Pandemonium

Pandemonium
A Lost Goddess Tale

By James Malone


Chapter1

The sound of the librarian clearing her throat echoed through the empty library .
Mia looked up from the thick book at the elderly lady with glasses perched on the end of her nose.
“Miss we are closing, you will need to either check out that book or come back tomorrow.

Mia sighed and ran a finger over the beautiful illustration of an armored woman holding off a batch of demonic beings with sword and shield. Sadly she closed the book and smiled at the lady .
I’ll be needing to check these out if you don’t mind. She gathered up the thick dusty books and followed the Liberian to the check out desk and waited patiently as the dour looking lady stamped each book and pushed then toward the edge of the worn wooden counter.

Finally with her arms full of volumes Mia smiled again at the Liberian and just for a second wondered how the lady managed to get her gray hair pulled into such a tight bun that it made her whole face seem ready to crack open.
“Have a nice night.”
“Hummppp.” Was the only reply as the young woman turned and headed for the door.

Outside Mia surveyed the empty parking lot and headed towards her white mustang parked over near the street light.
She was so busy balancing her load of books and fishing for keys that she never saw the little man tearing across the parking lot straight at her.
The little fellow himself was so busy looking behind him as he came on at full tilt that he didn’t notice the tall redhead until it was way too late to avoid a collision, he just had time to give a startled shout .
“Hay you dizzy dame get outta the way, aaaagggg !!!”
He hit the shapely legs and both man and woman were sent tumbling end over end right into the neatly trimmed hedge which surrounded the parking lot.

Mia found herself sitting on her rump with a steady rain of books falling from the sky, she shook her head as a copy of Dante’s Inferno fell into her lap.
Something moved under the book pile and there was a groan, with lighting quick reflexes she reached down and snatched the fellow from his literary cover.

“OW!... hay let go you....”
The small bearded man with pointed ears looked up at the woman’s flame red hair, now full of sticks and leaves, and the smoldering green eyes and gave a startled gasp. “Oh crap its you! ... Errr I mean ..ummm..”
There was a crackling sound that filled the air and Mia felt the small hairs on her arms start to rise, more from instinct then anything else she rolled , dragging the little man with her as the air was split by a terrible shriek. The spot they had been sitting on erupted showering the area with clumps of burned books and dirt.

Through the Hedge crashed a huge shaggy beast with an odd looking club in its hand. The creature stopped and looked around. One of its eyes seemed to be more of a mechanical device than an eyeball. A red beam from the eye scanned the burnt ground. The beast sniffed the air then grunted. Its thick features and low sloping brow didn’t make it look very smart but the fact it was packing some kind of energy weapon meant that looks as always could be deceiving .
Below her the little man grunted and Mia clamped a hand over his mouth as she dragged him toward the shelter of the trees.
The creature spotted them and started forward with ground shaking stomps.
Mia pulled the man behind the tree and then after taking another look at the creature pulled the little guy up by the lapels of his dirty white jacket until they were eye to eye.
“Um.. Hi Cousin.” He said meekly.
“What have you gotten me into? And by the way weren’t you banished from Earth?”
The air started to crackle again and the tree started to vibrate.
Mia pulled away from the tree and dived for the cover of another as their previous shelter shattered into thousands of flying splinters.
She rolled and shook her head , the air had a smoky acrid smell. Fred Flintstone was once more using his mechanical eye to scan the area.
“Ok she muttered to herself, I’v had just about enough of this.”
Pan was attempting to crawl away and she grabbed him by the hoof sticking out of his pangs leg and snatched him back kicking and clawing . She got to her feet pulling the half goat, half man up with her
“You stay here.” Mia ordered hanging him by his jacket from a tree limb several feet off the ground.
“Hay don’t leave me up here!” His feet kicked uselessly in the air. “I’m a sitting duck up here!”
The woman gave a wicked smile as she pulled twigs from her hair.
Pan wisely decided at that point that further conversation was not in his best interest.

