The stars burned cold above Earth, a silent reminder of the war creeping closer. Inside a sleek, Cecil-funded spacecraft parked in low orbit, Mark Grayson adjusted his Invincible suit, the blue and yellow fabric tight against his bruised skin. His goggles rested on his forehead, reflecting the glow of the ship's control panels. The Teen Team crowded the cockpit, their faces a mix of determination and dread. Saitama sprawled in a jump seat, eating a bag of freeze-dried ice cream he'd found in the ship's rations, his yellow tracksuit absurdly out of place in the high-tech cabin.
"You sure this is gonna work?" Mark asked, glancing at Robot's drone, which hovered over a holographic star map. "We're flying blind into Viltrumite space."
Robot's monitor flickered. "The Arctic relay's data provided partial coordinates for a Viltrumite staging ground—a fleet hub in the Orion Arm. Disrupting it could delay their invasion by months."
Eve, securing her pink suit, frowned. "Could. That's the problem. We're betting everything on 'could.'"
Rexplode, tinkering with a detonator, grinned. "That's why I brought the big booms. If it's a trap, we blow it to hell."
Dupli-Kate, her clones checking the ship's weapons, sighed. "Great. More explosions. Just what space needs."
Monster Girl, in human form, leaned against a bulkhead. "Trap or not, we can't wait for Viltrum to hit us again. Mark's right—we take the fight to them."
Mark nodded, his jaw tight. The Arctic fight had confirmed Viltrum's strategy: target him, break Earth's spirit. He couldn't let that happen, not with Debbie waiting at home, not after everything his dad had done. Saitama's training had made him stronger, but this wasn't about punches anymore. It was about proving he could protect his world.
Saitama crunched his ice cream, oblivious to the tension. "Space is cool. Bet they've got weird snacks out there."
Mark shot him a look. "You're thinking about snacks now?"
"Always," Saitama said, tossing him a freeze-dried chunk. "Keeps me focused."
Mark caught it, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
Cecil's voice crackled through the comms, his face appearing on a screen. "Team, this is it. You hit that hub, you buy Earth time. Saitama, you're our ace—don't go punching planets apart."
Saitama saluted with his ice cream bag. "No planet-punching. Got it."
Cecil's eyes narrowed. "Mark, you're in charge. Keep everyone alive."
Mark swallowed, the weight of leadership settling in. "Yes, sir."
The screen went dark, and Robot activated the ship's warp drive. The stars blurred, and a lurch of nausea hit as the craft jumped, emerging in a dark void speckled with distant nebulae. Ahead loomed the Viltrumite hub—a massive, ring-shaped station orbiting a dead star, its surface bristling with ships and weapons. Hundreds of Viltrumite vessels patrolled, their hulls glinting like predatory fish.
"Holy crap," Rexplode muttered. "That's a lot of aliens."
Eve's voice was steady. "We stick to the plan. Infiltrate, disable the command core, get out."
Mark took a deep breath. "Right. Saitama, you're with me. We hit the core. Everyone else, cover us."
Saitama stood, stretching. "Core, punches, snacks. Easy."
The ship cloaked, slipping past patrols, and docked at a maintenance port. The team moved fast, cutting through a service hatch into the station's labyrinthine corridors. The air was sterile, the walls pulsing with blue energy. Viltrumite guards patrolled, their chatter in an alien tongue echoing off the metal.
Mark led the way, heart pounding. Saitama strolled behind, humming his tire jingle. Eve's energy constructs cloaked their movements, while Dupli-Kate's clones scouted ahead. Rexplode rigged explosives as a backup, and Monster Girl, now in beast form, growled softly, ready to pounce. Robot's drone hacked security, keeping alarms silent.
They reached the command core—a vast chamber where a glowing orb hovered, surrounded by holographic displays of Earth and other planets. Viltrumite officers monitored the screens, unaware of the intruders.
Mark whispered, "That's it. We disable that orb, their fleet's blind."
Before anyone could move, an alarm blared. The chamber's doors slammed shut, and Thragg stepped from the shadows, his scarred face twisted in a smirk. Anissa flanked him, her eyes cold. Dozens of Viltrumite soldiers filled the room, weapons trained on the team.
"Welcome, Invincible," Thragg said. "You walked right into our trap."
Mark's stomach dropped. "Crap."
Saitama yawned. "Traps are boring. You got any ice cream in here?"
Thragg's smirk faltered. "Your flippancy ends today, anomaly. This station is our nerve center. You'll die here, and Earth will kneel."
Mark stepped forward, fists clenched. "You're not touching my planet."
Anissa laughed, sharp and cruel. "Bold words, half-breed. But you're outnumbered, outmatched."
