Ithaca, New York
Agent Wu is drinking coffee in his car, waiting for his contact to arrive. He’s in the driving seat, with Kari Zel next to him; she’s busy constantly texting on her phone.
Torn sits in the back. He hasn’t said a word the entire time, and just by glancing at the rearview mirror the FBI agent sees that the Demon is staring at him.
<Are you sure you don’t want any coffee?> he asks, trying to break the silence.
<I am sure. Demons don’t drink it.>
<Too strong for you?>
<No. Too soft.>
<Don’t try to make him talk, it’s never going to work. Trust me.> Kari tries to warn him.
<You mean you don’t have coffee in Hell? What do you drink in the morning?> the human continues, eager to at least attempt the challenge of making a Demon socialize.
<Dark mead.>
<Ugh, he made one my duplicates try that stuff once. She made herself disappear before the drink could liquify her intestines.> Kari recalls.
<Lightweight. She didn’t even add the charcoal.>
<So why don’t we see many Demons around? I’ve seen plenty of aliens since Earth’s barrier was dropped, buy you’re the first one I’ve met.> Agent Wu continues.
<It’s cold, all your drinks are unsalted, and three quarters of our species were wiped out three years ago by Ares.>
<Oh. I’m sorry.>
<For what?>
<For… what you went through? It’s a weird question to ask.>
<Did you lose anyone in the Ares attack?>
<No, but…>
<Then you have nothing to feel sorry about.>
<You just told me you survived a genocide!>
<Exactly: I survived. The murderer did not. What is there to feel sorry about?>
<I told you not to make him talk. It never works out.> Kari reminds the human.
As Agent Wu wonders how Null manages to interact with these aliens, the loud sound of a motorbike announces the arrival of his contact.
Noriko Null parks her Phoenix NX-9000 right next to the FBI agent’s car, but she’s not alone.
Immediately behind her is a far different kind of vehicle: it resembles a golden chariot, but instead of being moved by horses it floats a few inches off the ground by itself.
Just as Null gets of the bike and removes her helmet, a seven feet tall blonde woman wearing a bronze hoplite armor steps off the chariot.
<Oh my God.> Agent Wu exclaims as he leaves the car.
<Goddess, actually. But let’s not be formal, you may address me as Lady Athena.>
<We’re supposed to keep a low profile! What’s the deal with that getup!?>
<Athena, can’t you get into something more casual?> Noriko asks.
<Certainly.> the goddess agree. Her body is engulfed by golden light for a few seconds; when it dissipates, she’s wearing a finely tailored yellow business suit and the chariot has disappeared.
<That’s better, I guess. Let’s hope our suspects didn’t see you!> Agent Wu comments.
<They did not.> Athena reassures him.
<How can you be sure?>
Athena just stares at him for a couple of seconds as if he was a toddler who just soiled himself.
<I do not believe I like this mortal.> she tells Noriko.
<Isn’t it rude to refer to people as “mortals”?> he replies.
<I certainly do not like this mortal. Do we really need to get the local authorities involved?>
<It’s how we do things on Earth, Athena.>
<That is a statement, Noriko, not a justification. He provides no additional value.>
<And what exactly do you provide, miss Athena?> the agent replies.
<Lady Athena.> she corrects him, then she has a casual look to her surroundings.
<The multiple footprints on the lawns of the surrounding buildings suggest divergent paths from the second house on the right of our current position. From the position of the footprints we can easily evaluate that fifteen people have left from the same house, and by examining the pressure they exerted on the grass we can extrapolate that they have exactly the same gait and height.>
<You can tell all that from the footprints!?> Kari exclaims.
<That is hardly “all”. Your suspect is a woman in her early to mid thirties with an athletic build, and she has dropped four hairs along the way.>
<Is this some kind of act?> Agent Wu asks, unsure about Athena’s tale.
<Why don’t you stop showing off and get to the point?> Noriko says.
<Very well.> Athena nods; her fingers glow a faint shade of golden, and she’s suddenly holding a single strand of hair.
<The root is green; it has been chemically treated with an alkaline solution of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia to change it to blond, a rather rare hair color for Myridians. Comparing the passengers of flights from Myridia to Earth matching the hair color and accounting for age and last known destination, I posit within 99% of certainty that our suspect is Sarelyn Yon.>
<Are we supposed to know who that is?> Kari asks. She expects the goddess to continue her narration, but to her surprise it’s Noriko who answers:
<She was the Assistant Priestess to the Temple of Demeter in Thrala; she’s been arrested twice for violent protestations against the church of Null.> Noriko says.
<How the Hades do you know!?>
<I’ve memorized the Myridian census. Is she inside the house?>
Before Athena can answer, Torn opens the car’s door: he’s been inside the whole time. He doesn’t say anything as usual, but it’s not because of his taciturn nature: he’s listening to something.
