Beyond The Impossible

The White House, Washington D.C., Earth

When he was elected President of the United States, William Devane thought he’d be the most powerful person on the planet.

Not because of the office, since these days being President is nothing compared to the Empress of the Olympian Empire… but because of the deal he had made.

Now that he’s running away from his own Secret Service, he has seriously reconsidered his own ability to make deals.

He closes the door to the Oval Office behind him, grabbing the nearest chair and using it to prevent anyone from getting inside. The fact that he actually believes this would work, even for a second, should be proof enough that he wasn’t elected for his intellect.

<A curious development.> someone says behind him, and just that voice makes Devane’s heart skip a beat.

There’s a man standing behind the Resolute Desk, looking out at the window.

Or rather he looks like a man, dressed in fine clothes that have not been in fashion on this world for over five thousand years. He is, in fact, considerably older than homo sapiens.

<Marduk! Thank God you are…> the President begins his plea for help.

<Thank WHO?> the supreme deity of the Babylon Galaxy interrupts him, raising his voice and making his eyes turn bright red for a second.

<Please my lord, save me! I am your loyal servant!> Devane pleads, literally dropping on his knees.

<You are a worm.> Marduk snaps back, raising a finger.

The President is instantly transformed into a literal worm crawling on the carpet, while still maintaining full awareness of the situation.

<You were supposed to act as a vessel for the plague I have unleashed upon this insignificant speck of dust you call homeworld. And you have far exceeded your usefulness.> Marduk tells him, rising a couple inches off the floor and floating towards him.

When he’s just about to crush the worm, something else gets his attention.

<Not yet. I still need to study him.>

The request came from a platinum blonde wearing a very expensive business dress, just getting into the Oval Office while the Secret Service agents stand at attention as she walks by them.

Certainly not because this is the First Lady. Marduk knows exactly who this is.

<Glad to make your acquaintance, shadow. You are indeed every bit as ruthless as Inanna described you.> the god compliments her, changing the worm back into a human being.

<Honey, get out of here! Everyone has gone insane!> President Devane shouts, only to receive a painful slap on the face by what only looks like his wife.

<Shut the f#ck up, you simpering moron. Why can’t I possess this a##hole like the rest of the planet?> she asks Marduk.

<He was part of the ritual. The Twilight Mirror is fickle, like all Drylon devices: a certain degree of unexpectedness is to be expected.>

<So you’re the reason why the Vanguard had their powers switched. Did you also know I’d use it to get out of Null’s head?>

<Of course. Inanna saw you at the Strongest Under The Heavens tournament, and she likes to talk. Reports of your survival reached my ears and I found them most… intriguing.>

<Reports from whom? My resurrection wasn’t exactly public.>

<By Inanna herself, of course. She was the one to kill you, to save Null’s life. She would not be a goddess worthy of her caliber if she didn’t immediately notice your return.>

<Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I should pay Inanna a visit to get back at her… for that whole murder thing, you know. Guess you’ll have to do for now!> the First Lady says, her body suddenly becoming surrounded by a black electricity.

<What are you doing!?> President Devane asks, hiding behind Marduk and even holding on to his white regal robes for protection.

<What do you think? I’m killing a god! FINAL ABYSS!!!> she shouts, releasing the electricity into a single blast.

This would be enough to annihilate most gods from existence. Marduk is not concerned in the slightest: he simply intercepts the energy into his hand, concentrates into a ball, and then closes his fist to disperse the entire attack into nothingness.

<Really? Against a Class-1 god?> he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Behind the face of the First Lady that twists itself in sheer anger, Abyss tries to sound tougher than she feels at the moment.

<You can’t be surprised I tried. Isn’t that why you brought me back?>

<If I wanted to kill the gods of this realm, Abyss, I would have. Avoiding a direct confrontation with Zeus is the sole reason why stars still exist in this Galaxy.>

<So what’s your plan? Use me to thin out the competition first!?>

<You are a tool, Abyss. A hammer should not concern itself with the design of an architect: the only reason we are having this conversation is that I wanted to see such a strange creature in person, and to show the futility of attempting to kill me.>

<Who are you calling a tool!? I have killed gods before!!!>

<Please, the only one you killed directly was Deimos. Everyone else was killed when Null was in control of your actions, not you. I admit that Null herself could kill me… but all you have ever been, Abyss, is her shadow. And that is all you will ever be.> Marduk taunts her.

Once the god disappears into thin air, President Devane can no longer hide behind anyone… and he can see the being possessing his wife is absolutely furious.

<A shadow!? I will show you! I will burn this f##king galaxy to the ground if I have to!!!> she shouts into the void, literally shaking her fists at the sky.

President Devane tries to sneak towards the exit, but the Secret Service has already entered the room. And three agents are addressing him, speaking in unison.

<YOU. Why can’t I control you!?>

<You heard Marduk! It’s the mirror, I swear I don’t know how that works!>

An agent slams the President against the wakk, proceeding then to punch him a couple of times in the face. Then the other two pin him against the wall, and the First Lady holds him by the throat to continue:

<Talk. NOW. Why is Marduk using you!?>

<It happened after I found out I had cancer. Marduk showed up to cure me and make me win the election! Promised he’d make me as smart as Null if I just followed his plan!>

<Why would the ruler of an entire Galaxy care about your stupid election!?>

<He said Null wouldn’t find me threatening enough to keep up her guard. And something about a “trial run for rigging an election.”>

<What is that supposed to mean?>

<I don’t know! I never asked!>

<You’re just a useful fool.> Abyss realizes, letting the President go. But still taking joy into kicking him through the use of three separate bodies, while the one possessing the First Lady thinks out loud.

