Mark the Rizzler

Kaeya brought both hands to his head, alternating between looking at the Vision in front of him and the crowd below, which included a playful Lisa alongside a dreadful, 'smiling' Jean.

"Mark! Hide your Vision and let's scape, I have the strange feeling that the longer we stay here, the deader I am."

Following Kaeya's gaze, Mark involuntarily laughed, realizing how shaky he was.

"Just don't shake like that when we get down."

"...Asshole—Wha-!!!"

Hiding his Vision behind his clothes, he grabbed Kaeya without warning, hoisting him onto his shoulders and placing him right on top of his backpack while imbuing his feet with Electro energy.

"Your punishment for taking away my Vision."

"No way. You crazy assssss!" Totally pale, Kaeya seemed to realize Mark's intentions.

Taking a step into the void in front of him, Mark launched himself with a big smile from the statue's hands.

"HOW BEAUTIFUL FREEDOM IS."

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

In the same room where Mark had been tied up before, Kaeya and Mark sat facing Jean with Lisa looking on from the side. Anyone observing Kaeya's posture and the cold sweat on his forehead would unconsciously associate it with a primary school child being taken to the principal's office for misbehaving.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced, Mr. Mark-"

"Please, just call me Mark. It makes me uncomfortable to be addressed like that by someone only slightly older than me."

Jean was surprised by the change in demeanor between the previous and current Mark, and unconsciously smiled at being called "slightly older."

"That would be great, Mark, you can call me Jean then. I'd like to thank you for the help you provided. I can't imagine how many casualties there would have been if you hadn't acted."

"Hmm."

Mark simply nodded, feeling no need for further words, and his gaze involuntarily turned to Lisa as he felt her staring at him intently.

'She's studying me.'

"Your work with the Traveler is commendable, I won't lie. Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to-"

Jean stopped speaking as Mark sighed and reclined in his seat, adopting a serious expression as he raised two fingers.

"Firstly, I didn't work with that girl. I don't know her at all, and I acted purely out of selfishness when I broke into the headquarters, so I'm not worthy of praise."

Jean grimaced slightly at the thought of the time it would take to repair the doors but remained steadfast, listening to what Mark had to say.

"And secondly, just say you need help instead of beating around the bush."

"How-?!"

"Oh, come on, it's written all over your face. Plus, why would you seek out someone who treated you so rudely before? Either you want to recruit me and train me, but considering the rejection I showed toward the Order, it's unlikely. So, you only need the strength I demonstrated, temporarily, and probably for a task that involves qualified individuals like those who gathered earlier, Vision users, and the one who was able to fend off a threat on the level of Stormterror."

Mark looked at Jean expressionlessly as he waved both fingers in the air, causing Jean to silently nod in agreement.

All of this was just a bluff, mere assumptions by Mark based on the missions he knew from the original story. But showing himself to be more capable in front of others wouldn't hurt anyone.

"You're right, we need help. Would you be willing to assist us?"

Leaning back in his seat, Mark stared intently at Jean with narrowed eyes as he recalled a phrase Marko always told him: "Never work for free, except if the other person truly has nothing to offer."

"I don't do acts of charity..."

Jean's face showed a slight grimace as he sighed, as if he had expected this response. He reached out to a bag full of berries under the table, but Mark's next words made him pause.

"...But I can make an exception. I'll trust you, so don't disappoint me."

With a serious expression, Mark took out his two-colored Vision from among his clothes and placed it on Jean's table.

"T-This is impossible..."

Nearby, Lisa's eyes widened as she quickly ran to the table, examining every detail of what lay before her. At one point, her hands moved slowly toward the Vision, but Jean's grip stopped her.

Lisa looked annoyed at her friend and noticed that Jean's attention was not on her, but on the young man with the annoyed expression who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"I'd prefer if you didn't touch it."

The room fell silent for a few seconds until Lisa's footsteps echoed in the room as she walked toward Mark, wearing a strange expression. Mark felt slightly uncomfortable as she approached him.

"When Kaeya gave you the Vision earlier, although the design was strange, it didn't have two colors like it does now. What does this mean?"

Lisa leaned extremely close to him, practically putting her body in front of his.

