News will always spread fast, faster than light, faster than it can be contained, closed, censured, hidden… Sure, it may be changed, spun, and any number of things, but one thing is for certain…
Eventually, no matter how hard you try, information that you don’t want to get out … does.
Billions of years ago, Krona built a device designed to commune with the source of all creation in an effort to learn the origins of the cosmos. The experiment violated the tenants of cosmic law, and as such a backlash ensued which resulted in the creation of the Antimatter Universe. Within this dimensional plane opposite of ours is the planet of Qward, located at the very center of the Antimatter universe and serves as the polar-opposite to the positive-matter’s of Oa.
It was here that the sheer terror that made up the rings of the Sinestro Corps was harvested from tortured souls; refined into a physical element and forged into the rings that made each member and\ active soldier of the Corps … it was here that Sinestro chose to lead his people from…
And it was here that he received word from a lowly member of his warriors, Sinestro Corp of Sector 3008, Sook Ahhhs, about what happened during the mission to hunt down and capture Green Lantern 2814.4: Kyle Rayner.
It was here, upon his throne, Sinestro looked on as Sook’s ring as well as several nearby Corps members projected the battle, the central computer within the Central Battery providing the details as well from the rings of the two lost warriors.
Granted, it was all yellow with black lines, but the occasional box did pop up to inform the viewers of what color each construct was.
Truthfully, Sinestro wondered if not for the interference of the human youth, might the team have won…
Then he remembered their results, and rubbed his forehead, cursing the lousy picks that his rings found at times.
“As you can see, Lord Sinestro,” Sook started in a more reverent and submissive tone to his lord and master, “that is why I thought it was all right to leave Members Karu-Sil and Low behind; it was most impertinent to get you this information right away. If there is a being that can use various constructs, how long before he comes to try and challenge you for your right to lead us?”
Sinestro twitched. Absurd! Like that boy could wield Fear properly! Hell, just having watched the replays of the occurrence through the Central Yellow Battery let him know that the boy, while able to access various powers at once, didn’t have the finesse needed to be a proper threat!
However, even he had to admit that left unchecked; this boy could be a … nuisance.
Also, seriously! Who the frack told these idiots that if they beat him, they got to lead!? “Perhaps,” he replied after several seconds, savoring the looks of worry on his minion. “Though I have no worry that the brat can use the green energy of Willpower, or whatever it is those Zamaron bitches use, the only thing which should be of concern to us is his ability to use some blue energy that rapidly heals and recharges a Green Lantern.”
“Indeed, my Lord,” Enkafos spoke, floating beside him. His advisor and strategist looked on as several images were frozen, showing the variety of constructs and any readings from them. “I, however, doubt the Guardians would use such an energy.”
“True,” Sinestro sighed. If the Guardians had been open to other forms from the Emotional Spectrum, he had no doubt they would be using them now.
“However, I am an example that one simply doesn’t need one of those old fossils to found a Corps.”
“… So if one were as hopeful as to…” the advisor began.
“Precisely,” Lyssa Drak, historian of the Yellow Lanterns Sinestro Corps and keeper of the Book of Parallax spoke up. “If one had the right mind-set, one could start another Corps on the blue light … or red light … or orange light …all one would need is the right emotion and enough of it to bring it forth into a physical plane of existence, much as the Guardians ‘will’ their Green Batteries and rings into creation.”
“And that is the issue before us,” Sinestro replied. “The Guardians may shun such an opportunity to empower their own forces,” he spoke. Frankly, had he still been on good terms, he might just do that. Luckily, he found Fear more useful at the moment to accomplish his desires. “However, we cannot ignore this affront to our own!”
Turning, he looked at the still-kneeling servant. “You have done well, Sook Ahhhs, in bringing me this.”
“Thank you, my leader!” the now slightly-relieved warrior spoke.
“As such, you shall not be killed for abandoning your team to the mercies of the Guardians.”
“… Um … yeah?”
“Instead, it shows that you need more training,” Sinestro stated with a frightening smirk.
“… Felgercarb.”
“Arkillo, please reinstruct this Lantern, so that next time, he shall be victorious in battle.”
