GODLING # 31: The Reality Bomb Saga Part Four

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!

GODLING’s WORLD # 6: DESTROY! DESTROY!

GODLING’s WORLD #  6:  DESTROY! DESTROY!

by J. Vandersteen

–       Godling & Agent Destruction in:  DESTROY! DESTROY! Part  2

A helicopter lands at the Pentagon. Perlin and Captain Daniels get out, joined by Godling.

“So your headquarters is located here?” Godling says.

“Yeah,” Daniels says. “Under here.”

They pass heavily armed guards, Daniels tells them Godling is with them and they are allowed inside the Pentagon. They enter an elevator.

Daniels presses a number of  buttons in rapid succession and the elevator zooms down.

“Welcome to Homeland Security’s Special Division,” Daniels says as the elevator door opens.

They enter a huge room filled with big monitors, hundreds of computers and hundreds of uniformed men working behind them.

“Here we monitor potential threats to the security of the USA,” Daniels says. “And of course we develop countermeasures like the Agent Destruction serum.”

“In other words, the stuff that made me into to the stone-skinned mutant you fought,” Perlin tells Godling.

“Looks impressive,” Godling admits. The monitors show pictures of wars fought in various countries, several historical landmarks around the world and even some heroes like Ninjoid and Doc Proton fighting bad guys.

“Let me show you what these monitors picked up a few days ago. That will make you a lot clearer why we wanted that kid,” Daniels says.

“Please do. I have the inclination to trust my government, but this whole affair made me doubt it.”

Daniels pushed a few buttons on one of the many computers in the room and the picture on one of the screens changed.

It shows the young boy that had been kidnapped crossing the street as a truck comes speeding at him. The driver doesn’t seem to spot him, either drunk or busy with his cell phone or something.

Godling screams “NO!”

The screen shows the boy turning to face the truck, a blast coming from his eyes completely disintegrating the truck, leaving nothing but ashes. Then the boy runs away as fast as his feet can carry him, shocked and afraid.

“How did he do that?” Godling asks.

“We think this boy is a Hybridian,” Daniels explains.

“A what?”

“You know those stories about alien abductions? Well, they’re real. Very real. Some aliens even got our earthwomen pregnant. These half alien hybrids we call Hybridians. Some are just deformed, some die upon childbirth. And some… Just a very few… Have these incredible powers. Young Akeem there is one of the most powerful we’ve ever spotted.”

“You’re kidding. Why haven’t I heard anything about that before?” Godling asks.

“The Men In Black, hiding all evidence of aliens? Area 51? All true as well,” Daniels says.

“And here I thought they were all crackpot theories. On the other hand, if Greek Gods are real, why wouldn’t they…”

“Yeah, it’s a lot to swallow all at once but after a while nothing surprises you. I mean, it’s studying and experimenting with that alien genetics that created the serum they inject me with that makes me able to turn into Agent Destruction,” Perlin says.

“And these terrorists?” Godling asks.

“When we first spotted Akeem’s powers we were afraid Al-Qaida would get their hands on him, with his heritage and all…” Daniels says.

“Wait a minute… Isn’t that a tad racist?” Godling wonders aloud.

“I’m trying to keep the country safe. When I think that includes racial profiling so be it,” Daniels explains.

I really don’t like this guy, Godling thinks. But if he can help me save that boy I will have to work with him for now.

“Anyway… Turned out the Phoenix Group beat the towelheads to the punch. They’re a relatively small group but growing fast and with some very wealthy backers. They seem to employ some technology that has some alien roots. In fact, we worry they have a spy within our Special Division,” Daniel says.

“I can imagine that has you worried. What’s their goal?”

“These crazies believe in destroying our world so the Phoenix-like deity they worship can recreate it in its own image. They themselves will be reborn as superhuman versions of themselves. Crazy as hell.”

“The gods I met make that idea not that crazy. Disturbing and evil, but not crazy,” Godling says.

