Sometimes, a well-crafted lie does less harm than a truth spoken on impulse—it cuts like a blade.
"..." Mark's face darkened, a vein twitching on his forehead as he glanced at his cousin, Russell.
He had just lost face on an alien planet. That settled it—he would train with fierce determination when they got back, surpass his cousin, and prove he was worthy of the title of hero.
Russell, the one who had just been praised in a roundabout way, remained calm and composed.
"No more talking. If I'm not fired after this, I'll come visit you all again!"
Waving goodbye, Allen soared into the distant universe, muttering those final words as he left.
"The Alliance will definitely be interested. Earth... what a fascinating planet, to have birthed several warriors with strength approaching that of Viltrumites."
Russell watched Allen's figure streak through the distant cosmos like a meteor before vanishing from sight.
Simple-minded Allen had no idea that of the three people he met, two were Viltrumites themselves—he was the only one without Viltrumite blood.
[Abilities: Flight, Super Strength, Super Speed, Super Endurance, Regeneration, Near-Death Limit Break...]
"Allen's template has been acquired. I can test whether the template's power can be enhanced further after replication."
As for how to bring himself to a near-death state—despite being immune to even miniature nuclear blasts—he wasn't worried about the method, just the pain of the process.
The thought made Russell's teeth ache slightly. Glancing at the massive star hanging in the distant void, he and Mark flew back to Earth. Cecil and the rest of the family were still waiting for an update.
Conveniently, Cecil had shown up today, so Russell wouldn't have to go looking for him.
"I've already told you everything I remember.
Even if you ask me again, the answer will be the same."
"I received a distress signal from the Guardians. When I arrived, everything seemed fine. Then, suddenly, it was like magic or something—everything went dark. Someone attacked me, and I fought back until I was seriously injured and couldn't get up…"
Having just returned from a space mission where they befriended an alien and gazed down on Earth from orbit, an excited Mark and Russell were eager to share everything with Mark's mother, Debbie.
But as soon as they got home, they found Nolan and Cecil in a heated argument, with Debbie standing off to the side—bewildered and confused.
When pressed again about what had happened that day, Omni-Man's face showed faint irritation.
"I see… To leave you in that state, the enemy must've been formidable. I've never seen you lose so badly," Cecil muttered, his expression visibly darkening, clearly dissatisfied with the explanation.
"Thanks again, Russell, Mark."
He didn't say much more—just offered a brief word of thanks before leaving.
"Huh? Cecil left? We didn't even get to tell him how we drove off that alien," Mark said, confused.
When Cecil arrived, he'd acted like the situation was urgent—now he didn't even ask a single question.
"Satellites in Earth's orbit caught the whole thing—how you two drove off the alien," Debbie explained on Cecil's behalf.
"Oh, that makes sense."
Mark nodded, letting it go, though he still grumbled a bit about how quickly Cecil left.
"This was a space mission, after all! My cousin and I completed it beautifully—especially Russell, who even fought the alien. Even if there's no medal, shouldn't he at least get a little more praise?"
"Alright, stop whining.
You didn't become a superhero for praise and admiration, did you?" Russell patted Mark's shoulder.
"Of course not."
Mark thumped his chest confidently.
If his powerhouse cousin had no complaints, he had none either.
"After hearing Omni-Man's explanation, Cecil's probably in a terrible mood—worried and overwhelmed. It's understandable he wasn't in the mood to chat."
Outside, Cecil stepped on the gas and drove off. Russell's gaze flickered.
His uncle Nolan's explanation was full of holes—even Debbie, who had always seen Nolan through rose-colored glasses, looked visibly stunned and uneasy. How could that convince anyone else?
Omni-Man, his face dark, clearly wasn't in the best mood either. He gave Russell and Mark a couple of half-hearted compliments.
It was the ever-gentle Aunt Debbie who lightened the mood by jokingly telling them to head upstairs and rest—she'd cook a big lunch to reward Earth's two brave heroes.
Upstairs in his room, Russell shut the door and walked to the window.
"With Nolan's strength, if he wanted to escape, he could crash through a mountain in a blink and be thousands of miles away—even blinded, it wouldn't matter. So why did he stay in that cramped Global Guardians HQ and get beaten into a pulp?"
That flimsy excuse only deepened Cecil's suspicion. Cecil must now be filled with anxiety, rage, and dread.
If Omni-Man had done it—if he really had slaughtered the Global Guardians he once fought alongside as easily as squashing ants—and didn't even bother coming up with a decent lie to explain it away…
Then that cold indifference, that dismissive attitude, would be deeply unsettling.
It meant Omni-Man probably had no intention of keeping up the act forever—and wasn't planning to let this incident blow over.
The Guardians' deaths might just be the beginning.
Opening the window, Russell silently flew out, catching up with Cecil's car.
"Russell, is something wrong?"
A figure suddenly appeared ahead. Russell, cape fluttering, floated in the air, blocking the road. Cecil swerved and pulled over to the side of the street.
As Director of the Global Defense Agency, Cecil had a teleportation device implanted in his body—but it consumed a massive amount of energy and wasn't something he used casually. For normal travel, he still drove.
"There's something I'd like to talk to you about, Director Cecil."
"What is it?"
Even in the midst of his current frustration and anxiety, Cecil remained patient with Russell—the young man who might one day become a key figure in opposing Omni-Man. He got out of the car and shut the door.
"I've discovered something about my uncle, Omni-Man…"
Russell placed a hand on Cecil's shoulder, as if about to whisper something. Cecil felt awkward, like this kid was treating him as a peer.
But the next second, a powerful surge of psychic energy invaded his mind—seizing control in an instant.
Cecil's car surely had recording devices, and there might be cameras nearby too.
Even though he had taken control of Cecil's mind and altered his memories, Russell ensured their conversation seemed like a casual exchange about suspicious signs related to Omni-Man—leaving no trace of anything unusual.
He even made Cecil behave as though he had never been controlled, maintaining the image of a vigilant, Earth-first defense chief.
They exchanged a few words. Cecil, true to his usual style, didn't disclose much—just smiled, reassured the young man not to overthink things, patted him on the shoulder, and left.
Watching the car disappear into the distance, Russell allowed himself a small sigh of relief.
"The combined power of Earth still isn't enough to face a single Viltrumite. But with Cecil covering for me, I'll at least have more freedom to move.
He can also help with a few things."
Just now, through brief physical contact, Russell had transferred a memory—a detailed weakness of the Viltrumites.
.....
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