She stepped from the trees brushing dirt from her jeans .
“Hay Alley Oop, what’s your freakin problem huh? You think you can just come around blowing things up?”
The shaggy Neanderthal stopped ripping up the landscaping and turned toward her with a puzzled look, the red eye flashed and for just a moment he seemed to stop and be listening to something. Then the eyes narrowed under the heavy brow and he gave a low growl.
Mia could see that the mechanical eye wasn’t the only enhancement this guy had, there was some sort of metallic implant just behind his ear and thick cables linked it to another on his shoulder. Robo caveman began to stomp forward raising his club.
Mia reached down to grab the sawed off shot gun she usually carried for situations like this only to feel the soft denim of the jeans against her leg.
“Crap!” She quickly reached up behind her shoulder to grab the handle of her sword. Nope nothing there either. Her mind focused on the White Mustang sitting just beyond the ruined hedge and the assortment of weapons located in its trunk. “Damn me for not going to the library heavily armed!” She thought as the shaggy brute advanced .
Resorting to the old tried and true methods Mia crouched and tried a spinning kick to the attackers midsection. It was like kicking a brick wall and she was sure that were it not for her enhanced durability bones would have been broken.
The crashing backhand from the beast sent her flying across the hedge where she landed in a crumpled heap.
The one thought running through her mind was. “OW!”
Little lights flashed across her vision as she rolled away from the creature who was not trying his best to stomp on her. Something brushed against her hand, something rough and hard.
She grasped the tree limb and swung it with all her strength.
The wood cracked captain caveman’s knee and the creature let out a howl and dropped its club. He began to dance around holding the injured leg. Mia reacted quickly and brought the next blow down on the shaggy head . He dropped like a rock with a pained grunt.
She was just about to congratulate herself when angry shouts alerted her to the fallen creatures two companions who were not happy at the fate of their friend.
“Oh freakin great!” She started running for her car as one of the Cavemen pointed his club at her.
The end of the club popped open and a small metallic point began to glow, the air crackled.
Mia felt her long red hair begin to rise and her skin crawl.
Her attention was suddenly diverted by a figure making its way slowly toward the cars in the parking lot.
The Liberian was heading right into the line of fire!
Mia changed course and with a burst of her slightly more than human muscles launched herself at the elderly lady as that horrible noise filled the air.
They landed between an old Buick and an Oldsmobile station wagon and Mia managed to drag the lady under the wagon as the Buick exploded in a shower of auto parts.
Two heads popped from under the Olds as metal parts rained down .
The Old lady gave a startled gasp as she started at the young woman. “My Car?”
“Don’t worry mam, I’m sure your insurance will cover it, now I need you to stay here, do you understand, stay right here under this station wagon!”
The Libarian nodded her head as loose gray strands of hair fell across her eyes.

Mia rolled from under the wagon and grabbed a brake disk that had been blasted from the Buick.
“Hay big, dumb, and hairy!”
One of the Neanderthals turned and she gave the disk a fling like it was a Frisbee. The metal disk clanged off the creatures forehead and its eyes crossed . It gave a growl and grabbed its injured head with big oversized hands.
Once more she made a sprint for the Mustang, though she was kind of proud that she had been holding her own this long without her usual arsenal.
There was however one more of these mechanized bozos left and that one seemed to have even more attachments then the other two. He howled at her and beat on his chest , stomping his massive feet.
“Yea ,yea.” Mia called while still running .”You sound just like my last date.”
She reached the Mustang and the creature stopped his dancing and pointed the club at her as she dived behind the car.
She ran her hands franticly across her pockets , no keys, where were the keys?
Then she remembered ,the books, the keys , PAN!
The air crackled with a building shriek.
“How the heck am I gonna get in the trunk with no keys ?”
The car started to vibrate and she realized that lost keys might the least of her worries.
The Mustang exploded as she ran for cover once more cursing her rotten luck.

Mustang parts rained from the sky with a clang and patter , she peeked from between the fingers over her eyes saw Shaggy stomping toward her, apparently it takes those clubs a few minutes to recharge because he wasn’t trying to fry her again.

