Almost Invincible (Invincible SI)
- Thread starter Emma Cruzader
- Start date
- Crossover Mature Superhero
Nitronorm5688
The Armchair Reader
- Location
- Oakdale, CT
I'd suggest Savage Dragon. While not a powerhouse, he is unwavering loyal, and an actual cop. He can regenerate from his injuries and he'd make a good liaison between the Team and Cecil.
Good chapter. But I'm wondering where you'd get a spaceship. And I'd use the other dimension as an accelerated time training ground.
Good chapter. But I'm wondering where you'd get a spaceship. And I'd use the other dimension as an accelerated time training ground.
I am curious, if Cecil took volunteer couples from all the military, and utilized…"donations''…from Mark and Nolan, allowing the couples to raise the offspring from said artificial inseminations and retreating to the Flaxan dimension to raise said offspring, with Mark and Nolan as trainers, wouldn't the differing time flows allow them to train up a vast army of human/viltrumite hybrids? Maybe help Eve overcome her organic limitations to further refine and strengthen the hybrid army?
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14: Unleash the beast!
- Location
- Eart
14: Unleash the beast!
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mark asked, looking at his mother who was packing some things.
It had been less than an hour since he spoke with his father. He and Cecil had agreed to have a more extensive meeting about their next recruitment plan tomorrow morning; the man needed to get some things in order.
Mark didn't need any preparation; he was ready to start whenever necessary. The only problem was his mother, who insisted on staying by his father's side for some reason.
"I already told you, Mark, I have to be there" her response was firm. Mark wondered if this was the same woman who had cried her eyes out just a few hours earlier. Maybe it was better not to tell her that his father planned to leave. He sighed and scratched the top of his head.
"Alright, but if you want to come back, just let me know and I'll bring you back immediately"
With nothing else to do, he left her alone in her room and went out to the backyard. He took out his phone, the one he used for heroic matters, and saw some messages he hadn't been able to answer before. They were from Eve.
"Can we talk? I need to see you"
He read the message with furrowed brows. Had something happened? With all the commotion, he had forgotten about any other events.
"I'm home, do you want me to come and meet you?"
Even so, he could make time for her. Her power would be very useful in the upcoming war. Maybe she couldn't face a Viltrumite head-on, but as support, she would undoubtedly be a great ally.
At least with her on board, they wouldn't run out of supplies. Maybe it sounded a bit cold to put it that way, but Mark needed to think about surviving and winning before he could think about being kind. At least he wouldn't say it to her face; he would just think it inwardly.
Now he sounded like a bastard. He would be kinder to her from now on to make up for it.
"I'm on my way" she replied and then fell silent.
Mark looked at his phone for a few more moments before turning it off and flying up to his roof. While waiting for Eve, he began to contemplate the new information he had acquired.
A war that had previously seemed almost impossible to overcome now seemed possible. Confidence was increasing, but so were the concerns.
"What do I know about Spawn?" Of all things, he didn't expect to see that guy in this place. He wondered if it was a coincidence or if he really shared the same universe as Invincible.
Spawn—he could say he knew him and at the same time didn't. His brother had bought many shirts with Spawn's image when he was a teenager, and he had done the same because they were cool. He even had some posters with Spawn's image in his room.
But beyond that, he hadn't read any comics about Spawn. He had seen a live-action movie, but it wasn't that good. He knew general things, like how Spawn was supposed to have defeated Hell or something like that, and also God.
He didn't know exactly, but if any of that was literal, then he had many more problems than he initially thought.
He wondered if he would have to kill God in the future. He hoped not. He didn't know how he would do something like that.
He heard the sound of the wind shifting and looked up to see Eve approaching from afar. He could see the tears running down her cheeks, causing him to frown at the sight.
He stood up to greet her, but she was quicker, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him in the process.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He held her and tried to calm her by gently patting her back. She sobbed a little more before starting to speak with a broken voice.
"I-it's Rex, Mark. I caught him cheating on me!" she said, looking at him with tearful eyes and a clearly broken heart.
'Oh' Mark now remembered. Well, he couldn't say this was his fault, though he hadn't done anything to prevent it. It was Rex who decided to mess things up. The only thing he could do for her was to be kinder, as he had promised himself earlier. So, he hugged her tighter. He wasn't good at consoling crying women.
"And the worst part is, I found him with Kate! Three of her! In the bathroom of the Teen Team headquarters!" She seemed quite hurt, and Mark supposed that was normal. It wasn't just Rex—Kate, who was supposed to be her friend, had also betrayed her. A double low blow.
""I said he wasn't stupid enough but I was wrong, I'm sorry Eve" He couldn't offer any more words of comfort.
They both sat on his roof with Eve leaning against him, still sobbing.
"I'm sorry, Mark. I shouldn't be doing this. You already have enough problems" she said, wiping her tears one last time.
Mark smiled kindly.
"Hey, don't worry. We all have our own problems, and none of them are less important just because they're different" he said sympathetically
She gave him a weak smile in response, then realized how close they were and blushed a little, moving a few inches away.
"Everything will be fine, Eve. Rex may have been an idiot, but you'll definitely find someone better, much better. You're too amazing not to" he smiled at her and encouraged her as best he could.
She looked at his face from the side for a few seconds before smiling too.
"Maybe you're right"
.
.
.
The next day.
Mark arrived at GDA headquarters with Eve and her mother.
The previous night, after Eve had vented, he had told her about the situation and the possible plans he and Cecil had. He also asked her to join him, and she had accepted without much thought. Now they were here.
Her mother went to her new "room," leaving Mark and Eve to wander around the place until they reached her father's cell. There were several guards, but not too many; Cecil knew that no amount of guards would be useful, so he did not deploy an unnecessary amount of men
"So here he is. It's a bit less impressive than I expected" Eve said, looking at Omniman through the glass.
"No cell in the world can contain him, so there's no need to make anything too flashy. Come on, Cecil is waiting for us in the meeting room"
He led the way, and she followed him to the place where Cecil and Robot were waiting for them. Upon seeing them arrive, the droid nodded at them in greeting.
Eve greeted him back. He was the only "friend" besides Mark who hadn't let her down, so she was still on good terms with him.
Cecil turned to look at them and raised an eyebrow upon seeing Eve. Mark quickly stepped forward to explain.
"You said we need to form the strongest team. I think you know well that Eve's potential is more than up to the task"
Cecil frowned slightly before grunting and nodding.
"Alright, you'll be on board from now on" he told Eve, and she nodded at him with resolve in her eyes.
"How much have you told her?" he asked Mark.
"Just the basics, enough for her to understand the general aspects" In reality, he had told her more than that, but it wasn't necessary to say so.
"Very well, then we'll go over all the important details"
The discussion that followed delved deeper into what was coming. Eve could feel the tense atmosphere and how important this "war" was. That was fine with her; she needed something to focus on, and saving the world was much more important than thinking about her personal problems.
"So, who should I go to first?" Mark pointed to the profiles of the four people they were looking to recruit for the yet unnamed team.
"Let's start with the difficult one" Cecil indicated one, and Eve raised an eyebrow at the images.
"The Pitt? I heard he disappeared years ago after the Creed invasion was stopped" Earth faced many constant threats, but very few were remembered for posterity.
The Creed invasion was one of them because they almost succeeded. It was thanks to Omniman, the Guardians, and The Pitt that the Creeds were annihilated. The last thing known was that their home planet had exploded for some reason.
"He didn't disappear; he's on vacation. But it's time to bring him back" More images were displayed, showing a lush forest in Alaska.
They seemed to be taken from a distance. A cozy cabin in the middle of the woods could be seen, and in its yard, a young man in his twenties was chopping wood. His tousled blonde hair almost shone in the sunlight. He wore simple denim pants along with a white T-shirt. Perhaps the most striking thing about him was the somewhat worn and torn sleeveless red leather jacket, which was a bit too large for him.
"I thought we were looking for Pitt, not a lumberjack" Eve said with a raised eyebrow.
Cecil smiled, but it was Robot who responded.
"That's Timmy Bracken, Pitt's twin brother. He'll guide us to where Pitt is hiding" Eve and Mark looked back at the blonde-haired boy and then at the images of Pitt.
Mark couldn't help but ask the question that was also on Eve's mind.
"Twin? Are you sure? Because they don't look too much alike"
"The story is somewhat complicated, but to summarize, their mother was kidnapped by the Creeds, who stole one of her eggs, which they used to create Pitt. So, in a somewhat strange way, they both share genetic similarities and a special connection" Robot explained.
"It's best if you go personally. We don't know what mental state Pitt is in right now, but he's a warrior who never shies away from a battle. If we want him on our side, you have to show him what you're capable of" Cecil said.
Pitt was somewhat enigmatic but also straightforward to understand. He was a genetically engineered weapon to destroy the Creed's enemies. He was a monster, but he had consciousness thanks to his human half. In a way, he had a moral code similar to that of old-school warriors.
He was violent but only against those he deemed evil.
So, Cecil knew they could get him on their side; they just needed to convince him properly.
Mark nodded, understanding more or less what was needed. He looked at the images on the screen, studying the terrain. Being deep in the forests helped a lot in not worrying about harming civilians.
"Alright, I'm ready. I'll go find him" he said, standing up. Eve got up at the same time he did.
"Let me go with you, just to be safe" she said, taking his arm. Mark looked at her and almost refused, but Cecil spoke first.
"Let her go. This could also be a good test for her. Pitt has faced your father before, so he's comparable to a Viltrumite. This way, she'll know what she's up against firsthand and can back off before it's too late" At those words, Eve frowned deeply. She had already decided to help; she wasn't going to back down now.
Mark fell silent for a second before nodding.
"Alright, but if things get out of control, you have to let him out" he said, referring to his father. Mark was confident in himself, but someone who had faced Omniman before wasn't something to take lightly.
Cecil frowned deeply before nodding.
"Alright"
.
.
.
Mark and Eve flew through the skies of Alaska. Mark held Eve's hand firmly; she could fly, but undoubtedly, he could do it faster, so it was more useful for him to carry her.
Soon, they ventured into the deep forests until they found a well-hidden cabin. If it weren't for Cecil and Robot's directions, it would have been difficult to find.
They both descended until they were a few meters from the yard where they found Timmy, Pitt's brother, sitting on a rocking chair, with a cap over his head that also covered his eyes. He seemed to be enjoying a pleasant nap in the sun.
Mark stepped forward first, but before he could take more than two steps, Timmy raised his hand and pointed to his foot.
"Don't step on my lawn" Mark looked down only to see a clear dividing line between the forest grass and the lawn in Timmy's cabin. He raised an eyebrow, sure he hadn't made much noise when walking or landing.
"Oh, sorry" he took a step back. "But since you're awake, it saves me from having to interrupt your sleep" he said, looking at him.
Timmy straightened up and lifted his cap, giving them a clear view of his face: a budding beard along with dark blue eyes being the most obvious features.
"Huh? Superheroes? Why are you here?" he rubbed his eyes, clearly shaking off the remaining sleep from his face.
"Do you have news in this place?" Eve asked, to which Timmy smiled and pointed to an antenna on the roof of his cabin.
"Satellite internet, girl. I can see whatever I want, and I don't pay anything for it. Isn't it great?" he asked, clearly cheerful.
"So, you know what happened at the Guardians' funeral" Mark said, and Timmy's smile slowly died.
"That was disappointing. I liked the guy" Timmy said, scratching his head and sighing, his eyes now serious.
"Let me guess, you're here because of that "invasion" Omniman talked about, right? It's always an invasion... I don't understand what the heck those damn aliens see in this planet. I mean, sure, we have some incredible Mexican tacos, but they can just get those by sneaking into Mexico or something, Why invade the world?" He took off his cap, tousling his blonde hair.
"If you know that, then you know we need to see him. We need to talk to Pitt" Eve pointed out bluntly.
Timmy stayed still, his eyes staring at them intently.
"You want his help? Seriously?" Eve nodded.
"We're forming a team, one to fight against the Viltrumites. Pitt has fought against Omniman; he's a warrior. He can be of great help in this war"
Timmy chuckled.
"I don't know if you know this, but he's a lone killer. He doesn't work in teams"
"There's always a first time for everything. We just need to talk to him. I'm sure he'll help us. They say he never backs down from a battle, and this is probably the biggest battle this world will ever see. I'm sure he'll be interested" Mark said.
Upon hearing Mark's words, Timmy smiled and sighed a bit.
"Well, it's been a while since he fought against something. He's certainly eager. I think he wants to hear what you have to say, but you have to promise me something" the smile faded from his face and he looked at him somberly.
"What do you need?" Mark asked, equally serious.
"When I unleash the beast... don't die"
The words were ominous, and Mark almost frowned, but instead, he smiled with unwavering confidence.
"Oh, I think I didn't tell you before, people call me invincible, and I'm not easy to kill" Timmy smiled, a genuine smile.
"Optimistic name. Let's see how true it is" as he said that, his voice changed to a more hoarse one, his blonde hair grew down to his back, and deep black replaced the golden hue.
His clothes began to tear, his skin turning to a gray tone, muscle after muscle bulging, making his figure grow to almost three meters in moments, and it didn't stop there.
Mark's eyes widened as the blue pupils were replaced by completely blood-red eyes, including the sclera; the nose disappeared, and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth gave him a wide grin. Enormously long claws grew on his hands.
The massive figure blocked out the sun behind his back, casting a huge shadow. His long black hair billowed in the wind, A pounding heartbeat resonated in a violent rhythm, causing all the wildlife in the area to start fleeing.
"Shall we begin?" the deep voice was like hearing a tiger speak. Mark smiled even wider, while Eve opened her eyes in amazement.
Although it was said they would talk, it was more than clear that a fight was imminent.
After all, there is no better conversation than the one exchanged through the Fists.
.
.
.
The Pitt
Note:
How is it?? Pitt from Image Comics was the publisher's response to Hulk. His story is somewhat strange (I read all the comics before doing this, haha), so I've modified some things, but I've kept most of it. Why do Pitt and Timmy share the same body? Well, you'll have to find out later. I'm thinking of an explanation for the story, but if you want an explanation outside of the story, then I'll just say that I wanted to inject a bit of "Hulk" into it.
In other news, I've got a new fan with a remote control! It's amazing. I turned it on and accidentally fell asleep, making me late for work and getting scolded... but it was worth it, guys.
The next update of Almost Invincible is now available on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader) If you don't want to wait for a public update, you can take a look at it n.n
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mark asked, looking at his mother who was packing some things.
It had been less than an hour since he spoke with his father. He and Cecil had agreed to have a more extensive meeting about their next recruitment plan tomorrow morning; the man needed to get some things in order.
Mark didn't need any preparation; he was ready to start whenever necessary. The only problem was his mother, who insisted on staying by his father's side for some reason.
"I already told you, Mark, I have to be there" her response was firm. Mark wondered if this was the same woman who had cried her eyes out just a few hours earlier. Maybe it was better not to tell her that his father planned to leave. He sighed and scratched the top of his head.
"Alright, but if you want to come back, just let me know and I'll bring you back immediately"
With nothing else to do, he left her alone in her room and went out to the backyard. He took out his phone, the one he used for heroic matters, and saw some messages he hadn't been able to answer before. They were from Eve.
"Can we talk? I need to see you"
He read the message with furrowed brows. Had something happened? With all the commotion, he had forgotten about any other events.
"I'm home, do you want me to come and meet you?"
Even so, he could make time for her. Her power would be very useful in the upcoming war. Maybe she couldn't face a Viltrumite head-on, but as support, she would undoubtedly be a great ally.
At least with her on board, they wouldn't run out of supplies. Maybe it sounded a bit cold to put it that way, but Mark needed to think about surviving and winning before he could think about being kind. At least he wouldn't say it to her face; he would just think it inwardly.
Now he sounded like a bastard. He would be kinder to her from now on to make up for it.
"I'm on my way" she replied and then fell silent.
Mark looked at his phone for a few more moments before turning it off and flying up to his roof. While waiting for Eve, he began to contemplate the new information he had acquired.
A war that had previously seemed almost impossible to overcome now seemed possible. Confidence was increasing, but so were the concerns.
"What do I know about Spawn?" Of all things, he didn't expect to see that guy in this place. He wondered if it was a coincidence or if he really shared the same universe as Invincible.
Spawn—he could say he knew him and at the same time didn't. His brother had bought many shirts with Spawn's image when he was a teenager, and he had done the same because they were cool. He even had some posters with Spawn's image in his room.
But beyond that, he hadn't read any comics about Spawn. He had seen a live-action movie, but it wasn't that good. He knew general things, like how Spawn was supposed to have defeated Hell or something like that, and also God.
He didn't know exactly, but if any of that was literal, then he had many more problems than he initially thought.
He wondered if he would have to kill God in the future. He hoped not. He didn't know how he would do something like that.
He heard the sound of the wind shifting and looked up to see Eve approaching from afar. He could see the tears running down her cheeks, causing him to frown at the sight.
He stood up to greet her, but she was quicker, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him in the process.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He held her and tried to calm her by gently patting her back. She sobbed a little more before starting to speak with a broken voice.
"I-it's Rex, Mark. I caught him cheating on me!" she said, looking at him with tearful eyes and a clearly broken heart.
'Oh' Mark now remembered. Well, he couldn't say this was his fault, though he hadn't done anything to prevent it. It was Rex who decided to mess things up. The only thing he could do for her was to be kinder, as he had promised himself earlier. So, he hugged her tighter. He wasn't good at consoling crying women.
"And the worst part is, I found him with Kate! Three of her! In the bathroom of the Teen Team headquarters!" She seemed quite hurt, and Mark supposed that was normal. It wasn't just Rex—Kate, who was supposed to be her friend, had also betrayed her. A double low blow.
""I said he wasn't stupid enough but I was wrong, I'm sorry Eve" He couldn't offer any more words of comfort.
They both sat on his roof with Eve leaning against him, still sobbing.
"I'm sorry, Mark. I shouldn't be doing this. You already have enough problems" she said, wiping her tears one last time.
Mark smiled kindly.
"Hey, don't worry. We all have our own problems, and none of them are less important just because they're different" he said sympathetically
She gave him a weak smile in response, then realized how close they were and blushed a little, moving a few inches away.
"Everything will be fine, Eve. Rex may have been an idiot, but you'll definitely find someone better, much better. You're too amazing not to" he smiled at her and encouraged her as best he could.
She looked at his face from the side for a few seconds before smiling too.
"Maybe you're right"
.
.
.
The next day.
Mark arrived at GDA headquarters with Eve and her mother.
The previous night, after Eve had vented, he had told her about the situation and the possible plans he and Cecil had. He also asked her to join him, and she had accepted without much thought. Now they were here.
Her mother went to her new "room," leaving Mark and Eve to wander around the place until they reached her father's cell. There were several guards, but not too many; Cecil knew that no amount of guards would be useful, so he did not deploy an unnecessary amount of men
"So here he is. It's a bit less impressive than I expected" Eve said, looking at Omniman through the glass.
"No cell in the world can contain him, so there's no need to make anything too flashy. Come on, Cecil is waiting for us in the meeting room"
He led the way, and she followed him to the place where Cecil and Robot were waiting for them. Upon seeing them arrive, the droid nodded at them in greeting.
Eve greeted him back. He was the only "friend" besides Mark who hadn't let her down, so she was still on good terms with him.
Cecil turned to look at them and raised an eyebrow upon seeing Eve. Mark quickly stepped forward to explain.
"You said we need to form the strongest team. I think you know well that Eve's potential is more than up to the task"
Cecil frowned slightly before grunting and nodding.
"Alright, you'll be on board from now on" he told Eve, and she nodded at him with resolve in her eyes.
"How much have you told her?" he asked Mark.
"Just the basics, enough for her to understand the general aspects" In reality, he had told her more than that, but it wasn't necessary to say so.
"Very well, then we'll go over all the important details"
The discussion that followed delved deeper into what was coming. Eve could feel the tense atmosphere and how important this "war" was. That was fine with her; she needed something to focus on, and saving the world was much more important than thinking about her personal problems.
"So, who should I go to first?" Mark pointed to the profiles of the four people they were looking to recruit for the yet unnamed team.
"Let's start with the difficult one" Cecil indicated one, and Eve raised an eyebrow at the images.
"The Pitt? I heard he disappeared years ago after the Creed invasion was stopped" Earth faced many constant threats, but very few were remembered for posterity.
The Creed invasion was one of them because they almost succeeded. It was thanks to Omniman, the Guardians, and The Pitt that the Creeds were annihilated. The last thing known was that their home planet had exploded for some reason.
"He didn't disappear; he's on vacation. But it's time to bring him back" More images were displayed, showing a lush forest in Alaska.
They seemed to be taken from a distance. A cozy cabin in the middle of the woods could be seen, and in its yard, a young man in his twenties was chopping wood. His tousled blonde hair almost shone in the sunlight. He wore simple denim pants along with a white T-shirt. Perhaps the most striking thing about him was the somewhat worn and torn sleeveless red leather jacket, which was a bit too large for him.
"I thought we were looking for Pitt, not a lumberjack" Eve said with a raised eyebrow.
Cecil smiled, but it was Robot who responded.
"That's Timmy Bracken, Pitt's twin brother. He'll guide us to where Pitt is hiding" Eve and Mark looked back at the blonde-haired boy and then at the images of Pitt.
Mark couldn't help but ask the question that was also on Eve's mind.
"Twin? Are you sure? Because they don't look too much alike"
"The story is somewhat complicated, but to summarize, their mother was kidnapped by the Creeds, who stole one of her eggs, which they used to create Pitt. So, in a somewhat strange way, they both share genetic similarities and a special connection" Robot explained.
"It's best if you go personally. We don't know what mental state Pitt is in right now, but he's a warrior who never shies away from a battle. If we want him on our side, you have to show him what you're capable of" Cecil said.
Pitt was somewhat enigmatic but also straightforward to understand. He was a genetically engineered weapon to destroy the Creed's enemies. He was a monster, but he had consciousness thanks to his human half. In a way, he had a moral code similar to that of old-school warriors.
He was violent but only against those he deemed evil.
So, Cecil knew they could get him on their side; they just needed to convince him properly.
Mark nodded, understanding more or less what was needed. He looked at the images on the screen, studying the terrain. Being deep in the forests helped a lot in not worrying about harming civilians.
"Alright, I'm ready. I'll go find him" he said, standing up. Eve got up at the same time he did.
"Let me go with you, just to be safe" she said, taking his arm. Mark looked at her and almost refused, but Cecil spoke first.
"Let her go. This could also be a good test for her. Pitt has faced your father before, so he's comparable to a Viltrumite. This way, she'll know what she's up against firsthand and can back off before it's too late" At those words, Eve frowned deeply. She had already decided to help; she wasn't going to back down now.
Mark fell silent for a second before nodding.
"Alright, but if things get out of control, you have to let him out" he said, referring to his father. Mark was confident in himself, but someone who had faced Omniman before wasn't something to take lightly.
Cecil frowned deeply before nodding.
"Alright"
.
.
.
Mark and Eve flew through the skies of Alaska. Mark held Eve's hand firmly; she could fly, but undoubtedly, he could do it faster, so it was more useful for him to carry her.
Soon, they ventured into the deep forests until they found a well-hidden cabin. If it weren't for Cecil and Robot's directions, it would have been difficult to find.
They both descended until they were a few meters from the yard where they found Timmy, Pitt's brother, sitting on a rocking chair, with a cap over his head that also covered his eyes. He seemed to be enjoying a pleasant nap in the sun.
Mark stepped forward first, but before he could take more than two steps, Timmy raised his hand and pointed to his foot.
"Don't step on my lawn" Mark looked down only to see a clear dividing line between the forest grass and the lawn in Timmy's cabin. He raised an eyebrow, sure he hadn't made much noise when walking or landing.
"Oh, sorry" he took a step back. "But since you're awake, it saves me from having to interrupt your sleep" he said, looking at him.
Timmy straightened up and lifted his cap, giving them a clear view of his face: a budding beard along with dark blue eyes being the most obvious features.
"Huh? Superheroes? Why are you here?" he rubbed his eyes, clearly shaking off the remaining sleep from his face.
"Do you have news in this place?" Eve asked, to which Timmy smiled and pointed to an antenna on the roof of his cabin.
"Satellite internet, girl. I can see whatever I want, and I don't pay anything for it. Isn't it great?" he asked, clearly cheerful.
"So, you know what happened at the Guardians' funeral" Mark said, and Timmy's smile slowly died.
"That was disappointing. I liked the guy" Timmy said, scratching his head and sighing, his eyes now serious.
"Let me guess, you're here because of that "invasion" Omniman talked about, right? It's always an invasion... I don't understand what the heck those damn aliens see in this planet. I mean, sure, we have some incredible Mexican tacos, but they can just get those by sneaking into Mexico or something, Why invade the world?" He took off his cap, tousling his blonde hair.
"If you know that, then you know we need to see him. We need to talk to Pitt" Eve pointed out bluntly.
Timmy stayed still, his eyes staring at them intently.
"You want his help? Seriously?" Eve nodded.
"We're forming a team, one to fight against the Viltrumites. Pitt has fought against Omniman; he's a warrior. He can be of great help in this war"
Timmy chuckled.
"I don't know if you know this, but he's a lone killer. He doesn't work in teams"
"There's always a first time for everything. We just need to talk to him. I'm sure he'll help us. They say he never backs down from a battle, and this is probably the biggest battle this world will ever see. I'm sure he'll be interested" Mark said.
Upon hearing Mark's words, Timmy smiled and sighed a bit.
"Well, it's been a while since he fought against something. He's certainly eager. I think he wants to hear what you have to say, but you have to promise me something" the smile faded from his face and he looked at him somberly.
"What do you need?" Mark asked, equally serious.
"When I unleash the beast... don't die"
The words were ominous, and Mark almost frowned, but instead, he smiled with unwavering confidence.
"Oh, I think I didn't tell you before, people call me invincible, and I'm not easy to kill" Timmy smiled, a genuine smile.
"Optimistic name. Let's see how true it is" as he said that, his voice changed to a more hoarse one, his blonde hair grew down to his back, and deep black replaced the golden hue.
His clothes began to tear, his skin turning to a gray tone, muscle after muscle bulging, making his figure grow to almost three meters in moments, and it didn't stop there.
Mark's eyes widened as the blue pupils were replaced by completely blood-red eyes, including the sclera; the nose disappeared, and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth gave him a wide grin. Enormously long claws grew on his hands.
The massive figure blocked out the sun behind his back, casting a huge shadow. His long black hair billowed in the wind, A pounding heartbeat resonated in a violent rhythm, causing all the wildlife in the area to start fleeing.
"Shall we begin?" the deep voice was like hearing a tiger speak. Mark smiled even wider, while Eve opened her eyes in amazement.
Although it was said they would talk, it was more than clear that a fight was imminent.
After all, there is no better conversation than the one exchanged through the Fists.
.
.
.
The Pitt
Note:
How is it?? Pitt from Image Comics was the publisher's response to Hulk. His story is somewhat strange (I read all the comics before doing this, haha), so I've modified some things, but I've kept most of it. Why do Pitt and Timmy share the same body? Well, you'll have to find out later. I'm thinking of an explanation for the story, but if you want an explanation outside of the story, then I'll just say that I wanted to inject a bit of "Hulk" into it.
In other news, I've got a new fan with a remote control! It's amazing. I turned it on and accidentally fell asleep, making me late for work and getting scolded... but it was worth it, guys.
The next update of Almost Invincible is now available on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader) If you don't want to wait for a public update, you can take a look at it n.n
15: Hidden Potential
- Location
- Eart
15: Hidden Potential
The tension was palpable in the air. Eve couldn't help but swallow nervously, feeling a drop of sweat trickle down her face. She had been a hero for years, facing threat after threat all the time. Her life had been at risk more times than she could count.
Yet, it was clear to her that this time was different. There was a kind of danger that made her body slightly numb. Still, she didn't falter. Instead, she stood firm by Mark's side. She was Atom Eve. She wouldn't back down no matter what, especially now that Mark had placed his trust in her. She couldn't disappoint him like that.
