Note: The last chapter touched upon it, briefly; like chapters before it. But from here on until finally resolved, there will be an issue that Ikaris and Kathleen will have a real problem rectifying. And can't remember if already mentioned, but just in case, love that the MCU is branching out diversity wise. And while have never had an issue with that, my reservation is about not being faithful to the source material (the comics). So, that being said when referencing certain Eternals due to the changes that have been made (Ajax, etc.), going to not specify. Leave it up to the reader, so instead of using he/she, it will be them/they. And Sprite will be named by their other variations from henceforth.


Kissing the top of her head as he sits next to her. Placing food on his plate. Their moment is broken as the others enter the dining hall. The incessant noise on the fringe of their concentration. "Jaycen, Margo, Constantine, come here," as the jabbering continues. "SPRITE...PUCK, THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Everyone halts at his outburst. Kathleen puts her hand on Ikaris's shoulder. Taking a breath, "sit down. What has gotten into you?! You are acting up more than you usually do?" She asks. Sitting down with a huff, crossing their arms. "You guys never let me have any fun?!" "You know that isn't true, child. Your shenanigans have cost us a lot of problems throughout the years. And we have endured them." Thena adds; as the adolescent's attention span becomes focused on the food in front of them.

The meal carries on before another interruption appears in someone they had never expect to see, at least not here. The sword being dragged behind him. "Dane Whitman." Ikaris says, looking to Sersi, who is just as perplexed as he is. The others waiting for what Ikaris is going to do. Sitting back, he places fruit on Margo, Jaycen and Constantine's plates.

Raising the sword, "DON'T IGNORE ME! I want what is mine! And I will fight you if I have to." The others start laughing as Kathleen is able to keep it from showing. "And what pray tell you, do you think belongs to you, knight?!" "My family!" "Family?!" "Yes, those are my children, my wife!" The horror and disgust on their faces. "He's mad. The blade has finally driven him insane."

Standing, composing himself the best he can. "Sersi, take my children elsewhere. He is scaring them." Placing the napkin by his plate. "Nobody move!" Kathleen gets up, sharing a look with the others. "You come into my home, threaten my friends, my family!" She says "Kathleen…?!" Dane answers perplexed she is resisting this, not after. "Aikaterine!" Speaking the nickname for once in public, Ikaris rises from his chair.

Turning back to him, she also sees the others getting up, glaring at their intruder. A calm and serene expression on her husband's face now, "you wish to fight me, Dane Whitman?! You shall have it." "Oh, but…" "Silence, Kathleen Pryce! We have tried to reason with him. We have been forceful with him. And still he insists, so if he wants to fight, so he shall have it. Clearly having sense being beat into him is the only solution at this point."

"And what makes you think you would win?!" Another round of laughter springs forth from the others. "Kat seems to be right. You shouldn't entertain this. Though, that was definitely enjoyable to watch thinking he can come in here, making demands and channeling you to a duel." Thena adds. Nodding his head, signaling the others know that they have been dismissed.

"Ah, Heracles. I am glad you are here." "Ikaris, I beseech thee. I meant to stop him but he distracted me." "It is fine. Though, when I find out exactly who let this madman in…" Kathleen approaches Ikaris's side. "My love, I really wish you wouldn't do this?!" Staring at her, "why is there some truth to what he is saying?!"

Looking aghast, "how could you ask such a thing?! You know that they are your children. And I have never been untrue." "Then why?!" Taking his hand in hers, causing the knight to step forward as Hercules and the others create a barrier between them. Dane looks at them, "Sersi?!" "I will answer that, Ikaris.

We all know that this would be more than unfair, even if he is asking for it." "SERSI?!" Once again ignoring her former lover, she stands by Makkari's side. "The children are okay. Apollo has managed to calm them down. They are fascinated by his knowledge and what he showed them." "She is right, my love. You could easily kill him without trying, and that is what I wish to hope to avoid." Kat adds.

