Chapter Text
Mark reaches the city he is meant to be destroying and stares down on it for a long moment. One of the drones that Angstrom uses to observe them hovers nearby, watching. Always watching.
Mark takes a measured breath. Builds up energy in his chest, his heart pounding. There's no going back if he does this. But Mark made up his mind months ago.
He doesn't want to go back.
Without warning, he zips to the side snagging the drone from the air and crushing it in his hand, then turns and rockets away before Angstrom can materialize and ask questions.
Mark doesn't want another dimension, he doesn't want power, he certainly doesn't want his dimension's version of reality.
He only wants one thing.
————
William gasps and stumbles as another student crashes into him but Rick is their to pull them both along in the screaming tide of students running for their lives.
Nearby, heroes are fighting with someone that looks like Mark, but definitely isn’t, but who seems strong enough to be, and William’s mind sparks with worry over his friend even as he runs for his life.
"Keep moving!" Rick yells over the din, reaching out to steady someone else as they stumble. Rick could be out of here in a flash if he wanted, but he's running with them and William's heart swells with gratitude even as it trembles in absolute terror. Brick rains down on them and everyone screams and ducks while Rick shoves William and another out of the way and then dives into the falling rubble to shield those underneath.
"Rick!" Goddamnit, William knows he's strong but he can't help the painful stab of fear that goes through him seeing Rick throw himself into danger like that. When the dust clears a little, William can see Rick digging out two fellow students and there are several more along the sidewalk looking dazed, various limbs crushed.
"Shit," William whines, throwing himself down and grabbing bricks, tossing them off a students leg as the guy gasps in pain.
"Th-thanks, I—Here." The guy screams as he tries to shift his leg and William freezes, watching in horror as blood spurts from his calf like a fountain.
"Ah! Pressure! Put pressure on it!" William screams but the guy looks too stunned. Without thinking, William rips of his hoody off over his head and presses it down on the guys leg.
The scream that follows is so awful, so wounded, that William immediately yanks his hands back, terrified he made things worse. He's not a medic! William isn't cut out for this! He glances around in a panic looking for someone, anyone, an adult, but all he sees are other students running for their lives. Fire flickers in some of the campus buildings and there aren't even any firefighters.
William is on his own. Then an image of Amber's face flashes through his head. What would she do?
Then he hears Rick's calm, reassuring voice as he helps another person from the rubble, and a torrent of shame washes through him. He has two hands and feet that work, what is he doing?
William whips back around to see the guy is crying silently and staring at his mangled leg. Lunging forward to grabs his shoulder, William shakes him. "Listen, I'm going to wrap my sweater around your leg tight, so you don't bleed out, ok? Is that— is that good? Are you good with that?"
"Yeah, yeah." The guy gasps. "Sorry, you just startled me before."
"Ok," William's hands are shaking. "Ok."
They both cringe and groan as William gingerly lifts the injured limb and wraps the now bloody fabric around it, using the sleeves to knot it tight.
"There! Oh god, fuck. Is that good? Is it tight enough?"
"I don't know! It feels tight." The guy matches William's high, panicked tone. Maybe William can do heroic things under duress , but god is he not cut out for this kind of work.
"Ok, fine. Lets get you up and out of here." William slings the guy's arm over his shoulder and lets him slump most of his weight against him, making William stagger a little.
"Rick!" He calls looking back, but gasps when directly behind him, is Mark.
Hovering there. Silently. Staring down at William in his familiar Invincible costume, no mask, blood splattered over his chest and up to his face. All those other Invincibles had crazy costumes but this one is the one William knows which means this is his Mark, right?
Mark's expression looks worried, dark eyes fixed on William, lips slightly parted.
"Ma—um, Invincible?" William looks him up and down again, hesitant. "Are you ok? Is that your blood?"
"No." He says quietly, expression unchanging.
William makes a choking sound. "No it's not your blood, or no, you're not ok ?"
He just hovers there. Staring.
"Mark?" William can't help it. Fear and worry makes his lips loose. The name slips out but he thinks he can be forgiven under the circumstances and he's pretty sure this is his Mark, who's gone into shock.
