Discount Invincible (Bulletproof SI/Invincible Comics)

The city was dirty, and the fire, smoke, and fear hung in the air. The aliens descended upon us out of nowhere, their ships filling the sky like a cloud of bizarre insects. They appeared to be something out of this world, a combination of flesh and metal that terrified me. The cries of innocent civilians shattered the silence as we stood as one, our uniforms glinting like a beacon of hope in the face of the alien invasion.

Robot, our commander, yelled orders into a communicator, his metal voice ringing out above the din. "Guardians, fan out and defend the city! We have to keep the people safe!" We nodded, all of us knowing what we had to do in this battle. Monster Girl transformed into a beast seething with rage, Black Samson flexed his muscles, and Shrinking Ray prepared to annoy the foe. Dupli-Kate grinned at me as she duplicated herself five times, each one of them prepared to battle. Immortal flew beside me, his face set in grim determination.

We parted ways, feeling the wind in my scap as I flew towards the noise of laser fire. My heart pounded in my chest, feeling powerful within my abilities. The alien vessels hovered above, casting an orange glow everywhere. The first one I encountered was enormous, its body a combination of purple and black. It attacked me with its fist, but I sidestepped, my body adapting to what was occurring. I punched it and heard the satisfying crunch of its hard shell cracking beneath my fist. "Take that, space trash!" I yelled.

Monster Girl was nearby, battling the aliens with everything she had. Her teeth were bared, and her eyes were gleaming with excitement. She tossed an alien into a building, which crashed with a loud boom from the impact. Black Samson was picking up cars and using them as shields. His immense power was awe-inspiring to behold. Shrinking Rae darted everywhere, appearing in odd places and striking aliens with precise blows. Dupli-Kate and her duplicates created a confusing barrier, making it quite difficult for the aliens to shoot at us.

But as we battled, more and more ships covered the sky, and there were too many to battle. We were too thin across too much ground. The aliens continued to attack, and their technology and numbers was far superior to anything we could dish out. No matter how we tried, we could not hold them back. Civilians scattered in all directions, some taking cover behind us, while others disappeared into the darkness. The ground trembled from the might of their guns.

"Bulletproof!" Immortal yelled, his tone strained. "We need to regroup! We're being overrun!"

I nodded, perspiration dripping down my face. "Got it!" I yelled back, striking an alien again before I took off for our meeting point. The others were right behind me, each one more exhausted from the battle than the last. When we all finally converged, Robot was intent, scanning the horizon for any indication of further danger.

"This is bad," he spoke softly and gravely. "We are stalemating them, but we are not winning."

I glanced at my exhausted teammates. Monster Girl had green scales smeared with blood and alien slime, Black Samson's suit was torn, and Shrinking Ray was panting. Dupli-Kate was okay, but she also seemed exhausted. "We need assistance," I said, attempting to maintain a steady voice.

Then something rapidly whizzed by in the air, and Invincible and Atom Eve descended beside us. "What are we doing?" Invincible demanded, his voice firm and resolute.

"We will keep them at bay until we can figure out how to defeat them," Robot replied, demonstrating to the best of his ability that he was concerned. We returned to battle with renewed vigor, and this time Eve and Invincible assisted us. The fight began anew with force that demonstrated that we were fighting to preserve our world. The air was filled with the din of lasers and the thud of our fists against the alien's tough armor.

Abruptly, dodging a blast from one of their high-tech guns, I experienced an odd warmth in my eyes. My eyes glowed orange, and then rays of light shot out, heating the air. I spun around in shock and noticed that the alien who fired at me was now nothing more than sliced meat. "What the... ?" I softly muttered in amazement at my monocles, which had melted into a gooey puddle on my suit.

"You've got some new tricks up your sleeve, Bulletproof," Shrinking Rae teased, dodging a second attack from an alien with ease.

"It's not a sleeve, it's my eye!" I exclaimed, still amazed at what occurred. "But yes, I think the universe decided to give me a little bit of a push."

