Despite a flicker of regret, Marcus had no intention of saving Edward.
It was a rare feeling, but why should he intervene? He had warned Edward when he bestowed the power that it would consume everything, and the man had accepted the terms. He wasn't going to make an exception for him, nor would he act on a momentary impulse.
After all, he wasn't a saint or a savior—just a visitor passing through this world.
Jason was heartbroken by Edward's death, but he understood it was Edward's own choice. Like Edward, he was also burning away his own life force for greater power. He'd simply started drawing on it later, so he still had time left before burning out completely.
But it was clear Jason was determined to die. With Edward gone, he had lost the only family he had. With his body already breaking down, he knew he didn't have much time left. He planned to hold a funeral for both of them, in his own way.
"Edward, we'll meet again soon..." Jason muttered, and the flames engulfing him roared even hotter. Gouts of fire, like dragons, erupted from his mouth, melting everything in their path.
"They had a good relationship," Marcus said to himself, floating in the air with a faint smile. He watched as Jason walked toward the heart of the inferno. "And they aren't afraid of death, either."
He'd never witnessed such a bond before. Not even Charles and Eric, for all their history, shared a connection this deep. They truly saw each other as family—a bond that not even death could break.
On the ground, Jason frantically unleashed the power Marcus had granted him. His body burned like a star, and his strength surged. The entire island became a sea of fire. Rocks melted into slag, and trees turned to ash in an instant.
"So this is the funeral he prepared," Marcus mused, resting his chin on his hand. It was the grandest funeral he had ever witnessed. There were no flowers or somber music, but Jason was offering an entire island as a grave for himself and Edward. Nothing could be more grandiose.
"Then... may you rest in peace on this island," Marcus whispered as the last of the flames began to die down. He had to admit, he felt a tinge of admiration for the two men. Their calm acceptance of death, their pure brotherly love... it was a rare thing to see.
As he spoke, Marcus activated his Warframe, shifting into the form of Hydroid. He hovered over the lava-covered island below, his form rippling like water.
"Allow me to give you a final send-off. Thank you for the performance. It was magnificent."
With that, Marcus dissolved into a surge of water, merging with the ocean below. In the next moment, a colossal wave rose from the sea. It swelled higher and higher before crashing down, completely submerging the island. The molten lava cooled rapidly under the deluge, sending vast clouds of steam hissing into the air.
"May you both sleep peacefully."
Marcus's voice echoed across the water. Then, the great wave receded as quickly as it had come. He dismissed his Hydroid form and returned to the battlefield in New York.
Leaving the sincere bond of Edward and Jason behind, Marcus returned his attention to the warzone, which had devolved into an arena for supes. Homelander and Stormfront, each leading a rival Seven, had been forced into a temporary alliance as the horde of test subjects swarmed them.
The sheer number of these new supes was overwhelming. Even with two teams, they were only a dozen strong against hundreds of rampaging test subjects. Even so, it was a desperate fight.
Though less experienced, the test subjects were also empowered by the gift Marcus had offered. While their base power wasn't enough to rival a member of the Seven, by burning their own life force, they could amplify their strength immensely. They still couldn't match a top-tier supe like Homelander, but they were more than a match for the other members of the Seven.
This sudden surge of overwhelming power had gone straight to the test subjects' heads, making them arrogant and even more brutal than Homelander's crew. Homelander and his team at least pretended to be heroes. Even with their souls twisted by the Void, they maintained their public image, restraining themselves in front of the cameras and avoiding lethal force.
But these test subjects were different. They acted like complete monsters, utterly unconcerned with public opinion. All they wanted was to unleash their newfound power and force the world to kneel.
"Tsk, tsk..." Marcus mused as he surveyed the chaos in New York. "It seems a sudden rush of power really does make people lose their minds. I haven't even had to twist their souls, and they're already like this."
He knew the power was intoxicating, but he was still a little surprised. It seemed that men like Jason and Edward were truly a rare breed.
"Their behavior is just pathetic," Marcus scoffed. He used Void Dash, dissolving into a stream of energy and hurtling toward a man who was terrorizing a civilian. Bullying the powerless was just sad. You don't need superpowers to be a petty tyrant.
"Stay away from me!" screamed the terrified woman in the red dress. She was cowering before a man with the feral features of a jackal.
"Hahaha, why would I do that—"
Before he could finish, a hand clamped around his neck, and his world went dark. With his current strength, Marcus didn't even need a Warframe to handle these low-level thugs. He usually saved his armor for more interesting fights, but he was happy to make an exception to deal with scum like this.
The hand gripping the jackal-man's throat tightened slightly. With a faint flash of energy from his fingertips, Marcus snapped the man's neck, ending his life instantly.
"It's this late, and there's a super-powered riot going on. Why are you out on the street?" Marcus asked, tossing the corpse aside as he turned to the woman.
He sighed to himself. Some people just have to learn things the hard way. They won't listen to warnings until disaster strikes them personally.