Reginald VelJohnson High School.
"Haah."
Eden stifled a yawn, slinging his backpack over one shoulder as he made a beeline out of the building. His pace was brisk, almost like he was trying to outrun fate itself.
And of course, the one thing you're trying to avoid? That's exactly what finds you.
BOOM!
The blast rattled his teeth. A bank just up the street—already shuttered in broad daylight—blew open from the inside. Out staggered a man crackling with lightning, mohawk standing tall, latex suit buzzing with power. He hefted a sack of cash and grinned.
"Kid, you're coming with me!"
Eden froze as the guy's manic smile locked onto him.
"…Seriously?" Eden's brow twitched. Note to self: from now on, take any route home that doesn't pass a bank.
"Yo, Power Surge! Don't waste time!"
Another figure stormed out—the other robber. Chest covered in writhing tentacles, arms full of moneybags.
"I know, Filament Tyrant," the lightning freak—Power Surge—snapped back. "Just thinking if the heroes show up, we can chuck the kid at 'em. Buy us time."
"…Good point." Filament Tyrant lobbed his haul into a pickup truck and climbed in without further debate.
And just like that, Eden was scooped up and tossed inside like extra luggage.
"Drop the cash and the kid!"
Cops had finally arrived, boxing the street in tight.
"Outta my way!" Power Surge stuck an arm out the window, unleashing a storm of electricity.
CRACK—KRAKOOM!
Screams. Explosions. Patrol cars flipped end over end.
"Ha! Let's go!"
The two villains cackled as the truck roared away, sparks trailing in their wake.
Ordinary cops never stood a chance. In a world of superpowers, humans with sidearms were little more than cannon fodder.
An abandoned factory. Their hideout.
"Hahaha! We scored big this time!"
"With the Mauler Twins tearing up the White House, nobody's paying attention to us!"
Eden sat chained to an old machine, listening to his kidnappers argue about splitting the cash.
"…So, before you divvy up the loot, maybe let me go?" Eden raised his voice. "Trust me—if I don't make it home on time, my parents will lose it. And believe me, when they lose it, even I get scared."
"Oh, right. We almost forgot about the kid." Power Surge finally turned toward him, eyes narrowing. Then he smirked. "Nah. Letting you go's not on the table. But I like your vibe. How about you join us instead? Hit a few banks, live the good life."
Eden deadpanned. Yeah, let me just betray my perfect nuclear family to run with Discount Villain Duo.
"Look, whether you let me go or not, that's not the point," he tried again. "What happens when the heroes find out you robbed a bank and took a hostage? You really want the entire cape community hunting you down?"
"Tell you what. Cut me loose now, I'll keep my mouth shut. Heroes won't know a thing."
[Ding!]
[Assisting villains earns +1 Lottery Draw. Villain Affinity +5. Current Affinity: 55.]
[Keep it up, Master! One step closer to becoming a true supervillain!]
"…The hell? I was saving myself! How is that 'helping villains'?!"
Right. Forgot to mention. Eden wasn't just some random high schooler. He was a transmigrator. And unlike everyone else who awakened shiny superhero systems, he got stuck with the Supervillain System.
It came with one passive ability: Villain Aura. Automatically cranked up every villain's friendliness toward him by fifty points. Which is why Power Surge hadn't fried him yet.
"Nice try, kid," Power Surge sneered. "The second you walk free, you'll run straight to the capes. But I gotta admit… you've got the instincts of a criminal. I kinda like it."
"Fine. New plan," Eden said flatly. "My dad's Superman. My mom's Omni-Man. If you don't want to die horribly, let me go."
There was a pause. Then both villains burst out laughing, clutching their sides.
"You hear that?!" Power Surge howled. "Says his dad's Superman and his mom's Omni-Man!"
"Yeah right," Filament Tyrant snorted. "Everyone knows those two are rivals, fighting for the title of Earth's Strongest Hero."
"If your dad's Superman and your mom's Omni-Man, then my parents are The Immortal and War Woman!" Power Surge jeered.
"And even if you were telling the truth—it wouldn't matter," Filament Tyrant added. "Superman's in London fighting a dragon. Omni-Man's at the White House with the Guardians of the Globe holding off the Mauler Twins. Nobody's coming for you."
Eden blinked. "…So you're saying both my parents are occupied right now?"
"Exactly."
"And the other heroes?"
"Teen Team's busy with the damn Lizard League. As for the Combat Power Team—pfft. Those clowns aren't stronger than regular people." Both villains laughed harder.
"Good. That's all I needed to know." Eden smiled.
"Excuse me?"
The villains stared as he stood, chains clattering. Eden flexed, and the thick steel links snapped apart like cheap noodles.
"…You tied him with real chains, right?" Filament Tyrant hissed.
"Of course I did! You even double-checked!" Power Surge's voice cracked.
Both froze. If the kid had been telling the truth—if he really was their child—then they had just kidnapped the heir of Earth's two deadliest protectors.
Eden's grin sharpened into something feral. "Told you. You didn't believe me. Now? Too late."
Allow him to reintroduce himself.
Eden Kent. Son of Clark Kent, Superman. Son of Nolan Grayson, Omni-Man.
Host of the Supervillain System.
And, against his will, the one destined to become the greatest villain in the multiverse.
...
6:30 p.m. sharp.
