GODLING’s WORLD # 9: Octo-Boy in: Mommy’s Little Helper

–       Octo-Boy in: Mommy’s Little Helper

Bay City…

A humanoid figure with grey tentacles instead of arms and legs swings from rooftop to rooftop. He is clad in purple spandex and a purple mask that covers his entire face. The mask has bulbous yellow lenses and his mask makes his head look bigger, like that of an octopus. He wears a very broad black belt with an emblem of a yellow octopus.

    He thinks, Wow! I never get tired of swinging and leaping around as Octo-Boy… Well, of course I’ve been only doing that for a few weeks now.

   He lands on top of an old warehouse. So, this must be where the bad guys are hiding. An old abandoned warehouse. Just like in the comic books.

   He looks through a skylight. In the building are six rough looking men, unpacking large crates. The crates contain futuristic looking weapons.

   Time to spring into action, Octo-Boy thinks. He smashes the skylight with his tentacles and jumps inside.

   “What?!” one of the thugs cries out, surprised.

   “Who is that costumed freak?” another one asks.

    “The name’s Octo-Boy, dear baddies!” the hero says and lands on top of the thug that cried out. He wraps his tentacles around the thug’s head until he passes out.

    A thug fires his gun at Octo-Boy as he jumps off the other thug. The thug misses, the bolt that is fired by the gun disintegrating a stack of crates.

    “Whoa, glad I wasn’t hit by that one,” Octo-Boy says and uses his tentacles to leap up again, flying through the air until he crashed down on the thug that fired the gun. Another thug already aims his gun at the hero, but a quick slap with a tentacle disarms him. The hero turns towards the thug and slaps him in the face with two tentacles, knocking him out.

    That leaves three thugs who all have their guns aimed at Octo-Boy now. He releases a big mist of ink from a gland in his neck, blinding them. Quickly he dispatches the bad guys with a few slaps of his tentacles. As the ink dissipates Octo-Boy stands victorious on a top of unconscious bad guys.

    “What is this?” a voice says. The voice comes from a  man with the lower body of a snake, 
wearing armor and carrying a staff.

    “Who are you? You look even weirder than me!” Octo-Boy says.

   “I am Cecrops. Who are you?”

   “Octo-Boy, hero of Bay City.”

   “And to think I decided to flee New Troy so I wouldn’t be bothered by superpowered meddlers,” Cecrops says, of course referring to his archenemy Godling.

   “Well, you’re out of luck, snakeskin!”

   “I will not be discouraged by another superfool again!” Cecrops says and fires a bolt of energy from his staff. Octo-Boy leaps away just in time, the bolt misses.

   Cecrops tries to slap Octo-Boy with his tail, the hero blocks with a tentacle, hitting the bad guy with another. Cecrops staggers backwards.

   “So you’re the leader of these thugs? Well, your arms-dealing days are over!” Octo-Boy says, swinging his tentacles at the villain once again.

  

*

Five hours earlier…

Matt Tatum arrives home, his letter jacket slung over his shoulder. He is a blond, good-looking and muscular 15 year old kid.

    “Hi mom,” he says.

     In the kitchen a tall woman with short blond hair and a powersuit is busy cutting some vegatables. “Hi, Matt. How was football practice?”

   “Went pretty well, mom. The coach rode us pretty hard though.”

    Matt’s mom gives him a peck on the cheek. “Only to improve you, I’m sure.”

    “Of course. How was your day?”

   “Pretty busy. There’s some rumors about a big load of futuristic weapons being sold to gangs in the city. We’ve got a lot of people working on it.”

   “Is that FBI business?” Matt wonders.

   “Together with the ATF we’re dealing with it. I do wish sometimes we weren’t  bound by so many laws. If we could just get a few gang members to talk,” Matt’s mom says.

   “They’re not talking?”

   “Nope, all keeping their mouths shut. Well, we’ll see what we can find out tomorrow. For now, it’s time for dinner.”

    And after that it’s time for Octo-Boy to help his mom out, Matt thinks.

*

Now.

“These weapons will make me rich and I will not let you keep me away from those riches!” Cecrops says and fires two futuristic pistols at the attacking Octo-Boy.

   The hero manages to evade the shots and two tentacles slap Cecrops so hard the villain is sent flying against a bunch of crates. The crates fall down, on top of the villain. The crates break open, futuristic weapons spilling from them.

