Beyond The Impossible

Stygian Galaxy, 3 million light-years from Earth

If the Underworld had any actual mortal population, billions of people would have died already.

The Sumerian goddess Inanna crashes on one of its planets with such force that the impact obliterates it, reducing it to a debris field of asteroids.

She pushes off one of the city-sized boulders, no longer held together by the gravity that used to keep the planet in place.

<Took me by surprise, I admit. It’s been millennia since I’ve had an actual fight.> she admits, wiping the single drop of sweat that run down the porcelain-white skin of her forehead.

This moment of vanity is taken advantage by the winged goddess approaching her from behind: the talons on her bird-like feet dig into her skin, forcing Inanna to remember what pain is.

<Devour!!!> Alecto shouts, before the Goddess of Anger sinks her sharp teeth into Inanna’s flesh to gnaw at her shoulder.

Inanna is so overwhelmed by her ferocity that the second of the three Keres is able to attack her, using her diamond-sharp fingernails to carve out Inanna’s stomach and plunge her mouth into her intestines to eat her alive.

<Ravage!!!> Megaera screams between bites, with the pitch-black blood of the goddess dripping from her sharp teeth.

<ANNIHILATE!!!!> Tisiphone shrieks, flying towards her target faster than the speed of light.

If the planet hadn’t been destroyed already, the impact would do the job just fine. With her two sisters draining energy from Inanna, the third Keres propels them towards the star at the center of this system.

They detach themselves from Inanna to leave her succumbing to the gravity of the star, and only when the Sumerian is within striking distance from its surface delivery a combined attack.

Three blasts of eldritch energy hit the goddess from different directions, destabilizing the star that goes supernova at close range.

Everything in its range is completely obliterated, as only the Keres are fast enough to escape the blast zone and create a new nebula that spreads across the system.

The Keres hover like vultures around the white dwarf star that serves as the tombstone of their victim, and their mouths filled with sharp teeth warp into sadistic laughter.

<Desecrated.> Alecto gloats.

<Dishonored.> Megaera rejoices.

<Wast…> Tisiphone begins to relish, when she feels the gravitational wave created by something jumping off the white dwarf star with enough force to move it.

Then she screams when her black wings are ripped off her back. Her sisters come to her rescue, but Tisiphone’s wings are thrown towards them with enough force to stagger them.

A punch breaks through Tisiphone’s stomach like it was cardboard, and the same hand moves upwards shattering all organs until it reaches her heart… which Inanna squeezes into nothingness.

<Nice try. I almost felt that.> are the last words that the Keres hears, before Inanna rips her body in half with her bare hands.

Alecto and Megaera stare at her, even if their heads have no eyes and just a mouth for a face.

There isn’t a single scar on Inanna’s body.

<Did you really think I couldn’t survive the destruction of my body? I don’t think you girls realize what it means to be a Class-1 goddess. I’m on top of the food chain of the universe.>

<Vengeance!!!> Alecto yells, flying towards her.

<Revenge!!!> her sister Megaera echoes her.

<Guess it’s feeding time, then.> Inanna replies, cracking her knuckles.

 

N01-Ragnarok, intergalactic space

Persephone wakes up in the medical bay of the warship, and her body begins glowing with energy almost as rapidly as she starts swearing.

<What the f##kdamn f##k is this f##king s##thole!?> she shouts, struggling to stand up because she’s missing both her arms.

She floats into an uptight position, with the energy radiating from her pushing away the bed and medical equipment. Some of which would knock out Noriko Null if she didn’t have the foresight to activate her forcefield long before Persephone regained conscience.

<She can be a bit cranky.> Thanatos excuses her.

<Persephone, settle down. You’re still in shock.> Noriko tries to calm her.

<You better f##king believe I’m in shock! That f##king s##tc##t took my f##king arms!!! You know how much that f##king sucks!?>

<I have some idea, yes.> Noriko deadpans, recalling how she once lost her own arm.

Unlike her, however, Persephone has several advantages granted by her godhood. Her green energy extends from her shoulders, which she models as temporary new arms. They’re slightly transparent, allowing to see bones that are just more solidified energy.

<It’s going to take me the rest of the f##king month to regrow these.> she complains.

<Persephone… why exactly did you ask Thanatos to bring you to my ship?> Noriko asks.

<I want you to off the s##tc##t who did this to me. You’re the Skullf##ker Of Gods.>

<I prefer “Slayer”. You know I’m at war with your husband Hades, right? And that Inanna is working with me?>

<I figured, s##t-for-brains. I don’t f##king care. Anything to get rid of that s##tc##t.>

<Ask your husband to surrender and I won’t kill him. That’s my only offer.>

<Are you s##tting me!?>

<You’re not holding a strong hand here, Persephone. Pun intended. You know as well as I do that Hades can’t defeat Inanna, and he’s next on her agenda. After that defeat, do you really think Poseidon and Ereshkigal will keep their allegiance to Hades? Cut your losses before it’s too late, Persephone: I know Hades, he can be reasoned with.>

<I could kill you where you f##king stand.>

<And I could have killed you while you were laying unconscious in my sickbay. Are you going to make me regret keeping you alive? Because I remind you: I’m the Skullf##ker Of Gods.> Noriko asks, her silver eyes shining.

She keeps then shining as she and the Queen of the Underworld stare at each other. And there is no doubt that one who doesn’t fear the other is the mortal.

