Request from Sallyface04, I hope this is to your liking! I can make adjustments if it isn't :) Hero AU, Buckle your seat-belts for this one!

"What are you fighting for?!" 

His coach yells, booming through the room; echoing in Marks ears like his heartbeat. He lets out a cry and hits the punching back as hard as he can; The coach knows fine well what and who he fights for. Hes been training relentlessly lately and today is seemingly no exception, Mark wonders what hes training so hard for, is there's some kind of attack he doesn't know about happening, or maybe its just to keep him on guard. He used to train like this all the time before the accident and finally got back into it after months of self loathing.

He finally, finally receives some kind of praise as hes thrown a towel and water bottle his way and told to take five. Ever since he got his powers hes been trying to control them, hide them; but its been impossible - Every little thing sets them off but luckily he hasn't unleashed them upon his coach today, a step in the right direction.

You see, Mark was struck by lighting and ever since then his life and body had never been the same. He was in a coma for six months and upon waking, his body had currents - electric currents going through it and he blew a hole in the hospital roof as he awoke; strength coursing through his veins, sparking through his soul - he hadn't felt so alive in his life but then he came crashing down and ended up hurting himself even more. The nurses told him he couldn't lose his temper nor is it a good idea to use the electricity as he loses control when he does so.

But feeling the electricity that gives him super strength and speed course through his body is something addicting.

Marks life up until the accident could be described as a series of very unfortunate events. He was perhaps the most unluckiest person on the planet and following upon the death of his best friend, he hadn't been able to break his sad spell until after the accident. Today he fights in the name of him; Mark couldn't be his hero whilst he was alive but he can be in his honor.

But each time he loses grip upon the mircale he has (or not) it makes him think he isn't cut out to be anyones hero.

;

"Stupid planet." Jack curses at the ground as he breathes out, banished from his own planet he landed here; being forced into some average teenager lifestyle and he hates it. Hes been just aching to destroy something.

In every world there are heroes.

And then there are villains.

On Jacks planet, he was a hero and on this one, hes a villain. (That'll teach those elders who banished him here. 'Careless and too young to be a king.' He'll show them. This planet will bow before him in show of what he is capable.

Jack has the ability to manipulate people at free will, as well as technology alongside super strength - hes a force to be reckoned with and he was but here hes just some kid, and it fuels a fire deep within his soul. Some people aren't meant to be heroes, Jack realizes that now.

But he supposes living uncover is easier here than it was back on his planet. Hes joining a school here to fit in as a normal student and that means when he does eventually do the whole world domination thing; he could always fall back on his sweet, quiet almost alter ego. Leading half a normal life helps keep him somewhat sane, anyways. Even his alter ego doesn't resemble anything about him; hes a quiet, student that just wants to get his work finished on time baby blues shielded with darker contacts and its like Jack steps into someone else's shows when hes behind school doors but out of it hes causing havoc all around the city and getting a kick from robbing places and baffle the local police who havent a clue.

;

Mark isn't out on the streets swooping damsel in distress off there feet in his spare time, no - hes out of his depths studying things that mean absolutely nothing to him when all he wants to do is safe people, perhaps he'll take up nursing in the future if he really isn't cut out for the hero ark.

Hes been training non stop and hes still can't fully control his stupid powers and the amount of times hes almost shown the school a firework display is unreal. His powers seem to want to explode the minute hes around people he likes; including a certain somebody's alter ego. Its strange that two very different people can clash in the same world like this; a villian and a hero under the same roof without realising. Perhaps the sentence is true, that you never really know who somebody is behind closed doors. That rings to especially with Mark; hes seen people hide behind a mask of happiness and hadn't seen through it until too late.

Maybe Mark isn't just fighting for those who can be saved, maybe hes also fighting for those who couldn't.

