Another chapter is out! I want to keep the momentum and excitement I have for this story so I'm mainly focusing on it for now. I addressed some reviews at the bottom!

Please review, I encourage it!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Naruto," "Dragon Ball Z," "Invincible," or any other sources of legitimized media, they belong to their respective owners.


Things Unravel

Naruto walked out the front door of the community center where he just volunteered. William, Amber, Eve, and Mark had left about thirty minutes earlier. The only reason Naruto stayed so late was to talk with Nikki. The two seemed to click well together.

"N-no way!" Nikki laughed, holding her stomach. "You're telling me you're afraid of ghosts? For real?"

Naruto smiled and shrugged, "No shame in it. I mean you can't hit them, that's pretty scary to me. And they can make things float or slam doors…no thank you."

"I thought you were some tough guy, but you're just a wimp," Nikki joked while eyeing Naruto. The two were standing on the sidewalk in front of the community center.

Naruto wore a hidden smile. He couldn't help but find Nikki's attitude infectious. She was great at taking jokes and slinging a few of her own.

However, he knew the night was getting late. Thankfully it was a weekend so he didn't have school tomorrow but he needed to get to bed soon.

Looking over at Nikki, Naruto spoke with a grin, "Yeah yeah, I'm some big wimp. But the night is getting late and I need to sleep."

This seemed to sober up Nikki's attitude, leaving the girl with a sad grin on her face.

"Where do you live? I'll walk you back," Naruto said while stretching on the sidewalk. The training from earlier caused some knots in his joints. It felt nice to relieve the pressure.

"Usually, here," Nikki gestured to the side of the road. "Sometimes they let me sleep in the community center but it's full tonight…."

Naruto didn't say anything at first, digesting the information. He knew Nikki's clothes were rough but he assumed she still had a place to sleep. Now he knew for sure she was homeless.

"Parents? Legal guardians?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

Nikki shook her head. "No one. Well at least…not anymore…" The sadness in her voice made Naruto's jaw clench. This girl had been dealt a bad hand in life.

"Nobody should go through this…especially not a child…" Naruto thought with a frown. It made his blood boil that a kid had to deal with this.

It was a miracle she wasn't completely bitter at this point. She may not have had powers, but she had resilience. Spirit.

Nikki was about to say something else before Naruto cut her off.

"How about you room with me tonight then?" Naruto asked with a small smile. "I live with my Dad and he's out of town for work, but I know he wouldn't mind. That is if you're fine with it Nikki?"

He knew it may have been too soon to offer something like this, especially since they just met, but he couldn't let Nikki sleep on a cold street again. He contemplated putting her in a hotel for the night but he knew you had to be eighteen or older, sometimes twenty-one, to book a hotel room.

Even if he did change his appearance to look older, he didn't have the qualifications to magically change legal documents. Maybe a call to Cecil could make that happen, but he needed a solution for tonight.

Instead of hesitation or caution in her eyes, Nikki had stars. A sign of her naive nature, "Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah, of course. You're a good kid and no one deserves to be homeless," Naruto said softly.

"Y-yes!" Nikki said with excitement. She got a roof over her head for the night and Naruto seemed pretty cool to her. It was an awesome deal. "The last person to offer that was Martian Man…"

Nikki spoke the last sentence softly but Naruto heard it clear as day.

"Martian Man…?" Naruto said with a raised brow. He didn't know the deceased Guardian had some connection with the homeless girl.

Nikki blushed in embarrassment at her slip-up, "I uhh…I used to be friends with Martian Man before he…you know." She looked down a the sidewalk, feeling sadness for her friend's fate. She hadn't even been able to attend his funeral which hurt her tremendously.

Naruto felt his eyes soften. Here before him was a young, homeless girl who had already dealt with a lot in her short life. Fate was cruel to offer her a friend in the form of Martian Man only to rip it away from her.

That made Naruto all the more determined to help her.

Kneeling down, the teen spoke softly, "I'm guessing Martian Man was a good friend?" He didn't know much about the hero beyond what most people knew, but he assumed Nikki did.

"He was a good person," Nikki nodded with a smile, "I helped him practice his powers a few times before he was…" She clammed up, grimacing once again.

Knowing that the emotional wound wouldn't heal for a while, Naruto gave a comforting pat on the girl's thin shoulder. "It's okay Nikki, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. For now, let's focus on getting you to bed for tonight."

Nikki nodded, appreciating Naruto's kind nature.

That's when Naruto thought of another issue. He didn't have a car to transport Nikki and walking would take a while. The teen flew everywhere so he didn't usually have this problem, but now he was responsible for Nikki.

Deciding to place a major amount of trust in the young girl, Naruto looked at her with a devious smile, "Alright Nikki, I have a surprise to show you. But before I show you, you have to promise not to tell anyone, deal?"

"Deal!" Nikki smiled in excitement.

"Nah-uh, I'm serious," Naruto said with a raised index finger, "You have to promise not to reveal this to anyone unless it's an emergency or I give you permission. You promise?"

Nikki showed her childish nature by extending her pinky finger, "Pinky promise!"

Naruto chuckled, wrapping his pinky finger around hers. "Okay then, pinky promise."

Standing up, Naruto prepared to willingly reveal his secret. Looking around, he could see there was no one around. There were no cars on the road either, likely due to how late it was.

He glanced over at the girl before smiling. Double tapping his pendant, Nikki watched with awe in her eyes.

She could see a wave of black nano bots wrapping around the teen. His tail, ears, and hair were exposed while a black visor covered his eyes. His iconic swirl sat on the center of his back and orange lines ran up his legs.

"NO WAY!" Nikki shouted in surprise, "YOU'RE M-!"

Naruto quickly covered her mouth with his hand, "Don't shout it out loud, but yes, I'm Maelstrom." Slowly, Naruto retracted his hand and watched as the awe stayed in her eyes.

"That is so cool! I can't believe I met two different heroes!" Nikki said in surprise. Her decision to stay with Naruto made her feel even more comfortable now. He was a hero and clearly no hero could be a bad person.

"I had to show you this so we could get back to my home quickly," Naruto admitted. "I kinda need to carry you as I fly so…ta-da! You know I'm Maelstrom now." He joked with a grin.

Nikki didn't have the words to describe how awesome this was. To her childish mind, this was like winning the lottery. After all, most kids looked up to heroes.

"Wait…that's your tail!" Nikki pointed at the monkey appendage, "I thought it was a belt!"

"Most people think that," Naruto chuckled. When he was in civilian clothing, his tail was strapped tightly around his waist. All he had to say was that it was a fuzzy belt and most people didn't think twice about it.

"Okay, this is officially one of the top five days of my life!" Nikki shouted with excitement in her voice. The awe of knowing who Maelstrom was hadn't worn off just yet.

"Only top five? That's lame," Naruto shook his head with a fake frown on his face. Raising a brow, he asked, "How about we make it top three minimum?"

"How?"

Naruto outstretched a hand, "Ready to fly through the air with me?"

"Okay…definitely top two now."

Naruto smiled.


Nolan chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating his thoughts while flying home. He wondered just why Thula and Anissa really came down to visit Earth.

Was it to intimidate him into completing his mission faster? He felt like using Conquest or General Kregg would've been a better option in that case.

Were they really just coming to report back to Thragg on his progress? It made sense but Nolan couldn't help this feeling of frustration gnawing at him.

Did the Viltrum Empire think he was too weak to complete his mission? Did they believe he had fallen so far that a reminder was needed? It made his body fill with rage at the implication he was too weak to subjugate the planet.

The two Viltrumite women had left moments earlier but Nolan couldn't get the interaction out of his head. He wanted nothing more than reducing them to bloody smears but it wouldn't have been optimal at the moment.

Yet, despite their visit, Nolan couldn't help but go back to his son.

Mark was not a Viltrumite, not truly. Not in terms of beliefs. Nolan could finally admit that to himself.

His son had the blood of a Viltrumite, the power of one, but not the values. Not the heart to do what was necessary if it meant killing the enemy. Certainly not the will to subjugate a planet he had been raised on.

