Beyond The Impossible

Central Park, New York City

At first sight, they look like an ordinary couple. The white brunette is looking around, practically bouncing with happiness, while the black man observes her, amused by what she finds exciting.

<I can’t believe the diversity of the flora and fauna on this planet, even in such a small patch of land! Are there really over 25,000 trees and 235 species of birds in this garden alone!?>

<Sure, I guess. Isn’t this pretty mundane stuff for you, though? You must’ve seen way weirder stuff in the rest of the Galaxy, right?> he asks her.

<I’ve read a lot, sure, but to actually experience the… Look, a squirrel!> she exclaims, hunching for a second before starting to take flight.

<Lily!> he reprimands her, holding her hand to stop her from flying to the top of the nearest tree.

The holographic projector that makes Lily look like a human makes her Lampyrian wings invisible, but forgetting she can fly can be much more difficult.

<We’re trying to keep a low profile, remember!? For chrissake, you’re supposed to be the spy!>

<Sorry, Max. I guess I’ve been on Earth for so long that I’m starting to let my guard down.>

<You’ve only been here a couple of months.>

He says it without thinking, realizing what he just did when he notices the uncomfortable look on Lily’s face: the projector can disguise her blue skin, but it can’t mask her expression.

<That’s a fifth of my life, Max.>

<Max, this is Null. Do you have a moment?> a voice asks through the Neural Transmitter.

<Are we in danger?> he asks, inappropriately excited to the point Noriko has to ask:

<Is… is this a bad time?>

<No no, it’s fine. Just tell me where I have to go, I’ll be there in a sec.>

<Actually, you don’t need to do anything. Stay still> she advises him.

Lily watches him vanish in a flash of light, only to be teleported as well a few instants later.

 

Hell, 163.000 light-years from Earth

Considering this planet is about the size of the Earth’s moon, its gravity should be much lower. Its density is much higher, leading to roughly the same gravity of Myridia. Normally Kari Zel would consider this a blessing: everything else in Hell is out of the ordinary, so at least feeling the same weight is typically a good thing.

“Normally”, however, she isn’t climbing a mountain made of rocks so incredibly durable that they have not been eroded much by the weather. Which make climbing far more difficult, especially since she’s doing this without any tools.

<Are you sure you don’t need any help?> Laceration asks her. Unlike Kari, who is sweating like never before, the Demon teenager doesn’t even look tired. Of course, Torn’s eldest daughter has the advantage of using an energy axe to anchor herself to the mountain.

<Don’t even think about it. I’m almost done anyway> Kari tells her, gathering all her strength to climb the last ten feet. When she looks up, there’s a much older Demon woman looking down.

-Indeed you are. Laceration, you can return home now.

<Yes, Lady Of All Demons> the girl concedes, making the axe disappear and falling down a hundred feet before creating another one to slow down her descent.

Kari doesn’t pay her much attention. She completes the final stretch of the climb, and when she’s done she takes a breath looking at the old woman next to her.

Kari’s workout clothes, really just a matching pair of shorts and sports bra, look much darker than their original pink thanks to the red aura surrounding Kari’s body: the only thing that is allowing her to survive the deadly heat of this planet.

<You did well, Kari Zel. Nobody ever climbed Mount Devastation without using a single drop of Blood power> the elder demon, Vice, explains.

<Great. Will you teach me how to use the Blood, now?> Kari asks, reaching for the small container of water attached to her belt.

<No> Vice answers, perfectly timed with the ground behind her shooting up a few gallons of glowing lava; nothing surprising, considering they’re on the top of Hell’s tallest active volcano.

Just to remind Kari that she’s not dealing with just any Demon, Vice protects both of them with a shield made of Blood energy without even looking at the lava.

<Why not!? Don’t you think I can do it?>

<I have taught the use of the Blood to many Demons in the last two hundred years, Kari Zel, and very few come close to your genius in physical combat or to your desire to conquer yourself. If the lifespan of your kind wasn’t so short, you have the potential to become almost as proficient as Torn in the ways of the Blood.>

<I’m not really hearing any reasons not to teach me…>

<As Lady Of All Demons, I am sworn to neutrality. I can help a friend and ally, but I cannot grant you access to the most intimate aspect of the existence of my society.>

<You’re scared I can be better than any Demon.>

<You can be better than… a Demon> Vice clarifies. She raises her hand, holding out the index and middle finger: she then moves her hand as if cutting the air, seemingly doing nothing.

<But don’t underestimate what a true Demon can do> she finishes, when the ground grumbles.

From the top of Mount Devastation, Kari can see a good portion of Hell. And she can see a red line stretching all the way from the top of the volcano, to the ground, proceeding through the lakes of fire and the valley of jagged rocks, then finally reaching a small hill just above the horizon.

Which would normally be barely visible, but she can clearly see explode in the distance.

<Show-off> Kari mocks her, sticking her tongue out. She holds out her hand, ready to hold on a duplicate to help her stand up… only there’s no one there.

<Is something wrong?> Vice asks, sensing something different about her.

<This has never happened before> Kari excuses herself, trying again to create a duplicate. But no matter how much she concentrates, she remains alone.

<I can’t duplicate!!!>

 

Washington DC, Earth

When Noriko Null and Vesta get out of the Capitol, at the end of their testimony behind closed doors, naturally they’re surrounded by a swarm of journalists with thousands of questions.

Vesta resists the urge to create a wall of fire to keep them away: she really doesn’t like being the center of attention, even though she knows it’s inevitable. Only when they reach the car and manage to get inside, the goddess breathes a sigh of relief.

