Todd sat at his desk, the laptop screen casting a pale glow across his face.
He had been at it for over an hour, tabs stacked like a digital fortress.
His enhanced senses made focusing easy, no fatigue or headache, just pure, relentless curiosity from two lifetimes.
The first thing that hit him was today’s headline dominating every news site: “Alien Invasion Repelled – Teen Team and Invincible Save the Day!” Grainy footage showed a young hero in a blue and black suit named Invincible saving an elderly while the Teen Team smashing through strange, bug-like invaders pouring out of portals.
Todd leaned back, fingers steepled.
Based on this he concluded that Mark Grayson had only recently gotten his powers which is good as he wasn’t too late to the party.
He kept digging.
This world was far bigger and weirder than he remembered from any single show or movie.
There were actual heroes named Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, the Parr family.
Photos showed the same characters he remembered from cartoons, but here the “superhero registration ban” he vaguely recalled never existed.
Instead, supers had operated openly for years, though with heavy government oversight.
Syndrome had attempted his big play four years ago, only to be stopped by the Global Guardians before he could unleash his plans on the city.
But the real shock came when he looked up the current roster of the Guardians of the Globe.
Metro Man.
The flashy, super-speed, near-invulnerable showman from Metro City was listed as a member.
That theatrical bastard was real here in a universe with Viltrumites.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
Metro Man had been declared dead just last week after a massive energy beam incident involving his old rival Megamind.
Todd knew better.
The guy was probably faking it, enjoying retirement somewhere with music and comfort.
The thought of a future meeting between Metro Man and a Viltrumite made his lips curl in dark amusement.
As for the rest of the Guardians?
They have been missing in action for five days now.
Todd closed the laptop, exhaling slowly.
“This place is a powder keg.”
A soft knock came at his door.
“Todd?” Elena’s voice filtered through.
“I have to head out. Something big is happening downtown. Food’s ready in the kitchen, eat and get some rest. Don’t push yourself, okay?”
“Got it, Mom,” Todd called back, keeping his voice casual.
A minute later, he moved to the window.
Elena stepped into the backyard, and in a flash of purple flame, her civilian clothes burned away to reveal her Diabla suit, sleek, dark purple with fiery accents.
She took off into the sky, a trail of embers following her.
Todd watched until she disappeared.
“Alright. My turn.”
He slipped downstairs, ate quickly, then headed to the backyard.
The evening air was cool against his skin.
He stood in the middle of the grass.
“Status,” he muttered.
A blue panel appeared.
[Name: Todd Williams]
[Age: 18]
[Species: Human]
[Powers: Superhuman Strength, Nigh-Invulnerability, Immortality, Vacuum Adaptation, Heat Resistance, Superhuman Immune System, Superhuman Stamina, Superhuman Speed, Superhuman Senses, Heat Vision, Flight, X-Ray Vision, Regenerative Healing Factor]
[Homelander Template: 20%]
[Note: You can only get a new template after you synchronized fully to the current template]
Todd smirked, a sharp glint in his eyes.
The list looked impressive.
It felt natural too, like the powers had always belonged to him.
But he didn’t let it inflate his ego.
He had died once because he underestimated a car.
He wouldn’t make that mistake with Viltrumites or whatever else this world would throw at him.
He need to stay level-headed.
Right now what he need to do is to raise that synchronization bar immediately.
The template gave him the tools.
He would provide the performance.
One of the most iconic things about Homelander was his takeoff.
Not a smooth Superman float, something more like a goofy, dramatic and rocket-like take-off.
Todd planted his feet, bent his knees deeply, and crossed his forearms above his head in a sharp X shape.
He took a breath, then thrust his arms downward hard, pushing against the air like a swimmer launching off the wall.
BOOM!
The backyard exploded with force.
Grass and dirt flew as Todd rocketed upward at terrifying speed.
The wind howled past him.
For a brief second he lost control and spun awkwardly before stabilizing mid-air.
He hovered there, breathing heavily, then laughed loud, genuine, and full of delight.
“Fuck yes!”
He tried again.
Arms forward this time, more controlled.
He shot across the sky, faster and smoother.
His super senses kicked in automatically.
He could hear everything, cars miles away, birds, people talking in their homes.
With a thought, he dialed it down like flipping a switch, focusing only on what he wanted.
For the next few hours he pushed his limits.
He flew alongside a commercial airliner, matching its speed effortlessly.
Activating X-ray vision, he peered through the fuselage, watching passengers read, sleep, and eat.
The power felt effortless.
Intoxicating.
As night fully settled, Todd returned to the backyard, floating a few feet above the grass.
One last test.
He focused on the cheap garden gnome near the fence.
His eyes glowed bright red.
BZZZTT!!
Twin beams of intense heat lanced out, completely pulverizing the gnome into molten slag and ash.
“Perfect,” he whispered, grinning.
CLANG!
A sharp crash came from behind him.
Todd spun around.
Elena stood at the back door, still in her Diabla suit, a ceramic cup shattered at her feet.
Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the floating teenager and the smoking remains of the garden gnome.
“Uhhhh… I can explain,” Todd said, slowly lowering himself to the ground.
His voice carried a new confidence, laced with that natural flamboyance he planned to lean into.
Elena opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again.
“Todd… how…?”
He dusted off his shirt casually, already thinking about how to spin this.
The synchronization bar had definitely moved from that little performance.
He could feel it.