Chapter 4: Everybody Wants To Rule The World

The next morning, I'm strolling through school feeling like a brand-new person. After what went down with the Flaxxons, I know I'm on a whole different level now. Confidence is practically oozing out of me. As I walk, William rushes up, his face full of questions, like he's been dying to know what happened.

"Dude, where've you been? You just disappeared!" he blurts out.

Without breaking stride or giving much detail, I casually drop the bomb. "Oh, yeah. My dad got attacked. He's hurt bad."

William's face freezes, his jaw practically hitting the floor. "Wait, what? Are you serious? Mark, that's—"

But I'm already gone. "Talk later, man! Gotta go!" I leave him standing there in shock, loving how much I just messed with him.

I spot Eve by her locker, grinning to myself as I walk over. "Hey, thanks for having my back yesterday," I say, like we're just chatting about a regular school project.

Eve looks at me, squinting before it clicks. "Wait... you're Invincible? Seriously? Well, that's... optimistic."

I give her a playful shrug, the grin still on my face. "Nah, I'd say it's pretty fitting. You saw the work I did back there."

She smirks, clearly trying not to be impressed but unable to hide it completely. "Yeah, I saw. You didn't do half-bad for a rookie, but don't get cocky. We've already got Rex for that."

I snicker. "Rex? Please. I'm not in the market for an exploding marble competition. Besides, I'm more of the 'mysterious new guy' type."

She laughs, shaking her head. "Sure, 'mysterious.' Let's go with that."

We walk down the hall together, the flow of our conversation easy. "Honestly," I say, grinning, "I didn't even put two and two together that you were on Teen Team. I mean, I follow you guys on Instagram and everything. You're like... what? The fourth-favorite superhero team?"

Eve nudges me with her shoulder, amused. "We prefer 'the most underrated team,' thanks."

"Hey, better than Fight Force. At least you guys actually get things done," I say, giving her a wink.

She chuckles. "Yeah, Fight Force is all drama, no substance." Then her tone softens a bit, more curious now. "So... you're new to the whole superhero thing, right?"

"Pretty much," I admit, but with a casual shrug. "Just got my powers. But I think I handled things pretty well. Didn't freeze, didn't freak out."

She tilts her head, eyeing me like she's deciding whether to mess with me or be impressed. "You did better than most rookies. You didn't freeze, I'll give you that. But trust me, fights are always messier than they seem."

"I thrive in messy," I say with a smirk. "And hey, I didn't puke, so that's a win in my book."

Eve laughs again. "Okay, I'll give you that one. No puking is definitely a win."

We reach the end of the hall, and she stops, turning to me with an easy smile. "The team's meeting after school. You should come."

I don't even have to think about it. "Yeah, I'm in. Should be fun."

As I'm talking with Eve, I feel a tap on my shoulder and hear Amber call my name. I turn to see her walking up, looking half-amused, half-curious.

"Mark, I heard about you and Todd. Again," she says, crossing her arms but smiling. "What happened this time?"

I shrug, trying to play it cool. "Gave him one shot. He hit me, jammed his hand, and that was that."

Amber laughs, shaking her head. "You really just let him punch you?"

"Thought it'd save time," I say with a grin. "Worked like a charm."

Eve, sensing she's interrupting, steps ahead, giving us some space. Amber watches her go for a second before turning back to me, still curious. "You're always up to something."

"Gotta keep things interesting," I reply, taking a step back, already preparing my exit. "But hey, I gotta run. See you around?"

She looks at me, then at Eve, and nods, still smiling. "Yeah, sure. Later, Mark."

I wave, smoothly slipping away and heading up to catch Eve, who's waiting up ahead.

Flying through the city with Eve, I have to slow down considerably just so she can stay ahead and lead. I wonder if it'll be weird if I ask her to shoot me with that energy of hers? Intrusive thoughts aside, Eve begins asking a question tuning me back in.

"How invincible is 'Invincible,' exactly?" Eve asks, throwing me a sideways glance.

I smirk, letting the wind rush by. "Slightly more invincible than yesterday," I reply with a grin, darting under a bridge and up into the sky again. "It's kind of my main thing."

We zoom toward a large bridge, and I notice a hidden hole in the top. Eve motions for me to follow, and we fly through it, landing in the Teen Team's base.

Immediately, I spot Rex Splode walking over, making out with Eve before she even touches the ground. I smirk to myself, already knowing about him—not surprised at all.

Rex pulls away, throwing me a glance as he wipes his mouth. "Oh hey, you. We didn't really need you in that Flaxxon fight, but cool of you to show up or whatever."

Before I can respond, Dupli-Kate steps in with a condescending but neutral tone. "Actually, more people would've died without Invincible's help. There would've been more damage, and the cleanup would've taken forever, on top of that more of me would've died." She finishes giving him a blank stare.

