The room was thick with tension. Debbie stood in stunned silence, her mind reeling from what Nolan had just revealed. He had confessed that he wasn't just a hero on Earth—he was part of an alien race of conquerors, the Viltrumites. The weight of that truth felt like an avalanche, crushing everything she thought she knew about him.
"Nolan..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You... you've been lying to me. This whole time?"
Nolan could barely bring himself to meet her eyes, the truth he had been holding in for so long now spilling from his lips. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. But the Viltrumites—they don't care about Earth. They want to conquer it. I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't want to destroy everything... but they would have taken everything from me, from us, if I didn't do what they wanted."
Debbie's eyes were filled with hurt, and she took a step back. "How can you expect me to understand this? You've been lying to me about everything! You killed the Guardians, Nolan. You killed them—people who were trying to protect the world." Her voice cracked with emotion. "And now you expect me to just... accept this?"
"I don't expect you to understand," Nolan said quietly, his voice thick with regret. "I didn't want any of this. But I can't go back, Debbie. I can't undo what I've done. But I can try to make it right. I can protect this world—our world—in my own way."
Before Debbie could respond, the strange sensation in Nolan's mind pulsed again. The system that had been silently guiding him since his transformation, since his rebirth, activated once more. It was a strange, alien feeling, as though something inside of him was shifting.
Naruto... Sasuke...
Nolan's eyes narrowed as he stood, mentally focusing on the system's prompt. He reached out, calling forth the names that had become so familiar to him, even if they were strange in the context of everything else that had changed.
The air seemed to shimmer for a moment, and suddenly, two figures appeared in the living room before him. A boy with spiky blonde hair and a headband, dressed in orange ninja attire, and another with dark hair, cold eyes, and a sharingan-like pattern on his forehead. It was Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha—two of the most powerful warriors from another world.
Debbie gasped, stumbling back in shock as the two boys appeared out of thin air. "What... who are these kids, Nolan?"
Nolan turned to face them, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him. "These two are my... sons. Naruto. Sasuke."
The two boys stood there, looking around curiously, unaware of the tension in the room. They weren't fully aware of the gravity of the situation—of the lies, the deception, and the chaos surrounding them—but Nolan was.
"I've brought you here to train you. To become stronger. You'll be my sons—not by blood, but by what we'll build together," Nolan said, the weight of his decision hanging heavily in the air. "I'm not just trying to protect Earth. I'm trying to make sure this world stands a chance. The Viltrumites will come, and when they do, you two will be ready. Strong enough to defend it."
Debbie's eyes flickered between Nolan and the two boys. She was still struggling to process what was happening. "You want to... adopt them? And train them? As if this is some kind of... family?"
"I know it's a lot to take in, Debbie," Nolan said, his voice quiet. "But I have to do this. I can't let Earth fall into the hands of the Viltrumites. They can't have this planet. Not after everything I've seen."
Before Debbie could respond, the sound of a door slamming open echoed from the hallway.
"Mom? Dad?" Mark's voice came from the entryway, and Nolan felt his heart skip a beat.
Mark appeared in the doorway, still in his civilian clothes. He had clearly been listening. Nolan's heart sank as he saw the look on his son's face—betrayal, hurt, and confusion all written across it.
"I heard everything," Mark said, his voice shaky. "Dad... you killed them. You killed the Guardians. All this time... you've been lying to me, to mom. What the hell is going on?" His voice broke, the anger and disbelief clear in his words.
Nolan stepped forward, trying to meet Mark's gaze, but Mark wasn't having it.
"No, don't try to explain it," Mark said, his fists clenching at his sides. "You've lied to us for so long. I trusted you, Dad. I thought you were doing the right thing. I thought you were the hero I looked up to, the one who protected Earth. But now I find out you've been working with the Viltrumites all along? You've been destroying everything?"
Nolan's expression hardened, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes—a fear he couldn't suppress. "Mark... you don't understand. I didn't have a choice."
Mark shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "No, you had a choice. You just chose to lie to everyone you loved. And now you expect me to stand by your side?"
"Mark," Debbie interjected, her voice breaking. She had been quiet, watching the exchange unfold, but her tears were starting to show. "Mark, please. I don't know what to say either. But your father... he's trying to protect us. He's trying to protect Earth, even if it means making hard choices."
But Mark was too far gone. His heart was shattered by the betrayal, the lies, and the sudden reality of who his father truly was.
"You don't get it, Mom. You don't understand," Mark said, his voice trembling. "I can't stay here with him, not after everything he's done. Not after everything he's said."
He turned to face his father one last time, his eyes filled with pain and anger. "I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore."
Without another word, Mark turned and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Debbie collapsed onto the couch, tears streaming down her face. "Nolan... what have we done? What have you done?"
Nolan stood motionless for a moment, his heart breaking as he watched his son leave. The weight of everything—of his past, his mission, his betrayal—seemed to press down on him more than ever.
"Mark... I didn't want this," Nolan muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.
The room was silent, save for the distant sound of Mark's footsteps fading away. Debbie wiped her tears, her eyes red, but she didn't say anything more. She didn't know what to say.
Nolan turned toward Naruto and Sasuke, both still standing awkwardly in the living room, having witnessed the entire exchange.
"This isn't the right time," he muttered under his breath. "But we need to prepare. I don't know what will happen next, but we have to get stronger. All of us."