Now they can look forward to clocking out early today, so they were very happy the alien left; had it stayed, they would have to go into overtime monitoring the situation.
Donald exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well…that was something." Cecil didn't respond; he was still staring at the screen with a stern face.
Something about it didn't sit right; this was too deliberate and swift, he could only imagine what this thing came for. "Sigh, one step at a time, Cecil…" he muttered under his breath.
Donald glanced at him. "Sir?"
Cecil shook his head slightly. "Nothing. Just a feeling..as always."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miles away, in a quiet suburban home, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different. Nolan Grayson sat at the table, relaxed, a plate of food in front of him. Debbie sat nearby, gently rocking their six-month-old son in her arms.
Mark cooed softly, small hands moving aimlessly as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Looks like someone's getting stronger already," Nolan said with a faint smile, watching his son. Debbie laughed lightly saying, "He's six months old, Nolan."
"Still," Nolan replied, taking another bite of the sushi his wife made, "you never know, he might one day become like his Dad, strong and sexy."
"Hahaha, Stop Nolan."
BOOM
A distant shockwave rippled through the air in the distance. It wasn't loud enough to shatter anything nearby or cause a severe disturbance, but it was strong enough to be noticed by those around as car alarms started going off.
Nolan's hand paused mid-motion. His eyes shifted slightly, gaze lifting toward the direction of the sound.
Debbie looked up. "What was that?"
Nolan didn't answer her immediately. Instead, he stood up and stepped outside instantly, which caused the surroundings to generate a gush of wind with how fast he moved.
The sky stretched endlessly above him, quiet and clear with nothing but the cosmos looking back. For a brief moment, there was nothing in sight; the view of the sky was mesmerizing.
But looking further around, he saw a tiny figure in the distance, it was barely visible—shooting upward at an absurd speed, tearing through the atmosphere as if it wasn't even there.
Nolan narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched it for another second, making sure this thing was actually leaving. He stood there a moment longer, considering what it was as he folded his arm, at the end of the day, as long as it didn't threaten the immediate planet, he could only shake his head.
One fact was prevalent: it was faster than most beings, even Red Rush, which he didn't like because he only knew 1 other species that was that fast.
Nolan exhaled quietly. "Probably nothing…" he muttered. With that, he turned and walked back and flew back into the house.
Debbie looked at him expectantly, saying, "Well?"
He sat down and picked up his fork again. "Just a sonic disturbance. Nothing to worry about honey."
She studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "If you're sure…"
"I am," Nolan said dismissively. Mark let out a small sound, drawing both their attention, easing the tension; they were immediately reminded of their child, who brought them both joy. Nolan looked at his son again, his expression softening slightly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harold descended through the thin atmosphere of a distant, nameless planet, his speed slowing as the barren terrain came into view. There was nothing here, no signs of life, no structures or even movement. Just endless rock and silence stretching across the horizon.
This location was perfect for his future plans whilst he continues his adventures in the galaxy.
He landed just outside a concealed cave that had a cloaking feature that made it invisible to the normal eye, the same one he had prepared long before this day ever came. He spent weeks renovating the inside of the cave to something of his liking.
With a light push, he shifted the boulder covering the entrance and stepped inside, the dim interior lighting up as the systems recognized his presence.
In his arms, the baby stirred slightly. He glanced down at her, his expression unreadable for a moment. "Atom Eve…" he muttered under his breath.
Then he walked deeper into the cave as he clicked on a hidden lever and another pattern recognition device that revealed stairs going underground.
Everything was already set up—organized. Supplies lined one side, equipment on another, and at the center was the device he had spent time preparing: an incubation cradle, advanced enough to sustain and nurture a child without constant supervision.
He had planned this along with many other things since he had over 900 years. So with that much time, it would be a crime not to be ready for anything.
Every detail was accounted for. Still, as he picked up a bottle of milk and carefully adjusted it before bringing it to her mouth, something about the situation felt…off.
He watched her latch onto it instinctively, small hands moving weakly as she fed. Harold let out a quiet breath through his nose.
"…This is strange," he admitted, a faint chuckle escaped him.
Here he was, someone who had slaughtered countless beings, endured centuries of conquest—and now he was holding a fragile infant, making sure she was fed properly. However, it was a foreign notion just yet; he didn't mind taking care of a baby, heck, he would even take care of a rat as long as it became OP in the future.
He adjusted his grip slightly with trained practice, making sure her head was supported. He had also prepared to tenderly hold a baby so it's comfortable.
"Never thought I'd be doing this in this lifetime, but there was no other option, you can't indoctrinate and manipulate a grown ass teenager that already loves her life, I should start the brainwashing while she's still young," he said, almost to himself.
The baby made a soft sound, completely unaware of anything beyond the warmth and the milk. Harold watched her for a few seconds longer than necessary.
Then his expression shifted as he smiled, saying, "This isn't charity, though, little one,"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
AN; Dont forget to vote, thank you for your support