Null Tower has been a permanent construction site for weeks now. Every day there’s something new to replace or update, to the point that it doesn’t resemble the original building anymore.
Today there’s quite a crowd to watch the helicopters delivering the pieces that will become the massive Ø symbol that will identify the tower from any point in the city.
Vesta is watching from afar, sitting barefoot on a crane two blocks away.
Quantum appears in the blink of an eye, sitting next to her. She’s starting to be used to his sudden appearances.
<Hey. I thought you’d be working today> he greets her.
<I am. If a construction worker falls down, I can save him before he hits the ground.>
<Sounds like wasting your powers. Weren’t you supposed to assemble the big zero yourself?>
<It’s not “a big zero”, it’s the symbol of a null set.>
<Which is…>
<I have no idea, but Noriko keeps saying that. Hiring people to work on it was her idea: ”we should avoid looking like overbearing gods, if possible”. Her exact words.>
<Yeah, that sounds like her.>
<By the way, what are you doing here, Max?>
<Sshh! I’m Quantum, when I wear the mask!>– he answers with a whispering voice.
<Max, we’re four hundred feet in the air. I think your secret identity is safe.>
<Right. To answer your question, I’m eating. Cheeseburger?> he offers, recovering his lunch from a fast food bag.
<No thanks. I don’t really need to eat and that looks…what’s the opposite of tasty?>
<It’s awful, yeah> he answers, taking a big bite and then talking with his mouth full <But it’s the best I can afford now.>
<Doesn’t Noriko pay you enough to buy a decent meal?>
<She pays Quantum. Max Black is still unemployed.>
<Of course. Remind me again why are you bothering with the secret identity thing?>
<My face has been on every newspaper and magazine on the planet for three weeks, Vesta. How else am I going to order a cheeseburger in peace?>
<I thought you didn’t like…>
<That’s beside the point. However I do have enough money to pay for a decent dinner. How about Paris? We can be there in five minutes, you know.>
<Oh, it’s not the same now that they’ve built that horrible tower.>
<We can go anywhere else…I can fly at the speed of light and you’re quite fast yourself. You’ve been working day and night all month, you deserve a break.>
<Oh don’t worry, I don’t need to sleep, so it’s fine by me.>
<So you’re saying you’re free this evening.>
Vesta looks at Max with an innocently puzzled face. Then it hits her.
<Are you asking me out on a date?>
<I’m trying to.>
<Well, uhm, that’s very sweet, I guess, but I don’t date mortals.>
Now it’s Max’s turn to look at her like she just landed from Mars. Vesta’s face becomes so red that Max fears it’s going to burst into flames again.
<Oh Gaea, I swear it’s not a racist thing! It’s just that I, I’m not really interested in, you know, mortals get old and want babies, or they die, or both, well actually they die whether they want babies or not, and and and it’s not like I have something against dead people or anything…>
<Man, you really suck at this, don’t you?>
<I’ve been single for hundreds of thousands of years, what d’you think?>
A few moments of awkward silence pass, while Max keeps chewing his lunch.
<You don’t look that old> he notes.
<Thanks. My family has some pretty amazing genes.>
<Do you mind if I ask just how old you are? I know girls don’t like the question but…well with being immortal and all…>
<Actually I don’t even know. I think I’m at least a million years old.>
<Holy…wait a second. I flunked history at school, but even I know that Greeks weren’t around at the time!>
<My family was around long before the Greeks knew about us. It may sound like a long time to you, but I’m fairly young for a goddess. Dad was something like fifty million years old when I was born, and grandma Gaea has been around as long as anyone can remember. I know Osiris is even older.>
<Whoa. You mean other gods are real too!?>
<Uhm, yeah, a few. Some of them were around before grandma Gaea discovered Earth.>
<You haven’t…by any chance, have you met Him?>
Vesta sighs, whishing she’d kept her mouth shut. Why does EVERYONE living in the last two thousand years have the same question!?
<No, I haven’t met Jesus. I lived on the other side of the planet at the time and didn’t hear about him for like a hundred years anyway. As far as I know only what you’d call Greek, Egyptian and Sumerian gods are real.>
<I was talking about Thor. You’re telling me he’s not real!?>
<Afraid so> she answers, gently smiling. Apparently Max has different priorities than most mortals.
<It’s not fair. Would’ve been cool to meet Thor. Not that there’s anything wrong with Greek gods, mind you, but c’mon. Thor!>
A few seconds of silence follow, while Max finishes his lunch and Vesta admires the city; she really can’t get enough of the view. Then she asks:
<What do you think of Noriko, Max?>
<She’s cute, I guess, but way too young for me.>
<Would you be serious for a moment!? I’m worried about her!>
<Why? She’s a genius millionaire. And if you didn’t catch her saying it a billion times, she knows everything.>
<I’m just not sure a young girl can carry such weight.>
<She did save our backsides against that robot. I think she kinda proved she can take care of herself.>
<I guess you’re right.>
More awkward silence.
<But just to be clear, she didn’t save my backside. I could’ve taken the Talos.>
<C’mon, Vesta, I was there too. We tried everything and we barely slowed it down.>
<I could’ve…I dunno, I… I could’ve thrown it into the Sun!>
<Then why didn’t you?>
Vesta opens her mouth to answer, but hesitates. Her face turns deep red.
<I didn’t think of that> she mumbles, embarrassed.
<What?>
<I said I didn’t think of that.>
The goddess and the hero look at each other. Then look around, as if to make absolutely sure nobody is listening to them.
<Let’s keep that to ourselves> Max suggests.
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