Beyond The Impossible

Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Noriko Null’s brain can process information millions of times faster than a human’s, but she can’t find a way out of her current situation. A black woman is pointing the Genius Gun at Noriko, ready to fire. At this distance there’s no way she will miss

<The Guild sends its regards> she says, pulling the trigger.

The weapon releases enough raw kinetic energy to turn a wall into a pile of rubble, and it does just that: something hits the woman’s wrist at the last second, throwing off her aim and missing Noriko.

<You came all the way to Earth just for that? You could’ve sent a letter.>

The woman turns towards the man who just spoke, the same that made her miss. He’s wearing a white uniform, with a mask that completely obscures his face, and a large white cape.

<Out of my way, Mist> she says, firing at him.

Before the blast can reach him, the masked man disappears in a puff of smoke: the only thing that the woman is able to hit is the white fog remaining. At the same time, the man re-appears right behind her, again accompanied by the white smoke.

<It’s The Mist for you, lady> he points out, attaching a small device to her back.

The woman reacts as if she’s just been tasered, screaming in pain. She tries to punch the man but ends up fighting a puff of smoke.

Noriko has watched the entire fight without interfering, taking care to check that Todd Slate and Black Knight are still alive and well. Then the man appears right in front of her.

<Are you okay, miss? Did she hurt you?>

<What the f##k just happened!?> she shouts at him.

He doesn’t answer, distracted by the black woman: having freed herself from the device and ditched the Genius Gun, she opts for a different weapon. Her hands dislodge from her wrists, her forearms twist and turn to reveal elaborate machine guns inside her arms.

<I’ll keep her busy while you run> the man says.

<Null doesn’t run away> she answers, her silver eyes shining.

<That wasn’t a suggestion> he explains, handcuffing Noriko.

She doesn’t have time to protest: gravity suddenly changes direction and she falls horizontally, drawn towards the hole in the wall created by the Genius Gun.

She lands in the street, slowing down at the last moment. There’s utter chaos around her: customers and neighbors running away, bullets flying everywhere, police sirens approaching.

There’s no time to focus on that. Noriko is trying to get rid of the handcuffs, but every escape artist trick she knows doesn’t work… and she knows all of them.

<I told you to run> the masked reminds her, after appearing in a cloud of white smoke.

<I’m not going anywhere! Who the f##k are you? Who is that woman!?>

<An assassin, genius, what else? Just get to safety, I’ll deal with her.>

<Get these damn things off me and I’ll deal with her myself!> she protests, showing the handcuffs.

The argument is cut short by the sight of the assassin crashing through the roof of the restaurant, leaping thirty feet in the air and landing in front of them. There are numerous cuts and bruises on her, some of which are bleeding electricity. She unloads empty shells through her elbows.

<Have you reconsidered my plan?> the masked man asks.

<I’m on the fence> Noriko lies.

Yet when the masked man attacks the cyborg to attract its fire, Noriko’s only course of action is to go away. She doesn’t like it: her instinct would be to stay and fight, maybe helping the strange man who saved her life. But she also knows she doesn’t have a chance: she’s unarmed and the handcuffs are somehow even blocking the use of the Neural Transmitter, so she can’t even ask for help.

Noriko runs into the nearest alley, hoping to draw the cyborg away from civilians. Her mind is so busy trying to come up with a plan that she doesn’t notice immediately how slow she’s running.

She has to stop moving. She’s completely out of breath and her chest is burning.

<Not right now… come on, not right now> she protests, leaning against the wall while making a couple more steps. It doesn’t last long: despite all the willpower in the world, she doesn’t have the strength to continue and falls on her knees.

<Come on, you stupid body, come on… I will not die next to a dumpster in Shanghai…>

She tries to get back to her feet, but it’s no use. Her left arm is already completely numb.

<There you are> the cyborg says, her shadow appearing at the end of the alley.

Noriko has never been more terrified. Not when she was starving in an alien cell, not when she was buried under a skyscraper by a goddess, not when she was fighting on a neutron star, not when her own soul was ripped apart. Summoned by her fear, a black voice whispers in her head:

“This is how you deserve to die. A scared little girl in the garbage”

<Get out of my mind> Noriko responds, her muscles tensing preparing for what’s coming.

The cyborg thinks it’s fear and prepares to shoot her in the head. She’s taken by surprise when a lightning bolt comes out of nowhere to strike Noriko.

In fact, this is so different from what she expected that she doesn’t react when Noriko gets back on her feet and runs towards the assassin… all while the electricity from the thunderbolt is still flowing through her body. Noriko even manages to hit her, striking her face using the handcuffs as an awkward blunt instrument.

But the element of surprise can only go so far. The cyborg transforms one of her arms back into human form, holstering the gun inside the flesh, and using it to slam Noriko against the wall, holding her with just one arm.

<-Nothing personal, kid. It’s just business> the woman says, ready to shoot her in the head.

She doesn’t get a chance to do it. A katana pierces through her heart, something that proves to be too much for the assassin to handle.

