Beyond The Impossible

Noriko Null is sitting on the floor of her temple, watching what remains of her left prosthetic arm: scattered bits and pieces, damaged beyond repair.

Lily squats in front of her, moving around the scraps of metal to figure out how to reassemble them.

<It’s not that bad. I’m sure you can rebuild it> she suggests politely.

<I can. In a week, with proper equipment. Which is in my lab, eighty million light-years away, and the tournament restarts in about twenty hours> Noriko reminds her.

The Lampyrian isn’t the only one in the room. The other scientist helping her, Dmitry Voron, joins the conversation:

<Even without it, there has to be a way. They call themselves gods, but they can be defeated.>

<Right! You’ve killed gods without the God Eraser, right?> Lily reminds her.

<I killed Hephaestus by phasing him through the core of a neutron star before it collapsed into a black hole, yes, but that’s not exactly easy do replicate. As per Tiamat, I had the Heaven-Slayer sword with me at the time.>

<Man, I couldn’t ask for better timing!> Quantum intervenes, materializing in the room and carrying in his hands a shiny silver sword vaguely resembling a katana.

<How did you get that? It’s stored in a vault at Null Tower!> Noriko says, standing up to take the weapon for herself.

<You gave me access to the vault, remember? I took the sword before Thoth took us here!>

<Thoth basically gave us no warning. You can’t have had more than a second to act.>

<Plenty of time if you can move at the speed of light.>

<I’m… I’m speechless. That was a brilliant move> Noriko admits.

<Relatively speaking> Dmitry comments.

<So this is the Heaven-Slayer? The only thing in the universe that can cut Neutral Matter, the weapon that killed Tiamat, the Celestial Dragon of Destruction?> Lily asks excitedly.

<Yeah, Nori has the coolest toys> Max answers.

<This could be our winning card. Lily, Dmitry, please leave us alone to discuss the strategy.>

<That will surely be a short conversation> Dmitry comments, as he leaves the room with Lily.

Quantum watches him leave and shakes his head.

<What did you see in that guy? I mean, seriously…>

<Max, I want you to keep this> Noriko tells him, handing back the Heaven-Slayer.

<What? Why!?>

<Because that’s a two-handed sword and currently I don’t have a second hand. Besides, the only reason I was able to use it to kill Tiamat was the Time Mover gave me enough time.>

<But what are you going to do? Without this or the God Eraser…>

<I don’t have anything that can hurt a god, yes. I’m not going to win the next fight, Max.>

<Not with that attitude!>

<I know my limits, Max. Yes, with enough time and resources, I could easily take down any of them; heck this is what, the third time we face Artemis? But I’m out of time and options, Max, and I’m only human. I’m not gonna win a one-on-one brawl with a goddess. I’m not even sure I’m gonna survive the next fight.>

<This isn’t like you, Nori. Have you been speaking with Abyss again?>

<I can feel her crawling inside my brain, trying to tear down my mental defenses, but no, she’s not the one in control. It’s not self-hatred, Max, it’s playing to our strengths: I’m the one coming up with the plan to save the day. But you’re the hero.>

<I’ll take the sword. But promise me you won’t do something reckless and stupid that puts your life in danger, okay?>

<If you promise me to take care of the Heaven-Slayer. The wrong energy pulse can destabilize it and make it as heavy as neutron star matter.>

<We should really have instructions for these things> Quantum comments, suddenly handling the sword with much greater care.

<I mean it, Max. I have, let’s say, firsthand knowledge of how dangerous the Heaven-Slayer can be.>

<Did you just made a pun about the weapon that cut off your arm?>

<Just get some rest, Max. We have the worst fight in our lives tomorrow.>

Quantum nods, disappearing by transforming into radio waves and leaving Noriko alone. She looks around, then she activates the Sound Nullifier to make sure her words won’t leave the temple.

<We have to talk. You can stop pretending the mental blocks are working> she says.

<You know we can hear each other’s thoughts, right? You don’t have to talk to yourself and look like a crazy person> she then answers to herself, using a different voice.

<This isn’t the time to argue, Abyss. I know you hate me, but if I die tomorrow, you die with me.>

<Still sounds like a net positive to me.>

<Don’t try to bulls##t me, I know how much of me there is in you. You hate losing, and you hate not having the last word even more.>

<What, you want me to be the one to fight? I was able to kill Deimos because I still had the God Eraser. You know, the weapon that you stupidly lost.>

<There might be a way to win the tournament. But I need your help to do it.>

<HA! This is rich! The wise and honorable Noriko Null, willing to strike a bargain with the living essence of all of humanity’s darkest traits! What would your worshippers think of their benevolent goddess? You know, the idiots that you encouraged to live a lie?>

<You’re making it very difficult not to delete your personality on the spot, Abyss.>

<Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that I agree to take part in your plan. What’s in it for me?>

<We both survive and the Galaxy doesn’t end up with an interstellar war that kills billions.>

<I don’t want to live in a cage inside your mind, and the entire universe can go f##k itself for all I care. I want a body of my own.>

<Not in a million years.>

<Then good luck with your fight. Your best chance is trying to sell your body to Artemis, she’s definitely into that sort of thing.>

<You’re seriously willing to die just to annoy me, aren’t you?>

<I’m your evil personality! What did you expect!?>

<I never thought I’d miss Void> Noriko sighs.

