Integra-Man and The Golden City

By Gilbert Pangelina

It is a beautiful day in the Golden City. Birds sing in their trees, while people stroll down Main Street and shop. However, all that glitters is not gold, as the Golden City’s first, young superhero soon discovers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gilbert Pangelina
• Release date: Sep 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311171726

Book preview

On the shoreline of the Golden City, a large, northern grey whale had beached itself. It was as long as a school bus and had a barnacle encrusted snout the length of a small car. Standing next to it was the Golden City’s new, young superhero Integra-Man and marine biologist Dr. Michele Merryweather. A crowd watched as the marine biologist treated the goliath of a whale. Looking through her large round-framed glasses, she spoke to Integra, That was the last dose of antibiotics, Integra-Man. I’m afraid the rest is up to him. As they spoke, the whale slowly opened his eyes.

Well, I… was all that Integra could get out before the whale blew out a loud gust of air through his blowhole. Next, it began to slap its long, powerful tail onto the beach. The crowd felt the sand vibrate under their feet, which startled everyone, including Integra.

With fingers clenched, Merryweather felt overjoyed as she gazed at the whale. This is simply wonderful! He has responded sooner than I had hoped, but, now, we must hurry and get him back into the deep water. He’s been out of the water and in the sun for far too long.

Eager to help, Integra genu-flexed, Okay, then, I’ll lift him off the beach and put him back into the ocean.

Wait, Integra-Man! You can’t lift him.

Feeling self-assured, but not wanting to sound too bold, he replied, Well, I’m pretty sure I can.

No, no, you can’t. I mean, you can’t lift him because his body weight needs to be equally distributed on a harness. Otherwise, his own weight will crush his insides.

Integra thought for a moment, Oh, yes, right, of course. Reflecting for only a moment, he then offered another solution. I know, I’ll just dig the sand out from around him and then dig a trench from the beach to the ocean. After that, I’ll just slide him into the ocean like a shipyard launches a ship.

Putting her hands together and batting her long, curled eyelashes, she replied, Oh, Integra-Man that sounds wonderful.

Integra turned to the task. With lightning speed, he dug a trench around the whale and then headed toward the water. As he dug, sand flew high into the air until he reached the shoreline. Digging into the shoreline caused the ocean’s water to explode into the air as he continued digging, and, when it came down, it looked like rain. Soon, water began to fill the trench alongside the whale.

Feeling the cool, ocean water flow alongside its body, the whale began to slap its tail and whistle again. Feeling that the time was right, Integra tried pushing the mighty mammal back into the ocean. The whale groaned, but did not budge an inch. The more he pushed, the more it groaned. The crowd kept silent. Integra stopped his efforts when the whale continued to groan. Feeling a little downhearted, he looked at Merryweather and the crowd. Then, he smiled and said, Folks, I’ll be right back, before flying off. The crowd looked on as he flew through the air and vanished in a twinkle. Moments later, he came flying back with a large tub in his hand.

Where have you been, Integra, and what’s in the tub? asked Merryweather.

I made a short visit to Zirkly’s Barn and it’s butter.

The bright, intuitive biologist smiled, Oh, I see. Marvelous. You’re going to butter him up so that he can slide into the water easier!

Yes, ma’am.

Someone in the crowd hollered out, What about the environment?

Integra looked at Merryweather as she responded, It will be okay. We won’t use a lot. The crowd softly agreed. The biologist turned to Integra. Go ahead and butter him up, but, please, use a thin coat. After buttering the whale and adding a thin coat to the trench, Integra began to push, but the whale would not budge, at least, not at first. Integra continued pushing until the mammoth moved an inch and, then, the big grey whale began to whistle and the crowd cheered. Inch by inch, the whale moved as Integra strained and pushed. Then, like a dam that burst, the whale suddenly shot out into the water with Integra straddling his back.

It looked as if Integra was riding the whale bronco style, but, of course, he was not. The whale’s quick departure from the beach had caught Integra and the crowd by surprise. The crowd applauded as Integra EEEYYOOOWED. When the whale stopped sliding on the water, Integra caught his balance and sat upright. The crowd continued to cheer. After patting the whale on his back, Integra flew to the side of the whale and looked into one of its eyes. Farewell giant of the oceans. As if the whale understood, it went under the water and then breached it, flapping its fin as it disappeared into the ocean. Its fluke was the last of the whale seen as it submerged into the deep, blue ocean.

Integra flew back to the sandy beach and the crowd surrounded him. As people thanked and congratulated him,