As Sukuna in Invincible-Chapter 35: Compass

Mark's POV:

I used to think being a superhero would be simpler. Bad guys do bad things, you stop them, everyone goes home happy. Black and white, good and evil, heroes and villains.

Then my dad turned out to be an alien conqueror who's slaughtered billions across the galaxy.

And I still love him.

That's the thing they don't tell you about morality - it gets complicated when it's personal.

When the "villain" is someone you care about, someone who's tucked you in at night and taught you to throw a baseball and made your mom laugh that special way that lights up her whole face.

I'm thinking about this as I fly over the city on my regular patrol route, the wind rushing past my mask, the familiar weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders.

Three months since Dad's confession. Three months of preparation for a war most of Earth doesn't even know is coming.

Three months of wondering what kind of person I am, that I can know what my father has done and still want him in my life.

My communicator buzzes, bringing me back to the present.

"All clear in the financial district," I report automatically.

"Roger that, Invincible," the GDA operator responds. "Continue your patrol route."

I bank left, heading toward the industrial sector. The evening sky is painted in shades of orange and purple, the city lights just beginning to flicker on below. It's beautiful from up here. Peaceful.

Hard to believe it might all be gone soon if we can't stop the Viltrumites.

As I fly over an abandoned rail yard, something catches my eye. Graffiti on the side of a warehouse, fresh enough that the paint still glistens in the fading light.

It's not the graffiti itself that makes me pause - it's what it spells out.

"INVINCI"

The word is unfinished, as if the writer was interrupted.

I descend cautiously, landing in the empty yard. The warehouse looms dark and silent, but I can sense I'm not alone.

"I know you're there," I call out, my voice echoing slightly in the open space. "Show yourself."

A figure emerges from the shadows - tall, muscular, with distinctive tribal tattoos covering his face and arms. I recognize him immediately.

"Titan," I say, tensing slightly. "You're the guy from that robbery a while back."

"Good memory, kid," he replies, his deep voice carrying across the yard. "I need your help."

I don't move closer, remembering Megumi's lessons about maintaining tactical advantage. "Why would I help you? Last I checked, you were a criminal."

"Because sometimes the line between criminal and victim gets blurred," Titan says, stepping fully into the light. "Machine Head is destroying this city from the inside out. Drugs, weapons, human trafficking - nothing's off-limits to him."

"And you're what, a concerned citizen?" I can't keep the skepticism from my voice.

"I'm a father," Titan replies, his expression hardening. "With a daughter who deserves better than to grow up in Machine Head's world."

I study him, trying to read his intentions. Megumi's warned me repeatedly about manipulation, about how easily people can use your own heroic instincts against you.

"Why me?" I ask. "Why not go to the Guardians? Or the police?"

"The police are in Machine Head's pocket," Titan says bitterly. "And the Guardians don't bother with 'street-level problems' like this. But you... you're new. Not part of the system yet."

His words trigger a memory - a conversation with Megumi from a few weeks ago...

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Flashback:

We were sitting on the roof of my house after a particularly grueling training session. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the yard below. My muscles ached from the hours of combat practice, but it was a good kind of pain - the kind that meant progress.

"Something's bothering you," Megumi observed, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

I sighed, pulling my knees up to my chest. "Just thinking about my dad."

"Ah." A single syllable, loaded with understanding.

"He's killed people, Megumi. Lots of people. Entire civilizations." I picked at a loose shingle. "And I still... I still love him. What does that make me?"

Megumi was quiet for a long moment before responding. "It makes you human."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I asked, a bitter edge to my voice.

"It's not supposed to make you feel anything," he replied. "It's simply a fact. Humans compartmentalize. They separate their personal feelings from objective reality."

"But isn't that wrong?" I pressed. "Shouldn't I hate him for what he's done?"

Megumi turned to look at me then, his expression unreadable. "Do you want to hate him?"

"No," I admitted. "But maybe I should."

"Should," Megumi repeated, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Who determines what you 'should' feel? People? The World? Some civilization's abstract conception of justice?"

I didn't have an answer for that.

"I'll tell you my perspective," he continued after a moment. "I care about what brings me pleasure and what brings me displeasure. I care about who I want to care about, and I hate who I want to hate. The opinions of the world mean nothing to me."

He gestured toward the city spread out below us. "Out there, they have their rules, their judgments, their ideas of good and evil. But those are just their own constructs - useful for maintaining order, perhaps, but not binding on the individual soul."

"So what, nothing matters? There's no right or wrong?" I challenged.

"I didn't say that," Megumi corrected. "I said I choose what matters to me. I choose what is right and wrong to me. I'll always do what I want, whether others consider it evil or good, so long as it brings me pleasure."