Then her rotten luck changed.
There was a flash of silver and suddenly there between her and shaggy her almost indestructible Atlanteen blade fell from the sky and embedded itself point first in the asphalt.
They both looked at the blade then at each other , shaggy might look dumb but the evil grin that crossed his face was anything but. Both started a sprint for the sword and Mia just managed to reach it first.
Shaggy growled and brought his club down in a murderous swing, the blade hit the club and sliced through it sending the firing end flying in the opposite direction.
Shaggy looked at his ruined club with a puzzled expression , Mia drew back for a killing blow.
The Creature touched the apparatus on his shoulder and there was a fizzing sound as the blade sliced through air.
Shaggy and his companions glowed blinding blue then vanished with a snap.
Mia blinked to clear her eyes and surveyed the devastated parking lot as the sword fell to her side.
“Damn, I hate it when they do that.”

The elderly librarian pulled herself from under the station wagon as Mia picked up a few scattered rounds of ammo and the shotgun that had managed to be blown across the parking lot.
In the distance sirens wailed . She gathered the sword and what other remains of her arsenal she could carry and gave an apologetic look at the Old lady .
“Sorry but my books may be a little past due.” She tried to smile but the lady ‘s eyes had rolled back in her head and she slumped to the ground , out cold.
“Ok, time to go.”
Mia made her way back to the tree where Pan was still hanging, he had somehow managed to pull out and light one of those smelly cigars.
“Hay, about time you got back, what am I gonna hange up here all night?”
She pulled him down and took a firm grasp on his pointed ear.
“OW, hay what’s the big idea, is this any way to treat family?”
She pinched the ear tighter. “We are not family, and you better have a damn good explanation for all this or I’m gonna ...I’m gonna ... Just come on lets go.”
“Ow, Ow ok I’m goin !”

[b}Chapter 2

Mia stepped from the shower and rubbed her crimson tresses with a towel. She stepped to the Mirror and started to run a brush through the tangled hair. She sniffed , then sniffed again.
“Oh I know he wouldn’t be that stupid.. I just know it!”
She stormed out of the bathroom and down the hall way to her living room.
“What in the name of all the realms of Hades do you think you are doing?”
Pan looked up and stared wide eyed at her, his mouth dropped open and the beer slipped from his fingers. The freshly lit stinking cigar fell into his lap.
“Well answer me what do you mean lighting one of those stink bombs in my living room ?”

“umm..well I..hay do you know your naked?”
Mia looked down to find that she was indeed naked and she turned a bright shade of red and snatched the towel from her head and wrapped it around her body.
Pan suddenly remembered the lighted cigar in his lap.
“Hay yeow !! I’m on fire !!”
Mia grabbed one of the hoofs , which she had noticed was resting on her expensive coffee table, and snatched the half man half goat up by his ankle. As he screamed in protest she carried him down the hallway to the bathroom. Hanging upside down and having his lap on fire as it was did not however stop him from trying to peek under that towel.
They reached the bathroom and the woman tossed her house guest into the still dripping shower.
She looked down at him and a wicked grin crossed her normally attractive features.
“Oh you wouldn’t...you wouldn’t.. you... “
She dumped a bottle of scented bath oil on him and turned on the water.
“Hay what tha.. Accckkk.. Glub..glubbbb.. aaaccckk.. Cough.”
“Now lets get this straight while you are here, which I assure you will not be long, you will bathe regularly , you will confine your smelly vices to outside and you will.. Explained to me why I was just attacked by a bunch of cyborg cavemen from mars or where ever they came from.”

The half drowned but now much better smelling goat man looked up at her in disgust.
“Holy crap I smell like a French whorehouse !”
“You would rather have remained on fire?“ Mia crossed her arms and began to tap her foot.

Pan stuck the soggy cigar stub in his mouth and sat there dripping.
“Ok I’ll spill it.. Just keep the water off you know I’m allergic to that stuff.
“You remember I caused a bit of trouble awhile back?”
“You mean almost starting World War Three?” Mia placed a hand on her hip.
“Hay how was I to know that was gonna happen!
Mia reached for the water faucet.
“Hay ok..ok.. So like after that little incident I was forced to take a vacation.”
“You were exiled.”
“Hmmp anyway I got sent to this backward dimension where there wasn’t no decent broads or booze or cigars.”
“This all leads to a point I’m sure?”
“Well the only thing they seemed to have there that was any good was this big Temple that was guarded by those Apelike goons we met earlier.. All the saps that lived in the place was always takin food and jewels and whatever and leaving it and the Big Apes would haul it all inside."
“Let me Guess, you just had to see what was in that temple..right?”
“Well I was bored and there wasn’t nuttin else to do..so I took a peek.”
“And?”
“Well I managed to sneak past those gizmo dumbos and got inside the place. It was a real dump, all stone columns and spooky dark corners, but there on a pedestal right in the center of the place I found her.”
"Found who?"
"Found her, ...the love of my life ! See here she is ain't she a beauty?"
Pan dug in his pocket and pulled out a small round and very smooth rock."