Something in Mark's expression shifts and then he's there, shoving the injured guy, grabbing William, and rocketing them up into the sky. William screams as the air unexpectedly whips past his face, loose clothes flapping, as Mark holds him tight in the circle of his arms.
They slow in the clouds and Mark pulls back to look at his face. And just stares again.
"Mark?" William lets his hands rest on Mark's shoulders. "What's wrong? You're really starting to freak me out here."
Then tears form, welling in his dark eyes before spilling over. "William ." He chokes out and hugs William tight and William gladly throws his arms around his shoulders in return.
"Hey man, it's ok. I'm here. Whatever those shitty versions of you did, that's not you, ok? It's not your fault."
The arms around him tighten minutely. "It is."
"Mark, I have no idea what's going on but I know you're doing everything you can to fix it, so please, please, don't beat yourself up more than these assholes are trying to, ok?" William pulls back trying to get a good look at him, but Mark won't meet his eye. The arm that's not braced at William's back holding him up, slides up into William's hair and presses their foreheads together in a more intimate form of comfort than William is expecting, but he leans into it anyway.
"Look, I can't imagine what you're going through, but we're here for you, ok?" He avoids saying any names because he is terrified Mark is acting this way because someone is dead. Someone important. His Mom, Eve, Oliver… William holds him tighter not knowing, and really not wanting to ask.
Mark is quiet for several breaths and then, he pulls back slightly, looking out across the dark sky. "I need to get you somewhere safe."
"Not without Rick." William says instantly. "He's still down there."
Mark glances back at him for a long moment. These pauses are new and William searches Mark's face for any hint of what might be going on below the blank expression. Is this grief? Shock? Generalized PTSD from the entire shitstorm that's been Mark's life for the past few weeks?
"Umm, Mark?"
Mark looks away, breathing in through his nose. He doesn't verbally respond but they start to lower down, back through the clouds. The chill whips around them again and William shivers, hugging Mark close and feeling his strong arms tighten around his middle.
They land and William steps out of Marks hold, glances around frantically.
"William!"
He whips to the side and sees Rick running up to them. "Oh thank fucking god." William throws his arms around the taller man's shoulders.
"You had me worried." Rick says into his neck before stepping back and looking at Mark. "Are you ok? You seemed really spooked before."
"I'm fine." Mark says in a very clipped way, which means he's very much not fine. "We need to get out of here."
He reaches out and grabs both of them around the middle and shoots back into the air.
"Woah!" Rick quickly tries to wraps his arms around both of them but Mark shifts his hold, almost dropping him and both William and Rick scream, but Rick is just under one of Marks arms like a sack of potato's while William is plastered to his chest.
"What gives, man?" William feels shaky and wrong footed. Too many close calls in one night. "Why are you —"
"I can't see if you're both up near my face and he has a metal chest. He'll be fine."
Clipped again. That tone is quintessential stressed Mark mode.
"Ok, ok, a little warning next time, huh? You know I love flying with you but tensions are high. You scared us."
"Sorry." Mark mutters.
Rick cranes his neck to look up and meets William's eye and they share a look. Mutually agreeing that this is weird and scary but not the worst scenario.
"Um, so, where are we going?" William asks.
"Somewhere the other me's wont know to look." Mark's face is set in the same grim lines it's been this whole time.
"Other you's? How did that even happen?"
"Angstrom Levy."
William rears back. "That guy you… you know… killed?"
Mark glances at him, expression eerily blank, then back out at the sky, gaze dropping to search as they fly over neat, numerous rows of suburban neighborhoods. "I guess he didn't die."
"Okayyyy." William watches Mark's expression with growing trepidation. "And he brought a bunch of homicidal you's here to just, what, destroy the planet?"
"His plan was to make me suffer." Mark says quietly, as they start to descend. "The whole planet wont be destroyed. Just enough to ruin Invincible's reputation. Enough to create ill will… and guilt."
The clinical detachment with which he says this has alarm bells ringing in William's head.
