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Mark remembers being bullied by a bully at school when he was 10 years old, he also remembers fighting back and breaking several of the boy's bones by accident just by pushing the guy away. Who would've thought? Not his mom when she was called to the school, Mark doesn't remember clearly the adults' confusion about it but he remembers his father asking him directly:
"Are you sure?"
And since then a lot happened, suddenly Mark wasn't in school anymore but in Viltrum training provided by his father, for Earth's preparation, for its strengthening, for Viltrum's arrival. The things he learns now are from Viltrum, he no longer has the friendships he had and with his training schedule he didn't even have time to think about many things different from his supposed duty.
Years passed, he killed a lot of people, learned it was right, Viltrum's arrival is closer to being realized, his father said he sped up the process a lot, but that Mark was still weak compared to other Viltrumites. Mark wants to get stronger, like, he almost lost to Immortal and his father makes it seem like he was a punching bag in training sessions!
But Mark still has an ace up his sleeve... Adrenaline.
Apparently the other Viltrumites don't get stronger when angry, they're at 100% all the time, Mark likes to be optimistic when it comes to his strength, his father talks so much about the other Viltrumites that he can't help but get nervous when he thinks that one day he'll meet them too.
He needs to get stronger.
Mark is 19 when he goes to Viltrum, he's not the weakest there, he was even praised for helping his father conquer Earth faster so he could go to another planet, well, at least Mark thinks they were praises, it's hard to know when a Viltrumite is ok with something, Mark realized quickly. It's weird to think he just arrived at Viltrum and is already going to be alone, his father is already being reassigned to another planet and now he has the duty to get stronger than he already is.
Something about testing his mixed genetics with humanity to know if it's safe to make more half-breeds with Earth without tainting the pure Viltrumite bloodline in the future.
Now he trains alone, eats alone, sleeps alone, lives alone. Alone. Mark even tried talking to other Viltrumites but they don't want to talk to Mark because 1, apparently Mark is weak, 2, Mark is a half-breed from an inferior race, 3, Viltrumites simply don't know how to talk, 4, the last time Mark talked to anyone besides his father was on Earth, years before his powers, he doesn't quite know how to communicate properly. Every time Mark tries it turns into a sequence of numbers 2 and 3 to 1 and 3 and 4. Always. No exceptions.
Until a Viltrumite appears during his training. Old, Mark noticed immediately, experienced just by looking, strong, without any doubt. Mark just hopes he won't be killed by... Anything really, Viltrumites can be very aggressive when they want. Normally no one comes to this part besides Mark, most stay on the other side showing off more than training... Mark would never say this out loud, never. Never Never.
"Hm? You're one of the new ones? what do you think you're doing?"
??? A Viltrumite just talked to Mark without it being to give orders or insult him immediately???
"Training, I want to break my record in tons" Mark knows he should stop there, answer the question and not say more than that but maybe he can risk having a small conversation for a change. "But I'm almost done, wanted to go to the battle simulation but I still haven't unlocked that thing?"
"Hm, the battle simulation is linked to your rank, those who have permission are better trained than most, you wouldn't survive the first half" the older Viltrumite said while entering the room.
"Well, now it makes sense why that thing doesn't even let me in directly, you... hm, want to train?"
The old Viltrumite smiled and Mark was sure he would say no, simply insult him and leave or beat him up as 'training' or 'learning'.
"I don't go easy kid, be prepared." Oh, he accepted without issues, either Mark was in big trouble or this could be his biggest conversation with another person since Earth.
Mark smiled as response already getting into position, they clash head-on with fists, punch each other and Mark swears he had never hit something so hard, seriously, it seems like the guy was headbutting Mark's hand instead of Mark punching him, the guy is crazy strong! When Mark kicks him away the other says amused:
"Very well, I'm just warming up!" And they punch each other again, the guy seems to be having fun, playing even, going easy on him. A Viltrumite is going easy on Mark instead of beating Mark, if this was a miracle Mark didn't know what was. When Mark lands another hit and throws the older one away he makes sure to say:
"Relax I'm just warming up" and everything would start again, there was blood spread on Viltrum's characteristic white garments and Mark was smiling along with his... Er, colleague? Friend? Honestly Mark won't even name it, oh! Wait, he didn't even ask the guy's name!
"Good, very good, try to dodge more attacks, don't put so much force in your fists if you see that thing is stronger than you or you'll end up breaking your arms" It was... Useful, helpful actually, the father always says to put more force in punches but Mark always ended up hurt or breaking them when biting more than he could chew.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind, I have to go do the tests now, see you later, by the way, I'm Mark"
"I'm Conquest, see you later Mark, if you want to train just ask" Conquest's smile now matched Earth's psychopaths in exaggerated documentaries, like, it seemed more like a threat than a friendly invite. But again, Viltrumites. And, wait, 'Conquest???' who has a name like that? Viltrumites apparently.
