The Last Eternal (Marvel's Eternals x Reader)

Chapter 29: The Duel of Champions (Troy 1250 BCE)

The duel went on for some time as both men slashed at each other and were covered in dirt and blood. Druig, Thena and Makkari were at your side the whole time, "he is holding up well," Thena pointed out, "you have trained him well."

You smiled at her, but could not take your eyes off of Hector. Thena looked at you amused, "we know the prince has love in his heart for you, but do you share the same sentiment?"

She had caught your attention, "not in the same way," you answered, "but he is everything I want to be." You looked on distantly, "kind, strong, fearless, a natural leader, and he does what is right for his people, no matter the risk to himself."

Thena nodded in understanding, "you see yourself in him."

You shook your head, "truthfully no, I don't think I have his qualities, but it is something I wish I had."

Thena pulled your head to look at her, "(Y/N), you are all of those things. You are so kind that you befriend the humans wherever we go, you have compassion for them even if you don't understand it. You are the strongest person I know, and so fearless that you race off into the unknown without a second thought. You have led us and humans in ways you don't even realize. And you always do what is right, you never think about the consequences to yourself, only how it will affect others." She pushed a piece of hair out of your eye, "you see, you are just like him, you are everything you want to be."

You smiled at Thena, placing a hand over hers. She knew the words you needed to hear, but she meant them, and it felt so good to finally hear those words and to process it. You leaned into her, your faces inches apart, when a blood curdling scream pierced the relative silence.

You pulled away from her quickly, leaning over the edge of the wall to look down at Hector and Achilles locked in battle. You looked in horror as you saw Hector on a knee, Achilles sword driven through his leg.

"No," you whispered, urging him to get up. You reached into your heart, sending a gust of air at Hector, using it to pull him to his feet, supporting some of his weight as Achilles continued his onslaught, Hector barely able to evade.

You watched as Achilles sliced at Hector's arm, coming away slick with blood as Hector yelled in pain again. "(Y/N), go!" you heard Druig yelled from behind you. You quickly turned to your friends, "we have to do-" but you didn't quite understand the picture in front of you.

Thena and Makkari were staring into nothing, like their attention was a million miles from here. Sprite was standing in between them, a hand on each of their arms. Druig lay on the ground, unconscious and unmoving, Ikaris leaning over his body. You quickly realized the Sprite must have Thena and Makkari trapped in an illusion and Ikaris had just knocked Druig out when he tried to warn you.

You turned to Ikaris, falling into a defensive stance, "what is this?"

Ikaris smiled cruelly, "Ajak says it's time to go."

You were about to send Ikaris packing when your attention was drawn by another terrible scream from Hector. You turned away from Ikaris, leaning over the side of the wall once again. "Hector, I'm coming!" you shouted to him, throwing one leg over the side of the wall.

He looked up at you as he fell to a knee again. As you tried to go to him, strong hands wrapped around your body, pulling you back to the balcony and holding you tightly. "Let me go!" you shouted, trying to fight against Ikaris's strong grip. You tried to fight against him, but with your mind focused on Hector, you could not draw enough power to get away.

Ikaris held you tightly in his arms, but didn't move you away from the wall. He was forcing you to watch Hector as he was overpowered by Achilles. You kicked against him, desperately trying to reach Hector, do anything to help him.

Hector was on his knees, his sword and shield at his side, his hands unable to grip them. Instead of fighting it, Hector looked up at you on the balcony, his face covered in blood and sand, his hair a disheveled mess. You looked up at you with a pained smile, you couldn't tell him he could see you, but tears stung your eyes as you smiled back. He didn't break his eye contact with you, until Achilles sword plunged into his chest, and he opened his mouth in pain before he fell back to the ground and never moved again.

You were in shock for a moment, before screaming and kicking against Ikaris once again. "No! No!" you screamed, wanting nothing more than to reach Hector. Tears streamed down your face as you looked at his bruised body laying on the ground.

Ajak walked up to you, placing a hand on the back of your head, at first you thought she was comforting you, until she whispered in your ear, "next time you think about disobeying me, I want you to remember this."

"We leave in 10 minutes," she said before nodding to Ikaris to let you go.

You lifted yourself over the wall using the air to lower you down to Hector's body where it lay in the dirt. Achilles had already returned to Agamemnon's side and he moved his chariot to the entrance of the city to speak to Priam, who you imagined would not be King for much longer.

You knelt down by Hector's body, but by the time you had reached for him, he was already dead. You sink to your knees next to his body, tears streaming down your cheeks. You lifted his limp head into your lap, smoothing his hair out of his face. You leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on his bloody forehead, "thank you, Hector, for teaching me who I need to be."

You have no idea how long you sat there with Hector's limp body until you felt a hand on your shoulder. Druig knelt down next to you, "I'm really sorry (Y/N), but it's time to go."

You looked back at Hector's face, the tears continuing, Druig rubbed your back lightly, "Paris is coming to get his body, he'll join his ancestors after the burial ritual."

You nodded, finding comfort that he would be honored. Druig helped you to your feet, pulling lightly on your shoulders to guide you away from Hector. As you walked, you let your mind wander and the more you thought, the more your tears dried. Hector died, not because of Achilles, but because of Ajak, because of Ikaris. They did punish the people for your disobedience, they let your friend die because she felt her authority threatened.

By the time Druig led you to the Domo, your saddened face was replaced with one of anger, one of a fire you had never felt before. Your mind became blank, now only focused on one thing - Revenge and you knew just how to achieve it.