"No…no Mark will do the right thing when the time comes…I just have to give it more time…" Nolan assured himself, flying through multiple clouds. He was taking his time going back home, not eager to face his wife while he was in emotional turmoil.

Mark had to do the right thing, he HAD to. If he didn't then…then Nolan would have to fix that. What that meant was up to interpretation.

A small, very small part of the father considered what would've happened if he just didn't take over Earth. If he just played his role as father, husband, and took care of his family. Raising Mark and providing for Debbie.

This, for the first time tonight, actually brought a smile to Nolan's face.

However, just as quickly as these thoughts came, they were washed away.

"That would mean aborting my mission and I can't do that…" Nolan reasoned with himself. It felt like two halves were fighting inside him the more he thought about it. "...besides, I've already done too much. I have to see my plan come to fruition."

The deaths of the Guardians were proof of that.

Clenching his fists even tighter, Nolan narrowed his eyes. He just couldn't realize why this was becoming such an issue. Any other Viltrumite would've simply done his mission. Fulfilled their post. It was as simple as that.

Yet… he felt like a part of him didn't want that to happen anymore. That's what worried him the most. His time on Earth had affected him more than he'd like to admit.

That's when the memories started flooding in.

He remembered the times Mark cried from scrapping his knee as a kid with Debbie tending his wounds right away. Other Viltrumite children would've been scolded or disciplined for showing such emotion at an insignificant wound.

He remembered the nights of cracking beers with Art and Minato, talking all night while they shared laughs. The times Art would get too drunk and try to sing horribly, which Minato and Nolan would encourage.

He remembered the nights Debbie insisted on going out on dates, which he obliged. The concept of getting to know your partner beyond the pleasures of the flesh or a desire to breed. The idea of…love.

That's when he realized what was happening to him. He was succumbing to the love of his family. The love of Debbie. Of Mark. Of…Earth.

Scowling at himself for taking a trip down memory lane in the first place, Nolan had enough. Snarling in anger, he blasted straight home. It was clear flying was only muddling his mind instead of clearing it.

Breaking the sound barrier again, Nolan eventually made his way home. He felt exhausted from the mental trip and decided to just head straight to bed. It was fifty-fifty if Debbie was even still awake at this point. Same with Mark.

Landing in their backyard, Omni-Man opened the sliding door in the back of their house. Just as he did, he heard a sharp gasp.

Glancing up, he could see Debbie looking over her shoulder to face him. It looked like she had been typing on her computer with a glass of wine next to her.

"Nolan…" Debbie spoke his name with a hurried tone. His wife seemed to be pale and sweating. Her reaction to seeing him almost looks forced.

Omni-Man raised a brow in confusion, "Is everything okay?" He could tell something had bothered his wife moments earlier. Moments before he opened their sliding door.

"Everything's fine," Debbie assured while standing up from her seat. She walked over and gave a quick peck on her husband's cheek. She then walked up their stairs, heading to their bedroom.

Before she was out of sight, Nolan asked a question, "Has Mark returned yet?"

Debbie paused her ascent upward, "Not yet, I think he's still out with Amber."

Nolan sighed, crossing his arms. "That boy needs to learn how to prioritize his responsibilities. He can't be staying out this late if he wants to focus on his powers."

"He's a teenager, Nolan, they do this," Debbie explained with a calm tone. Her earlier behavior seemed to be absent, instead acting like the typical mother she was. "Come to bed. Mark will be home soon enough and if he doesn't we'll call him."

Nolan breathed in through his nose before exhaling loudly. "Alright…alright, I'll be up soon."

Debbie nodded before ascending the stairs once more.

Once she was gone, Nolan slowly closed the sliding door behind him. Making sure his wife was gone, he walked over to her laptop.

Moving the mouse pad to wake the machine up, he was presented with a login page. His fingers worked across the keyboard swiftly, knowing his wife's login information.

After accessing the device, he scrolled through all the open tabs.

"Real estate advice…vacation destinations…wine tasting events…" Nolan muttered in his mind while glancing through everything. He was careful not to delete anything. The man didn't want to leave any evidence he snooped through it after all.

Finally, the hero realized there was nothing Debbie searched for or looked through that could explain why she seemed off earlier. It puzzled him, wondering if perhaps it was something on her phone instead.

Before he could go down that train of thought, he saw something peculiar. He saw one of the particular bursts of air through his nose. Puffing more air out his mouth, he could see it once more.

That meant the temperature in the room was cold. Very cold.

His biology didn't allow him to feel it at all. This was his one way to truly test it.

Glancing over at his thermostat, Nolan frowned as he realized it was set to a high temperature. That meant it shouldn't have been cold in the room to begin with. Definitely not cold enough that he should be seeing his breath.

That meant something drastically lowered the temperature in the room moments before he arrived. This was likely the same reason his wife looked spooked to see him.

Nolan gripped his kitchen counter in anger. He accidentally splintered a portion of it, collapsing around his hand.

"Darkblood was here…"

It was the only feasible explanation. Now the question became, why was Darkblood here earlier? And what interest did he have in talking to Debbie?

Also, why did his wife feel like hiding this from him?

Something was going on and it unsettled the hero. These emotions alongside this event were making him agitated.

Still, the legendary hero didn't see the multiple cameras looking at him from across the street.


Naruto's House – Morning of the Next Day

Nikki woke up to the smell of bacon in the air. She carefully opened her eyes, wiping the drool from her mouth. A blanket covered her frail body, providing her some warmth.

After returning from the community center last night, she had crashed on the couch in their living room. The sofa was much more comfortable than the cardboard boxes and concrete sidewalks she was used to.

"What's going on?" Nikki said in a dazed tone, still waking up. She wiped the crust beginning to form on her eyes.

"Morning," Naruto called back from the kitchen. He flipped a few pancakes in the pan he was holding, "I'm making us breakfast for today. I know it's basic but I can't cook anything too fancy. I hope this is good enough."

"Good enough? This is amazing!" Nikki said with excitement. Hopping off the couch, she made her way into the kitchen.

Naruto chuckled while flipping another pancake, "I'm glad to hear that. Take a seat at the table, I'm almost done."

His father had taught him how to cook the basics over the years. Thankfully, pancakes and bacon were well within his skill.

Bringing over the plates full of pancakes and bacon, Naruto set them down gently on the table. Grabbing some maple syrup from his cabinets, he set them down on the table as well. Finally, he grabbed two plates from the cupboard and some utensils.

Taking a seat across from Nikki, Naruto smiled. He could see that the girl was barely restraining herself from diving into the breakfast.

"Let's eat!"

Nikki didn't need to be told twice.

Breakfast was a quiet and comfortable affair.


"Alright, that's the last of it!" Naruto claimed while washing off the last plate. Everything was cleaned and their bellies were full.

"That was so good!" Nikki shouted with a goofy smile on her face. In her opinion, life had just gotten ten times better since meeting Naruto. Not only did he take care of her, he was also a superhero!

Drying his hands with a small towel, Naruto glanced over at the girl. "I have to go to work soon, but I have some time to kill before then. Make sure you have everything you need because we're going out."

"Going out? Where to?" Nikki asked with confusion in her voice.

"To get you new clothes of course. Maybe even a phone," Naruto said nonchalantly.

Nikki felt her heart lurch and a warm feeling began forming in her gut. She stared at Naruto's back for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"Why?"

"Hmm?" Naruto asked with a hum.

"Why would you go so far for me…I mean we just met yesterday," Nikki spoke in a soft tone. She liked Naruto so far but even she knew that getting something for free was rare in this world.

Naruto paused his movements. "…It's because I want to. My father once said that you don't need a reason to do the right thing. And the right thing was to give a helping hand."

The next thing Naruto felt was a missile attack him from the back. He blinked in surprise before looking down, seeing a pair of thin arms wrap around his waist.

"T-thank you…" Nikki hid her tears, wiping them on the teen's shirt.

Turning around, Naruto gently wrapped his arms around the girl. They stayed like that for a moment before the waterworks came out in full force.

Nikki sobbed in Naruto's embrace, hiccuping along the way. Her tears came in a nonstop flow. Her sobbing filled the room with its noise.

