"I don't understand… what does Lantern's ring have to do with his survival?" J'onn said, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"The barrier you spoke of," Katma explained, "is generated by the ring and right now it is protecting John Stewart's upper brain functions as well as his vital organs."

"I see, and without this barrier, the energy field would have the ability for deeper penetration, thus causing further damage."

Katma nodded her agreement.

Vixen walked over to the bed, not believing what she was hearing, taking John's hand into hers. "How did this happen? It was just a routine recon mission…"

"What if this had been a planned attack…?" Shayera asked, entering the room with Flash, dismay on both of their faces.

"Hello, Kat, Kilowog," she acknowledged somberly, as they exchanged handshakes.

"Hello to you, Hawkgirl," Katma greeted.

"I'm sorry, but I don't go by that anymore, my name is Shayera Hol."

"Well, I am sorry to see you again under such circumstances. I don't think you've met Kyle Rayner, have you?"

"No." she nodded to Rayner.

"I'm sorry… I don't mean to be rude, but, what were you saying, Shayera?" Vixen interrupted.

"Well… it's possible that John may have been the target all along and this 'bomb threat' was the means to get him there."

"Bats went to grab the surveillance tapes from the plant to see if they'd shown anything," Flash added, looking at his friend.

Rayner walked over to Katma whispering something to her. Kilowog followed as well, as they all spoke to each other. Finally, all three shook their heads in unison.

"There may be a chance to somehow talk to John Stewart telepathically…" Katma offered, stepping in front of J'onn.

"However, it can only be attempted by someone who has been…" she paused, looking to Vixen, and then eyed Shayera uneasily, "'intimate' with him, someone that he may be thinking about at this moment. With that type of closeness the ring may allow entry."

"Entry?" Vixen asked.

"Into John Stewart's mind..."

"And how do you propose that we do that?"

"All that is needed is a medium to provide the 'bridge'." Katma turned to face J'onn, "Do you have access to such a device?"

"I don't, but perhaps there is one who may know of where we can get one," he said, stepping toward the door, looking back. "In the meantime, I suggest that we move Lantern into a place that has far less traffic."

"I'll take care of it, J'onn," Vixen said, looking briefly at Shayera.


"Shayera and Flash mentioned that you were collecting the surveillance tapes from the plant," J'onn said, hopeful for some good news. "Any luck?"

Batman, while seated at his massive computer console, displaying the Martian's image, didn't bother to look up as he continued setting the controls.

"Got them already, but they're inconclusive… The video shows that there is movement within the shadows, but… it's going to take time for the computer to extrapolate the data. Whoever did this, J'onn, was well aware of the cameras," Batman replied, dissatisfied.

"Well, do you think you can help with the other matter?"

"I'll see what I can do. Batman out."

The massive computer screen, blinked for a second to replace J'onn's image with the current readings and progress reports, as the computer worked speedily on its task.

Batman, stopped, narrowed his eyes as he brooded for moment, placing a gloved hand across his mouth absently, "Hmmmm…"


Amanda Waller walked into her office of the newly re-located headquarters of Cadmus, and proceeded to pour herself a freshly brewed cup of coffee. She knew that it would take some time getting used to this new location, and sighed upon that thought.

"You should really drink 'green tea' instead of coffee… it's better for the blood," a rasp-filled voice said unexpectedly from the shadows.

It frightened her slightly to the point where she'd almost dropped her cup, but she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of that knowledge.

"Isn't Faraday your liaison now?" she turned, facing him.

"This is an unofficial visit…"

"What do you want, Batman?"

"You heard about the attack on Green Lantern?"

"I have, and let me tell you that we had nothing to do with it," she said.

"I know. If you did, I would have been here a lot sooner…"

"So… why are you here?"

"I need a favor…"

"A favor?"

"Yes, I need the C.A.T.T."

"W-what? How do you know about that?" Waller questioned.

"I have my sources… I need it now."

"How do I know that you'll return it?"

"You don't… but if it will help, you have my word," Batman scowled.

"You do know that it's just completed its preliminary stages, right? And, the results have looked very promising."

"Doesn't matter…"

"All right, I'll make the necessary arrangements…" she said, placing her cup upon her desk.

When she looked back up, he was gone. I really hate it when he does that…


"Rex… I didn't expect to see you here…" Stewart said, seeing his future son standing under the street lamp, the light sparking off of his armor, still confused with the sudden change in environment.

