Tales of the Green Lantern Corps

Wearing the Green

by CSyphrett

1

Hal Jordan, Salaak, and Driq flew north from the GLC Citadel in green streaks.

“Are you sure this is necessary?” Salaak asked.

“Actually, I should have done this when Guy played Kyle Rayner’s tape,” said Hal. “I just sat around and moped until Black Hand tried to destroy the Corps. That’s what convinced me that Kyle had been wrong, and that I should at least check on Mongul. Hawkwoman killed him.”

“He’s dead?” asked Salaak.

“Brain-dead, anyway,” said Jordan. Driq let out a belching kind of sound. “Sorry, Driq. No offense meant.” Driq responded with another, indistinguishable phrase. “Mongul got a big dose of Black Mercy, and it shut down all of his higher functions.”

“We’re going to see if he is still there, aren’t we?” said Salaak.

“Kyle was wrong about me,” said Hal. “Hopefully he was wrong about Mongul destroying Coast City in the future.”

2

Noleon Fae and Walro Tuska stood on either side of a door in a rundown section of Tuska’s home planet. Fae knocked on the door with the back of his hand. He tipped his hat back with the other. He hoped this one came quietly.

As if in answer to his thought, yellow plasma burned the door down. Some pierced Fae’s shield, setting his coat on fire. The arm underneath had been hit also by the cascading beams.

“Fae?” asked Tuska, readying a counter strike. His exoskeleton had taken some of the heat, protecting his almost bipedal body.

Fae held up his burning arm. The flame snuffed out in a flickering wave. The exposed hand and arm seemed hairless but fine. “Let’s get this guy,” Fae said through gritted teeth.

3

John Stewart and Katma Tui walked the streets of Detroit. The couple was taking some time off from their responsibilities as two of Earth’s defenders. They had some nasty surprises in the last few months since the Crisis and needed some time to get to know each other again. The sudden reappearance of William Hand had been the nastiest of the year’s surprises.

“We should have left with the others,” Katma said, looking around the city street with the eyes of an experienced traveler.

“I think the boys can do without us for a quick check,” said John, smiling. “If they get into trouble, I’m sure Salaak will send us a call.”

“It’s not that,” said Katma. “We should be helping Hal after what we did.”

“We are,” said John. “We’re showing him we trust him to check out someone who has been blamed for destroying his home city in a parallel time line. I think that means more to him than having us look over his shoulder.”

“When did you become wise?” Katma asked, smiling.

“Since I got over acting like Guy,” said John. “Let’s stop in at Moody’s and get a hot dog. Then we can look at everything a tourist looks at.”

The unusual tourists walked to a small restaurant in a one-story brick building. They jangled the bell as they stepped inside. Small neat booths lined the walls with metal stools in front of a counter at the back of the place. Ren Moody smiled, showing his five missing teeth.

“John Stewart, as I live and breath,” Moody said. “I thought you were dead.”

“Ren Moody, still putting the fear of God in the Devil?” John said. The men grinned as introductions began.

4

Noleon Fae aimed his ring into the hotel room. A winged thing swept into the hotel room. Its one massive eye shone emerald light on the lone occupant.

The gold armor dropped filters down to protect its wearer’s sight as he sprayed burning plasma at the walls of the room. Some cut through the thick building material, spraying out into the hall.

“Yellow armor,” grumbled Walro Tuska as his ring changed part of his glove into a cannon. “Let’s see it stand up to this, yellow or not.”

Walro aimed his hand into the room, firing the cannon. There was a bright flash, then the outlaw crashed into the wall hard. Part of his armor had been sheered away by the forces brought to bear by the Green Lantern.

“Concussion wave versus ceramic plate,” said Walro.

“Better than what I was going to do,” said Fae, charging into the room. He leaped into the air and smashed into the fugitive. He grabbed the being’s globular helmet and swung him to the ground.

Tuska dropped on the trapped being’s back. He smashed the man’s helmet against the floor as Fae twisted metal around the wrists of the armored goon with his ring. “What were you going to do?” Tuska asked.

“Plasma wave,” said Fae.

5

Kilowog examined the delicate piece of machinery through a ring-created magnifier. He could have used his power ring to assemble the cybernetic armor in a second. He preferred to work on each one by hand.

Every once in a while something would come up to take him from his work. Coming back to his workshop was like returning to his home. His assistants understood that even if the officer in charge didn’t. So they kept the political animal away as much as possible, and Kilowog built Rocket Red suits as payment for a place to call his own. An even trade in Kilowog’s mind.

