The days after the Guardians meeting settled into a surprisingly peaceful rhythm.
Well... peaceful by that world's standards anyway.
Reconstruction was underway and everyone was doing their own thing and I was left alone to do mine.
After telling them about the sewer infestation they had Cecil didn't miss the chance and directly jumped to work. And wasn't that a case?
It was during one of my drones search for survivors that they made a scan that went down underground from the destruction and discovered an entire underground tunnel system crawling with strange tentacled organisms.
Holly fid tell me about the Sequids but I thought it was an issue related to planet Mars, so how did they get here? And in these quantities too.
Anyway it was not my issue and Cecil was dealing with it. I already got myself some samples to study and was now back on Evolis the name I finally chose for my planet.
Not the most original or fantastic one but I like it. It has some relation to me and describe me in some way as that ever evolving individual.
That was everything I wanted this place to represent an ever evolving adaptable planet that doesn't stagnant but always move forward.
My people if I ever had ones would be called the Evolisians or Evos for short. It has a good ring to it in my opinion.
Anyway Holly was with me too, she has been spending more time around and was being a bit clingy not that I couldn't understand nor that I was about to complain either.
At the moment she was inside one of the gravity chambers, training and testing the new suit I had made for her.
She probably had the wrong impression when I presented her with just a helmet and told her that's the suit.
It was funny seeing her unimpressed expression change when the helmet suddenly melted on her head and encased her whole body.
Holly is not new to advanced technology and understood nano-tech but she was still surprised with how different my version looked to her.
It was nothing special really, the same version I was wearing that can allow her to breath and survive in space and most difficult environments, radiation shielding, protection to the mind and possession, medical assistance capabilities and some nifty tools here and there not to mention a direct connection to my trusty Ai Sara.
Holly probably expected some bulky armor that why she was against it at first. The armor will come later I am not finished with synthesizing the right metal to build the Ultimate material yet.
On another part of Evolis, specifically in the Academy land Eve was having a very different kind of training. Where Holly needed more raw power, Eve needed to focus on control and precision along with the mental aspect of her power.
Her face when I sat her down in a classroom and left her with an android to educate her. It was hilarious. But the specialized teaching android I built for her didn't share my sense of humor though.
It was specially made with her powers in mind and will focus on chemistry, molecular physics, biology and psychology for her training.
It had already buried her beneath enough homework to make even college students cry.
Serly visited a day before and had a chat with the girls were she hugged them repeatedly and asked how they were doing it was a heartfelt moment.
She was back to work as she was dealing with some breakthrough in her newest project that she didn't tell me about.
I was curious now.
"Well let's go see what he wants" I will take Holly with me since she's a more trusted face for Cecil than me and in case it was any team related issue as I am not that close with them beside Rudy and Amanda.
[3rd Pov]
Inside a random unimpressive room in the GDA Cecil was standing alogside Mark and Oliver.
Oliver was kind of excited for many reasons, his mood contrasting with that of Cecil and his brother.
Cecil had to think carefully if he wanted to do this in the first place but he realized he never had the choice so he tried his best to convince Mark to come and told him about Zane's offer.
This softened Mark's aggression a bit since the boy didn't have anything but gratitude for the man so he was willing to listen and see what's the fuss about.
Not a minute after Cecil communication message went that a portal opened infront of them and out came Zane with Holly alongside him.
Zane nodded "Cecil" and then smiled at ghe boys and said his greeting.
"Zane" Cecil nodded back neutrally but he was relaxed at seeing Warwoman, the woman in case was greeting the two boys especially hugging the still short Oliver.
"Alright boys, I suppose Cecil told you about my offer?" Zane looked between them as he talked.
Mark nodded, "he said something about training with better equipment and better preparations?" and asked.
"It's the gist of it, I will show you what I got and tell you what I have in mind for a schedule and you can decide for yourself but if you commit I can promise that I won't just make you stronger but overall more capable.
Come let me show you instead of just talk" he gestured with his head and after another nod to Cecil went in the portal, Holly smiled and encouraged the boys then went in after him.
Mark shared a look with Cecil who just shrugged, Oliver on the other hand just followed right after making Mark goes in too.
When they appeared on the other side they were stunned at the sight in front of them.
They were in the middle of a plaza with building all around them. That was not what stunned them though it was the futuristic of it and how despite that there was a lot of green, grass, trees hell there are vines connected to some of these buildings.
