For most of her life, Noriko has heard people her age whispering behind her back. Did you hear that the Japanese girl is the janitor’s daughter? The white guy. I hear he gets a different woman home every night. Poor girl, her mother’s probably a hooker or something.
Not that it helped when they talked to her face. Your dad’s the janitor? But isn’t he like thirty? How did you get a D, I thought all Asians were really smart. Are you sure you’re not adopted? You don’t look half white. And what’s up with the green jacket?
That was before Noriko became the smartest person in the world, won a million dollars in a TV show, founded an international corporation, built the Sound Nullifier™, the N-Phone™, the N-Watch™, solved the energy crisis, revitalized the world economy, patented holographic technology and a cure for AIDS, became the richest person on Earth, and began holding regular meetings with heads of state. All of which happened within one year.
Now her former schoolmates see her land a flying bike in front of the ballroom of senior prom. They almost don’t recognize her, with her one shoulder dress and heels and makeup, instead of the usual combat boots and leather jacket of a horrible shade of green. As she recognizes the faces… which come to memory all at once, with everything they’ve ever posted online in their lives… Noriko starts to have some doubts.
“I shouldn’t be here. I hate crowds and I hate dancing!” she thinks, while dozens of cell phones try to take a picture. “Try” because all they get is a white Ø symbol on a black background.
“Oh what the hell, I’ve already broken a dozen laws tonight…flying an unlicensed vehicle, carrying a custom-made untraceable pseudo-telekinetic deadly weapon in my purse…what’s the worst that could happen?”
<That’s right people, Null is back and she’s ready to party!!!> she shouts, striking a pose.
She loses herself in the deafening cheering of the crowd. Tonight she won’t be Null the Slayer of Gods, Null the First Line of Defense of Humanity, she’ll just be a normal girl having fun.
Under the colorful lights, nobody seems to notice her silver eyes flickering to the darkest black.
Null Tower
Two Nullbots are replacing the window and wiping the shards from the floor, while the people present during her dramatic departure compare notes.
<Now I really want a flying bike too; how much do you think these things cost?> Quantum asks.
<She almost got us killed with that thing!> Todd protests.
<It was a little reckless> Vesta agrees.
<A little!?!?>
<Come on, this is Noriko we’re talking about, she probably calculated nobody would get injured and decided to have some fun> Kari joins in.
<Yeah, let’s not blow this out of proportion> Quantum agrees.
Bob is the only one who hasn’t said anything. Well, Torn is quiet too, but that’s to be expected.
<Something’s off with this picture> Bob says, looking at the digital camera he’s holding. It’s showing the picture he took of his daughter in her prom dress. Everything looks fine except:
<Look at her eyes: they’re completely black> Bob informs the others, showing the picture.
<Okay that sounds bad> Quantum agrees.
<I saw her eyes do that once. When she killed Demeter> Kari recalls.
<Noriko killed someone!?> Todd asks, shocked and confused.
Everyone looks at Kari, with an expression meaning “Did you just say that out loud?”. Except Torn who really doesn’t seem to care.
<That…was supposed to be a secret, wasn’t it?> she asks, embarrassed.
The ballroom
To say that Noriko is the center of attention would be an understatement. Taking advantage of all the world’s knowledge to learn how to dance is not the most heroic use of her power, but right now she doesn’t care. A part of her always wanted to be looked at with admiration and desire; doesn’t she deserve it, after all she’s done for humanity?
No expectations. No fate of the world on her shoulders. No one counting on her guidance. No one trying to kill her. Just this once…just a simple night out.
<What are you doing here?> Jane asks, grabbing her arm and dragging her off the dance floor.
The two girls have been best friends since seventh grade, but Noriko hasn’t seen her for months. There was always something to do…a new invention, a new menace, a new excuse.
<Didn’t you see me dance? I’m awesome now!> Noriko boasts.
<You left high school. Who invited you?> Jane asks; there’s anger in her voice.
<Nobody, I just wanted to see the old gang. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your date?>
<So you drop by and make prom all about yourself? Just like that!?>
<What’s with the attitude, Jane? I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls, but I was busy.>
<I’m not going to college> Jane says; Noriko’s words seem to have driven her over the edge.
<Oh. I see> Noriko acknowledges.
<I don’t have the grades or the money to go, so I was hoping that my best friend, my billionaire super-genius friend, could do something to help me, but she was too busy to take a phone call!!!>
<Why are you mad at me, Jane? I’m not the one who doesn’t have what it takes> Noriko answers, immediately regretting the words coming out of her mouth.
<I don’t…I don’t have what it takes!? What it takes to do what!?> Jane shouts back.
<I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… you don’t understand…> Noriko tries to explain, only receiving a slap in the face. The two friends have had arguments in the past, but she’s never seen her so angry.
<F##k you! What did you do to deserve what you have!?> Jane asks, before running away crying.
Understandably, the fight attracted a lot of attention. Noriko looks at them, her eyes turning black.
<What are you looking at?> – she asks with a strange voice.
Nobody has the courage to answer.
