by Marc | Jul 23, 2018 | Chronicles
Synopsis: Dr. Light arrives in Metropolis to meet with Koriand’r for a debriefing regarding her encounter with Lobo.
LIGHT: Arthur Light was not where he wanted to be. He was not in his lab running the experiment that he spent weeks preparing for, nor was he sitting outside somewhere enjoying the rather agreeable weather that had descended into the area. Instead he was in the kitchen…toiling. Toiling over a few things as he attempted to compose his next masterpiece.
Lunch.
It was the most that he could do with the things that he had brought with him. He glanced out the window and could see the nearby waterfront in the distance and further the LexCorp tower dominating the New Troy skyline, but rather than meet there Arthur selected a different location. Far from being off the beaten path it was far from where he normally was when he was in the area. He was in a brownstone that had been recently restored the last five years. It still had its charmed, but it was all a part of a project in the Old City to restore several brownstones and other select buildings in the air.
It was well furnished and well stocked, but the food that Arthur worked with were items that he brought with him. He had stopped at a local farmer’s market to gather the items he wanted. He was going to be here for several days it seemed as there were a pair of debriefings that needed to occur before he could resume his normal activities.
Events had occurred the necessitated his arrival into fair Metropolis. Sadly, he wasn’t here to take M’gann, Conner and Raven out to dinner. He was here for a debriefing. Though he could have purchased something to eat he rather do something with his hands.
There were multiple events unfolding around them. Conner and M’gann were in Kahndaq along with Fairchild. M’gann made a brief appearance to Gotham to assist with the bit of business that occurred there. It reminded Arthur of the potential growing problem they could face. Losing Jones was indeed a blow. He could have been deployed in this situation to provide similar clean up assistance as M’gann, but there was no use crying over spilt milk over that no matter how hard they attempt to locate him. It was not Arthur’s concern.
No his concern should be arriving shortly to the neighborhood. It was true they were surrounded by families and local businesses in the area, but that was the idea. There were some areas of safety that were isolated and some that were right in the middle of things. Arthur opted to this after Conner made it clear that Koriand’r would not be allowed into his penthouse given what happened in Gotham. That bit of business was most concerning.
The amount of destruction that occurred was troubling. Though the public was unaware of the true events those that were knew this could hurt the status quo if this was not handled immediately. Light knew his part in this. He knew that something could have happened, but this? This brought back memories of a world that most believed was behind them.
Still he was looking forward to the debriefing. He was sure that Koriand’r would fill in the details. Regrettably, a cost benefit analysis was already in progress. In all things, Arthur had to put Earth first.
KORIAND’R: After some tweaking and reworking she had gotten the image device back online. It had taken a beating in the short and brief battle. The last thing she had wanted to do was make even of a worse impression with Nowhere by also breaking their expensive devices. It provided a little cover, a little anonymity on the travels to the meeting spot. Her report was lacking some details. She deemed it unnecessary for Nowhere to have a grip of information beyond what she had already provided.
She was concerned they would dig too deep, that they would get themselves in over their head. Even with all of the people and resources they had, it didn’t seem like a safe idea. She also felt like a lot of this was her problem, her burden. She had burdened them enough by begging for sanctuary, by insisting that she could be a model citizen if she were permitted to roam freely. Some of the damage that was created was her fault, she was responsible for it, even if she wasn’t responsible for the circumstances. She hadn’t anticipated that a hunter would have come this far after her. Maybe she had underestimated the weight of her worth to her enemies, even dead.
She had been chewing on her bottom lip as she approached the door. Her green eyes occasionally darting around. No explosions, no shots fired, nothing that would disturb the peace around the area. At least, yet.
She was quiet when she arrived, nervous. Bruises had healed but the pain of regret was still there. She had hours to think over the whole situation. There were things she should have done differently. There were actions she could have taken to minimize the damage and potential loss of life.
Even stepping out from the protection of M’Gann’s home was a risk. This put her out in the open and she had been easily found, disguise or not.
“Dr. Light…I’m sorry I took so long. I was attempting to avoid more populated areas that would be at risk. I am sure you found my report insufficient.”
There was probably a lot he wasn’t happy with and the princess from Tamaran could only guess at them.
LIGHT: The problem with their guest is that he had disappeared, but disappearing did not automatically mean that he had left, and even if he had left it did not mean that he would not return. The damage had been done. The entire situation needed to be re-evaluated. However, when Kori stepped into the brownstone she would not find Light fuming, he wasn’t even pacing. He was finishing what he had started doing. He finished making lunch.
“Hello, Koriand’r. Fine day we’re having wouldn’t you say. If you wouldn’t mind could you retrieve the medium bowl with the foil covering,” he asked while he took the bowl he had in his hand which was filled with dazzling and brilliant colors. He had made a home made fruit salad. He thought something refreshing would be nice. Inside the refrigerator was a shrimp and crab meat pasta salad. He went with something the leaned a bit Italian mostly because of the seasoning and dressing.
He set the bowl down in the next room on the table before returning to retrieve, plates and utensils and once again for glasses and a carafe of ie water. Setting it down on the table he looked around deciding that everything looked well enough. Walking over towards one of the chairs he pulled it out for Kori with warm smile.
“The care you took is appreciated. I’m sure you did your best.” When she took her seat he moved to retrieve a plate. “Which would you like pasta salad, fruit salad or both,” he asked.
“Your report? Oh, I haven’t read it yet. I thought it best to get the unabridged version from you directly.”