Raising his large blue hands, the most loyal of Sinestro’s Yellow Lanterns chuckled as he looked over Sook. “Well, well... it seems your training didn’t take the first time,” Arkillo said in a most devious manner. “Don’t worry. Once I’m done, you’ll be restructured both physically AND psychologically...”
“… Psycholoically?”
“I find mental scars help make our members all the more ferocious,” the large blue alien who was more or less the Sinestro Corp’s equivalent of Kilowog admitted most joyously; the kind of tone one could only achieve in their voice when they truly enjoyed their work.
As Arkillo dragged the whimpering humanoid out, Siestro waved his hand, sealing the doors, leaving him with only his most trusted … well, except for Arkillo, but this required a bit more finesse than what his Corps’ drill sergeant was used to applying.
Stroking his goatee, he observed the child. Raw… Untrained… Reckless…
It reminded him that he really needed to beat Jordan the next time their paths crossed. “Options?” he asked.
Lyssa hissed, rubbing her Book. “His tale could be glorious…”
Sinestro said nothing—really, it was kinda creepy even to him. Slowly sliding his eyes, he stared at his strategist.
“He is a threat,” Enkafos spoke. “But he is also a possible asset. With proper … guidance and training, he would be a formable resource to your cause.”
Staring forward again, he paused to consider things. Would the kid be able to be swayed, one way or the other, to his cause? Could the costs of doing such be worth it in the end?
Perhaps… The child seemed to be able to use the Spectrum, something he doubted the Guardians as a whole would accept.
Yesss… he thought to himself. It might be worth the time and effort to temper this blade… I may even do so myself… “Send those best suited for the task to Earth, find out all there is about this child, and keep what tabs upon him that you can. I wish for his location to be available to me at a moment’s notice.”
“Yes, Lord Sinestro...” the blue-skinned woman with long-raven haired replied. She bowed before her master, causing her long locks to sway a bit. “It shall be as you command. But I must ask … if we are to use the best, do you wish to put-off Arkillo’s ‘re-education’ of Member 3008?”
“No, not at the moment,” Sinestro smirked. “An education must always be complete.”
Nodding, she left, followed by his advisor, as Sinestro stood. While the Guardians might make recruiting the child easy, holding onto someone that powerful would not be easy.
He had a Weaponer to see about a special ring that he needed to be forged.
While the Guardians were focused on the universe at large, another group … not so much.
This group was the Zamarons, females from the same race as the Guardians, the Maltusians, who believed in the power of Love. For a while, they had been focused on Earth, wanting to understand it. All because of the twists of Fate between one Carol Ferris, and their own Star Sapphire gem. As Carol was tied to one of Earth’s Green Lanterns, they focused on them in general as well.
After all, there was an almost poetic irony that the two powers of their former race were somehow connected. If possible for one, maybe for another…
“Queen Aga’Po,” one of the native Zamaron chamber-maiden called out as she kneel prostrate before the leader of their planet and people, “you do realize if you want to watch Earth without any of the static interference or wavy lines, then you really, really should look into paying the cable bill.”
Attempts to understand humanity through their humor was … an awkward process at best, as timing was important.
“Miri,” the blue-skinned statuesque beauty replied to her kin, “if I didn’t pay them for the Playboy Channel, what makes you think I’m going to pay now? Our Star Sapphire Gem and our technology give us everything we need; it even allows us to look upon Earth … and even instantaneously teleport our women there at a moment’s whim if need be!”
“All at the low-low cost of some memory slippage,” Miri muttered under her breath. She refused to let the queen forget about the time she asked why all of the Zamarons were not white, but bluish purple.
“… Wiseass,” the Queen grumbled as she reached over to one of the servant girls, over to the tray being held that had the wine glass and chalice on it and took a moment to refresh herself with wine made with tender loving care at the Royal Gardens’ vineyard. Honestly, nothing better than Zamaronian Figfruit Wine.
But humor aside, their ability to scan Earth was hampered at times, a side-effect of the Guardians in a way. Rare was it for a single world in a space sector to have one Lantern from it at a time.
Earth had four.
