#thragg invincible

When you woke up the next morning, you were alone in the room once again. Your breakfast left on the nightstand—how long had you slept? Long enough, you thought as you yawned—your phone signaling it was some minutes past 11am. At this point you wondered if you should’ve just waited until lunch, but… you were quite hungry, and Thragg had gone through the trouble of getting you actual human food, so you’d indulge.  The first day of your stay on his ship, when you were presented with the food you were expected to eat, you had been quite vocal about how uninviting and bland it was. It made you understand why Thragg was growing so fond of pancakes and the likes, though—you would too if what you ate for most of your life was just some gelatinous grey disk that felt like wet, tasteless dirt. 

You then took the time to get changed and ready for the day—-not really sure what you’d do, but since you were not locked inside the chambers you decided you might as well wander around and chat up some alien. Only, before you left, Thragg knocked on your door. You let him in, and noticed right away he was holding something in his hands. «Put these on, little one, and we shall go outside.»

The first thing he instructed you to wear looked similar to an earbud, just smaller and softer. When you slid it into your ear, you heard him loud and clear—in your head. ‘You’ll get used to it’, his voice resonating into your skull as he then instructed you to put on everything else. Despite it feeling weird and invasive, it was kinda cool to be able to talk with people telepathically, although you were worried about keeping your thoughts private now. How could the speaker know what you were trying to communicate with others and what were just your own thoughts? Was it a matter of wavelengths or intentions or what? You knew nothing about any of the options, but you were eager to learn and understand how to use it. You brushed those thoughts aside as you changed clothes in the bathroom—the new suit Thragg gave you was similar to the standard one you were wearing, although the fabric felt thicker to the touch and it didn’t have the loincloth front and back. Which, admittedly, made you feel a bit exposed as you’d grown used to it by now. And with the new suit came a helmet, one that looked similar to some swimming masks you’d seen for snorkeling back on Earth. Despite the silly look, it felt comfortable. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you could see yourself in some sci-fi scuba diving movie of sorts.

When you walked out of the bathroom, you couldn’t help but ask «Shouldn’t this have some oxygen tank or something?» Thragg was just short of rolling his eyes as he replied to your question—human technology was so primitive compared to theirs. «The oxygen reservoir is in the back of the helmet.» He explained as you touched where he pointed at, feeling nothing at all. «It’s thin enough that you can’t feel it, I can bore you with explanations on how it is compressed between the two layers of the suit or you can take my word for it. To add to that, the interior of the suit is made in a rebreather-like fabric. You breathe CO2 out, and it turns it into oxygen.» «Like plants do.» «Something like that, yes. Although calling it a plant does not do its complexity justice. The exterior part blocks radiation and keeps your temperature stable so you will not freeze to death. Come, now.» He gestured for you to follow him and you trailed behind, still looking at the suit. Such complex and advanced science compressed in maybe a couple millimeters of fabric. And you got to wear that.

You were so excited to finally, properly step onto the moon. Something you had assumed you’d do, sooner or later, but had not expected to do quite so soon. ‘This is so fucking cool. I’m about to walk on the moon for real,’ your thoughts slipped into Thragg’s mind as you took the first step out the ship, feeling the shift in gravity as soon as you crossed the threshold. ‘I can hear you.’ ‘Sorry. I’m a bit excited. This is incredible,’ you exclaimed as you started to jump on the spot—small jumps at first, only to then use all your strength and push yourself so far away from the ground. You couldn’t help but giggle as you slowly fell back on your feet, only to keep on leaping around. ‘It’s not everyday one gets to walk on the moon!’ Thragg followed behind you as you wandered, quietly listening to all your thoughts while he observed you. He did find amusing how easily entertained you were by things that were normal if not boring to him.

‘When will you let me go back home?’ You asked out of the blue, giving him pause. And as his reply failed to arrive, you went on. ‘I know Mr. Stedman notified my family and they know I’m… working. And so do my friends, I think, but still… I miss them. I’d like to go back home.’ ‘I can’t let you go.’ ‘But you can’t keep on doing nothing forever, either. It’s only a matter of time before-‘ ‘I know, little one. I know.’ You could feel the annoyance and exhaustion in his words straight into your own thoughts. His situation was far from ideal, and so was yours. And you didn’t seem to be able to make him see reason, to make him understand your point of view. Something that, in all fairness, you could understand. 

You sat down on the edge of a crater, head resting on your hands as you stared at the infinite space expanding in front of you, Thragg still behind you. You couldn’t understand his point of view, either. You were so different from one another, would you ever be really able to understand him? Would he ever be able to understand you?  You knew he was changing, you had seen it. And yet a part of you was afraid you’d become like him. You’d grow jaded as the years passed, the view you were taking in now becoming just something you’re used to. Human lives becoming insignificant since they’d pass you in the blink of an eye. Would you stay true to the beliefs you held now?

