To be clear I'm talking about meeting John Stewart, the African American Green Lantern with the Marine personality. A military man teaming up with a patron of teenage rebellion? I might keep pointing out how crazy my team ups are, I might not.
This day actually started off crazy, not Metropolis crazy but helped a guy who tried to arrest me crazy. I'll explain. I usually wake up in alleys but as my Metropolis story proved I don't always wake up in an alley. I don't know if there's a pattern to my awakenings but let's just start with that fact.
So the day I met GL, I woke up on a rooftop with the guy floating in front of me and aiming his power ring at me like I was a supervillain. I guess to a guy like him rebels and outlaw are close enough to the same thing. So I wake up with his ring glowing in my face as he floats beside the rooftop, maybe he wasn't arresting for sleeping on the roof (private property I guess) but it seemed like that. I have heat resistance among my fire powers, you might think bright light doesn't bother me because fire can burn bright just as well as hot. Not entirely true. I said "I'm up. Turn that thing off."
His ring didn't stop glowing, "You're coming with me." That's where I get the idea Green Lantern was arresting me.
I said "Fine but you're blinding me with that ring and the sun."
He didn't like the back talk. He picked me up by my ankles and flew me away. He told me, "My sources say you can't fly." Just guessing but one of those sources may have been a Scarlet Speedster.
I said "I can't fly but if you think hanging me upside down, high in the sky is gonna scare me then you're wrong. I have no fear of heights and I jump down 12 stories without flight so I'm not afraid of falling."
Green Lantern turned around to face his mouthy prisoner, turning me upright at the same time "Listen Hotshot."
"Hotshot, people call me that all the time. Mostly cops, are you some kind of cop? You're definitely not a fireman, those guys love me because I'm the one superhuman who helps them first." I think I miswrote something earlier. My nickname with police is Hotshot not Hothead.
Green Lantern said "Green Lanterns police the universe."
"So why bother with me? I didn't hurt anyone."
He said "I beg to differ." Another thing: those people I supposedly killed to earn my stay at Belle Reve, they suffered smoke inhalation but that wasn't the first time I'd been accused of killing someone that way.
He took me to the sight of a fire, "You were here, weren't you?"
"I don't know. I have memory problems. I don't know how I ended up on that roof."
I won't say the number but "People dead. Smoke inhalation. You were here, whether you say you remember or not."
I said "Well you just wasted your time."
He turned around, if John Stewart smirks then he did when he looked back at me, "So you're ready to confess?"
"No. Smoke is part of a normal fire." I held up my hand and made a fire, "Not my fire." He was holding me by my ankles and when I showed him he was wrong that got tighter, "Ow! Now, you're hurting me."
"You're not afraid remember," he dropped me. I twisted around so I'd land on my back and he grabbed me at the last second with his ring.
John pulled me back into the air and flew away, dragging me. I screamed "Hey! Where are we going now?"
John loosened his hold on the construct holding me in the air, like watching me fall was funny. I know from experience, seeing people watching me jump out of burning buildings, that seeing someone fall from that high up is not supposed to be funny. He got over himself and shortened my leash so I was floating next to him. It is much more fun to be levitated by a hurt Martian Manhunter than flown by a pissed off Green Lantern. He said "We need to find out who set you up."
I asked "Is there anywhere you can set down? I need to check my ankles after you almost cut my feet off."
John had lost any attitude, "Alright." He flew us to his apartment building and set us down on the roof. I sat on the ledge and checked, holding a flame near each ankle and watching the marks go away. John asked "So you heal close to your own fire?"
"I can jump 12 stories down with people holding on for their lives. I just ignore the pain and keep going until the building is clear then I kinda pass out. I don't remember much between rescues."
He told me, "That's not healthy."
I looked up from my healing ankle, "Which part? Ignoring my own pain to save lives or forgetting my own life? We can't all be normal superheroes."
John said "I didn't mean, I wasn't trying to offend you."
"Offend? Try another word, I don't understand that one."
"I didn't mean to upset you."
"I don't get upset, I'm not allowed to. If I get upset then the world burns." I understood this concept long before I knew the word concept. I healed my ankle and steadied myself before standing up to face John Stewart, "I also don't get hungry like you but I have to eat all the same. Let's wrap this up so I can pass out."
John said "That is definitely not healthy. You were my best lead but if you have memory loss."
"So you didn't think I killed those people? Fooled me." He looked at me, "Okay, yes I have memory loss but I don't forget my rescues. I remember them just like everyone else."
"And you're telling me you're sure you weren't there?"
"I'm telling you I thought you were accusing me of killing those people. Smoke inhalation is part of being in a fire. My body is built differently than yours. I can handle fire rescue in my underwear, I did that once so I wouldn't burn my clothes. Something has to be crazy hot for me to feel the heat and I can't be burned, smoke doesn't hurt me. If I needed clean air, I couldn't go into a fire in my underwear. Is this helping?"
