Beyond The Impossible

Tokyo, Japan

Until a few months ago, this nightclub was known as a hub for high ranking members of the Yakuza. It’s still technically true, but ever since Shinobu Tanaka replaced his aunt Leiko as the head of his family the landscape of the Japanese criminal organization changed dramatically. A very large number of powerful criminal figures have been arrested, or have been found dead in mysterious circumstances, or have simply dropped off the face of the Earth.

Nowadays, there are only two guards blocking the entrance to the VIP room: two large men who look at the unassuming young girl approaching them. She doesn’t seem to be dressed for the place, wearing a green leather jacket and keeping her hands in her pockets.

<Step aside> she orders them, not slowing down as she approaches the door. Until one of the two men place a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

<Where do think you’re going? Don’t make me ruin that pretty face> he tells her.

She doesn’t reply. She just stares at him, and her silver eyes shine for a second. The first guard seems to realize who she is and backs off, while the second one draws his gun.

<Wrong answer> she says, taking her right hand out of the pocket.

The metallic glove she’s wearing glows as well.

 

Inside the VIP room

There’s only one male guest in the room: he’s lounging on the sofa, holding a glass of wine and wearing his shirt unbuttoned, to show off his supernaturally perfect abs.

He’s surrounded by a dozen scantily clad women, who shriek almost in unison when the two guards crash the front door and are flown across the room like broken toys.

<Get out. Now> Noriko Null says, removing her Gravity Glove as she walks towards the guest.

All the other women run outside the room, while the man just takes a sip of wine and doesn’t say a word until Null is right in front of him.

<What a pleasure to see you again, sunshine! Care for a nice drink? It packs quite a punch> he says, gesturing towards the bottle resting on the table. The smell is unmistakable: Dionysus wine.

Not only strong enough to inebriate even Null’s brain: it’s the same drink Adrestia used to make herself immune to the God Eraser. And unlike her, the guest can hold his liquor just fine.

<I’m not in the mood. You’re the one who called me: what do you want, Hermes?>

<The right question is what I can do for you, sunshine. Please, sit down> he says, patting the free space on the sofa. Noriko doesn’t move an inch.

<Or stand, that’s fine. You’re beautiful when your eyes say “I want to murder you so badly”, did I ever tell you?>

<Just get to the point, Hermes. Where’s the Key of Heaven?>

<Oh no no, sunshine, you can’t just skip foreplay! If I told you that, my dear, I wouldn’t have anything to offer you! Well, except hundreds of thousands of years of experience in plotting the demise of my family, the power to be instantly anywhere in the universe, a great smile and a really big…>

<Save it. Rumors about the disappearance of Zeus are spreading; was it you?>

<Are you asking me if I spread the rumor, or if I was the one to make Zeus disappear? Either way, you should know I would never do something so stupid.>

<Enough games, Hermes. What do you know?>

<That my father has disappeared. Honestly, I have no idea where he went.>

<Right. And I should trust the god of liars.>

<If I only told lies, sunshine, that would make me a very predictable liar, wouldn’t it? As for who freely divulged such strategic information, well, you’ll have to look for a goddess who is even dumber than she is beautiful.>

<Rhea> Noriko deduces.

<Oh you’re good. You’re really, really good at this. Yes, sunshine, our beloved Queen Mother informed Hera. Don’t waste your time figuring out why: Rhea is an idiot of the highest magnitude.>

<And how would you know any of this? Not about Zeus, I can see how you could learn something like that. But the Key of Heaven? I don’t see Nyx talking to you about it.>

<I’m a god, sunshine. I can read your mind.>

<Oh please. You’re seriously trying to bulls##t me on this?>

<I’m serious. Right now, you’re thinking back at the time you saw me naked.>

<Well, if you want to do this the hard way> she shrugs, pulling out the bronze medallion she’s wearing beneath her T-shirt: it shows a lightning bolt inside a cog, Athena’s symbol.

<I have a feeling Athena will be less patient than me once she finds out you’re hiding here.>

<Come on, sunshine, how can you be so cold towards me after all we’ve been through?>

<You’ve tried to kill me! Several times! Do you really expect me to believe that you’ve just given up your attempts to rule the entire Galaxy!?>

<I never gave up. I just realized I can’t do it while you’re alive; it’s better to let you kill the competition and die of old age. Then I can take over the Olympian Galaxy. Listen carefully, sunshine, because I haven’t spoken these words in ages: I swear I’m not lying.>

<Your word is worthless to me, Hermes. Give me tangible proof of your honesty, right now, and I might consider making a deal. Try to trick me again and I will kill you.>

<Very well> Hermes sighs, throwing something at Noriko: a small block of metal, the size and shape of a black coin. She didn’t even see where he pulled that from, but she catches it.

<That’s a Lar data drive I picked up in the Athena sector some time ago. I’m sure you’ll find what’s inside very, very interesting> he says.

<I’ve seen Lar technology before. What’s so special about this?>

<It belonged to one of the previous Nexus hosts. Is helping you discover your heritage enough to gain your trust?>

<We’ll see. For now, it’s just enough to keep you alive> she answers, looking at the strange coin.

She can’t shake off the feeling that she’s already seen it, in another life.

 

Fortuna, 8,000 light-years from Earth

As a tropical paradise, most of this planet has never seen the snow until the arrival of the Ice Queen. Now that it is part of the Winter Kingdom, it’s as common as a sunrise.