   “DIE!!!” Cecrops yells as he manages to get from under the crates and grabs a huge gun from the weapons now surrounding them.

   Maybe it wasn’t so smart to have him crash into a bunch of crates filled with big ass guns, Octo-Boy wonders.

    A shockwave is shot from the huge gun. There’s no way to evade it, Octo-Boy is hit and falls down. And how did I get into this mess again, he thinks.

*

Two hours earlier, a dark alley in the worst part of Bay City.

   Octo-Boy has a knife and a baseball bat in his tentacles. He is standing on top of a pile of four gang members.

   “I told you to drop your weapons,” he tells the gang members.

   One gang member is still standing. He is wearing a red bandana and gold teeth. “Just don’t hit me man, I just got these teeth.”

   Octo-Boy throws the weapons away. “Talk and you get to keep the teeth. There’s talk about high-tech weaponry being dealt. I want to know from where.”

*

Now.

Maybe it would have been better if I just left this to the FBI and that gangstah didn’t know where the weapons were being kept. Of course, I wouldn’t want mom to face this dangerous crazy, Octo-Boy thinks as he slowly gets up.

   “You won’t be able to hit what you can’t see,” the hero says and sprays a large amount of ink in the air.

   “Damn you! Where are you?” Cecrops says, firing blindly everywhere.

   Suddenly Octo-Boy drops from the air, on top of Cecrops. He wraps his tentacles around the villain’s neck and chokes him until Cecrops lights go out.

   Octo-Boy stands victoriously next to the unconscious villain. Now to give my mom an anonymous call and get the heck away from here. Good to know I’m still mommy’s little helper, he thinks.

 

END

GODLING’s WORLD # 8: SON OF GODLING

GODLING’s WORLD #  8:  SON OF GODLING

by J. Vandersteen

–       Godling & Godling Boy in: SON OF GODLING

Another time, another dimension. A world where Master Destiny rules and Janson and Godling gave birth to a boy named Connor, Godling Boy (read Godling # 31 for more).

Godling, black-clad and wearing an eyepatch stealthily makes his way through the alleys of New Troy. In his hand he has a broadsword.

I have to be careful, he thinks. If Master Destiny finds out where our base is, we’re dead.

He suddenly stands face to face with two supervillains. The long-haired, metal-skinned speedster called Speed Metal and the dog-like Death Dog.

“I was pretty sure my sense of smell was going to be able to track you down. Master Destiny will reward me well for your demise,” Death Dog says.

“You never beat me before, you won’t beat me now,” Godling says.

Death Dog smiles. “That was before your eye was magically blinded so that even your healing powers couldn’t make you see again. I, on the other hand only improved my senses.”

“Show me,” Godling says and attacks with his broadsword.

Speed Metal is standing before Death Dog quicker than light, the broadsword warded off by his metallic arms, sparks flying from it. Death Dog steps forward, connecting to Godling’s jaw with a haymaker.

Godling falls down. Death Dog jumps on top of the One Man Pantheon but lands on his broadsword. Blood flows from his mouth as he dies on the sword.

“That goon was always too aggressive for his own good,” Speed Metal says.

“Look who’s talking,” Godling says and pushes Death Dog’s body off of himself. “I hate it when you thugs make me kill… Don’t make me kill you as well.”

Speed Metal laughs. “You will be the one getting killed, hero!”

With incredible speed he attacks, punching and kicking at the One Man Pantheon, who in turn evades, deflects and punches and kicks back with the speed of Hermes.

Then they stop fighting for a minute. Both panting, exhausted.

“Ready for another round?” Godling asks, fists clenched.

“Make my day,” Speed Metal says.

That’s when a sixteen-year old boy drops from the sky, right on top of Speed Metal. The villain falls flat on his face. The boy, brown hair, clad in a spandex suit the color of silver and a belt that resembles Godling’s own says, “You guys talk too much.”

The boy picks up Speed Metal and throws him at Godling. Godling sends a lightning bolt flying at Speed Metal and takes him out.

“Nice teamwork that was, Connor,” Godling tells his son.

“Yeah. I’m amazed the old villains are still around.”

“These two seem to be the more tenacious ones.”

“Let’s go to mom,” Connor says.

