Mark stared through the window, his body frozen in place. The figure standing on their front lawn was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Massive, imposing, with a mustache that would have looked comical on anyone else but somehow only added to the aura of absolute authority that radiated from him.
But it was the coat that made Mark's blood run cold.
The white fur draped over the giant's shoulders wasn't just any material. Mark recognized the pattern of the fur, the distinctive coloration.
His mind flashed back to that day at Machine Head's headquarters - the alien warrior who had nearly killed him with casual ease.
Battle Beast.
The being whose raw power had made Mark feel like a child, whose strength had been so overwhelming that Mark couldn't even comprehend it.
And this guy was wearing him as a fucking coat.
"Mark?" Debbie's voice seemed to come from miles away. "Who is that?"
Mark couldn't answer. His legs trembled beneath him, and he felt a cold sweat break out across his forehead.
If this was the person Cecil had warned him about - Thragg, the Emperor of Viltrum - then they were all in danger beyond anything they'd ever faced.
"Mark!" Eve's voice snapped him back to reality. "What do we do?"
Mark turned, seeing his mother's frightened face, Oliver hovering anxiously beside her, Eve's hands already glowing with pink energy.
The sight of them - the people he loved most in the world - steeled something inside him.
He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, forcing his voice to remain as steady as possible.
"Eve, Oliver - take Mom and go. Now."
"What? No way!" Oliver protested, hovering higher with excitement despite the tension. "If that guy's as strong as he looks, you'll need backup! Let me help!"
"Mark, we're not leaving you," Eve insisted, stepping closer to him. "Whatever this is, we face it together."
"I SAID GO!" Mark roared, his voice cracking with a rage neither of them had ever heard from him before. "GET MOM OUT OF HERE! NOW!"
Without waiting for their response, Mark turned and launched himself through the wall of his home, splintering wood and drywall as if they were tissue paper.
He rocketed toward Thragg with a primal roar, pulling back his fist for a strike that would have leveled a building.
It never landed.
With speed that defied comprehension, Thragg's hand shot out and caught Mark by the throat.
Mark's punch hung suspended in the air, centimeters from Thragg's face. The Emperor hadn't even shifted his stance.
"Calm yourself, Mark Grayson," Thragg said, "I am not here to harm you or your loved ones."
"Bullshit!" Mark choked out, struggling against the iron grip around his neck. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Eve, Oliver, and his mother were still standing in the ruined doorway.
"GO!" he roared at them. "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE? RUN!"
Eve and Oliver exchanged a glance, then each took one of Debbie's arms. After a moment's hesitation, they began to lift off the ground.
Thragg released Mark's throat, allowing him a single breath of relief before his massive hand clamped onto the back of Mark's head.
With ease, he forced Mark down, pressing him face-first into the lawn. Not hard enough to cause real damage, but with enough pressure to make escape impossible.
"No one is going anywhere," Thragg declared, placing his foot on Mark's back to keep him pinned. Again, the pressure was measured - just enough to immobilize, not to harm.
With precise, controlled movements, Thragg swept his right arm through the air, then his left.
The motion generated a cyclone of wind that encircled the property, creating a swirling barrier that trapped them all within the eye of the storm.
"Mom!" Mark shouted, struggling futilely under Thragg's foot. "Eve! Oliver!"
"We're okay!" Eve called back, having created a protective bubble around herself, Debbie, and Oliver. They hovered just above the ground, unable to escape through the howling winds.
"I assure you," Thragg said, his voice somehow carrying easily over the wind, "I have not come to harm any of you. I am here to protect you."
"Protect us?" Mark spat, his face pressed into the grass. "By attacking us?"
"I have not attacked you," Thragg corrected. "I have merely prevented you from attacking me. There is a distinction."
"Who are you?" Debbie demanded, her voice trembling but determined.
"I am Thragg, Emperor of Viltrum and Earth - though not this Earth. I come from another reality, one where your world faces a threat that I have come to protect you from."
"What threat?" Eve asked, her shield still glowing protectively around them.
"Angstrom Levy," Thragg stated. "A deranged version of him - the one from this dimension. He is gathering evil variants of Mark from across the multiverse, planning to unleash them on your world. They will reduce everything you know to ash."
"That's impossible," Mark growled, still struggling beneath Thragg's foot. "I killed Levy. He's dead."
"Evidently not," Thragg replied. "He is very much alive, and the threat he poses is imminent."
"This is stupid!" Oliver suddenly exclaimed, his voice cracking with excitement and anger. He hovered higher, breaking free of Eve's protective bubble. "Let my brother go!"
Before anyone could stop him, Oliver launched himself at Thragg, fist extended. "HELL YEAH!" he shouted as he flew.
His punch connected squarely with Thragg's face - and had absolutely no effect. Thragg didn't flinch, didn't blink, didn't move a millimeter. Oliver, however, recoiled with a cry of pain, clutching his hand.
"OLIVER!" Mark, Debbie, and Eve cried out in unison.
"Ah!" Oliver gasped, tears springing to his eyes despite his efforts to appear tough. "My hand! I think I broke it!"
