All-Star Ōtsutsuki 32 (Invincible/Naruto OC-SI) (Patreon)

In all honesty, I probably should have expected the questions about Mark. Were the tables reversed, I’d probably have more than a few inquiries to make about the only true rogue Viltrumite known in existence. Let alone whatever was being done with his father.

Nolan was still in maximum security prison, in a cell that I personally thought was too comfortable for him. Layered with various jutsu-shiki that would do any number of bizarre and uncomfortable things to him, if I triggered them. Or if Cecil did. I really poured in all sorts of nastiness when I was making those, the worst sorts of evil I could conjure.

Was I still sore about him trying to tear my arm off? Yes, how could you tell?

Regardless of how I personally felt on certain matters, questions regarding Mark would likely be handled very sensitively. He was a member of a violent, warmongering race with a reputation for rampant genocide, no matter how much he personally saw himself as a superhero and Earthling. So far, he hadn’t really needed to deal with the reputation that came from it.

Here and now, that was a very different story.

“Mark’s all but human in every single take and way he views the world. If he’s got some secret evil inside of him, it’s his absolutely dogshit take on certain comic book runs.” To think he enjoyed the Tom King run of Seance Dog…

The kids weren’t alright.

“Comic books?”

“A form of entertainment on earth,” I explained, waving an arm at his questioning glance. “It really doesn’t matter. What I’m trying to say is that Mark is basically a good kid. He’s not someone I, personally, would say that you have to worry about.”

Unless a lot of stuff changed in a very short amount of time, I was confident that he was going to stay on the straight and narrow. And it’d have to be some exceptionally drastic changes to make him move past his reticence to kill. He still was hesitant to punch at full power sometimes in our sparring sessions, at least until I forced him to lock in.

“I see…” Thaddeus spoke, eyes watching Nolan carefully. “If that’s the case, I will choose to put faith in your judgement.”

“He’s not wrong,” Allen added, looking at me briefly before back at Thaddeus. “Like I told the council before, Mark’s a good kid. All he wants to do is protect his world. As long as we don’t actually go up against those values, we’ll have a strong possible ally.”

“I’m convinced,” he assured us, raising a hand to forestall any further exhortations on Mark’s good nature. “Less so on the Viltrumite you claim to have captured.”

“Nolan, or, well, Nowl-ahn, if we’re using his original name,” I answered. “Honestly…”

My face twisted into a grimace, and I wasn’t sure how honest I wanted to be here. A lot of how I felt about Nolan would probably cool as time went on. Years, decades, centuries, however long I actually lived. Perhaps there’d even come a day that we’d even be able to talk to each other cordially, over things of no real importance.

But would I ever actually be able to forget what he’d done? In comic books, there were villains who did some of the most heinous shit and eventually went to the side of the angels. Harley Quinn becoming a feminist icon was a good example of that, despite the fact that I was fairly sure she was balls deep with some of Joker’s wildest, most obnoxiously evil schemes as well.

I’d always thought moving past the crazy shit a villain had done in the past was weird. Having that sort of reality hit me in the face, where I couldn’t avoid or move past it, was another thing entirely.

“I hate him.” The words came freely, drawing some genuine surprise from both of the men. “I hate him a lot. For the lives he took, when he tried to take over Earth before I stopped him. But I also get the feeling he’s defeated and torn, in more ways than one.”

“A Viltrumite that’s torn up about what they’ve done?” Allen spoke, sounding dubious about the matter.

“Considering I can see his emotions, I know how he feels about things. Not that it makes it better, what he did, but I’m willing to at least trust in his desire to be a better person.”

“Unwise,” Thaddeus spoke.

“That, and all of the traps that we’ve placed inside and around him, if he puts a toe out of line.”

“Wiser,” the older man nodded, the glint of amusement glimmering in his eyes, despite the seriousness of our conversation. “For the moment, I’m satisfied. Though I imagine you’ll have more questions to field tomorrow, if you’re interested.”

“Frankly, I don’t want to,” I admitted fully. “But the reality is that I’m here to make friends for Earth, so if I have to grease palms and gladhand, I will.”