Connor pushes a hidden button on the alley wall. The floor beneath them opens up and both heroes drop down, landing in a big room that has beds and chairs as well as a huge bunch of computers and gadgets.

“Good to see you again,” an Asian man clad in a spandex-version of a Shaolin monk says.

“Welcome back,” a black young man wearing blue and red spandex says.

“Thanks, good to see you guys too, Doc Shaolin, Photon Boy.”

Janson, dressed in army fatigues runs towards Godling and hugs him. “You’re back!”

They kiss. Godling tells her, “Good to be back, my love.”

“Were you successful in your mission?” Janson asks.

Godling shakes his head. “Not really. I’m afraid Bogatyr, Ninjoid and the other non-American heroes are all dead. Master Destiny’s foreign agents took care of them.”

“Sounds like it’s just up to us then to free the world,” Photon Boy says.

“Yeah. So what’s next?” Connor asks.

“First, I’m going to have a nice quiet night with your mother,” Godling says. “Then we think of new strategies to defeat Master Destiny.”

Connor smashes a fist in his open hand. “Too bad, I’m still ready for some combat. That match with Speed Metal was way too short. All it did was get me worked up.”

“Rest, there will be combat again soon enough,” Godling says. He puts an arm around Janson and together they walk out of the room, a metal door shutting behind them.

“I don’t want to hear what they’re going to do,” Connor tells the other heroes. “I’m going out on patrol.”

“Didn’t you hear what your dad said?” Photon Boy asks.

“I heard it. But I have my own opinions.” And Connor flew off.

*

Connor flies through the streets of what’s left of New Troy, thinking, I might not have my dad’s powers to channel all the gods’ powers, but with my strength and powers of flight I can still make a pretty big difference on these streets. What kind of a hero would I be if I just sat at home practicing my juggling skills.

The sight of the current state of New Troy always depresses Connor a bit. He never really got to experience the city in it’s glory days, but still, he did remember the time when the buildings still stood erect, the bridges were in one piece and people weren’t either living underground or working as slaves for Master Destiny. The daily fights between the heroes and Master Destiny had just torn the city apart, not to mention a lot of the ones surrounding them. It was getting worse everywhere in the world as Master Destiny expanded his violent reign.

He sees a young boy, about seven years of age, running through the streets. He is chased by three flying men. Connor recognizes the sharp teeth and sharp fins of them. Air-Sharks, constructs of Master Destiny that have been fighting his dad in several forms for years.

Connor hurries and stands between the boy and the Air-Sharks. “Halt! Why are you chasing that poor boy?”

“He’s violating his curfew. Humans should all be in their homes at this time of day,” one of the Air-Sharks says.

“I just had to get out of the house. My little sister makes me crazy sometimes,” the boy says.

“You creeps leave the boy alone. I’ll take him home,” Connor says.

“We’ll see about that,” one of the Air-Sharks says and flies towards Connor and the boy.

“You’ll have to go through me,” Connor boasts.

Just before the Air-Shark hits Connor Godling Boy’s body starts to shimmer and fade, like turning into a ghost. The Air-Shark flies right through him, his sharp fins closing in on the helpless boy. Out of nowhere Photon Boy pops up, grabbing the boy and pulling him away just before the sharp fin connects with him.

“Where did you come from?” the Air-Shark wonders.

“What happened to me there?” Connor wonders.

“You seemed to disappear or something,” Photon Boy says and fires a photon bolt at the Air-Shark, taking him out.

Connor punches another Air-Shark in the face twice before the villain can hit him with his fins. A roundhouse kick sends the villain flying into a building, KO.

Photon Boy fires a few bolts at the remaining Air-Shark who manages to evade them with some fancy flying. Connor flies towards him and grabs him by the ankle. He swings the villain around, lets him go and sends him flying right into a double dose of photon bolts from his partner.

“That takes care of those creeps,” Connor says, satisfied.

“It does,” Photon Boy says. He turns to the boy. “Are you okay?”

The boy nods. “I guess.”

“Fine, I will take you home. But please, follow those curfew rules. We might not be around the next time.”

“On that subject… What were you doing here?” Connor asks Photon Boy.

“I figured your dad would be pretty angry when something happened to you on patrol and we just let you fly off alone. So,  I followed you at lightspeed and helped you out when I saw it was needed.”

