INVICTUS

[Thiccc Shaedy]

Poor guy. All of this coulda been avoided if he didn't work with those fucking bastards.

 

[loudlistner]

S3EP1 {Where do you think the best sauna is?}

After the whole thing with Angstrom Levy was over, and I had my best damn sleep since the day I came back from Flaxan, my days have been calm.


Mostly just looking over cities and dropping the crime rate just by showing my face. And honestly? It feels amazing. I'm doing more good by being present than actually fighting. It was bound to happen, but like I said, just amazing.


When that's over with, I help Cecil with whatever mission he has for me. The good old meteor-slinging. And that's actually starting to worry me.


Why are there so many meteors flying toward Earth?


Space is gigantic. This shouldn't be so common, especially when the meteors are big enough to destroy humanity if they hit.


At some point, I was worried it was some kind of attack, but they were coming from every direction. So, I let it be. Hopefully, I'm not giving myself a bigger fight in the future.


… Oh, who am I kidding? I would love a bigger fight in the future.


There was also training with this kid who turned into a giant one-eyed cyclops. The first time we met was at the beginning of training for the Guardians and other hero groups. I thought it was just another monster, but nope, he was a kid all along.


Glad all I did in that fight was remove any civilians from the area.


Anyway, the kid is energetic, but he really couldn't touch me. So sometimes, I had to let him beat me, just to stop him from crying.


And after that, Cecil wanted to know how strong I was. For a while, I was confused. Did he really have anything that could test my limits?


He wanted to know how long I could stay in magma without the need for regeneration. If I started to regenerate, I was supposed to come out, because with regeneration, it would take forever.


Funnily enough, even without regeneration, it still took too long. He told me to come out when an hour passed, and I showed no sign of getting hurt. I was actually surprised. I did get burned by Earthquake Dude when he tried to kill himself about a year and some change ago, but now, there's no harm to my body.


Maybe the fight against the Viltrumite old lady and Battle Beast did more than I thought. Oh well, good for me.


The next test he wanted to do was my speed. Go to the moon and back.


I still don't know if I have the FTL speed other Viltrumites have, but I'm sure if it becomes necessary, my patron will intervene. That's his whole thing, and I like it, especially if it comes with random power-ups out of nowhere.


But I don't seem to have that speed yet. I was moving at about Mach one hundred, give or take. It took me three hours to go and come back to Earth.


The next test was… he wanted me to hold an iceberg.


Which was not hard.


I already knew I had some type of tactical telekinesis to make sure anything I pick up doesn't break down under its own weight. It was easy enough for me to hold it without any trouble.


He even made some type of weight machine the size of a building that definitely weighed more than it should for its size, but I was able to hold it easily.


At this point, he's realizing it's pointless, and he should just give up on testing my limit.


Before I could get cocky and mouth off, Rex came in to ask how much the weight machine cost and something about not having a coffee machine.


Cecil ignored him, but not me.


"Coffee is very important for heroes risking their lives against bank robbers, Cecil. You should definitely get him a better coffee machine."


"Yes, exactly… Wait, I don't risk my life against bank robbers! You do know I fight giant babies, too, right? You're not the only one that's going to be sued for child abuse."


"Hahahahaha."


Which just made me cackle, until Donald tells us someone is trying to steal the Declaration of Independence.


Seriously? What is the use of stealing the paper?


I was just exasperated.


"Mind testing those muscles of yours?"


"Well, I won't mind, but you have to give up soon."


"Hello? Did you forget about me? I'm feeling hurt."


"Sure, I'll take Rex. Maybe he can take the aggro if need be."


"Use me as a body shield, and I will shove a bomb up your ass."


"Sure thing, Gambit knock-off."


"Who the fuck is Gambit?"


And just like that, we were off to save an American paper, the best kind of paper in the world.


When we got there, they were already flying off on some kind of hoverboard. And by the time I noticed and dropped off Rex, they were already gone. As in teleportation. If they were just flying or moving normally, I could've caught them.


But nope. Teleportation.


Screw that.


With nothing else to do, I went home and saw Oliver, who's now not an infant but a grade school kid, playing soccer. I hugged Mom and then went out to play with Oliver outside.


I wanted to play soccer, but he said he was getting bored, so we switched to baseball. Just the throwing and catching part, but still, I didn't mind. I love the small, quiet times just as much as the large and loud fights.


He then made me promise to bring him out heroing someday, which I really don't mind. With me out there, almost every big villain hides. And as for the small-time bank robbers and other such criminals, when he gets his powers, he should be fine.


Unless his power becomes something like mine. Where He starts normal and only gets stronger over time.


If so, then he'll have to wait until he can at least tank medium-calibre bullets before he's allowed to fight anyone.


And while we were talking about powers… He started to fly.


Oh well. It was bound to happen.


But now I was really worried.


"You promised you'd take me out tonight."


"No, I will not. Instead, we're going to test how tough you are. If a bullet can give you a bruise, you're not fighting anyone strong. But if you can handle that, then I'll let you come out with me. What do you say?"


"Alright, fine. I want to know how strong I am."


"Okay. I'll call someone to get ready for the tests you'll be going through. And… does Mom know about your powers?"


"No, she doesn't," he sulks.


"Well, you're going to have to tell her. And accept whatever grounding she gives you."


"Aww man…"


"What did you think was going to happen?"


Then I left the playground to call Cecil.


"Well, Cecil, looks like you're finally allowed near my brother. He just got his powers, and I want you to test how tough he is. Start small, and let me know if anything you throw at him even scratches him."


"The world just keeps getting better and better. I'll take care of it."


"Thank you, Cecil. Don't actually push him too hard. I just want to know if he can handle being shot by bullets. As for the rest, I'll be there to protect him, alright?"


"Yeah, sure. I'll try not to hurt him."


And then he hangs up.


Motherfucker.


That same night, I got a call from William asking me to come hang out with him and Rick.


Which… really? Why did he want me to third-wheel? He was staring at that ass like it was water and he was lost in a desert, the first time I met Rick.


But whatever. I agreed.


I'd been starting to miss William, with all the tests I'd been doing for Cecil lately.


More confusingly, though, he took me to a bowling alley.


He promised a fun time… and then brought me, a superhuman with super strength, to a bowling alley.


Was I supposed to lose on purpose?


I didn't get it, but I tried to play the game.


And for some reason, I was not able to absolutely destroy him.


I am pretty sure I can just throw the balls and hit the targets, but I could not do it while using human-level strength, and I was not petty enough to cheat by making multiple brains to help calculate trajectory and other things.


Like… I have super strength.


I should not be having a hard time throwing a ball at stationary targets and hitting them, but nope.


The ball always went to the drain.


At some point, I was wondering if he was cheating, but I could not figure out how he would do it, so I kept my mouth shut.


And of course, he kept bragging.


Hmm, maybe I should make those extra brains.


No, I won't be that petty, even if he is making it really hard.


Once our game was over, we went to William's car, and I didn't even start to ask questions before I finally realized what they really wanted me there for: I was transportation. Well, what are superpowers if you can't use them for your friends?


I flew them back to their college. I even did a loop when asked, although I didn't stop until William got sick. But hey, that's just the danger of having a superpowered friend.


The next day, Cecil came in person to take Oliver to test his powers. But Mom said he's going to the zoo first, and whatever Mom says goes. So Cecil had to book another day.


Oliver, Mom, and I had a great time looking at all the animals. And Oliver just seemed to know every aquatic animal. I knew he liked them, but still, being able to name and describe all their attributes just by looking at them? Amazing. It was a good day.


But I do be living in interesting times, so of course something had to interrupt.


Man, I wasn't even upset. It would've taken me a few minutes. I could've made a clone to deal with it. At least, that was my hope, until Cecil tells me:


"Every hero in America has been kidnapped."


Are you fucking with me right now?


"What do you mean? How did this happen?"


"We don't know for sure yet, but the only ones safe are you and Eve. I need you to both check this out."


"Fuck... how do all the heroes go missing simultaneously? Do you know their last location? Was it some type of teleportation?"


"No. There are holes at the places where the heroes were last seen, and no blood. So it's a kidnapping, not a murder."


"So we're dealing with a group capable of not only kidnapping but also imprisoning every hero in America. This would have to be an army."


"Yeah, it most likely is. I don't know if it's a cooperation between multiple crime organizations, but if the crime rate increases drastically in the next few minutes, I'll need you to replace the heroes for as long as necessary."


Fuck my life.


"Yeah... I'll do that."


I made a clone to go into one of the holes, but once you go deep enough, it's filled. It wasn't a wall, so I couldn't just break through it. I didn't know where to go.


I really should have put a cell on my friends, so when something like this happens, I could just make a clone near them. I didn't because I thought it would be weird, but honestly, a cell would be like a teleportation beacon. It wouldn't be able to surveil them in any way.