Cecil better get me something nice when I return, though. I was a superhero! It wasn’t my job to do galactic diplomacy! Wait, was that actually something Superman did on the regular…?

Shit, it might actually be my job. Jokes on me for modeling myself on one of the best exemplars of heroism in the known universe. Maybe I should have based myself on someone like Batman, but I wasn’t rich enough to save an entire city by myself.

Oh well. I’ll have to settle for being a space alien with a heart of gold, coming down from on high to save the masses. There are worse archetypes to try and embody.

“That can wait for tomorrow,” the leader of the Coalition spoke. “For today, Allen can show you the quarters we’ve prepared for you.”

“Sounds good to me.” Better than continuing this ultimately pleasant but kind of nervewracking interview.

It was also a clear dismissal, and frankly, I was happy to be gone. Allen and I left the office, while Allen gave me a sidelong glance and a smile. “See? Not so scary.”

“Maybe for you. But I get the feeling he sees you in a valued way. He doesn’t know me or my values if I actually know what I’m talking about. There’s no implicit, built-in trust that’s come from years of a relationship.” It made me shrug. “Not that I mind that fact, but the reality is I suspect he was trying to get my measure more than he actually valued my opinion.”

It was a guess, but Thaddeus had a lot more in common with Cecil than just being two men who were obviously as old as goddamn dirt. They felt like each other in my eyes, to my preternatural senses. Both of them possessed that cold, almost alien instinct to sacrifice for what they thought was right.

I’d seen it in his eyes when we were discussing Mark. Gauging whether or not the kid was going to be a boon or a bane when it came to ultimately trying to fight the Viltrumite Empire.

Allen gave me a grimace at my words. “He’s the leader of the Coalition of Planets, Genji. Guy’s got a lot on his shoulders.”

“It’s why I’m giving him the grace that I am,” I admitted, as the two of us left the building. Following after Allen as we picked up a leisurely flight, I continued to speak. “Making the decisions that he has to make, regularly, on what I assume are which planets get to live or die, who gets what resources… it’s fraying. And it also tells me what he’s capable of, if it comes down to it.”

“It’s not easy, yeah. I’m happy I don’t have the job!”

“I assumed you were being groomed as his protégé," I admitted, thinking about the fact of how easy it was for Allen to skip to meeting the man or through all of the bureaucracy that we were meant to be involved in. Then again, some of that might have just been because Thaddeus really wanted to meet me.

It wasn’t every day that you met a being that was capable of fighting Viltrumites, to my understanding. Let alone one who so closely resembled them, and humanity. Thaddeus did, but I was assuming he was one of the myriad races that I’d seen so far that fell into that category. Counselor Tuva back on the ship was basically just a green human woman, with a few mild differences in her anatomy, like what I suspect were cells that could absorb sunlight.

My words did make Allen furrow his unibrow, an almost comical sight as he gave it some thought. “That’s not possibly right. There’s gotta be more applicable candidates than me!”

“Probably,” I admitted, making the man level me a flat stare. Laughing as we began to come to a stop at the balcony of some penthouse, I shrugged over at him. “Sometimes it’s not a matter of political competence but sincerity and will. The boring, polite-liking side of a job like this seems like it’d be something you could learn over time.”

“I’m just going to choose to believe that he’s taking an interest in me out of sympathy for the Unopan plight,” Allen said. “The guy was part of the push for the program that created me in the first place.”

Continuing on, he swept his arm out toward the penthouse. “Anyway, these are your new digs for while you’re here! Standard diplomatic suite, for ambassadors of important worlds.”

Entering in behind him, the apartment was spacious. Huge, really, covering the area of what would be a nice house, as I looked around and tried to get a handle on everything that was available to me. Much of it seemed analogous to things that I could recognize elsewhere, like a bathroom, a kitchen, etc. A lot of the more advanced odds and ends were a bit more foreign to me, though, but the translator inside my head was supplying at least the rough definition of the appliances.

“This is a lot,” I mentioned, blinking slowly. “Especially for someone from Earth. We’re not exactly a big deal on the galactic stage.”

