◃ Battle #1 ▹

Mark vs Marshall

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Mark, Marshall, and the wolf dogs had been teleported to a barren frozen landscape, nothing around to distract them from duking it out.

"...It's all your fault"

"Marshall please. Let's just talk about this-"

"Shut up! If we hadn't agreed to help you and your team, we could've done this the easy way! We wouldn't have lost our second strike, and The Boss wouldn't have beaten us!!"

Marshall covered his hands and arms in his white flames, and charged at Mark out of his rage.

Mark knew that he couldn't let his flames touch him while he was like this, and changed half of his body into smoke. With the sudden change, he flew up into the air to steer clear from Marshall's reach.

"Marshall, tell me what happened. We can still help you. If you'll just come with us-"

"I told you to shut up!! I'm tired of listening to you!!"

Marshall yelled, instead resorting to launching balls of fire at Mark.

Mark acted fast and launched shards of ice at the fire balls, trying to only decrease their temperature while dodging them, knowing that letting them touch him would be fatal.

"Damn it.. I didn't expect this to be easy, but there's just no getting through to you right now.."

Mark knew that using his Stand against him while he was using his flames would likely end with him and his Stand being destroyed.

As they continued to fight, Mark felt something from Marshall that he only felt from himself. He could feel the same pain in Marshall's flames that he felt in his ice before.

He could tell that his flames were consuming him with rage, the same way his ice once consumed him with sadness. And he knew that they were both still grieving. They both lost everything because of their powers, and Mark was determined to save Marshall from himself before it was too late, regardless if he wanted his help or not.

Mark created a huge wave of frost, thick enough to prevent Marshall and his wolf dogs from seeing anything.

In the wave of frost, Mark also created two ice cages to trap Leon and Daegal in, their sudden barking alarming Marshall and causing him to panic.

"Leon! Daegal! Are you two alright?! What happened??!"

The frost had a big effect on him not only because of its chill, but also it's thickness.

The temperature of his flames only continued to drop as time went on. Mark took inspiration from him and encased his hands and arms in his ice to take him on in a fist fight. Now that Mark was right in his line of view, he could see him perfectly. But because his flames were weakened, Mark was starting to overpower him.

Seeing that his chest was wide open, he summoned Phantom Haze and he managed to kick him a few feet away. Marshall tried to counter with his Stand, using Emperor to shoot two homing bullets at him: one at his head and one at his chest.

The two bullets hit Mark head on, but instead of falling and dropping dead on the spot, he only stumbled back a bit before standing up straight once again.

"What?!?!"

"I can create a thick layer of ice over my body any time I want, and regenerate it as if nothing happened. Emperor's bullets can't effect me no matter how many times you shoot me"

Mark explained, restoring the layer of ice as if the Stand's bullets never struck him.

"Damn it.... Damn you.....! Why can't you just die already?!"

Angered by being overpowered by Mark, Marshall's flames suddenly grew even hotter, despite being in the middle of the frost wave.

Small white flames suddenly appeared all over his body, and Mark became even more alarmed when they seemed to burn his skin. For the first time, his flames were actually burning him alive, and their temperature only seemed to increase.

"Marshall!! Hang on a second!! You've gotta calm down!! You're gonna kill yourself!!"

Mark tried to warn him, but Marshall didn't respond.

He realized that the latter couldn't even hear him because of how angry he felt. His rage had gotten to him so much, that even Leon's and Daegal's concerned barking didn't get through to him.

Not even seconds later, his entire body was set ablaze, first with normal flames, that then changed into white flames. Within the flames, Mark could even see Marshall's skeleton that also seemed to be burning. It was then that Mark realized he was changing into something feared by many pyrokinetic users: an Infernal.

"No.. Stop this Marshall! This has gone on far enough! If you go any further with this, we may not be able to change you back!!"

Mark tried reasoning with him, refusing to fight any further.

Seeing the dogs' concern for their master, Mark destroyed the cages that they were trapped in to see if they could do anything to help.

"WE'RE GOING TO END YOU RIGHT HERE AND NOW, AND THEN WERE GOING AFTER THE BOSS AGAIN!!! LEON! DAEGAL! ATTACK!!"

He ordered, seemingly not being able to move much in his current condition.

But despite the two of them being given direct orders, Leon and Daegal stopped listening to his commands to attack Mark all together, choosing to stand by Mark's side instead. They were both too worried about Marshall to attack Mark anymore, and started whining for help as they were unsure of what to do.

Once he saw how scared Leon and Daegal looked, he finally snapped out of his blind rage and realized just what was happening. He suddenly felt the excruciating pain from his extremely hot flames burning him alive, realizing that he was becoming one of the few things he was terrified of.

Marshall realized that he was about to die by his own hands and immediately gave in and surrendered, not knowing how to stop his flames. Even his tears caused by the pain he felt evaporated as soon as they left his eyes. His cries for help were the loudest sounds that filled area, and even though he didn't want to before, he finally begged Mark to help him.

Mark immediately sprung into action, having already calculated a plan to save him. Just as Taeyong did for him many years back, he proceeded to comfort Marshall, having finally realized that he actually had a Crystal Heart just like he did.

