"I have heard worse lies and excuses from pretenders and fraudulent peers, Nolan, but tell me… of all the stupidity that you have shown to us today, why waste the time of our Empire's governing sector to attend to such insolent,
useless matters?" General Kregg stated with utmost disappointment and anger spewing out his voice.
"Most egregious of all, you call upon our master, the Grand Regent for such a disposable request," Conquest added as they stood close to their great leader who was similarly glaring at Nolan alongside many other trusted aides and commanders of their empire.
"My petition is neither a waste nor something that the Empire should ignore, completely," Nolan stated with some confidence, and he stood his ground, looking at those in attendance and despite feeling some of the intimidation that the Grand Regent was exuding, he remained standing.
There he stood near the dais, wearing his cloak and royal colors. Regent he may have been, there was no denying that after the great emperor's death, nobody ascended to the rank of leader better than Thragg. His will and presence alone demanded attention and there was no greater Viltrumite that would withstand, nay…
challenge his rule in absolute conformity.
"I have heard your testimony…" his voice made everybody listen, even those of his kin that were more astute to their instincts, the violent side of their inner rage straightened. He took hold of the empire's reins, his people with such loyalty that a mere utterance of his word and prowess made them freeze in pure fanaticism.
"…as is the data from both the dossier you brought along with the visual memories that our fellow Mnemosynian allies have provided." Thragg then focused his eyes, his face turning into a contemplative glare as he stepped forward down from the dais to approach Nolan slowly. "We have yet to actively confirm if such data is untampered… or changed in such a way that many present now may rightfully consider as a plot or conspiracy."
He now stood inches away from Nolan, towering over him by quite a lot as the Viltrumite posted on the distant habitable planet within the Sol System was fighting the urge to step back.
"Yet, I ask you now, a loyal servant of the Empire… a legend amongst your peers, if your time amongst the local inhabitants has made you soft and weak."
None spoke a word. The complete silence stretched on as the subtle challenge was cast on Nolan, one that he had to answer. One that he had to face head-on should he wish to continue to be a loyal servant to the Viltrum Empire as well as a means to keep himself alive.
Nobody after all would question within that moment, that should he fail, he would be summarily executed without pardon or question.
"What is your answer, Nolan?" Thragg pressed…
Only to find that through his kin's eyes, the Viltrumite belief and spirit still
burned. Nolan stood his ground despite his instincts screaming at him not to as he stared back with defiance and strength that eventually…
"Heh."
…the Grand Regent would smile.
"I am loyal to nothing, except for Viltrum, my lord." He proudly stared with vindication and finality as the two stared down at each other.
"And what does the Empire require of you, Nolan?"
"To be the tip of its spear against the enemy that will know and
bow to our supremacy."
Satisfied, Thragg turned away before joining his loyal advisors again as that smile graced his features. With a look, Conquest, Kregg, and even Thula were quickly dismissed of their doubts over Nolan's claim and petition. Thragg then gestured for their captive Mnemosynian technician to come over and project the holographic images of Nolan's recent memory.
Flashes of many images graced the Viltrumites around them before everything froze to a pause as Thragg looked at Nolan.
"Explain to me briefly, this female… Nolan. Despite being the second most potent threat that you have claimed to be one of Earth's defenders, I question whether she is of Viltrumite kind, one that perhaps we have lost records of due to the Scourge."
Nolan turned his head over the holograms of 'Alexandria'. A helmeted female with a cape and set of abilities that made even Nolan himself confused at first glance.
"Her strength is admirable. I do not know the upper limits of such but given what little I could study or observe, hers is not of Viltrumite origin. Far from it, however, yet her abilities and other unique traits are what stand out to me."
The holograms shifted towards their subject supporting two large skyscrapers without much effort as well as having been involved with fights both weak and strong against many of Earth's kind that had even some of the Viltrumites present feel amused, or at least in some aspects, respect.
Her brutal efficiency, silent attitude, and complete and utter focus on tasks beyond saving humans and basically finishing those she deemed as enemies spoke to the basic instinct that every Viltrumite aspired to and followed with utter absolutism.
If anything, it even interested Thragg that despite her strength through the memories being subpar still to his own, he found himself piqued with her profile.
"I wished to know further but given the much more hidden nature of this 'Triumvirate', my liaisons with her and the group were very minimal yet they have done more feats this past solar revolution than I could ever muster in the same time frame.
They are very effective with what they do."
"She is strong… by nature of homo sapiens. Beyond even, to her, she may seem like a goddess. To us, Nolan… she is either an equal or a weakling who is yet to be disciplined by her betters." Thula said, the elder female Viltrumite giving her opinion after seeing the holograms.
