INVICTUS

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INVICTUS


CHAPTER 1 {INVICTUS}


Scene: Hospital Room--Neurology Wing--Late Evening


The walls hum with the quiet beeping of monitors. A soft rain taps at the window. Dr. Emerson, a seasoned neurologist with tired eyes, stands before a couple sitting stiffly in plastic chairs outside the ICU. The window to their son's room is clear, revealing a pale boy lying still beneath a white sheet.


"Mr. and Mrs. Grayson… I've gone over the scans, the test results, and consulted with the team. I--I'm so sorry. Your son suffered significant trauma to his brain during the accident."


Debbie leans forward, gripping her husband's hand. "What are you saying? He's going to be okay, right? He just needs time. He's strong. He--he always bounces back."


Dr. Emerson replies softly but firmly, "He's alive, and that's something to hold on to. But… The damage is centered around the hippocampus and parts of the frontal lobe. That means memory--personal memory--has been affected."


(Author's note: I have no idea if that is actually true, but please just chalk it up to 'it is just fiction.')


Debbie's voice is low, stunned. "You mean he won't remember what happened?"


"It's more than that. While he will be able to remember things like language, other general information, and things that repeat, he will have a hard time remembering specific information. Like, you and your husband should be fine, but things like what specific thing happened a few months or years back will probably be gone."


(Author's note: Again, not a neurologist; I don't even know if this is plausible in the real world.)


Now Debbie is shaking her head, and her voice is rising. "...I was just with him yesterday morning. We--he made breakfast. He hugged me. He said he loved me. And you are telling me he will forget things like that…"


Nolan, quietly trying to keep his composure, says, "What happens now? Is there a chance he could get it back?"


Dr. Emerson pauses, choosing his words carefully. "I truly have no idea. The brain is a complicated organ, and as much as we can say we are learning, there is simply too much we don't know. I am not telling you to lose hope. I am saying that your son might be a little different now, but he is still your son. Things like manners you instilled in him for years will still be there, even if he does not understand why."


Debbie replies, "He's right there… ten feet away… He looks no different than when he is sleeping..."


Nolan's jaw clenched, starting to relax. "That is good; it means he will be back to being healthy in no time."


Dr. Emerson nods, quietly respectful, and says, "That is true; just give him some time, and even if he might seem a little different for a while, things will go back to normal."


The monitor inside the room gives a soft chime. Debbie wipes her tears and slowly rises, hand on the glass. Nolan stands behind her, silent, a steadying presence.


A few hours later


This is what I woke up to see: a white roof with hospital smells. I was well aware of the predicament I was in. The whole accident thing was manufactured by my patron to excuse the changes in personality, since, you know, I'm a different person from Mark. In truth, I don't even know why he wanted me here. I barely know anything about the Invincible comics, but whatever, I should be fine with the powers I chose. It took the attending nurse a few minutes to inform the doctor that I was awake and for him to arrive to talk to me.


The first thing Dr. Emerson says to me is, "You're awake."


His voice is low and calm. Not surprised. Like he was expecting me to wake up soon. I stare at him. My head is clear since I don't actually have any actual brain damage, but I should act like I do until this whole thing is done with and I can go to Mark's house. I can't get myself to call it my home just yet. I will do that after I live in it for a few days.


"Where…" I rasp. "Where am I?"


"In the hospital," he says, folding his hands in front of his chest. "You were in an accident, Mark. It's nighttime now. You've been unconscious for a few days."


Mark... yeah, that's my name now; better get used to it. I look around the room--white walls, machines, blinking lights. A window with rain sliding down the glass. Just an ordinary night.


I shift slightly, and there's a tug in my arm. Tubes. Monitors. I feel like a science experiment.


"Feels… wrong," I whisper.


"You've got every reason to feel that way," he says. "You took a bad hit to the head. There was swelling and bruising in the brain. You've been through something serious."


His eyes are kind, but they are lost on me, since to me, all this is just fake, even if it is real for him.


"My parents?" I ask. The words come out slowly. Man, I should get a damn Oscar, not that I know what it takes to get an Oscar.


