Beyond The Impossible

Lampyria, 68,000 light-years from Earth

Just like on every other planet in the Galaxy, there are prisons on Lampyria. On Earth it would probably be called a dungeon: it’s underground, its walls are made of stone, and since Lampyria doesn’t use electricity the cells are illuminated by torches. All of its prisoners are Lampyrian, since aliens are far too profitable to lock up, even in the rare occasions they do commit crimes, and because there are no cells that are suitable for them. The air pressure is too low and the atmosphere is too toxic for humans, so it would be too expensive to maintain special cells.

Today is an exception: the only human prisoner is being kept alive by a Survival Field projector designed by Noriko Null herself. Ironically, it’s being used to preserve the life of the woman who came very close to killing her.

Shaina, Oracle of Apollo, is on her knees inside the cell, hand clasped in prayer.

<Bless me with your holy light, Unconquered Sun, and give me strength to crush your enemies. Bless me with your holy light, Unconquered…>

<You know he can’t hear you, right?> is the question that interrupts her plea. It belongs to one of the duplicates of Kari Zel, sitting on a chair right in front of the cell’s bars as she continues:

<I’m Myridian. I heard Demeter’s victims pray to her for forgiveness. I’ve heard her priests pray for her guidance and her Oracles pray for her help. She never answered, not once.>

<Then your faith was found lacking. Tell me, heathen: do you know how it feels to fear a god?>

<I’ve seen my goddess beg for her life at Null’s feet, Shaina. Gods have nothing to offer me now.>

<Then your life is meaningless. Bless me with your holy light…>

<Well, I tried. Good luck rotting in prison without your… powers?> Kari says, noticing that Shaina’s body is starting to shine with light.

<This is bad> Kari comments, creating five duplicates for support. Then something else appears inside the cell: an elegantly dressed man with white hair and unnaturally bright blue eyes.

<My lord! You have answered my prayers!> Shaina exclaims, prostrating herself before Apollo.

<This is worse. Guys, we’re in major trouble!> Kari says through the Neural Transmitter.

<Rise, my Oracle, for your faith has been rewarded. What about you, child? Why aren’t you kneeling before your god?> Apollo asks Kari.

<You are not my god. The Vanguard doesn’t fear the likes of you.>

<There are no gods like me> are the last words the Kari duplicates hear, before they’re scorched alive by a sudden burst of solar energy.

 

Palace of the Government

Much to her surprise, Noriko Null has been enjoying her time with Helen of Troy. Even with her powers dampened by the mask she’s wearing, Helen is exceedingly likable: Noriko feels like she could hear her talk for hours. Even more surprisingly, she has the distinct feeling that she actually does care for the well-being of mortals… unless she’s the best actress in the galaxy, she’s not faking.

<It’s such a shame the Lampyrians are stuck on this planet, darling. They have a truly unique and enlightened society.> Helen says.

<I haven’t had the chance to explore it. Y’know, with your husband’s Oracles trying to kill me.>

<That’s understandable. Unfortunately my kingdom can’t take Lampyrian refugees: they wouldn’t be welcomed by my subjects. Perhaps you can convince the Mortal Republic, or even Athena herself, to accept them. Unless, of course, your planet has room for them?>

<Three hundred million aliens? Yeah, no. Considering the current Lampyrian birth rate, I’m not sure there’s a single planet big enough for all of them. Unless we…>

<Guys, we’re in major trouble!> Kari’s voice echoes through the Neural Transmitter.

<What’s up, Kari? Kari?>

<My husband is on the planet> Helen says, standing up from her chair. Even with the mask concealing her face, it’s clear she’s terrified.

<Are you sure?>

<I can feel his power from here. If he finds out I’m helping you…>

<He won’t. Take the N07-Naraka and leave the system; I’ll call you when this is over.> Noriko tells her, recovering from her pocket a small pin in the shape of a snake twisted in the infinity symbol.

<Consider yourself drafted into the Covenant, Helen.>

As soon as she’s said it, Helen of Troy is teleported away. With impeccable timing, Apollo and Shaina immediately replace her.

