Chapter 12
He'd gone too far, or at least that was what Ikaris felt.
If Druig continued to point out inconsistencies in the mission or weird flaws, the others were going to notice too, and the whole mission could be in jeopardy. He couldn't have that, really couldn't. He needed to find a way to shut Druig up for good, maybe get the mind controller to fear him. Ajak had already let him say too much, do too much.
So Ikaris concocted a plan, to try and stop him, to try to at least take him down a bit. The others would frown upon it, but maybe the others didn't need to know, did they? Probably even if he said what happened, they wouldn't believe him. Ikaris was the second in command, he was the main warrior, their main strength against the Deviants. And Druig...
he barely had anything to do there, he was just... someone to clean up the messes, to minimize the side effects. Who would take his word over Ikaris'? No one. People would think it was a random human who'd been mind controlled and resented it, something like that. No one needed to know and no one would know who'd planned this, and why had this happened.
So... he'd slipped some sleeping potion on his tea, and also coated some of the foods he'd been muching on. Just in case. And it worked - shortly after Druig started yawning, in less than an hour he was in bed, and because they didn't have any other deviants on sight, nobody questioned it.
In the middle of the night, Ikaris took him and his bed out, flew to a nearby desert. There, while Druig was still completely out of it, he tied all his limbs to the different post of the bed where he was with some of the most unbreakable materials on the whole planet (Druig was not going to be able to break free, Ikaris knew his strength, it wasn't bad, but not enough), took away the blankets and anything that could make the experience comfortable. He wanted the guy to suffer, as he should.
Druig had been a nuisance for too long, and he needed to be taught a lesson or two.
Ikaris had calculated the sleeping drugs so that he wouldn't be able to wake up until it was 2 pm, at least. They were Eternals and (quite possibly) couldn't die of heatstroke, but it was going to be painful, it was going to leave a mark. In his opinion, Druig deserved a much bigger punishment for doubiting their mission and putting it in danger.
But this... this could be a nice start.
*
The heat was unbearable.
When Druig opened his eyes, still in a weird haze and with an awful headache, he felt as if every part of his body was burning, boiling. He didn't know how long he'd been out there, in the desert, tied to that bed. It could have been hours, it could have been days. He tried to move, but was tied down, and the ties in his wrists and ankles were burning his skin, too.
Was this hell? Or was this part of some elaborate nightmare Arishem had created for him to punush him for ever doubting him and his mission? Maybe it was. Maybe it was actually reality, and someone had decided that they'd had enough of him. Couldn't balme them, could he? He was... the mind control... the... the...
It was hard to even think. Druig looked around him, and saw no one. Tried to move his ties, and only manage to burn himself further. This was... this was bad. Also, he could smell that he'd been sweating, but wasn't anymore. Which was probably also bad. Was this his end? Taken down by inescapable fire? Slowly burned down to death? He knew he hadn't always been the greatest, but did he serve such a gruesome, cruel end?
The minutes, went by slowly, and burned him. After some hours, Druig wished for death.
*
She hadn't seen him in a while, and Makkari couldn't help but wonder where Druig was. They had been doing everything together lately, eating, going on little trips, gossiping about the others. And now he was nowhere to be seen. Something was off.
Has anyone seen Druig?
But apparently no one had seen him, which was weird. Where had he gone? Why hadn't he told anyone? He had gone off on his own before, but he usually left a note, or told someone where he was going, what he was doing. It wasn't like him to just disappear. Slightly disquieted and feeling something had changed about the vibrations, she sped off, to do a search of the surroundings and try and find him, or at least rule out a few places.
And then... she found him, all red and nearly passed out, his skin way too hot. His skin was all around extremely hot, and yet, there was no sweat. He didn't seem to her, either, even when she tapped his face he seemed completely out of it, barely conscious. Shit.
She picked him up, tried to go back at a speed that wouldn't hurt him, but still, in a very short time she was in front of Ajak, with the sick man in her arms, a beseeching expression in her face.
They put him on a table.
Ajak didn't like this, at all. She was good at open wounds, stabbings, bleeding, broken bones. But heat stroke... that affected each part of the body, and each one in a different way. She managed to cool him down, and helped him breathe better, but he was still really confused and out of it.
Makkari brought him water and Phastos even got them some mechanical air fan, but even then... The speedster caringly put a wet rag on his forehead, hoping to offer some relief. He seemed a bit relieved, smiled at her, and then passed out, those pale blue eyes now completely closed. Makkari looked at Ajak with a note of panic in her eyes.
"He just needs time for the coolness to set in, dear." She said. "He'll be fine in a few hours, he just needs to recover.
Ajak took Ikaris to some place where they wouldn't be heard, and angrily slapped him.
"You could have killed him!"
"Ajak, he needs to be kept in check!"
"Druig is as important as you and I are, Ikaris, and if you can't understand that, then maybe you're not the man I thought you were."
"No, he's not...."
"Besides, do you know what would have happened had he died? And believe me, it was close. Do you know?"
"We wouldn't have to deal with his annoying comments?"
"Makkari would have gone near mad with grief, would have looked for someone to blame. And she's a smart one. Do you think you would get out unscathed from her grief rampage?"
"Why does she care so much about him, anyway?"
Another slap.
Ikaris was offended, but knew he couldn't go against Ajak.
"There's ten of us, Ikaris, and we're all very different. Do you know how we are still a good team and still be able to fight after millions of years? It's because we have Druig, who doesn't like fights to help us diffuse any conflict. Without him we'd be tearing each other's throats in no time."
"There's other ways..."
"And. I am telling you that you cannot hurt him, understood? Leave. Him. Alone."
Ikaris let out a little growl and looked angry, but nodded.
Ajak went back to where Druig was laying, still unconscious, but looking a bit less red, a bit better.
He's cooling down. Makkari signed. But still hasn't woken.
He'll be fine, dear, just give him some time.
Ajak changed the cool rag, took his hand to give him some extra energy.
This was not happening again - at least not under her watch.
This should have never happened.
Druig should have never been treated this way and as a leader mom she wouldn't let any of her soldiers children suffer like this.
Sorry I failed you, Druig. Sorry I didn't protect you like I should have.