GODLING # 5: IT CAME FROM AFAR

GODLING # 5: IT CAME FROM AFAR

"Bring it on," Marcus Walker said with a feral grin, wiping a drop
of the fluid he'd just drank from the corner of his mouth. He was in
his office, confronting three big, thug-like looking men. He knew
they'd been sent by the slumlord he'd gotten fined in court an hour
or so ago.
One of them came running at him, swinging a baseball bat in the air.
Walker grabbed the bat with the speed of a jaguar, totally surprising
the thug, leaving him open for a good hard kick in the balls. The thug
went down with a groan.
One of the others pulled a knife. Walker jumped forward with a roar,
like a lion. He was on top of the thug in less then a second, punching
him out with two lefts. He sensed the remaining thug at his back. He
heard a trigger being cocked.
He disarmed the last thug with a roundhouse kick, then grabbed him by
the shirt. A solid head butt knocked him out as well.
Standing over the unconscious thugs Walker felt the adrenalin raging
through him like a runaway train. There was only one way to let it all
out... He threw his head back and roared...
*
Monica Sawyer had just left professor Quentin Alexander's apartment.
He was left dazed and confused. He'd just been holding the woman he
loved and now she was gone again, off to hold the man she loved. He'd
been comforting her when she was afraid something had happened to her
boyfriend, sergeant Wade Hudson. Unfortunately he was intelligent
enough to understand their shared hug was only that of a platonic
friend, like a brother holding a sister. He understood he wasn't man
enough of for a beautiful, selfconscious woman like her.
He walked over to the window, watching her hail a cab. One seemed to
appear from out of nowhere. Monica had that effect sometimes. Sometimes
men seemed to suddenly materialize in front of her to please her. But
what was that dark, enormous shadow that suddenly shrouded the cab in
darkness?
Quentin leaned out of the window and looked up at the sky. At first he
thought it was an enormous blimp, or a weather balloon. The way light
reflected of it, however made him realize it was made of metal, not of
polyester and rubber. It looked like a bullet, surrounded by large
antennae. Did it represent a threat? Or was it just some new
technological wonder designed to scan the city for trouble, or was it
some kind of GPS satellite. Whatever it may be, he felt he had to
investigate only if to appease his curiosity.
Quentin used the power granted to him by Poseidon to change into the
heroic, muscled gladiator Godling. He jumped out of his window, using
the powers of Perseus to take flight. He headed for the mysterious UFO.
*
On the bridge, inside the UFO a tall man with a long beard and long
white hair was gazing at a large screen, depicting the heroic figure
flying at it. The man wore a purple chain mail tunic, a broad metallic
belt and black knee-length boots. Behind him, working the controls of
the strange ship, sat a dozen robots that had long arms and legs,
bullet shaped heads and glowing red lights for eyes.
"Who is that being?" the man asked, but seemingly not expecting any
answer from the robots. He stroked his beard. "A flying man? The data
we gathered seems to be incomplete..." He turned to face the robots.
"Get him aboard!"
*
On one of the dozen screens in his room Master Destiny watched Godling
fly towards the UFO. "What is that thing? It looks very interesting.
It looks even more technologically advanced than anything I have
created."
A beautiful, scantily clad woman had her arms around him. "Surely
that cannot be possible, Master!"
He laughed. "You do your job well, my little whore. But I cannot deny
what I see. I need to find out more about it. Woman, get me the new
recruit."
The woman bowed and rushed off.
*
Godling was nearing the UFO very closely. It seemed to be some sort of
spaceship. Was an actual alien visiting New Troy? There was really
actually life on other planets? It sounded incredible, but after
meeting the Greek Gods, fighting superpowered villains and gaining
amazing powers of his own, it seemed not so impossible an idea.
>>From one of the antennae on the ship a purple energy beam was emitted.
It enveloped Godling, trapping him in a cocoon of light.
He tried to fly out of it, but could not penetrate the beam that seemed
to be more tangible than light could be. He understood it was some kind
of force field. More and more he got the idea he was caught in some
sci-fi movie. He punched the cocoon, but wasn't able to punch
through. It didn't hurt, didn't make any sound, not like punching a
brick wall but the effect was the same. He didn't even dent it.
