GODLING # 15: Dealing with the devil

GODLING # 15: Dealing with the devil
By Jochem Vandersteen
Godling jumps down from a wall, fists clenched in the air, saying,
“Leave him alone!”
He lands on the floor of a dark alley where two thugs, one armed with
a knife and one with a pistol have cornered another man.
“This neighbourhood falls under my protection now. Don’t think that
with the death of Safari you can just rob innocent people without any
consequences.”
“Go to hell!” the thug with the gun says and aims his weapon at the
hero.
Godling uses the speed of Hermes to wrest the gun from the thug’s
grip. A few lightning quick punches (TWACK-TWACK-TWACK-TWACK-TWACK)
take the bad guy down.
The thug with the knife wraps an arm around his victim and puts a
knife to his throat. “Beat it or this guy’s toast.”
“Drop the knife,” Godling says and aims the confiscated gun at the
thug. “I can channel the powers of a God of War. No way I’m going to
miss.”
“#$% you!” the thug yells.
One well placed shot hits the thug in the shoulder, making him drop
the knife. Godling rushes over to him and floors him with a roundhouse
punch.
“Are you okay?” Godling asks the victim.
The victim nods. “Sure, these guys took me by surprise.” Then
something drops from his pocket. Godling picks it up. Cocaine!
“What the Hades? Were you buying drugs from these guys? Or were you
selling that crap to them and did they decide to rip you off?”
“Come on, Godling. Forget about it, okay. Everybody’s okay here.”
Godling grabbed him by the shirt. “It’s not okay. If you’re involved
with drugs I’m going to get you to the cops along with these
dirtbags.”
“If you let me go I’ve got some information you’d be interested in!”
“You want to cut a deal with me? Who do you think I am? The District
Attorney?”
“Don’t you want to know who’s behind the influx of superpowered
baddies in New Troy?” the man leers.
“Speak.”
“I know a guy who knows more about that. Seems there’s some incredibly
powerful mastermind behind all of it.”
“Where can I find that guy? And how do I know you’re not lying to me?”
“I’ll tell you when you promise to let me go.”
Godling thinks about that. He doesn’t like letting criminals go free.
“What do you have to lose? If you let me go a smalltime dealer stays
on the street. If you don’t let me go you pass up on the chance of
taking down the biggest crimelord of New Troy.”
Godling has to admit the guy has a point. “I promise to let you go
this time. But if I catch you with drugs again I personally will slam
the door of your cell shut.”
“Sure. Okay, you need to talk to a guy they call Tony Gold. He hangs
out at a bar a few blocks from here called The Spot. Biggest crime
boss in the area. Can’t miss him, he’s got a mouth full of gold.”
“You’d better not be lying to me.”
“I swear I’m not!”
“Good, then beat it!” Godling says. The man runs away, leaving the
hero with the two other thugs.
He takes out a cell phone and calls the cops, telling them there’s
some garbage for them to pick up, courtesy of the One Man Pantheon.
*
With Hermes speed Godling scours the city, looking for the bar called
the Spot. It only takes him a few minutes. He stops in front of the
bar. There's a neon sign on the roof that shows the name in big purple
characters. He walks in.
The bar is filled with unsavory characters, from bikers to gangbangers
and all sorts of riffraff. At the bar sits a big black guy with a
fedora and gold teeth. The patrons look at the entering hero.
"What the hell are you doing here?" the black guy says.
"If you're Tony Gold I'm here for you."
Suddenly almost half of the patrons takes out a gun and form a line in
front of Tony.
"I see you've got some protection," Godling says. "Too bad it won't do
you any good."
With Hermes speed he takes on the bodyguards. A few minutes later the
floor of the bar is willed with weapons that have been taken apart.
"I'm here to talk. No weapons necessary, okay?"
"Tell me. What do you need?"
"Word on the street is you know more about the whole explosion of
superpowered beings in New Troy."
"I know a lot of things. But why would I tell you anything?"
"Well, there's a lot of guns here and a lot of characters who don't
want to get involved with the cops, I'm sure. If you tell me what I
want to know I won't call them."
Tony thinks about that. "You do know that I can get you in a lot of
trouble if you take me on. This is just a small example of the people
I have working for me."
"Did you see how easily I disarmed your thugs. That is just a small
example of the powers I have."
Tony sighs. "Very well. I've learned that there is a powerful man
pulling the strings of all organized crime behind the scenes. They
call him Master Destiny."
"Is he pulling your strings as well?"
Tony laughs. "He wants to. In fact, he sent over some of his
superpowered enforcers to get me to work with him. My men took them
out."
"Where does he get those superpowered men?"
"I heard he can give superpowers to normal people. Wouldn't mind to
have that power myself."
"Where can I find him?"
Tony shrugs. "No idea. I just know what I told you."
"Aren't you afraid he'll sent his enforcers after you once again?"
"I have some pretty well-armed people behind me."
"You've seen what a superpowered individual can do with those guns."
Tony looks around and picks up a piece of a gun. He looks worried.
"I'll make you a deal. You help me find Master Destiny and I will
protect you from his men."
"That doesn't sound too bad."
Godling put up a finger. "Make no mistake, that won't mean I will be
letting you get away with your criminal acts. I'll protect you from
bodily harm but I WILL stop you if I catch you doing something
illegal."
"Sure, sounds fair."
Tony digs around in his pocket. Godling holds up a hand. "Watch it,
Tony."
"Don't panic. I just wanted to give you this," Tony says and hands
Godling a cell phone. "If I find out anything or if I'm in danger I'll
call you on this phone. Keep it with you."
"All right," Godling says. "And again, be warned... I WILL be making
sure your criminal acts are thwarted."
"Yeah, yeah. Sure."
Then, Godling is gone.
*
"Well, well... So you are striking a deal with the devil, Godling,"
Master Destiny says, watching one of the screens in his lair. He's
seen everything that went on in The Spot.
A beautiful scantily clad woman walks in, carrying a plate with a
glass of wine. Master Destiny takes the glass and kisses the woman.
The woman leaves and he sips from the wine.
"I will make sure you will be way to busy to ever get involved with
me, hero. Selena, come back!"
The beautiful woman walks in again. "Master?"
"I need you to contact all my underlings. There is a message I need to
put out on the streets."
Selena bows. "Certainly, master."
*
Godling stands at Safari's grave.
"Don't worry, friend. I will be making sure your neighbourhood is
safe. I know I made a tricky choice by allying myself with Tony Gold.
But something needed to be done in a New Troy without your extra
protection."
*
Tony Gold drinks a beer at the Spot. He looks very pleased with
himself. He thinks, "This is working out quite well. If I can get
Godling to take out Master Destiny I will be ruling the New Troy
underworld. And then I will be crushing that hero under my foot."

NEXT: SUPERPOWERED INVASION!