Pitt shifted his shoulders, the white shirt Timmy had brought tearing apart completely, leaving only the red jacket barely fitting his enormous frame. The giant, standing over three meters tall, seemed to be getting used to his body again, as if he had been asleep for too long.
"The sky..." his hoarse voice reverberated through the area as his red eyes gazed at the blue sky. His fists opened and closed, then he smiled slightly, his huge pointed teeth showing.
He looked at Mark with interest.
"I can see it, the blood covering your body. You're a warrior."
Mark blinked, but didn't dismiss his words. He didn't know what kind of abilities Pitt had, so he couldn't say if he was just talking or if he could really see the number of lives Mark had taken.
Pitt then turned his gaze to Eve.
"You have the spirit, but you still lack the strength. Don't interfere in this because I won't hold back just because you're a girl."
Eve frowned, clearly offended.
"I don't need you to treat me like a damsel. I can take care of myself."
Pitt smiled even more at seeing how she didn't back down even a bit, even when facing him.
"I've heard the news. you want me to fight by your side but... are you worthy of it?" Pitt had finished his fight long ago. He had defeated the Creed Empire and destroyed their homeworld, killed his father, and disposed of any threat his existence could bring to Earth.
He had no reason to fight anymore; it wasn't his duty... but looking Mark in the eyes he couldn't avoid that those battle cravings, which had been inside him since the first moment he gained consciousness, were ignited again, his heart starting to beat strongly.
Pitt was a warrior; he was born to bring death and destruction to all enemies of the Creed. He had rebelled due to his human consciousness, but even if he had done so, it didn't change who he was at his core. Even if he had decided to remain silent all this time, war still ran through his veins.
Mark looked at Pitt and spoke plainly.
"You know the strength of Omni-Man, you know what he's capable of, and now, many others like him have Earth in their sights. I've heard about what you did in the past, how you stopped the Creed invasion, how you betrayed your people... this isn't different. Omniman has decided to go against them for the earth but he can't defeat them all on his own, that's why I'm putting together a team, one that can fight for the earth no matter what the cost."
Until now, Mark had followed Cecil's plan not because he didn't have his own plans, but because he wanted to give Earth a chance. He didn't know the original fate of this universe without his interference, so he couldn't be sure if they really stood a chance. Still, letting them try never hurt.
Until now, Cecil hadn't been an obstacle, so Mark didn't see the need to become enemies with him. At the same time, he needed certain resources to carry out his own preparations. This team, the original idea might be Cecil's, but Mark would ensure he was the person they followed in the end.
Ultimately, everything aligned with his first and most important goal: survival. Anything else was just secondary. Once the Viltrumite Empire was defeated, he could relax and think about the distant future. But until then, he had to play his cards right.
"To fight for Earth... I can do that. But can you?"
At his question, Mark frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"If Earth is attacked, I will fight. But if you want me to join your 'team,' then you must prove yourselves worthy. Only the strong can fight by my side; otherwise, you'll just be a hindrance."
"A demonstration? Is that what you want? Or do you just want to fight?"
Pitt smiled.
"Both."
It had been a while since he fought against something, and he was beginning to miss it.
"Wait a second, we don't have to—" Eve was cut off by Mark, who raised his hand and shook his head without looking at her.
"If he wants this, then I have no choice but to give it to him." Both, half-human half-alien, looked at each other, tension rising.
Eve watched them from the side and sighed, putting her palm on her face. Why did men love to beat each other up? While she contemplated this fact, she didn't notice a tacit understanding pass through the gaze of both; there was no need for more words.
She wanted to say something more, but before she could open her mouth, she felt the wind violently hitting the surroundings. Almost automatically, her hand glowed pink, and a wall of energy unfolded in front of her, preventing her body from being thrown uncontrollably.
When her eyes focused, she saw how the ground had collapsed instantly.
In the midst of it, Mark and Pitt were both clashing their arms together, causing the earth to tremble and collapse.
The air exploded as shockwaves began to reverberate through it, shaking the surroundings.
"Rrrrrarggg!!" Pitt roared, his hand lunging forward with surprising force and speed. Mark saw the attack coming, slightly widening his eyes at the speed at which the gray giant moved.
He dodged to the side, letting the clawed hand brush past his face. Suddenly, four thin lines of blood appeared on his cheek.
He watched the drops of blood fly away surprised that the mere brush of Pitt's attack had hurt him, but he didn't remain idle.
His own fist launched forward unimpeded. Pitt saw the attack coming but didn't try to dodge it; instead, he smiled wider, letting the blow hit his face.
The air exploded as flesh met flesh, Pitt's head sharply turning to the side, purple blood spraying from his mouth.
Feeling the familiar taste of his own life fluid and the stabbing pain on the side of his face, Pitt couldn't help but get even more excited, his claws starting to increase in size.
"That's it! Hahaha!"
Mark couldn't help but smile too; he hadn't held back with that blow. It seemed like this guy would really indeed be useful in the battles to come.
In a blink, high-speed movements began to take place. They exchanged hundreds of blows in moments. Not far from them, Eve had to strain just to follow the residual images of both.
She bit her lip, she knew mark was strong, but now he seemed much stronger than before., and his opponent didn't fall behind at all.
Eve flew over the center of the fight, her hands glowing as she prevented the air cyclones beginning to form from dragging debris beyond the area. In fact, she was modifying the terrain to prevent both from completely destroying the place.
Mark felt Pitt's elbow burying itself in his stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He couldn't help but grunt, but he didn't stop. His hand stretched out and grabbed Pitt by the neck, then quickly he leaned in and smashed his head against Pitt's, making the giant grunt.
If Pitt had a nose, this blow would have broken it, but because he didn't have it the half-alien monster quickly recovered. His fist struck Mark in the face, causing him to recoil dozens of meters, crashing into dozens of trees.
Mark spat blood from his mouth and waited until Pitt came close enough to lunge forward and punch him directly in the chin, making his teeth clash together with a resounding sound echoing through the area.
But Pitt didn't stop; in fact, with each wound he received, he seemed much fiercer and more willing to fight.
He struck towards Mark with both hands, causing him to cross his arms over his head to block the blow. The ground sank, and in a second, a crater hundreds of meters wide formed as the earth was forced to compress by the sheer force.
The shockwave caused an earthquake that began to shake the nearby mountains.
Mark felt the strain; his legs bent slightly upon impact, and his eyes couldn't help but meet his opponent's.
Without either being able to stop it, they both grinned widely.
From the skies, Eve frowned as she saw the forest beginning to be destroyed.
Even if she could fix it with her powers, it wouldn't bring back the lives of all the animals that hadn't been able to flee in time. This had to end.
"Enough!" she shouted and tried to raise a barrier between them, but the pink energy projection lasted only half a second before it was shattered into thousands of fragments like a breaking crystal the next moment.
Eve grimaced at the backlash; she couldn't stop them, not if she kept using the same tactics as always.
She looked thoughtfully at the terrain before raising her hand and focusing. This time, she had to go a little further.
Mark was about to strike Pitt once more when suddenly he felt the air around him vibrating, as if his body was being crushed from all directions by a crushing pressure.
"What is this?" It was difficult to move; it reminded him of some of the fragments of other dimensions in Flaxan where gravity had increased hundreds of times.
This was something similar but different; it wasn't gravity that was preventing him from moving, it was the density of the air. No, not just the air, he could feel moisture, water particles? There was something more, but he couldn't pinpoint it exactly.
"Interesting..." Pitt slowly and with effort turned his head to see Eve in the sky, who had one eye narrowed and sweat dripping down her forehead.
Normally, to create her shields, she rearranged the air particles and increased their density to make them "almost" indestructible. A simple shield wouldn't suffice this time, so she decided to use not only the air particles but all the particles present in the atmosphere.
She was increasing the atmospheric pressure in a concentrated area by manipulating not only the molecules but also the atoms present, compressing and increasing their mass by force. Under normal circumstances, she would never have done this because everything in that area would die, but with Mark and Pitt as the targets, she didn't worry about holding back. Still, she had to be careful because she didn't want to accidentally trigger a nuclear fusion process.
If there were a way to measure the atmospheric pressure both were feeling, it could only be compared to being submerged deep in a giant gas giant like Jupiter.
With millions of times the sea-level pressure on Earth now hitting them from all directions, not only they but everything within a hundred meters around them began to collapse. Matter compressed upon itself to the point where it began to melt, the temperature rising every moment, and gravity even starting to be affected, causing the pressure to increase even more.
Mark felt his lungs slowly squeezing within him. It was uncomfortable, and breathing was like trying to inhale solid concrete through his nose. He looked at Eve in the sky, surprised by such a move; he hadn't expected her to have something like this up her sleeve.
It seemed like once again, he had underestimated her.
"I-Is it enough?" Eve spoke with some effort. Using her powers to such an extent didn't come without a cost. Normally, she never went to such extremes, so she wasn't accustomed to such pressure; she was already cursing inwardly as she felt her stomach starting to growl.
Pitt smiled, feeling his muscles beginning to tighten, even his bones felt somewhat rigid as he moved.
"I was wrong; clearly, you have more strength than I thought." He felt his claws grow, but he forced himself to keep his urge to fight down; this wasn't a fight to the death, there was no need to go wild even though he wanted to.
He looked at them both before smiling and nodding to Eve.
"I've seen all I needed to. I'll join you."
Upon hearing her words, Eve let out a sigh and she returned everything to normal. Mark felt his body returning to its usual lightness and managed to avoid falling to the ground by using his flying ability, as the ground beneath his feet had sunk dozens of meters and turned into molten earth.
Pitt couldn't fly, so he simply let himself drop to the ground with a grimace.
Both had been suspended in the air due to the pressure exerted on their bodies from all directions.
Mark looked towards Eve, who seemed unsteady, and quickly flew towards her, holding her and preventing her from falling.
"Are you okay?" he asked with concern upon seeing her uncomfortable expression.
"I think I need to go to the bathroom," she blinked and then looked at him, her face gaining a deep red tone, which combined with the pale tone from before made her look even sicker.
"What's wrong?" Mark asked, but Eve averted her gaze and, with some effort, used her powers once again on him, making him notice that his suit had turned to ashes due to Eve's earlier trick.
He hadn't realized until now that he had been naked.
He saw the pink light covering his body and how a replacement for his suit was being constructed over him the next second. Eve's powers were truly useful. Although now she seemed about to vomit.
He quickly lowered her to the ground, letting her catch her breath.
"Um, can I order some pants too?" the voice of Timmy came toward them and Mark turned only to see him covering his crotch with his hands and an embarrassed smile on his face as he walked toward them from the crater.
He was going to tell him he should find some clothes, but when he turned to look, he saw that the picturesque cabin from before was now nothing but crushed debris... it seemed that he and Pitt had destroyed his house, leaving him homeless...
Eve didn't turn to look at him, still busy holding her stomach, and with some effort, she stretched out her hand in his general direction, and a pink light traveled towards Timmy, turning into a pair of generic pants lying on the ground.
"Thanks!" Timmy didn't hesitate to take them and start putting them on; having his ass in the air was not comfortable at all.
Mark sighed, patting Eve's back as he looked around... it seemed they had gotten a bit carried away, but oh well, in the end, things had turned out as he wanted, and he had even been able to witness more about Eve than he imagined. Suddenly, he realized that she was more important than he had expected. Looking at her from the side, he couldn't help but think about what he should do to keep her by his side.
He had a feeling he was going to need her more than he initially thought.
.
.
.
Note:
sorry for taking so long to bring this chapter, I had to rewrite it several times until I was convinced.
Eve is a character with a lot of hidden potential and I don't know if I can take full advantage of it but I hope I can at least explore some of it, Mark now realizes that he had been underestimating her more than he thought, she is important guy so you should keep her by your side no matter the method if you know what I mean.
I hope to bring more of her and other "invincible" girls soon.
Normally this is where I would say that the next chapter can be seen in advance on Patreon, but it's not out yet hahaha, even so if you want to watch it when it's ready (which I hope will be soon) don't hesitate to subscribe patreon.com/EmmaCruzader
The tension was palpable in the air. Eve couldn't help but swallow nervously, feeling a drop of sweat trickle down her face. She had been a hero for years, facing threat after threat all the time. Her life had been at risk more times than she could count.
Yet, it was clear to her that this time was different. There was a kind of danger that made her body slightly numb. Still, she didn't falter. Instead, she stood firm by Mark's side. She was Atom Eve. She wouldn't back down no matter what, especially now that Mark had placed his trust in her. She couldn't disappoint him like that.
Pitt shifted his shoulders, the white shirt Timmy had brought tearing apart completely, leaving only the red jacket barely fitting his enormous frame. The giant, standing over three meters tall, seemed to be getting used to his body again, as if he had been asleep for too long.
"The sky..." his hoarse voice reverberated through the area as his red eyes gazed at the blue sky. His fists opened and closed, then he smiled slightly, his huge pointed teeth showing.
He looked at Mark with interest.
"I can see it, the blood covering your body. You're a warrior."
Mark blinked, but didn't dismiss his words. He didn't know what kind of abilities Pitt had, so he couldn't say if he was just talking or if he could really see the number of lives Mark had taken.
Pitt then turned his gaze to Eve.
"You have the spirit, but you still lack the strength. Don't interfere in this because I won't hold back just because you're a girl."
Eve frowned, clearly offended.
"I don't need you to treat me like a damsel. I can take care of myself."
Pitt smiled even more at seeing how she didn't back down even a bit, even when facing him.
"I've heard the news. you want me to fight by your side but... are you worthy of it?" Pitt had finished his fight long ago. He had defeated the Creed Empire and destroyed their homeworld, killed his father, and disposed of any threat his existence could bring to Earth.
He had no reason to fight anymore; it wasn't his duty... but looking Mark in the eyes he couldn't avoid that those battle cravings, which had been inside him since the first moment he gained consciousness, were ignited again, his heart starting to beat strongly.
Pitt was a warrior; he was born to bring death and destruction to all enemies of the Creed. He had rebelled due to his human consciousness, but even if he had done so, it didn't change who he was at his core. Even if he had decided to remain silent all this time, war still ran through his veins.
Mark looked at Pitt and spoke plainly.
"You know the strength of Omni-Man, you know what he's capable of, and now, many others like him have Earth in their sights. I've heard about what you did in the past, how you stopped the Creed invasion, how you betrayed your people... this isn't different. Omniman has decided to go against them for the earth but he can't defeat them all on his own, that's why I'm putting together a team, one that can fight for the earth no matter what the cost."
Until now, Mark had followed Cecil's plan not because he didn't have his own plans, but because he wanted to give Earth a chance. He didn't know the original fate of this universe without his interference, so he couldn't be sure if they really stood a chance. Still, letting them try never hurt.
Until now, Cecil hadn't been an obstacle, so Mark didn't see the need to become enemies with him. At the same time, he needed certain resources to carry out his own preparations. This team, the original idea might be Cecil's, but Mark would ensure he was the person they followed in the end.
Ultimately, everything aligned with his first and most important goal: survival. Anything else was just secondary. Once the Viltrumite Empire was defeated, he could relax and think about the distant future. But until then, he had to play his cards right.
"To fight for Earth... I can do that. But can you?"
At his question, Mark frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"If Earth is attacked, I will fight. But if you want me to join your 'team,' then you must prove yourselves worthy. Only the strong can fight by my side; otherwise, you'll just be a hindrance."
"A demonstration? Is that what you want? Or do you just want to fight?"
Pitt smiled.
"Both."
It had been a while since he fought against something, and he was beginning to miss it.
"Wait a second, we don't have to—" Eve was cut off by Mark, who raised his hand and shook his head without looking at her.
"If he wants this, then I have no choice but to give it to him." Both, half-human half-alien, looked at each other, tension rising.
Eve watched them from the side and sighed, putting her palm on her face. Why did men love to beat each other up? While she contemplated this fact, she didn't notice a tacit understanding pass through the gaze of both; there was no need for more words.
She wanted to say something more, but before she could open her mouth, she felt the wind violently hitting the surroundings. Almost automatically, her hand glowed pink, and a wall of energy unfolded in front of her, preventing her body from being thrown uncontrollably.
When her eyes focused, she saw how the ground had collapsed instantly.
In the midst of it, Mark and Pitt were both clashing their arms together, causing the earth to tremble and collapse.
The air exploded as shockwaves began to reverberate through it, shaking the surroundings.
"Rrrrrarggg!!" Pitt roared, his hand lunging forward with surprising force and speed. Mark saw the attack coming, slightly widening his eyes at the speed at which the gray giant moved.
He dodged to the side, letting the clawed hand brush past his face. Suddenly, four thin lines of blood appeared on his cheek.
He watched the drops of blood fly away surprised that the mere brush of Pitt's attack had hurt him, but he didn't remain idle.
His own fist launched forward unimpeded. Pitt saw the attack coming but didn't try to dodge it; instead, he smiled wider, letting the blow hit his face.
The air exploded as flesh met flesh, Pitt's head sharply turning to the side, purple blood spraying from his mouth.
Feeling the familiar taste of his own life fluid and the stabbing pain on the side of his face, Pitt couldn't help but get even more excited, his claws starting to increase in size.
"That's it! Hahaha!"
Mark couldn't help but smile too; he hadn't held back with that blow. It seemed like this guy would really indeed be useful in the battles to come.
In a blink, high-speed movements began to take place. They exchanged hundreds of blows in moments. Not far from them, Eve had to strain just to follow the residual images of both.
She bit her lip, she knew mark was strong, but now he seemed much stronger than before., and his opponent didn't fall behind at all.
Eve flew over the center of the fight, her hands glowing as she prevented the air cyclones beginning to form from dragging debris beyond the area. In fact, she was modifying the terrain to prevent both from completely destroying the place.
Mark felt Pitt's elbow burying itself in his stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He couldn't help but grunt, but he didn't stop. His hand stretched out and grabbed Pitt by the neck, then quickly he leaned in and smashed his head against Pitt's, making the giant grunt.
If Pitt had a nose, this blow would have broken it, but because he didn't have it the half-alien monster quickly recovered. His fist struck Mark in the face, causing him to recoil dozens of meters, crashing into dozens of trees.
Mark spat blood from his mouth and waited until Pitt came close enough to lunge forward and punch him directly in the chin, making his teeth clash together with a resounding sound echoing through the area.
But Pitt didn't stop; in fact, with each wound he received, he seemed much fiercer and more willing to fight.
He struck towards Mark with both hands, causing him to cross his arms over his head to block the blow. The ground sank, and in a second, a crater hundreds of meters wide formed as the earth was forced to compress by the sheer force.
The shockwave caused an earthquake that began to shake the nearby mountains.
Mark felt the strain; his legs bent slightly upon impact, and his eyes couldn't help but meet his opponent's.
Without either being able to stop it, they both grinned widely.
From the skies, Eve frowned as she saw the forest beginning to be destroyed.
Even if she could fix it with her powers, it wouldn't bring back the lives of all the animals that hadn't been able to flee in time. This had to end.
"Enough!" she shouted and tried to raise a barrier between them, but the pink energy projection lasted only half a second before it was shattered into thousands of fragments like a breaking crystal the next moment.
Eve grimaced at the backlash; she couldn't stop them, not if she kept using the same tactics as always.
She looked thoughtfully at the terrain before raising her hand and focusing. This time, she had to go a little further.
Mark was about to strike Pitt once more when suddenly he felt the air around him vibrating, as if his body was being crushed from all directions by a crushing pressure.
"What is this?" It was difficult to move; it reminded him of some of the fragments of other dimensions in Flaxan where gravity had increased hundreds of times.
This was something similar but different; it wasn't gravity that was preventing him from moving, it was the density of the air. No, not just the air, he could feel moisture, water particles? There was something more, but he couldn't pinpoint it exactly.
"Interesting..." Pitt slowly and with effort turned his head to see Eve in the sky, who had one eye narrowed and sweat dripping down her forehead.
Normally, to create her shields, she rearranged the air particles and increased their density to make them "almost" indestructible. A simple shield wouldn't suffice this time, so she decided to use not only the air particles but all the particles present in the atmosphere.
She was increasing the atmospheric pressure in a concentrated area by manipulating not only the molecules but also the atoms present, compressing and increasing their mass by force. Under normal circumstances, she would never have done this because everything in that area would die, but with Mark and Pitt as the targets, she didn't worry about holding back. Still, she had to be careful because she didn't want to accidentally trigger a nuclear fusion process.
If there were a way to measure the atmospheric pressure both were feeling, it could only be compared to being submerged deep in a giant gas giant like Jupiter.
With millions of times the sea-level pressure on Earth now hitting them from all directions, not only they but everything within a hundred meters around them began to collapse. Matter compressed upon itself to the point where it began to melt, the temperature rising every moment, and gravity even starting to be affected, causing the pressure to increase even more.
Mark felt his lungs slowly squeezing within him. It was uncomfortable, and breathing was like trying to inhale solid concrete through his nose. He looked at Eve in the sky, surprised by such a move; he hadn't expected her to have something like this up her sleeve.
It seemed like once again, he had underestimated her.
"I-Is it enough?" Eve spoke with some effort. Using her powers to such an extent didn't come without a cost. Normally, she never went to such extremes, so she wasn't accustomed to such pressure; she was already cursing inwardly as she felt her stomach starting to growl.
Pitt smiled, feeling his muscles beginning to tighten, even his bones felt somewhat rigid as he moved.
"I was wrong; clearly, you have more strength than I thought." He felt his claws grow, but he forced himself to keep his urge to fight down; this wasn't a fight to the death, there was no need to go wild even though he wanted to.
He looked at them both before smiling and nodding to Eve.
"I've seen all I needed to. I'll join you."
Upon hearing her words, Eve let out a sigh and she returned everything to normal. Mark felt his body returning to its usual lightness and managed to avoid falling to the ground by using his flying ability, as the ground beneath his feet had sunk dozens of meters and turned into molten earth.
Pitt couldn't fly, so he simply let himself drop to the ground with a grimace.
Both had been suspended in the air due to the pressure exerted on their bodies from all directions.
Mark looked towards Eve, who seemed unsteady, and quickly flew towards her, holding her and preventing her from falling.
"Are you okay?" he asked with concern upon seeing her uncomfortable expression.
"I think I need to go to the bathroom," she blinked and then looked at him, her face gaining a deep red tone, which combined with the pale tone from before made her look even sicker.
"What's wrong?" Mark asked, but Eve averted her gaze and, with some effort, used her powers once again on him, making him notice that his suit had turned to ashes due to Eve's earlier trick.
He hadn't realized until now that he had been naked.
He saw the pink light covering his body and how a replacement for his suit was being constructed over him the next second. Eve's powers were truly useful. Although now she seemed about to vomit.
He quickly lowered her to the ground, letting her catch her breath.
"Um, can I order some pants too?" the voice of Timmy came toward them and Mark turned only to see him covering his crotch with his hands and an embarrassed smile on his face as he walked toward them from the crater.
He was going to tell him he should find some clothes, but when he turned to look, he saw that the picturesque cabin from before was now nothing but crushed debris... it seemed that he and Pitt had destroyed his house, leaving him homeless...
Eve didn't turn to look at him, still busy holding her stomach, and with some effort, she stretched out her hand in his general direction, and a pink light traveled towards Timmy, turning into a pair of generic pants lying on the ground.
"Thanks!" Timmy didn't hesitate to take them and start putting them on; having his ass in the air was not comfortable at all.
Mark sighed, patting Eve's back as he looked around... it seemed they had gotten a bit carried away, but oh well, in the end, things had turned out as he wanted, and he had even been able to witness more about Eve than he imagined. Suddenly, he realized that she was more important than he had expected. Looking at her from the side, he couldn't help but think about what he should do to keep her by his side.
He had a feeling he was going to need her more than he initially thought.
.
.
.
Note:
sorry for taking so long to bring this chapter, I had to rewrite it several times until I was convinced.
Eve is a character with a lot of hidden potential and I don't know if I can take full advantage of it but I hope I can at least explore some of it, Mark now realizes that he had been underestimating her more than he thought, she is important guy so you should keep her by your side no matter the method
if you know what I mean.I hope to bring more of her and other "invincible" girls soon.
Normally this is where I would say that the next chapter can be seen in advance on Patreon, but it's not out yet hahaha, even so if you want to watch it when it's ready (which I hope will be soon) don't hesitate to subscribe
patreon.com/EmmaCruzader
KillerFish
Grumpy Owl, Bird Lawyer
Eve needs to be on the team, if only to keep the chuckleheads from beating each other senseless all the time.
- Location
- Eart
no, she hasn't broken that limiter
Pitt should learn how to Jump Good like Samurai Jack.
Timmy needs to ask Bruce Banner for a tailor to make the same material for those transformation-proof pants.
16: Time to go
- Location
- Eart
16: Time to go
"Won't you say anything?" Nolan asked, looking at Debbie. She had been silent since she entered his cell, just staring at him, perhaps cursing him, or maybe something else.
He couldn't know; she was always special in that way.
"I have a lot to say, but... I don't think any of it will help," she said with clear frustration in her voice. She looked at the man she had loved, the man she loved, and didn't know what to feel.
Was it a lie? Was it false? But that love, that love was real. He had chosen them, her, their son, but at the same time, he had killed those he called friends...
To say she was mortified would be an understatement; to say she didn't simply want to run up to him and hug him would be a lie. She loved him, loved him so much, but could she just run into his arms and forget everything? The lies? What he did?
How could she? She clenched her fists and bit her lip.
"Why? Why not just tell the truth from the beginning? Why do all this?"
Nolan looked at her, studying her features like no one else could. All those years on Flaxan, he had many thoughts, but above all, the time he spent with Debbie prevailed over everything else: her smile, her eyes, the way her eyebrows wrinkled in annoyance or when she found something funny and tried not to laugh, even though she always ended up doing so.
There was a lot to think about.
"For you," he replied, and it was the truth. If he had wanted to, he would have taken over the planet in the first year he arrived.
"At first, when I arrived on Earth, I studied its strengths and weaknesses, how it could be useful to the empire. They were so weak... Taking over Earth became too easy a task, so I wasn't in a hurry. I simply wandered around the world, not knowing what else to do besides blending in with the people and waiting for the right moment. Then I met you, and for some reason, time stopped mattering. I began to be more interested in humans; I started thinking that staying here for a longer time wouldn't be so bad. For a while, I forgot my mission, forgot who I was supposed to be, and became something else. You made me something else..."
Nolan looked into her eyes, took her hands in his, and spoke seriously.
"The only thing I regret is not realizing it sooner." Maybe it was because Viltrumites lived a long time, or maybe it was just Nolan, but even if it took him too long to realize it, he now knew what he had to do.
Debbie remained silent. Nolan sighed. There was much more to say, many things he wanted to do, but time had run out. Since Nolan communicated with the empire and informed them about Mark gaining powers, the empire had begun monitoring Earth.
Their communication systems, their news networks— for a space-faring civilization, it was extremely easy to do, even being light-years away.
That's why he had no doubt that they would know what he had done. That's why he did it too. He needed to get their attention, draw them in, become their target.
"I have to go," he said softly, pulling Debbie out of her deep thoughts. She looked at him with clear confusion and panic.
"What do you mean?!"
"The empire will soon send their agents for me. What I've done is a betrayal that completely violates everything the empire believes in. They won't hesitate and will focus on punishing me, making me pay for my crimes. If I let them come to Earth, millions will die. I need to draw them away, from you, from Mark, buy some time."
Viltrum didn't have enough agents to deploy a full-scale invasion without breaking the illusion they had been maintaining.
They would either attack Earth or attack him. Nolan knew them well enough; they underestimated the Earth and did not take seriously any attempt at resistance on their part. While there was some urgency, they could still postpone their invasion to deal with him, because in their eyes, he was the real threat.
"But, but!" Debbie tried to say something, needing more time.
"Listen, it's most likely that I'll die, but I won't do it without taking several of them with me. That's a promise. I know Mark is strong enough and he will find a way to win this even without me. I saw it in his eyes; he has that spark inside him, that spark of stubbornness he got from you, one that can make even monsters like me change." He looked at her deeply and smiled softly.