"Marshall, I've finally figured it out. You have a Crystal Heart just like mine, but yours is one of fire because of your power. I know that you're still blaming yourself for a lot of things, but you've got to come to realize that what happened was never your fault. I ended up killing my parents with my ice when I was a kid, but that's only because I couldn't control my power. And I almost killed myself because I blamed myself for getting me and my brothers separated from each other. But because I blamed myself for those events, I began to freeze from the inside out and I couldn't reverse it until I accepted that I wasn't the one to blame. This is exactly like that Marshall. What happened to your family isn't your fault. Not even what The Boss did to all of you is your fault. I know the pain you're feeling, I really do. But there are some things that will just be out of our control"

Mark explained, seeming to calm Marshall down a bit.

"...My parents forbid me from using my power, because of the destruction it could cause. I realize now that they were just trying to help me.. We were attacked one night while we were sleeping, and my parents were losing. I let my emotions get out of control, and because the power of my flames grew from not being released, they destroyed everything once I snapped... I was just trying to help... I just wanted to save them... But I burned them and my home to the ground... Not a single speck of ash was left behind from my parents, our attackers, or my home... I'm all that's left... All I wanted to do was help my parents, b-but I killed them...."

Marshall revealed his story to Mark, his tears steadily evaporating as they left his eyes.

Mark then made a thick layer of frost on Marshall's shoulder, and gently rested his hand on him.

"They only wanted the best for you Marshall. It's true that your flames are destructive, but that goes for all flames. Yours are just the strongest, but that also means they burn the brightest. You've always had incredible potential, but you weren't old enough to handle them properly. None of you could've suspected that they would get hotter from being neglected. It was never your fault Marshall. Your intentions were always good, so it was never your a fault"

"......"

Mark could feel the temperature of his flames go down as he continued to talk to him, bringing a smile to his face.

"You were never alone in this Marshall. You've got loving wolf dogs and friends by your side that care about you and your well-being. As for me and my team, we'll always be here for you too, even if you push us away. That's a promise you can count on. But in order for us to do that, you have to live to see another day, so please calm down and let me help you..."

Mark pleaded, resting his other hand on Marshall's other shoulder.

He used his ice to help him cool his raging flames, just as Donghyuck used his flames to thaw him out years back. Finally being able to feel the soothing chill of the ice, Marshall gave into his sorrow as he ultimately forgave himself.

Despite still being covered in his flames, for the first time, he finally hugged Mark. Even though he was alarmed, Mark hugged him back. But instead of being disintegrated by his flames, he only felt a soothing heat that he's only felt from Donghyuck's flames before. Mark finally realized why his flames were always so powerful. Marshall had felt nothing but absolute guilt and anger throughout his life, and because of that, his flames obliterated everything they touched.

Because he's finally forgiven himself, added on to the comfort he received from Mark, he no longer felt that anger or guilt. Because of this, his flames have no reason to obliterate him despite Marshall hugging him. Instead, they're only emitting a comforting heat because he feels safe and comforted in his arms.

As he continued to cool him off, Marshall eventually calmed down enough and his flames went out, causing him to return to normal. All that remained of the events that had just taken place were multiple burns that were laced around his body.

"It... It worked...?"

Marshall looked at Mark with a confused expression, not knowing how to feel about how he just saved his life.

Leon and Daegal immediately became relieved, and swarmed Marshall, causing him to finally smile and laugh from how excited they were. They even swarmed Mark as a thank you for saving their master, no longer having any hostility towards him.

Not long after, a portal suddenly opened up near the four.

"A portal??"

"That's right... The Boss said that each time one of us wins, a portal will appear to take us to a resting zone before we all make our way back to the HQ. He said once all seven of us were to make it back, we'd finish off the rest of your team"

Marshall explained with a sorrowful expression.

"I see... So, he won't know if only one or both of us survived it seems. This is actually good then! Since it's a resting zone, we'll get a break to rest, and there might be tools there for us to heal up! That way, I can treat those burns, as well as your back injury and Leon's and Daegal's neck injuries~"

"You know about that..??"

"I saw how you were standing earlier, and those bandages around their necks make it all too obvious. I know he broke your bones when he punished you, and he hurt Leon and Daegal too to push you over the edge. That bastard..."

"..."

"...But let's not dwell on that right now. Let's just focus on getting to that rest area"

"Right.."

Mark took Marshall's hand, and Leon and Daegal followed behind him into the portal, being transported to a whole new location.

-

"This is actually a very nice room"

"Yeah. It's even got books in case we get bored. Not to mention a kitchen"

The four were completely amazed by what they were presented with.

Regardless, Mark made Marshall and the dogs sit down and gathered supplies to help treat their injuries.

While he treated Marshall's burns, he noticed that he looked like he had something on his mind.

"What's wrong Marshall?"

"...Once we all get out of this, we'll help you take down The Boss, and join your side"

"Really~? You mean it~?"

"Yeah... A-And.. You can call me Mars.."

Despite being afraid of what The Boss would do to him, Marshall finally decided to team up with Mark, becoming his friend.