I raise an eyebrow as she continues, listing off everything I did. Every word seems to physically hurt Rex, and I have to bite back a laugh.

Rex tries to brush it off with a shrug, but it's clear the damage has been done. "Yeah, okay, fine. He helped. Whatever."

Robot approaches, his calm demeanor cutting through the tension. "Invincible, thank you for your assistance in the fight. We hope to count on you in future missions."

I give him a quick nod, but my usual grin's back. "You sure you want me? I mean, Rex over there seems like he's got it all figured out."

Robot doesn't miss a beat. "Yes. We are sure."

I chuckle. "Alright, count me in."

I glance over at Dupli-Kate and shoot her a double thumbs-up. She smiles, giving me a nod in return. Rex groans, rolling his eyes, but I just smirk, knowing exactly how to push his buttons.

I lean back, casually watching as the rest of the team checks their gear and preps for whatever comes next. There's no rush for me to take off, and honestly? I'm not in a hurry to visit Nolan, especially knowing where that path leads.

Sure, my dad's lying in a hospital bed right now, but I know better than to get too attached to the idea of him being vulnerable. In the end, it's me and him, and when the time comes, we're going to fight to the death. My focus has to be here, now—getting stronger, smarter, and more prepared for that inevitable showdown. Because in the end everything would be easier if I kill him then prove I have the blood of Argall, that and I don't like the thought of being beaten into a mountain right on the verge of death.

"So, what's next for you guys?" I ask, leaning casually against a nearby wall.

Rex shrugs, still salty from earlier. "Same old. Clean up the city, stop some bad guys, maybe grab a burger. You know, hero stuff."

Eve shoots him a look. "It's a little more complicated than that, but yeah, we keep busy."

I smirk. "Sounds fun. Might stick around for a bit."

Robot turns to me, his voice level as always. "We could use more hands like yours."

I give him a grin. "You just like that I lift heavy stuff."

"Among other things," he replies, not missing a beat.

Dupli-Kate gives me a nod. "It was good having you in the field. And next time, we'll be ready 'specially since we'd have you."

I flash her another double thumbs-up, my go-to move. "I'm always ready."

As the conversation fades into lighter chatter, I can't help but think about what's ahead. The Teen Team is solid—Rex's attitude aside—but it's all just training for the real fight. The one I know is coming.

For now, I stay, trading banter with Rex and Eve, but my mind is always one step ahead, planning for the future, for Nolan. For when everything really goes down.

Sitting in the cafeteria, halfway through my sandwich, William drops into the seat across from me, smirking. "So... you and Eve, huh?"

I roll my eyes. "Dude, we're just friends."

He chuckles. "Yeah, but everyone saw you leave with her yesterday. You're jinxing your chances."

I grin. "Not looking for chances, man. I've got enough going on."

William sighs dramatically. "Mark, you are so basic."

Before I can respond, I spot Eve across the cafeteria, and she nods toward me, like come talk. I'm about to head over when Amber walks up to William, curious.

"Hey, is Mark dating Eve?"

William's expression barely shifts. "God, I wish."

Amber looks at me, eyebrows raised. I laugh. "Nah, Eve and I are just friends. Really."

Amber nods, considering, then smiles. "So, wanna hang out sometime?"

I scratch the back of my neck, trying to keep it light. "Amber, you're great, but I've got a lot going on right now. I wouldn't be able to give you the time you deserve."

Amber smiles, not too fazed. "Fair enough."

As she leaves, William leans in, smirking. "Well, looks like someone's still got game."

I stand up, grinning. "Thanks, man. But hey, did I ever tell you I have royal alien blood?"

I leave him there, staring after me, utterly baffled.

"Stop dropping bombs and walking away!" William yells after me as I walk off, laughing.

It's another regular day at school until my phone buzzes. Robot's voice comes through the earpiece: "Flaxxons are back. Sending coordinates. Meet us there."

I glance over at Eve, sitting across from me. We both know the drill. Without a word, we slip out of class and take off, flying toward the coordinates Robot sent us. We land on top of a building, where Rex is waiting, his arms crossed, looking as smug as ever.

"Well, look who decided to show up,together no less" Rex says, smirking. "Hope you brought your A-game, new guy. This isn't amateur hour."

Eve rolls her eyes. "Rex, not now. We go to the same school. It's not a conspiracy."

Rex shrugs, still looking at me like I'm supposed to be impressed. "Yeah, whatever. Just don't slow us down."

Before I can throw something sarcastic back, Robot's voice cuts through our comms. "Team, focus. The Flaxxons have returned, and this time, they've figured out how to resist the timestream."

Eve looks at me, more serious now. "You ready?"

I smirk. "Way more than ready."

We dive into the battle, and it's clear right away that the Flaxxons have leveled up. Their artillery is bigger, their tech more advanced. I tear through their soldiers, deflecting beams with ease, but then I feel a heavy blast from one of their tanks. It knocks me back, but even as I skid across the ground, I'm already adapting. By the time I take another hit, it barely stings. My body's adjusting fast.

