Having finally awakened her powers, Marie couldn't have been happier—especially when her adopted brother, Robert, discovered his own abilities shortly after. Together, they became heroes.
They stopped crimes, saved lives, and brought hope to those who needed it most. Marie earned admiration and fans in her own right, but it was Robert who quickly became a symbol—The Sentry. A hero who never looked down on anyone, who always met people with a warm smile, who made even the darkest days feel just a little brighter.
But Marie didn't mind. She never wanted fame. She only wanted to help people… to be a hero. And with Robert by her side, it felt like that joy would last forever.
Until now.
Tears streamed down Marie's cheeks as she stood in front of her father, restrained and imprisoned. The truth had been revealed—everything Nolan had hidden from them. The facade shattered.
In the corner of the room, Robert gently held their mother, Debbie, as she wept silently, the weight of betrayal sinking deep into her heart. He whispered soft reassurances, trying to be her pillar even as his own heart ached.
Marie looked into Nolan's eyes—those same eyes that once watched over them with warmth—and now all she saw was regret.
Nolan sat quietly in his restraints, eyes lowered, expression unreadable. He didn't ask for forgiveness.
"I don't expect you to forgive me," he said finally, voice hoarse.
"But… you deserved to know the truth. If it weren't for Robert… I would've done something I could never take back."
Marie stood there, fists clenched, trying to hold herself together.
"So what now?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"You tell us all this and expect us to just… move on? Are you still planning to conquer Earth?"
Nolan looked up, locking eyes with his daughter.
"No," he said firmly.
"I won't. I can't. I've seen too much… felt too much. I love you. I love Debbie. And I love Robert." He turned to look at his adopted son.
"You changed me in ways I never thought possible."
Robert remained silent, watching his father carefully.
"I've betrayed my world now," Nolan continued, voice quieter.
"Once the Viltrum Empire finds out… they'll come. They don't tolerate disobedience. And for what I've done, execution is inevitable."
Debbie wiped away a tear. "Then why tell us this at all?"
"Because you deserve the truth," Nolan answered. "No lies. No more secrets."
Marie shook her head, biting her lip. "You were our hero… my dad. And now I don't know what to believe."
Robert stepped forward, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.
"We may not have all the answers now… but at least we have the truth. That's something to build from."
Nolan gave him a weary smile.
"You've become more of a hero than I ever was."
The silence hung heavy in the room after Marie and Robert stepped out to give them space. Nolan sat there, restrained but no longer tense. Debbie stood across from him, arms crossed, her eyes red but dry now.
"I should hate you," she said quietly.
"After everything. The lies. The manipulation. The mission…"
Nolan looked down. "I know."
Debbie's voice cracked slightly. "But I don't. I hate what you've done, but damn it, I still love you."
Nolan's head snapped up, eyes widening. "Debbie…"
"I loved you before I knew what you were. And now that I know everything, that love didn't just vanish. I'm furious. Betrayed. But I also know the man who sat at our dinner table… who raised Marie and looked after Robert."
"I never wanted to hurt you," Nolan said, his voice trembling.
"I thought I could separate the mission from the life I made here. But I couldn't. Not with you. Not with the kids."
He lowered his head as tears finally began to fall. "You were all I had. And I ruined it."
Debbie stepped closer and knelt beside him. "You almost did. But you stopped. Because of Robert."
Nolan nodded, struggling to breathe through the emotion. "He reminded me of what's worth saving."
There was a long pause before Nolan turned to the door where Robert stood silently, listening.
"Robert," Nolan said softly, "take care of them. Protect them when I can't. Get stronger. The Viltrumites will come. And when they do… they won't hesitate like I did."
Robert gave a solemn nod. "I will. I swear."
Nolan smiled through his tears. "Then maybe… maybe there's still hope for this world."
Soon they headed back home, the house was dark and quiet, bathed in the faint glow of the streetlights outside. Even though nothing inside had changed, the place felt different—heavier. Sadder.
Robert stepped inside, gently closing the door behind him. Debbie had gone to rest, drained from the emotional toll of the day. He walked down the hall and saw a soft light coming from Marie's room. The door was slightly ajar.
He knocked lightly before peeking in. "Hey."
Marie was sitting on her bed, knees hugged to her chest, staring out the window. She didn't look at him, but her voice was small.
"Hey."
Robert stepped in, sitting beside her quietly. A long silence passed between them before Marie finally asked.
"How did you know? About Dad?"
Robert took a deep breath.
"I get… flashes. Visions. Fragments of what could happen. I don't always understand them, but I saw enough to know something terrible was coming."
Marie gave a tired chuckle.
"Guess I should've known. Of course you'd be the first to find out. You always figure things out before I do."
He nudged her playfully.
"Is that a hint of jealousy I'm hearing?"
"Maybe a little." she said with a weak smile.
"You're always flying ahead, Rob. Sometimes I feel like I'm just trying to catch up."
Robert looked at her with a warm, steady gaze. "Then let's fly together next time. We'll both get stronger—so when the Viltrumites come, we'll protect everyone. Together."
Marie leaned gently against his shoulder, her eyes closing for a moment.
"Yeah… together."
