The darkness behind his eyelids fractured, shattering into a million shimmering shards. Robert's eyes snapped open, his vision a blur of unfamiliar ceiling. A scream caught in his throat, replaced by a ragged gasp as a throbbing headache exploded behind his temples.
It wasn't just pain; it was a deluge, a flash flood of information, of memories that weren't his own, yet undeniably were. His chest heaved, each breath a struggle against the rising tide of panic.
He was dead.
The thought slammed into him with the force of a freight train. He'd been… he'd been there. And now he was here. This body, this room, the scent of lavender and faint dust—none of it was his. Yet, a name echoed in his mind, clear as a bell: Robert Grayson. Adopted. By the Graysons. The Graysons, of all people.
He scrambled upright, his limbs feeling alien, uncoordinated. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the framed pictures on the dresser. A smiling couple, clearly the elder Graysons, and beside them… a young woman with a familiar mop of dark hair. But it wasn't Mark. It was Marie Grayson. A woman. Marie.
The implications hit him like a physical blow. Invincible. He was in Invincible. And he was Robert Grayson, the adopted son. A cold dread seeped into his bones, colder than the morning air that now pricked at his skin. The future, the one he knew from comics and shows, was grim. So impossibly, brutally grim. And now, he was a part of it. A part of their family.
His mind raced, a frantic hamster on a wheel. What was he supposed to do? How could he possibly survive this? He was just… him. And this world, this terrifying, magnificent, deadly world, was about to come crashing down. He had to figure out a way. He had to—
A disembodied voice, clear as a bell and yet seemingly within his own mind, startled Robert. Simultaneously, a translucent, shimmering holographic screen flickered into existence before his eyes, its ethereal blue glow illuminating the dim room.
[ You have received "Sentry 616 Template" ]
[ Do you wish to integrate? ]
[ Y/N ]
"Sentry? That guy?" Robert whispered, his voice hoarse. His mind reeled. The Sentry. Marvel's answer to Superman, a cosmic powerhouse beyond measure. But… there was always the Void. That terrifying, destructive aspect of the Sentry's power that wreaked havoc on everything he touched, often without his control. The very thought sent a fresh wave of unease through him. To have that kind of power, but at the cost of his own sanity or the safety of everyone around him…
He hesitated, his gaze fixed on the glowing prompt. Panic warred with a strange, burgeoning hope. This was his chance, his only chance, in this brutal world. He had to trust his gut. Taking a shaky breath, Robert made his decision.
"Yes," he croaked, the word barely audible.
The moment he affirmed, a profound, internal shift began. It wasn't violent or painful, but a subtle, yet undeniable, surge. His muscles, moments ago feeling alien and uncoordinated, now thrummed with a nascent energy.
His senses sharpened; the scent of dust became clearer, the faint hum of electronics from somewhere downstairs became discernible. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a world of finer details. It was a growth, an expansion, but not overwhelming. Just… more.
The holographic screen shimmered again, updating its display:
[ Name: Robert Grayson ]
[ Power: 0.1% Sentry (616) ]
[ Void has been solved. Host has no need to worry about going rampant. ]
Robert slumped back against the pillows, a breath of pure, unadulterated relief escaping his lips. The confirmation, stark and reassuring on the glowing screen, eased the knot of dread in his stomach. The Void was solved.
Lost in his thoughts when Robert was startled by a warm, familiar voice drifting up from downstairs.
"Robert, breakfast!" It was Debbie, his foster mother, her voice a comforting balm amidst the chaos in his head.
"Coming!" he called back, his own voice sounding a little shaky to his ears. He pushed himself off the bed, his feet finding the floor with a new, almost imperceptible spring in his step.
As he turned to head for the door, his gaze snagged on the full-length mirror leaning against the wall.
He stopped, genuinely surprised by the reflection. He had blonde hair, not the dark brown he'd been accustomed to in his previous life. His physique was relatively lean, suggesting an athletic build, but not overly muscular.
His features were… well, he had to admit, he was good-looking. A faint flush touched his cheeks. It was a bizarre moment of vanity in the face of impending superheroic doom, but it was his face now, and it wasn't a bad one to possess.
Taking a deep breath, Robert made his way downstairs, the scent of sizzling bacon and brewing coffee filling the air. He found his foster family already gathered around the kitchen table.
Debbie, with her kind eyes and gentle smile, was pouring juice.
"Good morning, dear," she said, her welcome warm and genuine.
Beside her, a young woman with long, dark hair looked up, a friendly grin on her face. This was Marie Grayson, the female Mark of this reality.
"Hey, Rob," she greeted him, her voice casual and friendly.
And at the head of the table sat Nolan, a figure of quiet strength. He met Robert's gaze and offered a small.
"Morning, Robert, how was your sleep? You seem like you saw a ghost." His voice is calm and deep.
"Ah..well…I had a nightmare. That's all." Robert said, taking a seat.
"Seriously? What is it about?" Marie asked with a teasing smile.
"Did dad spank you or something?"
"Bruh…now I can't get that out of my head, Marie!" Robert said, frowning at the image and Debbie giggled. Nolan also chuckled.
"Well, there is nothing in the world that good food cannot fix. You two should hurry up or you'll be late."
Nolan said while the two nodded enjoying their meal while Robert slowly started to adjust to his new life, especially how the memory of his life in Invincible allowed him to feel close with everyone, even Nolan despite knowing the future.
He only watched the T.V show and small pieces of the comic. Robert could only rely on himself in getting stronger. He guesses training will accelerate the speed in which increased the percentage of the template.
Eventually, the two head to school and things went as usual. He was classmates with Marie and surprisingly Eve. Robert finds it strange in the situation that he was in but decides to do what he can.