Throughout it all, Naruto held her tight.

Nikki had tried her hardest to be tough. You had to be if you wanted to survive on the streets. She lost count of how many people would sneer at her or ignore her, despite the fact she was a child.

Nikki yearned for attention, even she could admit that to herself. That's why when Martian Man extended a helping hand, she felt happy. It was a positive change for her.

Martian Man was the mentor she never had. He was a good friend and she helped in return by helping him train. Life with him was good…for a while.

Then the news hit her one day like a ton of bricks. Her friend and mentor had been pronounced deceased, along with the rest of the Guardians.

She cried a lot that day. And the days after that too.

Nikki had become bitter for a while, always believing others were out to get her. She could see ulterior motives in their eyes. However, Naruto was different.

He didn't yell at her like she was scum. Didn't treat her like a nuisance. Instead, he provided a warm environment and treated her like a person. It was as if life was giving her a second chance to be happy.

Was it so wrong to want to be happy? To simply let another person into her life so easily? Some might've said so, but Nikki didn't care.

She swore to not disappoint Naruto because just like Martian Man, he was one of the very few people in her life to see her. To recognize her. To help her.

Nikki had been lonely for so long that hugging someone again felt like a gift. It was even better that Naruto hugged back with the occasional pat on her back.

After her crying fit calmed down, Nikki looked up to see a soft expression on the teen's face. He raised a brow and smiled, "Feel better?"

Nikki hiccuped with a teary smile, "Y-yeah…I feel better now."

"Good," Naruto said while patting her head with a grin, "Go get cleaned up in the bathroom then I'll take you shopping."

"O-okay!" Nikki said through another hiccup. Her tears were starting to dry on her face. She gave Naruto one final hug before rushing over to his bathroom, having used it the night before.

Just as she was out of sight, Naruto frowned. He couldn't fathom how hard of a life she must've had up to this point. It was cruel for life to be so hard on a young girl.

He vowed to protect Nikki. She was a tough girl but she was still a child. He would be there for her like his father was for him.

His thoughts went to the shopping spree he was about to take her on. Don't get Naruto wrong, he absolutely hated sitting in stores just like any other normal man. However, he would bear it for the young girl.

Nikki was in desperate need of new clothing and he didn't mind spending some money on her. He had cashed the check under his table mat earlier in the morning so he was looking pretty good in his bank account.

While Nikki took her time in the bathroom, Naruto pulled out his smartphone. Scrolling through the breaking news, the teen decided to implement his new plan.

"Alright, time to get some real experience in!" The half-breed Saiyan thought. Without a second thought, he summoned various shadow clones next to him.

"Suit up gentlemen, we're going live!"

They all did as asked, double-tapping their respective pendant. That's when he started looking at the various news stories. Naruto read the headlines with a contemplative look on his face.

Firstly, he saw a cave collapse in Malaysia. It had trapped numerous people inside. "Twelve clones, head out for the cave-in!"

The next resulted in wildfires spreading rapidly in Australia. "Thirty clones, head out to put out the fire! Use our water-based chakra techniques to help stop it." The perks of practicing elemental ninjutsu.

Another headline described the collapse of a building in Japan due to an earthquake in the area. "Forty clones, help secure civilians and clear debris! Evacuate any civilians in nearby buildings as well in case more collapses occur."

Over and over, he dispatched clones to each breaking news headline he could find. Once he was satisfied with his work and all the clones were dispatched, Naruto put away his phone.

He thought this would be a great idea. The public already knew he could use clones so why not make the most of them?

Not only would the clones help be in multiple places at once but they were also sturdy. That meant they would only dispel if their mission was completed or something strong hit them. That's why he loved the advantage in quantity.

Plus, once dispelled, he would get their memories to help him on future missions. Any mistakes a clone made, he could improve on. Also, it would give him a chance to implement all the training he had been undergoing.

He would still be going on missions of course, but he could delegate the clones to any emergency that didn't need him personally. The pay of these good deeds didn't matter to him either, as it was of his own doing.

It was just one small thing he could do to make this world a little better.

Finally, Nikki came out of the restroom with a raised brow, "Were you talking to someone earlier? I could've sworn someone was saying something."

"Don't worry about that, I was just doing some work stuff," Naruto said with a grin. That's when he decided to double-tap his pendant, extending his hero suit.

"That is still so cool to see," Nikki admitted with a grin.

"It never gets old," Naruto agreed with a chuckle. "So, are you ready to go shopping?"

"Only if we fly there!"

"Deal."

And thus, the two were like two peas in a pod. Grinning, laughing, and making the most out of their shopping trip.

It would hurt Naruto's wallet, but it didn't matter in the end.

Neither knew they were helping each other.


Guardians of the Globe Tryouts – Hours Later

Naruto looked around the room with wide eyes. He was dressed in his hero suit and could see various other heroes as well.

Nikki was back at his house, playing on her new phone that he purchased. He had bought the young girl a variety of clothes, allowing her to shower and change into them. Before coming here, he left a few clones back at the house just in case.

The Saiyan had just arrived, eager to see the talent in the room. He wasn't planning on trying out himself but decided not to pass up the opportunity to see others.

Some he recognized from social media, others he wasn't very familiar with. Despite that, he couldn't help but smile in awe at the people around him.

"Look at all these heroes…" He mumbled in his head. It was refreshing to see other people just like him who fought for the betterment of Earth. It was a nice feeling.

The teen did notice someone missing in particular. Scanning the crowd, the Saiyan half-breed confirmed his suspicions. "I guess Tech Jacket didn't want to be a Guardian…"

Lost in his own world, Naruto didn't see the person next to him until they tapped his shoulder. Blinking in surprise, he glanced over to see that someone had approached him.

"Hello! Maelstrom was it?"

Naruto looked over to see that the person speaking to him was a female. She was light-skinned, had dark blue eyes, and was only a few inches shorter than him. A white and yellow spandex suit covered her body with lightning bolts trailing down her shoulders.

She also wore yellow gloves and boots, likely made of the same material as her suit.

"Yeah," Naruto said with a sheepish grin. He extended a hand out, "Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise! I'm Throwbolt!" The woman responded with a smile on her face. She shook his hand with a firm grip. "I just wanted to say that I'm impressed with your work so far. You just came into the scene but you're already making waves."

"I don't think I'm that special," Naruto tried to brush off with a red hue on his cheeks. He was never too good at receiving compliments.

"Oh really?" She raised an amused brow. Throwbolt then pulled out her phone before tapping a few times. Turning it over, she showed a live feed of multiple clones helping people all over the world. "So you're telling me this isn't you?"

"Ah well…" Naruto thought for a second before responding, "I just thought it was the right thing to do, you know? If I can clone myself, might as well help others with it."

Throwbolt chuckled before putting her phone away, "I agree with you. Everyone in this room is a hero for the same reason, to help others."

She then leaned in with a whisper, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, "…just between us though, try not to brag about it too much. I know Dupli-Kate's whole ability is cloning herself so we wouldn't want her to feel bad."

Naruto laughed at this, causing Throwbolt to also smile. He didn't know this woman but she seemed alright in his book.

"Are you also going to try out to be a Guardian?" Throwbolt asked with crossed arms.

"Me? No, I just came to see how it went. I'm more of a solo hero for now."

"Bummer, I was kind of hoping to see what you could do in person," Throwbolt spoke with a playful smile on her face. "I also wanted to see what that Invincible guy could do but he already said he wasn't trying out."

"Sorry to disappoint," Naruto spoke in an amusing tone of voice.

That's when Throwbolt glanced at the clock in the room. She then looked back at the teen with a grin, "I have to head back to my position before tryouts start. I hope to see more of what you can do!"

"Likewise Throwbolt, good luck today!" Naruto encouraged with a nod before the woman disappeared into the crowd of heroes.

At that moment, it just so happened that a smiling Mark Grayson emerged from the same crowd.

"Dude, I totally just saw that!" Mark grinned in his Invincible outfit. The teen had arrived not too long ago himself, wanting to see the upcoming talent like Naruto.

"What do you mean?"