He found out he could stand inside the cocoon, the light like solid
ground. This gave him the possibility to switch to another power than
flight. He used the strength of Heracles to try and punch through. No
effect.
The beam pulled him closer and closer to the UFO. Finally he decided to
stop fighting it. He wanted to investigate the ship and it seemed he
was going to get his chance.
A hatch in the ship opened. The beam pulled Godling inside.
He ended up in a long corridor. The walls were made out of steel.
Several power cables hung from the ceiling. Two robots walked towards
him. This was getting more incredible by the second.
"Please come with us,'' one of the robots said.
"Is this the part where I ask you to take me to your leader?"
Godling joked. He had to be really nervous. Usually he wasn't much of
a joker.
"Please come with us,'' the robot repeated and grabbed Godling by
the arm. The hero contemplated shaking loose the metallic hand for a
moment but decided to let his curiosity lead him and followed the
robot.
They led him to the bridge of the ship. A room filled with more robots,
with computers, many screens and the captain of the ship.
"Greetings, Earthling," the white-bearded captain said.
"Hello," Godling said. "I am called Godling. What is your
name?"
"I am captain Wrakk, Galactic Raider and champion of the planet
Braxx."
"I'm not sure if I'm pleased to meet you. I don't particularly
like getting hauled into a spaceship like that."
"You should be pleased. You intrigued me, therefore you will have the
chance to tell your loved ones they will not have much longer to
live."
Godling raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
"I will destroy Earth but I offer you the chance to say goodbye to
your loved ones and explain to the world why I will destroy them."
"What? You're crazy! What are you talking about?"
"Your planet is very rapidly approaching the means for lightspeed
travel. That will entail you will have the possibility to reach my
planet. The history of your planet tells me there is a very big chance
you will try to conquer it. I cannot accept that. Therefore I will
destroy you all."
"But that's crazy! You can't just destroy an entire planet
because we might do you harm in the future!''
"Are you so sure about that? I have studied your history. Imagine
having the chance to prevent the Nazi's from invading Europe before
they hatched their plans."
"Even if I'd agree that would be a good plan, then we would be
talking about the actual invaders. If you destroy the entire Earth you
will surely not only kill potential invaders but a lot of innocents as
well."
Wrakk shrugged. "I am a true patriot. My own people will have to come
first."
Godling shook his fist at the captain. "You're a fascist! That's
what you are.''
"Call me what you like. I know my duty and will fulfill it."
"How do you think you could destroy an entire planet anyway? No one
has that kind of power!"
Wrakk laughed. "I've heard that being said on other planets as
well. Minutes later their planet was nothing but dust in space."
"Even if you have that power, I will never allow you to use it!"
Wrakk's voice was like ice. "You don't have the power to do
that."
"We'll see about that," Godling said and charged at the captain.
Immediately the robots grabbed him, piling on top of him.
Godling coiled his muscles and using the strength of Heracles shook
them off him.
"See? Now it's your turn to taste my strength!" Godling wondered
for a brief moment where he got those pompous speeches from sometimes.
It probably was a result of reading to many books about mythology.
He charged Wrakk again.
Wrakk held up a hand and suddenly Godling seemed to walk into an
invisible wall. Wrakk punched air, but still Godling felt it in his
stomach, like being hit by a pile driver.
Rubbing his hurting stomach he panted, "How the Hades did you do
that?"
There was a smug look on Wrakk's face. "I have been genetically
changed by my people to be their ultimate protector. One of those
changes included outfitting me with telekinetic powers. Impressive, are
they not?"
"They might be, but I've been outfitted with some impressive powers
of my own," Godling said and threw a lightning bolt like Zeus would.
The bolt exploded harmlessly against Wrakk's invisible telekinetic
shield. "Nice try."
Wrakk ordered his robots to hold Godling. They grabbed hold of him
again. He started to wrestle their metallic hands loose again, but
before he could completely free himself Wrakk started to rattle off
telekinetic punches in his face and stomach. He'd never taken a
beating like that, not as Godling and not as Quentin Alexander. He
simply seemed to be totally powerless against Wrakk's attacks.