I am definitely telling them about it, and at least a few of them are getting a cell on them.


Like, seriously, how does every hero in America get kidnapped at the same time? Whoever did this would need to know where they are constantly. They probably have access to the GDA.


Well, Cecil is going to get an earful from every hero. This will probably cause a lot of hero groups to distance themselves from the GDA, which could cause more damage than anything the criminals do, unless they kill every hero they've captured.


While I'm still worrying, Cecil tells me Rudy sent a signal from wherever they are.


Oh, thank God. At least they're not dead.


The location? Deep, deep underground, where there's literal magma. If we don't move fast, they're going to get cooked.


What do I see once Eve and I finally get there?


It was Earthquake Dude. Motherfucker.


"How? How is it you? All you do is make earthquakes!"


"Ahh, if it isn't my old friends, Token Diversity and Gender Stereotype."


"Which one am I?" I ask.


"Really, Mark? Our friends are captured and about to be cooked, and you want to know what nickname the villain gave you?"


"What? I could so be gender stereotyped! I'm super strong and have hair on my chest. I am a manly man."


"You're the token diversity," he interrupts.


"Why? Have you seen Eve take charge? She might be wearing pink, but I'd bet she was wearing the leather when she was dating Rex."


"...Man, shut up."


"He's blushing! See, Earthquake Dude? I was right!"


My joyous light bullying was rudely interrupted with tape slapped over my mouth.


"Stop talking to the villain and just capture him. Also, you should surrender before this gets ugly," Eve said.


I kept gesturing: See? She's the boss.


"Oh, it got ugly the moment Homo sapiens took their first step onto land."


"I understand you're vertically challenged, but you don't have the hair to speak for the trees," I interrupt.


He screams and slaps his gauntlets together.


I wonder how many brain cells he just lost to that one attack.


When we were trying to figure out what he did,


"Oh, don't worry. That wasn't an attack. It's how we talk."


And boom, there were a lot, and I mean a lot, of gigantic sandworms and a centipede leading them.


Fuuuuck.


Not only that, but there were lava monsters from before. And they were coming and coming, nonstop.


I made multiple clones to move all the heroes away from their cocoons, but almost all of them said no. They wanted to get their licks in. They also said there were no civilians around, so this could be just like the training exercises we do sometimes.


Well, they were right. And honestly? I didn't want to take all the glory anyway. So I did what they wanted, and everyone could fight.


And they were right. They got the fight they wanted.


I made sure anyone who was about to die got rescued, but that's all I did. Eve wanted in, too, so she joined the fight.

But it seems we were not the only ones interested in this fight.


From the same hole Eve made to get us here, Halo-style drop pods came falling down, only for Sinclair's cyborgs to come out, ready to fight. I honestly don't know why Cecil brought them out. Maybe to field-test the weapons? Well, whatever his reason, the cyborgs fought the mindless ones while the heroes focused on the sandworms.


I saw Robot shoot the eyes of the centipede, which, for a moment, confused me. What does a centipede that lives underground need eyes for? But then again, the dinosaurs speak English, so just ignore it and maybe it'll fix itself.


While every hero did great, the real MVP was Eve. She still can't manipulate meat, so she couldn't just incapacitate the monsters with a thought, but she was able to damage my body by the end of our training in Midnight City, and her power hasn't decreased.


She tore through every sandworm that so much as pointed its mouth at her. She was like a disco ball, her lasers ripping through the monsters like tofu.



I made a clone to watch Earthquake Dude in case he tried to escape, but it turned out that wasn't necessary. The protégé of Darkwing came out of nowhere and just kidnapped the old man.


Well, I know he's under Cecil's command, so he probably just threw him straight into prison.


Once the mad scientist was gone, all the centipedes and mindless ones started to retreat.


A good day's work done.


Time to put everything back to where it was.


Luckily, the mad scientist wasn't working with any other villains.


I had made a clone near space, just in case Cecil asked me to help with rising crime, but it seems there was no need.


Lucky me.

 

[Thiccc Shaedy]

"Ahh, if it isn't my old friends, Token Diversity and Gender Stereotype."

Click to shrink...

My guy is sooooo PC that he basically turned around and became a bigot. Like, why is the first thing he notices about Mark and Samantha their race and gender?

 

[loudlistner]

3EP2 {can't buy privacy}

I knew that the world had to be complicated. For God's sake, there are terrorists in it. So, of course, I was not surprised to see Nightwing's sidekick working with Cecil. And of course, Cecil, the leader of the world's foremost global defence organization, can't be clean.

I knew he was impressed when he saw Sinclair's work.

I have seen many, many soldiers, generals, and scientists do so much evil in harm's way to the greater good. " So many of them thought I was the monster out to destroy their civilization. Some because they did not know better, some because they did not care to know, and some because they knew and still thought doing their best to kill me was a good idea.

Every single one of them hurt their people more than me. Every time I got hit with some new chemical that melted my skin off, or a super soldier that was able to break my bones, and laser guns that eviscerated my body... all of them cost the lives of test subjects and poor civilians that had to starve to feed the war machine against a monster that does not die.

And it is the same with Cecil. He has an enemy that wants to destroy and enslave his species. For his fight against the Viltrumites, he will do anything and everything if it means humanity will survive.

For the cyborgs, I made him promise the bodies were willingly donated before death, so that helped.

For Darkwing, he was a sidekick who thought killing would be his way of following in his hero's footsteps. So if Cecil managed to convince him to work for him, however he did it, maybe with a bomb in his neck, I don't care, so long as he doesn't choose to go overboard.

Ha. I don't know what overboard even means for me anymore. I've seen too many horrific things, so of course this doesn't qualify. But that's not the same for Rudy and Eve. They saw William get hurt. They saw Rick struggle with being unable to feel human touch. So, of course, when I got a call from Rudy saying he wanted to talk, I wasn't surprised.

When I arrived, I saw every Guardian, and Eve too. So yeah, this is going to be serious.

"I called this meeting because of the help we received during the Doc Seismic attack."

"What was wrong with the help we received? Sure, the cyborgs looked unsettling, but they were useful," Black Samson followed up.

"The problem is exactly that, they were cyborgs. Humans turned into unfeeling monsters. But that wasn't the real issue. When I saw them, I was upset. So I hacked into the GDA and learned more. I found out the bodies were obtained with consent, so that's a good thing. Honestly, I was expecting worse. But then I discovered he had a list of villains he was planning to..."

"You hacked into the GDA? That's a criminal offence," said Immortal, cutting in.

"Shut up. It's not like we don't all know Cecil is shady. He's probably got cameras recording us right now," Rex tried to support... I think.

"Not currently. When I gathered everyone here, I intercepted and looped every recording device I could find."

"Are you insane? Who permitted you to do this?" Immortal looked like he was about to explode.

"I fucking knew it. I was expecting some level of tracking, but how many did you disable?"

"It doesn't matter how many recorders there were."

The Immortal does not want to see this could be bad.

"Oh, but it does. I expect some level of privacy! Was there a way to spy on me in my civilian life?"

"Rex, do you even have a civilian life?"

"Joke all you want, Rae, but I want an answer."

"Yes. There were multiple ways to monitor everyone's civilian lives."

"Motherfucker…"

"Again, it does not matter if there was a recording."

"Shove it up your self-righteous ass, Immortal."

"It does matter. We wear masks because we expect to have the safety of a civilian in our civilian lives. I don't want to meet any villain or hero or anyone affiliated with this part of my life in my civilian identity unless I ask for it. This is a betrayal of trust." Bulletproof said his part, and honestly, that is the problem, the betrayal.

"I would like to ask a question." I was getting anxious.

"What is your question, Invictus?"

"Well, Robot, I am wondering why Eve and I are here. This seems like a Guardians meeting."

"Exactly. Why are they here?"

"Samson, don't change the fucking subject like it's a TV channel you don't want to watch. This is our lives, for God's sake. Same for you, Invictus. If you can't see why trusting Cecil after this is wrong, then you are dumb."

Hmm. Rex got me.

"I involved you two in this because I would like to get your opinion on our decision, not just as a friend, but as a colleague who was personally affected by this."

"How has this personally affected me?"

"He also has recordings of your civilian life."

"I am aware that he put recorders in my house; he technically owns it, so although I am not cheery, I have come to understand that."

"He also has recordings of your mother's house."

"I had asked him to stop those. Have they stopped?"

"No. They are currently ongoing."

"Well, that helps me make my decision. Can you remove the recorders from our civilian life and maybe send some drones home once in a while to make sure more are not being implanted?"

"Yes, I can do that."

"Thanks, Rudy."

"It does not matter what Cecil did. The Guardians are the best hero team there is, and if you don't like the strings attached, you are allowed to leave."

"You know what? You are right, Immortal. And I don't like the strings attached to me. So yeah, I am quitting the Guardians. Who is coming?"

"Where would we even go, Rex?"

