The black Mustang pulled up neatly to the curb. The key turned in the ignition and the thrum of the engine fell silent.
Taylor opened her eyes blearily. She blinked and looked about.
A finger poked her head, "You snored."
Taylor stretched her stiff shoulders, the door clicked open, "You're part angel aren't you, you should know what one sounds like already."
Alex chuckled and stepped out of the car. The boot opened and he lifted out Taylor's suitcase. The suitcase was packed with research articles and books. The weight was so light that it barely registered.
Taylor excitedly inspected the campus. The architecture had a modern and lively feel. There was a steady stream of students walking past, "It's so pretty!"
The Upstate campus really did have its own kind of charm. Alex smiled, "Michigan will be happy to see me go. I've not been to a lecture all semester."
Taylor took his hand in hers. She rose to her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, "That just means you can spend more time with your wonderful girlfriend!"
"She is pretty wonderful."
Taylor smiled happily and swung her hand back and forth. Alex's hand moved with hers, "She is! And right now she wants to go find her room."
Alex rolled his eyes, "You really think I memorise the maps of everywhere you go?"
Taylor didn't back down. She stared at him and waited silently.
Alex coughed to clear the silence, "Alright maybe I did. It's this way."
Taylor smiled and nodded knowingly, "Told you so."
Her boyfriend was a walking green flag. The only thing that might mark him down a few points in someone else's eyes was his slight overprotectiveness.
She didn't mind the overprotectiveness. If anything it made her feel more relaxed.
The walk to the dorm room the university had offered her for the visit didn't take more than five minutes. The key was handed to them by a friendly attendant and they were informed what time breakfast was served the next day in the canteen.
The door to the room swung open. Taylor sighed contently, "Home sweet home."
The bed was a double. The room smelled of freshly changed linens and the view out of the window was a charming row of trees.
Taylor flopped onto the bed and rolled about, "It's so soft!"
Alex put down the suitcase and lay down on the bed next to her. He no longer had to worry about accidentally falling through the bed or breaking chairs due to his enormous weight. The viltrumite-gained ability to fly had a number of useful applications. Negating his weight was just one of many.
He immediately understood what Taylor meant, "How do they even make something this soft?"
"I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me." The pillow muffled Taylor's voice.
Alex gently kissed her shoulder, "Might not be the best impression to your mentor."
Taylor gasped. She frantically shot out of bed and grabbed her purse. She jammed her foot into a shoe, "The meeting! What time is-"
Alex tried to hold back his laughter. He was only partially successful, "You've got an hour. It's a ten minute walk."
Taylor groaned. She picked up a pillow and smacked it down on her boyfriend's head, "Why would you scare me like that!"
Alex raised his hands to his face and pretended to try to defend himself from the pillow, "I'm sorry! I didn't realise you were so passionate about student-mentor meetings!"
Taylor made an exasperated noise and threw the pillow down on him, "Fine! Maybe I panicked a little."
"You want me to quiz you on your research proposal?"
Taylor knew that there were a thousand other things Alex could be doing right now. He had tens of millions of dollars in his bank account. He didn't even need to get on a plane to arrive at a beautiful tropical beach.
The fact that he was accompanying her on the visit, and the fact he was excited every night to lay in bed and watch TV together, made her feel unbelivably lucky. At the same time, in the back of her mind, despite how reassuring his behaviour always was, she couldn't help but fear that maybe it was all too good to be true.
She lay back down on the bed. She rested her head on his chest. The steady sound of his heart beating brought a soothing feeling of calm, "Yeah, that'd be great."
The questions Alex asked started easy and gradually became more complex. They were always well-thought out. When she didn't know quite the answer she consulted the thick stack of paper in her suitcase.
The time flew by. It felt like she'd only blinked and already she needed to leave for the meeting.
"You want me to walk you there?"
The offer was kind and good-intentioned. Taylor paused as she slipped into her shoes. She smiled and shook her head, "You're too sweet. I'll go by myself, the walk will help me clear my head."
Alex sat up in the bed. He did a small goodbye wave, "See you later."
The door closed shut behind her. He was left alone in the room. The bed suddenly didn't feel as comfortable without her there.
The Upstate campus sprawled across the landscape. Alex wandered between buildings aimlessly. He knew that Taylor's meeting was set to last two hours. After that, if things had gone well, which he was sure they would, it was likely she'd go for drinks with a few of the other research students.
"Hey man! Don't recognise you, we're throwing a party later! You should check it out!" The voice was friendly.
Alex smiled and accepted a flyer from the curly-haired student. He read through it in an instant. He wondered whether Taylor would want to go, "Thanks, I appreciate it."