Then they land outside William's childhood home. Not where his Dad currently lives, but where William grew up. Only a few miles away from the Grayson home.
"You brought us here?" William blinks as he and Rick step out of Mark's hold. The area is deserted. People have probably all been evacuated to local bomb shelters. "Why?"
Mark looks at the house. "The other Invincible's wont come here. You'll be safe."
"What? Just us? Were are you going?" William feels a little thrill of panic at the idea of Mark going anywhere in such an obviously addled state.
Mark gives him another unnervingly hard to read stare. "To take care of a few things. I'll be back soon. Stay here."
"What? But this isn't even my house anymore! We can't just break in."
Mark gives Rick a look then, with something like expectation.
And Rick, to William's shock, gives Mark a nod. "I'll keep him safe."
"Excuse me, why do I feel like a victorian maiden being past between men for safekeeping?"
Nothing. No expression surfaces on Mark's face and that's when William really knows there's something wrong. Not like he didn't' know it before, but this is just scary.
Rick takes William's hand and starts pulling him towards the house. "Come on, we can just hang out in their living room, out of sight. It's not a big deal. And this is extenuating circumstances."
Mark watches them, eerily still and William feels dread pooling in his stomach.
Maybe he got it wrong.
Maybe… this isn't his Mark.
————
Mark feels his world collapse into a single point when he finally sees William again. Not his William. Not the same. Not the bright light Mark failed to save.
But he’s still William. Vibrant and panicking and helping someone else even though his hands are shaking so hard Mark can see it from the air.
William.
It almost hurts to look at him. The old pain of watching him die slams into Mark like a hit from Conquest, and he has to gasp through it, watching as William struggles to staunch the bleeding on someone's leg wound.
Campus is being ravaged by one of him, and Mark doesn't have time to panic. He dodges another hero and flies low and as quick as he can without causing more destruction. He has to get William out of her, before another version of himself finds them.
He couldn't have anticipated how hard it would be to hear William's voice again and not break. To have to come back and pull a man out of the wreckage of campus that is clearly involved with William.
Attached to William. Belongs with William in a way Mark never did, not really, and he's surprised about how much that stings, when there are so many other things to feel like shit about.
Mark drops them off at William's old house and flies low to the ground, flitting between houses as he makes his way over to his old home. In another life, he'd been happy here, before his father had destroyed everything.
Finding perch in a tree with a good vantage point, Mark settles in to wait, and it doesn't take long for all the other him's start to congregate above their old home. They bicker amongst themselves for a while, one or two stragglers flying in later, and Mark is shocked at how many of them were killed.
Or maybe they're like him. Faking it and taking their chances in this new dimension.
Eight of them are there when Angstrom finally arrives and it's barely more than a few minutes before they start drifting towards him in a threatening way. Angstrom predictably banishes them to what are no doubt, horrible realities. He hates all Marks after all, there was no convincing him that any of them deserved more than to rot in hell, so Mark didn't even try. Just went along with his poorly thought out master plan until he knew he could escape.
Now here he is and Mark is torn. On the one hand, if Angstrom remains alive, Mark — no Mark — will ever be truly free of him. But being here, knowing that William is nearby and that Mark could just walk away from this and possibly never be found by Angstrom again, is a serious draw.
Loose ends never end well though, especially with someone as mentally unstable and powerful as Angstrom.
He can't just leave. Mark sighs to himself, watching.
Angstrom hasn't left yet…
It's almost sad to see someone with so much potential, so much power, waste it on a petty vendetta. Angstrom could have killed, or stranded, or tortured this dimension's Mark any number of ways, and instead he's made a convoluted mess. Destroyed countless lives in the process.
For nothing.
And now he hovers above Mark's childhood home, waiting. For what?
Realization dawns on Mark at the same moment the sound of a bizarrely familiar scream rents the air. This dimension's Mark is here and he's pissed. Mark flies stealthily closer, observing carefully as this other Mark actually does quiet well. He hasn't fallen into one of the portals yet, so that's something, though he's not terribly impressive as far as speed and strength go.