"I don't know, Ray. But we made the Teen Team work, even with all the drama I put them through. I am sure we can handle this, too."

"Before you try to break off, I would like to say something on behalf of Cecil. While I don't agree with the intrusion, not even a little, and the same with the betrayal, I have seen the same thing happen a lot in my time in the Flaxan dimension.

For people in power, the idea of the greater good is something they have to follow. I am not asking you to follow his orders, and certainly not to trust him after this. But if he asks for help, I don't want any of you ignoring it. "

"We won't. But yeah, I am getting the fuck out of here," Rex was the first.

"Same with me. Not just the civilian life thing, but also the longer I stay here, the younger I get with all the requirements other than fighting. So yeah, goodbye."

"I can't follow a man I can't trust, and I simply can't trust Cecil." Bulletproof followed.

"Hah. It was good while it lasted." Shrinking Rae is also going.

"While this was not the purpose of the meeting I had gathered, I have also made my decision." Rudy then follows after Shrinking Rae, although he was looking at Monster Girl the whole time. I wish them luck. He had asked me about my temporal pod tech, but in reverse. Instead of slowing time in the pod, it would instead increase it. We have yet to figure it out, but I think I know what he was planning, although he will need to figure out how to make it work without affecting the mind of the patient. But he has all the time in the world to figure it out.

After we left the room, followed by Immortal telling them to remove all their belongings in two hours or he was going to throw them out in person, we all separated.

I wanted to inform Cecil and get it done with. I'll probably be homeless after this.

"Hey Cecil, I don't know if you already know this, but I have become aware of you still surveilling my mom, and I am pretty pissed. I agreed you could do that to me because I didn't want a war with the GDA, be it cold or hot. I didn't want any aggression between us. But there seems to have been a miscalculation.

I don't want aggression because you would bother me, not because you can threaten me. So, the test you were going to provide to my brother, forget that. Same with paying me. You can still call me for emergencies, but no more tests on my body to figure out a way to kill/contain me if the need ever comes. And a few other things that will come to mind in the future. "

It was a text message. I broke up with one of the most powerful men in the world over a text. Hilarious.

It only took him ten minutes to teleport near me. At least I can say he's got balls.

"You said you understand the position I'm in. Why the sudden change?"

"I did understand your position. I understood you needed to make weapons out of your soldiers, and you promised it would be with consent, which it was. Good. I understood you and your bosses needed to feel like you were doing something in case I became a threat, so I showed I was not a threat and still helped you come up with many ways to at least delay me.

But I asked you to remove my mom and brother from this. There wasn't supposed to be any surveillance on her after I gave you access to tech that is centuries ahead of current Earth. As much as I hated it, I bought their privacy.

But then I get told you broke your word. It doesn't even matter if it was not you directly; even if someone overruled you or slipped it past you, I made the deal with you. And you are the one I'm blaming. "

"Fuck. I will deal with this."

"Good luck, Cecil. I hope you keep your humanity. It is the one thing that will never betray you first."

"We can be the good guys or the guys that save the world. We can't be both."

"I hope that's just a quote from a bad fortune cookie. A world saved by the not-so-good guys seems a lot like what the Viltrumite lady proposed: a world of no hunger, no natural disasters, and no free will. Makes you feel skeevy just imagining it. Yeah."

"...Goodbye."

And with that, he was teleported out of there. Rudy sent me a drone to deal with all the recorders put in my mom's house. She was not happy, but neither was she that surprised. She did agree that nobody from the GDA is going anywhere near Oliver.

As for testing his strength, I can technically do it. It just wouldn't be very accurate.

 

[loudlistner]

S3EP3 {life is full of surprises.}

A few days later, after I tested Oliver's powers with a main focus on durability, I found out he's tough enough to handle vehicular-mounted guns with only a few bruises. So I didn't mind letting him follow me on a patrol. I made a promise: if the opponent wasn't some high hitter, he'd be allowed to fight.

We went into one city and started our patrol. While we were flying, I got a notification informing me there was a bank robbery, so I thought, why not let Oliver take over? I was sure he could handle handguns without a scratch, so I wasn't worried until we arrived and I saw two villains who shouldn't be here.

"Finally! It is my time to shine!"

"Stop, Omni-Kid."

… I did not like that name, but he wanted to be a lot like his dad, so he was relentless. At least I managed to get him down from Kid Omni Man; that was just three words thrown together. Not catchy at all. But whatever.

"Why? You said I can handle it if I'm not in danger. And I'm not in danger from bank robbers."

Well… he would be correct. The problem is,

"Forget this fight. I need to have a private talk with these two."

"Look, man, just get it over with; cuff us and draw funny figures on our faces or something," James said, sounding dejected.

"We're going to have a talk in a more private place than a bank," I said, and picked both of them up, flying them out to the roof of the bank.

"So now my question is: Why are you two here? You got out of prison for good behaviour. Last I checked, you didn't want to be villains anymore. You had a civilian life, with a home and a job. For God's sake, James and Kevin, you two had a future. Why drop it?"

I was kind of trying to scare them. Because out of all the villains I've fought, most do it for megalomania, hate, or greed. But these two? They did their time and got out legit. I even followed up and saw them living in a crappy house with a crappy job. I can't see why they'd throw that away.

"Is someone forcing you?"

"We got fired and evicted," Kevin said. "We tried to live as civilians, but we couldn't cut it. We had to stay homeless for a while before even trying this. But it's all we've got. We're the mooks. And that seems like all we can do." Kevin was angrier, but there was the same dejection in his voice.

How do I even fix this? I have a good sum of money on me since I did not need to use the pay Cecil was giving me all this time. But that won't fix the actual problem, and they already robbed the bank, so there will need to be some consequences. I did not want to call Cecil this fast because of the recording thing, but this is more important. Oh well. Hopefully, this won't be awkward.

"Fuck. You two are so going to owe me for this." I then bring up my phone to call Cecil.

"What are you doing?" Kevin asked, maybe feeling hopeful since I am not drawing on his face.

"Shuuuush." When the phone was picked up: "Yeah, Cecil, it's me. I am asking for a favour."

"Did you not just quit working for me?"

"Yeah, I fucking know that, but still. I just met Tether Tyrant and Magnamaniac when they were trying to rob a bank. I was hoping you could help since they have a chance of being rehabilitated. At the very least, paying them a little not to be villains should be a net positive, right?"

"I will look into it, but capture them anyway."

"Yeah, but contact them soon, please. And bye."

"There. Now I am still going to put you in jail, but someone is going to contact you about giving you some type of legal job. Don't fuck it up, alright?"

"A… Are you for real?"

"Yeah, yeah. Be grateful or whatever. If I see you two committing a crime, I am seriously going to be pissed. For now, just wait for the cops."

I can't believe I had to ask Cecil for help so soon. I am seriously too dependent on him. I need that fixed. As for money, I can just fly to space and find some meteor with rare minerals in it, so that is easy. But I need contacts.

Maybe I will go to Titan. I hear he has replaced Machine Head, and somehow, his city is cleaner. There is still some crime, which I sometimes stop when I come across it, but there is no more drug dealing to kids, no forced prostitution, and no human trafficking. I liked it. That is why I have not just flown through one of his windows when he is having some type of meeting.

But relying on a criminal might not be better than Cecil, and it would certainly be far more limited. He does not have Cecil's reach.

Oh, whatever, I will deal with it in the future.

I then take Oliver to a different part of the city to find more crimes. This time, it was a mugging.

"Okay, Oliver, you see that guy down there? I want you to stop him from hurting the nice old lady. Since he doesn't have a gun or knife, I'll let you handle it. What do you say?"

"My name is Omni-Kid, and when we are out saving people. I want you to use that name. And this is easy peasy. I thought I would get a challenge."

"All right, Omni-Kid, remember, your job is not to capture the bad guy. It's to save the civilian."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." He says that and flies down between the mugger and the old lady, almost scaring her to death.

"Fear not, civilian! I will save you!"

… Yeah, he's going to need more training.

"What the fuck, aaaahhhh!" The mugger tried to run.

Then Oliver flies at him, ignoring the old lady falling because of the fright and wind pressure. I caught her and reassured her.

"By the way, what grades would you give our young hero, Mrs…?"

"You may call me Miss Sombra. As for the grades, ten for showmanship, but four for situational awareness."

"Hahaha, thank you, Miss Sombra. I was going to deduct for carelessness, but I see the wisdom behind your wording. He might not even cry about it later."

"What are you guys talking about?"

He came back after tying the mugger to a light pole and spraying water on his pants. I am so proud.

"We were talking about your situational awareness. You almost cost this poor lady her life. You're going to go through way more training before I allow you to patrol by yourself. But for your first time, it was good. Now, apologize to Miss Sombra here and get your scolding."

I say with a serious face, arms folded across my chest. Inside, I am cackling.

