Mark watched as Thor, after downing what felt like half the cooler finally stood up and declared he needed to speak with the fair maiden Jane about matters of the heart and stars. Mark nodded, letting him go as Thor clambered down the ladder, leaving Mark to finish his beer alone before heading inside to find Darcy lounging on a stool near the lab's makeshift kitchen, scrolling her phone with a bored expression.
She looked up when he entered, setting her phone aside with a smirk. "How's the big blonde lug holding up? He didn't start sobbing l, did he?"
Mark chuckled, leaning against the counter beside her. "He's better now, opened up a bit, but no tears; he's off talking to Jane."
"Good," Darcy said with an exaggerated shudder. "Cause I can't deal with people crying, it makes me super uncomfortable."
Mark laughed again, the sound easy in the quiet lab. "Noted, no waterworks around you."
He then stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Hey, want to go on a walk with me? Be nice to clear our heads a bit."
She smiled, hopping off the stool with a nod. "Yeah, sounds good, lead the way hero boy."
They stepped out into the empty streets of Puente Antiguo, the town silent under the night sky with only the occasional sound of a distant car or bark of a dog. Darcy tucked her hands into her sweater pockets and glanced at him sideways. "So, about this Invincible thing, why do you do it? Flying around, saving the day, all that jazz; what's the motivation behind the mask?"
Mark shrugged, his hands in his jeans pockets as they strolled past darkened storefronts. "I grew up in a bad place that was full of crime, people looking out only for themselves, not very nice at all."
Darcy listened quietly, her usual excitable personality fading as she nodded for him to continue.
"But after the Harlem incident," Mark went on, "I gained some perspective; I realized the reason the place I lived in was so bad wasn't just the villains or criminals, but the indifference. People walking by, seeing wrong, and doing nothing. In Harlem, though, I saw folks helping each other for no reason other than it was needed, no reward, no glory. I suppose that's why I do it... maybe I can help create a world where someone stops when they see something bad happen, where kindness isn't so unpopular."
Darcy smiled softly, bumping his arm with hers. "Such a Boy Scout, it's kinda endearing, in a world-saving way."
Mark chuckled, then paused under a streetlamp as an idea sparked in his mind. "Hey, do you trust me?"
"Dude, I just met you today," she said, raising a brow but smirking.
He smiled wider, and stepped closer.
"Fine... yes," she conceded, her voice a mix of excitement and nerves.
Mark scooped her up in a bridal carry without warning, making her squeak in surprise as her arms wrapped around his neck instinctively, and he launched into the sky with a laugh, the ground falling away as she screamed at first, clutching him tighter while the wind rushed past them. He soared upward, breaking through the thin clouds into the clear night where the full expanse of the galaxy stretched out unimpeded, as he slowed to a gentle float, holding her securely.
She kept her eyes squeezed shut for a moment longer, then peeked open one, her scream turning to a gasp of awe. "Holy... how's that view for an intern astronomer?" Mark said with a grin, spinning them slowly in place.
Darcy opened both eyes fully, her mouth falling open as she took in the glittering sea of stars, endless and brilliant against the black void. "It's... beautiful," she whispered.
Mark nodded, his arms steady around her. "How can I look down from up here and not see a world worth saving with how beautiful the it is, even with its ugly moments?"
Darcy turned in his hold, her face close to his as the wind tousled her hair, and without a word, she leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that started soft and tentative, her hands cupping his face as he responded, deepening it while they floated in lazy circles, the kiss growing warmer amid the quiet vastness. A meteor shower streaked across the sky then, trails of light burning bright like, framing them in a cascade of silver that made the moment feel timeless, their lips moving together in perfect sync as if the universe itself had paused to watch.
