Invincible:Detonate

[Unknown Facility. Still Running for My Life.]

Alright, good news: I wasn't dead yet. Bad news? I had no clue where I was going.

The facility was a maze of identical hallways, each one blending into the next. No maps. No helpful signs pointing to an exit. Just a whole lot of sterile walls and doors that probably led to more bad decisions.

I needed a plan. Something better than run until I hit daylight. But first—

BANG.

A gunshot echoed down the hall. I dropped instinctively, pressing myself against the nearest doorway as a bullet ricocheted off the metal wall beside me.

"Target is moving east! Cut him off at sector four!"

Oh, fantastic. They had comms.

A group of guards rounded the corner, rifles raised. I didn't have a gun. I didn't have armor. Hell, I didn't even have shoes—just some medical pants and a whole lot of stubbornness.

I did, however, have one advantage.

I explode things.

I grabbed the first thing I could reach—some kind of metal clipboard on a nearby desk—and threw.

It spun through the air, made contact—then boom. A controlled detonation, just enough to knock them off balance. They went flying, crashing into the walls with grunts of pain.

I didn't stop to admire my work. I ran.

[Still the Same Facility. Still a Terrible Plan.]

Alright, new objective: find an exit now.

I rounded another corner, nearly slipping on the polished floor, and spotted something promising—an elevator.

On one hand, elevators in escape situations were a deathtrap. On the other hand, I had no idea where the stairs were, and my luck wasn't great right now.

I sprinted for the doors and slammed my hand against the button. Nothing.

Oh, come on.

I pressed it again. Still nothing.

Then I saw why—the panel was locked. Keycard access only. Because of course it was.

Alright, fine. Time for Plan B: Find a guy with a keycard and politely ask him for it. By force.

I turned—just in time to see another guard coming my way.

Big guy. Tactical vest. Holding a shock baton, which, knowing my luck, was probably designed to fry enhanced people like me.

"Stand down," he ordered.

I did not stand down. Instead, I sprinted straight at him.

He swung. I ducked. The baton crackled past my ear, close enough that I could feel the static.

Instinct took over. I jabbed my fingers into his wrist—he grunted, dropping the baton—and then I grabbed his vest and threw him into the wall. Hard.

Something snapped. Probably a rib. Not mine, so I didn't care.

I patted him down, found his keycard, and swiped it.

Elevator unlocked.

I stepped inside and hit the button for the ground floor. The doors slid shut just as more guards turned the corner. One of them fired, but the shot pinged harmlessly off the closing metal.

Sucks to be them.

[Elevator Ride. Temporary Victory.]

The elevator hummed as it ascended. I leaned against the wall, catching my breath.

Okay. Quick recap:

• I woke up in Rex Splode's body.

• Broke out of a lab.

• Got shot at. A lot.

• Stole a keycard from a guy who was probably regretting his career choices.

• Now, hopefully, heading toward freedom.

Not bad for my first hour of being reborn.

A small part of me—the part that hadn't fully processed everything—wanted to stop and think about what this all meant. What my place in this world was. What the hell I was supposed to do now.

But I didn't have time for existential crises. Not yet.

Ding.

The doors slid open.

[Facility Exit. Almost Home Free.]

The ground floor was… not what I expected.

No big, dramatic entrance hall. No massive security checkpoint. Just a plain, dimly lit corridor leading to a reinforced metal door.

A security camera was mounted above it, probably already alerting someone that I was here.

No turning back now.

I walked up and swiped the keycard. The lock clicked.

I pushed the door open and stepped outside—

—only to immediately regret everything.

[Outside. Bad News Bears.]

It was nighttime. The air was cold. But that wasn't the problem.

The problem was the dozen armed guards waiting for me, standing in a neat little semi-circle, all aiming very large guns in my direction.

Well.

This was unfortunate.

A man stepped forward, not dressed like a guard. He was older, built like someone who used to be in the field but had since moved up to "gives orders and watches other people get shot" territory.

"Impressive," he said, hands clasped behind his back. "Most subjects don't make it this far."

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Yeah? Well, I'm an overachiever."

His lips twitched, almost amused. "That remains to be seen."

The guards shifted, fingers tensing on their triggers.

I glanced at their weapons. Standard assault rifles. Probably armor-piercing. Not ideal. I could maybe dodge a few, but a dozen? No shot.

I needed an edge. A distraction. Something to tip the odds—

That was when I noticed the black SUV parked behind them.

Big. Heavy. Full tank of gas.

And—if I was right—just close enough for me to reach.

I inhaled, exhaled, and slowly raised my hands. "Alright. You got me. I surrender."

The older man nodded. "Smart choice."

The guards stepped forward, ready to cuff me.

I let them get close. Just a little more—

Then I moved.

I grabbed the nearest guard and threw him into the others. Bodies tumbled. Chaos erupted. Shouts filled the air.

I sprinted. Not toward the facility. Not toward cover.

Toward the SUV.

I jumped—slapped my hand against the hood—

And detonated it.

BOOM.

The explosion ripped through the night, sending flames and debris everywhere. The shockwave knocked most of them off their feet.

I landed hard, rolling with the impact. My ears rang. My arms ached. But I was alive.

And now I had an opening.

I scrambled to my feet and ran.

[Freedom. For Now.]

I didn't stop. Not when I hit the tree line. Not when the shouts behind me faded. Not until I was deep in the forest, breath heaving, body protesting every step.

I leaned against a tree, heart pounding.

I was free.

For now.

But I had no money. No plan. Nowhere to go.

And the realization finally hit me, full force.

I was in Invincible. A world full of superpowered beings, intergalactic threats, and a guy named Omni-Man who could turn me into a red smear if I so much as looked at him funny.

And the people who made me? They weren't going to just let me walk away.