Chapter Nine

Over The Atlantic Ocean

20:39 – EDT

August 17, 2007

Zari didn't have a destination in mind. She knew she wanted to find the Justice League and not because she had any interest in joining them, but because she needed to find Shayera Hol, the only other Thanagarian she had seen since arriving on this planet.

The main problem was that she didn't know where Shayera was, apart from in a country on the continent of Africa in a tall Justice League tower. She didn't know where Africa was and didn't know enough about the ring she had acquired to see if it could find the tower for her.

Right now she wasn't even using the ring. She was using her own wings to fly, though they were starting to ache due to inactivity over the last few months.

She was still wearing the strange Lantern uniform which included the Thanagarian-styled helmet, but in green and from what she could see, her wings also appeared to be covered in green too, as though the uniform had extended across her whole body.

It was a little creepy. She wasn't sure how to take it off yet, which could prove problematic when the inevitable bathroom break came around. She would have to wait until she had landed to figure that out, though judging by the endless ocean around her, it could be sometime before she found a place to set herself down.

A glow in the evening sky caught her attention. She slowed to a hover and looked upward to see that whatever it was, was headed in her direction and was giving off a distinct green aura.

A few moments later, she saw that it wasn't a single object but two and from what she could see, they were Green Lanterns.

Her first thought was that they were going to accuse her of stealing the ring. She herself wasn't sure how she even got the thing. It kind of just appeared out of nowhere and put itself on.

Her second thought was would they take it from her? Right now she didn't really know how to work the ring. It seemed to take her thoughts and make them a reality, but she had to concentrate in order for it to work right.

The two Lanterns, a male and a female, slowed as they came within fifty meters of her. She held out her hand and a green axe formed in her grip. If they intended to try and fight her, then she would fight back. She had spent far too long already being subservient. She was a Thanagarian and she relished her freedom. She wouldn't be taken and locked away, not when she was so close to freedom.

"Stay back!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

The male shouted back. "We're not here to fight."

"Don't get any closer," Zari warned, raising her axe construct up.

The two slowed to a stop and the light-purple skinned woman spoke. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Just stay where you are." Zari knew that she only had limited time to think of a way out of this. She couldn't attack because there were not only two of them, but they were trained in how to use the ring. She barely knew how to operate hers.

The man held up his ring finger. "It chose you, didn't it?" he asked. "My ring chose me, too. I know it can be a bit scary and also really awesome, I felt the same way."

"You don't know anything," Zari shouted at him.

"You can trust us," the woman said. "My name is Hirunan, what's yours?"

"Why should I tell you?"

The man spoke next. "Because we'd like to know. My name's Kyle."

"Zari," she said. "Zari Tarin."

"You're not human," Kyle said. "What world do you come from?"

"Doesn't matter," she said.

"Are you Thanagarian?" Kyle asked.

"So what if I am?" Zari questioned. She had noticed that the two of them were slowly creeping towards her. If they got much closer than she would have to defend herself.

"Why are you here?" he asked her.

"None of your business," she said. "And I told you to not come any closer!"

The two of them stopped immediately.

Zari continued. "I want to speak with Shayera Hol."

The two of them glanced at each other. It was clear to her that they were familiar with the name.

"Why do you want to speak with her?" Kyle asked.

Zari wasn't sure he could be that dense. "Why do you think?" she questioned. She wanted to see her because she was the only other Thanagarian here on Earth.

The two Lanterns looked at each other and Zari heard Kyle speak to Hirnunan. "I'm calling John."

"I'll try and keep her calm," Hirunan responded, their voices barely audible from where they hovered.

Zari didn't intend on attacking them or fleeing anytime soon. Not unless they forced her to. She would wait for them to make their call. She would wait for as long as it took to meet up with this Shayera Hol. She had a lot of questions about what exactly happened here regarding Earth and her people and she needed answers.


Watchtower II

Earth Orbit

20:44 – Station Time

Shayera didn't know why John Stewart wanted to talk to her. It sounded urgent, which was the only reason she was awake. The Lagos Justice League Tower in Africa was a few hours ahead. In fact, it was now the eighteenth down there.

Shayera opened up the conversation with more than a hint of annoyance. "What's so important?"

"Kyle lost the Lantern ring."

"So? Not my problem. Get him to find it," she said.

"They've found it already, both him and Hirunan. It's who the ring found and decided to attach itself to that has me concerned."

"Killer Frost? Ira Quimby? Amanda Waller?" Shayera asked, throwing off a few names.

"No, A Zari Tarin."

Shayera shrugged. "If I'm supposed to know who that is, then sorry, because I don't have a clue. Never heard the name before."

"She's Thanagarian, Shay and she's asking for you by name."

Now that wasn't something she had ever expected him to say. More importantly why was a Thanagarian here in the first place?

