Chapter 18: Mars
The city was alive with the hum of activity, from bustling streets to the distant rumble of construction. Amidst the urban chaos, a streak of yellow and blue darted through the sky, closely followed by a pink glow. Mark, in his Invincible suit, glanced over his shoulder at Eve, who was flying beside him with her characteristic grace.
"Not bad for a morning, huh?" Mark said with a smirk, pointing to the unconscious villain they'd just left tied up for the authorities below.
"Three arrests and a robbery foiled, and it's not even noon," Eve replied, matching his smirk. "We make a good team."
Mark grinned. "You know, we should make this official. A dynamic duo. What do you think?"
Eve raised an eyebrow. "You're serious?"
"Why not?" Mark shrugged, dodging a flock of birds as they soared over a park. "We work well together. Plus, I could use a cool partner."
Eve laughed, her earlier irritation from personal issues momentarily forgotten. "Alright, Invincible. You've got yourself a deal."
"Official superhero duo. Nice," Mark said, punching the air triumphantly.
Eve rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "You're such a dork."
Despite his new partnership with Eve, Mark balanced his personal life with surprising ease. His Kryptonian speed and memory allowed him to breeze through schoolwork in record time, ensuring his grades stayed top-notch. Even with his growing responsibilities as a hero, he made time for Amber, though their interactions leaned more toward physical intimacy. Though, occasionally they would just hang out as friends even including William at times. Between activities like bowling, boba runs, and their shared moments at her house, Mark felt like he was keeping everything together.
It was lunchtime at school, and Mark sat across from William at their usual table. William was mid-rant about some new TV show when the conversation took an unexpected turn.
"Okay, but seriously," William said, eyeing Mark's sandwich. "Do you ever get bored of normal food with all your super senses? Like, how does a PB&J even register?"
Mark smirked. "I mean, I can taste every flavor in insane detail, so yeah, ordinary food tastes great. But I still have my preferences."
William opened his mouth to ask more, but he was interrupted by Amber and Eve approaching their table.
"Hey, Mark," came a voice from behind. Mark turned to see Amber, her confident smile lighting up her face.
"Mind if I sit with you guys?" Amber asked, her tone casual but her eyes focused on Mark.
Before he could reply, another voice chimed in. "Hey, Mark, is it okay if I join you?"
Mark glanced to his other side, spotting Eve standing there, holding her tray. Her expression was calm, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity in her eyes as she noticed Amber standing there too.
The two girls looked at each other, their polite smiles barely masking the questions swirling in their minds. Amber's gaze shifted to Eve's, assessing her, while Eve's eyes briefly flicked to Amber before settling back on Mark.
"Sure, both of you can sit," Mark said, gesturing to the empty seats at the table.
Amber and Eve sat down, flanking Mark on either side. The tension between them was subtle, but noticeable. While Amber leaned in slightly toward Mark, her posture relaxed as if this was familiar territory, Eve's presence was more reserved yet attentive. Both seemed to radiate unspoken intent, their motivations clear to William but apparently lost on Mark.
Before either could speak, William cut in. "Hey, Mark, want to hang out later? Maybe hit the arcade?"
Mark shook his head. "Can't. I have a meeting with the principal. I'm planning to take two weeks off for a… trip."
William frowned. "Two weeks? What kind of trip?"
Mark shrugged casually. "Just something I need to handle."
Amber frowned slightly, her curiosity piqued. "You're being awfully vague."
Eve nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah. Two weeks is a long time."
Standing up and grabbing his tray, Mark began walking away but looked back. "Just flying to Mars," He said casually while leaving the cafeteria.
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*The previous evening*
Cecil had visited the Grayson household. Sitting at the dining table with Debbie, Nolan, and Mark, Cecil explained the mission.
"We have a team of astronauts launching tomorrow," Cecil said. "They're headed to Mars, and we need someone to keep an eye on them. Quietly."
Nolan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I have responsibilities here. I can't be off-planet for that long."
Cecil's lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn't push. "Fair enough. Mark?"
Mark leaned forward. "Sure, why not."