A long time ago, he thought he had been ready to die, to die for the empire, for Viltrum.
But now he realized those had only been simple delusional thoughts, because there had never been any real threat that gave him a sense of doom, of real death. It had all been empty words that anyone could say when everything was in their favor.
But this was different; he was going to die, he knew it. This was not like any other threat; he was going against his own kind, those who could undoubtedly kill him and would do so without hesitation.
It was a fight where he would have to kill them, or they would kill him. And while Nolan was strong, he wasn't invincible.
"I know it's not how you would want things to happen; you deserve better than this, but I can't give it to you. I'm sorry." Maybe apologizing was something foolish, but he felt he had to do it; at least, she deserved that.
"No! Your apologies are of no use to me!" Debbie stood up, gritting her teeth, and not for the first time, looked at Nolan with a stubbornness that had made him retreat many times in the past.
"I can't forgive you, and I don't know if I ever will, or what I feel right now. But I do know one thing: you don't lose, you don't give up, and you don't just accept what others want! You're not going to die! You can't! I want you to come back, I don't care how, but you have to come back! Even if not for me you must do it for Mark. I can't fight alongside him; I can't help him like you can. so you must come back and stop thinking you can just run away and die letting your son fix this whole damn mess!" She almost shouted, finishing with heavy breaths, tears welling up in her eyes but unable to fall.
Nolan remained silent, staring at his wife, astonished.
"Did you hear me?!" she said more forcefully and Nolan nodded quickly coming out of his daze, he couldn't help but smile, he almost wanted to start laughing but he controlled himself, even so, he couldn't help but look at Debbie with affection.
"Yeah... You're right, how can I let Mark take care of everything?" what was he thinking? be a martyr? just die in some nameless part of space? what would that do for earth? what would that do for his family?
"I promise you, no, I swear to you, I won't die." Nolan had thought he had come to accept death, but as quickly as that thought came, his wife made it clear how foolish it was. He couldn't die, not yet.
He still had so much to live for.
"Thank you," he said. Despite his thousands of years of existence, he still needed her to remind him of what was important.
Debbie growled, wanting to say something more but not knowing what. All this was causing her too much mental fatigue. She just wished to return to the days when her family was normal... or as normal as it ever could have been.
"I will come back..." Nolan said, not just to her, but to himself. Now that he had decided, he wouldn't let anything stop him.
After all, he still had a lot to teach his son.
.
.
.
"Heh, this place is interesting," Timmy said, looking around the GDA facilities. It had been a while since he had been in a place like this; a few years living deep in the woods tend to make you forget what modernity feels like.
"Don't get too attached; it's not ours," Mark said. Their unnamed team was just starting, so they didn't have a "headquarters," and using the GDA didn't seem right.
"I hope ours has better views," Timmy said, glancing at the windowless metallic walls. This place was completely enclosed.
"At least I hope we get some sunlight," Pitt liked feeling the sun's rays; it was relaxing.
"Well, maybe I can help with that," Eve said. While she wasn't an expert in creating structures, she had helped secure many of the materials used to build the Teen Team's headquarters, so she knew a thing or two about what needed to be done.
Mark had already told her they needed a place, and since the GDA was "funding" their team, they wouldn't have problems getting raw materials or labor. Even so, he had personally asked her to create the materials to build everything once the time came.
In his words, using conventional means would take too long, and Earth didn't have that "time." Mark preferred to rely on her and her abilities to move things along faster.
"Well, I certainly have some ways to make the sun our friend..." Mark smiled, thinking about his idea. A fixed headquarters was too inconvenient; they needed mobility. Therefore, he thought of using some Flaxan knowledge combined with Earth's advancements to create a "mobile headquarters," like a ship or a space cruiser, maybe a space station?
It was an idea that still needed to be discussed, but he believed he could achieve it easily. Now that he had the full support of the GDA, meaning Earth and all its governments, plus Eve's powers, he didn't feel limited in terms of raw materials and labor.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the center of the GDA headquarters, namely the "prison" where his father was.
Mark frowned slightly upon seeing his mother walking away from the place but decided not to ask for now. Instead, he looked at his father behind the glass. The man seemed much more animated for some reason.
"So, there you are. Well, you certainly haven't changed at all," Timmy said, looking at Nolan.
As if it were some kind of supernatural occurrence, Nolan turned toward them with slightly furrowed eyebrows. The glass shouldn't have allowed him to see them, but it was as if he knew they were there.
"Pitt..." he spoke with a grave and confused voice. Mark wondered how his father knew about Pitt, and seeing his doubt, Timmy responded.
"You know, I have some... psychic abilities," he said but didn't explain in detail; it wasn't the time.
"I'd call them annoying abilities," Nolan retorted, even though he shouldn't have been able to hear them.
Mark raised an eyebrow. Well, he'd have to find ways to counteract that kind of power. Great, more work.
In a flash of blue light, Cecil's figure appeared.
"I suppose everything went as it should," he said, looking at Timmy with clear animosity.
Timmy snorted.
"I thought you'd have fixed that horrible face of yours by now, old man, but I guess the scars still attract the ladies. Though, in your case, I don't think that helps much."
Cecil growled. "As rude as ever, but it doesn't matter. The only thing I need to know is if I can count on Pitt."
Timmy frowned, fully aware that Cecil hadn't mentioned him in his request for help.
Inside him, Pitt also growled.
"Help the Earth? Sure. Help them? Sure," he said, pointing at Mark and Eve. "Help you? I think old age is making you senile."
Mark almost laughed at how Cecil's face turned a bit green, but he resisted and decided to intervene. There seemed to be a history here, but this wasn't the time to dig into the past.
"Alright that's enough, fighting with each other doesn't do us any good, all that matters is that they are both on our side." Mark said looking at Timmy, he made sure to mention them as a duo, he didn't miss the blond's displeasure at the fact that Cecil ignored him.
Timmy and Cecil stared at each other for a moment before Cecil decided to stop wasting time and grunted in agreement.
"Mark" at the mention of his name, Mark couldn't help but turn to look at his father, even if he knew they couldn't see each other because of the glass, Mark still felt their eyes meet.
"It's time. I have to go," the declaration made the room fall silent for a few seconds.
Before anyone could say anything else, Nolan walked up to the glass that separated them and easily stepped forward. In an instant, the window shattered into thousands of fragments, and he stepped out of his cell.
He looked at Mark, then at Timmy, and finally at Cecil.
"I don't think I need to explain why I have to go, but I've changed my plans a bit."
Cecil looked at the broken glass and clicked his tongue.
Mark looked curiously at Nolan. Change of plans?
"What do you mean?" he asked directly.
Nolan walked to his side, smiled a little, and looked toward where his mother had gone.
"Your mother talked some sense into me. At first, I thought I'd die facing the empire to buy time and that would be it. But now I know that would just be giving up and leaving everything to you, and that's a big mistake. Because no matter what, I'm still your father and I won't let my son clean up my mess. That's why I've decided I'll come back victorious, no matter what it takes," Mark raised an eyebrow, seeming to have missed an important conversation.
Timmy beside him looked at Mark curiously. Pitt inside him chuckled. It seemed his senses were still sharp; he had guessed the relationship between them a while ago thanks to his psychic senses, but having it confirmed was even better.
"so what, you'll go and somehow hope you can defeat whoever they send after you and then you'll come back?" that sounded too optimistic in Mark's opinion, they didn't know how many or who it would be that would go after his father, it could be some average Viltrumite or they could send someone strong enough to kill him easily.
Whichever way you looked at it, it was too risky.
"It seems like you don't trust your father?" Nolan asked.
"I'd rather be cautious. Maybe we can come up with a better plan, one that doesn't potentially get you killed," Mark preferred to have Nolan alive and by his side.
They both started discussing it, ignoring everyone else in the room for a moment.
"It seems like you've changed," Timmy couldn't help saying, looking at Nolan with a slight smile. It had been difficult to tell through a screen, but being in his presence made it easier.
He remembered their meeting years ago, that arrogant superhero who seemed to have a stick up his backside was nowhere to be seen. It's not like he'd disappeared, he was just different, more pleasant.
He felt Pitt stirring inside him, his thoughts reaching him easily, making him want to laugh at his request.
He looked at Mark and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling slightly with his eyes closed.
"A warrior doesn't run from battles, Mark. If your father has decided to face this, then as a warrior, he must, even if his life is at stake."
Nolan looked at Timmy, remembering his brief chats with Pitt. He knew those words must have come from him, probably due to his annoying psychic powers, but somehow he knew the big gray man was present, even if he couldn't see him.
Timmy smiled at Nolan, then opened his eyes, his dark blue eyes were replaced by deep red ones, a toothy and fierce smile appeared followed by a deep and grave voice.
"Tell me, do you want an extra hand?" Nolan blinked, recognizing those eyes, Mark looked at Timmy, or Pitt?
"What do you mean?" he asked uncertainly.
"I think a real fight to the death is what I need to stretch my muscles, that's all," he said, making his intentions clear even if he didn't explicitly explain.
"Do you want to go with him?" Eve asked, and Cecil quickly shook his head.
"No, absolutely not. If both of them die, we'll lose much more than if only Nolan dies," perhaps it was a bit cold to say it like that, but Cecil didn't care to be direct.
Pitt growled, looking at Cecil with amusement and spoke mockingly.
"Did I ask you?" the older man clicked his tongue, that's why he hated dealing with these guys, they didn't follow common sense at all.
Meanwhile, Nolan began to seriously consider the suggestion. If he went alone, his chances of returning, while not impossible, would certainly be low. With Pitt at his side, those chances would become more than just a maybe... and he had swear Debbie that he would return, no matter what it took...
He smiled and looked into the red eyes.
"I think I'll accept the help."
.
.
.
.
.
.
Note:
It's been a while! Well, not that long, but it feels like it. I have a love-hate relationship with this fic. I like it, but at the same time, it gives me headaches because unlike my other fics, this one didn't start as a serious project. So, there were many things I wrote without much thought that I now have to slowly correct.
Fortunately, all of you have been patient with me, and your support helps me not to throw myself on the floor lamenting about it, haha.
Now, speaking of the chapter, writing sentimental conversations is always difficult! But there should be character development or something like that, right? I still wonder why I didn't stick with the plan for a bad porno...
Well, this still has NSFW elements, so we'll just change the demographic. This is porn with plot! More plot than porn so far (disappointing), but hey, that's what happens when you start a NSFW story without knowing how to do NSFW...
Things are progressing well for Mark; he's starting to pave the way toward his future and his plans. On the other hand, the members of the new team aren't exactly the type to follow protocol.
Cecil will have many headaches in the future.
Lastly, remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D
"Won't you say anything?" Nolan asked, looking at Debbie. She had been silent since she entered his cell, just staring at him, perhaps cursing him, or maybe something else.
He couldn't know; she was always special in that way.
"I have a lot to say, but... I don't think any of it will help," she said with clear frustration in her voice. She looked at the man she had loved, the man she loved, and didn't know what to feel.
Was it a lie? Was it false? But that love, that love was real. He had chosen them, her, their son, but at the same time, he had killed those he called friends...
To say she was mortified would be an understatement; to say she didn't simply want to run up to him and hug him would be a lie. She loved him, loved him so much, but could she just run into his arms and forget everything? The lies? What he did?
How could she? She clenched her fists and bit her lip.
"Why? Why not just tell the truth from the beginning? Why do all this?"
Nolan looked at her, studying her features like no one else could. All those years on Flaxan, he had many thoughts, but above all, the time he spent with Debbie prevailed over everything else: her smile, her eyes, the way her eyebrows wrinkled in annoyance or when she found something funny and tried not to laugh, even though she always ended up doing so.
There was a lot to think about.
"For you," he replied, and it was the truth. If he had wanted to, he would have taken over the planet in the first year he arrived.
"At first, when I arrived on Earth, I studied its strengths and weaknesses, how it could be useful to the empire. They were so weak... Taking over Earth became too easy a task, so I wasn't in a hurry. I simply wandered around the world, not knowing what else to do besides blending in with the people and waiting for the right moment. Then I met you, and for some reason, time stopped mattering. I began to be more interested in humans; I started thinking that staying here for a longer time wouldn't be so bad. For a while, I forgot my mission, forgot who I was supposed to be, and became something else. You made me something else..."
Nolan looked into her eyes, took her hands in his, and spoke seriously.
"The only thing I regret is not realizing it sooner." Maybe it was because Viltrumites lived a long time, or maybe it was just Nolan, but even if it took him too long to realize it, he now knew what he had to do.
Debbie remained silent. Nolan sighed. There was much more to say, many things he wanted to do, but time had run out. Since Nolan communicated with the empire and informed them about Mark gaining powers, the empire had begun monitoring Earth.
Their communication systems, their news networks— for a space-faring civilization, it was extremely easy to do, even being light-years away.
That's why he had no doubt that they would know what he had done. That's why he did it too. He needed to get their attention, draw them in, become their target.
"I have to go," he said softly, pulling Debbie out of her deep thoughts. She looked at him with clear confusion and panic.
"What do you mean?!"
"The empire will soon send their agents for me. What I've done is a betrayal that completely violates everything the empire believes in. They won't hesitate and will focus on punishing me, making me pay for my crimes. If I let them come to Earth, millions will die. I need to draw them away, from you, from Mark, buy some time."
Viltrum didn't have enough agents to deploy a full-scale invasion without breaking the illusion they had been maintaining.
They would either attack Earth or attack him. Nolan knew them well enough; they underestimated the Earth and did not take seriously any attempt at resistance on their part. While there was some urgency, they could still postpone their invasion to deal with him, because in their eyes, he was the real threat.
"But, but!" Debbie tried to say something, needing more time.
"Listen, it's most likely that I'll die, but I won't do it without taking several of them with me. That's a promise. I know Mark is strong enough and he will find a way to win this even without me. I saw it in his eyes; he has that spark inside him, that spark of stubbornness he got from you, one that can make even monsters like me change." He looked at her deeply and smiled softly.
A long time ago, he thought he had been ready to die, to die for the empire, for Viltrum.
But now he realized those had only been simple delusional thoughts, because there had never been any real threat that gave him a sense of doom, of real death. It had all been empty words that anyone could say when everything was in their favor.
But this was different; he was going to die, he knew it. This was not like any other threat; he was going against his own kind, those who could undoubtedly kill him and would do so without hesitation.
It was a fight where he would have to kill them, or they would kill him. And while Nolan was strong, he wasn't invincible.
"I know it's not how you would want things to happen; you deserve better than this, but I can't give it to you. I'm sorry." Maybe apologizing was something foolish, but he felt he had to do it; at least, she deserved that.
"No! Your apologies are of no use to me!" Debbie stood up, gritting her teeth, and not for the first time, looked at Nolan with a stubbornness that had made him retreat many times in the past.
"I can't forgive you, and I don't know if I ever will, or what I feel right now. But I do know one thing: you don't lose, you don't give up, and you don't just accept what others want! You're not going to die! You can't! I want you to come back, I don't care how, but you have to come back! Even if not for me you must do it for Mark. I can't fight alongside him; I can't help him like you can. so you must come back and stop thinking you can just run away and die letting your son fix this whole damn mess!" She almost shouted, finishing with heavy breaths, tears welling up in her eyes but unable to fall.
Nolan remained silent, staring at his wife, astonished.
"Did you hear me?!" she said more forcefully and Nolan nodded quickly coming out of his daze, he couldn't help but smile, he almost wanted to start laughing but he controlled himself, even so, he couldn't help but look at Debbie with affection.
"Yeah... You're right, how can I let Mark take care of everything?" what was he thinking? be a martyr? just die in some nameless part of space? what would that do for earth? what would that do for his family?
"I promise you, no, I swear to you, I won't die." Nolan had thought he had come to accept death, but as quickly as that thought came, his wife made it clear how foolish it was. He couldn't die, not yet.
He still had so much to live for.
"Thank you," he said. Despite his thousands of years of existence, he still needed her to remind him of what was important.
Debbie growled, wanting to say something more but not knowing what. All this was causing her too much mental fatigue. She just wished to return to the days when her family was normal... or as normal as it ever could have been.
"I will come back..." Nolan said, not just to her, but to himself. Now that he had decided, he wouldn't let anything stop him.
After all, he still had a lot to teach his son.
.
.
.
"Heh, this place is interesting," Timmy said, looking around the GDA facilities. It had been a while since he had been in a place like this; a few years living deep in the woods tend to make you forget what modernity feels like.
"Don't get too attached; it's not ours," Mark said. Their unnamed team was just starting, so they didn't have a "headquarters," and using the GDA didn't seem right.
"I hope ours has better views," Timmy said, glancing at the windowless metallic walls. This place was completely enclosed.
"At least I hope we get some sunlight," Pitt liked feeling the sun's rays; it was relaxing.
"Well, maybe I can help with that," Eve said. While she wasn't an expert in creating structures, she had helped secure many of the materials used to build the Teen Team's headquarters, so she knew a thing or two about what needed to be done.
Mark had already told her they needed a place, and since the GDA was "funding" their team, they wouldn't have problems getting raw materials or labor. Even so, he had personally asked her to create the materials to build everything once the time came.
In his words, using conventional means would take too long, and Earth didn't have that "time." Mark preferred to rely on her and her abilities to move things along faster.
"Well, I certainly have some ways to make the sun our friend..." Mark smiled, thinking about his idea. A fixed headquarters was too inconvenient; they needed mobility. Therefore, he thought of using some Flaxan knowledge combined with Earth's advancements to create a "mobile headquarters," like a ship or a space cruiser, maybe a space station?
It was an idea that still needed to be discussed, but he believed he could achieve it easily. Now that he had the full support of the GDA, meaning Earth and all its governments, plus Eve's powers, he didn't feel limited in terms of raw materials and labor.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the center of the GDA headquarters, namely the "prison" where his father was.
Mark frowned slightly upon seeing his mother walking away from the place but decided not to ask for now. Instead, he looked at his father behind the glass. The man seemed much more animated for some reason.
"So, there you are. Well, you certainly haven't changed at all," Timmy said, looking at Nolan.
As if it were some kind of supernatural occurrence, Nolan turned toward them with slightly furrowed eyebrows. The glass shouldn't have allowed him to see them, but it was as if he knew they were there.
"Pitt..." he spoke with a grave and confused voice. Mark wondered how his father knew about Pitt, and seeing his doubt, Timmy responded.
"You know, I have some... psychic abilities," he said but didn't explain in detail; it wasn't the time.
"I'd call them annoying abilities," Nolan retorted, even though he shouldn't have been able to hear them.
Mark raised an eyebrow. Well, he'd have to find ways to counteract that kind of power. Great, more work.
In a flash of blue light, Cecil's figure appeared.
"I suppose everything went as it should," he said, looking at Timmy with clear animosity.
Timmy snorted.
"I thought you'd have fixed that horrible face of yours by now, old man, but I guess the scars still attract the ladies. Though, in your case, I don't think that helps much."
Cecil growled. "As rude as ever, but it doesn't matter. The only thing I need to know is if I can count on Pitt."
Timmy frowned, fully aware that Cecil hadn't mentioned him in his request for help.
Inside him, Pitt also growled.
"Help the Earth? Sure. Help them? Sure," he said, pointing at Mark and Eve. "Help you? I think old age is making you senile."
Mark almost laughed at how Cecil's face turned a bit green, but he resisted and decided to intervene. There seemed to be a history here, but this wasn't the time to dig into the past.
"Alright that's enough, fighting with each other doesn't do us any good, all that matters is that they are both on our side." Mark said looking at Timmy, he made sure to mention them as a duo, he didn't miss the blond's displeasure at the fact that Cecil ignored him.
Timmy and Cecil stared at each other for a moment before Cecil decided to stop wasting time and grunted in agreement.
"Mark" at the mention of his name, Mark couldn't help but turn to look at his father, even if he knew they couldn't see each other because of the glass, Mark still felt their eyes meet.
"It's time. I have to go," the declaration made the room fall silent for a few seconds.
Before anyone could say anything else, Nolan walked up to the glass that separated them and easily stepped forward. In an instant, the window shattered into thousands of fragments, and he stepped out of his cell.
He looked at Mark, then at Timmy, and finally at Cecil.
"I don't think I need to explain why I have to go, but I've changed my plans a bit."
Cecil looked at the broken glass and clicked his tongue.
Mark looked curiously at Nolan. Change of plans?
"What do you mean?" he asked directly.
Nolan walked to his side, smiled a little, and looked toward where his mother had gone.
"Your mother talked some sense into me. At first, I thought I'd die facing the empire to buy time and that would be it. But now I know that would just be giving up and leaving everything to you, and that's a big mistake. Because no matter what, I'm still your father and I won't let my son clean up my mess. That's why I've decided I'll come back victorious, no matter what it takes," Mark raised an eyebrow, seeming to have missed an important conversation.
Timmy beside him looked at Mark curiously. Pitt inside him chuckled. It seemed his senses were still sharp; he had guessed the relationship between them a while ago thanks to his psychic senses, but having it confirmed was even better.
"so what, you'll go and somehow hope you can defeat whoever they send after you and then you'll come back?" that sounded too optimistic in Mark's opinion, they didn't know how many or who it would be that would go after his father, it could be some average Viltrumite or they could send someone strong enough to kill him easily.
Whichever way you looked at it, it was too risky.
"It seems like you don't trust your father?" Nolan asked.
"I'd rather be cautious. Maybe we can come up with a better plan, one that doesn't potentially get you killed," Mark preferred to have Nolan alive and by his side.
They both started discussing it, ignoring everyone else in the room for a moment.
"It seems like you've changed," Timmy couldn't help saying, looking at Nolan with a slight smile. It had been difficult to tell through a screen, but being in his presence made it easier.
He remembered their meeting years ago, that arrogant superhero who seemed to have a stick up his backside was nowhere to be seen. It's not like he'd disappeared, he was just different, more pleasant.
He felt Pitt stirring inside him, his thoughts reaching him easily, making him want to laugh at his request.
He looked at Mark and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling slightly with his eyes closed.
"A warrior doesn't run from battles, Mark. If your father has decided to face this, then as a warrior, he must, even if his life is at stake."
Nolan looked at Timmy, remembering his brief chats with Pitt. He knew those words must have come from him, probably due to his annoying psychic powers, but somehow he knew the big gray man was present, even if he couldn't see him.
Timmy smiled at Nolan, then opened his eyes, his dark blue eyes were replaced by deep red ones, a toothy and fierce smile appeared followed by a deep and grave voice.
"Tell me, do you want an extra hand?" Nolan blinked, recognizing those eyes, Mark looked at Timmy, or Pitt?
"What do you mean?" he asked uncertainly.
"I think a real fight to the death is what I need to stretch my muscles, that's all," he said, making his intentions clear even if he didn't explicitly explain.
"Do you want to go with him?" Eve asked, and Cecil quickly shook his head.
"No, absolutely not. If both of them die, we'll lose much more than if only Nolan dies," perhaps it was a bit cold to say it like that, but Cecil didn't care to be direct.
Pitt growled, looking at Cecil with amusement and spoke mockingly.
"Did I ask you?" the older man clicked his tongue, that's why he hated dealing with these guys, they didn't follow common sense at all.
Meanwhile, Nolan began to seriously consider the suggestion. If he went alone, his chances of returning, while not impossible, would certainly be low. With Pitt at his side, those chances would become more than just a maybe... and he had swear Debbie that he would return, no matter what it took...
He smiled and looked into the red eyes.
"I think I'll accept the help."
.
.
.
.
.
.
Note:
It's been a while! Well, not that long, but it feels like it. I have a love-hate relationship with this fic. I like it, but at the same time, it gives me headaches because unlike my other fics, this one didn't start as a serious project. So, there were many things I wrote without much thought that I now have to slowly correct.
Fortunately, all of you have been patient with me, and your support helps me not to throw myself on the floor lamenting about it, haha.
Now, speaking of the chapter, writing sentimental conversations is always difficult! But there should be character development or something like that, right? I still wonder why I didn't stick with the plan for a bad porno...
Well, this still has NSFW elements, so we'll just change the demographic. This is porn with plot! More plot than porn so far (disappointing), but hey, that's what happens when you start a NSFW story without knowing how to do NSFW...
Things are progressing well for Mark; he's starting to pave the way toward his future and his plans. On the other hand, the members of the new team aren't exactly the type to follow protocol.
Cecil will have many headaches in the future.
Lastly, remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D
KillerFish
Grumpy Owl, Bird Lawyer
It's still an enjoyable and solidly written story. Thanks for sticking with it, even if it's a struggle.
- Location
- Brazil
I agree. Your story is great! A true breath of fresh air!
- Location
- OK
I'm loving this, personally! The twist with Nolan slowly rediscovering his heroic spirit is honestly kind of compelling!
17: Change of Plans
- Location
- Eart
17: Change of Plans
Mark looked at his father and spoke.
"if you're going to take him you're going to need a ship." Everyone present looked at him, perhaps expecting him to argue more or continue refusing.
But he wasn't going to do that. Time, time was valuable, and if his father sought to give it to him, then he wasn't going to refuse anymore.
Perhaps he would have continued insisting if Nolan were going alone.
But with Pitt by his side, his safety would undoubtedly be greater. Together, Mark believed they could survive and return.
It wasn't a baseless belief; he had fought with Pitt and felt his strength. He was a total beast. For him to fight on Earth was dangerous, but fighting in space? On some insignificant planet?
That was fine with Mark.
And if he were honest, he didn't care much if Pitt died, as long as he took two or three Viltrumites with him. It was an acceptable price.
He turned to look at Eve, who still seemed somewhat tired but in much better shape than before.
"Eve, I'm sorry for asking this, but I need your help."
It was time to put all that stolen Flaxan knowledge to the test.
She looked at him with some confusion but also with determination. She clenched her fist and nodded, ready to help him.
Seeing her initiative, Mark smiled and turned back to his father.
"Give me half a day."
With Eve's help, he could undoubtedly achieve what he sought in that time.
Cecil frowned from one side. It seemed everyone had opted to ignore logic. He sighed. Well, he knew this would happen when he suggested forming the team. There was a reason he preferred not to deal with beings like Pitt.
"There's an empty hangar. You can use it," Cecil said, beginning to leave. He felt that if he stayed, he would have more headaches.
In their discussions to form the team, Mark had shared some of his experiences in Flaxan. Not the truth, of course, but the lie he had fabricated with his father.
While doing so, he made sure to mention that he had "acquired" technological knowledge from Flaxan. This was done with the intention of obtaining resources and manpower without question.
He didn't say how much he knew or how deep his knowledge was. While he could share some things, it was best to keep his own cards hidden.
This was why no one knew about the Speed Force, at least for the most part.
Allen had been the only one to see something, but just a part. He wouldn't let his trump card be exposed until the right moment, the decisive moment.
Or when he was forced to use it, which he didn't think would happen soon.
Before Cecil left completely, Mark spoke.
"Alright. By the way, where is Robot? I could use some of his help." He hadn't forgotten about his "friend." In fact, he had considered including him in the team from the beginning; he just hadn't said it directly yet.
He needed to change that.
.
.
.
"It's amazing. I didn't expect their engines to work this way," Robot said, looking at the space warp drive Mark had finished building with Eve's help.
"What do you say? Should I steal the design and patent it?" Mark joked.
Robot looked at him silently for a moment before speaking.
"Too late. I've already done it," he said in a flat voice, and Mark blinked in confusion.
"He's joking," Eve said from the side, her attention focused on several sheets Mark had made.
On all of them, diagrams and models were presented, each explaining in detail the atomic structure and composition of different alien materials.
Eve could modify and manipulate matter, but even she needed to know its molecular composition before doing so.
If she had never seen a brick, she could never make one appear out of thin air. She wasn't a god.
Knowing this, Mark had noted down for her the composition of the different important materials that the Flaxans used for their technology.
While replacing them with Earth materials was possible, it was also complicated and would take a long time to find the best matches. It was best to work with what was familiar, and to Mark's knowledge, the familiar materials were those made by the Flaxans.
Hearing Eve's response, Mark looked at Robot and snorted.
"Remind me to get you a joke book for Christmas."
