Chapter Text
Mark could only stare at the lake woman, her form was a deep blue and where eyes would be there were glowing lights. Mark remembered the video of him saving Eve where his eyes glowed in a similar fashion.
“You’re the woman.” Mark said.
“I am Korra, bender of all four elements and former Avatar. I have passed down the title to you.”
“A what?”
“An Avatar”
“Avatar.”
“Yes, you are a the new Avatar, the bender of all four elements.”
“What?!? Is that why I can control earth?”
“Yes, and the other three elements.”
“Why would you give me this power?”
“A great threat is coming, spirits from the skies will invade this planet. You must form a connection with this planet and love them. My time however is running out, go to the illu you have placed me.”
“Illu?” Mark said confused. The blue woman melted back in to the lake, water droplets flew onto his body, with that he was released from the body lock.
Mark flew back to his home, it was 9 pm now. His parents hadn’t noticed anything, in fact they weren’t even home.
“Korra.” He sat on his bed. “Avatar???” He wanted to scream in confusion “Sprits from the skies?” That made his heart ache. “Spirits?!?” how absurd is that. Monsters, zombies, mind control, aliens, ancient mummy curses, witches… actually maybe it’s not that weird. “Find a connection to this planet?” Mark put his fingers over his lips.
“A connection.” He paused for a moment, and he took the phone and dialed up a number.
Ring
Ring
Ring
Bleep
“Took you long enough.” Amber said when he called.
“Hey Amber.” Mark said.
“Hey Mark.” She replied.
“…”
“…”
“…So would you want to go somewhere tommorow?” Mark said.
“Yes, of course but where is this “somewhere”?” Amber finger waved through the phone.
“Well yeah, you know uhh.”
“You’re clearly new to this dating stuff. Ill handle it, come after school.”
“Y-yeah well see you tommorow.”
Bleep
Mark let out a exhale, the anxiety of making the call leaving him and all that he was left with was a smile.
Eve could only watch through the window, she thought back to their past conversation. She quietly flew up and disappeared into the clouds.
Then next day
Mark and William walked down the school hallway, passing the lockers and various doors to their left and the windows that light up the passageways with sunlight. Mark carried a small bag in his hand.
“So how’s Amber?” William asked.
“Well I asked her out.” Mark said.
“Urgh finally.” William said and left Mark rolling his eyes. “So where are you taking her?”
“I don’t know? She said she’d handle it.”
“Seriously dude, I mean you’re the one who called her.”
“Yeah well I bought her a shirt, so hopefully that makes up for it.”
“Dude no. You’re not supposed to bring a shirt as a gift on the first date.”
“Whats wrong with a shirt, what if she likes it.”
“Who brings a shirt on a first date, bring flowers or chocolate.” William said.
There Mark saw Amber in the distance, he waved William a goodbye and William gave him a good luck.
“Hello Amber.”
“Why so serious.”
“I brought you uh this.” He handed over the small gift bag. Amber opened it.
“A shirt?”
“Gosh, William was correct it was a bad idea.”
“Well it’s the thought that counts?” Amber giggled.
“Come on let’s go to the festival.” Amber said.
“The festival? Isn’t it almost 20 minutes from here?”
“Don’t worry I called an Uber.” Amber said.
“I’ll pay you back.” Mark said, reaching into his wallet that contained 100 dollars, his leftover money from his former job at burger mart.
“It’s fine.”
The Uber arrived almost instantly, and they got on, they didn’t talk throughout the ride but whenever Amber pointed out random things with her finger on the window, Mark couldn’t help but smile. The Uber driver left them right outside the main entrance of the Festival, which was a open square plaza, its borders marked with metal fences with multiple vendor’s stations pressing against the metal barrier, they sold trinkets and jewelry in the outskirts of the square plaza, leaving a main entrance and a small line.
“Wow” Mark said.
“You’ve never been here?” Amber said.
“No, but it’s nice.” Mark and Amber stepped into the line.
“Yeah, it’s peaceful I go here whenever I have spare time or not at the food kitchen.”
“Food kitchen?”