"I'm sorry, Miss Sombra. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, don't worry, dearie. I'm sure you'll do better next time. But I should get going."

"We can escort you to wherever you're heading if that's all right."

"Oh no, dear. You're a busy man, and my home is only a few buildings over."

"All right then. Have a good day, Miss Sombra…" I then fly to the sky with Oliver following behind. "Omni-Kid, you got lucky. I know you can control your strength; you can fly at home without disturbing the picture frames. This time, you almost pushed down that poor lady. We already know you're strong, Oliver. For you, strength is not the requirement for heroism; it's control and your brain. You need to use it well. April praised your mental growth. Don't disappoint her, all right?"

"Yeah… I won't do it again."

"All right. For now, that's enough. We'll look for more crimes later, all right?"

"Yeah… sure."

"Hey, cheer up. On my first time, I got my face caved in by a villain. You did much better."

"What?! How? You have to tell me more."

And so, while flying home, I told him about how Titan and I first met. He already knew my powers started weak and increased later, so he wasn't surprised I lost. But he didn't know I was injured, so when we arrived, he was laughing at me.

That is… until Mom learned how careless he was, and she grounded him, then I got to laugh while he floated above the stairs.

"I'm worried. If you weren't there, that lady could have died."

"Yeah, but I was there. And until he's ready, I will be there. He has yet to learn to be careful around others. But you taught it to me, and with his brainpower, I'm sure it won't take him as long as it did with me."

"I hope so, Mark. I hope so."

The next day, when I took Oliver out for a training exercise, I heard on my comm that someone was trying to break someone out of prison, so we went to check it out.

"Okay, you have got to let me help. There's no civilian for me to worry about, so I can go all out."

"What? No, no, no. What did I tell you yesterday? You're strong. If you go all out, I'm sure you could burst through Kursk like he wasn't even there. I don't want you to do that. Instead, you can watch me do it and hopefully learn."

"Oh, come on. Please?"

"Nope. If you don't listen, I'll tell Mom."

"Augh, fine…"

Then I flew down, only to see Kursk and Furnace being fought off by Magnamaniac and Tether Tyrant. Ha! Looks like I was right to give those two a chance. I don't think Cecil has already contacted them, so this is probably their initiative. This is why I won't lose hope. Even when it seems bleak, out of nowhere, there come great surprises, like today.

"Hello guys, do you want my help?"

"Ahhh, Invictus, just stop these guys and go away!"

"Aaawww, Kevin, are you getting shy? I can't wait to see your reaction when this becomes public and reporters ask why you changed sides."

"Fuck you. Just go away."

"Thank you. We needed the help."

"Don't even, James. You both did this without anybody asking. You deserve all the good things to come. If someone doesn't talk to you within a week, call me and I will deal with it. I promise."

After saying my piece, I restrained Kursk, but by then Magnamaniac and Tether Tyrant had already taken out Furnace, so I didn't have to do that myself. And when that was over, the prison guards came to arrest all the criminals; sadly, that included James and Kevin. But they handed themselves in without commotion.

Now, how do I get to know why Furnace and Kursk tried to break into prison? Usually, Cecil would tell me a few hours or days later, but now I would be out of the loop. I could probably scare one of them by flying them into the sky… Actually, why not?

"Hello, officer."

"Yes, Invictus, how can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you could allow me to interrogate one of the new prisoners, Kursk or Furnace. It would only take a few minutes, and I won't force it if it breaks your rules."

"Sorry, no. I can't stop you if you decide, but it would make my job a lot harder."

"Sigh… All right then. But can you call me if you get any information you can share? I can give you my phone number."

"All right. We will question them, and if I get any useful information, I will call you."

"By the way, what may I call you?"

"I'm the assistant warden, and my name is Mr. Mikhael."

"Thank you. And have a good day."

With that over with, I flew up, up, and away. I went back to get Oliver because I forgot about him for a moment, but we talked about giving people second chances, and I made sure he got the idea. It's not about "two chances," but about being there with a helping hand when someone needs it… even if that someone turns out to be a villain.

Once we arrived, we saw Mom kissing her new boyfriend. I was surprised she would bring him home; I didn't think she was ready. But good for her.

Only for Oliver to interrupt and ask if they were going to "couple."

I covered his eyes and ears to get him to his room.

And that was our day.

Eve texted the friend group, telling everyone she talked with her family about her powers, and now she's on good, or at least acceptable, terms with them. She said it would help with her school if she had a permanent residence. Good for her. Once she learns how to build even better, she'll be in a whole different class of heroism.

The next day, I see on TV that the same nuclear silo attacked by the Lizard League is being attacked again. And the Guardians, at least the ones that were left, the Immortal, Black Samson, Shapesmith, and Darkwing, two were sent, but they were taking too long, so I was going to interfere. If I were working with Cecil, I would probably have gotten a call long before, but instead, I get to find out from a TV. Well, at least I am lucky it was on the news.

I decided to take Oliver because I was training him. I made him promise that if it was anything too serious, he would have to leave, or I would make a clone to carry him out. He was excited, so we got there fast. And when we arrive, what do I see? The Mauler Twins.

"Did you not die in the explosion at that warehouse? I even tried to save one of you, but I was told you died."

"Well, what can I say? We are good at comebacks."

And then they shoot something at me. I was not worried until it hit me, and my body could not move. Yeah, it was my fault.

"Ha! We got Invictus! Nobody can touch us now!"

"You bastards! Don't touch my brother!" I hear a scream, and one of the twins has a hole in their body.

Shit.

"Nooo!" I make a clone to take Oliver from the nuclear silo.

"Shit! Immortal, call Cecil and get this guy in cuffs! You, remaining Mauler, don't resist… GOD DAMMIT!"

I disintegrate the body in the nuclear silo.

"Oliver, that is it. I told you the only thing you needed was control. But since you don't seem to have that, nor any inclination to learn, you are not going on any patrols. If I see so much as a purple afterimage, forget the grounding you are already in; there is going to be more."

"I was trying to help."

"I am sure you were, but I told you. You were strong. I told you all you needed was control. But no, instead you would rather go through a villain than stop them."

"Well, I did stop him. I stopped him permanently."

"I did not ask you to stop him permanently. You think I could not do that? No, I don't do it because it is wrong. Simple as that. I don't want you to hurt others. Mom does not want you to hurt others. Why is that not enough for you?"

"You and Mom say I have to use my powers responsibly. Is it not responsible to make sure the bad guys don't hurt anyone anymore?"

"It is not about responsibility. First, it is not your responsibility. Killing all the bad guys won't work. Because by then, you become one of the bad guys, no matter what you were hoping for in the beginning."

"I'm sorry."

"No. Sorry is not enough. You just killed someone. It does not matter if you are really sorry. He is still dead."

Fuck. I really can't deal with this now.

"Go home now and tell Mom everything you did. Once I get back, I will ask her what you told her, so there better not be anything missing...GO."

He flies away.

Fuck. He is a kid with a fast-growing brain. I did not want him to touch death until far later.

It took a while, what with me trying not to freak out about my brother having his first kill at age one, but once I got home, I saw Mom cleaning the dishes. I helped with the drying. We talked about her new boyfriend. I told her I approved. It was time she moved on. Although I was a little surprised she told him about our secret, I could understand. It would have never worked out if she kept it a secret. So good for her.

Then we talked to Oliver. He seems to think that some people, people he does not know, don't matter. Well, that is going to take a while to fix. Good thing he is just one year old, and we caught it in time. With how the Maulers work, he would be able to clone himself back to normal, so nothing was lost, and we managed to catch this fast.

Mom tried to connect herself with the rest of the people he does not care about, saying if he cares about her dying, then he should try to do the same with the rest of the world. I don't think it is all better yet, but we should be able to help him grow better. Of course, there will be no more patrolling for a while. He is even grounded the whole time, so he will learn a lesson.

But while we are at that, I see something looking at us. I did not know what it was, so I activated Invictus and made a clone downstairs to capture it, only for me to hold it still and for it to explode.

Sensitive tech. Well, I will get Rudy to check it; if there is a record of something like it, to find its maker or something like that.

 

[NoOne1231]

I've been reading this story but it doesn't seem like anything new is going on. It's just stating this happened and that happened like it's being speeded through. No much of a story rather a series of short bullet points about invincible. I think a ton of authors get stuck when writing about invincible and nothing really changes besides a few things. All the clones and the power ups don't really feel impactful just that they happened.

 

[loudlistner]

S3EP4 {time travel??? Hell yeah.}

The next day, I gathered the spying orb and flew directly to Teen Team HQ. Although Bulletproof kept complaining about it still being called Teen Team, maybe they'll change it. I'd definitely like to know what they come up with, and if they allow it, maybe even suggest a few names myself.

