GODLING # 7: BATTLE FOR EARTH

GODLING # 7: BATTLE FOR EARTH
By Jochem Vandersteen


New Troy Main Square was filled with armed cops. All their guns pointed
at the sky where six hours earlier the strange UFO disintegrated a
police helicopter. Some cops were holding back the news people and
crowd that was trying to get an idea of just what was going on there.
But in all honestly, the NTPD had no real idea either.
Sergeant Wade Hudson was talking to his captain, Dirk Kray, a tall
man with graying hair and a face scarred by a lifetime of being a cop.
"Cap, where the hell are those Marines we asked for? We need some
serious help. I don't know where that ship came from but we need
something heavy to take it down. Regular bullets just don't seem to
do the trick. They just seem to bounce off."
"Come on, Hudson. You know these kinds of things take time. Even
with the whole country on a state of alert for terrorist threats."
A young, perky female cop asked, "Do you think it's a terrorist
attack?"
"What I think, officer Janson, is that this whole city is being
threatened by one strange enemy after another the last year or so and
I'm getting very tired of it. And it's even gotten worse when that
Godling showed up."
"But he's been doing some amazing things as well. He took out
those Speed Demons, those Airsharks, that Panzerguy and Icepick. He
seems to be an honest to gosh superhero!" Janson's face was full of
excitement.
Wade sighed. "Great. He's got a groupie." He looked up at the
UFO. "I'm getting sick and tired of waiting for what that thing's
planning to do. Get me some heavier artillery."
"Something like this," a SWAT officer said and handed him a
rocketlauncher.
Wade smiled. "That's the ticket. Let's see what that tin can
has to offer against this baby."
The excitement on Main Square suddenly grew even bigger. The flashes
of cameras were blinding. Everyone was talking all at once. They were
all either pointing or making way for the figure coming through the
crowd. It was a man with an incredibly muscled and athletic physique.
He wore blue skintight leather pants and a matching jerkin, a
gladiator-styled helmet and carried a large round shield. Both the
shield and helmet carried a big red ruby, encircled with gold pellets.
The same ruby was in the middle of the golden belt he wore. In his
right hand he carried a large mace that seemed to pulse with energy. On
his back was a quiver of arrows and a bow. Godling had arrived. Ready
for battle.
"Sergeant Hudson, please do not engage the UFO by yourself.
You've seen what was done to the helicopter when it felt
threatened," Godling said.
"Listen Adonis, all you've managed to cause is a lot property
damage. Why don't you leave this to the professionals?"
Officer Janson pointed at the sky. "It seems like some other guys
are stepping in now... Or should I say flying in?"
In the sky three figures were flying towards the spaceship. They
were wearing biker-outfits, all leather and denims. Also, they were
sporting pterodactyl-like wings.
"I don't know who those guys are, but they might be the
distraction I need," Godling said and flew up.

**


Captain Wrakk saw the three winged men near his ship. He sighed. "Not
more of those idiots. What do they think they will reach with their
foolish attacks. They stand no chance whatsoever against the ship's
weaponry or my powers. It is like swatting flies."
"Destroy the winged ones, Captain?" one of the robots on the
bridge asked.
"No, bring them in. Let me practice my powers for a moment."
"Affirmative sir, I will activate the tractor beam."

**

Master Destiny sat watching his screens, witnessing the biker gang he
gave superpowers near the spaceship. He desperately wanted the amazing
technology of the ship to even further his wealth and power.
"What? What is happening?" He saw his men being enveloped in a
green beam, pulling them inside the ship.
At first he felt a degree of panic, but then he saw that there could
be some advantages to this. The cameras his men carried with them would
take him right there into the ship. That could be very interesting.
He shouted at his concubines to bring him some wine for him to enjoy
during his viewing.

**

Godling prayed to his Olympian benefactors that he'd been flying fast
enough for Wrakk not to get noticed. He'd arrived on top of it,
channeling the power of Hermes to not only render himself invisible,
but also to use his abilities as the patron and benefactor of
pickpockets, thieves and rogues to break into the ship. With godlike
lock picking skills he was able to open a hatch on the ship and slip
through.
He was back in the ship again (see # 5) but this time, so he was
hoping, Wrakk wasn't aware of his presence. The only chance he had
was the element of surprise, because he knew however powerful his newly
fashioned weapons were, Wrakk's powers were amazing and he had an
army of robots as backup. For a minute, Godling was overcome with fear.
He'd seen Wrakk simply disintegrate his enemies before they could
even think of defending themselves or fleeing to safety. He clenched
his fists. He could not think about the fear, not then. The lives of
everyone on Earth depended on his courage. And so what, if Wrakk had
amazing superpowers and an army of robots at his disposal? He had
powers as well and an entire army of Gods to help him out. He would not
fail. He could not fail.

**
The three winged bikers were dropped onto the steel floor of the
bridge, released by the tractor beam. Amazed they looked around them.
"Welcome to my ship, weaklings," Wrakk said. "What were you
planning to do?"
One of the bikers, sporting a panther tattoo in his neck stood up
and pointed a finger at the white bearded Captain. "Kicking your butt
and jacking your ship, Santa!"
Wrakk laughed. "What wonderful use of language. I take it by that
you mean you intend to defeat me and seize my ship?"
"You bet your ass!"
"Which again confirms the conquering and violent nature of your
planet. I will have no regrets destroying you."
The biker pulled a gun. "Good luck!"
Wrakk used his telekinetics to seize the gun from the biker's
hand, then made it float in the air just before his face. "Primitive
weapon, very primitive. Let me see what kind of damage it causes."

