The sun was just beginning to rise when Nolan finished going over Naruto's progress in water walking. The boy had finally started to get it down, laughing with pride each time he managed to stay balanced on the pond. Sasuke was watching from a distance, quietly analyzing, while Itachi helped Naruto with refining his chakra flow.
Everything seemed… calm. Until Nolan's phone buzzed.
It was Debbie.
He answered quickly. "Everything alright?"
"No. It's Cecil—he says Earth is under attack. A portal just opened. Some alien force is coming through, and the heroes we have left can't stop them." Her voice cracked. "They're getting overwhelmed."
Nolan's eyes narrowed. "Where's the portal?"
"Above Manhattan. And Nolan... Cecil says they've already lost half the hero teams. There's no backup."
Nolan let out a long breath. "I'm going."
He turned to the boys. "Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi—stay here. Keep training. Don't go anywhere."
Naruto opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but Nolan was already in the air, leaving only a sonic boom behind him.
The Sky Above Earth
The portal was massive. Ships and creatures poured through it like an invading swarm, unleashing chaos on the cities below. Fires blazed across rooftops. Screams echoed as alien weapons bombarded the ground. Earth's remaining heroes—already leaderless since Nolan had slaughtered the Guardians—were falling fast.
Cecil watched from GDA command, biting his lip. "Where the hell is he..."
Just then, a red blur shot through the clouds.
Nolan.
He arrived in a flash, smashing through an enemy ship and splitting it in two with a punch. His presence alone changed everything. The invaders stopped in midair, confused by the sheer destruction he was causing.
The heroes on the ground could only watch.
With a growl, Nolan darted through three more ships, tearing through steel like it was paper. Aliens screamed as he tore into them, not holding back—not this time. He grabbed one of their massive cruisers, spun in the air, and hurled it back into the portal with such force it exploded on the other side.
He was a storm.
Within minutes, most of the invading force was either dead or retreating. Nolan didn't stop. He soared straight into the portal—into their home world.
Cecil stood speechless as the transmission showed Nolan tearing through an entire alien planet's capital. Buildings crumbled, military bases exploded, and their command structure was annihilated before they could even grasp what had happened.
Then, just as suddenly as he left, Nolan returned through the portal… which began collapsing behind him.
He hovered above the battered heroes of Earth, blood on his fists, smoke rising from his shoulders. Everyone stared in silence.
Cecil finally muttered, "He wiped out a planet... alone…"
Back at Home
Nolan landed quietly in the backyard. Naruto and Sasuke rushed to meet him, their eyes wide.
"You okay, Dad?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah," Nolan said, brushing soot from his uniform. "Just another long day."
Sasuke tilted his head. "Did you… win?"
Nolan didn't answer. He simply nodded and walked inside, the weight of a destroyed world hanging silently on his shoulders.
Inside, Debbie was waiting. "Cecil called," she said softly. "He said you saved the planet."
Nolan met her gaze. "I had to."
There was no pride in his voice. Only the memory of what he'd done to the Guardians… and what he'd now done to another world.