"How hot does something have to be to burn you?"
"I just said I can't be burned. I don't even feel heat in most fires. Why?"
"So you have never been burned?"
"You want me to show you?" He was getting on my nerves, "No I can't be burned. Are you gonna tell me why you keep asking?"
"You weren't at that fire then." He leaned on the ledge, looking out at the city, "The Torch everyone saw had burn marks."
"Then whoever they saw didn't have my powers." He stayed by the ledge and looked at me, "To make fire like I do, you have to be fireproof."
"So this was just some arsonist?"
"I don't know. It wasn't me and it wasn't anyone with my powers but my powers are pretty special so I guess you gotta start all over."
"If this is an arsonist, they're not done."
"I feel for you, man. I really do but I can't control how long before I pass out." I'd earned my rebel hero reputation and gotten over that whole not a hero thing but I couldn't be a rebel if I willingly worked with military man John Stewart.
He said "You're a pyrokinetic."
I looked at him "If I don't know the word offend, do you really think I'm gonna know that one?"
"Your fire powers." He sighed and explained, "Pyrokinesis is the ability to create and manipulate fire, people with pyrokinesis are pyrokinetic. You're right, it's incredibly rare on Earth. It's one of the hardest superpowers to control because like you said you can't get upset without burning things. I wouldn't doubt it if someone said pyrokinetics have a higher suicide rate than soldiers." He looked at me, I was staring at him, "Help me with this and I'll help you with your problems. Deal?" He held out his hand, I glanced at it then went back to staring at him. "A handshake?" I took his hand, still kinda dazed. How many superheroes do you have to meet before someone bothers to explain things to you?
I shook off my daze when he put a hand on my shoulder, "If I'm pyrokinetic, what's the other pyro thing? The one where they worship fire?"
"Pyromania. You think there's a connection."
"No. Maybe with those burns you said the guy had and the fact he was in a burning building unprotected. I was just asking for a joke, you wouldn't find it funny."
"Try me."
"What do you call a pyrokinetic pyromaniac?" At his uncomfortable look, I said "Doomsday."
"That's not so much a joke as a scary thought, a pyrokinetic pyromaniac."
"I know. I'm not the Flash. I'm still pretty new at talking," that confused him, "that's why I don't know so many words. Let's just focus on your arsonist."
"Do you know what an arsonist is?"
"I'm guessing it's someone who starts fire but pyromaniac seems more fitting if all you know is he was in the fire."
"You might be right about both things. Think you can stay awake while I go consult the police?" I shrugged at his question. He showed me into his apartment, "It's not much but there's a TV. Don't eat everything in the kitchen."
"You know about that," I was a little embarrassed. "It's not what you think. I don't get hungry, my brain is wired for pyrokinesis."
"Then don't eat." He left me alone in his apartment. I did like he suggested and watched one of his tapes.
He came back a few hours later, politely chatting with his landlady (someone said rent) as he came in, "Ready to go? I think I know where our pyro is gonna strike next." Guess I gave him a strange look because he explained a pyro is someone who starts fires.
I followed him out, "How do you pay your rent? Does being in the Justice League pay?"
He did not like that question but answering my questions is how he got my help, "No. I'm a retired Marine, I pay my bills like every other retired soldier. Why are you so curious about being in the Justice League?"
Fair is fair, "Because I figure if I can make it, if I can get in then I, I, I don't know. I mean I hope I won't be homeless if I'm one of the big boys. It won't matter what I do because I'll be one of them. Maybe I can even get help with my memory problems if I'm in the Justice League." We were soon on the roof, "I don't care what people think of me. I don't care that cops call me Hotshot while they wouldn't dare disrespect any of you guys in the League. What I care about is, is."
Green Lantern said "Go on."
"You said pyrokinesis is rare and one of the most dangerous powers. I'm missing more than half of my life. What if there is another Torch. What if when I blackout, I'm the bad guy. What I care about is protecting people, I just, I'm more fire rescue than crime fighting. I think that if I was in the Justice League then I'd have a better chance finding out what happens when I pass out or blackout. I don't see things the way most people do. There's no superheroes or supervillains in my mind, not the way everyone else sees them. Everyone else sees Pied Piper as a villain. I don't. How do I explain this? Pied Piper gives away almost all of the stuff he takes. He gives it to homeless shelters and programs for people everyone else hates for no reason like, what's the word?"
"I know what you mean. He gives his money to LGBT and he's openly gay which is the G." John looked at me, "What makes a hero to you?"
"There are no superheroes or villains. Piper helps the homeless and everyone calls him a bad guy. I don't care what people think and I'm homeless, maybe that's why I don't see him as a bad guy."
"It's definitely a special perspective."
"I understood maybe half of that. Still learning words."