KORIAND’R: The mood she encountered was not one she had expected but she diligently followed orders, fetching the bowl. Was this lunch? Some kind of formal lunch meeting? She was confused, an auburn brow raising as she followed him into the room and finally got a good look at the dishes. Food on this planet was amazing, though anything was better than the protein packed gruel she had eaten for years while she was in the care of her captors.
“Oh…everything, please,” a hint of excitement escaped her lips but she quickly quieted herself.
She didn’t speak again until she was seated. Was this a trap? Was she in trouble? Maybe they’re going to drug her and lock her away. That would be dangerous too. They shouldn’t do that.
“The man that found me is a bounty hunter. I’ve somehow managed to gain a considerable price for my head back where I come from. He would not say who or why. He knew Tamaranian. He is not Tamaranian though. I suppose…maybe it would be easier if you asked me the questions. I am not sure I have a solution for this without causing more harm to this planet and its people.”
LIGHT: Light went to work gathering up some of the pasta salad and placing it into into the shallow dish. He retrieved a bowl to add some of the fruit salad to it. Looking over at her he offered a smile that gave away nothing but the warm that it was offered with. He moved around to set the items down before pouring a glass of water into one of the classes.
He poured another and proceeded to get some food for himself listening to each of the words she chose to share with him. “You are a princess. They usual fetch a nice price for someone that wants to be reunited with them. However, this seemed less like a reunion. There are a ways to subdue your target. Yes, you put up considerable resistance, but was he dispatched to retrieve or was this a kill order, Kori?”
He glanced over at her considering what he said. “I take it he doesn’t posses your ability to acquire languages as swiftly as you do? Then again how much do we know about this individual? How much do we know about anyone?” Only what their willing to share.
KORIAND’R: “It was a kill order. He may have been intrigued or distracted. He had many opportunities to follow the order through if he had really wanted to.”
She had a difficult time attempting to figure out the man’s motives. The times their skin had come into contact she had gotten quite a mess of mixed messages. He was persuadable though, but it may only go as far as extending her life just a little bit longer before he finished the job. She had already run several possible scenarios through her thoughts in the time between the attack and this meeting. Most did not end well and she had witnessed how difficult it may be to kill him with her own eyes.
“He said something about Czarnia…”
She paused for the moment while she was trying to collect her memories. She had not yet finished her full education when she was taken from Tamaran. She did have quite a bit of knowledge for diplomatic reasons but the tale of that planet was more of a scary story that was told to children to frighten them. Perhaps it was told to instill appreciation for what they had and how well they had it.
While she rolled through her thoughts she began poking at the food, taking a few small bites. There were times she was so voraciously hungry she could just shovel it all into her mouth but she was attempting to be polite and restrain herself.
“…which is impossible because that planet’s people have been wiped out. He kept referring to himself as ‘The Main Man’. I do not understand this title. There was some mention of clones. Not much of this makes sense to me. My people did not deal with Bounty Hunters so I am woefully unequipped with the education to assist with this. I only worry that there will be more. It was no small offering for my head, many may be persuaded by greed to collect.”
LIGHT: “Where there’s one kill order there may be another,” he said in a matter of fact tone. She had to be thinking if she wasn’t then she should. “I don’t believe our Czarnian friend has given up on his job. Additionally it seems that either has or has been given the means to find you. Anything is easy to locate when you know what you are looking for. There are no other Tamaranian’s on Earth, so you stand out from all other beings on the planet given your unique status.”
Pressing his fork into his food he Light glanced over at Kori waiting to see what she would say. “I deal with the impossible daily so I tend to believe anything is possible. It doesn’t matter if he is authentic or not the fact of the matter is that you are in his sights and no matter his behavior it sounds like we have a problem. A problem that we knew would make itself known one way or another. You escaped your captors. Perhaps you are far more valuable than you realize or perhaps there is some information that is missing.” Information that has yet to be disclosed.
“Let me ask you something, Kori.” He took another bite of his food before washing it down with some water.
“The experiments that were performed on you. What do you think they were for?” He looked over at Kori waiting for her answer. She herself told him that the Daem were horrible individuals. They took specimens to test their endurance and their skills as warriors. Those that survived then went through genetic modification. To what end? Curiosity? Perhaps, but surely it was not the end of it. There were other things to consider.
KORIAND’R: Kori was working a bit of logic while Dr. Light talked. If she kept her mouth full, she wouldn’t need to answer anything too quickly. She kept a steady pace on the meal in front of her. She had so few vices and indulging in Earth food had been one of the more enjoyable ones during her stay here.
She hadn’t gotten to those details before, she knew the answers but didn’t want to alarm the organization with a threat that was far off in space and well away from this planet.
She gulped down her mouth full of food before speaking, “The Daem…are dying. They are sick or they are weak. Each new generation weaker than the last. Good host bodies are difficult to find, those durable enough to survive the toll that it takes as they are psionically bonded.”
She frowned, “Or…attempting to breed in other species into the bloodline may produce stronger heirs. There are different school of thought on the solution to this, I may have only overheard some of them and may be recalling details inaccurately. Genetic manipulation is one of those angles. Testing those subjects against others and experiments ensures only the strongest will make it to the next levels. I did not make it that far. I don’t think I would be here right now if I did. I did retain some of the abilities, a result of the experiments. When I touch someone I can also feel what they feel and sometimes even see flashes of things. That man was not lying.”
