The underground training arena beneath the Pentagon was a colossal chamber of reinforced high-density alloys, designed to withstand the full fury of superhuman battles.
Observation decks protected by thick bulletproof glass overlooked the floor, where dozens of heroes had gathered, veterans with years of experience and promising new talents.
The air was thick with anticipation, skepticism, and hope to join the new Guardians of the Globe.
Robot stood at the center of the arena with Todd beside him.
The mechanical hero’s voice carried clearly across the vast space.
“Today’s evaluations are straightforward,” Robot announced.
“Each of you will spar with Homelander under controlled but realistic conditions. The goal is to assess combat effectiveness, adaptability, decision-making under pressure, and overall potential for the new Guardians of the Globe roster. No lethal force is permitted. Any match that risks serious injury will be stopped immediately. We will begin now.”
Todd stood quietly with his hands clasped behind his back, scanning the assembled heroes.
As he looked them over, his gaze landed on Dupli-Kate, standing near the front with her usual confident posture.
A thought began to turn over in his mind, analyzing the situation.
‘Most of the powers here… they are strong, yes, but they have limits,’ Todd reasoned internally, his mind working like a tactical computer.
‘But Kate… her ability is the one that breaks every rule.
She doesn’t just copy herself; she duplicates everything she is wearing or holding.
Clothes, weapons, gear… anything in her hands becomes endless.’
He glanced at the display cases along the walls, where relics from past heroes were kept, including the destroyed glowing green gem that once belonged to Green Ghost, the legendary hero of the original Guardians.
‘Think about it,’ he continued his analysis.
‘If she were to hold that gem… the source of Green Ghost’s intangibility, flight, and energy powers… she wouldn’t just make one copy.
She would make hundreds, thousands of them.
Every duplicate she creates would carry that same gem.
Suddenly, you wouldn’t have one hero with those powers.
You would have an army.
Everyone could use it.
That one ability alone could multiply any power in existence infinitely.
It’s not just duplication… it’s the ability to mass-produce power itself.
That is the most dangerous, most broken ability here…
well in theory if she can do it.’
Whispers spread quickly among the heroes as they realized who would be testing them.
“He’s that new guy who showed up during the Flaxan attacks?”
“Looks barely out of high school. What kind of powers does he even have?”
“Supposedly strong, fast, can fly. But a rookie evaluating veterans like us? That’s bold.”
____
Rex Splode was the first to step forward, a cocky grin on his face.
“Don’t hold back, pretty boy. I won’t.”
Rex planted his feet and drew several alloy rods from his belt.
They charged up instantly, glowing with ominous red energy.
“I know how strong you are, so let’s make this fun!”
He hurled the first rod with all his strength.
It streaked through the air like a missile and detonated violently near Todd, creating a scorched crater and sending shrapnel flying in every direction.
The explosion was deafening, the heat intense enough to make the air shimmer.
Todd barely felt it.
The blast washed over him like a warm breeze, barely ruffling his cape.
Rex didn’t stop, his arms blurred as he flung rod after rod in rapid succession.
Each explosion created overlapping shockwaves that shook the reinforced floor and filled the air with fire, smoke, and flying debris.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The arena became a storm of explosions.
He felt a sting but that’s all.
He stayed calm, analyzing Rex’s timing and throwing patterns.
‘Explosive projectiles with good accuracy and power.
He relies on volume and unpredictability to overwhelm opponents.
The timing between throws is predictable though, he telegraphs the wind-up slightly.’
Todd closed the distance in a burst of speed, weaving through the final barrage.
He caught one rod mid-air and flung it back at Rex.
The explosion knocked Rex off his feet, scorching his side and leaving him bleeding from several cuts.
Rex growled and charged forward with glowing wrist guards, trying for a close-range blast.
Todd sidestepped and delivered a firm but controlled strike to Rex’s shoulder, sending him sprawling.
Rex lay on the ground, breathing hard.
“That was… tough.”
Todd nodded respectfully.
“Not bad.”
The audience murmured.
Rex was known for his firepower, yet he had been handled relatively easily.
Dupli-Kate stepped up next, looking determined.
“Let’s see if you can handle multiples.”
She gave a low shout.
Seven clones materialized instantly around Todd, each taking a different fighting stance, boxing jabs, wrestling grapples, capoeira spin-kicks, and more.
The coordination was seamless as they attacked from all directions in a dizzying, relentless barrage.
‘The synchronization between her clones is excellent.
It’s such a shame she only pursues being a hero, she could easily work as a first responder, have her clones train in different fields, or even become a doctor and station copies in hospitals everywhere.
