Graduation Day - Reginald Vel Johnson High School:
"And as you step forward into the great unknown," Principal Winslow droned into the microphone, "remember that the only limit is your imagination."
I sat in the sea of blue caps and gowns, suppressing a yawn. These ceremonies are always too long.
To my left, William was trying to smuggle a flask of whiskey under his gown. To my right, Amber was texting her parents, trying to coordinate where they were sitting in the bleachers. And next to her was Eve.
I looked at my hands. These hands had shattered mountains in the Flaxan dimension. They had dragged tanks across the ocean floor. And now they were holding a rolled-up piece of paper that said I knew basic calculus.
"Markus Sebastian Grayson!"
I walked across the stage. I shook the principal's hand. I smiled for the camera my mom was holding.
"I didn't know your middle name was Sebastian," William said, walking behind me.
"Well we all can't be named Francis," I responded, watching him place his hands up in surrender.
After The Ceremony…
The sun was setting, casting long orange shadows across the area as we sat up in Eve's treehouse.
"So," William said, taking a pull from a red solo cup. "What are your guys' plans for the summer?"
Amber and Eve talked about volunteer work and helping the world. Commendable actions by commendable people. Then the question landed on me.
"Mostly start-up stuff and training. Nothing too unusual," I said, leaning against the railing.
"Invincible Inc.," Eve said, floating upside down. "You're really doing it? Corporate hero work?"
"Yep," I said, straightening up. "While I was in the other dimension, I had loads of time to think. I realized that if I want to make a real difference, I need resources and infrastructure."
"I'm going to miss this," Amber said. "Just us, hanging out."
"We'll still see each other," I promised. "We just more responsibilities now."
I looked at them. William, excited for parties and relaxing. Amber, thinking about her community service projects. Eve, trying to find her place in the world.
They were looking forward to the next couple years, while I was preparing for an intergalactic war that could wipe them all out in minutes.
"To the future," Eve said, raising her cup.
"To the future," we chorused.
Two Days Later…
Invincible Inc. - Warehouse 4 (Midtown):
The warehouse was buzzing with activity. A construction crew that Titan appointed, was retrofitting the interior. Reinforced steel plating, lead-lined walls, and a secure server room.
I stood on the catwalk with Titan.
"The contracts are rolling in," Titan rumbled, handing me a tablet. "Private security for tech firms. Escort details for high-risk cargo. And many more. A legitimate and highly profitable endeavor."
"Nice," I said, looking through the tablet. "Let's funnel 40% of the profits into R&D. I need better drones."
I walked over to a large crate that had just arrived. It had no shipping labels, just a specific frequency emission that only my suit's sensors could pick up.
I pried it open. Inside were six metallic nodes, humming with a faint green energy.
"What are those?" Titan asked.
"A way to secure privacy," I said.
I picked one up. It was a Frequency Jammer, developed from the multidimensional tech the Maulers studied and refined, sent by Angstrom.
"The GDA watches everything," I explained, tossing one to Titan. "Satellites, audio bugs, thermal imaging. These nodes create a localized static. To their screens, this warehouse will look like a black hole. No audio, no video, no data."
No was to teleport in and out of either without proper authorization.
I paused, considering the tactical implication.
"Although, that might have the opposite effect. Cecil not being able to see what happens here will make him put even more eyes on this place. He hates blind spots."
Titan grinned, inspecting the device. "Don't worry about him. I'll layer the static under a false feed. Let him see a standard and harmless warehouse loop."
"Smart," I said. "Let's get them installed. It'll make operating easier."
Midnight City11:45 PM:
The signal came in through the Invincible Inc. encrypted channel.
Police Band: Multiple Homicides in Progress.
Suspect: Vigilante.
I hit a sonic boom over the city, arriving in Midnight City in three minutes flat.
I hovered above an alleyway. Below, a man in a cape was holding a terrified teenager over the edge of a building.
"You stole a candy bar," Darkwing growled, his voice unhinged. "The law is absolute! The punishment is death!"
Over a candy bar? I thought. This guy's tweaking big time.
In the original timeline, he dragged Mark into the Shadowverse. A dimension which it would be nearly impossible to escape and survive from.
Can't get caught in there. Too Risky.
My HUD flared.
[THREAT ANALYSIS: SPECIALIZED TECHNOLOGY IN EXOSKELETON PROVIDES GREATER SHADOW EMISSION. CAREFUL WHEN ENGAGING AT CLOSE RANGE.]
"Hey! Sidekick!" I shouted. "You're supposed to protect the people, not endanger them."
Darkwing spun around quickly, tossing the kid aside.
"It's you!" He narrowed his eyes. "The son of the psychopath!"
"Takes one to know one," I retorted.
"I'm the one cleansing the place from guys like you." he said.
"And you're accomplishing that by putting jaywalkers in the ICU?" I asked. "A tad hypocritical, is it not?"
"I don't see it that way. I'm protecting the world from things like Omni-Man's legacy," he hissed, ready to cast his shadow technique.
ZWOOM.
I flew towards him at Mach 2 before he could even blink. Palm striking him hard enough to shatter his concentration. He flew backward into a brick wall. Before he could hit the ground, I was there. I grabbed his wrists with a precise squeeze.
"Aaaaghh!" he screamed.
Then, I chopped him hard on the neck and he went limp.
I dropped him on the roof of the GDA containment center. Cecil walked out just as Darkwing hit the concrete.