<This is her, my lord. The Slayer of Gods.>

<I thought she’d be taller.> Apollo comments, looking down at Noriko.

<I get that a lot. You’re Apollo, aren’t you?>

<I am Lord Apollo, the Unconquered Sun, the Holy Light of the Universe, yes.>

<Cute. We don’t actually need one of those here, so, thanks for the offer and all, but we’re good.>

<You are one insolent mortal. Did you really think you could avoid punishment for killing my dear sister Artemis?>

<Look, Apollo, I don’t know you. But everyone keeps telling me you’re a monster, so I don’t really think we can settle this with words.>

<Then why are you addressing the Sun God with such disrespect?>

<It’s called stalling, genius. Get him, boys> Noriko says, and a fire pentagram appears in front of her; Torn and Quantum jump out of it, taking Apollo by surprise and crashing him through the wall.

<How DARE you!?> Shaina shouts, pointing her finger at Noriko and releasing a laser aiming for her brain; the same attack that almost killed her. This time, the laser bounces off a forcefield.

<Don’t waste your energy. You got lucky last time, but nobody takes Null by surprise twice.>

<I will make you swallow your pride> Shaina responds, transforming into light and launching another attack: she repeatedly tries to get through the field, with the effect of creating a complex laser grid that ricochets off the barrier and slices everything in its path… except her target.

<Back off, creep. I have a bigger fish to fry> Noriko tells her, drawing the Genius Gun and pulling the trigger. The weapon releases a sudden burst of anti-neutrinos, which don’t affect matter around her in the slightest but force Shaina to return to human form. Before she has time to understand what just happened, Noriko knees her in the stomach and then lands a highly satisfying uppercut that knocks out the Oracle.

<Alright. Time to figure out what this thing actually does.> Noriko says, taking the Iron Key of Heaven out of her pocket.

 

Outside of the Palace

Apollo has had enough. His body turns into light, allowing Torn to pass through it, and then the god unleashes a photon blast intended to vaporize the Demon. Instead, the light is intercepted by a laser that miraculously deflects it, sending the destructive energy beyond the horizon.

<I did not send any Oracles to this sector> Apollo comments, watching the laser change form into a hologram of Quantum.

<Do I look like an Oracle to you?> Quantum replies, sending a massive dose of microwaves towards the god. The air around him boils, but Apollo remains unaffected.

<I sense no divine power in you. What kind of creature are you?>

<I’m a superhero. Ever heard of Quantum?>

<I have fought, fathered and slept with countless heroes. I’ve never heard about Quantum.>

<C’mon man, really? I’m the Strongest Under The Heavens! I won the title and everything!> he complains, launching himself against Apollo in the form of a raging electrical storm. When that fails to damage him, he switches to hard radiation: he has to be very careful not to waste any of it, to avoid irradiating the city, but it should be enough to kill anything.

<“Strongest Under The Heavens”, uh? Then it’s foolish to fight one who rules the stars> Apollo says, showing the palm of his hand to Quantum. He releases a massive ball of superheated plasma, enough to vaporize a small moon: Quantum could easily avoid it, but there’s no way to push it away from the city. Fortunately for him, the miniature star doesn’t travel for more than a few feet.

<That’s enough> Vesta says, floating towards them: in her presence, the unimaginable heat of the attack doesn’t spread towards the city.

<Princess Hestia. Your beauty shines upon an unworthy planet.>

<I’m not in the mood, Apollo, and my name is Vesta now.> she tells him, touching the sphere with her index finger: it rapidly deflates, like a flame rapidly depleting its oxygen supply.

<You have no business here. Please return to Delos, Apollo, and leave Lampyria alone.>

<If you fancy this world, fair Vesta, the Sun God shall spare it. But I’ve heard troubling rumors about you siding with the Slayer of Gods; this is your chance to denounce them as lies.>

<I will do no such thing. Null is my ally and my friend.>

<She killed my sister. And yours.> Apollo replies; his voice is suddenly stern, and his perfect face frowns into an angry stare.

