Beyond The Impossible

 

Null Tower, New York City

Vesta knocks on the door before entering; uncharacteristically, it’s been left open. The room’s been called Operations Center and it’s got the best view of the entire skyscraper: a large sofa is in front of the window wall that oversees the city’s skyline.

The round table at the center of the room makes it seem like the workplace it’s supposed to be, but the sofa highlights that most of the time it works as a living room.

Noriko is sitting on the sofa, cross-legged next to an empty pizza box. Her boots are on the floor between a couple dozen empty espresso cups.

<Is this a bad time?> Vesta asks quietly; she knows Noriko is very strict about her personal space.

<It shouldn’t have worked> Noriko says, presumably to herself.

Vesta approaches her; she’s not bothered by things like that, but she notices that she probably hasn’t showered for a few days. Noriko is watching the footage of the attack on Strife: Blue Star firing in front of it, White Star behind it, and the creature disappearing with a flash of light. Eight seconds that repeat in an infinite loop.

<Nori, it’s been a week. Just let it go> Vesta tries to convince her, moving the pizza box to sit next to her. Behind the box she finds several newspapers, all of which have something in common: her mother Leiko. Shaking the President’s hand. Coming out of a helicopter, the wind blowing her hair.

<Come on, it’s not the first time we lose a fight. At least Strife is gone.>

<It shouldn’t have worked. There is no way the anti-neutrino field disintegrated it.>

<Maybe it teleported away?> Vesta suggests, without believing the theory herself.

<No. I can track its energy signature: it’s not on the planet.>

<You can do that?>

<Of course. I am still Null.>

<So this isn’t about Strife. It’s about your mother, isn’t it?>

<I told the President she’s the Empress of Shadows but he doesn’t believe me: why would she spend billions of dollars fighting the Empire if she’s their leader? She restored Blue Star’s power and she’s sharing her technology with the United States, while I keep mine locked away. She’s winning.>

<At least she’s not trying to kill you anymore…>

<I’m literally seven billion times smarter than her and she’s still making me look like an idiot. Have you seen her approval numbers? Not just in Japan, everywhere. She’s smart and pretty and tough and always in charge; they eat up every lie she tells them. It’s disgusting.>

<You really hate her, don’t you?>

<I hate that I want to be like her.>

Noriko pauses, either for effect or because she doesn’t know what else to say, when the sound of a ringtone interrupts the discussion.

<The Space Phone?> Vesta asks, recognizing the sound: she’s only heard it once.

<The Tachion Interferometric Relay> Noriko corrects her, activating the device remotely.

Projected on the window wall, the footage of the fight is replaced by the smiling face of a girl with purple hair and blue eyes.

<Hey girls! I hope I’m not… geez, Nori, what happened to you?> she asks; Noriko looks depressed even fifty light-years away.

<It’s a long story. Anything happened to Myridia?>

<No, the planet’s still safe. But one of my duplicates just came back from Eleusis; there’s this guy I think you should meet as soon as you can make the trip.>

<I’m really not in the mood for a blind date, Kari.>

<Yeah no kidding. Listen, this guy wants to back us: he’s got the resources we need. I checked him out and I think we can trust him. Now he wants a meeting with you, in person.>

<You’re not going back to space. Not after last time> Vesta warns Noriko.

<I don’t know, I think it could be useful. We could use a new… ally…>

Noriko freezes when she says that last word. Her silver eye shine and she grins her teeth.

<I’m such an idiot!> she exclaims, jumping off the couch and reaching for the Space Phone’s interface. Kari’s image is still on display; she looks at Vesta, who is equally surprised.

<Stupid, stupid, stupid, why didn’t I think of it before!?>

Another image appears right next to Kari: a male silhouette in the dark.

<This is the Mortal Liberation Front.>

<Hi, this is Null, I need a secure channel to pass information to Persephone: she’s about to be under attack, and if we don’t act now we risk losing control of half the Galaxy!>

<I… I will need to talk to my superiors about…>

<THERE’S NO TIME!> Noriko shouts, her eyes shining in anger: it’s enough to give pause to both the space terrorist and the goddess who are listening.

<I know a guy> Kari says timidly through the screen.

 

Lycosura, 45.000 light-years away

Located at the edge of the galaxy, this is a dead world filled with dust, delusions and decay.

Persephone loves it. She takes a deep breath, not concerned by the total absence of oxygen. Even in a family of gods she has the most unique look, which is by design: Persephone thrives on being the one on the edge, the one to defy expectations.

She’s still young for a goddess. Eight hundred thousand years or so, still looking twenty. Green hair, dressed in metal and leather, showing off the tattoo of a dragon holding her breasts in its claws and with the tail plunging way below the belt.

She approaches the green energy dome that surrounds the only building left standing on the planet, protected by a field that prevents anything except her from escaping.

<Wake up, co##sucker, you’re in deep s##t right now.>

The building is a luxurious palace, or at least it was: it’s been completely thrashed. Persephone walks through the rubble by kicking away blocks of marble like they were tin cans.

