Beyond The Impossible

Earth’s orbit

Kari Zel changes back from a mass of tachyons into her real body, just to get her bearings: traveling faster than light is much harder than the gods make it look.

“Gods bless Noriko for this gadget, I couldn’t have done this in hologram form” she thinks to herself; the Survival Field emitted from her belt is the only thing allowing her to survive in space.

She has to attune her energy senses to pick up where Siduri might have landed, something made easier by the incredibly low activity of any sort of technology on the planet… after Abyss took over, anything not essential to the survival of the human race just stopped.

“Nobody’s answering through the Soul Relay. But I don’t like that trail of particles leading to Washington” she also thinks, turning into a beam of light.

 

Washington D.C.

If there were people around in full possession of their minds, they would be freaking out right now.

There’s a giant robot in a vaguely female shape, with large metallic wings on her back, towering next to the Washington Monument and trying to swat a woman flying around her.

<This is really disappointing, you know. Is this how you really want to spend the last days of humanity? I knew you were boring, but come on!> Abyss taunts her, blasting a laser beam out of her hand.

Noriko Null takes the full blast, unharmed thanks to her current invulnerability. She still instinctively stops to take a breath, even if she doesn’t need it.

<You want to talk disappointing, Abyss? I thought you’d do more with all the world’s brainpower in your hands, rather than turn into a giant robot.> Noriko says, as she releases a volley of fireballs hot enough to vaporize iron.

They do absolutely no damage to the chassis made of Neutral Matter.

<And I thought you were back to regular intelligence, but if you think this is just a robot you’re a world-class moron.> Abyss replies, firing a second much more powerful blast.

This time Noriko gets out of the way in time, allowing someone else to be hit by the energy attack, after jumping out of a pentagram portal.

Kayla Black, the former superheroine Blue Star, absorbs the energy like a sponge; falling out of the portal, she enters into another that delivers her to the robot’s back.

Unfortunately all that strategy was for nothing: releasing the energy continues to be blocked by Neutral Matter.

<Dammit, that’s all I had. Torn, can’t you create a portal inside the robot?> Noriko asks the Demon, who shakes his head.

<There are lifeforms trapped within her body that I could use as an anchor, but her soul’s presence is just too powerful. She’s repelling the Blood.>

<Lifeforms?> Noriko repeats, surprised by the detail.

A laser descending from orbit attacks Abyss, once more blocked by its indestructible exterior.

When that fails, it returns to human form as Kari Zel rushing towards Noriko.

<I can’t get past her defenses! Neither could Athena or Enyo!> she informs them.

<What’s this thing about being people inside her?> Noriko wonders.

<Maybe survivors from Athena’s fleet or from Rigil Station? That’s what she absorbed to create that body. Are they still alive!?> she asks.

<Barely.> Torn replies.

<I’ve tried everything I could think of. Come on Nori, what’s the plan now?> Kari asks.

Noriko looks at her and Torn, both of which are waiting for her instructions. She can see Kayla trying to shoot a few more futile energy blasts at Abyss and Gilgamesh punching at the robot’s leg, risking their lives to buy them more time.

Noriko can remember the feeling of a thousand plans fighting each other to be selected, the subconscious feeling of always having the right answer right around the corner… and now, her mind is absolutely blank.

<I don’t… know.> she admits.

 

Asgard Station, Null Zone

The plan was simple. It made sense: use the Portal Generator to deliver a microdose of Maenad Absinthe into every inhabitant of Earth, shielding them from the domination from Abyss.

But now that Max Black stares at the settings of the Generator after he’s finally done adjusting them… he hesitates. His silver eyes continue to shine as the Nexus transplanted into his brain keeps working full time, but he doesn’t move.

Even the station’s artificial intelligence is worried.

<Sir, you have not spoken or moved for the past thirty seconds. Under the current state of emergency, I am programmed to ask: is everything okay?> O.D.I.N. asks.

<It’s not going to work.> Max realizes.