Mia stifled a giggle. "The love of your life is a rock?"
Pan looked Miffed.
"She ain't no ordinary rock, she can do stuff."
"Like what for instance?"
"Well Miss Smarty pants she can fly.. watch."
He held out the rock and snatched his hand away.. the rock hit the floor with a clatter.
"Very Impressive, I'll alert the media. What exactly were you drinking while in this other dimension?"

Pan snorted and reached down for the rock. "She just don't like you is all."
he picked up the rock and stroked it gently and to Mia's amazement it seemed to glow softly.
"She says you are a big meanie.."

Mia had opened her mouth to reply when there was a sudden and very alarming crash from the living room.
The air was ripped by a terrible explosion and the very walls around them shattered into splinters.
Mia was flung head first into the shower and doused throughly as the pipes burst.
She looked down that the troll like Goat man with a look that could boil ice cubes..

Mia dived from the shower grabbing one of the pointed ears as she went by. "Get down and stay down."
"Ow quit doing that will ya !!"
She was about to respond then the sound of heavy footsteps approached and a large figure loomed through the thick smoke.

Grabbing the only weapon at hand Mia prepared to douse the invader with scented shampoo and bath oil.Pan cowered behind her holding a powder puff at the ready.
There was sigh of relief as the impassive metal features of Butler came into view.

The hulking metal bodyguard was dragging two of the Ape like Cave Goons who looked as if they had seen better days.

Somewhere far away a hooded figure stared at the snowy view screen and slammed a clenched fist into the control panel.
"Blast it never send a Cybergoon to do a mans job!"
A female face gazed back at him from the screen as she examined the Goons optic device.

Amun the high priest of Arella removed the crimson hood from his shaved head and turned to the two goons staring blankly at him.
"Prepare my transport I shall have to retrieve the stone personally for the Master."
He glanced back at the screen to see the silly female now poking her finger in the imaging device, it would serve her right if she got a shock.
Sensors showed she was meta human.
"It seems things have just gotten a bit more complicated."

Chapter 3

Pan grumbled as he pushed the mop across the scorched tile of the kitchen floor.
"Tell me again why am I doing this?"
Mia looked up at him from the corner where she was trying to reattach a cabinet door that had been blasted from its hinges. She pointed the screw driver at him menacingly.
"Do you want the long version or just the short list of things I will do to you if you stop?"
"Oh well since you put it that way."
Pan went back to mopping and muttering under his breath.

There was a crashing sound from the living room where Butler was breaking what was left of her lovely leather sofa into easily carried pieces.

She tightened the last screw and closed the cabinet door with a sigh of satisfaction.
The entire counter collapsed in a heap of rubble.
Mia stood and brushed stray red hair from her eye to keep from being mistaken for some other Goddess. Then kicked the pile of rubble for no other reason than to show it she was still boss,had she had shoes on this display would have been a bit less painful.

She hobbled over to what had once been her dining room but now held a burned,blackened and slightly melted table.
She perched unsteadily on the last remaining chair with its three legs and examined the rock that had caused all this trouble.

From all appearances it was just an ordinary cylinder of gray rock, a bit rough on the outside and about three inches tall. She absentmindedly ran a finger over its surface and was surprised at how warm and soothing it felt, the trace of her finger glowed across the thing and it seemed to pulse.
Mia couldn't take her eyes off it as it seemed to split and there before her stood the most perfectly beautiful man she had ever seen, even if he was only three inches tall.

Her mouth fell open as the dazzling little fellow winked at her and blew a kiss.
He walked across the table top and wiggled his little bottom and flexed his tiny biceps at her then winked again and walked back into the rock which promptly closed.

Pan was staring at her as if she had grown horns.. again.
"Hay toots you ok, you look like you just saw a handsome little man walk out of a rock or something."
Mia shook her head and was suddenly aware that both Pan and Butler were watching her.
"Wha.. what happened?"
"You been sitting there for twenty minutes staring at that rock?" Pan actually looked concerned.