Robot stayed still for a second before responding.
"I've noted it down."
Mark couldn't tell if he was serious.
He shook his head and looked at Eve, who seemed quite absorbed in the diagrams he had given her.
"How are you feeling?" He hadn't forgotten her previous state. Apparently, using her powers excessively came with consequences. He hadn't asked much about it, but seeing her run to the bathroom when they returned to the GDA base was a clear indication that something was up.
Eve looked up and smiled reassuringly.
"Much better. Doing this is less complicated than it seems."
Mark nodded. He would have to discuss her abilities with her later. For now, he finished making the last adjustments and easily hoisted the last of the four engines onto his shoulder.
The refrigerator-sized object was carried to the side of the futuristic-looking ship under construction.
For the most part, the basic structure was finished. Several staff members were making some final adjustments under Mark's directions, and it would soon be ready.
Robot approached, and together they began to properly install the engine. After all, it was the most important part of the ship.
"I heard from Cecil that a new group of Guardians is being formed," Mark said.
Robot didn't stop working and nodded.
"The world is in chaos and needs a group of heroes willing to help. The Guardians have always been that group. I think they need to continue being that."
Well, there was some truth to that.
"I think the same. That's why I believe you should join my team," Mark said directly. There was no need to beat around the bush, not with someone like Robot.
Robot paused for a moment and "raised" his gaze, his green eyes looking contemplatively at Mark's face.
"Cecil must have told you that he wants me to lead the new Guardians. Why invite me to your team then?" he didn't refuse immediately but instead asked with doubt.
Mark thought about his next words before speaking.
"Cecil thinks having two teams is the best approach. I don't think that's the case. Earth faces too many threats, and dividing our forces that way will only create unnecessary friction. While a team full of heavy hitters isn't bad, I believe we need more than that if we want to win."
Mark wanted to have it all, whether heavy hitters or "normal" members.
He wasn't going to underestimate anyone as long as they were useful.
"Are you suggesting we should merge the teams?" Robot asked.
"Yes and no. Whether it's my team or the new Guardians, neither is officially formed yet. I think we should simply focus on creating one team and combining our forces."
Robot seemed to think deeply for a few moments.
"It makes sense, but it will be complicated," he finally said with clear tentative acceptance.
"It doesn't have to be. Our team will be the largest and strongest superhero team this world has ever seen. We'll undoubtedly have a lot of support."
Maybe at another time, some people might complain, but with the great Viltrumite threat looming over their heads, Mark didn't think anyone on Earth would really have a problem with it now.
Instead, all humans would praise them because they would be their "shield."
Soon the engines were installed. Then the final adjustments were made, and with Eve's help, the ship was finished in less time than expected.
"What do you think?" Mark said, and Nolan, now standing beside him, looked at the spaceship with some astonishment.
"You're smarter than I thought." He knew his son had learned a lot, but he didn't expect it to be this much.
Although, thinking about it, he should have expected it. This was the same kid who created a dimensional door using the remnants of a dead civilization, after all.
Timmy whistled and approached the ship with a bag over his shoulder, looking like a man prepared to go camping, with nothing but a bag of clothes in his hands.
"Please tell me it doesn't have a name yet." His blue eyes looked at Mark with clear excitement.
Mark smiled and responded, "This girl was just born, of course she doesn't have a name."
"Then I'll give her one!" Timmy didn't hesitate and began to circle the ship thoughtfully.
Nolan raised an eyebrow at the blonde man. The contrast between him and Pitt left him somewhat perplexed, even now.
"Are you sure about this?" Mark asked one last time in a serious voice.
He was reluctant to admit it, but a part of him didn't want Nolan to leave.
Nolan looked at the ship with deep thoughts and nodded with determination.
"Yes, I must do this. Once I'm gone, you need to prepare yourself. I know I've told you everything, but if you have any doubts, you must read them," he said, and Mark knew what he meant.
Who would have thought his father actually took the time to hide some interesting secrets in everything he wrote?
He wondered if that was part of some plot or something, but it didn't matter now. He didn't need them; he remembered all the information perfectly.
"I've prepared supplies for at least five years if you're frugal. If you're wasteful, they should last at least six months," Eve said loudly, stepping out of the ship with a slightly tired face so that Nolan and Timmy could hear.
Mark stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder with a grateful smile.
"Thank you very much, Eve. You've worked too hard. I'm sorry if I pushed you a bit, I'll make it up to you," he said seriously, looking directly at her.
She smiled, although a bit tired she did not complain,. Having her hands full helped her a lot, and learning about new materials was extremely interesting.
Feeling Mark's warm palm on her shoulder, Eve blushed a little, and without being able to stop herself, responded with a bit of boldness.
"Make it up to me? Well, I know a place—"
"Perseverance! That'll be its name!" Timmy came running, not realizing he had interrupted Eve, at least until she gave him a less-than-pleasant look.
"Uh, is something wrong?"
Eve sighed, that small spark of bravery vanished, replaced by embarrassment. What was she doing? She had just broken up with Rex a few days ago, for God's sake!
Mark noticed Eve's red face and decided to change the subject for now but didn't forget what she tried to say. Maybe taking her out for a meal later would be appropriate, once he wasn't so busy.
"Perseverance? I guess it's a good name," he said, looking at the ship.
He wondered if he would see it in one piece again, though probably not.
Soon the final preparations were made, and everything was ready; it was time for them to depart.
Since there were only two passengers, there wasn't much to do. Eve inspected the ship with her powers one last time before giving the go-ahead. It had been Mark's suggestion for her to check, just in case. While even if the ship were destroyed mid-flight, it wouldn't pose a danger to Nolan or Pitt, it would still be unpleasant.
They took the ship out of the hangar and placed it in an open area, an improvised "runway."
In that place, Nolan and Timmy prepared to board. Timmy said goodbye to Mark and Eve, and enthusiastically climbed the few steps the ship had, eager to fly in it. He seemed to really like the "space" theme.
He even asked Eve for a customized astronaut suit. It wasn't a real astronaut suit, of course. It was less cumbersome and easier to wear. Eve had even made it from an extremely elastic yet durable fabric.
At least Pitt wouldn't be walking around naked.
Nolan prepared to board as well, nodding toward Mark, but before he did, he seemed to hear something. He turned around to see his wife arriving and walked toward her without thinking, meeting her face-to-face.
"It's time," Nolan said, and they both looked at each other in silence for a moment. This could be the definitive goodbye after all.
Not far away, Mark watched them, Eve beside him looking contemplative, and she asked a question.
"Do you think they can ever fix it?"
Mark looked at her and responded with some hesitation, "If he comes back? Maybe." In truth, he didn't know.
Eve couldn't help but think of her own parents as she watched Nolan and Debbie, so different...
Nolan reached out his hand, wanting to embrace her, but before he could, she stepped forward. Her arms wrapped around his body with all her strength, a strength that should have been insignificant but felt different to Nolan.
He patted her back, then pulled away. What needed to be said had been said; it was time to face his "destiny"
Debbie swallowed, tears threatening to fall, but she forced them back. It wasn't a time to be weak.
"Take care of her," Nolan made a request before boarding the ship. Mark looked at him and nodded; it didn't need to be said, he would do it.
Seeing Mark nod, Nolan didn't hesitate further and entered the ship.
It was large, the size of a bus, with two bedrooms, a command room, a small storage room, and a rudimentary kitchen.
Nolan went straight to the command room where he found Timmy already ready to take off.
Of course, Nolan would be piloting the ship. He already had the necessary knowledge and experience, so without hesitation, he took the main seat and began to check the systems.
Mark had created the software with Robot's help, making it easy to manipulate, and soon everything was ready.
For the last time, Nolan looked through the glass at his wife and son, nodded to them, and initiated the launch. The space warp engines roared to life, the ship's lights came on, and in less than a second, it began to rise into the sky.
"Seems like everything's working fine," Robot said, watching as the ship launched into space.
"Did you doubt it?" Mark replied somewhat arrogantly; after all, he had designed the ship.
Robot didn't respond, causing Mark's smile to slightly fade.
This guy was hard to read.
Soon, the ship disappeared from view, and there was a small flash of light.
It seemed the engines had worked as well; from the ground, Mark felt space bending in the distance.
The Flaxans had used a technology to travel faster than light by bending space, exploring their entire home dimension.
What did they find? Nothing—a completely dead universe where only they existed.
That's why they began exploring other dimensions.
"Let's go, time to go home," Mark said, placing his hand on his mother's shoulder.
She looked at the sky for a few more moments before nodding and going to collect her things.
Mark let her go ahead before looking at Cecil, who had been silent until now.
It was time to talk about the change of plans. Robot approached, and the two walked toward the man.
"It seems like you have something to say. Speak quickly; time is of the essence," Cecil said.
"I think you already know," Mark wasn't stupid; this place was his base and probably had listening devices everywhere.
He had probably stolen their design for the warp engine and a few other things. Mark didn't really care ; this world had faced dozens of alien invasions before; they probably had more technology stored than they could analyze.
Cecil clicked his tongue. The kid was smart, though that was more than obvious at this point.
"You know I won't take No for an answer," Mark said, seeing that Cecil had been silent for too long.
Cecil grunted, glanced at Robot for a moment, and sighed when he saw he said nothing.
"Fine, but I'll warn you—if you step out of line, global threat or not, the GDA won't support you anymore,"
"Fair enough," Mark replied with a smile.
It was time to recruit more people.
.
.
.
Note:
I decided to change the plans a bit. Many have pointed it out, and I think they're right—Robot is definitely more than needed in the team. At the same time, I don't see him being on two different teams.
On the other hand, there are several characters from Invincible that it would be a shame to leave behind, so there will be many more team members. Not all of them may be heavyweights, but I think they can all be useful in one way or another. Also, ladies, I need more ladies or this will be a sausage fest.
To conclude, I'd like to thank all my donors on Patreon and Ko-fi. You guys are awesome, and I'm really glad to have your support. The update schedule that won the Patreon vote with 78% of the votes will begin soon.
I'll do my best to meet it.
So, now you know—if you want to support me, you can visit my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/EmmaCruzader)
Mark looked at his father and spoke.
"if you're going to take him you're going to need a ship." Everyone present looked at him, perhaps expecting him to argue more or continue refusing.
But he wasn't going to do that. Time, time was valuable, and if his father sought to give it to him, then he wasn't going to refuse anymore.
Perhaps he would have continued insisting if Nolan were going alone.
But with Pitt by his side, his safety would undoubtedly be greater. Together, Mark believed they could survive and return.
It wasn't a baseless belief; he had fought with Pitt and felt his strength. He was a total beast. For him to fight on Earth was dangerous, but fighting in space? On some insignificant planet?
That was fine with Mark.
And if he were honest, he didn't care much if Pitt died, as long as he took two or three Viltrumites with him. It was an acceptable price.
He turned to look at Eve, who still seemed somewhat tired but in much better shape than before.
"Eve, I'm sorry for asking this, but I need your help."
It was time to put all that stolen Flaxan knowledge to the test.
She looked at him with some confusion but also with determination. She clenched her fist and nodded, ready to help him.
Seeing her initiative, Mark smiled and turned back to his father.
"Give me half a day."
With Eve's help, he could undoubtedly achieve what he sought in that time.
Cecil frowned from one side. It seemed everyone had opted to ignore logic. He sighed. Well, he knew this would happen when he suggested forming the team. There was a reason he preferred not to deal with beings like Pitt.
"There's an empty hangar. You can use it," Cecil said, beginning to leave. He felt that if he stayed, he would have more headaches.
In their discussions to form the team, Mark had shared some of his experiences in Flaxan. Not the truth, of course, but the lie he had fabricated with his father.
While doing so, he made sure to mention that he had "acquired" technological knowledge from Flaxan. This was done with the intention of obtaining resources and manpower without question.
He didn't say how much he knew or how deep his knowledge was. While he could share some things, it was best to keep his own cards hidden.
This was why no one knew about the Speed Force, at least for the most part.
Allen had been the only one to see something, but just a part. He wouldn't let his trump card be exposed until the right moment, the decisive moment.
Or when he was forced to use it, which he didn't think would happen soon.
Before Cecil left completely, Mark spoke.
"Alright. By the way, where is Robot? I could use some of his help." He hadn't forgotten about his "friend." In fact, he had considered including him in the team from the beginning; he just hadn't said it directly yet.
He needed to change that.
.
.
.
"It's amazing. I didn't expect their engines to work this way," Robot said, looking at the space warp drive Mark had finished building with Eve's help.
"What do you say? Should I steal the design and patent it?" Mark joked.
Robot looked at him silently for a moment before speaking.
"Too late. I've already done it," he said in a flat voice, and Mark blinked in confusion.
"He's joking," Eve said from the side, her attention focused on several sheets Mark had made.
On all of them, diagrams and models were presented, each explaining in detail the atomic structure and composition of different alien materials.
Eve could modify and manipulate matter, but even she needed to know its molecular composition before doing so.
If she had never seen a brick, she could never make one appear out of thin air. She wasn't a god.
Knowing this, Mark had noted down for her the composition of the different important materials that the Flaxans used for their technology.
While replacing them with Earth materials was possible, it was also complicated and would take a long time to find the best matches. It was best to work with what was familiar, and to Mark's knowledge, the familiar materials were those made by the Flaxans.
Hearing Eve's response, Mark looked at Robot and snorted.
"Remind me to get you a joke book for Christmas."
Robot stayed still for a second before responding.
"I've noted it down."
Mark couldn't tell if he was serious.
He shook his head and looked at Eve, who seemed quite absorbed in the diagrams he had given her.
"How are you feeling?" He hadn't forgotten her previous state. Apparently, using her powers excessively came with consequences. He hadn't asked much about it, but seeing her run to the bathroom when they returned to the GDA base was a clear indication that something was up.
Eve looked up and smiled reassuringly.
"Much better. Doing this is less complicated than it seems."
Mark nodded. He would have to discuss her abilities with her later. For now, he finished making the last adjustments and easily hoisted the last of the four engines onto his shoulder.
The refrigerator-sized object was carried to the side of the futuristic-looking ship under construction.
For the most part, the basic structure was finished. Several staff members were making some final adjustments under Mark's directions, and it would soon be ready.
Robot approached, and together they began to properly install the engine. After all, it was the most important part of the ship.
"I heard from Cecil that a new group of Guardians is being formed," Mark said.
Robot didn't stop working and nodded.
"The world is in chaos and needs a group of heroes willing to help. The Guardians have always been that group. I think they need to continue being that."
Well, there was some truth to that.
"I think the same. That's why I believe you should join my team," Mark said directly. There was no need to beat around the bush, not with someone like Robot.
Robot paused for a moment and "raised" his gaze, his green eyes looking contemplatively at Mark's face.
"Cecil must have told you that he wants me to lead the new Guardians. Why invite me to your team then?" he didn't refuse immediately but instead asked with doubt.
Mark thought about his next words before speaking.
"Cecil thinks having two teams is the best approach. I don't think that's the case. Earth faces too many threats, and dividing our forces that way will only create unnecessary friction. While a team full of heavy hitters isn't bad, I believe we need more than that if we want to win."
Mark wanted to have it all, whether heavy hitters or "normal" members.
He wasn't going to underestimate anyone as long as they were useful.
"Are you suggesting we should merge the teams?" Robot asked.
"Yes and no. Whether it's my team or the new Guardians, neither is officially formed yet. I think we should simply focus on creating one team and combining our forces."
Robot seemed to think deeply for a few moments.
"It makes sense, but it will be complicated," he finally said with clear tentative acceptance.
"It doesn't have to be. Our team will be the largest and strongest superhero team this world has ever seen. We'll undoubtedly have a lot of support."
Maybe at another time, some people might complain, but with the great Viltrumite threat looming over their heads, Mark didn't think anyone on Earth would really have a problem with it now.
Instead, all humans would praise them because they would be their "shield."
Soon the engines were installed. Then the final adjustments were made, and with Eve's help, the ship was finished in less time than expected.
"What do you think?" Mark said, and Nolan, now standing beside him, looked at the spaceship with some astonishment.
"You're smarter than I thought." He knew his son had learned a lot, but he didn't expect it to be this much.
Although, thinking about it, he should have expected it. This was the same kid who created a dimensional door using the remnants of a dead civilization, after all.
Timmy whistled and approached the ship with a bag over his shoulder, looking like a man prepared to go camping, with nothing but a bag of clothes in his hands.
"Please tell me it doesn't have a name yet." His blue eyes looked at Mark with clear excitement.
Mark smiled and responded, "This girl was just born, of course she doesn't have a name."
"Then I'll give her one!" Timmy didn't hesitate and began to circle the ship thoughtfully.
Nolan raised an eyebrow at the blonde man. The contrast between him and Pitt left him somewhat perplexed, even now.
"Are you sure about this?" Mark asked one last time in a serious voice.
He was reluctant to admit it, but a part of him didn't want Nolan to leave.
Nolan looked at the ship with deep thoughts and nodded with determination.
"Yes, I must do this. Once I'm gone, you need to prepare yourself. I know I've told you everything, but if you have any doubts, you must read them," he said, and Mark knew what he meant.
Who would have thought his father actually took the time to hide some interesting secrets in everything he wrote?
He wondered if that was part of some plot or something, but it didn't matter now. He didn't need them; he remembered all the information perfectly.
"I've prepared supplies for at least five years if you're frugal. If you're wasteful, they should last at least six months," Eve said loudly, stepping out of the ship with a slightly tired face so that Nolan and Timmy could hear.
Mark stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder with a grateful smile.
"Thank you very much, Eve. You've worked too hard. I'm sorry if I pushed you a bit, I'll make it up to you," he said seriously, looking directly at her.
She smiled, although a bit tired she did not complain,. Having her hands full helped her a lot, and learning about new materials was extremely interesting.
Feeling Mark's warm palm on her shoulder, Eve blushed a little, and without being able to stop herself, responded with a bit of boldness.
"Make it up to me? Well, I know a place—"
"Perseverance! That'll be its name!" Timmy came running, not realizing he had interrupted Eve, at least until she gave him a less-than-pleasant look.
"Uh, is something wrong?"
Eve sighed, that small spark of bravery vanished, replaced by embarrassment. What was she doing? She had just broken up with Rex a few days ago, for God's sake!
Mark noticed Eve's red face and decided to change the subject for now but didn't forget what she tried to say. Maybe taking her out for a meal later would be appropriate, once he wasn't so busy.
"Perseverance? I guess it's a good name," he said, looking at the ship.
He wondered if he would see it in one piece again, though probably not.
Soon the final preparations were made, and everything was ready; it was time for them to depart.
Since there were only two passengers, there wasn't much to do. Eve inspected the ship with her powers one last time before giving the go-ahead. It had been Mark's suggestion for her to check, just in case. While even if the ship were destroyed mid-flight, it wouldn't pose a danger to Nolan or Pitt, it would still be unpleasant.
They took the ship out of the hangar and placed it in an open area, an improvised "runway."
In that place, Nolan and Timmy prepared to board. Timmy said goodbye to Mark and Eve, and enthusiastically climbed the few steps the ship had, eager to fly in it. He seemed to really like the "space" theme.
He even asked Eve for a customized astronaut suit. It wasn't a real astronaut suit, of course. It was less cumbersome and easier to wear. Eve had even made it from an extremely elastic yet durable fabric.
At least Pitt wouldn't be walking around naked.
Nolan prepared to board as well, nodding toward Mark, but before he did, he seemed to hear something. He turned around to see his wife arriving and walked toward her without thinking, meeting her face-to-face.
"It's time," Nolan said, and they both looked at each other in silence for a moment. This could be the definitive goodbye after all.
Not far away, Mark watched them, Eve beside him looking contemplative, and she asked a question.
"Do you think they can ever fix it?"
Mark looked at her and responded with some hesitation, "If he comes back? Maybe." In truth, he didn't know.
Eve couldn't help but think of her own parents as she watched Nolan and Debbie, so different...
Nolan reached out his hand, wanting to embrace her, but before he could, she stepped forward. Her arms wrapped around his body with all her strength, a strength that should have been insignificant but felt different to Nolan.
He patted her back, then pulled away. What needed to be said had been said; it was time to face his "destiny"
Debbie swallowed, tears threatening to fall, but she forced them back. It wasn't a time to be weak.
"Take care of her," Nolan made a request before boarding the ship. Mark looked at him and nodded; it didn't need to be said, he would do it.
Seeing Mark nod, Nolan didn't hesitate further and entered the ship.
It was large, the size of a bus, with two bedrooms, a command room, a small storage room, and a rudimentary kitchen.
Nolan went straight to the command room where he found Timmy already ready to take off.
Of course, Nolan would be piloting the ship. He already had the necessary knowledge and experience, so without hesitation, he took the main seat and began to check the systems.
Mark had created the software with Robot's help, making it easy to manipulate, and soon everything was ready.
For the last time, Nolan looked through the glass at his wife and son, nodded to them, and initiated the launch. The space warp engines roared to life, the ship's lights came on, and in less than a second, it began to rise into the sky.
"Seems like everything's working fine," Robot said, watching as the ship launched into space.
"Did you doubt it?" Mark replied somewhat arrogantly; after all, he had designed the ship.
Robot didn't respond, causing Mark's smile to slightly fade.
This guy was hard to read.
Soon, the ship disappeared from view, and there was a small flash of light.
It seemed the engines had worked as well; from the ground, Mark felt space bending in the distance.
The Flaxans had used a technology to travel faster than light by bending space, exploring their entire home dimension.
What did they find? Nothing—a completely dead universe where only they existed.
That's why they began exploring other dimensions.
"Let's go, time to go home," Mark said, placing his hand on his mother's shoulder.
She looked at the sky for a few more moments before nodding and going to collect her things.
Mark let her go ahead before looking at Cecil, who had been silent until now.
It was time to talk about the change of plans. Robot approached, and the two walked toward the man.
"It seems like you have something to say. Speak quickly; time is of the essence," Cecil said.
"I think you already know," Mark wasn't stupid; this place was his base and probably had listening devices everywhere.
He had probably stolen their design for the warp engine and a few other things. Mark didn't really care ; this world had faced dozens of alien invasions before; they probably had more technology stored than they could analyze.
Cecil clicked his tongue. The kid was smart, though that was more than obvious at this point.
"You know I won't take No for an answer," Mark said, seeing that Cecil had been silent for too long.
Cecil grunted, glanced at Robot for a moment, and sighed when he saw he said nothing.
"Fine, but I'll warn you—if you step out of line, global threat or not, the GDA won't support you anymore,"
"Fair enough," Mark replied with a smile.
It was time to recruit more people.
.
.
.
Note:
I decided to change the plans a bit. Many have pointed it out, and I think they're right—Robot is definitely more than needed in the team. At the same time, I don't see him being on two different teams.
On the other hand, there are several characters from Invincible that it would be a shame to leave behind, so there will be many more team members. Not all of them may be heavyweights, but I think they can all be useful in one way or another. Also, ladies, I need more ladies or this will be a sausage fest.
To conclude, I'd like to thank all my donors on Patreon and Ko-fi. You guys are awesome, and I'm really glad to have your support. The update schedule that won the Patreon vote with 78% of the votes will begin soon.
I'll do my best to meet it.
So, now you know—if you want to support me, you can visit my Patreon
(https://www.patreon.com/EmmaCruzader)Time for SI Mark to get more Super Friends on his side.
18: Beginning of testing
- Location
- Eart
18: Beginning of testing
"What do you think of the Sentinels? Although I don't think it adequately conveys what we want," Mark asked, looking at the ceiling, pondering possible names for his new team.
"The Defenders doesn't sound bad, although I think it's missing something." It was more complicated than he thought. He might just say "to hell with it" and go with the previous name, but it didn't feel right, not for his team.
"M-Mark, I don't even know what you're talking about," Amber's trembling voice made him blink in confusion, so he turned to look at her.
Next to him, as naked as he was, she lay there, sweat covering her entire body, a deep blush visible on her face, her breathing still heavy, a testament to the necessary and long de-stressing session they had just finished.
"Oh, right. A new team is forming, a big one, and I'm going to lead it along with Robot." Maybe he should have talked more with her, but he had been quite busy, and when they saw each other again, none of them could keep their pants in place long enough to catch up—until now.
Amber began to regain some clarity in her eyes. She hugged Mark closer, pouting.
"Does that mean you'll be busier?" Although there was a hint of complaint, Mark could see she was just playing. He smiled, stroking her head.
"A bit, but with the world so hectic, it's necessary." He didn't apologize; they both knew things like this could happen. Mark wouldn't neglect his main mission for anything, even if it was a hot blonde waiting for him... well, not too much.
"I know, don't worry, I understand. It just means I need to enjoy the time we have together even more," she said, lowering her voice in the last part, a purr that made Mark raise an eyebrow.
His smile grew when he felt her hand slowly descending down his abdomen.
It seemed there would be a fifth round.
.
.
.
"You seem happier. Are you excited about this?" Robot asked curiously, seeing Mark so radiant. Mark chuckled a bit and lightly patted his back.
"My Friend, if one day we find a way to build a flesh and blood body for you, you'll understand," he said happily, though he also hinted at something. His intention to help Robot get a "body" He couldn't tell him directly that he knew he wasn't a robot without causing doubt and mistrust, so he could only make his intentions to help him clear.
Robot remained silent for a moment before responding.
"That would be... interesting."
Together they walked through the Pentagon, more precisely towards an area specially prepared in the last few days for the entry tests for their new team.
The news had already been spread worldwide; Earth needed new heroes, and they were "hiring." Mark made sure that even personal invitations were sent to some of the most experienced heroes, at least those registered in the global database.
He didn't know if everyone could join, but he didn't want to leave anyone with potential out of his sight.
Soon they arrived at the place, a heavily fortified area not to protect but to withstand. After all, there would be combat tests here.
"They'll arrive soon," Robot informed, and Mark nodded, putting on a serious expression.
Even so, he couldn't help but mention something that he knew could be a small problem.
"About the issue with Rex and Kate..." Eve was indispensable to the team, and Mark wasn't going to replace her for anything.
He knew she might have a problem if Rex and Dupli-Kate joined the team, so he suggested to Robot to "talk" with them. He didn't expect him to forbid them from coming or anything like that, of course.
He simply wanted him to help remedy things a bit.
"I no longer have any problem with Kate," Eve's voice made him turn to see her entering the place, she was early.
"You don't?" he asked, somewhat doubtful.
"I managed to get her and Kate to talk," Robot said, and Mark almost thought there was a hint of pride in his robotic voice.
"Just like that?" He thought there would be more drama; she seemed quite upset with both of them, after all.
Eve smiled slightly and explained a bit more.
"Although I haven't forgiven her, I understood things a bit better. In the end, it's all Rex's fault."
Once the "courage" diminished a bit and she could talk to her alone, Eve was able to understand the situation better. She wasn't happy, not at all, but she knew it wasn't fair to blame Kate for everything.
It was Rex who had drawn stupid conclusions and taken advantage of Kate's stressed state to get into her pants.
She didn't know if they would ever be friends again, but she understood that in the current situation, they needed all the help they could get.
Mark had told her that her place on the team was definite, and he wouldn't change that for anything or anyone, so she knew that if she wanted it, Rex and Kate would be out.
A childish part of her wanted to do just that—simply leave them behind and move on.
A part of her that knew the dangers ahead understood that she had to swallow some of her pride. Everyone was doing their part, contributing. If she were just a girl throwing a tantrum over something she didn't like, then what kind of heroine would she be?
Of course, she could tolerate Kate's presence, but the same couldn't be said for Rex.
"Kate will attend the trials. As for Rex... Cecil has decided to hire him personally. I don't know exactly for what, but I suppose the job will do him good," Robot said. He had facilitated the contact between Rex and Cecil, after all.
Mark nodded and smiled. Well, that was one less problem to worry about. He felt a bit sorry for Rex, but the guy had messed things up on his own. Maybe in his new job, he'd gain more wisdom or something like that.
"Well, if you're okay with that, then it's fine." Eve nodded and joined them, looking through the large window at the testing "arena."
