MISC: GODLING # 61 Supernatural! Part 1 - Blood on the streets by J. Vandersteen

[jvdsteen1974 at gmail.com]

GODLING # 61  Supernatural! Part 1 - Blood on the streets by J. Vandersteen 


– GODLING – THE ONE MAN PANTHEON:  Supernatural! Part 1 - Blood on the streets

"What are you? Get away from me! Damn! Shouldn't have kept the window open," a young woman in a nightie says standing in her bedroom, tears in her eyes.
     A shadowy form with claws stands before her. It hisses.
     The woman grabs a vase from her nightstand and throws it at the intruder. It smashes without any effect against it. Then the claws slash and blood is splattered all over the wall.
*

Quentin Alexander is sitting in the New Troy University cafeteria nursing a coffee and reading the paper. At the other side of the table is Monica Sawyer.
     "This sounds pretty bad," Quentin says pointing at the paper. "That's eight killings this week that look like some sort of wild animal did it."
     "Yes, I heard about them. These killings give me the creeps. Do you really think it's an animal?" Monica asks, hugging herself.
     "Not sure. Why would an animal do that? And how didn't they catch it yet."
     "Exactly. Wade told me Darlene King suspects it's some kind of superhuman serial killer."
     "I guess that sounds even likely over here in New Troy," Quentin agrees.
     "Well, I hope Godling shows up to stop the killer then," Monica says.
     "While we're more or less on the subject of Wade... How are you two doing? I know there were some bumps on the proverbial road."
     Gazing into her coffee Monica says, "I just don't know. It's complicated... I think I do love him, and I sure am attracted to him. But sometimes... The whole macho thing...""
     "Gets on your nerves?" Quentin suggests.
     "Something like that. The side I've seen when he was under control of that stupid helmet still gets to me."
     "Hey, to be fair... That was mind-control stuff, you know? Wade is a pretty solid guy if indeed a bit of a throwback when it comes to his view on women and such."
     "Yeah... I don't know. He's good looking and we hit it off in... you know... but sometimes I miss the fact I can't talk with him like I can with you, you know?
     "I guess I understand," Quentin says.
     "Sometimes I think maybe I should give it a chance with you and m..." That's when the bell rings. "Crap, have to run off to class."
     Monica leaves the table, leaving Quentin slightly befuddled. "Where did that go?" he wonders. "Well, that will have to wait. I have a few hours until my next class. Maybe I'd better visit Detective King."
*
"Hi Detective," a voice says startling Detective King who is sitting behind her desk, studying crime scene photos. She gets up, drawing her gun and aims at the direction of the voice.
     "Whoa, take it easy," Godling, the owner of the voice says.
     "Sheesh, don't ever do that again. I'm riled up by these crazy killings as it is," King says, lowering the gun.
     "As a matter of fact, those killings are the exact reason I decided to visit," Godling says. "I was wondering if you need any help with them?"
     "You fight the bad guys, I try to track them down, right? So far we have no clue who or what is behind the killings, so I guess there's little you can do for us," King says.
     "While most of the time I use my powers to take down the bad guys I can channel the tracking skills of Ichnaea or Artemis to hunt down this killer. What do you have so far?"
     "We have eight beautiful woman clawed or bitten to death. Some in their homes, some on the street. No witnesses, no forensic clues. They were all killed at night."
     "I cobbled up something using the engineering skills of Hephaestus," Godling says and hands King a gold bracelet with a red ruby in the middle that resembles his belt.
     "What's this?" King wonders.
     "It's a device through which you can contact me. Press the ruby and I can hear you through a speaker of my headband. Next crime scenen of this killer you contact me and I come over and see if I can put those tracking skills to good use."
     King puts on the bracelet. "Doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I guess I can use all the help I can get."
     "I will also do some extra patrols myself during the night," Godling says. "We'll catch this monster."

