Different [A Superhero AU] - Book One

Chapter Twenty - Breaking the News

Mark watches, dumbfounded, as the gun falls from Cry's hand and clatters to the street. Screams ring out around him, but he can't exactly say where they're coming from. Ryan yells, racing out from the cover of a pillar and charging at the masked villain who shot his best friend. Cry watches him approach for a moment before disappearing into thin air. Ryan punches blindly at the place where his head had been, only to have his fist soar through empty space. Realizing that his attempts are fruitless, he sinks to the ground beside Matt's body.

Before Mark can react, Dan strides over to him and yanks him to his feet with a terrifying sense of ease. Their eyes lock, the Brit's entire body shaking as he grips the front of Mark's super-suit.

"Tell Jack," he demands, his voice wavering. "Promise me you'll tell Jack."

Mark nods, still a bit shaken by the image of a villain killing one of their former friends. Dan, upon seeing the nod, drops the hero and races off.

Stephanie, the only villain left, follows the Brit in a daze. The anti-heroes surround Matt's body, shooting wildly at both heroes and villains. The ring of gunfire brings Mark back to reality and he ducks behind a building.

"As soon as it's safe, focus on getting the civilians to safety. Phil, put out the remaining fires," Matthias orders.

The gunfire eventually dies off as the anti-heroes put away their guns and bring Matt's body back to their headquarters. As soon as it's safe, Mark steels himself and focuses on helping the civilians instead of the images flashing through his mind. He approaches a group of people huddled by a big, rusted dumpster and kneels down, his voice low and gentle.

"Is everyone okay?"

They nod, their eyes wide with terror. Children cling to their mothers with their faces buried in their shoulders, scared to look up at the hero. Mark helps them stand one by one, individually checking their vitals and various states of stability. Each shaky man and terrified child reminds the hero of Jack, and in turn reminds him of the terrible news he has to give him. He shuts his eyes as the image of blood spraying from Matt's chest flashes through his mind once again.

Eventually, an ambulance arrives with medics and the heroes are told to go get some rest. Mark, sweaty and exhausted, returns to Curatrix along with every member of his team intact. They step over the pool of Matt's blood, the poignant smell invading Mark's nose and making him gag. When they reach the doors of Curatrix, the hero silently congratulates himself for not throwing up simply from the scent of smoke and gore.

—

Jack knows, almost instantly, that something went wrong.

He manages to pry his eyes open for more than a few seconds, his body ridding itself of the anaesthesia slowly but surely. His eye aches a little, but all in all he's surprised the procedure wasn't more painful. Mark enters the room before he has a chance to drift off again, sitting down in a chair and burying his face in his hands. The villain instantly looks over, but can't find it in himself to sit up.

"Mark, what's wrong?" Jack mumbles, his stomach sinking.

"Um, I don't know how to tell you this." Mark falters, lowering his hands from his face and folding them in his lap. "While you were asleep, we got the call that the villains were out again. We went, and it turns out the anti-heroes got the memo as well because they were there too."

Jack pulls himself up-right, the sense of dread growing in his gut. "What happened, Mark?"

"Cry confronted Matt... a-and it looked like it was going to end peacefully... but... um..." He stops, his voice breaking. "Jack, Matt is dead."

The room seems to turn upside-down. The villain stares at the hero, but can't comprehend what he's seeing. Cry killed Matt? Matt is dead? They were friends... there's no way he could be gone...

"Jack, are you okay?"

The Irishman focuses on Mark, realizing that tears are pouring down his face. He wipes them away hastily, but they just come back.

"How?" Jack croaks, wrapping his blankets around him.

"Bullet to the chest," Mark answers. He takes a shaky breath and shuts his eyes, which glisten with tears. "It's like it's burned in my brain... I can't stop seeing it."

Jack can't help but feel amazed. This hero, who never even knew Matt, is shedding tears for him. The Irishman pulls himself to his feet and walks over, trying to hide his own tears as he pulls Mark into a hug. After a second, the hero hugs back.

Mark laughs shakily. "You know how to be compassionate?"

Jack rolls his eyes, releasing him and punching his arm. Despite himself, a short, tear-filled laugh escapes his lips. "Good job, you killed the moment."

"Well, sorry, Mr. Cold-and-Salty."

Jack scoffs, trying to hide his grin. "That's my nickname? Really?"

An actual smile graces Mark's face. "It's accurate!"

The Irishman rolls his eyes again and sits back down on the bed, the grief returning with full force. He sighs, his eyes itching and his throat tightening. Mark gets up and sits beside him, placing a comforting arm around Jack's shoulders.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

The villain nods a little. "Eventually."