=========
A week had passed since the confrontation with Nolan. Robert kept to his routine—training with Marie, honing his powers, and performing hero work with unwavering dedication. He made time to visit his father regularly, sharing quiet conversations in his secured holding cell. Despite everything, Robert believed in redemption—and that Nolan still had a role to play in what was coming.
While they waited for Allen the Alien to escort Nolan to the Coalition of Planets, life continued. On a seemingly ordinary afternoon, Robert and Marie were in town grabbing lunch when the sky suddenly cracked open with light and thunder.
A Flaxan invasion had begun.
Explosions ripped through the city streets as Flaxan tanks rolled in, their energy cannons blasting buildings and scattering civilians in a panic. Marie and Robert were already in motion, soaring over the chaos in a blur of red and gold.
Without hesitation, the two soared into the sky, costumes flashing in the sun. Robert's expression hardened.
"Invincible, focus on the tanks! I'll handle the civilians and stray fire. Move!"
Marie nodded, heart pounding. But as soon as they entered the fray, screams echoed all around her. Blasts lit the streets, buildings crumbled, and people—people were dying.
She froze.
Her hands trembled. Her breath caught in her throat.
Robert saw it happen and screamed across the chaos, "Marie! Look at me!"
She snapped her eyes to him, wide and filled with horror.
He floated above her, face clenched in anguish and frustration as he held back a collapsing building with one hand and used telekinesis to repel enemy blasts with the other.
"Think, Marie! Think!" he shouted, voice cracking with urgency.
"You want to save them?! Then focus! If we don't act now, more people will die!"
Her lips trembled, but she grit her teeth and forced herself to move.
With a scream of determination, she flew straight at the Flaxan tanks, blasting through them with kinetic punches and focused laser bursts. Metal twisted and flames burst into the air as she tore through their ranks.
Robert, relieved but still strained, pushed his telekinesis to the limit—shielding civilians, redirecting debris, and minimizing damage. Sweat streamed down his face as he held on.
Just as another tank lined up a shot at a nearby firetruck, energy blasts cracked through the air—Atom Eve arrived in a streak of pink light, erecting a solid wall of energy between the vehicle and the blast.
"You look like you could use backup," Eve said
The Teen Team had arrived—Eve, Rex, Dupli-Kate, and Robot joining the fight.
"Perfect timing," Robert replied, gritting his teeth as he lifted a Flaxan tank off the ground, spun it, and hurled it into two more like a bowling ball.
Dupli-Kate and Rex Splode joined the fray next—Kate's clones moving to help civilians while Rex launched controlled charges that blew the treads off the advancing tanks.
Robot's drone hovered in the smoke above.
"Coordinating strike. Invincible, take the left flank. Sentry, neutralize high-density targets. Teen Team will handle the rest."
Marie clenched her fists. "Copy that!"
She charged, leaping onto a tank's back, tearing open the hatch, and disabling the operator with a stunning blow. She turned and shouted.
"Robert! The last one's powering up!"
Robert rocketed toward it, telekinetic force crackling around him like lightning. With a final push, he slammed both fists into the ground in front of the tank, sending out a shockwave that flipped it like a toy.
The battlefield quieted. Smoke drifted through the air. The citizens slowly emerged from cover, looking around in disbelief at the ruined tanks and the heroes still standing tall.
Flaxan suddenly aged rapidly and began to fall back.
Robert collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily as Marie flew to his side.
"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, guilt in her eyes.
He looked at her, managing a tired but proud smile.
"You did good, Marie. You got back up." She helped him to his feet.
Smoke still clung to the ruins like a blanket. Sirens wailed in the distance while Robert, Marie, and the Teen Team worked together, helping civilians trapped beneath rubble and reinforcing unstable structures.
Robert lifted a large concrete slab telekinetically while Dupli-Kate's clones assisted a family crawling out from underneath.
"Thank you… thank you," a father sobbed, clutching his daughter.
"Just doing what we can," Robert said softly, offering a comforting smile.
Marie wiped sweat from her brow and turned toward the others. "Thanks for the help. That could've gone way worse."
Rex Splode swaggered over, grinning. "Name's Rex Splode, babe. Love the costume. And the hair. And… well, all of it. Maybe we should team up more often—professionally and personally."
Marie blinked, visibly uncomfortable. "Uh… pass."
Robert immediately stepped forward, a sharp frown on his face. "She's not interested, Rex."
Rex raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm just being friendly, goldilocks."
Before Robert could say more, Atom Eve landed beside them, arms crossed.
"Rex," she said firmly. "Dial it back."
She turned to Marie and Robert, offering a sincere look. "Sorry about him. I'm Atom Eve. We really appreciate the help out there."
Marie smiled, glad for the shift in tone. "Nice to meet you. I'm Invincible. And yeah, you too. Your shields were amazing."
Robert extended a hand, nodding respectfully. "Sentry."
Eve shook his hand. "You're the one we've been hearing about on the news lately. That was some display of power."
Dupli-Kate gave a small wave. "Glad to finally meet you both in person. You handled yourselves well out there."
Robot's drone floated nearby. "Welcome additions to the field. Coordination with you two was efficient. We should debrief and consider joint training sessions in the future."
Robert glanced over at Marie, who was now side-eyeing Rex as he flirted with one of Dupli-Kate's clones. She rolled her eyes and leaned closer to Robert.
"Let's definitely make it training only," she whispered.
Robert smirked. "Agreed."