-London, England-
Through Doctor Strange's portal—a circle of golden light that bridged continents in an instant—the group emerged inside a Mirror Dimension overlay of the school where Sersi worked. They could observe without being seen, a pocket of reality layered over normal space.
"Alright," Strange said, surveying the bustling school courtyard. "Where do we find your people?"
Students moved between classes, laughing and talking, completely unaware that immortal beings and Earth's protectors were standing invisible mere feet away.
Ajak closed her eyes, reaching out with her cosmic awareness. After a moment, she opened them and pointed toward one of the teaching buildings. "This way. Sersi is close."
Inside a history classroom, Sersi was wrapping up her lecture on ancient Mesopotamian civilizations—a period she remembered personally, though her students would never know that. Her boyfriend, Dane Whitman, waited patiently in the corridor outside, leaning against the wall.
The dismissal bell rang. Students cheered and flooded out of the classroom, several of them spotting Dane and calling out teasingly, "Ooh, Mr. Whitman! Have a good night!" Their laughter echoed down the hallway.
Dane smiled good-naturedly, not bothered by the playful ribbing. He straightened as Sersi emerged from the classroom, her bag over her shoulder.
She was about to speak when Ajak, Strange, and the others emerged from the Mirror Dimension directly in front of her.
"Sersi!"
Sersi's eyes widened in surprise—then recognition and joy. She immediately stepped forward and embraced Ajak warmly. "Hi! It's been so long!"
Only then did she notice the others—Doctor Strange in his distinctive robes, Natasha Romanoff with Mjolnir hanging from her belt, Mysterio in civilian clothes but unmistakably recognizable, and Christine Palmer looking exhausted.
"You're... with the Avengers?" Sersi's confusion was evident. She knew these people from the broadcasts, of course—everyone did. But why would Ajak bring them here?
Ajak's expression was grave. "I need your help. We need to gather everyone—all of our family. Something terrible has happened."
The seriousness in Ajak's voice made Sersi's stomach drop. In seven thousand years, she'd rarely seen their leader this troubled. "Okay. Of course."
Dane Whitman, still standing nearby, looked completely bewildered. His girlfriend knew the Avengers? She was involved in something that required their intervention?
Sersi looked back at him, apology written across her face. "I'm so sorry. I can't do dinner tonight. Something's come up."
Dane managed a helpless smile despite his confusion. "It's okay. Just... be safe?"
"I'll explain everything later," Sersi promised. "I will."
She turned back to Ajak. "Where do we start?"
"Sprite," Ajak said. "She'll be at your apartment, yes?"
Sersi nodded. Sprite had been living with her for years, posing as her younger sister or niece depending on the situation. "Let's go."
-Gathering the Eternals-
Through Strange's portals, they moved across the globe like chess pieces on a board, collecting the scattered Eternals one by one.
Mumbai, India - They found Kingo on a Bollywood movie set, dressed in elaborate costume, surrounded by cameras and crew. The Eternal had become a legitimate superstar, using his natural charisma and cosmic-powered special effects to dominate Indian cinema. When Ajak appeared, he was in the middle of an action scene, shooting energy beams from his hands that his mortal crew believed were CGI enhancements.
Australian Outback - Gilgamesh lived in an isolated homestead with Thena, far from civilization. The massive warrior had devoted himself to caring for Thena, who suffered from Mahd Wy'ry—a degenerative condition that caused her memories to fracture and overlap, making her dangerous to herself and others. When they arrived, Gilgamesh was gently restraining Thena during an episode, speaking softly to her until she calmed.
Boston, Massachusetts - Phastos had built a life. A husband. A son. A house in the suburbs. When Ajak appeared in his garage workshop, he was helping his boy build a science project. The look on his face when he saw her was equal parts joy and dread—he'd known this day would come eventually.
Amazon Rainforest - Druig had established a commune deep in the jungle, far from the battle site where the Avengers had fought the Water Elemental months ago. He lived among the villagers, using his mind control to create perfect harmony. No violence. No conflict. No free will. When they arrived, his eyes glowed gold as he released his hold on the villagers temporarily. "I wondered when you'd come," he said quietly.
Egypt - Finally, they found Makkari inside the Domo—the Eternals' ancient ship, buried deep underground for millennia. The deaf speedster had made the vessel her home, filling it with artifacts from every human civilization that had ever existed. She was reading at superhuman speed when they arrived, going through entire libraries in seconds. She signed rapidly when she saw them: "About time. I've been waiting."
-The Domo-
Inside the ancient vessel, all the Eternals gathered for the first time in centuries. The ship's interior was a marvel—technology far beyond anything human, yet dormant for so long.
Ajak stood before them, her family, and told them everything. About the Emergence. About Tiamut sleeping in Earth's core. About their true purpose—not to protect humanity, but to nurture it like livestock for harvest. About how Ikaris had tried to kill her to ensure the mission succeeded.