"Are we really only doing combat trials? Doesn't that seem too simple?" she couldn't help but say. For the planet's new and larger hero team, their trial seemed very... straightforward?
Mark nodded but explained his reasons.
"While tests of another nature would be good, it's undeniable that future threats require high-level firepower and versatility in combat. The technical and scientific aspects are covered by Robot and me, so for now, we are focusing on the combat potential of the new members. Of course, if someone has extraordinary qualities beyond just fighting, we'll include them as well."
Robot nodded beside him, agreeing with his words.
"Over time, we hope to include more versatility, but for now, it's clear what we need to focus on," Robot finished.
Soon the moment arrived, and the candidates began to arrive.
There were many, from different ethnicities, countries, and cultures; after all, it had been a general call to the entire world.
"Well, at least there will be variety," Eve commented, looking with interest at the diverse group of people, raising an eyebrow even higher upon seeing a huge, hairy guy resembling a yeti.
Mark clapped loudly enough to get everyone's attention.
All eyes turned to him immediately, and he smiled, beginning to speak.
"First of all, I want to thank you all for coming today. I know many of you have your own problems to deal with, but the fact that you're here shows that the world can unite even in its most difficult times." First, he had to be grateful, lighten the atmosphere before getting serious.
"A lot has been explained in the news, and I know you all understand what we're up against. I won't beat around the bush: the world is in danger, and most of us here may die when all this is over." Honest and direct, he didn't need cowards among their ranks.
"Aren't you a bit pessimistic for someone called Invincible?" a girl's voice was heard, and Mark directed his gaze towards a... child? He blinked but didn't let the surprise show on his face since he recognized who it was. Even so, seeing her in person was still quite interesting.
"I prefer to call myself realistic. I don't want you to feel obligated just because the world is in danger. We'll do everything in our power to save the day once again, like all the great heroes who came before us, I assure you of that. But if you feel this is too great a responsibility, no one will blame you if you decide to decline." He tried not to sound harsh; it would be bad to give a wrong impression now.
"I've kicked too many evil asses to back down now, cutie," said the "girl," winking, causing several people to make strange faces. Even so, many nodded; they were heroes, their lives constantly in danger, they wouldn't run away at this point.
Mark didn't let his expression change even if he felt unpleasant chills at being flirted with by a "child." He knew she wasn't a child, but it was still extremely weird. He'd have to help her resolve her problem at least to not feel uncomfortable around her.
"I'm glad to see everyone seems motivated. In that case, I'll let Robot explain more about how this will go," he said, about to hand the floor over to Robot.
"Wait!" a loud voice interrupted.
From the crowd, a figure covered in a gray cloth emerged, taking strong and firm steps. Their height, almost two meters, stood out significantly even though there were taller people in the crowd.
They removed the hood that concealed their face, letting their long white hair wave with the movement. On their forehead was a shiny golden tiara, and their blue eyes looked at Invincible with clear animosity.
Mark raised an eyebrow; he didn't recognize this girl, but his sharp senses, honed from fighting with his father, told him she was somewhat dangerous.
Interesting.
Suddenly, the sound of the air being sliced was heard, and a long sword was pointed at his throat.
Mark looked at the blade that had almost cut him, holding the sword between his fingers with force.
Everyone became alert, Eve's hands began to glow, and Robot started to draw one of his weapons.
Mark raised a hand to stop them, looking into the intense eyes of the girl.
"I don't think we have anything against each other. This place is fortified and filled with the most capable heroes on the planet. You know you're at a disadvantage, so why attack me?" He wanted to understand.
The girl snorted and retracted her sword, sheathing it again at her hip.
"You talk about protecting this world, but isn't your father the main responsible for all this?" At her questioning, several heroes looked at Invincible with doubt.
Mark stopped smiling; how did this girl know about it?
"Yes, and that's why I'm here. My father is Omni-Man, the one who killed the Guardians and brought this new threat to the planet," he said loudly for everyone to hear.
The girl didn't seem to expect that he wouldn't deny it at all and instead admitted it openly. Her expression now contained surprise and doubt.
Mark had no intentions of hiding it. Secrets like that were the cause of fracturing teams, and he knew he would have to say it sooner rather than later. Besides, many of the heroes present already had suspicions about it.
"Then why-?" the girl seemed confused, and Mark answered sincerely.
"I am not my father. What he did is unforgivable, and I am not asking for forgiveness," he needed to make that clear. He wasn't seeking to account for Omni-Man.
"I know he hurt many people, but changing the past is not something we can do now. As his son, I know many will judge me, but I was raised better by a human mother who taught me the right values and managed to make a genocidal monster like him betray his own people. That's why I want you to understand that I am not here to try to make amends for his mistakes but to fight for what is right."
For an improvised speech, it didn't turn out too bad. He took a deep breath and continued speaking.
"I know many will not trust me because of this, and I understand. Blind trust is not my goal either; I only hope you give me the opportunity to prove myself through actions and deeds."
The room fell silent for a moment before a tall man with scaly green skin stepped forward.
"I knew Omni-Man for over ten years. I worked closely with him and never saw his true intentions. If we're pointing fingers, then many here will have to raise their hands," many nodded in agreement with him.
Mark smiled at the man, who nodded back. He recognized him from the news, one of the most famous heroes in the United States, Savage Dragon.
"Now, can you tell me why you attacked me?" Having answered her question, Mark thought it was only fair that the girl answered his.
The girl looked at him for a few moments before stepping back and speaking.
"My name is Glory. I am an Amazon. When my people learned of our princess's death, they sent me to find the responsible party," Mark then understood.
More or less, she was like the Wonder Girl of this universe or something like that, right?
"So, you want to kill me since my father isn't here?" he asked.
She remained silent for a moment before shaking her head.
"Perhaps the Amazonian people want to, but I am no longer with them." Many things had happened since she arrived in the world of men that made her realize the Amazonian people were not the paradise she thought they were. She came to understand more deeply why War Woman had decided to flee from them and did the same.
But in spite of everything, she did not forget her mission or the justice in her heart. Perhaps she no longer shared their same interests, but the well-being of the world was still her concern.
"Even so, I have decided to watch you. I don't trust your words, so I will observe your actions, as you said yourself. If I am truly mistaken, I will apologize, but if this turns out to be a deception, I will make sure to kill you," she said, determined and stubborn. She had come to love this world despite spending little time in it and wouldn't let it be destroyed by anyone or anything.
Mark almost smirked but nodded instead. The team needed someone "openly" vigilant against him; it would reassure any other members who had doubts about him.
If someone is watching him, then it should be fine, right? That would likely be the thought of some of them.
Eve furrowed her brow and stepped forward, speaking directly to this girl, "Glory."
"Great speech, but first you need to pass the tests like everyone else. It doesn't matter where you come from; if you don't have the qualifications, any grand talk is useless."
Mark raised an eyebrow; Eve seemed a bit aggressive, huh?
Glory smiled confidently.
"Don't doubt it, I won't fail."
"Then I'll start explaining the process," Robot stepped forward.
It was time to begin.
.
.
.
Note:
This chapter is short, but the following ones will probably be much longer. You don't know this, but I'll tell you: I've researched too many characters from Image Comics! Too many stories! Many are incompatible in many ways, hahaha.
So there will be modifications. I've said it before, and this is the last time I'll clarify: all the characters presented here are and will be AU versions to a greater or lesser extent, all to maintain coherence in the story.
So if your favorite Image Comics character isn't exactly as you remember, now you know why!
Glory is an example. In this universe, I decided that her story is compatible with coming from the same place as War Woman and being a "young" Amazon beginning her journey in the world of men.
She has many characteristics that I think would be suitable for her character, with a strong sense of justice being one of them.
As you know, suggestions, criticisms, and comments are all welcome.
"What do you think of the Sentinels? Although I don't think it adequately conveys what we want," Mark asked, looking at the ceiling, pondering possible names for his new team.
"The Defenders doesn't sound bad, although I think it's missing something." It was more complicated than he thought. He might just say "to hell with it" and go with the previous name, but it didn't feel right, not for his team.
"M-Mark, I don't even know what you're talking about," Amber's trembling voice made him blink in confusion, so he turned to look at her.
Next to him, as naked as he was, she lay there, sweat covering her entire body, a deep blush visible on her face, her breathing still heavy, a testament to the necessary and long de-stressing session they had just finished.
"Oh, right. A new team is forming, a big one, and I'm going to lead it along with Robot." Maybe he should have talked more with her, but he had been quite busy, and when they saw each other again, none of them could keep their pants in place long enough to catch up—until now.
Amber began to regain some clarity in her eyes. She hugged Mark closer, pouting.
"Does that mean you'll be busier?" Although there was a hint of complaint, Mark could see she was just playing. He smiled, stroking her head.
"A bit, but with the world so hectic, it's necessary." He didn't apologize; they both knew things like this could happen. Mark wouldn't neglect his main mission for anything, even if it was a hot blonde waiting for him... well, not too much.
"I know, don't worry, I understand. It just means I need to enjoy the time we have together even more," she said, lowering her voice in the last part, a purr that made Mark raise an eyebrow.
His smile grew when he felt her hand slowly descending down his abdomen.
It seemed there would be a fifth round.
.
.
.
"You seem happier. Are you excited about this?" Robot asked curiously, seeing Mark so radiant. Mark chuckled a bit and lightly patted his back.
"My Friend, if one day we find a way to build a flesh and blood body for you, you'll understand," he said happily, though he also hinted at something. His intention to help Robot get a "body" He couldn't tell him directly that he knew he wasn't a robot without causing doubt and mistrust, so he could only make his intentions to help him clear.
Robot remained silent for a moment before responding.
"That would be... interesting."
Together they walked through the Pentagon, more precisely towards an area specially prepared in the last few days for the entry tests for their new team.
The news had already been spread worldwide; Earth needed new heroes, and they were "hiring." Mark made sure that even personal invitations were sent to some of the most experienced heroes, at least those registered in the global database.
He didn't know if everyone could join, but he didn't want to leave anyone with potential out of his sight.
Soon they arrived at the place, a heavily fortified area not to protect but to withstand. After all, there would be combat tests here.
"They'll arrive soon," Robot informed, and Mark nodded, putting on a serious expression.
Even so, he couldn't help but mention something that he knew could be a small problem.
"About the issue with Rex and Kate..." Eve was indispensable to the team, and Mark wasn't going to replace her for anything.
He knew she might have a problem if Rex and Dupli-Kate joined the team, so he suggested to Robot to "talk" with them. He didn't expect him to forbid them from coming or anything like that, of course.
He simply wanted him to help remedy things a bit.
"I no longer have any problem with Kate," Eve's voice made him turn to see her entering the place, she was early.
"You don't?" he asked, somewhat doubtful.
"I managed to get her and Kate to talk," Robot said, and Mark almost thought there was a hint of pride in his robotic voice.
"Just like that?" He thought there would be more drama; she seemed quite upset with both of them, after all.
Eve smiled slightly and explained a bit more.
"Although I haven't forgiven her, I understood things a bit better. In the end, it's all Rex's fault."
Once the "courage" diminished a bit and she could talk to her alone, Eve was able to understand the situation better. She wasn't happy, not at all, but she knew it wasn't fair to blame Kate for everything.
It was Rex who had drawn stupid conclusions and taken advantage of Kate's stressed state to get into her pants.
She didn't know if they would ever be friends again, but she understood that in the current situation, they needed all the help they could get.
Mark had told her that her place on the team was definite, and he wouldn't change that for anything or anyone, so she knew that if she wanted it, Rex and Kate would be out.
A childish part of her wanted to do just that—simply leave them behind and move on.
A part of her that knew the dangers ahead understood that she had to swallow some of her pride. Everyone was doing their part, contributing. If she were just a girl throwing a tantrum over something she didn't like, then what kind of heroine would she be?
Of course, she could tolerate Kate's presence, but the same couldn't be said for Rex.
"Kate will attend the trials. As for Rex... Cecil has decided to hire him personally. I don't know exactly for what, but I suppose the job will do him good," Robot said. He had facilitated the contact between Rex and Cecil, after all.
Mark nodded and smiled. Well, that was one less problem to worry about. He felt a bit sorry for Rex, but the guy had messed things up on his own. Maybe in his new job, he'd gain more wisdom or something like that.
"Well, if you're okay with that, then it's fine." Eve nodded and joined them, looking through the large window at the testing "arena."
"Are we really only doing combat trials? Doesn't that seem too simple?" she couldn't help but say. For the planet's new and larger hero team, their trial seemed very... straightforward?
Mark nodded but explained his reasons.
"While tests of another nature would be good, it's undeniable that future threats require high-level firepower and versatility in combat. The technical and scientific aspects are covered by Robot and me, so for now, we are focusing on the combat potential of the new members. Of course, if someone has extraordinary qualities beyond just fighting, we'll include them as well."
Robot nodded beside him, agreeing with his words.
"Over time, we hope to include more versatility, but for now, it's clear what we need to focus on," Robot finished.
Soon the moment arrived, and the candidates began to arrive.
There were many, from different ethnicities, countries, and cultures; after all, it had been a general call to the entire world.
"Well, at least there will be variety," Eve commented, looking with interest at the diverse group of people, raising an eyebrow even higher upon seeing a huge, hairy guy resembling a yeti.
Mark clapped loudly enough to get everyone's attention.
All eyes turned to him immediately, and he smiled, beginning to speak.
"First of all, I want to thank you all for coming today. I know many of you have your own problems to deal with, but the fact that you're here shows that the world can unite even in its most difficult times." First, he had to be grateful, lighten the atmosphere before getting serious.
"A lot has been explained in the news, and I know you all understand what we're up against. I won't beat around the bush: the world is in danger, and most of us here may die when all this is over." Honest and direct, he didn't need cowards among their ranks.
"Aren't you a bit pessimistic for someone called Invincible?" a girl's voice was heard, and Mark directed his gaze towards a... child? He blinked but didn't let the surprise show on his face since he recognized who it was. Even so, seeing her in person was still quite interesting.
"I prefer to call myself realistic. I don't want you to feel obligated just because the world is in danger. We'll do everything in our power to save the day once again, like all the great heroes who came before us, I assure you of that. But if you feel this is too great a responsibility, no one will blame you if you decide to decline." He tried not to sound harsh; it would be bad to give a wrong impression now.
"I've kicked too many evil asses to back down now, cutie," said the "girl," winking, causing several people to make strange faces. Even so, many nodded; they were heroes, their lives constantly in danger, they wouldn't run away at this point.
Mark didn't let his expression change even if he felt unpleasant chills at being flirted with by a "child." He knew she wasn't a child, but it was still extremely weird. He'd have to help her resolve her problem at least to not feel uncomfortable around her.
"I'm glad to see everyone seems motivated. In that case, I'll let Robot explain more about how this will go," he said, about to hand the floor over to Robot.
"Wait!" a loud voice interrupted.
From the crowd, a figure covered in a gray cloth emerged, taking strong and firm steps. Their height, almost two meters, stood out significantly even though there were taller people in the crowd.
They removed the hood that concealed their face, letting their long white hair wave with the movement. On their forehead was a shiny golden tiara, and their blue eyes looked at Invincible with clear animosity.
Mark raised an eyebrow; he didn't recognize this girl, but his sharp senses, honed from fighting with his father, told him she was somewhat dangerous.
Interesting.
Suddenly, the sound of the air being sliced was heard, and a long sword was pointed at his throat.
Mark looked at the blade that had almost cut him, holding the sword between his fingers with force.
Everyone became alert, Eve's hands began to glow, and Robot started to draw one of his weapons.
Mark raised a hand to stop them, looking into the intense eyes of the girl.
"I don't think we have anything against each other. This place is fortified and filled with the most capable heroes on the planet. You know you're at a disadvantage, so why attack me?" He wanted to understand.
The girl snorted and retracted her sword, sheathing it again at her hip.
"You talk about protecting this world, but isn't your father the main responsible for all this?" At her questioning, several heroes looked at Invincible with doubt.
Mark stopped smiling; how did this girl know about it?
"Yes, and that's why I'm here. My father is Omni-Man, the one who killed the Guardians and brought this new threat to the planet," he said loudly for everyone to hear.
The girl didn't seem to expect that he wouldn't deny it at all and instead admitted it openly. Her expression now contained surprise and doubt.
Mark had no intentions of hiding it. Secrets like that were the cause of fracturing teams, and he knew he would have to say it sooner rather than later. Besides, many of the heroes present already had suspicions about it.
"Then why-?" the girl seemed confused, and Mark answered sincerely.
"I am not my father. What he did is unforgivable, and I am not asking for forgiveness," he needed to make that clear. He wasn't seeking to account for Omni-Man.
"I know he hurt many people, but changing the past is not something we can do now. As his son, I know many will judge me, but I was raised better by a human mother who taught me the right values and managed to make a genocidal monster like him betray his own people. That's why I want you to understand that I am not here to try to make amends for his mistakes but to fight for what is right."
For an improvised speech, it didn't turn out too bad. He took a deep breath and continued speaking.
"I know many will not trust me because of this, and I understand. Blind trust is not my goal either; I only hope you give me the opportunity to prove myself through actions and deeds."
The room fell silent for a moment before a tall man with scaly green skin stepped forward.
"I knew Omni-Man for over ten years. I worked closely with him and never saw his true intentions. If we're pointing fingers, then many here will have to raise their hands," many nodded in agreement with him.
Mark smiled at the man, who nodded back. He recognized him from the news, one of the most famous heroes in the United States, Savage Dragon.
"Now, can you tell me why you attacked me?" Having answered her question, Mark thought it was only fair that the girl answered his.
The girl looked at him for a few moments before stepping back and speaking.
"My name is Glory. I am an Amazon. When my people learned of our princess's death, they sent me to find the responsible party," Mark then understood.
More or less, she was like the Wonder Girl of this universe or something like that, right?
"So, you want to kill me since my father isn't here?" he asked.
She remained silent for a moment before shaking her head.
"Perhaps the Amazonian people want to, but I am no longer with them." Many things had happened since she arrived in the world of men that made her realize the Amazonian people were not the paradise she thought they were. She came to understand more deeply why War Woman had decided to flee from them and did the same.
But in spite of everything, she did not forget her mission or the justice in her heart. Perhaps she no longer shared their same interests, but the well-being of the world was still her concern.
"Even so, I have decided to watch you. I don't trust your words, so I will observe your actions, as you said yourself. If I am truly mistaken, I will apologize, but if this turns out to be a deception, I will make sure to kill you," she said, determined and stubborn. She had come to love this world despite spending little time in it and wouldn't let it be destroyed by anyone or anything.
Mark almost smirked but nodded instead. The team needed someone "openly" vigilant against him; it would reassure any other members who had doubts about him.
If someone is watching him, then it should be fine, right? That would likely be the thought of some of them.
Eve furrowed her brow and stepped forward, speaking directly to this girl, "Glory."
"Great speech, but first you need to pass the tests like everyone else. It doesn't matter where you come from; if you don't have the qualifications, any grand talk is useless."
Mark raised an eyebrow; Eve seemed a bit aggressive, huh?
Glory smiled confidently.
"Don't doubt it, I won't fail."
"Then I'll start explaining the process," Robot stepped forward.
It was time to begin.
.
.
.
Note:
This chapter is short, but the following ones will probably be much longer. You don't know this, but I'll tell you: I've researched too many characters from Image Comics! Too many stories! Many are incompatible in many ways, hahaha.
So there will be modifications. I've said it before, and this is the last time I'll clarify: all the characters presented here are and will be AU versions to a greater or lesser extent, all to maintain coherence in the story.
So if your favorite Image Comics character isn't exactly as you remember, now you know why!
Glory is an example. In this universe, I decided that her story is compatible with coming from the same place as War Woman and being a "young" Amazon beginning her journey in the world of men.
She has many characteristics that I think would be suitable for her character, with a strong sense of justice being one of them.
As you know, suggestions, criticisms, and comments are all welcome.
Nitronorm5688
The Armchair Reader
- Location
- Oakdale, CT
So glad that Savage Dragon was mentioned! Happy Day!
Also glad for the talking. Atom Eve and Dupli-Kate did remain friends in the comics, so healing that betrayal by Rex early is all right with me. I get a feeling that rex is going to be on the side of the "killing villains and threats' side the the scenes.
Also hope that you do a lot of fight scenes in the next chapters. There's enough superheroes in this world that they could open some kind of fight school where everyone could get together to train on the regular. Maybe a part-time member?
If you want an actual roster of heroes on call, you'd need about twelve heroes, with four more to cover them when things go wrong, three shifts a day, for seven days. That's about fifty people, give or take. Not everyone can do the heroes thing if they have a part-time job, but for something like this everyone should be pulling down a paycheck good enough to pay off all their debts and more.
Then you need about four people to coordinate efforts, and another group of four to look at police reports and run the radios. So that's another ten or twenty people right there. These guys could be normal humans with super skills if they're being kept off the battlefield.
Just my thoughts.
Also glad for the talking. Atom Eve and Dupli-Kate did remain friends in the comics, so healing that betrayal by Rex early is all right with me. I get a feeling that rex is going to be on the side of the "killing villains and threats' side the the scenes.
Also hope that you do a lot of fight scenes in the next chapters. There's enough superheroes in this world that they could open some kind of fight school where everyone could get together to train on the regular. Maybe a part-time member?
If you want an actual roster of heroes on call, you'd need about twelve heroes, with four more to cover them when things go wrong, three shifts a day, for seven days. That's about fifty people, give or take. Not everyone can do the heroes thing if they have a part-time job, but for something like this everyone should be pulling down a paycheck good enough to pay off all their debts and more.
Then you need about four people to coordinate efforts, and another group of four to look at police reports and run the radios. So that's another ten or twenty people right there. These guys could be normal humans with super skills if they're being kept off the battlefield.
Just my thoughts.
19: Foundation
- Location
- Eart
19: Foundation
"We will begin the tests with a combat simulation against robots specially built for this occasion. I want to remind you that injuries are highly probable, so I urge you to read the document that will be handed out to you in detail and sign it. If you have any questions, I will answer them," Robot said.
Suddenly, Eve raised her hand, and in the air in front of each participant, a sheet of paper and a pen were created.
Some participants easily took the objects, while others were more clumsy, either almost tripping or ending up picking them up once they fell to the ground.
They didn't know it, but Mark watched all this along with Robot. In fact, the tests had already begun. If you couldn't even take a piece of paper and a pen a few inches from you, then probably trusting the world's safety in your hands would be a very bad idea.
Even so, they wouldn't be discarded instantly; they simply had some points deducted.
Sarah looked at the paper she thought would just be a disclaimer but was actually more than that. While it stated that the GDA and its associates would not be held responsible for any unexpected "death," it actually covered any injury that could be obtained during the tests, paid for medical expenses, and even provided personal care at the GDA's private hospital.
Still, it was made clear that any possible accident was accepted by the participant, of course, all in legal jargon that, although somewhat complicated, was still easy to understand.
she couldn't help but get her boyfriend's attention by elbowing him in the side.
"What do you think, Kid?" The blonde man with a large long-handled hammer on his back smiled slightly at her and nodded.
"Everything seems in order; we should sign it." Sarah nodded; at least the injury benefits were quite decent. Not that they needed them, but it spoke well of their new potential employers that they didn't wash their hands of those who might fail.
Sarah took off one of the boxing gloves on her hands, feeling some of her strength temporarily fade. The gloves were incredible, but one of their major drawbacks was not being able to write or do things that require delicate manual work.
Fortunately, they didn't need a table to sign the paper; somehow, the sheet was hard enough. Eve had made them that way on purpose, preventing them from crumpling, and later she could modify them again to have the texture of normal paper.
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Glory looked at the paper with a frown. She had barely arrived in the world of men, and although she could read and write in Greek, this was a language she didn't know. Amazon magic only included the ability to speak and understand any language upon hearing it, but not to write or read it...
She discreetly glanced from the corner of her eye, trying to figure out what to do. It seemed that something needed to be written on the sheet.
"Your name." The voice made her blink, and she had to look down to find the source, finding herself looking at that strange girl who had spoken earlier.
"Do I have something on my face? Never mind, you need to write your name, here," she said, pointing to a part of the paper.
"Oh," how was 'Glory' written in this language?
Maybe seeing her doubt, the girl sighed and wrote it simply on her arm.
"Just copy this," she pointed to her arm, and Glory smiled gratefully.
"Thanks, little one." That comment seemed to irritate her as she heard her click her tongue.
"Listen, tough girl, never call me little, and we'll be fine, got it?"
Glory blinked but nodded, making the "girl" smile.
"You can call me Monster Girl." Monster girl? Glory had killed many monsters before, and this girl didn't really seem like one. Still, she shouldn't judge people's names, right?
"Alright, I guess you already know mine."
While the two were talking, another girl in a different part of the room was having a slightly similar but different problem for several reasons.
Yasuka Ohara wondered if it would have been better to stay in Japan.
"Will this... be valid for me?" She had come to America in a somewhat... not very legal way, but you can't blame her! She had spent the last six months fighting supernatural monsters without rest.
Just remembering how she had gotten here almost made her cry. Until six months ago, she was just a normal woman, living a normal life... well, she hadn't been very successful career-wise since she had spent almost two years after graduating from university without finding a job and simply living off her parents' savings... but still!
She enjoyed her life just the way things were, Okay!? Some might call her a hikikomori, but that was only because they didn't understand how pleasant it was not to be bothered and to live without worries.
Besides, her parents had left a lot of money before they died, and it would be really ungrateful not to use it to live a comfortable life, right?
In this day and age, it's said that it's still not too late to get married even if you reach thirty, so it should be fine to laze around a bit, right?
Well, all her plans were suddenly ruined by a stupid strange glove with a blood-red gem.
Remembering that night made her shiver.
"No, I'm tired of dealing with all this alone," she gritted her teeth and signed the paper. Everything should be fine as long as she was accepted, right?
Maybe she wasn't so good at other things, but she had been fighting supernatural monsters and demons for the last six months. She was sure she could pass any test necessary as long as it involved combat. Then she would have a team to help her get back to her days of relaxation or even find out why she had been attacked almost every day by supernatural entities trying to kill her.
Maybe even help her return to normalcy.
While Yasuka Ohara fantasized about returning to her old life, in another part of the room, two men who hadn't seen each other in a long time started greeting each other.
Kurr, better known to the public as Savage Dragon, looked at a man he thought he would never see again.
"Brit, I thought you had retired, you old bastard," the man known as Brit snorted in response.
"I was, until the Guardians of the Globe kicked the bucket. Now I must make sure there is still a world left for my son to grow up in" his expression and words were more serious than Kurr expected.
"Your son? Wait, then!" To Kurr's surprise, Brit nodded and, less seriously, spoke with a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"He's two years old now." Kurr couldn't help but feel a bit happy for his old friend, and now he truly understood why he was here.
"Well, let's make sure this planet stays around so you can play with your grandkids," Kurr said, patting Brit on the back. Brit nodded with a determined look in his eyes, and both signed the papers.
Not far from the two men, a tall, dark-skinned boy in a mostly yellow and orange suit psyched himself up.
'All right, let's do this,' he was about to sign but hesitated.
'I hope I don't mess this up,' he swallowed hard and carefully began to write, not his name, as that name now belonged to someone else, someone who was now dead.
'Damn it!' He messed up a bit, but it looked decent enough.
'Why did you have to make things so complicated, brother?' He couldn't help but sigh. Remembering the past was always difficult, after all, it wasn't every day that your twin brother kidnaps you to experiment on you in search of powers.
Well, he got them, only the powers came to him instead of his brother, and as a consequence, his twin ended up dying.
Sometimes he asked himself why he chose this path, why he took on his brother's identity. Then he remembered his parents and clenched his teeth. He didn't do it for himself but for them. His twin brother had always been the smart one, the special one, the amazing one, the best son, the pride of their parents.
And he? He was the slacker, the kid who preferred hanging out with friends over studying, playing sports over reading a book, the disappointment. But despite everything, he loved his parents and knew that learning about his brother's illegal experiments on his patients, along with all his other crimes, would surely destroy them.
That's why he took on his brother's identity, why he faked his own death, why he became a hero, why he became Bulletproof.