She had decided she liked the red fruits the best at that moment, taking another bite before continuing on.
“He will come back, he will follow through with his bounty if he is able. He will also destroy anything in his path to complete it. Hiding me will only bring harm to those around me. Damien could have been in that room with me and he could have been dead. He could have a lock on me right at this very moment. This is not an acceptable risk to this planet, I am taking this very personally and I feel responsible for the damage done already.”
LIGHT: Light had all day, all night and the next. He would take all the time he needed to acquire the information that he was after. He was quite concerned about what it meant for the planet. If the “Main Man” took Damien’s head in exchange it would be a done deal. As much as he wanted to smile about the bit of information that was shared without even prompting the good doctor would, but instead he stayed on task. This wasn’t the time for him to lose focus instead he considered everything she said as he continued with the cost benefit analysis.
“They’re dying.” Isn’t that always how it is he thought. “Interesting.” He filed that away as something that could be utilized, but it also brought to mind reasons.
“So, tell me if I’m wrong in my statements or assumptions. The Czarnian was sent to kill you. There was no need to retrieve you. Only kill? Did he say that the Daem hired him or he chose not to disclose who his client was?” There were things that he wanted to be certain about. “I ask, because this could the Daem cleaning up their mess. Of course it makes a much larger mess given what’s occurred. Should it matter to them? A race that has conquered others? I’m not sure. If anything if they are responsible for his appearance here then it means that they don’t care what happens as long as is the job is done, but I can’t help but be perplexed by their reasoning. Who would they fear that they would send someone else to act on their behalf. Even more someone who is all about the bullhorn.”
Pressing his fork into his food once again he glanced over at Koriand’r tilting his head to the side. “Do you think the Daem are responsible for his presence here? Do you think it’s possible that they may come here themselves? There are individuals here that could prove enticing to them. M’gann. Conner. Wonder Woman. My others that they may want to take for their testing and genetic modifications. Many others. The Czarnian could share this information with them if he’s an enterprising individual.” That was a source of concern.
KORIAND’R: “I attempted to ask but he did not reveal who took out the contract. If my escape nulled the arrangement they had made with my planet…and that thought shakes me to my core. If it did, it could have been taken on by the monarchy. If it was the Daem, I’m unsure of what their motivations are. It could have been someone else as well, an escaped royal. My death would ultimately secure the throne in the event that something happened to my sister. There are many reasons and many possibilities. It’s larger than a simple cleaning up, there are many political ramifications as well.”
It was not something she liked to put her mind to a lot. She preferred not to think of home, to think of what it was like and what it could have been like. Every time she did, it made her heart ache. She had no place there anymore. She didn’t really feel like she had a place anywhere right now.
“If the Daem came here….you’re thinking too narrowly. My friends would not be targets. The entire planet would be one. I doubt the Hunter would share unless they offered him something in return. His greed is assured, as well as his other appetites.”
LIGHT: “Most of the individuals on our planet are quite unremarkable for the type of characteristics that the Daem are looking for. Honestly if they’re looking for someone who’s durable I would think they would turn their eye to our unwelcomed guest before they would look any normal human, but that aside.” Because there is something to what she said. They would come for the entire planet. The entire planet was never far from Light’s thoughts.
“From what you’ve said the others would be the resources to be mined. Most of the other beings on this planet would be in the way. Something of no consequence so, it makes me wonder why give up Tamaran? From what I gather you were able to survive the endurance tests. You were able to survive contests with other warriors. Would these not be common traits among all of your people? Yet a cease fire was negotiated, and you were given away not as a hostage, but a test subject? Surely, they could have taken more. They held all the cards unless your sister mombilized heavy resistance.”
KORIAND’R: “Resources. Tamaran is rich in other resources. Maintaining the planet in a peaceful state means that it is able to produce more resources for trade. Not all of my people are trained as warriors. Most are not. My sister is older than me, more mature and trained and sadly not quite capable of all of the abilities I have. Taking me as hostage ensured the obedience of my sister. I do not see the interchangeability between the two terms. They were free to do with me as they wished, as long as they did not kill me.”
She took a heavy breath before continuing, “My people could barely fight back. So many died. Perhaps the attacks revealed the weakness of the planet, it did not make the planet useless to them though.”
LIGHT: “Wouldn’t the death of your people ensure their obedience? Your sister. The older sister. The more mature sister. The one who perhaps being groomed to rule? When you’re parents were killed why did they stop there?” There was something there that did not track with Light. It seemed that the Daem had the advantage one not press it and do everything that they wanted. Perhaps they didn’t have the numbers.
“They were the superior force and you said it yourself. That my view was far to narrow. That the planet would be in jeopardy. Not just the individuals I named and ones like them. Trade and resources. Were they using your resources for trade? Are they still using your resources for trade?” He wanted to get a little more.
“Forgive me if this makes you uncomfortable Kori, but you have to understand. I need to know how much danger my world is in. I need to know what comes next. Invasion? And for you? Considering everything you escape. You broke the contract that existed between your sister and the the Daem? What does that mean for Tamaran? Will they return and finish what they started? They’re hostage has escaped. ” There was another important question that should be asked, but instead Light let that sink in for a moment.
“Two planets now hang in the balance. Should the Czarnian fail what next? Who will be sent to collect on your bounty? Tamaran is no longer safe or is it a case of, “You lost her. We did nothing wrong. It’s all on you?” I doubt the Daem will accept those terms.”