"That woman was flirting with you, man!" Mark teased with a smile on his face. "Trust me, ever since I started dating Amber I can pick up those small details! The way she looked in your eyes or the times she glanced at your hair! She's so into you man!"

"What? No way man!" Naruto responded with a scoff of disbelief, "She just introduced herself and we talked for a little. That was all."

"Sure sure…" Mark teased with a grin. "I'm sure you weren't checking her out either." For Mark, this was payback for Naruto's constant teasing of his relationship. It felt nice for the shoe to be on the other foot for once.

Before Naruto could open his mouth to respond, they all heard a command fill the room.

"LISTEN UP!"

The shout reverberated through the room, silencing all conversations. All eyes turned to the person who shouted.

A buff, older-looking man scanned the crowd. He had black eyes and gray hair with signs of a receding hairline. He wore a dark green turtleneck and khaki pants. Brown boots with dark laces covered his feet.

Both Donald and Robot stood silently next to him.

Realizing he had the attention of the room, he continued to speak.

"As you all know, tryouts for the next Guardians of the Globe will soon commence. Donald here-" He gestured to the man next to him, "-will help me examine all of you. We will be assisting Robot in finalizing all selections."

The older man then nodded towards Robot, allowing the machine to walk forward and take the attention.

"Thank you Brit," Robot began in his monotone voice, "As you all know, I have been directed in forming the new Guardians of the Globe. We will have a set of trials to overcome if you wish to be selected…."

As Robot continued, Mark whispered over to his friend.

"Can you believe so many heroes are here? I saw Shrapnel and Bug-Eye earlier!"

"I also saw Burly, Pangea, and Demi-God," Naruto responded back with a grin. "This room is a stacked lineup."

"I know, it almost makes me regret not trying out. How cool would it be to actually challenge some of these people?!" Mark whispered back with excitement in his voice.

Both boys were battle nuts at heart.

Hearing another shout from the older man, both teens looked back to the people talking in the room.

Brit yelled out to the crowd again. Crossing his arms behind his back, the military man paced back and forth, "Before we begin, we have an important announcement to make. We believe that wasted talent is the worst thing you can do to a hero. To a person."

Brit stopped his pacing to look at the heroes, "That means we do NOT waste talent here. If you do not make the cut for the Guardians of the Globe, it is not the end of the world. After examining everyone's results, we will form secondary teams for everyone else."

This got some surprised murmurs from the crowd, not expecting this at all.

"If anyone has a problem with that, leave now. We don't want someone working with us who has a bad attitude."

Brit gave a few seconds for anyone to leave but no one did. Impressed, he pressed on.

"Donald, Robot, and I will look over how you react. Everything from strength to strategy will be analyzed. We will do our best to pair those we feel will work together based on abilities and personalities. Understood?"

Seeing nothing but nods and silence, Brit continued. "Donald, if you'd please."

Cecil's number one man handed over a clipboard to the older man. Thanking him, Brit flipped through the pages, "All matchups have been decided and will continue until everyone has participated. Listen closely for your name because I won't be repeating it."

Robot and Donald watched from the side. Neither said anything as Brit took control of the room.

Clearing his throat, Brit spoke loudly, "Match one will be Burly vs Rex Splode. Match two will be Black Samson vs Demi-God. Match three will be…" Brit continued until he read off each match on the clipboard.

Once he was done, he glanced up to see if anyone had any questions. Seeing none, he nodded over to Robot.

The orange machine then walked forward, speaking with outstretched arms, "All matches will take place in the arena below. Spectators will stand up here from the viewing balcony." Robot motioned at the glass overlooking the arena below.

A moment of silence occurred before the machine spoke again, "Do not maim, kill, or inflict any lethal injuries upon your opponent. If interference is required, either myself or Brit will intervene. Do we all have an understanding?"

A few people responded affirmatively while most remained silent.

Robot looked over the crowd with a final glint in its eye, eager to get started.

The first match commenced right away.


Soon after the fights started and people got situated, Eve emerged from the crowd. The teen found her two friends and stood next to them on the viewing balcony above.

Eve, Naruto, and Mark engaged in a three-way conversation while watching the fights below. A majority of the matches had already finished for the day.

Currently, they are watching two heroes battle named Man Kong and Monster Girl. Both were big creatures, duking it out in a flurry of fists and grapples.

However, they could all see that Monster Girl had the upper hand.

"It's like watching giants fight…" Eve spoke with crossed arms as she viewed the fight below. "They just keep going at it."

The atom-changing heroine initially planned on competing herself before deciding against it. At the moment, Eve didn't feel like her place was on the Guardians. Especially with a few personal issues she had going on.

"It's a close fight, but Monster Girl has this in the bag," Naruto claimed while peering from the glass above.

"Why do you say that?" Mark asked with a tilt of his head.

"On the surface, they both have great strength. They're both big, strong, and tough. But Monster Girl has more experience in fighting because she's countering Man Kong's hits more and more often. I'd argue the reasons its lasted this long is because she's trying to pick up his fighting style."

"Damn…when did you get so analytical?" Mark joked with a grin on his face.

Eve glanced over from the side, wondering the answer as well.

"I've just been taking my training more seriously lately. Not just improving my speed or strength but also focusing on things like fighting styles and battle intelligence. I'm still working on it but I can tell it's helped. Especially when I watch other fights."

"Now I feel like I'm the rookie," Eve joked with a playful grin on her face. "Looks like I might need to step up my training as well."

"Ditto," Mark agreed. It made him frown that he couldn't pick up the same things as his friend. He would have to ask his father to improve his training in this aspect moving forward.

Before the three could continue to watch, Naruto heard a deep voice from behind.

"Maelstrom…can we talk?"

Turning around, Naruto came face to face with a demon in a trench coat.

Eve and Mark also glanced over, not recognizing who this was at all.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "I'm sorry, do I know you?" For a quick second, Naruto thought he felt the temperature around them drop dramatically.

"No," The detective responded dryly. "My name is Damian Darkblood and I work with Cecil. My occupation is being a detective for the GDA. Can I have a…what do the humans call it…word with you? In private?"

Eve frowned. She didn't get the best gut feeling from this interaction.

Before Naruto could respond, he felt Mark nudge him in the side, "Hey man, I don't know if I trust this…"

The Saiyan half-breed thought the same thing but given that Brit, Donald, and Robot didn't seem affected he thought it would be okay. At the very least, this detective didn't raise any immediate red flags with the staff.

It took a few seconds of silent contemplation before the teen made up his mind.

Naruto then glanced at his friend, "I'll be alright. We'll just be in that corner of the room anyway, I'll yell if I need help." He knew Mark's concern was in good faith, clearly, he was just looking out for him. He would've done the same.

Giving a comforting nod to Eve, Naruto gestured for Darkblood to lead. The demon did so, turning around and choosing a private corner of the room to speak in.

Some other heroes in the room glanced at the pair but none said anything aloud. They still had fights to watch in the arena below after all.

After walking and making sure their conversation couldn't be overheard, Darkblood turned to the Saiyan.

The first words out of his mouth startled Naruto.

"What are you?"

Naruto was taken aback at the question. "Uh…what?"

"What are you?" Darkblood repeated with a firm look on his face. He didn't seem to be threatening but Naruto got the feeling he was being glared at.

"What am I?" Naruto asked in confusion. "Um…I guess I'm a hero? Teenager? High schooler? I don't know what exactly you want me to say."

Darkblood retrieved a notepad from his inner coat pocket. He flipped to an empty page before shaking his head, "No, not what you are on the outside. What are you on the inside?"

"The inside?" Naruto frowned, "Look, now you're not really making any sense."

"Hard to explain in human terms without being offensive…" Darkblood muttered to himself. Deciding that beating around the bush wasn't the best, he decided to be straightforward. "…what is the power inside you? The dark one?"

Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion before the realization hit him. This detective wasn't referring to his Saiyan biology or even his chakra pathways, he was talking about the Kyuubi.

The teen felt his blood run cold, not sure what to say. Out of everyone on the planet, only two people on the planet knew about it. One was his father who was in deep space while the other was Mark. He knew both people wouldn't spill one of his deepest secrets without good reason.