After some days Mark found Conquest again in the training room, they greeted each other and after little dialogue fought again, this time Mark has some bruises spread around and small broken bones but he really doesn't care. It becomes almost a routine, Conquest gives tips to Mark, he does it willingly. They even talked about some things outside training. Day after day.
....
"So, you said you came from Earth, how was it there?"
"There weren't many strong people if that's what you're asking, but honestly it was good while it lasted and the heroes gave some trouble to my father for a while, the Guardians even left him unconscious for a while"
Conquest laughs like it's a good joke
....
"Hey, Conquest, how many millennia do you have?"
"Kid I'm one of the oldest in Viltrum"
"Oh, so you were there in the empire's glory days?"
"I was, and how good it was to battle day after day, I also remember your father, he had some decent fights"
"Why does it seem like you want to tell me some embarrassing story about my father?"
"Don't want to hear?"
"No, of course I want to know"
....
"Why do you start light?"
"Hm?"
"Why do you start light in our fights?If I didn't know you, I'd say you were joking."
"Ah, no, Of course not, it's human biology, they get stronger when fighting, with me it's the same thing"
"So that's why you get all angry when getting beat up"
"YOU MADE A BLOOD HEART BEFORE BREAKING MY RIBS!!!"
"See? Short fuse, easy to mess with"
"Oh come on!"
....
"They're making me do more things than just train, it's a good thing right?"
"It is, you in a short time got much stronger, I even think you'd beat Anissa without much damage"
"Does this mean maybe we'll have more human half-breeds with Viltrumites hm?"
"Maybe, only time will tell if you're really worth anything"
....
"Teach me how to make the heart"
"..."
"Ah come on!! How do you do that with blood?? How long did you practice that??"
"Ok let's do it with YOUR blood!"
"No, wait! That's not what I meant!"
....
"Guess who has a planet to conquer?"
"I heard, congratulations and don't fail your mission"
"I won't, I have a plan to be faster too, because like, decades to dominate a planet doesn't seem very good, not for us nor for them"
"Watch your mouth kid" Conquest says despite giving that scary smile.
....
"General Kregg even praised me, they'll give me another planet soon"
"You conquered and prepared an entire planet in less than 5 years, if you keep this up you might have to start teaching your 'plans' to other Viltrumites"
"Imagine that, it'd be hilarious"
"Oh it would"
....
"My father has been on that planet for 9 years, I wonder if he made a new son?"
"That race is inferior for Viltrumite blood, Nolan has no reason to do that"
"So that means I'm suitable for a Viltrumite?"
"don't force it, kid"
....
"They sent me the coordinates for my new planet, I'm stronger than before but it'll still take some years, anyway, see you soon"
"You're too confident, don't underestimate your opponent"
"That was the most hypocritical thing you've ever said in your life"
"I conquered that right"
"Was that a pun? Oh yes, I won't forget that so fast"
"Watch your mouth kid"
....
"3 years, I think I'm a good conqueror"
"I hope this isn't another stupid pun"
"In my defense, you started them. They're satisfied, I think they'll send me to another in less time"
"You're proving your worth, don't disappoint"
"I won't, the empire is good for the galaxy, they just don't know yet"
"Who did you hear that from? Anissa or Nolan?"
"It's true and you know it, besides I managed to prepare the 2 planets without many casualties and destruction"
Conquest just raised an eyebrow in disbelief, the idiot
....
"You could train the other Viltrumites, why don't you?"
"... You really don't know about my reputation do you"
"That you love to fight? I noticed when we met by the way"
"They think I'm unstable"
"You're a crazy old man, not an unstable old man"
"One of these days I'll break your mouth kid"
"One of these days I'll beat you just with headbutts"
Conquest let out a laugh, as if it were possible to beat him like that
....
"I'm going to the next one, with luck I'll be back in less than a decade"
"If that happens I'll finally ask your 'method'"
"I'll brag and boast"
"As if you weren't already doing exactly that"
....
"3 planets in little over a decade, ok kid, what's your method?"
"I'm happy to tell you!-"
"Don't push it-"
"-As I was saying, first I don't enter the planet openly hitting everything, I enter stealthily and spend the first year learning everything about the planet's defenses and attacks, I do this across the entire globe before doing anything, then I-"
"You're telling me you enter planets like a worm? Like a rat? I thought you had more pride than that Mark"
"Question my methods, not my results"
"Is this the bragging part?"
"Almost, I'm just getting started. Anissa also asked and she didn't call me worm"
"Yes, that's what I'll be calling you from now on"
"You wouldn't dare"
Conquest smiled in challenge, the old idiot
"Be ready for me, worm."
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