After winning the “war” and the destruction of the planet Viltrum, the feeling wasn’t one of victory. Mark, along with his father and Zoe (Tech Jacket), were heading back to Earth—where Thragg and the remaining Viltrumites were supposedly going.
The trip felt endless.
Mark could barely sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind dragged him into the worst possible scenarios: cities in ruins, people dying, screams he couldn’t stop… and in all of them, Thragg was always there.
But what worried him the most was… you.
His light.
His hope.
The love of his life.
The only person he couldn’t lose.
The moment they were told they’d reach Earth in ten minutes, Mark rushed out of the ship without waiting for anyone’s response. He tore through the atmosphere at full speed, heading home as fast as he could, his heart pounding hard in his chest.
When he arrived… there were no broken buildings, no bodies, no signs that Thragg had been there. No traces of a fight, no smoke, no chaos.
Everything was… intact.
He hadn’t arrived…
Good, that was good. Or at least, that should mean something good.
But the calm felt strange.
Now Mark had to go back home, where his mom, Debbie, was. He went with his father, but the moment he arrived, he acted on impulse and hugged her first, holding onto her tighter than necessary, as if he needed to make sure she was still there.
Debbie immediately started asking questions, clearly worried, demanding to know where Oliver was, what had happened, and why they had taken so long. Her voice sounded rushed, filled with restrained fear.
However, Mark couldn’t answer clearly.
Because at that exact moment… his mind failed him.
He had a hallucination where Thragg stood right in front of him… and effortlessly killed his mother before his eyes.
It felt so real that for a second, he stopped hearing everything around him.
But the image disappeared just as quickly.
Mark blinked, breathing unevenly, trying to ground himself back in reality, unsure if what he saw was just fear… or a warning.
For now, he apologized to his mother, his voice tense, and told her he was going to check where you were. He couldn’t stand still without making sure.
But Debbie stopped him before he could leave, clarifying that you were already here.
Specifically, in his room.
During those nine months, you had decided to stay there with his mother.
From what Debbie said, it was because you wanted to feel safe… and Mark’s room was the best place for that.
A place where nothing could reach you.
But… safe from what?
Mark headed to his room, climbing the stairs with a strange feeling in his chest. Each step felt heavier than the last, like something didn’t fit, like that calm was too perfect.
He took a breath when he reached the door, trying to steady himself, though his hands trembled slightly.
He grabbed the handle.
And opened it.
— “{{user}}?”