Amusing myself with those thoughts, I arrived and presented the tech to Rudy's drone. Since he controls them with a brain chip, it's like he has two bodies. It doesn't increase his thinking speed, but he's a genius. The only time I come close is when I have hive-mind active with over a dozen brains, and even then, I think he's simplifying things for me. So yeah, he doesn't need help thinking. I'd bet we look like particularly loud monkeys to him. Good thing he doesn't let that get to his head.

But the result of the test wasn't what we hoped for. He told me the self-destruction mechanism was very effective. It had destroyed all internal components, and there were no marks or engravings to trace where the metals came from.

"There's nothing you can tell me?"

"All I got is it's expensive, it's from Earth, and it's also very advanced."

"So maybe a super-genius made it. But if it was some mad scientist, I doubt they'd be quiet about it… hmm. I'll ask Cecil about it."

"You're working with Cecil?" Rudy used both his real voice and his robot drone at the same time, which annoyed Monster Girl, but he apologized quickly.

"Kinda. I'm no longer getting paid by him, or living in the house he provided, and he's not calling me for emergencies. But if he does call, I'd go. It's not like it matters how I find out, as long as I find out in time to help. And I'm sure he knows that if this was him, I'd have a more aggressive reaction than just calling his phone. So I doubt it's one of his.

I also call him when I need help with stuff. Like, I met two former villains committing a crime, and when I asked why, they told me they had no other way to live. So I asked Cecil, and he said he'll see what he can do. "

"I see. Then I wish you luck."

"Thanks, Rudy. I really hope we get to the bottom of this. I don't want my family in danger again."

As for the people who were spying on me, I'm sure they'll show themselves again. It's not like someone who decided to spy on my family would just stop because I found out. When that happens, I'll catch them. I asked Rudy if he could lend me some kind of scanner to help with that, and he didn't hesitate. He just handed me one.

I was honestly surprised.

"Wow. Thank you; I wasn't expecting you to just give me something like that so easily."

"It's a repayment. For your help with my project. I am… thankful."

"Not a problem, Rudy. If you need help, ask for it, not just from me. Everyone here is willing to help. Though… I don't know how helpful Rex can be."

"Hey! I can be very helpful! ... Wait, what am I helping with?"

"Hahahaha, ohhh, I know. You can be the test subject to see what it does!"

"Hey! I've been an experiment my whole life. I'm not going through that again!"

"...Sorry, Rex. I didn't mean to remind you of that."

"...Hahaha, just kidding. I know you all won't betray me."

After that, I went out to call Cecil and ask,

"Yeah, Cecil. There is someone spying on my family. I really hope it's not you, because I don't think you would be that stupid after I did all those favors for you. So I was hoping you could use your massive reach to help me get to the bottom of it."

"No. We are not working together anymore. Why would I do you this favor? For the two criminals, I'd get them to work for me by helping them, but this? This gets me nothing."

"Man, I've saved your ass so many times. I was even willing to kiss a fish for you. There's also all the tech and info I gave you that could be useful to fight against..."

"Ugh, fine! I get it. Stop talking and send me what you find. I'll deal with it."

"Thank you, Cecil. I'll fly to the Pentagon soon. Also, I don't owe you one. You just owe me less."

"Fuck you. If this wasn't so important, I wouldn't be helping you."

"Aaawwww, I'm so happy my family is still so important to you. Still, you better not be recording us."

"I'm not going to answer that. Goodbye, Mark."

"Yeah, bye to you, too, Cecil."

I wonder if he really is spying on me. Well, I know at the very least it's not through video cameras in the house; Rudy had gotten all of them out. And there were a lot of them.

I flew to the Teen Team HQ and gathered the remaining scraps to give to Cecil. When I was done with my delivery work, I did what I was good at and patrolled. Like always, the real criminals were ghosts. Well, the big-time ones. There are still the morons, but those are just an intrinsic part of human society.

While I was patrolling, a portal opened and two people on a hoverboard came out of it, the same two people who stole the Declaration of Independence.

"Well, hello, criminals. Has the guilt weighed on you too much? Decided to turn yourselves in? That's good; it should reduce your punishment."

"Wait, wait, wait! Before you capture us, we need your help! We stole the Declaration of Independence for a good reason, we promise!"

"Oh? And what could this good reason be?"

I was slowly floating toward them, threateningly. I wasn't being too serious, since they hadn't killed anyone, but I should probably capture them. If they try to get on that hoverboard, I'm not letting it happen.

"Well, you see, we're from the future. We're in a global war, and we thought we could get information that could help us by coming back here. We also learned that you're very strong, and we were hoping you'd follow us to help defeat our enemy. If you come back with us, we can show you we're the good guys. Please help us."

Well, I don't really mind. Even if they're lying, at most they'll destroy a body or incapacitate one, which I can then just disintegrate. So I'm not worried.

"Alright, I'll follow you guys. But I hope you're telling the truth, because if you're not, you're going to regret it."

Even if that regret comes from shame and not pain, it still works very well.

And so, I climbed on the hoverboard, designated as the third wheel, and we went to the future.

I don't actually think it is the future, or at least, not my future. If it were, I would be there to protect the world. And if their enemy was me, there'd be no actual fighting. Even hiding would only work if I allowed it.

So I can't wait to see what's going on here.

Once we get there, one of them pulls out a rifle—don't ask me where they got it from—and starts shooting the sky to attract the enemy.

Shouldn't there be a plan instead of… this?

But no, a group of flying robots descends to capture us.

Just as I'm ready to fight, they say, "There are millions of these robots."

Okay, this is going to take a while.

Also, did I mention that the moment I got here, I no longer had contact with my remaining cells all around the world?

At least that tells me this is not my future. If it was, I would just join the hive mind and instantly know what was going on. But since there's no hive mind already set up here, that means somehow I've been removed permanently, which I don't even think is possible with my patron out there.

Or this is not the same universe I was in before.

Also… I think I finally found the limit to the distance of my clones with Invictus, since I can't make any clones back home.

Shit.

I need to get this over with fast before anything bad happens at home.

Fight Master then tells me it's their plan to get captured, because it would take way too long to meet the king otherwise. Well, I do love efficiency, at least when my family might be in danger if I'm not efficient.

And so, we get captured.

The robots call me Invincible instead of Invictus, so yeah, another tick mark in the not the future category.

When we arrive at the palace, which looks like some kind of beacon, they tell me their mother was taken here and never came back. It was why they fought so hard and even risked it all bringing me here.

When we get into the palace, we get separated. But they told me they can take care of themselves, and I should only fight once the king is in front of me. Well, this is their rebellion. Who am I to get in their way? And I'm sure they were telling the truth about being able to handle themselves.

Once I follow the robots and go into some kind of chamber, who do I see?

Immortal.

Well, he is immortal, so of course he would still be here.

"So it's you, Mark. Y… You finally came back."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not your Mark. But yeah, I'm here. Mind telling me why a hero like you is now ruling this planet? And why is there a world war?"

"It's your fault. You left me in charge and just forgot about Earth. After all these centuries… I'm just a husk of who I once was. And it's all your fault."

"Why do I even have the authority to decide who rules Earth? And if you didn't want to be king, why not just… leave?"

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. A king must die. He can't just retire."

Wow. The loneliness really did mess him up. He could've just faked his death. Isn't that what he did with his Abraham Lincoln persona?

"End my suffering. You owe it to me. It's the only way for humanity to rise again."

Well, if I do that, I doubt the world will be better off by itself. I think it would need to be the rebellion that actually kills him, or at least deposes him.

"Look, I don't mind killing you, especially with all that you've done, but if I kill you, what about the people? Do you have a plan for how they'll get back up? Or is it just :die and see what happens?"

"The robots have an order. If I die, they'll stop following any commands I gave them and follow humanity instead."

Well, there's going to be a lot of death, but it really does seem necessary.

"Okay. So do you fight? Or do I just fly through you?"

"Suicide is the coward's way out. You're going to need to kill me."

Well, that explains why he didn't just throw himself into the sun. Beyond a king's duty, maybe.

"All right then. Goodbye, Immortal. " You were an asshole for a while, but you were also a hero, even if nobody will remember you for it.

I then make a clone and lariat him. He tries to fight back, but:

First, I'm too strong.

Second, there are two of me.

We manage to rip his head off pretty fast.

All this time, the two brothers were watching. They start to celebrate. Well, he was their greatest enemy. I'd probably celebrate too if the person who killed my mom died.

"All right, then. Make whatever news you want. I'll dispose of the body, unless you want to do it. If so, then you'll need to separate the body so he doesn't come back."

"We'll take care of the body disposal. First, we need to show the world that he's actually dead. Then we can start rebuilding."

"Well, good luck. Now, can you send me back? I'd like to return exactly when you brought me."

And so they send me back, only for it to become clear that my DNA has disintegrated.

Well. I guess that means I can't make one on Thraxa anymore. Not that I tried. But it was a good part of my immortality. Even if someone destroyed all my DNA on this planet, I would still come back in Thraxa… or Mars.

