Chapter 480 - 480 Invincible: Confronting Cecil Stedman, Provocation to Omni-Man, The Demon and the Wife and The Sin of Demian Darkblood.
This command center was excellently hidden in front of the Grayson house. Several agents sat at desks with computers, monitoring everything happening at the house. Through the numerous sensors and surveillance devices, the GDA maintained strict surveillance of the Grayson house.
Donald sat in a chair, watching Mark speak to his new girlfriend, Amber Bennett, through a thermal camera. Donald grabbed the documents on the table next to him. It was all of Amber's information, from her family tree to her favorite color.
Knowing everything about the Graysons had become a priority for the GDA. Anything that could be used as a weakness against Omni-Man was valuable.
Donald sighed. "Although we have several contingency plans against Nolan, we're essentially defenseless..."
The intelligence agents, hearing their boss's defeatist words, stopped moving. The mental fortitude of GDA agents was impressive, but it was frustrating not seeing a clear answer to this problem.
Donald realized his thoughts had leaked out and stood up. "Sorry, continue monitoring Mark Grayson..."
Donald headed for the door to leave and call Cecil. However, when he opened it, he saw Allen standing there with a lazy look.
"Ah! Walker!" Donald fell backward in surprise.
"Hello... Donald. I see you like spying on teenagers..."
"Don't say it like that, it's my job."
Donald was very nervous. He had no idea why Allen had appeared there. He needed to inform Cecil immediately.
"Mmm, well, why don't we talk a bit?" Allen smiled and extended his hand. Donald hesitated for a moment but decided to take it. However, it was a trick. Allen's hand grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.
"Walker!? What are you doing?!"
Donald knew they shouldn't trust Allen, but despite his completely unpredictable actions, it didn't seem like he was an immediate threat. Had they misjudged him?
The agents stood up from their seats and aimed their weapons at Allen. Even the two camouflaged agents did the same. Regardless of whether it was a possibly useless action, they weren't going to die with their weapons holstered.
"What am I doing?" Allen mocked. "That's exactly what I'm asking. Why don't you go to Omni-Man's house and tell him to his face that you think he's the murderer?~"
Allen let go of Donald and looked around with a touch of disbelief. "This house looks like the CIA's command center. Whose stupid idea was it to spy on the strongest superhero in the world fifteen meters away from where he lives?!"
"This was my stupid idea, Walker..." Cecil appeared in the room, looking at the disaster. He grabbed his head and let out a growl. "What are you doing? Lower your weapons! If Walker wanted you dead, you'd already be!"
Allen put his hands in his pockets and mocked. "I'm glad you're not that stupid. I was starting to doubt you when I saw you deliberately provoke Omni-Man."
Cecil Stedman had been unsure how to deal with Allen, not to mention the problem with Omni-Man. Plus, his son, Invincible, no one knew which side he would take when the time came.
Cecil believed that if Mark Grayson opposed his father, he would be an invaluable ally and perhaps the only way to protect the world from Omni-Man. But even so, Cecil was backed into a corner.
Cecil walked to the window to look through the blinds at Omni-Man's house. "On the contrary, we have no choice. If we did this more secretly, Nolan would suspect us, Walker."
Allen narrowed his eyes. "Then don't do it."
"You say we shouldn't spy on Omni-Man?" Cecil frowned.
"For heaven's sake, Cecil, let me explain it to you in simple terms: Omni-Man is now an enemy of your world, an enemy with no weaknesses. The massacre of the Guardians proved that he has no mercy, not even for his 'friends.' Do you think Debbie and Mark Grayson will be enough to stop him?"
"..." Cecil had known Debbie for a long time, but if it came down to using her to save the world, he would. However, he hadn't considered the possibility that his wife and son might not be as important as he thought.
Allen knew the truth and that Nolan, deep down,n, did care for his son and wife, but that didn't stop him from nearly killing his son in the original story. Plus, Allen didn't know if this world was the original Invincible or a variant, since the Invincible universe has its own multiverse, with many versions of Mark Grayson appearing in the future, each with different stories.
The system kept track of the differences between this world and the one Allen knew. The most notable changes were in the chronology of events, with some things happening earlier than they should, while others happened later than they should. These changes were independent of the butterfly effects Allen would cause. After all, he came to this world without being part of it, so nothing should have changed before he arrived.
"And what should we do?! That bastard Nolan has us screwed! He's too strong! I might as well send all my subordinates to die and at best, we'd just stain his suit with their blood!"
Allen shook his head, still wearing his mocking smile. He knew Cecil wasn't being completely honest. He had his resurrected warriors, the satellite that could shoot a laser from space, and a Kraken that had caused trouble for Omni-Man himself. However, Cecil was making a grave mistake. He didn't know that Omni-Man was holding back. He had been holding back all this time in this world.