Given the fact that Mark looked like he had seen Darkblood for the first time earlier, he didn't think it had been him. Nor did he believe his father would tell this detective because the man was secretive about this information.

The more Naruto spoke with Darkblood, the more it unsettled him. He was trying to be reasonable but the presence of the detective was unnerving and starting to annoy him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Darkblood raised a brow, not buying it at all, "Can't be true. Can feel the dark presence from here…"

"He can sense the Kyuubi!" Naruto thought in surprise. Despite this, he didn't give any outward reaction.

The Saiyan hybrid tried his best to relax the tension building in his body, "Listen Darkblood, you're not making any sense to me. I don't even know what dark presence you're referring to."

The topic of the Kyuubi leaking out disturbed Naruto. He didn't want the chakra entity to be well known for fear of being ostracized. He would have preferred to befriend the Kyuubi or control its power before revealing the beast.

His father explained how Jinchuriki on his mother's planet were often treated harshly because of what they housed. He didn't know if this planet would react the same way but he'd rather not take the chance.

Was it selfish to keep it hidden? Maybe some would think so, but Naruto didn't think it was selfish to want a peaceful life. People were entitled to their secrets after all.

"Lying through teeth…" Darkblood barely spoke above a whisper, jotting some things down on his notepad. However, Naruto heard this and frowned. He was finding Darkblood to be insufferable and rude the more he spoke to him.

The demon glanced up and spoke in his gravely voice, "Don't take offense, simply asking questions. Doing job." He might've gotten off on the wrong foot being direct but Darkblood wasn't familiar with human interactions.

It looked like being blunt was taken as rude by these people. It was hard to navigate a human conversation without leaving the person irritated.

Naruto decided to ask his question while Darkblood wrote in his notepad, "Did Cecil ask you to do this?" At this point, the teen didn't know if someone had put this detective up to this.

"To investigate you? No." Darkblood answered plainly, "It is something I wanted to look into."

"Then in that case, I'm sorry I couldn't be much help," Naruto responded with a frown. He was eager to end the conversation, "I have to get back to my friends now."

Without so much of a goodbye, Naruto walked back over to Eve and Mark. However, his mood was soured and it left a bad taste in his mouth. It was hard for most people to rile him up but the detective had done so easily.

The worst part was that Darkblood wasn't trying to irritate the teen on purpose. It was just his way of speaking with others.

Just as Naruto came back, it seemed most of the fights had wrapped up. He could see Brit, Robot, and Donald discussing a few things before they wrote them down on a clipboard.

"What did that guy want?" Mark asked with a pointed glance back at Darkblood. Eve stood on the other side of the Saiyan, also curious as to what they had spoken about.

Before Naruto could open his mouth to respond, Brit barked out his words.

"ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE LISTEN UP!"

Once again, all attention turned to the military man. He walked in front of all the heroes, holding a clipboard while Donald and Robot stood next to him.

"After some careful consideration, we've decided on team placements. Robot will be announcing who made it as a Guardian."

Robot gave a slow, thankful nod. Walking forward, the machine placed both hands behind its back.

"Once again, I must say how privileged I am for all of you to partake in being a new Guardian. This is just as much an honor for me as it is for you."

"I'm surrreee it is," Rex Splode muttered from the back of the crowd with a snort. People around him gave a side eye but didn't say anything.

Robot continued as if the interruption never happened, "I would like to announce the new roster for the Guardians of the Globe. If your name is called, please head over to Donald for briefing."

Everyone in the room held their breath, wondering who had made the team. Not only would it be an honor, but it would be the opportunity to grow as one of the best heroes in the world.

Then Robot spoke.

"Shrinking Rae."

A lightly tanned woman walked forward with long brown hair. She had glasses, green eyes, wore a green suit with a yellow 'R' in the center, and stood at a height of 5'10. Her face displayed a calm, collected look.

"Monster Girl."

A young woman emerged from the crowd, giving an appearance to that of a kid. She had blue eyes, brown hair in a ponytail, and fair skin. She wore a white T-shirt, green pants, and red sneakers. A prideful smirk was across her face.

"Dupli-Kate."

The Asian heroine smiled, grateful to be chosen. She took a few steps forward with crossed arms. It was a privilege to be here, and even more to be selected.

"Throwbolt."

Naruto saw as the woman walked forward, a thankful smile on her face. She found his gaze momentarily which he recuperated by giving a thumbs up. The woman smiled at the gesture, nodding in thanks.

"Rex Splode."

The Hispanic hero cheered and walked forward. Rex felt like this was a chance to expand his capabilities. His boasting caused Brit to sigh and rub the bridge of his nose. Eve frowned from the sidelines, still unhappy with her ex.

"Black Samson."

A muscular, dark-skinned man made his way out of the crowd. He stood at an impressive height of 6'2 with a muscular frame. He wore a black spandex suit with orange lines running across its frame. A golden, metallic vest was worn over his chest.

Mark and Naruto both recognized him from the original Guardians of the Globe roster.

"Kid Thor."

This announcement got a surprised look from the hero's eyes. He took a few steps forward while holding a large hammer in his hand. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. He wore tan pants while his belt, boots, and buttoned coat were all garnet in color.

"Welcome all of you to the Guardians of the Globe. If you were chosen as a Guardian, please head over to Donald. Those that were not called forward, please remain while Brit breaks down which team you have been assigned to. Once again, I thank you all for being here today."

The new Guardians of the Globe walked over to the GDA assistant. Naruto watched as Donald spoke to each hero individually before handing them a document, likely briefing the next steps from here.

"Everyone here has been assigned to a team of some kind. Once your name is called, stand over by your respective teammates."

Naruto, Eve, and Mark all perked up in interest. They were wondering what other teams formed out of today's tryouts.

The Saiyan half-breed glanced over to where Darkblood had been earlier before narrowing his eyes. The detective was gone with no trace of him left.

Brit cleared his throat before flipping through his clipboard. "Team one will consist of Badrock, Savage Dragon, Big Mildew, and Business Baby."

Naruto watched as a hulking man who seemed to be made of stone walked beside another hero who resembled a lizard-like creature. Another large creature emerged, looking similar to Monster Girl's transformation state. Finally, what seemed like a toddler in a suit joined the trio.

The Saiyan half-breed saw Business Baby and Big Mildew as they fist-bumped secretly. He assumed the two likely knew each other already.

"Team two will consist of Bolt, Knockout, Man Kong, and British Knight."

Naruto recognized Man Kong but not the other three. Bolt was dark-skinned, muscular, and wore a suit consisting of blue and white. A long blue cape flowed behind him.

Knockout looked similar to Throwbolt, having blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. Her spandex suit was red and white in color while a pair of boxing gloves sat firmly on each hand.

British Knight wore a typical knight's armor set with a horned helmet. The armor was dark brown in color and a green cloth hung from his waist. Spikes littered his chest, helmet, and shoulders. A red gem sat firmly on his chest plate.

"Finally, team three will consist of Pangea, Burly, Demi-God, and Shrapnel."

Naruto recognized each member of this team, however, given that they all had some presence online.

"Teams one through three, stay here for the time being. We will grab all the debriefing files you need along with establishing communication lines with the GDA. With that said…" Brit placed his clipboard down while scanning the crowd. "…we are done for today. Thank you all."

Naruto could see that everyone in the room was pleased. Even those that didn't make the Guardians were at least given a place to improve their skillset. He assumed that if some people shined in their respective teams, they may even be given a spot on the Guardians.

He did notice that Kid Thor spoke with Knockout. The two smiled before sharing a quick kiss, both leaving to do their respective duties.

"Huh… I didn't know those two were dating," Naruto hummed in his head.

"Guess that's all for today," Eve stretched with a yawn. She glanced over to her friends, "Any plans for today?"

"I'm going to see Amber for a bit before training with my dad," Mark confessed with a smile on his face. His relationship with Amber had been in a good place for a while and it was only getting better.

Eve nodded before glancing at Naruto.

"Just some training for today and taking care of Nikki."

"Nikki?" Eve asked with a raised brow. "Who's that?"

"The girl from the community center we volunteered at."

