The sky above Earth in the Invincible universe was eerily still as I stood on the outskirts of the Planet. I could feel the faint energy ripples from the two largest power levels. They weren't much, unlike what I was used to, but they were noticeable. If I had to guess, it was Mark and his father, Nolan.
I launched myself into the air, moving faster than any human could follow, my senses locked on the two signatures. My surroundings blurred as I sped through the sky, leaving behind a faint streak of green from my aura, not that anyone could see it. The fight ahead wasn't like the battles I'd experienced on Namek or in the Gourmet World. There were no tremors, no sonic booms splitting the air. It was quieter, almost subdued.
As I closed the distance, I saw them. Mark was throwing everything he had at Nolan, he tried to land a solid hit. Nolan, for his part, seemed more annoyed than anything. He dodged effortlessly and countered. It was clear that he wasn't holding back.
I hovered in the air, watching for a moment. Mark shouted something, his voice hoarse with anger. "You lied to me! You said we were here to help people!"
Nolan's response was cold. "You don't understand, Mark. This is bigger than you, bigger than Earth. Our mission is to bring this planet into the Viltrumite Empire. They'll thank us for it one day."
Mark's punches grew wilder, more desperate. "No! I don't believe that! You're a monster!"
That was my cue. I descended rapidly, my landing sending a shockwave through the ground below. Both of them turned to face me, their expressions a mix of confusion and alarm. Nolan's eyes narrowed as he studied me, his posture shifting into a defensive stance. Mark, panting heavily, seemed too stunned to react.
"Who the hell are you?" Nolan demanded, his tone sharp.
I crossed my arms, tilting my head slightly. "Does it matter? Let's just say I've got a problem with bullies." My eyes locked onto Nolan. "And you, buddy, reek of it." it was a bit hypocritical of me to say that but they didn't know that.
Mark's eyes widened. "Wait, are you here to help?"
"Help? Maybe." I smirked, rolling my shoulders. "Depends on how much fun I feel like having."
Nolan didn't waste time. He shot toward me, his speed impressive for this world but laughable compared to what I was used to. I sidestepped his punch, catching his wrist mid-swing. His eyes widened in shock as I twisted his arm, flipping him over and slamming him into the ground with enough force to create a small crater.
Mark stared, his jaw slack. "What the—?"
"Stay out of this, kid," I said, my tone firm but not unkind. "This isn't your fight anymore."
Nolan shot back into the air, his face twisted in a mix of fury and confusion. "You're an alien," he said, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "But you're not from the Coalition of Planets. What are you?"
I laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "I'm a Saiyan, Nolan. And you've just pissed off the wrong one."
He didn't respond. Instead, he charged again, faster this time, his fists flying in. I blocked each strike with ease, barely moving as his blows glanced off my forearms.
"Is this really all you've got?" I taunted, catching his next punch and twisting his arm behind his back. "You're supposed to be the strongest on this planet, right? You're a fucking disappointment."
With a flick of my wrist, I sent him hurtling into the sky. He stopped himself, his chest heaving as he glared down at me. I shot up to meet him, my speed forcing him to backpedal.
He was pissed "You dare stand against the Viltrumite Empire—"\
"I don't care about your empire," I snapped, cutting him off. "You're just another self-righteous thug trying to justify your actions. I've seen your type before."
Before he could respond, I closed the gap between us, slamming my fist into his gut. The impact sent him flying higher, closer to the edge of space. I followed, giving him no chance to recover. My attacks were relentless, each punch, each kick calculated to hurt but not kill.
"You think you're invincible?" I growled, catching him by the collar of his suit and throwing him back toward Earth. "Let's test that theory."
He crashed into the upper atmosphere, the force of the impact sending shockwaves rippling through the clouds. I was on him in an instant, grabbing him by the face and dragging him further away from the city below.
"I'm not here to destroy this planet," I said, my voice cold. "But you? You're fair game."
He struggled against my grip, his hands clawing at my wrist. His voice muffled.
"No, I understand just fine," I said, slamming him into the side of a mountain. The rock face crumbled under the force, debris raining down into the forest below. "You're a conqueror, just like I used to be. The difference is, I grew out of it far faster than you."
His eyes burned with fury as he finally broke free, landing a solid punch to my jaw. My head snapped to the side, but I didn't move. Instead, I turned back to face him, a smirk tugging at my lips as I forced his fist slightly back with just the turning of my face.