**

Godling, still invisible was looking at the scene on the bridge from
the doorway. He could sneak up on Wrakk, try to take him out quickly
but he would never be in time to prevent the gun from going off in the
biker's face. He didn't know the winged man and the only mutated
people he knew where criminals but he couldn't just stand by and let
a fellow human being be killed just like that, could he?
The other two bikers were being held by the robots, trying to
struggle free, but not strong enough to break loose from the mechanic
arms. The biker with the panther tattoo stepped backwards, but the gun
just kept being aimed right at his face. He begged Wrakk not to fire
it.
By trying to save the biker and thereby loosing the advantage of
surprise, would Godling forfeit any chance of beating Wrakk? Would
saving one man mean the destruction of the entire planet? The hero
hesitated. What to do?
"Give me one reason for not killing you as you probably would do
to everyone on my planet just to conquer it?" Wrakk said to the
biker.
Then there were no thoughts, no strategy, no dilemmas. Only a human
being about to die and one chance to prevent it. Godling seized that
chance.
"Here's a reason!" Godling shouted, turning visible and
jumping like a tiger, right into the bullet's path, catching it on
his shield.
"The lone hero has arrived!" Wrakk said.
The biker fell down on his knees, shouting, "I'm alive! I'm
alive!"
Wrakk mocked, "You really insist on facing me again?"
Godling lifted his mace above his head. "I will keep facing you
again until I'm sure Earth is out of danger!"
Wrakk moved his right hand, ready to use his telekinetic powers.
Godling threw his mace, hitting Wrakk in the head. The Captain dropped
to the floor. Godling jumped with Hermes speed and snatched the mace
out of the air.
"Watch out!" one of the bikers yelled, making Godling turn
around, just in time to see the robots coming at him. Blocking their
ironfisted blows with his shield he waved the mace around him, clubbing
his enemies, making their robotic parts fly everywhere.
The winged bikers were inspired by Godling's actions. They picked
up metallic parts like robot arms and legs, using them as clubs to
fight off the robotic attackers. Also, their wings proved to be very
useful in swatting away robots that came just a bit too close.
Wrakk rose again, rubbing his head. "I will destroy you for
that!"
Godling, not having to worry about the robots now the bikers were
helping him, dropkicked Wrakk, getting him down on the floor again. He
started to batter him with the mace.
Wrakk found the strength to use his telekinesis once again, using it
to lift Godling from him, launching him right into the ceiling. There
was a loud crack and if the One Man Pantheon hadn't been channeling
the invulnerability of Achilles he might have broken his back. Instead,
he just fell down on the floor.
He rolled up, grabbing his bow and pulling three arrows from his
quiver. He fired them at Wrakk, using the archer abilities of Artemis,
Goddess of the Hunt. Wrakk put up a telekinetic shield however to stop
them from hitting him.
Wrakk started to belt Godling with telekinetic blows. "Just stop
it, you have no chance!"
Godling walked towards Wrakk, his helmet and shield denting from the
massive, invisible blows. "This... planet... is worth... fighting
for... Wrakk."
Wrakk let up the blows for a minute to speak. "Ha! A planet full
of power-hungry, war loving primates?"
"A people who keep overcoming great disasters and tragedies. A
people for who family means everything. A brave bunch of people. Just
look outside at the policemen doing their duty to protect the innocent
citizens from you."
"There is no use trying to talk me out of this. I know my duty."
Then, grimly Godling said, "Then I know mine." With those words
he channeled the speed of Hermes and started to beat his enemy with the
pulsing mace. So fast came the blows that Wrakk was unable to focus on
using his powers.
Godling felt disgust at the violence he was inflicting but he knew
he had no choice. For Earth to survive Captain Wrakk had to fall. And
fall he did...
Battered and bleeding Wrakk went to his knees... "Incredible,"
he uttered and went facedown on the floor.
Godling surveyed his environments. All robots seemed to be defeated
and the bikers, save for a few bruises seemed largely unhurt.
"Get off this ship!" he commanded the winged bikers. "I have
work to do!" The bikers complied, thanking the hero for his help in
defeating Wrakk and his robots, saving their lives.

**
"No! No! You idiots! Stay onboard! This is your chance to grab the
technology I want! Don't leave or I will destroy you myself!"
Master Destiny shouted at the screens in his room when he saw the
bikers leave the ship.
"I'm sorry, Master," the biker with the panther tattoo said
through the communicator Destiny had made him wear. "That guy saved
our lives up there. If he wants us out of the way, we go out of the
way." With those words he took to the sky, flapping his great
pterodactyl wings.
Destiny gripped his Spear so tightly his knuckles whitened. "I
will get you for your disobedience, fool!"

**

The ship's computers were pretty complicated, but if you have the
knowledge of the Gods at your disposal complicated things can get
pretty easy. He programmed the ship to set an automatic course back
home. He used the powers of the God of Dreams, Morpheus to send Wrakk
into a very long, deep sleep.
With all that work done, he flew away from the ship.

**

"The ship, it's leaving!" officer Janson shouted
enthusiastically. "Godling made it leave!"
Wade Hudson grumbled, "You don't know why it's leaving."
Cameras were rolling or flashing, capturing the image of Godling
flying away from the ship that, with light speed took off towards
space.
"Well, I think New Troy has one hell of a hero," Janson
exclaimed.

**

Flying away from the New Troy Main Square Godling wondered where he
would go now. To check up on how Monica was doing? No, Hudson would
probably be doing that. To visit his brother? No, they'd just argue.
To a bar, have a victory drink? No, he would feel extra lonesome,
drinking all by himself. Best just to get home, take a shower and read
a book. Not exactly the hero's welcome of ancient legends...



NEXT ISSUE:
A NEW HERO IS BORN!