Author's Note: If you're enjoying Inevitable and want to read up to 30 chapters ahead, you can support the story (and me) over on Patreon.com/banmido.
____________
I update daily, and every bit of love and support helps me keep this story alive. Thank you for reading, y'all make this possible.
The front door clicked shut behind them, the sound small but final in the quiet house.
Mark let out a long breath like he had just staggered out of a boss fight with one hit point left. He scratched the back of his neck, eyes flicking toward the living room and then away again.
"Alright," he muttered, "Let's get this over with. And please don't feel too embarrassed, my parents are totally lame."
Naruto stood beside him on the welcome mat with his hands tucked into his hoodie pockets, his expression calm in that way that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
His eyes moved slowly over the hallway. It was clean without being sterile, and lived in without being messy.
Framed photos lined the walls: Mark as a kid with a gap-toothed grin holding up a science fair ribbon, a beach trip caught mid-laugh, Debbie in the kitchen with flour dusted across her cheeks, smiling at whoever stood behind the camera.
Warm light pooled down from the overhead fixtures and settled across the wood floor.
The boards creaked softly under their weight, the kind of sound old houses make when they remember every footstep that has crossed them.
There was a faint scent in the air, tea leaves and something sweet, maybe cinnamon, maybe just memory clinging to the walls.
It did not look like a house built to hide anything. It looked like a normal Earth home.
"Mom? Dad?" Mark called out, voice lifting slightly at the end. "There's someone I want you to meet."
From the kitchen came the soft shuffle of slippers against tile.
Debbie Grayson stepped into view with her apron still tied at the waist and her hair pulled back into a loose bun. She wiped her hands on a dish towel as she walked closer, pausing for only a second when her eyes landed on Naruto.
Then she smiled, warm and immediate.
"Hi there," she said as she crossed the distance between them. "I'm Debbie. You must be Naruto."
He gave a small nod.
Naruto watched the way she moved, steady and unhurried. There was no fear in her eyes, no suspicion tucked behind the kindness. She carried warmth with her the way some people carry perfume, subtle but everywhere at once. The kind of presence that made a room feel inhabited instead of occupied.
It almost reminded him of his mother.
Not in her voice. Not in her face.
Just in the way the air felt less cold when she stood in it.
Before he could think of anything to say, she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
Naruto stiffened on instinct, caught off guard by the sudden contact.
She did not hesitate. She hugged him like she meant it, like he was not a strange boy from another world but a kid who had walked in from the rain.
"Any friend of Mark's might as well be family to us," she said gently.
Naruto blinked once, unsure where to put that statement or what to do with it.
Behind her, heavy footsteps sounded from upstairs.
Nolan Grayson entered the room.
He was tall, though not so tall that it would draw attention in a crowd. Broad shoulders filled out his simple button-down shirt in a way that suggested it was designed for someone much less solid.
There was weight to him, not just in size but in presence, like the room subtly adjusted around him the second he stepped into it.
His mustache was trimmed with precision, with not a hair out of place. His eyes were calm on the surface, and steady as still water.
Behind that calm, though, was something sharper.
Something that measured and calculated any possibility. It was a mind that did not stop turning.
He did not need to raise his voice to command attention. He stood there quietly, arms relaxed at his sides, coiled in a way only someone truly dangerous could afford to be.
He smiled easily, like a man with nothing to prove.
Naruto however knew better.
He knew there was an Alien warrior behind that smile. Someone who had aroused the admiration of the entire world as the number one hero since he landed.
Nolan stopped a few feet away and crossed his arms, studying Naruto openly.
Naruto stepped forward first and extended his hand.
Nolan's gaze dropped briefly to it before he reached out and took it.
The handshake was firm and deliberate. He had obviously controlled strength, but it felt almost too polite.
"So this is the boy from Planet Centauria, huh?" Nolan said, tone light. "Can't say I've heard much about them."
Naruto met his eyes without flinching. "We tend to be solitary people. Whether that's nature or old customs, I'm not sure. But we keep to ourselves."
Nolan's brow shifted just slightly. "I see."