KORIAND’R: “I…I do not know. I have not been in contact with my people in almost an Earth decade…”
Dr. Light just had to put her own dark thoughts into reality by speaking them. Those were all possibilities she had considered but she had been so disconnected from Tamaran and the whole situation that she wasn’t really aware of what was going on beyond this planet. She did not know the motivations of The Daem, their reasoning for making that arrangement.
She carefully set the fork down against the plate before the force of strength in her hand bent it into an unusable state. She was upset, she was visibly suffering from it now and she was attempting to remain calm and collected.
“I can go with him. It would save billions if not maybe more….”
It seemed the most reasonable thing to do. Fighting would cause more damage and raise the risks. It would be pointless to keep going on with the resistance.
“Or…I can attempt to negotiate. I don’t know anymore. I don’t know what to do. All of this feels like it was my fault and it’s so terribly unfair. I was a child but I am no longer one now and I should be more responsible.”
The hot tears still bit at her cheeks, with a heavy sniff she attempted to wipe them away and pretend like her eyes didn’t start leaking on her from the intense emotion she was feeling.
“The Hunter is a considerable foe, redirected, he may be a powerful ally.”
LIGHT: It was not the tears that moved Light. Everyone cries. They always cry. There are always years, but he had to look beyond the tears to the reality that something that could be quite inevitable had been accelerated by Kori’s presence on the planet not to mention his decision not to have her taken in and handled through normal channels. There was no time for him to begin second guessing himself, but there was one thing certain this could not be washed away with tears or hope filled promises.
“Well, as someone once told me you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. What’d done is done. Negotiation with the “Main Man” involves him completing the contract or probably asking for something we are not willing to provide. At most it would only delay what is now a certainty.” He pressed his fork into his food. “Everything we did has repercussions. You made a decision. I made a decision and now those decisions will have to be dealt with.” Skepticism was Arthur’s bread and butter and while he knew how he would handle the inquiry and there was another individual he needed to speak with there was still information that he needed to acquire.
“Going with him guarantees nothing. It may serve to make matters worse. There are too many unknowns and I do not care for unknowns. Especially when it comes to the safety of people under my care. Whether it is the Daem their bounty hunter or another we are once again on the radar and this will need to be dealt with.” Either through official channels or unofficial channels. There is some concern as to why she would not seek to reunite with her people was a cause for concern, but Arthur would not push the matter.
There were things that she was either unwilling to share. Unwilling to consider or a bit of both and though he could push he may not achieve his desired goals instead he pressed his fork into his fruit before placing it into his mouth. Enjoying the flavor he closed his eyes considering all that has been shared.
“It’s quite difficult, because we don’t know how you were tracked. Perhaps there is something that can be crafted to mask your life signs. Then again depending on what Daem have done to you something could be in your blood. I’m afraid we will have to have you examined Kori, thoroughly to determine exactly what sets you apart.” Devoting resources to something that could be easily rectified as handing her over. That was probably going to cause a bit of trouble.
Light wondered M’gann was able to acquire any information from the assailant. “I want you to remain at M’ganns. I will need to decide how I want to proceed. I caution you not to do anything rash. All the things I said had to be said, because I wanted us to be clear about the situation, Kori. I wanted us to know what the stakes were. I know this is not an idea situation, but it’ s not ideal for anyone involved.” Again Earth comes first and this is definitely under the purview of another there for Light will need call in a favor.
“Agreed?”
KORIAND’R: “Examined?”
Her eyes grew large, as if the unpleasant memories of other examinations had flooded her mind. At least it had stopped the tears but it had ignited something else instead.
“…If you want blood, I can give you blood. Please, I could not handle much more. I don’t care how many stickers and lollipops there are!”
There were few things that she reacted to in panic. Even the situation she was facing was something she could deal with, or at least attempt to deal with head-on. A visit to the Doctor? An examination? She wanted to flee at mere mention of it.
LIGHT: “Yes, but…” He considered it. “If and I do mean if I am able to get a former….” He considered it for a moment. “There’s a certain individual that may be able to assist us without there having to be anything invasive done.” He had to consider it. “It’s possible, but I have to see we’re on speaking terms. It depends.”
On the time of day. If Mercury is in retrograde. Among other items. “Like I said. Try not to do anything rash. I will reach out to him and we will take it from there.” If Alan’s agreeable then it will involve going into Gotham. That can easily be addressed by anyone that asks. Alan’s had impromptu visits all the time. Why should this be any different?
by Marc | Jul 23, 2018 | Chronicles
Synopsis: Kyle is out discussing the pros and cons of been a Green Lantern to determine whether or not he should tell his mother. His discussion of one is interrupted by a high speeding Koriand’r aka Starfire. Kyle catches up with her and they proceed to make introductions.
KYLE: To say that things had gone from interesting to amazing would be an understatement. One moment I went from trying to learn more about who the previous Green Lantern to making a brand-new friend not only a new friend, we were totally going to be best buds. Superbuddies. That was totally going to be us, though I think I should find a better name than that. Oh yeah the Riggs and Murtaugh of superheroes.
Conner’s tip totally paid off. Alan is way awesome if not a little terrifying during training. I really did not expect a subway train to come barreling towards me like I was James Bond and anyone who’s met me knows that I’m anything but that, but it was good. I needed the sessions. Of course, that means that I’m totally going to be coming back for more. That was a promise, because how else am I going to make sure that I’m the best Green Lantern I can be. Me Kyle Rayner a Green Lantern that’s best buds with Superman.