The revelations landed like bombs.
"No." Kingo shook his head, refusing to believe. "Ikaris wouldn't—he's the best of us. He wouldn't kill you."
"I died," Ajak said simply. "Doctor Strange reversed time to bring me back. But Ikaris pushed me off that cliff. He wanted me dead so I couldn't interfere."
Sprite's young face was twisted with confusion and betrayal. "But... he always protected us. He led us. How could he—"
"Because he believes in the mission," Ajak said softly. "More than he believes in us. More than he believes in the seven thousand years we've spent on this planet."
Sersi felt like the ground was falling away beneath her. Seven millennia of work, of protecting humanity, of helping them grow—and it had all been a lie? They'd been gardeners tending a crop for slaughter? "How could Arishem do this? How could he ask us to care for these people and then destroy them?"
"Because to Celestials, individual lives don't matter," Ajak said. "Only the grand design. The birth of new gods to create new galaxies, new stars, new life. One planet dies so trillions more can be born."
Phastos, whose scientific mind was already racing ahead, spoke up. "There might be a solution. If we combine our powers, channel them all into Druig—he could hypnotize Tiamut. Keep it sleeping permanently. Then we figure out what to do next."
But Strange stepped forward, his expression grim. "That won't work. The Ancient One discovered something—Earth itself has developed consciousness. It's aware of Tiamut. And as long as the Celestial remains inside the planet, Earth's consciousness will continue trying to exterminate humanity."
He gestured broadly. "The extreme weather. The earthquakes. The volcanic eruptions. The rise of the Elemental, That's Earth trying to kill us before Tiamut can wake up. It's trying to save itself by destroying the very population that's feeding the Celestial."
Phastos's face fell as he understood. "So even if we keep Tiamut asleep, Earth will keep trying to kill humanity. We can't win."
"Not unless Tiamut dies," Thena said quietly. It was the first thing she'd said since arriving, her mind clear for the moment. "The Celestial must die."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
"We can't," Kingo said finally. "Do you understand what you're asking? The Celestials create life on a universal scale. Without them, the cosmos itself will eventually die. We'd be dooming countless future civilizations just to save one planet."
"Why should Earth be the sacrifice?" Christine spoke up, her medical ethics driving her words. "What right do the Celestials have to decide that our seven billion lives are worth less than theoretical future lives? We're here. We're real. We matter."
"Both sides have a point," Natasha said, her strategic mind seeing the impossible dilemma. "But from a purely practical standpoint, we're standing on Earth. These are our people. Our planet. Whatever cosmic calculus the Celestials are using, we can't let it override our duty to protect our home."
The Eternals looked at each other, centuries of loyalty to Arishem warring with seven thousand years of love for Earth.
Ajak broke the silence. "We need to know where the Emergence will occur. Phastos—can you build something to detect it?"
Phastos nodded slowly, his mind already designing. "Yes. Give me an hour."
"You have ten minutes," Strange said flatly. "Whatever's going to happen, it's happening soon."
Phastos worked quickly, his hands moving almost faster than human eyes could follow. Cosmic energy flowed from his fingertips, shaping raw materials into a complex device. Within minutes, he held up a sleek detector, its surface covered in incomprehensible symbols.
"Makkari," he signed to the speedster. "You're the fastest. Take this. Find Tiamut."
Makkari grinned—finally, something to do—and took the device. She signed back: "Time me."
Then she was gone. Literally faster than sight, circling the entire planet at velocities approaching the speed of light. The detector in her hand scanned constantly, measuring seismic patterns, energy signatures, anything that would indicate a Celestial's presence.
She returned in less than sixty seconds, appearing as if she'd never left. She held up the detector, now displaying a map, and signed: "Found him. Small island in the Indian Ocean. Remote. Uninhabited. And—" She paused, her expression troubled. "—Ikaris is already there."
-S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters-
"I need satellite coverage on these coordinates," Nick Fury ordered immediately, reading off the location Makkari had provided. "Maximum resolution. I want to see what we're dealing with."
The satellites refocused, their powerful lenses zooming in on a small island—barely a speck of rock in the vast ocean. The images came through clear and sharp.
There, sitting on a large boulder near the island's center, was Ikaris. He wasn't hiding. Wasn't preparing an ambush. He simply sat there, his face turned toward the sky as if he could see the satellites watching him.
He was waiting. Waiting for his family to arrive so he could stop them from preventing the Emergence.
"He's not even trying to hide," Hill observed.
"He doesn't need to," Fury said grimly. "He thinks he's already won."
On the screen, Ikaris continued to wait, patient and still as a statue. Behind him, the island's rock was beginning to crack, energy seeping through the fissures.