Supreme Scorpion, Null City spaceport
Two girls are hugging on the boarding bridge, giving each other a warm farewell. Which would be a common sight on a spaceship, except this time the two girls are the same person.
<I’m gonna miss you guys> Kari Zel says, choking up.
<I’ll call you as soon as Noriko sets up the space phone> Kari Zel replies, wiping away the tears on her exact replica.
<We’re not gonna call it that> Noriko clarifies, walking past the two girls with purple hair.
<You want to call it Null Phone, don’t you?> Quantum teases her.
<I might> she replies seriously.
While one of the members of the Vanguard are particularly shocked by Kari’s behavior, Todd Slate scratches his head and asks:
<Wait, I’m confused. Which one of you is the duplicate and which is the original Kari?>
<Neither. She’s on the bridge> one of the Kari replies.
<She sent me to say goodbye to myself, since she’s busy preparing for takeoff> the other Kari adds.
<Yes but why the farewell? You’re still you, aren’t… you?> Todd asks, tripping over his words.
<Oh Todd. Don’t ever change> one Kari comments patting his head, while the other Kari gives him a friendly kiss on the check before leaving.
Todd watches the other duplicate waving her goodbye, then pop out of existence. Torn is walking by at the same time, and predictably he doesn’t seem to care.
<This planet is weird> Todd comments.
<So is yours> is all the demon has to say about it.
Lycosura, 45.000 light-years from Earth
Hermes is bored. As the god of merchants he’s used to travel all over the galaxy, to see new worlds every day, but he’s been stuck in this prison for what feels like an eternity.
For mortal standards, it’s a vast and beautiful mansion. But for Hermes, this is just torture.
Lycosura is located at the edge of the Olympian Galaxy, so far in the Persephone Sector to be completely isolated: the nearest living creature is hundreds of light-years away.
The planet orbits a red dwarf star from a significant distance, meaning that its days are as dark and cold as its nights. And most importantly, Hermes can’t leave: Persephone’s power holds the planet hostage, preventing anything from escaping… even a god.
<How the mighty God of Tricksters has fallen> a voice whispers behind him.
Together with him, the unfocused image of a bald man is merging with the shadows.
<The Scribe> Hermes recognizes him.
<You seem to be in a bad mood.>
<How observant. You truly are among the Galaxy’s brightest. Could it be because a god who could reach the end of the Universe in the blink of an eye is now stuck in this literally godforsaken room?>
<Theatrical as always. I assume you know why I’m here.>
<My dear Scribe, I may have fallen out of luck, but Hermes does not need your help to escape.>
<In the unlikely chance that this isn’t another one of your schemes, I find interesting to hear you talk in the third person now that Hephaestus is dead.>
<Oh! My dearest step-brother? What has happened to him?> Hermes asks, with enough false sincerity to put all Earth actors to shame.
<Please don’t insult my intelligence again or I will end this conversation at once.>
<You’re no fun. Alright, I’ll admit it, I still have connections. I know that good old Sparky has kicked the bucket. I’ll really miss the earthquakes he conjured whenever I called him Sparky.>
<Then you must know that Noriko Null is the one who killed him.>
<Of course. Other than Sunshine, what other mortal is capable of killing a true god? Present company excluded, of course.>
<Of course.>
<You didn’t project your shadow here just to tell me that, right? Or to ask me to lend a hand since Sunshine’s team has kicked the Guild’s collective asses.>
<A minor setback that has had no negative impact on my plans.>
<Sure it didn’t. Quit dancing around, Scribe, what do you want?>
<Null has the coordinates to the Dragon Tomb.>
<…>
<I have seen things that gods cannot even begin to understand, but the sight of a speechless Hermes? A priceless prize.>
<You’ve got balls, Scribe, I’ll give you that. But I figured you had more sense; what is it with you and needlessly complicated plans?>
<I believe that the current state of the galaxy is unsalvageable: the only way to establish a new order is to wipe out the current one. And Null is so perfect for the role that I believe this is exactly what Athena had in mind when she upgraded her mind. I can deal with Null, but Athena requires a different approach. One which should be familiar to you.>
<You want me to backstab her? Sure, it’s not like you just told me you want to wipe out the current status quo which, I remind you, has served me pretty well in the past.>
<That was before a mortal learned how to kill the gods. You tried to handle Null’s revolution with the old methods, and look where it got you.>
<Fair enough. Alright, there’s a war shaping up and I’m already working with at least three sides, I might as well make things interesting and add a fourth one.>
Shinjuku, Tokyo
Leiko Tanaka takes off her shoes as she enters her latest home, a short walking distance from the headquarters of Japan’s Ministry of Defense.