Check me out.
Sailing through the air I stop for a moment taking stock in everything that’s happened. What are the pros of my life.
I’m the Green Lantern. I’m best buds with Superman. I have a kick ass mentor who was the original Green Lantern of Earth.
Lines slid across the air as white board or in this case a green board was created before my very eyes as I listed out the pros and if there are pros there have to be cons.
Cons? Yeah.
Previous Green Lantern right before me is responsible for really, really bad things. My mom could become a target if my secret is found out. Things aren’t the best for superheroes right now.
The words join the others that write themselves across the projected white board in front of me. Sometimes it helped to visualize it.
Did the pros out way the cons? That was the question. Right in this moment I could say yes. Still there was a lot for me to learn. However, at the moment I was still over the moment as I moved up into the air doing a corkscrew maneuver.
“I can be a soldier, I can be a king. I can be your president, gangster on the scene. I can be your hip-hop bulletproof vest. I can be the tattoo bleeding on your chest.”
Some things can’t be helped, and everyone knows that I like to sing and engage in seriously bad dancing when I think I can’t be seen. Besides up this high who can see me as I literally dance on air, or dance on cloud Mine.
“I can be a soldier, I can be a king. I can be your president, gangster on the scene. I can be your hip-hop bulletproof vest. I can be the tattoo bleeding on your chest.” I belt out again before I’m interrupted by…
[Inhabitant of Sector 2828 detected.]
The ring stated. My eyes glanced down towards it before turning left right then look up then down.
“Sector 2828? Inhabitant? Alien?”
[Affirmative.]
“Where?”
[2000 feet. 1500 feet. 500 feet.]
WHOOSH! There he, she, it went and there was a contrail for me to
follow.
“Well, then.” Dusting myself off. “Pursuit time.”
Let’s see.
iTunes. Internal tunes that is. “Boys Want to be Her – Peaches.”
Pursuit vehicle.
“Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. Motoslave.” A green version of Pris’s battle motorcycle was created by the ring. Slipping onto it I started it up, reved it and began my pursuit. I reigned it in by deciding against the flashing police light and siren, but pretty soon I caught up with the Sector 2828 Inhabitant.
I had a light generated helmet on that read MWPD across the front of it with the 2814 Precinct beneath it.
KORIAND’R: She wasn’t planning to swoop between buildings and cause a mass panic. Exploring in silence on the rooftops had become cumbersome and irritating. There wasn’t much interesting to see but she had taken away some notes. The real work could begin if and when that device could be designed for her. For some odd reason it had made her feel a little more at ease, the thought of being able to interact freely without anyone becoming freighted by her appearance or her origins was a very exciting one.
The snow heavy clouds above Gotham were softly glowing a warmish orange hue, each time Kori had dove into them or around them and above them, well out of sight and reach of the citizens below. Well, or so she thought. Someone was able to reach her and the flashing lights were caught from the corner of her eye. She could have sped off, gone faster, moved back to Metropolis and back to Conner where at least more predictable things happened.
She stopped. It was very sudden, very quick and her arms were crossed over her chest as she turned in the air to face the ‘sky police’.
“It is illegal to fly too?!”
KYLE: The helmet disappeared, but the mask remained as I slipped off the bike which disappeared the moment I moved away from it. Before my eyes a HUD displayed appeared along with lens over the eyes of my mask. The lens weren’t to hide my eyes, but they were scanning providing me with information that I would deem useful.
It had worked for Conner, why wouldn’t it work here. It was a massive scan it wouldn’t register, because there was no dramatic flash and sweep of light. Instead I was being feed information. The ring seemed to be aware of the individual, young woman. Don’t say girl, because that might be rude.
Information began to appear before my eyes. Tamaranean. Augmented. I glanced back towards Koriand’r as additional information was fed to me. It was a combination of the construct, and the information that was stored within the ring.
She was an alien.
“You were traveling awfully fast and flying on your own power can get you noticed by all kinds of people. Good, bad and well I would hate for it to be bad.” I say honestly while hovering there in the air. Did she know about the Lantern Corps? I wondered how I should address her.
Universal Greeting! No, no, don’t do that. Wait she spoke English. The ring wasn’t acting like a Tardis was it? Did it? Could it? OH MY GOD! What if it did have a translation matrix field.
MIND BLOWN!
Kyle. Back on track.
“I’m the Green Latern of Sector…” What did the ring say? 2828 Oh god that’s like Cleopatra 2525. Wait it was on the helmet. “…2814. The planet Earth is my home. If you come in peace. Welcome to earth visitor from Tamaran. If you have not come into peace well, let’s pretend you do, because if you don’t I’ll have to take you to jail and then you’ll tell your friends about how we’re locking up aliens left and right and really, that’s not what I want to happen. So, you come in peace right?”
I was having one of those moments wasn’t I?
“I also have a superpower. I know when people are lying to me.” Emma Swan for the win. Wait…Emma could never tell when people were lying to her? D’oh!
KORIAND’R: “You’re…a lantern,” her green eyes widened as her arms dropped to her sides. For a brief moment she was searching her memories, memories from what felt like an entirely different life. She had been told stories, she remembered the stories, but she had never met a Lantern in person. They didn’t need to come to her planet. Tamaran was peaceful and self-sufficient, there was no crisis that needed tending to until…well, the rest is history now.
“I do not lie, Green Lantern. I am also not a threat. My species is peaceful…” …until provoked, or forced to fight. Well, they were known for being passionate.
