Beyond The Impossible

Fort Hamilton, New York

<Every freaking time!> Quantum complains, transforming into light to get close to Euphemia Doron in the blink of an eye. He turns back into flash and blood just in time to push the politician out of the way, before an axe made of solid black Ichor can hit her.

<I’m never trusting Noriko with a “simple job” again!!!> he adds, shooting a few laser beams towards the aggressor: the Lampyrian politician Lyra Syzar, who seems to have been possessed by the Ichor and is now trying to murder her political rival.

<Hey at least you can hit her, I can’t even touch her as long as she’s possessed! How the Hades did that happen!?> Kari Zel wonders, creating a duplicate right next to the military vehicle where the assassin Sarelyn Yon was supposed to be physically restrained.

Clearly that’s no longer the case: a sword of Ichor cuts the vehicle in half, allowing a disturbingly scarred Myridian woman to stumble into the open. Between her unnatural movements, her vacant eyes and her drooling open mouth, there’s little doubt about her situation.

<Uhm, guys? She’s moving again, but I don’t think she’s alive.> Kari says, watching in terror as the dead woman creates multiple duplicates of herself that keep advancing slowly.

<Whoa, we have to fight zombies now!? That’s so freaking cool!> Quantum exclaims.

Now it’s Torn’s turn to save him at the last second: he creates a pentagram beneath his feet, and Quantum falls inside the portal. Torn’s attempt to counterattack is pointless, since the daggers he throws at the possessed Lyra disintegrate as soon as they approach the dark aura that envelops her.

Once Quantum emerges from the portal right next to Kari, he has to face her disapproving look.

<Uhm, I meant… “oh no, we have to fight zombies now”?> he says unconvincingly.

<Is it too much to ask you to take this seriously!? Ichor users are immune to Blood weapons and my duplicates can’t even touch them! You’re the only one who can fight those things!>

<Not exactly.> is the reply coming from the other superpowered individual present: Shaina, former Oracle of Apollo and current Minister of Galactic Security, uses her abilities to shoot a flurry of laser blasts from her fingertips at both Lyra and at the Ichor zombies.

Lyra is not an easy target, considering how quickly she can move when flying with her natural wings, but one of the lasers would hit her… if she didn’t deflect it with an Ichor axe.

The zombies lack her dexterity and just keep walking their path, but even if they’re hit it’s a meaningless victory: an instant after a duplicate disintegrates after being hit, it spawns a new one.

<See? That was…> Shaina starts to say, unleashing a much more powerful single blast.

<Don’t say it…> Quantum tries to warn her.

The blast does take care of the several dozen duplicates in front of them, but for maybe half a second before they are replaced by at least a hundred new zombies.

<… easy?>

<And now you’ve jinxed it. You never, EVER say it was easy!!!>

<We need to find a way to contain this. She can’t create more than ten thousand duplicates, as long as the Ichor doesn’t possess more bodies we can still isolate this.> Kari says, but her optimism is cut short by the arrival of the soldiers stationed at Fort Hamilton.

<Oh cραπ.> Kari laments, creating more duplicates to stand between the Ichor zombies and the human soldiers that are already barking orders.

<We have to keep them away from…> she adds, interrupted by the two laser blasts that Shaina just unleashed from her hands: they encircle the crowd of zombies, separating them from the rest of the base by creating a permanent circle of high-powered photons.

<What are you doing!?> Kari objects.

<Taking charge. The security of the Prime Minister candidates is my responsibility.> Shaina replies, as Lyra continues to fight Torn by throwing more and more weapons at him.

<Yeah great job about that!> Quantum comments.

<Nobody move! Including that winged thing!> one of the human soldiers orders, as his men surround the fight. Between the multiplying zombies and the possessed Lampyrian fighting a Demon, even the best soldiers are unsure of what to do.

The answer comes in the form of a swarm of small drones that are teleported above them: they generate a semi-spherical forcefield that completely surrounds the zombies.

Lyra is fast enough to fly out of the dome, but only to be hit with an electrical charge that paralyzes her muscles for a second. Which is not something you want when you’re flying: no longer supported by her wings, she drops to the ground.

Having teleported there with the drones, Noriko Null puts away her Genius Gun and looks at Quantum, raising an eyebrow and saying:

<This was supposed to be a simple job.>

<You didn’t tell me this Ichor stuff can jump from person to person!> he replies.

<I wasn’t informed. That complicates things; we’ll need to take more precautions.>

<My ship is at your disposal to drop those beings into the nearest star, Lady Null.> Shaina suggests.

<No, that’s not secure enough. I don’t trust to keep Ichor anywhere near a planet.>

While the two women chat, the soldiers are increasingly confused on how to deal with the situation; their commanding officer, even more so.

<Wait a minute, you’re not taking these people away!>

<I am. The United States has extradited Sarelyn Yon to Myridia, and Lyra Syzar has diplomatic immunity as an active candidate to the Olympian government.>

<I need to take this up with my commanding officer.>

<I literally have the President on speed dial. Do you want to take this up with him?> Noriko asks, taking her N-Phone out of her pocket.

