MISC: GODLING # 43: The Rise of the New Godling part 3: At Full Power by J. Vandersteen

[jvdsteen1974 at gmail.com]

- GODLING - THE ONE MAN PANTHEON:  The Rise of the New Godling part  3:  At Full Power

Tartarus II. Quentin Alexander's unconscious body is picked up by a New Hekatoncheire, one of the robotic guards with hundreds of tentacles for arms and legs.
   "Morpheus beam effective. Intruder asleep. Will take subject inside for further investigation," the robot says and carries Quentin inside.

*

The evil monks that were defeated by Godling appear before their master, The Dark Monk.
  "So you appear again without result?" The Dark Monk says.
  "You were probably able to see what happened. This Godling was way more savage then we expected from the stories."
  "Bah! How dare you come here before me with those excuses," The Dark Monk says with a clenched fist. "I want results, not excuses."
   The monk kneels. "I am sorry, master. We need some help."
   The Dark Monk sighed. "Very well. I cannot let your weakness stand between me and immortality. I have a plan..."

*
Olympus. Ares, Aphrodite and Hermes watch how Godling defeated the monks in their magical mirror.
   Ares claps his hands together, "What a fighter! I love it!"
   Aphrodite shakes her head. "He is all about violence and bravura. Where's the heroism? When Godling was created the idea behind him was that he would be the world's greatest hero, right?''
   "Hey, I seem to remember our old buddies Heracles and Achilles didn't exactly talk their enemies out of destroying them," Ares says. "He saved the girl, right? Isn't that what heroes do? Besides, did you see the heroes these people enjoy so much in their movies? What about the one with the older heroes? Did you ever see that one? Did you see how many people they kill?"
   "You love those movies, don't you?" Hermes says.
   "I do. There's little excitement here these days."
   "I think that explains why Mark was chosen to be Godling. You were probably familiar with his movies. Sounds like it wasn't just Zeus' choice."
   Ares smiles, "I still got some pull with the old man."
   Aphrodite shakes her head, "You even sound like one of those movies."

*
Mark Brant is on the set of his new movie. The set consist of a dingy motel room. On the set are Mark, Tricia and the rest of the film crew. Both actors are wearing khaki shorts and shirts, generally sporting a safari look.
   The director throws his fold-up chair across the set. "Cut! Cut! For Chrissakes, Tricia... In this scene you need to hate Mark. He just totally locked you up in a closet to prevent you from going on an adventure with him. You're like totally into action and hate him for it. I want to see that hate."
    "I'm sorry. I'm doing my best, but how could I hate that wonderful man," Tricia says.
   Hmmm... Maybe this whole channeling of the powers of Aphrodite can complicate things on the set a bit too much, Mark thinks.
   "I'm done with it for today. That makes the twentieth time we try to film this scene. You just go home. And please, please Tricia find a way to express some more hate."
   "Sure, sure," Tricia says. Then she puts her arms around Mark and says, "Are we going to your room?"
   Gently Mark pushes her away, "Sorry, I've got things to do."
   Tricia pouts as Mark walks off the set. The director says, "Tricia, that comes close to what I was looking for... Mark, come back here."
   Mark has already turned around the corner. And if the director had looked at the sky he could see the flying form of Godling there, signaling that Mark had just left the set.

*
The New Hekatoncheire carries Quentin through the halls of Tartarus II. Jails with bars made of laser beams look, full of curiosity.
    "Who is that new prisoner?" The Nuclear Warrior wonders.
    "He doesn't look like much of a supervillain," King Winter says.
    The Hekatoncheire takes Quentin into a small room and puts him on a chair. The lights he has for eyes get brighter. Slowly Quentin wakes up and stares into those eyes.
    "Where... Where am I? What? I'm inside Tartarus?!"
   "Indeed you are. And I request you state the reason for showing up here," the Hekatoncheire says. "You seem to pose a risk to security."
   "I'm not. I created all this. I just came here to make sure the prisoners were okay."
   "You are not Godling," the Hekatoncheire says.
   "I am, let me prove it. Look into your databank, ask me a question only Godling would know."
   The Hekatoncheire is silent for a moment, then says, "How many villains are in here?"
    Quentin counted in his head, came up with, "Twenty-five."
   "That is correct. Godling liked to play music when inside. What music?"
  "Anything by Johnny Cash."
   "Correct again. It seems you indeed might be Godling."
   "Good, then please release me."
   "Doors open," the Hekatoncheire says.
   All bars are suddenly gone. The gates of Tartarus open.
   "No! Wait! Close them! The prisoners are escaping!" Quentin yells.
   The fastest of villains have already run outside.
   "No... Nuclear Warrior, Speed Metal, King Winter and others... I saw them running... And I can't stop them as Godling..."
   "Adjusting," the Hekatoncheire says and the doors slam closed.
   "Oh man, how many escaped?" Quentin asks.
    "Approximately ten," the robot answers.
   "Oh, oh... Hope Wade and his men are up to that," Quentin says.

*
Godling lands in front of the Entertainment Spy office building just as Bonnie Colter walks out. She almost bumps into him.
   "Whoa! There you are already," she says.
   "Yeah, timing is everything, right? Come with me, I know just the restaurant for our interview," Godling says.
   "Didn't I tell you I wasn't planning on going to dinner with you. It will be just an interview," Bonnie says.
  "Hey, you have to eat, don't you? Come along," he grabs Bonnie and flies off, with her in his arms.
  "Whoaaaaaaa!" Bonnie screams.
  "You get used to it, don't worry. Sorry about messing up that beautiful hair of yours though," Godling says as they fly.
   Below them the sound of sirens sounds, police cars speeding through the streets.
   "What's that? Shouldn't you check that out?" Bonnie asks Godling.
   "Hey, I had some plans for us this evening," Godling says.
   "Come on, you're a hero, aren't you?" Bonnie says.
   Godling sighs. He puts Bonnie on the off of a high building. "Just a second, will be right back."
   He flies in the direction of the police cars. They are surrounding a big, muscular man dressed in black spandex, arms bare but with thick bracelets around his wrist. He wears mask with a big white lightning symbol on it.
   "Make way for Full Power!" the man says and from his wrists two lightning blasts fly, hitting two police cars, making them explode.
   "Cool, a supervillain. That will make for some pretty cool press," Godling says and lands between the police cars. "Did he rob a bank or something?"
   "He raided our evidence room, took a boatload of drugs we confiscated from it," a cop says.
  "Pretty original. Well, villain... I'm taking you out!" Godling says, pointing at Full Power.
   "My mixed alien heritage allows me to convert the sun's light into pure energy that I can shoot or just hit you with. You don't stand a chance against me, Godling!" the villain boasts.
   "We'll see about that," Godling says and races off to face Full Power. The villain hits him with a roundhouse punch that packs so much power The One Man Pantheon is sent flying through a police car, landing on the floor, loosening some asphalt.
  "You're dead meat," Full Power says energy emanating from his fists.
  "I'm invulnerable, are you?" Godling asks and throws a lightning bolt to Full Power. He catches it on the chest and smiles.
  "I just converted that to more energy. Face it, hero... You can't defeat Full Power!"
  Two blasts of energy are fired at the Prophet from Olympus who uses the speed of Hermes to evade them. The blasts hit another patrol car, blowing it up.
  "That bloody does it," Godling says and picks up a police car with each hand, using the power of Heracles. He smashes them together, catching the villain between them.
   With a loud BOOM the cars split apart, Full Power's fists still smoking from the blast. He says, "NOTHING DEFEATS FULL POWER!"
   "Oh oh, seems like the hero has met his match," Bonnie says.
   


NEXT ISSUE: Has he?