Thragg sighed, maintaining his hold on Mark while reaching out to catch Oliver. The boy struggled briefly, but Thragg's grip was gentle yet unbreakable.
"Let me see," Thragg commanded, his tone softer than before.
"Get away from him!" Debbie shouted, her motherly instincts overriding her fear.
"I mean him no harm," Thragg assured her. He looked down at Oliver, who continued to clutch his injured hand protectively. "Show me."
Oliver glared up at Thragg, clearly weighing his options. After a moment, realizing resistance was futile, he reluctantly extended his hand.
Thragg examined it carefully, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone of his size and strength. "A minor injury," he diagnosed. "The bones are fractured but will heal quickly."
His eyes met Oliver's. "You are supposed to be a Viltrumite, and Viltrumites are strong. Your healing will begin soon."
To everyone's surprise, Thragg then ruffled Oliver's hair with what almost seemed like affection. "You have courage, boy. That is good."
Oliver blinked in confusion, clearly not expecting this response. "Uh... thanks?"
Debbie stepped forward, Eve's protective energy still surrounding her. "Why should we believe anything you're saying?" she asked, her voice steadier now.
"What guarantee do we have that you won't harm us?"
Thragg released Oliver, who immediately flew back to Eve's side, still nursing his injured hand.
"I have nothing to offer but my word," Thragg replied, his gaze meeting Debbie's. "But that should be sufficient. I do not kill family."
"Family?" Eve repeated, confusion evident in her voice. "What do you mean, family?"
Thragg's expression remained impassive, but something in his eyes shifted. "Nolan Grayson is my younger brother," he stated matter-of-factly. "That makes Mark and Oliver my nephews."
The silence that followed was absolute. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
"What?" Mark whispered, his struggle momentarily forgotten.
"You don't look anything like our dad," Oliver blurted out, his curiosity momentarily overriding his pain.
"We are not siblings by blood," Thragg clarified, his foot still firmly planted on Mark's back. "We share the same father - Emperor Argall, the greatest ruler Viltrum has ever known. In my reality, Nolan is his biological son, lost during the civil war and only recently discovered."
"How old are you?" Oliver asked, his eyes wide with fascination.
"Oliver!" Debbie hissed. "Don't engage with him!"
Oliver ignored her, too curious to heed the warning. "Are you actually much older than Dad? Or is he the older brother? Am I like dad or is Mark like dad here?"
The corner of Thragg's mouth twitched in what might almost have been a smile. "I am the older brother by millennia," he confirmed. "I was born even before the civil war, as the strongest Viltrumite to ever live. It is why the Emperor took me in."
"Took you in?" Mark managed to ask, still pinned to the ground.
"Emperor Argall raised me as his son," Thragg explained, his voice carrying a hint of something almost like fondness. "He recognized my potential and guided my development personally. Nolan is his blood, but I am his chosen."
"This is insane," Eve said, shaking her head in disbelief. "You expect us to believe you're from another dimension where Mark is basically royalty?"
"I expect you to believe the truth," Thragg replied simply. "Whether you choose to do so is irrelevant to the facts. The threat to your world remains, regardless of your acceptance of my explanation."
Mark had stopped struggling, his mind racing to process this bizarre information. "If what you're saying is true," he said slowly, "why not just tell us? Why attack first?"
"Again, I did not attack," Thragg corrected again. "I arrived. You attacked. I restrained you with minimal force to prevent harm to yourself and others."
He looked down at Mark, his expression unreadable. "In my experience, explanations are more effectively delivered when one's audience is not attempting to punch one in the face."
Despite the tension of the moment, Oliver snorted with unexpected laughter. "He's got you there, Mark."
"Oliver!" Debbie admonished, though there was a hint of hysteria in her voice.
"If I release you," Thragg said to Mark, "will you listen without further attempts at violence?"
Mark hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine."
Thragg removed his foot from Mark's back and stepped away, allowing him to rise. Mark stood slowly, rubbing his neck where Thragg had gripped him.
"The wind barrier," Eve pointed out, gesturing to the cyclone still surrounding the property.
"A precaution," Thragg explained. "To ensure our conversation is not interrupted by well-meaning but misguided heroes who might arrive to 'rescue' you."
"Like who?" Oliver asked, his eyes wide with excitement.
"The Guardians of the Globe, perhaps," Thragg suggested acting like he thinks they are alive, as he isn't supposed to be too knowledgeable about this world. "Or any of your other allies who might misinterpret the situation."
Mark dusted himself off, his eyes never leaving Thragg. "So talk. What exactly is this threat, and why should we believe you?"
Thragg's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Watch your tone, boy. I have already tolerated a significant amount of your impudence. Do not test the limits of my patience further."
The sudden shift in Thragg's demeanor sent a chill down Mark's spine. For the first time, he truly realised who he was speaking to - a literal Emperor who rules God knows how many planets. Mark swallowed hard, instinctively taking a step back.
