Beyond The Impossible

Vancouver, Canada

Noriko Null is sitting in front of a Lar defector, who is currently chained to the table and wearing a prisoner’s outfit. She doesn’t like the fact that the Canadian authorities are listening to their conversation, but she’s can’t pass up the chance to learn more about him.

<Alright, I’m intrigued. Who the heck are you?>

<My name is Kylon. I believe you have visited my birth planet, Boreas? My parents were banished by the Winter King when I was only 30 years old.>

<“Only”. I know the Lar age even slower than Demons, but… how old are you?>

<247. We moved to a small planet called Megacles in the Demeter sector, where I served as a member of her army until you killed her.>

<You don’t sound particularly angry at me for killing your boss.>

<I have little sympathy for tyrants, just like my parents. I intended to return to my birth planet once I had the chance to kill the Winter King and free my people from his rule; by the time I managed to return, the Winter Kingdom had already seceded from the Mortal Republic. And in the end I didn’t get the chance to get my revenge, because the Winter King died during his invasion of this planet.>

<I wish I could take the credit, but it was actually the Ice Queen who killed him.>

<I know. That’s why I joined her army as one of her Frost Commanders.>

<This is all relatively interesting, Kylon, but earlier you said something about Lar technology?>

<The Ice Queen has access to some of the technology that the Lar Empire used at the height of its power, but not all of it. I was among those charged with finding access points to our Shadow Network.>

<I’ve never heard that term, but I know the Lar have the means to use interstellar portals.>

<It was more than that: the Shadow Network allowed instantaneous travel to any inhabited world in the Twelve Galaxies. If the Ice Queen finds it, she will use it to take over the Olympian Galaxy.>

<And you’re against that, I guess?>

<The Lar tried to wage war against the gods before; it nearly drove us to extinction. I can’t trust the Winter Kingdom or the Mortal Republic, but I hope that I can trust you.>

<Your story sounds a little too good to be true, Kylon; I’ve been burned before. Let’s have a look at this technology of yours.> Noriko says, her silver eyes shining.

Just then, the door bursts open: a man she’s never seen before just barged in, showing the identification badge of the Global Defense Organization.

<Please step away from the alien, missy. He’s under GDO custody, effective immediately.>

<First of all, I wasn’t finished. Second, did you just seriously call me “missy”?>

<Agent, please remove the civilians. This is strictly a GDO operation.>

<Is there a problem?> they hear Vesta ask. She just takes a step towards the interrogation room, and the two heavily armed guards point their machine guns at her.

<You really think that’s going to work?> she asks, not even raising her voice.

The two guards look at each other and lower their weapons.

<Noriko, are those people bothering you?> the goddess asks her boss.

<Yes, but unfortunately the law is on their side: Canada is a member of the GDO, and this is within their jurisdiction. We will leave the prisoner with you, no hard feelings.> Noriko admits, shaking hands with the GDO representative.

<You can’t be serious!> Kari protests.

<I really am.> she replies out loud, while sending her a message through the Neural Transmitter:

“Of course I’m not. This is far from over.”

 

Hell, 163,000 light-years from Earth

Desecration Mountain explodes violently, sending hundreds of tons of rocks and lava in every direction. While Hell is volcanically very active, a different kind of force of nature is causing this: a god with a jackal’s head, whose cybernetic implants are glowing ominously under the shadows of the cloud of ash obscuring the sky.

<This is Hell? The universe once feared your power. How pathetic.> Anubis ridicules them, even when a squadron of elite Demons is bombarding him with all sorts of red energy weapons.

They don’t even see him coming: his claws dismember them with incredible ease, and not a single blade has pierced his skin.

Then Anubis is surrounded by fire pentagrams, and a literal army of Demons begins the assault.

The god is obscured by the chaotic mass of weapons and Demons jumping from portal to portal, rushing in and out of the battle to provide an endless barrage of attacks.

At first glance it may look like a winning strategy. But more and more, the redness of the weapons is replaced by the copious amounts of blood being sprayed around as Anubis slaughters a hundred Demons every second.

An elderly Demon woman is watching this from a distance. She has a visible fracture on her skull and she’s visibly shaken, but she’s concentrating: her hands are clasped in prayer and her eyes are fixed on Anubis. A much younger Demon woman appears next to her, coming to her rescue.

<Lady Of All Demons, you are not safe here. You must retreat.>

<I will not leave my post, Agony. Summon your husband Torn immediately and inform Null.>

Before Agony can reply, she’s distracted by the sudden silence: the battle is already over. Anubis stands alone in a field of mutilated Demon corpses, spreading his arms.

<Is that all you have?> he asks. Then the sky rumbles, and Agony looks up.

Hell is usually covered by vast clouds of fire, fueled by the power of the Blood itself. Today is no exception, but the sky suddenly seems angry. Especially when the Lady Of All Demons commands:

<UNHOLY RETRIBUTION!>

The sky shoots a flaming broadsword at Anubis, cutting through his torso. Then another one, slicing one of his shoulders. And another one, and another one, until the god has been impaled thirteen times. That seems to be the limit for Vice, who collapses from exhaustion. Agony catches her before she hits the ground, worried for her leader but proud of her accomplishment.

