(1521 AD Tenochtitlan)
They moved Thena to the temple onto of the highest pyramid in the city. Soro watched Gilgamesh lay her down on the stone table in the centre of the room and wondered at how small and slight she seemed. Thena had never been small and fragile. It made him feel uneasy to see her that way. His stomach was sore and oversensitive. The new scar, apart of many in his collection, was sensitive and sore from the climb up the hundreds of steps. His shirt still blood stained and his hands worried the fabric, rubbing his glasses against it in a nervous habit of cleaning them.
"I thought Mahd Wr'ry was a myth", Sersi muttered as she watched Thena sleep. Sprite was half hidden in the corner of the room, small frame surrounded by shadows cast by the flaming brasiers on the walls. Makkari and Phastos were in the other corner, far enough away that they would have a chance to react if Thena attacked them again. Kingo was halfway between Sersi and Sprite, as if he didn't know wether to stay away or approach. Ikaris paced around them, gaze furrowed in a worried crease. Soro stood between the table and the door. The fires of the city casting him in shadow as distantly, the slaughter still raged.
"There is no cure", Phastos replied. "So no one really talks about it".
Thena awoke with a gasp that made them all jump. She sat up, breath heavy in the silence as she gazed around at them. "What happened?" Soro relaxed at her voice. This was their Thena.
"You attacked everyone", Ajak explainers stepping closer to the table as Sersi moved back. "Wounded Sersi, Phastos, Makkari. You almost killed Soro". Thena sat up and her blue eyes found Soro. He pushed his glasses back on and gave her a small smile. He didn't blame her for any of it.
"I don't remember". Thena's voice was thick with emotion.
"You have Mahd Wr'ry. Your mind is fracturing under the weight of your memories and all I can do is erase them so that you can start over". At the mention of memories, Soro glanced back to Druig and Gilgamesh behind him. His eyes met blue but Druig glanced away. Frowning, Soro turned back to the conversation. "I will have to inform Arishem and take you back to the ship where we have the technology to help you", Ajak spoke calmly.
Makkari's brown eyes widened. 'But then she won't be Thena anymore', she signed sadly. Soro walked around the table and pulled her into a hug. He was only a few inches taller than here and she rested her head against his shoulder as he soothed her.
"What is it happens again? She could've killed you", Kingo voiced. "She could have killed all of us".
"Please", Thena pleaded, and it made Soro and Makkari cling tighter at the breaking of her voice. It felt like everything was coming apart. "I- I want to remember. I want to remember my life".
"Thena I love you", Ajak placed a hand on the blonde's tear stained cheek. "Listen. It's not important if you remember or not. Your spirit will remain. You will always be our Thena deep inside. Trust me".
It was only because he was watching, that Soro saw the moment Druig snapped. "Why should she trust you?" His voice was harsh as he stepped away from the door frame he had been leaning against and stepped out so that he was silhouetted against the fires from the city below. "You are asking her to let you ease who she is".
"Druig I know you're upset. But..", Ajak tried.
"Upset?" The word was a shout. "We've trusted you for seven thousand years, and look where you've gotten us. I have watched humans destroy each other when I could stop it all in a heartbeat". A tear glinted in the orange firelight and Soro was letting go of Makkari and stepping forwards without thought. "Do you know what that does to someone after centuries?" It was a softer, a vulnerable exposed wound.
"Druig", Soro called softly as he stepped closer. He reached out but the blue eyed man slapped his hands away. Soro reacted like he had been stung, eyes widening as he stepped back.
"Could our mission have been a mistake?" Druig's voice rose again. "Are we really helping these people build a better world, huh?" He turned and stormed to the doorway, where he paused. His back to them as he watched the city burn. "We're just like the soldier down there. Pawns to their leaders. Blinded by Loyalty". The second sentence made Soro hurt, and he grew angry that it had been aimed to hurt.
"It ends now". Druig lifted his arm and down below, the sounds of fighting died as every human dropped their weapon and turned towards the pyramid in silent obedience.
