The Valkyrie, flying over Georgia
The aircraft is floating over the city of Atlanta; Noriko Null is looking at the computer screens, while Kari looks over her shoulder. Torn is behind them, silent as always.
<They’re moving too fast. I can’t track them> Noriko complains.
<What do we know about the thing they’re fighting?> Kari asks. The Valkyrie can fly at supersonic speeds, but even it took a while to reach Atlanta. They had a chance to see the early footage of the fight, and it wasn’t pretty.
<According to the President, something went wrong when studying samples from the Centurions.>
<Or it went right> Torn comments.
Noriko considers his remark, but her thoughts are interrupted by the appearance of a visibly exhausted Quantum on the Valkyrie.
<Man that thing’s tough> he says, taking off his mask. He looks like he just run a marathon.
<Are you hurt?> is Kari’s first question.
<What is that thing?> Noriko asks at the same time. Quantum decides to answer to her:
<Calls itself Strife. Like, it says the name all the freakin’ time. It’s some kind of artificial thing.>
<What does it want?>
<I don’t know. All it says are “I am Strife” and “You are in my way”, over and over again.>
<Maybe we should get out of its way> Torn suggests. Quantum doesn’t like it at all, answering:
<It blew up a building just because it was there. I don’t think we can reason with it.>
<Why didn’t you take it away from the population?> Kari asks; after all, that’s literally the first step of the Vanguard’s plan for superhuman fights.
<We tried, but it travels at the speed of light. It can copy our powers, at least when we’re close.>
<And even without your powers it can fight one on one with Vesta> Kari notes; there’s a clear sense of dread in the tone of her voice.
<I’ll try boosting the signal of the Neural Transmitter, maybe now that you’re here the interference will be less severe> Noriko says, concentrating on the telepathic communicator.
<Vesta, this is Null. Can you hear me?>
<Kind of busy right now> the goddess answers. Even her thoughts sound tired.
<Where are you now, exactly?>
<I don’t know, everything’s blurry at Mach 5. I think we’re still in Georgia.>
<I need you to fly south. Either 400 kilometers south-east towards the Atlantic, or 473 kilometers south to the Gulf of Mexico. Can you do that?>
<It’s facing west, it’d be easier to go there. Is there anywhere safe west?>
<The Grand Canyon. But it’s 2,500 kilometers, it would take you 24 minutes at Mach 5.>
<I know, this will hurt me as much as this thing. See you there.>
Vesta closes the communication. For a second Noriko thinks she’s spotted her on the radar, but then she has more pressing concerns: something moved through the air so fast to leave behind a trail of flames in the sky, and almost pushing the Valkyrie off the air despite being many yards away.
<Whoa! I’ve never seen her fly that fast!!!> Kari exclaims.
<Yeah, how fast was that!?> Quantum wonders, first looking at the screens and then at Noriko when the readings don’t make any sense to him.
Noriko is pretty good to maintain her act as the one who knows everything: when you have all the information of the world at your fingertips, it comes natural. But sometimes she has to admit that she’s just as clueless as the rest of them when it comes to gods.
<I don’t know, the scanner maxed out… holy crap, at Mach 127.>
<I should probably go check on her> Quantum says, pulling up his mask again.
<Forget Vesta, go check on the Grand Canyon… with that speed, I think she just blew it up> Noriko adds, her jaw still firmly open in astonishment.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Luckily for the American tourist industry, Vesta didn’t blow up the Grand Canyon. The impact was enough to create a crater big enough to be visible from a considerable distance, though, resulting in the most spectacular landslide ever caught on tape.
Vesta isn’t awake to see it. Strife lifts her body from a pile of rocks, holding her by the wrist like a broken toy. It shakes her to get a response, even poking its finger on the hole burned through her tube top, but Vesta is still completely knocked out.
Strife lets her go, then floats cross-legged over the disaster it caused. Waiting.
The Valkyrie has landed ten miles away, but Noriko is still able to watch Strife through a pair of advanced binoculars.
<Is she okay? Is she breathing?> Kari asks.
<I don’t know. And she doesn’t need to breathe, so I wouldn’t know if it meant anything.>
<I should be there> Quantum says; his muscles tense slightly like they always do before he transforms into energy. Torn must’ve noticed it, because he holds his arm saying:
<Stay here. It’s not safe.>
<I don’t care, it’s gonna hurt her! Don’t you want go there!?>
<Vesta is stronger than all of us combined and Strife took her down on its own. If any of you gets closer, Strife will just get even more powerful> Noriko explains.
<Don’t you mean “one of us”?> Kari corrects her.
<No. I don’t have any powers, it can’t copy anything from me.>
<Not even your mind?> Torn asks.
<That’s right: how do you know it won’t just become smarter?> Kari stresses.
