Somewhere to Belong Ch. 37 (DC/Multi) (Patreon)

(Every character depicted in the story below is a consenting legal adult over the age of 18)

A/N: Mark’s perspective.

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They were doing what they had to do. That’s what Mark tells himself, even as he and his father destroy yet another army, pacifying another of Earth’s countries. Honestly, it seemed a little ridiculous that they kept fighting back. Didn’t they know that it was pointless?

It wasn’t as though Mark wanted to conquer Earth for the Viltrum Empire or anything like that. But… he didn’t really have a choice. None of them did. His dad had explained it to him. How Viltrum was a place where the strong ruled over the weak. How being a Viltrumite put them above the entirety of humanity in every possible way.

Mark would be lying if he said it wasn’t at least a little hard to stomach at first. At one point his father had even referred to his mom as a ‘pet’ and that had almost been enough to make Mark attack him. His mom might not be Viltrumite, but she was still his mom… she wasn’t a pet.

… At the same time, a lot of the other things his dad had said just made too much sense. Humanity was constantly at odds with each other. Assholes like Cecil rose to the top and had all of the power, not because they were strong, but because they were willing to be assholes.

To say nothing of how Amber had treated him. He’d tried so hard to make it work with her… but at every turn she’d been so damn selfish. Couldn’t she understand why he had to keep things a secret? And once he told her the truth… she should have been honored. Instead, she’d broken up with him.

Her, a human… had broken up with him, a Viltrumite. That had really put things into perspective when his father had finally told him everything about where they came from and what their true purpose was on Earth. They could be Earth’s protectors, but they were also Earth’s stewards. They were in charge because humans were like infants compared to Viltrum. They needed to be brought in line for their own good.

It still sucked that his dad had killed the Guardians of the Globe. Mark had grown up idolizing the hero team, after all. Maybe not as much as he’d idolized his dad obviously, but still… he’d had a few of their posters once upon a time.

When the Immortal had attacked his father shortly after Nolan found him and explained how things had to be to Mark, Mark hadn’t known what to do… but when he’d seen how quickly his dad took care of the other hero, how easily he once again killed the Immortal… it had become clear at that point that there was no fighting this.

His father was just one fully grown Viltrumite in an entire empire. If Earth fought back too hard, they wouldn’t send someone half as nice as his dad could be if he was allowed to be. That, in the end, was why Mark had to join him. Because it could get so much worse if they didn’t take things in hand and force everyone to play ball.

Unfortunately, the new Guardians of the Globe hadn’t agreed with that. Mark had tried to spare who he could, but his father hadn’t been so merciful, seeing them as Cecil’s lackeys. And Cecil himself… well, he was too dangerous to leave alive. He knew too much and had way too many tricks up his sleeves to let him live.

Mark’s father had taken care of the killing. Mark was… he was doing his best to keep up, but ultimately he felt a lot more comfortable destroying tanks and breaking fighter jets than he did putting his hand through anyone’s chest. He just wanted everyone to understand that this had to happen. If it wasn’t him and his dad, it would be someone way worse!

… He hoped his mother understood, eventually. She was the only one in the Global Defense Agency Headquarters that his dad had left alive. They’d relocated her somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way of all the chaos for her own good. But she wasn’t happy. The last Mark had seen of her was tears running down her face as she’d looked horrified and angry in equal measure… not just at her husband, but also at him. Her son.

She just needed to see what good they were going to do, Mark figured. That was the kicker. Right now, it was all bad because everyone thought they could fight back and resist the Viltrum Empire. But once the resistance was over and the conquest was complete, he and his father could show Earth how wonderful it would be to be under the command of Viltrumites. The advanced technology that his dad had talked about would be there for Earth to rebuild itself and-

“Mark.”

Jolting from his inner thoughts, Mark looks over to see his father floating in the air a few feet away. His mind glosses over the blood dripping off of Nolan’s gloves, a feat made all the easier by their natural red color.

“They’re ready for you, son.”

Mark swallows hard, his own hands curling into fists at his sides as he nods.

“Alright.”

Together, they descend to where a stage has been set up and camera crews are waiting for them. Mark tries not to take too much offense to the fear and terror he sees in dozens of human eyes. He’s a little irritated at the anger and hatred though. If they really wanted to defy him and his dad, they should have been part of the army that the two of them just defeated.

This wasn’t the first country that Mark would be addressing like this, nor would it be the last. Truth be told, he didn't even know what this place was called… he and his father had been moving so fast and hadn’t slept since the conquest began.

In the end, he just sticks to the boiler plate stuff, giving the same speech he’s given a dozen times already as he comes down and lands behind the podium.

“People of Earth! That’s right, I said Earth. Because this country… it no longer exists. The concept of national divisions, of borders and lines in the sand… no longer exists. You are all humans. You are all denizens of this planet. And this planet now belongs to the Viltrum Empire.”

There’s a stir among those present, just as there always is. But nobody speaks up… nobody dares. After all, Nolan has already taken care of anyone who would. He’s the ‘bad cop’ in this situation. Mark is the ‘good cop’.

“Here’s the kicker though! Earth always belonged to the Viltrum Empire! From the moment my father came to this planet, he laid claim to it. All of the threats he’s saved you from over the years, all of the apocalypses and invasions and natural disasters that he has stopped… are because you all exist under the Empire’s aegis.”

 For all the death and destruction they were having to deal in order to bring Earth in line, Mark couldn’t help but feel like he was bringing up good points every time he made this speech. Seriously, Earth wouldn’t even BE here if it wasn’t for Omni-Man. The original Guardians of the Globe themselves had owed their lives to Mark’s dad a half a dozen times over. This planet would be a desolate wasteland or an enslaved apocalyptic dystopia if it wasn’t for everything his father had done for it and its inhabitants.

