GODLING’s WORLD # 4: SHOWING TEETH

GODLING’s WORLD #  4:  SHOWING TEETH

by J. Vandersteen

 

 

–       DOBER-GIRL in:  SHOWING TEETH

 

 

Godling flies above the city streets of New Troy, probably off to defeat another threat to Earth. Below, in a dark alley stands a young woman, clothed in brown and black spandex, her arms naked and tattooed. Spikes cover wristbands and shoulderpads. A mask that only shows her chin and mouth has dog-like ears on top. Surrounding her are three thugs, carrying knives.

            “Godling might not pay much attention to you guys, but New Troy has a new protector in Dober-Girl!” she says.

            “You’re just another bitch to us,” one of the thugs says and stabs at Dober-Girl with his knife. She catches the knife on her wristband and kicks him between his legs.

            “Was that a pun?” she asks and with a roundhouse punch she knocks the thug against the ground.

            The other thugs attack. Dober-Girl jumps up, kicking both enemies in the face while she is in the air. She lands on her feet again and dispatches them with two fast punches. She growls at them, canine teeth bared.

            On the dirty pavement a young woman is lying. Her dress is torn, make-up running over her face. Dober-Girl helps her up.

            “Are you all right?” Dober-Girl asks.

            “I- I think so… Those guys just came out of nowhere.”

            “Did they… rape you?”

            “No, you arrived just in time…”

            “I’ll take you to a doctor to be sure.”

            “Listen, I have no insurance… I… The drugs cost everything I have…”

            “I understand. You won’t have to pay this doctor. I do want you to think about going into rehab. Wandering the streets looking for drugs will get you killed some day. I won’t always be around.”

            “Yes. Yes… I understand.”

            “Good, now come on.” Dober-Girl carried the woman on her shoulder and jumped on top of a fire escape. Via the fire escape she jumped to another one, finding her way to the roof. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop…

            She jumps through a window of another building. An old man with a fuzzy white beard is inside.

            “Jeez… Can’t you for once just knock?” the man says.

            “You love the drama and you know it, Doc,” Dober-Girl says.

            “Right. And who is that with you?”

            “I saved this young woman from a couple of rapists,” Dober-Girl says.

            “And you want me to have a look if she’s okay?”

            “Yep. You did a good job with me, after all.”

            “Seems like only yesterday I found you in that alley, bleeding and all beat up. I still can’t believe you were stupid enough to go out and confront those skinheads.”

            “They hurt the woman I love, just because she likes girls,  not men. Where I come from that’s unacceptable. I had to pay them back.”

            “Yeah. You were a tough cookie in those days, I’m sure… But no match for half a dozen skinheads. If it weren’t for the fact I’d just taken some blood from that supervillain you wouldn’t be alive anymore.”

            “Yeah, we didn’t know the side-effects then. But getting a blood transfusion from villain called Death Dog was bound to have some interesting ones.”

            “Having the proportionate strength and senses of a dog aren’t that bad when you want to get revenge for what they did to your girlfriend,” Dober-Girl says.

            “Yeah, you DID get your revenge. Those skinheads arrived here to get nursed to health right here the next day. You really got to them.”

            Dober-Girl cracked her knuckles. “I did a number on them, didn’t I.”

            “Well, let me have a look at this young woman,” Doc says and takes a stethoscope from a bag on a table next to him.

            The woman Dober-Girl saved sits down on a chair in the apartment and Doc listens to her heart. “You still are in a lot of stress, but that’s not that strange of course.”

            He takes a look at one of her arms. “Needle marks. You know, that stuff will get you killed faster than a rapist.”

            She nods. “I know, I know. But it’s hard going clean, you know.”

            “Sure I do. Took me a lot of time to quit the booze as well. But you will be able to make it if you’re motivated enough,” Doc says.

            The door opens. In walk three men.

            “Doc, we need some help here,” one of them says.

            “You gotta be kidding me,” Dober-Girl says.

            “What? It’s you!?” one of the men says. The three men are the thugs Dober-Girl fought for the life and dignity of the junkie.

            “Crap. Please don’t wreck the furniture!” Doc says.

            “I’m gonna kill you!” a thug says and draws a pistol. “This time I brought some firepower.”

            Dober-Girl hurls a chair at the thug, the gun goes off, shooting a hole in the ceiling.

            “No, no, no!” Doc cries, hands covering his ears.

            Dober-Girl attacks the shooter, twisting his wrist with one hand, using the other to punch him in the face. CRACK!

            Another thug swings a chain above his head, smashing a hanging lamp. Doc shakes his head sadly. The chain wraps around Dober-Girl’s middle. He pulls the chain, bringing her closer to him. A fellow thug pulls a knife, ready to slash her throat. She kicks the knife out of his hand, then smashes the thug with the chain’s nose with the back of her head. She gets herself out of the chain, swings it above her head and knocks the thug who had the knife with it in the face. He goes down.

            She turns to face the thug who just got his nose smashed. She bares her teeth and growls. She jumps forward and with a roundhouse punch knocks him to the floor, smashing a table in his fall.

            “Really? Really?” Doc says, not believing his eyes.

            “Sorry about that, Doc,” Dober-Girl says. “I’m sure I will get these creeps to pay for the damages.”

*

A tattoo place saying “Tattoo Grrrl’’ on the window. Dober-Girl slips in through the backdoor, pulling off her mask as she walks inside, showing her full face and short, dark hair. She walks up the stairs and enters her bedroom. A full-figured redhead covered in tattoos wearing a nightie waits for her in bed.

            “How was your night, sugar?” the redhead asks.

            “More of the same. Keeping the streets safe while Godling was off fighting monsters and aliens. Cracked some skulls, hopefully got a junkie into rehab.”

            “I don’t like the fact you put yourself in danger every night but I must admit I’m proud of what you do as well.” The redhead kisses Dober-Girl.

            “Thanks, Daisy.”

            “Thank you, Kathleen.”

 

 

NEXT ISSUE: INTRODUCING AGENT DESTRUCTION!