“You’re from there, so it’s a big deal now.”

I’d gotten used to the fact that I was a big fish in a small pond. Now I was a shark swimming in an ocean, and people wanted to stay on my good side. Let alone the fact that Earth was going to be known as a location that could protect itself from Viltrumites. From what I understood of the Coalition of Planets, that was something very, very few places could say with confidence.

“Mind helping me figure out what some of these doodads even do?”

“Sure. Then I’ll leave ya’ alone, unless you wanna come and experience the culinary wonders of Talescira with me and my girlfriend?” He offered, giving me a hopeful smile. “I figure she might want to meet someone we may be working with more often in the future.”

“I don’t know how often I’ll be zipping between Earth and Talescira, but I can’t see a reason to refuse. I could go for something to eat.” They were aliens, yes, but most of their behaviors and mannerisms weren’t that far from baseline humanity.

It couldn’t be that different. Or so I’d thought, right up until we arrived at our destination, after going through some of the basic functions of my temporary home.

My introduction to what passed for food on Talescira was a bit disappointing. Mostly because compared to what I’d experienced first coming to Earth, having an outstanding hotdog didn’t quite live up to the hype. I expected my dinner to have rich, yet relatively familiar flavors that I could come to grips with without struggling too much.

“What am I looking at here?” Coming from me, that’s how you knew whatever it was had to be confusing.

“It’s called kanz’lok,” Allen excitedly told me, as we sat in what seemed almost like a diner of sorts. Maybe more like something that should have been in the set of a scene for a Star Wars film, but recognizably a place where people ate meals. “C’mon, try one!”

In the bowl in front of me were writhing, squirming caterpillar-like creatures. If caterpillars had actually cute faces, instead of insectoid ones, and were trying to escape the bowl. “... These aren’t like, sapient, are they?”

“What? No,” Allen hastily denied. “The eating of sapients is illegal, outside of certain ritually proscribed sacraments for a few species.”

“He’s saying it because they look too darn cute to eat,” Teela spoke, sitting across from us. Not that her own meal, which seemed to be some sort of living creature whose brains she was actively consuming, was much better.

If I actually was an animal rights activist, I think space would have given me panic attack. As it was, this was just bizarre and strange, even for me. Looking down at the kanz’lok, though, I sighed and took one in my hand, while using chakra to ensure the rest didn’t escape. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try one and see.”

“Trust me, the flavor’s unforgettable!”

He was right about one part of that sentence, as I put the squirming creature in my mouth and chewed. The sensation of something actively trying to not die underneath my teeth would probably ensure that I never had this singular dish again. As was the strange, uncomfortable gush of the internals of the alien onto my taste buds.

… However, once I got past it, the taste wasn’t actually that bad. I’d never been someone who was so adventurous to try bugs in my past life, but I suspected the gamey, chewy, surprisingly tender, and vaguely salty flavor was what appealed to Allen so much about these worms. The best way I could put it was that it was like I was eating a chewy, moist french fry.

As far as culinary experiences went, I didn’t think I’d be down to have another. I didn’t care if they called me uncultured. In many respects, I think I’d just settle for Earth cuisine.

“How long have you two been together?” I asked, very slowly eating more, but not really rushing through my bowl. The same couldn’t be said of Allen, who found himself devouring even more of his meal while they made small-talk.

“Years,” Teela answered, giving me a smile. She too mostly appeared humanoid, though not human. What passed for her hair, or the absence of her nose, was what really made the alien nature of her all the clearer. “We basically started coming out of the relevant Coalition training programs at the same time, where we met.”

“Different tracks, I take it?”

She smiled and nodded. “Contrary to what you might think, not many races can survive in the void of space. It’s not even a thing normal Unopans are able to do,” she explained, gesturing over at Allen. “When I came of age, I joined the Coalition’s navy.”

“I’m sort of someone who bounces all over the place,” Allen explained, after swallowing his latest mouthful. “Was pretty much the same in school for me, seeing as I needed to know a little bit of everything, but not to any especially deep amount.”