Perlin laughs. “The hero has a point.”

“Yeah, yeah… Are you actually trying to tell me you really are some kind of prophet sent by the Olympians?” Daniels says.

“Is that so hard to believe after the stories you just told me about alien-human hybrids living among us?”

“And again…” Perlin chuckles.

“All right, all right,” Daniels says.

“Now, how do we find those terrorists and get the kid back to his mom,” Godling says.

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to return that kid to his mom. With powers like that he’ll just be to dangerous to just walk around like that,” Daniels says.

A lightning bolt appears in Godling’s hand as his teeth grit. “Say that again?”

“I’m sorry, Godling… But it IS my job to keep this country safe. And that will mean we will have to keep the kid contained at Area 51.”

“Not acceptable. He’s a young boy. He needs his mother,” Godling says and thinks, Zeus knows my own childhood got very hard when my mom died. I don’t want anyone to grow up without a mother.

“I think it’s going to be a long time before we see eye to eye on the subject. And all the time spent bickering on the subject might mean The Phoenix Group gets this kid to destroy the world… So we’d better bury the hatchet until we actually find Akeem and talk about what to do with them then,” Perlin says.

Godling nods. “Guess he’s right. Can this fancy equipment of yours track the boy down?”

“All my men are on it right now. Shouldn’t take them long. We can access all sattelites, all CCTV’s, all webcams… We ARE the BIGGEST Brother,” Daniels boasts.

*

A secret base… Akeem sits on a chair, behind a table filled with hamburgers and Cokes.

Two armed Phoenix terrorists are guarding him. A female with red hair, dressed in a black leather dress with a big firebird emblazoned all over it sits on the table.

“Listen, kid… We can get you all the food, all the video games, comics or movies you want… As long as you work with us. You like girls already? We can get those as well. Just work with us,” the woman says.

“Listen, Miss… I just want my mom,” Akeem says.

“Call me Isidore,” the woman says.

“I don’t want your food or your other gifts. Take me back to my mom. You know what I can do to you…”

Isidore brushes the boy’s cheek. “Come on, Akeem. We all know how you regretted killing that truck driver by accident. You’re not going to kill us. Let me just tell you about the wonderful life that can be yours and your mom’s if you join our Group.”

Akeem balls a fist, his eyes start to glow. “Take me back to my mother.”

Isidore sighs. “I was hoping to convince you in another way… Bring her in.”

Two terrorists enter the room, Akeem’s mother in front of them, hands shackled.

Akeem jumps from his chair. “MOM!”

Isidore puts a hand against the boy’s chest. “Stop. You try and use your powers on us and your mother dies.”

Akeem stands still, tears from his eyes. “You bastards.”

“To you, maybe. But we have a higher cause you just don’t seem to be able to understand,” Isidore says. “You destroy the target we give you, your mom goes free.”

“Don’t listen to them!” Akeem’s mother says. A guard hits her in the head with his gun. She falls down.

Akeem runs towards her, but is stopped by the guards, guns aimed at his face.

“You die, she dies… Or you just destroy the target I ask you to destroy. There’s a nuclear power plant in China which we’d like you to destroy…”

“A power plant? I may be a kid but I’m not stupid… The destruction that will mean…”

Isidore smiles. “Yes, yes… Isn’t it fantastic?”

*

“Look! That island in Asia. One of our satellites spotted their base over there,” one of the men behind the monitors says.

On the screen a big, fortress-like building is shown. In front of it drive several black jeeps. Then, the camera zooms in. There are two guards in front of the building, dressed like the terrorists that kidnapped the boy.

“Let’s not waste any time,” Godling says. “We get in there, take out the bad guys and free the kid.”

Perlin smiles. “Sounds like a plan. Can we fire up the helicopter, Cap?”

“Move out,” Daniels says. “And fast. We’ve got a world to save.”

NEXT ISSUE: Can Godling and Agent Destruction prevent the destruction of China?