The aliens noticed my new power and began to keep their distance, which was good and bad. It was good because I could attack them from a distance, but bad because it meant they were too far away for others to engage them in hand-to-hand. The orange beams blasted from my eyes with a power I didn't know how to explain, slicing through the alien ships like they were paper. The air reeked of burning metal and dead aliens, and I was both ill and fascinated at the same time.

But then, without warning, the aliens departed. Just like that. One moment they were all around us, and the next their ships were taking off, leaving us stranded in the devastated city. The Guardians, including Invincible and Eve, stared at one another in bewilderment. Robot unwinded somewhat but felt slightly irritated when he spoke up, "They're leaving?"

The sky cleared when the ships departed, and a thick silence fell on the battlefield. The heroes searched around, exhausted and injured, for any movement amidst the shattered buildings. The air was full of dust and the foul odor of burning rubbish. It was finished, but it did not feel like we had triumphed.

"What was that?" Black Samson bellowed, slamming his makeshift shield onto the ground with a resounding clang. "They just... disappeared?"

Dupli-Kate's duplicates disappeared when they merged, leaving behind only the original, which was slightly wobbly. "It's like they forgot why they were fighting," she muttered to herself, wiping dust from her uniform.

Monster Girl transformed back into her human state, and her skin reverted to its natural peach hue. She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God, I don't know how much more of that I can take."

I immediately thought of Shrinking Rae. She had been with with us, but I hadn't seen her since we retreated. I made my way through the wreckage, getting increasingly nervous with every search as I looked for any indication that she was still practically alive. At last, I spotted her leaning against a shattered streetlamp, her costume torn and her hair disheveled. She looked up when I approached, and I could tell how exhausted she was.

"Are you okay?" I said, attempting to remain calm.

Rae, looked small. Her eyes flashed relief and something else. "Yeah," she croaked in a harsh tone. "Just tired."

I nodded, realizing how significant her words were. We had all worked incredibly hard. "Come on," I said, holding out my hand to assist her to her feet. "We have to get out of here."

At headquarters, things were quite sad. The clean halls were now in shambles, with heroes and staff debating what to do next. The air reeked of burnt electronics, and we could tell that we had just escaped a battle. We entered to find Cecil, with a disappointed look on his face, standing in the middle of the command room. His eyes were fixed on Robot as we entered.

"Robot," he told him in a grave tone. "Sorry, but it's over."

Cecil said chillingly in the room, and everyone gazed at him. Robot remained motionless, and its eyes expressed so many emotions that I didn't think were possible. Nobody wanted to take a breath for a second. The tension was so powerful that you could sense it.

"You're... firing me?" I'd like to think Robot was extremely angry and upset, if a machine could get angry and upset.

Cecil nodded solemnly. "Beginning now."

The room was filled with gasps and whispers. The heroes stared at one another, each pondering the news in their own minds. Some were shocked, others were dismayed, but the biggest shock was to Robot. He did not struggle or protest—he simply nodded, accepting what was occurring. "I understand," he said.

Cecil paused and regarded him before continuing. "Immortal, I am appointing you as the new leader of the Guardians of the Globe. You are the most trained and most experienced leader we currently have."

Immortal nodded solemnly, demonstrating how grave the situation was on his weathered face. "Thank you, I will do my best to do my job."

Cecil turned to all of us, pausing to look at each of our faces. "We have to reconvene, rehearse again, and become stronger. This is not over. The aliens may come back, and we have to be ready."

The headquarters seemed vacant as we parted ways and went to our rooms, reflecting on what had occurred. Soon enough, I couldn't help but think about the new power as I made my way down the corridor. I knew I was different before, but this was something else. I didn't want to be like every other hero, concealing my true self, but I understood it was necessary. This power would make me a larger threat then Omniman if I were to turn against the world for sure.

