"Gain some altitude. You're messing up the desert." Omni-Man tells his son as they fly through the Sahara.
Mark had been laid off from being Invincible for a week now and has focused on using his new knowledge and intelligence to the maximum. He brushed up on everything he missed and is already prepared for the finals and the end of high school. He couldn't help but laugh like a madman when he found out. One problem was solved now, and he could focus on other things from now on. He had realised that he was not truly doing a very good job at being a hero. He was super, that was true, and by learning from his father, he was confronted with several global threats, but he wasn't truly a hero for the people just yet, and for his next couple of moves, he will have to change that.
"I know, it's just fun to do."
"Come on, let's pick up the pace. I want to see how fast you are now. You have been pushing yourself, but I think after one week of break, it is high time that you get back in there and push yourself. If you want to build speed and endurance, daily flying is the best thing you can do."
"I'm aware of that. But if I didn't at least take the tests, I might not pass high school, and Mom will kill me or ground me... or worse... make me take the tests again."
"Haha, did you think being a Viltrumite was easy?"
"Yes. That's exactly what I thought."
"Pfft, you and your simple way of seeing the world. There are still many things you must learn."
"Oh, talking in riddles. I love riddles."
"Really?"
"No."
"How about a race? The last one to Mount Everest does the dishes for a week. Go!"
"Oh, you're on."
*BOOM*
The father-and-son duo shoot across the sky and race to Mount Everest. Nolan is faster, of course, but he is still surprised at how fast his son already is. He passed Mach 2 a long time ago.
"Take deep breaths, buddy. The air's thin up here."
"Well, 8'000 metres is 5 miles after all. We should create a platform up here, to train and do excercise. That would stimulate erythropoiesis."
"Ohh, how clever of you. Where did that come from?"
"Eh, I've used the past week to study and brush up on the things I missed. Turns out, I can be smart when I want to."
"So you just don't want to most of the time."
"Ooof, that was a low blow."
"Haha, alright, alright."
...
"Sometimes I forget how beautiful this planet can be. Too bad the human race is hell-bent on destroying it. Good thing they got us, right?"
"Why? I don't see them changing because we're here. Besides, I'm human too."
"You're a Viltrumite first and foremost. And as such, we can help Earth in ways you don't realise yet."
"Is Viltrum that different from Earth then?"
"Oh, it's very different. We've ended wars all over the universe, brought peace to thousands of galaxies, and lifted alien races out of the mud and into the future. It's why I'm here on Earth. It's why you're here."
"I'm here to lift Earth out of the mud? Come on, Dad."
"What?"
"When you talk about ending wars all over the universe and bringing peace, I can tell you aren't lying. But there has to be something more to this story than what you tell everyone."
"What do you mean?" Omni-Man asks and narrows his eyes.
"You are contradicting yourself in certain ways."
"What are you talking about?"
"I can't believe that you left everything you knew to come and help a planet you'd never even seen before."
"I told you I was part of the-"
"-World betterment Committee. Yeah, I know. But you have to admit that being part of something called the World Betterment Committee doesn't exactly tell you that you have to go 'off world' and help planets you never saw about. A race as advanced and physically powerful as Viltrumites, to just send out members to other worlds and help them, is strange."
"Why is that?"
"Because greed is a universal constant, Dad. I don't believe for a second that the Viltrumites don't expect anything in return for their help."
"Haaahh... you are quick on the uptake, son."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Dad. I never asked because I thought you'd tell me eventually. But I'm not naive or stupid, at least not anymore."
*Sigh*
"When your grandparents died, I was lost for a long time. They were the only family I had. Coming here felt like a chance to build something new."
"Something? As in a family?"
"Yeah, your Mom changed everything. She turned this place from a job into a home. Then you came along and changed it all again."
"Tell me more."
"About what?"
"Tell me about Viltrumites in general. What are they like? And please don't tell me they are peace-loving people who go around the universe protecting the innocent."
"The truth is... we Viltrumites do indeed love to fight, as you have surely realised by now. Physically, you inherited the true Viltrumite spirit stronger than most others. It is astonishing how far you have already come, and to think that you have had your powers for less than two months. You do appear to be more... barbaric at times and unconcerned with a lot of things. And yet, simultaneously, you value freedom and the lives of others, even those you don't know. We have ended wars and managed to focus our desire for fighting constructively."
"I see."
"How about one more round, huh? Last one home takes out the garbage for a month-"
*BOOM*
"Hahaha!"
"Ha!"
.
Mark has already finished all his school work and studied for all his tests, meaning he has a lot of free time now. He has decided to use this time constructively and look around the market for buildings he can buy. And there is no one better than his mother who could help him in that regard. So he asked her.
"You want to buy buildings?"
"Indeed."
"What for, Mark? And with what money? Where is this coming from?" Debbie asks.
