Since she became the world’s smartest teenager, Noriko has done some weird things.
Hiding in a black van while a C.I.A. agent is shooting the human-shaped biological weapons that are trying to kill her doesn’t even make it to the top ten.
<What are you waiting for, take us out of here!> Agent Warden shouts at Noriko, who’s behind the wheel.
<I can’t reach the pedals> she admits, adjusting the seat to her five feet height.
The Blue lands on the roof, tearing it apart with his bare hands. Agent Warden fires a few shots, but the bullets are just absorbed by the Blue.
<How the hell did you kill three of those!?> he asks.
<They weren’t bulletproof! They must be learning from each other!>
Torn is right outside the van, slicing the Blue and wielding a red energy sword in each hand. Every time he cuts one of the Blue in half, two more take its place; he’s already fighting eight.
He sees the Blue tearing the roof apart; from what he’s seen, an unarmed Noriko doesn’t stand a chance.
<Need some breathing room. SPIRAL INTO CONTROL!>
Torn’s body is suddenly surrounded by a whirlwind of red swords, which cuts the eight Blue into a million drops of blue goo. The Blue attacking the van notices.
He jumps off the vehicle and without saying a word walks menacingly towards Torn. The red-skinned fighter has four words to shout:
<NEEDLE OF THE EYE!>
He throws the red energy javelin with enough force to impale the Blue’s head to the van. Meanwhile, the blue goo is already forming a new army. Torn looks at the impaled enemy, still alive and struggling to free himself. But the Blue hasn’t duplicated.
<Still one? Interesting.>
Then he looks back at the blue substance shaping itself into dozen new copies of the Blue.
<Cut of a thousand deaths> Torn says, swinging his arm as if to thrust a weapon into the sky. A thousand red energy blades appear out of nowhere, suspended in mid-air like Damocles swords.
<Rain of terror> he adds, and all the deadly blades shoot downward to hit the Blue army.
Noriko steps out of the van to admire the many artificial humans impaled to the ground, still technically alive but unable to free themselves.
<I don’t understand your urge to call your attacks, it doesn’t work unless you shout them> she suggests. Torn gives her a confused look, pointing at the defeated enemy.
<They disagree.>
Elsewhere in New York City
This is definitely Quantum’s worst fight. Not the hardest…he’s fought an indestructible robot, half a planet of telekinetic murderers and a goddess. It’s not his worst defeat, because technically he hasn’t lost. It’s a stalemate…sort of.
He’s fighting artificial humans called the Blue: they are immune to his energy attacks and they keep creating new copies of themselves. He can’t harm them, they can’t harm him.
He can’t leave the fight, because right behind the hundreds of artificial humans there’s a rapidly growing number of onlookers and journalists. As long as he’s the target, they’re safe.
So Quantum just stands in the middle of the enemy army, turning into an intangible and harmless mass of light. Yawning.
<You guys are really boring. At least the Many said something and was easy on the eyes…you’re just nameless goons.>
One of Kari’s duplicates appears right in front of him, asking in broken English:
<What is you doing?>
<I have no idea. Nothing works on these guys. Suggestions?>
<ιμπροvισε> she answers in her native Myridian language. Two Blue try to grab her, but she makes herself disappear in the blink of an eye and they end up headbutting each other.
<What, do I have to make them fight each other? I can’t just hit them, they just replicate whatever…>
Then Quantum snaps his fingers. He knows how to win this.
<They just replicate whatever I hit them with> he repeats, transforming his own body a negative magnetic field. The Blue react in the only way they can think of: absorb.
Which means that when Quantum turns into a positive magnetic field, the Blue are immediately pushed towards him.
If Null were here, she’d explain that Quantum’s understanding of what he’s just done is scientifically impossible, but she wouldn’t argue the following step: changing into pure thermal energy, Quantum vaporizes the Blue so quickly that they don’t have time to adapt.
The result is that Quantum is once again standing triumphant in the now empty street. One of Kari’s duplicates appears once again, jumping in excitement like a five year old.
<That was brilliant, wasn’t it?>
<Τηατ ωασ αωεσομε!!!>
<And I can’t brag about it because you don’t understand a word I’m saying.>
<Ωηατ?>
<Yeah, I think this day sucks too.>
The Sun
Vesta has been here many times before. Her uncle Helios used to take her here every few hundred years when she was younger.
Now she’s here to bury her sister Demeter. She wonders if this is what she would’ve wanted…gods don’t talk about their own funeral because they think they’ll never get one.
They know they can die because it’s happened before. But it’s so rare that they can pretend it’s impossible. And as far as Vesta knows, no god has ever been killed by a mortal.
She should probably ask Hades if there’s a precedent. He knows everything about death.
Vesta is floating a few thousand miles above the Sun, holding Demeter’s corpse in her arms. She can take the heat and the radiation, but resisting the star’s gravitational pull takes all of her power.
