(Markus Sebastian Grayson – P.O.V.)
Mark entered the house, a big smile lighting up his face as the familiar smell of food hit him. His mom stood by the kitchen counter, setting the last of the plates on the table.
"Wash your hands first," she said without even turning around.
He chuckled and obeyed, slipping into the bathroom before returning to sit across from her at the table.
"How was your day, son?" she asked as she placed a steaming dish in front of him.
Mark smirked, just as a blur zipped into the room and came to a halt beside her. It was none other than his father—Omni-Man—who kissed his mom gently on the cheek before sitting down.
"A dragon was attacking Hong Kong," his father said casually, as if discussing the weather. "Had to stop it."
Mark looked at him, barely able to contain himself. "Guess who might be getting his powers?"
His mother raised her brows, surprised. "Really?"
"Are you sure?" his father asked, his tone more serious as his eyes locked on Markus's.
Mark shifted in his seat, the grin on his face faltering just a bit. "Yeah… pretty sure."
There was a brief silence as his father studied him. Then finally, he gave a nod. "Alright. I'll make some time for you then. We'll start training soon."
Mark felt a flicker of pride swell in his chest, his hands tightening into small fists under the table. His powers… they were finally awakening.
The rest of dinner went by as usual, filled with light chatter, a few jokes, and quiet moments where Mark couldn't stop imagining the future.
- - -
The next day…
It started out like any other school day.
Mark was still a little sore from last night's rooftop jump—okay, maybe more than a little. His legs felt heavy, and he hadn't slept well. His dad had promised to start his training after school today, and Mark wasn't sure if he was excited or terrified.
As he stepped into the class, his eyes landed on his friend, William Clockwell, who was animatedly talking to someone. Sitting across from him, her head resting lazily on the desk, was the new girl in their class—Mari.
Mark raised an eyebrow.
She barely looked awake, barely even listening to whatever William was going on about. Honestly, she never really talked to anyone. Always kept to herself. What stood out, though, was how much younger she looked than everyone else. Four years younger, Markus estimated. What was a kid like her even doing in their grade?
he thought that she was little smart for her know grade that's why she was in their class.
Mark didn't really have a good or bad impression of her just… neutral, it was not like he were talk to her that much just little small talk that's it. She was quiet. Uninterested. Weirdly observant, though.
As he got closer, he caught the tail end of William's latest superhero rant.
"—so what do you think? Who would win in a fight: the new hero Raven or the Immortal?" William asked, clearly excited by the thought.
He turned his head when he noticed Mark. "Good morning, Mark!"
Mark smiled. "Morning, William. Morning, Mari."
Mari barely lifted her eyes in response, giving a small, lazy nod. She looked… tired? Or maybe just bored.
William jumped right back in. "Well? C'mon, what do you think? Raven vs. the Immortal? Who wins?"
Mark set his bag down and sat on the edge of the desk, thinking. Raven was everywhere lately. In just a couple of weeks, she'd gone from total unknown to full-blown media darling.
And with good reason. She was strong—really strong. She took down Killcannon, prevented a train derailment, and froze a wildfire in California. All in the last ten days. Mark had seen some footage of her in action.
"She's… impressive," Mark finally said. "But the Immortal has been doing this forever. Literally."
William nodded, arms crossed. "True, but Raven has that weird elemental powers. Did you see her freeze that flood mid-air last night?"
Mari, who had been silent, suddenly raised her head just slightly. "It wasn't hard," she mumbled under her breath.
William blinked. "What?"
Mari still slouched in her seat shrugged and muttered, "Nothing. I think Raven could win against Immortal."
That caught Mark a little off guard. She said it so confidently, without even raising her head.
William tilted his head. "Wait—really? You think she could beat the Immortal?"
Mari finally lifted her head just slightly, golden eyes briefly flickering toward them. "Yeah. I do."
Markus narrowed his eyes for a second, not at her words but at the strange certainty in her tone.
Mark raised a brow. "You a Raven fan?"
Mari blinked slowly. "You could say that."
William narrowed his eyes at Mari, tilting his head slightly. "Now that I really look at you… you kinda look almost as Raven with that beautiful face of yours ."
Mari raised a brow, lips curling into a sly smirk. "Are you hitting on me?"
She said it with a teasing scoff, leaning back in her chair like she couldn't care less. The casual confidence in her tone made William stumble.
"What? No—I mean—not really. I was just saying you look like—"
Mari chuckled, cutting him off. "Relax. I'm kidding."
Mark, who had been watching the exchange with mild curiosity, chuckled under his breath. Well, he thought, this is new.
Mari's smirk widened as she rested her chin on her hand, clearly enjoying William's squirming.
Mari's eyes flicked toward him, still amused, and Mark found himself looking at her a little more closely.
Her hair which was white, like Raven's was tucked loosely under her hoodie. Her features were delicate, sharp, and beautiful in an odd, disarming kind of way. The resemblance was there.
But there was one key difference.
Raven had glowing crimson eyes .Mari's eyes, however, were a golden .
Still… it's weird, Mark thought. She looks almost looks like her.
Could it just be a coincidence?
William, finally recovering from the embarrassment, added with a huff, "Anyway, I also don't swing that way."
Before Mari could respond with another teasing remark, the bell rang, signaling the start of class.
Mari stretched her arms overhead, stifling a yawn. "Saved by the bell, huh?"
Mari stretched and stood up from her seat.
"Well, I'm going to my class," Mari said cheerfully, giving a casual wave before walking off, her footsteps light and carefree, not even waiting for a response as she walked off.
As soon as she was out of earshot, William leaned in with a smirk.
"Yo, I think you might have a shot with her."
Mark blinked, caught completely off guard. "What? No!"
"Why not?" William asked, grinning wider. "She's beautiful, and it's obvious she's smart. Kinda mysterious too."
Mark shook his head quickly. "No. Just—no. She's way too young for me. And besides, she's not really my type."
William raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Not your type? "
- - -
this chapter was just an set up i wrote to bright the gap between mari and mark . so this was kind slice of life chapter . i also thought to add very little romance in it or romance in it