“I don’t know if I should be angry or grateful,” Connor says. “I wonder what just happened there. I felt like I was just… Disappearing from reality.”

“Looked like it too,” Photon Boy says. “We’re going to have to discuss this with your dad.”

*

And that, dear readers is how this Godling ventured back to another time / dimension to prevent his son from disappearing in Godling, culminating with the Reality Bomb Saga.

END

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?

            

GODLING’s WORLD # 5: DESTROY! DESTROY! part 1

GODLING’s WORLD #  5:  DESTROY! DESTROY! part 1 
by J. Vandersteen 


–        Godling & Agent Destruction in:  DESTROY! DESTROY! Part 1 


Professor Quentin Alexander sits at the desk in his apartment. He is holding a red pen and grading papers. He thinks, Man, I’m behind on this. With trying to show up to teach and fighting villains and aliens I just don’t have a lot of time for this stuff anymore. 
        There is huge bang that startles him. BA-BOOM! 
        What was that, he wonders. He changes into his Godling identity. Sounded like something I have to investigate. 

* 
Two floors below Quentin’s apartment. A kid, looking about ten years old sits in front of the TV, watching Ben 10. His mom, a coffee-coloured woman is ironing a shirt. There’s a hole where the wall used to be. Standing behind the hole is a rocky looking, monstrous man with skin that looks like a camouflaged tank. He’s wearing red boots, red shorts and a yellow, thick utility belt. He has no nose, no visible ears but glowing red eyes. 
        “Allah! What is that?!” the woman says. The boy just screams. 
        “The boy comes with me and nobody gets hurt,’’ the monster says with a gravelly voice. 
        The door flies open, Godling coming in through it. “What’s going on here?” 
        “Godling? Just stay away from this. This is not your business,” the monster says. 
        “Seems to me you are threatening an innocent woman and child,” Godling says. “That kind of makes it my business.” 
        “I’m not a villain. I’m on official Homeland Security business. I have to take this kid into custody to save our country.” 
        Godling balls a fist. “That sounds like a bunch of nonsense. Leave these people alone and you won’t be hurt… Much.” 
        “Sorry. I can’t be stopped. Make way for AGENT DESTRUCTION!” the monster says and fires two red rays from his eyes at the Olympian Prophet. 
        The hero takes the rays on his mighty chest, channelling the invulnerability of Achilles, thus staying unharmed. The impact has him crashing into the wall, though, leaving a crack in there. 
        “I warned you,” he says and with superspeed runs into Agent Destruction, carrying him through the hole in the wall, outside. 
        Since they are on the third floor they drop down. When they land Godling is saved by the invulnerability of Achilles. Agent Destruction seems to be pretty much invulnerable by way of his constitution and skin. Where he landed cracks appear in the pavement. 
        “So war it is,” Agent Destruction says and hits Godling with so much force the One Man Pantheon flies through the air, crashing into a car that breaks in half. The hero removes himself from the car parts that surround him, panting. 
        “I’m going to destroy you! Destroy! Destroy!” the monster says and starts to fire some rays again. 
        The rays hit another car that blows up. Godling barely missing the hero. 
        “Two can play that game,” Godling says and throws a lightning bolt at Agent Destruction. The bolt hits the monster, smoke coming from his chest, but he is still standing. 
        “DESTROY! DESTROY!” the monster yells and walks towards Godling, fist raised. 
        It seems like he is getting angrier, more animalistic by the second, Godling notices. Who or what is this thing? 
        Agent Destruction hits Godling, but he uses the fighting skills of Ares to duck the blow, following up with a Heracles punch in the monster’s gut. Destruction stumbles a step back, that’s it. Heracles gives the monster an uppercut. Destructions stumbles back some more. 
        “CRUSH! CRUSH!” Destruction says and wraps his arms around Godling, trying to crush him. 
        * 
There’s a helicopter above their fight scene. A pilot, two soldiers and a man in a captain’s uniform are inside. 
        “What the hell is Agent Destruction doing? He’s supposed to get the kid, not fight with a frigging superhero!” the captain says. He’s a buff black guy with a handlebar moustache. 
        “Do you want us to help him out?” a soldier asks, holding up an AR-15 rifle. 
        “You don’t really think you can take on Godling, do you?” the captain  says. 
        “But, captain Daniels… We can’t just watch and…” the soldier starts to interject. 
        “That’s right. We won’t. We’ll get the kid while Destruction keeps the hero busy,” captain Daniels says. 
        “It looks like we’ll have to be fast, though. Seems like Agent Destruction if facing his limits,” the pilot says, pointing down. 