He turned to me, his red eyes intense in the fading light. "Your father has done terrible things. This is fact. You love him anyway. This is also fact. Both can exist simultaneously without contradiction."

"That sounds... selfish," I said, though without judgment.

"Perhaps," he acknowledged. "But isn't your love for your father selfish as well? You choose to love him despite knowing what he's done, because that love brings you comfort. Because a world where you hate your father is less pleasant than one where you love him."

His words hit me like a physical blow, cutting through my confusion with brutal clarity.

"So what should I do?" I asked, feeling suddenly very young.

"Whatever you want," Megumi replied simply. "But own your choice. If you choose to love your father, do so without guilt or apology. If you choose to reject him, do so with the same conviction. But don't pretend your choice is dictated by anything other than your own desires."

We sat in silence as darkness fell, his words echoing in my mind. For the first time since Dad's confession, I felt the weight of confusion lifting slightly. Not because Megumi had absolved me of responsibility, but because he'd forced me to confront the truth of my own feelings.

I loved my father. I chose to love my father. And maybe that was okay.

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"You still with me, kid?" Titan's voice breaks through my memory.

I refocus on the present, on the man standing before me, waiting for my decision.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I ask, more cautiously than I might have before those lessons.

"Help me take down Machine Head," Titan says. "He's got an operation running tonight. If we hit him there, we can put a serious dent in his organization."

I consider his request, weighing it against everything I've learned over the past months. The old Mark would have jumped at the chance to help, eager to prove himself, to do good without question.

But I'm not that Mark anymore.

Still, something about Titan's situation resonates with me. A father trying to create a better world for his child - isn't that what I want my own father to be? Isn't that the version of Nolan Grayson I'm fighting to believe in?

And beyond that, there's something appealing about taking action outside the carefully controlled GDA operations, the endless training sessions and preparation meetings. This is real heroism, immediate and tangible.

The world needs to change. Not like the Viltrumite Empire wants - through conquest and subjugation - but through something more... directed. More intelligent.

In my mind, I see a better world led not by bureaucrats or alien conquerors, but by people who actually understand power.

People like Sukuna, like my dad when he's not being an idiot about his mission, like Eve with her brilliant mind, like Mom with her unwavering moral compass.

People who care about those they choose to care about, and who have the strength to protect them.

And right now, I'm not liking this Machine Head guy.

"Alright," I say finally. "I'll help you. But we do this my way. No unnecessary casualties, no collateral damage."

Titan nods, relief evident in his posture. "Thank you. You won't regret this."

"I better not," I reply, my voice hard. "When and where?"

"Tomorrow night. I'll mark the location the same way I did here." He gestures to the unfinished graffiti. "Be ready for a fight."

"I'm always ready," I tell him, and I mean it. Between Dad's training and Megumi's tactical lessons, I'm not the same inexperienced hero I was when I started.

Titan melts back into the shadows, leaving me alone in the abandoned rail yard. I take to the sky again, resuming my patrol route while my mind processes what just happened.

I should probably tell someone about this. Dad, or Megumi, or Cecil. That would be the responsible thing to do.

But something holds me back. A desire to prove myself, perhaps. Or maybe just the simple pleasure of making my own decision, independent of the complex web of alliances and preparations that have dominated my life recently.

Besides, it's just one night. One criminal operation. How complicated could it get?

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The next evening finds me hovering above an industrial complex on the city's outskirts, waiting for Titan to appear. The buildings below are dark and seemingly abandoned - perfect for illegal operations.

"You came," Titan's voice comes from behind me, and I turn to see him climbing onto the roof where I've landed. "Good."

"What's the plan?" I ask, all business.

"Machine Head's operation is in that building," he points to a warehouse at the center of the complex. "He's got his enforcers inside, along with a shipment of weapons coming in from overseas. We hit hard, hit fast, and get out."

"How many enforcers?"

"A dozen, maybe more. Nothing we can't handle."

I nod, scanning the area. Something feels off about this setup, but I can't quite put my finger on what. Still, I've committed to this course of action.

"Lead the way," I tell Titan.

We approach the warehouse cautiously, Titan moving with surprising stealth for someone his size. Through a skylight, I can see activity below - men moving crates, others standing guard with advanced-looking weapons.

"That's not street-level hardware," I whisper, noting the military-grade equipment. "Those are high-tech weapons."

"Machine Head deals in everything," Titan replies grimly. "Ready?"

Before I can answer, he smashes through the skylight, dropping into the warehouse with a roar. So much for the element of surprise.