 

On the roof of one of the temples

While most of the other mortals are asleep, Max Black a.k.a. Quantum is staring at the stars of the Uruk Galaxy. It’s a stunning view, but he’s not really looking at it; he’s so lost in his own thoughts that he doesn’t pay much attention to the Lampyrian landing graciously next to him.

<Trouble sleeping?> Lily asks him.

<Yeah. The other side of the universe gives me a heck of a jet-lag.>

<Actually, we’re a lot closer to Earth than… oh, that was a joke, wasn’t it? Sorry.>

<Don’t sweat it. Torn’s been trying for years and he still has no idea of what I’m talking about, like, 90% of the time. Hmm, now that I think about it, it’s not like we understand him any better.>

<Eh eh, I guess that’s true. Max, as much as I appreciate how you’re trying to lighten the mood, I can tell you’re worried about tomorrow.>

<Why would I be worried? Last time I fought Enyo she didn’t even break a sweat and broke Vesta’s bones, and it’s not like everyone’s counting on me not to screw this up, right?>

<Sounds like you’re taking this tournament a lot more seriously than I thought.>

<Have you seen the kind of stunts Kari and Torn have pulled? Even Vesta! She lost to Artemis, yes, but I’ve never seen her fight like that. It made me realize that everybody else has gone through so much changes in the last five years, while I’m still the same.>

<Don’t you think that’s because you’re the only one who doesn’t need to change? You’re basically a god, Max, but I’ve never seen you wanting to use your power for anything but helping others.>

<Lily… I’m not a god. I’m just a kid from Chicago that got super-powers because he was in the right place at the right time.>

<Max, when I first heard about the Vanguard, I was told the only reason why my kind wasn’t enslaved by the gods and had the chance to live longer than two years, was because of what your team did before I was even born. Maybe you’re not gods, but I believe in the Vanguard. It’s time you start believing in yourself as well.>

 

Adrestia’s temple

The young goddess is laying on her bed, when she wakes up with a splitting headache. It takes her a while to get her bearings, as she doesn’t remember coming back here.

She’s still wearing her black uniform, but someone has removed her boots and unbuttoned her jacket without her consent.

<It’s a shame you cover up a body like that; your mother would be so disappointed.>

The male voice comes right from behind her. Adrestia unleashes a gravitational wave that makes the nearest wall collapse, but her target is already a few feet away.

<Leave Aphrodite out of this, Hermes> Adrestia says, hastily buttoning up her jacket since she’s not wearing anything underneath. She does this by using the only hand she has left, after removing the other one on her own.

<I’m really tempted to bring you back to her, sweet cheeks. Your little stunt ruined our plans.>

<How so? I’m alive, so the liquor provided by Dionysus shielded my mind from the effects of the Slayer of Gods. Just like you said it would.>

<Yes, but in your drunken stupor you apparently forgot that I specifically asked you to let Null advance to the next stage! I wanted her to kill either Enyo or Artemis before the end of the tournament; now we’ll have to deal with either of them winning and wishing for the death of their real target… whoever it is. Had I known this would happen, I wouldn’t have thrown the fight with you> he admits.

<I honestly regret missing the chance of a real fight with you, Hermes.>

<Oh please, sweet cheeks, don’t fool yourself. You really think overcoming the gravitational pull of a black hole would be a problem for me? If I wanted to evade your little trap, your beautiful backside would be resting on a quasar at the other side of the universe right now.>

<If you say so. What do you plan to do now? Sabotage one of the fights?>

<No, even I am not crazy enough to go behind Thoth’s back or, Zeus forbid, Inanna’s. No, I’m afraid we’ll just have to sit back and enjoy the show, for once.>

<I suppose. There is, however, still one thing that eludes me.>

<What’s that?>

<What do you gain from all of this, Hermes? I succeeded in having my brother killed, so now Ares will have no chance but grant me authority over an impressive number of worlds. But what do you want to accomplish?>

<Now now, Adrestia. You don’t really think I’d give away my game so easily, don’t you?>

<Always a step ahead of everybody else> she says, nodding.

<Well, not quite. I admit that I considered Tyche’s decision to marry Dionysus a little foolish. But now that his liquor has proved to be the only shield against the God Eraser, she has exclusive access to the most valuable substance in the Galaxy. Well, it would be exclusive if I hadn’t already stolen most of it, but you know what I mean.>

<And what would be the price to secure a sizeable quantity of that liquor? For… purely defensive purposes, of course.>

<Now you’re starting to speak my language, Adrestia. Perhaps now that you are out of the fight, we will be able to talk business more often.>

<Out of the fight? You mean because of this?> the daughter of Ares asks, looking at her missing hand. Without showing much effort on her part, she keeps looking as the stump regenerates into a fully grown hand in a few seconds.

<This is nothing. What’s war without a few minor inconveniences?>