The world was reeling.
News channels scrambled to explain the carnage that had unfolded at Guardians HQ. Only a handful of details had leaked — "terrorist attack," "possible alien infiltration," "Omni-Man injured in the line of duty." But beneath the smoke and headlines, one truth remained hidden from the public:
Omni-Man killed the Guardians of the Globe. And Saitama stopped him.
Inside the Pentagon, Cecil Stedman watched the security footage for the seventh time. Omni-Man's betrayal. The brutality. The absolute carnage.
Then came the part he couldn't explain.
The bald man in a hoodie, holding a burger and casually stopping the strongest being on Earth like he was flicking a fly off his sleeve.
Donald Ferguson stood behind him, arms folded. "Still not in any database."
"No birth certificate. No Social Security. No online presence."
"He's not from this world."
Cecil sighed, rubbing his temples. "Neither is Nolan. And look how that turned out."
They watched again as Saitama pinned Nolan like a paperweight, then offered him fries.
Donald shook his head. "You think he's dangerous?"
Cecil paused.
"Honestly, I think he's what stands between us and extinction."
Meanwhile, in Mark's world...
"I can't believe they're all dead," Mark whispered.
He sat on his bed, staring at the news playing in the background. Omni-Man was hospitalized after what was being called a "mysterious ambush." No mention of the real cause. No mention of the blood still stuck to Nolan's gloves.
Debbie Grayson paced the living room like a storm cloud. She hadn't slept. Mark could tell.
Then came the knock.
Mark opened the front door and blinked.
Saitama stood there, holding a DVD case and a grocery bag.
"I brought snacks," he said. "Also, you need to watch Lethal Weapon 2. It's important."
Mark stepped aside, bewildered. "You do realize the world just imploded, right?"
Saitama dropped onto the couch. "Yup. So popcorn?"
Mark sighed and sat beside him. "You're impossible."
"You're emotional," Saitama replied, popping a chip in his mouth. "It's okay. You're allowed. But sitting here won't help anything."
Mark hesitated. "He was my dad. He taught me how to shave, how to fly, how to throw a punch."
Saitama turned his head. "Then forget the man he became. And fight for the people he'd have wanted you to protect."
Mark blinked. That... almost sounded like actual advice.
"You have your powers now," Saitama continued. "Time to use them."
"To do what?"
Before Saitama could answer, Mark's phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: "Meet at 6th & Ash. Bring your costume. — Eve"
Later, downtown.
The building was in ruins. A fire escape hung crooked. Police tape fluttered in the wind.
Mark, now in full Invincible gear, landed on a rooftop and found her waiting — red hair, pink suit, and a determined look.
"Atom Eve?" he asked.
"You're late," she replied. "Also... not flying great."
"I'm new."
She smirked. "Figured."
They turned as explosions erupted a block away.
"Teen Team's fighting Doc Seismic," Eve said. "We could use a hand."
Mark nodded. "Let's go."
They leapt.
The battlefield was chaos.
Doc Seismic rode a wave of molten rock, hurling explosive tremors at every building he passed. "THE EARTH SHALL RISE! THE FALSE STRUCTURES SHALL FALL!"
Rexplode ducked under a collapsing bridge. Dupli-Kate multiplied and tackled two falling beams. Robot gave orders through a drone, analyzing seismic patterns.
"Where's Monster Girl?" Eve shouted.
"Held up!" Robot replied. "Doc Seismic's got tremor gloves. Can't get close!"
Then Doc saw them.
"New kids? Excellent! More propaganda to bury in rubble!"
He unleashed a blast straight at Mark and Eve.
Mark grabbed Eve and soared upward, barely dodging the burst. "He's more dramatic than my drama teacher."
"That's saying something," Eve grunted, generating a glowing pink shield.
Below, rubble fell toward civilians.
Mark dove.
"C'mon, c'mon…" he grunted, catching a chunk of concrete.
And then, boom.
The debris stopped mid-air.
Mark looked up — Saitama held the entire ceiling like it weighed nothing.
"Thought you might need help," he said. "Also, I smelled tacos."
Doc Seismic blinked. "Who the hell—?"
Saitama launched him into the stratosphere with a flick.
Silence.
Mark floated down next to Eve.
"You brought him?"
"He followed me."
Saitama pointed at a nearby food truck. "That guy still selling churros?"
Robot's drone hovered near. "That man… he just neutralized Doc Seismic in under three seconds."
Mark sighed. "Yeah. That's kind of his thing."
Later, at Teen Team HQ.
"Okay, what is he?" Rexplode demanded.
They all sat around the main table. Monster Girl nursed a bruise. Dupli-Kate passed out water bottles. Saitama was on the floor, casually doing sit-ups.
Mark shrugged. "He's... from another dimension, I think?"
"Can we trust him?" Robot asked.
"I mean, he's already saved more people this week than most of us do in a year," Eve said.
Rexplode crossed his arms. "Still not a fan of bald guys."
Saitama paused his sit-ups. "Rude."
Robot's monitor blinked. "Regardless of origin, Saitama's power is… beyond any known classification. We should monitor him. But also... keep him close."
Saitama stood and dusted himself off. "Cool. Do I get a badge?"
"There are no badges," Robot said.
"Lame."
Mark sat quietly, staring at the window.
Eve noticed. "Still thinking about your dad?"
Mark nodded. "I need answers. Cecil's hiding something. My dad's not just recovering in a hospital bed. And Saitama… you fought him, didn't you?"
Saitama gave a noncommittal shrug. "I let him punch me. Then I punched back. He didn't like it."
Robot's lenses zoomed in. "You survived an unshielded Viltrumite impact?"
"Survived it? I was bored."
Everyone went silent.
Saitama walked toward the fridge. "Anyway. Got any pudding?"
Elsewhere… far beneath the Pentagon.
Omni-Man floated inside a red-lit chamber. His body was restrained, his face bruised but eyes unbroken. He stared through the glass at Cecil.
"You think this changes anything?" Nolan said.
Cecil didn't flinch. "The Guardians are gone. You broke the world, Nolan. But we've got someone who can hit back."
Nolan chuckled. "That thing doesn't belong here. He doesn't understand Viltrum. He doesn't understand war."
"He understands survival."
"And what happens when he gets bored?"
Cecil paused.
That... was a good question.
Back at the Grayson house.
Mark and Saitama stood on the roof again, looking at the stars.
"You really think you can beat him again?" Mark asked.
Saitama leaned back on his hands. "I didn't beat him. I just stopped him. There's a difference."
Mark frowned. "Then what now?"
Saitama pulled a bent straw from his hoodie pocket. "Now? We train."
Mark blinked. "Wait, you're going to train me?"
"Yup. Gotta start with push-ups, sit-ups, squats—"
"You're kidding."
Saitama grinned. "And a daily fight against life-threatening monsters."
"…That part actually sounds kinda fun."
End of Chapter 5
Would you like Chapter 6 to focus on Mark's training with Saitama, or shift toward Cecil's investigation and the looming Viltrumite threat?