<That was rough. No wonder you didn’t want to be here in person> she tells the android.

<Actually, I’m technically here, since I’m controlling this S.I.F android remotely. And I’m sorry to ruin the moment, but you have to go now.>

<Go where?> Vesta asks, preparing to take off her shoes before feeling the familiar sensation of being teleported.

 

HDS Demosthenes, geostationary orbit above the planet

When Vesta’s hand does reach her shoes, the inside of the car has been replaced by a teleporter station. It’s a relatively small room with an array of glowing platforms, and she’s greeted by Quantum who is literally jumping up and down with joy.

<Oh that is so cool!!!>

<Haven’t you seen a teleporter before?> Lily asks him, perplexed by his enthusiasm; she’s deactivated her holographic disguise, but she’s still wearing human clothes (although the back of her blouse has been ripped to make room for her blue Lampyrian wings).

<I could watch this thing all day> he admits.

<Ahem. If you’re done geeking out, we have more important things to do> Noriko reminds him, taking off the high-tech glasses that grant her control of the androids.

Vesta isn’t surprised to find her here, manning the controls of the teleporter, or to see Dmitry Voron next to her. He’s more interested in studying the circuitry than anything else.

But she is surprised to see the officer of the Athenian Federation Fleet in the room react to her arrival by making a military salute, holding his hand horizontally above the heart.

<Lady Vesta. Welcome aboard the HDS Demosthenes.>

<I, uhm, thanks? What’s going on, Noriko?>

<Let’s talk on the bridge. The Captain wants to see us.>

 

Megalopolis, 52.000 light-years from Earth
The Holy Palace is a place of untold beauty, and the throne room is a finely decorated masterpiece of grace and harmony. When Hera glows with power, the blue flames released by her body incinerate the sacred peacocks that live here but don’t touch a single painting or decoration.

<How could my own daughter marry such an idiot!?> she shouts, making the hologram of the galaxy map that is being projected in front of her flicker in and out of existence.

Enyo, loyally standing by her side, suppresses a snicker. She’s too fond of living to laugh at Ilithyia’s misfortune, giving that it was Hera’s idea to engineer her marriage to Helios, but it’s still funny.

<Do you know how many systems he’s already lost to Apollo this month!?>

<Sixteen> Enyo answers, only to duck at the last second a blast of blue fire that instead disintegrates a 10,000 year old tapestry and five walls behind that.

<I wasn’t talking to you!!! You’re supposed to be the Goddess of War, why aren’t you helping Ilithyia like I ordered you to!?>

<Retribution> is Enyo’s cryptic response.

<As your mother and queen, I should have your absolute loyalty!!! I already granted you an additional year to find a husband, what else do you want!?>

<Now now, dear, there’s no need to throw tantrums> a female voice reprimands her, while the walls and the tapestry rebuild themselves. Even the peacocks are healing, with the scorched flesh… melting backwards, for lack of a better term.

If anyone else had talked like that to Hera, the entire planet would be a pile of ashes now. Instead, the blue-haired Queen of Olympus clings to her chair like a frightened child.

<Queen Mother> Enyo greets the new arrival, taking a bow. The red haired woman smiles at her, pinching the cheek of the Goddess of War.

<How many times do I have to tell you to call me grandma, or granny, or even just Rhea?>

<I did not expect you, Mother. You didn’t respond the invitation to the wedding of Ilithyia.>

<Ooh, so that’s what the message was about! Ilithyia, Ilithyia… hmm… remind me again which one is that? The one with red hair and really big boobs or the spunky green one with a dirty mouth?>

<Aphrodite and Persephone are not my daughters, Mother. Ilithyia is the Goddess of Childbirth.>

<Oh yeah, that’s right, the creepy one with white hair! Who did she marry?>

<Helios, the Sun God.>

<I thought the Sun God was, whatshisname, the twin of the one with the bow who likes small girls.>

<Apollo> Enyo helps her.

<I decide who holds what title! Helios is the Sun God, Apollo is a pretender, and his aggression against Ilithyia’s sector will be dealt with!> Hera reassures her, needlessly shouting as usual.

<Maybe you should talk to Demeter first. She knows a thing or two about rebellious daughters.>

<Demeter?> Enyo repeats, looking at Hera: both goddesses are hesitant to talk to Rhea about her.

<Yes, why? You had a fight with her, didn’t you?>

<Mother… Demeter is dead.>

<HA! My daughter, dead? I didn’t think you had a sense of humor, Hera, but that’s pretty funny!>

<I would never joke about this, Mother. Demeter has been killed.>

<Now now, Hera, I may not be the smartest goddess in the universe, but I’m not falling for this joke.>

<I’m serious. Killed by the hands of a mortal> Hera insists.

<You children and your silly games. Fine, if Demeter and Zeus want to play hide and seek, I’ll just go to your other siblings. Wanna come with me, sweetie?>

<Mother, I am the supreme deity of over a thousand planets. I have important duties.>

<Come on, don’t you want to spend a few months with your mother?>

<Me> Enyo interrupts them, stepping between the two goddesses.

<Absolutely not! I won’t allow you to leave while your sister is at war!> Hera objects.

<Vesta.>

<What does she have to do with… oh, yes, I see. You may go, Enyo> Hera changes her mind. Enyo may speak just one word at a time, but Hera knows how to interpret her.

“Vesta is hiding on a planet hidden from my sight by a Drylon device. But if there’s anyone in the universe who can find her, it’s my mother” she reasons.

<Very well. Mother, Enyo will accompany you. I’m sure my sister and her pet mortals are dying to meet her again.>