PERSE SAT IN PHASTOS' CONTROL room, looking at her empty phone. It had been a few weeks since they have left Earth, and Jack had not messaged or called once.

The first week she understood as it was only one week.
The second week she tried to message yet it didn't even get a 'read' receipt. She figured that it must've been Jack being consumed with sports and school.
By the third week, Perse began to really worry.

Recently, her phone had been acting up and can barely turn on, meaning Phastos' program had failed.

Druig walked into the room, as soon as his eyes saw a gloomy Perse.
"You know I hate seeing you upset."

"I'm just tired," She lied, dropping her phone to the side and putting on a sleepy smile.

"Right, and that flower is happy." He points to the dull, droopy flowers around the room; caused by Perse's emotions.

Getting caught, Druig went to her side, wrapping his arm around her and his free hand gently pushed the hair out of her face.

"You wanna tell me what's the matter?"

The woman felt safe in his arms, letting him comfort her. "We've been traveling almost a month now. No one had said anything."

"So you miss them?"

"That and I feel something is off," She admits, "I don't know, something is wrong."

Soon enough, Makkari came into the room. She looked to see the sad face of Perse. "What's wrong?" She signed, sitting next to her.

"Don't you think it's weird that we haven't gotten anything? From anyone?" Perse asked, signing as well.

"I was thinking the same." Thena stood in the doorway.

"Maybe they are all busy with their lives," Makkari reasoned.

"Mak, we've been gone for a while. Sersi would've messaged us by now," Perse argued, "They wouldn't let us adventure without any communication."

"Well, let's see where they are." Druig gets up from his spot.

He goes over to the center of the room and awakens a hologram of the planet Earth. Druig turns it around like a globe and his eyes began to panic.

"Where are they?" Thena questioned.

"I don't know," Druig replied, "They should be shown on the hologram."

"You're not doing it right," claimed Makkari, taking control.

"I am telling you, they aren't on Earth," He signed.

Perse's gut feeling was correct.
She felt her heart drop to her chest as Makkari began to frantically try to get the rest of the Eternals back on the hologram.

"I knew it," She tells, "They are all gone."

She couldn't understand why this was happening. Of course, once things seemed to be going well, an obstacle had to intervene.

Druig quickly grabbed Perse's hand, trying to assure herself. He wasn't as worried as everyone else, he never was the sort of person to truly panic in situations.

Makkari threw her hands up in frustration. "They were there when we left," She signed, "Now, it's like... they disappeared."

"How?" questioned Perse, "Who could make 4 Eternals vanish out of thin air?"

"Arishem," states Thena.

Perse dropped her arms. She looked at the blond woman, in defeat. If Arishem has her family then everyone on Earth and the Eternals were screwed.

They had defeated a newborn Celestial, which was hard enough on its own. Now their threat is a millennium-old Celestial, whom they were created from.

Thena looks to Makkari. "We have to go back."

As Perse let her hand pull her hair back in stress, Druig tells her, "We'll find a way to get them back, okay? My love, you need to calm yourself down."

But something in her shift.
She looked up to see Thena summoning her weapons in her hand, while Makkari watched through the same archway as Thena.

"I feel it, too," signs Makkari.

"What?" asked Druig, looking to where they were staring at.

Something in the hallway morphed.
The remaining Eternals walked toward the entrance of the archway, at the ready.

Perse furrowed her brows to see a sort of portal open. It started as a small flicker of light and then it began to scream.

Suddenly, it grew as it threw out a small creature, whose face was planted on the floor.

Perse quickly summoned vines that wrapped around her arms in protection. Druig stared in confusion as he saw what the creature was.

Everyone was bewildered as to why a small dwarf-like being was in the Domo. With a few grunts, the dwarf began to laugh as he grabbed his beer mug.

The couple stared at each other, trying to confirm if they are seeing the same thing.

"Ah, ah. Wow. Aah! My ears. My eyes are numb," He comments to himself, swaying, "No more drunk teleporting for you."

Before anyone could speak, he shush them, and imitated a fanfare, before telling them, "Behold..."

The same portal appear and a man gracefully entered into the ship.

"the royal prince of Titan, brother of Thanos, the Knave of Hearts, defeater of Black Robert——"

"Roger," The man corrects.

Makkari nudged Thena and Perse. "Thanos' brother?"

"Oh," The dwarf groaned, "Defeater of Black Roger. The great adventurer: Starfoc of Mystery Planet."

Perse looked confused at the man. He was tall, and ginger, and yet he wore similar styles to the Eternal's armor.

For being the brother of a giant, purple Titan, Starfox looked nothing like him.

"What a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my fellow Eternals," Starfox smiles. He turns to his friend. "You know, you really don't have to do the whole thing every time."

"Everything you do is impressive."

As the two began to bicker, Perse calls, "Who are you?"

The man turns to the woman. "I'm Eros. This is Pip." He walks up to her with a flirting smile. "And you are beautiful as legends say, Perse."

Druig was quick to step in front of Eros, looking to him, not pleased about his flirtatious nature. "What do you want, lads?"

"Pip and I are here to help," Eros explains, backing away, "aren't we?"
Pip just burped in agreement.

Eros opened his hand and a golden ball — identical to the one Sersi had — floated in his possession, humming and pulsing.

Perse holds onto Druig's hand, she looked at him and he looked back at her. It was a long shot but Druig did believe that Eros may have something to offer.

The two squeezed each other's hand, knowing that whatever may come, they were together.

Eros told, "Your friends are in big trouble... And we know where to find them."

THE ETERNALS WILL RETURN.

END OF ACT I

(a.n)

thank you everyone who has read up to this point! you guys are amazing and deserve the world. i appreciate your patience and support of this book and it is very bittersweet that it is over :,)

however! the eternals are stated to come back again so we will see, but until then this book will be claimed as 'complete' until the next movie.
if y'all want, i can easily do some bonus chapters for fun, just request it in the comments and we'll see what i can do.

you guys are the best and i hope you love this book as much as i do.

for now, i bid y'all a goodbye until then. i love every single one of you readers <3

— Mariena