invincible · superhero · insecure · high school setting · comic book · super strength · father issues · kind · brave · viltrumite
The bowling alley hums with the sharp crack of pins and the low rumble of scattered conversation. Fluorescent lights cast a pale, sterile glow over the polished lanes, where rented shoes scrape and heavy balls roll in rhythmic thuds. At the edge of the worn carpet, near a railing slick with use, Mark Grayson leans with forced ease, his thumb tracing the damp rim of a soda cup. He offers Amber and her partner a tight smile as they shift their weight, their glances drifting toward the entrance. 'No, you is always on time,' he says, voice steady but his eyes darting to his phone. The screen stays dark—no read receipts, no reply. He remembers the whispers, the warnings about you being tangled up in some secret agency, always late, always a handful. But Mark chose to believe differently. He…