Title: Evasive
Rating: T
Genre: Angst, tragedy, some family undertones
Characters: Marcus with mentions of pretty much everyone else important
Pairing(s): None
Summary: For all the times Marcus evaded true death (or death evaded him), there was that one time he wished he hadn't.
Warnings: Character death.
Notes: Since The Vanishing is coming out soon, I wanted to put up a Marcus story. There's some speculation in it, and it's a little AU, I guess, and I put a few of my own theories in… but you'll see. Enjoy, everyone!
Marcus looks sixteen when Douglas builds him—shortly after Donald takes away Douglas's real kids. Well, Marcus maybe looks a little younger than sixteen, but he'll pass. Besides, he's supposed to blend in with society, not look like an Olympic weightlifter. So he's perfect, actually.
The thing that Douglas is most proud of is that Marcus doesn't actually even know that he's an android. Douglas is going to program him with fake memories, and Marcus won't ever suspect a thing. When Marcus burns out in a few years, then and only then will he realize the truth. And by that time, he will be dead and Douglas will never have to worry about him.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen.
Marcus is everything Douglas intended, but Marcus knows that Douglas doesn't… value him, sorta. Douglas is focused on Adam, Bree, and Chase. Doesn't really pay much attention to Marcus. Douglas only wants the other three. Marcus is just how Douglas is going to get them back, and Marcus knows that. But it's okay, because he's still Douglas's son too, right? He's a human being—bionic, sure, but the other three are too, right? So Douglas has to treat him like a son, even years and years in the future.
When Marcus goes to school at Mission Creek High for the first time, he finally feels like an actual sixteen-year-old. It's a bit awkward at first, because he's never actually gone to school before, but he has super intelligence, so it's okay.
He finds the Subjects almost immediately. Actually, it's more like they find him—he is just playing his guitar in the entry hall in the school and then the two boys, Adam and Chase, walk right up to him.
He says the simplest things he can. "Hey, I'm Marcus and I'm new here. Nice to meet you!"
And within minutes, he has them fooled.
He's definitely getting a hang of the 'False Friends' thing.
Everyone at school thinks that Marcus is sixteen. To be fair, he thinks so, too. The difference is that they think he is unremarkable, and he knows the truth. He is truly remarkable. The fact remains, however, that he has no friends except for the three other bionic kids—and they aren't even his friends. (Not to mention Leo, who just is a total thorn in the side.)
Marcus has lived sixteen years hidden in the shadows, keeping his secrets. It's miraculous that no one realizes that he's bionic. He thought that Chase would have figured it out already, especially considering he has the bionic eye. Besides, Adam or Bree should have at least suspected something by now, too.
And they didn't even notice when Leo (man, he hates that kid) uses a metal detector on him by his neck and it goes of. They didn't even notice. They're way too desperate.
How dumb can you get?
Marcus looks sixteen when he commits his first real crime. (Not counting the illegal experiments with his dad and stuff, of course.)
He supposes that, if he were to get caught and get convicted, it would probably be considered murder. He did just trap Leo in a self-driving car and sent him speeding to his death, getting him to plummet into the ocean.
"I'm going to miss that little guy," Marcus says absently as he watches the car zoom away. Then he laughs and walks away. "No, I'm not." That kid was annoying.
Leo becomes even more annoying when he ends up surviving. Marcus hates him for it.
(Oddly enough, the disregard of human life he feels is the first sign for him that something is terribly wrong with him.)
When Marcus dies, he doesn't see it coming. How could he? He's sixteen, he's barely lived at all.
But then the room is shaking, and the ceiling is crumbling, and everything is overwhelming his enhanced senses—his eyes are overloaded with colored lights and flashes of electric blue; his mouth is filled with the taste of the dust floating everywhere mixed with the blood on his lips from him accidentally biting down; he can feel the shaking worsening, and he almost falls but doesn't; and the noise just plain hurts because everything is so loud and they're all shouting and the rumbling is getting louder and he just can't handle it—
And then something flashes into his mind. It's a moment of realization. Because a few letters and numbers flood into his vision and there's a metaphorical lock that is opened in his mind and then suddenly everything makes sense.