Eve holds her own, pushing back a wave of Flaxxons, but one of them throws some kind of goo at her face, temporarily blinding her. I see a Flaxxon leader moving in, weapon raised, ready to strike. I don't give him the chance. I fly straight into him, shattering his gauntlet with a single punch. His wristband snaps, and within seconds, he starts aging rapidly, crumbling away.

Robot's voice clicks in over our comms. "The wristbands—destroy them! It's their weakness!"

"On it," I say, tearing through more of their ranks, aiming for the wristbands. With each one destroyed, the Flaxxons start falling. The tide turns, and soon, the rest of them are retreating toward their portal.

But I'm not done. Not yet.

"Robot, I'm going in," I say, launching myself straight into the portal as it begins to close. I don't know where it leads, but I'm about to find out.

Stepping through the portal, the chaos of the Flaxxon dimension is immediate. The soldiers panic as I tear through them effortlessly.

The general tries to rally his troops, but I grab him, ripping him in half, sending a gruesome spray of blood and bone across nearby soldiers. I don't give them time to react. I blitz through the planet, reducing it to rubble, leaving only the scientists alive.

I force them to help me, knowing that this planet's timeline advantage gives me time to train in ways Earth could never provide.

The equipment that's supposed to be able to increase my strength I ordered isn't ready yet, but that doesn't stop me. I push myself harder each day. I practice flying faster, focusing on outdoing my speed each time. Every day, I get quicker, more precise. The planet's vast spaces become my testing grounds for speed, where I push myself against the limits of my endurance.

In between training flights, I work with the scientists. They're terrified of me, but that works to my advantage. I make them test everything they have on me—energy weapons, experimental tech, even things they don't fully understand. I want to adapt to as many forms of damage as possible, so I can build resilience to anything the universe throws at me.

My body continues to adjust. Each hit that once left a mark now only glances off me. I'm tougher than ever, and even without the specialized equipment, I'm not going to be getting hurt anytime soon, at least anything that isn't stronger than my adaptability and durability.

But this isn't just about strength. I'm also forcing myself to think faster. I learn their language, study their tech, and grasp their tactics. I'm not here to just brawl—I'm here to outthink and outlast anyone who tries to take me down. My mind is adapting as fast as my body.

Weeks turn into months, and while the equipment is still being developed, I've already become a force to be reckoned with. My speed and durability are reaching levels I hadn't imagined, and I'm only getting stronger. Every day is another step forward, another leap in power. The Flaxxons know it, too. They know what's coming.

The first half of my stay in the flaxxon dimension is brutal. But it's only the beginning.

Months into my stay in the Flaxxan Dimension, the equipment I've been waiting for is finally ready. It's similar to the gravity-based chamber the GDA built for me in the comics but far more advanced—designed for someone with Viltrumite-level strength. The scientists built it based on my feedback, pushing the limits of their technology to create something that would truly test me.

I step inside the chamber, feeling the immense pressure weighing down on me. It's different from everything I've faced before. The crushing force is enough to challenge even the strongest beings. Finally, this feels like a real test. The pressure simulates the weight of massive warships or planets, forcing every fiber of my body to strain and adapt. This is what I came for.

The first few days are brutal. Every movement feels like I'm dragging entire cities behind me, but I push through. I throw punches, lift colossal objects, and push my body to its breaking point. It hurts, but that's the point. I can feel myself getting stronger, faster, more resilient with each session.

The equipment isn't just for raw power, though. The scientists have designed tech that pushes me in ways I hadn't considered—forcing me to adjust to different forms of gravitational stress, energy output, and combat scenarios. I'm training against things that Earth doesn't even have the technology to develop yet. Every day in this chamber brings me closer to matching the strength of an adult Viltrumite.

The scientists continue to test weapons on me, each one more advanced than the last. Energy beams, plasma weapons, gravity-based attacks—I make sure I adapt to all of it. By the time I'm done, nothing they throw at me can even faze me.

It's not just physical, either. The chamber is built to challenge my reflexes, agility, and strategic thinking. The mental strain is intense, but necessary. I know what's coming. I know that eventually, I'll have to face my father, and I can't afford to have any weaknesses.

After sixteen long months, I step out of the chamber stronger than I ever imagined. The Flaxxons have been broken, their world reduced to a wasteland. They know better than to challenge me now.

As I prepare to leave, I look back at the equipment they built—what helped me surpass every limit I had. I give them one last order: "Open the portal."

Once it's ready, I grab the gravity chamber they made me and drop it on them, destroying it, and crushing everything and everyone under the weight of their own creation. They won't be a problem anymore.

I step through the portal, feeling the weight of sixteen months behind me, even though it's barely been a day on Earth. But now, I'm ready for whatever comes next.