;

Mark and Jack meet out of costume first (or in, depending how you see it); and have known eachother for awhile well, known each other isn't exactly right, they know each other inside school rather than out and what Mark doesn't know is that Jack just so happens to be his dead best friends other earthly lookalike because life, is cruel (which is something Mark does already know.) The pair sort of immediately connect, Jack already reminding Mark of his best friend who isn't here anymore; it hurts his heart as much as it eases it. The pair have so much in common and there's very little things they don't share, or like. Jack is a joy to be around in classes, the class joker and energiser.

But outside of school - Mark has no clue what Jack does and he supposes thats another thing they share, never sharing things about their private lives or what they do when they return home, away from the bustling corridors and piles of homework.

"I thought you were meant to be fast." Jack utters to Mark as hes late for his third class of the day and he has to double-take at the joke, heart missing a beat thinking that somehow he knew but its eased as he laughs, rolling his eyes.

The pair spend most days together in the library, whispering jokes and snarky comments to one and other; studying for tests and Mark has almost a surreal moment that regardless of powers hes still a slave to exam results as much as the next guy. Whilst Jack aces every test as if hes done them before (maybe he has, on his planet.)

Jack enjoys his alter ego but regardless of such he still has a burning anger within him, a fire that no matter what he does doesn't seem to dwindle and in fact the flames just seem to be getting worse; he will rule this planet one way or another.

;

Inevitably, the two worlds collide. An out-casted hero turned villain meets his match in the form of an rookie hero who still can't control his powers - a lit firework, always.

It happens when least expected, Mark walking home when he sees someone terrorizing locals (well, you have to start somewhere.) Jacks brain washing the locals to spread the message, of a new ruler. He strikes fear first then bats his pretty little eyelashes and suddenly he has the start of an army. It makes him feel good; teenage rebellion at its height.

Mark, hidden behind a wall listening to someone manipulate those poor people; sparks and suddenly hes running around to the scene, comforting whoever this is and the electricity is flowing more than usual - he gives the person with their back to him a warning zap and as they laugh, Mark gets to look at their very, very familiar features.

The person who looks like the best friend he could never save, sends him flying into the wall coated with graffiti as the by standers laugh and Mark can't deal with this right now; all feelings being rushed back that he can't fight, he can't hurt this person who looks like the one person on the planet he could never save risen from the grave and Marks panicking as the very same person with the baby blues stands over him.

He doesn't say anything, just eyes up as if to say; pathetic.

Mark can praticially hear all the haunting words in the soft accent Jack, his Jack once had.

"Coward."

"You couldn't even save a single person, how can you save anybody else?"

"You were too late."

"This is your fault."

And suddenly Mark running, tears streaming down his face he can't even feel as he runs faster than he ever has - in the direction of where his Jack is buried, apology coating his lips as he does so.

Marks brain must be so jumbled from learning formulas that its playing some kind of horrible joke on him.

This all feels like some kind of brain trickery or nightmare that which Mark doesn't want to be apart of anymore.

;

Mark falls to his knees as soon as he arrives in the graveyard, leaves knocked from the trees as he sped in; gravel crunching underneath him. The grave is untouched; letters Mark sees in his worst of worst nightmares still written clearly - and hes trying to wrap his head around all this. Maybe the person was some kind of shape shifter, Mark doesn't care; they reflected the features hes prayed time and time again to see.

Perhaps its there and then he decides he won't let the same thing happen twice; makes a vow to his Jack, to himself even. A hushed whisper of a promise into the night. Then hes running off; back to his trainer and pleading hes awake, pleading he can logic this one out.

He speeds his way into the kitchen, knocking things over in his wake and his trainer whom has raised him comes rushing down the stairs with a baseball bat in hand and panicking put curses and drops his weapon as soon as he lays eyes on Mark.

The room is silent, just Mark moving closer and closer and the man opening his arms as Mark falls into them, crying; heaving as he lets it all out, hes cried for Jack of course he has; but whether he has grieved for Jack is a different story. Seeing his lookalike really did shake him; bringing it all back from the very depths at which Mark had buried it in.

It takes awhile for him to explain, but when he does his trainer is just as confused as he is.

