"You can't stop them," Amber proclaimed. "Cut off a limb, it just grows right back. Cut off a head, it does the same. Hell, you could nuke 'em and their bodies would just reconstruct themselves. And they're tryin' to wipe out all life. And they feed on emotion, which means if you feel any fear or anger or anythin' whatsoever, you're dead. Best. Zombies. Ever."

"Yeah, until they rip out your heart," Janet added.

"And you seriously enjoy this?" Brittany asked.

"It's comics," Amber said, giggling as she shifted her most recent copy of Blackest Night in her arms. "What's not to enjoy?"

Amber Nelson, the short, plump blonde with the southern drawl and the computer science major, was arguably the biggest geek of the three friends. She knew all sorts of obscure information about various superheroes, some of whom the other two had never heard of, but especially loved anything and everything involving Batman and Gotham. Physical education major Brittany Nguyen, her polar opposite, was tall, dark, and athletic and hardly knew anything about superheroes-though Amber had succeeded in getting her interested in Spiderman, at least. And Janet McCullen, the slim brunette with an English major, had a veritable obsession with the Green Lantern Corps and all its members as well as a good knowledge of one JLA run, but otherwise wasn't very familiar with the comic book world. No one would have thought the three would have become such good friends, but ever since they had worked together on a group project in a killer psychology class they had been very close.

Amber shivered and held her comic more tightly as a cold gust of wind passed by them. "I tell you, though, Lex Luthor with an orange power ring? Very bad news. Lookin' forward to Larfleeze's reaction, though."

"I am so getting that tonight," Janet told her, grinning.

"Only if I get yours," Amber retorted. "I wanna know what happens to Kyle!" Janet's grin widened as she fingered her own comic, Green Lantern Corps #43.

"Ooh, she's happy," Brittany observed. "Let me guess; he survives?"

If Janet's grin had gotten any bigger, it would have split her face for certain. "Spoilers."

Amber pumped her fist. "Yes!"

Janet's good mood didn't keep her from a quick shiver. February wasn't as cold in Kentucky as in Pennsylvania, but still cold enough, and worse so since sunset half an hour before. At least they were only a few blocks away from campus. She opened her mouth to suggest walking more quickly-why did everyone else always have to move so slow?-but her words died on her lips as there was a sudden shriek just around the corner. The three girls stopped and looked at each other, then broke into a run, Janet and Brittany quickly outstripping Amber as they reached the corner and hurried around.

The mugger-some kid, probably, judging by his lanky frame-glanced in their direction and then took off, the woman's purse in hand. Janet's first thought was to wonder what the hell he was thinking, robbing someone in a college town, and then she realized that he was getting away. She just shoved her comic at Amber, who was trying to pull out her phone, and broke into a run pursuing him, just behind the longer-legged Brittany as she called, "Call the police!"

The mugger disappeared around the next corner and Janet and Brittany followed him into an open gravel-filled lot. There were a few items of junk that they had to dodge, but a moment later they were out in the open and both girls put on a burst of speed. He was only a few yards ahead of them and they were both in good shape, and they were steadily gaining on him as he ran towards a slope full of leafless shrubs and other wild growth.

"He isn't heading for the tracks...is he?" Brittany panted. Janet didn't bother to answer; drawing so much cold air into her lungs was anything but conducive to speech. He crashed through the branches, tossing the purse aside as he went, and the girls followed, though Brittany slowed to grab the purse, which let Janet get ahead.

The slope was treacherous, with loose gravel and all sorts of stones and roots hidden by the growing darkness. Fortunately, Janet had hiked it several times with Ashley and Matt and, having grown up at the edge of a forest, she had a pretty good sense of balance and footing on slopes. Her increased speed going downhill was certainly a bit dangerous, but she closed the distance even more.

A rock suddenly seemed to appear to her right, and acting out of instinct she sprang at it, planting her foot firmly atop it, and then launched herself at the fleeing mugger, only a few yards from the bottom of the slope, and maybe a hundred feet from the old train station.

Their collision nearly knocked the wind out of her; her hard landing on the slope actually did so. She slid a short distance before scrambling to her feet, trying to ignore the scrapes on her hards that were already beginning to smart, and turned to face the mugger. He certainly was young, as young as any of the freshmen on campus, and boy was he fast! He dodged her awkward punch rather easily, and she was barely fast enough to mostly deflect his own strike back at her. It still connected with the side of her head, and she stumbled, nearly falling backward.

Brittany chose that moment to arrive, dropping down and swinging out one leg to knock his own out from under him. Thrown off-balance, he wasn't ready to hold her off, and she caught him in a head lock. Janet regained her own balance and took a step towards them, planning to help Brittany hold him till the police arrived. Clearly, though, Brittany hadn't had the best grip on him, as he suddenly squirmed out of her hold and gave both girls a heavy push, knocking them down, before he started off again.

The smart move would be to stay put and wait for the police, and give them all the details they had, like the guy's description. However, no one had ever accused Janet of always making smart moves. Scrambling back to her feet, she was about to chase after him again when a sudden flash of green light directly in front of her caused her to freeze.

"Janet McCullen of Earth. You have the ability to overcome great fear."

Janet stared, mouth hanging open. Was that seriously a Green Lantern ring floating in midair in front of her? What sort of joke was this? And... Oh, hell, that jerk was getting away...

Janet raised her hand and the ring shot right to her finger and slipped onto it, faster and more smoothly than any remote-controlled device ever could. A tingling chill ran through her. Hardly even thinking, she aimed the ring at the fleeing mugger, imagining a tripwire in front of him-wait, she needed more than just imagination. She forced her will into the ring. That tripwire was there.

The ring glowed more brightly as a green construct faded into existence, wavering slightly, but certainly solid enough to catch the mugger's foot and send him falling to the ground. Another thought and burst of will transformed the wire into a big snake that wrapped itself around him and held him tight.

Breathing heavily, Janet realized that she was staring open-mouthed at the ring and its effects, and so was Brittany. A police siren grew louder as the two exchanged a disbelieving look. Janet finally managed to stammer, "I, uh... I think my life just got a lot more complicated."

"Y'know, that's almost exactly what I said," came a voice somewhat behind her.

Both girls spun around to see a young man, hovering above the ground, and apparantly formed of the same glowing green substance that had formed the tripwire and snake. Janet recognized him from the comics at once, and felt her jaw drop further. "No. Way."

He smiled and gave them a casual salute. "Kyle Rayner, Green Lantern. No, you're not dreaming. Yes, I'm a ghost. Well, ghost in a ring, I suppose. Long story."

"What-?" Brittany gasped out, even as Janet barely managed a "How-?"

"Like I said, long story." He glanced up the hill, towards the flashing lights of the approaching police cars. "You two should stick around and tell them what you know so they can catch that guy."

"But I-" Janet looked down towards where the mugger had been and saw nothing. "How did he-?"

"You got distracted and lost focus, losing the construct," Kyle said. "One thing that we'll have to work on. Later," he added, glancing up the hill again. "And I'll explain everything then, too."

The ring glowed brightly a moment as he faded away and then it appeared to be nothing more than a fan's prop, but Janet could feel a presence in the back of her mind, seeming to emanate from the ring. She and Brittany exchanged a flabbergasted look, but before they could even begin to compare notes there was a shout from up the hill as several policemen approached.

Brittany shot her a look and said in a low voice, "We are so going to have a long talk later."

Janet gave a short nod. "Totally."