Gorzon & the Parallel World Meltdown
by Daniel Morris Weiss
Master Dexterity couldn't help but admire Gorzon's brute strength, from his titanium legs, lifting him a full nine feet off the ground, to his massive, muscular antelope arms and hooves, to his deadly antlers. Then there was his spiked fin, similar to one you might find on the back of somebody like Godzilla. Master Dexterity was well-aware of Gorzon's array of weapons, particularly his green reasonableness Ray and the pair of vicious dododactyls who lived in his hollow metal leg. Focusing on Gorzon's hooves, he uttering a well-rehearsed evil laugh. No opposable thumb! Gorzon would be no match for him in a battle of hand-eye versus hoof-eye coordination.
"I'm Gorzon, HALF-ANTELOPE, HALF-ROBOT, AND ALL POWERFUL!
Master Dexterity smiled. "All powerful, Gorzon? I don't think so and neither will you once I spring my trap!"
Mom popped into my room. "ARNIE! School starts in ten minutes! What are you doing...reading Gorzon again? You'll have to check the books out from me if this keeps happening!"
Slamming shut the graphic novel, I shoved it into my backpack. "Sorry, Mom!" That's the trouble with being ten years old, nI thought, there's always somebody telling you how to use your time.
She leaned over, kissing my forehead as I jogged by and headed out the door. "Oh, and Arnie?"
"Yeah?"
"I may have to work late today at the golf course, so the..."
"I know, the key's under the mat." My mom was the pro at the local golf course, Hayseed Hills.
Looking at my watch as I went outside, I saw that my mom was exaggerating, I still had twenty-two minutes. In fact, when I reached the playground of Hayseed Elementary, there were still ten minutes of recess left.
I walked over to the four square courts, scanning the playground for trouble. Nothing right then, but I wasn't the Bumblebees top upstander for nothing and before long I noticed Dobie Glickson walking awkwardly across the empty dodgeball circle, heading toward the drinking fountain. No sign of anything yet, but for some reason Dobie was a magnet for kids looking for someone to pick on. A kickball whizzing over my head didn't distract me from noticing that Dan Newt, bully for the Barbarian Invaders, was trailing Dobie.
I made a dash for the drinking fountain.
Dobie waited for a second grade girl to finish before bending down to drink. Dan waited patiently in line behind Dobie, acting like he was just waiting for a drink. Suddenly, Dan's knee moved forward, giving Dobie enough of a push in the rear end to send his entire face into the stream of water. He turned around, a confused expression on his dripping face.
"Sorry Buddy, I didn't see you standing there. No hard feelings?" Dan stuck out his head just as I arrived.
Looking completely confused, Dobie shook Dan's hand before heading off.
"Didn't see him standing there?" I erupted. "You were waiting in line! If you didn't see him standing there, you'd already be getting a drink!"
Dan opened his mouth, but he was cut off by the sharp blast of a whistle.
Jessie, who was doing yard duty, hurried over. "Okay, that was a pretty good knee to the butt," she admitted. "I'm awarding you five points for that move."
A smug smile formed on Dan's face.
"And the way you genially apologized, getting him to buy your sincerity and actually shake your hand was pretty impressive. Worth, in fact, seven points."
Dan's smile grew.
Jessie turned to me. "Your logic completely ripped apart his excuse. Fifteen points."
Dan's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"I said fifteen points. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No," he mumbled and slunk away, not wanting to earn a negative penalty point.
Fifteen to twelve, I won! Dan harassing Dobie had cost the Barbarian Invaders three point versus the Bumblebees. I was wondering how our bully, Jim Ruthman, had done as the bell rang.