The curly-haired student flashed a smile, "No worries man! Hope you can make it!"
The interaction was short, but pleasant. Alex folded the flyer into his pocket. Once upon a time the thought of going to a party by himself would've made him nervous. Now he felt nothing at all.
The sound of a engine ticking over caught his attention. A blue car with slightly fading paint pulled up on campus. From the opposite end of the street, a tall broad-shouldered student with blonde hair waved and called out, "William!"
The blonde-haired student smiled and said affectionately, "Come here!"
The slightly panicked but delighted driver of the blue car returned the hug, "What's u-u-p Rick!"
The slim brown-haired driver turned to the other two passengers, "These are my friends, Mark and Amber!"
There was nothing out of the ordinary about any of it all. The only point of interest was the blonde-student and the driver clearly having some form of feelings for one another.
Alex smiled and thought to himself, 'What a small world.'
One of the passangers was a young man with black hair and a clear-cut jawline. Through his powers, Alex percieved far more than the man's appearance. The biological signature was unmistakeable.
Through pure dumb luck, he'd stumbled across Invincible's true identity. The discovery was interesting, but ultimately of little relevance. Whether he knew Invincible's secret identity or not had a non-existent impact on his life.
The blonde-haired student had an air of self-assurance about him. He confidently took the bags from the two passengers, "Nice to meet you guys! I've got my dorm room all set for us."
The blonde-haired student led the way. The driver of the car, William, looked like he was about to explode from delight. He stared giddily at the back of the blonde-haired student's jeans. It seemed like he might've been content to watch the blonde student walk away for the rest of time.
William sighed contently, "It's gonna be a great weekend."
The group followed after the blonde student. Alex didn't try to pursue them. He had no intention of invading their trip. A flyer pasted to a notice board drew his attention. He frowned.
'Missing. Doug Cheston. Last seen by the fountain.'
The poster immediately raised his alertness. The security of the Upstate campus was well-regarded. It was concerning that a student could've suddenly gone missing.
Taylor was present at the campus. The thought that her face could end up on a poster just like that made his chest tighten. Alex was self-aware enough to recognise the over-protectiveness that simmered beneath his calm demeanour. He felt the same way towards his parents.
Alex pretended to check the time. The bracelet on his wrist beeped and the microphone function activated, "This is Omega. Can you pull up any information on a missing student at Upstate University. The name is Doug Cheston."
Since he'd joined the Guardians, he'd had much less contact with Dr Molay. The Guardians typically recieved their instructions from Cecil personally. Dr Molay's job title had been changed from coordinator to Guardian liason.
The bracelet emitted a frequency that humans were incapable of hearing. A professor who happened to be passing by with their dog hurriedly tried to stop the animal's barking.
Alex understood the higher frequency perfectly. It hadn't been difficult to modify his inner ear to pick up a greater range of frequencies. The modification made it easy to communicate surreptitiously with the GDA when he wasn't wearing an earpiece.
"Doug Cheston. Went missing three days ago. His dad owns Cheston Pharmaceutical. The family have put out a few million dollars worth of reward for any information on his dissapearance." Dr Molay commented.
Something dark and cold crept into Alex's voice, "Any leads?"
The change in his tone was immediately picked up by Dr Molay. She scanned through lines of reports on her computer. She didn't find any results, "Nothing yet."
"Scan the campus again. Clearance level: Guardian. Take the bill out of my paycheck if you need to."
Hundreds of miles seperated Dr Molay from Alex. Despite the distance, a shiver ran down her spine. He hadn't requested like he usually did. He'd ordered. She knew that his powers were changing. There were hundreds of data-files documenting the steady increases in muscle mass and bone density.
Dr Molay forced her voice to remain even, "I'll start the scan."
The GDA had hundreds of satellites orbitting the earth. The satellites provided huge volumes of data. Technicians worked to synthesise and search for patterns in the raw information. The process burned money like paper. The cost was necessary to ensure threats were picked up as quickly as possible.
The results of the maximum intensity scan came back within a few minutes. The GDA had surveillance and detection equipment decades ahead of the kind that circulated in the public domain.
Dr Molay reviewed the data with a solemn expression, "There's nothing abnormal on the surface. But-"
"-but something's drawing power from the grid. It's underground."
Alex's expression was icy. His gaze drifted over to a manhole cover, "I'm going to investigate."
There was a pause. Then Dr Molay replied, "Backup is waiting on your call."
The tunnels beneath the university were like a labyrinth. Pungent-smelling water rushed endlessly through them. The smell was nauseating. The tunnels were dimly lit and they constantly twisted and turned. The mind of an ordinary person might've started to fracture if they spent too long wandering lost through the darkness.