“That’s not a bad thing either! With Earth officially joining the Viltrum Empire, things like food scarcity will be a thing of the past! Our people solved world hunger ages ago! Cancer too, we have cures for that! A whole lot less humans are going to suffer under our rule. This is a good thing and you all-!”

He barely sees the flash of pink in time to dodge out of the way, but Mark yanks himself back all the same… only to realize the attack wasn’t aimed at him anyways. It was aimed at the podium and the microphone he was speaking into, both of which are bisected by Atom Eve’s attack. Whipping around, his eyes widening, Mark actually starts to smile at first.

“Eve-!”

But then he sees the enraged look on Eve’s face… and the good-looking stranger at her side and his smile falls. Honestly, Mark had wanted to talk to Eve days ago, back before his father had told him the truth, right after Amber had broken up with him. He’d been at a low point then… but Eve hadn’t been available. When Mark had pressed, Cecil had admitted she was off-planet on some mission for him but wouldn’t say anything else.

She was also the last person Cecil had called before… well, before Nolan had dealt with the other man. Unfortunately, his mom had hung up the call before Mark could speak to Eve and explain. She hadn’t picked up after that either.

Still…

“Atom Eve, stand down. You do not want to fight us.”

Mark looks to his father as the older Viltrumite hovers forward, arms crossed over his chest. He knows that his dad is only really giving Eve a chance out of respect for her relationship to Mark himself, same as they’d tried to do for the new Guardians.

Nolan also probably could tell Eve wasn’t trying to hurt Mark with her opening attack either, otherwise he would have already reacted with extreme violence. Just as he’d done to anyone else who DID try to hurt Mark these days.

Eve just snarls and conjures up more of her power, eyes narrowing behind a pink visor as she girds herself in armor.

“Yeah? Because from where I’m standing it looks like I do. You know, seeing how you’re trying to conquer fucking Earth! What the hell, Mark?!”

Mark resists the urge to groan, raising his hands placatingly.

“Eve, you don’t have the full story. Nobody really understands what’s going on here, why we have to do this. It’s just-!”

“Oh yeah? Because we spoke to your mother. She told us everything. So I’d say I understand pretty damn well!”

There are tears streaking down Eve’s face as she clenches her hands into fists and glares at him and his father. Mark, meanwhile, is struck by hearing that she’d talked to his mom. How had that happened? His mother was supposed to be secure and safe.

“I’m not going to let you-!”

Eve’s next words are abruptly cut off as his father blurs past him faster than even Mark can fully track… and he has Viltrumite senses. Eve’s eyes barely have time to widen before Nolan is in front of her… but it doesn’t matter because the man she’s arrived here with steps in and catches Nolan’s fist in his palm.

A localized shockwave blasts out from the impact, causing Eve to stumble back a few steps and Mark to grunt and brace himself. The camera crews and other regular humans watching his speech go tumbling ass over end in most cases, yelps and screams sounding out.

But neither his father nor this mystery man budge a muscle. And… Nolan’s eyes are widening in shock and anger as he’s stopped. Just as rapidly, he fires off another punch, this time aimed at the man’s face, but that fist is caught as well. This is followed by him going for a series of leg strikes as they both lift off the ground and into the air, only for every single one to either be blocked or completely ignored.

Mark watches for a moment with his mouth agape, never having seen anyone go toe to toe with his father like this. Not even the Immortal had really been able to do anything to Omni-Man even as he’d beaten Mark bloody.

Finally though, he gets over his shock and surges forward.

“Dad!”

“Stay back, Mark!”

Only to falter when his father… orders him not to fight. What? What was happening?

A moment later and Nolan breaks away, flying back a few feet. The stranger lets him, looking remarkably unruffled despite going toe to toe with the strongest man Mark has ever known.

“… Who are you? What are you? Why are you here?”

In response to the rapid fire questions, the man tilts his head to the side and then speaks in perfect English.

“I see no reason to answer those first two questions. As for the third, I suppose I’m here right now to help her stop you. This planet… isn’t yours to conquer.”

For some reason, that response provokes Mark’s father into a truly apoplectic rage. His nostrils flare and his eyes widen before narrowing into slits. And then he’s blasting forward again, this time aiming both fists at the stranger’s chest as he aims his entire body like a javelin.

The last thing Mark is expecting to see… is the stranger grabbing his father mid-charge and redirecting him and all of his momentum upwards. In a split second, Omni-Man disappears, not by choice, but because he was just thrown up into upper atmosphere… or possibly into space itself.

Another second later and the stranger vanishes too, flying up after him. Mark’s eyes bulge as he watches him go, every fiber of his being tensing up. His dad had told him to stay back though, so he really didn’t know what to do.

In the sudden lull, Mark looks around himself. There’s Eve, looking like she’s ready to fight him… and there’s all the people who have since righted themselves and are staring up at him with differing expressions on their faces. Almost like he’s a math problem to be solved… or an alien conqueror who just had his invincibility called into question.

Mark doesn’t shoot after the stranger and his father because he’s afraid or anything like that, just to be clear. He does it because he wants to help his father and doesn’t want to fight Eve.

… And no other reason.

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A/N: Remember to Vote, leave a Like, and let me know what you think!

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Google Doc Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UOgxrIibgAUpqITQaZrbdOSOJR8Vj_4cvThiVhSeuZo/edit?tab=t.0