First Day on the Job

The sharp sound of knocking woke Mark at exactly 6 a.m. His groggy eyes blinked open to find his father standing in the doorway, already dressed in his Omni-Man uniform.

"Up and at 'em, son," Nolan said, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "It's time to see what you've got."

Mark groaned, sitting up in bed. "Now? It's so early."

Nolan smirked. "Crime doesn't sleep, and neither should you if you want to be a hero. Come on."

Mark sighed but quickly got dressed. This was the moment he'd been waiting for—the first official training session with his dad. He knew he couldn't afford to mess it up, but he also couldn't let Nolan figure out just how much he'd already mastered on his own. If he was going to stick to the timeline, he needed to play the part of a beginner.

They flew out to a remote field just as the sun began to rise, the golden light spilling over the horizon. Mark followed Nolan's lead, carefully keeping his flight a little wobbly, as if he were still getting used to it. Nolan glanced back at him, nodding in approval.

"Not bad for your first flight," Nolan said as they landed. "But we've got a long way to go."

Mark stretched, pretending to shake off some nerves. "Okay, what's first?"

The rest of the morning was spent refining Mark's flight, strength, and precision. Nolan explained how to conserve energy during long flights. Mark made sure to stumble occasionally, trying to sell the image of a novice, but he couldn't hide his natural agility.

When they moved on to combat training, things got more intense. Nolan demonstrated a series of punches and blocks, encouraging Mark to copy them. Mark hesitated but quickly fell into the rhythm, his years of martial arts training coming back to him. Nolan's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Mark adapt.

"You've done this before," Nolan said, throwing a light jab that Mark instinctively blocked.

"Yeah, I took martial arts for a while when I was younger, remember?" Mark admitted, keeping his tone casual.

"Good," Nolan said with a grin. "That'll help. But there's a big difference between sparring in a dojo and fighting someone like me."

Mark swallowed hard as Nolan squared up. "Let's see how you handle yourself."

They began sparring, Nolan holding back significantly while Mark tried to keep up. Each punch felt like a freight train, even when Nolan was pulling them. Mark managed to land a few glancing blows, but it was clear who had the upper hand.

After a few minutes, Mark stepped back, panting. "Okay, I give. You're way stronger than me."

Nolan chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Of course I am. I've been doing this for decades. But you're learning fast, faster than I thought you would. You've got potential, Mark. You'll be strong one day—really strong."

Mark couldn't help but smile at the praise, even as his arms ached from the sparring. "Thanks, Dad."

"Now, get ready for school," Nolan said, ruffling his hair. "We'll pick this up later."

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Mark had spent years piecing together how this universe worked, from what he remembered of the Invincible comics to what he'd observed firsthand. He couldn't risk disrupting things too soon. Certain events had to happen, like getting his superhero costume from Art Rosenbaum. And for that, he'd need his father's approval.

After wolfing down a quick breakfast and saying goodbye to his parents, Mark slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out the door. The world seemed brighter now that he had his powers. Everything looked sharper and clearer as if his senses had been turned up to eleven. He could feel the sun's rays energizing his cells making him more alert like he just had a shot of coffee. 

As Mark reached the school gates, he spotted William waiting for him near the lockers. William grinned when he saw him.

"Hey, Mark! You're looking unusually chipper for someone who's about to spend eight hours trapped in this glorified prison."

Mark smirked. "What can I say? Just… feeling good."

Before William could press him further, a commotion down the hall caught their attention. Todd, the school bully, had cornered Amber Bennett near her locker, leaning in too close for comfort. Mark smirked. 'Right on cue'.

"C'mon, Amber," Todd sneered. "You don't have to play hard to get."

"She doesn't have to play anything," Mark said, stepping in. "Back off, Todd."

Todd turned, glaring at him. "What's your deal, Grayson? You got a death wish?"

Mark met his gaze, keeping his tone calm but firm. "Not really. Just figured you'd want to save yourself the embarrassment of getting shut down in front of everyone."

Amber smirked, and Todd's face turned red with anger. He clenched his fists, stepping closer, but the bell rang before he could say anything. With a grunt, Todd stormed off.

"Thanks, Mark," Amber said, giving him a small smile. "You didn't have to do that."

Mark shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, well… someone had to."

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After school, Mark made his way to the empty lot behind the building. Changing into a hoodie, scarf, and sunglasses to hide his identity, he prepared for his first outing as a superhero. He knew the timeline: his father would notice his superhero activities soon enough and take him to Art's shop for the suit. Until then, he had to keep things small. Just enough to stay on track.

Taking a deep breath, Mark launched himself into the sky. The city stretched out beneath him, and he couldn't help but grin. This is what I've been waiting for.

As he soared over the rooftops, Mark used his enhanced hearing to scan for trouble. It didn't take long to find it. The sound of police sirens and shouting echoed through the streets below. Mark dove down, spotting a police chase unfolding. Two masked robbers and Titan, who he remembered from the comics, were speeding away in a stolen van, the back doors swinging open to reveal bags of cash spilling onto the road.

Mark swooped down, landing on the roof of the van. The robbers inside panicked as the vehicle swerved wildly.

"What the hell is that?" one of them shouted.

"Just pull over!" Mark yelled, punching through the roof and grabbing the driver's wheel. With a sharp yank, he forced the van into an alley, bringing it to a screeching halt.

Titan and the others scrambled out, but Mark moved fast. He grabbed two of them by the collars and slammed them against the van knocking them out. Titan tried to fight back, throwing a punch, but Mark blocked it effortlessly, sending Titan sprawling with a light shove.

"You're done," Mark said as police cars screeched to a stop nearby. Before anyone could question him, he flew off.

"You've been busy," Nolan said, appearing beside him mid-flight.

Mark shrugged. "I couldn't just let them get away."

"Good," Nolan said, a note of approval in his voice. "But if you're serious about this, you'll need a proper suit. Come on."

They flew to Art Rosenbaum's shop, where Mark spent the next hour working on his suit's design. Remembering the solar battery disks from the first design Art showed him, Mark asked to incorporate them into a flexible armor inspired by Vegeta's from Dragon Ball. The suit retained his iconic blue-and-yellow color scheme, with an added bold "I" insignia on the chest.

"Are you sure about the solar disks?" Nolan asked, raising an eyebrow. "They're practically useless for you."

Mark grinned. "What if I'm in space and need to charge my phone?" he joked, though inwardly he knew the solar batteries could be a valuable asset for his Kryptonian abilities, especially under a red sun.

"You wouldn't have a signal in space," Nolan deadpanned.

"Oh… right," Mark said sheepishly.

"What are you calling yourself?" Art asked.

Mark smiled, looking at his reflection. "Invincible."

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Author Notes:

In regards to the timeline for the beginning, I'm taking aspects from the show but as we move forward I'll start relying on the comics' timeline. Also, I would love some feedback as I am writing so please comment on the story.