"They're here," he says. "They've been waiting for you. I asked them to rest a little bit earlier. I thought I should be the one to talk to you first."


"Why?" I ask.


"Because I want you to hear the truth, clearly. Not from a crying voice or a memory you can't place."


"You've suffered brain damage, Mark. The areas that control memory--memory of specific events--were affected. That's why things feel foggy. That's why you're struggling."


I know I should probably try to sound more authentic, but the problem is that I have no idea how. I have never had brain damage, and thank God for that, but I also did not watch any media to help me here, and I don't want to get caught by faking too much.


"I don't…" My throat is rough; at least I am not faking that. "I don't remember."


He nods slowly. Not surprised. "You might, in time. Or maybe not all of it. But memory isn't just facts and names. Sometimes it comes back in pieces. Sometimes it never does. But we build something new."


I don't know what to say to that. I turn toward the window instead. The rain looks soft. Peaceful. The kind of rain you'd fall asleep to… Should I just sleep until we get home, and everything is just skipped over? As tempting as it is, I doubt they would actually discharge me if I were not awake.


"I should remember," I say. It comes out raw. You know what I should do? I should ask for water.


"I know," he says. "But that emptiness you feel right now--it won't last forever. The brain's still working, even if you can't feel it. Healing takes time. You're not starting from nothing, even if it feels that way."


I swallow hard and do the right thing. "Can I get some water?"


He doesn't argue. Just stands, walks, and a while later comes back with one of those white plastic cups that are entirely too small for water drinking. I chug it in a gulp, and it is divine--all my sore throat is gone just like that.


"Get some rest, Mark. We'll take it one step at a time. You're not alone."


I want to believe him, but from what little I know about his story, I might actually be alone. It is not like I can actually tell anyone about the future I know, which is practically nothing other than that my father is going to try to destroy the planet.


The door clicks shut behind him. The room settles into silence again, just the beeping and the rain. I stare out the window, just until the door opens again, and here come the parents--Debbie and Nolan Grayson.


Debbie barely whispers, "Hi, sweetheart. It's Mom…"


"Hello, Mom, don't worry, I will be fine."


We talked for a while. They asked some questions--all I basically knew nothing about--but my patron had given me just enough information to know some people, like their names and faces, so I was able to fake it for a while. It was night, and I was getting sleepy, so we decided to continue tomorrow. Just like that, I was off for the night.


In the morning, the doctor was back. He did some tests and said I was free to go home. We left the hospital soon after that.


"You do remember the house, right?"


"Yes, Dad. The doctor said I will be able to remember repeated things, and the house is definitely one of them."


The moment I entered the house, I wanted to go to Mark's--no, my--room to make sure I didn't mess up something important, but that would be weird. Debbie made lunch, and we decided to eat before anything. It was a good meal. For the first thing I ate in this new world, I will try not to forget it.


They wanted me to relax, so we watched some TV and played family games--even if at one point Nolan had to go off to do some heroics. Debbie--no, Mom and I saw him on the news. It is immensely weird to think of myself as the son of the most powerful man in the world… but I will adapt.


We spent the rest of the day just trying to enjoy the day. By the time it was night and we were about to sleep, I was already calling Debbie Mom in my head... weird but good. I miss my original mom, and having Debbie does help.


One week later


It took a week, but Mom was finally ready to let me go to school. I did not like school much in my past life; I was always a loner, but I will try to fix that here. New life, new me, and all that. This should be the same day Mark got his powers, so I will also tell them about my powers today. Before going to school, she told me about Dad, and yes, I have also started to call him Dad. It will help me keep any cover I might need, and I also heard something about him being redeemed in the future, and if I can, I want to convince him not to go mad and kill all those people that will die if we fight--anything for humanity. Anyway, while we were talking about Dad, we saw him on TV fighting some type of gigantic lizard. If I have to fight him anytime soon, I am so fucked, especially since I am even weaker than the original Mark. After eating and contemplating the horrifying future ahead of me, I went to school.


I met a guy called William. It turns out he is my best friend, which is nice; I don't have to start from zero in the jungle known as high school. Good for me! We talked. He was already told that I won't remember anything specific, but I was still me, so he was not surprised by how I acted. He wanted to invite me to some kind of party, but I told him I had a job. If I don't go to it, I will get fired since they gave me almost two weeks off. If I did not come back, they would need to get a new hire.


