They get back to the hero's base and Felix takes Jack from Mark's arms, refusing the American's insistence on keeping the villain against his chest. While the Swede lies Jack down in the spare room, Phil sits Mark on the couch and goes to do a checkup on Jack. The rebels sit at the dining room table and speak softly to each other while Mark threads his fingers through his hair and bites his lip.

Sitting and stewing in his thoughts does nothing for Mark's mental wellbeing. His muscles refuse to unclench and every little sound becomes more and more irritating as the minutes pass, and when Phil comes back he lets himself break.

"How the HELL did Anti get out? How is he still here!? We closed off his passage!" Mark demands, finally loosening his grip on his abused hair.

Phil exhales heavily. "I did a full checkup on him. From what I can tell, his accelerated immune system fought off the antiseptic to the point where it's not even there anymore. I mean, that eye isn't even blind anymore, but it is infected."

Mark stares at him before burying his face in his hands. Felix sits down on the couch beside him and pats his back gently, eyeing Phil the entire time.

"Do you have a way to fix it for good this time?" Mark asks, his voice strained.

"I can do a surgery on his eye to inject the antiseptic into the muscle around his optic nerve. Then I can use my healing to completely close off Anti's window and get rid of the infection. It's going to be really painful for Jack, though, and it's dangerous if Anti gets out during the surgery," Phil replies.  "There's also the possibility that Jack could lose his vision in that eye permanently, but it's not certain."

"I'll talk to Jack about it when he wakes up." Mark sighs and rubs his eyes, suddenly feeling very, very tired. "I'm gonna go check on him. I suggest that the rest of you stay back. I don't want him to panic worse."

The hero stands up from the couch, grabbing Jack's spare eyepatch from their bedroom before moving to the spare room. The Irishman lies on the couch, completely unconscious, and Mark takes this opportunity to tie the eyepatch over his eye. His heart breaks at the small stab of fear that passes through him, and he does his best to shove it away. He's not afraid of Jack. He's afraid of the monster that consumes him.

Jack stirs, his fingers clenching and unclenching, before his visible crystalline-blue eye cracks open. It takes a second, but as soon as he registers where he is he's bolting upright and curling in on himself. Every breath is shaky and panicked as he shrinks away from Mark, tears welling in his visible eye. Mark instantly feels like he's been hit in the heart by a semi-truck.

"Jack..." he begins, reaching out his hand. The villain flinches and Mark retracts his gesture, trying his hardest not to burst into tears himself. "Jack, it's okay. You're safe."

"No, no, I'm not, you're not safe, Mark, I don't want to hurt you," Jack pleads, burying his face in his knees. "Please, I don't want to hurt you. I've n-never wanted to hurt you..."

"I'm fine, Jack. I am. Be careful, okay? Felix clubbed you pretty hard."

"Oh my God, Anti was let out. Oh my God. How many people are dead? I'm so sorry, Mark, I'm so sorry," Jack babbles, barely listening to Mark's words. "I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want this—"

"Jack." Mark reaches out again and, against his better judgement, rests his hand on the villain's bicep. Jack tenses, curling up even tighter and making it look like he's trying to disappear into the cushions. "Nobody is dead. And yes, Anti got out, but we have it under control. Phil is going to help you. You didn't hurt any of us."

Jack chokes out another sob and buries his face in his knees. Mark reluctantly moves his hand and glances around the room, an idea forming in his head when he spots a nearby blanket. He grabs the blanket and, in one swift move, has it draped over Jack's head. The villain freezes, too confused to even cry.

"You don't like spaces that are too big and too bright," Mark says, sitting on his hands so he doesn't reach for Jack again. "I thought this might help."

"Thank y-you," Jack whispers, wrapping his arms around his knees again.

"You're welcome," Mark replies just as softly.

"Are you... afraid of me?"

"No."

"Are you afraid of him?"

Mark hesitates, a long sigh escaping his lips. "Yes."

Jack sniffles, his fingers buried deep in his hair. "Maybe it's better if... if I... g-go. You don't h-have to stay with m-me and force yourself to l-love me because I know I'm b-broken and that I can't be f-fixed. If you d-don't trust me anymore that's o-okay, I get it. We can go b-back to s-square o-one if y-you want to keep t-trying..."

Mark wipes the tears that well in his eyes away and exhales, long and shaky, as Jack sobs again. He keeps his eyes trained on the blanket lump that is the villain, unable to stop the flow of tears down his cheeks. "I love you."

Jack lifts his head, peering out from beneath the blanket with a tear-soaked blue eye and a damp eyepatch. Mark meets his gaze and scrubs the moisture from his cheeks, wrapping his arms around himself as though it will hold him together.

"Can I join y-you?" Mark asks before promptly bursting into tears.

Jack nods and Mark crawls into his arms, letting himself bawl openly. The villain holds him as close as humanly possible, trying desperately to stop crying.

"I don't want you to leave. Just because we took a step back doesn't mean we're at square one. I hate that there's this monster inside of you and I hate that your stupid boss tortured you your whole life. I hate those things. I've never hated you," Mark blubbers. "I love you. I love you so much it hurts. And every time you say that I should stop forcing myself to love you it hurts more because I want you to know that I love you more than anyone else and that I'll love you no matter what. How do I show you the extent of my love for you?"

Jack stares at him for a second before pressing a firm kiss to his lips, and Mark immediately kisses back. He clings to Jack, his fingers trailing down his stubbled jaw and pulling him impossibly closer. He kisses him like there won't be a tomorrow, and the villain responds with an equal amount of fervour. Mark's hands move from Jack's shoulders to his waist, trailing beneath his shirt hem and up his chest.

They move to their room (a more comfortable, safer place for Jack) and Mark pulls him into another kiss, tears slipping down his cheeks. They've been like this so many times before, but it's different today. The tears are new. Mark's heavy, shaky exhales like he's trying not to sob are new. Jack tightens his grip ever so slightly as Mark leads him over to the bed and lays him down, pressing his lips to Jack's throat. The villain takes hold of his shoulders, tears welling in his own eyes from the sheer amount of emotion that overwhelms him.

"I love you, I love you," Jack whispers between kisses. "I love you so much."

Mark presses against him, loving Jack like nothing is wrong. By loving him with every inch of himself, he feels his fear melting away. He can forget that earlier, they failed their mission. He can forget that Anti even got out. Their love-making is therapeutic in a way, tension leaving Jack's muscles even though tears still linger on his eyelashes. A tear slips down Mark's cheek and the Irishman pulls him closer, kissing it away. As he pulls away Mark closes the gap between them, kissing into his mouth and planting his hands on either side of his body.

There in their bed, breathing the same air as they try desperately to forget the horrors of the day, Jack wraps his arms around Mark's neck and gives him all the love he can possibly give him. Mark returns that love with an equal amount of passion, letting the villain know he's loved and cherished with every fibre of his being.

Then, in the stillness of their room, Mark buries his face in the crook of Jack's neck and just breathes. Jack holds him close, turning them both over so the Irishman can lie on top of Mark. They lie in silence for a few moments, just holding each other.

"I love you," Jack whispers.

"I love you too," Mark murmurs back.

"I'm sorry I doubted that."

"I forgive you."

"Thank you."

Mark kisses the top of his head, his eyes slipping shut. Jack's breathing grows heavy as he lets himself fall asleep.