Not knowing where to look, Mark tried not to show any change in his expression, but his ears betrayed him again as he grabbed the Vision from the table, tucking it back into his clothes, and extending both hands shortly after.

A small breeze began to spin rapidly in his left hand, forming a small tornado, while in his right hand, a violet lightning swirled, bouncing around his arm.

"N-No way!!" 

Although it was the second time he had seen it, Kaeya couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing, and interested, he looked away to the other two, noticing how Jean had a similar expression to the one he showed. But he realized how strangely Lisa was acting, way more than usual.

"Two elements... you're quite a peculiar cutie... What about let me study you~?"

"...Witch, you're too close."

Mark moved away from Lisa's predatory gaze and sought help with his eyes from Kaeya, but he impotently shook his head, so Mark had no choice but to turn to Jean, who also shook his head.

"Tch, I-Ah! I remeber I have to go... ehh, somewhere, yep somewhere! You know where to find me Kaeya."

Lisa's attention now shifted to Kaeya, which made him squirm under her gaze as he mentally cursed Mark, that stopped at the door casting a sidelong glance at Jean.

"True, uh Jean, I didn't mean to insult you or the order. I truly believe that if this continues, you will collapse, and everything will descend into even greater chaos."

His words caused Jean to tilt his head in confusion, but Mark simply gestured faintly beneath his eyes and turned away again.

Charging his feet with electricity, Mark shot out of the room and ran down the hallway of the headquarters. He noticed the curious glances of some knights in the area; some looked away when he made eye contact. Recognizing them as the ones who had shot at him at the entrance, he shook his head as he headed towards the exit.

About to leave the building, he heard a strange sound behind, Lisa was standing in the doorway of Jean's office, showing only half of her face with a mischievous look, while she moved her fingers like an octopus tentacle over the frame.

'...I shouldn't have shown it.'

Unconsciously, he instinctively sped up toward the door, his gaze fixed on Lisa as a precaution, which caused him to not pay attention to the person who was about to enter.

"Watch out-HEY!"

*THUCK*

The force of the blow was partially cushioned by his backpack, but it didn't prevent Mark from coughing up some saliva after taking a hit to the stomach.

"S-*cough*...Shit."

Struggling to open his eyes, he tried to get up, but the weight on his belly made it impossible for him to rise again, so he could only look helplessly at the person he had collided with.

"Aitetete~ Another accident... geez, I've lost count of how many times I've bumped into someone today."

Due to the sunlight, Mark couldn't make out their face, but from the voice, he seemed to be around the same age, so Mark didn't hold back when he noticed the guy wasn't moving.

"Would you mind talking while sitting on top of someone in another place?"

The person seemed to look down and be surprised, as they let out a small yelp before falling backward onto their backside. Their reaction confused Mark for a moment as he got up, brushing off the dirt.

Now standing, Mark looked down and found the same person, somewhat familiar, pointing at him while stuttering, and upon seeing the person's face, Mark had the exact same reaction.

'T-The hair, the bandage on the nose, and the scar on the shoulder...'

"Violet Blur!"

"Bennet!"

The volume of their shouts made some of the knights in the headquarters glance over, but this didn't seem to matter to either of them as they simply looked at their pointing fingers and began laughing suddenly.

"Hahaha, my name is Mark, so please don't call me that. I've heard that name so much today that I'm going to have nightmares tonight."

"Oh, sorry haha... Wait, you know me?!"

Bennet looked confusedly at Mark, who strangely had a friendly expression on his face, and nodded with a smile.

"I've heard about you in the area."

'Lie.'

How could Mark not know him? He had read everything about him and was part of his team from the beginning. The simple fact of knowing him made surprise and excitement well up inside him, causing him to slip and call his name by mistake.

Mark looked amused as Bennet's eyes widened in surprise, and he raised both fists trembling with excitement.

"It's an honor to meet you! I've heard that you've helped a lot of people when Stormterror came, you're awesome! I would had helped, but unfortunately I was on a mission and missed it..."

"...Well, I can't say if that is 'unfortunate' or not."

