The Hatchery, undisclosed location in the Olympian Galaxy
Roxiana has been spending all of her time in this secret base, closely watched over by Nullbots.
Noriko Null doesn’t trust her enough to allow her to leave this place unsupervised; not that it would matter much if she wanted to leave. As the former host of the Nexus, she might not currently be as smart as her successor, but reprogramming a few robots would be child’s play.
She has no reason to leave though. Not when Prometheus has been giving her unprecedented access to his knowledge of lost history… priceless information about long dead civilizations that no mortal has heard about in millions of years.
Story time is interrupted by a flash of bright light. Roxiana needs a second to adjust while Prometheus, despite lacking his eyes, immediately recognizes their visitor.
<Noriko. What a pleasant surprise. It might sound ironic coming from the god of foreknowledge, but I did not see this coming.> Prometheus jokes.
If he could see, he would immediately notice Noriko is in no mood for jokes.
<I need your help. From both of you. The good news, Prometheus, is that I found your eyes.>
<I assume there are bad news.>
<Medusa has them now. And gaining your eyes has somehow amplified her powers to unprecedented levels; she can petrify gods now.> Noriko explains.
<When was this?> Roxiana asks, raising an eyebrow.
<A few days ago. That’s not important.> Noriko replies.
<I would say that it is. There can be no greatest expert on the eyes than Prometheus himself, and yet you waited before telling him? I was under the impression that he was your ally.> Roxiana points out, evidently enjoying driving a wedge between them.
<It would be perfectly reasonable for her to doubt my loyalty, given her history with my family.>
Roxiana scoffs at Prometheus, addressing Noriko again:
<Does my genuine intellectual curiosity really upset you more than his aggressively wholesome honesty? I find it sickening.>
<I didn’t come here for your mind games, Roxiana. Prometheus, would there be a way to negate the power of your eyes?>
<I do not know. I never quite perfected my gift of prophecy and I never had a reason to find ways to negate it. But you say Medusa didn’t inherit my power?>
<Also, I was under the impression that Medusa was dead.> Roxiana recalls.
<She was, but it turns out she can’t stay dead. She has the power to regenerate, so when she replaced her own eyes the new ones they triggered something in her. Her power was obviously linked to vision, considering she couldn’t control what happened to mortals looking at her. And with the eyes of a far more powerful god…> Noriko explains.
<Just as my eyes allowed me to see into the future, they amplified her range. Fascinating.> Prometheus says, stroking his chin pensively.
<Well, she’s a problem. You’re my expert on this, Prometheus, can you attempt to figure out a way to block your old powers?> Noriko asks.
<I can give it some thought. If you excuse me, this will require a great deal of concentration.> he says, leaving the room.
The two women watch him float out of the room, and Roxiana rolls her eyes.
<What a bore. If he wasn’t the repository of lost historical knowledge, I wouldn’t want to spend more than a minute with him.>
<His politeness is strangely unnerving.> Noriko has to admit.
<I assume you didn’t want to talk about Medusa with me. After accessing Athena’s database, you know more than me already.>
<She has allied herself with Skorpios. They’ve started to kill gods together.>
<I see. And since we worked together, you hope I will tell you some sort of secret that would allow you to defeat her.>
<The thought did cross my mind.>
<I have two questions for you then, Noriko. Why would I tell you, and why do you want to stop her in the first place?>
<I told you I have no time for mind games, Roxiana. Don’t try to extort a better deal than you already have: you already got more than you could hope to bargain for.>
<Do I? I gave you access to my services. Together we freed the Galaxy from Athena and finally built the Genesis Armor. You promised to reveal the secrets of the Drylon in return, and what did I get? Crumbles of carefully curated information from Prometheus.>
<I’m not telling you what I’ve learned about the Drylon until I no longer need you. We both know that the second you reach your ultimate goal, you’ll stop helping me and try to kill me again. I have enough dirt on you to get you shot, Roxiana, never forget that.>
<Hm. You’re willing to overlook my so-called crimes…>
<You were called the Angel of Death! You slaughtered millions!> Noriko reminds her.
<…if it helps you reach your goals. No wonder you’re conflicted about stopping Skorpios.>
<There’s no conflict about that.> Noriko insists.
<Is there? Why do you want her to stop? You’re the Slayer of Gods, and all she wants is killing gods. It seems to me that you two are rather alike.>
<I am nothing like Skorpios!> Noriko protests.
<Your approach is different, but your goals are the same.>
<That’s not… okay, I admit there is some overlap, but… Skorpios is a fanatic. She doesn’t care who gets in the way as long as her targets are eliminated.>
<You’re saying that the difference between you two is that Skorpios is willing to pay a higher price than you do.>
<You sound like you’re taking her side.>
<Not at all. I don’t care about her goals, just as much as I don’t care about yours; I’m only willing to help as long as it contributes to my own goal of discovering the secrets of deep history. I’ve been quite honest on the price for my help, haven’t I?>
<I’ll grant you that. You’re not shy about admitting you’re a manipulator, Roxiana.>
<But I do sense that something about Skorpios feels almost personal to you. Is it perhaps the fact that her targets will eventually include gods you are friends with, like Vesta?>
<Only a psycho like you would find it so difficult to understand that trying to kill my closest friends pisses me off, Roxiana.>
<What if the only possible way to kill all gods would require also killing Vesta? Would you be willing to take that road?>
<I would look for another way.>
<Hm. If you say so.> Roxiana comments, with a light chuckle.