Nolan gave him a skeptical look. "It's Mars. Do you even know how far that is?"
Mark smirked, gazing upward as if looking through the ceiling. "I could probably get there in thirty minutes."
Debbie frowned. "What are you looking at?"
"The surface of Mars," Mark said nonchalantly.
Debbie blinked. "How—?"
"Magic eyes," Mark replied, grinning. "X-ray vision for walls, supervision for distance, and heat vision for, well, heat." To demonstrate, he fired a small beam at Debbie's coffee mug, reheating it perfectly.
Debbie stared, speechless and pleasantly surprised. Nolan's expression darkened, his thoughts clearly racing. Cecil raised an eyebrow, more thoughtful than surprised.
"Magic," Nolan muttered, narrowing his eyes. 'No Viltrumite has ever had magic. My son might become the most dangerous being in the history of Viltrumites'.
Cecil's mind was equally active. 'If Omni-Man really did kill the Guardians, Mark might be the only one capable of stopping him. But would he choose Earth over his father?'
Mark leaned back, smirking at their stunned faces. "I'll handle Mars. Consider it done."
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The day of the astronauts' launch arrived. Mark watched from a distance as their rocket ascended into the atmosphere. Once it was out of sight, he leaped into the sky, donning his Invincible suit mid-flight. His helmet crackled to life as Cecil's voice came through the comms.
"Remember, stay hidden. The astronauts can't know you're there."
"Got it," Mark replied. "I'll do a preliminary sweep of the planet first. I want to make sure there's no trouble waiting for them."
Cecil hesitated. "Fine. Just keep us updated."
Mark blasted off, the Earth shrinking behind him as he pushed his speed. In less than five minutes, he reached Mars, far surpassing his earlier estimate. He touched down gently on the planet's surface, the red sands swirling around his boots.
Using his X-ray vision, Mark located a hidden hatch leading to the Martian kingdom. He pried it open and dropped into the tunnel below, greeted by the stale, metallic air of the underground city.
Mark descended into the dimly lit tunnels of the Martian underground, his footsteps echoing softly against the metallic floor. The air was thick and stale, tinged with a metallic scent that reminded him of rusted iron. His x-ray vision scanned the walls as he walked, and his heightened senses picked up faint skittering sounds—Sequids. A group of the parasitic creatures emerged from the shadows, their slimy tendrils writhing as they lunged at him.
"Gross," Mark muttered. With a quick burst of heat vision, the Sequids were vaporized, their remains sizzling into nothingness. "Well, that's a good start."
Moments later, Martian guards appeared, their tall, elongated forms clad in intricate armor that shimmered faintly under the dim red lights. They leveled their weapons at Mark. Raising his hands in a gesture of peace, Mark explained that he wanted an audience with their king. After a tense moment, they gestured for him to follow.
The journey to the throne room was a winding path through expansive corridors and massive chambers filled with alien architecture. The deeper they went, the more Mark marveled at the advanced civilization hidden beneath the barren Martian surface.
Finally, the throne room came into view. It was a grand chamber, its walls adorned with crystalline patterns that reflected the soft glow of red orbs suspended in the air. At the center of the room sat the Martian King on an obsidian throne. His imposing figure radiated authority, his piercing gaze fixed on Mark as he entered.
"What business do you have here, Earthling?" the King demanded, his deep voice echoing through the chamber.
Mark stepped forward, his tone steady. "In two weeks, humans will land on the surface of Mars. I'm here to make sure your people avoid them."
The King's expression hardened. "That cannot be allowed. If the Sequids bond with the humans, they will form a hive mind capable of destroying Mars—and other planets."
Mark folded his arms, meeting the King's gaze. "Then let me deal with the Sequids. They can't attach to me due to my Viltrumite heritage, and I can wipe them out before the humans arrive."
The King leaned back on his throne, his features unreadable as he considered Mark's proposal. Finally, he nodded reluctantly. "If you can eliminate the Sequids, the humans will have nothing to fear from us. But failure is not an option."
Mark smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not planning on failing."