She frowned for a moment. She had felt like she had told everyone her story a hundred times over and at this point it was just emotionally exhausting.
“My name is Koriand’r, I am a refugee, visiting would be a massive understatement. My escape ship crashed into the bay, I was imprisoned for a very long time. Many earth years. My friends, they pulled me from the ship and are looking after me. Wonder Woman and Superman.”
She had hoped dropping their names may help clarify the situation, she had been here for a little while now. She opted to leave M’Gann out of the equation, it was an action did in kindness to keep her out of whatever mess this may bring on. The Lanterns were one organization and NOWHERE was something else entirely.
“I apologize, I was attempting to be discreet and it has been so long since I have flown.”
KYLE: She knew who a Lantern was. Seeing her eyes widen like that would have brought a smile to my face, but I’m supposed to be all official. Still. Green Lantern cred. I couldn’t help, but be jazzed about that, but at the same time she didn’t back away. So that was something. She’s not the only one that was making a bit of a display, but if I’m going to be the Green Lantern then I was going to be the Green Lantern. Lantern’s don’t skulk around in the dark. At least that’s not the feeling I got.
God or bad, rain or shine I was going to make sure that the people who needed to get my help received it.
Information was still coming across the HUD when I stopped it. The frown gave me pause, but I waited for her to explain how she came to be here. I’m sure there was more to the story, but it’s interesting that off all the places she could have crashed it was Earth. “I’m afraid that I’m not acquainted with Wonder Woman. I’ve wanted to meet her.” I may be a little curious. Conner was going to pick up macaroons for her from Paris. You just don’t do that for anyone.
“However, Superman is…” Total best bud. We’re so going to hang out and help make the world a better place. “…is a close colleague of mine.” Of mine. Maybe I should have swapped that around. Saying he’s good people would probably not be the way I want to go with that. Still, if she was being looked after by them I had to wonder.
“Apologies aren’t necessary, but Superman and Wonder Woman frequent Metropolis.” Not that it was far away and it hadn’t dawned on me that she meant Gotham Bay. “What brings you to Gotham?” Bigger question. Do they know she’s here and does she know about the unwritten rule.
The heroes here don’t like capes coming into their city. That’s more or less what Alan said. Then there was the bull horn. NO CAPES IN GOTHAM! Among other things. When he wants to hammer in a point he can be quite effective.
Flying’s the best. “I see. Hard to do so when there are so many rules and people potentially watching. I get that.” It’s pretty new for me. I wonder if she’s been flying for a while. Interesting.
KORIAND’R: “I was checking up on someone who was there when I landed. He was kind to me. He still is. I also understand my kind may not be welcome there. My decision to fly was on impulse, the clouds should have been concealing me.”
For a moment maybe there was just a rule that no fun was allowed. Somehow, she got on the radar of the Lantern this way. That couldn’t wholly me an awful thing, she wasn’t doing anything wrong and wasn’t planning to either, at least from her perspective.
“I set the course on the ship as far as it could go, to the most suitable inhabited planet. Do you know of The Daem? They were my captors. They invaded my planet and took me hostage, while my sister was left to rule and provide them with resources. It was not one of those honorable hostage situations. I was forced to fight to live, when I wasn’t fighting they were experimenting on me. If I disobeyed I was punished harshly. Failure was worse. I have….I….many perished at my hands, Lantern.”
There were tears in her eyes as her words began to choke up on her. She wasn’t sure why she had confessed to all of this, she couldn’t forgive herself, how could others forgive her? She could have let herself die but the cycle would have just gone on without her. She’d have just been another body thrown out the air-lock or preserved in their labs for study.
“I just want to do the right thing. I want to help others. I never want anyone to experience what I did.”
KYLE: Someone kind? Here? I thought for a moment who could have been here, but there were far too many people to consider not to mention I don’t know everyone.
“There are many ways to detect someone. Earth is a wonderful place with wonderful people, but things haven’t been easy over the last decade. There are some that chose not to trust. They choose to pull away and close themselves off to the wonders of the world, the galaxy…the universe. They rather focus on what’s happening here and only here and it’s easy to when you’re not aware.” When you don’t realize how truly vast the universe is. Perhaps it scares them because to consider its vastness they get caught up in feeling insignificant. A drop within a seemingly endless ocean. It’s possible.
I didn’t lose track of her words I was right there with her as she spoke of what happened. “The Daem? I can’t say that I am, but I can make it a point to learn about them.” They attacked her planet, took her hostage? Isn’t this something that Green Lanterns are supposed to stop? Don’t we stop bad things from happening? Is this what happens when light goes out in the universe where there are no Green Lanterns. Sector 2828 who was the Green Lantern of that Sector did…Jordan.
The thought off it caused my chest to tighten. The idea that what happened here could have rippled across all of space. That she could have been casualty of this. I pull it together, because I focus on what Alan and I spoke about. About what and Conner and spoke about. Living up to people who carried our mantles. Being who they were versus who we want to be.
“Experimenting.” My voice went low at the thought.
Experimenting. Making her fight. Making her a weapon. My fist clench at the thought. “I can’t say that I know what that’s like. I can only imagine, and people have told me I have a very, very, very vivid imagination. Also, my best friend went through…is going through something very similar.” I won’t let my buddy be someone’s weapon.