<You thought I wouldn’t notice, you a##hole!? You’ve been using your powers to bring people in, haven’t you? Hey, show up when I’m talking, you worthless co##-sucking fa##ot!>

Persephone shoots the ground, her energy vaporizing everything it touches in a green fluorescent mist. She’s like a kid throwing a tantrum… a child with the power of a billion nuclear warheads.

She overdoes it, like she always does. Her sanity has often been questioned, even by her own family, which is saying something.

She calms down when she sees Hermes. She expected to find him applauding, with a stupid smile on his face and ready to trade insults like they’ve done since before mankind discovered fire.

But he’s unconscious, held on the ground under the foot of an androgynous humanoid with green and purple skin.

<Hello. My name is Strife. What is your name?>

<The fu## are you!?>

<I am Strife.>

<Wrong. Your name’s S##tstain> Persephone replies, shooting a powerful blast against her opponent. Strife doesn’t even move: the attack had no effect on it whatsoever.

<No, I am Strife. What is your name?>

<I’m Persephone, bit##, and you just ###sed me off> she replies, releasing another blast.

It would be easy to think that she was holding back before, but it wouldn’t be true: the whole concept of “holding back” is repulsive to her. But it’s useless to waste energy against something you consider the scum of the Galaxy, which is how Persephone sees pretty much everyone.

If the first strike was designed to kill, the second is designed obliterate the target with as much collateral damage as possible.

The shockwave could be seen from orbit. When the energy dome disappears, a green mushroom cloud rises over the thin atmosphere carrying radioactive fallout to space.

Persephone fixes her hair, wiping nonexistent sweat from her forehead. She’s breathing heavily, but more out of pleasure than out of fatigue.

<There. Didn’t have what it takes to last long against the motherfu##ing Queen of the Underworld, ain’t that right S##tstain!?>

<I am Strife.>

Persephone can’t believe her eyes: the creature is still there. The entire landscape has been reduced to a radioactive wasteland, Hermes is gone, but the creature has not moved.

<You are in my way.>

<I’ll shove your way up your fu##ing ###hole, you fu##ing piece of fu##ing s##t!!!>

<I am Strife. You are in my way.>

<STOP FU##ING SAYING THAT!!!>

There are tantrums. There are freak-outs. And then there’s Persephone going nuts.

 

In orbit above the planet, Hermes can finally see the stars once again. Or he could if his head would just stop spinning: he’s never been hit so hard in his entire life. In fact, the only times he’s ever been hit by something is when he allowed himself to be punched. Just to see how much punishment his body could take.

But he knows he’s not a fighter. He’s a trickster god: he doesn’t defeat his enemies with his fists, but with deception and misdirection. He knows he can’t take Persephone in a fight.

His father is Zeus, but his mother was a lowly goddess. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, both of which were born from Kronos himself: she’s a real force of nature.

Still, he didn’t expect Leiko’s creation to be on her level. He just wanted a distraction, a way to escape his prison. Maybe he should help her. Save her, then scam an alliance.

He looks down at the planet. Multi-megaton explosions are trailing along the surface, a wave of destruction exposing the lava below miles of vaporized rocks.

“Yeah, I’m staying away from that thing” – he thinks before leaving this solar system.

 

Null Tower, New York City

Noriko is furious. How could she not see it? Teleportation without leaving any trace: Hermes’ signature was all over the place. She had it under her nose, but she was too obsessed over her mother to see it. What’s worse, this is the second time she’s fallen into one of his traps.

And it’s not over yet: there’s an intruder alert in one of the labs. Specifically, it’s the lab where no one but Null is allowed to enter. The lab that no one is supposed to know exists.

She comes in with the Genius Gun in her hand, ready to use it. The others will be here soon: she’s already preparing a hundred contingency plans to hide the truth from them, when she sees him.

Hermes. He wears a simple white tunic, with both hands behind his back, and he’s looking at the semi-transparent tube containing Noriko’s naked clone. She looks fourteen years old.

<Get away from her you creep!>

<She’s beautiful. I like you better with long hair; it makes you look like your mother.>

<I said get away. You know I have technology that can hurt you, Hermes.>

<I know. You’ve convinced me that you can do the impossible… including killing Strife.>

<You want Strife dead? I like that thing already.>

<Oh I want it dead, yes, of course. And Persephone and Eris and a few other gods as well. Isn’t that what you want too, sunshine? We’re not so different after all.>

<Not if it means killing innocent mortals along the way.>

<Ah, sunshine, I was afraid you’d say that. You see, I’d like you to defeat Strife, but not just yet.>

<You think you can stall me, Hermes?>

<No. I think I can kill you> the god answers, turning towards her. She pulls the trigger: the Genius Gun converts electricity into a bullet of pure kinetic force. Hermes catches it and flings it back: the bullet hits Noriko in the chest. It perforates the left lung before coming out of her back. Hermes grabs her before she can fall and throws her against the tube: the last thing she recalls is being on the floor, on top of her clone’s body, wet with chemicals and spilling blood on glass shards.

<So young, so brave, so beautiful. I will miss you for a century or two, my sweet sunshine.>