Bennet couldn't help but laugh as he watched Mark bring a hand to his chin, seemingly deep in thought about the topic. This caused Mark to snap out of his trance, laughing seemingly embarrassed, and extending his hand towards him.

"Thanks! By the way, I came here on a task from Miss Lisa, but I'm not sure where she is after all—uh, Mark?"

Question marks appeared in Bennet's expression as he noticed Mark's hand trembling for a moment.

"Are you alright?"

Mark didn't respond, his gaze shifting towards the interior of the headquarters.

"Hmm?"

Bennet followed his gaze, spotting Lisa in the distance, wearing a strange smile as she alternated her gaze between the two of them.

A shiver ran down Bennet's spine, making him want to look away, but with a shake of his head and a forced smile, he ignored what had just felt.

"That's weird... Well, I'm glad to have found her so quickly. Thanks, Mark! ....Huh? Mark?"

Shaking his head from side to side, Bennet turned around looking for Mark, but he was nowhere to be found. He had left.

"Is he shy around Miss Lisa?"

"Did you call?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

At some point, Lisa had silently positioned herself behind Bennet, causing him to jump in fright as he quickly looked back.

"Please don't do that! Phew..."

"*chuckles* Sorry, boy. You're here for the task I put up at the guild, right? The package is inside, follow me."

Lisa turned instantly without giving him time to respond and began walking towards the interior of the headquarters, with Bennet following behind as he let out an internal sigh.

"So... how do you and Mark know each other?"

Lisa didn't turn around, but the question was clearly directed at him, and the way she emphasized Mark's name was oddly pointed.

"Oh, yeah, it's actually the first time I've seen him."

"Oh? He seemed pretty friendly, though... Interesting~."

Another shiver ran down Bennet's spine, causing him to glance around once more for a few seconds.

"Emm, sure, haha..."

'I want to go home.'

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

"Here Jean."

"Oh, thanks Kaeya."

Mark had left the room a while ago, and the confusion he left behind in Jean prompted her to ask Kaeya to bring her a mirror while she dealt with all the paperwork caused by the Stormterror attack: repair requests, damage reports, business closure notices, analysis of the increasing emigration, and so on.

'The situation looks pretty bad, if we hadn't received help from these two foreigners...'

"*sigh* Are we really that incompetent?"

Kaeya decided not to respond when he saw that Jean simply tossed that question out there as a way to vent, and he stood silently while glancing at the city through the office windows.

Jean shook her head, feeling guilty for what she had just said, and she withdrew her tired hand from the pen she was holding, directing it toward the ornate silver mirror beside her.

'What did he mean when-'

"Oh."

Jean froze completely when she saw her reflection, from huge dark circles under her eyes that barely went unnoticed to a notable fatigue evident all over her face, represented by the paleness of her skin.

"Kaeya, why didn't you tell me?"

Although playful at times, Jean held Kaeya in high regard. He was an excellent knight and a responsible worker who efficiently completed all his tasks, and along with all the time they had worked together, the only thing that bothered her were his occasional ungentlemanly attitudes, but all of the above made her consider him, along with Lisa, one of her closest friends.

Kaeya averted his gaze from the window, showing a puzzled expression as he let out a loud sigh of disbelief.

"We told you several times since the Stormterror attacks began, but each of your responses was either not to worry too much or that the situation would improve soon. There came a point where we stopped telling you since you seemed to unconsciously ignore words related to the topic and prioritized finishing the paperwork on your desk."

Jean slowly lowered the mirror in her hand and shortly after her head, trying to recall something about it.

"The only thing we could do was try to reduce the papers that landed on your desk by patrolling more, and from Lisa's side, give you small doses of energizer in the tea you drink so you wouldn't pass out on the desk."

Swiftly turning her head, she looked at Kaeya and shortly after at the tea cup on her desk, letting out a slight groan of disbelief.

"I-I..."

"To be honest, I'm glad that Mark told you. You finally realized that doing everything on your own will do more harm than good in the long run."

"....."

Crossing her arms over the papers, Jean dropped her head onto them and let out a deep sigh.

"...Maybe I should delegate some of the paperwork-"

"DID I HEARD RIGHT? HOLY BARBATOS, MIRACLE! MIRACLEEEE!"

"KAEYA!"