<Uhm, Vesta, I think we should be careful with this one.> Quantum suggests.

<They both deserved to die. I only wish I killed them myself.> Vesta replies, clenching her fists.

Apollo answers by screaming as he flies towards her at the speed of light; Quantum has to transform into gravitons to push her away, and even then Apollo misses the target by inches.

<Seriously, am I the only one who doesn’t want homicidal gods to be MORE angry at us!?> Quantum complains, as the three of them begin a complex dance of photons, fire and destruction.

 

On a nearby rooftop

Lily Elosia covers her eyes with one of her wings: the amount of light that the trio if creating is literally blinding. Kari Zel is next to her, using the body of a duplicate to shield her own eyes.

<I hate watching from the sidelines. You’re the resident genius, Lily, any ideas?>

<Neither Max nor Vesta can fight at full power without causing extensive damage to the planet. We should find a way to get them into space.> the Lampyrian suggests.

<I know a way. Instinct. Killer.> they hear Torn say: they didn’t even notice he was standing behind them until he opened his mouth, and now his body is surrounded by a flaming aura of Blood energy that also includes two big horns.

<Torn, I want to fight this guy as much as you do, but Apollo is way out of our weight class.>

<I’m heavier than you. And that god is quite skinny.>

<Not exactly what I was talking about, Torn…>

<I have to agree with Kari. You don’t have anything that could possibly hurt Apollo.>

<We’ll see about that. Soul Reaper!> Torn shouts, summoning a large energy scythe: unlike his other Blood weapons, it seems to be pulsating raw power, and it’s surrounded by black sparks.

Torn runs towards the edge of the building and takes a leap directly into a pentagram in the air.

<Your friend is insane> Lily says.

<Maybe. Or maybe… Max!!! Do that thing you did at my wedding!!!> Kari shouts.

Torn emerges from a pentagram a short distance from Apollo, who easily dodges him. He’s ready to attack Quantum, but the mortal surprises him by disappearing in the form of radio waves.

<Wise strategy. Now, where is that annoying Demon?> Apollo asks, just when another pentagram forms behind him. Apollo could easily leave the battlefield, it Vesta didn’t immobilize him with a bear hug strong enough to crush diamonds.

<Torn, NOW!!!> she calls.

<HELL RESONANCE!!!> is all Apollo can hear before the world becomes red.

 

A nearby gas giant

The Lampyrians have a name for this massive planet in their solar system, of course, but it’s irrelevant. Apollo and Vesta emerge from the pentagram and crash through a minor moon, hitting it with the force of a thousand nuclear weapons: it’s enough to shatter the celestial object, but not enough to actually hurt Apollo. Vesta, on the other hand, has a truly epic headache.

<Is that all you have?> the Sun God asks.

<It was enough to knock out Dionysus once, but no, we were saving the best for last.> Vesta answers before flying away at a significant percentage of the speed of light.

And it’s nothing compared to the speed at which Quantum is traveling: just a trillionth of a percent below the speed of light. By transforming into ordinary matter an instant before impact, he could use his Infinite Mass Punch: enough to destroy a moon. But he’s not carrying ordinary matter with him: he holds a special sword in his hands, the Heaven-Slayer. Made of special neutral matter, it can weight more than a mountain if it’s hit with a particular electromagnetic impulse. Something that Quantum does a fraction of a second before letting it go, a few feet away from Apollo.

When the sword hits the gas giant, it does it with enough kinetic energy and raw power to obliterate an entire planet. The giant is slightly bigger than Jupiter, so it’s understandable how it can survive, even when the explosion covers a sizeable portion of its diameter.

What the Vanguard can’t truly process is watching Apollo rise out of the explosion, holding the sword in his hand: his clothes have been incinerated, but he’s completely unharmed.

<I recognize the handiwork of Hephaestus. If you’re done playing with his toys, I believe it’s my turn to get serious.> Apollo says, raising one hand, and the gas giant starts to glow as its core undergoes nuclear fusion.