"So explain it to me again. Why is there a talking giant insect in our kitchen? But slower this time," Debbie said as she sat in their house with an alien standing right next to them.
"My name is Nuolzot. I am from the planet Thraxa. My people sent me here to plead for your son's help," the alien said.
"Thraxa?" Debbie asked.
"It's a couple of galaxies away, uh, give or take. I mean it's not very far. You go... it doesn't matter."
"No, it doesn't. What does matter is why you know about my son, when you're that far away? Aren't there other people who could help you with your problem?" Debbie asked.
"Uhh... rumours of the one they call Invincible have spread like wildfire. His speed, his strength. You are the only one who can help save our people from the meteor showers destroying our world."
Debbie stared flatly at the alien, then looked at Mark, who stood to the side with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused expression. It seemed that both of them had the same thought.
'That alien is clearly lying.'
"Listen..." Debbie started.
"Nuolzot."
"Nuolzot. We have a life here on Earth. I have a job, as does my son... in some way at least."
"Hey!"
"We don't have time to waste travelling to other galaxies for a problem that is clearly made up. So, I'm sorry that you had to travel all this way, but we won't be coming wth you," she said. "Now, if you would please leave our house, and don't come back again."
Mark knew what was going on. His mother had a very bad day, and since the alien was clearly lying about some things, she wasn't going to agree to help. Mark, on the other hand, thought that it would be a good thing for her to leave the planet for a while. She already knew a lot of places on Earth, so anything she would visit would remind her of Nolan. But going off-world?
That might just work.
And while Nuolzot clearly lied about the meteor shower, there was urgency in his voice, and he didn't seem malicious. He was just not telling the full truth. And unlike his mother, he didn't really care about what the true danger was.
"Please... I beg you. Our people are in real danger. I was sent here as an infant, and it took me most of my life just to reach this place. I am not lying to you. We are really in great danger," Nuolzot begged Debbie.
Debbie looked at Mark, unsure now that she saw the desperation in the alien's voice and... eyes. He shrugged his shoulders, telling her that it didn't matter to him.
"What about Invincible Inc.? What about all the things you could do here?"
"Earth will still be there when we get back. And if it isn't, then my presence wouldn't have made a difference either way. Come on, Mom, this'll take our minds off of things. We've never been to space, right?"
"You were on Mars."
"Right. But apart from that."
"Sigh... alright. But I'll make some calls and prepare for our absence for a while. How long would that take?" she asked Nuolzot.
"A few weeks... a month at maximum," the alien said.
"A month. What are you getting me into, Mark?"
"Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine."
.
[No, you can't just go to some random planet with some random alien. And with Debbie?! Are you insane?!] Cecil said over the comms.
Mark was carrying Debbie in a princess carry and flew up towards the spaceship Nuolzot arrived in. He had called Cecil to tell him they were going, just to make sure he informed the Guardians and was ready. It was some courtesy he would give him.
"The Guardians can keep an eye on things while we're gone. It's not like I was ever a part of them anyway. It won't be more than a few weeks, a month tops. Depending on asteroid traffic," Mark said.
"Oh, it shouldn't be that bad," Nuolzot said from the side.
"It shouldn't be that bad."
[You are a hero from Earth. You save humans from this planet and work for them. You will not go, and you will not take Debbie with you!! This is an order: do not go!]
"So I was just calling you to inform you, out of professional courtesy and not to get your permission. I'll go where I damn well please when it comes to anything that is off-world."
[Your father thought the same way.]
"Aha. Good talk, superspy-without-a-family."
After that, Mark took out the comm-link and dropped it. They made it to Nuolzot's small spaceship and entered. Debbie started to look around, and Mark dropped off all the luggage she had thought to bring. She was ready for almost all environments.
"Make yourself at home and relax. This shouldn't take too long."
"How do you feel?" Mark asked.
"Strange and unsure of what we're doing here. This was a bad idea, Mark. We don't know what's going to happen. What if this was all a lie and a ploy ot get us off world and then attack it?"
"That is, of course, a possibility, but the desperation in his voice seemed genuine; you heard it too. Besides, it's as I said, if Earth can't survive one month without me, then it didn't deserve to live up to this point. Relax. Enjoy the ride. It's a new experience, right?"