He did so because he knew that the more powerful he appeared, the harder it would be for people to trust him. Nolan knew he had to give Cecil, the Guardians, and the world the impression that he was strong but not invincible, that he was a monster but still bled, and that there were possibilities of stopping him if the need arose.
"Cecil, you need to think outside the box. It's better to assume that nothing you do will stop Omni-Man. It's better to consider what's stronger than your wildest assumptions and think about how to get rid of him..."
"Get rid of him?"
"That's right. Instead of placing a satellite, who knows how much money is worth, in space, you could've created a portal to send him to another dimension where he couldn't escape... That could have been solved easily."
"What?! How do you know about that?!"
Cecil raised his suspicions about Allen.
"Really?... You're making me doubt your intelligence, GDA Director," Allen pointed to a monitor that pointed to the second moon, a little further than the usual one. "Did you forget that I went to space? Of course, I'm not stupid enough to miss your toy floating around out there, always positioned to shoot."
Cecil opened his mouth but said nothing. He paused, then started thinking. "Maybe you're right. I've been too naive thinking Mark would choose us if he had to choose between his father and this world..."
Allen shrugged. "I don't know, Invincible is half human, but it's a gamble..."
...
Gwen – Are you planning to avoid conflict between Mark and Cecil?
MJ – Makes sense, you could say both were wrong, and both had a bit of a point.
Felicia – From what MJ told me, Cecil is an idiot, is it okay to help him?
Natasha – Most of the time, those in power are idiots, but Cecil tries to protect the world, that's not a lie.
Rias – Cecil Stedman is a necessary evil, huh...
...
"Walker..." Cecil gave Allen a penetrating look. "Can you beat Omni-Man?"
Donald and the agents held their breath. They had wanted to ask this question several times but never felt comfortable doing so.
"Who knows? I've never fought a Viltrumite of his level..." Allen laughed. "Cecil, I'm not going to be your disposable pawn. If you want me to fight, it'll only be if you can convince me that you're not trying to kill me alongside Omni-Man..."
Donald grew nervous. Letting Allen fight Omni-Man even if he won't win, he could leave Omni-Man wounded, and in that state, they could use everything they had to kill him.
Donald adjusted his glasses and looked at Allen, who had a cold smile, staring seriously at Cecil. 'Director, don't provoke him. Walker's position is clear. He wasn't a disposable pawn and won't fight Omni-Man at your command. Without a good reason, he won't even help us, because doing so would risk a knife in the back from us.'
Donald's reasoning was shared by Cecil, and it was a theory that made sense. But the reality was more absurd. Allen would not fight simply because he did not feel like it. Another reason was that he hadn't had the opportunity to fight Omni-Man yet. The Viltrumite even retreated last time. Also, Allen liked his current identity as a son of a bitch, certified by the state. If he revealed his true power, he might lose his job and not be able to mess with others anymore. Well, that was secondary. If the occasion arises and Nolan tries to kill him, Allen would definitely make him regret it.
"Cecil, I don't think you're a good person, but I could save your life or someone else's against Omni-Man if you pay enough... but forget about anything else..." Allen turned to leave. "Also, don't forget that I'm not your ally. You just pay me well, and honestly, you gave me a very satisfying job."
Cecil stayed silent, then looked at a screen and heard Mark preparing for a date with his new "friend," Amber Bernett.
"Alright, Walker, you left me with a lot to think about..."
Allen disappeared...
"Director..."
"Donald, gather the team, we're leaving this place. Reduce surveillance to thirty percent..."
"Are you sure?"
"You heard Walker, provoking Omni-Man with our presence is stupid, trying to manipulate his son is too. Let's try sincerity for now and see how we continue..."
"Yes, sir!"
'At no point did Walker say that I couldn't beat him... but even if I miraculously managed to defeat Nolan, there's an entire race of Viltrumites somewhere... maybe I should think outside the box, as he said.'
...
...
...
(The night of the following day)
At the Grayson house, everything was silent. That day, Nolan had taken his son to train, but it turned out to be more of a race around the world, making silly bets like who would do the dishes today or who would take out the trash for a month.
Meanwhile, Deborah "Debbie" Grayson sighed, sitting at a table drinking some red wine. In front of her was her laptop with various news about the Guardians' funeral. For her, this loss was more significant since the Guardians occasionally held private meetings where they could get to know each other better. That's why she couldn't understand the coldness Nolan showed towards his teammates, whom he'd known for twenty years.
Debbie remembered how Olga broke down at the funeral upon seeing Josef (Red Rush) being buried. She knew Nolan was very strong, but seeing him beaten and in a coma reminded her that even Omni-Man bleeds. Debbie didn't want to be like Olga. She didn't want to bury her husband.
'Olga even wants to go back to Moscow and asked me to help sell her house... I understand she's sad about the loss, but she thinks there's some sort of conspiracy, that everything was too strange.'