John continued. "I think it might be a trap."

"Possibly," Shayera agreed. "But if she's asking for me, then I might as well oblige."

"It could be dangerous."

"With me, you and the two other Green Lanterns, I don't think I'll have much to worry about. Besides, I have this new armour remember?" she said, gesturing down to her gold and red coloured attire.

John nodded, knowing he couldn't forget that fact. Not after how much it looked like their son's armour from the future. John had to admit that Shayera looked powerful and dangerous in it.

Those were the traits that had drawn him to her in the first place. Ever since she had come back to the league there had been something missing. Like the fire deep within her had gone out. Now, he could see that it was still there, just subdued.

"Something bothering you?" Shayera asked him.

"Hmm?" he responded absent-mindedly.

"You're staring."

"Sorry. We should probably go see what this Thanagarian wants with you."

"Then let's stop standing around and go find out," she said turning for the door.


Over The Atlantic Ocean

21:04 – EDT

This was it. Unless it was a trap, which there was a good chance that it was, then Shayera was coming. Zari would finally meet the other Thanagarian after seeing her on the television for the last few months.

She had so many questions to ask her, so much she wanted to know. She knew that Shayera had back-stabbed the Justice League during the invasion where her people had taken control of the planet and then she had sought to save this planet from certain destruction at the hands of the Thanagarians.

Finding out the truth about her people had been tough. Her father had been glad that they had failed and she had to agree. Her people trying to destroy this planet and all of the life that lived on it was horrible.

The question was, had Shayera betrayed their people, or had she saved them from doing something that would taint them forever?

Zari saw them in the distance, two of them, one with wings. She felt excitement begin to bubble deep inside her. There was another one of her kind here on this world, someone who was seen by a lot of people as a hero and she was about to meet her.

But there was the nagging in the back of her mind that her father was probably dead and it was Shayera's fault. But again was her father's life worth that of an entire world? There was, of course, the likelihood that he would have died anyway in the final battle anyway, even if they had accomplished their mission here.

Shayera and the Green Lantern she had seen on the television slowed to a stop beside the two other lanterns that had identified themselves earlier as Kyle and Hirunan.

The axe construct she had been holding faded away, as did the winged helmet that had been formed by the ring, exposing her face.

No one said anything for several seconds. When they did, it was Shayera. "Why are you here on Earth?" she asked.

For a moment, Zari was at a loss for words, unsure what to tell her. She decided to go with the truth. "My father left me here."

"Why?"

"Because he thought it was safer."

"Safer than what?"

"Safer than going with him and the fleet to face the Gordanians."

Shayera looked at the dark-skinned Green Lantern before asking her next question. "How long have you been here?"

"A few years. Since our people left this world after the invasion. I was captured and held by the Canadians a few months ago and was able to escape using this ring."

"How did you get the ring?" the Green Lantern asked.

"I didn't, it found me."

Kyle gestured at her with an open hand. "It picked her, so I guess we found our new recruit," he said.

The Green Lantern that hovered next to Shayera wasn't nearly as certain. "Not so fast."

"John," Shayera began, "let's get her up to the Watchtower. We can discuss this there."

"We don't know why she's here," John pointed out.

"She literally just told us," Shayera said.

"If she's telling the truth," John said. "We both know how good your people can be at lying."

There was a sudden uneasy silence as John realised what he had just said. He was more thinking of how her people had come to this world promising to build a shield as a defence against the Gordanians. Instead, they had lied and it was a hyperspace bypass generator that would have destroyed the Earth.

At the moment he had said it, Shayera's own betrayal had actually slipped his mind.

"Smooth," Hirunan mumbled sarcastically as both she and Kyle visibly cringed.

John tried to quickly backtrack. "I didn't mean it like that."

Shayera didn't believe him. "How did you mean it?" she demanded furiously.

"The other Thanagarians, not you," he said quickly.

Shayera didn't respond. Instead, she flew over towards Zari, who stiffened slightly at her approach.

"Zari, I believe you," she said.

"Thank you," Zari said with gratitude.

"Do you want to come up to the Watchtower with us?"

"Will I be a prisoner?" Zari asked.

"No, of course, you won't." Shayera looked back at John. "She's to be treated with respect, understand?"

"Shay," he began. "I'm sorry."

"Just don't," she interrupted. "Let's get back up to the Watchtower." Shayera pulled out a small communicator that she had brought with her and gave it to Zari. "Take this and put it in your ear."

"Shayera," John warned. "We shouldn't be giving out-"

"Save it, John." Shayera reached for her ear as Zari put her communicator in hers. "Watchtower, lock onto the five signals here and bring us up."

Zari heard a voice in her ear. "Signals locked, prepare for Teleport."