But it's all right. I can just spread my blood everywhere again.

First, make a clone to spread it across the Earth.

Then a clone for the Moon.

Then a clone for deeper space.

That'll have to do for now.

It's not another galaxy, but I'm pretty sure no one can actually kill me unless they have some kind of mass teleportation that can move all of my DNA into one place and then destroy it.

I probably shouldn't jinx myself… But if someone did manage that, what would I do?

I could just make a whole lot of clones in a small area and cause an explosion. But if they prepare and do it fast enough, they could get lucky.

Whatever. I'm tired now.

'Future me' can deal with future problems.

 

[loudlistner]

S3EP5 {ugh, what a disappointing lizard}

The next day, when I woke up from sleep, Mom had already made breakfast, and it was the floppiest pancake I had ever seen. And while I'm drooling, she gives the majority to Oliver. Favoritism. I sense favouritism.

"Is he not supposed to be punished? Why does he get all the goodies?"

I am not jealous… Mind your business.

"He's still grounded, but he's also growing, so he gets the good food. If you want more, go buy yourself pizza. Or make that biological abomination you call food."

Gasp. "It is not an abomination! It is God's gift for the very few that can eat it and survive to brag. It is my glorious right as its maker to be rewarded and praised for my genius!"

"Keep dreaming. Dreams are good. They keep us going."

… I heard that from somewhere before.

"You'll see! One day I will show you all."

I've been around too many mad scientists if they're influencing me this much, but it feels nice. Hmm. I think I'm getting corrupted.

After my great and unquestionable monologue, we ate all the pancakes. I also asked Mom if she could help me rent a house. I was enjoying living by myself a bit too much to go back to living with my mom. There was also the part where I caught her with her new boyfriend...

I was able to convince her it was a good idea after I told her I had a good amount of money from what Cecil was paying me when I was working with him. And I didn't have to waste it because my housing was already covered. And my food? Well, when you have the power to catch any animal you want and cook it however you want, you don't waste much on food.

Well, I did use a lot of money on any seasoning and spice I could find… But that's just because I'm a foodie. And I will never stop being one if I can help it.

After a while of asking me questions about responsibility, she agreed after making me promise to get some type of source of income, and I agreed. I mean, sure, I was spending a lot of time here because of Oliver, but I did live a good, long while by myself.

A few hours later, I get a message from Cecil.

A prison break.

Usually not something he would tell me about, especially not since the whole "I'm no longer working for you" thing. But this is kinda special, because amongst the people who escaped… one of them is that guy.

The same guy I spent over two months with.

The same guy with the ability to visit alternate universes.

The same guy who can make portals.

The same guy who, if he gets lucky, could bring in some kind of cosmic horror that would be able to destroy all my cells, or… or some shit like that.

I'm not underestimating alternate universes anymore. Not after just going far enough in one, destroying all my cells. Destroyed my beacons.

Ah shit, here we go again.

I'll need to make cells on Mom and Oliver, but even that might not be enough. He can technically take them somewhere so far away that it destroys the cells out of sheer distance, even if he doesn't know that's possible.

Fuck.

I'll need to prepare.

For a few days, I made sure to strengthen my defences. But honestly, there's nothing I can do if he gets lucky. If the first dimension he takes them to is too far, then it's over.

If he's not lucky… if he takes my family to a dimension I can regenerate from, then the moment I'm aware of it, I'm making a clone and beating the ever-loving shit out of him.

While thinking about my troubles, I brought my money complaint to my friends.

"How about going back to Burger Mart?"

"How about you go to Burger Mart, William? I'm sure you need some spending money."

"Nope. I got myself a grant. You see, I have this thing I call a brain."

"You bitch. Weren't you trying to cheat off me in high school?"

"Well, I'm still lazy."

What a guy.

"How about selling your heroism? Like, get people to pay for saving them?"

"...What the fuck, Rick? When did you get so dark?"

"I didn't get dark! And no, I don't mean make everyone pay. I mean, if a big organization wanted you to be on call, they could pay you for it. Since you can make clones anytime, you can be available at any time. And since you don't like using your powers all day every day, that gives them a reason to pay to reserve your time. You can still do what you're doing now, but someone can pay you to be there when they call."

Hmm. That's plausible. And if it gets to be too much, I can always stop the service for a while.

"Okay, that's a great idea. Rudy, what do you think? Can you help?"

"You could just sell your tech. The stasis pod is a great product."

"True… but I don't want to make the cost of that thing increase even more. Besides, you already made a much better version than mine, so mine would be useless. And I don't want you to stop advancing just because I want to make money. Also, how's your project going?"

"I've managed to reverse the process, but I still don't know how to make it affect the body without affecting the mind of the person. Putting them in an unconscious state isn't enough. So it's still a work in progress. But I did make a stopgap for now."

"I'm so happy for you! Did you tell Amanda yet?"

"Yes. I gave her the belt. She's happy."

"That's good; I am so happy for you two… Okay then, back to my problem. You think you can help me with it?"

"I can help you make a company like mine, but it's in an entirely different field, so I don't know how that would go."

"If you let me join, I can help with the design and management."

"Sure, Eve. The more, the merrier. Everyone's allowed to join if they want."

"I don't know about everyone, but sure. I will bring the brain, and you can, I don't know, show your abs and attract customers."

"Finally! My true calling in life has been discovered. I shall be known as Invictus... the Slut. Everyone will love it."

"Aren't you a virgin?"

Gasp! "The heresy! William, nobody needs to know the truth."

I say the word "gasp" and do a shy wink for the second part of the sentence, which drives everyone, already laughing, to the ground. Even Rudy is laughing uncontrollably. Looks like making the belt helped him out a lot. He hasn't been smiling for a while now.

And with that done, we were making a company. And my money problems have made their way out of my life. Good riddance; I did not like having them. Not that I couldn't have just gone to the asteroid belt and found some rare material, but still.

That same night, when I was getting ready to sleep, Mom knocked loudly on my door, telling me Oliver was missing. He could be kidnapped by Angstrom, who was spying on us? The first thing I do is make a clone from a cell I left on his body and try to see what's going on… only for him and two other kids to freak out.

Shit.

He wasn't kidnapped. It's worse; he sneaked out.

"AAAHHHH! Why are you here?! How are you here?!"

The moment I learned he was safe, I destroyed the head I made. Luckily, I didn't just flash a bunch of kids, or it would be prison time for me. Oh fuck. I can't believe I made such a huge mistake. My clones will always be naked when they're made. I'll always have to keep an eye or ear to check the area before making a whole clone, or things could get dangerous.

After finding out where he is, I move my original body, with clothes on, to where the kids were.

And when I arrived,

"Are you joking? I thought you got kidnapped! If you wanted to meet your friends, why not tell Mom and me? It's not like we would have said no."

"I ask first, how were you able to make a clone of me?"

"I left a few cells in your hair in case of an emergency. I already told you there was someone dangerous who could come for you. Were you sleeping?"

"You never told me you were spying on me."

"I'm not spying on you. I can't sense anything from a cell."

"Well, you can still just teleport in like that. What if I want privacy?"

"Look, I understand this is hard, and I won't do it unless the problem is really serious. I promise I won't spy on you. I'll call you first, and if you don't answer, then I'll teleport to you. Is that acceptable?"

"Alright… I can accept that. Does that mean I get a phone?"

"We'll talk to Mom about it."

This is serious.

Angstrom is a far more dangerous enemy than I'd thought, more dangerous than I wanted to believe. Even if he's somewhat limited by only finding evil versions of the original Mark, that's still terrifying. That's still too much.

"Okay. Now we're done with the important part, let's go back to you sneaking out. You're lucky it's for something harmless, or you'd be staring at the corner wall for the rest of the wall's natural life."

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Sigh. "Oliver, if you asked, I don't think Mom would've said no. Because you didn't ask, we thought someone kidnapped you. Just… be careful, alright?"

"Alright. I will be careful."

He then holds his skateboard and starts floating away.

"Where are you going? You already sneaked out; might as well make the best of it."

"Really?! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"

He hugs me and goes back to playing with the kids. I fly away to call Mom and tell her he's fine.

And while I'm talking to her, a group of teenagers comes to play in the same area and wants the kids to move away. I was going to intervene, but it looks like Mom got to him. He didn't hurt the teens; instead, he dropped their pants.

Aww. I am so proud. Give him time, and we can make a hero who would terrify every criminal out of him.

The next day, I was talking to Mom about how Oliver was acting. I told her I was proud that he didn't hurt the teens, even if some of that might've been because I was there. I also told her he didn't want me to put a cell on him, and I said I wasn't going to force it.

She was worried for his safety, but she also understood that my appearing in front of him like that was a bad thing. So, she was okay with his decision. She said she'll try to convince him, but she won't force it if he says no.