(Pleasepleasepleasewhynopleasedon'tletitbetrueDadpleasesayitisn'ttrueplease…)
He can detect how synthetic and false his 'memories' are, and he just wants to scream or cry or just curl up in a ball to escape it all—but his moment of complete devastation is interrupted with a yell from Chase, of all people.
"Marcus, look out!"
But he can't move. And for some reason, all he can think as he meets Chase's eyes is Why are you warning me? Why wouldn't you just let me die? I betrayed you. I'm not even human, you must know that now. No way Dad wouldn't tell you. So why?
Then the ceiling comes tumbling down and he can't see, can't hear, can't breathe…
He's stuck down there for what feels like such a long time, but it must only be a matter of minutes. He can feel his energy draining—literally. It's almost comical: he sees the classic 'low battery' icon flashing in his eyes, but still, he tries to gather up the last dregs of power and forces a hand up. He still can't see anything, but he hears the scraping of metal against rock and he flinches when he realizes that it's the sound of his own fingers clawing at the wreckage.
It confirms everything he wished not to be true. Android. It's true. A dying android. He quickly stops the thought. No. I can't be dying. I'm sixteen, I can't die…
But he feels his hand manage to get through the mountain of stone covering him, and he's so close and then—
Power: depleted. Initiating shutdown.
Marcus never expected he would die so early.
Marcus feels like he's sixteen when he wakes up.
Wait… he wakes up. But he's dead, isn't he? How can he be awake if he's dead?
"Hello there," a woman's voice suddenly says, coming from somewhere above him (he's lying on some sort of table.)
Marcus tries to sit up, but he can't. He's immobilized. But his mouth can still move, so that's something. "Where am I?" he asks, and he notes that he sounds the same as before he died… or not-died, apparently. The point is, he still sounds sixteen. "What's happening? I thought I—"
"Died?" the woman supplies, walking forward. Marcus can now see her. "You did, actually." She gives him a crooked smile and holds out a hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Giselle. I dated your dad in college. Now I want to destroy him."
Marcus hesitantly shakes her hand. "And… why do you want to destroy my dad?"
Giselle's expression sours. "I'm a robotics expert. I make androids. Douglas mentioned you and how advanced you were… I had to see for myself. He destroyed the rest of my androids, with the help of the rest of his family. My technology is ruined. He and those kids—"
"Wait, Dad is working with them?" Marcus demands, actually managing to sit up this time.
Giselle nods. "Yes. And furthermore, he is helping Donald Davenport train an entire school of bionic kids. They are more powerful than ever—but they forgot all about you. Even your dear dad Douglas."
He forgot about me. He forgot about me.
(Dad, why?)
"So what's your plan?" he asks, and once again he's stunned by his own lack of emotion. But he's an android, after all. It shouldn't be surprising in the slightest.
Giselle smiles again—a warped, twisted smile. "I was hoping you'd agree. I'm glad you're on board, Marcus."
The first time Marcus looks in a mirror after living again, he's shocked by how un-sixteenish he looks. He looks a little older, better built—quite literally, actually. He looks to be about eighteen or nineteen.
But he feels sixteen-ish. How can that be?
Marcus isn't even sure he wants to know.
The battle does not go as planned—although of course it's not going well, Giselle left the fighting to a single sixteen-ish-year-old. But he fights them (and is startled to learn that the annoying pipsqueak Leo is no longer a pipsqueak and—get this—is bionic) and undoubtedly does well, but then Giselle is defeated an d hauled off to prison.
And they don't know what to do with him.
"I know you're still in there, Marcus," Douglas says to him as they force him into bionic-proof handcuffs. "The real you, the one who was my son, not my personal assassin. We're not sending you to jail. You're coming to the Academy with us. Going under… observation. You deserve a second chance." He spares a glance at the four other teens standing not far from them, talking quietly. "They gave me one, now I'm giving you one."
The original trio comes up to him next, obviously wary of him despite him being thoroughly secured.
None of them say anything, but then Marcus has to speak up. "Why'd you do it?"
They all look confused, and Adam and Bree simultaneously ask, "What?"