Teleport? That alarmed Zari, she had never teleported before. She knew what it was, but she had never believed it was real.

By the time she had finished her thought, she felt a tingling wash over her as the world around her faded out into a world of silver and white. Then another place formed around her, a place of steel and glass.

She looked over to Shayera who was stood beside her on the large platform with the three Green Lanterns.

"Welcome to the Watchtower," Shayera said. "I think we should get you settled in."

"We don't have a room for her," John said.

She glared at him. "What about the one Cassie was staying in while she was here those couple of days?"

"Kyle's staying in that one," John said.

"She can sleep in my room for the time being," Shayera said. "When the repairs are finally done in the next few days, she can take it and I'll retake my old room."

"You mean, your new one," John commented. "Your old one was obliterated in the attack."

Shayera folded her arms with a glare. "John, don't talk to me, I'm not happy with you right now."

"Shay, I'm sorry."

"Just go do something else. I'm gonna show Zari around."

"Shay."

"No, John. Go back down to Brazil. I'll get her settled in and then I'll have to head back down to my tower."

"We can't leave her unsupervised," John warned.

"I'll get Kara or someone else to look after her. Satisfied?"

"Yeah, that should be fine for now. And sorry, Shay."

"I would accept, but you might think I'm lying."

"That's not fair."

"No, you're right it's not. I brought it on myself, I know that, but I never expected you to be the one to remind me of it."

"Sorry."

"Stop saying sorry."

"S-" John cringed as he nearly said sorry yet again. "Listen, for now, I think it would be best if I took the ring."

Shayera folded her arms and scowled, while Kyle looked confused.

"Why?" Kyle asked.

"Because I said so," John said. "She won't need it up here."

Zari decided to comply. She reached down and pulled on it, only it didn't budge. "It's stuck."

"They can get like that with new recruits sometimes," Kyle said. "Keep at it, it will come off."

Zari tried again. Sure enough, it eased off. Her clothes changed to the near prison clothes she had been wearing at the facility in Canada as she passed it to John.

He took it. "Welcome to the Watchtower," he said. He then looked back at Shayera. "I'll make sure the others know," he told her before he left.

Shayera sighed once he was gone. "I'll never be free of this guilt," she muttered. She glanced over at Hirunan and Kyle who were looking at her. "What?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Kyle said. "Let's go Hiru."

The both of them left, leaving the two Thanagarians with only the teleporter operator for company. He remained quiet, keeping his eyes on the control board.

"I'll show you the mess hall," Shayera said, before correcting herself. "Well, it's actually a cafeteria."

"Thanks," Zari said, putting her hand on her stomach. "I am feeling a little hungry."

"Come on, I'll take you there."

The two left the large room and as they made their way down the corridor, Shayera tried to get to know her a bit better.

"So you said you arrived with the invasion fleet?"

"Yeah, three years ago now."

"You look a little young. How old are you?"

"Seventeen I guess. I don't know really."

"So you were fourteen?"

"Yeah. Before you ask, my dad smuggled me aboard. Only he and a few others knew."

"Where are you from originally? Thanagar?"

"A colony world. Doesn't matter, it was destroyed by the Gordanians. My dad was on one of the ships sent to fight them off and he was part of the air squadron. He was there as my mother died."

Shayera was quiet for a moment before she asked another question. A rather painful one at that. "How many did you lose?"

"Mother, my little brother and all of my friends. We were a farming community. We weren't military, none of us was. We tried to fight back and we did manage to take a lot of them out, but they simply had better numbers and better training."

"I lost both of my parents too," Shayera told her.

"I did have my father's axe," Zari said, casting her eyes downwards. "It was taken from me and I don't know where it is."

"By the ones that captured you?"

"Yeah, I think so. It was with me before they tranquillised me."

"Where did this happen?"

"The forests. I saw that alien ship crash and I saw the fighting. I also saw you there."

"Alien ship?"

"A few months ago."

"I know the one you mean. It had someone called Koriand'r and her brother on it, as well as that other Thanagarian that got himself killed when the Gordanians attacked."

Zari froze, her eyes going wide. "There were Gordos here?"

"Yes. We managed to fight them off."

"How?"

"An organised team effort. There were only six ships, five once the command vessel fled. The Justice League is quite a powerful group and we're getting stronger every single day."

"That is something that confuses me. What is the Justice League exactly? I have seen a little bit about you on the television, but I don't know what you are. Are you military, a police force, what?"

"You had access to a TV?"

"Yeah, in the room I spent nearly all of my time in. They gave me it a few weeks ago. I was locked in there, so I spent a lot of time just watching the television."

"Well to answer your question, we are more vigilantes with superpowers."

"You don't have superpowers," Zari pointed out.

"On Earth, Thanagarian military training, having wings and being far stronger and more durable to the natives kinda is the same as having superpowers. Besides, Batman doesn't have powers."

