Cecil rubbed his temples. He'd lifted the coffee cup to his lips a dozen times without ever taking a sip.
Through a clear glass window he looked into the private treatment bay of a badly wounded Invincible, "You're telling me a random group of hired thugs can give the greatest superhero team in the world a beatdown?"
Donald blinked awkardly. The answer was obvious. He tried to think of a way to phrase it that didn't blatantly make out the new Guardians of The Globe to be incompetent, "The alien warrior sir, we've identified him as Battle Beast. It's still unknown how Machine Head was able to contact him."
Donald paused. He glanced down at the data on his tablet. The dozens of analyses and reports stared up back at him, "The warrior sir, his muscle density, it's-it's incredible. Our calculations aren't excact, our technology simply isn't advanced enough, but the only other individual on record who comes close is-"
Cecil cut him off. The older man's frown deepened, "Omni-Man."
Cecil tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. His fingers itched for a cigarette to hold, "Fuck this world."
The director's right hand man, Donald, remained silent.
After a long pause, Cecil shook his head wearily and turned to look at Donald again, "How are they doing?"
Donald cleared his throat, "Monster Girl's regeneration is working more swiftly than we expected. She'll be cleared to leave med-bay in a few days.
Rex-Splode's concussed, although he insists that he's fine. He's got some brain swelling, but the numbers show recovery. He's got numerous fractures to his ribs and a couple broken fingers.
Dupli-Kate's made a full recovery. Although her mental state has shown signs of instability. A counsellor is addressing the issue.
Shrinking Rae's been in an induced coma. It would've been too painful to keep her awake while thr surgeons reset the broken bones. Heart rate is steady and white blood cell count remains normal. She'll need a few weeks rest, but she'll live.
Black Samson's powers appear to have returned. His injuries are healing rapidly." Donald summarised the medical reports of the team.
Cecil mulled over the information. Things weren't as bad as they could've been, "And Omega?" "
Donald scrolled through multiple reports on his tablet. He needed to review the evidence at least thrice before he could believe it, let alone say it aloud, "He's getting stronger sir."
Cecil's eyes narrowed, "What did you say?"
Donald handed the tablet to his boss. His tone had a firmness that was unusual for the typically meek GDA agent, "His indicators are improving sir. Muscle and bone density are rising. Our detectors are picking up cell activity off the charts."
Cecil scanned the information on the screen with a intently focused expression. There was too much at stake to make any errors.
After nearly ten minutes, the GDA's director exhaled a tense breath, "Well fuck me, seems like a beating has done the kid some good. Keep an eye on it. I want updates."
Donald nodded, "Yes sir."
The majority of the Guardians were recieving treatment in a medical unit deep underground. The facility was beneath the Pentagon, but it wasn't included in any governmental schematics. Only a small portion of the underground facility was occupied by the treatment area.
One of the zones was marked as an experimental testing area. Billions of dollars had been spent reinforcing an enormous room the size of a football pitch. The room was completely empty, other than a lone individual sat cross-legged in the centre.
The individual was Alex.
'This cellular structure is breathtaking.' He thought to himself.
The battle against Machine Head's goons had taken place two days ago. The fight had left most of the Guardians in a bad state. He didn't feel any guilt for faking the severity of his injuries.
The lion-headed warrior was too powerful to resist. It wouldn't have mattered how long they fought for, he knew that the only option was his defeat. Fortunately the alien warrior had retreated after badly wounding Invincible. The reason behind the warrior's retreat was blatantly insulting. The fight simply wasn't challenging enough to interest him.
A sharp edge crept into Alex's eyes, 'Next time will be different.'
His harvest from the battle was immense. He obtained both Invincible's template and that of the lion-headed warrior. Both were staggeringly complex.
The lion-headed warrior was powerful enough to defeat Invincible with ease. Despite this, Alex hadn't hesitated to begin copying the half-viltumite's genetic template. The upper limit of Invincible's strength was no less than that of the lion-headed warrior.
Another key consideration influenced his decision. The viltrumite ability of flight wasn't caused by a curse or magic spell, it was simply an extraordinary evolutionary advantage. He'd only spent a few days copying the viltrumite template and already he could achieve flight without needing his wings.
Viltrumites used their ability of flight to soar through galaxies. Alex's ambition for flight was much smaller. He just wanted to be able to better look after his family.
The viltrumite template was like rocket-fuel for his powers. The explosive growth was similar the kind he'd experienced when copying the angel's template. In three months time he was confident that he'd be able to stand against the lion-headed warrior. The feeling of his strength rapidly growing was exhilirating.
Bring! Bring!
The bracelet on his wrist started to ring. He smiled when he saw the caller I.D.
"Alex! Upstate offered me the scholarship! They've said I can go up next weekend to visit!" Taylor said excitedly.
"That's amazing! I'm so happy for you!"
Taylor giggled, "Thanks. I was worried you wouldn't pick up, I was so excited to tell you!"
"I could fly-I mean drive-us up there?" He hastily corrected himself.
Taylor had told him that he'd been acting different recently. He'd started to look at problems like a superhero, not an ordinary person. Alex immediately reflected on her statement and realised how true it was.
He'd always managed to keep the superiority that came with having powers at bay. Amidst all the business of protecting the world, he'd started to lose sight of his values. He immediately set about correcting his thinking.
"I'll make us a playlist!" Taylor replied excitedly.
"See you later, love you!" She said happily.
Alex smiled, "Love you too."