Just because she’s working for the government doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy the benefits of her family’s vast fortune; a servant takes her jacket, another fixes her hair, while a third one approaches and bows respectfully while asking:
<Welcome back home, Tanaka-Sama. Is there anything you need?>
<Yes. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is opposing my proposal. If memory serves, he has family.>
<That is correct, a wife and a five year old son.>
<Kill his wife. It should convince him to take a stronger stance against the Empire of Shadows and remind him who got him elected in the first place.>
<We could just… threaten to kill her> the underling humbly suggests.
Leiko gives him a disinterested look for a couple of seconds. Then she snaps her fingers and casually orders:
<Left knee.>
The servant busy working on Leiko’s hair immediately pulls a gun from her belt, shooting the underling without missing a beat. The man screams in pain, but his voice is muffled by the Sound Nullifiers ™ installed in the room. Leiko doesn’t show any emotion looking at him.
<I forgot to ask: what is his wife’s occupation?> she asks, with the same tone she’d use to ask what time is it.
<,She’s a Councilor in the National Diet… she’s part of the Oversight Committee> the underling struggles to answer, despite the pain.
<She could prove useful. Kill their son instead of her. Unless you have another suggestion.>
<No, Tanaka-Sama, I will give the order> the man answers, limping away.
<Good. Now somebody draw me a bath and clean all this blood before it…>
Leiko Tanaka doesn’t finish the sentence. She completely disappears in the blink of an eye, leaving behind all of her clothes falling to the ground.
Anywhere else, this would cause a scene. In the Tanaka household, nobody dares question Leiko even if she’s violating the laws of physics.
Lycosura, 45.000 light-years away
<…stains the carpet.>
Leiko is momentarily shaken by the experience: removed from the sanctity of her home without her consent, she finds herself inside a lavishly decorated room immersed in candlelight.
She rapidly regains her composure, showing only a slight annoyance when she inspects her current appearance: her clothes have been replaced by a white dress with a dangerously short hemline.
<Hermes. You sure have a lot of courage to bring me here> Leiko complains, while adjusting the very tight dress to show a little less cleavage.
<You’ve missed me, don’t lie> Hermes says, appearing behind her to move her long dark hair in order to kiss her neck.
<I have not. You are unreliable> she coldly accuses him, walking away. It’s not an easy thing to do, because once she takes a step away from him he’s already moved in front of her, and she bumps against his naked chest.
<Come on, my little ice queen, you can’t deny the chemistry between us> he insists, extending his hand to caress her face. She backs off immediately.
<Are you done?> she asks. There’s enough coldness in her voice to freeze a star.
<I see that my appeal to your lust… which I simply must remark I have been able to satisfy on multiple occasions… is not working this time.>
<You are a pleasant distraction, Hermes, but a distraction nonetheless. As an ally, you have shown yourself to be childish and unreliable.>
<You have a rare talent for hurting other people’s feelings, dear Leiko. Could an appeal to your thirst for power be more successful?>
<You have nothing to offer me. I still receive reports from the Mortal Liberation Front… you have lost your kingdom. You may be able to bring others into your cage, but you’re unable to break free.>
<What a resourceful woman. It shows that Noriko gets it from you.>
Considering the look in her eyes, it’s obvious that Leiko would kill Hermes if he weren’t immortal.
<I’m sure you remember, dear Leiko, that our previous alliance produced not only many hours of pleasure for the both of us, but also a new and improved version of the Centurions.>
<Which you’ve used in your war against Persephone but have provided no advantage whatsoever to the Empire of Shadows> he recalls.
<They were making progress, actually, before Eris possessed Artemis and took care of both the Centurions and several millions of my soldiers. I had Talas Khanos working on a much improved new Centurion, but then the whole Hephaestus mess happened.>
<You were going to sell the genetic research done by my scientists to Khanos and give nothing in return to me> Leiko deduces. There’s no anger in her voice: it’s just facts.
<Well, yes, of course. I’m Hermes, after all. The problem is, there are limits to what I can bring here without Persephone noticing, and an entire genetics laboratory is one of them. And working with Khanos is out of the question after his betrayal. But with his notes, my experience and your resourcefulness, we can create an army to retake my kingdom.>
<What’s in it for me?>
<My eternal gratitude. And immortality.>
Leiko crosses her arms, defiantly: she’s not buying any of this, and Hermes notices.
<Alright, alright, I can’t make you truly immortal… humans are simply not built to last forever, and some things will still kill you. But I can make you immune to any kind of disease and permanently freeze your aging. What do you say?>
Leiko considers the offer: Hermes can’t be trusted, she has no doubt about it. But she also knows how to manipulate people. Men in particular.
<I will need tangible guarantees. And I want to scrutinize our deal in detail.>
<Of course! I am also, after all, the god of lawyers.>
<You are most certainly not.>
<Perhaps, but I am the god of lies and bargain. We will make an excellent team, my little ice queen.>
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