He would atone for his brother's sins and make his parents proud, maybe not as himself but in his own way.
In another part of the room, Rachel quickly signed the paper. She had been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time. Being a solo hero was fine, but she wanted to achieve more. She knew she could do more, so when the formation of a new team was announced, she didn't hesitate to come.
She knew she would make it. No matter what people said, her power was not useless, and she would prove it. Still, she couldn't help but look around. Quite a few people had come this time. It looked like it was going to be a bit difficult.
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Mark observed familiar and unfamiliar faces. Not far away, he spotted Dupli-Kate, who occasionally glanced at Eve. It seemed that even if they had patched things up, there was still an air of discomfort around them.
"The testing room is ready," Robot said, deploying several droids in the room to collect the papers.
Mark nodded. He had slightly changed the type of test; there would still be combat, but this time not between participants, but against automatons they could fight without reservations.
He wanted to see what they were capable of without holding back too much.
Of course, he had personally built the robots that would be used. They wouldn't send junk; that would just be a waste and wouldn't tell them anything. That's why they had made everyone sign the "disclaimer." Mark had really made an effort to make this test a difficult wall to climb.
Of course, only for those who couldn't measure up. Surely some of the participants would still pass easily.
"Then let's go, let's see what they can do." Mark walked alongside Robot to the main control room from where they would observe the tests from different angles using various screens and high-definition cameras, and control the robots if necessary.
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"Cheer up, they're just robots. This should be a piece of cake for you." Feeling the pat on her back, Riley smiled awkwardly. Still, deep down, she was somewhat happy. Unexpectedly, this test favored her a bit, at least at first glance. It had been somewhat difficult to learn to control her powers due to their volatility, so she usually tended to hold back too much. This time it seemed she could give it her all for once.
"I think you'll do well too. I don't think any of those robots will be able to touch even a hair on your head." Her friend and teammate, Outrun, was the fastest person Riley had ever known, maybe even faster than the late Red Rush, although it wasn't like they could find out now; he was dead after all.
Even so, she knew without a doubt that Outrun would get in. Her powers were too useful not to.
The two blonde girls encouraged each other until Robot's voice suddenly sounded through the loudspeakers.
"The order in which the tests will be conducted will be random, starting with Throwbolt." Eh, Riley blinked.
"Come on! It's your turn, go and give it your all!" It wasn't until Outrun said this that Riley snapped out of her initial shock. She nodded nervously and headed toward the door of the testing room.
Outrun moved closer to the large glass panel that allowed the other participants to observe the arena, eager to see her friend shine.
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"Riley Carter, better known as Throwbolt, a heroine who started just a year and a half ago. Her main powers allow her to generate and control electricity, as well as adapt its properties to her body," Robot said, looking at the data of the first participant to be tested.
"Generate and control, huh? Do we have any idea how much energy she can create?" Mark looked at the data with some interest. Her powers reminded him a bit of a villain called Livewire, who usually tangled with the Kryptonian duo of DC.
Of course, it was unlikely that Throwbolt would be exactly like Livewire, but even if she had only half of her potential, she would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to the team.
"There are no exact data, but in her last battle against a villain, she used an energy attack with at least 5 gigawatts of power," Robot said, reading the data about the girl. Although some participants were relatively unknown, there were those who were known and had worked with the GDA in one way or another.
Outrun and Throwbolt had been an independent hero team making a name for themselves recently, so the GDA had several of their records on file.
"5 gigawatts? That seems pretty decent." An average lightning bolt contains around 1 gigawatt of energy. Although they didn't know if 5 gigawatts was her maximum, it was undoubtedly quite decent.
If she could do more than that... well, they could certainly find a place for her.
"In that case, send a D-4." Mark had prepared different types of automaton robots to face the participants. He knew there was a variety of heroes as well as a variety of powers, so the D-4s were created to counter elemental powers, whether fire, water, wind, earth, or even lightning.
Robot nodded and pressed one of the buttons on his control console.
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Riley smiled confidently as she saw a robot emerge from a hatch in the wall. It was humanoid, over two meters tall, with black and red metal, undoubtedly giving it an intimidating appearance. Still, she didn't back down; this would be easy.
"Let's hope they send more of you, or this might be disappointing," Riley said softly to herself.
Without hesitation, her entire body began to change. Her skin, hair, and every part of her that wasn't her costume turned an electric yellow.
"Take this!" she shouted, extending her hand and sending a bolt of electrical energy toward the robot.
Her attack was undoubtedly fast, no less swift than a real lightning strike. Many participants couldn't even react as the robot was struck head-on.
Riley smiled as she saw the cloud of smoke rising, but her smile faded when the robot became visible again, its arm extended toward her, its palm having easily stopped the attack.
Then, from its back, dozens of small thrusters ignited, and at a speed that easily surpassed the sound barrier, the robot launched itself forward with force.
Riley's eyes widened, but she was quick to react and dodge the blow, her body moving rapidly to the side.
Though fast, its wasn't as fast as Outrun. She had trained enough with her teammate not to be taken by surprise so easily.
Still, the robot quickly changed direction in the middle of its charge, beginning to chase her.
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"Do you think she can defeat it?" Robot asked, watching the fight.
"Its alloy is especially resistant to electrical attacks and extreme heat, but it's still metal. If she can generate a strong enough hit, then she can beat it," Mark said. Though resistant, the metal of the D-4 wasn't indestructible and still had a melting point.
The question was, could Riley reach that point?
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"Seriously?" Riley's eyes widened in astonishment as the robot continued to ignore her energy beams, she quickly continued to dodge his blows though barely, she turned her body to the side, the metal fist slammed into the ground where she had been before causing a huge dent to appear in it.
'Well, that would hurt,' she thought. she had been hit hard in the past, her body was more durable than ordinary people's, still she felt the blows and definitely didn't want to be hit right now.
She focused, if she wanted to win she needed to give it her all, a strong and decisive blow, Taking a deep breath, she watched her opponent. She had done this only once before, facing an especially tough villain, and hadn't expected to repeat it so soon.
Riley concentrated all her energy into her fist, electric arcs shooting out from her body. The yellow lightning began to turn blue, and just as the D-4 lunged at her, she struck.
The explosion shook the entire place. The D-4 resisted for a brief moment before the metal in its body began to melt and break apart, then it exploded into pieces, a blue energy bolt shooting toward the wall behind it.
Mark, in the observation booth, vanished, leaving only a residual image behind. In less than a second, he appeared in front of the blue bolt and stopped it with one hand.
His eyes widened slightly as he felt a small resistance.
"Interesting," he muttered, crushing the bolt with force, causing it to explode and envelop the area in smoke.
Riley took a deep breath, looking at the cloud of smoke. Was that enough?
Then Robot's voice came through the loudspeakers.
"Throwbolt, you have successfully passed the test. Please exit the arena."
"Fuck yes!!" she couldn't help but raise her fist in triumph.
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Back in the booth, Mark watched the girl exiting the arena and nodded, then looked at his palm, the skin showing slight burn marks.
'This is interesting,' he thought. Why had he been burned? Although the attack was strong, Mark had been hit harder before.
'Temperature?' It could only be that. In a blink, his palm returned to normal, only his suit showing signs of having received the attack.
"Let's continue with the tests."
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Outrun fared both better and worse at the same time; her enemy was a bit different from Riley's, being a robot with six whip-like arms, seemingly made especially for fast enemies.
Of course, not as fast as her, she easily circled around it, dodging every attack with extreme ease. As Riley had said, it couldn't even touch her hair.
The problem came when she attacked; her fist hit the side of the robot without doing anything at all. Instead, she felt a slight numbness.
'Freaking tough,' she gritted her teeth. It seemed she would have to try a bit harder.
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"Fast, but her attacks are too weak," Robot commented, watching the battle.
"Just wait, quantity makes up for quality," Mark said, somewhat interested in her. A speedster, he thought Red-Rush was the only one in this world.
Even so, she didn't have access to the Speedforce either. It was something interesting he'd have to find out about later if possible.
And as Mark said, in less than a second, Outrun concentrated and attacked the same spot more than a thousand times. The D-2 robot, although tough, was designed to face fast and agile opponents. Its alloy was penetrated by the consecutive blows and soon it was destroyed.
"Outrun, you have successfully passed the test, please leave the arena," Robot said, and Outrun smiled, raising her hand in a peace sign towards the glass from where Riley was watching her.
Of course, just as there were those who passed, there were those who failed.
Many of them, actually. A guy who threw boomerangs ended up with both arms broken once the D-2 caught him. This discouraged many more people. In fact, the clearer it became how tough this test was, the more participants began to withdraw.
Glory watched as some people left and clicked her tongue. Cowards, why had they come in the first place? Although she didn't know much about the world of men, she knew what a test was. The Amazons had many of those. It was a disgrace to sign up for one and then quit without even trying. It was pathetic.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the robot's voice, and without hesitation, she entered the arena.
"Send all the golems you want; I'll finish them," she said confidently. She had seen enough battles by now to get an idea of the strength of these "summons." None of them were worth it in her eyes.
Mark smiled at her words.
"Well, let's send a D-0," Robot stopped his hand and looked at him.
"Are you sure?" Mark understood the doubts. The D-0 wasn't created for the tests but as a prototype to replace the droids that Robot normally used, one tough enough to fight against a Viltrumite.
Of course, it was still a prototype and far from the real thing, yet it was undoubtedly tougher than any other automaton used previously.
"Hey, she's a tough girl; she can surely handle it." This wasn't at all a revenge for being attacked by her, absolutely not.
Robot hesitated for another second before nodding and pressing the button.
Glory waited eagerly until she saw one of those golems emerging from a wall. She raised an eyebrow, noticing it was different from the ones she had seen so far, but still complained.
"Only one?" As her voice fell, the figure of the D-0 vanished into the air, leaving only a residual image behind.
Glory's eyes widened in astonishment as she narrowly dodged a punch aimed at her face. Even so, the gray garment covering her was easily reached and ripped from her body, revealing an incredibly well-proportioned figure wearing light armor of red with silver color.
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Mark raised an eyebrow at her true appearance. It seemed the Amazons were undoubtedly the most beautiful women.
"Quite fast," Robot commented, somewhat amazed. It should be noted that the D-0 had a miniature warp drive, although less powerful than the real thing, it was still enough for the D-0 to travel hundreds of times the speed of sound in an instant.
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The D-0 didn't stop attacking at an absurd speed. Glory carefully dodged each attack. Though caught off guard at first, she soon got accustomed to the rhythm.
"Let's see how tough you are," she said excitedly. She couldn't help it; as an Amazon, she loved battles. Her fist tightened, and without hesitation, she struck the side of the robot, sending a shockwave through the arena.
The D-0 withstood the blow and counterattacked with its own punch. Glory raised her arm, blocking the attack.
"A bit strong," she said with a smile, feeling the impact.
"But not enough!" Then she struck again, this time her fist impacting the robot's head, twisting its neck and tearing off its head.
The headless body of the D-0 fell to the ground. Glory smiled softly with a hand on her hip, looking towards the booth where Mark and Robot were, showing her gleaming white teeth.
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"It seems the D-0 still needs improvement," Mark said, and Robot beside him nodded, staring numbly at the headless automaton.
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Soon more fights took place.
Dupli-Kate overwhelmed her enemy with numbers and strategy. After all, she had considerable experience fighting different opponents, and her power was versatile.
A woman named Sarah, codenamed Knockout, seemed quite decent. Her boxing style was clearly that of an expert, and she undoubtedly hit hard, very hard. However, the one who caught the most attention was her partner.
Kid Thor.
Mark wondered if he was truly the Norse god or just a metahuman using his name, though he could bet a bit on the former. Somehow, he could sense a strange energy emanating from him, something mystical.
And well, he was undoubtedly strong, not just using his hammer. Even with his bare hands, he was able to easily face the automaton.
He wanted to fight him, to see if he was really a god and if he could defeat one.
"Is that him?" Mark looked at the next participant; he remembered him a bit.
"Markus Grimshaw, better known as Black Samson, or well, he was until he lost his powers," Robot said.
"A power armor, huh? Seems like someone refuses to retire," he recalled that the guy regained his powers later or something like that.
"I think he could be a valuable member, at least he was for the Guardians before he lost his powers and retired."
"Well, he's passed the test, so let's see how he does," Mark said, gesturing towards the arena. They hadn't sent anything too tough against him since he was essentially just a human, but his power armor was something interesting.
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Yasuka Ohara heard her name and entered the arena with some nervousness. Although she had been quite confident before, once she saw the robots and how they fought, that confidence quickly diminished.
Demons seemed much simpler than this. She swallowed hard, massaging her wrist, feeling what was hidden beneath her skin.
"Come on, you've already ruined my life, at least help me do this," she muttered. She didn't like it when this thing fully awakened. When it did, things tended to get quite crazy. But if the robot she was going to face were too tough, she would have no choice but to let it take over.
As if responding to her call, a red gem glowed in her hand, and silver metal began to spread across her body like liquid, forming a glove with long, sharp claws on her right hand.
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"Huh?" Mark looked on with interest. There was a very strange energy, something sinister.
"It seems we don't have much information about her. From her name, we know she's from Japan, but there is no hero with her same characteristics, at least not one that is known," Robot said, looking at the data.
"Maybe she's new." It wasn't unusual. There was a guy named Bulletproof who started his hero career shortly after him, and despite that, he had passed the test successfully.
Still, Mark had a feeling there was something dangerous about this woman.
"Send two D-4s," he said finally.
"Two? Are you sure? That might be too much for someone we don't know much about. So far, we haven't sent more than one robot against anyone."
"Just do it. If something goes wrong, I'll save her." He had a hunch.
"Alright," Robot didn't insist further.
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Yasuka waited for her enemy to come, but her expression quickly changed when she saw two gates open in the wall, with two robots emerging from them.
"Hey, hey, hey! This is wrong! Is there a mistake? Why are there two?!" she shouted in alarm. But the answer she sought didn't come. Instead, the two D-4s rushed toward her with speed.
She barely dodged their charge by jumping into the air and landing clumsily on the other side of the arena.
She swallowed hard, seeing her enemies changing direction. She gritted her teeth and resigned herself.
"Damn it, I hope my clothes don't get destroyed again," she muttered. She hated when that happened.
She closed her eyes and let the dark influence in her mind begin to take control. Her hair started changing color from dark brown to blood red.
She felt the metal coursing through her body, forming armor over her bare skin. Her clothes puffed up, but fortunately, she had worn loose exercise clothes, so she managed to avoid ending up semi-naked again.
When she opened her eyes, her sclera had turned black, and her pupils a sinister yellow that almost seemed to glow with their own light. Two red tattoos formed on her cheeks.
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"A transformation?" Mark looked on, interested. Was she a magical girl? But noting her voluptuous body, he doubted it a bit. Why didn't her clothes tear like in those animes?
Still, he could see she was much more endowed than any other woman he had known before. It was unfortunate he didn't have X-ray vision.
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The red-haired woman created a stark contrast with the previous brunette. Her expression became completely relaxed, and her posture exuded extreme confidence.
She looked at the two D-4s running towards her with a slight smile on her lips.
"Too weak," she whispered softly.
The D-4s reached her in a blink, ready to strike, but before they could, she stepped forward, casually passing through them.
Many barely noticed what happened. Suddenly, both automatons froze in the air, and then, out of nowhere, their bodies split in half from head to crotch, cleanly cut before exploding.
The woman lowered her right arm, from which a sharp sword had formed from the metal composing her "armor."
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"See, I told you everything would be fine," Mark commented, watching as the woman began to leave the arena.
But before she did, she turned in his direction. It was just a feeling, but he definitely sensed their eyes meeting despite the distance. As she looked at him, a strangely lascivious smile formed on her lips, causing Mark to raise an eyebrow.
Somehow, he felt that smile was dangerous.
"Let's continue with the tests."
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The next was Monster Girl. There were no surprises; she passed cleanly. Her monstrous form raised more than one eyebrow, especially from Glory, who now understood why she was called Monster Girl.
Feeling time fluctuate once she transformed, Mark couldn't help but have his curiosity piqued. It might be more beneficial to have her around than he expected. Mark knew how to accelerate time but didn't know how to make it go backward.
He felt that if he studied Monster Girl's condition, he might figure it out somehow. He would need to talk to her privately later.
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"That's... an interesting way to do it." The next participant was a former hero named Brit, who seemed to have come out of retirement to return to action.
The way he passed the test was certainly... unique.
"I think it's a valid strategy," Robot commented, looking at the arena where Brit stood victoriously over the automaton that had destroyed its fists by repeatedly punching him.
Brit's superpower was invulnerability, just that. No super strength, no super speed, just being extremely tough.
"Well, at least he'll make a good shield," Mark said with a strange smile.
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Savage Dragon was next, and well, there were no surprises in his test. The man was a veteran hero who knew what he was doing. The automaton he faced was not really a challenge for him.
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"Shrinking Rae?" Mark also remembered her. Although her power didn't seem that spectacular, it could surely be very useful in many situations.
He looked at her information. So her name was Rachel—who would have thought?
He watched the arena, seeing the girl running toward her opponent, who rushed at her quickly. Of course, this mattered little when she suddenly began to shrink until she disappeared from sight.
"Well, she passed too," Mark said without needing to watch more. He had built these robots, after all; he knew they had no way to protect themselves when attacked from the inside.
And as he predicted, it happened. The automaton suddenly began to malfunction, sparks and smoke starting to emerge from its interior, and in less than a second, it fell to the ground, immobilized.
From one of the openings in its neck, Rae emerged, returning to her normal size. She looked at the inert robot and smiled, jumping with a big grin on her face.
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There were more tests, but no one else of note appeared besides those already mentioned. Of course, Mark, Robot, and Eve didn't participate—they were, after all, the "founders."
Soon, everyone was gathered again in the main hall where it all began. Robot stepped forward, ready to announce the results.
"First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who took the time to come. The GDA staff will take care of all those who were injured, so please don't hesitate to follow them." Many took up the offer; of course, those with more serious injuries had already been taken care of.
"With that said, I would like to congratulate those who successfully passed all the tests. Without a doubt, all of you have shown to be more than capable of facing the calamities ahead. Although the future is uncertain, I am confident that together we can create a new dawn for this world and its people."
Having said that, Robot began to name those who had successfully passed.
"Throwbolt," Riley nodded, stepping forward.
"Outrun," Lily followed her friend with a smile.
"Glory," the Amazon looked at Invincible on the podium and then at Eve, who seemed to be throwing daggers at her with her eyes, she smiled at her and stepped forward, clearly remembering their earlier dispute.
"Dupli-Kate" Kate nodded toward Robot and Eve. The two girls exchanged glances for a moment, and although reluctant, Eva also gave her a nod.
"Knockout" Sarah patted her boyfriend's shoulder and stepped forward.
"Kid Thor" Of course, he followed her.
"Black Samson" The former hero clenched his fists and advanced with determination.
"Bulletproof" The young hero smiled and stepped up alongside Black Samson, the veteran nodding at him upon seeing him.
Robot took a second longer to name the next person, causing some people to raise an eyebrow.
"Yasuka Ohara," he finally said, and the brown-haired woman stepped forward, embarrassed. She seemed quite out of place, didn't she? She had completely forgotten that she needed a "hero name." With a shy smile, she scratched the back of her head as she felt the eyes on her.
"Monster Girl" Amanda arrived next to Glory, the Amazon greeting her.
"Brit"
"Savage Dragon"
The two heroes advanced together, Black Samson nodding at them.
"And lastly, Shrinking Rae" Rachel raised her fist in victory and advanced with the others.
"All of you have proven to be more than capable of defending this world, and I am glad to be the one to welcome you to this new team. The Guardians of the Globe undoubtedly did an incredible job, but now that they're gone, it's our duty to step forward for them and create a more prosperous world and future. To honor their memory, the old name will no longer be used, and from now on, we will start our story with a new one."
A new name? That caught the attention of several.
Mark stepped forward, spreading both arms and speaking loudly alongside Robot and Eve.
"We would like to welcome you to the Justice League."
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Note.
This chapter... It was very difficult for me to do. Since Saturday, I have been writing and rewriting, but I have finally finished!
I wanted to give much more screen time to several characters, but I don't want it to be too heavy, so I will mostly focus on those I will work on the most.
(of course, the girls being the majority of them ;D)
Justice League, let's see how they do. (The name justice league was the winner of the poll on patreon.)
Originally, there were going to be many more characters, but I trimmed the list because it would take a lot to introduce them all adequately.
For now, we will stick with these, and if necessary, I will add more.
(Remember that the members of the team Cecil wanted to form are still missing)
I hoped to finish this sooner to bring a chapter of Still Defiant, but I am exhausted. I will bring a new chapter tomorrow.
Remember if you notice any errors, don't hesitate to tell me and I will correct it. and if you want to support me don't hesitate to visit my patreon
images of the characters
Throwbolt (Riley) I tried to find a better image but there isn't any lol, I'll have to do it myself later
Outrun (lily)
Glory (I have to re-design the armor but this is she)
Dupli-kate
Knockout and Kid Thor (I tried to find a decent picture of the two of them together but I couldn't hahaha)
Bulletproof and black samson
Yasuka Ohara (Masane amaha) she deserves two images
Monster Girl (Amanda) (adult)
Savage Dragon (kurr) and Brit (Brit)
Shrinking Rae (Rachel)
"We will begin the tests with a combat simulation against robots specially built for this occasion. I want to remind you that injuries are highly probable, so I urge you to read the document that will be handed out to you in detail and sign it. If you have any questions, I will answer them," Robot said.
Suddenly, Eve raised her hand, and in the air in front of each participant, a sheet of paper and a pen were created.
Some participants easily took the objects, while others were more clumsy, either almost tripping or ending up picking them up once they fell to the ground.
They didn't know it, but Mark watched all this along with Robot. In fact, the tests had already begun. If you couldn't even take a piece of paper and a pen a few inches from you, then probably trusting the world's safety in your hands would be a very bad idea.
Even so, they wouldn't be discarded instantly; they simply had some points deducted.
Sarah looked at the paper she thought would just be a disclaimer but was actually more than that. While it stated that the GDA and its associates would not be held responsible for any unexpected "death," it actually covered any injury that could be obtained during the tests, paid for medical expenses, and even provided personal care at the GDA's private hospital.
Still, it was made clear that any possible accident was accepted by the participant, of course, all in legal jargon that, although somewhat complicated, was still easy to understand.
she couldn't help but get her boyfriend's attention by elbowing him in the side.
"What do you think, Kid?" The blonde man with a large long-handled hammer on his back smiled slightly at her and nodded.
"Everything seems in order; we should sign it." Sarah nodded; at least the injury benefits were quite decent. Not that they needed them, but it spoke well of their new potential employers that they didn't wash their hands of those who might fail.
Sarah took off one of the boxing gloves on her hands, feeling some of her strength temporarily fade. The gloves were incredible, but one of their major drawbacks was not being able to write or do things that require delicate manual work.
Fortunately, they didn't need a table to sign the paper; somehow, the sheet was hard enough. Eve had made them that way on purpose, preventing them from crumpling, and later she could modify them again to have the texture of normal paper.
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Glory looked at the paper with a frown. She had barely arrived in the world of men, and although she could read and write in Greek, this was a language she didn't know. Amazon magic only included the ability to speak and understand any language upon hearing it, but not to write or read it...
She discreetly glanced from the corner of her eye, trying to figure out what to do. It seemed that something needed to be written on the sheet.
"Your name." The voice made her blink, and she had to look down to find the source, finding herself looking at that strange girl who had spoken earlier.
"Do I have something on my face? Never mind, you need to write your name, here," she said, pointing to a part of the paper.
"Oh," how was 'Glory' written in this language?
Maybe seeing her doubt, the girl sighed and wrote it simply on her arm.
"Just copy this," she pointed to her arm, and Glory smiled gratefully.
"Thanks, little one." That comment seemed to irritate her as she heard her click her tongue.
"Listen, tough girl, never call me little, and we'll be fine, got it?"
Glory blinked but nodded, making the "girl" smile.
"You can call me Monster Girl." Monster girl? Glory had killed many monsters before, and this girl didn't really seem like one. Still, she shouldn't judge people's names, right?
"Alright, I guess you already know mine."
While the two were talking, another girl in a different part of the room was having a slightly similar but different problem for several reasons.
Yasuka Ohara wondered if it would have been better to stay in Japan.
"Will this... be valid for me?" She had come to America in a somewhat... not very legal way, but you can't blame her! She had spent the last six months fighting supernatural monsters without rest.
Just remembering how she had gotten here almost made her cry. Until six months ago, she was just a normal woman, living a normal life... well, she hadn't been very successful career-wise since she had spent almost two years after graduating from university without finding a job and simply living off her parents' savings... but still!
She enjoyed her life just the way things were, Okay!? Some might call her a hikikomori, but that was only because they didn't understand how pleasant it was not to be bothered and to live without worries.
Besides, her parents had left a lot of money before they died, and it would be really ungrateful not to use it to live a comfortable life, right?
In this day and age, it's said that it's still not too late to get married even if you reach thirty, so it should be fine to laze around a bit, right?
Well, all her plans were suddenly ruined by a stupid strange glove with a blood-red gem.
Remembering that night made her shiver.
"No, I'm tired of dealing with all this alone," she gritted her teeth and signed the paper. Everything should be fine as long as she was accepted, right?
Maybe she wasn't so good at other things, but she had been fighting supernatural monsters and demons for the last six months. She was sure she could pass any test necessary as long as it involved combat. Then she would have a team to help her get back to her days of relaxation or even find out why she had been attacked almost every day by supernatural entities trying to kill her.
Maybe even help her return to normalcy.
While Yasuka Ohara fantasized about returning to her old life, in another part of the room, two men who hadn't seen each other in a long time started greeting each other.
Kurr, better known to the public as Savage Dragon, looked at a man he thought he would never see again.
"Brit, I thought you had retired, you old bastard," the man known as Brit snorted in response.
"I was, until the Guardians of the Globe kicked the bucket. Now I must make sure there is still a world left for my son to grow up in" his expression and words were more serious than Kurr expected.
"Your son? Wait, then!" To Kurr's surprise, Brit nodded and, less seriously, spoke with a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"He's two years old now." Kurr couldn't help but feel a bit happy for his old friend, and now he truly understood why he was here.
"Well, let's make sure this planet stays around so you can play with your grandkids," Kurr said, patting Brit on the back. Brit nodded with a determined look in his eyes, and both signed the papers.
Not far from the two men, a tall, dark-skinned boy in a mostly yellow and orange suit psyched himself up.
'All right, let's do this,' he was about to sign but hesitated.
'I hope I don't mess this up,' he swallowed hard and carefully began to write, not his name, as that name now belonged to someone else, someone who was now dead.
'Damn it!' He messed up a bit, but it looked decent enough.
'Why did you have to make things so complicated, brother?' He couldn't help but sigh. Remembering the past was always difficult, after all, it wasn't every day that your twin brother kidnaps you to experiment on you in search of powers.
Well, he got them, only the powers came to him instead of his brother, and as a consequence, his twin ended up dying.
Sometimes he asked himself why he chose this path, why he took on his brother's identity. Then he remembered his parents and clenched his teeth. He didn't do it for himself but for them. His twin brother had always been the smart one, the special one, the amazing one, the best son, the pride of their parents.
And he? He was the slacker, the kid who preferred hanging out with friends over studying, playing sports over reading a book, the disappointment. But despite everything, he loved his parents and knew that learning about his brother's illegal experiments on his patients, along with all his other crimes, would surely destroy them.
That's why he took on his brother's identity, why he faked his own death, why he became a hero, why he became Bulletproof.
He would atone for his brother's sins and make his parents proud, maybe not as himself but in his own way.
In another part of the room, Rachel quickly signed the paper. She had been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time. Being a solo hero was fine, but she wanted to achieve more. She knew she could do more, so when the formation of a new team was announced, she didn't hesitate to come.
She knew she would make it. No matter what people said, her power was not useless, and she would prove it. Still, she couldn't help but look around. Quite a few people had come this time. It looked like it was going to be a bit difficult.
