Beyond The Impossible

Null City Grand Cathedral, Myridia

The church is quite majestic, with a huge Ø carved on its façade, just below the triangular pediment where the face of Noriko Null has been finely sculpted.

<Well, at least they got your face right!> Jane tells her, trying to cheer her up.

Noriko doesn’t seem amused, and for a number of reasons. She doesn’t like the cathedral, not just the way it looks but its very existence. She doesn’t like the massive crowd that surrounds the building in every direction. She doesn’t like the fact that every single one of them is wearing a pendant with her Ø symbol, often made of silver.

But she especially doesn’t like seeing so many people dressed up as her… including men… from the green leather jacket to military boots, down to wearing wigs with her haircut and silver contacts.

<Why did I ever agree to this?> she sighs.

<Everyone is staring at us. Is that normal?> Daren Bekker whispers to her; he’s one of the very few people wearing a red T-shirt and a Quantum mask over his face. There aren’t many black people in the crowd, but the few he can see are all dressed and masked the same way.

<It is a little disturbing. Maybe we should’ve stayed behind.> Jane adds, keeping her voice low; she’s dyed her hair purple and she’s wearing pink clothes.

<I’m gonna have Kari’s head for this.> Noriko says, struggling to prevent her eyes from shining.

 

The day before, at Kari Zel’s house

Noriko Null is holding a green leather jacket in her hands, looking at it in disgust: it’s not the right color, not the right size, and it has a huge silver Ø symbol on its back.

<This is probably a bad idea.> she comments.

<What do you mean, a lot of your diehard followers wear these!> Kari replies.

<More “tryhard” than diehard. People seriously wear this thing to worship me? It’s horrible, nobody’s going to fall for it!>

<But that’s the point! Orthodox Vanguardist believe it’s a sin to look exactly like you, so they always include something different enough. You’ll mix with the crowd perfectly!>

<Then why don’t you join me? You can dye your hair brunette instead of having Jane turn purple. Heck, Vesta can change her hair color at will!>

<Because that would be far more suspicious, Noriko! Vanguardist priests want to look exactly like members of the Vanguard… it’s only you they don’t want to offend. They worship all of us as gods, but you’re still the head of the pantheon.>

<I suppose I should be thankful they’re not doing blackface and redface to look like Quantum and Torn. God, this whole religion thing is so massively stupid!>

<Oh, about that, since you want to go undercover, somebody has to go as one of the guys.>

<I’m afraid to ask why…>

<Because there will be real gods at the meeting, remember? Max can’t just turn invisible around them, they’ll spot him immediately since they can sense energy.>

<And I can’t just go with a Kari lookalike or by myself because…?>

<Because of the Artemisians.>

<Because of what?>

<Artemisians. They believe you’re the daughter of Artemis. They don’t allow men in their clergy and they consider Vesta and I as your personal concubines. If they see you with a Kari they’ll assume you’re an Artemisian and they’ll quickly harass you as a fake.> Kari explains.

<I don’t think I wanna know why they wouldn’t think I’m one of them.>

<Because you have boobs. Artemisians believe that, uhm, that you don’t have any, so their priestesses cut them off.>

<I knew I was better off not knowing…>

 

Null City Grand Cathedral, today

The crowd is kept outside of the gates of the cathedral by a massive Aurochian: no matter how religious they are, people have seconds thoughts before trying to sneak past a minotaur bouncer.

Jane is so frightened by him that she hides behind Noriko:

<Nori, that thing’s ginormous! Maybe we should find another way in!>

<I agree, he looks like he could rip us in half if we look at him wrong!> Daren adds, too proud to hide behind his girlfriend but visibly disturbed by the alien.

<Easily, they’re physically stronger than Demons and can be very temperamental. Hey, you!> she shouts at the minotaur, getting his attention.

<What are you doing!?> Jane whispers.

<Step aside and allow us entrance, you son of a cow!>

<Are you insane!?> Daren asks her, trying to pull her away from the half-man half-bull alien, who loudly exhales from his large nostrils.

<Your invitation.> he says, with a booming voice.

<My what?>

<Nobody gets in without an invitation from the Supreme Pontiff.>

<My congregation doesn’t recognize her authority. But we must speak at this Council.>

<Not without an invitation.>

<We understand, thanks anyway, we’ll be going now!> Jane answers.

<Ask Ganos Lal to come here. She’ll let us in.> Null insists.

<Listen, flea dung…> the Aurochian replies, hunching to get closer to her eye level but not quite managing it, both because of his bulk and because he’s so much bigger than her.

<…everybody here thinks he’s some kind of big shot. You’re not getting past me without an invitation. Now scram or I’ll break your scrawny bones in so many pieces that only Null will be able to recognize you.>

<Is that a fact?> Noriko says, looking at him in the eye.

Her mind races to examine the situation. The alien doesn’t have any visible weak points and could probably shrug off being hit by a truck. If he has nerve points to be exploited, she’s not familiar enough with his anatomy take him down that way.