"You mean the one that broke a plate over a man's head?" Mark chuckled.

Naruto nodded while holding back a laugh, "Yep, that's her."

"Oh, so are you babysitting her or something?" Eve wondered.

Naruto gained a sheepish smile on his face, "It's more like I kinda offered her a place to stay for a bit…"

"Really? Doesn't she have like…parents or something? School?" Mark questioned.

Naruto sighed, "No, she was an orphan and homeless. That's the reason she was at the soup kitchen in the first place. I didn't want her to struggle on the street so she's crashing at my place for a bit."

"That's…really sweet." Eve felt a smile grow on her face. It was warming to see that Naruto was willing to go so far for a girl he didn't really know.

The three spent the next few minutes speaking with one another and sharing their plans.

While people dispersed from the room and others spoke with each other, there was one person hiding in the shadows. Someone who was watching the room like a hawk.

This was Robot, the new leader of the Guardians of the Globe. He had been entrusted by Cecil to form a new team, filling the power gap left behind. While he was working on that, he could only think of what he would be doing after this.

If the machine could feel excitement, it would have. Why? Because it was looking forward to a secretive meeting it had planned with the Mauler Twins.

There was a reason the prison breakout of the genius-level villains had been subdued in the news. All it took was pulling a few strings and some elbow grease.

He was looking forward to the game changer in mind.


GDA Headquarters – Director's Office

Cecil sat behind his wooden desk with interlaced fingers and a serious expression on his face.

He couldn't personally attend the tryouts earlier because he needed to check up on the surveillance team monitoring the Graysons. It's why he sent Donald and Brit in his place instead. Donald was his right-hand man while Brit was an old friend, fulfilling a favor he owed.

A document sat atop his desk, holding the rosters of each team. He had already skimmed through it earlier.

"Alright tell me, how are the new heroes shaping up?" The director asked calmly.

Donald answered him, "They are doing exceptionally well sir. Our new Guardians are being given training routines by Robot as we speak to get them in shape. We expressed how quickly we need them up to speed so Robot is trying to comply with our deadline."

"Good, I'm glad he knew that without me having to tell him," Cecil muttered. If Robot was taking the initiative as the leader of the Guardians, it meant he was taking his new job seriously.

Cecil would've preferred Minato, Mark, or even Naruto to lead the Guardians but none of them wanted the position. That left him with Robot. While the machine wasn't his first choice, he was doing well so far.

Brit coughed in his hand before speaking, "Also, I think you should know that Darkblood showed up during the tryouts."

"He did?" Cecil furrowed his brows, "What did he want?"

"Don't know," Brit shrugged, "He only spoke to that Maelstrom kid before vanishing."

This piece of news made Stedman frown, "Did you catch what was said?"

"Couldn't, they were too far away to hear," Brit continued, "But I did manage to notice a few things."

Seeing Cecil's silent look to continue, Brit decided to explain what he meant.

"He looked like he was grilling the kid on a few things. I didn't hear much but I could see from the look on his face that he was getting uncomfortable. You need to have a tighter leash around that demon."

Cecil sighed, Brit was right. He couldn't allow Darkblood to move so freely after multiple warnings. Not only had he disregarded the order to leave the Graysons alone, but he also confronted Naruto personally. The last thing he needed was for the demon to piss off one of the best upcoming talent seen in generations.

The only reason he knew Darkblood visited the Graysons was because of their surveillance team. They had caught the demon talking to Debbie and expressing his words of caution to the mother.

He had expressed too much of the investigation to the mother in Cecil's opinion. It had made his blood boil when the surveillance team showed him the footage.

Damian had overstepped his boundaries one too many times.

"I was already planning on sending him back, but this just speeds things up…" Cecil muttered in his mind. By the end of the day, he would vanquish Darkblood back to his own realm. He couldn't risk having loose ends like this.

"Alright, that makes things easier for me….Donald," The aforementioned man perked up in his chair, "…you and I will be sending Darkblood back to his own home tonight. Be there and be ready, we'll iron out the details later."

Donald nodded, secretly relieved as well. The detective rubbed him the wrong way like many others.

"If that's all, then you're both free to leave. I need to write up how to train these new teams we formed and get them tapped into our communication lines." It was never a boring day for the director.

Brit nodded before getting up. Cecil thanked the man once more for his help and Brit exited without further issue. He was a no-nonsense man. If he wasn't needed anymore, he was gone.

As for Donald, he remained in his seat with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Spit it out Donald, what's on your mind? I can see it written all over your face," Cecil spoke while grabbing a pen and writing down a few things.

"S-sir!" Donald began, "Are you going to be training Maelstrom again today?"

"I am, that's what a training routine is Donald." Cecil nodded while writing, "Why do you ask?"

"I have to wonder…why are you dedicating so much time to him? Why don't you send someone to monitor his training? Why go yourself?" Donald didn't mean to disrespect the hero, in fact, he was a fan of his good nature. But he had never seen his boss dedicate so much effort to polishing a hero. Especially a rather new one.

However, the time that Cecil spent with Naruto was less time spent on other things. Cecil's time was worth as much as his money, so Donald wanted to know why Naruto seemed worthy of both.

Cecil paused in his writings before speaking out loud, "…Donald, tell me our countermeasures on Viltrumites."

"Our countermeasures?" Donald asked in confusion. "Well, we don't have many sir. Diseases don't affect their blood and we don't have much machinery that could restrain them."

"Exactly, that's the problem. We have no countermeasures for them, Donald. And we've had twenty years to prepare," Cecil answered while scribbling something on his paper. "I would like to think that if push came to shove, we'd have at least two on our side."

"Two on our side?" Donald mumbled before widening his eyes. "Sir, you don't mean to say…"

Cecil sighed, this time pausing his writing completely. He leaned back in his chair before speaking again, "Steadfast and Maelstrom are the perfect counters to Omni-Man and Invincible. If necessary, I am confident that they would be our only chance to stop the Viltrumites."

However, Cecil also knew it wouldn't be easy to do so. Naruto and Mark had basically been raised as brothers. It was still something he couldn't figure out.

"Is that why you invest so much time with Steadfast? To get him on our side?"

Cecil grimaced, "No, that would be stupid. Even Minato would be able to see through that."

"Then why sir…?"

"Because Donald, I know how to give people what they want. When Minato crash-landed here two decades ago, I saw an opportunity to give Earth another defender. We were lucky he wasn't hostile and even luckier that he wasn't an asshole."

Cecil crossed his arms, continuing on, "All he wanted was a chance to raise and protect his son. Thankfully, the GDA has been able to do both so far. If we keep good standing with him, then we have a reliable defender for the planet."

"And Maelstrom sir?"

"Naruto has even more potential than his father Donald. I mean, look at this…" He brought out a tablet from one of the drawers on the desk. He awakened the device and faced it toward the man, "…I was monitoring this earlier."

He clicked play and Donald watched as news stations all over the world were praising the amazing Maelstrom for his heroic actions. Everything from rescuing people trapped in a cave to stopping a fire.

"The kid has made a name for himself, even outside the U.S. at this point. Now imagine him doing the same but with nothing but hate in his heart. It would be like trying to stop hundreds of Viltrumites around the globe."

"Then I must ask sir, what would the countermeasure be for Maelstrom?"

"We pray Donald, we pray." There was no joking in the man's voice, being dead serious. "At most, all we can do is prevent him from ever going down that path. Thankfully, it seems like the kid's father has done most of the heavy lifting for us."

Naruto's good upbringing was the best-contributing factor in keeping them on their side. Now it was up to Cecil for it to stay that way.

"That's why we're keeping the training routine," Cecil explained, "Not only does it improve him for combat but it gives me time to get to know him."

"Are you…are you manipulating him, sir?" Donald asked after a moment of hesitation. He didn't want to offend his boss but it was the only explanation in his mind.

"No Donald, what the hell?!" Cecil said with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry sir, I thought that's what you meant by getting to know him," Donald apologized quickly.

"I meant getting to know him so I could read the kid better. Knowing his personality, his character, and how he reacts to philosophical ideas. That sort of thing," Cecil explained with a shake of his head.