"Is he the scary, creepy one?"

Shayera chuckled. "Yeah, he is. Anyway, we're here." They stepped through a set of sliding doors into the cafeteria.

Some eyes turned to her and the chatter began to die down until everyone was looking at her. Zari felt uncomfortable and unsettled. Then, table by table they turned their attention back to their previous conversations, paying neither Thanagarian any more attention.

Shayera pointed to an empty table. "Go sit down, I'll get you something to eat."

Zari did as instructed, sitting near the window that looked down at the planet Earth. She sat there quietly while trying to listen in to what some of those at other tables was saying without making it too obvious.

The two who were sat at the nearest table, two blonde girls, maybe her age were talking. One wearing a red outfit was complaining about having to be the sidekick to someone named Speedy. The other in blue with a white star on her chest also complained about being stuck with someone named "Pat" for the foreseeable future.

The blonde in red then stood up. "I have to go, gotta meet up with Speedy," she told the other girl. "We're planning a little prank to play on Arrow."

"See ya, Cissie and have fun."

"Bye Courtney."

Zari glanced up as the girl in red left the cafeteria. Zari looked behind her towards the Courtney girl. Their eyes met for a moment and Zari quickly looked back around in time to see Shayera putting a tray of food and a glass of water down in front of her.

"It's pasta," Shayera said, sitting opposite.

"Aren't you eating?" Zari asked.

"I've already had something a few hours back. I'm now working in a different timezone, so the Watchtower clock is a little behind mine. I should be in bed right now, but here I am."

"Oh, okay." Zari picked up the fork and took a bite.

"Is it good?"

"Yeah, I had some back at the facility in Canada."

"You said you spent all of your time in a room?"

"Yeah, they didn't want to let me out because I kept trying to escape."

"About your escape. How did it happen? How did you get out?"

"I made a hole in the walls and fled."

"And now you're here."

"Now I'm here," Zari repeated.

Shayera slowly stood up. "I'm going to head to the bathroom. Will you be okay for a few minutes?"

Zari nodded. "Um, sure."

"I won't be long." Shayera stood up and quickly left while Zari turned her attention back to her pasta and finished it off.

As she put the fork down, the girl in dark blue with the white star on her chest moved over to her table and sat down opposite her.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around before," she said. "I'm Stargirl."

"I just arrived on this station a little while ago," Zari told her.

"You have a name?"

"Zari."

"You're Thanagarian, right?"

"Yeah," Zari said feeling a little nervous. "I've been on Earth a few years."

"I've never heard of you. Where were you based out of?"

"I lived in the forests of Canada."

"The forest? You weren't a hero?"

"No, I wasn't. Until just a few months I lived there with a kid called Danny, who I saved from a bear attack. Then I was captured by some Canadian organisation and kept as a prisoner while Danny was sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle."

Stargirl blinked at her. "So, were you rescued?"

"I escaped and the Green Lanterns found me."

"Oh. You wanna hang out or something? I'm bored and I need something to do."

"I was instructed to stay here."

"That's fine, there's not much to do around here anyway."

"Do you not have something to do yourself?" Zari asked her.

"No, I had training this morning with Green Lantern. The guy's never satisfied, always complaining that I don't take this seriously enough and that it isn't a game. I'm like, I know it isn't a game, but what's the harm in having some fun, right?"

"I suppose," Zari said unsurely.

"I don't think I've ever seen him smile, like ever. He's miserable all the time, y'know?"

"I assume you are referring to the one called John?" Zari asked.

"Yeah, that's him. You've met him?"

"I didn't like him. He called me and my people liars."

"Well, your people did kinda lie to us," Stargirl said uneasily. "Tried to blow up the Earth or something while telling us they were here to help."

Zari fell silent. Even though she disliked the accusation, the girl was right, not about her personally but as to why her people had come to this planet.

"I'm not a liar," Zari said. "I'm not military, I'm from a colony world. We were farmers, not warriors."

"Well, maybe you're not, but that Talak guy was."

"I am not that Talak guy."

"Well obviously. You said you lived in the forest? That musta sucked."

"If you mean it was unpleasant? Then no, it wasn't actually that bad. Now, being a captive, that 'sucked' quite a lot."

"Yeah, that musta been crappy. What did they do to you?"

"Thankfully nothing but keep me in a room. At least until I escaped where they tried to stick some tracking device in me."

"Wow, that sounds like it really sucked." Courtney looked around and sighed as a guy in a white mech suit stepped into the cafeteria. His helmet was off and tucked under his left arm. "There's Pat, I have to go, see ya."

She stood slowly and moved off towards the much older man, who looked at Zari with a slight frown before the two of them left the cafeteria together.

Zari remained there and patiently waited for Shayera to return.