Chapter Text
At first, Mark wanted absolutely nothing to do with Masked-Mark. With anyone, really. He's here on a mission; a job, not to make friends.
It turns out they're hiding in the same place.
They'd been in Angstrom's secret headquarters for a week, and Mark is tired of dealing with his other selves.
Add to that the fact that he was a little embarrassed to interact with them, and he just decided to hide for peace of mind.
Masked-Mark had the same idea, and they both hid in the same closet in silence.
This is repeats over the next few days.
When they spend a week hiding, Masked-Mark speaks first.
"Why are you hiding?"
"I don't really like people. Do you?"
"Me too. Although I'm hiding because I've heard several of them being unnecessarily unpleasant."
"Oh, I heard something like that."
Masked-Mark shrugs.
"Why did you take Angstrom's deal?" Mark asks, looking at his other self.
"I want Mom back. I miss her so much."
Masked-Mark hugs his legs and looks very sad. Mark feels bad for asking.
"I miss William... I want him back, too. I don't trust Angstrom enough to tell him why I decided to help, so..." Mark shrugs.
Angstrom promised him anything, a dimension for himself or a person, anything he wanted. Mark doesn't trust the other man, but the temptation overcame his common sense. Besides, getting away from the Viltrumites was a plus.
"William?" Masked-Mark tilts his head. "Are you talking about Winry Clockwell? You know, brown hair, blue eyes, very funny."
Mark laughs for the first time in years and smiles fondly.
"Yes, I'm sure they are the same. I never would have imagined there was a world where Will was a woman. We joked around sometimes, and he was sure there was no universe where he was straight."
"Guess what! As far as I know, there isn't! That woman adores other women. Three years ago, she beat up Todd because he tried to go out with her again. Well, she didn't hit him, she kissed another girl in the hallway, and that was humiliation enough."
Masked-Mark laughs, and Mark laughs too. He feels comfortable. He feels warm.
Mark almost feels at home.
"What about Mom?" Masked-Mark leans toward him and sounds more emotional.
"Mom died when I was little..." Mark looks away and sighs. "Nolan didn't care. He said she was weak and fragile. The only thing that consoled me about her death was that she never found out what a monster her husband was and what her son had become."
Masked-Mark nods and leans on his shoulder. Mark tenses for a second, but then relaxes.
"Yeah, I know how it feels. Nolan killed Mom in front of me when he wanted me to be on his side. I killed him, and I don't regret it."
Mark gives him a few pats on his shoulder.
"Good job."
"Thank you!"
The closet door opens and its hiding place is compromised.
"You know, if you want to fuck, find a less obvious place." Mohawk-Mark lifts an eyebrow and grabs a jam jar before closing the door and leaving.
"Fuck you!" Masked-Mark scream.
They change the hiding the next day, but Mohawk-Mark had taken as a personal challenge to find them, so he became a headache.
Both know that they can overcome the idiot in a fight, but they don't feel like causing problems.
There is a room where Angstrom works every night and in which no one has entered, but it's noon, and Angstrom never enters during the day, so they don't care and enter.
It is a laboratory. There are several machines and tools watered everywhere, but that is not striking. In the center of the room there is an open portal, although unstable.
Both approach and it is a shame not to be able to look at the other.
"What do you think is behind?" Masked-Mark crosses arms and Mark shrugs.
"Find out!" Mohawk-Mark sneaks away behind them and pushes them through the portal. Where did he come from!?
The laboratory is replaced by a vast blue sky and the portal closes.
"No no!" Mark returns to the place where the portal was.
"I hate him!" Scream Masked-Mark. "I'm going to kill him when I see him!"
Probably Angstrom will not care about either, especially because they entered a place they should not. They are alone here.
Mark looks away from Masked-Mark and is very surprised to realize that this world is intact. There is no destruction; There are no burning buildings or corpses.
"What do we do?" Masked-Mark seems nervous and Mark is the same or worse.
"Look for Cecil?"
Mark didn't think he would have to say that again, but there it was. Cecil died a long time ago in his world.
"Or the Mark of this dimension."
"And how will him help us?"
"we can have his trust, before having to resort to Cecil."
"Do you think this is the world of Mark that Angstrom wants to destroy? Because if so, we might not do anything and wait."
"Let's look for the Mark of this world and then decide what to do."
Mark shrugs and follows the other.
They fly for a few minutes until they get home. Mom's car is parked outside and Masked-Mark gets too excited.
"Do you think Mom is still alive here!?" Masked-Mark is probably smiling under his mask. "But ... if Mom is alive, I can't invade this world!" Now sounds alarmed.
Mark looks away and crosses his arms. He loves his mother, but he doesn't have too many memories of her. He is involved in this shit for William, he want his boyfriend back and... hurts to see Masked-Mark so excited, he has already like Masked-Mark and does not want to hurt him, but Angstrom promised something and...
"If mom is alive, probably Winry... sorry, William, too."
And that is a big possibility. He still has hope, right?
They descend in the backyard and hide immediately because a purple child opens the door.
"Mom, I'll go play!"
"Okay, but return early, Oliver. And be careful!"
That is definitely Debbie's voice. Mark holds Masked-Mark not to fly towards Debbie and he sob, snuggling against his chest. Mark hugs him strongly.
"She's alive..."
Mark would like to be able to caress his hair to him feel better.
"W-we are looking for William and... and then we return with mom, please."
Mark nods. His heart beats a lot and his stomach is stirred.
Hopefully William is fine.
First they go to William's house and it's empty, so they check everything. Masked-Mark says that William is alive, also tells he is a very beautiful man. Mark knows it, his boyfriend is the most beautiful.
Next and last stop is the Upstate University.
"My William had no chance to attend the university," Mark stops in the air. "I hope he's having a good time."
"I will go down to look for him, you are too recognizable without a mask."
Mark knows Masked-Mark did it so he wouldn't break into tears when he sees William. He appreciates it.
Masked-Mark drops down to the roof and Mark watches as he removes his suit, but he only manages to see his long, disheveled hair down to his shoulders.
Masked-Mark returns ten minutes later.
"William is alive."
Mark feels his lips tremble and nods, he doesn't feel with strength to speak. Masked-Mark hugs him and breaks into tears.
William is alive, his William is alive...