I went to the job and did it in a way the coworker watching me told me to, since I had no idea what I was doing, but I guess I was able to do enough not to be fired. When I had to remove the garbage, I remembered this is when the original discovered his powers by throwing the garbage into the sky. With my current strength, I would be lucky if I made it past the roof of the Burger Mart I was working at. Oh well, time to go home.


Once I got home, dinner was already ready, but Dad was not here yet.


"Hello, Mark. How was your day?"


"I am having a great day. When Dad comes home, there is something I would like to tell you both. Other than that, how about you?" The conversation went on like that until--


"Sorry I was late; there was an enchanted flood in Egypt. I had to deal with it on the way home." There was a whoosh of wind, and Dad was sitting on a chair next to Mom. She asked if he took care of that dragon thing from earlier, and he said he did it by finding the person controlling it. He said keeping the civilians safe was the hard part. I am still having a hard time believing this man is an intergalactic conqueror, but the deal with my patron is clear: I have to make the story as less gruesome as I can. There is no punishment, but I was chosen because my personality does not allow me to ignore all the horrid shit that will come, even if I doubt I am the most qualified of the people that fit that description. While I was off in Imagination Island, I heard--


"So, Mark, what was that you were saying earlier about telling us both something?" Well, time to come clean.


"Ok, so I got my powers?" They were quiet for a while.


"...Are you sure?" Damn, Dad, right in the feels.


"Don't ask that. Congratulate him. That is great. I am so happy for you," and Mom is for the win.


"I am sorry; I did not mean to disbelieve you. I am happy for you too." Dad follows up, but he is going to need to try harder to be forgiven.


"There is actually something weird about my powers. The way you speak of it, all Viltrumites have the same powers, right? Flight, super strength, senses, and speed--the whole shebang. But you did not say there could be deviations."


"Yes, to my knowledge, all Viltrumites have the same powers since it is just part of our DNA and not a mutation or something like that. Why ask that?" Ok, time to bluff.


"Well, when I got my powers, I instinctively understood what they were, so I don't think it was just my DNA. But other than that, my powers seem to be different. First, I have a regeneration power. I just tested it with a small cut, but the knowledge I told you about tells me I would be able to come back from anything, not just heal from small cuts. The other thing I got is the more damage I receive, the stronger my body gets. After I had tested the regeneration by making a cut on my palm, I wanted to test if my strength increased, so I stabbed my hand again, but this time it took more force to cut my hand. I kept on repeating this same exercise until the knife bent before making a scratch on me. So I was wondering why my powers are different than yours." He was totally shocked and silent for a while.


"Are you sure? I have never heard of anything like this on Viltrum."


"Well, we can test it if you want. I can't cut myself with a knife because the knife would bend before cutting me, but with your strength, I guess just a pinch would be enough to tear off some flesh, and we could go on from that."


"Fuck no! What do you mean you've been stabbing yourself the entire day? You are so grounded that by the time I allow you to leave the house, it will be in a casket because you died of old age." I forgot Mom was there for a moment. Good thing her scream was able to remind me. Bad thing, I remembered after I had made her angry.


"I am sorry, but it was such an interesting thing I just had to keep at it until I saw the knife bend. I did not even know time was passing, and it seems I don't feel that much pain. That should help, right?" The not feeling pain part is a lie. I was able to keep at it because I had another power, one that helped me imitate infinite willpower or something like it. My mind is perfectly untouchable; no pain would be enough to make me give up, and no mind control would work on me. Which is a good thing considering I would be going through some rough fights--against horrifying opponents.


"Mark, why did you even decide to test if you have a regeneration power?" Her voice is so caring it hurts.


"Well, when I got the knowledge, I really wanted to know if it was the truth. I even made my first cut so small a band-aid would have been enough to fix it if I was wrong. I just increased it after knowing it was accurate." I am trying to be reassuring, but I don't know if it is working. I did not choose mind reading as a power.


