Beyond The Impossible

Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia

Max Black has been working as the superhero Quantum for about twenty months: by now he knows that when he receives Noriko’s telepathic call through the Neural Transmitter, he should expect anything. After reaching Australia in the form of a beam of light, he finds out that there’s always room to be surprised. He found Noriko hostage of some guy wearing a hood, a very long scarf and clothes that he would expect to see on someone riding a camel in the desert.

Not only that: this guy was able to knock out Vesta without breaking a sweat. Noriko was also ruffed up: her shirt has been ripped apart and there’s a pentagram shaped scar on her belly.

<Are you okay? Did he hurt you?> Quantum asks her.

<I’ll live> she answers looking at her wound.

<Who is this guy? What does he want?>

<I don’t know, he didn’t say a word. He just showed up out of nowhere and attacked us.>

<Stay with Vesta. I’ll handle him.>

He hits the scarf-wearing enemy with a fist transformed into pure kinetic energy, delivering the force of a high speed car crash.

The silent stranger just gets back to his feet and walks back to Noriko. Technically he’s running, but from Quantum’s perspective he might as well be standing still.

<You’re fast> he concedes. When the stranger tries to move past him, Quantum moves at the speed of light to position himself in front of him.

<Not as fast as me, of course. Why did you attack my friends? What do you want?>

The enemy seems confused for a second, then stomps his foot. The ground is hit with an explosion, distracting Quantum long enough to move behind him. Quantum’s first instinct is to transform his body into light, but he’s forced to return to human form when the stranger hits a kidney with what looks like a karate chop. Even though it really shouldn’t do anything, it hurts like nothing else.

And the enemy turns his attention back to Noriko.

 

Noriko didn’t watch the fight, concentrating on Vesta. She examines her wounds: there’s blood dripping from her mouth, but otherwise she doesn’t look injured. It takes a lot more to kill a goddess, so Noriko grabs her arm and tries to move her away.

Noriko immediately regrets her decision. Not only Vesta weighs more than her, but the pentagram wound on her stomach is hurting like crazy. Quantum’s scream of pain alerts her of the danger, but there isn’t much she can do: her brain is fast enough to register the approach of the enemy, and yet her body is too slow to get out of the way. There’s a hand coming for her throat.

Fortunately, it never reaches the target because the enemy’s arm is trapped by Vesta’s hand.

<Enough> she commands, like a mother scolding a child. The enemy tries to break free from her grip, but she’s not budging. What’s more, she’s levitating him off the ground.

<You owe us some answers. Who are you? What do you want from us?> she asks.

The hooded man continues to struggle, until Vesta lets out a scream and is forced to let him go: suddenly there are several deep cuts running through her forearm, dripping blood.

He lands on his feet. He looks around himself: Noriko seems vulnerable enough, but Quantum is back up again (despite holding his side with considerable pain showing through his face), and Vesta is more angry than before.

<One last time. Who the hell are you?> Noriko asks him.

For a moment it looks like he’s about to talk, but then he kicks the ground again. The effect is once again very similar to an explosion; Vesta and Quantum shoot fire and lasers to his position, but when the dust fades away he’s completely gone.

 

Null Tower, New York City

Noriko grimaces while Dr. Kalama stitches up her wound. She didn’t want her to use any anesthetic: she’s already learned how to shut down her pain receptors. But it doesn’t mean it’s a pleasant sensation.

<I want to run some blood tests. We don’t know what kind of weapon he used> the doctor says.

<It could’ve been anything: he was incredibly fast. And he knew exactly how to counteract all of my weapons and defenses… this was meticulously prepared> Noriko reasons.

<He cut pretty deep. I’m afraid this will leave quite a scar.>

<Wouldn’t be the first time> Noriko comments. Now that she’s wearing only her bra, the scar on her chest from her heart surgery is clearly visible.

<Take it easy for a while, okay? No sparring with Kari until I give you permission.>

<What about… ah…> Noriko hesitates to ask, her face already turning red.

<Just be careful and don’t put pressure on it. I won’t tell your father> the doctor answers, winking.

<R-right. What about Quantum and Vesta?> Noriko quickly changes the subject.

<I patched him up and gave him a few painkillers; I don’t think the attacker wanted to kill him. As for Vesta, she was already completely healed by the time you got back to the Tower.>

<Gods get all the good powers> Noriko complains, slowly reactivating her pain receptors.

 

Later in her room, Noriko is looking at herself in the mirror, naked from the waist up. She’s examining the wound, tracing her finger over the pentagram. A green beam of light is illuminating the scar, projected by a device designed to analyze its atomic composition. She had to remove the wound dressing for this and she can already hear Dr. Kalama’s voice complaining about it.

She could call the Vanguard. Brainstorm with them to solve the mystery. But this was an attack on her own person… her pride doesn’t allow for external help unless absolutely necessary.

She hears the door opening and immediately reaches for her black T-shirt with white Ø symbol, wearing it a little too fast: a sharp pain on her belly reminds her she should take things slowly.

<Sorry I’m late, I was at the Null Robotics factory when I heard> Todd Slate justifies himself.

It’s no surprise it’s him: he’s the only other person authorized to be in this room.

