The moment his boots hit the ground of the GDA, Mark was already moving. Down sterile white halls, past stunned GDA agents, toward the medical wing. Anissa matched his pace, keeping a respectful step behind.
Eve was in one of the secured recovery rooms. According to the latest report, she was stable thanks to her full power awakening and reconstructing her body after being impaled by Omnipotus's spear. Still, the act had drained her, leaving her unconscious. She hadn't stirred since.
Mark stepped closer, gazing at her. It was then that he noticed... a subtle but undeniable change.
He blinked, then laughed slightly.
Eve's breasts were noticeably bigger.
'Some things never change,' he thought, amused, remembering how the same thing happened to her in the comics.
Mark leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"Rest up, Eve," he whispered. "I'll be back soon."
He turned to the nurse stationed at the door, a young woman who looked like she might faint at being addressed by the hero who just saved the world. Mark simply smiled and said, "Please keep an eye on her."
The nurse nodded frantically, almost tripping over herself to assure him.
Mark left the room, Anissa quietly following, her steps almost ghostlike.
The hallway barely gave them time to breathe before Cecil Stedman himself came walking up to them.
"Well, hell," Cecil said, a grin tugging at his scarred face. "If you hadn't showed up when you did, the world would be ashes. Good timing."
Mark shrugged modestly. "Would've arrived days later if Eve didn't call me."
Cecil huffed. "Then the world owes your girlfriend a hell of a thank you."
He looked past Mark at Anissa, raising an eyebrow. "So, who's the helper?"
Anissa's expression shifted instantly into a scowl, her spine straightening.
"I am Anissa," she said, her voice low and cold, like a sword being drawn. "Advisor to His Majesty, Emperor Mark, and his personal assistant. Not a "helper," you mongrel."
Mark placed a calming hand on her shoulder before she did something drastic, like rearranging Cecil's face.
He smiled at Cecil and said with a playful shrug, "I wouldn't make the scary planet-conqueror angry if I were you."
Cecil chuckled dryly. "Lucky for me, I know the Emperor."
His tone then sobered quickly. "We need to talk about the Viltrumites. About what this means for Earth."
Mark shook his head. "Later. I have something else to handle first."
Without waiting for permission or a goodbye, Mark took off down the hall, Anissa right behind him.
Cecil watched them go and sighed heavily.
Donald, ever the quiet second-in-command, appeared beside him with a tablet in hand.
"How's that project going?" Cecil asked without looking at him.
Donald tapped at the screen. "On track, sir. The... 'creature' should be restored in about three weeks. Robot's working on it around the clock. Seems very... dedicated."
Cecil narrowed his eye. "Yeah. Robot's interest in that project is starting to get real suspicious. Keep an eye on him and report any odd behavior."
Donald nodded.
Cecil leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Did you manage to retrieve any of Mark's blood from the battlefield?"
Donald's expression tightened.
"No, sir. We have drone footage showing Mark bleeding during the fight, but by the time we got agents on-site... nothing. Not a drop."
Cecil frowned. "What do you mean, nothing?"
Donald showed him security footage from one of the drones. It showed a patch of the battlefield where Mark had fought, but there was no blood. It was as if it had been... cleaned.
Cecil cursed under his breath. "Goddamn it. Having a blood sample would've been... insurance. In case he ever stopped being one of the good guys."
Donald added, "It's like the moment he was done fighting, all the evidence just... disappeared."
Neither of them realized how true that was.
Before arriving at the GDA, Mark had used his super-vision and water-magi affinity to carefully pull every microscopic drop of his blood from the battlefield, gathering it midair at superspeed, and then burning it all away with his fire-magi abilities. He wasn't going to make the same mistake as Superman, letting some random lab cook up a nightmare version of himself. An evil clone version of himself would just be annoying.
XXXX
Mark and Anissa landed outside of Invincible Inc.
Mark led the way in. "This is my home/lab/company," he said casually, voice echoing in the wide, polished lobby. "And it'll be the future headquarters for the Viltrumites stationed on Earth."
Anissa glanced around in mild amazement. The sleek corridors, the high-tech displays, the army of Invinci-bots patrolling or working. The building was far more advanced than anything she had expected from Earth.
Her brow furrowed. "You planned all this... even before becoming Emperor?"
Mark smirked, looking over his shoulder at her. "Yeah, I was pretty confident."