Debbie started to feel cold, which was strange because just a moment ago, the temperature had been normal.
"I apologize for the intrusion..."
Debbie immediately turned to see a red demon dressed as a detective.
"You're... Darkblood, the demon! What are you doing in my house?!"
"I wasn't sure if I should... but I think you deserve to know the truth."
"What do you mean?!"
Debbie looked at the demon cautiously and with fear. Even though he appeared to be a detective who sought the truth behind terrible crimes, he was still a demon. Besides, even if he were just a person, he entered her house while Nolan and Mark weren't there. It was a miracle she hadn't run away, screamed for help, or called the police.
"Sorry, but he's always nearby, listening. That's why I came at a time like this..."
'Someone listening? Is he talking about Nolan?'
Debbie's suspicion grew with each word from Darkblood. If he wanted to harm her, he could have done so by now, but he was here talking.
Darkblood looked at the photographs on the wall, of their travels, honeymoons, them holding a baby. No one would look at those portraits and imagine Omni-Man as a murderer.
"Your husband is very powerful... so powerful that no one can defeat him, yet he was defeated, even with the help of all the Guardians of the globe..."
Debbie shuddered. What was this demon saying about her husband?
No, deep down, she briefly thought about it, but no, she refused to think about it. She wasn't stupid; of course, she knew how strong Omni-Man was. Saying that he was defeated without even seeing the enemy was ridiculous. She knew her husband was incredibly powerful, and only someone of his caliber could slaughter the Guardians so easily.
However, he was Omni-Man. He had protected this world for decades, had been victorious against every supervillain he faced, had been decorated, praised, and even received recognition worldwide. How could a hero among heroes do something like massacre his friends?
"Stop Darkblood, and leave my house!"
"I'm sorry, I know it's hard to believe... just like your husband's speeches..."
Debbie felt weak. Something had been bothering her since the funeral, and it wouldn't stop turning in her mind. It was Nolan's indifferent attitude. She understood that her husband wasn't as close to the Guardians as he appeared, but if that was the case, why did he have to pretend to be upset at the real funeral?
"Stop talking nonsense! I've known this man for half my life!"
"The span of a human life, but when that time is equivalent to a Viltrumite's life?"
Debbie took a step back. She had never seen Nolan age. She had already known and accepted the fact that she would age and die much earlier than him. Even so, she had accepted being his wife for life. But how long would Nolan live? Two hundred years? Five hundred years? A thousand years?
Debbie leaned against a wall. She didn't want to suspect her husband; she didn't want to face the truth. But she wasn't stupid. If you eliminate the belief that Omni-Man is a great, kind-hearted hero, then there's no one better to be the prime suspect in the death of the Guardians.
"I... I'm sorry..." Darkblood looked at Debbie and then disappeared.
"Don't lie, demon... you don't feel anything. There's no way someone like you could understand what it means for my husband to be the killer!"
Debbie threw the wine bottle against the wall.
...
(An hour later)
Darkblood arrived at his office after his uncomfortable conversation with Debbie Grayson. Night had fallen, and it was a bright night thanks to the two moons. Darkblood was a demon who lacked a bit of common sense.
He poured himself a drink from his minibar and sat down. Before he could take a sip, someone approached from behind.
"I knew you'd come..." Darkblood said with a terrifying calmness. Of course, bothering Omni-Man's wife would make him angry and he'd come. But this was necessary; the truth had to be revealed.
"I don't think so..."
Darkblood opened his eyes because the voice he heard wasn't Nolan Grayson's, but someone worse in his eyes.
"Walker!"
Darkblood's office exploded, and the demon was sent flying, crashing into another building.
Allen appeared in front of Darkblood, floating. "I told you the truth so you could be satisfied and drop the case, but your first idea was to go tell Debbie Grayson?"
"Urgh... pain... injuries... I can't leave... how?" Darkblood was surprised that Allen had stopped him.
Neither Cecil nor Omni-Man attacked him because it was useless. The only way to get rid of him was to send him back to hell, but for that, they needed a book that Darkblood had destroyed long ago. Hell wasn't something pleasant, even for a demon. Darkblood made a contract to continue investigating the truth and bringing criminals to justice, to avoid going back there.
"Don't be surprised, demon... I told you, didn't I? I ate a demon..." Allen joked, but to Darkblood, it wasn't a joke.
"...!" In this world, no one had been able to scare him until now. But Demian watched in horror as the shadow behind Allen morphed into a Wendigo. "As I thought.... you're a terrifying human..."
This time, Allen didn't accept the compliment and stared coldly at Darkblood before punching him, sending him crashing through the building across the street.
This time, Allen didn't take the compliment and gave Darkblood a cold stare before punching him, sending him through the building, and then crashing into the building across the street.
"Ahh!"
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The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёwebnovel.com.
A/N: Now that I remember there is still a doll in the inventory 🍷🗿
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