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Mark observed familiar and unfamiliar faces. Not far away, he spotted Dupli-Kate, who occasionally glanced at Eve. It seemed that even if they had patched things up, there was still an air of discomfort around them.
"The testing room is ready," Robot said, deploying several droids in the room to collect the papers.
Mark nodded. He had slightly changed the type of test; there would still be combat, but this time not between participants, but against automatons they could fight without reservations.
He wanted to see what they were capable of without holding back too much.
Of course, he had personally built the robots that would be used. They wouldn't send junk; that would just be a waste and wouldn't tell them anything. That's why they had made everyone sign the "disclaimer." Mark had really made an effort to make this test a difficult wall to climb.
Of course, only for those who couldn't measure up. Surely some of the participants would still pass easily.
"Then let's go, let's see what they can do." Mark walked alongside Robot to the main control room from where they would observe the tests from different angles using various screens and high-definition cameras, and control the robots if necessary.
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"Cheer up, they're just robots. This should be a piece of cake for you." Feeling the pat on her back, Riley smiled awkwardly. Still, deep down, she was somewhat happy. Unexpectedly, this test favored her a bit, at least at first glance. It had been somewhat difficult to learn to control her powers due to their volatility, so she usually tended to hold back too much. This time it seemed she could give it her all for once.
"I think you'll do well too. I don't think any of those robots will be able to touch even a hair on your head." Her friend and teammate, Outrun, was the fastest person Riley had ever known, maybe even faster than the late Red Rush, although it wasn't like they could find out now; he was dead after all.
Even so, she knew without a doubt that Outrun would get in. Her powers were too useful not to.
The two blonde girls encouraged each other until Robot's voice suddenly sounded through the loudspeakers.
"The order in which the tests will be conducted will be random, starting with Throwbolt." Eh, Riley blinked.
"Come on! It's your turn, go and give it your all!" It wasn't until Outrun said this that Riley snapped out of her initial shock. She nodded nervously and headed toward the door of the testing room.
Outrun moved closer to the large glass panel that allowed the other participants to observe the arena, eager to see her friend shine.
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"Riley Carter, better known as Throwbolt, a heroine who started just a year and a half ago. Her main powers allow her to generate and control electricity, as well as adapt its properties to her body," Robot said, looking at the data of the first participant to be tested.
"Generate and control, huh? Do we have any idea how much energy she can create?" Mark looked at the data with some interest. Her powers reminded him a bit of a villain called Livewire, who usually tangled with the Kryptonian duo of DC.
Of course, it was unlikely that Throwbolt would be exactly like Livewire, but even if she had only half of her potential, she would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to the team.
"There are no exact data, but in her last battle against a villain, she used an energy attack with at least 5 gigawatts of power," Robot said, reading the data about the girl. Although some participants were relatively unknown, there were those who were known and had worked with the GDA in one way or another.
Outrun and Throwbolt had been an independent hero team making a name for themselves recently, so the GDA had several of their records on file.
"5 gigawatts? That seems pretty decent." An average lightning bolt contains around 1 gigawatt of energy. Although they didn't know if 5 gigawatts was her maximum, it was undoubtedly quite decent.
If she could do more than that... well, they could certainly find a place for her.
"In that case, send a D-4." Mark had prepared different types of automaton robots to face the participants. He knew there was a variety of heroes as well as a variety of powers, so the D-4s were created to counter elemental powers, whether fire, water, wind, earth, or even lightning.
Robot nodded and pressed one of the buttons on his control console.
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Riley smiled confidently as she saw a robot emerge from a hatch in the wall. It was humanoid, over two meters tall, with black and red metal, undoubtedly giving it an intimidating appearance. Still, she didn't back down; this would be easy.
"Let's hope they send more of you, or this might be disappointing," Riley said softly to herself.
Without hesitation, her entire body began to change. Her skin, hair, and every part of her that wasn't her costume turned an electric yellow.
"Take this!" she shouted, extending her hand and sending a bolt of electrical energy toward the robot.
Her attack was undoubtedly fast, no less swift than a real lightning strike. Many participants couldn't even react as the robot was struck head-on.
Riley smiled as she saw the cloud of smoke rising, but her smile faded when the robot became visible again, its arm extended toward her, its palm having easily stopped the attack.
Then, from its back, dozens of small thrusters ignited, and at a speed that easily surpassed the sound barrier, the robot launched itself forward with force.
Riley's eyes widened, but she was quick to react and dodge the blow, her body moving rapidly to the side.
Though fast, its wasn't as fast as Outrun. She had trained enough with her teammate not to be taken by surprise so easily.
Still, the robot quickly changed direction in the middle of its charge, beginning to chase her.
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"Do you think she can defeat it?" Robot asked, watching the fight.
"Its alloy is especially resistant to electrical attacks and extreme heat, but it's still metal. If she can generate a strong enough hit, then she can beat it," Mark said. Though resistant, the metal of the D-4 wasn't indestructible and still had a melting point.
The question was, could Riley reach that point?
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"Seriously?" Riley's eyes widened in astonishment as the robot continued to ignore her energy beams, she quickly continued to dodge his blows though barely, she turned her body to the side, the metal fist slammed into the ground where she had been before causing a huge dent to appear in it.
'Well, that would hurt,' she thought. she had been hit hard in the past, her body was more durable than ordinary people's, still she felt the blows and definitely didn't want to be hit right now.
She focused, if she wanted to win she needed to give it her all, a strong and decisive blow, Taking a deep breath, she watched her opponent. She had done this only once before, facing an especially tough villain, and hadn't expected to repeat it so soon.
Riley concentrated all her energy into her fist, electric arcs shooting out from her body. The yellow lightning began to turn blue, and just as the D-4 lunged at her, she struck.
The explosion shook the entire place. The D-4 resisted for a brief moment before the metal in its body began to melt and break apart, then it exploded into pieces, a blue energy bolt shooting toward the wall behind it.
Mark, in the observation booth, vanished, leaving only a residual image behind. In less than a second, he appeared in front of the blue bolt and stopped it with one hand.
His eyes widened slightly as he felt a small resistance.
"Interesting," he muttered, crushing the bolt with force, causing it to explode and envelop the area in smoke.
Riley took a deep breath, looking at the cloud of smoke. Was that enough?
Then Robot's voice came through the loudspeakers.
"Throwbolt, you have successfully passed the test. Please exit the arena."
"Fuck yes!!" she couldn't help but raise her fist in triumph.
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Back in the booth, Mark watched the girl exiting the arena and nodded, then looked at his palm, the skin showing slight burn marks.
'This is interesting,' he thought. Why had he been burned? Although the attack was strong, Mark had been hit harder before.
'Temperature?' It could only be that. In a blink, his palm returned to normal, only his suit showing signs of having received the attack.
"Let's continue with the tests."
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Outrun fared both better and worse at the same time; her enemy was a bit different from Riley's, being a robot with six whip-like arms, seemingly made especially for fast enemies.
Of course, not as fast as her, she easily circled around it, dodging every attack with extreme ease. As Riley had said, it couldn't even touch her hair.
The problem came when she attacked; her fist hit the side of the robot without doing anything at all. Instead, she felt a slight numbness.
'Freaking tough,' she gritted her teeth. It seemed she would have to try a bit harder.
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"Fast, but her attacks are too weak," Robot commented, watching the battle.
"Just wait, quantity makes up for quality," Mark said, somewhat interested in her. A speedster, he thought Red-Rush was the only one in this world.
Even so, she didn't have access to the Speedforce either. It was something interesting he'd have to find out about later if possible.
And as Mark said, in less than a second, Outrun concentrated and attacked the same spot more than a thousand times. The D-2 robot, although tough, was designed to face fast and agile opponents. Its alloy was penetrated by the consecutive blows and soon it was destroyed.
"Outrun, you have successfully passed the test, please leave the arena," Robot said, and Outrun smiled, raising her hand in a peace sign towards the glass from where Riley was watching her.
Of course, just as there were those who passed, there were those who failed.
Many of them, actually. A guy who threw boomerangs ended up with both arms broken once the D-2 caught him. This discouraged many more people. In fact, the clearer it became how tough this test was, the more participants began to withdraw.
Glory watched as some people left and clicked her tongue. Cowards, why had they come in the first place? Although she didn't know much about the world of men, she knew what a test was. The Amazons had many of those. It was a disgrace to sign up for one and then quit without even trying. It was pathetic.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the robot's voice, and without hesitation, she entered the arena.
"Send all the golems you want; I'll finish them," she said confidently. She had seen enough battles by now to get an idea of the strength of these "summons." None of them were worth it in her eyes.
Mark smiled at her words.
"Well, let's send a D-0," Robot stopped his hand and looked at him.
"Are you sure?" Mark understood the doubts. The D-0 wasn't created for the tests but as a prototype to replace the droids that Robot normally used, one tough enough to fight against a Viltrumite.
Of course, it was still a prototype and far from the real thing, yet it was undoubtedly tougher than any other automaton used previously.
"Hey, she's a tough girl; she can surely handle it." This wasn't at all a revenge for being attacked by her, absolutely not.
Robot hesitated for another second before nodding and pressing the button.
Glory waited eagerly until she saw one of those golems emerging from a wall. She raised an eyebrow, noticing it was different from the ones she had seen so far, but still complained.
"Only one?" As her voice fell, the figure of the D-0 vanished into the air, leaving only a residual image behind.
Glory's eyes widened in astonishment as she narrowly dodged a punch aimed at her face. Even so, the gray garment covering her was easily reached and ripped from her body, revealing an incredibly well-proportioned figure wearing light armor of red with silver color.
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Mark raised an eyebrow at her true appearance. It seemed the Amazons were undoubtedly the most beautiful women.
"Quite fast," Robot commented, somewhat amazed. It should be noted that the D-0 had a miniature warp drive, although less powerful than the real thing, it was still enough for the D-0 to travel hundreds of times the speed of sound in an instant.
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The D-0 didn't stop attacking at an absurd speed. Glory carefully dodged each attack. Though caught off guard at first, she soon got accustomed to the rhythm.
"Let's see how tough you are," she said excitedly. She couldn't help it; as an Amazon, she loved battles. Her fist tightened, and without hesitation, she struck the side of the robot, sending a shockwave through the arena.
The D-0 withstood the blow and counterattacked with its own punch. Glory raised her arm, blocking the attack.
"A bit strong," she said with a smile, feeling the impact.
"But not enough!" Then she struck again, this time her fist impacting the robot's head, twisting its neck and tearing off its head.
The headless body of the D-0 fell to the ground. Glory smiled softly with a hand on her hip, looking towards the booth where Mark and Robot were, showing her gleaming white teeth.
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"It seems the D-0 still needs improvement," Mark said, and Robot beside him nodded, staring numbly at the headless automaton.
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Soon more fights took place.
Dupli-Kate overwhelmed her enemy with numbers and strategy. After all, she had considerable experience fighting different opponents, and her power was versatile.
A woman named Sarah, codenamed Knockout, seemed quite decent. Her boxing style was clearly that of an expert, and she undoubtedly hit hard, very hard. However, the one who caught the most attention was her partner.
Kid Thor.
Mark wondered if he was truly the Norse god or just a metahuman using his name, though he could bet a bit on the former. Somehow, he could sense a strange energy emanating from him, something mystical.
And well, he was undoubtedly strong, not just using his hammer. Even with his bare hands, he was able to easily face the automaton.
He wanted to fight him, to see if he was really a god and if he could defeat one.
"Is that him?" Mark looked at the next participant; he remembered him a bit.
"Markus Grimshaw, better known as Black Samson, or well, he was until he lost his powers," Robot said.
"A power armor, huh? Seems like someone refuses to retire," he recalled that the guy regained his powers later or something like that.
"I think he could be a valuable member, at least he was for the Guardians before he lost his powers and retired."
"Well, he's passed the test, so let's see how he does," Mark said, gesturing towards the arena. They hadn't sent anything too tough against him since he was essentially just a human, but his power armor was something interesting.
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Yasuka Ohara heard her name and entered the arena with some nervousness. Although she had been quite confident before, once she saw the robots and how they fought, that confidence quickly diminished.
Demons seemed much simpler than this. She swallowed hard, massaging her wrist, feeling what was hidden beneath her skin.
"Come on, you've already ruined my life, at least help me do this," she muttered. She didn't like it when this thing fully awakened. When it did, things tended to get quite crazy. But if the robot she was going to face were too tough, she would have no choice but to let it take over.
As if responding to her call, a red gem glowed in her hand, and silver metal began to spread across her body like liquid, forming a glove with long, sharp claws on her right hand.
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"Huh?" Mark looked on with interest. There was a very strange energy, something sinister.
"It seems we don't have much information about her. From her name, we know she's from Japan, but there is no hero with her same characteristics, at least not one that is known," Robot said, looking at the data.
"Maybe she's new." It wasn't unusual. There was a guy named Bulletproof who started his hero career shortly after him, and despite that, he had passed the test successfully.
Still, Mark had a feeling there was something dangerous about this woman.
"Send two D-4s," he said finally.
"Two? Are you sure? That might be too much for someone we don't know much about. So far, we haven't sent more than one robot against anyone."
"Just do it. If something goes wrong, I'll save her." He had a hunch.
"Alright," Robot didn't insist further.
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Yasuka waited for her enemy to come, but her expression quickly changed when she saw two gates open in the wall, with two robots emerging from them.
"Hey, hey, hey! This is wrong! Is there a mistake? Why are there two?!" she shouted in alarm. But the answer she sought didn't come. Instead, the two D-4s rushed toward her with speed.
She barely dodged their charge by jumping into the air and landing clumsily on the other side of the arena.
She swallowed hard, seeing her enemies changing direction. She gritted her teeth and resigned herself.
"Damn it, I hope my clothes don't get destroyed again," she muttered. She hated when that happened.
She closed her eyes and let the dark influence in her mind begin to take control. Her hair started changing color from dark brown to blood red.
She felt the metal coursing through her body, forming armor over her bare skin. Her clothes puffed up, but fortunately, she had worn loose exercise clothes, so she managed to avoid ending up semi-naked again.
When she opened her eyes, her sclera had turned black, and her pupils a sinister yellow that almost seemed to glow with their own light. Two red tattoos formed on her cheeks.
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"A transformation?" Mark looked on, interested. Was she a magical girl? But noting her voluptuous body, he doubted it a bit. Why didn't her clothes tear like in those animes?
Still, he could see she was much more endowed than any other woman he had known before. It was unfortunate he didn't have X-ray vision.
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The red-haired woman created a stark contrast with the previous brunette. Her expression became completely relaxed, and her posture exuded extreme confidence.
She looked at the two D-4s running towards her with a slight smile on her lips.
"Too weak," she whispered softly.
The D-4s reached her in a blink, ready to strike, but before they could, she stepped forward, casually passing through them.
Many barely noticed what happened. Suddenly, both automatons froze in the air, and then, out of nowhere, their bodies split in half from head to crotch, cleanly cut before exploding.
The woman lowered her right arm, from which a sharp sword had formed from the metal composing her "armor."
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"See, I told you everything would be fine," Mark commented, watching as the woman began to leave the arena.
But before she did, she turned in his direction. It was just a feeling, but he definitely sensed their eyes meeting despite the distance. As she looked at him, a strangely lascivious smile formed on her lips, causing Mark to raise an eyebrow.
Somehow, he felt that smile was dangerous.
"Let's continue with the tests."
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The next was Monster Girl. There were no surprises; she passed cleanly. Her monstrous form raised more than one eyebrow, especially from Glory, who now understood why she was called Monster Girl.
Feeling time fluctuate once she transformed, Mark couldn't help but have his curiosity piqued. It might be more beneficial to have her around than he expected. Mark knew how to accelerate time but didn't know how to make it go backward.
He felt that if he studied Monster Girl's condition, he might figure it out somehow. He would need to talk to her privately later.
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"That's... an interesting way to do it." The next participant was a former hero named Brit, who seemed to have come out of retirement to return to action.
The way he passed the test was certainly... unique.
"I think it's a valid strategy," Robot commented, looking at the arena where Brit stood victoriously over the automaton that had destroyed its fists by repeatedly punching him.
Brit's superpower was invulnerability, just that. No super strength, no super speed, just being extremely tough.
"Well, at least he'll make a good shield," Mark said with a strange smile.
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Savage Dragon was next, and well, there were no surprises in his test. The man was a veteran hero who knew what he was doing. The automaton he faced was not really a challenge for him.
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"Shrinking Rae?" Mark also remembered her. Although her power didn't seem that spectacular, it could surely be very useful in many situations.
He looked at her information. So her name was Rachel—who would have thought?
He watched the arena, seeing the girl running toward her opponent, who rushed at her quickly. Of course, this mattered little when she suddenly began to shrink until she disappeared from sight.
"Well, she passed too," Mark said without needing to watch more. He had built these robots, after all; he knew they had no way to protect themselves when attacked from the inside.
And as he predicted, it happened. The automaton suddenly began to malfunction, sparks and smoke starting to emerge from its interior, and in less than a second, it fell to the ground, immobilized.
From one of the openings in its neck, Rae emerged, returning to her normal size. She looked at the inert robot and smiled, jumping with a big grin on her face.
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There were more tests, but no one else of note appeared besides those already mentioned. Of course, Mark, Robot, and Eve didn't participate—they were, after all, the "founders."
Soon, everyone was gathered again in the main hall where it all began. Robot stepped forward, ready to announce the results.
"First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who took the time to come. The GDA staff will take care of all those who were injured, so please don't hesitate to follow them." Many took up the offer; of course, those with more serious injuries had already been taken care of.
"With that said, I would like to congratulate those who successfully passed all the tests. Without a doubt, all of you have shown to be more than capable of facing the calamities ahead. Although the future is uncertain, I am confident that together we can create a new dawn for this world and its people."
Having said that, Robot began to name those who had successfully passed.
"Throwbolt," Riley nodded, stepping forward.
"Outrun," Lily followed her friend with a smile.
"Glory," the Amazon looked at Invincible on the podium and then at Eve, who seemed to be throwing daggers at her with her eyes, she smiled at her and stepped forward, clearly remembering their earlier dispute.
"Dupli-Kate" Kate nodded toward Robot and Eve. The two girls exchanged glances for a moment, and although reluctant, Eva also gave her a nod.
"Knockout" Sarah patted her boyfriend's shoulder and stepped forward.
"Kid Thor" Of course, he followed her.
"Black Samson" The former hero clenched his fists and advanced with determination.
"Bulletproof" The young hero smiled and stepped up alongside Black Samson, the veteran nodding at him upon seeing him.
Robot took a second longer to name the next person, causing some people to raise an eyebrow.
"Yasuka Ohara," he finally said, and the brown-haired woman stepped forward, embarrassed. She seemed quite out of place, didn't she? She had completely forgotten that she needed a "hero name." With a shy smile, she scratched the back of her head as she felt the eyes on her.
"Monster Girl" Amanda arrived next to Glory, the Amazon greeting her.
"Brit"
"Savage Dragon"
The two heroes advanced together, Black Samson nodding at them.
"And lastly, Shrinking Rae" Rachel raised her fist in victory and advanced with the others.
"All of you have proven to be more than capable of defending this world, and I am glad to be the one to welcome you to this new team. The Guardians of the Globe undoubtedly did an incredible job, but now that they're gone, it's our duty to step forward for them and create a more prosperous world and future. To honor their memory, the old name will no longer be used, and from now on, we will start our story with a new one."
A new name? That caught the attention of several.
Mark stepped forward, spreading both arms and speaking loudly alongside Robot and Eve.
"We would like to welcome you to the Justice League."
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Note.
This chapter... It was very difficult for me to do. Since Saturday, I have been writing and rewriting, but I have finally finished!
I wanted to give much more screen time to several characters, but I don't want it to be too heavy, so I will mostly focus on those I will work on the most.
(of course, the girls being the majority of them ;D)
Justice League, let's see how they do. (The name justice league was the winner of the poll on patreon.)
Originally, there were going to be many more characters, but I trimmed the list because it would take a lot to introduce them all adequately.
For now, we will stick with these, and if necessary, I will add more.
(Remember that the members of the team Cecil wanted to form are still missing)
I hoped to finish this sooner to bring a chapter of Still Defiant, but I am exhausted. I will bring a new chapter tomorrow.
Remember if you notice any errors, don't hesitate to tell me and I will correct it. and if you want to support me don't hesitate to visit my patreon
images of the characters
Throwbolt (Riley) I tried to find a better image but there isn't any lol, I'll have to do it myself later
Outrun (lily)
Glory (I have to re-design the armor but this is she)
Dupli-kate
Knockout and Kid Thor (I tried to find a decent picture of the two of them together but I couldn't hahaha)
Bulletproof and black samson
Yasuka Ohara (Masane amaha) she deserves two images
Monster Girl (Amanda) (adult)
Savage Dragon (kurr) and Brit (Brit)
Shrinking Rae (Rachel)
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Nitronorm5688
The Armchair Reader
- Location
- Oakdale, CT
Good team and good selections. I love the combinations of powers.
Throughout this chapter I couldn't help but think of future team building excersizes. This is a bit of a problem with Monster Girl, since each and every transformation causes her to loose a week of time growing younger, and is growing younger even when not transformed. Eventually she'll regress in age to a fetus, and loose her mind. So getting that fixed should be a priority.
You should be capable of building a Danger Room TM. And having a squad of Sentinels at your back would be super helpful. From what I recall from the comic Robot kinda sucks at the whole Leader thing even though he is the smartest man in the room, and it grinds at him. It literally took him a thousand years of leading a resistance movement in another dimension against the Flaxans to gain the skills to do that. So cloning him an actual body, or, you know, getting Adom Eve to go overdrive so she could fix his old one, should also be a priority. And if he is going to get a clone body he could do a lot better than kid Rex Splode.
The team building exercises in the comics was not that great. Robot couldn't get the team to work together professionally because of all the drama and being teenagers. Monster girl's powers suck so she couldn't train, Dupli-Cat had sex with both Rex Splode and Immortal, and all the other characters had their own thing to do. So you've avoided that for the most part, which is good.
All in all, really great chapter.
I'm also a fan of the Witchblade. Not so much of the anime, which is somehow more sexy than the battle bikini armor from the 1995 comics, but I am a fan.
By The way, you can click on the pictures and change their sizes by dragging at the corners to better fit the screen.
Throughout this chapter I couldn't help but think of future team building excersizes. This is a bit of a problem with Monster Girl, since each and every transformation causes her to loose a week of time growing younger, and is growing younger even when not transformed. Eventually she'll regress in age to a fetus, and loose her mind. So getting that fixed should be a priority.
You should be capable of building a Danger Room TM. And having a squad of Sentinels at your back would be super helpful. From what I recall from the comic Robot kinda sucks at the whole Leader thing even though he is the smartest man in the room, and it grinds at him. It literally took him a thousand years of leading a resistance movement in another dimension against the Flaxans to gain the skills to do that. So cloning him an actual body, or, you know, getting Adom Eve to go overdrive so she could fix his old one, should also be a priority. And if he is going to get a clone body he could do a lot better than kid Rex Splode.
The team building exercises in the comics was not that great. Robot couldn't get the team to work together professionally because of all the drama and being teenagers. Monster girl's powers suck so she couldn't train, Dupli-Cat had sex with both Rex Splode and Immortal, and all the other characters had their own thing to do. So you've avoided that for the most part, which is good.
All in all, really great chapter.
I'm also a fan of the Witchblade. Not so much of the anime, which is somehow more sexy than the battle bikini armor from the 1995 comics, but I am a fan.
By The way, you can click on the pictures and change their sizes by dragging at the corners to better fit the screen.
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20: Curse
- Location
- Eart
20: Curse
Once the selected members were announced, everyone who had failed was escorted out of the venue. The injured were attended to as promised, although fortunately, the most serious injury of the day was a couple of broken bones.
The public announcement would be made the following day, where the new team would be introduced to the world, but for now, they needed to get to know each other.
Soon, everyone was gathered in one of the conference rooms at the Pentagon.
Yasuka looked around the place with some nervousness; it was her first time in a conference room like this. In fact, it was the first time she had been in such an "official" place. She had heard of the Pentagon before but never imagined that one day she would be inside it.
Her previous ordinary life seemed a little further away each day, which made her a bit depressed, but part of her was also somewhat excited. If you took away the constant danger of the last six months, it was actually pretty cool to have "powers" or whatever the thing on her left wrist gave her.
"Alright, now that we're all gathered, I think we need to discuss several important things," Invincible spoke. Yasuka looked at him, paying attention. Although she had no control over her actions when she let the dark influence inside her emerge, she could still feel what it felt and, in a sense, see what it saw.
The interaction they had after she successfully passed her test made her a bit embarrassed, making it difficult to look him in the face. At the same time, she realized why the man in front of her had called himself "Invincible." When the dark influence took control of her body, it awakened an ability in her that allowed her to sense the strength of others. When their eyes met during the previous test, Yasuka instantly knew that Invincible was dangerous, extremely dangerous, so much so that her dark side longed to fight him.
Of course, Yasuka didn't want that, so she forced herself to regain control and step back, which was quite difficult.
"Shouldn't we be discussing this at our headquarters? Wait, do we have a headquarters?" A girl with short blonde hair spoke. Yasuka remembered that she was the first to participate in the trials, Throwbolt or something like that.
Invincible looked at her and answered her question.
"We will have one; that's one of the things we need to discuss, and I think it's a good point to start with. Robot, if you could." The one called Robot nodded, and a projected screen unfolded over the conference table, showing an extremely detailed three-dimensional Blueprint.
Yasuka looked at the projection with interest. The futuristic aspect was the most obvious, but she could also see many small details; this had clearly been carefully designed.
"Speaking of our headquarters, the GDA considered letting us take over the old Guardians' place, but we felt it wouldn't be appropriate. We're not the Guardians of the Globe; we're a new team, and we need to work with that in mind. That's why Robot and I designed this proposal."
"Wait, you mean they'll build a new headquarters specifically for us?" The boy named Bulletproof said, amazed.
"It's already under construction," Mark said, smiling, causing the new members to widen their eyes in astonishment.
Indeed, Mark would have preferred to finish it before the team was formed, but a project like this requires time. Fortunately, it was almost ready.
"Wow, it seems like this is pretty serious, huh?" Monster girl said, whistling as she looked at the data of the headquarters design.
"If I may ask, why does this look like something that wouldn't be on land?" The one who asked was Black Samson.
"Because it won't be. Having a base on land has many disadvantages, so we decided that the best thing would be to situate it in space," Robot answered this time.
"Wait, space!?" That news seemed to surprise several of them.
"Yes, our base is designed for multiple purposes, with mobility being the main one. In a sense, you could say it's a spaceship, although it will normally function as a space station," Mark explained, starting to detail some of the features they had implemented.
For Yasuka, most of the explanations went in one ear and out the other; she was more focused on the fact that she would be traveling to space, something she never thought she would do in her life.
"This sounds cool and all, but how are we going to get there? Not all of us can fly," Britt said.
"With these," Mark responded, letting Robot change the projection, this time revealing what was essentially a personal spaceship.
"Each of you will have one of these. I call them Quinjets, but essentially they're personal spacecraft capable of navigating off-planet and beyond," he said. They were similar to the one he made for his father, but better designed and more compact.
The new members had to take a moment to process the fact that each of them would receive their own spaceship. Well, everyone except Glory, who didn't understand most of the terms being used at all.
She had wanted to ask several times but her pride prevented her, so she opted to remain silent and act as if she understood.
"Can mine be green?" Amanda said immediately, looking at the Quinjet design with desire.
"Well, we can allow some customization, so yes, it can be green," Mark responded, causing her to look up with a big smile.
"Do we really have the budget for this?" Kurr, better known as Savage Dragon, couldn't help but ask. He had previously been a member of the police force, so he understood a bit about the budgets allocated, and while this wasn't exactly the same, there should still be a limit, right?
"We do, but we're not using the resources given to us indiscriminately if that's what you're worried about," Mark then pointed to Eve.