But like their mini-cousins, the Zamarons were just as advanced, and the interference was never larger than it was now, often times smaller.
And it was during this smaller time that they had all sensed a great signal of love coming from Earth, one so strong, even the Star Sapphire itself hummed in harmony with it.
But it lasted but a few moments, and was then as quickly gone. And it was only due to their obsessive observation of Earth that they had spotted the source: a small male Earth child.
“What do you think, my Queen?” Miss Bloss spoke as she took the chilled bottle from the tray she held and slowly refilled the chalice within the regal Zamaron’s grasp. “Do you truly believe this boy is to be the path towards greater understanding between us and the men who were formerly of our kin?”
Nodding her head as she watched her servant refill her ornate glass, the Queen Aga’Po raised her other hand, signaling for the woman to stop. Once the bottle was tilted back up, the Queen brought the chalice before her... but stopped. She merely studied the contents of the fermented fluid and replied, “I must admit, it may seem strange but I am convinced of it. There are so many races but the humans of Earth, with their fragile bodies and open minds and hearts... they are capable of so much more than so many of us. Some races will only know war … some will only know peace … some will only know the fight for survival and the struggle to exist … Earth is all this and so much more…”
She paused, looking again at the grainy image of the child, and his one construct of Love. It was still surprising to her that beings existed who could wield the Emotional Spectrum as easily as they did. Granted, what readings they had stated the boy was still highly untrained, but even when they were first learning to wield the power of the Spectrum, were not their first attempts equally untrained?
And were it not for this fourth Green Lantern whisking the child away, she would already have sent her Zamaron warriors to fetch him. Who knew, he might even be a perfect host for The Predator. But for now, he was likely already on Oa, hopefully not being dissected by their distant emotionless cousins…
Hopefully also not exposed to Scar. Really, she was just … wrong on so many levels.
But once again, Earth was proving to be the likely place they would find a host, if not for The Predator, but for their Star Sapphire gem. “Have a team created to keep watch for this child, assuming he somehow escaped the clutches of The Guardians. Also, another larger team is to be created to begin scanning Earth for … candidates.”
“I had thought we were focused on Carol Ferris?” asked M’rir.
“As loathed as I am to admit it, our former mates may have the correct philosophy on one issue,” the Queen muttered, smiling at the image of the child. “Perhaps … with many candidates, we shall find the one with the most … potential.”
“So … Carol Ferris?” M’rir asked curiously.
“That or at least keep our eyes open,” the Queen admitted. “After all, if the Guardians could decide to bestow rings on not one but FOUR people of the Planet Earth in universal sector 2814 … who is to say we won’t find more than one woman who is equally suited to matching if not surpassing Carol Ferris with the ability to know and use love for the good of all?”
The blue-skinned hand-maiden blinked her eyes once, twice. “So … we should start scanning Earth Realm’s so-called ‘Adult Stores’?”
“I said love, not … well … maybe,” Queen Aga’Po relented after a few moments of thought. “Just check to make sure the feelings of love extend past release.”
As the hand maidens left, Queen Aga’Po looked at her glass, before sighing. “I must remember to ensure that the previous attempts for hosts of the Sapphire have not begun to influence us,” she muttered, downing the rest of the glass, and wondering why nothing ever seemed to get done.
Also … who did a Queen have to have executed to get a refill here!?
Ranma blinked as awareness returned to him … if not sight. For all he could see, he found himself surrounded by a white, endless field.
And by endless, he meant endless. No matter what direction he turned, nothing but white lay before him. He couldn’t even feel sure of himself being in any orientation to even guess directions.
But then … in the white, points of something began to form, seven … colors?
A sound of something swimming made him turn, spotting a giant being of green energy—willpower, he corrected himself—swimming around him, as if studying him. The flapping of wings made him look above his head, spotting a giant bird of blue energy—hope.
“Ion,” he muttered. “Adara,” he finished. He … knew them.
The beings nodded, even as his attention drifted into the expanse, the other colors … they were the Entities, beings made of their pure embodiments of the Emotional Spectrum.