"That's cute," I said. "Now it's my turn."
My fist connected with his torso, the force of the blow sending him rocketing back into the stratosphere. He barely had time to catch his breath before I was on him again, my knee driving into his ribs.
"All because of some stupid sun disk feat," I muttered, the words spilling out before I could stop them. I didn't know why I was saying it or even what I was talking about, but the anger in my chest grew with each passing second.
Nolan's face twisted in confusion, but he didn't have time to question me. I grabbed him by the collar again, pulling him close. "I don't understand how someone as pathetic as you ended up winning," I snarled.
His confusion deepened, but before he could respond, I slammed him into the ground again, the impact creating another crater.
"You're lucky I'm holding back," I said, landing softly beside him as he struggled to stand. "If I wasn't, you'd already be dead before this fight ever started"
He coughed, blood dripping from his mouth as he glared up at me. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"
My fists clenched at my sides. "I don't know," I admitted, my voice low. "Maybe I just don't like your face. Or maybe I'm trying to be a hero in my own messed-up way. Either way, you've got it coming."
He tried to charge me again, but his movements were sluggish, his strength waning. I caught his fist mid-swing, holding it tightly as I leaned in close.
"Let me make one thing clear," I said, my voice deadly calm. "You can call yourself whatever you want a hero, a conqueror, a savior. But to me, you're just another bully. And I just don't like you."
With that, I threw him aside, his body skidding across the ground like a ragdoll. He didn't get up.
I stood over him, my chest heaving as I tried to calm the anger still burning inside me. Part of me wanted to finish him off, to end this once and for all. But another part, the part that was trying, however clumsily, to be better held me back.
The air was still as I hovered over his body, watching the sunset creep across the horizon, over the forest we found ourselves in. Beneath me, Nolan lay sprawled in the remains of a shattered cliff, his body battered and broken. His chest rose and fell unevenly.
Just then, a faint hum filled the air, and a shimmering blue light appeared a few meters away. The glow intensified until a man in a tailored suit with a graying buzz cut appeared. He was flanked by a few armed agents wearing advanced tactical gear, but it was clear he was the one in charge.
Cecil Stedman. I remembered him from the show. He glanced at the unconscious Nolan, then back at me, his expression unreadable.
"Well," he said, his voice dry, "this is certainly a mess."
I crossed my arms, letting the faint hum of my ki settle. "If you think this is messy, you're lucky I dragged him out of the city."
Cecil raised an eyebrow, crouching to inspect Nolan's limp form. "You really did a number on him," he remarked, his tone clinical. "I take it you're the reason he's not currently tearing apart half the planet?"
"Yeah," I said simply, shrugging.
Cecil straightened, adjusting his tie as he studied me. "I'm assuming you're not from around here."
"Got it in one," I replied. "Name's Celera. Saiyan, in case you're wondering. Not that it matters. What does matter is that your boy here was about to kill his own son and take over your planet."
Cecil sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, we were getting there. Nolan's true intentions were… a surprise, but it's not exactly something we were equipped to handle."
I smirked, leaning against a nearby boulder. "Well, good thing I showed up, huh? Saved you a lot of trouble."
He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You're not staying out of the goodness of your heart, are you?"
"Maybe a little," I said, my tone flippant. "But mostly? I'm sticking around because I don't like Viltrumites. Something about their smug attitudes just gets under my skin."
Cecil studied me for a moment longer before nodding. "Fair enough. I assume you know more of them are bound to show up sooner or later?"
"Yeah," I said, my tone hardening. "And when they do, I'll be here to make sure they don't get far."
He looked down at Nolan again, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Well, I won't say no to that. God knows we'll need all the help we can get."
I bent down, grabbing Nolan by the collar. His body was limp, dead weight in my grip. I tossed him toward Cecil, who barely flinched as the agents moved to catch him. "Here. You can figure out what to do with him. Just make sure he doesn't get out."
Cecil motioned for his team to secure Nolan, then turned back to me. "What's your plan in the meantime?"
"Plan?" I echoed, tilting my head. "No plan. Just sticking around. Maybe I'll pick a fight or two to pass the time."
He gave a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Great. Just what we need another wildcard."
"Relax," I said, pushing off the boulder. "I'm not here to wreck your planet. I've done enough of that in the past. Call this my redemption arc, or whatever."