Anissa was awed at the pure cockiness Mark had.
Finally, they reached the medical bay. The room was dimly lit, Amanda floated in a specialized chamber, suspended in a luminous green fluid. She looked peaceful, but the damage to her body was still evident. Her monstrous form had absorbed most of the trauma, but the injuries had carried over to her human side.
Several Invinci-bots moved around the chamber, monitoring vitals, adjusting herb injectors, and checking scans. Mark approached the chamber and rested a hand against the glass.
"How is she?" he asked.
One of the bots responded, its voice smooth and efficient. "Her vitals are stable but weak. The damage to her neural network suggests moderate to severe brain damage. She remains in a comatose state. Magical herb infusions into the medical solution have enhanced her monster form's physical regeneration but barely and are ineffective on neurological healing."
Mark frowned, his eyes lingering on Amanda's face. "So even if her body heals… which will take a long time, she might not wake up."
"Would Viltrumite medical technology help?" Mark asked, not taking his eyes off Amanda.
Anissa hesitated.
"Our technology focuses on brute-force healing, making the body use its resources to heal itself," she said honestly. "… Compared to your technology? I'm not sure if it would be enough, but we could try."
Mark's jaw tightened.
He thought it through at superspeed.
Amanda's monster form had borne the brunt of the injuries. Her human form had inherited the damage when she reverted. If she stayed human, her normal healing capabilities would be too slow and she would die. But if he tried to forcibly heal her through magic, the curse tied to her monster form would resist him just like it had during the battle.
He could purify her curse completely and then heal her with magic.
But she would lose her powers forever.
Mark sighed, his forehead leaning against the cool glass.
'I can't do that to her. I know I wouldn't want someone to take my powers away.'
He pulled away, his mind racing with possibilities. He needed more time. He had an idea that would take some time to implement.
Standing straight again, he placed his palm against the tank, a silent vow passing through his mind.
"I'll make sure you wake up soon, Amanda. I promise."
Anissa watched him silently. She bowed her head slightly out of respect, even though he couldn't see it.
Just then, a few of the Invinci-bots whirred up beside them, reporting on the continued search for magical herbs and experimental recovery options they were working on.
Mark nodded but didn't say much, still watching Amanda.
XXXX
The television flickered inside countless homes across the globe, airing the same emergency broadcast.
"...Heroes rallied to defend the Earth against a world-devouring threat named Omnipotus. However, at the darkest hour, a mysterious new hero emerged, clad in a suit reminiscent of Omni-Man's, bearing the red and white colors and symbol. But clearly stronger, faster, and unlike any hero we've ever seen."
The news anchor shuffled the papers nervously on his desk.
"We still don't know the identity of this new champion. What we do know is... without him, Earth would likely have fallen today."
Footage played showing a red-and-white blur clashing violently with a monstrous figure midair. Explosions rippled in the background.
At Debbie Grayson's house, the volume on the TV was maxed out.
Debbie sat cross-legged on her couch, gripping a pillow so tightly that her knuckles were white. She stared at the screen, tears brimming in her eyes. Not from sadness, but pride.
The footage wasn't clear enough for most people to recognize the new hero. But Debbie? She knew that figure. That posture. That speed. That was her son.
That was Mark.
When she saw a moment where Mark punched Omnipotus so hard that the villain spiraled through the air, she jumped to her feet.
"Yes, Mark!" she shouted, pumping her fist into the air. "Kick his ass!"
The neighbors probably heard. Debbie didn't care.
Her baby boy had saved the world. She was used to her husband saving the world and all, making her pretty apathetic to it. But, seeing her son doing so from such a major threat brought about her motherly pride.
Later, there was a knock at her door.
Debbie rushed to open it and nearly knocked Mark over with a hug.
She squeezed him tight, burying her face into his chest. He chuckled and returned the hug, patting her back gently.
"I knew you'd win," she told him.
Mark pulled back, smiling warmly. "Of course you did."
Behind him, Anissa stood stiffly, arms crossed behind her back, looking every bit the soldier. She wasn't used to these... family scenes.
Before Mark could even introduce them, Anissa suddenly dropped to one knee, bowing low with her arm across her chest.
"It is an honor to meet the mother of His Majesty, Emperor Mark," Anissa said formally, head lowered.