"As if he could!" Dane gaffs. The other Eternals move even closer, not taking this perceived threat concerning their leader and his family. "It is alright." He tells them at which, they halt. "You really think you can defeat Ikaris, Dane Whitman; when you couldn't even defeat Pietro Maximoff when it came to Crystalia of the Inhumans, a lesser being than us?!" The other Eternals not even bothering to hide their amusement at this point." Kat replies.

Once gaining control over himself, "come mine friend." Hercules directs as Apollo and Mercury approach, not having wanted to miss this. The children by Kat's side now as she shields and hold them the best she can, despite not actually holding them. Their group keep laughing at Kathleen's and Dane's words. "Make sure he is restrained; Dane Whitman doesn't need to spread anymore mayhem or violence before the duel. Come my love, Jaycen, Margo, Constantine, the rest of you can continue to enjoy your meal if you wish."


Standing by him as the other deities are surrounded around them. "You don't have to do this. It is beneath you and it does not send the best example of fighting an insane person." "And that is why I have to my love; besides Aikaterine, we usually wind up doing this anyway." "But they are also power hungry. Whitman is merely feeding his delusion that I picked him. And doing this just condones and feeds into it." "I won't argue with that, Aikaterine. But if I don't see he is finally put in his place, clearly, he won't stop. And I will not have him continue to harass my wife and drive fear and terror into our children."

Turning her head, knowing that Ikaris's mind has been made up. Seeing that the others are anticipating the fight. "SPRITE!" "Uh oh!" "Uh oh is right! What are my children doing here?!" "I want to see the fight also!" "You know that Ikaris and I don't want them to see such things. Especially after yesterday."

"Aw man, I never get treated like an adult! I hate this body!" "If you hurry and find someone to take over for them, you know that you would be allowed to watch." "But who would that be, almost all of Olympia is here?!" "I am sure there are certain deities who have no interest in such things." "But they aren't exactly into watching kids either. Like Venus, definitely not mom material." "I heard that child."

Diving behind Kathleen, "please save me. I don't want to be changed into anything." Aphrodite laughs at Sprite's antics. Sighing, "come, child, if I must." "Thank you, Venus." Kathleen tells her. "It's alright, Puck, she knows what will happen if she tries to do something to you." Moving from behind her, looking at her' "are you sure, Kat?" Nodding her head, "well, you are Peter frickin' Pan, aren't you?" "Damn right, I am!" Taking a hold of Jaycen, Margo and Constantine, Sprite follows the goddess in front of them.


"What did I miss?!" "Nothing much, Sprite, they are about to begin. Remember go easy on him, my love. The last thing anyone of us wants to deal with is a dead body." Thena steps forward. "Since Dane can't technically fly on his own, we do want to make this as fair as possible. Ikaris, you aren't allowed to fly or overdo it with your disintegrator beams. Ajax and the others will also be keeping point as well." "But that is already bias, do I have no one on my side?! Hercules?!" "Don't look to me, mine friend. You are the one that made this challenge and acted poorly in their home." "You can begin when you want." Thena tells them.

The blade barely misses him as he dodges at the last moment. As Dane brings it forth to strike again, Ikaris halts it by gripping it in his hands. As it pierces into his skin and the blood drips down, he puts his foot against Dane's mid-section before pushing back. The sword remaining in his hands as the knight falls backward. Dane looks at what to do now. "Thena did say this was to be a fair fight, Whitman. Just be thankful I am (barely) able to restrain myself after what you have done."

Kathleen moves forward at seeing her husband's injuries. Gilgamesh stands in her way. "You know that this is nothing. Besides, he is already healing himself. He wouldn't want you to interfere. Let them duke it out. They both need this. He is protecting what is his…And you know that being archaic still does play a part in how and where we live." "You know that I have accepted this as long as he never goes overboard. If he winds up killing Whitman, even our society doesn't overlook such a thing." "You know it won't come to that. He knows what is at stake. He would never sacrifice such a thing."

The punches have been swinging in this time. Another sails toward him as Ikaris manages to avoid it. Before hitting Dane in return, then tackling him; as the two continue to tussle. Ikaris getting the upper hand as he reigns down his fists. Whitman doing his best to counter, reaching for the hidden slight steel he keeps on him. Able to drive into Ikaris's side, dragging it down before scrambling up as The Eternal clutches his side.

