Chapter 1

The streets of Redwood were a cacophony of chaos, a symphony of screams and shattering glass. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning rubber and the metallic tang of blood. A woman, her face a mask of sheer terror, clutched her screaming child to her chest as she sprinted around a corner. Her legs moved with a speed born of pure adrenaline, each step a desperate bid for survival. The child's wails echoed in her ears, but she dared not look back. She couldn't. Not when the ground shook with the thunderous footsteps of the monstrosity behind her.

A car soared through the air like a missile, flipping end over end before crashing into the pavement just meters ahead of her. She skidded to a halt, her heart pounding in her chest, and darted down an alleyway. The sound of screeching metal and the roar of the beast filled the air, a relentless reminder of the danger that pursued her. The creature was a nightmare made flesh—a cyborg gorilla, its body a grotesque fusion of organic muscle and cold, unfeeling metal. Its chest was plated with steel, its joints whirred with mechanical precision, and its jaws were a horrifying amalgamation of flesh and machinery. Screws dug into its skin like stitches, as if it had been haphazardly assembled by a mad scientist.

The beast roared, a sound that reverberated through the streets like a clap of thunder. It swung its massive arms, sending cars flying like toys. People scattered in every direction, their screams blending into a chorus of panic. An old man, hobbling on unsteady legs, tried to flee, but the creature was upon him in an instant. It grabbed him by the ankle and slammed him into the ground with a sickening crunch. The man's body flattened, his innards spilling out in a gruesome pool of blood and viscera.

The gorilla turned its attention to the fleeing crowd, its mechanical eye scanning for its next victim. But before it could act, a deep, resonant thud echoed through the streets. The sound grew louder, faster, until the creature finally noticed and spun around. Its remaining organic eye widened in surprise as a massive fist, the size of its head, collided with its face. The impact was deafening, sending the beast flying through the air like a ragdoll. It crashed into a building, the force of the blow reducing the structure to rubble.

Standing in the midst of the chaos was Gol, the stone golem superhero. He was a towering figure, standing at nine feet tall, his body a living sculpture of jagged rock and muscle. His form was both intimidating and awe-inspiring, with ridges and valleys that gave him the appearance of a mountain brought to life. His eyes glowed with a fierce determination as he stepped back from his fist stance, his massive hands clenched into fists.

The cyborg gorilla emerged from the rubble, its left eye dangling from its socket, its right eye sparking with mechanical fury. It roared, a sound that shook the very ground, and pounded its chest with its fists. The creature charged at Gol, its massive feet pounding the pavement with each step. Gol braced himself, his stone body shifting into a battle stance. The gorilla swung a powerful fist, the momentum of its charge adding to the force of the blow. Gol caught the punch, but the impact pushed him back, his feet carving deep grooves into the concrete.

The creature didn't give him a moment to recover. It pulled back its fist and delivered a devastating uppercut, the force of the blow sending Gol flying into the air. He crashed onto a car, the metal crumpling beneath his weight. The gorilla turned its attention to a couple trying to flee the scene, its mechanical eye locking onto them with predatory precision. It charged, its massive form barreling toward them like a freight train.

Gol shook off the disorientation and leapt to his feet. He sprinted toward the creature, his stone feet cracking the pavement with each step. As the gorilla leapt at the couple, Gol intercepted it mid-air, their fists colliding with a thunderous crash. The force of the impact sent both combatants tumbling, the couple narrowly escaping as they ducked for cover.

"Run!" Gol barked, his voice a deep rumble that carried over the chaos. The couple didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled to their feet and fled, their faces pale with fear.

The gorilla, undeterred, grabbed a nearby car with one hand and hurled it at Gol. The vehicle sailed through the air, missing Gol by inches but heading straight for a group of fleeing civilians. Gol's eyes widened, and without a second thought, he leapt into action. He sprinted toward the car, his massive legs propelling him forward with incredible speed. Just as the car was about to crush the unsuspecting crowd, Gol jumped into the air and punched it with all his might. The car veered off course, crashing harmlessly into an empty building.

"Jesus, your aim… is… terrible!" Gol yelled, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he landed on the ground. But the gorilla wasn't done. It charged at him, tackling him to the ground and raining down hammer-like blows on the back of his head. Gol grunted, the force of the punches disorienting him. But he wasn't out yet. With a roar of his own, he twisted his body and delivered a backhanded fist to the gorilla's face, sending it sprawling to the side.

Gol got to his feet, shaking off the effects of the blows. The gorilla charged again, swinging a wild punch, but Gol ducked under it and countered with a brutal uppercut. The force of the blow shattered the creature's lower jaw, leaving it dangling by a wire. Blood and sparks sprayed from the wound as the gorilla staggered back. Gol didn't let up. He followed with a flurry of punches, each one landing with bone-crushing force. The gorilla crashed into a building, its body crumpling under the onslaught.

Gol grabbed the creature by the waist and lifted it off the ground, his stone muscles straining with the effort. With a roar, he slammed the gorilla into the pavement in a devastating suplex. The ground cracked beneath them, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the street. Gol stood over the creature, his chest heaving as he prepared to deliver the final blow. He leapt into the air, his fist raised high, and brought it down with all his might. The punch landed squarely on the gorilla's head, crushing its skull and ending its rampage.

Gol stepped back, blood dripping from his fist as the gorilla's lifeless body twitched. He flicked an eyeball off his hand, his expression one of grim satisfaction. He turned to see a man staring at him, his face pale with fear. Gol raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. The man screamed and ran, his footsteps echoing down the street.

"You're welcome," Gol muttered as he walked away, the sound of approaching police sirens filling the air. The streets were in ruins, but the chaos had been contained. Gol had done his job.

Elsewhere, a dimly lit underground facility hummed with the low whir of machinery, the air thick with the scent of oil and damp concrete. The cyborg gorilla, now a mangled heap of metal and flesh, lay motionless on a reinforced trolley, its once-menacing form reduced to a broken shell. The trolley moved steadily along a track, guided by automated systems, as two men in lab coats walked alongside it, their voices echoing in the cavernous space.

"Did you see the footage?" the first man asked, his glasses reflecting the glow of the overhead lights. He adjusted his clipboard, his tone a mix of awe and frustration. "Gol took it down like it was nothing. That thing was supposed to be unstoppable."

The second man, taller and with a graying beard, nodded grimly. "I saw. The force of that final punch… it's no wonder the streets are calling him the 'Mountain's Fist.' But we're closer than ever to figuring out who he really is."

The first man raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

"We've narrowed it down to two suspects," the bearded man replied, pulling a tablet from his coat. He swiped the screen, bringing up two profiles. "Neil Stone, a high school teacher, and Angus Rock, a construction worker. Both fit the profile."

The screen displayed a photo of Neil Stone. He stood in front of a whiteboard, his muscular frame barely concealed by his suit, his expression calm but authoritative. The second image showed Angus Rock, a burly man in a yellow engineering helmet, his face smudged with dirt as he stood at a construction site, a jackhammer resting at his side.

"Neil Stone," the bearded man continued, "has a background in geology. And Angus Rock… well, he's literally surrounded by stone all day."

The first man frowned. "But which one is Gol?"

The bearded man smirked. "That's the question, isn't it? Either way, we'll find out soon enough. He can't hide forever."

As the trolley carrying the cyborg creature disappeared into the shadows, the two men exchanged a knowing glance. The hunt for Gol's true identity was far from over.