“Well, I appreciate you two inviting me out to the Galactic Grill.”

“Compared to the last time we were here, this is a vast improvement,” Teela admitted.

That made me frown, as I squinted at her. “What happened the last time you two were here?”

“Ah,” Allen nervously shifted. “We were here when the Viltrumites came for me. It was a good thing they were more focused on trying to get information out of me rather than just trying to cause as much damage as possible.”

Carefully, I pulsed out chakra from my byakugan and expanded the range as far as possible. Just in case there was something about to go awry. “I’m more surprised you decided to come back!”

“The food is good!” Allen exclaimed. “What, was I supposed to let some genocidal maniacs turn me off from one of my favorite places to eat?”

Teela rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I understand where you’re coming from, Genji. It’s normal to be leery about that sort of thing. Allen’s just always been different.”

“Hey!”

I laughed, nodding slowly. “I guess that’s true. Got any embarrassing stories to tell me about him from the days you were in the academy?”

She grinned. “Loads of em’.”

Allen grumbled, even if there was a twinkle of amusement in his eye. “I’m getting ganged up on. No respect, not even as a guide…”

Regardless of what he was saying, though, I got the feeling that he wasn’t actually all that frustrated or offended. My first evening on Talescira came and went readily enough, as I flew back to my penthouse and settled in for the night. God knew that I was going to need it, with the way things were inevitably going to go.

I had to deal with the bane of anyone from a polite society tomorrow: politics.

The council chambers, I would admit, were impressive. A row of what I’d been told were some of the most influential, powerful, and well-connected sapient beings in several galaxies. Thaddeus sat in the middle, in the highest section, and frankly I couldn’t tell if the positioning of their chairs was a coincidence, some sort of subtle cue as to the relevant might of their polities, or something else.

Maybe it was a combination of multiple different aspects.

There were more seats open around them, though, and I suspected that even with FTL travel, not every ambassador or head of a given planet was available for every session. Some had to come and go or do the intergalactic version of teleconferences. If they had quantum entanglement for communications, that was… theoretically possible, even if I was mostly guessing based off what I’d seen in other science fiction settings.

The aliens present were a very eclectic group. Outside of Thaddeus, outside of sharing a generally humanoid body plan, none of them were internally alike. One of them seemed to be of the same race as Thokk, yet much to my relief, it was only a little stronger than your baseline human. Others were drastically different, like one partially masked green specimen who seemed to exist in the atmosphere by the forbearance of whatever contraption was filtering the air for him.

All in all, despite how much I was clowning on space for mostly providing reskins of humanity, these were some truly alien beings. The part of me that was interested in the novel, the foreign, the wondrous, wanted to pick apart their biologies or cultures and see what made them tick. For the moment that instinct was going to have to be restrained.

“We have come here today to introduce a speaker for our new potential ally in the planet of Earth,” Thaddeus intoned, his voice grave and serious, the kind that almost seemed intent on catching someone’s attention. In his robes, he played the role of a wise, peaceable statesman well enough. You’d never know he was absolutely shredded beneath them if you hadn’t seen it like I had. “Let us welcome this ambassador of Earth, Ōtsutsuki Genji, to this body.”

There was some gentle, polite applause, but I could tell most of their eyes were on me. Curious, prying, as if they could take apart what made me tick with a glance. I merely stood stock still, not even taking a breath, as I let their attention wash over me like a wave.

“I appreciate the welcome,” I spoke, with my most gracious smile. “And I can say that Earth is aware that we are alone in an hostile universe. If we can try to find some sort of common ground with the more sophisticated civilizations of space, that’d be our greatest ambition.”

“Indeed,” Thaddeus nodded in agreement. “As for the specifics, you were here to discuss how you may play a part in the conflict at hand?”

“To a point,” I agreed, nodding slowly. “I have my own responsibilities in my own world, even if it isn’t the one I was born to. Earth was very kind to me and accepted me when it didn’t need to. However, even I could accept that the defense against the Viltrumite Empire further afield would also serve to keep my new home safe.”

