A week had passed since the Flaxan invasion.
Todd sat at the dining table with his laptop open, quietly eating a stack of pancakes.
He took a long sip of milk, a habit he had developed since gaining his powers.
The cool liquid felt strangely comforting every time.
Elena emerged from her room dressed in a formal black suit, her expression somber.
“Hurry up, Todd. We’re going to be late.”
“Got it.” Todd quickly finished the rest of his pancakes, drained the glass of milk, and closed his laptop.
He was already dressed in a black suit himself.
They headed out, got into the car, and drove in relative silence for over half an hour until they reached the large memorial site.
The funeral for the fallen Guardians of the Globe was a somber, heavily guarded event.
Only heroes, their families, and high-ranking GDA officials were invited.
Todd and Elena took their seats among the crowd.
Omni-Man stood at the podium to give the eulogy.
His voice was steady and powerful as he spoke about sacrifice, duty, and the constant threats Earth faced.
He praised each fallen Guardian by name, his tone carrying genuine weight.
Todd watched him carefully, noting every detail.
Nolan looked composed, but Todd knew better.
After the ceremony ended and people began mingling, Todd felt someone staring at him.
“Todd?”
He turned to see Mark standing there, eyes wide with shock.
Beside him was Debbie, and a short distance away stood the Teen Team, Dupli-Kate, Robot, Rex Splode, and Atom Eve.
“Hey,” Todd said calmly, offering a small nod.
Eve’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Todd? What are you doing here? This funeral is supposed to be restricted to heroes, their families, and top GDA personnel…”
Mark looked equally confused.
“Yeah… how did you get in?”
Rex looked between them.
“Wait, you know this guy?”
Eve nodded slowly.
“Yeah… he’s my classmate.”
“Oh great, another classmate,” Rex muttered, eyeing Todd.
Robot stepped forward, immediately recognizing him.
He raised one metallic hand in greeting.
“Nice to meet you again, Homelander.”
The air went still.
Mark and Eve both stared at Todd in disbelief.
“Wait… what?”
Todd smiled slightly and shook Robot’s hand.
“Looks like you recognized me right away. Just call me Todd when I’m not in the suit.”
“Gladly,” Robot replied.
Eve and Mark immediately bombarded him with questions.
“You’re Homelander?!” Mark exclaimed.
“The guy who showed up during both Flaxan attacks?”
Eve looked stunned.
“All this time… you were sitting behind me in class?”
Todd just laughed lightly and answered their questions as simply as he could.
She placed a hand on Todd’s shoulder.
“Ready to head home?”
“Yeah,” Todd said.
“Let’s go.”
They said their goodbyes and left, leaving the Teen Team and Mark still processing the revelation.
____
The Next Day – Pentagon Underground Facility
Todd walked alongside Robot through the secure corridors of one of the Pentagon’s underground training facilities.
Several heroes had already gathered, Demi-God, Shrapnel, Burly, Pangea, Bug-Eye, and even the veteran Frozone.
Notably absent were the Parr family; they apparently preferred operating with their own team.
“I’m glad you came, Homelander,” Robot said.
“It’s good to have your help recruiting and evaluating new members for the Guardians of the Globe.”
“Meh, it’s all good,” Todd replied evenly.
“I also want to see how I measure up against other heroes. What should I call you now? Captain Robot? Leader? Chief?”
“Still call me Robot,” he answered, holding a tablet-like device.
“I was only chosen as leader because Cecil picked me, much more I was actually the second option, had you not declined the invitation.”
“I just don’t want to be tied down with too many responsibilities,” Todd said with a small shrug.
In the past week, he had gotten along decently with the Teen Team.
Yesterday, Robot had asked for his help evaluating the new candidates by sparring with them.
Todd had agreed immediately, he wanted real data on how strong the current heroes were.
“Well then,” Robot said, “shall we begin?”
Todd nodded, cracking his knuckles lightly as they entered the large training arena.
He was curious to see exactly where he stood.