Washington D.C.
The limousine halts outside the hotel. Kari has been staring outside the window the whole trip, fascinated by the most mundane things. Everything is alien and wonderful to her.
Torn has fallen asleep a couple of times.
<Stay here> Noriko orders, stepping outside the car.
When she does, Kari is already by her side, pointing at the Capitol clearly visible at the end of the road.
<Is that where your king lives?> she asks.
<First off, he’s not a king, he’s a President> Noriko answers <Second, we’re meeting him at the White House later today. Third, didn’t I tell you to stay in the car?>
<But I am in the car> Kari says, confused.
The original Kari waves from the car. Noriko shrugs, knowing there’s no reasoning with the Myridian girl. Despite being seven years younger, Noriko acts like her big sister most of the time.
She doesn’t say anything, covering her silver eyes with a pair of sunglasses. She can’t help but think that there’s some credit to Quantum’s idea to have a secret identity: when you’re one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, it’s hard to go unnoticed.
The leather jacket of a horrible shade of green is still dead giveaway this is the real Null, though.
The Secret Service has orders to screen all visitors; luckily, Noriko and Kari have papers personally signed by the President.
<You and your father are pretty close, aren’t you?> Kari asks.
Noriko hesitates before answering, leading the purple-haired girl to apologize.
<Sorry, I don’t mean to pry. Is this thing on?>
She taps the tiny purple earring with her finger. It’s a miniaturized version of the N-Phone translator…it receives words in English and immediately translates them into Kari’s natural Myridian. Working through bone conduction, only Kari can hear the translation.
When she talks in Myridian, the other earring translates her words into English; the Sound Nullifier in her belt makes sure people hear only the earring’s voice.
It’s a little jarring for people when they notice that her words don’t match the movement of her lips.
<You’re not a duplicate, you’re the original one>– Noriko realizes.
<Well your father doesn’t talk Myridian and I can’t duplicate your inventions. I’m studying English right now, back in New York.>
<You mean your duplicates are.>
<You’re not answering the question. You don’t get along with your father?>
<We were close before…> Noriko answers, pointing at her head.
<Before Athena?>
<Yeah. He raised me alone, you know? He pretty much gave up his life for me.>
<Is that unusual on Earth?> Kari asks. On Myridia, you’re lucky to have one parent caring for you long enough before they’re recruited as soldiers or breeders of soldiers.
<He went through hell with Social Services to keep custody and won. He had all the reasons in the world to abandon me, but he didn’t. My mother is one of the richest persons in the world and he never asked her for money. He never even told me who she was.>
Noriko is about to knock on the door, but Kari stops her. She’s not very tall, but she towers over the teenage girl.
<You’re mad at your father for not telling you about Leiko, aren’t you? He was protecting you.>
<He shouldn’t have made the decision for me> she answers, her silver eyes briefly shining.
<He probably had his reasons. Your father sounds like a very wise man.>
<Hold that thought> Noriko says, knocking.
A few seconds later, the door opens. Revealing a naked blonde woman covering herself with a white towel.
<Your father is definitely not what I was expecting> Kari says.
<Oh my GOD you’re HER, aren’t you!?> the blonde shouts, trying to take Noriko’s hand.
The teenage genius takes a step back at the speed of sound.
<I’m, like, your BIGGEST fan! I saw you on the news with that robot thing and, GOD, I just HAVE to get your autograph!!!>
The woman runs back inside, leaving Noriko to scratch her head.
<So…that happened.>
<Nori!!!>
Someone else comes out of the room. A man who reaches Noriko so fast that neither her or Kari have the time to do anything. He puts his arms around her and holds her so tight that has trouble breathing for a second.
<Hello…father> she manages to say.
Bob Null is hugging his daughter for the first time in six weeks; his voice is broken, like he’s holding back the tears. She doesn’t hug him back: she just stands there, uncomfortable.
<I was so worried! Are you alright? Did they hurt you in space? They didn’t probe you or anything like that, right?>
<Your dad looks…very wise, Noriko> Kari says, taking a good look at Bob.
<I am fine, father. Can we please continue this conversation with both us wearing pants?>
<Oh, sorry> Bob answers, recovering the towel from the floor to cover himself. Once he’s adjusted it around his waist, he places his arm around Kari’s shoulders.
<You didn’t introduce me to your friend. Nice hair. Purple eyebrows too, never seen that!>
Noriko’s death stare would be frightening even without the shining silver eyes.
<What?> Bob asks, well used to his daughter’s disapproval of all of his partners.
<Well at least you’re not seeing Deena anymore> she concedes.
<Nice to see you too> answers a new female voice from the room.
There’s a brunette in her underwear standing near the door, holding back the blonde woman which now has a pen and a magazine in her hands.