"We were just deploying a team," Cecil said, looking from the unconscious vigilante to me. "How did you—"
"I'm very efficient," I said, flying off.
One Week Later…
The North Atlantic - Atlantis:
"This is ridiculous," I muttered.
I was underwater, standing trial in the Atlantean court. Queen Aquaria sat on her throne, looking contemptuous.
"Your father murdered my husband." she stated. "By Atlantean law, you must marry me."
"Not happening," I responded quickly.
"Silence, Air Dweller! The Queen speaks!" one guard armed with a trident-like weapon shouted.
"Your queen speaks for you, not me," I said, staring them down, my voice projected by my suit's speakers. "I am ruled by no one. I am self-governed."
"That was the old way," Aquaria stood up, regaining control of the conversation. "A custom we abolished some time ago. And in its place we developed a more fitting custom."
"Which is?" I asked impatiently, earning scorn from her people.
"A trial by combat." she stated, getting cheers from her people.
"What happens if I complete this trial?" I asked. "Will this so-called war between our people end?"
Aquaria nodded. "If you perform well, then I will take it into consideration."
"Very well," I said, calmly. "Bring it on."
"The fool doesn't understand the danger that awaits him," one of the Atlanteans whispered.
"Release the Depth Dweller!" a guard roared.
Massive gates opened and a kaiju—a mix of crab, shark, and nightmare—swam out.
What the fuck am I looking at?
Before It opened its mouth to unleash a sonic roar—the same attack that disoriented Mark in the original timeline. I launched myself through the water. I cut through the ocean pressure like a torpedo. And I flew straight through its open mouth and exited out the back of its skull.
SPLAT.
The beast floated dead in the water. Blue blood clouded the arena.
I floated down to the Queen, hovering in front of her. The water around me boiled from the kinetic energy. Her guards and people were too stunned to speak or move.
Well it makes sense. That was their most fearsome weapon.
"It seems that this war is over," I said, my voice amplified. "I hope our two civilizations can continue to get along. Unless you want to continue on the path of war?"
"N-No! Coexistence is key to greater development," Aquaria stammered quickly. "I declare an end to this trial and any provocations of war."
"I see, you're a very wise ruler. Thank you for your time," I said.
I blasted out of the ocean, leaving a sonic boom in my wake.
Two annoyances down, I thought. Now my schedule is looking a lot clearer.
Two Days Later…
The Earth's Atmosphere:
I was cruising at 30,000 feet, testing my suit's sensor array. The weave cut through the wind efficiently, and the HUD streamed telemetry data in my peripheral vision with zero latency. It felt good—tactical, precise, professional.
Systems optimal, I thought. Titan has the logistical side of the business running smoothly. The jammers are keeping Cecil blind. And Angstrom and the Maulers are working hard to recover tech and make me stronger. Everything is pretty much going according to pla—
My HUD pinged red, breaking my train of thought.
[ALERT: UNIDENTIFIED VESSEL ENTERING ORBIT. TRAJECTORY: DIRECT INTERCEPT.]
I stopped mid-air, hovering amongst the clouds.
"Here we go," I muttered.
A ship descended through the upper atmosphere. It wasn't mechanical or metallic like Earth ships. It looked organic—purple and green chitin pulsating with life, shaped almost like a massive insect. To the naked eye, it might have looked like a meteorite, but my sensors stripped away the camouflage instantly.
It slowed down, hovering just fifty yards in front of me.
A beam of light projected from the hull, forming a hologram in the empty air between us.
It was a dog. A weird, bipedal dog in an explorer's outfit.
"Greetings, Invincible!" the dog barked, its voice melodramatic and booming. "I am the Seance Dog! I come with a dire message from a distant star! My monarch requires your aid to save his people from—"
"Alright, alright, cut the crap," I said, my voice amplified by my suit speakers, cutting through the wind. "Who are you really?"
The hologram flickered. The dog tilted its head, the pre-recorded loop stuttering. "I... beg your pardon?"
I crossed my arms, floating closer.
"I know you aren't from around here, and I definitely know you aren't a talking dog," I said coldly. "So drop the act and tell me what you actually want before I tear that ship open."
The hologram didn't just flicker; it dissolved. The pretense shattered. The organic canopy of the ship grew transparent, revealing the cockpit. Inside sat a purple, insectoid alien looking absolutely terrified. His mandibles clicked rapidly in panic.
What's this guy's name again?
"Our... Our Monarch," the alien clicked, his voice trembling over the comms. "He requests your aid. He said you are the only one who can save our people."
"How many people?" I questioned. "And how long is this journey there?"
"Millions, upon millions, if not billions," he answered quickly. "And it'll take approximately six Earth days to get there."
"I see," I responded, sighing. "Let me inform some people that I'll be gone for some time."
The Thraxan nodded in gratitude.
"Suit, inform my mother, my friends, and Titan, that I will be gone from the planet, saving a civilization for a couple months."
[INPUT CONFIRMED. NOTIFYING OTHERS ACCORDINGLY.]
"Now, you mind opening up, so we can depart?" I asked.
The Thraxan complied immediately. The side of the bio-ship opened with a wet, organic hiss.
I flew inside. The airlock sealed behind me.
Things are gonna get tougher from here, I thought as the ship turned and blasted toward deep space. The quicker I get there, the faster we can plan for those Viltrumites that'll attack. It'll be tough, but it'll be a good test.