I follow immediately, landing beside him as the warehouse erupts into chaos. Guards scramble for weapons, shouting orders and warnings.

"Titan!" A voice cuts through the commotion, and I turn to see a man seated behind a massive desk at the far end of the warehouse. His head is encased in what looks like a computer terminal - screens and circuitry where a face should be.

Machine Head.

"You're more foolish than I thought," the digitized voice continues. "And you've brought a child to your execution."

"It ends tonight, Machine Head," Titan growls, advancing toward the desk.

Machine Head laughs, the sound distorted through his electronic interface. "I think not. I've been expecting you, Titan. And I've prepared accordingly."

A door opens at the side of the warehouse, and a massive figure steps through - at least seven feet tall, white-furred, with a mane like a lion and the build of a professional bodybuilder. He's wearing battle armor adorned with weapons and what look like trophies.

"Allow me to introduce my newest associate," Machine Head says, satisfaction evident even through his electronic voice. "Battle Beast."

The alien warrior surveys the warehouse with contemptuous eyes, his gaze finally settling on me. "Is this all?" he rumbles, his voice deep and accented. "I was promised worthy opponents."

"You'll find I'm plenty worthy," I say, dropping into a fighting stance.

Battle Beast's eyes narrow, assessing me more carefully. "Perhaps. Your stance suggests training. Good. It has been too long since I've had a challenge."

He moves with shocking speed for his size, crossing the distance between us in a blur. I barely have time to raise my arms in defense before his fist connects with my chest, sending me crashing through the warehouse wall and into the yard beyond.

Pain explodes through my body - real pain, the kind I've rarely felt since gaining my powers. I struggle to my feet, spitting blood.

Battle Beast follows me through the hole in the wall, ignoring Titan completely. "You are stronger than you look, young one," he observes. "Good. A warrior's death should be earned."

I launch myself at him, putting all my Viltrumite strength behind the punch. It connects solidly with his jaw, snapping his head back - but he only grins, revealing sharp fangs.

"Better," he growls. "But not enough."

What follows is the most brutal fight of my life. I use every technique Dad and Megumi have taught me, every ounce of strength and speed I possess. I land solid hits that would cripple ordinary opponents.

Battle Beast barely seems to notice.

His counterattacks are devastating - precise, powerful, and seemingly endless. Each blow feels like being hit by a freight train, each block I manage sends shockwaves of pain up my arms.

Through the haze of combat, I dimly register Titan fighting Machine Head's other enforcers, holding his own but clearly outmatched in numbers.

I've made a terrible mistake coming here. This isn't a simple criminal takedown - it's something else entirely. And I'm in way over my head.

A particularly vicious strike catches me in the ribs, and I hear something crack. I stagger, momentarily stunned by the pain, and Battle Beast seizes the opportunity. His massive hand closes around my throat, lifting me off the ground.

"You fought well," he says, almost respectfully. "But not well enough. Still, you have earned a clean death."

He draws back his other hand, now holding a wicked-looking blade that seems to pulse with energy. I struggle against his grip, but my strength is fading, my vision darkening at the edges.

This is it. This is how I die. Not fighting Viltrumites to save Earth, but in some warehouse brawl I never should have gotten involved in.

I think of Mom, of Dad, of Eve and Megumi. Of all the things I'll never get to say to them.

Battle Beast's arm tenses, the blade beginning its deadly arc toward my heart.

And then, impossibly, a sudden shockwave of wind explodes against my face and the blade stops. Not because Battle Beast has shown mercy, but because someone has caught his wrist in mid-strike.

Through my dimming vision, I see a familiar figure standing beside us, holding Battle Beast's arm with apparent ease.

"I think," Megumi says, his voice colder than I've ever heard it, "that you should reconsider your current course of action."

Battle Beast's eyes widen in genuine - delighted? - surprise - not at the intervention itself, but at the fact that someone has stopped his strike.

"Who are you?" he demands, releasing me to face this new threat.

I collapse to the ground, gasping for air, as Megumi steps between me and Battle Beast.

"I am Sukuna," he says simply. "And you're touching what is mine."

The last thing I see before consciousness slips away is Megumi's form silhouetted against the warehouse lights, cursed energy swirling around him like a crimson aura as he faces the alien warrior.

And despite the pain, despite my failure, I feel a strange sense of security.

Because I know that whatever happens next, this guy is the one who should be afraid.

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(Author note: Hello everyone! Hope you all liked the Chapter!

So! Another series of battle Chapters incoming! We've had enough slice of life for now.

Do tell me if you are excited for Sukuna VS Battle Beast.

Well, I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)