Invincible: The Lawbreaker

The screen flickered, displaying an aerial view of downtown Chicago—smoke rising, debris scattered, and Titan lying unconscious in the middle of a shattered street.

"Another high-profile takedown today as Titan was subdued by none other than Lawbreaker. The long-standing enforcer of order—active for nearly a decade—once again proved why he is one of the most unpredictable and terrifying forces in the superhero community."

The footage cut to a slow-motion replay of the fight. Titan lunged forward, only for his momentum to vanish mid-charge. He hung frozen for a fraction of a second before being launched in the opposite direction at a sickening speed, carving through a row of abandoned cars.

"Witnesses described the encounter as unnatural and terrifying—despite Titan's immense power, it was as if he were fighting an entity that could control the very laws of reality."

A shaky phone recording played, capturing the exact moment Titan's reinforced armor disintegrated into dust. The voice behind the camera trembled.

"Oh my God. He didn't even touch him. He just—what the hell did he just do?!"

The broadcast returned to the studio, where the anchor was seated beside Dr. Elizabeth Carter, a physicist specializing in metahuman anomalies.

"Dr. Carter, Lawbreaker has been active for nearly a decade. While his abilities have always been considered… unique, this latest confrontation has reignited concerns about just how much power he truly possesses. Can you give us some insight?"

Dr. Carter took a breath, choosing her words carefully.

"Lawbreaker isn't new to the scene. He's been a major figure in metahuman conflict resolution since he was a child—first appearing at the age of eight under the guidance of the Global Defense Agency."

The screen showed an archival clip from years ago—grainy footage of a young Kaito Arakawa standing beside Cecil Stedman, the head of the GDA. Even back then, his expression was sharp, his eyes cold and calculating.

Dr. Carter continued, "What separates him from other heroes is that he doesn't just apply force—he erases the very laws that govern reality. Today, we saw clear violations of inertia, momentum, and structural integrity. He can cancel kinetic energy, disable friction, even negate durability itself."

The anchor nodded. 'This isn't the first time his powers have raised concerns. There have been debates for years on whether Lawbreaker's abilities should be classified as a Tier-One global threat. This debate was shortly resolved five years ago." 

Dr. Carter sighed. "There's no question—if he wanted to be a threat, there's very little anyone could do to stop him. But for the past decade, he's remained under the GDA's watch, acting as both a deterrent and an enforcer. That's why people fear him—because he's a known factor, but his limits? His true capabilities? We still don't know what he's fully capable of."

The footage switched back to me standing over Titan's unconscious body, my expression unreadable.

"For now, Lawbreaker remains a protector," the anchor concluded. "But with power like his, one question will always linger: Who keeps him in check?"

The screen faded to black.

[1st POV]

10 Missed Calls – Cecil Stedman5 New Messages – Cecil Stedman

I sighed. Of course.

Tapping on the messages, I flipped through them.

Cecil Stedman: "Get to HQ. Now."Cecil Stedman: "Not a request."Cecil Stedman: "Pick up your damn phone."Cecil Stedman: "Kaito."Cecil Stedman: "It's bad."

That last one made me pause.

I sat up properly, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Whatever this was, it wasn't just another assignment. Cecil didn't get rattled easily.

By the time I arrived at GDA HQ, I knew something was wrong.

The usual background noise—the hum of analysts working, agents barking orders, technicians running diagnostics—was gone. Instead, whispers filled the air. Stiff postures. Pale faces.

People avoided eye contact.

I stepped into the briefing room. Cecil was already there, standing by the table with Donald at his side.

His cigarette lay crushed in an ashtray. He wasn't smoking.

That was never a good sign.

I glanced around. There were no screens playing footage or readouts. There was just a file sitting in front of Cecil.

"What happened?"

Then, finally—

"The Guardians are dead." [Yeah, this happened a little later than canon.]

"What?"

Cecil's jaw tightened. "Last night. We got a silent alarm from their HQ. By the time we got a team inside, it was a goddamn massacre."

I stepped closer. "Who?"

Donald spoke up, his voice quiet. "We don't know."

I frowned. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"No security footage," Cecil said. "Nothing. Whoever did this? They either wiped the system or found a way around it entirely."

I tried to process that. The Guardians weren't just Earth's strongest heroes—they were its best-prepared. Their HQ wasn't some random skyscraper; it was a fortress. Silent alarms, automatic recordings, emergency distress signals.

And yet.

"What about survivors?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

Cecil's silence was enough.

I exhaled through my nose. "Shit."

Red Rush, War Woman, Darkwing, Martian Man, Green Ghost, Aquarius, Immortal—all gone. Just like that.

