Knight’s Dilemma – An MCU Eternals Story

Dane Whitman paced back and forth in his living room. Sersi had been snatched away from him out of nowhere and he had no idea where she could be. He had watched her leave twice now and he was going to make sure that he found her again. Of course, he had no idea how to do that. He looked down again and there it was. The Sword. The Ebony Blade. The legend that had been lost over the years so few people remembered it. That was how he could rescue her if she needed rescuing.

“Am I ready?” Dane asked. “I don’t know but if I don’t take up the sword now I may never take it up. If I don’t take it up, I may not be able to save the woman I love.”

Blade shrugged in the corner of the room. He contrasted so much with the room between his attire and his complexion that he was almost like an impossibly still black hole. “But what about the curse?” he asked.

“You mean the blood curse?” Dane asked. “The Whitman line curse? The curse that says that sometimes a Whitman picks up the blade and goes mad. The curse that caused my uncle to go crazy?”

“Yes,” Blade said simply in that deep voice of his. “That curse. I know you want to do something about this. I mean, I want to do something about this. It’s not exactly my wheelhouse but I still want to help. What I don’t want to do is have to take you out because you become some sort of supervillain.”

“Believe me, I don’t want that either,” Dane said. “But what if it’s just the opposite? What if I become a hero? Like the Avengers? Like Spider-Man? Like Sersi and her friends?”

“Blade shrugged again. “That doesn’t exactly sound like a good thing to me but if that’s what you want,” he said. “It’s a possibility. I’m just saying as somebody who lives with a curse daily, I don’t want you going off half-cocked.”

“I know,” Dane said. “And I wished that I had done more. I pushed this thing deep in the closet in the pursuit of a normal life. Then I fell in love with a woman with actual magic powers. Maybe I’m not meant for normal. I wish I had gotten a call back from Stephen Strange. I’ve heard he knows about these sorts of things.”

“Strange is a no-show,” Blade said. “Forget him. He doesn’t have time for us. We don’t have time for him. This is your decision. You choose one way or the other. Shit or get off the pot.”

“Classy,” Dane said. “But you’re right again. We’re on our own here. You, me, and the sword. If I take it up, I may never put it down. But if I don’t, I might regret it until my deathbed.”

“Yeah,” Blade said. “Those are the two choices. We keep going around and around. We’re not getting anywhere.”

“We’re getting closer to a decision,” Dane said. “Without this power, I may never find her.”

“This sword is not all of you,” Blade said. “Aren’t you an inventor or something?” It was a little surprising to hear Blade say something so empathetic. That did not make it untrue.

“Yeah,” Dane said. “I have several degrees.” He did not like to brag but it was true. He had taken so many engineering, biology, metallurgy, and computer systems classes.

“So you could just use that science to get her back,” Blade said. 

“I fear that it won’t be enough,” Dane said.

The doorbell rang and it took Dane a moment to realize what that meant. He headed toward the door and opened it. Sprite was standing there.

“Sprite?” Dane asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I can’t find Sersi,” she said. “I can’t find anybody. Something feels wrong.”

“Come in,” Dane said. He led Sprite back to the living room where Blade stood as still as the grave.

“Who is she?” Blade asked bluntly.

“This is Sersi’s friend,” Dane said. “Or family. I’m not quite sure.”

“A little of both,” Sprite said. “My name is Sprite.”

“Like the soda,” Blade said.

“Like the mythical creature,” Sprite said.

“We’re going to find Sersi,” Dane said. “I promise you.”

“I want to help,” Sprite said. “I may not be an eternal anymore but I still have my powers.”

There was something on Sprite’s face that could have been shame and it could have been guilt but Dane could tell the girl was genuine. He knew that Sprite had doted on Sersi when the two had lived in London. He knew that Sersi cared a good deal for Sprite. If Sprite could handle herself in a fight, she would be good to have along.

“Your help would be welcome,” Dane said.

“The more the merrier,” Blade said. His sarcasm was thicker than fog.

“How did you know where I was?” Dane asked.

“Something led me here,” Sprite said. “Like magic.”

“I hate magic,” Blade said.

Dane looked over at the sword again. “Let’s hope it likes us,” he said. He reached for the sword.

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