6

“A plasma wave?” said the armored Walro Tuska.

“Doesn’t matter what color their protection is in the middle of a miniature nuclear storm,” said Noleon Fae, grim as a mourner at a funeral. “Where’s the HIVE, space dust?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” asserted the captured criminal.

“I am the chief law enforcer on this planet,” said Walro. “So we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can get a life sentence here, and live a few more years at hard labor. Or you can be sent home with Fae and be executed for piracy. What is it now, Noleon? Poison gas?”

“They feed you to the local sea life on Alvarin,” said Fae.

“Your choice,” said Walro.

7

Hal Jordan, Salaak, and Driq closed in on Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. After his defeat, Mongul had been placed in a life support/suspended animation capsule due to the nature of his injury. Hal had asked for permission to conduct a personal visit to the Arctic retreat. Superman had graciously complied.

They saw the yellow key that fitted in the golden door concealed in the mountain side but passed through the walls instead, sending a message to the security monitor to alert it to what their business involved.

Hal led the way to the sickbay. It meant more to him to have Mongul flat on his back than the others. He waited impatiently for the doors to slide open.

“He’s gone!” Hal exclaimed when he saw the empty bed.

8

“I don’t know anything about any HIVE,” said the prisoner, glaring at the Green Lanterns looking down on him.

“Feed the fishes, Fae,” said Walro Tuska.

“Right,” said Fae, gesturing a globe of energy to life around the bound pirate. Hero and villain floated off the ground.

“Wait!” said the pirate. “Wait.”

“Where?” said Fae.

“He went to Earth.”

“Earth?” said Fae. “You know, a small corps of Lanterns are there?”

“He said he was going there and getting something,” said the pirate. “That’s all I know.”

“You get to go to work,” said Fae.

9

John Stewart laughed gently as Ren Moody told him of the goings on in the neighborhood. It had been a while since he had visited. Maybe he should take up residence here to have a place to go to other than the Citadel. He made a mental note to ask Katma later. She was smiling at the stories Ren told about his friends. It had been a long time since she was this happy, and he didn’t want to spoil it.

“Mr. Ren?” a nervous man said, approaching the table where the trio sat away from the regular customers. “There’s been some trouble at the shelter. Could you come with me, please?”

Moody stood up, laughter gone from his gaze. “What is it, Leon?” he said.

10

Noleon Fae crossed the galaxy on the back of a sleek, emerald fish. He briefly wondered what purpose HIVE had on Earth. He knew that planet had fielded a formidable force of heroes in the past, and Hal Jordan, perhaps the best of the best of the Green Lantern Corps, made his home there.

Planet-conquering was there as an option; Fae didn’t think the HIVE would try that. Too many others from more advanced planets in the galaxy had tried and been smashed into the ground by the likes of the Justice League and the Titans. The recent Alliance invasion had shown that planet could hold its own against any threat, no matter how phenomenal. And HIVE was anything but phenomenal.

11

Kilowog looked up from the joint he was working on. He had thought he was alone with the armored suits he had already built and had stored in his workshop. Pilot training was supposed to start in the morning. He played light from his ring on the overalls he wore, changing them to his lantern uniform.

Something moved in the darkness near the storage room. He created a spotlight, shining it in the dark hall. A Rocket Red stood there. Four more stood behind it. Kilowog looked at the number on the breastplate of the armor. He didn’t remember who had been assigned to 12. Then he remembered that 12 was a new one without a pilot yet. 12 fired the energy blaster in its gauntlet.

12

Noleon Fae descended to Earth. His ring gave him a listing of every other Green Lantern on the planet. He wondered if he should have been worried about what HIVE wanted on this planet. He remembered the warrant on his board at home. HIVE had committed numerous homicides to get what he wanted. A little thing like a small platoon of Green Lanterns wouldn’t stand in his way. He might have already put plans in motion to keep the other Green Lanterns busy while he went about whatever he planned.

Fae locked on the signal of Katma Tui’s ring. He had met her once and decided to at least put her in the picture before he started looking in earnest for his quarry.

13

Hal Jordan and Salaak played their emerald light around the Fortress, trying to pick up a trail to follow. Mongul couldn’t have got up and left on his own, could he?

Superman walked into the room. His face was blank as he stepped up to Driq and punched a hole through the dead Green Lantern’s chest. After the fist was withdrawn, Driq’s body slowly began to repair the damage to the living corpse.

