MISC: GODLING # 53 The Masked Merchant part 2 by J. Vandersteen

[jvdsteen1974 at gmail.com]

GODLING # 53  The Masked Merchant part 2 by J. Vandersteen 


- GODLING - THE ONE MAN PANTHEON:  The Masked Merchant part 2




Professor Quintin Alexander is in the shower. He thinks, "I really need to find out who's behind that flood of high-tech guns flooding into the city. If that continues the cops are very much outgunned and I don't have the time to help them out full time. Not while I still teach at New Troy U."
      "Hi, Quentin," a voices says behind him. He turns around and is surprised to find Aphrodite in the shower with him.
      "Aphrodite? Please! Do you mind?"
      "Don't worry about that, professor. I have seen more of those you know, I'm the goddess of love, remember?"
       "Yeah, right. I still feel more comfortable like this," Quentin says and covers himself with a towel. "What are you doing here?"
      "Father asked me to come talk to you. He saw you ditching that reporter and he's worried about that. He thinks you should talk to the media more. Spread the gospel."
       "What? Like Matt did before me? We all know how that worked out!"
     "That was more because of the man, not his methods. Talking to the press  is great. Matt just had a problem with following around what you just covered with that towel."
    "I guess. I just feel my job is about protecting people, not talking to the press and grandstanding about it."
     "That's where your idea of the job differs with the idea my father has. Remember, we gave you these powers so people would believe in us again. You're our Olympian Prophet."
      "Sure, sigh. Okay. I guess it can't hurt to talk to a reporter every now and then."
    "That's the spirit. Besides, I think she's hot, don't you?"
    "Hey, didn't you just comment on Matt's feelings about that?"
     "As I tried to make clear to you, you're not Matt. Nothing wrong with talking to a beautiful woman and maybe taking an interest."
     "Not my type. I'm not into the whole glamorous Hollywood thing."
     "Which reminds me. Visit Janson. She misses you. As a friend if you don't want there to be more."
     "Wow, you seem to be busier with my love life than I am."
    "That's what MY job description is all about, right? Goodbye for now," with those words Aphrodite left the shower. "Oh, and there's nothing to be ashamed about there, professor!"
       Quentin was left alone, confused and blushing.

*
Lower Troy. A group of thugs wearing black bandanas is chilling, sitting on their cars, smoking and drinking while a boombox plays rapmusic.
     A black SUV speeds towards them. The group jumps up, fumbling for their weapons. The doors of the SUV open. Two grenades are thrown from it. They explode, releasing purple energy blasts that totally blow away the cars and the thugs. All of the thugs are badly wounded.
    Two men wearing red bandanas get out of the car, carrying high-tech rifles (we read how the obtained those last issue). They blast away with the guns, leaving no one alive.
    A motorbike arrives on the scene. On it is Dober-Girl, who says, "Are you guys crazy? Homicidal bastards!"
     The thugs point their guns at Dober-Girl. She jumps as they fire, their words, "Die, b--" drowned out by the SVVVVAAAAMMM sound of their rifles. The bike explodes as Dober-Girl lands in front of the bad guys.
      Her fists hit one of the thugs, "I'm taking down you creeps!" While she hits him a feet launches at the other thug's hands, his gun falling on the floor. She turns towards the disarmed thug while the one she hit slides down the SUV, unconscious.
    The disarmed thugs produces a cylinder from his jacket, pushes a button that activates a beam of light from it. "Get a hold of my energy whip. I bet you like some punishment, dressed up in spikes and leather as you are."
    "I like to dish it out, not take it," Dober-Girl says and ducks just in time to avoid the energy whip. The whip shatters the SUV's window behind her. Dober-Girl punches the thug in the stomach with all her strength, following up with an uppercut that takes him down.
    Her fists bloodies she stands amid the unconscious thugs, anger still visible on her face, her teeth bared. "Damn your homicidal instincts, damn those crazy Star Wars weapons. I want you to tell me where you got those as soon as you are conscious again."
    That's when the sirens sound. 
    "Damn, I don't want to stick around for them. I don't want the cops to whine about the fact I kicked the crap out of them. Or risk them suspecting me of killing these other guys. Got to get out of here."
     She jumps on the SUV, then via the SUV to a garage, then to a rooftop, disappearing before the cops have arrived.

*
Quentin walks into the police station. Detective Darlene King passes him.
     "Hi Quentin, what brings you here?" she asks.
     "I wanted to ask Janson if she wants to have lunch with me. I've still got an hour before class starts."
     "She's not in. She's responding to a mass shooting in Lower Troy. Sounds like those weird sci-fi guns were involved again."
     "Really?" Quentin says. "Okay, I'll just  grab a sandwich somewhere then." He walks out the door and as soon as he is out of sight transforms into Godling, flying off.

*
Dober-Girl enters the tattoo shop called "Tattoo Grrrl" via the backdoor, stripping off her leather outfit while she does. Her goodlooking redhead girlfriend, Daisy is there to hand her a T-shirt that says "La Dispute".
      "Here, sugar," Daisy says.
      "Thanks, baby! Am I in time for my first appointment?"
     "You are, but first wash the blood of your hands."
     "Oh, right," Dober-Girl says, looking at them.
      "It got rough out there?"
      "Yeah, it did. Looks like the stupid thugs I fight have gotten their hands om some fancy weapons. That's more Godling territory, you know? I fight the shivs, broken bottles and .38 Specials. He handles the Star Trek stuff."
      "Maybe you should handle this threat together?" Daisy offers.
      "Yeah, maybe. So what kind of tattoo did my first customer of the day want?"

*
Godling lands on the crime scene where the thugs killed the others. Janson and Wade Hudson are just putting the thugs in their squad car.
     "What happened?" Godling asks.
      "Those high-tech guns again," Hudson tells him. "Looks like you arrived a bit too late to save these guys."
     Godling looks down, hurt. "Yeah. Looks like it."
     "You can't be everywhere at once," Janson says. "Don't worry about it."
     "Yeah. I swear I will get these guys to tell me where they got these guns. And then I will take down those dealers. Hard." Hudson clenches his fists.







TO BE CONTINUED