A week later, Invincible finally returned to earth; this was more than a month less than it had originally taken; perhaps he should thank Allen for Amber not being angry with him this time.
Invincible appeared at his front door holding a purple baby in his arms. The conversation with his mother had been surreal. Her son had shown up with Nolan's child from another woman, intending to take care of him.
Invincible had his doubts; being so young and taking on the responsibility of another life is no easy task. Cecil even offered to care for Oliver, and of course, anyone could tell he only intended to raise a Viltrumite loyal to him who would never betray him. Debbie, able to see through Cecil's intentions, refused to hand Oliver over. So, with a heart full of mixed emotions, she decided to take care of the baby herself.
...
Allen returned to his apartment after finishing off the Lizard League. This time, they wouldn't be coming back; two of them were dead and the other two had injuries that would leave them bedridden for years, maybe even for life.
At that moment, the fate of the Lizard League was the least of his concerns. There's a very dangerous line that separates villains from monsters... and the Lizard League had no issue crossing it, even if it meant millions of innocent deaths. The reason Allen didn't kill them all wasn't mercy; it was because he was entirely focused on ensuring no missile was launched.
When he entered the living room, he found Debbie talking with Eve and Amanda. Allen was surprised; he hadn't really interacted with her before. Eve, noticing his presence, got up to greet him.
"Welcome back, did you have any trouble?" she asked gently, taking Allen's trench coat from him.
"Not really, but it was a nasty mission. I just hope Cecil knows what's best for him…"
"Everything is okay..." Eve sighed, rubbing Allen's arm in support. Amanda walked up and hugged him, burying her face in his chest.
"Hey, don't forget about me!" Amanda pouted, puffing her cheeks.
"I haven't," Allen chuckled lightly, pinching her cheeks. He had no idea who had taught her to act cute even when mad, but considering it seemed to be a ritual for each of his new girlfriends to meet the others—often without him even knowing; it could've been anyone.
Debbie's mouth hung open in disbelief. It was one thing to hear the rumors about Allen having more than one romantic partner, but she never imagined their relationship would be like this. In fact, she even felt embarrassed just witnessing it.
All of this was a result of the direction this world had taken. Thanks to Allen, several tragedies had been avoided; from the Sequids, who would've become a nasty threat, to Immortal slowly descending into madness (at least for now), and even preventing the Guardians of the Globe from fracturing. Thinking about that, you realize the world of Invincible treats its people pretty horribly; their path is deeply stained with blood and problems.
The Guardians…
Allen wondered if Rex Splode would ever find redemption. Originally, he was a jerk, but over time his personality began to improve. However, one of the key moments that made him change was getting a bullet in the head; and Allen had prevented that. In fact, Allen's presence had saved Rex from many beatings he was supposed to get. Maybe this Rex would remain a jerk because his life hadn't been as difficult as in the original story.
On more serious matters, Shrinking Rae's near-death was avoided because Allen had taken care of Komodo Dragon. Allen didn't really know what to think about the girl with the glasses; he still hadn't gotten used to her being a woman in this universe, and she seemed terrified of him. So, any kind of connection between them seemed hard to make.
Not that Allen cared too much. Even there would come a time when his knowledge of canon would become useless.
Allen smiled in Debbie's direction. "What brings Invincible's mother to my humble home?"
The woman coughed awkwardly and stood up to compose herself.
"Mr. Walker, I apologize for coming without notice. I just wanted to hear your thoughts on… Nolan."
"..."
Makima – This is your chance to either finish destroying a marriage or fix it…
Albedo – I see no reason to waste time on this woman…
Rebecca – Oh~ I think you should listen and charge for it, haha.
Harley – What a dumb woman, getting fooled by some bad guy who treated her like trash, and even after he dumped her, she's still interested in him...
Esdeath – Harley, it's better that you don't talk for now.
Wednesday – Ignorance is bliss in this case~
Harley – What's that supposed to mean?! Are you looking for a fight?!
[I.M] "I'm not going to destroy or help this couple... I'm not that boring… but, I could just give my opinion."
...
Allen nodded toward the tired-looking woman, "I see... I do not usually do counseling, but given my friendly relationship with your son"
Eve coughed uncomfortably, knowing what kind of "friendship" Allen had with Mark. Amanda held back laughter; Allen really did spend a lot of time annoying Mark. Of course, that wasn't entirely true. Allen annoyed a lot of people equally.