Since she’s disarmed, the only offense at her disposal are the various Demon techniques she has learned; a Soul Disruptor would knock him out, but she would get far too much attention.

Using her golden eyes would bring the minotaur to her knees, but it would mean shaving off another year from her lifespan. And it seems the bouncer wasn’t chosen just because his biceps are thicker than her entire body: to keep up with her stare, his will must be exceptionally strong.

<What seems to be the problem?>

The tension is broken by someone else approaching the gate. It’s a man wearing a grey cloak, complete with a hood and a black mask that completely covers his face leaving no openings.

He’s accompanied by two women: a white human wearing the grey cloak but without a mask, and a blue Lampyrian with the cloak draped on the side to make room for the wings on her back.

<Just another preachy punk. What do you want?>

<I want you to step aside. I wish to enter.>

<Your invitation.> the bouncer says menacingly.

<I don’t need one. You will step aside.>

<Again!? Nobody gets in without an invitation!!!> the minotaur shouts, stomping his foot.

The ground shakes so much that Noriko loses her balance, being so close to him; she doesn’t fall just because Daren catches her. The stranger with the grey cloak didn’t budge an inch.

<Step aside. I will not repeat myself.> he says calmly.

The Aurochian’s response is to roar in his face, so loudly that the hood falls off; it’s impossible to see the man’s reaction, since the black mask underneath completely covers his head, but he still maintains eye contact with the alien.

Noriko feels something. A chill down her spine tells her that the stranger is doing something, even if he’s completely still. And the change in the minotaur’s face proves it: it’s not easy to translate his facial expressions into human terms, but he’s clearly scared of something.

<Hey man, I just work here okay?> the Aurochian says, raising his hands and stepping aside.

<Thank you for your collaboration.> the stranger says, pulling the grey hood back on and making a couple of steps towards the door and then stopping.

<She’s coming with me.> he says, leaving no change for arguments.

<Sure, whatever you say!> the minotaur agrees, still afraid of the faceless human.

Noriko gets ready to join him; Daren stops her, grabbing her hand.

<Maybe you should think this over, it sounds dangerous!> he objects.

<It’s what I do.> she replies, freeing herself and leaving him behind with no second thoughts.

The stranger opens the gate and invites Noriko to get inside first, following her together with his two assistants and then closing the gate behind him.

<Thanks for the assist.> Noriko tells him.

<Don’t mention it. We’re all here in the name of Null, no matter our differences. But, if you really wish to thank me, Vanguardist, perhaps you should tell me your name.>

<Jane Doe of Manhattan. It’s a small planet, you probably never heard of it. What was that stunt you did out there? Some kind of Demon soul projection?>

<Just my faith in Null. I suppose presentations are in order… these are my attendants, sister Skorpios of Troy and sister Leral of Lampyria. I am Xenon Arceus, leader of the Mortal Resistance Movement.>

 

The White House, Washington D.C.

The Secret Service is escorting someone very unusual: a teenage girl with red hair with a blue streak and a flaming halo floating above her head.

Making sure that she isn’t spotted by the press and even by most of the staff has been quite a challenge, especially due to the halo, but they have finally managed to get her to the Oval Office.

She’s handcuffed and she’s had at least five guns pointed at her during the entire trip, but she doesn’t look concerned. If anything, she looks utterly bored.

Finally, a man in his sixties walks into the room, talking with one of the agents.

<Is she the real deal?>

<We believe so, Mr. President. She has demonstrated superhuman strength and durability; we searched her for alien technology and doesn’t seem to be carrying anything with her.>

<What about that halo?>

<We tried extinguishing it but with no success. It doesn’t seem to be real fire, it generates heat but it doesn’t burn anything.>

<Very well. Please leave us alone.>

<Sir, I strongly advise against that. She looks harmless, but with her strength alone…>

<I come in peace! I didn’t harm your soldiers. I even let them bind me.> she highlights, raising her hands to show off the handcuffs.

<I’m aware of the risk. Leave us alone.>

<Yes, Mr. President.> the agent agrees, leaving the room with all of his subordinates.

The President walks towards the young girl, who breaks the handcuffs like they were made of tinfoil and does a curtsy.

<Thank you for meeting me, Your Majesty. I understand you are the king of this planet?>

<Not quite, but I am the leader of the free world. Robert Keen, President of the United States.>

<Tyche, Goddess of Luck and Destiny and queen-in-exile of the Tyche Sector. You may have heard of the mortal who exiled me… the current Ice Queen, Leiko Tanaka.>

<I have. Did you come to Earth to ask for our help to retake your kingdom?>

<Not quite, but I am in need of a new base of operations. So I was thinking you could grant me asylum and provide me with resources and manpower. To pay for the expenses, I am offering you information I picked up in-between centuries.>

<Such as?>

<Just some basic stuff, like faster-than-light travel and the cure for every disease. Interested?>