"Hopefully there were no survivors." Commander Forthwith said, watching the flaming pieces of the Skullsquishers' ship fall back to earth and either burn up or crash into the sea.
Meanwhile, the gods were debating what to do.
"What has happened?" Jupiter asked Mercury over the phone.
"The Starcrushers have deserted us." Mercury said.
"They have joined the wizards?" Jupiter asked.
"No," Mercury replied, "they have simply ceased fighting and fled."
"What shall we do? Shall we chase them down and slaughter them for betrayal?" asked Zeus.
"Think about it, brother," said Jupiter, "we have a massive war to fight, and we are not making any headway as it is. We simply do not have the expendable energy to go on some tedious adventure, chasing down a bunch of spacemen for deserting us. We can go after them once the war has ended."
"You are right, brother." Zeus said. "But what does the Queen Goddess think of the situation? Does she even know the miserable state of the war?"
"Surely Mercury has told her." Jupiter said.
"She is the creator, ruler, and protector of the entire multiverse," said Odin, "if anyone knows the state of the war, it is her."
Meanwhile, things were settling back to normal aboard the Starcrushers' ship.
"Commander," asked Eighty-Six, "if it is alright with you, may I depart briefly to use the lavatory?"
"Of course," said Commander Forthwith. "At-ease, Eighty-Six."
And Eighty-Six got on the elevator and rode to the ship's bottom level, just above the airlock: the cargo hold. He went in to check on his secret passenger.
"Monique," he called, "are you still alive?"
"Oui, Eighty-Six," Monique called back, emerging from behind some crates. "What 'as been going on up zere?" the little French hooker asked, "Why 'as zee ship been jolting around so much? Are you fighting a war or something?"
"Actually, yes, until yesterday." said Eighty-Six.
Monique stared briefly, surprised that her snarky quip turned out to be true. Suddenly another young lady came out from behind some boxes.
"Oh, how cute," she said, "you're an item!" The girl was Alex Russo.
"Who are you?" asked Eighty-Six.
"Alex Russo." she said.
"Where did you come from, how did you get aboard the ship?" Eighty-Six asked further.
"I used to live in New York City, in a penthouse on top of my private skyscraper, Russo Tower, until Thor knocked it over with his hammer thingy and I was left homeless. Frenchy here let me on aboard while you were landed to refuel." she explained.
"Monique, why did you let her aboard?" Eighty-Six demanded.
"Because," she explained, "she looked so sad and lost out zere, and she said she 'ad lost 'er 'ome, I felt sorry for 'er…"
"I am already violating protocol as it is," Eighty-Six said, "the last thing I need is you letting urchins in off the streets of New York—"
"'kay look," Alex said, "I'm not just some urchin girl. I'm—"
"Russo—you're a wizard!" exclaimed Eighty-Six, suddenly remembering something he'd been told at the start of the war.
"Where'd you get that idea?" Alex asked.
"Mainly because you're wanted by the gods for the death of Stevie Nichols—" Eighty-Six began.
"Death? No, you see, she was put back together and went to soul-rehabilitation—" Alex began.
"Do not attempt to lie, young wizard girl." Eighty-Six said sternly. "We have all been told the truth about the prophet-girls' fate."
"Prophet?" asked Alex.
"Stevie Nichols was a prophet sent by the Queen Goddess to reform wizard society and abolish the segregationist laws, and most importantly, the one-wizard-per-family policy. But instead, as prophets so often are, she was martyred; petrified and then shattered—and to add insult to injury, it was played as comedy." Eighty-Six said.
"Oh crap…" Alex muttered under her breath, realizing the cover story that the Wizard Council had devised would no longer work. "So… what are you going to do with me?" she asked.
"I do not know," said Eighty-Six, "we have ceased participation in the war, so you are technically no longer classified as an enemy combatant, but—" Just then the ship shook violently.
"Eighty-Six, I am scared!" said Monique.
"Okay, what's going on now?" Alex asked.
"I do not know." said Eighty-Six.
Just then, the elevator opened and Twenty-Two came in.
"Eighty-Six, we gotta go—" he froze upon seeing the sight before him. "Eighty-Six, comrade," Twenty-Two said, "you are hiding women in the cargo bay?"
"Only one, though!" Eighty-Six defended. "That one snuck aboard while we were refueling."
"Who are you?" Twenty-Two asked Alex.
"Alex Russo," she answered, when suddenly the elevator opened again and Twelve emerged.
"Twenty-Two, what is taking you so—" he also froze. "Why are you both hiding women in the cargo bay?"
"I am not!" Twenty-Two said, "Eighty-Six is the one responsible."
"I cannot believe that you are throwing me under the bus." Eighty-Six exclaimed.
"Alex Russo," said Twenty-Two, "you are a wizard…A wizard who is wanted by the gods."
"Then she is very lucky that we did not find her until after deserting." said Twelve.
"So what is going on, anyway?" asked Eighty-Six.
"We do not know for certain," said Twelve. "We seem to be being pulled into a vortex of some sort against our will. We have tried using our engines at full thrust to escape, but to no avail, almost as though some divine hand is grasping us."
The quintet boarded the elevator and ascended to the bridge to see what was going on. The other Starcrushers were shocked at the sight of the two females.
"Where did they come from?" asked Commander Forthwith.
"Well…" said Eighty-Six nervously, "Monique here is my lover, and wizard girl here is a stowaway."
"Eighty-Six," said Commander Forthwith, "you know our company policy regarding women—"
"Oh please, Commander Forthwith," Monique implored, "I used to be a lonely 'ooker who walked zee streets of Paris, selling myself for thirty Euros a john, until I met your darling Starcrusher, Eighty-Six. Please do not send me back zere! Make me your very first female Starcrusher!"
"Well," said Commander Forthwith, "despite our policies, we obviously have more important things to tend to, so young French hooker can stay. But who is this one here?" he asked, pointing at Alex.
"I'm Alex Russo—" and she needed say no more.
"The gods told us about you," said Commander Forthwith. "They said that you are responsible for the death of the prophet Stevie Nichols."
"Look," Alex defended indignantly, "I didn't know she was a prophet, okay!"
Just then, the ship's screen went to static, and a loud, booming voice came over the intercom.
"STARCRUSHERS!" the voice boomed so loudly that it caused the speakers to crackle with feedback.
"Who are you?" demanded Commander Forthwith, "Why have you abducted us? What is going on?"
"YOU HAVE ALEX RUSSO ABOARD!" the voice raged, causing more feedback.
"What about her?" Alex asked nervously.
"THIS IS THE QUEEN GODDESS SPEAKING!" the voice declared. "AND YOU HAVE INFURIATED ME OVER THE YEARS! SO NOW I AM BRINGING YOU TO SPEAK TO ME FACE TO FACE!"
"Oh my gosh…" Alex said.
The ship was being pulled upward—or downward—or something—into the dimension where the Queen Goddess lived. The ship's systems went berserk as they approached.
"Commander, the ship cannot hand this for much longer." Twenty-One warned, looking up from his monitor.
The ship continued to move in that abstract direction, shaking wildly.