Murder and seriousness in his eyes at this development, "Thena, Ajax, can I…?!" "Yes." Sprite hollers, "GET HIM, IKARIS!" "My love?!" "I am fine. I am already starting to heal myself. And I apologize to anyone with what I am about to do. I know if it becomes too much, anyone of you will stop me." Getting up, he slowly makes his way to their former ally.

"And where do you think you are going, Black Knight?! There is nowhere you can run nor hide after what you have done. And don't even try to look to them for any support." Seeing that he is reaching for something, "oh, and you can try to be underhanded again. And while I can't guarantee I won't fall for it again. What I will tell you is that it wouldn't mean anything even if you did manage. Your mental state has made you forget who you are dealing with (clearly). It is time to end this farce of a duel."

Gripping him by the hair, Ikaris begins walking forward as Dane does his best to get out of the titanic hold. Grabbing Whitman by the chin with his other hand, the deity picks his opponent and rival like he is nothing. "Given the restraint and fairness I tried to present despite you clearly undeserving of any of it. I am dropping the façade and no one not even will step in as I wipe the floor with you."

"Please?!" "No. Dane Whitman, not this time. I endured as Sersi left me for you. I put up with placing the Gann Josin on you. And your previous attempts of tempting, flirting with my Aikaterine. But now, you thought you had some nerve, coming into my home. Spouting nonsense, harassing my wife, terrorizing my children in the process. I will grant you some kind of mercy nonetheless. But is also crueler and a fate worse than death.

I will let you live with the knowledge that you tried the best you could to take from me again, and failed." Tightening his hold, a little more, Dane makes a vain attempt to use Ikaris's momentum against him. "Struggle all you wish, I am going to enjoy breaking you (further), Whitman. I really hope you are prepared for this." Picking up on his thoughts, "IKARIS, NO!" "Your wife is right. He isn't worth it." Thena adds.

Sighing at the conversation, Ikaris shoulders and head slump slightly. Bringing his other hand out, he hits Dane in the face, with the littlest amount of effort as he pushes Dane down. Never having relinquishing his hold, Dane's head snaps back as Ikaris gets in his face. "I am not done yet. And when I am you will barely be able to move, much less pursuing someone who will never be yours nor ever want you. You will stay away from my family!" He bites to The Avenger.

Straddling his opponent, making sure he will be unable to escape this time. Ikaris begins plummeting on him once more before eventually finally withdrawing, "Dane Whitman, Sersi will help you up. You are to never grace our presence nor these halls again, for I won't go so easy if you do." Smiling before spitting in his face, "screw you!" "DANE?!" "It's alright, Hercules." Ikaris answers. "Apparently the dog doesn't know to stand down when it has been beaten."

Dane groans as he does his best to turn over and crawling away. Closing the gap between them, Ikaris puts his foot down on Whitman's back, pressing down. "Ahh!" "Well, I do have to give you gumption for your spirit." Managing to roll him over with his foot, to see Dane's eyes are closed doing his best to recover. "Come now, Dane Whitman, don't you want to see what you did win?!"

Kathleen approaches. "Are you okay?!" "You know me, my love. It would take more than this cretin to actually hurt me." Hercules and Apollo come to check on Dane. Sersi at their side. "That was foolish, mine friend." "Oh, you know me, Herc. What's life without a little danger or thrills?!"

Hercules frowns at this, shaking his head. "He could have killed you without even trying, mine friend. And I can't say it wouldn't have been without merit." "We need to get him to the infirmary. I must say even for him delivering superficial blows, you look horrible. Yet, you endured. I must say given your history with them and for being a mere mortal, I am impressed, human!" Apollo says.

Before they can leave, "Dane Whitman!" The four turn to The Eternal leader. His arm wrapped around Kathleen. "Your prize." Cupping his wife's face, he pulls her to him. She bridges the rest of the distance between them, reaching for him. The kiss quickly ignites into something more. The time away from each other fueling the fire. "So, know that no matter how many times you searched for her and if you persist to, this is the result. Your answer is that she will always seek me out."