Debbie glanced between them, smiling, though something in her eyes suggested she felt the tension she could not quite name.
Mark cleared his throat. "Naruto saved my life. Remember that mech fight? I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for him."
Debbie's hand rose to her chest. "Oh God. I didn't realize. Thank you so much for having our baby's back."
Naruto shrugged lightly. "I was just repaying a debt."
Nolan's eyes narrowed a fraction.
Debbie, meanwhile, brightened and gestured toward the living room. "Come on, both of you. Sit. I was just making tea."
Naruto followed her in.
The living room carried the same soft scent of cinnamon and tea. A tray rested on the coffee table with three mismatched mugs and a chipped sugar bowl set neatly in place, like this really was just another evening.
Debbie poured the tea with practiced ease. Mark dropped onto the couch, elbows on his knees, glancing between his father and Naruto like he expected sparks. Naruto sat beside him, posture loose but alert, the way someone sits when they know they could be moving in the next heartbeat.
Nolan remained standing for a moment longer than necessary before lowering himself into the armchair across from Naruto, slow and deliberate, like setting down something heavy without making a sound.
"So," Nolan began, lifting his cup but not drinking. "Planet Centauria."
"Yes," Naruto replied.
"I've been to a lot of planets," Nolan said. "Fought on a few. Can't say I've ever crossed paths with anyone from there."
Naruto gave a small shrug. "The universe is large. It's easy to miss things."
"I've seen most of it."
"Then you missed a spot."
One of Nolan's eyebrows lifted slightly. "You make it sound like I should have heard of it."
"We're near Thraxia," Naruto said evenly. "You've probably flown past it without noticing. Or maybe you didn't get a warm welcome. We don't receive visitors often."
"You did say your people were xenophobic."
"Solitary," Naruto corrected. "But sure. Same ballpark."
"And yet here you are."
Naruto allowed the faintest grin. "Guess I'm a bad Centaurian. Rebellious youth and all that."
Nolan studied him. "You ran away?"
"Got bored," Naruto said. "Wanted to see something different. Stretch my legs. Experience mediocrity."
Nolan blinked slowly. "You think Earth is mediocre?"
"It's loud," Naruto replied. "But it has good noodles."
Mark glanced between them again, clearly feeling the temperature shift, but he kept quiet.
"So," Nolan continued in that carefully neutral tone, "tell me more about Centauria. What's it like?"
Naruto did not answer right away.
He set his tea down gently and leaned back, folding his arms as if searching through memory.
"We didn't build cities," he said after a moment. "Not like Earth does. No towers. No highways. No sprawl. Our homes were carved into cliffs or grown from trees. Shaped to fit the land instead of forcing the land to fit us."
Debbie leaned forward slightly, chin resting on her hand. "That sounds beautiful."
Naruto nodded once. "The elders taught us the planet was alive. That the wind and rivers carried memories of our past lives. You walked through forests as a guest, not a master."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"There were rivers that looked silver under the moon. Valleys where birds sang in patterns only the elders understood. We farmed with our hands. Listened to the sky. When someone died, we planted a tree so they could keep watching."
Nolan's voice cut gently through the quiet. "And your people? Physically?"
Naruto rested one arm along the back of the couch, tone relaxed. "Strong. That's just how we are."
Nolan waited.
"Centauria's gravity is heavier than Earth's," Naruto went on. "You learn to move through it. Our bones are denser. Muscles too. It's not training. It's biology. The climate is harsh. Freezing winters. Brutal summers. You adapt or you don't survive."
"I've encountered species like that," Nolan said. "Harsh worlds tend to produce warlike cultures. Territorial. Primitive."
"We weren't primitive," Naruto replied calmly. "At least not when I left."
"Peaceful?"
"Cooperative," Naruto said. "That doesn't mean kind. It just means we didn't waste time fighting each other."
Nolan gave a quiet hum but did not press further.
Debbie broke the silence gently. "Did you have technology? Ships?"
"We had ships," Naruto said. "Not for war, but for study. The stars were sacred to us. We didn't think they needed conquering."
Nolan smiled, though the expression never quite reached his eyes. "Well. That's one way to look at the universe."