"You're sure?" He asks, pausing coffee cup in place before he takes a sip.

Marks firm, wordless response in the form of a nod is enough for him and Mark is relieved hes being believed and not told hes crazy but mind you, he can control electricity and is perhaps the fatest man on the planet as far as he knows, anyway.

;

Evil Jack even manages to make the news in the morning, as well as a certain raven haired speedster (Mark isn't too happy about that.) and Marks barely had any sleep, energy non stop flowing through him veins igniting and sparking - even after months of having this curse of a blessing, Mark still isn't used to it.

Meanwhile Jack is trying to figure out who the human firework he bumped into last night was, he didn't think this earth had a resident wannabe hero; but maybe this one likes to keep a low profile. They ran as soon as they saw him though, so perhaps they've met somewhere before - Jack doesn't remember. Whatever or whoever it be, they wont stand in his way.

;

Mark is used to life moving fastly and tradegy happening slowly but everything from there really was a blur; school days blending into one and other - tests meaning nothing, and then hes out on the street fighting someone who isnt who he seems and after countless losing battles because Mark regardless of abilities cant see past soft features and angry voices.

And each battle he loses against the evil Jack and it seems like all it takes for him to lose is a flutter of his eyelashes; Mark is helpless.

But, Mark is also angry. At himself, at the planet maybe; its too much of a strong emotion to pinpoint exactly where it stems from but whatever it be he finally wins a fight.

He manages to knock evil Jack to the ground, gripping him by his suit; saving the life of some helpless,faceless citizen.

"Why are you doing this!" He yells, a question not to be denied an answer.

Jack laughs;

"People are weak. I'm doing them a favour. Whats one hero in a world of villians? This world could be ours, if only you'd wake up."

if

only

you'd

wake

up.

The words seem to echo infinetly inside Marks mind.

The villians smile turns soft; looking like Jacks once did, teeth showing slighty and Mark blinks, once, twice, three times and Jacks twitching in his arms.

"Don't go." Mark finds himself pleading, words he should have said before Jack took his life that night.

"I love you." Another thing Mark could have, should have said.

And then the world is crumbling beneath him once again - Jack disappearing from his arms; the world falling beneath him, sucking him up in a black pit; Maybe hes dying; being set free from the prison he put himself in, maybe this is how it ends for him; too grief struck to go any further.

Or maybe none of it was real.

;

Its been six whole months of back and fourth hospital visits, countless vases of flowers and sympathy cards for someone who is still among the living. How does a mother explain to someone that her beautiful scientist to be son, was grieving in his office when he was struck by lighting and thrusted into a coma; a coma even the doctors don't understand, a situation they can't understand how Mark is still even here. He doesn't look like it, with the endless rows of tubes and machinery attached to him. His mother hasn't slept well at all the whole six months, visiting the hospital everyday, asking for only one thing.

For Mark to wake up.

Today her message was heard.

A lungful of air; hazel eyes opening as Mark gasps for air like some kind of fish out of water being put back in.

The nurses come rushing in, another thing they perhaps can't explain.

Maybe his coma was his bodys way of dealing with the lighting strike as well as all the grief he never did know what to do with, all the emotions he felt out in the open. Maybe it was his mind giving him what he wanted; to see Jack again but not in the way he imagined.

Mark wakes to the reality that Jack is still gone but perhaps he finds comfort that in some other world, some other universe and reality hes still living and Marks right by his side lecturing him about his poor sleeping habits and dependance on coffee to get him through his exams.

Takes comfort in some other world, Mark is holding Jacks hand so tight; and telling him he loves him every single day.

In his coma, Jack had told him to wake up; told him to keep living and Mark thinks that's what he should do, not for himself but for Jack, to live his life that was cut so short, for him.

Mark is a hero not because he had superpowers, but because he kept living through grief even if he didn't want too. 

Jack is a hero and was never born to play villain. Jack is a hero because even beyond the grave; he tells people to keep living, something he wishes he had done himself.