Water Or Wine

Chapter 8

Cersei followed Ikaris off of the Domo and the rest of us wait for them to come back. Music starts to play from a record player and Druig offers me his hand. I smile and take it softly, he helps me up and we start dancing to the record, "No matter what happens, I will always love you, Noel." He says as I stare into his mesmerising eyes and something flutters in my chest "I love you too Druig." I say, my voice barely a whisper "We will get out of this alive." Although I can't guarantee that, none of us can, it is nice to have false hope when shown almost impossible odds.

The hologram in the middle of the room starts beeping them and Druig turns off the music just as Cersei and Ikaris rejoin us. "Oh god, no" Phastos says moving closer to the hologram. "What about the Uni-Mind?" Cersei asks and Phastos answers "I haven't figured out a way to connect us, but I'm close. I'm very very close." We all step closer to the centre of the room as I ask "How much longer?" and Phastos snaps his head to me in anger and shouts back "I don't know, Noel!" I blink and take a step backwards, caught off guard by the anger in his tone. He then goes over to Makkari and holds her hand tightly "Find the point of emergence." She nods before disappearing with her speed. 

While we wait for her to return, Druig and I join Thena looking at a landscape painting. "You always knew the end was coming." He says to our friend, none of us looking at each other but just focusing on the painting "It must be a relief." Thena doesn't even blink as she responds indirectly "That Deviant is still tracking us." I know she is talking about the Deviant who killed Gilgamesh. It is still strange to think the world has kept moving since he and Ajak were murdered. I finally look over at my friend, her features void of emotion, "Revenge won't bring you peace, Thena." I tell her, to which she responds "Killing it might." Causing Druig and I to share a look. 

Ikaris comes back from putting his suit on and Phastos tells him "I have almost figured it-" But before he can finish his sentence. Ikaris uses his powers to blast Phastos away from his invention causing the rest of us to stand in confusion. "Boss, what are you doing?" Kingo asks, voicing our confusion, and Ikaris answers "I've let this go on for long enough." And Cersei comes flying into the room. "Don't hurt him!" She shouts flinging herself in front of Phastos who is groaning in pain on the ground. As Cersei helps him up she says "He lied to us. He already knew about the emergence." 

We all stare at Ikaris in disbelief and Kingo retorts "No, he didn't." I feel Druig's presence behind me but I keep my eyes on Ikaris. "Ajak told me everything when we left Babylon." He says and I jolt in surprise. Babylon? Christ, that was centuries ago. The fact he knew all this time, they both did and they never told us, it's enough to make me feel sick. "What?" I ask because I still don't believe it but then Phastos cuts in with a revelation "You were never gonna let us stop the emergence." And Ikaris shakes his head "No. I only wanted to protect you from the Deviants."

Cersei sucks in a breath "If Ajak wanted you to take her place, why did she choose me?" We watch as Ikaris swallows hard and he stays silent. Tears fill Cersei's eyes and she asks "What have you done?" Anger threatens to swallow me whole as we all realise what happened to Ajak and Druig voices what everyone is thinking "He killed her." Power rises inside me, causing my entire body to shake with it. "I had to." Ikaris says, confirming our suspicions and I step forward, still shaking "She loved you, like a son." I say, my voice void of emotion. He turns his head to me "Did she?" He asks and I nod my head "She loved you." I repeat "She loved you and you killed her."

Tears start forming in his eyes now, although I no longer feel sympathy for him. "Do you think it was easy to live with the truth?" He asks "To know that one day all of this would end? To keep on lying to you?" A golden shimmer forms around my fists, my energy escaping from my body, begging for a release. His eyes fall on Cersei again, who is also crying, "If we gave humanity a choice, how many of them would be willing to die so that billions more could be born?" And Phastos replies almost instantly "We're not giving them a choice. Is this why you're willing to kill? You are so pathetic!" 

Ikaris schools his features before responding "I'm an Eternal, Phastos. I exist for Arishem.  As do you. It's who you are." Phastos stares Ikaris down, shaking his head. "I wouldn't change a single thing about who I am. Born or made. But I do not exist for Arishem, I exist for my family!" He starts getting angrier as he moves towards Ikaris and Ikaris moves to meet him "Then you are making the same mistake Ajak did." Makkari is finally back, a smile on her face having no idea what has just been revealed in this room. Too small a room with this many angry people with powers. "I found Tiamut." She signs happily and I shout "No!" knowing what this means Kingo shouts her name and jumps in front of Makkari just as Ikaris shoots his power at her. She uses her own ability to move out of the way in time but Kingo is not as lucky and gets hit in the arm.

Makkari goes back over to him but Kingo instructs her "Get out of here." And she does just that. I relax slightly, knowing that even though we don't know where Tiamut is, neither does Ikaris. "Kingo." He says moving towards the other man, Kingo stands and summons his power angrily. As he raises his hand he says "You do not turn against your family. Gilgamesh died because of you." Ikaris doesn't move as he says "You won't succeed against me. And I will kill every one of you if I have to." 

None of us moves as Ikaris heads for the door, just as he is about to leave Sprite says "Wait." And he pauses. "I'm going with you." She says moving towards him, I stiffen and am about to move when I feel someone grab my arm. 

"Let me go Druig," I say through our minds

"He will kill you Noel, and I won't let that happen" 

"Not if I kill him first."

"Don't be stupid. We need a plan."

"He killed Ajak and Gil, he doesn't deserve to live." 

"I agree but that doesn't mean we should get killed in the process."

I finally cave and relax my posture, I feel Druig remove his hand from my arm. Just then, Sprite and Ikaris disappear.