The new gym was quite silent when I entered. The gleaming equipment stood out against, a beacon of hope in a frail world. I headed to the weight rack, and all the metal plates seemed to be beckoning me, inviting me to lift them. I lifted some dumbbells that I had previously found difficult to lift. Now, they really felt light in my hands.

I began my workout and was amazed that I was shattering my own records. With every set and repetition, I could feel a powerful energy coursing through my body, and my muscles were lifting the weights with ease, which was not usual for me. My strength had improved a great deal since the alien attack, and I knew I was as strong as Invincible, and I would be even stronger once I mastered the use of the weights here. The idea was both thrilling and frightening.

I checked around the gym to ensure that I was by myself. I didn't want anyone observing me. My sight was like a weapon, and my strength was as great as the greatest heroes. It was thrilling to become stronger simply by engaging in challenge, but I didn't want anyone to know. The others had enough to deal with without realizing that I possessed such a huge secret.

I grabbed a set of weights that would be too heavy for anyone else. I grunted as I began to lift them, straining my shoulders and chest. Each lift was easier than the last, and I was amazed at how fast I was improving. It seemed like my body was rising to the challenge and growing stronger by the minute. The weights seemed lighter, so I switched them out for the next heaviest set. I continued until the bars of the machine began to warp in my hands. The noise reverberated in the vacant room, boasting of my new strength.

In the corner of the gym, I noticed the punching bag—it was worn out. I approached it with excitement and nervousness. My heart pounded as I recalled the last time I punched it; the bag barely budged. Now, when I punched it, the bag shot across the room like a piece of paper, smacking the wall with a loud thud. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself, a little like a kid in a candy store. I had always dreamed of being this strong, and now it was actually happening.

But with great power comes great responsibility, right? I couldn't help but think about how easy it would be to hurt a superhero if I wasn't careful. That's when I started to feel guilty again. My secret would ruin everything, and I would never tell. I had to remain calm and not draw attention to myself.

As I panted on the bench, I wondered how long it would be before Cecil found it. He was intelligent and had eyes and ears everywhere. If he realized that I was getting stronger from every challenge. I was afraid to even consider it. Would he be proud of me? Or would he consider me a threat? Perhaps even a traitor for not telling him sooner?

And then, without warning, the gym door swung open and Shrinking Rae walked in. She was no longer in costume; she was wearing shorts and a tank top that hugged her curves. She smiled at me, a smile that indicated... something. "Found you," she said, her tone gentle and friendly. "I see you've been busy."

"I'm just trying to stay strong," I replied softly, not meeting her eye. She understood that I was considering more than physical exercise.

Rae came over, swaying her hips in a manner that would attract the attention of any man. She sat beside me on the bench and rested her hand on my thigh. "You've changed since the aliens arrived," she whispered, gazing intently at my face. "Your eyes..."

"It's nothing," I replied hastily. "Just excitement, you know." I didn't want to lie to her, but I couldn't tell her the truth. I resolved to keep it a secret... forever.

Rae stared at me and did not avert her gaze. "I know you better than that," she whispered, coming closer. Her hand traveled up my leg, and the sensation made me feel alive. "What's going on, Zandale?"

I breathed deeply to remain calm. "You know we can't," I whispered, but you could sense the longing in my voice. Despite the commotion outside, I was beginning to get excited, my dick rubbing against my shorts. Rae came nearer. "Why not?" she said, staring at me. "We are adults, and we know what we desire. We have been at it for long enough."

Her words touched me deeply, and I was attracted to her. I placed my hand on her waist. "You're right," I whispered, and the heat between us grew. "We have been."

Rae's eyes sparkled, and she moved in closer, her warm breath against my neck. "I have been thinking about you since the Invasion," she whispered, her hand sliding to brush my cheek. "I need you again, Zandale."

I growled and kissed her fiercely. We pushed our bodies against each other with a strong urge that had been building for far too long in a such brief respite. Her breasts were pleasant in my hands as we kissed. I could feel her hard nipples through the thin material of her tank top. My desire was strong, and I could feel my dick against her thigh, eager to be freed.