"I concur, I don't understand what makes her special," Kregg said as he studied the memories closely.
"Then, respectfully General Kregg… yours and Thula's observation skills are quite pitiful."
Thula, sneering then angrily shouted out, "You dare-
"SILENCE!"
The Grand Regent's words were law as the two disengaged from their growing discontent.
"Spit it out, Nolan," Thragg commanded as his kin nodded back.
"Despite the intensities of the strain of each battle she partakes in, as you can see outside of her own suit, she has incurred no such
physical damage of any kind. Not a scratch, a wound, nor even a hint of blood or injury from just this single solar revolution alone."
"And? The Homo Sapiens and their 'enemies' are irrelevant. They are all weak."
"I thought the same… My Lord… until
this occurred."
The memory holograms them focused on a laboratory where a freak accident with a tinkering mad scientist had forced open a literal mini singularity in place that according to the data that Nolan provided in his data logs, had the potential to collapse the entire planet. 'Alexandria' looked unphased, unperturbed, merely slighted by frustration as a green glow passed through her as she and the other two Triumvirate members were able to seal and contain the breach with the female herself holding a specialized device to trap the singularity into closed, contained dimension.
Their surroundings were nearly destroyed. With the GDA, Guardians of the Globe, and various other groups trying to save what they can, the event was entirely resolved by the three heroes' efforts with them effectively saving Boston from being wiped off of the map.
Through the holograms, Alexandria's only damage was her cape and what bare few strips that held what remained of her suit that hid most of her dignity. Her skin remained unblemished.
It shocked even Thragg as he became silent throughout the whole memory.
"What proof do we have that the singularity was indeed a burgeoning Black Hole? Even then… I question the merit of this, given she had her allies close by with technology that far exceeds even what we have on paper…. that the
homo sapiens species now dangerously possess, and the mere fact that she had a green aura protecting her through the process entirely."
"I agree, it must have been a collaborative effort, I doubt her ability to survive alone in such circumstances if it played out differently," Conquest added as Nolan turned his attention to the two.
"Even if I were to agree, the fact of the matter still exists, that this 'Alexandria' is an existential anomaly to the physical universe. I have no doubts that should a confrontation happen between us I might have the upper hand given my experience, but she unfortunately would outlast me, given her inexhaustible stamina and the inability to stay down or receive any form of physical damage. I dare say that she is the literal definition of invulnerability given full manifestation."
"You have doubts that she is truly, as you say… invulnerable?" Thragg asked as he looked at the holograms, oddly interested in them.
"I do… I have theories, many that I would share with the Empire, my Lord… but understand this, she is a specimen that more likely than not
has uses to the Empire." Nolan stated with some affirmation despite his frustration as the Grand Regent hummed in some agreement.
"The Viltrumite Race… existing as both the most powerful force in the universe… as well as its most immortal." Thragg looked at the holograms again, ideas shaping in his mind as his focus remained on 'Alexandria'. "Many of our kin would be unstoppable if we had access to her genes and bloodline. Such an ability would make us…
eternal in some sense. Sickness and death would no longer be a limitation that even our race will be subject to."
Murmurs started to develop with the advisors present as Thragg focused on Nolan.
"Tis a good discovery, Nolan. You serve the Empire well." Thragg said with a low voice as Nolan felt proud of himself. A smile was within his mind before Thragg narrowed his gaze at him again.
"Yet there is much in your report that remains that I find
disturbing."
Silence once again reigned as the holograms shifted to that of the rest of the Triumvirate.
"I agree with the Grand Regent, Nolan. As a general of the Empire, I appreciate the cursory data you have over this much more mundane Triumvirate member, this 'Hero' as pathetically named as that worm could have been. He possesses the scientific knowledge and technology that we have neither seen nor cataloged before and with how esoteric they are, I'm afraid this is another Space Racer situation. The ability to create such technology at a rapid pace just in a singular solar revolution is quite a large conundrum…
are you sure none of Earth has found out of your loyalties yet?"
"None and I've made sure of it," Nolan replied succinctly as Conquest and Kregg conferred with each other.
"Very well, then I advise my lord that with the discoveries Nolan has presented, we act on it with at the very least an entire sect that you are willing to authorize," Kregg said as Thragg moved his eyes to his close advisor.
"I will authorize such a force… though at the same time, we all forget the true threat. One that I am still unable to fully understand."
Nolan perked up, understandably disturbed as well as the holograms shifted to a green figure with a hood and cape glowing in ethereal light.
"I agree, my Lord. This entity, the one they dub Eidolon is very disturbing, not just because of his potential, but of the many,
many unknowns associated with what he can functionally do."