"...Haaa, fine. I am willing to allow this, but every time you come home, I am checking you, and if I see so much as a scratch, all of it will stop. Is that understood?" The way she said it, it was clear this was for both of us, and it was not a negotiation.


"Yes, ma'am," was my response.


"I will make sure he is fully healed before I do any additional damage, I promise." It seems Dad's response was enough for her to allow this.


"So when do we get to test it?" I really wanted it to be soon. I want to get stronger.


next morning


Knock, knock, knock. "Mark, get up, it is training time." The sun is not up yet. What do you mean, time to train? I might not need to sleep, but I want to. This is so wrong... That is all I was able to think before I opened the door and was ready to start the training.


"Where are we going to train, and how?"


"Well, the first thing we are going to test is to make sure you can fly. If you can do that, then we can begin with the rest. Get out of your room using the window."


"Cool, I did not get any instinctive knowledge of flight, but I think I can do it." While I did not choose flight as a power, my patron did say that there are some surprises for me that will allow for convenience. The hospital thing is one of them, and I don't think I will be able to participate in the big fights unless I have some form of flight. If I don't have a natural one, I will just get someone to make me a tech to do it, but it would be very convenient if I could just fly. When we left the window, I was sure the fall would not be able to damage me, but it was still a fall down, and I was scared.


"What if I can't fly? I could fall."


"I will make sure to catch you if you can't."


"You say that, but what if you don't, for the giggles?" I did not finish the sentence before he threw me off the roof.


"See, you can do it."


"What the hell? Why did you do that? What if I fell and had broken a bone or something?" I know I would have been fine with a broken bone, but still, I am scared of heights.


"Then we would have seen how far your regeneration goes. You said you would come back from anything, right? So a broken leg would have been fine."


"What about Mom? If she saw you broke my bone, you would be sleeping on the sofa for a year at the very least."


"...You are fine, so let's not talk about nightmares, alright?"


With that over with, we flew to an empty forest. My speed is not too impressive, not even much faster than my running speed. It was only a little better because I did not have to push against the ground again and again; it was more of a consistent pull to where I wanted to go, so it was a little better.


But I can increase it by increasing my strength, so the faster I move and the more pressure I put on my body, the stronger my body gets from my second power, and the faster I can go. I even saw some improvement before getting to the forest.


In there, we tested my regeneration. It required Dad to beat me up a lot to be sure of it. I guess the one thing I have over the original is that I can take a lot more punches and get back up.


At one point, he blew off one of my arms, and he was actually scared, but like I said, I was able to heal from anything. I mean, I did choose Undead from Undead Unluck as a power, which guarantees I will be back even if someone destroys all my cells or something like that.


Once he understood how powerful my regeneration was, he kept adding to the damage, but he had started to get worried about pain.


"Are you sure you are fine? Sure, you are healing, but you don't have to keep at this for this long."


"Like I told Mom, since I got my powers, I don't feel that much pain, so I can keep this up."


"Well, it does not matter if you can keep this up; it is morning already, and your flight is slow. Let's go home."


"You don't have to insult me that much. My speed is increasing with my strength, so I will be able to get back home in half the time."


"Good for you. Now let's go home."


And that was how I spent my morning. After that, I went to school, and everything was normal. There was nothing interesting, but after school, I had to see how I could handle actual heroics.


There was some type of chase, and I decided to help. The problem with that is the criminals had a super with them, and that resulted in me getting my face caved in until Omni-Man showed up and stopped them.


But I can't believe I lost my first fight that decisively. I could have probably stopped them, but it would have taken too long, and the other guys would have been able to escape. I am glad Dad was there to help.


When he saw the rags I had decided to call a costume, he kept laughing and promised to let me meet the guy who makes his suit.


At least, unlike the original, I already know what costume I want it to be... Ok, it is the exact same one, the blue and black the original Mark had, except the letter "I" on mine means Invictus and not Invincible, which is a nod to one of my powers as well as my name.


I decided to describe it to Art Rosenbaum


"So, what do you think of my idea with my name? It should be exactly what I am looking for, right? Other than the color scheme and the letter, you have artistic decisions."