Cecil would rather the frontline be far, far away from Earth. As did I. Ensuring that I put a little bit of elbow grease into making sure that happened was hardly any great imposition on myself. From there, a lot of the questions that were put to me were proved to be perfunctory, almost rote in nature.

Things like why the wider universe had not heard of my race before, which could be dovetailed by very simple explanations of the fact that the majority of us were not particularly social. I didn’t mention the fact that the Ōtsutsuki were in fact planet-killing monsters as a rule and that I was the exception. It felt as if that might put a damper on things.

Other questions, like the nature of our abilities, I demurred on, only providing the most basic of showings of my portals or elementary release. What my intentions, personally, were in the greater region of space that we found ourselves in. Could I be persuaded to transfer from Earth to Talescira full-time, or visit their planets to be reachable in an emergency?

The notion of a fast-acting, rapid response by someone capable of dealing with Viltrumites or their forces really had their imaginations. I didn’t commit to anything, though, and was letting my mind already wander, as I took the time to try and conceptualize new avenues for my own growth. At the moment, I was thinking about some sort of copy of Tsunade’s Strength of a Hundred seal.

It required perfect chakra control, which I had, and theoretically all you needed to do was storing vast amounts of chakra over a long period of time at a specific point in your body. Symbolically, the forehead was the place to do it, as it was basically a representation of the third eye chakra. Nothing was stopping me from doing that, was it?

Doing so would probably keep my already prodigious reserves well-stocked even further. That was before you even went into the other techniques attached to it. With my mouth nearly on autopilot, I was barely paying attention to the conversation at hand. Not when so much of it felt like it could have been an email.

Even in space, there were those types of meetings, it seemed. Not until the discussion between the representatives and leaders of the various states turned to more uncomfortable questions. That made me snap myself out of my daydreaming but not stop pushing chakra toward my forward slowly and steadily, to begin my fūinjutsu experiment.

“And when were you intending on disposing with this half-breed Viltrumite on your planet?” The masked, buck-toothed alien asked.

I blinked in surprise at the question. “I’m sorry, I beg your pardon?”

“I assume that you had him for insurance. But between allies, it’s sensible to remove such a pernicious, ticking timebomb from your planet, is it not? Divided loyalties, having his father imprisoned there, the weight of his people’s expectations…” He sighed, almost dramatically, with a disgusting rasp to his filtered breathing. “You seem like a logical, sensible being to know what the right choice is.”

The right choice…

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” I stated.

“Hmm?”

“I’m here in the spirit of cooperation. However, insinuations against the defenders of my planet, like Mark, are somehow going to turn bad or spring into some sort of secret sleeper agent…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “I can’t accept those. While I understand that the Viltrumites have committed great atrocities toward the peoples of the universe, Mark has no particular relation to the greater empire as a whole.”

“And you feel confident in the estimation that he won’t turn against you or grow the same notion of dominating the planet in your absence?” The Dornian among the council asked, staring at me with his predatory eyes. I wondered whether he was aware of all my going-ons with Battle Beast.

“Mark’s many things, but a world-conquering madman isn’t one of them.” He was soft, kind of a dork, and maybe was a little too human in what he prioritized. But if those were the worst things that I could lay at his feet, then I was figuring Earth would remain in pretty good hands.

The other alien, the one that was green-skinned and ginger at the same time, spoke up. “Perhaps you are mistaken or soft. After all, you allowed his treasonous father to live.”

That struck a nerve, as I turned toward the alien in question and smiled. Not the nice, friendly, public relations smile that I’d practiced in the mirror until it looked mostly human. The one that was all Ōtsutsuki, with every hint of the alien malice and madness that I could dredge up from my normally subdued emotions.

“I think again, there’s been another misunderstanding. Nolan lives because we, the people of Earth in our myriad colors and positions, allowed him to. It wasn’t some decision I made, but I’ve stood by the planetary defense forces who secured him and helped do so further,” I stated. “If we fought again, or he somehow slipped his extensive bindings under some delusion that he could complete his mission, I would not extend the same level of grace that was given to him the first time around.”