They went by, Robert chatting with William and a scene from episode 1 where Amber, who was the T.V series person, was being harassed.
Robert wasn't interested in Amber but can't stand idle when things like this were happening.
"Robert. Don't." Marie said but he shook his head.
"If he did that to you then I won't just stand still." Robert said, turning to the scene while Marie blush a bit.
"Hey, dude. She already said No. Just take the L." Robert said, getting the attention of everyone.
"Oh, why do you mind your damn business before you get hurt." Todd said, walking over to Robert.
"Dude, don't be stupid. If you hurt me then I can sue you especially how many eyewitnesses here. Not to mention, you're basically sexually harassing her when she is clearly not interested."
Robert doesn't fight. He is not being passive. He is simply being kind. Todd tried to argue but seeing the logic in Robert and looking around him seeing how many students were looking at him especially there was CCTV.
"Tch. You're lucky. Next time you won't be." Todd said walking away while Amber, Marie and William walked over.
"That was awesome! You won without even lifting a finger!" Marie said.
"Dude finish him with logic." William said.
"Hey, thanks for the help. I owe you one." Amber said with a smile and Robert shrugged.
"No need. I'm just glad you're okay." He smiled and Amber thought for a moment then took something and handed it to Robert.
"Here. Call me." She said while Robert looked at his hand and saw it was her number.
"Hahahaha you actually manage to charm her after she flat out rejects Todd. He's quite smooth, right, Marie. Hmm. Marie?"
William turned to see Marie acting strange and this made William smirk.
"Jealous much?" This took Marie from her thoughts.
"W-What!? N-No…of course not!" Marie denied it but William wasn't convinced.
"Sure sure." William said.
"So, you're going to call her?" He asked Robert who shrugged.
"Not sure. Maybe. Anyway, I think we should head back for our next period."
Robert said and time passed by. School ended and Marie went to work in her part time job. Robert knew her power might awaken that day. As for him, he went to find a place where he can test his power.
During his class, he had some enhanced mind allowing him to understand and comprehend things. Marvel Robert was very intelligent. He is capable of using his powers to detect all substances in a single object and then determine how much of what substances make up an object.
He is adept with mechanics, architecture, machinery, tracing energy sources, cybernetics, robotics, and computer science. He used his great intelligence to construct his Watchtower as well as everything inside of it.
Since he has never been very wealthy, it is likely he recovered all of the substances required for his Watchtower's construction from many different areas of the Earth or (perhaps) other planets as well.
Once he collected the right amounts of the different substances he needed, he would then forge them into the materials and technology he needed. His other inventions include C.L.O.C. (with the help of Reed Richards) and the Watchtower.
'Okay. How do I do this?'
Later that day, with school finally over, Robert sought out an abandoned property. The dilapidated fences and overgrown weeds promised absolute solitude, exactly what he needed.
His heart pounded with a mixture of apprehension and excitement as he extended his hand toward a crumbling brick wall. He focused, channeling that nascent hum of power, that 0.1% of the Sentry's might.
His fist connected with the aged bricks, and to his astonishment, it felt less like solid masonry and more like the brittle cinder blocks used in Hollywood sets, designed to shatter dramatically on impact.
A small section of the wall crumbled inwards with a soft crack, leaving a shallow indentation. It wasn't a full-blown punch, but it was enough to confirm. His strength was already beyond human.
Next, he tried something more subtle. Focusing on a collection of loose rocks near his feet, he felt a strange connection, a mental push. The rocks levitated, wobbling precariously a few inches off the ground before gently settling back down. Telekinesis. This was far more potent than he'd anticipated at such a low percentage.
Emboldened, Robert decided to attempt the ultimate test. He focused inwards, feeling for the core of that radiant power.
"Come on," he willed, imagining floating. A gentle upward pull began, and slowly, incredibly, his feet lifted from the ground.
He hovered, a foot, then two, above the dusty earth, a wide, incredulous grin spreading across his face.
The grin quickly morphed into a smirk—a cocky, confident expression that felt both alien and strangely natural. With a surge of exhilaration, Robert pushed harder, faster. He shot upwards, a golden blur against the late afternoon sky, leaving a small sonic boom echoing in his wake.
The world below became a receding blur, and for the first time since waking in this new life, Robert Grayson felt a surge of genuine, unadulterated power.
"Woaaah!! Fuuuuck yeah!!!" Robert enjoyed the wind as he flew in the sky. He never would expect he would be able to do this. Before receiving his past life memory, Robert was always jealous of Nolan, his foster father who had powers and Marie who would one day get powers.
He even wishes Marie to never have her powers but move on and instead encourage her that she will gain her power.
Robert ascended higher, the pale blue of the sky deepening to indigo, then to the inky blackness of space. The air thinned, then vanished, yet he felt no discomfort, only an exhilarating sense of freedom. He continued his climb until the very curve of the Earth became visible beneath him, a vibrant, swirling marble of blues, greens, and whites. He turned, hovering in the silent void, and gazed upon his new home.
He was overwhelmed by the sight. It was breathtaking, a vivid image of life suspended against the infinite vastness of the cosmos.
"Beautiful…" he whispered, though no sound escaped his lips in the vacuum. "Is this what Superman sought to protect?"
He couldn't begin to describe the profound emotion swelling within him, simply seeing his homeworld from such an impossible vantage point. A sense of awe mingled with a burgeoning responsibility. He wondered if he was truly capable of being the hero everyone needed in this perilous world.
"This is my home," he thought, his gaze sweeping across the vast expanse of the planet. "From this day, I, Robert Grayson, will now become…"
His eyes, reflecting the distant starlight, hardened with determination. In a world where many in his position might choose a selfish path, seeking only personal gain or survival, Robert made his choice. He would be a hero. A true hero.
"Sentry."