“Superman! What are you doing?” asked Salaak.

“That’s a robot,” said Hal. “It’s one of the defensive systems.”

Salaak erected a shield as the robot swung on him. The blow cracked the solid energy in half. The Lantern was thrown on his back. Hal fired a cutting beam of energy at the robot. The yellow shield on the thing’s cape swung into the beam’s path, stopping it. A fist struck Hal from behind. He slammed into a wall, trying to hold on to his senses. Two more of the Superman robots had joined the fray. Things looked bad for the home team.

14

Noleon Fae followed the signal from his ring to a small house in a human city. He descended cautiously, fading out of sight with the help of an octopus-like creature he willed to life. Fae went to the door of the place, listening for Tui, or any other voice.

Before he had arrived, Ren Moody had led his two friends to the house to see what was wrong with the place. It was a shelter for those down on their luck. Moody had explained how he had become partners with several others to give homeless people a second chance. Sometimes Ren had to settle problems between residents. This seemed like more of the same until he opened the door, and they stepped inside to investigate.

15

Kilowog was a quick mover despite the bulk he carried on his frame. One ringed shield stopped the energy beam from the empty Rocket Red armor. He scanned the suit and found that it was empty. The four other suits fired at his shield in tandem, sending him sliding back along the floor. He hated to do it, but he would have to take the suits apart.

Instantly multiple tendrils of green light formed into flying tools and attacked the suits. In seconds, the armor lay in their component parts, scattered across the floor. “What had that been about?” Kilowog asked himself.

16

John Stewart had barely erected a shield as he stepped in the shelter. A beam from a television tried to cut him in half. A pay phone exploded nearby. Some of the residents were being held by wires come to life and erupting from wall sockets.

Leon turned, swinging at Katma Tui. She went sprawling, taken by surprise from the unexpected attack. Ren Moody swung on the sudden attacker with experienced skill. Leon’s head barely moved from the blow. “What in the world?” Moody said.

Then a green dragon burst the door, roaring green flame on the rogue TV. Katma aimed a beam at the false Leon, and sliced through the body with her ring. Pale liquid sprayed the air as it fell in two pieces. John cut the wire tentacles hastily, hoping no one had been killed before they arrived.

17

Hal Jordan readied himself, knowing the Superman robots would block his ring with the yellow shields on their capes. Already they had wrapped the cloth around their right arms.

None of the fighters noticed Driq. He pulled himself up against the wall, fixing his chest slowly. When he was done he took aim and fired a beam into the exposed back of the nearest robot. The beam cut a square through the body and out its chest as the undead Lantern made a noise of contentment at the surprise move.

The remaining Supermen were thrown off guard by the unexpected counter attack. It was enough of a moment of indecision for Salaak and Hal to slam the robots together in a massive crusher powered by their combined will.

Driq made a raspberry noise as he got to his feet shakily.

“I take it back, Driq,” said Salaak. “You are good for something.”

“Let’s try to find Mongul,” said Hal. “I doubt he walked away on his own.”

18

“What’s going on, man?” said John Stewart, hugging Katma Tui close. Ren Moody was helping the residents of the shelter.

Noleon Fae straightened his hat slightly, wondering if he would love someone again as much Stewart loved his fellow Green Lantern. Probably never.

“I’m looking for someone,” said Fae. “He calls himself the HIVE. He is a master of mechanical metamorphising. It was just luck that I arrived here.”

“Mechanical metamorphising?” asked Stewart.

“He can take machinery and turn them into other things,” said Fae.

“Like the television, John,” said Katma.

“Any ideas where he could be at now?” asked Stewart.

“My informant said he was getting something from here,” said Fae. “I hope to trail him now that he has shown his hand.”

“We’re right behind you, Fae,” said Katma, changing her clothes to her green and gray uniform.

“Right,” said Stewart, already garbed as a Lantern.

19

Noleon Fae let a green dog with a bat’s head drag him into the air by a long leash. John Stewart and Katma Tui followed close behind on their energy beams.

***

On the other side of the world, Kilowog examined the remnants of the Rocket Red armor he had destroyed. A small electronic signal unlike anything on Earth responded to his probe. He took flight, following the makeshift beacon.

***

Hal Jordan created a screen. He knew that Mongul’s life form was unique on Earth. He found a small blip heading directly south from the Fortress.

