Sersi is returning to London to continue her museum work. Gilgamesh and Thena are embarking on a trip, their first stop being Iceland to see the Northern Lights. Ajak says she'll first travel to South America, where she has some memories from thousands of years ago. Phastos stays behind; Tony has formally invited him to join SSC's R&D department, assigning him a private laboratory. The two have agreed to continue discussing improvements to nanomaterials tomorrow.
The group said their goodbyes at the base entrance.
Ajak walked over, looked at Lynn, and said, "Thank you. Not just thank you for saving the world, but also thank you... for giving us freedom."
Lynn smiled. "Freedom is your own choice. Seven thousand years of protection—you deserve it."
Ajak smiled, then turned and walked away into the distance.
Her silhouette looked somewhat lonely, but her steps were light and quick.
Sersi walked over and gave Lynn a hug. "Remember to look me up next time you come to London. I'll treat you to coffee."
Lynn nodded. "Definitely."
Gilgamesh patted Lynn on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Take good care of yourself. We'll treat you to drinks when we get back from our trip."
Thena didn't speak, she just nodded, but the gratitude in her eyes was obvious.
Phastos didn't leave; he was eager to return to the lab and continue his discussion with Tony.
Everyone left, leaving only Lynn and Natasha at the base entrance.
Natasha watched their departing figures and said softly, "They're all gone."
Lynn nodded. "Yes. Phastos is staying; the base will be even more lively from now on."
Natasha smiled, then helped Lynn walk back. "Go back and rest, your injuries haven't healed yet."
It's late at night.
Lynn lay on the bed with his eyes closed, the light of the six gems slowly flowing across his chest, repairing his body.
Natasha was asleep, her breathing even and steady.
But Lynn didn't sleep.
He was thinking about something.
Before leaving today, Ajak said something to him privately.
" Lynn, Ikaris... I can't get in touch with him."
At the time, Lynn didn't pay much attention, thinking that Ikaris just needed some time to be alone after her faith collapsed. But now, looking back, the expression on Ajak's face when he said those words showed not only worry, but also a hint of unease.
Ajak's voice was very low; the last time I sensed him was three days ago. His direction was... to the Nova.
Nova.
The desolate planet where the embryo resides.
Lynn opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.
What is Ikaris going to do on the Nova?
His faith collapsed, that's a fact. But people whose faith has collapsed may go in two directions: either give up completely or become more extreme.
Is Ikaris the latter?
Lynn carefully recalled Ikaris.
He was the strongest warrior of the Eternals, and his loyalty to the Celestials was etched into his very bones. He refused to participate in the transplant project, not because he wanted to destroy Earth, but because he truly believed that the Emergence was correct, that it was the will of the Celestials, and that it was inviolable.
When Arishem personally revoked the Eternals ' mission and granted them freedom, Ikaris's worldview likely crumbled.
His lifelong beliefs, mission, and meaning of existence were all negated by the very god he worshipped most.
What will such a person do after their faith collapses?
He might feel that Lynn deceived Arishem, that Lynn blinded Arishem with sweet words and power, and that Lynn forced Arishem to compromise.
Removing the embryo was a mistake, a blasphemy against the Celestials. And he, as the most loyal Eternals warrior, had a responsibility to "correct" this mistake.
How to correct it?
Or should we move the embryo back to Earth? But he doesn't have that capability.
Either... destroy the embryo.
If the embryo is destroyed, the Emergence will not occur, and Lynn's "implantation plan" will have completely failed.
In Ikaris's view, this might be the best way to uphold the dignity of the Celestials!
It's better to let the embryo be destroyed than to let it be "defiled" by a human.
Lynn's gaze darkened.
If that's really what Ikaris thinks, then his trip to the Nova was to destroy the embryo.
The embryo is currently in its three-month adaptation period, and the Soul Stone and Mind Stone are continuously supplying energy, making it relatively fragile.
If Ikaris were to act at this moment, he would likely succeed, and the embryo would suffer irreversible damage.
More importantly, if there are problems with the embryos, Arishem will come back.
At that point... it won't be something that can be resolved with a fight. There's a good chance that more than just Arishem will come, and that would be troublesome.
