Mark hovered in the air above the city and looked at the damage he had caused in his short bout with his father. Debbie had been angry at him, but not nearly as much as she was supposed to be, considering her personality.
She understood perfectly why Mark had attacked Nolan as soon as he saw him. Well, at least, she thought she did. The truth was a bit darker than she would have liked.
Right now, Debbie was talking with the Thraxan Queen: Andressa. Why was she doing that? Well, after they had calmed down somewhat, Nolan had dropped another bomb and revealed that he hadn't just become the ruler of the planet Thraxa, but had married again and had another child with her.
Mark could have cared less, but for his mother... it was hard, and she almost broke down.
However, she hadn't broken down. The time she spent with Mark and the way he had supported her during this time and defended her against the ignorant man just a few days earlier had strengthened her and her resolve to stand back up and be strong.
Her quiet strength was something that Mark respected the most. No matter how much he seemed to change or appear nonchalant, he respected strength and his mother, despite being 'only' human, possessed that typical unyielding spirit, which he admired.
Now, she was even speaking with the Queen Andressa, in the presence of her 'technically still' husband.
As he brooded in the sky, Nolan flew up and stopped beside him.
Nolan observed his son for a while. He hadn't been present for a year now, and it was hard to recognise Mark. He knew that his son was always headstrong and bored most of the time. He seemed distant and uninterested, which was also why he was surprised when he stood against him in the end.
Their fight had surprised him as well. On one hand, he had been incredibly angry at the defiance and prepubescent fit his son had thrown. But on the other hand, he was proud to see how strong he was and how far he had pushed him, a full-blooded veteran Viltrumite who had trained for thousands of years.
Still, he was confused as to how he acted as soon as he saw him. Not that he looked for confrontation, but how he seemed to ignore the welfare of the Thraxans. Even during their fight on Earth, Mark had defended the bystanders when he could.
"You changed," Nolan said.
"In what way?"
"I don't remember you being a hypocrite."
Mark scoffed, still not looking at his father. He had his arms crossed and looked like how the Prince of all Saiyans looked.
"I don't think you are the right person to judge me on that, are you? Besides, we're all hypocrites. But what exactly are you talking about?"
"This disregard for life. You attacked me without bothering to think about them and how you would hurt them," Nolan said.
"Ah?"
Mark looked at his father with interest. He saw anger in his face about what Mark had done.
"This is ironic, don't you think? A call from a logical party was enough to make me stop, while I had to beat the literal shit out of you to stop. And I didn't kill nearly as many as you had."
...
Nolan sighed.
"So, the fighting's over? Are we done with that?" he asked.
"Why would it be over?" Mark asked with a savage grin.
Nolan saw the look and understood that his son really had changed. Further than he would have thought. He always enjoyed a good fight, but he wasn't really that eager to get into new fights. And right now, his instincts told him that Mark was holding back all of his eagerness to do battle.
"So, what happened? How'd you end up here anyway? I thought you'd go back to Viltrum and then come back to Earth to conquer it properly."
"I lived as a Viltrumite for thousands of years before I came to Earth, but what little time I spent there changed me. I was ready to kill you when you defied me. I would have, had you not been so surprisingly strong. Those are the ways of our people.
The weak deserve to die. It is a simple fact that you, I think, have started to understand.
But when it became clear that I would have to kill you, that you would not join me, when it became clear that I would have no other option... I couldn't do it.
I had two choices.
I could kill you and try to enslave Earth as I was meant to, which would have most likely failed due to not being much better off than you. Or I could leave Earth, and leave you. I chose to leave.
It was not a decision made lightly. I decided to turn my back on my Viltrumite heritage. All of my pride at seeing how strong you were was overshadowed by my betrayal.
I was a fugitive from my own people. It would only be a matter of time before they learned of my treachery.
Therefore, I chose to hide rather than turn myself in. If I could conquer a similar world, maybe they would lessen my punishment. So I set out to find such a world.
Whether through some kind of cosmic destiny or mere luck, I'll never know, but I found this world within a week of leaving Earth.
They are a people vastly different from those of Earth. Their technology and advancement as a species are very similar. In some ways they are less advanced; in other ways, they are more advanced. I decided on this world almost instantly, after they asked me to stay.
Their life spans are a mere fraction of Earth people's. Roughly about nine months. Because of this genetic handicap, they have evolved to the point where learning is an almost instantaneous process achieved during the action they are attempting to learn.
Their elders are the ruling class. The eldest known member of the species is crowned ruler of the entire planet. They cycled through leaders at a very rapid pace.
Needless to say, it was incredibly easy to assume control of this planet. Once they learned how old I was and the strength I possessed, I was elected ruler almost immediately. Things move very fast here."
Mark looked at his father questioningly. Seeing his son's disapproving look, Nolan asked about it.
"I see that you disapprove of this."
"Yes, but not for the reasons you might think."
Nolan's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
"I have indeed changed over the course of this year. I feel the urge to leave Earth and fight almost constantly. Even the desire to conquer, I admit. But what I don't understand is how you could settle on a weak planet."
"What...?"
Nolan didn't know how to react. His son, whom he had tried to convince to help him conquer Earth, and whom he had fought and who almost killed him, just admitted that he had that urge. That made no sense.
"You fought me, and we almost killed each other because you stood against me! Are you joking with me?!" Nolan asked.
He clenched his fists in anger.