It didn't make sense. "They weren't weak, Cecil. Even if someone caught them off-guard, they wouldn't go down without a fight."

"They fought," Donald said grimly. "And it wasn't enough."

I clenched my jaw. That meant whoever did this wasn't just strong—they were on another level.

A very short list of people fit that category.

I took a slow breath. "Where's Omni-Man?"

Cecil didn't answer immediately.

Then—

"We found him at the scene."

I blinked.

"... Come again?"

Cecil's expression didn't change. "Unconscious. Beaten half to hell. Broken ribs, internal bleeding, concussion. He's lucky to be alive."

That didn't make sense.

Omni-Man was Earth's strongest hero. On paper. Either the guy had to be the strongest man in the world or... Omni, my guy here, is straight-up lying. 

Maybe he took the heat to convince everyone that he was caught off guard and defeated. In reality, he might have taken out the guardians. I mean, he's an alien. I don't get along well with aliens. I hated them in those old sci-fi movies.

I folded my arms, keeping my expression neutral. "And let me guess—you want me to believe someone else did this?"

Cecil exhaled through his nose. "Kaito—"

"Don't." My voice was flat. "I've been doing this long enough to know when someone's feeding me a line."

Donald shifted uncomfortably. "It's not that simple. We don't have evidence—"

"We don't need evidence," I cut in. "We have common damn sense. You really expect me to buy that someone took out the Guardians of the Globe and just so happened to leave Omni-Man alive? That they wiped every piece of footage, erased all traces of their identity, and disappeared without a single lead?"

Silence.

Cecil rubbed his temple. "Listen, I know how it looks—"

"Looks?" I let out a short laugh. "Cecil, we both know what happened. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you knew before I even walked in here."

His jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it. That told me everything I needed to know.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "So what now? You gonna try and sweep this under the rug?"

"We handle it," Cecil said simply. "Carefully."

Carefully. Right. Because this wasn't just a murder case. This was a damn crisis. If Omni-Man was behind this—and let's be honest, he was—then this wasn't just about avenging the Guardians. This was about making sure Earth didn't get flattened under his boot.

I studied Cecil, then Donald. "Does Debbie know?"

Donald shook his head. "Not yet."

That was another problem waiting to explode.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "And what do you want me to do?"

"For now? Act like you don't know," Cecil said. "Omni-Man's in recovery. Until we know what his next move is, we keep this quiet. The last thing we need is the public losing their minds—or worse, giving him a reason to go all in."

I didn't like it. Not one bit. But he wasn't wrong. If Nolan thought the walls were closing in, he'd stop pretending. And if that happened?

Well. That would be a whole different problem.

I exhaled through my nose. "Fine. But if he so much as breathes wrong, I'm shutting him down myself."

Cecil didn't even blink. "That's why I called you."

I turned on my heel, already heading for the door. "Then let's hope we don't have to find out what happens when I stop holding back."

As I stepped out into the hall, I pulled out my phone.

Mark had no idea what was coming.

And what if I played my cards wrong?

Neither did I. I wasn't gonna lose, but there's only so much I can save from the crossfire.

I mean, fuck, I guess. I'm gonna meet that poor guy who just so happens to be his son.

[The Grayson Household]

The house was quiet when I arrived. Too quiet.

I knew Debbie was home—I'd checked before coming—but I didn't want to just waltz in and set off alarm bells. Not yet.

Instead, I knocked.

A few seconds later, the door cracked open. Debbie Grayson stood there, eyebrows raised, surprise flickering across her face before she schooled it into something neutral.

"Kaito?" Her voice carried that same warmth it always had. "I wasn't expecting you."

I gave a small nod. "Hey, Mrs. Grayson. Sorry for dropping by unannounced."

She studied me for a moment before stepping aside. "Come in."

I stepped past her, taking in the familiar living room. It was neat and cozy. Normal. A stark contrast to the kind of life Nolan led outside of these walls.

She crossed her arms. "I assume this isn't a social visit?"

I shook my head. "No. It's about your husband."

Something in her expression tightened. "He's in the hospital. The news has been covering it all morning."

"I know," I said. "I just wanted to check in. Make sure you're okay."

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, but there was still a sharpness in her eyes. "I appreciate that. But let's be honest, Kaito—you didn't come all this way just to ask how I'm feeling."

She wasn't wrong. Debbie was sharp. Always had been.

I exhaled through my nose. "You're right. I need to talk to Mark."

Her brows furrowed. "Why?"

I hesitated for half a second. "Because he needs to hear this from me before someone else gets to him first."