<It doesn’t matter. Marduk is right about one thing: the Final Abyss won’t cut it for a god of his caliber. To kill him and the others, I would need to use the Eternal Eraser… but this brain is not enough to sustain it. Even joining every single brain on the planet is not enough: I must take possession of the Nexus again.> she realizes.

She looks down at the bruised President Devane, and has the agents pick him up.

<Let’s go on a road trip, Mister President. Null might be able to hide the Nexus from me, but I know where to find a good enough substitute… and you have a very important role to play.>

<How could I possibly be of use now!?> Devane wonders, only to be punched again.

<Entertainment. Talking to myself gets boring… I need some violence to ward off boredom!>

 

Colorado Springs, Colorado

When Kayla Black ended her career as the superhero Blue Star, she was under no impression that it would last forever.

She has lent her services to the United States government a couple of times, most recently when Ereshkigal unleashed an army of the dead… and she thought that might remain her most absurd return to action, until the whole town attacked her home.

The pile of cars surrounding the house act as the first barrier, at least after Kayla set them on fire by blasting energy attacks at them. And a couple dozen cops are still unconscious after she tasered them with an electrical shock.

<You know you have nowhere to run, right?> the woman she tied up on a chair asks.

Kayla walks up to her, staring her in the eye. She might look like Miranda Juárez, but there is absolutely no doubt that someone else is in control.

<Just tell me who you are and what you have done with my wife!> Kayla threatens her, using her power to absorb and emit energy to make her own fists glow.

<Do you think I’m stupid? I have access to all of Miranda’s memories, I know you wouldn’t lift a finger against her. As for who I am… hmm, Null never told you who Abyss is, right?>

<What? The terrorist who attacked Japan and Hawaii ages ago? What does this have to do with that creep?> Kayla asks, completely lost.

<I need a better publicist. Which, seeing how I currently control the entire population of this planet save for exactly seven people, shouldn’t be all that hard. The only reason why I haven’t ordered the Air Force to carpet bomb your town is that first I want to know how you’re immune to my control.>

<Waste all the time you want with me. The Vanguard will…>

<The Vanguard can’t do s#it! I’m the one in control now, and soon I will have gathered enough brainpower to expand into…>

“Miranda” doesn’t finish the sentence: a pentagram of fire appears behind her.

Torn emerges from the pentagram, pushes Miranda back into the portal, then closes it.

<Torn, what are you doing!?> Kayla protests.

<What Abyss thought I couldn’t. I did some s#it.> the Demon proclaims.

<That was my wife you just tossed away!!! Where did you send her!?>

<A temporarily safe space. We shouldn’t stay long.> Torn replies, creating a new separate portal.

<Bring her back! Didn’t you hear what I just said, that’s my wife!>

<I heard. Remind me again what’s the custom here, congratulations or condolences?>

<Is she okay or not!?>

<Nobody on the planet is okay now. But she’s alive, something we won’t be for long unless we leave right now.> Torn insists, even grabbing Kayla and dragging her through the portal.

 

Asgard Station, Null Zone

President Devane would enjoy the spectacular view of the high-tech station if it wasn’t for the situation. Abyss has assigned Gilgamesh to this mission, and he’s dragging the President behind him like a stuffed toy.

<Ever heard about the Tablet Of Destinies, idiot?> Abyss asks, without waiting for an answer: she’s just enamored with the sound of her own voice.

<The greatest power in the known universe, capable of turning wishes into reality. And Null was stupid enough to leave it unattended.> she says, walking past the several rows of military grade Nullbots that are defending the place. They all ignore her, after their recent reprogramming.

They finally come across a truly massive safe door, with a plaque that reads “Maximum Security Vault #4”. Abyss allows herself to smile.

<Sure, I could have made a wish as soon as I possessed Quantum… but what’s the fun of turning the Galaxy to ashes with the push of a button?>

<Is that going to be your wish?> the President asks.

<No, you idiot, that would run the fun of it. I’m going to wish for enough brain power to unleash the mother of all Eternal Erasers… wiping off all the gods in the universe in a single stroke! Slowly killing everyone else will be the fun part.> she gloats.

“Gilgamesh” gets his hands on the door’s handle: despite its enormous weight, his godly strength should be enough to open it like a normal door.

Instead, no matter how much force he puts into it, the door does not move. At all.

<What’s this nonsense!? O.D.I.N., open this door RIGHT NOW!> Abyss shouts.

<I’m afraid I cannot do that. The door is not responding to my commands.> the artificial intelligence answers.

Even putting enough strength to rip the door apart is not enough.

<This makes no sense! This body should be enough to… wait.> Abyss realizes, stopping the attempt and taking a step back.

<The wish Null made to connect this to the Empyrean dimension where the Tablet is kept. The exact wording of her wish… “create a door that only I and the Vanguard can open or close”. F#CK!!! I can’t open this GODDAMN DOOR!!!> Abyss shouts, as Gilgamesh punches the door with enough force to create a deafening sound… and the door still does not budge.

She takes out her frustration by ripping in half one of the Nullbots with Gilgamesh’s bare hands.