tushanshu | 005 [VIDEO]

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005 [VIDEO]

[The video clicks on and the image of Mark comes on the screen. He’s visibly nervous, and you can just barely see he’s wringing his hands as he talks. It’s clear he doesn't want to say what he’s saying, but he’s just as determined to get through it.]

Um, hi. I know the network’s not super reliable right now, and that it’s not secure and all of that, but with everything that’s happened the last few weeks, I really don’t want to wait in the hopes this gets fixed to say what I need to say. And as for Never-Speak-His-Name, well… that’s sort of the point of what I want to say, so…

[Takes a deep breath, sits up straight, and stops fiddling with his hands.]

I know some of you aren’t going to understand why what I’m about to say is so difficult, but I’m sure there’s some of you that are. And for those of you that can’t—this… this is really big for me, okay? I’m breaking pretty much the cardinal rule where I come from. But I've thought about this a lot, and with everything that’s happened… I’ve realized that this rule is getting in the way of helping people, which is what the rule is trying to do in the first place.

What am I rambling about? I’m getting to my point, I promise.

[He pauses because he knows after this there’s no turning back.]

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Mark Grayson. [Mark picks up his mask, which was sitting on his lap, and puts it over his head.] I’m also the superhero who goes by the name Invincible.

This is a big deal for me because where I come from your secret identity is everything. Your secret identity is what keeps the bad guys you fight at work from coming to your home and hurting your family. And that’s not hyperbole. I've had a super villain come to my house and hurt my mom and threaten my brother to get back at me. For something I didn't even do. My family might not be here, but I've made a lot of friends here and while a lot of them can protect themselves, some of them couldn't. Not from the likes of the people I’m used to fighting, anyway.

But now everything’s changed. It’s not just my friends in danger of getting hurt anymore. Everyone’s in danger. And that’s why I decided to come clean. So the long-winded way of getting to my point is this, and this goes out to everyone (well everyone but Never-Speak-His-Name): if you need me for anything, anything, come to me. I’m super strong, super-fast, can fly, and yes, I’m invincible. And I want to help any way I can. If you need me to be a messenger, I can be a messenger. If you need me to carry something heavy like your couch to a different room, I’ll carry it. Heck, if you need me to open a stuck jar, I’ll do it.

Everything got real with the explosions, I’ve realized that I haven’t been really helping people like I should. Stopping muggers isn’t going to cut it anymore. It’s time I took my responsibilities more seriously. My secret identity doesn’t matter anymore. The safety of Keeliai does.

So I mean it. If you need help, for anything, let me know. I’ve been told I make a really good pack mule, and I’m knowledgeable about construction. Unfortunately I don’t have superhearing, so if you want to get a hold of me you’re going to have to do it the old fashioned way.

…I’m sorry this was so long, but thanks for listening.

[Quickly turns it off before he rambles any more.]

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Wow.

[She looks genuinely surprised.] That's uh.. Awesome. And I don't know if you count me as one of your friends who can't defend themselves or whatever, but.. don't worry about me, okay?

I think you're doing the right thing. [Hayley gives a sincere smile.] Is it way too super cheesy if I say I'm a little proud?

[Tugs the mask off his face and scratches the back of his head.]

It was super hard, okay? There was a lot of soul searching involved there.

And I worry about everyone. It's a superhero thing. Dude, I worry about Superman, and he's about as strong as me. [Okay, granted he worries about Clark for different reasons, but still!]

[She solemnifies a little.] I know. I know how hard it can be to reveal a secret you're used to keeping, especially when it's one that could change everything. But I still really think it's the right choice and I'm going to do whatever I can to encourage it since William's not here to help.

Just don't forget that you're Mark too.

[A beat.] Yeah, I'm kind of learning that.. How you all have that whole save the world complex. I guess that's what makes you a hero.

"The likelihood of a secret's being blown is proportional to the square of the number of people who're in on it." Tom Clancy. Secret identities - maybe they work. I'm on-and-off that particular fence all the time.

Also - if you called yourself Invincible and then weren't. Man. That's worse than the Rainbow Raider being colorblind.

But good for you, laying it out there. No more checking for that adhesive-on-face-feeling before you introduce yourself.

Hey I'm not yelling or anything. And honestly William would probably tell me what an awful idea it is. So would my mom. My dad and brother... I honestly have no idea what they'd think. But none of them are here, so... Thanks.

I haven't yet, have I?