<Is something wrong? Have we been spotted?> Noriko asks.
<Down.> is Torn’s single soft-spoken warning, completely covered by the noise he makes when he flips over the car by using just one arm.
It was just in time: the car acts as a shield for the two dozen of dark energy arrows that pierce through the metal.
<I’ll take that as a yes! Take her down but keep her alive, I need to interrogate her!> Noriko orders, while more arrows are still getting embedded into the wreckage that was just a car.
<And don’t make her bleed.> Athena warns them.
<What is she firing at us!?> Agent Wu wonders, drawing his gun and carefully getting away for the car just enough to glimpse what they’re facing.
There’s a woman in a pink tracksuit slowly walking towards them and wielding a bow made of pitch black energy; she’s shooting arrows at a reasonable rate… except there are over fifty exact duplicates of her, all wielding the same weapon.
It’s like they’re being shot at by a row of machine guns; he avoids receiving an arrow between the eyes only because Athena pulls him back while talking to Noriko.
<We should find better cover. Those arrows are made of Ichor, even your forcefield will not be able to stand against them.>
The warning turns out to be useless: a duplicate uses a dark sword to cut the car in half, removing any defense and jumping forward to attack Noriko.
Athena defends her by conjuring up a lance and using it to deflect the blade; the contact with the sword, however, corrodes the metal in seconds.
<Really?> Athena asks, raising an eyebrow.
The assailant seems in a frenzy: she’s constantly swinging her weapon, even going as far as to create three duplicates to assist her.
Athena defends herself and Noriko with one arm, without breaking a sweat: all she has to do is constantly recreate the lance every time it’s damaged. Compared to her speed, the mortal is practically moving in slow motion.
Torn and Kari are having a much harder time: every Blood weapon or duplicate that gets into contact with the woman ceases to exist.
His Demon physique and Kari’s 10K Rise power boost give them enough speed to avoid most attacks, but they both know it’s a losing strategy.
<We have to isolate the original! Don’t we have anything we can hit her with!?> Kari asks.
<We do.> Torn replies, creating a saw of Blood energy to cut the nearest tree, and by sheer brute strength throwing it against the crowd of Sarelyn Yon duplicates, which disappear upon impact.
<Neat idea! Never thought I’d fight a Demeter worshipper using trees.> Kari points out, using the superhuman strength granted by the 10K rise to do the same to the remaining scattering duplicates.
Agent Wu has been looking at the battle from a distance; Athena looks like she has the situation under control, and now he sees that Torn and Kari are facing a single person now.
He takes the opportunity to fire his gun, but he’s shocked to see Athena suddenly appearing in front of him to snatch the bullet out of the air before it’s had the chance to travel more than one foot.
<What did I tell you!? Do NOT make her bleed!> she chastises him.
The Vanguard has not heard anger in her voice before, and Athena is certainly unused to losing her cool. It’s enough to distract her long enough for Sarelyn Yon to create a new duplicate to attack her with a knife. Athena is still fast enough to move away, but the knife manages to cut her cheek.
<Enough.>
Athena’s single word, pronounced with a voice she hasn’t used in millennia, turns the world over on its side. Gravity itself changes direction: the ground is now vertical. Everything and everyone that was standing there… from the Vanguard, to Agent Wu, to the cars and the trees, starts to fall towards what is now the bottom: the end of the street.
Athena is the only one who doesn’t move. Sarelyn Yon disappears as the original literally falls in the goddess’ hands, who holds her up with one arm by lifting the woman from her neck.
<I can skin you alive and feed you your own heart before your brain has had the time to process the information. What made you think challenging me was a good idea?>
<Athena!!!> Noriko reprimands her, managing to stay anchored to the ground thanks to her Gravity Gauntlets.
The goddess doesn’t look at her. Her unblinking eyes are fixed on Sarelyn Yon
<I told you I want her alive. Let. Her. Go.> Noriko insists, her silver eyes shining.
Athena waits about ten seconds. Then normal gravity is restored as if nothing happened.
<As you wish.> she shrugs, letting the woman go.
As Sarelyn Yon falls on the ground, Athena conjures something to keep her immobilized: golden chains appear on her ankles and wrists, with her arms being twisted behind her back, and a metallic ball secured by a gag appears in her mouth.
<Is that really necessary?> Noriko asks.
<She could bite her tongue otherwise. She can’t be allowed to bleed.> Athena reiterates.
<Why not?>
<There is liquid Ichor running through her veins. Any mortal within fifteen meters would die it was exposed to the air.>
<Couldn’t you tell us earlier!?>
<Come to think of it, she could still use her nails to scratch herself.> Athena adds; the chains not only tighten themselves, but Noriko can easily hear the sound of the bones in her fingers and wrists being snapped before the woman can scream in pain.
<Athena!!! What did I just tell you!?>
<She doesn’t need her hands to speak, doesn’t she?>
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