The hologram shows the green figure hovering over the sky, spreading a sheen of green energy over nearly an entire peninsula or continent as an explosion that was seen from space hit it. The shielded areas were not damaged even as the green sheen dissipated.
Another memory then shows the same Green Figure, surrounded by an army of mechanical beings, raising his hand before they all transformed into dust.
Memory after memory, whether through the local news or through events Nolan had seen, the array of abilities this entity procured continued to increase in number to the point that the entire group of Viltrumites present, most of them being the strongest of their kin became quiet.
Nolan and the rest eventually turned their eyes towards their great leader, waiting for his final order. Waiting… for what step they would now take with this information posed.
"…I have decided."
"Taylor, don't forget to finish your meal first, before eating your dessert." Rebecca drawled as she was reading a newspaper while her 'daughter' ate. Taylor's plate was already messy with her various food mixing with various fluids and parts of her meal that looked like an artist's impression just plastered over the table.
Still, she finished it all like a toddler as Rebecca helped her every now and then.
The girl didn't fully understand or think of what she was doing but there was some improvement. Rebecca had been observing her well enough to see the difference. She was now more capable of feeding herself and had been giving emotions far more than just a flat, dry stare.
No longer did she need to fully clothe her, bathe her, or do any of those simple things as she now had an inkling of what to do. Taylor even helped to do some chores, like sweeping the floor much to Clark's enjoyment as the chaos and mess that was left afterward left him basically laughing at the absurdity of it all. Rebecca remained stoic for the most part, but she cared enough to take care of Taylor to the extent that was needed.
'Caring' however, was a strictly more complex affair to dilute in one simple word to describe the events of her handling of the girl. Her emotions for the most part were never there to see the girl as more than what she was but their…
plan hinged on making sure that she was 'happy'.
Taylor was now munching on the cupcakes while Rebecca tended to her mess.
She then opened her mouth to take a big bite out of it, only to stop when she heard a sound.
"Meow."
The little girl, sitting in her chair that was still two sizes bigger than her slowly turned her head towards the source of such a sound. It was a brown-furred stray cat, seemingly infiltrating their lawn as it looked intently with a yearning gaze towards her own eyes.
Taylor stared at the objectively small organism before tilting her head.
"Meow." It said again as Taylor traced its gaze at her cupcake. The cat briefly licked in anticipation as Taylor tried to stow and hide it away before a recent memory resurfaced.
…
"You gotta share, dummy!"
Taylor tilts her head in confusion as she bites down on her overly large-cookie. Mark then gently pries it off of her hands much to her displeasure only to see him break the large cookie into two and lend her the other half.
"We bought this cookie fair and square after selling lemonade together, remember?"
Taylor continued to stare as Mark patted her head.
"Mom used to say that sharing is caring, Tay… and more people smile and feel happy knowing that you care about them by giving them a piece of what's giving you the most joy."
Mark then innocently smiled at him as his aura glowed…
Taylor continued to stare, blinking at his words.
"Maybe next time you'll share something with me, or better yet with others! It doesn't have to be something grand or special… but Mom says that it's the thought that counts. So, if you show them that you care then they'll smile back… and maybe in the future, they'll share with you something cool or tasty too, all because you were kind enough to make their day."
Taylor parted her mouth slightly as if in awe.
"Between us though, I don't think there's anything much more important than the friendship we share!" he said as he began laughing with joy. Taylor gave back a small smile.
No, she shared a smile.
…
Taylor then recalled foggy images of a bespectacled woman
sharing a treat to her too.
That lady was nice.
If she wanted to be nice as well, she would need to share.
"Meow." The cat happily said as Taylor threw her a piece of the cupcake. She then turned to Rebecca who was now walking back to her with paper towels. Breaking a piece off, she then inched forward and offered it to the woman.
"What is it, Taylor?"
Taylor wiggled her hand holding the piece she wished to share.
Rebecca looked on in with some confusion before she took it into her palm.
"What is this for?" she asked with curiosity in her voice.
Taylor then smiled as ants, crawling up the table formed the word…
"SHARING"
Rebecca ultimately amused then proudly smiled back… or at least as much as her emotions could muster. Deep down she was a bit disturbed as she stared at Taylor in full before she returned to gobbling her own cupcake while sharing some of it with the stray cat.
Taylor may have understood that most of Rebecca's 'care' was merely an affront of something else, but she did not care at the moment.
She was able to make this cat and Rebecca 'smile'.
… and that was worthy [DATA] in its own…
AN: Sharing is caring guys. Always remember that.