The tips of Alex's feet floated a few inches above the rushing water. His ears picked up every sound in the dark tunnels. His brain worked like a supercomputer, processing and breaking down the huge quantities of sensory information.
'Blood.' He thought grimly to himself.
The scent didn't have the flavour of decay that permeated almost everything in the tunnels. It was fresh. And human.
Alex moved forwards through the air. The rapid speed he was travelling at caused the rushing water to split apart beneath his feet.
He caught sight of something in the darkness. It was humanoid in shape. The thing's skin was sickeningly pale. Ugly overlapping stitches decorated the pale skin.
The creature's biological signature was a mess. Its vitality was constantly surging only to fall a moment later. The creature's body was half-organic, half-cyborg. The metal glinted red in the glow of the emergency lights. Blood spilled out at the poorly grafted seams between steel and flesh.
The creature spotted the intruder. The singular red orb implanted into its head glowed brightly. It shrieked and immediately charged towards Alex.
The half-cyborg was swift. The metallic implants woven into its flesh dented the ground with every step. The creature possessed considerable strength.
The half-cyborg leapt into the air. Its mechanised arms were stretched out ready to tear the head off the intruder. A hand covered by a black superhero costume whipped out. The hand gripped the creature's neck like a vice.
The half-cyborg shrieked and wailed. It lashed out wildly with its arms and legs. The blows glanced off Alex's chest. He didn't budge.
The helmet grafted to the creature's skull was torn off by an overwhelming force. Alex inspected the creature's true face. A pair of bloodshot but distinctly human pupils looked back at him. There didn't seem to be any sentience behind the half cyborg's eyes.
The face didn't match the student shown in the missing person's poster. Nonethless, it was clear that the person had not been a willing participant in whatever sick experiment had transformed them into their current appearance.
"Threat found. Mechanically enhanced individual. Suspecting more." Alex reported.
Dr Molay responded immediately, "The team are deploying now."
The bracelet on Alex's wrist released waves of ultrasonic sound. The waves bounced off the tunnel walls. The processing system then read this information and converted it into an accurate picture.
On Dr Molay's computer, a three-D model of the tunnel formed. The figure of Omega was easily recognisable by the way his feet hovered above the ground. Another humanoid shape was gripped by the neck in his hand.
Dr Molay swallowed. She took a deep breath to steady herself. The situation was escalating beyond her management level. She pressed a button on her computer and a dial tone began to play. The call connected after three rings.
"Sir, there's a situation."
Cecil's eyelids twitched. He sighed and flicked the cigarette he'd been smoking to the floor. The embers were ground out beneath his shoe.
The teleportation device on his wrist hummed. The space he was standing on began to shimmer. In an instant he vanished.
Dr Molay suppressed a wave of panic as the GDA's director suddenly stepped out of a burst of light and appeared behind her. Her nerves were already on edge.
"Brief me." Cecil instructed.
Dr Molay's extensive training kicked in swiftly. Her hands flew across the keyboard. Huge amounts of data flashed up on the screen.
Cecil watched intently. In the centre of the screen, a male figure composed of interwoven wavy lines flew at incredible speed through a labyrinth of underground tunnels. The male figure's advance was lightning-like.
A humanoid signature composed of the same wavy lines leaped out from the stagnant water. The echolocation feature of the bracelet couldn't pick up the overwhelming rotten scent or the sound of the gushing brown water.
The picture formed by the ultrasonic frequencies was enough for Cecil to make out the situation.
"What the hell is that?"
The second humanoid signature was sent crashing into the tunnel walls by a violent blow. The floating male figure chased after like a comet roaring through the skies. Another savage punch collided with the humanoid. The violent outpouring of force smashed the humanoid several feet deep into the wall.
A hand reached out and ripped the humanoid out from the cracked wall. The cyborg's helmet was torn off. Alex tossed it away casually and it bounced and rolled across the ground. It came to a stop against a large piece of rubble.
The face still didn't match the one he'd seen on the missing person's poster.
"We don't know sir." Dr Molay replied awkardly.
Cecil sighed and groaned, "Of course we fucking don't. For god's sake could you please tell me why Omega is running around a sewage tunnel in Upstate?"
"His girlfriend sir, she's recieved a research grant from the University. She was invited for a tour. Omega went with her." Dr Molay explained. The information had nothing to do with Omega's work as a Guardian. He'd told her about the visit in a conversation a couple weeks ago.
Cecil clicked his tongue. He suddenly wished that he hadn't put out the cigarette, "Double-no-triple the response teams. Whatever those things are, I want them under control."
"Yes sir."
