like talking about this for some reason. His head starts to ache and suddenly he wants to be anywhere but here. What does that night have to do with Gil being gone?
“I’ll always remember him.” Thena whispers and suddenly the pain in his head is searing. He clutches his face in his hands and stumbles out of the room away from her and the horrible feeling she’s giving him, into a hallway and almost into Kingo who is passing by.
“You don’t look so good.” He tells him and he looks concerned. Odd, Kingo has never cared much about his well-being so why start now? Then he has a need to ask a question, one that seems urgent.
“Did Makkari ever visit you?” He wants to know, needs to know. She once told him that she hadn’t visited Thena and Gil but her and Kingo have always been close. She would’ve stopped by at least once.
Kingo doesn’t answer and a heavy silence floats between them. His head feels like it's going to crack open and Kingo can’t be arsed to answer the damn question. But wait, when they first arrived Kingo had mentioned no one seeing the speedster in centuries. Right? Right? That wasn’t true, Druig had seen her. She came to him, she chose him.
He flinches when Kingo lays a comforting hand on his shoulder then feels guilty. Why does he feel so confused? When is Makkari coming back? She’s the only thing that makes sense lately.
“We’ve lost members of our family on top of learning the world is ending. I understand this brings up memories you’d rather not remember.” Druig wrenches away from Kingo’s grasp, the need to get away growing stronger.
Remember
Remember
Remember
Then Druig is walking but he doesn’t know where. Can’t really think not with the pain radiating in his skull. What’s wrong with him? No, what's wrong with everyone here?
“Makkari.” He calls out hoping she can feel his vibrations and only a blink later she’s in front of him. She studies him with a worried expression, and he wonders if he looks as awful as he feels. He’s happy she’s here. Things always feel better when she’s around.
“You don’t have much time.” She tells him her brows furrowed. He wants to reach out and smooth them. He needs to chase away whatever is bothering her. “Do you remember?”
“Remember what?” He sounds frustrated, he knows, but he doesn’t understand. What is it that they want him to remember so damn bad all of a sudden? Why does he feel so fucking crazy.
“That night in Tenochtitlan. When it all went wrong?” When he had snapped. When he had left her behind. So much had gone wrong that night it’s hard to pinpoint what she means.
“I remember everything about that night, why does it matter?” When had Makkari started speaking in riddles like the rest of their family?
“What happened after Thena stabbed me?” She asks, her eyes staring into his own, as if she could see right through him. As if he were made of glass.
“Ajak healed you.” He answers back.
“What happened to me?” She repeats.
“Ajak healed you.” He shoots back.
“Druig what happened to me?”
“Ajak healed you. She healed you and then I walked away. Is that what you want me to say?” He feels guilty at the way she flinches back at his outburst, but he can’t help himself. What are they doing to him? Why are they playing with his head? “That I left you when I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry Kari, I truly am but I can’t change the past. I’m here now though.” At his outburst she looks at him with so much pity and he can’t stand it. He feels her hand cusp his cheek and leans into the feeling.
“You left because Ajak let you go.” And he closes his eyes. Why does it matter? “Druig baby, what happened to me?”
He shuts his eyes tighter trying to block out everything that’s happened but now he can’t. It’s like she’s opened up a floodgate. All he can see is blood. Blood and Makkari’s lifeless body slumped into Kingo’s arms. She’s grey and much stiller than she has any right to be. No, no, no! Ajak healed her. She’s here with him. He can feel her, he can smell her, his heart only beats for her. She’s here. She’s here with him. She’s here.
“What happened to me?”
“She was too late, she tried to heal you, but you were already gone.” He admits. He buries his face further into her hand. “I feel crazy.”
She’s not here.
“You have to let go before you ruin your mind even further. I’m not real, let me go.” She places a gentle kiss on both cheeks before kissing his lips. It's warm and right and so wholly Makkari except it isn’t.
Because she isn’t here. Because he’s gone and made himself fucking crazy in his own grief. And because he can never deny her anything he does as she says and lets her go. One by one and piece by piece he lets her fade. First her smile that’s always been like home to him. Then her wild curls. Her trail of freckles that he’s always adored. He lets it all go. When he opens his eyes he’s alone and can no longer feel her. All he can feel is a hole in his heart as clarity begins to swallow him whole. She wasn’t real, just his broken mind trying to cope.
Ajak had let him leave because she felt pity for him. Because she knew he had no reason to stay. No real reason to live without Makkari.
He stands up and stumbles towards the commotion he can hear happening in the lab. He stands by as accusations fly across the room. It seems Ikaris had betrayed them all. Wanted the emergence to happen. What a load of shit, he could feel his disgust for Ikaris reach new highs. But there was a bright side to be found in his brother’s wrongdoings. A solution to his pain. Mustering all his strength Druig’s eyes glow gold as he puts his family to sleep, all of them collapse onto the floor besides Ikaris. It's easy to take over their minds, all of them are too distracted by their emotions to be on guard. He makes sure his silent apology is the last thing they can hear.
“Is it true?” He turns to Ikaris who looks confused. “Will Makkari be alive on the next planet?” Understanding dawns on the man’s face as he stoically nods.
“None of us will remember this life, but we’ll all be together in the next.” Then he walks over to Sersi’s sleeping body and kisses her forehead. Druig feels sick but he has no right to play morality police. Not after what he’s willing to do. “Thank you for this, Druig. It’ll be easier this way.” And then Druig reached into Ikaris’s mind and puts him to sleep too.
“I’m not doing this for you.” He isn’t foolish enough to say he’s doing this for Makkari either. She would hate this, hate what he’s become but she isn’t here. He’s never believed in mankind which makes this all so much easier. Knowing he won’t remember his sins also makes it easier. He’ll trade every life on this planet if it means he gets her back. Is barely sorry that it has to be this way. But Makkari deserves to live, more so than any of them and if he walks down the path of defying Arishem there would never be a Makkari again.
The world shakes and he knows there isn’t much time left.
“I’ll see you again soon, my love.” He signs even though there’s no one there to see them. Hope blooms in his chest.
Soon.
xx
Hovania is a beautiful red planet that grows larger the closer they get to it. He can’t remember much after waking up from his long slumber. He knows that he’s been chosen by Arishem to protect the beings on this planet and that there are nine other Eternals on this same mission. He’s hiding out on a window in what seems to be the lab, not bothering to observe his new cohorts, figuring he has more than enough time to learn about them later. He’s mesmerized by the view and truly hopes this mission goes well.
There’s a breeze and then someone is standing above him. Her smile is warm, her hair wild with curls, and the freckles that line her face are charming. He should be upset, he came over here to get some final moments of peace, but he can’t find it within himself to be mad at her. Something about her feels familiar and like she’s meant to be in his orbit. Her fingers glide through the air.
“M-A-K-K-A-R-I” She spells out and he’s happy to know he can understand her. He signs his name out as well.
“D-R-U-I-G” Her smiles sends a burst of warmness through his body.
“It’s nice to meet you Druig.”