While I was talking with my mom, I got a call from the new company. Just one day in, and we already had a registered client, and it was the prison Kursk and Furnace tried to break into. I said goodbye and flew away right after Mom told me she had prepared a few houses for me to look at. Since I no longer had any problem with money, the houses were selected based on comfort and convenience. I'll look through them later.

When I arrived at the prison, who did I see? It's Titan. My first villain. And maybe one of the few villains I don't arrest at first glance. Mostly because he's doing good. As for taking care of himself first, I really don't mind.

The moment I arrive, he holds his hands up and says he wants to talk. Just like our first meeting. I, of course, follow tradition and princess-carry him. I then make a clone to take pictures; after all, I'm going to send it to his wife. Oh, the drama. The only thing missing would be meee. I'd love to see it.

He leads me back to the part of the city we visited all that time ago, and he shows me how it has improved.

"Look, man, I appreciate what you've done, all the horrid things you've stopped, but why am I here, Titan?"

"Do you know about the Order and Mr. Lui?"

"I'm guessing this isn't about law and order?"

"No, it's not law and order. I'm talking about a global crime syndicate, and Mr. Lui is the boss."

"If you want me to work with you, you know that's not going to happen. I'm still stopping your crimes when I find them, although you're good at hiding them."

"Thanks for the appreciation. But the Order wants me to break Multi-Paul out, or they'll kill me and my family and then replace me. All the horrid things I've stopped will come back, with a grudge."

"I don't know how to help you. If you two fight, I don't care. But if you want me to put this Mr. Lui in prison, then just tell me where he is, and I'll take care of him."

"Thank you very much. In a few hours, he'll come to my place, ordering me to give him Multi-Paul. You can find him there."

"And I'm guessing you made sure not to check where he is now, so I don't have to arrest you. What if I arrest you later?"

"I don't think you will."

"You're one optimistic criminal. Let's meet later. I'll monitor your office."

And just like that, I flew away.

Am I allowing a criminal to take over a city? Maybe, but not really. I'm still stopping any crimes I see, whether they're small or big. Just because the crimes he does aren't truly vile doesn't mean I don't touch him. And no, this is not some greater good bullshit. I just know crime is a consistent part of civilization. If he can make it so there's less, I wouldn't mind him being in charge.

While I'm contemplating my morality, hours pass, and someone enters his office.

Good thing too. I was getting tired of staring at his bald head.

A few seconds after this, Mr. Lui came in, and he got angry. I guess Titan told him he is not saving their damsel in distress. The plan was to have the teleporter dude teleport the two out to the sky and for me to take care of it after that. But for some reason, the old man collapses, and an eastern dragon comes out of him. I thought his power was to turn into a lizard, not summon a lizard. Well, it does not matter; I will handle it.

When I was flying to the office, I saw Titan being thrown out of his office. Well, not a problem. I make a clone to save him and three more to capture the lizard. Of course, like always, I don't regenerate the face of my clones to perfection to hide my face, but everything else is there, other than my private parts. Temporary clones don't need to piss or poo. With that over with, I am flying the lizard to the sky and away from the city filled with fragile humans. Of course, I also make clones to capture the old man's body and bodyguard. Ha, that job is way more literal than any other time.

Clones near a flying snake

"So you are the infamous Mr. Lui. I wonder, are you a dragon pretending to be a snake or a snake posturing as a dragon?"

"Ah, yes, one of you heroes. I will make you regret trying me."

"Please, I have fought things that would boggle your mind. I am wondering, should I just throw you to space or give you a fighting chance… oh, who am I kidding? We both know you don't stand a chance."

He then rages and tries to do what everybody before him does, hit me, like that would do shit. And even if it did shit, I would just make more clones. I would like to say our fight was epic, but then I would be lying. The only way our fight would be epic would be if I made one body fight him and be as brutal as I want to be… when I tell you I kicked that lizard's ass, I mean it.

"Bring it on, lizard. By the time I am done with you, you will realize the futility that is struggling against Invictus." I hold this bitch by his tail, and once we arrive at a sufficiently barren area with no humans, I start pummeling the ground with him like a puny god.

"And you thought yourself so far above the humans you kill. I wonder how you feel now. Please, talk to me, old man. I am feeling lonely here."

"I will kill you here and now!" He then uses his claws to rip my chest out, but come on, all he did was break his nail on me.

"Aaawww, does the little old lady need a manicure? Don't worry, you won't have to worry about your nails soon enough." I then hold the hand that tried to rip through me and start plucking nails, only for him to scream and break his hand to escape me.

"Is that supposed to impress? Come on, slowpoke, you have to at least try." I then go for the other limbs until the only part of this lonely lizard left that could be dangerous is its size and fangs.

"I will regenerate no matter what you do. Your powers may come from the stars, but mine come out of this reality."

My guy, my powers also come from a different reality. "You want to talk about regeneration to me, who can regenerate from a cell in a different galaxy if I feel like it? Please, bitch, know your competition." Well, I can't regenerate in a different galaxy right now, but I was able to do that before the whole fake time travel fiasco, so it is not a full lie.

"Then it looks like we are at a crossroads. You can't kill me, and I can't kill you. But I can escape back to my body."

"Looks like old age is fucking with your reasoning. Do you think I don't have a clone holding your body right now? No, this 'fight' is happening because I want to let loose a little and hit something. So don't disappoint, and I will send you to prison with only a few changes to your body."

"Argh!" he screams and tries to fight, but at least he did not try to run to his body. Looks like he understands there is no real way to defeat me, but he is too angry to give up. Should I do him like I did that old Viltrumite lady and wait until he gives up? Nah, I only let that happen because I was pissed at not just her but her species. I don't actually care about this fool, nor do I know all the horrid shit he has done, so I just threw him away and then flew fast through him, which then turned him to pixie dust. This shit better not get me high.

That was the last thought I had in the clone that fought the lizard. So once that was done with, I of course started my humiliation act I use on every villain I capture, face drawings, weird things on their face like ketchup and pudding, basically anything I could use to destroy these people's reputation as serious criminals. All the while, I take a video recording to add to my YouTube channel.

I fucking love my life.

 

[loudlistner]

S3ep 6 {The anxiety of peace}


For a while after dealing with the lizard, I had it easy and peaceful, which was good. I love the peace.


After Oliver's grounding was over, I started taking him out, and this time he was able to hold back correctly.


Honestly, the problem was not holding back; he never hurt Mom by accident. He just did not think of other people as people.


But maybe because he was young, or because of his excellent memory that came from his mother's side, Mom and I were able to teach him pretty fast.


Now he won't kill unless he has no choice. I hope he won't come to a situation like that, but even with me here, I can't be there every time, unless I break every privacy rule, and I won't do that.


After a few exercises and patrols, he asked me why everyone hates Omni-Man.


Well, not everyone, honestly; there is a good majority of people who think he was justified or had some reason, but he was asking about the news and what he heard.


I wonder how he would act if the original had happened.


I told him even if he was a hero and did so much good, the bad he did isn't supposed to just disappear. The bad must always stay as a reminder so it is not repeated.


He found the idea that Dad can't come back here anymore really hard, but I told him that doesn't mean we can't visit.


After he relaxed a little, we ate some fast food (could not compare to my masterpiece) and went back to patrol the city.


We had a good day.


Next was the night Paul came to Mom's house and made a mean spaghetti.


It was edible by a normal human. Because of that, it was not what I would have made for myself, but my regeneration fixes any biological harm I could have, so I have not destroyed my taste buds.


That is why I can say it was delicious.


After the dinner was over, Mom and Paul started to flirt, and I was peeking like a pro.


They did not suspect a thing, mostly because I made an ear in the air vent.


But my brother, the noob, was flying upside down, showing his hair and saying, "Ooooo."


Of course, they saw and heard him, and the moment I went to take him away, Mom figured I was listening too.


So I had to destroy the ear.


If you ask, "What about privacy?" Sometimes rules are meant to be bent and broken, so shut up.


After a few days of the same routine, although there was no more peeking because I respect privacy and not because Mom keeps finding my location to peek from,


Then came William's birthday, and the braggart decided he wanted to play bowling.


I would bet it is because I can't beat him at it… and the motherfucker confirmed it.


He said the best gift we are giving him is our anguish.


How is he my friend?


Rick deserves a Green Lantern ring for handling him without resorting to murder.


But we also had a hero of our own, and it was Rudy.


With his genius-level intellect, even without having the perfect control of motion that comes with the robot suit, he was able to challenge him.


Rick was right behind.


It was a game between the three.


Eve, Monster Girl, and I were the scrubs of this game.


Monster Girl complained she was great at this in her adult body, but there were no excuses for failures.


All we had left was crying.


But no, we are heroes who fight monsters and risk our lives daily.


Well, they risk their lives, but I did get a good ass-kicking in my younger years, so I can relate.


Because of that, we all had excellent control over our tear ducts.