"I see…I think I understand better now sir," Donald spoke after a few seconds. He processed their conversation and realized that the director had already put a lot of thought into what he was doing.

It was another reason that Cecil was in the head position.

Cecil looked at this top man before sighing. He reached into his desk once more and pulled out a manila folder. Sliding it over to Donald, he said, "I want you to look into another hero prospect I have my eye on."

Donald picked up the file and read the bolded words stamped across the front. It read: 'Bulletproof.'

"Another hero sir?" Donald asked with a raised brow.

Cecil nodded, "He's been making some small waves in his area. If he joins us, it would be another powerhouse on our side. I've reached out to Art and he has a suit picked out for him if he accepts. All we need is to properly introduce an offer to him."

"Understood sir, I'm on it," Donald replied with a nod.

"Good Donald," Cecil spoke.

They both had a lot of work to do.


The Grayson Residence – Master Bedroom

Debbie Grayson was folding finished laundry on her bed. A basket sat next to her while she folded shirts, pants, and other clothing.

She tried her hardest to keep the thoughts out. Doing laundry was supposed to be peaceful. Her time to get a break from the world.

Her husband was out training their son at the moment. That meant the house was all to herself.

So why did she feel so conflicted?

"…Husband is hiding something…"

"…All Guardians dead except Nolan. Big coincidence…"

"…Suspecting foul play…"

The words from Darkblood the previous night kept ringing in her head. She clutched the shirt she was folding, a frown on her face.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Darkblood was indicating.

The worst part was that she was beginning to see some truth in what the demon was saying.

Nolan's behavior since the Guardian's deaths seem so…detached. He was still caring, kind, and reliable like usual. But he had been a lot more irritable lately. Training their son with more of a firmer hand than before.

They had spoken about it in private but Nolan was insistent that Mark needed the training. Needed the discipline to be a better hero.

Everything was seemingly fine.

So why did it feel like her husband was hiding something?

Debbie put the folded shirt on her bed, sighing. She didn't want to believe her husband had a hand in eliminating the Guardians but he seemed so guarded lately.

He talked a lot about Viltrum lately, making it a red flag for the mother. In their twenty years of marriage, he rarely spoke about home. Now, he had brought it up multiple times in the past week.

It got to the point it was making Debbie concerned.

The only good thing was that Cecil seemingly backed off of their family. He hadn't engaged much with Nolan or Mark since the Guardians were killed. However, she was sure he was behind the scenes, headspearing the investigation.

Realizing that doing laundry wouldn't help her, Debbie walked downstairs. She needed a glass of wine to cool her nerves.

There was nothing to worry about, surely. Nolan couldn't have had a hand in this because he was also attacked. Left for dead among the Guardians.

That was unless….Nolan was the one to attack the others first.

Debbie shook her head, she really needed the glass of wine.

Pouring herself a glass, she sat down on her kitchen counter and opened her laptop. Logging in, she went to the search bar and typed in 'Damian Darkblood.'

She needed to see if the demon had credibility after all or if he was trying to spook her.

What she said made her stomach sink.

Headline after headline showed that the detective was good at his craft. Claims that he solved previous cases and was a necessary evil flood her screen.

After clicking a few more articles and reading them thoroughly, Debbie felt a pit growing in her stomach.

There wasn't a single case he failed to solve. Even worse, he had been correct from the start in each one of them.

And now, he was working on Nolan's case. A case in which he claimed that her husband possibly had something to do with.

It made the mother want to collapse in her chair.


"How'd that feel, son?" Nolan asked with a grin on his face. The father was flying in the air next to Mark, arms crossed.

"Good Dad," Mark responded with a smile.

The two had just saved a crew of oil rig workers out in the ocean. The rig was collapsing due to the harsh ocean waves before the pair of heroes arrived to help.

Mark had to control his speed to travel at a safe medium for the workers. It took multiple trips, but they managed to safely evacuate the entire crew.

They floated above the ocean once finished, having their conversation.

Nolan nodded before looking around. The sun shined high above, the ocean sloshing below them with its clear blue water.

Omni-Man breathed in deeply before speaking. "This planet has its beauty. There aren't many places I've visited with this much diversity."

"Even Viltrum, Dad?" Mark wondered.

"Well Viltrum was a little different than this," Nolan gestured around them, "We had less landscapes but better technology. As you know, our people even managed to repair the climate in our home world."

"I still can't believe it. It almost sounds like a paradise," Mark said while letting his imagination run wild. He tried his best to picture the planet in his mind.

"To many, it is," Nolan chuckled. "Our people cared about safeguarding peace. We cured diseases. Prevented conflicts. All on planets throughout thousands of galaxies."

"That's so awesome," Mark smiled, "I couldn't imagine providing so much help and support to people you've never met. It's like Viltrumites were heroes for the universe."

"You could say that," Nolan smirked. "It's why I'm here after all."

"The world betterment committee, I know," Mark replied with a shake of his head. He had heard his father's story hundreds of times at this point. "You were chosen to come here and protect Earth for the Viltrumites."

"That's right…." Nolan took a trip down memory before speaking. "Then your mother came into my life. Soon after, you joined us too. That changed everything…"

Mark didn't say anything, choosing to bask in the comfortable silence between them. It took a few more moments before Nolan spoke again.

"You're now a Viltrumite son, that means you'll have to learn how to prioritize your heritage."

"What do you mean Dad?" Mark asked with a raised brow.

"I'm saying that sometimes you need to organize your priorities. I get that you have a girlfriend, but this is also important," Omni-Man pointed down to emphasize his point.

"The planet? Of course Dad, I'll always be here to help!" Mark answered like it was no big deal.

"I'm not talking about helping the planet son, I'm talking about saving it."

"Saving it? Saving it from what?"

"From itself."

Mark didn't quite understand what his father meant. However, he just gave a nod which seemed to reassure the older man.

The rest of their flight went easy enough. His father taught him how to properly gain speed, throw punches, and other pieces of advice.

It was just like any other time they spent in the air together.

Yet throughout all, Mark couldn't understand why that sinking feeling in his stomach was coming back. It happened the last time they went out on a flight.

However, this time, it didn't go away easily.


GDA Headquarters – Training Wing

"So, mind telling me why you asked to bring her here today?" Cecil asked with a raised brow. "I had to break so many security protocols to get her even this deep."

Before him stood a sheepish Naruto and an awe-inspired Nikki. She kept glancing at everything around her, a wide grin on her face. "I've kinda been taking care of Nikki lately. I didn't want to leave her at home and she asked to come once I told her what I was doing…"

Cecil sighed while resisting the headache coming on, "You're lucky that you're good at what you do kid. I'll let this slide but don't tell anybody, can't have people knowing I broke protocol for a child."

"Thanks, Cecil," Naruto flashed a grateful smile before turning to Nikki. "Go sit over there and watch quietly. Don't touch anything and thank Cecil for this."

The young girl nodded and did as told. "Thank you, Mr. Cecil."

The director gave a nod but didn't say anything.

Nikki was dressed in new clothing that consisted of a purple hoodie, black sneakers, gray pants, and a blue shirt. She decided to keep her green beanie since it was a gift from the late Martian Man.

After a hot shower, the dirt marks and stains around her body vanished as well. She was still frail from the months she lived on the streets but Naruto was determined to get her to a healthy weight.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd argue the kid has taken a guardianship role over the girl." Cecil analyzed after seeing the interaction between them. It looked like a lot of trust had already been built between the pair.

Pushing it out of his mind for now, he snapped his fingers. "Jonathan, bring in the patches and call for the instructors. We're on a timetable here."

The scientist nodded from the back of the room. His team was already at work, typing on their respective computers.

Naruto knew the drill at this point. He lifted up his long-sleeved, black muscle shirt for them to place the patches on his body.

Once secured, he double-tapped his pendant. Nikki watched from the side as it extended in an instant, her eyes wide with amazement. It was so cool to see every time.

"Kage, go ahead and give me five times Earth's gravity."

"Understood."

Naruto grunted from feeling the effects of the artificial gravity. He almost fell over but caught himself quickly. Panting from the effort, he forced himself upright with some difficulty.