His hands reached out, wondering why they hadn’t drifted closer as well. He opened his mouth to call to them…
*SPLASH!*
As he sat up sputtering, Sayd placed the now empty pitcher of water down. “Well, it would seem Lantern 2814.2 was right; not a very pretty method, but a sound one to return a being to consciousness, none the less.”
“I TOLD YOU SO!” Gardner shouted from where he was standing guard, arms crossed over his chest in a pose he felt was ‘manly badass’, even thought other Lanterns—Kyle in particular—would snicker behind his back and comment that due to the expression on his face, as more, ‘constipated, gotta go potty’.
Coughing a bit to make sure the water was out of his lungs, the young Asian child looked back and forth at the worried faces of Sayd and Ganthet. “Um… What happened? Did I black out?”
“Yes, you did,” Ganthet said with an exasperated tone of voice; so much worry evident that even one as thickly-skulled as Ranma could pick up on it. “You over-exerted yourself via a unique display of your powers…”
“Indeed,” Sayd drawled out. “And I’m sure it had nothing to do with a newly created ring slamming into his cranium, on its way to his friend.”
“… Huh?” Ranma asked, turning around, and barely spotting the hole in the doorway, before—
*WHAM!*
“Thank you, Ranchan!” cried Ukyo, as she tackled her friend who gave her such a good ring.
“Excuse me,” Kyle spoke, raising his hand. “But is anyone else going to explain this … or why Gardner showed up?”
“Meh,” waved off the ginger lantern. “I just followed the trail about some great cook, wanted to learn more. God knows we don’t have too many of them here.”
The assembled Green Lanterns—minus Ranma—and Guardians nodded sadly. Really, was it so difficult for an intergalactic law enforcement group to get a decent restaurant on Oa? Was such beyond the fabled abilities of the Guardians?
Rumor had it even Zamaron had a Starbucks!
Fortunately, such was enough to garner the cherub child’s attention from her glomping of the boy who all but proposed to her. “Oh? Cooking? Someone wanted to know about my cooking?”
That made the Lantern with his own stylized uniform blink his eyes once, twice. “… You’re kidding me, right? You’re going to tell me that this kid is the one who I heard about making the interstellar pancake pizzas?”
The girl nodded her head firmly, the blue light around her growing brighter from the hope that others were taking interest. “Yes! Ucchan’s Okonomiyaki! The first okonomiyaki chain in SPACE!”
Now Gardner, being Gardner, said the first thing that came to mind. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
The light died down as the young girl began to whimper. That … that was so MEAN!
Turning towards Guy, Kyle glared at him from behind his mask. “And this is why people are convinced Gingers have no souls.”
“Lantern Gardner!” Ganthet barked out. “While we all appreciate your odd ability to somehow upset any sentient life form within earshot, I wish to inform you that you have stumbled upon a secret of such a high level of classification, that should it get out, we have cells even of higher security than we have placed Xar in, to put you in … if we allow you to continue to exist with such knowledge.”
Guy just blinked. “Are you telling me a good cook is considered that important on Oa?”
Ganthet just blinked, before rubbing his forehead as he felt a migraine fast approaching. “No, I was referring to what Ms. Kuonji is now.”
“… An odd Earth fan from one of those comic conventions … with a bad knockoff of a GL uniform?” he asked.
“… You know wha,t Gardner; I take it back. You don’t know what’s going on so maybe it would be best if you just took a few steps back, turned around, walked away and pretend you never saw any of this,” Ganthet said with a tired voice; a hand raised and waving off the Lantern whose style of fashion seemed to be stuck in 1950’s Biker Chique.
Guy blinked his eyes once, twice. “You know what? Maybe I will!” He already dealt with enough craziness in his life; if they were offering him a chance to walk away from something instead of throwing him at it for once, who was he to say ‘no’?
Turning to Kyle he told the younger Lantern, “See you at the commissary, kid.”
Kyle just blinked. This was really happening?
His answer was shoved into his face, as a shot of blue energy lashed out, wrapping around Gardner, and bringing him back to the unsecured hallway leading to the laboratory, and into the face of a floating female child … who was pissed. “You think,” she growled, “that you can challenge my cooking abilities … and walk away?” she asked. “I hope you ain’t that stupid.”