Eden stepped through the front door of the Kent Residence.
"Eden, you're half an hour late."
Before he could kick off his shoes, a pair of powerful arms wrapped him up tight. His mother—Nolan Grayson, or rather Nolanne Grayson—pulled him into a crushing hug. She was tall, broad-shouldered, her body built like it could bench-press a moon, and she was the strongest woman alive. Period.
Note: Nolanne is her true feminine name, known only to Clark and Eden. To the world, she remains "Nolan Grayson," the male superhero Omni-Man.
"I heard from the cops on your route home," she said, worry bleeding into her voice. "They told me you were taken hostage. Do you have any idea how terrified I was? If something had happened to you, Eden, I don't know what I would've done."
"Relax, Mom." He forced a laugh, patting her arm. "I'm fine. Cops had it wrong. I was just late because Todd and I grabbed ice cream after class."
Her eyes narrowed, but her smile turned sly. "Really? Here I was thinking my son finally awakened his superpowers but didn't want to tell his dear mother. I've been waiting for the day we could protect this world together—carry the pride of the Viltrumite Bloodline, you know?"
Eden's eye twitched, but he smoothed it over with a grin. "Aw, come on. If I'd awakened powers, you'd be the first to know. Trust me, I wish I had."
Of course, he had. He'd awakened both Kryptonian and Viltrumite powers at five. But if Mom found out, if she went full Viltrumite Conqueror Mode like in the comics… no thanks. Gender-swapped or not, Nolanne was still a Viltrumite. And Viltrumites weren't "noble protectors." They were warmongers. Conquerors. And he'd seen how that story ended in Invincible.
"Something wrong here?!"
A gust of wind rattled the windows. Eden's dad swept in, blue suit immaculate, red cape fluttering, the iconic S blazing on his chest. Clark Kent. Superman himself.
"Mwah!"
Clark didn't even pause—he kissed Nolanne full on the lips, the two of them making out like Eden wasn't standing three feet away.
"Really? You're gonna do that right in front of me?" Eden groaned.
"What's embarrassing about being affectionate in front of our own kid?" Clark chuckled.
"Yeah," Nolanne teased. "If you're jealous, Eden, go find your own."
Eden tipped his head back, exasperated. "Fine. Can we eat now? I'm starving."
"Of course," Nolanne said warmly.
"Me too. Long day." Clark dropped into a chair. "Just flew in from London. By the way—what were you two talking about before I got here? Something happen?"
"Clark, you wouldn't believe it." Nolanne leaned against the counter, grinning. "I got home from the White House after thrashing the Mauler Twins, and Eden wasn't here. Scared me half to death. On the way to check his route, I overheard some idiots saying Power Surge and Filament Tyrant had grabbed him. But it was just the NYPD being their usual incompetent selves."
Clark snorted. "New York's finest. Can't win a fight, but God help you if you take their donuts."
Yeah. This wasn't just Superman cosplay. Eden's father was literally Clark Kent. Which had thrown Eden for a loop at first—he'd thought he'd landed in the DC Universe. But then came the reveal that his mother was Nolanne Grayson, a gender-swapped Omni-Man, and that the Guardians of the Globe were running around like a bootleg Justice League. Nope. Not DC. He'd landed in the Invincible universe. Or more accurately, Image Comics.
Only difference? Nolan Grayson was Nolanne. Female. Married to Superman. And together, they'd had him.
So yeah. The Kent household was… complicated.
Eden thought of his bloodline—the Kryptonian heritage from Clark, the Viltrumite Bloodline from Nolanne—and let out a long sigh. "I might not be a god yet, but compared to humans, I'm not exactly one of them anymore. Not really."
And then there was the cherry on top. His so-called "cheat." The Supervillain System.
Which was useless. He already had the strongest genetics possible. Kryptonian solar cells plus Viltrumite physiology. He didn't need a system. And especially not one whose sole function seemed to be making his life harder.
Supervillain Nurturing System. What a joke. Was the damn thing just here to set up some kind of "Mom goes berserk, son goes dark" drama? Because if so, Eden wanted no part of it.
Fatherly betrayal? He could deal. But motherly betrayal? That was nightmare fuel.
He glanced at Nolanne, laughing at something Clark said. In the comics, Nolan slaughtered civilizations in the name of empire. Gender didn't erase Viltrumite instincts. If she ever realized he'd inherited her bloodline's power… if she snapped…
Yeah. Eden kept his mouth shut for a reason.
Because Viltrumites weren't heroes. They were monsters. The only thing stopping Nolanne from revealing herself was:
Earth's heroes.
The fact she'd actually fallen in love with Clark and Eden.
Her curiosity about whether Earthlings could produce Viltrumite-level powers.
Clark, at least, was easy to read. Clark Kent was good. The very definition of good. If he ever found out Nolanne's true nature, he'd fight her and every Viltrumite in the galaxy to protect Earth. Eden didn't doubt that for a second.
Which left him, their son. The wildcard.
Hiding his powers. Hiding his system. Hiding the fact he was a transmigrator stuck with an ability he didn't want.
The Kent family—Clark, Nolanne, and Eden—were basically the superhero version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Everyone with secrets. Everyone hiding knives behind their backs.
And Eden? Eden was stuck right in the middle of it.
He rubbed his temples. "Man. My life's a mess."
Even the Smiths would give them a standing ovation.