"I... I'm sorry," Mark said, his voice quieter. He straightened his posture and continued with more formality. "Please, Emperor Thragg, could you explain the nature of the threat we're facing and why we should trust your word?"
The tension in Thragg's shoulders eased slightly, apparently satisfied with Mark's adjustment in attitude. "Better. Respect costs nothing yet yields much."
"Angstrom Levy from your reality has spent from what I know months gathering evil versions of you from across the multiverse.
Versions who chose conquest over protection, cruelty over compassion. He has promised them worlds to ravage if they help him destroy you first."
"Why would he do that?" Debbie asked, her protective arm around Oliver's shoulders.
"Revenge," Thragg stated simply. "From what I understand, In his damaged mind, he blames Mark for his condition and his failures.
He seeks not just to kill him, but to destroy everything he loves, to make him watch as his world burns."
Mark exchanged a troubled glance with Eve. "How do you know all this?"
"A different Angstrom Levy - one from another reality - came to us seeking help," Thragg explained.
"He had been monitoring the multiverse and discovered this plot. He feared the consequences would spread beyond your dimension, threatening countless worlds."
"So you just... decided to help?" Mark asked skeptically. "Out of the goodness of your heart?"
"My motivations are complex," Thragg acknowledged. "But primarily pragmatic. Multiversal stability serves Viltrum's interests. And..." he paused, his eyes moving to Oliver, then back to Mark, "as I said, I do not allow harm family."
This Mark and Oliver being ones he actually respects for their courage and goodness to give them slight consideration as such.
"It's still surreal to me how Dad is supposedly your brother in your world," Mark said, shaking his head.
"In time, all will be explained," Thragg replied. "For now, you must trust that I am here to protect you from a threat beyond your capacity to handle alone."
"And if we don't trust you?" Eve challenged.
"Then you will die," Thragg stated with absolute certainty. "Along with everyone else on this planet. The evil Marks are numerous, powerful, and utterly without mercy. You cannot stop them alone."
A heavy silence fell over the group as they absorbed this blunt assessment.
"Mom?" Mark looked to Debbie, whose face was pale but seems to have come to a decision.
"If what he's saying is true," she said slowly, "we need help. And..." she hesitated, studying Thragg's impassive face, "he could have hurt us already if that was his intention."
"Debbie's right," Eve said reluctantly. "As crazy as it sounds, his story explains Cecil's warning. And if Levy really is gathering evil versions of you, Mark, we're going to need all the help we can get."
Oliver, cradling his healing hand, nodded enthusiastically. "Plus, he's wearing that Battle Beast you told me about to run if I ever met him as a coat. That's pretty badass."
"Oliver!" Debbie exclaimed, but there was a hint of resignation in her voice.
Mark looked at Thragg, still wary but no longer openly hostile. "If we agree to come with you, where exactly are we going?"
"To the Global Defense Agency headquarters," Thragg replied. "The others from my reality are there, including your father - or rather, his counterpart from my world."
"Dad's... Dad's alive in your world?" Mark asked, his tone full of complex emotions, having forced himself not to think about the fact his dad would be executed soon as General Kregg told him.
"Very much so," Thragg confirmed. "And eager to see you, even if you are not precisely his son."
Mark took a deep breath, exchanging glances with Eve, then his mother, and finally Oliver. Each nodded in turn, a silent agreement forming between them.
"Alright," Mark said finally. "We'll go with you. But I'm warning you - if this is some kind of trick... Even if it kills me, I won't let you get away with it." Deciding that he needed to say this, his need overriding his fear.
"It is not," Thragg stated with finality - letting the words go, knowing Mark meant no true disrespect but needed to get those words out. "And soon you will understand the full magnitude of the threat we face."
With a gesture, he dissolved the wind barrier surrounding the property. The sudden silence was almost deafening after the constant howl of the cyclone.
"Can you all fly?" Thragg asked - again, acting within the illusion that he knows not too much about this world and is willing to take into consideration all possible differences - his gaze moving from Mark to Eve to Oliver.
"Mom can't," Mark said, moving to Debbie's side protectively.
"I will carry her," Thragg decided approaching Debbie with measured steps to avoid alarming her further.
Mark being too tired, and Oliver's hand being broken, while Eve herself is also still too mentally exhausted from everything, causing them all not to protest.
Debbie tensed but stood her ground as the massive Viltrumite stopped before her. "I won't drop you," he assured her, his deep voice surprisingly gentle.
After a moment's hesitation, Debbie nodded. "Alright."
With careful movements, Thragg lifted her into his arms, cradling her as if she weighed nothing. "Stay close," he instructed the others. "We will travel at a speed comfortable for all."
Mark, Eve, and Oliver took to the air, hovering nearby as Thragg ascended with Debbie securely in his grip.
Soon enough, they arrived at the GDA.
------------------------
(Author note: Hopefully this chapter felt like it was worth the wait.
Do tell me how you actually found it.
Also, I'm really excited to write Oliver, I don't know about you guys, but that kid is like in my top favourites in the story (barring latter ends of the comics, but this version is peak good little brother.)
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)