This story is part of Earth Pi and has been written by Grendle1853 and beated by DaisyJane.
John Alan sits near the guard tower under the stars in a secret location in a desert in the middle of the United States. This base is why Area 51 was created—to distract attention away from the real alien laboratory. His rifle rests easy in his hand as he looks over the fort, his mind wandering to what he'll do with his life now that his time in the military is almost over. He is a black man of average height, with a swimmers build and a serviceman's haircut and his future prospects are undecided. He could easily get a job in security or law enforcement, and he would like a job where he can continue to help people, but he isn't sure what direction he wants to go.
His thoughts are interrupted when an explosion breaks open the central research building. John and other soldiers from around the camp rush forward, and they all see a glowing yellow man to fly up from the burning remains. They follow the creature as it rises in the air and notice someone familiar within the glowing aura.
"Commander Shooy!" John shouts up to his commanding officer. "Commander, what's going on?"
With glowing yellow eyes and a manic look on his face, the commander looks down on them and shouts, "I AM SINESTRO!"
With that he lifts up his arm and a giant yellow wedge made of light (shaped not unlike a golf club) projects from his hand and, with a sudden fast movement, he sweeps through the group of soldiers and knocks most of them through the air. John gets smacked in the head, causing him to spin end over end and he falls to the ground unconscious.
As John's head floats in inky blackness, a soft feminine voice whispers to him, gently coaxing him back to consciousness. John...John...wake up John...I can't stop him without you...I need you to wake up...
John wakes up confused with a giant pain in the head. Looking about he sees the camp partially destroyed and on fire, with medics helping the fallen soldiers and staff who lay wounded everywhere in sight.
"What the hell?" John curses as he looks at the disaster surrounding him.
Follow my voice John, the same soft feminine voice whispers in his head making him feel even more weird but he follows the direction the ghostly words seem to somehow guide him.
"Who are you?" John asks as he steps forward.
My name is Oa, and if we don't work together Sinestro will kill thousands, she answers.
John stumbles through the research area with blurred vision. Even so, as he walks the soldier is able to see dead men and women thrown about and an object sitting in the center of the area. It is a piece of luggage the size of a van made of silvery metal. When he doesn't see anyone still standing or breathing he calls out, "Where are you?"
Over here John, Oa calls.
The injured man turns to see a green oval metallic device with a glowing green stone in the middle. Though his head throbs as he looks at it, John continues to make his way toward the object and asks, "What are you?"
I am an alien John, my people are called Guardians, Oa answers.
"Yeah, what about the killer yellow thing that hijacked my commanding officer?" the soldier asks.
Sinestro is one of my race, and he is also a violent criminal, who will cause a great deal of destruction unless he's stopped! she answers. I am more then willing to explain all of this to you in detail once the current crisis has been averted.
"So what now. You want me to let you jump inside my body and ride me after him?" John asks.
No, I'm not going to ask you to make that kind of sacrifice. As I said we need to work together, she assures him.
"Alright, I'm game, how do we do that?" he asks.
On top of my containment unit should be a ring of green metal, tear it out and put it on one of your digits, Oa says.
John looks to the top of the oval green device and sees a small ring of metal stuck between two prongs. After a bit of pulling the ring finally breaks off and he holds it in his hand and notices the odd green gleam it has. "If I put this on, what will happen to me?" John asks with a wary expression.
You will gain access to my power, Oa answers.
The soldier looks around himself and imagines that level of destruction in a populated town. John Alan then shakes of his concern for his personal safety and takes a deep breath as he slips the piece of alien metal over his middle finger. The metal constricts until it fits snugly on him and a feeling of pure power washes over him as he erupts with green light. After the small wave a nausea passes and he can see and feel again, he notices is that his head no longer throbs with pain. He looks down at his body and notices that his uniform has changed into tight black body armor with green symbol similar to Oa's container on his chest.
"What am I wearing?" he asks.