“Yeah, I volunteer at food kitchens for the needy.”
“That’s… wow.” Mark paused, thinking of words to respond with. “Why though?”
“Why I volunteer?” Amber didn’t catch Mark.
“Yeah.” Mark clarified.
“Well because it’s the right thing to do, and learning their stories is too.” Amber and Mark reached the front of the line.
“Five dollars to enter.” The ticket master said, behind the glass booth. Mark paid for her and his ticket.
“What a gentleman.” Amber said.
The inside of the plaza square was filled with stone pathways and fake vibrant green grass, above them where black lines with turned off lights. Tables with umbrella where placed sporadically on top of the fake grass. The stores on the outskirts of the square plaza where either selling food, art, or jewelry. In the center of the square plaza was a concert stand where a small band played soft music. Amber looked at Mark waiting for his reaction.
“It’s nice.” He says.
“Yeah, I come here whenever I’m not at school or the food bank.”
“Oh, is your family poor?”
“No, no I volunteer at the food bank.”
“Oh sorry, but even so there’s nothing wrong with going to a food bank.”
“Yeah, the people there are all types of things, but mostly tragic.”
“Aside from that is there anything you want?” Mark said.
“Let’s go get some burgers here.” Amber pointed, at one of the restaurants.
Mark and Amber get some burgers and sit down at one the tables.
“So how is it volunteering at a food bank.” Mark asked
“Well it’s actually not that boring, you can get to know the regulars.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, there was this native woman who came a lot. Apparently she was an Inuit from Canada. She went looking for her missing daughter that was last seen here in Chicago.”
“That’s… wow, incredibly sad.”
“Yeah her daughter apparently moved here to study medicine to bring back some knowledge and make an i-iwu i think it was called.”
“Illu?” Mark said.
“Yeah! That was it. How did you know that though?”
“I just… knew i guess.” Mark’s mind raced to the night before and the urgency of the woman’s message.
Ring
Ring
Ring
“Sorry let me just decline that.” Mark said.
Mark grabbed the phone and pressed the red button multiple times but still.
Ring
Ring
Ring
“So sorry.” Mark started clicking the red dot like a kid with an elevator button. His actions were fruitless as the phone kept ringing.
“Maybe you should go take that call.” Amber backed away and so did Mark.
Mark went to a secluded area, where Cecil popped out.
“Finally, i thought she’d never leave.” Cecil said.
“Hey what the hell man.” Mark said.
“Didn’t you want to be a super hero? Not to mention the fact you’ve been keeping from me the fact you developed terrakinesis and have been talking to a woman telepathically.” Cecil said.
“…”
“We’ll have a talk later but right now i need you to go to Mount. Rushmore and defeat Dr Seismic.”
“Dr Seismic?”
“Crazy scientist who implanted himself with the power to control earthquakes.” Cecil gave an emphasis on the ‘earthqueske’
“Oh” A lightbulb aperread above Mark’s head. “That’s why you want me to go fight him.”
“Yes! Also put this on.” Blue Cecil handed him a one sided sport head phone. “So I can contact you whenever and HURRY. THIS IS A NATIONAL MONUMENT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.”
“Yes sir.” Mark felt a twinge of guilt for leaving Amber behind.
Mark switched into his hero suit and flew into the air.
Eve
Eve entered her house through the back door, she covered her ears expecting something. “EVE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN.” Her dad shouted out.
He came out of his bedroom, in the first floor still with his fast food work clothes and so did her mother. “Me and your father have been god darn worried about your repeated dissapearences.” Eve took a whiff and grease clogged her nose.
“I swear ever since that superhero stuff…” Eve moved past them unfazed, rant going through one ear and out the other.
“Atleast we still have that nice Rex boy to take care of you.” Eve’s dad said her body stopped at that. “What a gentleman.” Her mother added
“Rex cheated on me.” That caught their attention.
Her mother let out a gasp. “Oh my goodness.” Her mother said.
“What why’d he cheat?” Her dad asked.
“Why?!? Well because he’s a fucking liar.” Eve said.
