Burning Pile | Druig

EIGHT

1521 AD

TENOCHTITLAN

LEO WATCHED AS the city was burning down in flames, the indistinct shouting filling his head, he had to turn away before he did something he would regret. He walked with Thena as Makkari went to save some innocents, he did his best not to turn around and go help, to put an end to the fight, but they had done their job. Makkari came back to him and Thena as they all continued to move forward and towards the others.

"Where are the others?" Ajak questioned the trio, Leo looked around and made eye contact with Druig sending him his best attempt at a smile.

"We had to split up." Makkari signed back to them.

"There were more deviants than you said." Thena stated looking directly at Ajak, Druig still making eye contact with Leo tilted his head in concern, Leo responded with a nod indicating that he was fine.

"Well, I'm sure that was a lot of fun for you two" Phastos stated looking between Leo and Thena.

"It was," Leo said with a small laugh as Thena smirked.

"Once the others kill these last deviants, we will have eliminated them all from the planet" Phastos states looking toward sersi as he holds the globe in his hand. Leo smiles, happy that his family was able to protect the Earth. Leo had grown very fond of the people that lived there, however his smile dropped when he heard the sounds of gunshots grow closer. The screams of the villagers made Leo wince, he wished he would be able to do something but he had orders and who was he to go against that.

Leo looked over at Druig and noticed that the shorter boy was walking towards the shouting, he began walking up next to him but stopped himself when he saw Ajak stand behind him.

"Don't" the Prime Eternal spoke behind Druig making the energy surge stop. "We don't interfere in their wars." Ajak continued.

Leo stood behind them next to Thena, he was going to interfere but he noticed something happening to Thena. He turned to look towards her as she swayed and struggled to keep her eyes open. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it in reassurance and the other Eternal looked up at him and feigned a small smile.

Leo turned his attention back on Druig who was visibly upset, it made the fire Eternals heart burn to see his love be effected like this, he wished he could do something.

"This isn't war. It's genocide." Druig states not taking his eyes off of the violence in front of him. "Their weapons have become too deadly." Druig turns around facing Phastos, Leo knew in that moment that he needed to step in before Druig said or did something he would later regret.

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea helping them advance, Phastos." Druig said as Leo began to step towards Druig from behind Phastos. As Druig began to get angrier at Phastos, Leo was directly in front of him, blocking Druig's eye contact with Phastos and ultimately forcing Druig to look at him.

"Calm down my love, you need to stay strong." Leo said grabbing Druigs hands and interlocking them, Leo was naturally warm and he knew that the physical contact would ease Druig, Leo seemed to be wrong this time as Druig pulled his hands away from Leo, making the fire eternals eyebrows pinch together and his heart clenched. Before Leo could question his boyfriends actions Then began speaking behind them.

"It's too late" she stated, voice monotone.

"Thena?" Sersi questioned. Thena began speaking again and Leo decided to make his way by her side again.

"Everyone is going to die" Thena stated as her eyes clouded over and she manifested a trident in her hand aiming for Sersi. Thankfully Makari noticed as well and pulled Sersi away, Phastos however was not so lucky as he got jabbed by Thena. Leo moved quickly after that, he manifested a fiery spear of his own and began to attack his fellow Eternal.

"Thena please, I don't want to fight you, snap out of it" Leo exclaimed as he continued to block all of Thena's hits. This only seemed to make her hit harder and move quicker, so quick that Leo didn't notice her manifest an identical sword and stab it straight into his side. Leo fell to the floor quickly, his weapon dissolving, everything began to move slowly he faintly heard Druig yell for him but he didn't have time to process it before he looked up to see Thena ready to finish him. He prepared himself to die at that moment before Ajak came from behind him and held her hand out, stopping the stab from killing him.

Leo was unable to focus on the fight happening before him and instead laid on his back trying to catch his breath putting pressure on the wound to his side. He felt someone come to his side and put their hands on his hand that was applying the pressure to his wound. He opened his eyes and was met with the worried eyes of his boyfriend.

"Hey sunshine, keep your eyes open for me alright?" Druig said staring at Leo, his voice cracking near the end.

"You pulled away from me." Leo said, breathing heavily through the pain.

"What?" Druig questioned.

"When I grabbed your hands now you dropped them, I don't want to die with you being mad at me." Leo stated with their slowly streaming down his face, as he looked into Druig's eyes he noticed that the mind readers eyes were also slowly filling up with tears.

"Don't say that, you're not going to die, I won't let you. Alright just stay awake for me love."

"I love you" Leo whispered as his eyes closed and all he saw was darkness,