“People trying to control him. Make him do things that he doesn’t want to do. Sometimes…sometimes it’s a Kobyashi Maru,” I offer. “But…you broke away just like I’m going to help my friend break away so he can live the life he wants to. The one he deserves and show the world the person he can be. The hero he can be on his terms not theirs.” Not the puppet masters.
“I’m sorry for what’s happened. Even more I’m sorry that more was not do to aid you in your time in need.” Why? I want to know why, but I don’t want to get her caught up in that.
“The earth has laws many laws I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say that I meant it when I welcomed you to earth. Whether people want it or not I’m responsible for helping to protect earth and all its inhabitants, native and foreign and that includes you. You found the courage to escape our captors, Koriand’r. Take solace in that. You live. You’re free and if these Daem come looking something tells me that we will do the right thing. ”
That much was certain. “Superman and Wonder Woman will help you. If that is what you want is to help people they’ll help make it happen. Just be careful and also. It’s ok to be happy. To be free. Even though many have perished at your hand, your hand was forced. Weep for them if you must, but in the end the best you can do, the best you can hope for is to honor them. ”
KORIAND’R: “What’s a….Kobyashi Maru?”
Her head tilted to the side, it was not a term that was familiar to her, the language was not one she had absorbed yet and she felt like she should know it because the Lantern so easily let it out. The moment of confusion allowed herself to pull back together. His words were kind, reassuring. Mentally she was trying to wipe away those feelings of doubt, shame and guilt as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She was a warrior, warriors do not cry. It was one of the rare times she was allowed to and in a way it felt good to let a few tears loose.
“Yes, it felt like your friend’s situation. I am trying to be happy, Lantern. I am also making an effort to fit in, as much as I am able. I want to help the man in this city, I think I can. It would be a good opportunity for me to learn more about humans and how to blend into their culture. There is only so much the shows and movies can teach me, it’s not substitution for real situations. I enjoy very much interacting with others.”
KYLE: “Metaphor for a no-win scenario.” It slipped out, probably because I watched Star Trek II not so long ago. Still it was enough to give us both pause while I let the anger drain away and she wiped the tears away. I was angry, because it seemed like no matter what and no matter where someone was from the same things was happening. I can’t say that earth was the safest place, because I know that the same people that Conner was attempting to liberate himself from would be the same people that would see Koriand’r as a new resource to mine so to speak.
Still she was being looked out for by Conner and Wonder Woman. There was a tightrope that was being walked and it seemed that with each passing day it was being pulling tighter. Which meant that I needed to get in touch with Conner as soon as possible so we could meet with Kord and he could help do something about the suit.
However, I focused on the matter at hand. “Hmm. I see. ” I don’t recall see seeing any press conference about Koriand’r. “Given your status. I think you should talk to Wonder Woman and Superman about it. Make sure they know where you’re at. From what I can tell not everyone is aware of your presence and the last thing anyone wants is for there to be a misunderstanding.” And that could easily and quickly happen.
“Going back and forth between the two cities someone’s bound to notice. Just be careful.”
KORIAND’R: “They know where I’m at. Maybe not Superman but….”
She was imploring him with her gaze. He must have known something about NOWHERE and she was receiving a mixed bag of information about them. She wasn’t allowed to just roam the globe without some rules or someone watching over her. M’gann may have said she was leaving but she could be right beside them, observing and watching. Koriand’r hoped there was more trust than that between them though.
“I can use the public transportation when I am able to conceal myself more appropriately. I thought I would just, try not to show that I am stronger and faster and able to fire energy blasts from my hands. Just…blend in. Does that make any sense? I could try to pretend to be like them and I can use that to learn. I have so very much to learn about this planet and the people if I am to spend the rest of my days here.”
KYLE: It was possible that they knew where she was at, but at the same time they comprised of who exactly. Things like this could become problematic given everything that’s occurred involving aliens. Given everything that I’ve learned over a few short weeks I knew that there were some aliens that were bad news and some that weren’t. The same could be same about anyone really, but the majority of public had begun to accept a certain narrative that wasn’t helped by the Coast City incident. It’s one of the reasons that I was worried, because this could quickly go badly for everyone involved.
I knew what she was asking, and while I heard stories and I knew what Conner told me and what he inferred, but he was apart of that organization. If I said something it could undermine anything he and Wonder Woman were trying to do to help protect Kori and place her in far greater danger than she wanted to find herself in. Also, it sounded like she wanted some dirt.
This had a really ‘What’s the tea, sis’ vibe to it.
“Trust Superman and Wonder Woman.” It’s what I could say at best. “Learn what you can about Earth, Kori. There’s plenty of information out there. “ I didn’t want her to make a judgement based on my opinion. I knew there were unsavory elements in the government, but could I identify them all know. Also she could find allies within the system and it sounded like she had some already and I didn’t want to be the person that soured that by a few misplaced words.
Conceal herself? I understand why she would want to do that. I wonder if it was a suggestion she made or someone else made. I get why it would happen, but…I don’t know. There’s this part of me can see how that would make things easier, but I know I could see how it backfire.
“Take a step a day at a time. I think you’ll be able to figure out how much of who you are to reveal to the world. There’s only so much that you can conceal. There will always come a point when you have to choose between making the right choice for the moment versus the best choice for you. Sometimes it may happen so quickly that you might not even realized you’ve made it. I guess what I’m trying to say is to be authentic. Be the you that you want to be. You didn’t escape from one prison to become trapped in another.”