"Right. I always wanted to follow a giant insect to his spaceship and be transported to its planet."
"That's the spirit, haha."
.
Mark and Debbie had fallen asleep on the way. It wasn't a very interesting experience, and for Mark it felt rather slow. If he had known where to go, flying would have been faster for him.
"Mark Grayson, Debbie Grayson? Wake up," Nuolzot said.
"What is it?"
"We're here."
"Whoa..."
Debbie looked out of the window in wonder as she saw the city below. Everything seemed to be made of purple material, with blue accents. There were dozens of strange arcs in random directions, scattered all over the ground, and it seemed that everything except the buildings was sand.
The spaceship descended slowly, in front of what seemed to be a palace structure of some kind. Hundreds of Thraxans were waiting to see their arrival. Their eyes were filled with wonder and what felt like expectation. Debbie was just as overwhelmed by this new experience as the Thraxans were. For some reason, and thankfully, the atmosphere was breathable for her, so she didn't need a mask to breathe.
"Welcome to Thraxa," Nuolzot said and spread his arms.
"This... looks amazing," Debbie said.
"Oh, don't mind them. Come, the Monarch wants to meet you at once," Nuolzot said and pulled them forward, through the crowd of Thraxans.
Several children giggled as they passed and pointed at them. There were smiles and joy upon their arrival... which was strange.
"So."
"So?"
"What exactly about this planet needs saving? And where are the meteors you talked about?" Debbie remarked.
"Meteors? What Meteors?"
"Yeah, we knew you were lying, but I think it is time you tell us what is going on here!"
"Oh, yeah, meteors, right. No, that's right. I apologise, it must be a touch of dementia. We age much quicker than you humans, you know. Don't worry, the Monarch will explain all," Nuolzot said.
The palace grounds looked nice. There was no loose sand, but sandstone was used, and nice small waterfalls were used as well. The main structure was made of the same light violet material as all the buildings, but a long red-coloured stone pathway led to an elevated position where the 'monarch' was supposed to be waiting.
"Your Majesty. May I present Invincible and Debbie from Earth."
They looked at the three Thraxans standing on the higher platform. Nuolzot bowed deeply, while Debbie bowed just slightly, wanting to at least give some respect to the monarch of this planet. Mark, on the other hand... did not bow.
"Hello, you two."
Hearing that voice, Debbie looked up and gasped in shock. She took several steps backwards and held her hand in front of her mouth. She trembled as she stared at Nolan.
"It's been a while."
...
Debbie and Nolan were looking at one another, and for a moment no one said anything. All this, as hilarious as it was, turned out to be a mistake. Debbie wanted to get away from things that would remind her of Nolan, and they arrived on a planet... where Nolan is the Monarch. However...
*BOOOM*
Mark jumped into action, and in the blink of an eye, he crashed into Nolan. They shot forward, smashing through the palace and out the other side, right into the air.
"Mark!" Debbie shouted.
Nolan was surprised, to say the least, by Mark's rough and violent actions, even if he shouldn't have been. He felt the pain of the sudden attack and looked at Mark, who was grinning viciously.
"So good to see you again. We weren't finished with our fight, were we?" Mark said.
He reeled back his fist and punched Nolan in the face twice.
*BANG BOOM*
Nolan's head shot to the side, but he managed to block the second attack and punch Mark as well, getting him off him. Mark didn't give him any time and charged forward again, smashing his fist into Nolan's stomach once more.
*BOOOOM*
Nolan exhaled sharply as Mark's fist buried into his midsection. The sheer kinetic energy of the impact sent a visible shockwave through the Thraxan sky, rippling the clouds above the palace. Nolan reeled back, but many centuries of combat instinct kicked in. He lunged forward, grabbing Mark by the collar of his suit and driving a massive, bone-crunching headbutt right between his son's eyes.
*BAM*
Mark's head snapped back, a spray of crimson hitting Nolan's pristine monarch robes. But instead of backing off, Mark's grin only widened into a bloody, terrifying mask. The fire in his eyes burned hotter than it ever had in the ruins of Chicago.
"That all you got, Your Majesty?!" Mark roared through the blood. "Haven't trained for a while, have you?"