Noriko doesn’t follow the rest of the action. The energy surge caused by the thunderbolt has already faded and even keeping her eyes open is a titanic struggle. She does manage to see Black Knight pull his sword out of the deceased assassin’s chest.

<Ninja Guy?> she manages to say.

<I told you things change> he answers, the last words she hears before losing consciousness.

 

Renji Hospital, Shanghai

Noriko opens her eyes with the worst headache she can recall. Todd Slate is sitting by her bed, reading a newspaper, while Max Black (in his Quantum mask) is in front of the window reading a comic book.

<How long?> she asks. She’s remarkably calm for someone who just survived an assassination attempt and a heart attack.

<About ten hours. How do you feel?> Todd asks, taking care to hide the newspaper from her.

<The next time I have to choose between being struck by lightning and taking a bullet to the head, I think I’ll take my chances with the bullet. I feel awful.>

<It’s a miracle you’re still alive. The doctors here have no idea how you did it> Quantum says.

<Since when do you speak Chinese?>

<Null Translate Premium, 99.99 $> the hero answers, showing off his cell phone.

<Of course. Any news about the assassin, or the Black Knight, or that Mist guy?>

<None whatsoever. They all disappeared before the police showed up; their authorities are blaming the assassination attempt on the Empire of Shadows> Todd answers.

<No, it doesn’t add up. Even if Black Knight defected the Empire, where are the others coming from? Both the assassin and the Mist were using alien technology.>

<The Empire does too. They had the Core and did business with Hermes> Quantum reminds her.

<The Core was damaged by Abyss. And this doesn’t feel like something Hermes would do: he would’ve put his signature all over the whole thing.>

<That leaves only the Mortal Liberation Front. Lysia said they know where Earth is.>

<Why would they want me dead? They hate gods and I’ve killed two of them.>

<I dunno, professional jealousy?> Quantum shrugs.

<We’ll deal with this later. I assume keeping this incident secret is out the question?> she asks.

<The Chinese authorities are suppressing the news of the involvement of independent agents, as well as your heart problems. The official story is that the Empire of Shadows tried to kill you, but you were saved by the police with very minor injuries> Todd explains.

<Well, that’s China for you. I’m not looking forward to being yelled at by Doctor Kalama, but I can’t stay here. Max, ask Kari to bring the Valkyrie here and get my things at the hotel, it’s time to go back to Null Island.>

<Of course> he nods, transforming his body into pure light and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

That leaves Todd and Noriko alone. There’s an awkward silence for a few moments.

<I assume there’s a hundred journalists ready to take a picture of me the second I step out of here.>

<Even China has limits.>

<I really don’t want to be on the news wearing a hospital gown. I should get dressed.>

<Of course. I’ll leave you alone> Todd replies, slightly embarrassed by the situation. Before he can get too far away, however, Noriko takes his hand.

<Thank you for being there for me last night. I really appreciated our talk.>

<Any time.>

<We should… we should do it again sometime.>

<That would be nice. Without someone trying to kill you?>

<No promises, Todd, no promises.>

He leaves, with a dumb smile on his face that he doesn’t want to go away. He bumps into Quantum as soon as he closes the door behind him: sometimes it’s easy to forget how fast he is.

<Dude, you didn’t tell her, right?>

<She’ll know soon enough. She rarely gets the chance to slow down, let her enjoy it.>

<Do you think it has anything to do with the attack?>

<I don’t know> Todd admits, taking the newspaper and watching the picture on the front page.

It shows the Prime Minister of Japan shaking hands with Leiko Tanaka.

<Leiko becoming Minister of Defense the morning after someone tries to kill Noriko? It can’t be a coincidence.>

 

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Ministry of Defense Headquarters

Leiko Tanaka is finally able to reach her office and sit down. She doesn’t care for the public appearances, but it’s a small price to pay to reach her goals.

She looks at the city from her new seat of power. Her influence over the Prime Minister was diminishing before the Abyss attacks. Now he recognizes that Leiko… and the Overkill suit that her agents recovered from the field… is the only chance to keep Japan safe.

<How did you know?>

Leiko isn’t startled by the voice behind her. She can see the masked man wearing a white cape by looking at his reflection in the window.

<The Mist, I suppose. I see you have a flair for the needlessly dramatic.>

<Your operative knew about the assassination attempt. How?>

<Secrets have to be earned. I don’t know who you are, but it seems you have many of your own.>

<I know you are the Empress of Shadows. You tried to kill Null before, why save her now?>

<You are like her. So proud of what little you know to believe you can intimidate me.>

<I know you used to work for the Mortal Liberation Front. But now you’re dealing with the Guild… they are not to be trusted. They’re dangerous.>

<So am I. Now, unless you have something meaningful to say, I have work to do.>

The Mist hesitates, but understands he won’t get any information from her. He disappears into white smoke, leaving behind a pensive Leiko.

<The Guild. What have you gotten yourself into, Noriko?>