Omni-Man, or rather Shredder in his new, terrifying form, landed on the grass outside his home. The adrenaline from the violent destruction of the Guardians of the Globe still hummed in his veins, and yet, the internal storm raged louder than the remnants of his recent battle. The power of the Viltrumites coursed through his new body, but with it came a weight—a burden of responsibility he wasn't sure he could bear.
He looked up at the house, the place that should feel like a sanctuary but now seemed foreign to him. His mind kept circling the same thoughts. I'm Omni-Man now. I killed the Guardians. I'm not the man I once was... The idea of turning against the Viltrumites was terrifying. They were relentless, cold, and unforgiving.
He glanced at the house again. Debbie would be inside, completely unaware of what he had just done, of the horrors he had unleashed. She didn't know the truth about the Viltrumites—the truth that they weren't the peaceful beings he had once claimed they were. He hadn't told her any of it. How could he?
But now, standing outside, feeling the weight of his new identity pressing down on him, he realized he couldn't keep this up. Debbie deserved to know something—anything. He couldn't keep the lies going, not when his heart was so torn.
With a deep, reluctant breath, he walked to the door. He pushed it open and entered the house. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and there she was, sitting on the couch as though everything was fine. As though the world hadn't just been flipped on its head.
"Nolan, you're home," Debbie said, standing up with a concerned look. "Are you okay? You've been gone for hours."
Omni-Man's eyes narrowed slightly, his heart aching. She doesn't know. She doesn't know anything.
"I need to talk to you, Debbie," he said quietly, his voice not his own, not entirely. There was a rawness to it, a vulnerability that he rarely allowed himself to show. "Something important. Something I've been keeping from you."
Debbie raised an eyebrow, her face full of concern. "What's going on? Are you... okay?"
He exhaled slowly. "I'm not what you think I am, Debbie." His voice wavered slightly as he spoke, but he couldn't stop now. "I've told you before that my people, the Viltrumites, are peaceful, that we're here to help Earth. That was a lie."
Debbie froze. She hadn't expected this. She stepped back slightly, her face going pale. "What do you mean? Nolan... you said your people were peaceful. You said you were sent here to protect us."
Omni-Man lowered his gaze. This was the moment. He could no longer hide from the truth. "The Viltrumites are not peaceful, Debbie. We're conquerors. We take over planets, and we wipe out any resistance. I've been sent here to weaken Earth, to prepare it for the Viltrumite takeover."
Debbie shook her head slowly, as if trying to process what he was saying. "No... this isn't what you said. This isn't what you promised."
"I know," Nolan said, his voice strained. "I lied to you. But it's not that simple. I didn't want to believe it either. When I came here, I wanted to be the person you thought I was. I wanted to believe that my mission could be something noble. But the truth is, I've been conditioned to follow this path. It's not about helping Earth—it's about domination. I was sent to destroy the Guardians of the Globe... to make Earth vulnerable for the Viltrumites to take over."
His hands clenched into fists. The memory of the brutal fight with the Guardians flashed before his eyes. He could still feel the weight of their deaths, still hear the sounds of their bodies breaking under his power. His son, Mark, would never understand the decision he had made.
Debbie stepped back, her face pale with shock. "How could you do that?" Her voice cracked, torn between disbelief and hurt. "How could you lie to me for so long, Nolan? You... you killed them. You killed them all."
"I know," he whispered, his voice breaking. "And I'm sorry, Debbie. I wish I could go back and change it all, but I can't. The Viltrumites are ruthless. If I don't follow their orders, they'll come for me, and they'll come for you, too."
Debbie stared at him, her eyes wide with fear and anger. "So... what now? What do you want, Nolan?"
He closed his eyes, his mind clouded with confusion. The weight of the decision he had to make pressed down on him. I can't stay with the Viltrumites. I can't keep doing this. The idea of turning against them terrified him, but he knew it was the only choice. His mission, his life—everything was leading him to this breaking point. The thought of fighting against the Viltrumites, of betraying his people, was overwhelming.
"I want to give up this mission, Debbie," he said quietly. "I don't want to keep destroying this world. But I'm scared. If I turn away from the Viltrumites, they'll destroy me. I don't know what will happen to us, to you." His voice was strained, the words heavy with the weight of the decision he'd been avoiding.
Debbie's face softened, but there was still a flicker of anger in her eyes. "So, what now? What happens next?"
He looked at her, his heart pounding in his chest. "I don't know. But I'm going to try to make things right. I'll protect you, and I'll protect Earth... even if it means going against everything I've known."
As the words left his mouth, Omni-Man felt a shift within himself. The system in his mind—the strange force that had granted him power, the ability to summon warriors—reminded him of what was to come. Naruto, Sasuke... He could call upon them anytime, and when he did, they would fight for him, become his sons, and grow stronger under his training. The thought was both comforting and terrifying.
But for now, he knew one thing for certain. His fight wasn't just against the Viltrumites—it was against everything he had been taught to believe in.
And with Debbie's gaze fixed on him, he knew that his next steps would be the most crucial of his life.