United Nations Headquarters
Some days, Kayla Black wonders if subjecting herself to the treatment that gave her powers and made her Blue Star was really a good idea. Today is one of these days: Scarab is just toying with her, telekinetically positioning the boulders to block any attack while at the same time taking more and more chunks of rock from the ground to keep her off balance.
<Is that all you’ve got? You just shoot energy? Honestly, I was hoping for a little challenge.>
<Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?> Kayla yells.
<Do I need a reason? I just want to have fun.>
<Fun? You steal a city for fun!?>
<No. I break cities for fun> Scarab answers, spreading her arms. As if there wasn’t already enough damage to the city, a new chasm opens in the street. Blue Star jumps away at the last second; a few moments later and she would’ve fallen inside it. But it’s just the beginning: pillars of rock have emerged from the ground, quickly taken the shape of two giant hands.
<Enough playing. Let me see what you’ve got> Scarab tells her, commanding the hands to move towards Blue Star. Given that she couldn’t take care of the much smaller boulders, she needs a new strategy.
Looking around frantically, something catches her attention: Scarab’s actions have exposed a gas pipe. Blue Star takes the chance and shoots it, causing a powerful explosion that Scarab couldn’t anticipate.
Her reflexes are still sharp enough to summon a wall of hardened sand to shield herself, but she didn’t account for the fact that Blue Star’s ability to absorb energy protects her from the explosion.
And the sand shield isn’t able to stop Blue Star from smashing right through it, coming close enough to punch Scarab right in the face.
She could end the fight easily. Her energy can disintegrate metal, melting Scarab’s skull wouldn’t take much. But she’s the only person keeping New York City intact, so killing her isn’t the option.
Scarab doesn’t have to know that.
<Put the city down, slowly, or you can say goodbye to your head> she bluffs.
<You won’t. I can throw it into the sun if I want.>
<Just try. I break people like you for fun; just give me an excuse.>
Scarab seriously considers complying with the request: Blue Star’s hands are inches away from her face, and they’re glowing with energy. Kayla is still rushing with adrenaline, and she’s enjoying the moment: this doesn’t make up for losing to Artemis and Abyss, but she needed a clear win for once.
Maybe she enjoys it a little too much, though, because she doesn’t see the stream of water coming towards her. It’s extremely powerful, enough to throw her away several feet; the water engulfs her in a bubble, leaving no air to breathe. Before she can try to vaporize it, the pressure increases dramatically and becomes unbearable. She passes out before seeing her opponent land on the ground.
<I could’ve taken her> Scarab comments.
<Sure you could. But we’re needed elsewhere> Naiad tells her.
And with just a wave of her arm, she releases a wave that floods the area pushing away everything out of its path.
The Scribe is watching this from inside the building, technical still negotiating with Earth’s diplomats.
<I hope this little demonstration showed how outmatched you are: both my weapons and my superhumans are vastly superior to yours. You have one day to surrender, or you’ll be destroyed> he declares, before teleporting out of the room.
The Dark Pyramid
From the outside, it’s really hard to tell how big the spaceship is. Its use of space is also incredibly wasteful: long corridors and large hallways seem to abound, constantly patrolled by robots.
The Mist escorts Void, Quantum, Torn and Kristen Lynn to the largest room they’ve seen so far: the eight massive pillars give it the appearance of an ancient temple, helped by the light of holographic torches.
It all forms a path towards the golden throne where the Scribe is sitting, but it’s not what gets everyone’s attention. It’s the fact that Vesta is in front of him, her wrists locked by handcuffs chained to the floor, and while her supernatural beauty is intact she’s clearly been through a lot.
<Vesta! Are you alright?> Quantum asks her; naturally, he’s the first to reach her. He tries to cut open the handcuffs with a laser, but it does absolutely nothing to the snow white metal.
<Neutral matter, the same used by Hephaestus. Even I can’t break or melt them> she explains.
<We can break him. Cut of a thousand deaths!> Torn shouts, releasing a storm of daggers that flows towards the Scribe; at the same time, Quantum transforms into pure electricity.
Neither of them can get through the forcefield that protects the Scribe’s throne; however, when Quantum’s thunderbolt form is bounced back, he’s able to pass through the barrier by becoming a beam of light… after all, the forcefield is transparent.
<You are not the only one to have learned something from your fight with Demeter> the Scribe calmly explains, raising a hand. When he does, Quantum screams in pain and holds his head with his hands; only when he steps away the pain disappears, and he has to wipe out the blood coming out of his nose.
<The hell was that!? It felt like a jackhammer in my brain!>
<The same thing happened to me when I tried to attack him> Vesta explains.
<Neutral matter and a variation of the God Eraser. Your lack of imagination is disappointing, Scribe.>
<I am a pragmatist, Null. Or do you prefer Void, in your current state?>
<Cut the melodramatic bulls##t, what do you want from Earth!?> Quantum asks.
