chaos and control | druig ✔︎

14 | beginnings

14 | ends are often written 

before beginnings

2023 - The Amazon Rainforest

Thena lay there, sobbing over Gilgamesh's dead body. Hestia felt tears in her eyes, and she turned away from the scene, not wanting to believe it. Out of the group, Thena was the closest with him, seeing as they had lived together for hundreds of years, but when the whole group still lived together in Babylon, Gilgamesh and Hestia had gotten close.

Although Hestia had never experienced what it was like to lose someone who was like a father, she knew that this is what it would feel like. Her heart felt empty, even though everyone else she loved was around her. She wanted to comfort Thena, however, her legs had no strength left to carry her anywhere.

Unbeknownst to her, she had softly started sobbing, barely audible. Druig was the only one who heard, and he wrapped his strong arms around her, giving her a kiss on the side of her head as she cried onto his shoulder.

-

The Eternals were standing in a circle, around a big fire, that Hestia kept burning. Karun was reciting a scripture in Sanskrit, honouring the Eternal they had lost. Gilgamesh's body had been put under the fire, the only thing preserved being his ashes and the memory of him.

-

In the morning, Druig and Hestia found Thena standing in the water, holding the pot that contained Gil's ashes. The two held each other, feeling melancholy. Hestia had heard footsteps and saw that Sersi had joined them.

"When I left," Druig started, gazing at the sky, "I thought about taking over the minds of every human on this planet. Violence, fear, greed, all gone."

"Why didn't you?" Sersi whispered.

"Because even with me controlling them, they do the wrong thing." Druig stared at Hestia and both women knew what he meant. He had let the two men pull Hestia away that day, that was all his doing. He couldn't even put into words how much he regretted that.

"Please, Druig." Sersi pleaded. "You can't stay here anymore. These deviants are trying to keep us from killing their own kind. They have a conscience now. That makes them more dangerous."

"No, Sersi." He shook his head, not taking his eyes off the sky in front, "that makes them, us." He twisted his head to look at her now. "Eternals and deviants. Arishem's children."

Hestia let the two talk for a moment, not interrupting either, she just stared at the water, seeing it ripple as Thena walked.

"But you are asking me to take control of a mind of a Celestial." Druig continued. "I do not have that kind of power."

"We'll need Phastos." Sersi nodded.

"Well, good luck. He gave up on humans a long time ago." Druig gazed over at Thena as she let Gilgamesh's ashes land in the water.

2023 – Chicago

Ikaris, Sersi and Hestia had decided to go and find Phastos together. The rest of the Eternals decided to stay on the jet. Hestia didn't know if she wanted to be so close to Druig for now, so she opted to go with. She didn't stop feeling angry towards Druig, but amid battle, it might've looked like she had forgiven him. In her mind, it was certain that she didn't.

As they strolled up to his house, they saw him standing in the garage, fixing a children's bike. His son was playing with Phastos' husband. Phastos spotted the trio and his face fell.

"Auntie Hestia!" Jack ran over to the girl, arms wide open. She crouched down and gave him a big hug. "Did you miss me?" She asked. "Of course!" The young boy was hyped to see her again.

"Who are they, dad?" Jack pulled on his dad's sleeve.

"These are my friends from college." Phastos was holding a tool in his hands, playing with it. "Uh, this is Sylvia, and, uh, Isaac. That's Isaac."

Hestia tried her best to contain her laughter. It was obvious that Phastos wasn't so happy to see them here.

"No, dad, that's superman!" Jack was jumping up and down, pointing at Ikaris. "Dad! That's superman!"

"Jack, that's really funny." Phastos put his hand on his son's shoulder, but Jack was convinced it was him. "No, no! He is superman."

"That is definitely not superman." The inventor sighed.

Jack kept going. "I saw him on TV. He was in London, fighting a monster. And you were with a cape, and you were shooting laser beams out of your eyes." He gestured his hands at his eyes.

"I don't wear a cape." Ikaris informed the little guy, who responded politely. "Oh, sorry."

"We should just go inside, right?" Hestia understood what Phastos was trying to hint at.

"Jack, do you wanna go inside with auntie?" She held out her hand for him to take, and he took it with no hesitation, skipping in front of her, and she subtly put a thumbs up to Phastos, who thanked her with a nod.

"Can I call you Clark?" She heard Phastos say, mocking Ikaris. "Is that what you go by, now? Because, you know..."

"You've called me worse." Ikaris chuckled and followed Hestia and Jack inside.

AN | this chapter is everywhere. literally