Invincible: Krypton's Legacy

Mark stepped out of Amber's house, the midday sun shining brightly. His thoughts were still swirling from his conversation with Amber, her openness and acceptance lingering in his mind. He looked up, preparing to launch himself into the air when a sudden shimmer of energy materialized in front of him.

Cecil Stedman stood there, arms crossed, his trademark composed yet authoritative demeanor in full effect.

"Mark," Cecil said, his tone brisk. "I need your help."

Mark raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You always seem to have great timing, Cecil."

Cecil didn't flinch. "The new Guardians of the Globe aren't ready for action yet, and we've got a situation. I need you to step in."

Mark sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I'm not really interested in working under the government…"

Cecil cut him off, his gaze firm. "This isn't about us. It's about the people you can save. Innocent civilians. You have the power to help them."

Mark paused, considering Cecil's words. He didn't trust the GDA fully, but the thought of people getting hurt when he could prevent it weighed on him. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. What's the situation?"

Cecil handed him a small earbud. "Dr. Seismic is attacking Mount Rushmore. Don't ask me why—he's unhinged, as usual. I've already dispatched Eve to meet you there. You'll work together to stop him."

Mark took the earbud, slipping it in. "Got it."

Without another word, Mark leaped into the sky, his casual clothes morphing seamlessly into his Invincible suit mid-flight. He adjusted his trajectory, flying toward Mount Rushmore with the wind rushing past him.

Midway through the flight, Mark spotted a familiar pink streak in the sky. He matched its speed, catching up to Atom Eve, who looked unusually tense as she flew ahead of him.

"Hey, Eve," Mark called out, his voice light. "Ready to save Mount Rushmore?"

Eve glanced at him, her face tight with frustration. "Yeah. Let's just get this over with."

Mark frowned, noticing her mood. He had a pretty good idea of what was bothering her but decided not to push. "Alright, but if you need to talk—"

"I'm fine," Eve snapped, cutting him off. Her tone softened slightly when she added, "Thanks, though."

Mark nodded, respecting her space as they continued toward the monument.

When they arrived at Mount Rushmore, chaos greeted them. Civilians were screaming and scrambling to get away as massive boulders were hurled down the mountain. Dr. Seismic stood atop a ledge, wearing his signature sonic gauntlets, which vibrated with destructive energy. His loud, theatrical voice boomed across the area.

"These faces on this mountain are a symbol of oppression!" Seismic shouted, firing his gauntlets to dislodge another chunk of rock. "I'm here to bring them down and free the people from this facade of—"

Mark rolled his eyes, tuning out the monologue. "Why do villains always have to give a speech?" he muttered.

"Mark," Eve said, her tone sharp. "I'll handle the civilians. You focus on him."

"Got it," Mark replied, already moving.

Eve flew down toward the fleeing crowds, creating pink energy barriers to deflect falling debris and guiding people to safety. Meanwhile, Mark locked eyes on Seismic and shot forward, moving faster than the human eye could follow.

In an instant, Mark was in front of Seismic. His suit morphed around Seismic's gauntlets, the advanced fabric breaking down the weapons and absorbing their materials into its arsenal. Seismic barely had time to register what was happening before Mark tapped the side of his neck, knocking him out cold.

"He's all yours," Mark said, pressing his earbud.

Mark caught Seismic's unconscious body before it hit the ground and flew down to where a portal shimmered into existence, GDA agents stepping through. The agents nodded, pulling the unconscious villain through the portal as it vanished.

Mark turned back to Eve, who had finished evacuating the civilians and now hovered nearby. "That was fast," she said, a note of admiration in her voice. "You didn't even let him finish his speech."

Mark smirked. "Heroes with superspeed really shouldn't have trouble dealing with monologuing villains. It's just common sense."

Eve chuckled lightly but still looked distracted. Mark studied her for a moment before speaking. "Hey, you okay?"

Eve hesitated, then shook her head. "I'm fine."