Lynn took a deep breath and slowly sat up.
The wound in his chest was still throbbing, but he couldn't care less.
Natasha was startled awake by his movement and asked groggily, "What's wrong?"
Lynn smiled, reached out and tucked the blanket around her, "It's alright. You've been lying down for a while, you can continue sleeping, I'll get up and walk around."
Natasha, seeing his expression, knew he wasn't truly alright. But she didn't ask further, simply nodding. "Be careful."
Lynn stood up, put on her coat, walked to the window, and said, "I understand."
He raised his right hand, and a portal opened in the room. The other end of the portal led to the depths of space... towards that desolate planet.
Lynn glanced back at the sleeping Natasha, then stepped into the portal and disappeared in the light.
This rocky planet, devoid of atmosphere, liquid water, and any life, currently hangs silently in orbit around a red dwarf star. Its surface is barren, littered with rocks and craters, and its sky is pitch black, with stars brighter and denser than those seen from Earth.
Deep within the planet's core, the colossal embryo of the Celestials slumbers. The light of the Soul Stone and the Mind Stone envelops it, maintaining its stability and helping it adapt to its new environment. The core within its ribcage pulsates at a steady frequency; everything is normal.
But just then, a figure broke through the planet's surface and landed in a cave deep within the Earth's core.
It's Ikaris.
He wore the Eternals ' battle armor, his body covered in cosmic dust, his eyes empty and weary. He had flown continuously for a long time to get here from Earth.
He hovered in front of the embryo, looking at the enormous life form with a complex expression.
This is what they have protected for seven thousand years.
That is the meaning of their existence.
Now, it has been moved here from Earth by a human, as casually as moving a piece of furniture.
Ikaris's hands were trembling.
He raised his hand, and golden energy condensed in his palm.
If he were to strike, the embryo in its adaptation period would be very fragile, and this blow could cause irreversible damage to its development, or even lead to its death.
By then, Lynn's plan would have completely failed.
At that time, the Emergence will not occur, and the earth will not be destroyed, but the embryo of the Celestials will die after a human "transfer".
This is the greatest insult to the Celestials.
As for Ikaris, the most loyal Eternals warrior, he would rather let the embryo be destroyed than let it be manipulated by a human.
Ikaris's gaze hardened.
He raised his hand, and golden energy rays shot towards the core of the embryo.
Just as the energy ray was about to strike the embryo, a blue spatial rift opened in front of the ray, swallowing it. The next second, the spatial rift opened behind Ikaris, and the energy ray shot out from it, grazing past his ear and blasting a huge crater into the distant rock wall.
Ikaris turned around abruptly.
Behind him, a portal was slowly closing. A young man in a black trench coat stepped out, his chest wrapped in bandages, his face pale, but his eyes calm.
Lynn's voice was calm. " Ikaris, I admit I didn't expect you to go this far."
Ikaris looked at him, her eyes filled with anger and pain. "It was you... it was you who deceived Arishem! It was you who moved the embryo here! You ruined everything!"
Lynn shook his head. "I didn't destroy anything. The embryo will still Emergence fifty years later. I just moved it to a different location."
Ikaris's voice trembled, "Changed location? Do you know what that means? It means the Celestials ' plans can be arbitrarily altered! It means anyone can challenge the Celestials ' authority! You've set the worst precedent!"
Lynn's tone turned cold. "So you're going to destroy the embryo? Use destroying the embryo as a way to 'uphold' the dignity of the Celestials? Ikaris, put your hand on your heart and tell me, do you really think this is right?"
A single sentence struck a nerve, Ikaris was like an enraged Beast. Unable to answer the question, he could only respond with his fists.
"Shut up!"
He roared, his entire body surging with golden energy, transforming into a golden streak of light as he charged towards Lynn. The full-force strike of the strongest warrior of the Eternals was enough to shatter mountains and pierce the earth's crust. Wherever the energy fist passed, even the rocks deep within the earth's core crumbled layer by layer.