Heh, it sort of goes with the job.

I used to not really worry about secret identities until Angstrom Levy hurt my mom. I've been... touchy after that, you know?

You'd be surprised the number of people that actually ask if I'm invincible after I tell them my name. You'd really be surprised.

Oh my god I do that all the time.

This place isn't like home. You know that, obviously. I think they might get it too, you know? At least I think Eve would.

And no, but you might forget about yourself if you're running around opening jars, moving couches, and saving kittens from trees.

I used to not worry about them until. Well. Until a lot of things finally added up. But then Rob's dad was killed, and, y'know... it wasn't a supervillain. I dunno if I see the point in them anymore.

Betcha I wouldn't. At all.

The worst is when you get that film all over your cheeks and nose.

[Now, here was the thing with Superhero Identities and Zatanna.]

[On the one hand, she never had any personal need for one. Her father had used their family name as his "identity", and it wasn't as if he bothered to wear a mask. The guy practically hid in the spotlight for far longer than she'd been alive. So when the time came for her to sneak her way into the family business...she saw no reason not to do the same.]

[But on the other hand, she did understand why it meant a lot to some people. To Robin and Bruce and the others, She'd always respected that. And she would respect Mark's decision to forgo that last remnant of personal security now.]

Liberating, isn't it?

I know. My mom worries because she's my mom. And honestly William wouldn't want anyone to know because he would think it would cut into his flying time, even though I had to put a stop to that years ago.

But that's what I do. [He doesn't get it. Being a superhero is as much of who he is as Mark as he is as Invincible. He really doesn't see them as two different personalities, so much as a job where he has to keep his real name (well, last name, the first name thing is out of the bag) a secret.]

I think it depends on the person. I think the Capes guys back home didn't really have secret identities, and it worked for them, but... like I said. A bad guy came to my house and hurt my mother just to get to me. I couldn't afford to be so careless anymore.

But here... here it's different, like I said. The circumstances changed, so I thought it might be better to come out with it.

To be fair to them, I'm only partially invincible. There's a lot of pictures online back home of me in... bad days... but really it takes someone whose punch is like getting hit by four mack trucks to get me to bleed so I don't think the name is completely off base.

[He pulls his mask off; he's clearly not using adhesive.] You mean your guy doesn't use a special fabric?

More like terrifying. Last time I said something like "secret identities don't matter" a supervillain broke into my house and threatened my mother like a month later. I know it's different here, but... I honestly can't get that thought out of my mind.

Edited 2014-05-29 01:28 (UTC)

Well, for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure most of the people you know here can take care of themselves just fine.

[That was what they were brought here in the first place for, after all.]

His flying time. [So skeptical.]

But you have to make time to open your own jars and save your own cats.

Yeah I know... It's just hard to shake a feeling like that.

He really liked to go flying. It was kind of really annoying.

I can open everyone's jar and still have time to open my own. Fast, remember?

Anything I can do to help ease your mind a bit?

Convince me everyone else is also secretly a superhero?

[He's kidding. Mostly.]

Well...I am? Sort of.

Not really much of a secret, though.

[Stiles is staring. He understands exactly why this is a big deal, and he's super impressed.]

Whoa. Dude, that takes some serious balls. Well done.

I still don't get how you were best friends.

You know what I mean. Like how will we hang out if you're always off saving the world?

[Bart lets out a small huff of air that borders on exasperation. He's not so sure that admitting to only being sorta invincible is a good idea, especially since Malicant seems to be a very fluid villain.]

Here's different. And the same at the same time.

[He's not a complete idiot, though, and isn't about to make it abundantly clear by pointing it out to Mark. Bart is unsure he should be even having this conversation. While he hasn't been completely careful with his powers on the shell, this is completely open discussion and...

Heck with it.]

Oh, yeah. But staying put on the face is like... fourth on the to-do list. It's not the priority. I know people use stuff to stick domino masks on.

[It'd feel weird, to reply to this as Clark. So it's Superman the one who replies even if the subject matter hits closer to the Lane-Kents.]

Hey, Mark. Can I come over? [He'd usually already be in his window, but it feels like the kind of situation where he should be asking, first.]

[ Jack, having met both Mark and Invincible, is grinding some brain gears here. ]

... wait, really?

I swear he's not the biggest jerk in the world.

Keeliai's a lot smaller than the world, and I still manged to hang out with my friends just fine back home. [Lying.]

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