I've dressed you in the uniform of a Guardian security officer, she tells him.
"I already have a uniform," John tells her.
Well...you look better like this, Oa explains.
The soldier raises an eyebrow at her but then shakes his head and asks, "So how do these powers work?"
Well first while wearing the ring you will have the power to fly, which you should master quickly so we can catch up to the criminal, Oa tells him.
"Alright, I can fly," John says. "Um...how do I...tun it on?"
Simply will it to happen, she advises.
John Allan closes his eyes and concentrates for moment. When he opens his eyes he sees himself floating a foot in the air. "This is so sweet!" he says looking about.
I know this is a lot for you to take in John, but there is a super powered maniac running loose... Oa interrupts and John smirks as he notes the touch of sarcasm from the entity.
John picks Oa's container off of the table and flies out into the night. He soon picks up an amazing speed and smiles in joy as he whips by. "This is amazing!" he shouts happily into the air.
Concentrate soldier, Oa says trying to get John to focus on the mission at hand.
"Yeah, evil super villain I know. At least he won't be hard to find," John says looking down at the path of destruction cutting an almost straight line through the desert. "I think you'd better tell me what else we can do."
I can control the Glow's effect on you, so I can maintain your personal shield and heal your injuries, however I need you to use the power outwardly, Oa explains.
"So you handle defense and I'll handle offense, sounds easy enough," he says. "So what can I dish out?"
The Glow's abilities mainly concern the generation and control of light. Using the ring you can create energy blasts, create force fields, concussive blasts, and solid light constructs, she explains.
"Solid light constructs?" John asks excitedly.
Objects made out of forcefields, Oa answers. With enough will you can create virtually anything you can imagine.
John closes his eyes and thinks, then when he opens them again he finds himself holding his rifle again. A bright green version of his rifle, but his rifle none the less. He lets out a few shots at the ground as he flies by and sees that it shoots little green bolts and acts in all other ways like the real gun should.
While that was good for your first attempt I suggest you dream bigger, Sinestro is very creative, Oa advises.
"I'll keep that in mind," he tells her letting the rifle fizzle and disappear in his hands.
Looking up John sees that they are nearing a town and asks, "Oa, we're nearing civilization, can you put a mask or something on me? I think I want to keep a little anonymity."
Easier done then said, Oa tells him and he feels the humor in her thoughts as an instant later John feels a mask covering the top half of his face.
As they get close, John can see the darting yellow light and signs of destruction across the town.
"Anything more you want tell me about this guy?" he asks.
Sinestro is a violent criminal who enjoys causing destruction and pain in as creative a way as possible, he lives to see the fear in his victims eyes. His greatest weakness is probably his arrogance as he believes he is superior to others in almost every imaginable way, she answers.
"Alright so he's over confident, anything else?" John asks.
He thinks big, using constructs of tremendous size, and rarely thinks to use something smaller or sees such things as a threat, Oa tells him.
"All right that is something to think about, time to role," the soldier says.
He stops floating high above the city. Below him, Sinestro stands on the ground with several large serpents made out of yellow energy coming out of his body, slithering about and wrecking everything they touch. John uses the Glow to create a pair of huge green boots which he uses to stomp down on all of the snake constructs.
Sinestro looks up with his glowing yellow eyes and shouts, "Oa! So you've found anew patsy have you? Going to try and capture me again?" He starts to laugh arrogantly.
"Not her, this time I'm going to take your punk ass down!" John yells back.
"Ha Ha ahahahahahhahah Ha Ha HA!" the crazed villain continues to laugh. "Is that so little monkey?"
Before John's eyes the extraterrestrial criminal begins to glow brightly, then the light grows and changes shape, until it solidifies into sixty foot tall yellow dragon. The wyrm points its head at the glowing hero, opens up its mouth, and roars at him.
"Oh hell," John says right before the dragon opens up its mouth and a blast of yellow fire leaps out and strikes him down.
TBC. Reviews are always welcome.