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

It had been just over an hour since the Stormterror attack, and the usual lively atmosphere in Mondstadt's plaza seemed to have recovered.

Moving among some passersby, Mark finally arrived back at Good Hunter and approached Sara, who seemed to be getting everything ready to open the shop.

"Oh! If it isn't the great Violet Blur, hehehehe."

"....."

Mark's expression turned totally neutral to demonstrate the apathy he felt towards the name, and he stared fixedly at Sara in an attempt to make her uncomfortable and stop laughing.

"Hehe-Ahem, what brings you here again, Mark? Are you still hungry or something? Hehe, can't blame you, my dishes are delicious, some of them."

"...Is the offer for help still open? I'd like to apply for a cook position."

Sara's eyes widened as she was expecting an order instead of a job application. A big smile spread across her face as she stepped out from behind the counter and grabbed Mark's hands, starting to hop up and down excitedly.

"Are you serious?! By Barbatos, I can't stand it when some customers ask for things I can't cook and then leave, not without giving me a disappointed snap first. You're my savior, Mark!"

'Too much information... poor girl.'

Pulling his hands away, Mark raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"You know, when hiring someone, you have to stay indifferent to create more pressure. Besides, you haven't even seen me cook. Shouldn't you show more doubts or something? Otherwise, you'll just seem desperate."

"I'm desperate."

"....."

Mark decided to ignore that last thing and headed towards the kitchen, which was strangely located outside the counter.

"What?"

Sara approached from behind, alternating her gaze between the kitchen and Mark, letting out a small smile.

"Good Hunter specializes in outdoor cooking. You can think of it as a show that entertains and feeds people. And it's a requirement for the job, does that bother you?"

A frown appeared on Mark's forehead as he saw Sara's mocking smile and shook his head as he rolled up his sleeves and dropped his backpack to the floor.

"Not in the slightest. I'll try to replicate the dish you cooked for me before. Can you give me the ingredients? I'll pay for their use if necessary."

Sara's surprised expression turned instantly into a challenging smile as she walked towards the counter.

"You don't need to pay. Show me what you've got, Violet Blur."

The intentions behind her words were to annoy or embarrass Mark, but he didn't show any anger and took out a cloth from his backpack, all the while wearing a smile as he glanced sideways at Sara.

"Just because I don't respond doesn't mean I don't hear it. Keep bothering me, and you'll see, Sara."

Mark's gaze made Sara feel ashamed, and the meaning behind his words caused her to abruptly turn her head, showing a slight blush.

"Idiot."

"Sure."

Mark shook his head and tied the cloth around his head—hygiene was paramount, not a reference at all

'What I ate had... oh, three steaks, potatoes, about three of them, cheese, and the thing on top, umm, the head of a plant?'

Nodding to himself, he approached the pot in front of him and lit the fire using one of the nearby torches. After verifying that the fire had caught well, he looked at the pantry above the pot and was about to grab one of the pieces of meat, realizing it was cold.

"What?"

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that all the ingredients on the pantry were cold, leading to a sudden idea.

Channeling elemental energy into his eyes, the world began to take on different colors that glowed and stood out from the rest. Looking at the pantry, he could see a concentration of blue Cryo elemental energy around it, and beneath it, red Pyro energy fluttering in the flame of the stove.

"I didn't think it would work, but... wow."

As he looked at his hands, he noticed some dirt, so he turned embarrassedly towards Sara, who was approaching him with a basket of ingredients.

"What's up, kid?"

"By calling me 'kid,' you're just admitting that you're an old hag—"

A swift and humble ear tug made Mark shut up, seeing Sara's deathly grin.

"*coff* My hands are dirty, do you have any water or something?"

"You can use the one in the barrels inside the shop. We get one delivered daily and use it throughout the day for serving or cooking, but with the Stormterror's presence, they've started to accumulate, so feel free to use as much as you need. If you're thirsty, help yourself."

Mark unconsciously brought his hands to his lips, noticing how dehydrated they were, and nodded in gratitude.

Approaching the reception area, he could see five large barrels with large taps in the center, and he used elemental sight to discern which one had less water.

"This one has fewer blue particles... and there's a drain on the floor, practical."

