Amore {Druig}

Chapter 16

Amazon Rainforest
3rd Person Pov

Running up that Hill (Epic remix version) - Kate Bush

Artemis followed the loud growls of the beats as she sprinted through the forest. She made it to a clearing where she found Ikaris and Gilgamesh fighting the biggest deviant she had ever seen. It had very prominent facial features. She immediately extended her arm, sending vines toward the deviant. The green vines wrapped themselves around its legs; tying it down so Gilgamesh could attack it. He managed to punch it with his cosmic glove, pushing it further into the forest. Artemis helped Ikaris off the ground as they gathered around Gil.

Art heard another roar coming from the camp. "Go Artemis, they need you," Gil stated firmly.

"What about you? I can't leave you with that," she argued.

I'm the strongest. "I'll be OK," he returned.

"Hey!" Ikaris interrupted. The other two Eternals rolled their eyes in response. Gil grabbed the girl's shoulders gently.

"Go. I'll see you when this is over".

"Promise?"

"I promise." Art was just about to pull him into an embrace, but the sound of heavy footsteps alerted them. She took one final glance at Gil as she disappeared into the forest towards the camp.

When she arrived, most of the buildings were in ruins. Bodies littered the floor. Blood covered this once sacred land. Her anxiety bubbled up inside as she could only think of one person's safety. Suddenly, goosebumps erupted over her body as a deviant leapt off one of the roofs, tackling her to the ground. Artemis screamed in pain as it stratched her torso. Her blood seeped through her shirt onto the cold forest floor. Art's hands connected with the earth, gathering as much energy as she could before shoving her hands onto its head. The energy travelled through the deviant's brain, exploding all over her. The deviant slumped to the side. Dead.

She lay on the ground in shock. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. I've just blown a deviant's head up, but her rest was short-lived as multiple gunshots went off. Artemis sat up and turned to see the remaining villagers, who had bright yellow eyes, shooting a deviant with shotguns. She studied the surrounding area for the person's response. There he stood with his arm raised and the same yellow hue in his eyes. His navy robe had been discarded, so all he wore was a light blue linen tank top. Artemis couldn't take her eyes off his arms. Even in a life-or-death situation, she was always intrigued by him.

Druig launched himself at the Deviant. He ran up the spine, jumping off while shooting it in the face. Art just stood there completely shocked. Was he always this hot? His plan seemed to be working until the deviant lost control and began killing the villagers. A tree made of ice began to fall onto the deviant with Druig next to it. Art shot vines toward his ankles. The vines dragged him all the way to safety just as the tree made contact with the floor. Artemis ran up to him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Druig, you need to let them go."

"Now is not the time, Artemis."

"Please, their death. Don't use them. Don't be like the very thing we swore to destroy," she pleaded.

Druig stared into her panicked eyes. His arm rose slowly as his eyes turned gold. releasing the people of his power. One of the extremely confused villagers questioned Druig.

" Go! Get to the river!" he shouted. Before they could say anything else, the deviant broke free from the tree, making its way to Druig and Artemis. The pair ran as fast as they could before it cornered them in front of a building. Art grabbed Druig's hand as a final comfort before the final blow, but it never came. Art looked up to see Ikaris shooting his golden lasers down its throat.

She fought the deviant until a familiar emerald fire, dimly kindled in her hands, lit up in her eyes. She lowered her breathing rate and directed all of her power toward her palms. The fire grew until she pressed her palms against its head for the second time. The fire travelled through her palms into the deviant. Before it sprang out of the water, the flames swept through its body like a virus. Standing up, Artemis looked at the harm she had done. The pond's bottom was tainted with a deviant-shaped burn. The surrounding area was flooded, and her fellow Eternals gathered around her, speechless.

Artemis was brought into a large hug. Arms wrapped around her waist as their head was buried in her neck. "Are you ok?" they whispered. Art hadn't realised who was there until she heard their voices.

" I don't know," she whispered back, wrapping her arms around their neck, bringing them closer.

"How did you do that? You've never been able to blow things up before, let alone deviants?" he questioned worriedly.

"I don't know," she repeated timidly. They broke apart to look at the pond floor. She felt everyone's eyes on her, which made her recoil slightly into Druig.  Druig took Artemis over to a patio, which was still slightly intact. He checked over the injuries slowly. There was a cut across her forehead, one on her cheek and lip. He placed his hands on her hip, which made her wince loudly. Worry laced his face. He began to lift her shirt when she stopped him.

"Don't," she pleaded.

"Angel ... I mean, Artemis, if you're injured, you need to let me help." he reasoned.

She looked down, defeated, but nodded her head to let him. He carefully lifted her shirt to reveal three deep scratch wounds across her stomach. As he studied her injury, he let out a small gasp."Art," he whispered.

"It's not that bad, I've had worse," she chuckled.

"Oh yea? Like what"

"That time in the field. where I used fire and force fields for the first time. We were both in a coma for a week after that one. "

"That we were. There is a first aid kit on the plane. You'll be ok".

"Gil's great at first aid," she recalled. At his name, the realisation hit her like a truck. Druig must have sensed her mood change.

"What is it?" he asked

Just on time, a loud cry rang through the forest. The Eternals all ran to the scream's origin to find Thena on the ground. Crying. Art made her way closer to see a lifeless grey Gilgamesh under Thena. Art turned away and buried her head in Druig's chest as she cried.

Gilgamesh was dead.