‘Only time will tell,’ Thragg’s voice resonated in your head, making you turn to look at him. His arms crossed, he was towering over you. ‘You need to learn how to think your thoughts to yourself.’ ‘You heard all of that?’ ‘I did, yes.’ You nodded, turning to look back at the horizon. ‘Would you mind leaving me alone for a bit?’ ‘Can you find your way back inside?’ ‘I can see the ship from here, I won’t wander around more. I promise.’ You could sweat he’d be huffing if he wasn’t holding his breath. Nonetheless, he took his leave without you needing to bargain for some solitude.

You were so lost in your thoughts that when someone tapped on your shoulder, you jolted hard enough that you floated for a few moments before gravity pulled you back down gently. When you turned to look at who had come to greet you, Eve was laughing inside her own, very pink and very human-like space suit. As she mouthed something you couldn’t hear, you pointed to your ear as you went ‘I can’t hear you’ in your mind—realization hitting the superhero. In but a second, attached to your helmet was a pink communicator, making you hear her loud and clear.

«I forgot they use that telepathic thing,» she said as she sat next to you. «And sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.» You shook your head, giving her a reassuring smile. «It’s fine, I just wasn’t expecting company.» «I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself. Samantha Eve Wilkins, also known as Atom Eve.» She offered you her hand—which you took and shook as you gave her your own, normal human name. «And… I didn’t thank you properly, either. For what you did for Mark. Not just for him as Invincible, you know.» «You don’t have to thank me for that. It’s what I do.» You shrugged, relaxing a bit and leaning back as you kept on looking at her. «Still, you helped him, and I’m sure what you did hurt. I’m a hero, I know how it is to do things without expecting anyone to thank you because that’s what we do, even when we put our lives at stake and get hurt. But being thanked and acknowledged still feels nice.» «That’s true,» you chuckled. «Mark is doing fine, right? Thragg told me he should wake up soon.» «He is,» she nodded, her expression turning slightly bitter as she continued talking. «But we still don’t know if he’ll have his powers when he wakes up. There’s a chance he won’t. And there’s a chance it’s temporary, but…» Her voice lowered as she didn’t dare say out loud the other, very real chance. «I know, but… at least he’s alive.» Eve hummed in return, the silence that followed comfortable. Still you could tell she wanted to say more. Ask more.

«Are you really Thragg’s girlfriend?» «It’s… complicated,» you admitted, pulling your knees close to your chest and hugging your legs. «I bet. I know he’s a bad person—a terrible one, really. And yet I owe him for saving Mark. It seems like he’s able to do good.» «I know, right. It would be so easy if he just was all bad.» «Who is all good or all bad, though?» Eve sighed, laying down to rest on the ground, staring at the stars that were shining down on you. Flickering from who knows how many light years away. «We all fuck up, and we all make mistakes. But I doubt any of our mistakes could equal obliterating whole species from existence. Multiple species!» You couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh at your own words.  «I’ve done something similar.»  Her words caught you off guard, and you paused. You turned to look at her, her green eyes still staring up, not meeting yours. «Not a whole species, but… hundred, millions of them. Maybe more. And I didn’t think twice about it—because they were a menace. Because they’re a parasitic species that enslaves their hosts, and if we didn’t stop them they would have taken over Earth and probably so many other planets. But they’re sentient, they’re just… evil. From our point of view. But is it their fault? That’s just how they are, they’re just doing what they have to do to survive. You wouldn’t call a lion evil for killing a gazelle, ‘cause that’s the lion’s nature. You’d call the hunter evil for making the choice to hunt down the lion, though.» «I don’t know what’s right, but… it’s in their nature to attack and enslave others, and it’s in ours to try and survive at any cost. Even to the detriment of others, even when it means killing others. I don’t think what you did was wrong, Eve.» You paused before asking «Samantha? I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask you how I should call you.» That got a small laugh out of her. «Please, please call me Eve. Only my parents call me Samantha. And I apologize for dumping that story and my problems on you, it’s just that… Lately I’ve been thinking that we’re so similar to Viltrumites.» «I like to think they’re the ones that are similar to us.» Eve gave you a confused look, making you smile.

«Their civilization is way, way older than ours. Empires and violence such as the one they use is… not completely a thing of the past in our society, but it’s so frowned upon by most of us. Racism is still a thing on Earth, sure, and so are so many kinds of discrimination. But I think we’re slowly headed in the right direction. There are people willing to fight for the rights of others, to hold demonstrations for peace, to put themselves in harm’s way to help others. And if we think of Viltrumites as similar to us, there’s hope they’ll head in the right direction as well, as a society and as individuals. Just, at their own pace.» «Plus,» you continued, «I’ve seen them on Earth, with humans. Thragg had told me stories of their past and now… now they are changing, they are becoming more human. We are the ones changing them, and not the other way around.»