<Alright then, I’m open to suggestions.>
It’s a tense moment: Noriko doesn’t easily ask for advice. What’s weird is that Torn is the one who suggests a strategy, which even stranger considering what he says:
<We should talk to it.>
Minutes later, a small device hovers before Strife. It’s small, the size of a human hand, but it projects the holographic image of an Asian girl with a green leather jacket.
<Hello. My name is Strife. What is your name?>
<I am Null. I just want to talk. Is that okay for you?> the hologram replies.
<I am Strife.>
<I’ll… just take that as a yes. What did you do to Vesta?>
<It was in my way> Strife answers, looking at Vesta’s unconscious body. Now that she’s closer, Noriko can see that she’s breathing.
<That’s not a “it”. That’s a “she”.>
<She was in my way> Strife corrects itself.
<Because you were harming people. Were they in your way as well?>
<They were in my way.>
<Okay. How?>
Strife pauses. It’s hard to read its body language because it simply doesn’t move.
<They were in my way> he repeats.
<You do have a one-track mind, don’t you?>
<I am Strife.>
<Do you know who created you? Do you know why, or how?>
<I am Strife.>
<I can’t help but feel we have some trouble communicating…>
<Then we will restart. Hello. My name is Strife. What is your name?>
<Okay. I am Null, I don’t want to hurt you, and you don’t want to hurt me either right?>
<You are not in my way.>
<Good. That’s very good. I don’t want to be in your way, Strife, nobody does. But the problem is, I don’t know what I have to do to not get in your way. Do you understand what I’m saying?>
<Yes. I am Strife. Don’t get in my way.>
<You’re an idiot, Strife, you know that?>
<I am Strife.>
<Yeah, just as I though.>
Noriko disconnects the holographic projector, then puts her hands behind her head and sighs… she’s frustrated enough to tear off her own hair.
<This is so stupid. It’ probably the most powerful being on the planet and it just sits there.>
<What about the God Eraser?> Torn suggests.
<Too risky. I’m still too weak to use it, it’s too close to Vesta, and frankly I’m worried it could copy that as well.>
<So what? We just leave it alone and hope it doesn’t get angry?> Kari asks.
<No no no, that’s a terrible idea. I’ve read enough Hulk comics to know that’s when the military shows up to ruin everything> Quantum notes, leading to Noriko rolling her eyes.
<Grow up, that’s the stupidest thing I…>– she doesn’t finish the sentence, interrupted by the sound of her N-Phone beeping. When she looks it up, she frowns.
<The military is about to show up… along with my mother.>
<See? Told you> Quantum smiles, earning a death stare from Noriko.
They’re professional, and they’re quick. Dozens of soldiers descend from helicopters, setting up a perimeter around Strife but keeping a safe distance. They don’t rush: the first priority is to assess the situation and keep the enemy contained.
One of the helicopters lands near the Vanguard. Leiko Tanaka is the only one coming out of it wearing civilian clothes; the wind blows her long dark hair and even the dust compliments her thousand dollar office suit.
<What the hell are you doing here?> Noriko greets her, voicing the question in everyone’s mind.
<You don’t have the security clearance to be here. This a joint operation between our governments.>
<Which one, creating that thing or trying to catch it?>
Mother and daughter exchange icy stares, before being interrupted by a black woman wearing a blue costume… a mixture between Blue Star’s old uniform and the Excess suit.
<Save it. We’re on the same side, Null: Minister Tanaka is working with Project Silver.>
<Under whose authority? I was asked to intervene by the President himself> Noriko notes.
<Your team is faster. You gave us time to come up with a strategy> Blue Star answers.
<What strategy? You don’t have anywhere near the firepower needed to hurt that thing.>
<The suits are powered by reactor technology. Your design, I believe> Leiko taunts her; she knows that Noriko was Abyss and that she could expose her at any time.
<They generate anti-neutrinos. You want to set up an anti-neutrino field to prevent it from escaping, since they interfere with Quantum’s power> Noriko realizes, her eyes shining while she thinks.
<You really are a bright young lady.>
>I already thought of it; it won’t work. You can’t stabilize the field fast enough.>
<<Minister Tanaka? We’re ready>> a man in a white costume tells her, in Japanese. Noriko looks at him intently; she doesn’t get a read on him, but the suit is familiar. He takes flight together with Blue Star, looking more at ease than her. He must’ve trained for this.
Noriko watches them approach Strife; the rest of the Vanguard await her orders, and she doesn’t know what to say to them. Leiko’s plan is nonsense; why is she doing this?
Blue Star is the one landing before Strife, while White Star is behind it.
<Hello. My name is Strife. What is your name?>
<I am Blue Star. And you are in my way> she answers, releasing a blast of invisible particles.
Strife tilts its head. There’s a blinding flash of light, and when it vanishes Strife is just gone.
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