"You see, after using a week to finally catch up on and learn everything I need to pass high school, I came to the conclusion that I am not really... satisfied. I have seen some areas of the city that are doing quite badly. The crime rate is impressively high, considering we are living here. I would like to change that and, at the same time, make a business out of it."
"Mark Grayson, I thought you were better than that and wouldn't use your powers for profit. What am I to take of this?"
"Well, I'm not stupid. I have ideas on how to use my powers for profit, and it involves getting resources from outer space. But there is nothing deplorable in wanting to make the city a better place and create homes and shops where there weren't any before. If I manage to earn money off of it, then all the better."
"..."
Debbie thinks about it for a while and then sighs. She has to agree with Mark on that one. He is quite clever, in her opinion, for thinking of that, and his motives appear to be just.
"Very well. I'll help you. But if we do this, we do it right and see it through to the end."
"I have never quit something in my entire life."
"Haha, that's true. I still remember you sitting on the toilet when you were little, wanting to succeed in holding your urine."
"Ugh, that turned south fast."
"Hahaha."
"What are you two doing?" Nolan asks as he comes into the kitchen.
"Mark's had an idea on how to help the community and earn money."
"You did? And why would you need money? I make enough already."
"If I wanted to use your money my entire life, then I wouldn't argue with you. But I would like to eventually be able to earn my own paycheck and do something I enjoy."
"So, fighting?"
"Exactly."
"Wait, what does this have to do with buying buildings?"
"Well, I will need those buildings to make homes out of them and shops of all kinds. That will then allow me to make money and focus on what I enjoy doing apart from that. Going around the world and punching people, putting them in jail and the like."
"So being a hero would be... a hobby?" Debbie asks.
"It already is. I'm not doing this full-time."
"Huh..."
"Say, Dad. Did you talk to 'Cheeks' about their surveillance on our house?" Mark asks, causing his father to growl lightly.
"I did. As per usual, he lied and said that he didn't have any."
"What did you do then?" Debbie asks.
"I gave him a warning. He either takes it down, or I'll stop helping him out."
"Hm."
"What is it, Debbie?"
"I don't know. After what happened to the Guardians, some surveillance might not be all that bad."
"I don't think that whoever did that would attack our home, Mom. Seems stupid."
"I just want to be sure."
.
.
Mark has left to have a look around the city and help out where he can as Invincible. He will look for the best place to start buying buildings. Debbie and Nolan are at home, and Debbie hasn't been herself lately.
"Hey, you've been working all night."
"You're one to talk. Where were you?"
"Eh, the usual. Teaching someone a lesson. How about we go to bed?"
"Nolan..."
"Okay, what's going on? Things were just fine earlier when Mark was here, but you have been distant for a while now."
"Nothing... just... work stuff."
"Come on, you're the wife of the most powerful man on Earth. You shouldn't have to deal with work stuff."
"Did you seriously say that?"
"What?"
"I'm not just your wife, Nolan. That's why I deal with work stuff. I like dealing with work stuff."
"Yeah, and I love that about you-"
"Oh, please, don't give me that shit."
"Shh..."
"Don't you dare shush me-"
Nolan places his index finger on his mouth, telling his wife to be quiet for a second and looks to the side. Then without a warning, he shoots through the living room, catching someone by the throat.
"Nolan!"
Nolan has Cecil in his hand, who starts to wheeze and struggle.
"No...Nolan."
*cough cough*
"Hey. Sorry. I meant to teleport to your front door, but this thing isn't exactly Swiss in its precision." Cecil says.
"I almost killed you."
"Yeah, I noticed. I didn't expect you on me so fast."
"Yeah, I'm a little jumpy. Maybe you can understand that after you put surveillance on our house."
"I already told you that Mark exaggerated about that. It's for your own protection."
"As if."
"Why are you here, Cecil?" Debbie asks.
"Well-"
The door slides open to the garden, and Mark enters.
"Hey. Oh, look who it is. The pervert. Did you teleport inside again?"
"He did."
"Oh, shit. You must have a death wish or something."
"So it would seem."
"Cecil was just about to tell us what he wants here."
*sigh*
"NASA's about to launch the first manned mission to Mars. I need you, Nolan, to shadow the mission and make sure nothing goes wrong."
"No."
"No?"
"I won't do it. I am busy training my son, Cecil. And with the Guardians gone, I'm needed here on Earth. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of me."
"It's because of the Guardians' massacre that I want you on this mission. The planet needs a win right now, and this is it."
"You think people are gonna care about Mars if there's an attack on Earth, and I'm not here to save them?"
"I think they're gonna care if the first four people to walk on another world end up dying there."
"My priority is to my family and this planet. End of story."
"Ugh, alright, don't get your panties in a twist. I'll go." Mark says.