Eve raised a shield, her voice steady. "We've faced worse."
Rexplode grinned, holding his detonator. "Boom time?"
"Not yet," Mark hissed. "Saitama, you ready?"
Saitama cracked his knuckles. "Been ready since breakfast."
The fight erupted like a supernova. Thragg charged Saitama, his fists shattering the floor. Saitama dodged, flicking Thragg into a console, sparking explosions. Anissa targeted Mark, her speed a blur. He blocked her punch, pain flaring in his arm, and countered with a knee to her gut. She staggered but recovered, slamming him into a wall.
Eve's constructs pinned Viltrumite soldiers, while Dupli-Kate's clones swarmed, distracting them. Monster Girl roared, tackling two guards, her claws raking armor. Rexplode's bombs detonated, collapsing a section of the chamber, but more Viltrumites poured in. Robot's drone hacked the core, its lights flickering as it tried to shut it down.
Mark fought desperately, Saitama's training guiding him. He ducked Anissa's sonic scream, grabbed her arm, and hurled her into a display, shattering it. But Thragg was relentless, trading blows with Saitama that shook the station. Saitama blocked each hit, yawning, but Thragg's fury was unending.
"You can't win!" Thragg roared, landing a punch that cracked Saitama's ice cream bag, spilling crumbs.
Saitama frowned. "That was rude."
He tapped Thragg, sending him crashing through the chamber's ceiling into space. The Viltrumites froze, stunned, as air began to vent. Eve sealed the breach with a construct, but the core's glow intensified, its hum deafening.
"It's overloading!" Robot shouted. "We must abort!"
Mark, grappling with Anissa, yelled, "No! We end this now!"
But before he could act, a new figure emerged from a side door—Nolan, his Omni-Man armor battered, his eyes burning with conflict. Viltrumite soldiers parted for him, uncertain.
"Mark," Nolan said, voice low. "Stop this. Join us, or you'll lose everything."
Mark's heart seized. "Dad?"
Saitama landed beside Mark, dusting off his tracksuit. "Your family reunions suck."
Anissa smirked, standing. "Choose, boy. Viltrum or death."
Mark's fists trembled, rage and pain colliding. Nolan's betrayal, Debbie's fears, Earth's survival—it all crashed into him. He looked at Saitama, who gave a slight nod, as if to say, You've got this.
"I choose Earth," Mark said, voice steady. "Always."
Nolan's face hardened. "Then you've chosen pain."
He lunged, faster than Mark expected, and the chamber dissolved into chaos. Nolan's fist connected, sending Mark skidding across the floor. Saitama moved to intercept, but Thragg returned, slamming into him with meteoric force. The Teen Team fought desperately, but the Viltrumites closed in, and the core's glow became blinding.
Mark staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his lip. "Saitama! The core!"
Saitama, grappling with Thragg, sighed. "Fine. Cover me."
He broke free, a yellow blur, and punched the core. The orb shattered, its energy erupting in a shockwave that knocked everyone back. Alarms screamed, and the station began to buckle, lights flickering as systems failed.
Mark grabbed Nolan's arm, pleading. "Dad, stop! You don't have to do this!"
Nolan hesitated, pain flashing in his eyes—but Thragg's voice cut through. "Finish him, Nolan! Prove your loyalty!"
Nolan raised his fist, and Mark braced for the end.
But Saitama appeared, catching Nolan's hand. "Enough family drama."
With a flick, Nolan crashed into Thragg, and both Viltrumites tumbled into a collapsing wall. The station groaned, debris falling as the team scrambled for the exit.
"We've got to go!" Eve shouted, her shield cracking under Viltrumite fire.
Mark hesitated, staring at Nolan's prone form. "Dad…"
Saitama grabbed his shoulder. "He made his choice. Move."
They ran, the station disintegrating behind them. The team piled into the ship, Robot's drone sealing the hatch. The craft roared to life, blasting free as the Viltrumite hub exploded in a silent bloom of light, its debris scattering across the void.
Mark sat in the cockpit, chest heaving, Nolan's face burned into his mind. "We stopped them," he whispered. "But it doesn't feel like a win."
Saitama, munching a salvaged ration bar, shrugged. "Wins are messy. You're alive. That's enough."
Eve put a hand on Mark's shoulder. "We bought time. That's what matters."
But as the ship warped back to Earth, a Viltrumite dreadnought uncloaked in the distance, its hull dwarfing the hub's remains. Inside, Thragg and Anissa watched the fleeing ship, their faces grim.
"The boy's spirit holds," Anissa said. "But not for long."
Thragg nodded. "We strike Earth directly. No more games."
The dreadnought's engines flared, and the stars seemed to dim.
End of Chapter 12