"What do you think they were trying to smuggle out of Earth, anyway?" Flash asked curiously as he picked up a jeweled spear. He held the sharp point far too close to his face for John's comfort, but rather than caution the young hero, John sighed quietly. His comments were unlikely to do any good, so why even make the effort? The two of them were busy searching through a collection of artifacts found aboard a spacecraft attempting to leave Earth's atmosphere after rifling through the private collections of a number of museums and wealthy individuals. After a short altercation between the crew and some League members, the ship had been docked at the Watchtower for inventory. So far, they had found valuable items from every major empire imaginable - Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Persia, China, and India, to name a few. While they had found quite a few amazing objects, Batman was convinced there was something particularly special they were missing.
"We'll know it when we see it, I'm sure." John said as he continued to organize the pieces carefully after taking each object out of a crate and inspecting it individually.
"Couldn't this just be Bats' paranoia overreacting again?" Flash said with a raised brow.
"My paranoia has nothing to do with it." A dark voice echoed off the cold metal of the ship's walls. Wally jumped back in surprise, nearly knocking over a priceless mosaic. The speedster barely able to grab it before it would have otherwise toppled unceremoniously to the floor, but he couldn't stop the nervous laughter that escaped his lips.
"Oh, hey, Bats! How's it going?" He asked with a bashful smile.
Batman's solemn face didn't even twitch. His scowl remained firmly in place as he glared at his young teammate. Wally swallowed nervously before Batman continued speaking, "Communications on the ship's computer confirm the existence of a valuable item which he was planning on selling for a large sum of cash to someone the next galaxy over. He didn't state what exactly it was, but suffice to say that it's extremely dangerous. Make sure you handle everything in this room with the utmost care." He stared at the Flash pointedly before exiting the room with the whip of his midnight black cape.
Wally was quiet for a minute before muttering, "Yep. He still hates me."
"Hate's a strong word." John said with a roll of his eyes.
"Fine." Wally waved his hands in the air, "Do either incompetent or ineffectual fit the bill any better?"
John, however, was inspecting a stone jar covered in intricate engravings. Most of the paint which must have covered it had faded to leave only patches of dark blues, yellows, and purples. A few small, dusty jewels decorated the sides, but otherwise, it was downright plain compared to everything else in the room. Puzzled, the Lantern spun the vessel on his palm, looking for any type of writing, but all of the designs were meaningless swirls and lines. Eying the container cautiously, John asked Wally, "What do you make of this?"
The younger man shrugged, "It's an old jar. There are way more valuable things here."
"Depends on what's inside." John said simply as he lifted the lid.
Suddenly, bright blue and purple smoke poured from the opening, obscuring anything which would be inside of the vase. John coughed and covered his face with his free arm while the tendrils of gas coursed through the room, weaving between boxes and statues, wrapping around Wally's legs.
"GL!" Wally shouted as he hopped onto one of the crates, "Put the damn lid back on!"
John blindly struggled to replace the cover, but the smoke burned his eyes, making it impossible to see. The room seemed to spin around him, and he struggled to maintain his balance while taking in the cool colors consuming his vision. A distant sounding Wally continued to yell for him, but he couldn't concentrate on the words. Instead, he flung one arm towards the other, resulting in the rock crashing against its sister piece. The lid slipped from his hand and he heard it rolling across the floor, although in what direction, he was unsure.
The gas had made its way into his lungs and was burning his windpipe. The Lantern struggled for breath and was vaguely aware that Wally's voice had died out. John involuntarily dropped to his knees, clutching the artifact in one hand while, with his little remaining energy, sliding his hand over the cool metal beneath him in hopes of finding the other piece. Dark spots began to dance on the edge of his vision, and he felt himself fall, the stone clanking as it too rolled
away from him.
He was just about to pass out when it heard a click, and like magic, the room was clear again. Without pause, John sucked cold air into his lungs, savoring the feeling of being able to breathe once more. Instantly, his world came into clear focus again. He sat up quickly while calling out, "Flash!"
A red streak flew across the room, and then Wally's worried eyes met his own. "Wow, man." The speedster breathed, "For a second there, I thought we were toast. Nice work getting that thing closed."
"I thought that was you." John frowned.
"Wrong!" A singsong voice called out from above both of them.
The two heroes looked up in shock to see a young man sitting criss crossed atop one of the large crates to their left. His long, blonde hair was slicked back to show off his striking ocean blue eyes and the sharp features of his face. His vest and dress clothes were soft shades of grey and blue, which highlighted his tan skin and the few freckles which were sprinkled across his cheeks. The stranger leaned forward and asked sweetly, "You called?"
"Who the hell are you?" Wally asked.
"Oh, my name's not important." The blonde man said, leaning forward to place his chin on his knuckles, "What's important is that you called me for a task. And I've been bored out of my mind for ages, so I'm ready for almost anything."
"Excuse me?" John said as he stood up, "We didn't call you."
The man scoffed, "You opened my vessel."
"Holy crap, GL! I think he's a genie!" Wally hopped to his feet in excitement.
"Not a genie." The man scoffed as he leaned back on one arm in obvious annoyance, "A cursed demi-god. We're slightly less clever, but make up for that with our increased powers, dashing good looks, and, if we're going to be frank, basic common sens." He studied the nails on his other hand, "So, what do you have in mind? Destruction of foreign governments, reign down revenge on your enemies, eight sons who look exactly like you, eternal riches, what?"
John pinched his nose between two fingers, "Can you just get back in your damn jar?"
His lips perked into a mischievous smile as he responded sarcastically, "No can do. I'm here to grant your heart's desire, and until that happens, my job isn't complete. So what's it going to be?"
"I don't want anything!" John insisted.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Flash put a hand on the soldier's shoulder, "Let's not be hasty."
"Kid, trust me. This isn't the kind of stuff you want to mess around with."
"You don't have to wish for anything bad. You could just ask for world peace or something."
"I don't think that's how it works!" John glared at his friend.
"Isn't it worth a try?" Wally crossed his arms.
"Hey, now. Don't fight over me, boys." The two heros looked back up to see the young man now lying on his stomach, watching them both with interest. His head was tilted flirtatiously and his smile revealed sparkling white teeth. He raised a teasing eyebrow as he said, "The one who opens my vessel is the one who gets to make the wish."
"Exactly." John said confidently. He held up the vase and ordered, "Now get back in there."
The demigod pointed at him knowingly and said, "You say that, but all of these feelings you have," he gestured at the space around the Lantern, "well, they say something much different. There is something you want, Mr. Stewart, and it is my job to make sure you get it."
"Hey, how do you know his name?" Wally asked incredulously.
The man scoffed, "Demi-god. As in half supernatural being with untold potential," He sighed and continued, "But that's not the point. What's important is that my work won't be complete until you tell me what you want. So, out with it!"
"There is nothing I want!" John yelled.
"Don't lie!" He pouted, "It undermines the budding friendship I thought we were developing."
"I'm not going to play this game anymore. I command you to go back where you came now." John shouted.
"No!" The man sounded offended.
"Aren't you supposed to do what I say?" John yelled.
"Someone didn't read the rules!" He sang
"Just get back in this damn jar! I don't need any wishes!"
"Fine." The young man sighed, "We'll do this the hard way. If you are unwilling to tell me what you want - what your heart yearns for - then I'm allowed to seek it out for you. And in this case" he winked, "I think it's going to be quite enjoyable. See you on the other side!"
And the impeccably dressed man disappeared in a burst of smoke.