"The idea is good. The color is up to you, and putting the first letter of your name as the emphasis is done by many. So yeah, just give me a few days, and I will make a costume that will make you proud."


"Yes! I can't believe I am going to be a hero."


I was actually excited--I mean, can you judge me? I was going to go big. With my power, I will be affecting the world, and that simply has never been in my life path.


The next interesting thing I did was try out the new suit when it was completed, and man, believe me when I say this--it is addicting. Just imagining the adoring fans… I am so lucky my mental power protects me from massive ego just as easily as it does from terror, or everyone would have said, "Hello, Homelander."


While I was flying and testing the suit, there was a huge explosion, which just so reminded me I am in Invincible. I wonder how many people had to die because one guy felt his dick was too small.


It has been a few days since I started training with Omni-Man. He can still rip my flesh with a pinch of light strength for him, but it was enough to increase my strength and therefore my speed to be enough for me to arrive at the building before many people could fall.


Some definitely died from the laser bursting through them, but the building did not fall, so the casualties were limited.


There were some people who fell, but I was lucky enough to get to the ones that were already falling before they hit the ground. And as for the rest that would have definitely jumped because of the fire, I was able to get to them before the fire forced them to jump.


"Ohh, thank God, I thought I was going to die."


"Holy fuck, what the fuck happened?"


"I am going to puke."


"I am sorry, I can't stay with you now. I have already called 911; they should help. Please stay here and wait--you might be hurt somewhere you don't know about, even if you totally feel fine."


Now to get to the motherfucker that thought it was smart to shoot a laser that can pierce through skyscrapers in a fucking city…


The motherfucker shot another one.


I had to do the same with the second one as well. Again, the building did not fall, so that is something--but this motherfucker is going to need a little more than just jail.


By the time I got to him, he was bragging to the police about the laser. Does this thing even understand he killed over a dozen people just like that?


When I got to him, I did not do some frontal fight or something like that--I flew from his back and flew him to the sky. I made sure to break the arm cannon thing just to make sure he does not shoot the city from the sky.


"Aaaaaahhhhhhh! What the hell? Who the fuck are you?"


I stopped the flight a few kilometres high, just enough to get cold but nothing fatal.


"Hey, listen to me, you waste of scrap metal. You just killed over ten people. Now, instead of screaming, it is your turn to tell me why I should not just keep flying up until you are dead and your frozen body floats in Earth's orbit forever."


The Invictus power really helps me not puke just imagining all the casualties, but it also helps me handle killing. If I really need to, I can kill him without feeling unbearable guilt. I would still need to make the decision, but it is one I can make without fearing crippling PTSD.


"Wait, wait, wait, man! I was just shooting to the sky. I did not mean to actually kill those people."


"When I got to you, you were bragging about putting a hole in a building. Did you think that was not going to kill someone? What if the building fell on itself? You could have ended up killing hundreds."


"I am sorry! I am so sorry! Please don't kill me! I don't want to die!"


That is all he got after killing all those people? I don't want killing him to taint my interaction with other heroes, but is that really enough for me to keep him alive?


No, I can't be known as a violent vigilante. Killing him would be nowhere near enough to actually help society, and if killing him makes other heroes more likely to distrust me, that would be even more damaging. So I can't actually kill him.


Being so callous about killing him might sound insane, but Invictus really helps with guilt. It does not make killing easy or anything, but if it is required, it makes guilt not a problem.


But it does not matter. For now, he will have to be left alive. But that does not mean I have to let him go with a slap on the wrist.


I had already removed the arm, but now I will remove the tech that lets him control it mentally, and anything else that is not necessary for his survival and not biological. His legs are actually real, not machines, so no removing them. But I can remove all his costumes and leave him naked.


That should be embarrassing and make working with other criminals harder, and by that, make his escape even harder. When I decided to take him down, I decided to fly him really fast. So he kept screaming, and he even shat himself, which should keep adding to the damage to his reputation.


By the time we arrived and I had dropped him, he was lying on the ground crying, and there were reporters with cameras. It should do.


Hopefully, this won't result in people calling me a pervert or something like that.


There was one brave reporter who was willing to actually speak instead of just freezing, and he asked for my name.


"I am Invictus."