* 

Agent Destruction has Godling in a bear hug, trying to crush him. Cracks start to appear in his skin, the cracks are glowing with something that resembles molten lava. Instead of yelling he now is just growling. 
        “ROOOOOOOOOWRRRRR!” 
        I don’t know what’s going on, but it looks like he’s breaking apart or something, Godling thinks. Time to get out of this. 
        The One Man Pantheon covers himself with flames, channelling the powers of Hephaestus. Agent Destruction’s stony skin singes… He lets go of Godling. 
* 
The two soldiers jump out of the plane with parachutes. They land on the street, taking off their parachutes and arms ready enter the apartment building. 
        In the helicopter captain Daniels tells the pilot, “Agent Destruction is going to expire if we don’t shut him off. Do it.” 
        The pilot presses a button on his helicopter. 
        Agent Destruction slowly starts to change, the glowing eyes and strange skin disappearing, his inhumanly big physique turning into that of a regular human’s. What is left standing is a regular human male with brown hair. He looks tired. 
        “What did I just see happening?” Godling wondered aloud. 
        “You saw me change back, that’s what you saw,” the man said. 
         
* 
“Sergeant Perlin seems to be okay,” the pilot told captain Daniels. 
        “Good, land and pick him up,” Daniels orders the pilot.  “Carter, Smith, what’s your status?” 
        The two soldiers are inside the young boy and his mom’s apartment. Inside are three men wearing dark skintight costumes and masks with red goggles. A big firebird is emblazoned on their chests. They are carrying advanced rifles. 
        “Crap! The Phoenix Group! Damned terrorists!” one of the soldiers says. 
        “That’s right, and we’re taking the boy,” one of the men in black says and fires his gun at the soldiers. The other men in black join in and soon the two soldiers are lying dead in the apartment, the boy’s mother screaming. 
        “Shut up,” one of the Phoenix Group says and  slams the butt of his gun against the mother’s head. 
        Another terrorist grabs hold of the boy. “I’ve got the kid. Let’s get out of here.” 
        “Extraction in progress,” another terrorist says. He presses a button on his wrist and the images of the terrorists and the boy start to shimmer. Seconds later they are gone. 
* 
“No answer from Smith and Carter,” Daniels says in the microphone clipped on his shirt. “Perlin, get in the building and see what’s going on.” 
        Perlin uses the earpiece he’s carrying, saying, “Can’t you give me some time to recuperate?” 
        “I’m not asking you to change into Agent Destruction, you won’t be able to for the next hour anyway. I’m just asking you to go and see why Smith and Carter aren’t answering.” 
        “All right, I’m going in,” Perlin says and runs towards the building. 
        “I don’t know who you’re talking to, but I’m coming along,” Godling says and jogs behind Perlin. Together they enter the building, climbing the stairs until they are at the boy’s apartment. There they discover the dead soldiers and the unconscious mother. 
        “Oh no!” Perlin says. 
        Godling checks the soldiers. “There’s nothing the gods will allow me to do for them. They’re dead. These are you collegeus?” 
        “Yeah. Comrades in arms. I don’t see the boy… He either managed to flee or someone took him.” 
        “These men were shot by some kind of laser. Whoever did that probably got the boy. Who or why I have no idea. I’m guessing you have a better idea.” 
        “Not sure. Maybe the mother will be able to tell us more.” 
        Godling kneeled beside the mother. He put a hand on her head and used the healing powers of Aescilapus to wake her up. 
        “What… What happened?” she asks Godling. “You… You’re Godling? But who were those men?” 
        “Men?” Godling asked. 
        “Men in black suits with big birds on them… Carrying guns…” the mother says. 
        Perlin clenches a fist. “The Phoenix Group. If they’ve taken the boy we’re all in big trouble.” 
        “Why? What is the Phoenix Group? Why is this boy so important?” Godling asks Perlin. 
        Perlin gives Godling a grave look. “The Phoenix Group wants to destroy the Earth… And the boy can be the means to that end.” 

NEXT ISSUE: Godling learns more about Agent Destruction as all our lives hang in the balance! 

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!