Logically, this shouldn't be happening… Could it be… that mastermind behind the scenes?
"Which supervillain is it?" Cecil's expression changed slightly.
"Not sure. It looks like an alien army—they're heavily armed. There have already been multiple casualties, including several street-level superheroes."
"The citizens are in imminent danger. With the Global Guardians currently absent, we have to consider the possibility that we may not be able to hold them off. Should we begin evacuating the entire city immediately?"
Donald, who always looked like a friendly old man, cast a small glance at Russell and the other two as he said this last sentence. The gesture was subtle.
But to Russell—whose neural reflexes could slow the world to a crawl—it couldn't have been more obvious.
"Debbie…" Cecil gave a pleading look.
Aunt Debbie, who was known for her soft heart, trembled slightly but eventually relented, silently turning around to care for her husband.
That was a tacit agreement.
She was too kind to stand by and watch the lives of so many innocent citizens be threatened.
"Mark, I know you. You've already started walking the path of a superhero like your father."
"And you, Russell—you're extraordinary. Your composure is remarkable. Even after seeing the tragic corpses of so many fallen heroes, you haven't faltered."
"You were born to be a superhero."
Cecil let out a small sigh of relief. His expression grew solemn as he looked from Mark to Russell, and with a voice full of solemnity—something that could stir any young man's soul, like a holy calling—he continued:
"The Global Defense Bureau is stretched thin. We have no other superheroes we can deploy."
"This city, perhaps even the entire Earth, needs you both. Are you willing to step forward and help?"
"Of course!"
Seemingly inspired by Cecil's words—especially the mention of his father—Mark clenched his fists and nodded with a serious expression.
Russell just shrugged, signaling he was in.
He saw through Cecil's righteous façade and the manipulation underneath.
That was Cecil. In many ways, he was infuriating. But if the Earth were ever on the brink of destruction, and all it took to save it was him kneeling and licking someone's toes in public, Cecil would absolutely do it without hesitation.
It was partially thanks to people like him that Earth was sometimes saved from disaster.
Superheroes might detest him, but billions of ordinary people would likely hold a different view.
"All in all—he's the kind of person who will do anything for the greater good."
Of course, even without Cecil's words, Russell was going to take out that alien army. He would become the kind of superhero beloved by the righteous and feared to the bone by villains.
"Defeating enemies through brute force or scavenging corpses lets me acquire powerful templates that I can switch between at will."
"But in the long run, if I want to truly embody countless abilities in one body and become overwhelmingly powerful without any weaknesses, mental conquest is just as important."
Seeing that the two promising young men had agreed, Cecil's eyes lit up.
At that moment, Aunt Debbie shot a sharp glance over and interjected coldly:
"They're only helping temporarily. They are not joining your Global Defense Bureau."
"Of course."
Cecil raised his hand with a smile to calm her down, unfazed by the rejection.
Even though he was starting to wonder who exactly had killed the Global Guardians, he didn't yet have a clear answer.
And he dared not trick the son and godson of the most powerful superhero on Earth into joining his bureau while Omni-Man was still unconscious.
"Debbie, we have a nurse on duty here. You can take a break in the room next door," he said gently to Debbie, who had been called in halfway through her shift.
"Bring me a cold towel and some ice water. Set up a folding bed here for me. I'm not going anywhere."
"Debbie?"
"Cecil, I'm not some fragile woman who gets scared off so easily," Aunt Debbie said, pressing her lips together tightly. She was like a resilient kapok flower, unyielding in the face of wind and rain, her eyes fixed firmly on her unconscious husband.
"…Alright."
Cecil gestured for everyone to leave the room and not disturb the couple. Then he turned to Russell and Mark. "As for you two—it's time to move out. This city needs you."
"I'm heading home to change into my suit. Cousin, I'll see you there!"
Mark scratched his head.
Thankfully, with his speed, it would only take him a few seconds.
As he spoke, he flew out the window and disappeared into the sky.
"What about you, Russell? Want us to find you a decent combat suit?"
"As a fellow speedster, we still have a few suits left from the days we prepared for Red Rush," Cecil offered.
"No need for now," Russell replied.
He didn't like using someone else's leftover gear. He too vanished in a blur.
He already knew the origins of this alien invasion force. While they would pose a major threat to Earth down the line…
For now, they could be dealt with easily.
Whoosh!
In less than a second, he arrived at the heart of the city, where the sounds of gunfire and explosions rang out.
Russell reappeared wearing a plain black mask—something he'd casually picked up for five bucks from a street stall as he passed by.
A team of young, civilian superheroes had already arrived. Each of them looked young and determined, desperately trying to hold back the alien army flooding in like a tide—but they were barely managing.
The sudden invasion had thrown the city into chaos. Nearby civilians fled in terror, stumbling over each other in panic.
"Help! Somebody help us!"
"Aliens! We're being invaded by aliens!"
In the distance, a massive interdimensional portal stood tall. Its edges crackled with unstable energy arcs. Inside, a blood-red sky shimmered, revealing a glimpse of another dimension's eerie atmosphere.
The invading alien army was cold and merciless.
Each soldier had green skin and several antennae on their heads. They looked humanoid but were encased in sleek, high-tech battle armor. Marching in uniform formation, they wielded bulky plasma rifles that fired indiscriminately at anything that moved.
Each shot was devastating, blasting people into chunks of meat and flipping over cars.
The teenage heroes struggled to withstand the onslaught.
Zzzap!
"Please! Save my baby!"
On the sidewalk, a mother who had been shoved to the ground watched in despair as her baby stroller rolled helplessly toward the advancing aliens.
The baby, wide-eyed and curious, had no idea what was happening—or what fate awaited.
One alien soldier spotted the stroller, his cold gaze fixed on the infant. Without hesitation, he raised his weapon and prepared to fire.
Unfortunately for him, Russell noticed, too.
Time seemed to freeze. Light stretched and warped. In the blink of an eye, Russell appeared before the alien soldier—his reflection visible in the creature's eyes.
But the soldier remained frozen, like a wax statue. His gaze was still locked on the baby, his finger moving painfully slowly toward the trigger.
Everything in the city center came to a halt—except for the lasers still hanging in the air.
Russell calmly pushed the alien's weapon aside, leisurely scanning the area. The surreal stillness of the moment gave him an unprecedented sense of thrill. He smiled faintly, then turned and punched the alien soldier square in the jaw.
BOOM!
The alien's head exploded violently, spraying blood and white gelatinous matter into the air.
...
[300PS= 1Bonus chapter]
If you want to read 30 advanced chapters before they get Thanos-snapped, check out my [email protected]/INTRAX (Replace @ with 'a')