_____________________________________
The next day, Mark, Darcy, and Erik sat at the rickety table in the lab's makeshift kitchen area, nursing coffees while the smell of sizzling eggs and toast filled the air, Jane bustling around the stove with Thor at her side, the god surprisingly adept at flipping pancakes. Darcy scooted her chair closer to Mark's, her knee brushing his under the table as she shot him a sly glance, though Erik rolled his eyes from across the way and muttered something about "young people" under his breath.
Thor plated the food with a flourish, setting steaming piles in front of each of them before taking his own seat with a nod. "My thanks to you all for your hospitality—Midgard's fare may be simple, but shared with friends, it rivals the feasts of Asgard."
Jane smiled as she sat down beside him, passing the syrup. "No problem—it's the least we could do after what you told me."
As they dug in, Jane turned to Mark, her curiosity from the previous day's data still fresh. "That information you recovered from the device yesterday—it's fascinating; the energy signatures match some of the anomalies we've tracked, like stabilized wormholes but with a feedback loop that could punch through realities. I was thinking, if we cross-reference it with my models, we might—"
She was cut off by a sharp knock at the door, followed by a voice calling through. "Thor! We found you!"
Thor jumped up, his face lighting up with a mix of joy and surprise as he rushed to the door. "My friends!" he shouted, flinging it open to reveal a group of armored warriors standing in the dusty street—a burly red-bearded man with a massive axe, a sleek fighter with a rapier, a silent stoic with dual blades, and a fierce woman in gleaming plate armour.
Thor embraced them one by one, his voice booming. "Volstagg the Valiant! Fandral the Dashing! Hogun the Grim! And Lady Sif, ever the shieldmaiden—how did you find me?"
The red-bearded one grinned widely, clapping Thor on the back. "We cannot be kept apart my friend!"
Thor turned back to the group inside, gesturing proudly. "Allow me to introduce Mark the Mighty; Jane, the brilliant scholar of the stars; Erik, the wise elder; and Darcy, the Witch."
Mark stood, offering a firm handshake to each. "Good to meet you all, welcome to Earth."
Lady Sif eyed him up and down appraisingly, her gaze lingering on his build with a nod of respect. "You carry yourself like a warrior."
Thor beamed, but his expression sobered quickly. "I am happy to see you again, my comrades, but you should not have come here."
Sif stepped forward. "We came to bring you home Thor, Asgard needs you."
Thor shook his head, pain flashing in his eyes. "I cannot come home... my father is dead because of me."
Volstagg exchanged glances with the others before speaking gently. "Your father lives, Thor."
Thor's face twisted in anger, his fists clenching. "It cannot be true, Loki told me himself that Father died from the strain of my banishment!"
Before they could respond further, a massive storm rumbled in from nowhere, dark clouds swirling unnaturally over the town as thunder cracked like breaking stone. They all rushed outside, staring up at the sky where lightning forked without rain. Thor panicked slightly, his eyes widening in recognition. "You must get everyone out of here to safety... the destroyer has come!"
Mark turned to him. "What's happening?"
"It is Asgard's greatest weapon," Thor replied grimly, "sent to end threats and now, it seems, to end me."
Darcy swallowed hard. "That doesn't sound good... like, at all."
"It is not," Lady Sif said, drawing her sword. "But we will face it."
Volstagg pounded his chest with a roar. "Aye, see that? The warriors three and Lady Sif will send it back to the forge!"
Thor nodded, his voice urgent. "Fight and distract it—give us time to evacuate the town; I will aid the mortals as I can."
"Will you not fight with us, Thor?" Fandral asked.
"I am only a man now," Thor said solemnly. "I would only get in your way."
Mark told Darcy to stay safe, kissing her quickly on the cheek. "Help Jane and Erik, help get people out."
She grabbed his arm. "Are you going to... you know, suit up?"
"I didn't bring my costume," he said, glancing around. "I'll just be a moment."
(AN: Damn so the destroyer has showed up and now a fight is about to happen. How will Mark handle this? Maybe he'll die? Probably not, but it could happen. Anyway hope you enjoyed.)
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