Cecil didn't respond, but the faint twitch of his lips told me he found that amusing. He turned to his team, giving a few quick orders before glancing back at me. "You saved a lot of lives today, whether you meant to or not. Don't think that went unnoticed."
I shrugged. "Don't mention it. Seriously, don't. I'm not here to play the hero."
With that, I shot into the sky, leaving Cecil and his team to clean up the mess. As I soared above the clouds, I let the cool air wash over me, clearing my mind. I'd done my part, for now. Nolan was down, the city was safe, and Mark could sort out his feelings without worrying about getting killed.
A week later
The air was crisp and biting on the snow-covered peak, the kind of cold that would have frozen most people solid. But it didn't bother me. I sat cross-legged in the middle of the icy plateau, the world around me silent except for the occasional whisper of the wind. My mind was still, my breathing slow. Meditation wasn't exactly my style, but after a week of sitting around waiting for the next Viltrumite to show up, I figured I might as well try to pass the time without losing my mind and try my hand at learning whatever that from that Hanasia used.
I wasn't sure how long I'd been sitting there when I heard the crunch of footsteps on snow. I didn't open my eyes, if someone wanted to bother me, they'd make themselves known soon enough. Besides, it wasn't like I was expecting anyone who could actually pose a threat.
The steps stopped a few feet away, and there was a pause before a voice spoke.
"Uh… hey."
It was Mark. His tone was cautious but not hostile, which was a good start. I didn't move, keeping my focus steady.
"What do you want, kid?" I asked, my voice calm but not exactly welcoming.
There was another pause like he was trying to figure out how to phrase whatever he wanted to say.
"I, uh… I just wanted to thank you," he said finally. "For, you know… not killing my dad."
I let out a quiet snort, cracking one eye open to look at him. He was standing there in his superhero suit, looking as out of place as you'd expect a kid in spandex to look on a freezing mountaintop. His breath came out in steady puffs, unaffected by the cold like me.
"Didn't do it for you," I said, leaning back slightly and closing my eye again. "Did it because I didn't feel like murdering someone who was already beaten. But sure, you're welcome." well that and his dad could hopefully come around.
He shuffled his feet a bit, clearly unsure how to respond. After a moment, he sighed and sat down cross-legged in the snow across from me.
"You're different from anyone I've ever met," he said after a while. "Stronger. Way stronger. And… you didn't have to help. But you did."
I shrugged. "Yeah, well, your dad was being an ass. Someone had to put him in his place."
He laughed a little at that, though it was more of a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, he was. I just… I don't get it. Why are you here? You've got nothing to do with Earth, right?"
"Not really," I admitted. "I was passing through, felt like beating up some Viltrumites. Your planet just happened to be in the way."
He frowned, but there was no anger in his expression, just confusion. "You don't hate us, though. Humans, I mean."
I opened my eyes again, meeting his gaze. "Hate you? Nah. You're weak, sure, but you've got guts. That counts for something. Besides, you're not all bad. Saw what you did trying to stand up to your old man. Stupid, but brave."
He smiled faintly, though there was a hint of sadness in it. "Thanks, I guess. Not sure it mattered, though. He still kicked my ass."
"Yeah, he did," I said bluntly. "But you didn't quit. That's what matters."
He was quiet for a moment, then he looked at me again, more determined this time. "Can you help me?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "Help you? With what?"
"Training," he said, his voice steady now. "I want to get stronger. Strong enough to protect this planet. Strong enough to stop someone like my dad if they come back."
I stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge if he was serious. He didn't flinch under my gaze, didn't look away. The kid had guts, I'd give him that.
"You sure about that?" I asked, leaning forward slightly. "Training with me isn't gonna be easy. I don't hold back, and I don't do handouts. You want strength? You're gonna have to earn it."
"I'm sure," he said firmly. "I don't have a choice. If I don't get stronger, more people are going to die. I can't let that happen."
For a second, I saw a flicker of Gohan in him. That same determination, that drive to protect something even when the odds were stacked against you. I could respect that kind of resolve.
"Fine," I said, standing up and dusting off the snow. "You want to train? You've got yourself a teacher. But don't come crying to me when you can't handle it."
He grinned, his eyes lighting up with a mix of relief and excitement. "Thank you. I mean it."
"Don't thank me yet," I said, cracking my knuckles. "You're not gonna be smiling when we're done."
"Alright, kid," I said, looking back at him. "First lesson starts now. Get up."