His muscles twitched and his legs spasmed, but it was a work in progress.

Nikki held her breath momentarily, worried for the teen. Thankfully, it seemed Naruto was able to stabilize his footing.

"Heroes really have to put in a lot more work than I thought…" Nikki pondered while watching the Saiyan.

"Not bad kid looks like your body's already adapting to the high gravity…" Cecil said while placing his hands in his pockets.

"I'm…I'm trying to get used to it so I can…so I can keep it on at all times." Naruto struggled to speak but pushed through regardless.

"Smart," Cecil agreed with a nod, "Gives your body an edge in speed when you turn it off in a fight. Once you adapt to it, you could probably raise the gravity for a bigger difference."

Naruto gave a shaky nod, indicating he had already thought of the same thing. However, until he mastered five times Earth's gravity, he wasn't going to raise it.

Baby steps after all.

"And this is before I even enhance my body with chakra…" Naruto thought with a smile. He would likely be able to resist gravity better if he used his chakra, but that was the point of training. Pushing past your limits.

All the more to grow.

The entrance doors opened up to reveal the instructors Naruto had worked with the previous day. Seeing a nod from Cecil, he summoned multiple shadow clones and assigned them to a respective instructor.

"Alright kid, let's get started!" Cecil shouted with clapped hands. "Jonathan, everything good to go?"

The scientist didn't respond but instead gave a thumbs up. Their team was monitoring his vitals perfectly.

Turning back to the teen, Cecil spoke, "Before we kick it off, I have to ask. What's up with this?" The director then tapped his smartwatch as a hologram popped up.

Naruto saw his clones working around the world from earlier in the day.

"I thought I could do some good…" Naruto panted while resisting the artificial gravity. "If I can help, I will. It's…it's what I do."

Cecil nodded before removing the hologram. "Good. Let's me know I didn't make a mistake in having you join us."

Naruto barely heard the man as blood pumped loudly in his ears.

"Gonna be honest though, I only pay for missions I give you. You can keep your solo acts but the money only comes if I approve something personally," Cecil clarified. He wanted Naruto to keep his good deeds but this was something he had to understand.

"T-that's fine…" Naruto waved off. He didn't care about the money when he sent clones out to help, simply to save lives.

Nikki watched the interaction from the side. Her respect for the teen seemed to keep on growing lately.

Cecil didn't respond but instead fished around in his pocket. Retrieving a small device, he threw it over to Naruto who barely caught it.

"That's your specialized earpiece. Any missions I assign will come through that. If you need to reach me, just press your finger on it and it'll open up communication on my end. Keep it with you at all times. If it gets destroyed we can issue a new one."

"G-gotcha…" Naruto said with sweat begging to roll down his face. His jet-black hair started feeling wet from the sweat glands working overtime.

The Saiyan half-breed thought this was a better idea anyway. It would stop the calls coming in from the director.

Seemingly pleased, Cecil readied to monitor Naruto's progress for the day. He could see small improvements already but he knew this kind of training needed to be constant for results.

"Go Maelstrom!" Nikki shouted from the sidelines with a childish giggle.

With a reminder of what he was protecting, Naruto smiled.

He was ready for another grueling training session.


Naruto's House – Hours Later in the Night

"Ow…ow…ow…" Naruto winced while walking inside his home. Nikki was trying her best to keep him lifted up, wrapping one of Naruto's arms over her thin shoulder.

"Almost there!" Nikki said determined while shutting the front door with her foot. Walking forward slowly, she watched as Naruto dumped himself on the couch.

"Today was tough…" Naruto groaned while placing the back of his hand on his face. He lay on the couch with one foot draped over.

Flying home with a sore body was bad but it was harder while bringing home a passenger.

"That's because you overworked yourself," Nikki giggled, "Even that old man was saying how you took it too far today."

Naruto chuckled at Nikki's description of Cecil.

He had indeed pushed himself a bit further than what his body was capable of. He would normally be fine by this point but the Kyuubi's chakra needed time to heal him thoroughly.

By morning, he knew all the pain would be gone.

Despite the soreness in his body, the Saiyan half-breed didn't feel tired. He was exhausted but sleep wasn't coming to him.

Glancing over at Nikki with one eye, he asked, "Wanna watch a movie?"

It would kill time and allow him to relax. He was dreading the cold bath that would come later.

Nikki shrugged, "Sure, what do you want to watch?"

Raising himself with a wince, Naruto patted the spot next to him for the girl to sit on. She took the invitation and plopped herself with a grin.

They flipped through a few options on the TV before deciding on an older comedy film. It was appropriate for Nikki and interesting enough for the teen.

Naruto leaned back into the couch with a groan, tired from the day. He went over his clone's memories once again.

The clones that were summoned in the morning had provided him with crucial information on how he could do his job more effectively. Knowing how to properly uphold a collapsing building. Securing a parameter. Things of that nature.

His other set of clones with the instructors helped add to his fighting styles. One of the things he learned today was how to perform the Deashi Harai from Judo.

Would he ever need it? Maybe. Was it good to know? Most definitely.

As they say, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

While Naruto was lost in his thoughts, he felt a sudden embrace around his stomach. Looking down, he saw that Nikki was hugging him while the movie played in the background.

"Is something wrong Nikki?" Naruto asked in concern, ignoring the soreness throughout his body.

"I just wanted to say thank you again…" Nikki mumbled from her position. "Not a lot of people care about me so it feels nice to be around you."

Naruto's expression softened before he smiled. Placing an arm around her thin body, he gave a soft squeeze in support.

"Can I…can I stay the night again?" Nikki asked, barely above a whisper.

At that moment, Naruto could see the vulnerability of the young girl. This was a girl who survived the harsh reality of life. Someone who built a harsh exterior around herself. But she was still a child at heart.

Thankfully, he put her worries to rest.

"Duh, of course, you can," The teen joked with a grin. This earned him a small punch from the girl, making him laugh. "I didn't get you all these things today just for me to throw you out. I'll get you a pillow and blanket."

"Jerk," Nikki smiled.

The teen stood up with a sharp pain in his legs, but he ignored it. He went off to a storage closet to retrieve the items for Nikki. The noise from the movie trailed behind him as he walked.

Neither of them noticed a floating Atom Eve by their window, a smile plastered on her face. She originally came over to see if Naruto was available but she could see he was busy.

Not wanting to disturb the two, she flew off into the sky. While in the air, a warm feeling began blossoming in her chest.

Naruto had a one-of-a-kind personality she couldn't help but appreciate.

It made her wonder how no girl had snatched him up yet.


Done with another chapter! So much went on in this one.

First off, we got a new roster for the Guardians of the Globe! Both Kid Thor and Throwbolt joined, which I think is warranted by the way.

Throwbolt especially, helped dispatch two Invincible variants in the show. That woman is a force to be reckoned with. Justice for Throwbolt!

Also, the secondary teams are something I came up with. To my knowledge they don't really dive deep into the other heroes or give them much of a spotlight so I wanted to do something with that.

I added a few heroes who weren't in the original tryouts but are in the Invincible universe. Brit also finally made an appearance. My plan was to expose a lot of the lesser characters in this chapter to expand on them later.

Debbie is also having some doubts about her family. Parallel with her son yet neither knows that. Oh, how things are gonna change.

No update on Minato or Allen the Alien in this chapter but I'll be going into them soon enough.

We also got Nikki and Naruto bonding with each other. Even got Atom Eve at the end with her personal thoughts…wonder how that'll go…

Anyway, onto some reviews!

Superfan787: I actually have most of what I plan to do with Battle Beast already mapped out. I won't say much but he and Naruto will meet. It's gonna be a very interesting interaction, wait and see!

Klbjr: Glad you came back to this story and liked it! Hopefully, this chapter is just as good!

Reader977070: I will say this, Naruto WILL meet other Saiyan's. I won't say how, but it will happen later on in this story.

NaruLemon Stories: Your review made me laugh and now I can't get it out of my head when I think about Anissa lol. But yes, the 'strongest grip' took notice of our friendly Saiyan.

That's all for now! Thank you for all the support and keep reviewing, it helps me out!

~ Cheers!