"She's Atom Eve; many of you might already know her, but what's not common knowledge is that her power allows her to manipulate and transform matter at will. She can turn a hundred meters of muddy sludge into a hundred meters of the highest-quality diamonds with a thought. She's our primary material provider and the most valuable member of the team. Everything she creates can be used by us as free resources outside the market," he explained. Eve blushed a little at being praised so highly and at feeling the team's eyes on her.
Glory looked at her with a new perspective. Although she couldn't understand most of the terms used in the world of men, she did understand the meaning of the example Mark gave.
'So, she's an alchemist?' She had heard of them, though this was the first time she had met one.
"It seems a lot of things have already been thought of, but we still need to know who will lead this team," Black Samson finally spoke, causing the conference room to fall into a momentary silence.
The silence was quickly broken by Robot.
"Initially, the GDA had decided to assign me as the leader, but things have changed a bit. Now, Mark and I will lead the team together," he said. Black Samson narrowed his eyes for a moment before nodding.
"I don't know how well this will work, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Black Samson said, looking at Mark. After all, in his opinion and that of most people, Robot was, well, just a robot.
Glory interjected at that moment.
"Don't expect me to follow your orders blindly," her words caused Eve to frown, but Mark calmed her and responded.
"I know you distrust me, and probably some of you do as well." At these words, a few people frowned slightly.
"I'm not asking for absolute obedience; I just hope that when the time comes, you can think beyond whatever prejudices you have about me and act as a hero should. I don't want any accidents happening because of silly disputes." Everyone could agree on that.
Well, Yasuka had no idea how a hero should act, but she nodded along with everyone else anyway.
"With that said, I think it's time to talk about the main reason this team was formed." At Mark's words, everyone put on serious faces.
"Let me tell you about the Viltrumites."
...
The meeting lasted several more hours. Many things were explained, leaving the new members, who were unaware of the true extent of the coming danger, in shock.
After all, even though Nolan had said a lot on television, many details were left out for the general public.
"Now I understand why the headquarters is in space," Kid Thor whispered to his girlfriend, who nodded, still processing the information.
"I know this can be a lot to take in, so take the time you need. For now, this entire section of the Pentagon will serve as our temporary headquarters. There are showers, a cafeteria, several gym rooms you can use, and rooms if you don't have a place to stay," Mark said, looking especially at Glory and Yasuka.
"But before that, I'd like you to take these with you," Mark then pulled out a specially prepared box.
Inside the box, carefully arranged, were two rows of what appeared to be dark-colored watches with touchscreens. They didn't stand out too much and didn't have any brand logos, except for two hidden letters (JL) on the back.
"For now, Eve, Robot, and I will handle any potential threats, but if an emergency arises that requires your assistance, these communicators will alert you," Mark explained, giving a rundown on how to use the various functions of the devices, which were quite diverse.
Glory looked at the device now on her wrist curiously, she had understood how to use it clearly as mark was quite good at explaining, the only problem was that she couldn't read what was written, fortunately it had a voice control function so she could use it even if she decided not to learn to read the local language.
Soon, everyone started heading to different places. Kid Thor and Knockout went to the cafeteria, while Riley and Lily went to train together to clear their minds. Yasuka hurried to one of the offered rooms, clearly nervous, and Glory simply began to wander around the place.
Black samson, kurr and britt left the pentagon together and bulletproof went with them.
"Do you want to practice a bit?" Rachel looked at Kate with a friendly smile. The Asian girl thought for a moment before nodding, and soon the two left together.
Amanda was about to get up and go somewhere, but Mark stopped her before she could.
"Wait, Monster Girl, I'd like to discuss something with you." The girl raised an eyebrow at him but shrugged.
"Sure, but if you try anything weird, I'll break your balls," she said seriously.
Mark smiled and looked at Eve and Robot.
"If anything happens, call me," he said, raising his hand where his own "watch" was.
"I'll be working on the systems for the headquarters," Robot said simply and left.
Eve looked at Mark and then at Amanda. Although she didn't know why Mark wanted to talk to the girl, she didn't suspect anything strange, so she just said goodbye and went to do her own thing.
Soon, Mark and Amanda were left alone in the conference room, in a slightly uncomfortable silence.
"If you're going to say something weird, you'd better think it through, or this could end very badly," Amanda warned, snapping Mark out of his thoughts. He had been pondering how to approach the subject, but it was clear that being direct was the best course of action.
"I was going over your file. It says you're 24 years old, though obviously, your appearance suggests otherwise," Mark began, causing Amanda to frown.
"If this is about that, then you don't have to worry. I'm not actually a child; it's just how my powers work. The longer I stay transformed, the younger my body becomes," she said with clear irritation.
"Actually, it's more about that last part. During the tests, I noticed an external energy acting on you. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to know how you got your powers," Mark said.
"External energy? Wait, you can feel how my body gets younger?" Amanda was quick to catch on.
Mark nodded but didn't elaborate, causing her to frown. Still, she decided to answer his question, as she didn't mind sharing her story.
"It happened a long time ago; I was about fourteen or fifteen. It was in Europe, and I met... I met someone, a gypsy boy. Now that I think about it, I don't even remember his name correctly. We had a couple of dates, nothing too serious; we were just kids, after all. But his grandmother didn't think so. A decrepit old bitch," Amanda couldn't help but let her anger come out.
After all, that woman was responsible for almost all of her problems.
"I heard she was a witch. I don't know exactly what she did, but she clearly didn't like me seeing her grandson, so she decided to fuck with me. She cursed me, though at first, I thought it was a good thing," she recalled her first transformation.
There was panic, fear, and horror, but also excitement. She thought she had awakened some kind of superpower, that she could be a hero. She started helping people, unable to stand by when something bad happened in front of her. But she quickly realized the problem.
She stopped aging. Then, she started getting younger.
"The point is, this is due to magic, and it can't be undone," she sighed a bit, finishing her story. Even though so many years had passed she still couldn't stop her heart from clenching every time she remembered the reason why she kept missing out on more and more things.
An adult woman eternally trapped in a child's body. How many things had she missed out on? How many things couldn't she do because of her appearance? Listing them always depressed her a bit.
"If that's the case, why not stop transforming? Why continue being Monster Girl?" Mark asked. If transforming made her body younger, then why not stop doing it?
Amanda looked at him with a slight smile.
"I'm a heroine, cutie. No matter what, if someone is in trouble, I won't just stand by," she said, her eyes seeming to shine for a moment.
Mark understood then; It wasn't that she didn't want to, she just couldn't stop helping others. It seemed that the witch who cursed her somehow should have known about this and used it to screw her even more.
"If that's all you wanted to know, then I'll go," she said, preparing to stand up, but Mark stopped her.
"Actually, I think I can help you."
Eh? Amanda blinked in confusion at his words, trying to process the meaning, even though it should be clear.
"Do you remember that I told you I could feel an external energy acting on you when you transformed? Well, to be more precise, I could feel the current of time acting on your body, going back, making you younger."
Upon hearing this, Amanda gave him her full attention, feeling her body tremble. To feel the flow of time in her body? Helping her? If he was talking about what she thought, then… No! She couldn't give herself false hope now; she had already accepted her condition.
She didn't want to be disappointed again.
"No one knows this, so I hope you can keep it a secret. I actually have other powers that aren't part of what I inherited from my father," Mark continued, ignoring how Amanda's body shivered.
"I won't go into too much detail, but I can feel and manipulate the time of things I touch. It's not easy, and I can only make the flow of time go forward, which is somewhat dangerous, so I don't use it much. But when I felt your transformation, I had the feeling that if I could study the effect of time on your body, I could improve my own ability."
"Don't joke," Amanda growled through clenched teeth, seeming like she didn't want to believe him.
Mark simply pulled out an apple he had been saving for this and held it in front of her. With disbelief, Amanda watched as blue lightning flashes danced across the surface of the apple for a second, and in the next instant, the apple began to change visibly.
It wrinkled, its color started to darken, its smell changed, and in an instant, it rotted to dust.
"I'm not joking," Amanda remained silent, staring at the dust that fell to the ground.
Was this real? How long? How long had she been searching for something to help her? A solution, no matter how insignificant?
"It's not a perfect solution, but I think I can help you with your problem. In exchange, I hope you'll let me study the effects of your transformation on your body. What do you think?" Mark didn't believe she would reject this.
Amanda clenched her fists and looked at Mark intensely. To her eyes, he seemed to shine with a golden light.
"Do it now," she said, stretching out and taking his hand. It seemed all the patience she had appeared to have vanished in an instant, replaced by a noticeable urgency. There was even a hint of pleading in her voice.
Mark quickly tried to calm her.
"Wait, even though I can do it, we still need to prepare. There are some side effects to this." Hearing that made her frown.
"What effects?"
"The energy intake. Whether it's me or you, we both will need to have a large amount of energy within us. I need it to use this ability, and you need it so your body can withstand rapidly aging in a short period of time without getting hurt."
Explaining this seemed to calm her down a bit, but she still looked agitated.
"So what's the plan? How do we get this energy?"
"Does that mean you agree to the deal?" he asked to be sure. She frowned at him.
"Do I really have to say it? Of course, I want to do it." She had thought there was no solution, that she would always live like a damned kid, and had even resigned herself to it. But now that the opportunity had finally knocked on her door, she'd be a real idiot to let it go. What Mark asked for wasn't even difficult for her to give. Even if he asked her to beg on her knees right now, Amanda might actually consider doing it.
"Well, I've been working on a super nutritional serum with Robot. It's not ready yet, but it should be soon. Consuming it should give you enough energy for me to speed up time in your body by about 8 or 9 years."
Eight or nine years. Amanda did some quick calculations. Her body was currently about nine years old. If this really worked as Mark indicated, she could finally reach adulthood. Just thinking about it made her dizzy with excitement.
Even so, swallowing nervously, she forced herself to calm down. She needed to stay composed; she couldn't mess this up, no matter what.
"H-h-how soon will this serum be ready?"
"At least two or three days."
Two or three days—that was fine. She had waited years; she could wait two or three days. That would be a piece of cake.
Calming her excitement, she gave Mark a mischievous smile.
"You know, I'd kiss you right now if I could reach your face."
"Preferably not. I don't want to go to prison."
Unlike other occasions, this time Amanda laughed.
.
.
.
Note:
It's been a while, hasn't it?
I must apologize; I have no excuse.
Writing this chapter was a bit complicated, but I think it turned out well. Anyway, share your opinions; I'll be reading them. If there are any mistakes, I'd also appreciate it if you point them out so I can correct them.
In the previous chapter there was a mistake in Yasuka's name, I've already fixed it.
support me on patreon! (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader) thanks ;D
Once the selected members were announced, everyone who had failed was escorted out of the venue. The injured were attended to as promised, although fortunately, the most serious injury of the day was a couple of broken bones.
The public announcement would be made the following day, where the new team would be introduced to the world, but for now, they needed to get to know each other.
Soon, everyone was gathered in one of the conference rooms at the Pentagon.
Yasuka looked around the place with some nervousness; it was her first time in a conference room like this. In fact, it was the first time she had been in such an "official" place. She had heard of the Pentagon before but never imagined that one day she would be inside it.
Her previous ordinary life seemed a little further away each day, which made her a bit depressed, but part of her was also somewhat excited. If you took away the constant danger of the last six months, it was actually pretty cool to have "powers" or whatever the thing on her left wrist gave her.
"Alright, now that we're all gathered, I think we need to discuss several important things," Invincible spoke. Yasuka looked at him, paying attention. Although she had no control over her actions when she let the dark influence inside her emerge, she could still feel what it felt and, in a sense, see what it saw.
The interaction they had after she successfully passed her test made her a bit embarrassed, making it difficult to look him in the face. At the same time, she realized why the man in front of her had called himself "Invincible." When the dark influence took control of her body, it awakened an ability in her that allowed her to sense the strength of others. When their eyes met during the previous test, Yasuka instantly knew that Invincible was dangerous, extremely dangerous, so much so that her dark side longed to fight him.
Of course, Yasuka didn't want that, so she forced herself to regain control and step back, which was quite difficult.
"Shouldn't we be discussing this at our headquarters? Wait, do we have a headquarters?" A girl with short blonde hair spoke. Yasuka remembered that she was the first to participate in the trials, Throwbolt or something like that.
Invincible looked at her and answered her question.
"We will have one; that's one of the things we need to discuss, and I think it's a good point to start with. Robot, if you could." The one called Robot nodded, and a projected screen unfolded over the conference table, showing an extremely detailed three-dimensional Blueprint.
Yasuka looked at the projection with interest. The futuristic aspect was the most obvious, but she could also see many small details; this had clearly been carefully designed.
"Speaking of our headquarters, the GDA considered letting us take over the old Guardians' place, but we felt it wouldn't be appropriate. We're not the Guardians of the Globe; we're a new team, and we need to work with that in mind. That's why Robot and I designed this proposal."
"Wait, you mean they'll build a new headquarters specifically for us?" The boy named Bulletproof said, amazed.
"It's already under construction," Mark said, smiling, causing the new members to widen their eyes in astonishment.
Indeed, Mark would have preferred to finish it before the team was formed, but a project like this requires time. Fortunately, it was almost ready.
"Wow, it seems like this is pretty serious, huh?" Monster girl said, whistling as she looked at the data of the headquarters design.
"If I may ask, why does this look like something that wouldn't be on land?" The one who asked was Black Samson.
"Because it won't be. Having a base on land has many disadvantages, so we decided that the best thing would be to situate it in space," Robot answered this time.
"Wait, space!?" That news seemed to surprise several of them.
"Yes, our base is designed for multiple purposes, with mobility being the main one. In a sense, you could say it's a spaceship, although it will normally function as a space station," Mark explained, starting to detail some of the features they had implemented.
For Yasuka, most of the explanations went in one ear and out the other; she was more focused on the fact that she would be traveling to space, something she never thought she would do in her life.
"This sounds cool and all, but how are we going to get there? Not all of us can fly," Britt said.
"With these," Mark responded, letting Robot change the projection, this time revealing what was essentially a personal spaceship.
"Each of you will have one of these. I call them Quinjets, but essentially they're personal spacecraft capable of navigating off-planet and beyond," he said. They were similar to the one he made for his father, but better designed and more compact.
The new members had to take a moment to process the fact that each of them would receive their own spaceship. Well, everyone except Glory, who didn't understand most of the terms being used at all.
She had wanted to ask several times but her pride prevented her, so she opted to remain silent and act as if she understood.
"Can mine be green?" Amanda said immediately, looking at the Quinjet design with desire.
"Well, we can allow some customization, so yes, it can be green," Mark responded, causing her to look up with a big smile.
"Do we really have the budget for this?" Kurr, better known as Savage Dragon, couldn't help but ask. He had previously been a member of the police force, so he understood a bit about the budgets allocated, and while this wasn't exactly the same, there should still be a limit, right?
"We do, but we're not using the resources given to us indiscriminately if that's what you're worried about," Mark then pointed to Eve.
"She's Atom Eve; many of you might already know her, but what's not common knowledge is that her power allows her to manipulate and transform matter at will. She can turn a hundred meters of muddy sludge into a hundred meters of the highest-quality diamonds with a thought. She's our primary material provider and the most valuable member of the team. Everything she creates can be used by us as free resources outside the market," he explained. Eve blushed a little at being praised so highly and at feeling the team's eyes on her.
Glory looked at her with a new perspective. Although she couldn't understand most of the terms used in the world of men, she did understand the meaning of the example Mark gave.
'So, she's an alchemist?' She had heard of them, though this was the first time she had met one.
"It seems a lot of things have already been thought of, but we still need to know who will lead this team," Black Samson finally spoke, causing the conference room to fall into a momentary silence.
The silence was quickly broken by Robot.
"Initially, the GDA had decided to assign me as the leader, but things have changed a bit. Now, Mark and I will lead the team together," he said. Black Samson narrowed his eyes for a moment before nodding.
"I don't know how well this will work, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Black Samson said, looking at Mark. After all, in his opinion and that of most people, Robot was, well, just a robot.
Glory interjected at that moment.
"Don't expect me to follow your orders blindly," her words caused Eve to frown, but Mark calmed her and responded.
"I know you distrust me, and probably some of you do as well." At these words, a few people frowned slightly.
"I'm not asking for absolute obedience; I just hope that when the time comes, you can think beyond whatever prejudices you have about me and act as a hero should. I don't want any accidents happening because of silly disputes." Everyone could agree on that.
Well, Yasuka had no idea how a hero should act, but she nodded along with everyone else anyway.
"With that said, I think it's time to talk about the main reason this team was formed." At Mark's words, everyone put on serious faces.
"Let me tell you about the Viltrumites."
...
The meeting lasted several more hours. Many things were explained, leaving the new members, who were unaware of the true extent of the coming danger, in shock.
After all, even though Nolan had said a lot on television, many details were left out for the general public.
"Now I understand why the headquarters is in space," Kid Thor whispered to his girlfriend, who nodded, still processing the information.
"I know this can be a lot to take in, so take the time you need. For now, this entire section of the Pentagon will serve as our temporary headquarters. There are showers, a cafeteria, several gym rooms you can use, and rooms if you don't have a place to stay," Mark said, looking especially at Glory and Yasuka.
"But before that, I'd like you to take these with you," Mark then pulled out a specially prepared box.
Inside the box, carefully arranged, were two rows of what appeared to be dark-colored watches with touchscreens. They didn't stand out too much and didn't have any brand logos, except for two hidden letters (JL) on the back.
"For now, Eve, Robot, and I will handle any potential threats, but if an emergency arises that requires your assistance, these communicators will alert you," Mark explained, giving a rundown on how to use the various functions of the devices, which were quite diverse.
Glory looked at the device now on her wrist curiously, she had understood how to use it clearly as mark was quite good at explaining, the only problem was that she couldn't read what was written, fortunately it had a voice control function so she could use it even if she decided not to learn to read the local language.
Soon, everyone started heading to different places. Kid Thor and Knockout went to the cafeteria, while Riley and Lily went to train together to clear their minds. Yasuka hurried to one of the offered rooms, clearly nervous, and Glory simply began to wander around the place.
Black samson, kurr and britt left the pentagon together and bulletproof went with them.
"Do you want to practice a bit?" Rachel looked at Kate with a friendly smile. The Asian girl thought for a moment before nodding, and soon the two left together.
Amanda was about to get up and go somewhere, but Mark stopped her before she could.
"Wait, Monster Girl, I'd like to discuss something with you." The girl raised an eyebrow at him but shrugged.
"Sure, but if you try anything weird, I'll break your balls," she said seriously.
Mark smiled and looked at Eve and Robot.
"If anything happens, call me," he said, raising his hand where his own "watch" was.
"I'll be working on the systems for the headquarters," Robot said simply and left.
Eve looked at Mark and then at Amanda. Although she didn't know why Mark wanted to talk to the girl, she didn't suspect anything strange, so she just said goodbye and went to do her own thing.
Soon, Mark and Amanda were left alone in the conference room, in a slightly uncomfortable silence.
"If you're going to say something weird, you'd better think it through, or this could end very badly," Amanda warned, snapping Mark out of his thoughts. He had been pondering how to approach the subject, but it was clear that being direct was the best course of action.
"I was going over your file. It says you're 24 years old, though obviously, your appearance suggests otherwise," Mark began, causing Amanda to frown.
"If this is about that, then you don't have to worry. I'm not actually a child; it's just how my powers work. The longer I stay transformed, the younger my body becomes," she said with clear irritation.
"Actually, it's more about that last part. During the tests, I noticed an external energy acting on you. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to know how you got your powers," Mark said.
"External energy? Wait, you can feel how my body gets younger?" Amanda was quick to catch on.
Mark nodded but didn't elaborate, causing her to frown. Still, she decided to answer his question, as she didn't mind sharing her story.
"It happened a long time ago; I was about fourteen or fifteen. It was in Europe, and I met... I met someone, a gypsy boy. Now that I think about it, I don't even remember his name correctly. We had a couple of dates, nothing too serious; we were just kids, after all. But his grandmother didn't think so. A decrepit old bitch," Amanda couldn't help but let her anger come out.
After all, that woman was responsible for almost all of her problems.
"I heard she was a witch. I don't know exactly what she did, but she clearly didn't like me seeing her grandson, so she decided to fuck with me. She cursed me, though at first, I thought it was a good thing," she recalled her first transformation.
There was panic, fear, and horror, but also excitement. She thought she had awakened some kind of superpower, that she could be a hero. She started helping people, unable to stand by when something bad happened in front of her. But she quickly realized the problem.
She stopped aging. Then, she started getting younger.
"The point is, this is due to magic, and it can't be undone," she sighed a bit, finishing her story. Even though so many years had passed she still couldn't stop her heart from clenching every time she remembered the reason why she kept missing out on more and more things.
An adult woman eternally trapped in a child's body. How many things had she missed out on? How many things couldn't she do because of her appearance? Listing them always depressed her a bit.
"If that's the case, why not stop transforming? Why continue being Monster Girl?" Mark asked. If transforming made her body younger, then why not stop doing it?
Amanda looked at him with a slight smile.
"I'm a heroine, cutie. No matter what, if someone is in trouble, I won't just stand by," she said, her eyes seeming to shine for a moment.
Mark understood then; It wasn't that she didn't want to, she just couldn't stop helping others. It seemed that the witch who cursed her somehow should have known about this and used it to screw her even more.
"If that's all you wanted to know, then I'll go," she said, preparing to stand up, but Mark stopped her.
"Actually, I think I can help you."
Eh? Amanda blinked in confusion at his words, trying to process the meaning, even though it should be clear.
"Do you remember that I told you I could feel an external energy acting on you when you transformed? Well, to be more precise, I could feel the current of time acting on your body, going back, making you younger."
Upon hearing this, Amanda gave him her full attention, feeling her body tremble. To feel the flow of time in her body? Helping her? If he was talking about what she thought, then… No! She couldn't give herself false hope now; she had already accepted her condition.
She didn't want to be disappointed again.
"No one knows this, so I hope you can keep it a secret. I actually have other powers that aren't part of what I inherited from my father," Mark continued, ignoring how Amanda's body shivered.
"I won't go into too much detail, but I can feel and manipulate the time of things I touch. It's not easy, and I can only make the flow of time go forward, which is somewhat dangerous, so I don't use it much. But when I felt your transformation, I had the feeling that if I could study the effect of time on your body, I could improve my own ability."
"Don't joke," Amanda growled through clenched teeth, seeming like she didn't want to believe him.
Mark simply pulled out an apple he had been saving for this and held it in front of her. With disbelief, Amanda watched as blue lightning flashes danced across the surface of the apple for a second, and in the next instant, the apple began to change visibly.
It wrinkled, its color started to darken, its smell changed, and in an instant, it rotted to dust.
"I'm not joking," Amanda remained silent, staring at the dust that fell to the ground.
Was this real? How long? How long had she been searching for something to help her? A solution, no matter how insignificant?
"It's not a perfect solution, but I think I can help you with your problem. In exchange, I hope you'll let me study the effects of your transformation on your body. What do you think?" Mark didn't believe she would reject this.
Amanda clenched her fists and looked at Mark intensely. To her eyes, he seemed to shine with a golden light.
"Do it now," she said, stretching out and taking his hand. It seemed all the patience she had appeared to have vanished in an instant, replaced by a noticeable urgency. There was even a hint of pleading in her voice.
Mark quickly tried to calm her.
"Wait, even though I can do it, we still need to prepare. There are some side effects to this." Hearing that made her frown.
"What effects?"
"The energy intake. Whether it's me or you, we both will need to have a large amount of energy within us. I need it to use this ability, and you need it so your body can withstand rapidly aging in a short period of time without getting hurt."
Explaining this seemed to calm her down a bit, but she still looked agitated.
"So what's the plan? How do we get this energy?"
"Does that mean you agree to the deal?" he asked to be sure. She frowned at him.
"Do I really have to say it? Of course, I want to do it." She had thought there was no solution, that she would always live like a damned kid, and had even resigned herself to it. But now that the opportunity had finally knocked on her door, she'd be a real idiot to let it go. What Mark asked for wasn't even difficult for her to give. Even if he asked her to beg on her knees right now, Amanda might actually consider doing it.
"Well, I've been working on a super nutritional serum with Robot. It's not ready yet, but it should be soon. Consuming it should give you enough energy for me to speed up time in your body by about 8 or 9 years."
Eight or nine years. Amanda did some quick calculations. Her body was currently about nine years old. If this really worked as Mark indicated, she could finally reach adulthood. Just thinking about it made her dizzy with excitement.
Even so, swallowing nervously, she forced herself to calm down. She needed to stay composed; she couldn't mess this up, no matter what.
"H-h-how soon will this serum be ready?"
"At least two or three days."
Two or three days—that was fine. She had waited years; she could wait two or three days. That would be a piece of cake.
Calming her excitement, she gave Mark a mischievous smile.
"You know, I'd kiss you right now if I could reach your face."
"Preferably not. I don't want to go to prison."
Unlike other occasions, this time Amanda laughed.
.
.
.
Note:
It's been a while, hasn't it?
I must apologize; I have no excuse.
Writing this chapter was a bit complicated, but I think it turned out well. Anyway, share your opinions; I'll be reading them. If there are any mistakes, I'd also appreciate it if you point them out so I can correct them.
In the previous chapter there was a mistake in Yasuka's name, I've already fixed it.
support me on patreon! (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader) thanks ;D
Nitronorm5688
The Armchair Reader
- Location
- Oakdale, CT
This is one of the best Invincible SI I've read. I love that you might already have a treatment plan for Monster Girl.
Please, keep on writing.
Please, keep on writing.
Poll: Almost invincible: For Democracy
- Location
- Eart
Okay, this poll may sound a bit weird but I haven't been able to get it out of my head since some people commented on it and some talked to me about it privately on several of the websites I use to upload my stories, normally this wouldn't have crossed my mind but it's your fault that suddenly the idea started rolling around in my mind, mainly because I realized that I could do it if I wanted to... but since I'm fucking indecisive in matters like this I decided to let you guys help me.
So... Waifu Robot or not? yeah take a moment to process it. This hadn't crossed my mind either and if you don't understand it's simple, Robot, the character, the one who doesn't have a "body"
I honestly don't know why the idea stuck in my mind, I guess it's because of how disconcerting it sounded to me at first and why I didn't consider it until someone else said it and as I mentioned before while I was reflecting on my ideas for the story I realized that I would be perfectly capable of doing it without ruining anything I had planned.
Of course this is in a limbo where I'm not sure if it's a very good idea or a very bad idea, so I thought about you guys and democracy, about John, about Captain America, freedom, the eagles along with the stars and stripes and I decided why I won't let the readers choose.
So well, after having read all this you can vote as you prefer, you can also comment on this, it would help me a lot to read your opinions.
I'll probably leave the poll open for a month or so, so I can see what the people decide.
You can vote at the following link, this is a public and free vote so do not hesitate to leave your vote and comment. I decided to do it through Patreon so that everyone who follows the story on the different websites I use can vote, of course if you prefer you can also leave your comments and opinions here and I will take them into account.
Vote Here! Use the link below.
So... Waifu Robot or not? yeah take a moment to process it. This hadn't crossed my mind either and if you don't understand it's simple, Robot, the character, the one who doesn't have a "body"
I honestly don't know why the idea stuck in my mind, I guess it's because of how disconcerting it sounded to me at first and why I didn't consider it until someone else said it and as I mentioned before while I was reflecting on my ideas for the story I realized that I would be perfectly capable of doing it without ruining anything I had planned.
Of course this is in a limbo where I'm not sure if it's a very good idea or a very bad idea, so I thought about you guys and democracy, about John, about Captain America, freedom, the eagles along with the stars and stripes and I decided why I won't let the readers choose.
So well, after having read all this you can vote as you prefer, you can also comment on this, it would help me a lot to read your opinions.
I'll probably leave the poll open for a month or so, so I can see what the people decide.
You can vote at the following link, this is a public and free vote so do not hesitate to leave your vote and comment. I decided to do it through Patreon so that everyone who follows the story on the different websites I use can vote, of course if you prefer you can also leave your comments and opinions here and I will take them into account.
Vote Here! Use the link below.