“It seems Mongul is not alone,” Salaak said. He held up his own screen. A small flash indicated something was moving on the same course as the alien conqueror at the same speed.

“Let’s find out who our body snatcher is,” Jordan said quietly.

20

The Green Lanterns converged over the Atlantic Ocean. A small amount of note comparing convinced them that they were after the same thing. Now all they had to do was go down and get it.

Hal Jordan led the way underwater. Recovering Mongul was vastly more important to him than capturing some felon from across the galactic arm. His waterproof shell protected him as he approached a ship concealed against the bottom of the ocean. His ring highlighted it for him as he descended.

Small lasers pulsed at him as he flew at the hull. He deflected them as he charged straight into the metal. His ring punched a hole for him as if he rode in the head of a bullet. He landed on his feet and looked around, getting his bearings.

A wave of yellow washed over him, slamming him into the inner wall. He struck hard, his ring protecting him from the secondary impact as he went down in a fuzzy cloud. The others landed as a second wave struck out. Noleon Fae held his hand over his face as the others went down in a heap.

“So it comes down to the two of us,” said a figure clad in yellow armor, stepping from the shadows. A blister rested between the shoulders of the thing. “I’ll be glad to deal with you once and for all.”

21

“HIVE of Quiranos,” Fae said, coat smoking slightly. “I have a warrant for your arrest. Come along quietly, and you won’t get hurt.”

“Please,” said the other figure as another wave of energy raced forth. It washed over the thin alien, who staggered but pulled himself up straight.

“Do it again,” said Fae, blood leaking from his nose.

HIVE raised his hands, firing twin beams of force at the Lantern. He staggered back two steps. HIVE fired again and again. The Flarain would not fall under the yellow energy blasts.

“How’s he doing that?” said John Stewart, shielding his eyes from the light with his hand.

“I can’t find Mongul on board,” said Salaak.

“That poozer’s throwing out some joules,” said Kilowog.

Driq aimed his ring and passed the Lanterns out of the ship in a bubble.

22

HIVE checked his meter. This Lantern stood there, taking everything he threw at him. The transmission was still being sent. He had to buy a little more time; then he could jack out and escape to somewhere friendlier. He triggered the self-destruct mechanism on the ship. Maybe that would get him to back off.

Fae lifted his ring hand. A ball of burning air hovered inches above his palm. It grew until it swallowed Fae up, cloaking him in splitting atoms. Part of the deck vanished under the sudden onslaught.

HIVE fired into the miasma as he backed away. He just needed a little more time. The sphere grew under the assault. He thought he heard “dead or alive” as the sphere ripped along the deck, swallowing everything in its path. He tried to eject from the back of his unwilling mount. The fireball struck, swallowing the armored form in its entirety.

Then the ship exploded as the self-destruct finished its countdown.

23

Outside the ship, the local branch of the Green Lantern Corps watched as column of flame erupted as the self-destruct activated. The water burned under its touch as it expanded.

“Oh no,” said Katma Tui.

“Need to contain it,” said the stunned Hal Jordan, weakly casting a green light from his ring. A bucket formed over the heated molecules, almost immediately deformed from the stream of light. The other Green Lanterns added their will power to the project, adding refinements to swiftly douse the stream of exploding molecules.

“I didn’t see Fae or that HIVE get out,” said John Stewart.

“Fae is registering at the center of this,” said Salaak. “I can’t get anything for HIVE or Mongul.”

The Lanterns dispersed their device after the fire became nothing more than cooling water. A dead fish floated by.

Noleon Fae stood, floated, in the same position where he had begun absorbing the energy hurled at him by HIVE. For a moment his lambent eyes were as blank as yellow pebbles, seeing nothing. Then he blinked, straightened his renewed coat and hat, and floated upwards slowly to join his fellow Lanterns. “Dead or alive,” he said again under his breath as he went.

Epilogue

He was base humanoid this month, almost human in his phenotype. He sat at his desk and regarded his part of his galaxy with the equanimity of age and experience.

Tap, tap, tap.

“Come,” he said, his deep voice faintly echoing in the room.

“We have the patterns,” said the lackey in the door. “The body was destroyed.”

“Unfortunate,” said the manager. “What about our agent?”

“He was terminated by a Green Lantern,” said the lackey, as if reporting inclement weather.

“Which one?”

“Fae,” said the lackey.

“Noleon Fae,” said the manager, dismissing his hireling with a wave of his fingers. “You’re gradually becoming an annoyance to me.”