"You're a terrible liar," Mark said gently. "Come on, let's go somewhere we can talk."

Eve looked at him for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright."

Mark led the way, flying back toward his house, the weight of Eve's unspoken sadness hanging between them.

When they arrived at the Grayson home, Mark led Eve to his room through the window. She sat on his bed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as she stared at the floor.

"Rex cheated on me," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "With Dupli-Kate."

Mark's heart sank, even though he'd known this was coming. "Eve, I'm sorry. That's… awful."

Eve wiped her eyes, trying to stay composed. "I thought he cared about me. But I guess I just didn't matter enough to him."

Mark sat beside her, his voice gentle but firm. "What Rex did wasn't about you, Eve. It was about him. He made a choice, and it was the wrong one. You deserve so much better."

Eve looked at him, her eyes filled with emotion and tears. "You really think so?"

Mark nodded. "Absolutely. And maybe… maybe this is a chance for you to figure out what you want. Without Rex holding you back."

Eve's gaze softened, and for a moment, she leaned closer, her face inches from his. But before anything could happen, the door opened, and Debbie walked in.

"Mark Grayson!" she exclaimed, her voice full of maternal authority.

Mark blurred into action, using his superspeed to put some distance between himself and Eve, making it look like they'd just been sitting and talking.

Debbie crossed her arms, giving Mark a pointed look. "You're too young to be bringing girls home unsupervised."

Mark winced. "Mom, I was just consoling a friend. She's having a rough night. Plus, I'm practically an adult."

Debbie's expression softened slightly, though she still gave Mark a suspicious look. "Fine. Eve, would you like to stay for dinner?"

Eve started to decline, but Mark cut in. "She'd love to."

The Grayson family sat around the dinner table, the mood light. Debbie passed plates of food while Nolan and Mark engaged in small talk. Eve stayed quiet, her mind preoccupied until she turned to Mark.

"So..." she asked, "is your dad Omni-Man?"

The question hung in the air, and Mark exchanged a glance with Nolan before nodding. "Yeah. That's him."

Eve's eyes widened in awe. "Wow. That's… a lot to live up to."

Mark smirked faintly. "Tell me about it."

The conversation continued, and for a moment, everything felt normal—just a family dinner with friends. But Mark knew that this fragile peace wouldn't last forever. The Viltrumite Empire loomed on the horizon and it was going to experience massive change.

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*Meanwhile, in space*

Allen had just finished his report to the Coalition Council, informing them about a half-Viltrumite who not only pledged to aid their cause but also possessed strength surpassing that of his Viltrumite father—the very same individual Allen had previously unknowingly been testing as Earth's champion.

When Allen finished reporting, he was called to a private meeting room with Thaedus, the coalition leader.

Thaedus leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze fixed on Allen. "Excellent work, Allen," he said, his deep voice carrying a note of approval. "Finding a Viltrumite willing to aid our cause is no small feat, let alone one with the strength to already rival his father."

Allen grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Thank you, Sir. Honestly, it felt like I just got lucky."

Thaedus chuckled softly, then leaned forward. "Luck or not, you've accomplished something significant. But tell me, have you noticed any changes in yourself recently?"

Allen blinked, confused by the question. "Changes? What do you mean?"

Thaedus gestured toward him. "Your build, your musculature. You've grown stronger."

Allen looked down at himself, taking in his slightly bulkier frame. His muscles were more defined, his body exuding a strength he hadn't noticed before. Flexing his arm experimentally, he marveled at the change. "Huh… I didn't even realize."

Thaedus's expression grew thoughtful. "When the Unopans genetically engineered you, they designed your body to adapt and grow stronger after recovering from near-death experiences. Have you had any such experiences recently?"

Allen's brows furrowed as he thought back to his last encounter with Mark—Invincible. The memory of that single devastating punch came rushing back. "Actually… yeah. During my last visit to Earth. Invincible hit me with a punch that almost killed me."