<Impressive.> Anubis recognizes, twisting his body in horrific ways to break free. The attack has exposed his entrails, a mixture of organs and mechanical components; his flesh is growing mechanical tendrils to stitch itself back together, with limbs and bones moving back in place.

<An acceptable demonstration. You may now join my army.> he says, and his red eyes shine.

The Demon body parts scattered on the ground start to move, slithering towards the corpses that are standing back up: it’s not just Anubis walking towards Agony, but an army of Demon zombies.

Agony stands her ground, protecting the unconscious Vice and creating seven swords orbiting her body for personal protection.

<Get closer and I’ll show you how a Demon dies.>

<Hardly an appropriate threat to a god of death.> Anubis notes, shooting twin lasers from his eyes.

Agony is ready to attempt to deflect them, even though she’s nowhere near fast enough. Much to her surprise, the lasers don’t reach her because now there’s a kimono in front of her.

<Amaterasu!?> she exclaims. The young sun goddess has been residing in Hell for some time now, but it’s still hard to consider her as one of its citizens.

<I saw a mountain explode. Who’s the half-dog robot?> she asks.

<I am Anubis, son of Osiris and Nephthys, Protector of the Dead.>

<Hello! Amaterasu-ōmikami, daughter of… well, let’s not go there… I’m the Goddess of the Sun! Pleased to meet you, Anubis!>

<He slaughtered thousands of my people and is desecrating their bodies.> Agony tells her.

<Seriously? Bad dog!> Amaterasu reprimands him, shooting a beam of concentrated solar energy.

The result is a hundred more times more destructive than everything Anubis has done so far, comparable to the detonation of a nuclear weapon. Vice and Agony survive only because the latter protected both Demons with a barrier, which Amaterasu realizes a little too late.

<Sorry! I just aimed at the dog, I didn’t want to hurt you! Are you alright?>

<Look out!> Agony tries to warn her, but it’s too late: Anubis slashes through her body with his claws, spraying divine blood everywhere.

Agony watches Anubis get closer, and she does the only thing that makes sense: retreat inside a pentagram, bringing with her Vice and Amaterasu.

Anubis doesn’t show much emotion. He simply turns towards his army of Demon corpses, who now have cybernetic parts growing out of their flesh, and gives the order:

<Bring me more soldiers.>

 

Null Tower, New York City

Noriko Null is standing in one of the most secure placed in the Tower, and indeed in the world: the room where she conducts her business as the head of the Covenant, her galaxy-spanning resistance movement. She’s sitting on a chair standing in front the hologram of a blue-skinned woman with bat wings coming out of her back.

<How are things on Lampyria, Lily?> she ask.

<Still adjusting to the fact that my planet is now in the Middle Galaxy, but we’re making progress; at least that meant we skipped the Egyptian invasion.>

<Not to be rude, Lily, but this isn’t just a social call.>

<Yes, I know. I’ve never met this Kylon guy when I was spying on the Winter Kingdom, but I’ve heard about him: there aren’t a lot of Lar who made a career in the Demeter military, let alone who then switched their allegiance to the Ice Queen. His story checks out, for the most part.>

<What do you mean?>

<I don’t buy that he doesn’t want anything in return. The world where he grew up, Megales? It attempted several military coups over the years, before you killed Demeter. There were rumors of a very old mastermind behind all of them, and while the most popular theory was that it was a god…>

<It could have easily been a Lar and this could be a trap.>

<Exactly.>

<What about this “Shadow Network”? I hate to say it, but it does fit with what I know about Lar technology, and Leiko did use a portal to send Syzar to Earth once, and I’ve never been able to trace it. Could Kylon be working with her?>

<I don’t have much information on the Ice Queen: you should ask Ganos Lal for that. Last I heard, the Church of Null is growing pretty fast in the Winter Kingdom; is Lal still Supreme Pontiff?>

<Unfortunately yes. She can be useful sometimes, but I can’t stand having a religion based on me.>

<Well, Lal isn’t the only one speaking about you as a goddess.>

<Please don’t tell me that Lampyria has joined her cult.>

<Not the Church of Null, no. But the Daughters of Null already make up half the population.>

<Seriously? Ugh.> Noriko groans.

<Well, what did you expect? You increased our lifespan, you saved us from Apollo and you teleported our planet to another galaxy. There’s talks about making it the state religion.>

<That’s just great. Why don’t people just…> Noriko starts to complain, but she stops when a pentagram of fire appears in the room.

Before she can process what’s happening, she has to dodge a body being thrown at her with great force. She instinctively reaches for her Genius Gun, but she doesn’t fire when she sees Agony step out of the pentagram carrying an elderly Demon woman in her arms.

<Is that Vice? What the hell happened?> Noriko asks, trying to determine if the Lady Of All Demons is still alive.

<Anubis has invaded Hell. Save her, I will take the Vanguard back to Hell.> Agony tells her.

<Take her to the infirmary, I’ll see what I can do.> Noriko replies, moving towards the body that Agony unceremoniously threw through the portal: it’s Amaterasu. And while Noriko is certain that she’s still alive, being a goddess, she doesn’t show any vital signs.

Agony kicks down the door to take Vice to safety, while a couple of Nullbots get inside and carry Amaterasu with them. Noriko looks at herself: her clothes have been smeared with the blood of demons and gods. And she activates the Neural Transmitter to send a message to the Vanguard:

<Everyone, get ready. We’re going to Hell again.>