Naruto held his gaze. "It's a way that kept us alive for a millennia."
Mark let out a low whistle. "Man, I gotta visit sometime. Sounds like the best nature documentary ever."
Naruto gave a soft laugh that did not quite carry warmth. "Yeah. Maybe someday."
His eyes never left Nolan's.
Debbie leaned forward slightly, her cup cradled in both hands. "So," she asked gently, "what about your parents? What are they like?"
Naruto did not answer right away.
His eyes shifted for just a moment, a small flicker, but it was enough to change the air in the room. Mark noticed. Nolan did too.
Naruto stared into his tea as though the surface might spare him the effort of speaking. It did not.
He let out a quiet breath and leaned back against the couch. "My mother," he said slowly, "is the Crown Princess of Centauria."
Debbie blinked. "Princess?"
Naruto nodded. "And a priestess. High Priestess, higher expectations. She was raised to lead the planet one day. People bowed when she walked through the cities. Sang when she spoke in the temple."
Mark stared at him. "Wait. So you're like… royalty?"
Naruto gave a small shrug. "Yeah. I guess you could say that."
There was no pride in it.
"She has red hair," he continued, his expression softening just slightly. "The kind that caught fire in the sun. Long and messy. She used to tie it back with a string she pulled from her own ceremonial robes."
A faint almost-smile touched his mouth.
"Her eyes are bright purple. Always judging everything."
Debbie smiled. "She sounds beautiful."
"She is," Naruto said. "And loud. Gods, she was loud. She could outshout thunder if she was angry enough."
Mark laughed. "You're the complete opposite of that."
Naruto ignored him.
"She's abrasive. Stubborn and always right, even when she wasn't. But she was strong. She could step into a forest and it would quiet down around her. She was kind to people who didn't deserve it, and she remembered everything about everyone."
His voice dropped, just a little.
"She was the light of my world."
The room fell quiet.
Nolan broke it. "And your father?"
Naruto's jaw tightened, barely. His fingers traced the rim of his cup.
"I never got the chance to meet him."
Nolan's expression remained calm, but he leaned forward slightly.
"He left," Naruto said. "Before I was born. My mother said he was a foreigner from another planet. A warrior too, but she never said much else. Just that he came from beyond the stars and changed everything she thought she knew."
He exhaled, not angry, just tired.
"I think she loved him. Or maybe she loved the idea of him. Either way, he wasn't there for us."
Mark opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it.
Debbie reached across the table and rested her hand gently over Naruto's. The gesture was instinctive and quiet.
She did not speak.
Naruto did not pull away.
He did not look at her either. He kept his eyes on the slow swirl of tea in his cup.
The silence that followed was deeper than before. It was not uncomfortable. It felt careful, like something fragile had been set down between them and no one wanted to disturb it.
Mark cleared his throat. "Damn. Your mom sounds like a real force of nature."
"She is," Naruto said softly.
Nolan leaned forward, fingers laced together. "And your father," he said evenly. "You said he was a warrior. From another world. Any idea which one?"
Naruto did not flinch. His lips curved faintly. "Nope."
Mark frowned. "Nothing? No name? No species?"
Naruto shrugged again, that same too-casual motion. "She never said. Just that he fell out of the sky and ruined her plans."
He set his cup down with a quiet clink.
"Could've been a hero. Could've been a monster. I was never sure which."
Debbie's brows drew together gently. "But she loved him?"
"I think so," Naruto said. "Or maybe she just loved what he gave her."
"And what was that?" Nolan asked.
Naruto looked at him then.
"Me."
Debbie's hand was still resting lightly on his. He had not moved.
The quiet lingered, but it no longer felt heavy. It felt honest.
Eventually Debbie withdrew her hand and brushed her thumb along the rim of her mug. "You're welcome to stay for dinner," she said softly.
"We were just going to order something. Thai or pizza or whatever you teenagers eat these days."
Naruto gave her a small, polite smile. "I appreciate it. But I've got assignments to finish. English class is already on my case."
Mark blinked at him. "You actually do homework?"
"I exist in the system," Naruto replied flatly. "Gotta play along, right?"