Before Nolan could reset his stance, Mark used his momentum to twist mid-air, throwing his legs up and wrapping them securely around Nolan's right arm. With a roar, fueled by the absolute joy of seeing his father alive and ready to fight, Mark wrenched his entire body weight downward.
*CRAAACKK*
"AAAAHHH!" Nolan screamed in genuine agony as his arm fractured under the immense leverage.
Enraged and blindingly fast, Nolan used his left fist to hammer Mark directly in the jaw, forcing the boy to break his hold. He didn't stop there. Reaching out with his good hand, Nolan seized Mark by the ankle, spun him violently through the air, and threw him downward with the force of a falling meteor.
*BOOOOOOOOOOM*
Mark shot straight through a massive, ornate purple archway on the palace outskirts, reducing the structure to a spray of violet dust and sandstone debris. Thraxans screamed in terror, scattering in every direction as the shockwave shook the very foundations of the city.
Nolan pursued him instantly, a streak of white-hot speed through the air. He crashed into the crater before the dust could even settle, his boots planting firmly into the Thraxan sand. Mark was already back on the surface, grinning and spitting blood. His posture immediately snapped back into a rigid martial arts stance.
"Stop this, Mark! You are making a mistake! I don't want to fight," Nolan shouted, his broken arm hanging at an awkward angle as he nursed it against his chest. "You don't understand what's at stake here!"
"I understand that you're a lying piece of shit! But a strong piece of shit who can take a beating," Mark said, as he launched himself forward like a rocket.
He closed the distance in a fraction of a second, his form becoming nothing more than a blur. Mark unleashed a brutal, rapid-fire barrage of blows—knees, elbows, and savage jabs aimed directly at Nolan's face and pressure points. He had gained a lot of experience on his journey through the Shadowverse and had also grown in the year since his fight against his father.
Nolan, meanwhile, truly didn't want to fight, and most importantly, he didn't want to fight there.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM*
Each strike landed with sickening, bone-crunching force. Mark's left hand delivered a devastating hammer fist that shattered Nolan's cheekbone, followed by a high knee that snapped his father's head back, sending teeth flying onto the sandstone path. Nolan was reeling, completely overwhelmed by the sheer, unbridled ferocity of his son's attacks. He was bleeding from his nose, his lips, and his torso was heavily bruised.
But Nolan was still a Viltrumite veteran. Timing it perfectly through the onslaught, he braced his legs, ducked under a vicious left hook, and drove his good elbow straight into Mark's sternum.
*BOOOOM*
The impact ruptured the air. Mark gasped, his thorax buckling as several ribs cracked under the pressure. The sheer force sent Mark spiralling backwards, crashing through the walls of a nearby residential building. The light violet material shattered like glass, and the structure began to dangerously tilt, threatening to collapse on the screaming Thraxans inside.
"NO!" Nolan shouted.
Mark pushed himself out of the rubble, his breathing heavy. He looked up, only to see Nolan hovering directly above the crumbling neighbourhood and saving a group of Thraxans from being crushed by the debris.
"Look around you, Mark!" Nolan commanded, his voice booming over the citizens' panic. "Your stubbornness is doing this! You're destroying these people just to feed your own anger! Have you learned nothing?!"
"Hahaha...HAHAHAHA... The pot calling the kettle black. What's wrong, ~Father~...?"
Mark shot upward and struck his father again, his teeth clenched so hard they were on the verge of cracking. He pulled his father's head right into his rising knee.
"Are you worried about them?"
*BOOOMM*
"Worried they might die?!"
*BOOOOMM*
"Are you?!!"
*BAAAMM*
Mark got a kick to his head and crashed to the ground. He was about to continue when a desperate, piercing voice cut through the chaos of the crashing buildings. A voice he knew very well.
"MARK GRAYSON! STOP IT!"
Debbie stood at the edge of the palace ruins, looking out over the smoking craters and the terrified, fleeing Thraxan children. Her face was pale, twisted in a mixture of horror and immense anger.
"Look at what you're doing! Stop!" she screamed, her voice cracking as she gestured wildly to the ruined city block. "You're going to kill everyone here! Mark, please... this is exactly like Chicago!"
Mark spit on the ground.
"Fine."