Seeing what was happening, Ranma did what he felt was best—especially after witnessing a mime make the same mistake and use words that his career should have made an even poorer choice to make: he clapped his hands, bowed his head, and offered a prayer that the redhead’s pain would be much shorter than that mime’s.
“… Is this why we do not work with children, Ganthet?” Sayd asked with a smirk.
“… Once again, no one likes a smartass, Sayd,” the tired Guardian muttered.
Guy blinked his eyes once, twice. It was one thing to be wrapped with a blue energy construct instead of the usual green … but was his ring and stylish uniform supposed to be glowing?
Ring Charging, 120%. Ring Charging, 240%
Seeing where this was heading, the young ponytailed martial artist dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks.
Ring Charging, 360%. Ring Charging, 480%
“Uh, guys … is this supposed to … you know…” he motioned with his head as he looked down at his body—especially the ring—which were glowing a very extremely bright viridian … and it was starting to feel VERY hot on his hand.
Ring Charging, 600%. Ring Charging, 720% Warning. Green Lantern Ring Reaching Critial Mass. Ring Charging, 840%
“HIT THE DIRT!” Kyle shouted, deciding that Ranma had the best idea and followed suit.
“MS. KUONJI!” yelled Sayd. “RELEASE HIM NOW!”
“EEP!” cried Ukyo, knowing how pissed off old people were when they made such a voice, the shock causing her concentration to break and release the construct holding Gardner.
Ganthet was just as quick, placing a construct around Guy’s ring and quickly draining off the excess charge. Really, for an item that supposedly went inert when the Main Battery was down, it could continue to absorb a lot of power for some reason.
Ranma peeked an eye open. Everyone … was alive… Wow, he thought. Sure, he knew what had happened—he really didn’t want to consider the idea that Ucchan may have tried to blow the guy up on purpose—but the fact he was still alive after saying what he did about Ucchan’s cooking skills was still impressive.
The outfit … not so much.
“… Okay,” Guy spoke, as Ganthet released his ring. “What the fu—”
“Gardner, children present!” Kyle barked, slowly standing up and pretending to wipe dirt off his uniform.
“… heck just happened?” Guy finished.
“What happened,” Ganthet said as he slowly turned his attention to Ukyo,“is that Ms. Kuonji, thanks to the efforts of her fiancé Ranma--”
“Fiancé? They’re WHAT? Eight? Ten at best?” Guy snapped, very surprised by such a declaration.
“Japanese; age of consent is fourteen years there,” Kyle said, trying to put things into perspective for the Green Lantern that, despite being so close-minded and ignorant, was the one to represent the Corps on the team of Justice League International.
“… Ah … continue,” Guy said, feeling only slightly less creepy about the whole idea of underage engagements—and offering a prayer that it wasn’t a shotgun-reaon for it to be happening.
“As I was saying,” the male Guardian continued. “Thanks to the efforts and abilities of young Ranma here,” he motioned to the ponytailed youth whom waved nervously at the ginger, “Ukyo has become the first Lantern of a whole new light spectrum.”
“… Wait so there’s Green Lanterns and now … BLUE Lanterns?” Guy said, slowly catching on with the uptake of information.
Sayd floated to be beside Ganthet. “Only one for now, but since it’s now apparent that it CAN be done…”
Considering that for a moment, Gardner blinked his eyes once, twice, thrice. “… NEVER gonna catch on.”
Ganthet heard him say such, and now knew it would. Guy Gardner wasn’t exactly the best at catching rising trends. “Do not assume other Corps based on other colors would be like our own. One only need look at what Sinestro created to know such.”
“They ain’t a Corps,” Gardner spat. “They’re just thugs, nothing more!”
Sayd just kept an eye on Ranma, who was staring at Ukyo, who was now starting her grill and making some food to make Gardner admit he was wrong. The last thing they needed was for Ranma to create a personal independent Battery and Ring based on Fear.