<Shall I run a diagnostic on the Portal Generator? Or a simulation of the interaction between the human brain and the substance you wish to deliver?>

<The Generator is fine and I’ve done simulations more complex than you could possibly comprehend, entirely in my head, thousands of times over. The procedure is guaranteed to disconnect Abyss from the mind of her slaves.>

<I see. May I then ask why you are not initiating the procedure?>

<Abyss has evolved past needing them. She was already a being of pure thought, and Siduri’s powers now allow her to turn into anything she wishes… if I carry over with the original plan, she’s either going to kill everyone out of spite or we’ll need to deal with a panicked population on top of everything else. We need to eliminate the threat from top to bottom: Abyss is the problem here. If we get rid of her, we solve everything. The good news is that linking herself to Siduri was a mistake on Abyss’s part, because now she has her weakness: I can take her out with an Eternal Eraser.>

<Your choice of sentence structure suggests there are bad news as well.>

<I don’t know how to do any of Noriko’s attacks… I may have the Nexus now, but she is the Slayer of Gods. And knowledge from one Nexus user doesn’t transfer to another one.>

<Then may I suggest attempting to restore the previous status of Mistress Null?>

<That’s the new plan. If I survive it.> Max says, taking off his belt and erasing the programming for the Portal Generator to enter new coordinates.

<Sir, I would suggest bringing your personal forcefield projector with you.>

<Not this time, O.D.I.N. This won’t work unless I can die.> Max informs him, teleporting away.

 

Washington D.C.

Even a being of pure evil with the brainpower of a planet can get bored, and Abyss has already reached that state.

<Alright, time to get serious. As entertaining a punching bag you losers are, I have people to kill.>

The robot moves to stomp Kayla beneath its feet, and Noriko flies towards her to save her.

She does save her, but ends up being buried into the ground with Gilgamesh under the many tons of the robot. Abyss then releases a massive wave of anti-neutrinos, blocking Kayla’s powers and forcing Kari to stay in her human body.

Then something unexpected happens: the robot stays firm in its place, but the essence of Abyss just leaves it as if it was a ghost leaving the body it was possessing.

Kari and Kayla watch at her in horror: it may look like the giant silhouette of a woman, but it’s only how their minds attempt to make sense of what it’s witnessing: pure concentrated information.

<You know what’s funny? If you were on top of your game, this could have been challenging.> she continues to taunt them.

<Vesta could have melted Neutral Matter, Quantum could have transmitted the right energy pulse to render it unstable, or Noriko could have blasted me with an Eternal Eraser. Instead you…>

<SOUL CRUSHER!!!>

Giant chains of pure Blood energy appear around Abyss, circling rapidly around her. She looks down, seeing Torn visibly struggling to keep up the attack.

<You again, little demon? I didn’t even have all this power when I first took over Hell, do you seriously think you have anything left to threaten me with?>

<Something worse than Hell. ICHOR DEATH KNELL!!!>

The red chains change into a spiked barbed wire of pitch-black Ichor; instead of being repelled like the Blood, the aura surrounding Abyss is increasing its power.

The foul energy clamps onto Abyss, actually causing her pain. Even agony, once the wire seeps into her current body and proceeds to hollow her out from the inside out.

Controlling Ichor is exponentially more dangerous than the Blood, and Torn barely holds on to consciousness to carry this attack. He briefly rejoices when Abyss completely shatters… but it lasts only the second it takes her to reform.

<That… actually… HURT. Now it’s my turn: no more playing around!> Abyss says with all the hatred she’s capable of. Torn can feel a surge of power coming from her wicked soul, recognizing it as the same thing that precedes Null’s god-destroying attacks.

<You have two minutes left to pray to your god before I destroy every single mind in this Galaxy with a single stroke, demon. But spoiler alert: I won’t be listening.>

 

The White House

Vesta and President Devane are the only two people left on the planet capable of witnessing the fight, even if it’s from a considerable distance.