<What’s so funny now?>
<I’m smart enough to recognize when you’re lying. But figuring out whether you’re lying to yourself? That’s the real puzzle to solve.>
<Coming here was a mistake. You have nothing to contribute.> Noriko realizes, preparing to leave the room when Roxiana raises her arm to better show the bracelet on her wrist.
<I can approach Medusa. The Absolute Defense will protect me.> Roxiana argues.
Noriko has been using her for her technical knowledge that she sometimes forgets she’s permanently bonded to the Drylon device that makes her utterly impervious to damage.
<It’s not a guarantee. According to Athena’s data and her own testimony, Medusa has the ability to turn Drylon technology into stone. That’s probably why Athena kept her severed head around, and might even have been her secret weapon to eventually deal with Rei.>
<It’s still better than the other options you have at the moment. We both know you wouldn’t talk to me if you had any other choice.>
<That would require sending you out in the field. And I assume it’s not your only request?>
<I want knowledge, Null. Real knowledge this time. My help with the secrets of the Drylon you stole from Baal’s memories. Nothing more, nothing less.>
<How do you know I’m not gonna lie about it? Or kill you after we’re done?>
<I have the Absolute Defense. Killing me is beyond even you. As for lying to my face… I admit you are superior to me in many ways, Noriko. Lying is not one of them.>
<You would be surprised at what I would do to save my galaxy and others, Roxiana.> Noriko tells her predecessor, shaking her hand.
And without knowing it, both women think the same thing.
“You’re not getting out of this before you figure out how I just beat you.”
Thalassia
Aegian Galaxy, 2.5 million light-years from Earth
Thousands of water-breathing Thalassians have gathered around the palace, or at least as close as they can get. Space has been warped to create a pocket of air that extends like a cylinder from the bottom of the ocean to the atmosphere.
Only a few statues of guards and servants surround the two invaders; while Medusa makes sure the statues were not damaged, Skorpios stares down the goddess Calypso.
<I could never understand why Ulysses had such trouble keeping you down. Until I realized what he truly wanted. Exploit your ability to grant immortality to mortals.> Skorpios says.
<If immortality is what you want, I’m more than happy to grant it if you leave me and my subjects alone.> Calypso pleads.
<Only Poseidon’s pathetic schemes could allow a weakling like you to rule. Medusa?>
<I was a just ruler! Do I deserve this fate?> Calypso asks.
<The only good goddess is a dead one. Present company excluded.> Skorpio tells her, watching Calypso turn into a statue. She raises a hand preparing to generate a black hole to destroy her, but Medusa walks in front of her.
<No. She had a point. Let her statue remain as memento to her people.>
<Don’t go soft on me, Medusa. Perhaps we can afford this with a wimp like Calypso, but we will have to be resolute to free the universe from all gods.>
<I know. But mortals are forgetful; we need to leave behind signs.>
<Fair enough. Considering she was the last ruling god of the Aegian Galaxy, I will let this slide.>
<Already? I thought it would take more time, Skorpios.>
<I’ll admit it, Null softened them up for us. The other galaxies won’t be as easy.>
<Perhaps other gods will surrender. With what we have accomplished in less than a week, what god would be reckless enough to defy us?> Medusa wonders.
The Palace of Darkness of Ekron
Dark Galaxy, 10 billion light-years from Earth
The stadium is filled to maximum capacity, as tens of thousands of Ekronian Demons enjoy the spectacle. Two dozen of their best warriors are fighting each other in the arena, attempting to using their weapons made of Ichor to declare a winner.
Sitting in her place of honor, Persephone couldn’t be more bored.
Being crowned by Noriko Null herself as the ruler of this Galaxy should have been exciting, but to her standards the Ekronian warrior culture is nauseatingly ordinary.
Especially after being reminded of the excitement of the Olympian intrigues when she helped Null defend her people from Athena’s stupid war.
<What a waste of resources.> the woman sitting next to her comments.
<Who the f##k!?> Persephone exclaims. She didn’t see her guest arrive, and more worryingly she didn’t notice until now the three dead guards.
<Millions of trained soldiers with the power of Ichor at their disposal, and they waste their time killing each other. Talk about an evolutionary dead end.>
For a moment Persephone thought this was Null, but everything is off. The length of her hair, the fact that she’s dressed all in black, the smugness in her voice, the emptiness in her silver eyes…
<You’re not the Skullf##ker of Gods. You’re her latest dark shadow, you little edgy s##t.>
<The name’s Rei.>
<No, your name is Edgy S##t. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t blast you and scrape you off the floor for being a smug ass##le?>
<Despoina has been killed. She was your half-sister, wasn’t she?>
<WHAT!? But that mortal c##t said she wouldn’t…>
<Not by Noriko, no. By Medusa.>
<Snake t#ts!? What the fuck are you talking about, she’s as dead as Hephaestus’s c##k!>
<Not anymore. She’s back from the dead and killing one of the maybe three gods you actually like. Feels like a personal affront to the Queen of the Underworld, doesn’t it?>
<You bet your mortal #ss it is!!! I’m going to shove those snakes up her little green c##t!!!>
<That sounds like a wonderful idea to me…>