"Is that so?" Debbie was confused. All she ever heard from her son were insults toward this young man. "Well… thank you."
Everyone sat down at the table as 2B brought drinks. Debbie was once again shocked by the beauty of the white-haired woman dressed as a maid. She had heard many things about Allen, including that he had several mysterious women around him that no one knew where they came from—they just appeared.
Allen's expression turned serious. "This will be a bit of my opinion… you're free to interpret it however you want."
First of all, Debbie needed to understand what kind of beings the Viltrumites were. They could live for thousands of years... no one even knew if they could die of old age. It was almost a miracle that for Nolan, who had lived over two thousand years following the Viltrumite way, his time on Earth had been enough to make him question his path.
"Anissa was similar to Nolan... she had lived a life of bloodshed to the point of forgetting there was any other way."
Debbie's eyes widened, and she turned to look at the short-haired, blue-eyed woman leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She was also a Viltrumite, but she had betrayed the empire for Allen. Debbie was stunned. The rumors about Allen being a womanizer didn't even begin to cover it—this man had dared to build his own harem in the 21st century.
'He even seduced an Onmi-Woman!'
Debbie took a breath and calmed herself. She knew Nolan was a Viltrumite, but she had underestimated what kind of existence that truly was. From the beginning, they were fundamentally incompatible forms of life.
"Even so, it seems those years on Earth affected him enough that he tried to kill himself after leaving the planet…"
"What?"
Allen decided that in the future, he would charge Nolan a good amount for preventing his wife from hating him for a while, as in the original story. He didn't hold back and told Debbie everything; from the Viltrumites' past to how they were on the brink of extinction.
"I won't allow it!" Anissa interrupted, wrapping her arms around Allen from behind. "I won't let the Viltrumites become extinct❤️~"
"…" Debbie didn't understand at first but then blushed at how shameless this woman was. But at the same time, she understood—Viltrumites may live for a long time, but at their core, emotionally and mentally, they were still human.
Debbie played with her teacup while smiling sadly.
"Mr. Walker, do you think that if my son hadn't awakened his powers, anything would have changed?"
"In that case, humanity would have been useless to the Viltrum Empire. Maybe Nolan would've stayed for a hundred years until his grandchildren grew up, and then he would've left to return to being a Viltrumite warrior for thousands of years more… or maybe until his death."
Debbie smiled and stood up. "Thank you very much..."
The expression Debbie had been hiding, a deep depression, seemed to ease. She had loved her husband for twenty years. There was no way she could feel fine after being abandoned. She didn't know why everything happened the way it did, but now, with all the information, she could partially understand Nolan's actions. That didn't mean she would forgive him, but maybe their reconciliation made more sense now.
...
Once Debbie left, Amanda and Eve sat down beside him on the couch and hugged him.
"What's going on?" Allen smiled gently, wrapping both girls in his arms.
Eve, her face flushed, stared at him in silence. "Nothing, I just felt like doing it..."
Amanda, on the other hand, acted surprisingly clingy. "I'm jealous. I should be your top priority now that you're back, but you keep spending time with Debbie Grayson."
"Haha, sorry now I will give all my attention to my wives~"
"Pervert!"
"Shameless!"
Despite their words, both girls were happy.
Allen smiled calmly. He could sense a different kind of attachment than what girls usually look for in a partner, but he didn't want to embarrass the girls by pointing it out. So, he simply accepted their small selfishness.
Artoria – I could say what's going on, but I'd rather not...
Allen knew that it was common for girls with bad parents to be attracted to him. It was something he couldn't avoid. When he stopped being a son of a bitch and took things seriously, it seemed like he radiated a mature aura that attracted girls with those kinds of issues.
Allen could only sigh and accept that this was just the kind of fate he had. (A/N: Hopefully, everyone is aware that Allen doesn't dislike this power in the slightest.)
In Eve's case, who was currently enjoying being silently held, her biological parents had turned her into an experiment. Then came her current parents, who kept trying to mold her into something she wasn't, constantly criticizing her for everything.