Lynn merely shifted his body slightly, ignoring the blood seeping from the bandages on his chest. With a gentle lift of his right hand, he activated the power of the Space Stone, causing Ikaris's fist to graz his shoulder and miss, slamming into a distant rock wall and creating a crater a hundred meters in diameter.
Ikaris pressed on relentlessly, unleashing dozens of golden energy rays that blocked all of Lynn's escape routes. However, those rays were either swallowed by spatial rifts or grazed past Lynn's clothes; none of them actually hit him.
Lynn didn't even retaliate. He simply stood still, deflecting all the attacks, and looked at Ikaris calmly, as if looking at a tantrum-throwing child.
The more this happened, the more insane Ikaris became. His honor as the strongest warrior, his pride in loyalty, posed no threat whatsoever to this man. His opponent was even injured, yet there was no need for him to even put up a serious fight.
In the end, even he himself found it laughable.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
Does he really think this is right?
He didn't know. All he knew was that his faith had collapsed, he couldn't find the meaning of his existence, and he needed to do something to prove that his seven thousand years of perseverance hadn't been meaningless.
Destroying the embryo was the only way he could think of.
But Lynn's words were like a needle, piercing through his self-deceptive facade.
Is destroying the embryo truly upholding the dignity of the Celestials?
Or is it that he simply can't accept being abandoned by God, and is therefore resorting to this extreme method to vent his frustration?
Ikaris's hand fell limp, and the golden energy dissipated. He knelt in the void, clutching his head, and let out a painful roar.
Seven thousand years of faith, seven thousand years of loyalty, seven thousand years of meaning in existence... all vanished into nothingness at this moment.
Lynn stood to the side, saying nothing, simply watching him quietly.
He knew that at times like this, words were inadequate. Ikaris needed to figure things out for himself.
After a long time, Ikaris's roars gradually subsided. He raised his head and looked at Lynn, the anger and pain in his eyes gone, leaving only a deep weariness and confusion.
Ikaris's voice was hoarse, "You won. What do you want to do with me?"
"You can leave if you want, or stay if you want. But one thing: the embryo must not be touched! It is innocent."
Ikaris remained silent for a long time, then slowly stood up.
He glanced at the sleeping embryo, then at Lynn, and finally said nothing. He turned and flew out of the cave.
His figure grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared beyond the planet's surface.
Lynn looked in the direction he left.
Everyone has their own path to walk. Ikaris's faith has crumbled; he needs time and space to rediscover the meaning of his existence.
Lynn turned around, walked to the embryo, and checked its condition.
Fortunately, he arrived in time, and the embryo was undamaged. The Soul Stone and Mind Stone were functioning normally, and the adaptation period was progressing smoothly.
Lynn let out a long breath, then felt a sharp pain in his chest wound.
Lynn cursed, "Damn it. Why did they have to cause this trouble? It hurts so much!"
He raised his hand to his chest, checked the embryo's energy fluctuations again, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he tear open a spatial rift and step inside.
The spatial rift flashed by in the room, and Lynn instinctively slowed his pace.
He thought Natasha was still asleep, but when he turned around, he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed with an open medical kit on her lap, clearly having been sitting there for a long time.
Lynn's voice sounded a little weak, "You're not asleep?"
Natasha didn't speak, but simply gestured for him to come closer. She rose and took two steps to meet him, helping him slowly sit down on the edge of the bed. Her fingertips trembled slightly when they touched the blood-soaked bandage on his chest.
She didn't say anything.
I simply picked up the scissors, carefully cut open the bandage, wiped away the oozing blood with a sterile cotton swab, carefully changed the dressing, and rewrapped a new bandage.
The movements were very light and slow.
Lynn just sat there, looking down at her.
The room was quiet, with only the faint sound of traffic in the distance outside the window.
It wasn't until the bandages were finished and Natasha looked up that Lynn noticed her eyes were red.
Lynn didn't say anything either.
The wound on her chest was still throbbing painfully, but looking at her reddened eyes, the pain seemed to lessen a bit.
He reached out and gently put his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace with a slight pull, his chin resting lightly on the top of her head.
Natasha's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly went limp.
She reached out and wrapped her arms around his back, very gently, carefully avoiding his wound, her cheek pressed against his neck.