After a while Wrakk stopped punishing him. He was sprawled on the cold,
metallic floor, facedown, aching, hurting, defeated.
"I hope I have taught you there is no use to try and stop me. I am
sorry I had to beat you like that, I greatly dislike violence but I am
afraid sometimes it is necessary. Do not worry, the destruction of
Earth will be painless for all of you."
"Go... To... Hades..." Godling managed to utter.
Wrakk made a little bow to show his respect. "Such an indomitable
spirit. If every Earthling is like you I truly am deeply sorry I will
have to destroy you all. Unfortunately the only thing studying your
history has taught me is how barbaric you all are. All you crave is
power, subjecting others to your will and conquering every new land you
discover."
Godling wanted to counter those words, tell that madman there was more
to the people of Earth than that, but he simply could not find the
energy.
"To show you the respect I have for you I will still allow you to
leave my ship. You have 12 hours to say goodbye to your loved ones and
tell your fellow Earthlings about their destruction. Use that time. You
now know that it is better to spend your time that way then to try and
stop me."
Wrakk raised his hand, raising Godling telekinetically. A hatch opened
and he lifted the hero through it. "Farewell."
Godling was outside, hanging in the sky until Wrakk broke his
telekinetic contact and the hero dropped down.
*
A young man with a spiky haircut in a sleeveless shirt that said
'Finch', tattooed arms and pierced ears walked into Master
Destiny's lair.
"Welcome, boy,'' Destiny said. "I have gathered you are willing
to do my bidding in lieu of the gain of the most amazing powers you
have ever dreamed of?"
The young man nodded. "I want to be like those Speed Demons or
something. I need the ultimate rush, I need to show people I am no one
to mess with. And I'll do anything for that. That's what you meant
with in lieu, right?"
"Yes, I did. All right. So be it." Master Destiny pointed his spear
at the young man, enveloping him in a purplish glow. The boy screamed
in pain. Soon Destiny would have a scout to investigate the spaceship.
When the glow was gone so was the pain. The boy was down on the floor.
Bat like wings protruded from his back. Slowly he got up. He watched
his hands. They seemed more like claws.
He smiled with fanglike teeth. "Kickass!"
*
Marcus Walker was sitting on the steps at this front door. He'd just
thrown out the thugs that had attacked him. He watched two kids playing
baseball in the street. There was hardly any traffic so they could play
unafraid of getting hit by a car. In this area the risk of getting hit
by a bullet was better. Most traffic stayed out of this part of the
city.
He thought about how good he'd felt cutting loose on the thugs. What
a rush it had been to feel the potion run through him, unleashing all
those animalistic powers locked in all of men. He felt ashamed of
himself. He was a man, not some primate. He'd studied to be a lawyer,
to use his mouth and brain to solve problems. Why did he often feel the
best when he'd just been using his fists? Was that the reason Godling
did what he did? Because of the way it made him feel when he unleashed
his violence upon a criminal?
A big shadow blanketed the playing children. Instinctively he felt the
need to protect them from the darkness that seemed to come over the
poor people of the city. That was why he'd returned to New Troy.
Because he felt he could do something to protect the people in his old
neighborhood, not because he liked beating people up.
He looked up at the sky, amazed at the source of the gigantic shadow.
It appeared to be a mix between a plane and a blimp. Almost like a...
space ship? And was someone falling from it?
*
The cars, the pavement, the buildings came alarmingly closer and closer
to Godling as he was plummeting down. He felt so weak he almost
couldn't find the power of will to channel Perseus' power of
flight. Did it matter anyway? He would die along with the rest of the
Earth in 12 hours anyway.
But he still had something to do. He had to say goodbye to his loved
ones. Not that he had to many of them. There was Monica. There was his
brother. Well, his brother hated his guts so maybe he didn't count as
a loved one. But Monica... He wasn't going to die without telling her
he loved her!
With newfound resolve he channeled the power of flight and pulled up
just before he smacked right into a water tower. He set course for
Monica's apartment.
Time for some famous last words.
NEXT ISSUE:
LAST WORDS