After a few seconds of thoroughly washing his hands with some soap he found nearby, he took some water, which he quickly spat out upon realizing he had swallowed some foam from not rinsing his hands properly.

"Damn."

Back in the kitchen, he found Sara had grabbed a chair and placed it closer to him, sitting down with a playful look on her face as she leaned back in her seat.

Some passersby recognized Mark and approached with interest, as did some nearby shopkeepers and attendants.

A young woman with orange hair that matched her eyes approached from her shop, climbing the stairs and joining the crowd. She paused for a moment upon seeing certain people before putting on a mischievous smile upon seeing them.

"Eh? If it isn't Blanche and Wagner, what are you two doing here together? Hehe, is it possible—Puagh."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

A strong downward punch from Blanche to Marjorie's head made her instantly shut up, bringing both hands to her head.

"That hurts... idiot!"

"Then don't say idiotic things, idiot."

Wagner stepped away slightly from both of them and looked at Mark in the distance, silently listening to Blanche and Marjorie's conversation.

"Tch, respect your elders, brat."

"Heh, who would've thought, the 'eternally young' Marjorie, admitting she's an old hag."

Marjorie lowered both hands and crossed her arms under her chest, putting on a cheeky smile.

"The only thing I admit is that you still have a lot of growing up to do, kid."

Blanche lowered her head with a click and extended her hand while turning her head away, muttering something.

"You win this time... old witch."

Marjorie's smile didn't fade, and she accepted the handshake while looking at the people around her.

"So, what's with the crowd gathering?"

"Him," said Blanche, pointing her finger at Mark.

"Hmm? Isn't that the young man who helped everyone during the Stormterror attack? His name... Oh yes, Violet Bl—"

Marjorie's words stopped when she received a sidelong glance from Mark. Although there was a great sound around them from the murmuring crowd, Mark's gaze fell specifically on her, causing a nervous Blanche to quickly cover Marjorie's mouth with her hands.

"Don't mention that name; I've heard from Sara he hates being called that."

Marjorie nodded slightly, confused, and looked back at Mark, who had already turned to cut the meat. Shortly after, seeming to remember something, he turned to Blanche.

"But wasn't it Cavalry Captain Kaeya who spread that name while the boy was rescuing people? It should be an honor for him, shouldn't it?"

As Marjorie finished speaking, she felt a slight breeze to her left and realized that all the murmuring in the square had stopped. She looked around, puzzled, to Blanche and Wagner, who were to her right.

Turning, she saw both of them looking at her with wide eyes, and not just them, but the gaze of everyone in the square was now directed at her, or rather, at the side of her.

"What's hap—?"

Marjorie turned to her left and froze, coming face to face with Mark. His face was expressionless, but the veins on his forehead reflected his mood more than enough.

"Was it Kaeya?"

"Eh? I'm sor—?"

"Was it Kaeya?"

Marjorie's complexion paled slightly upon seeing a trace of Electro energy pass through Mark's body, and she involuntarily nodded her head.

Mark's fists clenched in fury, and he abruptly turned his head, alarming everyone around him.

Looking into the distance, he could see a trail of Cryo elemental energy behind a window, specifically the window of Jean's office at the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

"I see you."

Raising his index finger, he pointed directly into the distance, making everyone around him look there upon hearing his words, and he enveloped Electro energy around his thumb as he passed it horizontally across his neck.

"MARK! STOP SCARING THE CUSTOMERS OR YOU WON'T GET THE JOB!!!!! A smile and good manners are indispensable for business, fucking brat!"

"...Tch, understood."

Imbuing his feet with Electro, he quickly moved back to the kitchen, returning to cutting the potatoes.

Blanche and Wagner snapped out of their surprise and quickly looked at Marjorie, finding her flushed and with a hand over her chest.

"Marjorie—?"

"Blanche, this is the city of freedom, right?"

"...You're crazy."

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

In the distance, Jean sighed as she stretched after finishing her morning work, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Kaeya standing by the window with cold sweats on his forehead.

"Kaeya?"

"Jean, is it too late to join Master Varka on his expedition?"

"...What nonsense are you saying?"

________________________________

Long chap kk