Thaedus's eyes widened in shock. "A single punch?"

Allen nodded, still a little awestruck at the memory. "Yeah. I've never felt anything like it. I thought I was done for."

For a moment, Thaedus was silent, his expression shifting from surprise to excitement. "If that's the kind of power Invincible already wields, then he could be the key to turning the tide against the Viltrumites." He smiled, his voice filled with hope. "I'm glad you left him a communicator. We'll need to reach out to him soon."

Allen nodded in agreement. "He's definitely someone worth having on our side."

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Later that evening, Allen was seated across from his girlfriend, Telia, in a cozy restaurant on a Coalition station. The atmosphere was warm and lively, filled with the hum of quiet conversation and the clinking of utensils.

Telia huffed at him, resting her chin on her hand. "You've been gone too long. Can't you at least try to visit more?"

Allen laughed softly, leaning back in his chair. "I guess I have been working a lot. I could take the time to-."

Before Allen could finish, a deafening explosion ripped through the wall of the restaurant. Debris scattered as the airlock seals activated, shielding the station from depressurization. Screams erupted as patrons ducked for cover. Allen was dragged out of the space station by three Viltrumites who were hovering in space looking menacingly at him.

The leader, a tall, scarred male with an aura of cold authority, floated forward. His eyes locked onto Allen, unyielding. "Allen the Unopan," he said, his voice like ice. "We've heard rumors about a hybrid Viltrumite on Earth. Give us information about him."

Allen's jaw tightened, his stance unwavering. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The leader smirked, his expression turning predatory. "Don't play dumb. You've been to Earth. We know you've met him. Now talk, or we'll make you talk."

Allen grinned despite the tension. "Why don't you try?"

Inside the restaurant, Allen's girlfriend watched in horror as the restaurant repaired the breach, the shimmering energy field reestablishing the barrier. She pressed her hands against the glass, her eyes wide as she saw Allen struggling against the attackers.

Without warning, one of the Viltrumites shot forward, punching Allen further into the vacuum of space. One came from above, throwing a devastating punch that Allen barely managed to block. The impact sent him hurtling backward, but he recovered quickly, propelling himself toward the attacker with newfound strength.

"Let's see how tough you really are!" Allen growled, landing a punch that sent his opponent flying.

The leader, however, was ready. He intercepted Allen mid-charge, slamming a fist into his abdomen with enough force to crack one of Allen's ribs. Allen gritted his teeth, refusing to give the leader the satisfaction of seeing him falter. He countered with a swift uppercut, the force of the blow causing the leader to lose his grip on Allen briefly.

Allen spun to face his remaining attackers, his muscles burning with exertion. Despite his newfound strength, the three Viltrumites worked together like a well-oiled machine. Their movements were precise, their strikes relentless.

Allen managed to incapacitate one of them, grabbing the Viltrumite by the leg and hurling him into an asteroid with a bone-crunching impact. But the effort left him vulnerable, and the leader capitalized on the opening, delivering a crushing blow to Allen's back.

The two remaining Viltrumites circled Allen like vultures, their confidence growing as they sensed his exhaustion. Allen swung at the leader, but his punch was slower now, easier to dodge. The leader caught his arm, twisting it painfully before slamming Allen into the station's hull.

Inside the restaurant, Allen's girlfriend cried out, her fists pounding against the glass. She watched helplessly as the Viltrumites brutalized him, her heart breaking with every blow.

The leader leaned in close to Allen, his voice cold and mocking. "You're resilient, I'll give you that. But you're still just a bug to us."

With one final, devastating punch, the leader sent Allen hurtling away from the station, his battered body spinning uncontrollably through space. The two Viltrumites hovered for a moment, their gazes following his trajectory.

"We've sent our message," the leader said, his tone dismissive. "Let's go."

The two Viltrumites turned grabbed the incapacitated Viltrumite and sped off into the void, leaving Allen drifting and broken.