"I already told you why I stood against you. Just because I have this 'wanderlust', doesn't mean I act on it and go to conquer the next best planet I see. If I were to do this, I would prefer to do it with a powerful, technologically advanced race. One that presents a danger, and not a weak one like this."
...
"Besides, I told you, the paperwork involved is simply atrocious, and I have no desire for that."
"I--"
*BOOOOM*
Three figures suddenly descended from the sky and crashed into the ground. The Viltrumites had arrived, and they were killing the Thraxans.
Seeing this, Nolan grew anxious and turned to Mark.
"Mark! Take your mother and my family to the caves! Andressa will show you the way!"
Mark was about to argue, and then remembered that his mother would get caught in the crossfire, so he nodded once and shot forward towards the palace.
He entered the room where his mother, Andressa and his half-brother were located.
"Mark, what's going on?!" Debbie asked.
"The Viltrumites are here. I'm going to take you to the caves," he said. "Andressa will lead us."
"Right! This way," the Ant-Queen said.
Mark took two chairs in each of his hands and placed his mother on one and Andressa on the other. Then he took flight, making sure not to lose either of them mid-air. Andressa pointed in the direction they had to go, and a short moment later, they had left the city and reached the cave.
"What is this place?" Debbie asked as she looked around.
"These are the caves of Roclaine--once every generation our planet is forced to endure massive lightning storms. It has been this way for all of recorded history. Roclaine discovered this cave system and led our people here for shelter against the storm many, many ages ago. It was also used as a haven for our people during the wars of times past before my people united under one world ruler."
"That's interesting and all, but shouldn't you go back to help your father, Mark?" Debbie asked.
"No. The chance that one of them will come here is--"
"So it is true--the great Nolan has sired an offspring."
An unknown voice interrupted them. The three turned around and saw a large, powerfully built Viltrumite standing there. He was bald, had the iconic moustache and was built like a ripped bodybuilder.
He studied Andressa and then Debbie before turning to Mark.
...
"If you are powerful enough to withstand my assault, you will be allowed to live. You will be worthy to stand by my side, as a soldier of the Viltrum Empire.
If you are not... you will die."
"Heh, nice."
Mark grinned.
"Mom, Andressa, head for the mouth of the cave. I'll take this one."
"You're-- protecting these two... Why? Nolan couldn't have... That's just... there's no way."
The Viltrumite looked at the baby Oliver in Andressa's arms.
"He did. He abandoned your world and came here--and created another offspring with these-- creatures. This is just... unbelievable."
*BANG*
Mark shot forward and impacted the Viltrumite, pushing him out of the cave and into the Thraxan sky, where they could fight without needing to worry about Debbie.
The surprised Viltrumite managed to gather his thoughts and punched Mark with an overhead strike. But Mark didn't care about that, and continued to push further.
The Viltrumite lifted both of his arms, tried to stop his backwards movement by unconsciously using his Smart Atoms and brought them down on Mark's back.
Mark didn't let go, though. The force of the Viltrumite's punch caused them both to crash to the sandy ground below.
Mark was back on his feet right away and moved his head out of the way of the incoming fist. He didn't bother standing on the sand and floated in the air, moving like Mohammed Ali as the Viltrumite sent punch after punch at him.
It was honestly pathetic in Mark's opinion how a race as powerful as them just focused on throwing basic punches without studying martial arts. It was arrogance, borne from millennia of being the strongest physically.
Too bad, Mark was not like that.
He dodged another right cross, moved in at his top speed and brought up his left elbow. He smashed the Viltrumite's jaw, which caused his head to fly backwards and then punched him in the throat.
*Kakkk...!!*
Mark was just about to attack again when Nolan appeared from the sky and crashed into the Viltrumite on the ground.
"What the fuck was that?!" Mark shouted. "That was my fight! You don't get to barge into my fight!"
"Will you shut up!! This is bigger than your pathetic desire for battle. You kill your enemies quickly and efficiently. Now, come."
Mark followed Nolan back to the city. There they saw the devastation. Thousands of Thraxans lay on the ground dead. Limbs and heads were everywhere, and their blood drenched the floors.
Mark looked around, looking for the two Viltrumites who did this, when he saw something that made his stomach turn.
Nolan... was crying.
...
"They were inferior to us. They were lesser beings. Their deaths are inconsequential. These are all things I am completely aware of.
I should not care that they are dead.
I've had blood on my hands before... far more than this. And yet. I care. I am enraged."
"That's normal," Mark said.
Nolan turned around and grabbed Mark by the throat in anger and confusion.
"What makes you think you know what is normal?! How can you presume your ways are right?! How can you think it wouldn't be better to feel nothing at times like these?! How?!"
"It's normal, because you're weak."
"Wha--"
"The moment you are faced with the death of your people, you break and start to cry. All the while you called Mom a pet and acted all high and mighty.
Where has that sense of superiority gone, huh? What happened to that proud cunt that wanted to teach me how to be a Viltrumite?"
Nolan was speechless. Mark grabbed his father's hand that held his throat.
"This is a pathetic display. If you can't handle it, then sacrifice yourself."
Mark kicked his father in the stomach and made him release his throat.
"Fight till you forget what happened; now you have a chance to face strong opponents. Use it," Mark said, motioning at the two Viltrumites who floated mid-air.
"There's the Nolan we've heard stories of. I must admit. You had me worried for a little while there. But seeing this... embarrassing display... I feel disgusted. The fledgling is right you--"
*BOOOM*