The cyborgs didn't appear to have any thoughts of their own. They didn't stop shrieking and trying to attack until he'd knocked them unconscious. The mechanical transformation had significantly altered their anatomy. He tore off sections of the thick metal piping that ran through the tunnels and wrapped it around them to restrain them.
Alex fought his way through nearly two dozen cyborgs. He noted that each one had a varying degree of structural integrity.
The wall exploded into a shower of rubble. Alex emerged from the swirling dust like some kind of otherwordly being. His cold gaze scanned across the room.
It was a laboratory. Nearly a hundred half-mechanised corpses dangled from chains that stretched up to the ceiling. The laboratory floor was stained with congealed black blood. The air smelled of iron and formaldehyde.
A man wearing a pinkish suit gasped and looked up from the operating table in the centre of the room. Thick leather straps tied down a trembling young woman to the table. The bone-saw in the man's hands halted just as it touched her skin. The wound began to bleed. The blood dribbled down the sides of the operating table and pooled on the floor.
"What are you-" The man started to protest. He was cut off by a hand clamping violently around his throat.
The man's eyes bulged. He kicked his legs frantically in the air and tried to free himself from the vice-like grip. His struggles were useless.
The leather bindings strapping the woman to the table tore like paper. Alex casually tossed the purple-faced man across the room. The man crunched sickeningly against the wall and slid to the floor unconscious.
He gently helped the woman down from the operating table. Her body shook non-stop. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
The woman tried to speak, but her throat was raw from screaming. She choked out a sob. Her legs gave way. Alex held her softly. The woman sobbed into his chest.
After a few minutes, the woman's sobbing reduced to quieter sniffles. She wiped her eyes and shakily supported her own bodyweight again.
"Thank you." She said hoarsely.
The black mask hid Alex's attempt at a comforting smile, "A response team is on its way."
The sound of footsteps followed a few moments after he'd spoken. Dozens of GDA agents with large weapons and green stars on their shoulder swarmed through the gap in the wall where Alex had crashed through into the laboratory.
A medical officer immediately got to work assessing the young woman. Another medic hurried over to the unconscious and wheezing man slumped against the wall.
The GDA agents methodically photographed the horrifying scenes in the laboratory. Floating in a vat of thick red liquid, Alex finally spotted the student from the missing person's poster. Unfortunately he was too late. The student's legs and torso were already completely converted into steel and circuitry.
The familiar hum of a teleporter joined the mixture of sounds in the room.
Cecil appeared out of a blinding flash. The director crossed his arms and examined the laboratory with a weary expression, "Good find kid."
The compliment felt wrong. Alex asked doubtfully, "How could anyone do something like this?"
Cecil looked over to the unconscious man in the pink suit. One of the medical officers was delivering emergency treatment. The man's airway had crumpled from the impact. He required ventilation to get enough air into his lungs.
"His name's D.A Sinclair. He's here on a genius grant. We've searched his computer. He's got some kind of twisted belief that machinery is the true highest form of evolution." Cecil remarked.
The look in Alex's eyes shifted from sorrow to murderous. He took a step towards the evil scientist. Cecil stretched out his arm to block his path. The bloodthirsty look he recieved didn't faze the GDA director.
"I follow your rules. I don't kill anyone who's not murdered more than a dozen civillians. This guy's different. Look at the bodies. Who even knows how many people he's hurt? I could make sure he never hurts anyone again." Alex said coldly.
Cecil calmly met the gaze of the masked superhero. The cold tone Alex had used didn't bother him, "We can use him. He can make up for his crimes."
Alex's eyes narrowed, "This is to do with your secret isn't it."
Cecil didn't reply. He just stared steadily at the hero. He knew better than anyone else just how easily Omega could snap his neck. He wouldn't have the chance to teleport away, not at such close range.
Alex took a deep breath. The murderousness in his eyes slowly receded. He spoke slowly, "I'm trusting you Cecil. I haven't asked what you're hiding. You told me that knowing would put my family at risk."
Cecil's stare didn't break, "I'm sorry kid. It's the truth."
Alex's powers swept across Cecil's body. The artificial skin had been glaringly obvious since they first met. He didn't care about the skin. He felt Cecil's heart beating steadily. If the director was lying then he was skillfull enough to control his heartbeat and avoid the secretion of any adrenaline.
Alex sighed. He smiled bitterly. He didn't feel any animosity or dislike to Cecil. The decisions that the older man made were always to protect the planet. If keeping the secret truly was the safest option, then he could wait for as long as was necessary.
The tension between the two men lifted. Alex looked up at the harsh yellow lights that lit the laboratory. He asked ruefully, "You ever think about retiring?"
Cecil made an amused noise, "All the time kid, all the time."