Before Nolan does.

Before Cecil tries to spin this in a way that keeps Mark from realizing just how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Debbie's eyes searched mine, and for a brief moment, I wondered if she already knew. Maybe not everything, but enough to suspect something was wrong.

"Mark's upstairs," she finally said. "But Kaito… don't push him too hard."

I nodded. "I won't."

I climbed the stairs, each step heavier than the last. I'd fought killers, warlords, and goddamn monsters. But this? This was different.

I knocked once before opening the door.

Mark was sitting on his bed, staring at his phone. He looked up, confused. "Kaito?"

I shut the door behind me.

"We need to talk, lil bro."

I could see the visible confusion on Mark's face.

"About what?" He asked me.

"I have an issue."

Mark furrowed his brows. "An issue?"

I folded my arms. "Yeah. And I need you to hear me out before you react."

That set him on edge. His posture straightened, and I could see the gears turning in his head. Good. He wasn't an idiot. He knew I wouldn't show up like this unless it was serious.

"Alright," he said. "I'm listening."

"Your dad's lying to you."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Mark. I need you to trust me on this. Something happened last night. Something bad."

"It is about the Guardians," I continued. "And the fact that they're dead."

Silence.

Mark looked like I'd just punched him in the gut.

"What?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

I kept my expression neutral. "They were murdered last night. All of them. No survivors."

He just stared at me. "No. That… that doesn't make sense. The news—"

"They don't know yet," I said. "Cecil's keeping it quiet. He doesn't want mass panic before we figure out our next move."

Mark ran a hand through his hair, pacing. "Jesus. I—I just saw them on TV the other day. How the hell does something like this even happen? Who—"

He stopped, his face darkening. "Wait. What does this have to do with my dad?"

I took a slow breath. "They found him at the scene."

"Beaten. Broken ribs. Internal bleeding. Barely conscious," I listed off. "On paper, it looks like he fought whoever did this and got his ass handed to him."

Mark swallowed, his hands trembling. "But… you don't think that's what happened."

I shook my head.

"I don't—" He shook his head. "You're wrong. You have to be."

"Mark."

He flinched at how firm my voice was.

I softened, but only slightly. "You need to be prepared for the possibility that your father isn't the man you think he is."

Mark clenched his jaw. "Shut up."

I exhaled through my nose. "I'm trying to help you, Mark."

"No, you're trying to turn me against my dad!" He snapped. He would never do something like that! He's a hero! He raised me!"

I sighed. "But tell me this—if I was, then where's the proof? Where's the security footage? Where are the distress calls? Why did the strongest heroes on Earth all die—except for him?"

Mark didn't have an answer.

I let that hang in the air.

After a long silence, his voice cracked. "I don't believe you."

I studied him for a moment.

Then I nodded. "I figured you wouldn't. Not yet."

He glared at me, tears threatening to form. "Then why the hell did you even come here?"

I walked past him, stopping at the door.

"Because when the truth comes out—and it will—you're gonna need someone who won't lie to you."

I opened the door and stepped out, leaving Mark alone with his thoughts.

Now, I might be wrong. But better than not saying anything.

"I'm leaving now, Mark. Think about it. Don't tell your father."

He was thinking about it, even if he didn't want to.

Good.

But it also meant he was vulnerable. If Nolan got to him first—fed him some half-truths, reassured him, manipulated him—he might never question it again.

I needed to be careful.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, Debbie was waiting in the living room, arms crossed. 

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I think your husband killed the Guardians of the Globe, and I think Cecil already knows it."

"I don't believe it, Kaito. Not even a bit. I knew this man since he came onto this planet. He's not like that."

She truly believed in Nolan.

I exhaled through my nose. "I get it. You've known him longer than I have. But, Debbie… something isn't right. I know it. Cecil knows it. And I think, deep down, you do too."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She wasn't the type to argue for the sake of it. She wanted to believe in her husband—but I could see the cracks.

"You need to be careful," she finally said, voice tight. "If you're wrong, you're accusing the most powerful hero on the planet of murder. And if you're right…" She followed.

"I can kill him right now. It doesn't take that much to do it, Debbie. My powers are far above physical things." I mean, I wasn't a hundred percent sure for some reason, but if it does come to it, I will win, no matter what.

"That's not something you should say lightly," she said quietly.

I shrugged. "It's not a threat. Just a fact. If it comes down to it, I will stop him."

Finally, she exhaled. "Then I hope you're wrong."

I didn't say anything. Because I wasn't.

Instead, I nodded once and turned for the door.

"I'll see myself out."