There are so many possibilities being wasted here.
Still, you can’t really blame her; she was raised in a lab and never had the chance to think outside that box.’ He thought.
He moved through them, blocking jabs and kicks, but one clone landed a solid hit to his ribs.
Another grabbed his arm from behind.
Todd spun, breaking free with raw strength, but the clones adapted quickly, changing tactics mid-fight.
He took several more hits, a kick to the thigh, an elbow to the jaw which felt like a tickle to him before he started disabling them one by one with precise, lethal strikes.
Elbow to the jaw, chop to the neck, kick to the solar plexus.
The clones died one after another until only the ‘original’ Kate remained, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
“I surrender,” she panted, though her eyes showed genuine respect.
“You held back a lot.”
Todd gave her a small nod.
“Your duplication is incredibly versatile. The tactical applications are… impressive. The way the clones coordinate is almost like a hive mind. Very dangerous in group fights.”
Monster Girl was next.
She transformed into her hulking green monster form with a thunderous roar and charged like a living battering ram.
Her massive fist slammed into Todd’s side with tremendous force.
To Todd, it felt like a firm push, strong, but far from threatening.
He absorbed the hit without moving much, then countered with a powerful palm strike that sent her staggering back through his torso.
The blow lifted the massive monster girl off her feet and sent her crashing down hard.
She reverted to human form, coughing and holding her chest, clearly winded.
“Strong,” she wheezed.
“Real strong.”
“You’re the toughest one here,” Todd admitted, loud enough for her to hear.
“But you’re heavy, slow and once you commit to a move, you can’t change direction fast enough. You’re a fortress… but fortresses don’t chase people.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Amanda grumbled, shrinking back down to her normal size, crossing her arms.
“Ugh… you’re annoying. You’re right, but you’re annoying.”
Atom Eve took the field next, pink energy already flaring around her.
She lowered her stance and reshaped the arena floor into jagged spikes that shot toward Todd like spears.
Todd dodged effortlessly, the attacks feeling like minor pressure against his durability
Eve then created a massive energy construct shaped like a giant fist and swung it at him.
Todd flew through it, but she immediately morphed her armor into a heavy, imposing mech suit, tall, massive, and resembling a divine machine of war.
“That’s the Flaxan mech design,” Todd noted, genuinely impressed.
Eve surged forward like pink lightning.
Her massive mechanical fist slammed toward him.
Todd caught it with one hand, the impact barely registering as more than a strong vibration.
Eve stabilized mid-air, eyes flaring pink.
“If I don’t thicken the armor, I won’t survive your attacks!”
She came again.
Todd dodged and countered with measured strikes, learning how her energy constructs and molecular manipulation worked in real time.
He eventually closed in and tapped her shoulder firmly to end the match.
Eve stepped back, breathing heavily but smiling.
“You’re holding back a lot, aren’t you?”
Todd gave a small smile.
“I’m here to evaluate, not to hurt anyone. Your power set is incredible.”
Frozone came next as he created intricate ice constructs and launched freezing blasts that chilled the air around Todd.
Todd shattered them but felt the cold biting deep into his bones and slowing his movements slightly.
He closed the distance and delivered controlled strikes.
Pangea grew to colossal size and tried to crush Todd under massive fists that shook the entire arena.
Todd used flight and strength to dodge and counter against pressure points.
Shrapnel filled the air with explosive fragments.
Todd powered through, the shards barely scratching him.
Black Samson used his new armor to trade blows, which felt like a tickle.
One by one, every hero in the hall stepped forward.
Magicians, tech-users, Demi-God, Todd fought them all, countered them all, learned every trick, every limit, every nuance of their powers.
Todd faced their best attacks with minimal discomfort.
Most felt like stings or firm pushes against his overwhelming durability and strength.
By the end, his suit was only lightly torn, and he had a few minor bruises that were already fading.
He stood steady, breathing normally, mind full of new data on different power sets.
He looked up then, toward the highest observation deck, where one figure had been watching silently the entire time.
Dressed in the blue and black suit, Invincible stood with his arms crossed, looking down at him with amazement.
Todd met his eyes, a small, determined smirk forming on his face.
He raised his voice, loud enough for him to hear.
“Invincible,” Todd called out.
“You want to spar?”
The arena fell quiet.
Mark hesitated for a moment, then flew down and landed across from him.
“Yeah,” Mark said, cracking his knuckles.
“Let’s do it.”
Todd gave a small, focused nod and rolled his shoulders.
This was the matchup he had been waiting for.