Ikaris moved but Soro got there first. He grabbed Druig's shoulder and turned him around, not harshly but with enough force that he did what he wanted. "Druig". Soro was unsure what his voice sounded like, angry or pleading. "Let them go".
A tear fell from the taller man's face but he didn't move, blue staring into brown. "You're going to have to make me". The words were spoken softly, like to a lover. Which they were, though the others still didn't know. Soro recalled many moments where Druig had spoken to him like that. Lovingly and intimate, though this time there was an undercurrent of pain. Here it felt like a betrayal. Druig was making a choice and Soro was beginning to face the fact that it might not include him. It did not include him. Druig was making a choice that didn't include him at all, and that broke his heart.
"Stop", Ajak ordered, stepping closer but not pulling them apart. Soro gripped the fabric of Druig's shirt tightly, scrunching it up into a ball in his fist as he felt his eyes well up. He didn't look at Ajak, eyes still fixed on blue. What he was searching for, he couldn't find it.
"Druig", He whispered. It might have been a plea.
It went unanswered. Druig turned his head to Ajak. "If you want to stop me", he spoke quietly but with intent. "You're going to have to kill me". He went to move but Soro was still gripping his shirt.
"Let me go", the words were cold. Soro didn't and the shirt ripped as Druig pulled away. The noise of the fabric loud in the silence. Soro rubbed the tears from his eyes as he watched Druig descend the stairs. When he reached the bottom, the humans parted for him like the sea. Soro kept his eyes on his husband's figure until it reached the trees and disappeared out of sight, the crowds of humans following silently behind him. Druig didn't look back and Soro wondered if this counted as divorce.
"I'll watch over Thena. Let her keep her memories", Gilgamesh broke the silence.
"One day when she attacks you, you may have to kill her", Ajak warned.
"We'll take that chance".
"You may all go. The deviants are gone, there is no reason for you all to stay with me".
"Shouldn't you ask Arishem first? We're a team, we should stay together".
"I didn't ask you for your advice Ikaris. Do not forget your place". Ajak inhaled and gazed around at them all. "This is where we say goodbye. You are all free to go. I want you to go out there and live a life for yourselves, not as soldiers and not with the purpose you were given. Find your own purpose and when we see each other again, I want you to tell me what you've found".
Soro didn't move as the rest of them left, one by one. Gilgamesh and Thena first, leaving with hugs and well wishes. Soro didn't say anything to them, just let them squeeze him close and felt cold when they left. Kingo went next. His goodbyes forcefully cheerful as he waved and told everyone to visit. Phastos nodding at them all as he went shortly after. Sersi went afterwards, Ikaris holding her hand as they hugged everyone. Ikaris nodding to Soro while Sersi patted him on the shoulder. Sprite following them with a lingering look instead of a goodbye. Makkari was last and she drew Soro in close, gripping him tightly as he melted into her.
'I love you. Stay strong', she signed with one hand, the other cupping his cheek. He nodded and tried to smile for her.
"I will see you around", he promised. She grinned at him and then was gone in a streak of gold.
Then it was just him and Ajak left. She came and stood with him over the burning remains of the abandoned city. "Do I get some answers now?" Soro's voice was croaky as he fought not to cry.
"If you want them", Ajak replied. She was always so calm that sometimes it was more infuriating than soothing.
"I don't remember Olympia. I don't remember anything before waking up on the Domo. Were my memories erased? Did I have Mahd Wr'ry?"
Ajak inhaled and exhaled slowly before answering. "You were not supposed to be on this mission. There was only supposed to be ten of us, but Arishem wanted you to join. You were new and had come from a different team of Eternals. You were powerful but untested. Because of this, before we set out, your abilities malfunctioned and your mind broke under the strain. You became dangerous and in an effort to subdue you, we erased your memories".
Soro let it sink in. So he'd had another life once. He had been a different person with different memories and maybe a different family. It was hard to hear that now, when this family was breaking. He was sad and it hurt. There was nothing to say. So he didn't say anything. He merely began taking the stairs down to the city below where he found a house with an intact door frame. His golden threads shimmered as the portal formed and the sobs began to wrack his chest as he stepped through, wishing to be anywhere but here.
unedited
Angst hours.
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