“There is much you do not know, Lantern Gardner,” Ganthet spoke, eyes narrowed. “Surely the poor education on Earth informed you of the spectrum of colors created from a prism. Do you not think such would apply to that which fuels your ring? Those of the Sinestro Corps?”
“Stupid name,” Ukyo muttered, flipping the okonomiyaki over.
Ranma just nodded, trying not to drool, and glad Ucchan was making two of her supremes.
“What are the others?” Kyle asked, a green construct extending from his ring to wrap around Gardner’s mouth to keep him from telling off the Guardian.
“You know of Willpower, Fear for the Sinestro Corps, the Zamarons use Love, but they still require their gem to make use of it as a whole.” He shuddered to think what would occur if they ever thought to make a Corps of their own. “And Ms. Kuonji’s ring, I suspect, uses Hope, to fuel itself, and combined with her will, allows her some abilities beyond what either of the known Corps possess. In fact, it is possible that each one has a unique attribute to it.”
In truth, he knew many. Hope fueled with Willpower was unstoppable as a team, but each was much weaker by themselves. Fear drained the will to fight, explaining how Sinestro and his ‘thugs’ as Gardner called them, could be so damaging to the Green Lanterns they fought.
And while he knew about Averice and how its Orange Light affected Willpower, he made no mention of it. No need to let such information slip out, and reveal another of the Guardians dirty secrets to the universe at large.
“Unique traits?” Kyle quieried with interest. “Come to think of it, I notice how Yellow seems to drain the Will to power a Green Lantern. Hell; three Sinestro Corps Members on one Green Lantern makes for a very difficult fight; believe me, I know. And I notice this little lady can turbo-charge our rings…”
“Indeed,” Ganthet replied. “Where Fear can sap the Will from a body, Hope replenishes it.”
Nodding his head slowly, Green Lantern 2814.4 considered that. He’d thought it after witnessing it first hand, but to have it confirmed? “Curious…”
Using his own ring to create a pair of scissors that snipped the band of power between Kyle’s ring and the ball-gag construct, Guy asked what he felt was a VERY important question. “So I should go see this little girl before every sparring session with Kilowog?”
Sayd just blinked. “Why do you Lanterns keep saying that?” she asked.
Ukyo—who was half listening—looked up at her fiancé. “Ranchan, is Willpower an emotion?”
Ranma just shrugged. “I think it is more in line with desire, a need for something to occur. Willpower is just another name for it.”
Both Earth Lanterns blinked, before Kyle turned to Ganthet. “When you recruited me, his explanation would have been much better than yours.”
“… Did you not hear me, Lantern Rayner, that no one likes a smartass?” the male Gaudrain muttered.
“Ganthet, I do believe we have an even more pressing matter to attend to.”
“Oh?” he asked, floating to face Sayd.
“How do we explain this?” she asked, pointing to Ranma and Ukyo, who was handing Guy a constructed plate with her okonomiyaki on it.
“I do believe I will come up with a convincing response in the time—”
“HOLY CRAP THIS IS GOOD!” yelled out Guy, as he proceeded to demolish the okonomiyaki.
“Another flawless victory for Ucchan’s Okonomiyaki!” the girl called out.
Scarfing down the pancake like treat topped with sauces and bits of shrimp and … mmm … barbeque eel, Guy handed the plate back to the little girl in blue. “Kid, I take it back. That Okeydokeycorale stuff—”
“Okonomiyaki,” Ukyo corrected the man whom she’d shown up in a battle of the culinary kind replied.
The man blinked his eyes once, twice. “Right. That Yokoonokilledthebeatles stuff is delicious!” He actually knelt down to get closer to eye-height with her and reached his right hand out clasp it on her left shoulder. “Kid, I own a bar and grill back on earth, and I want to add THAT to the menu!”
Kyle just twitched. “You do know there are child labor laws back home, right?”
Guy waved him off. Frankly, if this worked, he might get a chain! And then … he might have enough funds to actually bring his bar here!
Hell, had to be better than Greet’s cooking. Whatever happened to him?
Ranma absently rubbed his stomach, as he finished his own meal from Ucchan. “Man, that sandwich is acting up…”
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(Posted Sun, 11 Nov 2012 22:17)
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