*

Wade Hudson is in the gym, lifting weights. His brow is full of sweat. His muscles strain. He looks angry.
    "Damn," he thinks. "There is something wrong with Monica still. I can feel something isn't right when I'm with her. She just doesn't... let herself go anymore."
    "Whoa, dude," a muscular guy with a beard says. "Be careful. That's a lot of weight you're pushing there without a spotter."
    "I don't need a damned spotter!" Wade shouts.
    "Okay, okay... Take it easy," the man says.
    "I should do something about the situation. Should talk to Monica about how she feels. But I suck at that kind of talk," Wade thinks as he wipes off the sweat from his forehead with a towel.

*
Darlene Kings gets out of her car, walking into an alley. The crime scene crew is there already as is Officer Janson.
    "Another victim of the serial killer. Looks like he surprised a girl who was throwing out the garbage for a restaurant here," Janson says.
    "Damn. This thing doesn't rest," Darlene says. "I'm calling in Godling."
    She pushes the ruby on the bracelet. Godling's voice sounds, "Detective?"
    "Yeah, it's me. We've got another victim. The alley behind that Italian place, Giordano's..."
    "Heading there with Hermes speed..."
    Those words were just spoken and Godling was in the alley.
    "That superspeed just keeps amazing me," Darlene says.
    "I hope I will be able to amaze you with my tracking skills as well," Godling says. "Let's have a look at the body."
    "Hey, be carefull!" says a grizzled CSI as Godling approaches. "Don't mess up the evidence."
    "I will be careful," Godling says and kneels next to the dead body. "That looks terrible."
    "Yeah, pretty gruesome. Even for me," King admits.
    "I see some drops of blood... Towards that manhole cover," Godling notes. "Did you notice that?"
    "I did," the CSI says. "But what about that?"
    "Maybe he left the crime scene via the manhole," Godling suggests.
    "That sounds very unlikely to me," the CSI says.
    "I'm going to check it out," Godling says, picking up the manhole cover. "You guys do what you do here."
    "Godling are you sure you...," King starts to ask but Godling has already lowered himself down the hole.
*
Wading through the sewer, Godling has his fist in the air, emitting light, channeling the powers of Apollo.
    "This superhero thing takes me to the nicest places," he muses. Then he spots two shadows around the corner. He runs towards them.
     As he turns around the corner he walks into a very pale man with long black hair and a leather outfit as well as what looks like some kind of... orc?
     "What the--," he exclaims.
     The orc, greenskinned and muscular with huge ears draws an axe from his back. He grunts.
     Godling doesn't hesitate and springs into action, throwing a lightning bolt at the creature that destroys the axe. Then, with the fighting skills of Ares he attacks.
     A flying kick, followed by two karate chops against the orc's neck are enough to take it down.
     The pale man is surprisingly fast and grabs Godling by the hair.
     "Are you jealous my hair is better?" Godling jokes and tries to punch the pale man who managed to evade it.
     "You intrude," the pale man says. "We don't like intruders."
     "Sorry, but first you let go off me," Godling says and uses the strength of Heracles to pry off the pale man's fingers off his hair.
     "You're very strong," the pale man notes, surprised.
     "Goes for you as well," Godling says and pushes him to the sewer wall with force.
     "Who are you?" the pale man asks.
     "Godling. I protect the people in this city. Who are you?"
     "I am Drak, but they call me King Vampire. You could say I protect the people down here."
     "Did you say King VAMPIRE?" Godling says. "Like, bloodsucking creature of the night?"
     "Like that, yes."
     "I'm here to track down a bloodthirsty serial killer. That could be you or the ugly green guy..."
     "Blurk guards the sewers. He is no serial killer. But I think I know who you speak of. We have an escaped prisoner we are here for," King Vampire says.
     "A what? How many of you guys are down here? And you have prisoners?"
     "I'm not sure I can trust you... There's a reason we live in the sewers," King Vampire says.
     "Only one way to find out? And if you are both looking for this killer we might be able to help each other out," Godling offers.
     "Perhaps..." King Vampire muses.
     Godling helps Blurk get on his feet. The orc is still groggy but can stand.
     "Sorry about that, buddy. The axe kind of made me rush into action," Godling says.
     "All right. I will trust you. I can always kill you later," King Vampire says.
     "Great... I think," Godling says.
     "Follow me. I will show you the Creature Kingdom," King Vampire says.


NEXT: Creature Kingdom!