<I know, I sent you there. How did the meeting go?>

<Forget the meeting, what happened to you?> he asks, coming close enough to touch her shoulder, but she instinctively takes a step back.

<I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.>

<You were stabbed, of course I’m worried! Let me see.>

<I said I’m fine, really.>

Todd looks at the bandage thrown on the floor, then back at Noriko with an expression on his face that reads “you’re not fooling anybody”.

<It’s not as bad as it looks, I promise> she explains, lifting the shirt to show the pentagram.

<Oh my God> is Todd’s first reaction, before putting his hand around her shoulders.

<What kind of sick bastard would do something like that?>

<We still have no idea of who that hooded man was, or why he was after me. The doctor and I are running some tests to gather clues, but nothing so far.>

<How did he get so close to you? Don’t you have the Null Shield?>

<He disabled the jacket before I could activate it. I’m thinking I should miniaturize the technology and find another way to wear it to minimize the risk of being disarmed.>

<What, like a navel piercing or something?>

<That’s not funny> she deadpans.

<Well, I’m glad it was over before he was able to do something worse.>

<I’m not. The next time we meet, he’ll be sorry he didn’t finish the job.>

<You mean you want to go after this guy? He’s dangerous, Noriko.>

<So am I. Nobody attacks Null and gets away with it.>

<Don’t you think you should sit this one out?>

<No, why would I?>

<Because he drew a pentagram with your blood!>

<Oh I see, is that how it’s gonna be?> she asks, moving away from Todd’s embrace.

<What? What did I do wrong?>

<I need to ask for your blessing before I go on a mission now?>

<That’s not what I said. I’m just saying that you should be careful, that’s all.>

<Okay, fair enough. But you must understand that I risk my life on a regular basis: there are things much more important than my life worth fighting for. If you don’t like that…>

Todd takes her hand. The fact that he’s smiling despite her raising her voice shuts her up.

<Noriko, I like that about you more than you know> he says, kissing her.

She has a retort ready, but she doesn’t feel like fighting anymore. She returns the kiss, with a passion that she didn’t know she was capable of. His hands reach beneath her shirt, and not only she doesn’t fight, she guides his hand through her body in shared pleasure.

<Uhm, Nori? I think you’re…> Todd says, moving away from her and ruining the moment.

She looks down: the blood from the pentagram is soaking up her shirt.

<Aw crap. The wound’s open again> she says, grimacing with pain. She walks to the bathroom to get a towel, while Todd notices that the device she was using earlier is now projecting a representation of a molecule on the wall.

<Can you read this?> he asks her, accepting the towel she just threw at him to wipe his hands.

<Yes> she answers, her eyes shining briefly before adding <It’s a 4-hydroxycoumarin derivative.>

<What is that? Some kind of poison?>

<It decreases blood coagulation by inhibiting vitamin K epoxide reductase…>

<I have no idea what you just said> Todd admits.

<It’s not lethal. There’s no reason to panic, it’s just… oh crap> she says, noticing that the blood isn’t just coming from the pentagram. On her shirt, a vertical line on her chest is also bleeding.

<Maybe I should see the doctor> she concedes.

 

Before Dr. Kalama pulled the curtain to give Noriko some privacy, Todd was able to see the cuts spreading through her body. First it was her chest, then her arms, then several smaller wounds appeared all over her body. When the doctor finally comes out her clothes have many red stains, but as she takes off her gloves she lets out a sigh of relief.

<Doctor? Is she going to be alright?> Todd asks her.

<She’s lost a lot of blood but she’s stable now. Whatever infected her… at first I thought it was just an anticoagulant, but even the wounds that were completely healed years ago are opening up.>

<You think it’s alien?>

<I don’t know, it’s a possibility. If you excuse me, I need to go get some blood from her clone.>

<It’s supposed to be a secret> a voice behind the curtain says, more subdued than usual.

<By the way, she wants to see you. Try to convince her to get some sleep> the doctor recommends.

When she’s left, Torn slowly moves away the curtain and approaches the bed; his heart jumps when he sees Noriko. She’s covered in scars, connected to an IV bag and visibly exhausted.

<I look like s##t, don’t I?>

<You just had to overdo it, didn’t you? One stab isn’t enough, you need all the stabs> he jokes, trying to lighten the mood while reaching for a chair. It must work, since she smiles.

<These are all the scars I had over the last two years, mostly thanks to Hermes. Do you really want to be with someone who lives like this?>

<I want to put my hands on whoever did this to you.>

<Not fair. I called dibs first> she says, closing her eyes. Even after this, she still wants to be in action. Her question hits Todd deeply: she loves danger, to push herself to the absolute limit. Can he accept the fact that one day one of these stunts will end up killing her?

-Tell the doctor to try vitamin K with prothrombin complex concentrate. And, Todd?

She takes his hand. If she hadn’t lost so much blood, she would be blushing now.

<Can you stay? I’m so tired.>

<I’m not going anywhere> he reassures her, holding her hand as he watches her fall asleep.

Just a few feet away, Bob Null is watching his daughter in a hospital bed. Sadly it’s become a routine lately… but for the first time, watching Todd hold her hand, he can afford a little smile.