KORIAND’R: “That was exactly what I was trying to do, what I said to my friend. I don’t want to put myself in another situation where I’m a slave, where my freedom is stripped from me. I don’t even want the illusion of freedom, and I feel like that is what is being offered. I’m taking it slowly and being very cautious of my actions with…them.”
She didn’t even know how else to word it without outright saying the name and she was attempting to be subtle but subtlety didn’t always come easy for her. She was also trying to absorb as much information she could and that did mean interacting with some of the other ‘agents’. If she was better educated on the situation she could at least make a better decision on how to handle it. She tried not to think about the worst possible outcomes. They didn’t set well with her.
“Are you able to check with someone about Tamaran? To see if my sister is safe? She was crowned queen when I was taken, I have been very worried about her. It would soothe my spirit to know she’s okay.”
It was the closest she had gotten to admitting she was actually royalty to the Lantern. She tried not to advertise it otherwise, not that it could be used for any political gain at all. These people did not have the space travel technology even anywhere near where they would have to have it to find her planet.
“Please, let me know if I do something bad? I don’t want to create a problem, or make an existing problem worse.”
KYLE: It was the best that I could do at the moment. I didn’t want to jeopardize anything by saying too much. All of this had to be a bit overwhelming. A new world, alone, trying to figure out who she could trust. Figuring out if we could trust her. I didn’t sense that she was being deceitful. If I said anything that swayed her thoughts one way or another I could accidentally put her in a dangerous situation. If I told her to run, then Nowhere would be after her, and they wouldn’t stop until they had her in custody and what ever latitude that had given her could be snatched away. The only thing I could do is suggest that she be careful. Any more than than then I risk turning a delicate situation into a disastrous one.
However, given the fact that she was here gave me pause. Not anything I would say openly. No, better to share that with Conner. She’s new to the world, hasn’t been introduced and despite the fact she was high in the sky from what I gathered from Conner and Alan Nowhere isn’t someone to let something like this happen. The more I thought about the more I believed she was right that they knew where she was, but how far did that go and in what context.
I don’t want to go down the path of conspiracy, but you had to wonder what they were playing at if they were playing at anything and given the fact that I was working to help get Nowhere out of Conner’s hair I had to assume that they would use whatever means to get what they wanted.
However all of that was sidelined when she asked me about Tamaran and then her sister.
“I can see what I can do.” How do I tell her that in terms of Lantern’s I’m it. At least that’s what Ganthet said. I don’t know if I want to get into the fact that the previous Lantern went all Dark Side turned to Vader and decided to Order 66 the other Lanterns. I don’t know how successful he was in his efforts. “I can’t make any promises, but I can try.” That’s all I could promise for now.
“If that’s your way of asking if I’ll be your friend. I can do that. Friends help each other out.”
KORIAND’R: “I would be happy to help you in return. I tend to feel like I am imposing on all the kindness these days and I have very little to offer. Someday I will have more I can offer in return but right now I don’t have much. Does that make much sense? I suppose my clothes are all that I own and everything I had before was taken when I arrived. There wasn’t much. Those are just things though. I have skills I can offer but…”
Her lips twisted as she mentally reminded herself not to say too much, even to the Lantern. She didn’t know who she could trust just yet. He likely knew what she was probably capable of, if he had any data on her people at all. Unfortunately there were less tangible things that could be taken advantage of too. Her faith, her honor, her pride, all of those things had been chipped away at until there was very little remaining. She was just trying to gather up the pieces and pull it all together so she could function and slowly rebuild. Such weaknesses are things she would never admit to. Awful individuals could take advantage of it.
“I will be assistance to you if you are in need.”
KYLE: “You’re not imposing. I think if I found myself in your shoes, you would do the same.” This is it. This is a moment whether people believe it or not and it has little to do with me being Kyle Rayner, Green Lantern, it’s all Kyle Ryaner. I don’t know what will happen. Koriand’r can make Earth her home for years to come or she could eventually leave. What will she think of Earth? What would she tell other people? What would the other beings of the galaxy, the universe think of us.
Are we a closed off planet that looks to use, abuse any and everyone that crosses our path. Or will be spoken of kindly. I want the later. Sure, I don’t want to suffer fools or be foolish, but it doesn’t mean that we have to do things that will cast us in a negative light, because with as big and vast the universe is I think, I believe we can use all the friends we can because there come a time when we need to reach out to those that lay beyond the planet. Hope gets you far, but yo have to do more than hope you have to act.
We both were being guarded had to be, but it didn’t mean that I couldn’t start to foster good relations between myself and what will probably the first of many meetings. I’m a Green Lantern, threats can be anywhere from planestside to beyond. It’s the job right?
“Thank you and I will do the same.” That said. “I should let you get back home before people start to worry.”
KORIAND’R: “I suppose I must,” she wasn’t thrilled about going back and it was clear in her voice.
This night though, it was better than nothing. It was better than watching television all day and studying. It was that divine taste of freedom and hope and purpose she had been hoping for. She had even created something of a mission for herself, but she did want to get back and reflect on her thoughts, on what she had offered. She wasn’t even sure if she could help Damien and it wasn’t very fair to expect him to help her either.
“Thank you, Green Lantern. Travel well.”
The princess was capable of picking herself up from her thoughts and perking up enough to smile. There was plenty of time to dwell on her thoughts after she returned to M’Gann.
She offered the man a polite wave, pausing only to retrieve her cell phone and quickly tap out a message. She was checking in and planning to get back quickly before too many questions were asked. Kori would have to take a different approach the next time she wandered into Gotham.
