A/N: Thanks for the powerstones!
I'm motivated now!
Yosh!
***
The already tense atmosphere became even tenser as the three kids stared with apprehension at the masked man standing in the truck's cargo doorway.
"Wanda, let's fight him like Titan," Mark whispered to her. Without taking the time to explain to Vera, the two sprang into action.
Mark shot forward, closing the distance instantly. He threw a punch—a blow that could easily pierce steel—but his fist stopped dead the moment it struck the man's chest.
Red energy coiled around Mark's waist, yanking him backward just in time to avoid the masked man's counter-punch. The enemy's fist crashed down into the metal floor, caving a deep dent into the truck.
"Oh my~ I thought I'd be able to knock one unconscious by surprise~" The masked figure chuckled lightly as he landed on the ground. "But it doesn't matter. The information was correct—a physical strengthening mutant, a telekinetic, and..."
The masked man twirled mid-sentence and kicked violently into the empty air behind him. Where his foot connected, space rippled, and Vera's form suddenly flickered into visibility. Bent into a sharp 'C' shape from the impact, she was sent flying, tumbling violently across the dirt.
He knows our abilities... Mark thought grimly. Wanda and Vera's powers weren't necessarily secrets, but Mark had only recently awakened his own. Aside from his clash with Titan, he hadn't fought a single battle.
No one should have known what he could do.
"Where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself!" The masked man bopped himself on the head, placed his hands on his hips, and puffed out his chest. "You can call me Vector. My ability is quite simple: no matter how hard you hit me, I'll tank it all and send it right back to you~ So please, try to hit me more~!"
Mark gritted his teeth and lunged forward again. His fist cut through the air toward Vector, but the moment the blow connected, that same impenetrable resistance met him. Hard.
Vector took a single step back and smiled. "My turn."
Clenching his fist, Vector drove a lightning-fast blow straight into Mark's gut. With a choked groan, Mark was launched backward.
Swoosh!
A surge of red energy slammed full-force into Vector, but he barely rocked on his heels, maintaining his smirk beneath the mask.
"Oh my~" Vector placed a finger against his mask's chin. "Was that meant to hurt me?"
Boom!
The ground beneath Vector's feet cracked and caved in as he exploded forward toward Wanda. Mark suddenly intercepted him, lunging in from behind her to block the strike.
Boom!
Small and large fists collided. A muffled shockwave rang out, and Mark skidded backward, coming to a halt right beside Wanda.
Vector casually shook out his wrist. "Nice force. I have to say, if I were any other mutant, you might have defeated me." He crouched low to the ground. "Unfortunately for you, you ran into me."
Bang!
Vector vanished, reappearing in front of Mark in the blink of an eye. His fist, wrapped in compressed wind, cracked directly into Mark's jaw, sending him airborne. Vector gave immediate pursuit.
Mark tumbled through the air, managed to plant his feet on the dirt to stabilize himself, and stood up—only for Vector to materialize in front of him again, relentless.
Though Mark managed to block a few incoming strikes, Vector was too fast. Hits broke through his guard, pummeling his face and chest. The attacks weren't meant to hurl him away; they were meant to inflict agonizing, concentrated pain.
"Mark!" Red energy swirled wildly around Wanda, but before she could throw an attack, Vector struck Mark heavily across the face, whirled around, and thrust his palm toward her.
A compressed line of shockwaves blasted from his palm, striking Wanda center-mass and blasting her backward off her feet.
"A woman shouldn't interrupt bros bonding," Vector mocked, turning back to face Mark. "Now, where were we?"
Click.
A barely audible sound echoed through the air, and an illusory, eight-spoked wheel manifested behind Mark's head.
"Finally," Mark said, raising his head with a faint smile as the bruises and cuts across his body began to rapidly close. "I'm having my comeback."
"Kid, what are you blabbering about?!" Vector barked, rushing forward like a gale-force wind. "Just take your beating!"
Vector's fist slammed into Mark's face, caving the flesh inward and sending him tumbling back across the ground once more. But mid-tumble, Mark's boots struck the dirt. He dug in and shot forward at an absurd speed—a sudden acceleration so jarring that Vector couldn't react in time.
Mark's fist streaked toward his chest.
Kid, that won't—
Bam!
Mark's fist caved Vector's chest straight in. Vector's eyes bulged beneath his mask as the sickening sound of breaking ribs cracked through the air. The sheer force launched him backward like a cannonball. He slammed into the side of the truck, the impact shoving both him and the multi-ton vehicle back several meters before coming to a violent stop.
The truck tipped onto its side, and Vector slid weakly to the ground, coughing up blood as he stared at Mark in sheer, unadulterated shock.
"H... How?" Vector choked out, crimson seeping from beneath his mask.
Mark grinned down at him. "I adapted."
Bang!
Mark brought his foot down hard on Vector's chest, crushing what was left of the mutant's life out of him. Instantly, Mark fired a beam that turned Vector's corpse into a piece of candy. He picked it up and tossed it into his mouth.
A flood of foreign memories rushed through his mind—a Sokovian man who loved music, the awakening of his abilities, his abduction by Hydra, and months of grueling combat training. It all processed in a fraction of a second.
"Huu... I didn't faint this time. Guess it's because I absorbed too many memories at once last time," Mark muttered. He turned back toward Wanda, who was clutching her bruised arm. "Let's go."
"The mission...?" Wanda gestured toward the overturned vehicle, but Mark shook his head.
"There's nothing inside," he said. He glanced around the clearing. "By the way, where's Vera?"
"Here," a cold, emotionless voice called out from the shadows. Vera materialised beside a large rock, slumped against it while pressing a hand to her bleeding abdomen.
"You need help?" Mark asked, stepping forward, but Vera held up a hand.
"No." She stood up unsteadily and turned toward their base.
Mark offered a wry smile and fell into step beside her and Wanda.
The walk back was quiet and uneventful, but the moment they stepped through the entrance of their hideout, a heavy, suffocating atmosphere greeted them. Before they could make sense of it, Pietro rushed out from the interior and threw his arms around Mark and Wanda.
"Thank God... Thank God you guys are okay," Pietro breathed out, exhaling a long sigh of relief.
"What happened?" Mark asked, frowning.
Pietro bit his lower lip, his voice trembling. "Nadia... Nadia is dead."
***
A/N: Me making him unable to adapt to Pain doesn't mean I'll nerf Mahoraga's ability too much.