Mark doubts this version of him has ever trained with Conquest.
They fight for a few minutes and the other Mark is actually doing pretty well, so Mark feels comfortable sitting back and watching for now. Then a purple kid shows up and he's pretty hellbent on Angstrom's death which, yeah, a good call, but odd to hear such murderous intent out of a kids mouth.
Other Mark's expression becomes resigned but he waits too long and Angstrom flees through a portal. Squatting in the bushes, Mark drops his head and groans. He should have stepped in. Fuuuuuck, now this could all happen again and everything they fought for today is in jeopardy.
Mark wipes a hand down his face and looks back up at the demolished road, where the two heroes talk.
Dealing with alternate versions of himself is incredibly frustrating, but… at least this Mark doesn't seem homicidal. The way he talks to the purple kid is actually kind of nice.
They fly off together and Mark watches them go, feeling something between bitterness and longing well up in him. Family is something that was taken from him young, but here…
Maybe he could…
He shakes his head and hunkers down, eyeing the empty street distrustfully. After a while though, it becomes obvious that Angstrom isn't coming back. Mark uncoils his body, and rises up, giving the area one last scan before zipping back over to where he left William.
And William's boyfriend.
Rick stiffens when Mark floats in, and William glances up with nervousness painted all over his expressive face. They watch him warily and Mark feels a sad resignation well up in his throat.
"What?" He asks because he's a masochist apparently, and he's going to drag out the obvious.
William stands up, wringing his hands. "Um, how do you we know you're the Mark from our universe? It's just, I know you've been through a lot, but you haven't exactly been acting like yourself."
Mark feels his face threaten to twist in emotion and has to turn his back. God, why did William have to always be so fucking kind? Was he good in every universe? In every world?
Mark sucks in a deep breath and doesn't turn around. "I'm… Not him. Not, your Mark."
A small intake of breath behind him has Mark spinning back, taking in William's wary expression. "But I don't want to hurt anyone, least of all you." William looks scared so Mark keeps talking, almost pleading. "I didn't destroy any cities here, and I don't want anyone else to die. Angstrom didn't give me a real choice. I think he just found the strongest of us across dimensions without really looking into whether or not death and violence was something we wanted. But, I guess." Mark sighs, feeling like he should be sad but just feeling exhausted instead. "That definitely was something most versions of me wanted."
William's expression flickers through several different emotions, settling on skeptical.
"So…" Rick asks into the silence. "What do you want?"
Trying not to flinch at the other man's voice, Mark takes a breath. "I probably need to talk to Cecil. See if I can stay here. I don't know much about this earth except the Viltrum Empire never came here. Your Mark is luckier than most of us."
"Well, considering a bunch of hims from different dimensions just attacked the globe, I doubt he's feeling that way." William tries to stand up for his Mark, which feels oddly nice.
Mark shakes his head. "Angstrom brought us here for a day and the rest of them are gone now. Trust me, there are a lot worse things than me out there." A shudder threatens, and Mark clenches his body to prevent it. He's in a new dimensions now. He's stronger, more prepared. He won’t let that happen—
"You never really answered the question though…" Rick says, looking hesitant but determined. "You said what you need to do, not what you want."
The idea of answering that truthfully makes nausea well up in Mark's stomach so he just gives Rick his most, 'back off' look and hopes that's enough.
"He's right, Mark." William says softly, immediately stealing Mark's attention back to his face. "No matter what version of you is — I just — I want to believe you, I do, but we need to know why you stayed."
Guilt pounds at his skill making his teeth ache where he clenches them. Mark can't look at William.
"I need to talk to Cecil." He makes himself say before flying upstairs. William calls after him but Mark picks a bedroom, enters, and shuts the door with a snap.
He's not sure when but blood is on his costume and it's probably not a good idea to be dressed as Invincible right now. Digging around in the closet produces clothing that's much too big around the waist and small in the shoulders, but they'll do for now. There's an ensuite bathroom so he takes a quick shower as well, staring at the blue tile with tension shivering through his entire body.
Time to visit the pentagon.