Amanda's case was even more delicate. Her parents were a mystery. Allen had never asked about them, and she herself seemed to avoid the topic. Considering that she was cursed and used to grow younger every time she used her powers, it raised serious questions—what happened to her parents, and why did Amanda seem to have no family?
Option 1: They died when she was young.
Amanda has a dark and tragic past. It's possible she lost her parents in an accident or supernatural event—maybe something related to the curse. This would explain why she traveled to Europe alone at such a young age and why she never brought them up. Perhaps they were already gone when everything started.
Option 2: They rejected her after she became a "monster"
This one carries a lot of emotional weight. Coming back cursed and growing younger, each time she used her powers, her parents might have distanced themselves—out of fear, shame, or rejection. Maybe they tried to help at first, but couldn't cope with the reality of their daughter's irreversible supernatural condition. It would explain her former personality: strong, reserved, sarcastic, and emotionally guarded.
Option 3: They're alive but emotionally distant.
Perhaps her parents are still alive, but there's a huge emotional gap between them. Amanda might consider them dead to her because they didn't accept or support her when she needed it the most. They might even feel guilty and respect her decision to cut ties.
Or maybe it's none of the above…
Either way, Allen won't allow her to be alone again. He held her more tightly, and she stopped pouting, smiling as she buried her face in his chest.
"..."
Anissa frowned, feeling jealous. Allen had let her stay, even though he was aware that their relationship was still shallow. She needed time to build a true connection. But that didn't stop her from feeling envious at moments like this.
Anissa bit her nail. "I've been trying to get closer for a week, but I still feel like there's a wall between us..."
From offering to wash his back, to spending time together after work, there were small things Allen allowed her to do. But she knew she was still far from reaching his heart. Of course, that wouldn't make Anissa give up. She had made her decision—she couldn't go back to the empire, and if she left this world, other Viltrumites might come for her head.
'I don't mind dying, but I have to make him my man first...". Anissa had never wanted a man so badly but at the same time, she felt she couldn't be too aggressive or she would lose him. Anissa sighed and pulled away a little depressed, but she felt someone stroking her cheek and turned to see Allen smiling at her. He was still on the couch but he used his telekinesis.
Anissa blushed, 'It's true, this man is a womanizer~ before I eat him... maybe he'll eat me.... strangely enough that doesn't seem like a bad option Haha❤️'
...
(One hour later)
Allen relaxed in his bathtub. Being a man of simple tastes, he could travel anywhere in the world and do whatever he wanted—from wild parties with all kinds of extravagant people to elite events. There was no place in the world exclusive enough to deny him entry. And yet, Allen preferred spending time at home with Eve or Amanda… maybe with one of his Dolls, or perhaps bringing in a girl from another world.
He could go out to see a movie and it would be enough to create an unforgettable memory. In the end, Allen didn't just enjoy simple things—he deeply valued who he was within those moments.
Just as Allen got comfortable, Eve and Amanda walked in.
"What?"
"I heard Anissa offered you the same thing. As your girlfriend, I think it's fair," Amanda said, slightly embarrassed. She wore only a towel wrapped around her body. Now that she had curves she could show off, if it were just Allen there, she wouldn't have hesitated to come in naked—but with Eve present, she held back.
Eve, also wearing a towel but seeming less concerned, tilted her head. "It's not the first time..."
After several months, this had become one of their most common intimate routines. Still, Allen wondered why both of them were there at the same time.
Allen looked at the two girls and quickly accepted the situation. He stood up and wrapped a towel around his waist before stepping out of the bath and letting both girls help wash his back. This kind of thing wasn't common in the West (it was more of an Asian habit) but Allen had girls from many countries around him, and one of them must've taught it to the others.
Amanda grabbed a sponge and used liquid soap to start washing Allen's back. Eve, in front of him, did the same and cleaned his chest. But noticing how focused Amanda was, she decided to be a little mischievous and gave Allen a playful wink.
Allen looked at Eve's body. She was a stunning beauty, even more so in this world. Allen grinned slyly. The girl knew that he had noticed how she had improved her figure using her powers. Since her abilities had increased, she could heal injuries—but with enough practice, she realized she could also alter her own body.
===
A/N: This is a "calm before the storm" kind of chapter, there are two big events cooking... 🍷🗿
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