[MISC] GODLING # 17: Trapped!

[jvdsteen]

[MISC] GODLING # 17:  Trapped!
by J. Vandersteen

RACC'S FAVORITE PROTAGONIST – GODLING – THE ONE MAN PANTHEON in:
                       TRAPPED

Godling stands in the food court of the New Troy Mall. There are
unconscious people all over the mall, windows are smashed.
“What the Hades happened here?” he says.
Behind him are a few cops, among them is Officer Janson. She says, “He
calls himself Speed Metal. Superspeed and superstrength. He’s been
looting the stores and basically just wreaking havoc. He doesn’t seem
to be really interested in stealing, just in creating a bloody mess.
We tried to stop him but he’s too fast to hit with our guns and too
strong to detain.”
“I’ll make him sorry he ever entered this mall,”Godling says grimly.
“Show yourself, Speed Metal! Let’s see how you fare against me?”
Something coming from the right hits Godling in the chin, making him
spit some blood. It returns from the left, hitting him again. Then it
returns from the front, hitting him with such impact Godling is thrown
backwards, bowling over the cops.
The assailant stands still. It’s a young hardrocker with metallic
skin. Laughing, he says, “I think I fared pretty well.”
Godling untangles himself from the cops that are under him. While they
help each other up Godling points an accusing finger at Speed Metal.
“I’ve taken down tougher villains than you, punk. You just
suckerpunched me.”
“Let me suckerpunch you again,” Speed Metal says and punches the One
Man Pantheon a hundred times with superspeed. This time, however,
Godling uses the invulnerability of Achilles to take the damage
without blinking.
Speed Metal stops punching him after a while and stands there panting,
a confused look on his face. “Why didn’t you go down?”
Godling doesn’t answer that but just gives him a roundhouse punch with
Heracles strength that catapults Speed Metal through a bookstore’s
window. With Hermes speed he goes after him.
Speed Metal is buried underneath a rack of books.
Godling picks up the rack with one hand and throws it behind him. He
grabs Speed Metal by the hair, picks him up and holds him in front of
him. “Your reign of terror is over, Speed Metal.”
“Who writes those speeches of yours? James T. Kirk? You’re giving me a
headache!” Speed Metal says. He headbutts the hero, making Godling
drop him. He takes off with superspeed.
Godling rubs his painful forehead and then follows Speed Metal with
the speed of Hermes. They run through the mall, follow the stairs and
go higher until they are at the top floor.
Speed Metal suddenly stops, Godling isn’t able to stop on time and
runs into the villain’s elbow. Godling goes down.
Speed Metal stands in front of him, smiling, his arms crossed. “I am
so kicking to kick your ass.”
A hail of bullets catch the villain in the chest, not enough to wound
his metal skin, but enough to make him stagger back. Janson and two
other cops appear from the stairs, firing their handguns.
That was all the distraction Godling needs. Now, angry as Hades, he
barrels into Speed Metal at Hermes-speed, driving him against the
wall. He grabs him by the hair, swings him around with Heracles
strength and lets him go. The villain flies through the mall, hitting
another wall. As he tries to get up Godling throws a Zeus lightning
bolt at him. There is the smell of iron being forged and Speed Metal’s
lights go out. He lies there, KO, smoke coming from his metal skin.
“Haste makes waste,” Godling tells him. He focuses his attention on
Janson. He thanks her for her help.
“No problem, Godling. Thank you for your help.”
He had to admit she was getting prettier every time he saw her. Had he
been focusing on Monica Sawyer that much that he had been unable the
other great women around him. He felt bad her offer to get some coffee
with him, in his identity of Quentin Alexander had been cut short by
Speed Metal’s attack.
“You should interrogate this guy, see where he gets those superpowers
from. This invasion of supervillains has to have some kind of source.
I think a mysterious man called Master Destiny is behind this, but I
have no idea where to find him.”
“We’ll grill him,” Janson assured the hero.

*
Tony Gold sits in his bar, nursing a drink. “Things are getting
crazier every day. More and more of those supervillains are popping
up. How are my guys supposed to keep up with that?”
The door of the bar opens.
“Get out of here, we’re closed.”
Three shadowy figures enter. “No, you are out of business,” one of
them says.
“What are you talking about?” Gold asks, now alarmed and reaching for
the cellphone in his jacket. He’s got Godling’s phone number there,
having handed the One Man Pantheon a phone so he could call him for
help.
Before he can get the gun out one of the figures has reached him and
breaks his wrist. The phone drops to the floor. He smiles at Gold with
silver fangs.
“I’ve got to call Godling,” Gold thinks.
One of the other figures eyes start to light up. Fire shoots from the
eyes, burning Gold to a crisp.
The third figure steps up. He looks just like Gold and picks up the
phone from the floor. He looks up Godling in the Contacts and calls
him.

*
Godling was on his way to the University because of a class he had to
give as Professor Alexander when he ran into a bank robbery. A guy
looked like a mix between a Triceratops dinosaur and a bodybuilder. He
didn’t want to be late for class, but couldn’t ignore that situation
either. So, as a result, he was being knocked through the wall of the
First Troy Bank, landing on a cab parked outside.
Triceratops Man left the bank through the new hole in the wall and
sauntered over to the hero, ready to give him some more hell. Godling
was pretty mad by now, though. First being pummelled by Speed Metal,
now by this villain had cost him all the patience he had. Kid’s gloves
were off. So he picked up the car, using Heracles strength, and hit
the villain with it.
Triceratops Man went down. Godling started to hammer into the villain
with the car until it was totally wrecked and the inhumanly strong
villain KO.
Then Godling heard his phone ring. He picked up, still panting from
the fight. He recognized the voice immediately. “Gold?”
“Yeah, this is Tony. You’ve got to go to the bar, pronto. I’ve got
some news about Master Destiny.”
“I’m on my way,” Godling assured him, and away he was. With Hermes
speed.

*
Godling entered Tony Gold’s bar. The lights were out. He could barely
make out the lone form of Tony Gold sitting at the bar.
“Mind if I turn on the lights?” Godling asked.
“No, go ahead,” Gold said.
As the lights went on two more figures were revealed. They both were
wearing dark suits. One of them had a face that was a mix of an
alligator and a human face. The other one had fire coming out of his
mouth and eyes.
Tony Gold started to change form. Suddenly he had a face that only
consisted of eyes. No nose, no mouth, no hair, no ears.
“What the Hades?” Godling exclaimed.
“May I introduce you to my friends, Mr. Gator, Mr. Napalm and Mr.
Morpho,” a voice said. Then Death Dog appeared. “I think you still
remember me? We’re going to kick your ass, hero.”

NEXT: DEFEATED!