«You’re a positive person, aren’t you?» Eve chuckled, finally tilting her head to meet your gaze. «I try to be,» you exclaimed. «But you might be right. Even Mark’s dad, despite all he did… he’s trying to make up for everything.» «I know. I just hope everyone else will do the same.» «You mean Thragg, don’t you?» You nodded, laying down beside her as you turned your gaze to the stars. «I feel like I’m trying to find a way to excuse and redeem alien Hitler.» «I would laugh if I didn’t know any better,» Eve sighed, her voice just a whisper. «I know, right. What he did is wrong and inexcusable, but at the same time he has the power to bring good to the universe—a lot of good. And, unlike Hitler, he was indoctrinated if not groomed to be what he became. So I hate everything he did, but at the same time I can’t put the blame on him completely.» «It sucks.» «It sucks,» you repeated her words, nodding to yourself. «But I think it’s worth trying to redeem them. They can change. And even if they can't… I doubt we’d manage to ever stand up to them, so we need to at least try. For our own safety if nothing else, or we’re fucked.» «Royally fucked, front back and sideways.» That got a good laugh out of Eve, and you couldn’t help but join her. «Again, I’m… sorry for burdening you with this kind of talk. I really just wanted to thank you, but I got carried away.» «Don’t even mention it. It’s fine, and if you need someone to talk to… just ask Mr. Stedman for my number. Or better yet, come back here. I don’t know when I’ll leave, and phone reception isn’t the best on the moon.»

«Thank you. I… better go and check on Mark. I don't want him to wake up there alone.» Eve said, finally pushing herself up and flying upwards, pausing to look at you one more time. «I think his dad is coming back, too. You should try and talk to him, maybe… maybe he can help.» «Wasn’t he in prison?» You asked, giving her a quizzical look as you sat up as well. «Allen told me he ordered to free him a while back, since there was no reason to keep him in jail anymore,» she shrugged, leaving you to wonder why exactly he was in prison on another planet to begin with. «I really better go now.» She hovered close to you, hesitating for a moment before hugging you. «Again, thank you. I mean it. And… good luck.» You watched as she flew to the ship, thoughts you couldn’t brush away still swirling in your head. You were alone again, now. On the moon, just you and all of your doubts.

You weren’t sure how long you’d stayed there, laying down—you probably ended up dozing off for a while, too, trying to count the stars above you. You couldn’t reconcile the peace you felt laying there, the beauty of it all, with the turmoil brewing inside of you.  Another day, you told yourself as you got up to get back inside the ship. Another day you’ll come out and just wander and think of nothing and enjoy being in space. But now it was time to go back and… you weren’t sure about what exactly you were going to do, apart from checking if Thragg had brought you lunch.

When you stepped into the ship, the gravity made you feel your whole weight again. And despite having liked how light you felt on the moon’s surface, this simple change grounded you in a most welcome way.  You made your way back to Thragg’s quarters—your quarters at this point, having paid attention when he guided you out and managing to get back quite easily. There, pacing back and forth outside the door, was Kregg. He smiled at you as your eyes met, before he spoke, «Can we talk?»

You had tried to welcome Kregg inside your quarters, but he’d insisted it wouldn’t be appropriate. He gave you time to change and escorted you in what he called “his office”, although he specified that’s a human term, Viltrumites didn’t really call their working rooms in any way, they didn’t have a word for it so they adopted the human one. «Was it your first time outside on the moon?» He asked, hands held behind his back as he guided you through the ship. «It was. It won’t be the last, though!» «I’m glad you’re finding ways to enjoy yourself. The Grand Regent hasn’t rendered that explicit but you’re not here of your own volition, are you?» His question caught you off-guard, making you hesitate and hold your breath for a moment as you tried to think what to respond.  «As I thought,» he hummed, finally stopping in front of a door and punching a code on the nearby pad to open it.

Kregg’s office was not too dissimilar from any other part of the ship. White and orderly, a desk in the middle of it and a few shelves on the walls. The biggest differences were some trinkets neatly placed around—something you had not seen before on the ship. Something so human. A small teddy bear holding a heart, a tiny ceramic turtle, tickets to a concert. Before you could ask him about all that, he spoke. «What is going on with Grand Regent Thragg?» You stared at him—he was resting against the desk, his arms crossed to his chest as he looked straight at you. His expression inscrutable—you couldn’t tell if he was asking as the Kregg you knew down on Earth, or the right hand of Thragg. But you knew your decision to take off your earpiece when you had changed had been a good one, or you’d be screwed now. «What do you mean?»  «Don’t play dumb. I’ve seen how he’s changed—and I’m not talking about the way he is towards you. His change isn’t like mine or those of the others, there is more to it. Am I right?» «I think he just doesn’t like the fact that he’s… getting soft,» you replied, trying to sound as convincing as you could. Kregg sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, «Of course he doesn’t. None of us did, in the beginning. Some of us still don’t even now. And the Grand Regent, he joined us down on Earth later. Because he knew the change was unavoidable. But he has told you that already, hasn’t he?» «He did,» you nodded, trying to not fidget with your hands.