"You have got to be kidding.. I just sat down here a few..."
Pan looked up at the metal giant with a sigh.
"Ok big buddy go get the butterfly net shes gone off the edge."

Mia stood up on shaky legs gripping the table edge.
"Did you say when you took this thing there was a little woman inside it?"
"Yea thats the girl I love in there, why?"
Mia stifled a giggle.
"Your true love is a little butch then, I just saw a handsome little man strutting out of this thing."
Pan looked infuriated. "Shes got a man in there ! Why that lousy two timing little..."
"Calm down goatboy I don't think there is really anyone in there at all it just seems to project what the viewer whats to see."

The voice behind them was icy cold as it replied.
"That is exactly what it does how perceptive of you."
All three turned to stare at the intruder who stood calmly in the ruined doorway.
he pulled the crimson hood from his smooth head and raised a hand to his forked black beard and stroked it.

Butler was in motion instantly but the visitor merely raised his hand and something very much like blue fire erupted from his finger tips and enveloped the metal bodyguard.
Butler stopped and seemed to crackle with energy for several seconds before he toppled over with a crash.

The visitor raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"what an interesting creature. If I could reproduce him my army would be greatly strengthened."
Mia looked down that the prone metal monster then back at the bald intruder with growing rage.
"You better not have damaged him in any way or you will have me to answer too."

The visitor waved his hand dismissively.
"Now is not the time for threats, too much has been destroyed already, just give me the stone and I'll be on my way. "

Amun smiled a cold smile and Mia noticed the tattoo on his forearm as the robes long sleeves fell away.
"That tattoo I know it, your a preist of Arella?"
"I am the high priest of Arella, yes."
Pan looked up at her confused. "Who the heck is Arella?"

Mia's face took on a hard expression.
"Arella is just another name for the god of lies , you and I know him as Ares."
Pan's face blanched and he clutched her leg tightly.
"Aww geeze not that guy again, he is nuts!"

Amun stared at them both with a sardonic grin.
"My master requires the stone so you will hand it over now or I will be forced to destroy you."

Mia grabbed what was left of the dining room table and gave it a mighty heave right at the priest.
"Take this to him with my compliments, and tell him I said he can stick it..."
The priest raised a hand and the table stopped in mid air and hung there between them.
"Really I hoped we could be civilized about this."

There was a tremendous crash and the very floor beneath Amun shattered and collapsed sending him dropping from sight with a slightly surprised look.
Butlers massive arms raised and pounded the floor again and sent a load of rubble down on the priest one floor below.

Mia snatched up the stone and Pan and leaped across the gaping hole in her floor.
As an after thought she grabbed the table still hanging in mid aid and sent it flying own into the hole as well.
A pained groan from below was very satisfying but she was intent on getting away so didn't stop to enjoy it.
She stopped in the hallway and opened her special closet and took out the battle suit and a few choice weapons that might come in handy later .

From the hole in the dining room there was a roar and bolts of blue lighting flashed.
Mia slipped into the leather suit and strapped on the sword and ammo belt then pulled her long red hair into a ponytail. She zipped up the black boots as debris started to fly from the pit.
"Butler buy us some time ."

The now standing metal giant grabbed a section of wall and ripped it from its foundations then wedged it tightly into the hole. he looked back at his mistress who smiled.
"Good boy."

Suited up and armed Mia grabbed the little goatman from his hiding place beside the remains of a living room chair.
"We need to go now !"
"Sister you ain't gonna get no argument from me."

Woman , Goatman and Metal giant sprinted from the condo building as blue flames started to crackle and all the windows shattered.
Incredulous neighbors in various states of undress ran open mouthed as the whole building started to tremble and then imploded into a single shimmering point of light .

The man stood there in the middle of the space the building once occupied,watching the crowd of gape jawed simpletons.
He looked down at the light hovering just above his palm and then closed his fist snuffing it out.
He then brushed some dust from his robe and walked through the crowd who parted quietly to let him pass.
From somewhere a siren wailed.

"Now.: Thought Amun. "I am really pissed."

Chapter 4 coming soon