Gjallarhorn, Gjallar-form!
1857 Words
A year later, after I graduated from college and landed a job as a medical transcriptionist at a famous hospital (that is, Wenceslaus Vincent Memorial Medical Center right here in the heart of Rain Marginal)...
I'm currently eating lunch at a cafe not far away from the hospital.
I'm having a nice combo meal consisting of lasagna, fried chicken, garlic bread, and a glass of iced tea.
Simple pleasures are made of simple yet well-cooked and delicious meals.
Just now...
I hear an explosion. A particularly big and loud one.
Since I'm almost full, I head outside, leaving my almost empty plate behind. I even leave my payment on the table for a waiter to retrieve.
Outside...
Throngs of people try to run away from a monster that looks like a deformed cross-breed of a humanoid mech and a cobra.
The monster declares, “Run, run, and run some more, pitiful cowards!”
While the people are truly terrified of the monster, the monster itself does not come close to them.
That's strange. A monster who hesitates in attacking people, even with his sharp tongue?
But still, innocent lives are on the line. I must do something!
With wanton disregard for my own personal safety, I charge towards the monster with the fierceness of a berserker, coupled with a booming shout that can destroy my vocal chords.
The people then flee the scene, leaving no one but me and him.
Using my rudimentary knowledge in martial arts, I punch the monster repeatedly. But the monster does not even once flinch.
“Ha ha ha! A guy like you may have big cojones of steel, but that alone is not enough to defeat me!”
“Oh yeah? Let's see about that!”
I then try to kick him in the crotch, hoping to incapacitate him for a while.
However, seconds later, I find out the painful way that the monster's crotch is armor-plated.
My right leg takes the brunt of the pain, forcing me to lie on the ground and scream in agony.
Yes, a cheap shot foiled by another cheap shot.
He laughs in a humiliating, venomous way, living up to the reptile he is themed after.
“How pathetic! You try to outsmart me with the dirtiest, most illegal physical attack in any combat sport? I certainly know better than you!”
“Ugh... but you haven't seen the last of me yet... Ow!”
My litany of pain that consists of nothing but “Ow”s continues for several minutes...
...until a hooded figure draws near me.
Since I can't determine the gender of that figure, I'll just use “they”.
Anyway, the hood this mysterious person is wearing is colored maroon.
The hooded being then whispers to my ear, in a distorted, electronic-sounding voice, “I knew you can stand up to a monster attack like this, even if you hurt your leg in the process. Here, you need these to become stronger. And also to heal that hurting leg of yours.”
In her hands are five insects all too familiar to me, thanks to you-know-who.
I respond, “What the heck? Five ladybugs again? Are you running out of ideas for your pranks?”
“No, I'm certainly not that girl who loves playing pranks on her childhood friend. Cross my heart and hope to die. Anyway, these ladybugs aren't just ordinary ladybugs. They're magical inorganic ladybugs that transform you into the armored warrior, Gjallarhorn. All you need to do is to swallow all five of them, feel an immense rush of energy running through your body, and then say the following: 'Gjallarhorn... Gjallar-form.' There. You can then defeat that annoying monster.”
“Well then... I have to take the risk here.”
“Excellent. Now, stand up!”
The monster just stands there, doing nothing; while I am handed five magical ladybugs while trying to stand despite my still-hurting leg.
Alright, here goes nothing.
Once I swallow the five magical ladybugs, I feel a calm yet exciting rush of power emanating from within.
My arms then begin to move slowly by themselves, as I am trying to ascertain the energy that partially takes control of my body.
They raise themselves up, until they lower and cover my chest, like a boxer's usual defensive pose.
And as per their instructions...
I then shout the transformation phrase.
“Gjallarhorn... Gjallar-form!”
A heroic trumpet melody blares in the background while my entire body is wrapped in magical grayish-black armor that has the lightness and thinness of aluminum foil but has the strength and tenacity of industrial-grade steel.
The helmet that's also part of the armor fully covers my entire head, except for my mouth. Its visor is made of a tinted plastic-like substance that acts as a supplement to my eyes.
And as expected, the magical armor also instantly heals my right leg. Thanks, hooded figure!
The transformation sequence ends in thirty seconds, and thus I declare with all my heart while posing heroically:
“I sound the beginning of the end of evil! The Resounding Horn, Gjallarhorn!”
The monster then declares, “So, you are the mystical warrior, Gjallarhorn. I love a good challenge. Now, come at me!”
I rush towards the mech-cobra monster and throw a series of lightning-fast punches at his torso.
The flurry of punches is enough to make him wince.
He falls instantly to the ground, but he rises up just immediately.
“Nice attack, bud! But can you withstand this?”
He then spits out fireballs that are laced with acid. But thanks to the lightning-quick reflexes the magical armor gives me, I quickly dodge them all.
The more I dodge the acidic fireballs, the more collateral damage I will unknowingly inflict. So I have to stop his momentum real fast.
While the cobra-like fiend is charging up for another serving of those acid-laced fireballs...