Debbie chuckled and reached for her phone. "Alright. Next time, then."
Naruto stood and slipped his hands back into his hoodie pockets. He gave Debbie a slight nod. "Thanks for the tea. And the conversation."
"You're welcome anytime, sweetheart."
He glanced at Mark. "I'll see you at school."
Mark gave him a lazy salute. "Later, Naruto."
Naruto rolled his eyes and turned toward the door. Nolan was already rising.
"I'll walk you out."
Naruto did not object.
The door opened with a soft click, and a gust of late afternoon air drifted inside. They stepped out onto the porch together. The sun was dipping behind the rooftops, casting long shadows over the neatly trimmed lawn.
They walked to the edge of the porch in silence. Neither of them seemed in a hurry.
Nolan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gaze steady. Naruto stopped a step before the sidewalk and waited.
"You've been on Earth long?" Nolan asked casually, a little too casually.
"Six months," Naruto replied without looking at him.
"You've adjusted quickly. Quicker than I did when I first arrived."
"I do my best."
There was a pause.
Nolan turned his head slightly, just enough to look at him from the corner of his eye. "You're strong. I saw the footage. The mech you destroyed was military grade. It took a small army just to slow it down. You folded it in seconds."
Naruto shrugged. "I got lucky."
"There's no such thing as luck when it comes to force."
Naruto finally turned to face him. His expression was calm and unreadable. "Are you looking for something, Mr. Grayson?"
Nolan's brow twitched faintly. "Just trying to understand what kind of person's moved into my son's life."
"I'm just a classmate."
"Classmates don't usually dismantle weapons of war on school nights."
"Maybe your son just makes interesting friends."
They stood there in the fading light. The breeze stirred the leaves along the lawn. Somewhere down the street a dog barked twice, then fell quiet.
"I'll see you around," Naruto said.
He stepped off the porch and started down the sidewalk.
Nolan watched him go, eyes narrowed slightly, shoulders still.
For the first time in a long while, he could not tell whether he had just met an ally.
Or something that would complicate everything.
The front door shut behind Nolan with a quiet click.
He remained where he was for a moment, his hand resting lightly on the knob as Naruto's footsteps faded down the sidewalk. The house felt different now, the air heavier in a way that was difficult to name. Silence settled into the living room and lingered.
Debbie let out a small breath that almost turned into a laugh and rubbed her arm. "He's… different."
Mark dropped back against the couch cushions. "He's cool. Weird, but cool. He doesn't talk much at school. That's probably the most I've ever heard him say at once." He glanced toward the door. "Honestly, I didn't even know I'd get him to come meet you guys."
Nolan did not answer.
He was still looking at the door.
Something shifted behind his eyes, subtle and controlled. It was not fear. It was calculation, the quiet mental arithmetic of someone who measured risks in planetary terms.
After a second, he blinked and the moment passed. A faint smile returned to his face as he turned back toward the room.
"Debbie," he said gently, "could you do me a favor? I just remembered something. I promised Art I'd drop off those fabric samples for the new costume design. He wanted feedback by tomorrow."
Debbie raised an eyebrow. "Can't you fly them over in the morning?"
"I could," Nolan replied as he moved to the closet and pulled out a neatly folded packet of stylized cloth. "But if I wait, he'll stay up all night expecting me. You know how he gets. Besides, I need to stretch my legs."
He stepped back toward her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Calm. Warm. Practiced.
She did not question it. "Alright, alright. Tell him I said hi. And no beers this time. You two turn into chatterboxes after a couple."
Mark snorted. "That is so true."
Nolan's hand rested on Debbie's shoulder a second longer than usual before he gave her a small nod.
Then he stepped outside and closed the door quietly behind him.
The Guardians stood in a loose circle around the central platform, exchanging uncertain glances. No one had spoken yet, but something in the air felt wrong. The alert lights blinked red along the walls, silent and steady, casting the room in a pulsing crimson glow. There was no siren, no automated voice, just that slow, rhythmic flash that felt too deliberate to ignore.
Darkwing dropped from a shadowed corner near the ceiling, his cape settling behind him as he scanned the room. "Why did you call us here?" he asked, his voice low and edged with suspicion.