<This is it, isn’t it? We’re all going to die.> the President says, on the verge of tears.

<I should be with them.> Vesta adds, biting her nails.

<What good is it going to do? You don’t have any useful powers!>

<Kari would have known how to use them! Max said that I could turn into a goddess again if I really wanted to, but… believe me I’ve tried, and it’s not working.> Vesta admits, looking at her own hands: no matter how hard she wants to, there isn’t a single spark of fire coming out of them.

But there is a flash of light in the Oval Office, announcing the arrival of Max Black teleporting in.

<Quantum! Thank God you’re here! Please, you have to take me off the planet, anywhere but here! Tell me there’s a place where we can hide!> President Devane pleads, to Vesta’s disgust.

<I can’t believe people voted for you. Maybe my family was right to dismiss democracy.>

<There’s no place we can hide anymore. Vesta, could you please try duplicating?> Quantum asks.

<I… can’t do that either. I’m completely useless right now.> she admits.

<Good, the inhibitor is working. Mister President, I see you’re already carrying a gun: good this will make things much easier.> Quantum says, taking a couple of steps back.

<What do you mean? What are you doing?> Vesta asks.

<I’ve figured it out: we can switch Abyss off if I die. Mister President, please shoot me.> Quantum says, opening his arms to better expose his chest.

<Are you serious!?> President Devane asks.

<Max, this is insane, that makes no sense!> Vesta exclaims, but the President is already aiming his gun. The precaution he took to take the easy way out might save the planet after all.

<Don’t do it!!!> Vesta shouts.

<Sorry. I’m doing it for the country.> President Devane lies, pulling the trigger.

Even with the full confidence provided by the Nexus, Quantum is still human enough to close his eyes when he hears the gunshot.

When he opens them up again, he sees the back of Vesta’s red hair.

<I’m… alive?> Vesta wonders, looking down at her chest. Her orange tube top has a hole where the bullet bounced off her chest.

<You’re invulnerable again? How did you know?> the President asks.

<I didn’t… I just knew he wasn’t.> Vesta admits, just realizing that out of sheer instinct she moved faster than the bullet to intercept it.

<And you knew all that, didn’t you?> she asks Quantum, who seems to be struggling to keep his balance while holding his hand over his forehead.

<You didn’t miss being a goddess… you missed saving people. Just as I missed being the hero. Gimme a minute… this is gonna hurt.> Quantum realizes, with his body emitting electricity that is released like a lightning bolt straight out of the window.

<What the hell was that!?> President Devane asks.

Vesta looks down at her hands again. When she closes them into fists, they catch fire.

<Retribution.> she promises, her eyes now emitting flames.

 

The Washington Monument

Abyss has been fantasizing about this moment from the first time she gained consciousness. With all the darkest aspects of humanity’s collective consciousness focused through a single lens, she focuses all the information she can manifest into energy thanks to Siduri’s powers.

<This is it: my middle finger to life! GALACTIC… EXTINCTION… ERASER!!!>

A pillar of red and black electricity flows into the sky, ready to propagate itself and annihilate any information in its path.

But when it touches the sky, an electrical field forces it to bounce back.

<What the f##k was that!?> Abyss shouts: only now that she’s done focusing on the attack, she can sense the net of electricity that is now enveloping the entire planet.

Her attack changes color into silver, swiftly moving back towards the robot… or rather into the crater beneath her feet. And it drags the planetary electricity net with it.

Abyss considers possessing the robot again, but it’s too late: a sonic boom announcing the arrival of Vesta is followed by her lifting the entire colossus, rapidly dragging it back into space.

Abyss then focuses her attention on the crater, where next to a visibly exhausted Gilgamesh there’s the single person that she hates more than anyone in the universe.

Noriko Null stands proudly, her body crackling with an aura of silver electricity and with her eyes glowing like never before.

She doesn’t say a word. But Abyss can sense her own hatred has just been surpassed.