I throw some more lightning-fast punches at him, until his body can no longer sustain any more damage.
Good. That cur ain't firing any more of those projectiles!
“You're making me mad, bud! I'll take you down with brute force!”
The monster declares thus, and he then starts to charge towards me, hoping to knock me with with his slow, easily-telegraphed, yet presumably painful punches.
I nimbly dodge them, thanks again to the armor.
I then bite back at him...
“Try to catch up with me, slowpoke!”
His anger levels reach fever pitch as he still persists on trying to knock me out cold with his meaty, armor-plated fists.
Again, I dodge every single punch of his...
...until I find an opening and perform a side kick to his crotch.
Of course, he cries in pain while evidently covering his “crushed” family jewels.
“Arrgh! That's not fair! You did a cheap shot on me!”
And unexpectedly...
My hands start to glow gold.
If I recall those transforming superhero shows I used to watch every Saturday morning as a kid... it's time to put the so-called “monster of the week” out of its misery.
That's right. This recall gives me a signal to perform the finisher.
I let the energy flow into my hands, and then make a cross-shaped hand chop that forms a giant golden cross.
“Crucis Chop!”
With my announcement of the finishing move, the golden energy cross immediately approaches the cobra cyborg, instantly decimating it to fine dust once the two connect.
With a glorious explosion, of course.
The battle is over.
But right before I can even breathe a sigh of relief, I unwillingly regurgitate the five ladybugs, undoing my Gjallarhorn transformation.
I then look around for signs of the hooded figure, but all I can sense around me is nothing but the blowing winds.
Probably, the hooded figure fled right before the battle even started. That could mean that the figure had great confidence in my abilities as a superhero, or that figure just sent me to an early death.
Oh, well. What's done is done.
“Gotta get back to work.”
Keeping the five ladybugs in the front pockets of my pants, I rush back to the hospital because lunch break is almost over.
Once I re-enter the hospital premises, I'm being blared by a broadcast coming from a TV located right in the outpatient department's waiting lobby.
“Folks, there has been a battle that just occurred right outside the Wenceslaus Vincent Memorial Medical Center right here in Rain Marginal, Mississippi. Based on amateur footage being recorded from phones and drones, there was a cobra-like monster that invaded the area, but surprisingly did not harm any civilians who were there. This curiosity was the reason why local police did not bother deploying cops to the scene. But, out of nowhere, an unidentified young man rushed to the scene and transformed into some kind of armored superhero that easily defeated the cobra monster. Whoever you are, young man, we congratulate you for keeping the peace. And... there are also reports that a hooded figure was on the scene, but these are yet to be verified by the authorities. We at KTRM News will keep you posted on further details on this unusual incident. And now, for the rest of the headlines... a young man was arrested for attempted murder...”
Oh no! If I ever get found out that I'm Gjallarhorn, I would be pestered by interviews here, there, and everywhere. And if I get treated like a celebrity, I would be...
No! I don't want any of that crap!
Now how to get away from that annoying broadcast without anyone getting all suspicious...
If I run, they'll notice that I'm the hero.
If I stand still, I'll be late for work, and that will earn demerits on my job records!
OK then... I'll just have to walk slowly and normally, like nothing ever happened.
Good. There are no stares from the nurses, doctors, and patients.
Alright. Now I can head back to the office and continue my transcription job.
Once I'm back in my desk, a fellow transcriptionist by the name of Berenice Wright greets me.
“Hey, Bernard. You look... kind of tired. Please tell me why.”
Uh-oh. She's about to bust my cover!
“M-Me? Well, I worked out at the nearby Silver's Gym right before I had my lunch. Just a short workout, hehe.”
“I can accept your explanation. Well then... once you're done with your current work, can you please retrieve a backup of one of our patient records? I accidentally deleted it.”
“Sure... no prob.”
“Break a leg, you hear?”
She declares that as she leaves for her own desk.
Today is my first outing as the superhero, Gjallarhorn. As with most other superheroes in existence, I have to keep my alter-ego a secret, especially in the age of social media.
All in the name of upholding myself as someone normal and insignificant.
---
Monster of the Week Information
Name: Ahastron
Height: 175.25 cm (5' 9”)
Weight: 245 kg (540 lb)
Monster Type: Humanoid cobra cyborg
The first enemy Gjallarhorn fought. Due to his cobra DNA, he was able to employ the element of acidic poison into his fireball attacks that he could flick out of his hands, making them deadlier than ever. He was also known for his durability, as part of his other half as a cyborg. He was covered in armored steel scales shaped like those of a dragon's, and those scales could repel most attacks. The scales covered almost the entirety of his body, extending even to his “sensitive” places such as his crotch. Oddly enough, despite his threatening appearance, he never once tried to attack unarmed civilians at will, only taunting them with words as sharp as his cobra-like fangs. Only when he encounters persons who could match his fighting ability such as Gjallarhorn was he able to step up his game, until his untimely death at the hands of Gjallarhorn's Crucis Chop finishing move.
- Writer