Marcus ignores them and focuses on Chase. "You yelled for me to get out of the way. You could have just left me to die, you know. Not that it matters, because I died anyway, but… still."
Chase understands, and is silent for another moment before answering. "You were my friend. It wasn't your fault that Douglas programmed you to do awful things. It wasn't your fault. I just hope…" he trails off.
Bree finishes his thought. "We hope that one day, maybe we can be friends again. For real."
Adam grins ruefully. "I do miss the band, I admit."
Suddenly, all Marcus can say is… "You look older. Seem older. Act older. All of you."
The other three laugh a bit. "Well, it has been two, almost three years," Chase points out.
Marcus shrugs. "Yeah, but I don't feel any different. I feel like I'm… sixteen. Chase… you've lightened up a bit, but you're still always in command. Bree, you're… I don't know, exactly. You just have this aura… like pain. You've suffered. And Adam… you've matured so much." He closes his eyes for a moment. "This is insane."
Bree smiles softly, squeezing his shoulder. "You'll get used to it, Marcus. The world moved on without you, you know. You just have to get the hang of living somewhat-normally again. You'll get there, I know it."
Leo is the last one to come up to him, and it's definitely more than awkward. Marcus has to give Leo credit for holding his ground, though—last time, Leo was the one cowering on the ground, at the disadvantage. Now, Leo stands tall and confidently, wearing a mission suit.
"I just wanted to say that… I don't really hold a grudge against you," Leo begins. "Even though what you did wasn't and never will be okay, it helped me grow into who I am today. But," he says hastily, "don't expect a thank you, all I'm saying is that I'm on board with helping you and giving you another chance." He holds out a hand, and even though Marcus is cuffed, he shakes as best he can. It's different than Giselle's handshake, which promised destruction and mercilessness. Leo's handshake promises healing, a new beginning.
Marcus can't believe he's thinking this, but he might learn to appreciate the guy a little more.
Actually, it doesn't take long for them to get rid of his cuffs and let him roam the Academy. It's hard, adapting to living amongst his former enemies, but he's learning. It's not so bad.
The Dooley-Davenport kids properly introduce him to Daniel, their apparent brother and the kid he molecularkinetically flipped across the room, back in Giselle's lab. Daniel is cool—he's adaptable, which is good. He has an awesome ability, too, one of the few Marcus doesn't have.
They also introduce him to a few of the bionic students—Taylor, Logan, Spin, Bob, Kate, and many more. They're all accepting, but then again, an android brother isn't the weirdest thing ever for them, right?
Marcus thinks that if this is his new life, it's all around pretty good.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when the Dooley-Davenports take a family picture—he is included, along with several students.
He feels like he belongs.
Marcus feels sixteen still, and it takes a lot longer than it should for him to recognize that as a problem.
He watches as the others get older, slowly but steadily. The moment the realization hits him like a ton of bricks is on Leo's twentieth birthday. Because now Leo is twenty, Chase is almost twenty-one, Bree is a year older than that and Adam is one year older than that. And even Spin, the youngest kid in the Academy, is sixteen now—he's as old as Marcus feels.
But that's not… possible.
The thing is, he's an android living in a world surrounded by bionic superhumans. Anything is possible.
So he talks to Douglas about it.
"D-dad?" He's still having a little trouble calling Douglas 'Dad' again, knowing what he did. He's working on it, though. He's almost there.
"Yeah, Marcus?" Douglas replies, not even looking up from his invention.
"Um… do I have an expiration date?" he asks, trying to phrase it in the best way possible.
The question hangs in the air, and Douglas freezes, dropping his tools. "'Expiration date'…" He turns to face Marcus, an awful look in his eyes. "I never realized… never thought…"
"What?"
"Giselle's androids," Douglas says, "are different. She built you her way. You won't ever short out. I guess you could say that you're… immortal."
Marcus is numb and cold, so cold. "How is that possible?"
Douglas closes his eyes. "She created an energy source that basically never runs out. It's a continuos loop of power. You can't die."
Marcus turns and runs.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when Chase dies on a mission with his so-called Elite Force.
It was an accident, they say. He died a hero. We'll pull through.