<The Heart Of The Universe and total dominion over the Nine Galaxies.>
<Your attempts at humor are even more disappointing.>
<You mean you haven’t figured out how to unlock the Heart’s power? I thought you were smart.>
Void doesn’t take kindly to the veiled insult, and Quantum has to restrain her before she does something stupid.
<Alright, you got us where you want us. If you want to explain your evil plan, no one’s stopping you> he tells the Scribe, hoping he will take the bait.
<Perhaps some visual stimuli will help you> the Scribe answers, very slowly taking off his mask.
None of the people present have seen him without it: his face has always been obscured by the inverted triangle of his mask, even during their alliance against Hermes.
Now they can see him. His silver eyes shine briefly, just like Noriko’s usually do. Other than that, his face is utterly unremarkable.
<I have no idea whatsoever about who this individual is> Void confesses. Quantum, Torn and Kristen obviously share the same reaction, while Vesta is staring in disbelief. The Scribe notices and tells her:
<Yes. Look closer and say my name.>
The goddess is watching him with astonishment, her mind tracing back thousands of years.
<Imhotep? You can’t be… since when are you immortal!?>
<Death is but a minor inconvenience for those willing to fight it back> he muses.
<Wait, who is this guy again?> Quantum asks, scratching his head.
<Surely Earth history recalls me. Chancellor of the King of Egypt, High Priest of Heliopolis, builder of the first pyramid? Born under the rule of Djoser in the Third Dynasty?>
<Never heard of you> Quantum shrugs.
<You’re from Ancient Egypt? You’ve got to be kidding me!> Kristen reacts.
<It’s been a while and he’s changed a lot, but I never forget a face. It’s him> Vestal confirms, much to the journalist’s surprise.
<Let me show you why I have returned> the Scribe says, his silver eyes shining as he begins his tale.
Atlantic Ocean
The Phoenix NX-3 is flying over the ocean, leaving behind huge waves. Noriko’s clone is driving it, with Kari riding right behind her.
The motorbike veers of course for a moment; even though Noriko corrects the trajectory very quickly, they’re traveling so fast that it’s far from pleasurable.
“What was that? I think my stomach just flew back to Myridia” Kari complains through the Neural Transmitter, the only way to talk when you’re flying faster than the speed of sound.
“Sorry, I got a little distracted. Something’s happening on the Dark Pyramid and I had to take back control of my real body, since Void just went off-line”
“You mean she passed out?”
“She’s not a real person, Kari. She’s just a different software that my brain runs from time to time, nothing more”
Kari can’t say whether this is true or something Noriko tells herself, but this isn’t the time to ask.
“So you’re controlling both bodies now? At the same time?”
“Essentially, yes. Don’t worry, I have more than enough brainpower for the two of us”
“You think the Scribe knocked her… I mean disconnected her on purpose?”
“It’s hard to tell. He’s almost as smart as I am”
Before she can ask anything more, Kari sees black smoke coming from the engine.
“Nori, I don’t think this is supposed to happen” – she tells her through the Neural Transmitter.
“The engine’s overheating, it wasn’t designed to run at full speed for so long. I’ll try to-”
Before she can finish her thoughts, she loses control of the bike. The forcefield absorbs most of the impact when it hits the water, but it’s enough to throw the two girls into the icy waters.
The last thing the clone sees before losing consciousness are Kari and the Phoenix sinking.
Manhattan
Following the news isn’t easy for Todd Slate: both because he knows his girlfriend is in mortal danger, and since it’s hard to get a clear picture from the ground.
There’s endless footage of the Dark Pyramid, but its black surface remains impervious to any attempt to understand what’s happening behind it. There are official declarations from governments and politicians, all basically saying to stay calm while looking terrified.
Then his cellphone starts ringing. He thought he’d silenced it, tired of people trying to reach him for a comment, but they aren’t calling him this time. It’s a call automatically forwarded from Noriko’s phone. Something that’s supposed to happen only in case of emergency, and this qualifies.
<Hello? Who is this?>
<This is Blue Star. Is this… this is awkward, but is this Null’s number?>
<Uhm, yeah, she’s… busy at the moment. I saw your fight with Scarab on TV, are you okay?>
<I’ll live. Listen, I have to talk to her, it’s really important. It’s exactly about Scarab.>
<You can tell me.>
<There’s some kind of device on her belly, I think it’s what she uses to control rocks.>
<Yes, we already knew that.>
<I don’t know what kind of technology that is, but I… I can sense energy, and I think there’s some kind of electronics in there. A very powerful EMP may break it; I didn’t risk it because otherwise the city would crash, but she might be able to use that somehow.>
<It wouldn’t work, Quantum tried that during their last fight on the other planet.>
<On the other… who is this again?>
<It doesn’t matter. We’ll have to find another way to disable her powers.>
<I didn’t feel anything until she used her powers directly, I think the device is normally shielded until she charges it up. I hope Null will be able to use the information… she’s gonna be okay, right?>
<If she survives the space mafia and finds a way to land an entire city, yeah.>
<Where does she find these people> she sighs, before ending the call.
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