Mark wasted no time. With his x-ray vision, he scanned the planet, locating clusters of Sequids hidden in underground lairs and deep crevices. His superspeed allowed him to traverse vast distances in mere moments, and his heat vision proved to be the perfect weapon against the parasitic creatures.
In one cavern, a massive swarm of Sequids writhed and pulsed, their collective movements creating an almost deafening chittering sound. Mark hovered above them, his heat vision glowing red as he unleashed a controlled beam that swept through the swarm, reducing them to ash.
"Okay, that's one nest down," he muttered, dusting off his hands. "Only a million more to go."
He moved methodically, ensuring no Sequid escaped his notice. His precise control over his powers allowed him to clear nests without causing collateral damage to the Martian environment. In one particularly large nest, he used his superspeed to create a vortex, drawing the Sequids into a concentrated area before incinerating them in a single burst of heat vision.
By the time he returned to the throne room, a single day had passed and every last Sequid on Mars had been eradicated.
The Martian King rose from his throne, his expression one of genuine gratitude. "You have done Mars a great service, Invincible. The humans may come without fear, and our people will remain safe. We are in your debt."
Mark gave a small bow, smirking. "Just doing my job. Glad I could help."
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Back on the Martian surface, Mark spoke to Cecil. "Mission complete. I'll keep an eye on the astronauts for when they arrive."
"Good work," Cecil replied. "Stay sharp."
Mark glanced upward, his gaze settling on the sun. He set aside his helmet and oxygen tank. He knew he never needed them as he could hold his breath for a very long time, use the yellow sun to fuel his cells instead of oxygen, and even use his magic to create a perpetual pocket of air around him.
Mark then lifts off the planet and casts an invisibility spell that works by passing photons right through him unphased making him blind to satellites.
Mark launched himself into space, his speed leaving a crimson streak behind.
As he approached the sun, the intense heat and energy enveloped him, his cells absorbing every ounce of power. He hovered near the surface, feeling a euphoria unlike anything he'd experienced before.
"This… is incredible," he murmured, his voice a mix of awe and excitement.
With cautious precision, he descended into the sun's outer layers, the searing energy coursing through him. He didn't want to overload his cells like All-star Superman did in the movie. However, he looked at himself and saw his Kryptonian cells made up of his Viltrumite smart atoms adapting to the extreme conditions and enhancing his durability. His cells were now durable enough that they couldn't overload from taking in too much sunlight. Feeling that he would be fine, Mark dives deeper into the suns core.
'I can feel it… my strength growing', Mark thought, his body vibrating with newfound power. Using Torquasm-Vo, he entered a meditative state. His mind hovered in a half-awake, half-asleep state, allowing him to monitor the astronauts' progress while simultaneously focusing on mastering his heightened abilities.
After days in the sun's core, Mark sensed the astronauts nearing Mars. With a burst of speed, he left the sun, the distance from its core to Mars covered in less than a second. Moving even faster than he had been when coming to Mars from Earth. He landed softly beside his helmet and oxygen tank, donning them once more as if nothing had happened.
"The astronauts are safe," he reported to Cecil. "Mission accomplished."
"Good work, Mark," Cecil replied. "Come home."
As Mark began his return journey to Earth, he couldn't resist testing his newfound abilities. Flying at speeds faster than ever, he zipped through asteroid fields and performed high-speed maneuvers with ease. Each movement felt effortless, his body fully attuned to its enhanced capabilities.
Meanwhile, aboard a Viltrumite warship speeding toward Earth, the three Viltrumites who had attacked Allen sat in tense discussion.
Their leader leaned forward, his tone firm. "The Coalition's intel confirms it. The Viltrumite agent who was assigned to Earth procreated and has a son who isn't loyal to our empire. However, it's unclear if the agent is also a traitor."
"We'll crush him," one of his subordinates snarled, slamming a fist into the table.
The leader smirked. "Just in case the agent is also a traitor, I've called for reinforcements."
The ship's doors opened, revealing Anissa, a Viltrumite with a towering air of authority. She stepped forward, her piercing gaze locking onto the others.
"You called for help?" she asked, her tone dripping with confidence.