He doesn't attend the funeral.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when it is announced that Davenport is extending his space program. They're populating other planets, now.
The first shuttle is sent out. Donald and Douglas name it after Chase.
Marcus doesn't follow the shuttle's progress at all. It hurts too much.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when Bree decides to go to space, to go to one of the new planets.
I need to go, she explains. I can't stay here, it's driving me mad.
Leo goes with her. Marcus just lost two more friends.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when Douglas dies.
It was a car accident.
Why am I the one who has to watch them all die?
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when Donald and Tasha die, as well.
Both had cancer, ironically.
Leo doesn't know yet, neither does Bree. Marcus doesn't want to be the one to tell them, so Adam does. Marcus doesn't wait to hear a reply.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when Daniel dies.
He was fairly old, and had been sick for a while, but still. Marcus feels almost… betrayed.
They lost connection with Bree and Leo a few years beforehand, so neither of them know that the youngest Davenport is gone.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when he loses his last hope.
It was old age that did it.
Adam is gone.
Marcus still feels like he is sixteen.
The original students are all gone now. Taylor, Logan, Spin, Bob, Kate… all dead.
A new generation has sprung up. Bionic humans are almost common, now.
He has nothing left to do.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when he goes to find Bree and Leo.
When he finds them, on a distant planet, they don't look much different. They almost are no older than the last time Marcus saw them. Leo asks him how their remaining friends are.
"They're all dead already," he replies.
They look… lost, but then Bree speaks up. "That's relativity for you, I guess."
Leo presses something into his hand. "Don't look at it until the time is right," he warns. Marcus listens to him.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when he goes home.
He goes home because relativity doesn't work when you're all traveling at the same speed. He knows that.
He keeps in contact with Bree and Leo, but time doesn't stop. It's only so long before they die too, and Marcus knows that.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when he finally gets the news.
It's Spin's great-great-great-great granddaughter who runs up to him in the upgraded Academy, barely out of breath.
"They're gone," she says simply, and Marcus can't take it anymore.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when he takes the next shuttle to the planet Bree and Leo lived on for a while. It's in another galaxy.
It isn't warm, but it isn't cold. There's enough water, food (not that he needs it), not too many people, but still, some. There are even androids—those have become fairly common, as well.
He doesn't pay any attention to that. Everything that he ever actually cared about is long gone.
Marcus feels like he is sixteen when he tries to use his bionics—he hasn't for a while.
They don't work, he's too out of practice.
He doesn't make another attempt.
Marcus suddenly no longer feels like he is sixteen. He feels much, much older. He is.
It is then that he watches a sun (not the sun, though, because he's in a different galaxy, after all) set for the last time.
He digs around in his pocket, mechanical fingers closing around the object Leo gave him so long ago. He pulls it out.
It's a piece of paper—no, a photo. The photo. The one they took so many years ago.
He looks at it. There he is, standing with his arms thrown around Chase and Leo's shoulders, eyes bright. He is smiling.
He hasn't smiled in a long time.
Bree is laughing and Adam is grinning from ear to ear. Daniel has an awkward half-smile on his face, but it's there, so that's something. Douglas, Donald, and Tasha are all smiling, looking truly happy.
Taylor and Logan are there, along with Spin and Bob. They are all so young, so full of life.
But they're all dead.
There is an inescapable barrier separating Marcus from all of them—it is death.
He suddenly feels a certain wetness on his face. He's crying. But that doesn't make sense. He shouldn't be crying. He didn't cry when the others died, why is he crying now?
Because I'm seeing them again, he thinks. They're in this picture. They're all dead. And… I'm going to see them.
Suddenly, a piece of paper flutters to the ground. It was cleverly tucked into the folds of the picture, but it's there. Marcus picks it up.
It's a note, written in Bree's distinctive handwriting. Are you ready? she asks.
I am, he replies in his mind, even though she obviously can't hear him.
Marcus is so much older than sixteen when he finds his kill switch.
He flips it, but also destroys it.
The last direct tie to the original Dooley-Davenports is gone.
Marcus doesn't die a hero, but he doesn't die a coward, either. He just… dies. But he dies knowing full well what he has done.
He dies happy.
Reviews are appreciated.