<That… won’t be necessary. You can proceed with the transfer.> the soldier relents.

<I thought so. Don’t worry, the Olympian government will pay for the damages to your base.> she says, activating the Portal Generator.

As the Vanguard, their allies and their prisoners are being teleported away, the soldier can hear Null whisper to Kari:

<Sometimes it’s good to be the Empress.>

 

Asgard Station, Null Zone

Located outside of the regular universe, the space station has significantly increased in size over the past months, thanks to the supplies transported by the Portal Generator and the incessant work of thousands and thousands of Nullbots.

One of the new sections was added in case Null ever needed to incarcerate a god, but it’s good enough to secure other types of threats as well.

The Vanguard, along with Shaina, has gathered in one of the many multipurpose office rooms, where they are monitoring the two prisoners through security cameras.

Quantum has a hard time concentrating on the threat: the fact they are the only living beings in this dimension, surrounded by thousands of robots that keep doing their jobs autonomously, creeps him out to no end.

Kari keeps her cool, but her complete lack of purpose in the last two encounters with Ichor users has gotten under her skin.

Torn doesn’t say a word and his emotions remain as unreadable as always.

Noriko Null takes charge, obviously, standing in front of the monitor as she talks.

<We need a new strategy, guys. The next time we face someone using Ichor we can’t risk getting blindsided for the third time. We know there’s at least another assassin on Earth, and Ereshkigal is sending hundreds of them our way.>

<I don’t get how the Ichor was able to jump into Lyra. We’ve all been closer to Sarelyn, she could’ve passed the Ichor to any of us.> Kari notes.

<At least that problem will solve itself. The only difference between a Lampyrian and a dead body is just a few years.> Shaina coldly comments.

<Show some respect, Shaina. I’m not overly fond of the Syzar family, but we’re talking about someone’s life.> Null scolds her.

<With all due respect, Lady Null, she’s not even a blood relative of President Syzar. She’s not even human to begin with.>

<Wow. You can take away their god, but an Oracle remains an a##hole.> Quantum adds.

<You should also show some respect, Vanguard. I am the Minister of Galactic Security.>

If Shaina’s intent was to boast about her position, she definitely overestimated its success.

<Serving at my pleasure, Shaina. Let me be clear: Lyra’s death is not on the table. And if I get the feeling you’re not doing your best to save her life and to stop the escalation to a war, I will personally make sure you will never get a position of power again in your life. Do you have something to add to that, Minister Shaina?> Noriko asks, her silver eyes shining in anger.

<No. I understand.> Shaina sheepishly agrees, avoiding looking at her in the eye.

<Good. We’ve had three people being infected or possessed by the Ichor: out of them, Ganos Lal is still alive and has recovered. There must be a reason why she managed to beat this thing when the others didn’t. What are we missing?> Noriko asks.

<Lal is the only one to have faith in you.> Torn suggests.

<I’m not gonna ask Lyra to pray for her recovery, Torn.> she clarifies.

<As weird as that sounds, Torn might actually be onto something. The difference can’t be that Lal is Myridian, because the Ichor possessed Sarelyn and didn’t even try with me.> Kari says.

<One’s soul must be very strong to use the Blood. It is possible that, in order to fight the possession from the Ichor, it must be similarly strong.> Torn hypothesizes.

<Thanks for the vote of confidence.> Kari jokes.

<The Ichor wasn’t trying to possess you, and I don’t know why. But it might explain why Lal was able to repeal the possession, while Lyra can’t.> he clarifies.

<Why would she want to be possessed by the Ichor?> Noriko wonders.

<Well it does give her superpowers. Heck if I didn’t know about the whole “it’s the Dark Side of the Blood that wants to murder everything”, I wouldn’t mind getting the power to create swords and stuff!> Quantum comments.

<Please don’t get any ideas.> Kari warns him.

<Perhaps if Lyra knew more about the Ichor she would fight back. I will attempt a Soul Resonance and help her.> Torn declares, and from the tone of his voice he’s not asking for permission.

<Absolutely not. The risk is too high.> Noriko stops him.

<I will not kill her, unless as a last resort.>

<I meant for you, Torn. We don’t want the Ichor possessing you as well.>

<It won’t. My soul is one with the Blood: the Ichor would rather destroy me from within.>

<Not exactly an incentive to do this, Torn…>

<I’m with the Demon on this. We will not get a better chance to learn more about the Ichor.> Shaina approves.

<Nobody asked you.> Quantum replies.

<Null. The Ichor is a part of Hell’s history that has been hidden from us; our ignorance and refusal to face our past is what has caused this abomination to reach Earth. You may be Hell’s Regent, but you are no Demon. The Blood doesn’t beat in your soul. I must do this alone.>

<There’s nothing I can say or do that’ll make you change your mind, isn’t it?> Noriko realizes.

<Unless you kill Lyra. That would invalidate any attempt to contact her soul.>

<I already said I don’t plan to kill her.>

<But she doesn’t have a table.>

<What are you talking about?>

<You said she will not die on a table. She doesn’t have a table in her cell.>

<I said her death is not on the table! With any luck, the Ichor will get too confused to even try getting into your brain.>