GODLING # 31:
The Reality Bomb Saga Part Four
by J. Vandersteen
– GODLING – THE ONE MAN PANTHEON: THE REALITY BOMB SAGA PART FOUR
The Nevada desert. Eye-patch Godling swings
his broadsword at our universe and time’s Godling. Godling catches the sword on
his wristbands. Sparks fly from them.
Godling kicks at Eye-patch Godling who
manages to evade the kick by jumping a few steps back. Godling attacks with a
roundhouse punch, connecting with Eye-patch Godling’s jaw. He shakes it off,
protected by the invulnerability of Achilles. Immediately the apparently
villainous Godling attacks again with the broadsword. Our Godling manages to
either catch the sword on his wristbands or to duck and weave just in time to
prevent getting hurt.
“I think you can use this one, catch!”
Bogatyr shouts and throws his sword in the air. Godling catches it. SWOOP!
SWOOSH! He makes a few practice swings.
“Now our chances our more even,” Godling
tells his future counterpart.
“Not even close. I’ve got years and years
more experience than you. You’re just a baby version of me!” Eye-patch Godling
says and slashes with his sword.
Godling catches the sword on Bogatyr’s. “In
my case the fate of the world might be at stake. I’m very motivated.”
Eye-patch Godling tries to stab Godling, but our
hero manages to parry. “I’m fighting for love and the fate of the world!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking
about.”
“After I knock you down on your ass we might
get a chance to talk,” Eye-patch Godling says and suddenly speeds up his move,
channelling the power of Hermes.
Our Godling does the same, matching every
superspeed thrust, stab and swing. Their moves are so fast the other heroes are
unable to see what is going on. They only see sparks as metal strikes metal and
feel a breeze from their swift movements. Dust is being kicked up by their
fighting.
“Can’t see who’s winning… Should I get
involved?” Bogatyr asks Sir Magick.
“Negative. The battle is winding down,”
Ninjoid says.
And indeed, the dust settles… The Godlings
stand still, breathing heavily, sporting cuts and bruises but they are still
alive and well.
“We seem to be more evenly matched than I
thought,” Eye-patch Godling says. “It seems there is something to be said for
youth against experience. And of course, that is one amazing sword you’re
carrying.”
“Da, it has been forged by me,” Bogatyr says.
“Are you tired enough to take a minute to
listen to me?” Eye-patch Godling asks his counterpart.
“Speak,” Godling says and lowers the sword.
“Good. This is an amazing story, but you
should have seen enough by now to understand it,” Eye-patch Godling said. “More
than thirty years from now a great danger will threaten the world. You know in
my world Master Destiny had enslaved all humanity. Without my son I would never
have survived. In fact, when Master Destiny had me captured and fighting in his
arena it was my son who freed me and made sure I was alive long enough to join
the other Godlings in our great battle to defeat Master Destiny in your
time-line, making sure he was defeated in mine as well.” (check out Godling
#21)
“But… How did that work out? You were
returned by the Greek Gods to your own timeline after that?”
“I was. Without Master Destiny the world was
very different from the one I left. My son didn’t exist anymore for one.”
“So I will have a son? Or at least in another
timeline?” Godling asks.
“Yes. But I fell in love with his mother
because we fought together against Master Destiny when he ruled my world. When
the timeline changed and Master Destiny was defeated before he conquered the
world my relationship with her changed.”
“Who is this woman that becomes the mother of
my son?”
“Janson, the officer you are dating.”
“What? Really?”
“It happened when we were both captured by
Master Destiny when we, together with Darlene King, Wade Hudson and some heroes
like Photon Boy and Doc Shaolin tried to invade his secret headquarters. Janson
and I were captured, while the others managed to escape. In the jail cell we shared I comforted her.
That turned into more and we made love. From that a son was born. A son with amazing powers we called Connor
but was known to the world as Godling Boy. He grew up to be every bit the hero
you and I are. Janson is an amazing woman and Connor an even more amazing boy.
I can’t live without him. That’s why I came here, to my past. I wanted to put
you two in some dire situations together so these experiences would get you to
realize how much you feel for her and for her to realize how amazing you are. I
was hoping that would result in you two ending up together again and giving
birth to Connor.”
“That’s just crazy! What were you thinking?
You’re telling me you were in fact responsible for some of the dangers I faced
the last couple of weeks?” Godling clenches his fists.
“It may sound crazy to you know, but don’t
forget, I’m just another future version of you. If you had a kid you might have
seen the logic.”
“I think the fact you are from a future where
your eye is put out and the world is enslaved by Master Destiny also has a hand
in your worldview.”
“What I’m trying to say is I would just like
you to think things over. Understand what I’m trying to tell you. You like
Janson, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do. But now you’re making me doubt
if I really like her or was just manipulated into liking her by you.”
“I just cannot believe what I am hearing
here,” Bogatyr says. “You Americans and your soap operas…”
“It IS quite a tale, isn’t it?” Sir Magick
agrees.
*
Throx sits in Bogatyr’s cave, bound by the
chains Godling forged. He smiles. “I feel the gap in reality becoming bigger. Those
heroes made a big mistake just focusing on the other-dimensional Godling. With
me still here there are two anomalies in this universe, causing the tear in
reality to get bigger and bigger. Soon it will be enough for my brothers to
follow me here.”
*
“Look at the sky!” Bogatyr says and points
toward it.
The others gaze at the sky as well. There is
a blazing orange light there. At first it looks like a sunset, then they note
the strange colour of orange it is.
That’s when the otherworldly things come through
the gap in reality.
Vikings carrying machine guns riding
dinosaurs covered with armor, zombie-elves, dragons that walk like humans and
carry scimitars fall out of the gap. Leading them are two Throx-lookalikes,
obviously the others from the Council of War and Science, carrying glowing
staffs.
“The Council of War and Science and their
army!” Godling yells.
“We’ve been so stupid,” Sir Magick laments.
“We shouldn’t have allowed that Throx bugger in our universe. That probably
only served to widen the gap in reality.”
“Da, but we have to face the results of that
now,” Bogatyr says and draws two daggers.
Eye-patch Godling readies his sword. “So it
seems.”
Battle-ready the heroes stand before the
otherworldly invaders who outnumber them in size and numbers.
“Surrender so we can conquer your world and
we will only make you slaves,” one of the Council says.
“Go to Hades!” Godling says through gritted
teeth…
NEXT ISSUE: THE BATTLE FOR OUR UNIVERSE!