Oliver's mouth hang open in a wow while Mark felt as if looking at a scene from some sci-fi movie.
"Welcome to Evolis boys, my personal planet."
"Whoa!"
"Wait did you say your Planet?"
"Mhm, right you don't know about me do you?" Zane walked and showed them around while explaining to the boys how he wasn't from their world and has arrived accidently, how they are in another universe at the moment and other little tidbits that will make it easier if he just told them.
All the time the boys were dumbfounded and only half of it was because of Zane's background, hell maybe not even half because the sights infront of them were just that more interesting.
Above them floated an island carrying what looked like an entire city, with an enormous tower reaching toward the artificial sky while countless drones moved silently.
Waterfalls poured from its edges into the landscape below where forests, rivers, fields and buildings unlike anything either of them had ever seen stretched.
It was truly a sight to behold.
"Whoa." Oliver forgot to blink and was just floating around looking at everything "This is awesome!"
"That was my expression when I saw it the first time" Holly commented to the side smirking as she looked at the boys expressions.
Mark was silent but equally amazed and speechless.
Along the wide paths small drones passed overhead, maintenance robots worked quietly in gardens.
Everything moved with purpose.
There was no noise, no crowds, no chaos. Just them and the machines at work.
Oliver looked around carefully, "is there no one living here?"
"Beside me there's no one at the moment" Zane shook his head as he explained how he built the planet recently and didn't have anyone to invite yet.
"Whoa, you did this all in just two years?"
At Zane's nod Oliver couldn't help but disclaim in amazement, "Hey Mark should we get our own planet" amd asked his brother excitedly.
"I don't think we have what it take to build the same thing Oliver. Besides, I don't think mom will want to lwave her work and life behind" Mark shook his head and explained wryly.
Eventually they arrived before an enormous complex separated neatly from the 'living place' if Mark had to guess, the building itself looked more like a futuristic academy with it own forest and roads and everything.
There's even some lakes and swimming pools if saw right.
"I built this place in case I had people, especially young ones with powers. To help them control and train them further.
It's not really where you will be most of the time, atleast not you Mark but it also has anything that you will need."
"What do you mean?" Oliver asked as he looked around enjoying the place more than whatever there was back home.
Mark also looked over wanting to know.
"Your training won't be the same." Zane looked toward Mark first.
"You."
A hologram appeared beside him. Human/Viltrumite anatomy, muscle movement, momentum, force vectors. And a lot that neither Mark nor Oliver could understand.
Another hologram appeared displaying Conquest, War Woman, Eve and more unknown that none of them had seen.
"Training those with the 'brute' power is easy and common" Zane gestured with his fingers making then chuckle a bit " I have the weights and environments that will help you the most and with that you will also be training your reaction speed and finding a suitable fighting style"
"Fighting style?"
"You can't always punch your way through, there's always someone stronger and you can't afford to do that while being a Hero most of the time. You rely too much on strength with little to no concern for your surroundings or control.."
Zane went on to explain and show them some videos he was able to get from their world about collaterals, accidents or general mistakes that could have been avoided.
"You two will have to do that, but you will do even more" he turned to Oliver as he spoke and Oliver felt sudden chills he couldn't understand, "you will be using the classrooms here" he gestured at the academy building.
"From what I could get of you, you grow too fast, you are quiet smart but never had the chance to use that intelligence because no one knew or could offer the right environment for the suitable growth"
"Is it... that bad?" Mark was concerned and feeling little but guilty because he didn't know and still doesn't know what to do.
Zane saw that look and rolled his eyes "relax, I just said no one could've known. It's not like he will grow up dumber if he didn't do anything I am seeing he could be much smarter if someone put up some effort" he looked back at oliver.
"Don't worry though this won't be like school and you won't have homework or the like" oliver released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Just as Zane was explaining a pink construct platform descended from above.
It dissolved into glowing particles as Eve landed close to them with a surprised expression on her face "Mark? Oliver? What are you guys doing here?"
"Eve? I could say the same!"
"Hello, Eve!"
Seeing the three conversing together Zane decided to leave the rest of the tour to Eve and go back to do his own thing. It will be good for Mark to relax a bit.
"Hm... now that you are free, how about you show me a room where we can enjoy a nice view?" Holly hugged Zane and whispered in his ears hotly.
What would he do beside lifting her and flying back to the island?
Work could wait another hour.