The breach between universes was closed.
The hand of Tha'ral Da had been destroyed.
The Earth had been saved.
Mark and the other Shades of Justice had won. Two entire universes still existed because of their victory against the darkness.
Cassie and Gwen got married. Arthur gave the best man speech. Mark sat in the back at the open bar with a neglected scotch and watched sadly as his friends shared their love with their friends and family. People who could never know what they had done, didn't want to know what they had done.
Eli started his own business and went public within a year. He moved to Seattle and the stock reports on cable news became his preferred form of communication.
Without Dale around Mark felt lost. The funeral had been small. His parents had been simple, quiet, sad people and the loss of their son only amplified the quiet, sad, simplicity of their lives. The fact that they would never know that he was one of Earth's greatest heroes burned in Marks chest like a tiny sun.
Mark went to college. Lumarion paid for everything. In fact the Shades wanted for nothing now. Compensation for two hard years of service. Years that Mark missed.
He checked in with Technarious and Lumarion regularly. Even as word from the others became increasingly infrequent. At first it was an act of duty, but as the months became years it became an act of self preservation. A constant reminder that he wasn't crazy and had once been a part of something very important.
Carrie and Gwen invited everyone to Hawaii. Mark politely declined and when Technarious found out he teleported Mark straight to the resort instantly.
Mark had seen the ocean before. A family vacation to California when he was in the fourth grade. He didn't remember it being anything special. This ocean was different, or perhaps this Mark was different.
The seven day trip passed like a dream. He learned to surf, they went hiking and explore the island, they played games and sunbathed, he spent as much time as he could justify on the beach alone with the ocean. He flew home from Hawaii closer to some semblance of peace than he could ever remember being before.
Ten days later he was back, and did not leave for a long time.