"You're right. You see things in a way no one else does." I didn't even realize we were flying until I nodded to him when he said that. Green Lantern asked "How important is being in the Justice League to you?"
I said "I don't care what people think and I'm more fire rescue than crime fighting. I'm not gonna change to fit in. If I was gonna do that, I'd seek you people out and try to fight as many villains with you as I can. I'm the guy who rescues the little girl in the apartment three floors up while the rest of you heroes are fighting aliens. I just think that maybe being in the Justice League could give me a home and maybe it could get cops to stop laughing at me with all the Hotshot jokes. You don't see cops calling Flash greased lightning, only your enemies insult you guys."
Lantern said "I think you could contribute something to being in the Justice League but only if you're serious about being a member of the League."
"I'm not gonna stop doing fire rescue to fight aliens and just let people burn. Aren't heroes supposed to put people first?"
"I'm not asking you to but you have a reputation as a rebel. I need to be sure you can handle the commitment."
"I'm not gonna be committed to anything else since I don't remember having a life outside being Torch."
"Alright. I believe you, now keep your voice down we're almost there."
We didn't have to wait long for the scarred me to show up. Thing is he didn't start the fire and he wasn't taking the time to enjoy it. He was trying to save people. He knew when and where the fire was going to be, kinda like Green Lantern. I went into the burning building after him while Green Lantern said he'd be on perimeter. This gave me another unique perspective as I saw myself in that first awakening, trying to help people without knowing how to talk to them. He was helping a lady who'd fallen get up, I said "Let me help you," and ran to the other people who were on the floor.
I got two people leaning on my shoulder and the other me got more people to lean on me until I was almost collapsing, making me an evac point. I used that tactic in a lot of my rescues but I usually use a window that wasn't blocked and made my jumps from it. When everyone was at his evac point (me), the other guy started taking them to the window to jump to safety. I took the last three to safety and grabbed the other guy by his white shirt collar (my shirt is supposed to be white but it's usually covered in soot and ash). I dragged him to the building we'd staked the place out from and pushed him towards the fire escape. "Climb," I pointed up and he started climbing. I kept close behind him and Lantern met us on the roof. I pointed to the ledge, "Sit." He sat on the ledge, facing us.
I told John, "He's not our guy. He was saving people, the smoke inhalation wasn't his fault. He's a lot like me the first time I woke up with these powers. I think his scars are from before he was fireproof. Maybe dumb luck like mine leads him to fires." It dawned on me, "How'd you know there was gonna be a fire?"
He answered "Threats have been made to burn the place down." Then he turned to the other Torch, "How do you know he doesn't understand what we're saying?"
"I don't. The fire didn't hurt him yet he has those scars. He was moving everyone to one spot then he made jumps with them to get them out. Maybe something with his skin, like he can't get hurt anymore."
Green Lantern looked at him "He's deaf."
"What?"
"He can't hear us. He keeps looking at us when we talk but he doesn't do it right away. He can't hear a thing."
I tested this theory by throwing something behind me, a chunk of burnt debris I had on me. Green Lantern looked when it hit but the other Torch didn't notice it until Lantern looked. "You're right. Maybe that's why he doesn't suffer smoke inhalation, he's not trying to talk. The people he's rescuing don't know he's deaf when they yell for help. Smoke inhalation is pretty common for people in fires, it was common before superpowers became a thing."
Green Lantern stepped closer to me, keeping an eye on the other Torch but making sure a lip reader can't see what he's saying, "So he's not our enemy. I'm still taking him."
I turned so the other Torch couldn't watch my lips, "What's gonna happen to him?"
"The League will take care of him. We'll see if Batman can find any family to return him to. If you're right about his powers, he'll benefit from meeting Superman. The police think they have an arsonist on their hands, I can't leave him to be labelled a villain." He turned to the boy. "Interpret into sign," I guess he was giving his ring an order because as he spoke his ring projected an image of two hands in what I'm guessing is sign language. "I'm going to take you to meet some people, super heroes, and we're gonna try to help you."
I felt like a fanboy, "Can I come? I'm the one who figured out he's not a villain."
Green Lantern stood up and faced me, his ring stopped translating, "I'm not taking him directly to the League. I'm taking him to STAR Labs to get a professional opinion on his powers."
I backed off a bit, "How long can you keep playing interpreter? You might want to call ahead for a real one."
Green Lantern said "Keep an eye on him." He walked to the other side of the roof to make a call through his com and I sat down beside the boy.
We looked at each other, I asked "Can you understand me?" To see if he could really read lips. He looked at me like I was crazy and pointed to Green Lantern, so that's a no.
Green Lantern's call didn't take long, he came back with the ring translator back on, "We're gonna have an interpreter waiting so we can talk to you." He explained to the boy he wasn't gonna see the superheroes just yet. I left the roof while he was talking into his ring.