With all of my advantages now, the fight between myself and Nolan would not be as it was the first time around. Senjutsu, several of the eight gates open, and a vastly expanded suite of hyperspecific jutsu that I collectively nicknamed The Geneva Checklist in my head. All of those thrown at him would ensure that the challenge was much, much different.

Something in my tone, rather than actually scaring the alien, seemed to soothe them. Maybe it was the notion that I was fully willing and able to inflict all sorts of gruesome, horrifying injuries on the Viltrumites that did it for them. They really seemed to have a hard-on for those guys, even more gungho about their extinction than the most affected person on Earth.

“Then I believe I don’t have any further questions. If our visitor has that resolve, then like any other prospective member state, their internal workings should not be part of our decision-making process.”

“Well said,” Thaddeus intoned. “And in addition, the boons of knowledge regarding the various Viltrumite weaknesses ought to serve as a means of combatting them in new ways.”

Like clockwork, the looks in all of the representatives were not even remotely kind ones. Who knew how many generations of violence had they been on the other end of, with few workable means of fending off their primary aggressors? Too many, I figured, as the poison and malice had set into their bones, to the point where they were this eager to wipe out the remnants of the empire.

“Yes,” the masked member nodded. “You said their numbers were diminished, correct?”

“There’s only fifty full-blooded Viltrumites left. Our prisoner might be lying to us, but honestly, I don’t think so,” I admitted, surprising myself with the fact. “Not that I think it can do you the most good, seeing as that’s still fifty aliens who you have no guarantees on winning against.”

I’d seen the list of weaknesses that Nolan shared. Many of them were objectively things that ought to require someone who could already contend with a Viltrumite to capitalize on. Stuff like Sinlak beetles, or their extract. Rognarrs were a breed of alien from a high-gravity world strong enough to actually harm them, which was terrifying, but they were merely strong and fast, with no flight capabilities. Even Space Racer, that mythical figure with a gun who could apparently pulp a Viltrumite, still required him to get a good shot off.

It changed a lot, and a little, all at once. And I’d probably be helping them acquire at least a few of the weaknesses while I was out here in the black. Again, Cecil’s buffer state policies were the smartest thing we as the inhabitants of Earth could do in our situation. I was strong, your average human was weak, and our planetary defense network probably was a joke compared to some of these ancient worlds.

Of course, whatever else we were about to discuss was broken off as alarms started to blare. All the discussion ended as attention turned to their screens, which I took the liberty to just read, if only to snoop. The good news was that Talescira was not under attack.

Bad news: multiple points on the borders between Coalition space and the Empire had apparently turned hot all of a sudden. Though some part of this did not appear like a coincidence to my sensibilities. To have such an incursion occur, all of a sudden, just felt…

It felt kind of serendipitous, if I’m being honest. Too good to be a coincidence.

“Due to the emergency and that the various states have their own spheres of influence to attend to, I shall call this session for today,” Thaddeus said, rising up. “Genji? With me, if you would.”

“Of course.” As the man exited along with the other councilors, I had a pretty good idea of what he was about to ask.

Heading deeper away as the various councilors split, I followed after Thaddeus as we both walked briskly. Allen linked up with us halfway into the walk, flying as fast as he could indoors, too. “Sorry! I just got the alert.”

“That’s fine, young Allen. I was hoping to speak with the two of you on matters of importance.” Entering into Thaddeus’ office, he looked at us with a certain grave countenance. “Matters that might have the lives of billions hinge on your agreement or disagreement.”

“You want me out there,” I stated, cutting past whatever build up he was about to do.

“Not on all of the fronts, but yes, taking one of our speediest vessels… much would change, if you would help engage.”

Some part of me was filled with trepidation, I wouldn’t lie. But I knew this was a reality coming out into space, and frankly, I’d counted on it on some level. This part of me, this fear of the Viltrumites or what they were capable of, needed to be excised. Better yet, I needed to know that I could fight them and win, without the same pyrrhic victory I’d gotten against Nolan.

So what else was there for me to say but-

“I’ll do it,” I sighed, clenching my fists. “I’m out here to help, at least within reason. If it relieves the pressure on the Coalition, it’ll help Earth.”