The others looked at one another.
"I didn't call anyone," War Woman said, her mace hanging at her side as she frowned. "There was no distress beacon. No threat detected."
Green Ghost drifted in, half-phased through the wall before solidifying. "Me neither."
A portal flashed to life at the center of the platform. Red Rush stepped through, already removing his helmet as he glanced around. "No one signaled the alert?" he asked.
No one answered.
Then the heavy steel doors at the back of the chamber rumbled open. Every head turned.
Omni-Man stood framed in the doorway.
He did not move. His expression was blank, his posture rigid.
"Omni-Man?" The Immortal narrowed his eyes. "What's going on?"
Nolan said nothing.
He stepped forward once.
Then he moved.
Red Rush reacted first, but even he was not fast enough. Nolan's fist drove into his torso with a sickening crack that echoed across the chamber. Red Rush's body folded inward, air leaving his lungs in a choked gasp as his eyes widened in shock.
Before anyone could process what had happened, Omni-Man seized Red Rush by the leg and swung him in a brutal arc. Red's body slammed into Green Ghost mid-phase. She flickered solid at the moment of impact, her scream cut short as bones shattered under the force.
Darkwing hurled a batarang. It struck Nolan's head and bounced off harmlessly.
Omni-Man did not even blink.
Darkwing vanished back into the rafters as The Immortal charged forward with a roar. War Woman followed, blue runes igniting along her mace. Aquarius surged from his water tank with a snarl, streams of liquid trailing behind him like living tendrils.
Omni-Man met them head-on.
War Woman's mace slammed into Nolan's chest with enough force to crater concrete. He slid back a single inch before driving his elbow upward into her jaw. The crack of bone breaking was unmistakable. She spun from the blow, blood spraying from her mouth, and struck the far wall. She did not rise again.
The Immortal landed a heavy strike against Nolan's ribs. The impact rang out, but Nolan did not flinch. He caught The Immortal's arm, twisted with savage force, and then drove his fist straight through his torso. The sound was wet and final.
Green Ghost tried to phase again, her form flickering in panic.
Omni-Man's hand shot forward and closed around her throat before she could fully disappear. She shimmered between states for a fraction of a second.
Then he squeezed.
Her neck gave way with a sickening pop.
Darkwing dropped from above, staff spinning in precise arcs. He struck twice in rapid succession, one blow to the back of Nolan's knee and another to the base of his neck. The strikes landed cleanly, but it was like hitting solid steel.
Omni-Man turned and backhanded him with casual force.
Darkwing was sent flying across the chamber, his scream echoing as he smashed into a pillar. The impact snapped his spine audibly before he collapsed to the floor in a broken heap.
"Why?" someone shouted, though the voice was lost in the chaos.
"I trusted you!" Aquarius roared as he lunged again, water surging forward in a crashing wave.
Omni-Man caught him midair and tore him apart with brutal efficiency. Blood and saltwater splattered across the ceiling and rained down over the platform.
The Immortal staggered back to his feet, one arm hanging useless at his side. His eyes burned red with fury. "You were like a brother to us."
Omni-Man did not answer.
He grabbed The Immortal by the throat, lifted him effortlessly, and ripped his head from his body. The sound of tearing flesh filled the chamber before the body dropped heavily to the floor, blood misting the air.
Then there was nothing but silence.
Omni-Man stood alone in the center of the room, his chest rising and falling as he drew slow, measured breaths. Around him, the Guardians of the Globe lay shattered and lifeless, their bodies broken in ways that made the red emergency lights seem almost gentle by comparison.
The blinking lights continued their steady pulse.
He looked down at his hands.
Then at the bodies around him.
He said nothing.
He walked to the center of the platform and stood there, his expression cold and unreadable. There was no triumph in his face, or visible regret.
Only finality.
_____
Author's Note: If you're enjoying Inevitable and want to read up to 30 chapters ahead, you can support the story (and me) over on Patreon.com/banmido.
I update daily, and every bit of love and support helps me keep this story alive. Thank you for reading, y'all make this possible.