Debbie blinked, startled. "Oh, um, no need for all that," she said hurriedly. "Please, get up. I'm just a mom — no bowing necessary!"
Anissa rose obediently, though she still looked unsure how to act.
Mark grinned. "She's still learning. Earth customs are... different."
Debbie gave Anissa a warm, forgiving smile. "You'll pick it up fast. Welcome to Earth."
Mark clapped his hands lightly. "Anyway, I actually came to check up on you, Mom. I know Dad's not here yet, and with everything that's happened... just wanted to make sure you're okay."
Debbie softened, her hands moving to cup Mark's face affectionately. "I'm fine. Now that I know you're safe."
Then she stepped back, hands on her hips. "Speaking of your father, where is Nolan?"
Mark shrugged casually. "I left him in charge of the Viltrumites when Eve called for me. They're en route. Should land on the Moon in about three or four days."
Debbie made a face. "Hmph. Must be nice. Wish I could call Nolan and have him show up instantly whenever I need him to go shopping."
Mark burst out laughing. "Yeah, that would be nice."
His laughter faded into a more serious tone. "Mom, listen... with everything that happened, there's a good chance my identity might get leaked. A lot more people are paying attention now. I think it's safer if you stay at my place until Dad arrives."
Debbie hesitated for a second, but then nodded. She wasn't stupid. She had lived this life long enough to know the dangers.
"I already have an emergency bag packed," she said, motioning toward the closet where a suitcase sat ready.
Mark grinned, pride shining in his eyes. "That's my mom."
Within minutes, Mark scooped Debbie into his arms like she weighed nothing. Anissa followed, carrying the suitcase effortlessly.
They took off into the sky, streaking toward invincible inc.
As they landed, Mark set Debbie down carefully.
"Anissa's going to stay here with you while I finish some things," Mark said. "She's more than capable of keeping you safe."
Anissa bowed slightly again. "I will guard her with my life, sire."
Debbie chuckled awkwardly. "You don't have to risk your life. And Debbie is just fine."
Mark gave them both a wave. "I'll be back later."
And with that, he launched into the sky again, with one last stop to make.
XXXX
Mark landed outside Amber's house a minute later, the familiar suburban neighborhood feeling weirdly normal compared to everything else going on.
Mark knocked on the door, smiling.
He expected Amber.
Instead, the door creaked open and revealed a middle-aged man. He was thin, had glasses perched crookedly on his nose, and blond hair streaked with gray.
Amber's father.
Mark blinked.
Amber's dad blinked back.
There was a long, awkward pause as the two stared at each other. For all the times Mark had been to Amber's house he never ran into her father.
Mark realized, belatedly, that he was still wearing his full Emperor uniform. The red and white colors, the same as the figure who had just been broadcast all over the news saving the world.
Amber's dad's face turned pale.
He wobbled.
And then — thud.
He fainted right there in the doorway.
Mark stood frozen for a moment.
"...Well, shit," he muttered.
He heard rapid footsteps pounding down the stairs and looked up just in time to see Amber herself.
"Mark!" she shrieked, running toward him.
He had all the time in the world with superspeed to brace himself before she leapt into his arms, wrapping herself around him. He caught her effortlessly, his hands instinctively grabbing her ass.
She clung to him, her arms tight around his neck, her legs curled around his waist.
He laughed, planting a kiss on her lips.
"I'm back," he murmured.
Amber pulled back just enough to smile at him, her eyes shining. "I know. I saw you on the news. You were... incredible."
Then her face turned serious. "Is Eve okay?"
Mark nodded, reassuring her. "She's fine. Just resting. She'll be awake in a few days."
Relief washed over Amber's face.
She let out a breath and then grinned mischievously.
Still in his arms, she tugged at his shoulders. "Come upstairs with me. We need to... talk."
Mark raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her dad still unconscious at their feet.
"Shouldn't we, uh... deal with that first?" he asked, half-laughing.
Amber looked down briefly at her father's prone form.
Then she shrugged, smirking coyly. "He'll be fine. And honestly, I'd rather he not be awake for... what we're about to do."
Mark felt his face flush.
For all his strength and boldness, Amber could still catch him off guard like nobody else.
She giggled, delighted, sensing his embarrassment.
With a playful growl, he shifted her weight and carried her upstairs, her laughter echoing through the house.
Down below, Mr. Bennett lay unconscious and blissfully unaware.