But that damnable score-counting screen kept mocking us.


Oh, it wants violence. I can feel it.


What do you mean I don't have a spider-sense? So what?


Other than that, it was a good birthday. Monster Girl was still overjoyed with her body no longer de-aging, even if it had already been a few days since Rudy made the ring for her. Sadly, it was not on her ring finger. I was so excited for a moment, but I will wait. I can do that. I am patient.


After the birthday party, we all went back to our homes. The next few days were the same routine, but I am starting to feel uneasy. All this peace is really lovely, but usually it does not last long. I am wondering if something is going to pop up and try to destroy the peace soon.


I get a call from my phone, an emergency at one of the places that signed up for paid protection by me and Eve. For now, I don't know who else will join in the future, but I am sure they would be an excellent addition.


Oliver wanted to go, but I said no. This is not just me saving someone; it was a job. Only for him to say it is still a hero thing and not supposed to be exclusive to me. If another hero wanted to come, I am not supposed to stop them.


Well, he got me there, and while I was bamboozled, he went on to fly to the emergency, so I just followed. I mean, he was right, so I had nothing to say.


Once we arrived, we met new villains; at least, I don't know them. I say "they," but it is the same guy with clones.


"Ok, who are you, and can you tell me why you are trying to break into prison? I mean, usually people try to break out."


"Oh well, you see, you put my boss here, and it is now my job to make sure he is out."


"Come on, you have to be way more specific. I have put a lot of dudes in prison. Also, if your boss is here, why are you not taking over?" I love fucking with people; it's truly one of my favorite hobbies.


"Haaaa… if I have to be… My boss is Mr. Lui, the guy who turns into a dragon. I am Multi Paul. I am the person he was trying to break out of Payton Penitentiary, and now that he is here, it is my turn to break him out. As for taking over? paperwork! I don't want paperwork."


"Ok, that does make some sense if we ignore how you were able to escape. By the way, why does your power seem a lot like Duplicate?"


"Oh, that is simple. Kate is my sister."


"Does the family curse include stupidity, or are the two of you just that special?"


"What the fuck, bro? I am calmly talking to you, and you go on to insult me just like that."


"I am sorry, I am sorry, but you two can make clones and learn what they learn, and you use it to fight. You both could be so much more, not good or bad, but if you spent your time being an engineer, you could probably make buildings yourself, and all you do is clone yourself to break your criminal boss out."


"What can I say? When I was a young boy, the government fucked me up."


"That is a stupid reason for choosing to be stupid, and how were you even captured? Why did you not just make a clone away from wherever you were captured, like your sister does?"


"She does that because she is a coward."


"She does that because she has a brain, for God's sake. She fights against people willing to kill her in any and every possible way they can think of, and you are telling me having a body at a safe distance is stupid? Come on."


"That is just my belief, my guy, so are we going to fight now?"


"Yes, but I am thankful you are so calm. I was not expecting to be able to talk to you, but first, why are you so calm? Do you think you can win?"


"Not if I don't try. I am optimistic like that."


"Alright then, this is going to be bloody. Omni kid, I want you to go home now."


"What? Why? I can fight."


"Don't make me repeat myself. I will make sure to ask Mom when you get to her, so I will know if you stayed behind to watch."


"Uggh, fine, I will go home."


"That is right. Listen to your big brother and let me kick his ass."


"My brother is going to destroy you."


"Omni kid, leave."


"Yea yea," and with that, Oliver was gone.


"Thank you for being so calm and waiting."


"Sure, I am a very polite boy."


I realized he wasn't going to come quietly. That much was obvious the second he started multiplying.


One Paul. Two Pauls. Four. Eight. It was like watching a virus blossom in real time. And there's simply no way for me to capture him, at least not all of him, as many times as he can clone himself. If there even is a limit.


His sister doesn't seem to have one. I've seen her at the Flaxan invasion, her clones filling entire blocks like a human flood. If those two ever actually tried to destroy the world… what am I supposed to do? Could they fill the atmosphere with their bodies? The math says maybe. It's exponential. One becomes two, becomes four, sixteen, and thirty-two, until it stops being a fight and starts becoming an extinction-level event.


Still, I can't worry about that right now. I'm not the only hero on the planet, and frankly, my power isn't suited for a swarm like this.


With that said, I've already flown through a few of his clones. There's going to be a shower in my near future. A deep one. I might need a magma bath and then escape velocity speed just to make sure every last bit of gunk is burned off. I swear one of his eyeballs ended up in my mouth.


Yuck. I am not taking off Invictus until I am as clean as sanitized water.


I crash through another one, fist to chest, and he bursts like a water balloon filled with bone and meat. I slow midair, pivoting as the remaining dozen Pauls swarm like hornets. They are coordinated. Well, he has been trained from childhood to be able to fight like that.


I dive. Fast. Sonic boom fast. The ground beneath us shudders from the shockwave as I punch through it and come up behind a trio trying to flank me.


They barely have time to react.


One goes flying into a wall. Another into a power pole. The third lands hard, skipping across the pavement like a stone on water, only slower. Bloodier.


Above, two more try to dogpile me. I twist, catch one by the ankle midair, and use him like a club on the other. They go down in a tangle of limbs and curses. One has already made a new clone.


Oh, this is going to be a long day.


He's got that smug look, that "I just figured out how to break you" grin that makes you want to punch someone even before they say anything.


He does, of course.


"You don't like doing this, do you?"


"What do you think?"


"Man, you are making me feel sorry."


That grin again. Like he's already won just by making me talk. I don't answer. I fly through two more clones; they are so wet, and he barely flinches. Multi-Paul and his sister truly took pain tolerance to an insane level. He should be feeling everything, even for a few seconds before the mental link is cut, but he is still out here fucking with me. And killing every one of them is not working because even if I thought I killed all but one, and now I just have to hold him tight, I get another clone jumping at me from somewhere. This is not all his body.


"Time out, time out."


"What the fuck do you mean, time out?"


"Well, I am kind of done here. My job was to distract any hero that would come, and that was about it. By the way, the whole 'my sister is a coward' thing? I'm a coward, too. So goodbye, and have a nice time cleaning the corpses. Ohh, also, my boss is coming at you from behind."


I turned just in time to duck.


Claw missed my head by inches, the pressure behind it warping the air.


Ah, shit. It is the green lizard, and with how long Multi-Paul had distracted me, there is no way his body is anywhere close to here. He has escaped and just sent this lizard to fuck with me.


I hate this world.


"I am going to enjoy this."


"I am going to enjoy your mother," I scream, wiping blood off my lip.


Yeah, I am getting stressed. If he has a mother, that would be one ancient bitch… But I would bet she is experienced.


Well, I can't relax anymore. I will need to take care of him now and the duplicating clones. I could have done this way earlier, but you know, I also wanted to let some stress out. I was feeling a little antsy with all the peace, so this is good. Yeah. If I say it enough, I can convince myself.


With that said, I made a clone to rip through as many Multi-Pauls as I can, and at least he has stopped cloning himself, probably enjoying the show from the news or something.


Now, the lizard. I can fly through him just as easily as last time, and honestly, I have had my stress relieved, so I do as I did last time and go through a dragon like it did not exist, turning him back to pixie dust. He was saying something about regeneration, but man, that is one weak-as-fuck regeneration if my going through his head destroyed him.


A few seconds later, I decided to fly to space to clean myself with friction.


I wouldn't feel clean, not really, but the smell of blood and shit should burn off me.


A few hours after freaking out without Invictus, and I mean freaking out, I went back down, with Invictus active again. I just wasn't ready for normal conversation.


When I returned, the cleanup process had already started. I got to help move the clone bodies to the cars. I don't even know what they do with them. Maybe they're used as organ donations. Although I did a lot of damage, I'm sure there are a few that could be used.


Man, that is fucked up.


But with all those bodies, there's no way they can be given a proper burial. Maybe they incinerate the bodies. That seems more likely.


When all is over, I say goodbye to the prison warden and Donald. He visited—a kind man. But we didn't have much to talk about, so it was a little awkward, especially with me being covered in blood from moving the bodies and him being dressed perfectly.


What a day.

 

[loudlistner]

Hey there, dear readers—especially you, @Thiccc Shaedy.

So… I was running on a treadmill like a total daredevil (read: idiot, no safety cord, wall right behind me) and managed to wipe out spectacularly. The result? Friction burns on my palms, premium-grade skin loss on my knees, and a sharp reminder that physics always wins.

Translation: typing hurts, walking looks like a bad slapstick routine, and updates will be paused for a few days.

 

[Thiccc Shaedy]

Hey there, dear readers—especially you, @Thiccc Shaedy.

Translation: typing hurts, walking looks like a bad slapstick routine, and updates will be paused for a few days.

Click to shrink...

I'm sorry to hear that. Take care of yourself and get well soon, baby.

Oh, and thanks for the shout out!