Viltrumite, Is Your Mightiest Chat Group Fake?

Of the two staring at each other, Leon was the first to break the silence.

"I should've known the moment you lifted that guy up."

Eve shook her hands, and in a flash of pink light, she changed into her combat suit before lowering her head to confirm the mission details.

"So, now that you know mine, what's your hero name?"

"Haven't decided yet."

How could someone debut without even figuring that out?

Eve raised her head and shot Leon a puzzled look.

Then she saw Leon put on the hood and mask that had become Teen Team's nightmare over the past few days.

"That was—you? Is this some kind of joke?"

They had spent an entire day reviewing what happened and came to one conclusion:

Leon was an old veteran who had retired long ago, someone on the same level as the Global Guardians. Cecil had only said what he did to make them lower their guard.

And now she was being told that this guy was only eighteen and attended classes with her?

But Leon did not give Eve much time to process her shock.

"Let's head over first. Marcia seemed pretty happy today, so we should try to get back as soon as we can."

"You actually know?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Leon held out his hand to Eve.

"I can't fly. Give me a lift."

Inside the room, Marcia stared at the open window and muttered, "As far as I remember, neither of them has any overlapping classes that require a project report."

She was starting to suspect that Leon was dating Eve. Otherwise, why would they run off together at a time like this?

Not that she had any objections.

But on the day they had agreed on, setting an alarm just to sneak off on a date—what was the point?

Besides, Eve had actually kept something this big from her best friend. That was seriously uncool.

Was she afraid Marcia would object? How could she possibly object?

Beside her, Amber watched her best friend's shifting expressions with great interest.

She exchanged a knowing nod with William beside her. "Obviously, our good girl is in love."

"No, I was just..."

William immediately chimed in, "Why not? He's so charming—steady, dependable, and strong. Did you notice how tightly those clothes wrapped around him?

"Especially since he has a bit of Omni-Man's vibe. He's totally my type."

"Hey! You said you wouldn't go after him."

Marcia frowned, instantly going into possessive mode.

Anyone who knew her understood just how fierce this quiet girl could be in private.

William quickly waved his hands in explanation. "All right, all right. You know me. I never interfere with people who aren't like me. Leon's straight."

Amber then sat down beside Marcia.

"See? Getting worked up again."

She pinched the girl's cheek.

"You know what Eve is like. Since we agreed to help you together, she definitely won't steal your food."

Unable to come to any conclusion, the three could only lower their heads and continue working on their assignments.

But Marcia could not settle down at all, until she heard that familiar sound of something cutting through the air—

Her dad was back.

After thinking it over, Nolan was still uneasy.

Ever since Marcia entered puberty, he had rarely seen his daughter so happy.

And at that age, the thing most likely to make a girl happy was...

Nolan's instincts were warning him. So after the meeting ended, he set aside all his work and rushed home.

At the very least, I need to see what's going on.

After changing clothes, he knocked on his daughter's door. Once he received a response, he entered.

"Good afternoon, boys and girls. Ready to enjoy Debbie's delicious cooking?"

At the same time, he scanned the room.

Just as his hearing had told him, there was no sign of any inherently wicked blond-haired Earth brat.

His sense of smell revealed nothing either, so he could only ask, "So, where's Eve? I thought she was here too."

"Dad, she had something come up and went out. She'll probably be back soon."

After getting his answer, Nolan went downstairs and wrapped his arms around his wife in the kitchen.

"Darling, you're back earlier than I expected. Perfect timing—I need you to help out here."

"Because I thought it over and decided to accept her invitation to have dinner with her friends."

That was a lie.

"That's the right thing to do. There's a nice boy you need to meet."

At Debbie's words, a vein twitched on Nolan's forehead.

"A boy? But I didn't see him just now."

As Debbie put the chopped ingredients onto a plate, she replied, "According to Marcia, he had something come up and left."

"You mean he accepted my daughter's invitation, made you cook for him, and then stood her up?"

Nolan's tone turned hostile.

You hated it when the blond-haired brat came around, but you hated it when he actually left too. That was what fathers were like.

"Don't be so harsh. Just like how you used to miss our dates because there was a giant in New York or a flying dragon in Washington."

Seeing her husband sink into guilt again, Debbie held his face.

"There will always be unexpected situations, Nolan. The question is, are you ready? Ready to face the fact that Marcia has grown up?"

"I..."

Honestly, Nolan felt that this was not such a bad outcome.

Part of Marcia's personality took after him. She admired superpowers and wanted to become a hero.

But if she really gained powers, that would mean he would have to face his Viltrumite responsibilities again.

Especially if she performed well...

Nolan sighed.

"What kind of kid is he?"

"Tall, handsome, and very polite. Oh, right, I haven't even asked his name yet."

"He sounds pretty good. Now I'm even more curious."

Nolan trusted Debbie's judgment of people. Other than misjudging him, she had never misjudged anyone.

Nolan mocked himself inwardly.

Marcia could grow up normally, meet an equally ordinary Earthling, and live an ordinary life.

Perhaps that was the best outcome.

As a father, Nolan felt that he needed to try accepting the fact that his daughter would date someone someday.

"Ding-dong!"

Then the doorbell rang.

"That must be them. Go meet him, darling."

With an excited look, Debbie half-pushed and half-urged Nolan toward the door.

Meanwhile, outside the house.

"I can't believe you called us over for something this trivial."

Eve had not expected this to be a false alarm. She bet Marcia had definitely misunderstood.

And at that moment, Leon's sense of danger began to kick in.

Along the way, his feeling that something was off had reached its peak. The overly familiar surroundings, Debbie, Grayson, Mark's friends...

Every sign seemed to point toward an unthinkable possibility.

But then Viltrumite intelligence punched Earth intelligence flat to the ground.

Leon thought, Right now, on Earth, I stand above everyone but one.

Whatever lies ahead, why should I avoid it?

So he pressed the doorbell again.

Footsteps drew closer. As the door slowly opened and they saw each other—

At incredible speed, the two Viltrumites straightened the fingers of their right hands and assumed hand-blade stances.

Leon looked at Nolan. Nolan looked at him.

Everything from the past flashed through his mind: the other man's reports, requests for guidance, and the advice he himself had provided.

He quickly understood everything.

And in his ears, the voice that had just been consoling him echoed again: accept it, accept it, accept it—

Accept my ass!

He Had Been Provoking Me All Along

Intelligent Atom spun at high speed as both their auras surged! Surged again! Surged wildly!

At this moment, the two strongest beings on Earth, each possessing enough power to move a planet, met at the tiny entrance of the Grayson home.

Even Eve, standing beside them, found it a little hard to breathe from their invisible clash.

That was because Intelligent Atom was continuously injecting energy into both of their muscles.

Heavy breaths, pounding hearts, steadily strengthening muscles...

The purple flowers Debbie had personally tended swayed their heads, while the green grass she maintained trembled in the wind.

The two powerhouses nearly drove everything around them, along with the very air itself, away as they prepared to fight on the spot.

"Uh, are you two all right?"

By now, Eve, standing between them, had realized something was wrong.

Being squeezed between two colossal beasts felt like this. It would have been absurd not to notice.

Ignoring her, Nolan slowly raised his hand blade, and Leon followed suit.