Eleusis, 30 light-years from Earth
Every single screen on the planet is showing the images of two gods walking the streets of a small, insignificant city. One of them is Hephaestus, a towering man in bulky white armor; every step of his heavy boots is shaking the ground, and he carries a massive war hammer in his hands.
The other is Artemis, an athletic woman with short white hair and a nasty scar over one eye; her bare feet float above the ground, and she carries a bow seemingly made of golden light.
<What do you want, Hephaestus? This world is mine> she boasts.
<<Hephaestus doesn’t share your lust for battle, Artemis. Kneel before me and you shall live!>>
<Is that what you say to your wife Aphrodite? Because it’s failing with me just like it fails with her.>
<<Do not mock me, sister! I warn you, I am more than a god now>>
<Yes, I can see that; nice cybernetic implants. Word among gods, however, is that not only you have made yourself less than a god, you are now less than a man.>
<<Very well; today a goddess shall die!!!>> he threatens, swinging the hammer to emit a wave of plasma. Artemis jumps above it, firing a dozen energy arrows at Hephaestus as she does it.
<Yeah, right> she dismisses him, landing while the plasma wave evaporates the bottom five floors of the nearest skyscraper. Without wasting time she fires another arrow, this time towards the rapidly descending building; there’s a golden rope attached to the arrow, which ties the skyscraper.
She pulls the rope with her divine strength, assuring that the building collapses right on her opponent’s head. Thousands of people die screaming, but she’s not done yet: she jumps again, this time straight upwards, and prepares to shoot three energy arrows at once.
When she reaches five miles of altitude, she fires. When the arrows hit the chest of Hephaestus, there is a blinding flash of light. When the fireball disappears, Artemis floats above the crater to admire the beautiful mushroom cloud that rises from the complete annihilation of the town.
<Come out, brother! I know you’re weak, but that can’t possibly have hurt you!!!>
The hammer hits her in the face faster than the speed of sound. Before she can react to it, something weighting more than a tank grabs her ankle and throws her towards the ground.
She lands hard on her back; Hephaestus jumps on her body, pinning down her arms with his legs.
He punches her in the face. Once, twice, three times, and the temperature above them is rising: the ground below them is rapidly melting into lava.
<<Never again. Nobody will mock me ever again>> he swears, recovering the hammer that flies in his hands once again. The hammer made from the core of a neutron star, with each square inch weighting thousands of tons.
Artemis struggles to break free until the hammer hits her face. She doesn’t lose consciousness until the seventh blow, at which point the last thing she sees is her own blood covering the hammer.
New York City, 30 light-years away
The ladies bathroom’s door is kicked open, causing a few screams. Noriko stands there, ordering:
<Get. Out. NOW.>
None of the girls need to be asked twice. Once they have all left, Noriko closes the door and takes the Mark IV Genius Gun from her purse. She fires it once, and the telekinetic blast lodges the door.
She watches herself in the mirror: the mascara is starting to run.
<This is why I hate makeup> she complains, before splashing cold water on her face.
“Why did I say that to Jane? I wouldn’t have gone to college either if it weren’t for…” she thinks, her thoughts trailing off to her friend’s words.
What did you do to deserve what you have? She didn’t earn her genius. She just happened to be a pawn in her mother’s crazy scheme. What makes her worthy of her superhuman mind?
<Nothing.>
<Who’s there?> Noriko asks, turning around: the door is still locked, and the only sound is the water running. She wipes her face, then looks at herself in the mirror again: the eyes are black.
<What the…>
The silver irises have disappeared; her eyes are a black, featureless void. She touches her reflection, standing as close to the mirror as she can to examine them.
<This…this is really bad.>
<Kid, you have no idea> her reflection says.
Noriko screams and jumps back, but her reflection doesn’t move. It smiles and crosses her arms.
<Come on, don’t be a p#ssy, you’ve seen plenty of weirder stuff.>
Noriko immediately checks her electronic bracelet, performing a rapid scan of the room.
<Don’t bother, I’m not a hologram. Yes, I can hear what you’re thinking.>
<This is some sort of hallucination> Noriko deduces, checking how her reflection doesn’t match her movements anymore. Her heart is pounding like never before.
<I’ve been trying to get your attention all day, kid. It’s time we talk.>
Her reflection punches the mirror hard enough to break it. Noriko watches her dark reflection smear her own blood on the shards, drawing a symbol.
<I’ve been waiting inside your mind since the lightning strike, kid. I’ve been scratching the walls you built around me and finally, FINALLY, I can see the way out. You. Cannot. Stop. ME.>
Noriko feels a sharp pain her right hand; there’s blood dripping from it, and the veins on her arm are turning black. She’s too terrified to say anything.
<Everything okay in there?> someone from the other side asks, trying to open the door.
This drags Noriko back to reality. The mirror is perfectly intact and there’s nothing on her hand.
She opens the door so fast she almost scares the poor girl she sees to death.
<What color are my eyes!?> Noriko asks, looking even more scared than the girl.
<Silver, I guess? Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!>
<I wish> Noriko says, shoving the girl out of her way to walk out.
The girl looks her go away, scratching her head.
<What the heck is wrong with her?>
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