<Goodbye, sister.>
She lets go, no longer protecting the corpse from gravity. Demeter’s lifeless body plummets into the star faster than the eye can see. Vesta doesn’t know what will happen to her…it’s possible her immortal body will survive the journey. But no one will ever disturb her.
She wipes the tears from her eyes, even though it shouldn’t be possible for any kind of liquid to exist here, and she flies away.
An undisclosed location
From the outside this looks like any other generic storehouse, but it’s just the entrance to a high security installation. Agent Warden has just led Noriko, Kari, Torn and Quantum to a well lit conference room which is barely furnished.
<So what’s with the office building look? Where’s the James Bond stuff?> Quantum asks, sitting down between Kari and Noriko.
<We’re a little low on the budget. We should be able to talk in peace here, while our guys clean up the mess you left behind…again> is the agent’s answer.
<ωιλλ σομεονε πλεασε τελλ με ωηατ’σ γοινγ ον?> Kari asks.
<ωορκινγ ον ιτ. Agent Warden, my N-Phone please> Noriko adds. It’s not a question, it’s clearly an order.
<I can’t see why not. But I’m keeping your sci-fi gun for now> he answers, handing the phone back to the silver-eyed girl.
<Load N-Translator, English to Myridian. Κεεπ τηισ cλοσε το υοθ εαρ> she says to Kari, giving her the phone. The Myridian girl takes the device, commenting:
<Τηισ ωοθλδ βε εασιερ ιφ Vesta ωερε ηερε.>
<This would be easier if Vesta were here> the phone translates.
<I agree, but apparently I can’t trust Quantum to keep the team together for a single night.>
<She flew away! What was I supposed to do!?> he whines.
<Follow> Torn answers.
<Says the guy who got himself arrested!> Quantum says.
<I was trying to get a drink> Torn explains.
<Do you guys need a minute?> the agent asks.
<Τηισ ισ φθcκινγ ριδιcθλοθσ. Ωηυ αρεν’τ ωε τακινγ τηε Τοωερ βαcκ?>
<This is expletive ridiculous. Why aren’t we taking the Tower back?>
<Excellent question. Are the United States keeping me under arrest?> Noriko asks.
<The President is weighing his options> Warden answers.
<What would his options be if I asked the Vanguard to level this building to the ground?>
Quantum and Kari are visibly worried by her question, but Agent Warden smiles.
<Nice bluff. You need us.>
<I am Null. I’ve fought alien robots and gods. I don’t need your help to take back what is mine.>
<Then why didn’t you do it as soon as you came back? Why hide? Look, you’ve been away for six weeks; a lot has changed and we can fill you in. In exchange, we want to know what the hell’s been going on since you turned super-smart.>
Noriko tries to keep her cool, but her shining eyes signal that she’s exasperated by the situation. It’s too dangerous to try taking the Tower back without knowing what happened to her father, to the Heart of the Universe, to her inventions…
<This is your fault. I’d be up to speed if you hadn’t tried to save my life> she says to Torn.
<I’ll ask permission before doing it again> he answers.
<Alright Agent Warden, you’ve got a deal. Tell me everything you know about Leiko Tanaka’s plans and I will share my information on the Many, the Talos and the Heart of the Universe.>
<Oh, I’m not the one you’re supposed to talk to> Agent Warden replies, reaching for a remote control in his pocket.
The holographic projectors in the room are activated, creating a tridimensional image of a man wearing a very nice suit.
<It’s a real pleasure to finally meet you, miss Null.>
<Likewise, mister President.>
Khloe VII, capital world of the Demeter Theocracy
The Divine Palace lies in ruins. A ten year old girl is walking through the gardens; the plants die with her every step, and a rotten decay spreads like a plague throughout the planet.
A decrepit old woman is patting the back of a Chimera, a monstrous fire-breathing lion with a snake for a tail, which is gleefully devouring one of the Oracles.
Anesi Mithrades, current Lady-In-Waiting and highest ranking mortal in the Theocracy, is kneeling before a beautiful woman with dark grey hair.
<Lady Hekate, I don’t know where Holy Demeter is. She left for Myridia weeks ago.>
<Myridia. Didn’t we own the place once?> the grey haired woman asks, with a strange echo in her voice.
<Who cares. When are we leaving? All this green sickens us> says the old woman, with the same voice of the younger one.
<Sending mortals to greet us. Instead of helping us in the war against Hephaestus, Demeter insults us> says the child, holding a flower in her hand. It turns into dust in a second.
<We agree. This world is beneath us> the woman nods, lifting the Lady-In-Waiting by her neck. The looks her in the eye while Anesi ages thirty years every second, until all that’s left of her are blackened bones.
<Pack your things, girls. The Triple Goddess is going back home.>
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