Invincible: Blood of Krypton

Star-Man PT.1

An alarm blared, pulling Mark from sleep with a groan. Nolan stepped into the room, a teasing smile on his face. "Put some pants on, and let's hit the sky... my boy," he said, glancing at Mark's disheveled appearance. "I'll brew some coffee," he added before stepping back out.

Cut to Nolan and Mark, now dressed casually, floating above an empty field. "Think of it like walking," Nolan explained, his tone light. "You don't worry about balance anymore, but as a baby, you did." Mark wobbled mid-air, struggling to find his equilibrium.

"Right now, you're a baby flier!" Nolan encouraged. "Focus on staying upright while figuring out your direction. That's how you'll move!" He zipped around Mark, demonstrating with ease. After a moment, Mark steadied himself, mirroring Nolan's movements.

"Great! You're a natural! Let's take it up a notch," Nolan called, shooting off into the sky. Mark followed, excitement bubbling within him. "Flying can tire you out quickly, but we need that energy for combat. Remember, moving fast is like tensing a muscle. It's better to relax and use your momentum."

"It's like peeing your pants on purpose!" Nolan exclaimed, earning a bewildered look from Mark. "What?" Mark blinked, half-convinced he misheard.

"Think about it! You spend your whole life trying not to, so when you actually try, it's nearly impossible!" Nolan grinned, convinced he'd hit on a groundbreaking teaching method.

"Who would ever try that? How do you even know?" Mark shot back, incredulous. Nolan chuckled, sensing he'd veered off course. "Anyway, you're way better at flying than you should be. Late-night practice? Is that why you're so tired?"

"Don't try to change the subject!" Mark retorted, still looking weirded out. "Land over there." Nolan nodded, guiding them down. "We'll try combat training!"

As they landed, Nolan raised an eyebrow. "Huh, you've even got landing down to a tee. That late-night flight must've helped, huh?" He raised his fist. "Try to hit me."

Mark looked at him, perplexed. "Really...?"

"Yeah," Nolan said, his tone encouraging. "Use your whole body! You can punch with your arm, but if you engage your shoulders, hips, and legs, it'll be much more powerful." Mark swung at him but missed repeatedly.

Nolan chuckled, floating just out of reach. "It'll take a while to get the hang of it. With us, we can move ourselves through physical space. That's how we fly." He continued to dodge Mark's punches. "We can create our own leverage and push off literally anything!"

Finally, Mark landed a punch on Nolan's cheek, sending him barreling down. Nolan shot back up, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face, though Mark didn't notice. "Great! But try a little more like this..." Nolan said, delivering a swift punch to Mark's stomach that sent him crashing down.

Nolan's eyes widened as he realized what he'd done and flew after Mark, catching him mid-fall. "Mark, are you alright?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Mark gasped for air. "Dad... what the hell..."

"I know, son. I didn't mean to hit you so hard. I'm sorry..." Nolan steadied him in the air.

"Why would you... do that?" Mark bent over, looking like he might be sick.

"Mark, if you really want to do what I do, you have to be prepared for anything. No one is going to pull their punches," Nolan said, his tone serious.

The scene transitioned to Nolan entering the house, where he found Debbie biting into an apple. Mark rushed up the stairs, and she glanced at Nolan. "So, how bad did that go?"

"I pushed him pretty far... it's what he needs," Nolan said, watching Mark ascend.

"Did you maybe push him too far?" Debbie asked, concern in her eyes.