The call ended. They celebrated later that night with a fancy dinner and a bottle of champagne. Taylor spent the meal excitedly telling him about the research grant she'd been awarded. She was giddy at the thought that her research could improve childrens' lives.
The next few weeks flew by. Rudy's new body was progressing faster than expected. As he intergrated more of the viltrumite template, his processing ability and thinking speed were gradually increasing. This increase had a positive knock-on effect in his work building Rudy's body.
The other Guardians were back on their feet again after a period of rest. The team weren't fully functional, but they'd handled a dozen city-scale emergencies despite their injuries.
The Guardians were an important part of Alex's life. To him, Taylor was no less important than saving the world. They'd spent hours laying in bed together chosing what songs to put on the playlist for the drive up to Upstate University. The time had finally arrived to put the playlist to the test.
Taylor pumped her fist and yelled excitedly, "We've got snacks, we've got music! Let's drive baby!"
Alex broke into a grin. His hands transformed into blurs of motion. The handbrake was taken off in an instant and the engine roared. The wheels shrieked as they span rapidly. The car leapt forwards.
The sudden acceleration pressed Taylor against her seat. Her grin mirrored that of her boyfriend's. She cheered loudly and threw her hands into the air, "Wohoo!"
The car's speakers pulsed and started to play. Music flooded out and filled the car. The car was a ninteen-sixty-eight Ford Mustang Shelby, painted all black. The throaty sound of the engine roaring engine turned heads as it dashed down the road.
Taylor giggled and lay back in her seat. The adrenaline rush of the wheels spinning faded gradually. She ran her hand curiously across the car's panelling, "This thing's so old! Couldn't you have bought something newer?"
Alex turned to her. The look in his eyes was hurt. The car's indicator flashed and they shifted lanes smoothly, "It's not old, it's a classic! It's beautiful!"
Taylor laughed, "We had to buy a speaker because it doesn't have bluetooth! It doesn't even have a CD player! Are you secretly a hundred years old or something?"
"I won't apologise for being cultured!" Alex found it difficult to get the words out as he started to laugh uncontrollably.
Taylor started to cackle as well. The atmosphere in the car was relaxed and joyful. The music blasted out over the roars of the engine.
They chatted and laughed happily. Taylor was approaching the end of her final year at Michigan University. Her research grant from Upstate meant that she'd soon be moving to a new state. Alex had unhesitatingly expressed his wish to go with her.
Taylor bit into a fry. They'd stopped at a burger place for lunch, "Where do you want to live?"
Alex attempted to steal a fry from her plate. She gasped in horror and batted his hand away. He'd already eaten his own three burgers and two portions of fries.
"You mean like a flat or a house?" He asked.
Taylor nodded, "Yeah, what do you think?"
"Somewhere close to campus. Maybe a flat." He replied after a few moments thought.
Taylor blushed slightly and looked down at her plate, "I was thinking, we've been dating for a few years now and we've always had our own rooms, but maybe-"
"-you want to get a house together?" He interrupted. The smile on his face was enormous.
Taylor poked a fry around her plate, "Well it'd mainly be your money. I totally understand if-"
He slid his phone across the table towards her. A tab was open. The image of a house and a real estate agent's number filled the screen.
Taylor's words fell away. She stared at the screen and started to smile. She looked up at Alex and saw the beaming smile on his face.
"I might've already had a few places in mind." He admitted slightly sheepishly.
Taylor leaned across the table and planted a kiss on Alex's lips. She dropped a handful of flies onto his plate, "I love you so damn much."
"I love you more." Alex replied.
They walked out of the burger place singing a song they'd been listening to in the car. The houses Alex had found all had viewings now made. Taylor had also found another couple places she was interested in.
The highway was joyfully quiet. The black Mustang frequently slipped into the leftmost lane and overtook other drivers with a triumphant roar of acceleration.
Taylor looked out the window and watched the cars and scenery go by. After a couple hours of driving they'd settled into a comfortable silence. Occasionally one of them thought of something interesting and they laughed together.
"Do you ever think about what life would be like if you hadn't gotten your powers?" Taylor asked. The question had been running around her head for months.
Alex looked over to her and smiled, "Yeah, usually at night. Sometimes it all just doesn't feel real."
The statement made Taylor sigh with relief. When he said things like that, it felt like he was just as human as she was. In the back of her mind she was always worried the day would come where he'd stop being the kind and romantic person she knew.
His world was so different to hers. Sometimes she wondered whether he'd be happier dating someone from his own world. The pink hero Atom-Eve popped up in her mind.
Taylor didn't notice herself begin to grit her teeth. The gesture didn't escape Alex's attention.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked. His voice was gentle.
Taylor blinked, Alex's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
She forced some cheeriness into her tone, "Just lost in thought."
Alex didn't say anything in response. He just stared ahead at the road. His reaction was as "normal" as her forced answer.
Taylor sighed and slumped back against the chair, "Sorry, it wasnt just that."
"Do you ever-do you ever wish you were with someone like you?" She asked quietly.
Alex looked over. He smiled flirtatiously, "The only person I'm ever wishing for is you."
The cheesiness was overwhelming. Taylor snorted. She didn't feel like laughing, but she couldn't help herself.
The dark clouds in her mind lifted just as quickly as they'd arrived, "You're such a goof."
Alex grinned. The car roared and they accelerated violently. His foot on the pedal crept towards the floor.
"Takes one to know one."