After realizing that I am not only in the world of Invincible but the son of one of the planet's greatest heroes, now I'm left with a terrible fate…
Conversing with a four-year-old.
"My name is Mark, what's yours?!" The black-haired boy said excitedly from his place beside me.
"Darius," I blurted out, unable to contain my eagerness to establish a connection with this black-haired boy.
"Ooh, cool!" The boy grabbed my shoulders with a happy smile. "Wanna play?"
Oh god.
"Sure." I returned his smile, and I was immediately dragged to some corner of the room.
Mark Grayson, son of Nolan Grayson and future hero Invincible. The main character of the world I am in. Beyond that, he, like his father, is a Viltrumite. A superpowered alien race that leads an empire across the galaxy.
And apparently…I'm a Viltrumite as well.
Now that I know what world I'm in, it wasn't hard to connect the dots to learn who my father is.
Lucan is one of the Viltrumite antagonists from the comics/show. I hadn't even noticed until now since I've barely ever thought about the guy, but his thick mustache and facial structure resembling a buffed-out Steve Harvey should have cued me in.
Though, even if I hadn't, footage of him flying around and kicking ass in his Hero persona, Nocturnus definitely would have told me of my father's true race.
Seriously, it was one thing seeing people fly around in a show; it was a whole thing entirely to watch the Hero highlights of the year and watch my father kick ass.
I raised an eyebrow as Mark sat in the corner that he led me to. I raised an eyebrow and joined him on the floor, and then he outstretched his hands.
"...What are you doing?" I questioned curiously.
"We're playing! Have you never played patty cake?" Mark asked with an adorable tilt of his head.
Oh, this poor child.
"I have something funner." I smiled and stood up, then I stretched out my arm which he took, and I helped him up. I pat his shoulder and my smile turned into a grin. "Tag, you're it!"
I booked it away from him, running around the room as he tried his best to catch me. In the corner of my eyes, I caught the heroes and their families looking at us playing with smiles. As I glanced at all of them, I could feel my legs moving faster as a bright smile consumed my face.
I wasn't some normal human, I was so much more! A Viltrumite! A powerful race that would allow me to grow stronger and stronger as the years go by!
"Wait, Darius, I can't catch you!" Mark whined from way behind me, but I didn't care. I continued to weave through the chairs and tables, gaining as much distance as I could-
*THUD*
My body slammed against an immovable object and I crashed to the ground, clutching my head in slight pain.
"Darius, how do you expect him to have fun if he can never catch you?" My father asked, looking down at me with crossed arms. He had a scolding tone, but as I looked up at his face, I realized it was a mere act.
He was smiling, no smiling didn't do it justice.
He was grinning madly.
"Nolan's genes simply aren't as powerful as mine, Darius. You need to slow down, show Mark some…mercy."
"Oh, fuck you!" Nolan shouted from his table.
"Language!" His wife chastised, causing him to glare at my father with some heat.
"Tag, you're it!" Mark said, touching my shoulder and running away.
My father reached down and picked me up from the ground and continued giving me that mad grin.
"Go catch his little ass."
I nodded eagerly and chased after Mark.
— Three Years Later —
"You wanna read some comics?" Mark asked while lying upside down on my bed.
"In a little bit." I smiled at the boy and continued filling out my easy homework.
Life part two has been a breeze so far; surprisingly, nothing has changed.
Sure, now I know I'm a Viltrumite in the world of Invincible, but it didn't mean anything yet. Most of my day was spent going to school, coming home, studying, playing with Mark, and, when in season, playing baseball.
To say I'm a sheltered child would be an understatement. My mother doesn't even allow me to watch TV unless she's in the room or around to listen to what I'm watching, so I can't even go onto the news to see how Dad is doing with his whole hero business.
All I know about him is what I learned from school and what Mark tells me.
If Omni-Man is the day to the people of Earth, then Nocturnus is night. He's really just a super-powered Dark Wing and solves crimes at night-time. He also works at a construction place as one of the managers, so he usually isn't home unless it's super early morning or evening hours.
There was something that moved me about seeing how my classmates reacted to those two, as well as all the Guardians of the Globe. Children are inspired and motivated by them, wishing they could be them.
But they can't.
They aren't like them. They aren't like me.
Mark and I are different. We are destined for so much greater than them, and because of that, it's our job to protect this planet from future threats.
So, the moment I could, I'd start training.
*KNOCK*
Both Mark and I looked at the closed door with raised eyebrows. A moment later the door began to open, and in stepped my Father wearing a tight white t-shirt and gray sweatpants.
"Darius." He called, his deep voice radiating an air of seriousness. "We're speaking now." With those words, he walked away.
I wasn't dumb enough to stay sitting, so I rose to my feet and gave Mark a smile. "We'll read when I get back, alright, Mark?"
"Mmm!" Mark nodded, and I made my way out of the room.
I walked around the upstairs hallway and down the stairs. I looked around in the various rooms for my Father and didn't see him anywhere. I let out a sigh and made my way to the backdoor. Upon reaching it, I opened it, and the powerful back of my father caught my attention.
"Dad," I whispered.
He turned his body slightly to look at me. "Come, son."
I walked forward until I stood beside him and looked up at the older man. Once he saw I was settled, he turned his gaze to the stars.
"Tell me, son…do you think I am powerful?"
I paused at his question simply because it threw me off. Shouldn't it be obvious to everyone on Earth how powerful he is?
"Mhm." I nodded.
"I thought so," He said with a small smile. After a moment, that smile disappeared completely, and all that was left was a hardened face. "Now then, son, do you think I'm a human?"
The way he said "human" caused me to freeze in place. There wasn't necessarily contempt in his tone, but it was more chilly than I'd ever heard him speak. It was as if being called a human wasn't a compliment or insult; it was just horribly incorrect.
"Maybe, you look like mom," I said, scratching the back of my head nervously.
"That's true." He nodded. "However, thankfully, I am not. Which means neither are you."
Again, I paused at that. Was he seriously gonna give me this talk now?
"You aren't a mere human like your mother. You possess my blood, the blood of our people, and if things go well, one day, you'll be just like me."
"Like you?" I questioned.
He looked down at me and smiled slightly. He offered his hand, and I took it-
*FWOOOOSH*
"Woah!" I shouted in shock and fear as we went from our backyard to several hundred feet in the air within a few seconds. He continued to fly us up until we were well past the clouds. Once we were up there, he stopped.
As I looked down, my jaw dropped. Never in a million years could I imagine the view I was currently witnessing. The evening sky with a setting sun glowing over the clouds that lay beneath us like a fluffy rug.
It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
"Son." My father said, pulling me into his arms in a loose embrace. "I am not of this world. I hail from a race of explorers called Viltrumites. As a boy, I grew up on our people's planet, Viltrum, where I was raised to be a warrior…a conqueror."
…Should he be telling me all of this?
"I have lived for a very long time, all the while living out my life for the good of the Viltrum Empire. And seven years ago, I believe I've made my greatest contribution."
I was speechless, at a complete loss for words. He shouldn't be telling me everything, not about Viltrum's true motives or how he is a conqueror. All of that stuff should have been kept on a lid for as long as he could keep it in.
So why is he telling me now?
"If all works out, you are my greatest accomplishment. As such, you must be ready to fulfill your duty to Viltrum when the day comes. You, Darius, are a Viltrumite, a warrior, a conqueror."
— Chapter End —
Beta Reader: Basilisk Dragonboy1