Something in his face eased at those words, as he sharply nodded at my acquiescence. “I was hoping you would agree. Allen, do you agree to prep him for battle? I have a different battlefront that I was intending on sending you to, though.”

“Oh? Oh,” the Unopan blinked, obviously taken aback. “I guess I’m actually strong enough for that sort of fight now. Then… I accept, and I’ll make sure he’s as ready as he can be.”

“Our quest for their weaknesses will have to wait a little while longer,” Thaddeus spoke, somewhat chagrined. “For now, I have my own preparations to make. Once more I must thank you, Genji. This isn’t your world or your people, but you have stepped into this war all the same on our behalf.”

“If all we are is what we do in this world, I chose to do good. Stopping the minions of a genocidal empire feels like a pretty good deed to me.”

Giving me a nod and a grandfatherly smile, we made our way out of the office, with Thaddeus having other fires to put out. That was fine. Allen would be more than enough to give me a basic briefing of where I was going to be headed.

Pulling out a communicator, his unibrow rose at the sight of what he was reading. “Well, I’m being sent to the Koronus Expanse, whereas you’re getting sent to the Callixas Sector, which…”

He trailed off, giving me a shifty look. “It should be fine.”

“Should?”

“Well, it’s a bit complicated for being a bit of a politically charged quagmire. But you’re tough enough to beat me, and frankly, the Viltrumite auxiliaries there aren’t that tough. They’ve got some petty civilization doing their battling for them, but they’re all big on ritual combat and stuff.”

“Right…” So why did he look so nervous about me going there? It took a moment for me to have an uncomfortable suspicion, as I squinted at the alien. “So what are the chances that we run into Battle Beast out there? Low, I’m hoping.”

Allen was quiet, and I could feel my disquiet already rising as he looked sheepishly away, rubbing his chin in thought. The sinking feeling in my gut was only increasing with each passing second. “... Why are you being so quiet, Allen?”

“Well. Um.” He smacked his lips, uncomfortable all of a sudden, not that I couldn’t already see a grim picture forming. “That is, indeed, the front that we’ve sent him out to. Had the best chances of running into a Viltrumite seeing as it’s a place where they’ve gotta keep their pulse on things and not depopulate everything, and honestly, that’s all he’s really cared about fighting from our enemies.”

“Right,” I sighed. “I knew my luck wasn’t going to end up that good.”

“There’s no guarantee you’ll run into each other! Space is big, bro!” He tried to hastily assure me. “You guys will probably be on opposite ends of the front.”

I pointed my finger at him accusingly. “Was this your plan, Allen? Get me to come out here so that this berserk lion man could murder me?!”

“You’re being a drama queen.”

“No, I’m being about as dramatic as you should be when you’ve fucked over a guy like that,” I griped. Maybe I was being too much of a baby about this, but I also didn’t want to get smacked around with his mace again. Unfortunately, it seemed as if I was just going to have to get used to it.

“We’re just going on a normal set of missions," Allen reassured me, giving his best smile. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

In the end, someone has to come away and physically grab me to stop me from strangling the cyclops on the spot. Every time someone said those words, nothing good followed. And I wasn’t willing to bet that this time would be the outlier.

I could only hope that all of my preparations would be enough for whatever came my way. Viltrumites, jumped-up Dornians, or even weirder things besides.

“YOU! MY TRAITOROUS FOE!”

Whatever belated apology I was going to give Thokk was cut off when a mace hit me into the nearest Viltrumite.

When I next saw Allen, I was going to punt him into the nearest star.

Author’s Notes

We’re getting into politics, we’re getting into space hijinks, and I’m totally here for it. Let’s GOOOO. Also, big, fat chapter coming Tuesday. Good lord, was that a chunker. I might still add more to it, if I feel like I need it.

As for other growth, we're going on pretty well. It hasn't been easy, but I'll say that I'm so blown away and thankful for your support. It's been making this thing of mine a dream, bit by bit.

No more snippets for a while, though. I need to focus on my main stories and probably getting updates on my existing quests.