The first diplomatic guest since the hostile takeover lands in a capital ship that is relatively modest, and the goddess who sets foot on Fortuna could almost be confused for a mortal.

A petite blonde that doesn’t look a day older than twenty, wearing a simple white peplos with just a few golden trims.

She’s escorted into the royal palace by a few guards that exemplify the regime change: instead of the half-naked humans that Tyche employed, these are Lar soldiers in full grey armor.

Once she reaches the throne room, she finds the Ice Queen herself on the seat of power: standing next to her are the two blocks of ice that trap Tyche and her husband Dionysus.

<Hebe, Goddess of Youth, Royal Princess of Olympus, daughter of almighty Zeus and beautiful Hera, requests an audience with you, Ice Queen of the Winter Kingdom> the guard announces.

<Granted. Now leave us> the Ice Queen answers. She wears the Winter Armor, which alters her voice and makes her look like a knight in shining blue armor.

<Ice Queen. My advisors consider me a fool for visiting you> Hebe says.

<You have nothing to fear from me, Your Grace. You will not be harmed: you have my word.>

<Many would question the word of a woman who murdered her husband and king.>

<The Winter King was unfit to rule, and so were Tyche and Dionysus. I did what was necessary.>

<So you say. It is difficult to trust someone who hides behind a mask> Hebe remarks.

The armor’s helmet retracts, fully exposing the head of Leiko Tanaka.

<I don’t have anything to hide, Princess Hebe.>

<Yes you do. You’re old> the goddess says bluntly. She keeps her composure, but from the tone in her voice and her expression it’s evident that she is disgusted.

<Excuse me?> Leiko asks. Of all the ways she predicted Hebe would react, this was unexpected.

<You don’t hide your face to protect yourself: you have the Vial of Destiny, no god can hurt you as long as you own it. You hide your face because you’re old.>

<I just turned forty, Princess. Among my people it is not considered…>

<You are not among your people, your majesty. Why are you doing this?>

<I… do not understand, Princess> Leiko admits.

<You left your planet. You live among the Lar, a dying race that doesn’t enjoy the touch of warm-blooded beings. You rule by fear and surround yourself with people who wish you dead. Why?>

<For the good of mortals. And my subjects do love me, Princess.>

<But you don’t love anyone. I know plenty of gods who are just like you, Ice Queen. The only thing in this universe that gives you more pleasure than power is growing the power you already own.>

<I am powerful enough> Leiko answers, irritated by Hebe’s insolence; the Winter Armor glows, ready to freeze yet another goddess.

<You are more powerful than me, yes, I know that. All my life I’ve been told how weak I am: I cannot fight an army by myself like Ares, or forge metal in the core of a star like Hephaestus, or break planets with my scream like Enyo. But I do understand mortals, Ice Queen. And even the most ruthless among them crave something that power will never give them.>

<And what would that be?> Leiko asks, powering down the armor; Hebe is proving more interesting than she anticipated. Hebe walks closer, much closer than Leiko normally allows and looks at her intensely. Her blue eyes shroud thousands of years of experience.

<You are old. You don’t have an heir to carry your dynasty and it’s too late to give birth to a new one. No matter how much power you gain, it will all crumble in a few decades.>

<I am not old> Leiko reiterates.

<You’ve seen it in the mirror. Your skin is no longer as smooth as you remember. Your sight is not as sharp as it once was. Your breasts are not as firm as you wish they were. You hide inside your armor, but time knows how to find you. And when it will, your beautiful face will be ruined by wrinkles.  But… it doesn’t have to be that way> Hebe tells her, caressing Leiko’s face.

The stoic Japanese woman feels something weird in her bones, lowering her defenses for a second before grabbing Hebe’s arm and freezing her skin upon contact.

<What are you doing? I have the Vial of Destiny. No god can harm me> she protests.

<I’m not trying to hurt you, Ice Queen. I’m trying to buy your friendship> Hebe explains, turning towards the ice block that still traps Tyche. When Leiko sees her reflection, she lets the goddess go.

<I can’t give you true immortality, but I am the Goddess of Youth> Hebe reminds her.

Leiko creates a sheet of ice in her hand, perfectly designed to act as a mirror. And the face she sees in the reflection is one she hasn’t seen in years. Most people would compare it to the face of her daughter Noriko, but it’s a twenty year old Leiko Tanaka.

<Eternal youth> she realizes. She doesn’t consider herself a vain person, but only now she understands how much she has aged.

<What is your price?> she asks.

<Spare me and my husband Herakles, allowing us to keep our sector. You can have the rest of the Olympian Galaxy for all I care.>

<A small price for…> Leiko starts to answer, pausing as her youth fades before her eyes to restore her true age. It’s not a huge difference… she wasn’t lying about not being old… but it’s there.

<You are wiser than I thought. What’s the catch?> Leiko asks.

<If I make you eternally young, my mother will know it was me.>

<So you want me to kill your mother first.>

<What? No! What kind of a monster would do that!?>

<It’s no big deal. I already killed my own mother> Leiko recalls, touching her face and inspecting it in the mirror, looking for wrinkles.

<With all the horrible things she’s done to me, she’s still my mother. I just want to punish her, to see her lose control over her sector. Do that, and I will keep you young forever.> Hebe explains.

<We have a deal, child> Leiko answers, extending her hand to Hebe.