<Deena. Still sleeping with my father, I see.>
<Noriko. Still wearing that ugly jacket.>
<I should’ve stayed in the car> Kari understands.
A few minutes later, Noriko and Bob are alone. Deena didn’t have much to say, while the blonde was a little too excited to have Noriko’s autograph…even though it was dedicated to “GO AWAY”. Kari wanted to stay, but preferred to let Noriko some time alone with her family.
Bob has finally put on some clothes, failing miserably to hide under the bed the undergarments left behind by his latest conquests.
<The President told me you were treated fine, but I don’t think this is what he meant.>
<You met the President too? Nice guy. I think he paid for the room. I suppose you want to know what happened when you disappeared, right?>
<Someone reprogrammed the Tower’s computer to impersonate me and give control of Null Technologies to Leiko, so you took the Heart of the Universe and gave it to the US government.>
<Uhm…yeah, pretty much. You’re not mad ‘cause I gave away that alien thing?>
<It was a good move, father. With the Vanguard gone, you were not in a position to protect it. It won’t be easy to take it back…even for me, unfortunately.>
<You plan to steal it back? From the government!?> Bob asks, then he quickly covers his mouth and looks around suspiciously.
<I’m working on it. Don’t worry, I disabled the microphones the second I walked in> Noriko explains, showing the N-Watch at her wrist.
<So now what?> Bob asks.
<I’m in Washington to meet the President and testify before Congress about…well about a lot of things, starting from the Talos attack in New York. Then we’ll go home.>
<That’s great, kiddo! Just give me a minute to pack my things and…>
<Father…I have to tell you something.>
There’s something strange in her voice. A trembling emotion, a sliver of frightened humanity.
<Oh my God you’re pregnant> Bob reacts, sitting down on the bed.
<What!?>
<It was Quantum, wasn’t it? I knew I shouldn’t have let you two sleep under the same roof. If mister super-hero thinks he can…>
Noriko waves her hands to get his attention back, frantically explaining:
<Father, please, you’re completely off track!!!>
<Then who? You’ve hardly ever left the Tower after…you’re not pregnant, aren’t you?>
<Definitely not.>
<Whew. Dodged a bullet there. So the girl with purple hair…>
<Kari Zel.>
<I get it. Look, Nori, there’s no need to be embarrassed. I don’t care if you like girls.>
<What? No! What are you talking about!?> Noriko asks, blushing.
<It’s not that much of a surprise, I mean, you haven’t worn a dress since you were like five, you’ve always been very close to Jane, and that guy you used to date, whatshisname, I could tell you weren’t all that much into him…>
<Kari and I are not in a relationship andIreallywishtodropthissubject...>
<It’s not Vesta, right? ‘Cause that would just be wrong.>
<This snowballed fast> Noriko says, slapping her forehead. She takes a deep breath to find the strength; of all the ways she predicted how the conversation would pan out, this wasn’t on the list.
<Dad, I killed someone.>
Bob Null hasn’t heard his daughter call him “dad” in months. He walks towards her, with a small warm smile on his face, and places a hand on her shoulder. She’s holding back the tears.
<It’s okay, Nori. You don’t need to be strong all the time in front of me. What happened?>
<We were on Kari’s planet, Myridia. There was this woman, Demeter. Their goddess. She was a tyrant and…and I killed her, dad. She was too powerful and too insane; Myridia deserved better.>
<You think you made the wrong choice?>
<No. Demeter deserved to die> Noriko answers, sniffing.
Nobody is ready to hear these words from a crying teenage girl. Bob simply hugs her and strokes her hair, offering a shoulder to cry on.
<What’s really wrong, Nori? You know you can tell me.>
<I want to do it again> she explains, sobbing. She’s really crying now, hugging back.
A cold chill goes through Bob’s spine. She’s not just hugging; she’s clinging to him like her life depended on it, and her voice becomes more passionate and angry.
<People were afraid of me. They called me a goddess. They wanted to worship me and…and I loved it so much, dad. I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s eating me inside. I want to take over the world.>
The unnatural voice startles both father and daughter, who break off the hug. Bob is doing his best not to look afraid, but he’s failing miserably. Noriko’s mask of detachment has melted completely: she’s crying, and her eyes are completely black for a second. Two empty holes.
They turn back to white and silver. She’s still trembling, terrified.
<What’s happening to me?>
Bob clenches his fists. Nobody does something like this to his daughter and gets away with it. He recovers a suitcase from under the bed and frantically puts some clothes inside it.
<Call the President and cancel. The White House, the Senate, everything. You can do it, right?>
<Of course> Noriko sniffs, wiping off the tears – I am Null. But why?
The following words are some of the most difficult Bob has ever pronounced.
<We’re going to see your mother.>
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