“Control your words young lady.” Her father said.
“I- Ug- Urghh” she growled in frustration.
“Explain to us what happened sweetie.” Her mom said.
“You know Kate?” Her parents nodded “Well I walked in him screwing all three of her.” Her mother hugged Eve, while her dad gave her awkward pats on the back.
“Eve… there are lots of ups and downs in a relationship.” Her father used a gentler voice.
“There is no relationship dad. I broke up with him.” She said.
“You broke up with him?” He said, almost confused.
“Of course I did.”
“Atleast talk to him first.”
“Urghhh youre never on my side.”
The transmitter in Eve’s ear sounded, and Cecil’s voice came through.
“Eve, Dr.Seismic is threatening to destroy Mount Rushmore, you’ll be teaming up with invincible.”
“Why you don’t think I can handle it myself.” She said almost accusatorily.
“What? Oh stop with the teenage angst bullshit, just do the job.” He ended the call, leaving Eve a bit flustered.
“Young lady where do you think you’re going?” Her dad said, trying to catch Eve’s attention.
“I’m going to do my job.” She said.
In a pink flash her clothes changed into her disguise, she ignored her dad’s calls for her to “turn around” and to “get back here”.
Scene Mount Rushmore
Dr. Seismic stood on top of the presidential mountain, cackling evily. “Never has there been a female a president, you know why?” He screamed into the skies. “The patriarchy! Here I will start a female revolution, Mount. Rushmore more like Mount. Hermore.” He placed his hands on the mountain, his wristbands emitting waved that caused the mountains to rumble.
A little dark skinned child pulled at his dad’s pants, points at the several faces of the president carved on mountain.
“Look dad, that’s Lincoln.”
“Yeah it is.”
“Papa look it’s coming closer.”
“Huh.” the man looked over and saw the face of Lincoln slowly collapsing off the mountsin
“Oh SHIT.” The face started falling.
He hugged his child, in what he thought would be their last moments, but the face never fell. The dad looked up and saw Invincible.
Invincible held up the face with his hand, Mark still wasn’t sure his earth abilities were strong enough to do so. He placed Lincon’s face, on the the floor face up. He looked over to Dr seismic who was on the top of Mount. Rushmore.
“What do you call a criminal rock? Scum of the earth.” Mark said.
“That was terrible.” Atom-Eve appeared, on her pink jets.
“Hey, I had to think hard about that one.” Mark said.
“Ah hello there Atom-Eve, that outfit with the pink and not even subtle female symbol. Very oppressive especially when your powers aren’t even based on gender.” Dr.Seismic ranted.
“Uh I made that.” Eve said
“Internalized misogyny.” Dr.Sesimic said dramatically, putting the back of his wrist on his forehead.
“What?”
Suddenly Dr.Sesimic placed his hands on the floor and cracks scattered throughout the floor. The opening ripples raced towards a running family. Mark flew quickly while Eve went to rescue another family in the crossfire. The ground cracked open an abyss its bottom filled with lava. Invincible tried creating an earth floor, for the family to stand on. The slab of earth came only halfway, the father stood on the platform meanwhile the mother and child fell down. Mark flew down into the crevice and grabbed the family before they hit the lava floor. Once he got them out the crevice they ran, invincible flew up looking for any others needing help.
He spotted a man trapped, his waist and down were in between a rock shaft. Invincible flew down to the ground.
“I can’t breathe.” The man said with a strained breath.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here.” He grabbed the man’s arm and started pulling.
“Stop stop stop.” The man cried, and he did.
“Shit, uhh. Maybe if I.” Using Earthbending he opened the crack in the floor. Instead of the man getting out of the chasm, he fell even deeper. He let out a yell trying to climb back up, but another earthquake and Mark struggled to keep the chasm he had created accidentally open. His arms started to give out, he tried to keep hole as long as he could against the waves of earth moving. Like a bear trap, the chasm closed in an instant, the sound of flesh being smushed and bones breaking lasted for a few seconds.
Mark stood their stunned, there wasn’t anything left of the man he had accidentally murdered.