Persephone hesitates, leaving the staring contest to look at Thanatos. The god of death nods to her.

<One condition. Inanna dies.> she states.

<No.> Noriko simply replies, without hesitation.

<You’re saying no to ME!?>

<Inanna is an ally. If I go around killing allies for petty reasons, I will waste all the strategic capital I have accumulated… just as your husband did, declaring war on me.> Noriko explains.

<FINE. Kill that b##ch Ereshkigal then.>

<That can be arranged.>

<You better keep your part of the f##king bargain, or the first thing I’ll do once I regrow my arms will be shoving them up your…>

<I get the picture.>

<Hm. Maybe we should’ve kept some mortals alive in the Underworld and avoid this f##king mess. Let’s go, Thanatos.>

The God of Death makes a respectful bow towards Noriko, then disappearing into his own shadow together with the Queen Of The Underworld.

 

Kedeia, Stygian Galaxy

Hades is running low on planets to use as a throne world, and even lower in resources.

He’s been following Inanna’s fight with the Keres on the images projected on the smoke rising from a funerary pyre, and he knows well that they can’t possibly win.

Hunched on his throne, clasped hands in front of his face hidden by his black hood, he’s lost in his thoughts until the skeletal hand of his wife touches his shoulder.

<It’s time to let this go, honey. You can’t win this.>

Hades reacts moving so fast that she can’t avoid his hand from slapping her in the face, making a deafening sound of thunder that reverberates across the planet.

<What do you know about wars? All you ever do is shout your own anger.> he complains.

<I know how you hate being weaker than your brothers. I never cared about that! It’s all bulls##t posturing, Hades. You and I were the only ones who knew that!>

<I can accept being weaker than Zeus and Poseidon, or even of the other Nine Gods. But this mortal, Persephone? She beat death. She made me obsolete. She will be dead in a few years, decades if she’s lucky, but the other gods will make fun of me for the rest of eternity.>

<We are gods of death, Hades, why should we care about how others live? We only ever cared about each other. Let’s leave behind our family of a##holes and forge our own destiny.>

<We will. After I defeat Inanna and make my wife proud of me.>

<I was already proud of you the day you told my mother to go f##k herself.> Persephone heartfully admits, but it’s too late: Hades has already left.

Persephone leans on the throne, hoping her green energy will cover up the evaporating tears.

<Thanatos.> she calls out.

<Yes, my Queen.> the God of Death responds, appearing right behind her in an instant.

<Did you take the dog?>

<Yes, my Queen. Cerberus is currently in the Olympian Galaxy.>

<Then let’s go somewhere dead. I’m going to miss this f##king place.> she sighs, taking one last look at her kingdom before the two gods teleport away.

 

The galactic core

Unlike the Olympian Galaxy, the Stygian Galaxy… known on Earth as the Triangulum Galaxy… doesn’t have a supermassive black hole at its center.

But there’s a very high number of stellar clusters, spheroidal conglomerations of thousands and thousands of stars in a relatively close space.

It’s the battleground between Inanna and the two remaining Keres, an incredibly brutal fight that has already destroyed hundreds of stars.

Alecto and Megaera are at their limit, while Inanna shows no signs of damage and is just a little out of breath from exerting herself for the first time in millennia.

<That was fun, girls, but it’s getting a little repetitive. I’ve done my part as Goddess of War, now how about you two loosen up and get me do my other job? I’m also Goddess of Love you know.>

<Eviscerate!!!> Alecto shouts, flying in for one last desperate attack.

<Devastate!!!> her sister Megaera agrees.

<Greeks.> Inanna sighs, rolling her eyes.

Once the two Keres are within striking distance, Inanna grabs them faster than they can react and smashes their heads together. Not content with it, she flies into the nearest star a million times faster than the speed of light, smashing the Keres against the stellar core, and stands in the middle of the resulting supernova.

With the stars clustered so tightly, this begins a chain reaction that wreaks havoc in the galactic core. The immense destruction is one of the most beautiful things Inanna has ever seen, and she laughs at the chaos as untold amounts of radiation bathe her white skin.

<You are a maniac.>

His voice is a whisper as always, but Inanna is able to hear him. Looking at the god wearing his usual dark cloak, with his face hidden by his hood, she laughs some more.

<Oh how cute! You actually think you’re going to fight me, little god?>

<I am Hades, son of Kronos, Emperor Of The Underworld. You hurt my wife, Inanna, and you’re going to suffer for it.> he says.

For the first time since time immemorial, Hades removes his hood. No longer hidden by its shadow, his bright red eyes are burning with black fire.

<You’re joking, right? With YOUR power? I know you’re technically a Class-1 god, but we both know you’re not anywhere near MY level!>

<Perhaps not alone. But you are in the Underworld now. And I. Am. The Underworld.> Hades boasts, and the amount of light surrounding the two gods begins to dim… because one after the other, all the stars at the core are turning into black holes.

<I’ve had enough of being the only god acting reasonably.>

Black lightning flows across his body, and his red eyes shine far brighter.

<F##k reason. F##k civility. And most of all, Inanna… F##K. YOU.>

<Now I see what you and Persephone saw in each other… you’re both completely nuts! You know that’s not going to be enough against… me…> Inanna returns to her usual boasting, until she notices something she didn’t anticipate in the attack that Hades is preparing.

<Null wasn’t the only one learning from our training sessions. FINAL ABYSS!!!>