"It's okay, Dad. You just need to relax, that's all," Rex Stewart said, reassuringly, removing his mask. "After all, it was you that brought me here."

"Where is here, exactly?"

"Your consciousness or subconscious, not sure really. But I do know that it's in your mind."

"Okay…"

"Dad, I need to ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do you love my mother or are you just in love with the idea that she could bear you a son?" he asked with a disheartening look within his green eyes.

Stewart caught the look, remembering how much it reminded him of her, "I'm not sure what you mean by that…"

"It seems that you are confused, Dad. The question is very simple. Are you in love with Mom? Shayera Hol? My mother?"

John looked down, pondering. Is it that simple? "Son… I wish it were that simple, except when it comes to your mother and me… it's very complicated."

"That's not what I asked you, Dad. Why is it so hard for you to answer my question, to confront whatever it is that you're afraid of?" he said with frustration.

"I don't know… I-I can't think straight whenever your mother is around me…"

"Well?"

John Stewart stared at his son, unable to explain the emotions that he felt since she had returned into his life; unable to control the feelings he had carried in his heart for so long.

"Yes! Okay… yes, I'm in love with your mother… is that what you want to hear? Okay… I said it; there… it's finally off my chest. All right… now what does that change?

Rex Stewart smiled broadly. "Then it's not about her just having your son, then?

"No… it never has been. I've loved your mother long before you entered my life. What's complicated is the relationship I have with Mari… I don't want to hurt her. She deserves better."

"Are you in love with Mari, too?"

John looked into Rex's eyes and sighed, "No… I care for her, but no… I'm not in love with her, because no matter how hard I'd tried to fight it… I realize now, that I'm in love with Shayera."

Father and son embraced each other, as their emotions ran freely.

"That's all I wanted to know, Dad. That's all I wanted to know."

"That's just like you, human…" a voice said, within the shadows, behind them, beyond the lit boundaries of the street lamp.

"W-ho?" Stewart said, turning.

The form of a winged man stepped into the light, wearing the helmet of a proud Thanagarian commander, sneering as he gripped his war axe in one armored hand, lightly pounding it into the palm of his other.

"You steal another man's woman, so why not the son, eh?"

John Stewart stepped protectively in front of Rex Stewart. "Talak…"


The C.A.T.T. looked more like a metal globe with two cylindrical probes that jutted outward, about two inches from its platform sitting within a high tri-pod that extended about ten feet above John Stewart, now lying on a gurney, while it was also angled to face Mari Jiwe McCabe, who was settling herself down into a recliner.

"Cognitive Amalgamated Thought Transducer…" Flash said, reading the acronym that was stenciled onto the device's casing, and then turning toward J'onn, wearing a dumbfounded expression. "Huh…? How's this gonna help GL?"

"It allows 'Subject A' to enter into the mind state of 'Subject B', in which the two subjects begin to mentally share their thoughts, becoming one so to speak…" J'onn explained, making the final adjustments as he aligned the output probes to point at Vixen, the other at John.

He looked over at Flash; "It was originally designed to allow family members to have communications with comatose patients."

"Leave it to Cadmus to change its use altogether, by developing it as an interrogation machine," Batman finished, heading for the doorway. "I'm heading back to the Batcave, to check on the data. I'll call you when I have something."

"Oh, sure thing, Bats… see ya! Humph… so this is where our tax dollars are goin'," Flash smirked, staring up at the machine, wondering out loud.

Shayera walked in, followed by Katma, as she smiled at Vixen. "You ready?"

"Ready, as I'll ever be…" she smiled back.

"All right, good luck," she said, backing away sluggishly, standing with her back against the wall, next to the doorway.

Katma studied Shayera's face as she joined her, and whispered, "I spoke with John Stewart, some months back. He'd never mentioned that… well, let's just say… I understand."

"There's nothing to understand, John went on with his life. I'll have to do the same," she responded aloofly, stiffening up.

Katma only smiled, as she looked back at J'onn's briefing to where the young woman was seated in the chair.

"Okay, Vixen… A stasis field with a mild anesthesia will be administered to put you into a dream state, where the machine will then begin to merge your mind into John's dream activity," J'onn instructed. "I can telepathically monitor your progress up to the point of entry, after that I can only monitor the readings from the C.A.T.T., understood?"

She shook her head and gave him the thumbs up. Here I come, Boo…