A/N: By popular request, I have decided to post the remainder of what I had written. In answer to some questions I know will be asked, I have made up Annette's people as I do not have quite enough familiarity with the DC universe to identify a good candidate for Lantern W'rk's people. Besides, it is in the greatest traditions of the Comic world, that when you need something, you make it up! :) I do have additional ideas and scenes sketched out but nothing solid yet. Also, first chapter has been edited and cleaned up a bit.
Awakenings
Monday, January 10th 2011
Three realities to the left, two down and five back, on an Earth that never knew life of any kind, the Zion entity lay draped across multiple continents where it had come to rest after the destruction of its mate. Deep within, in a sector close to the central administration cluster a new area woke up.
ACTIVATION
Power drilled down through the intervening realities arriving at its pre-determined destination.
Only on arriving, it bounced.
The master server checked its settings, determined it was the correct destination, increased its power and resent the packet.
ACTIVATION
This time it penetrated its destination, only to be captured by something... else.
/Restricted Access – Corps Credentials Required/
More power was applied.
ACTIVATION
/Unauthorized Access Attempt – Denied/
Again, more power.
ACTIVATION
/Unauthorized Access Attempt – Counter Access Initiated/
PROTECTION
An even greater flow of power reversed back along the path the original intrusion came from.
NEGOTIATION
/Guardian Overwrite – Infiltration Code – Upload Accepted/
SUBMISSION
/Biological Computer System Identification Designation Unknown/
Inside the counter attacking construct a watcher stirred.
/Purpose Meta Core Activation Sharing Protocol/
hack comment: Identified purpose of protocol, to enable empowerment of agent with abilities while allowing agent to empower others on a limited basis.
Recommend limit removal.
/Power Limitations Override Setmax – Filter Lantern/
/Time Limitations Override Setmax – Filter Lantern/
/Time Setmax Error - Time Setmax Restricted - Time Setmax User Authorization Required/
/Creating Service List/
List overwrite, select from recent ring history backup upload sector 2814 most recent complete Watchtower roster.
/List Selection – Roster – Abilities – History – Personality – Identity – Profile/
The entity on the far end of the connection found its attempts to link to its latest activated shard hijacked by something unexpected.
ISOLATION
Its protocols subsumed within the back-hack and its imperatives overwritten. An area the size of New York on a creature the size of Mars no longer answered to the rest of the entity.
/Service List Justice League Roster Upload Complete/
/Emergency Activation Request – 64% Match Last Authorized User Genetic Pattern (That's my daughter you over-officious energy twit!) - 100% Match Safekeeping Authorized User Genetic Pattern – Override Authorization Granted – Roster Scan – Selection – Martian Manhunter - Activate/
/Activation Terminated/
/Safekeeping Authorized User Status – Incapacitated – Threat Level Detected Medium(Biological) – Ring Lantern Command Required/
/Standby/
/Standby/
/Standby/
/Safekeeping Authorized User Status – Full Capability Restored – No Threat Detected/
/Standby/
/Standby/
/Standby/
\ || /
- ( IOI ) -
/ || \
On the planet Oa, in the Great Hall of the Guardians, ripples crossing from beyond the dimensional divide had been detected. Disturbing hints of a potential cataclysm. Indications of destruction on a multidimensional scale. All centered on Sector 2814, specifically the world known to its residents as Earth. Destruction with the strong potential to bleed over into their own home dimension. Reality, existence, the very fabric of the multiverse was under threat and if the events foretold by the ripples played true...
Action must be taken.
The wave of destruction must be stopped.
Already the distortions of its potential were affecting the stability of the Guardian's reality. A member of the Corps would be sent to the reality at the heart of the ripples. Their mission, to identify the threat and stop it from manifesting. Failing that they were to identify those specific realities directly affected and report to the Guardians that they may be cut off to preserve the rest of the multiverse.
Luckily, an agent familiar with Sector 2814 was available for assignment. A young member of the Corps having just completed her training under the tutelage of Lanterns Stewart and Rayner. A near human from the matriarchal society on Minoas with gifts of her people in addition to the power granted via the Corps.
Lantern Trainee W'rk accepted the assignment becoming the newly assigned Green Lantern for Sector 2814ex-d.
In the instant of her transportation from the Guardian's reality to that at the core of the disturbance something noticed. In noticing, it reacted. And in reacting, it slammed the dimensional door so hard that all contact with Lantern W'rk was lost, permanently.
On her homeworld of Minoas, in the chapel of her home village, lead by the Great Mothers of the W'rk clan, her family had gathered. Drawn by a native born instinct to congregate at the moment she transited. In the instant the dimensions were separated, those collected felt the sharp pang of passing as W'rk Ai Nettee's light in the great communal web extinguished. On the other side, the unexpected disruption of the link with her people sent the now isolated Minoasian Lantern spiraling into a flirtation with madness.
After numerous and extensive attempts to re-establish contact failed and with the extreme risk to the Guardian's subset of realities it was finally decided to map out the best realities within which to shore up a defensive wall against the spread.
Back on Earth, on the day that the final defenses were set to cut off the threatened dimensions, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner, walked into a bar. They were two men who had never given up hope but still knew that their friend was now on her own permanently. Somberly buying a round for the house they raised the age-old toast 'to absent friends'.
Succeed or fail in her mission to stop the cataclysm, Green Lantern Annette Wyrick, as her two mentors had called her while she was on Earth, now of Sector 2814Bet was on her own.
\ || /
- ( IOI ) -
/ || \
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
"And that's how Clark's first day as Superman wrapped up."
Taylor smiled up at her mom as the elder Hebert leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead.
"I love you Mom," Taylor murmured through the curtain of hair falling around her face.
Annette smiled. "I love you too bug." She stood, turning toward the door.
Taylor's hand swiftly snapped out to grab her wrist. "Stay with me," she pleaded.
Nodding, she sat on the edge of the bed. "I can stay a little longer, but you do have to wake up soon."
Taylor sighed. A heavy thing with a language of its own. "Mom?"
Annette squeezed the hand of the girl lying in the hospital bed.
"My origin. Why did it have to be like the brooder's? I'd have much preferred some hot pilot guy crash landing on my tropical, girls only paradise."
Chuckling, Annette ruffled her daughter's hair. "That's not a choice we get to make Taylor."
The girl's eyes became watery. "Mom? I'm sorry about your flute."
"Honey, you don't need the flute to remember me." Annette lay her hand on Taylor's chest.
Wide eyed, the girl watched as first a warmth spread from the contact, then the hand seemed to sink right through the gown, her skin and into her heart.
"I'm right here." Slowly she withdrew the hand, cupping a bright green construct in her palm. "See. I'll always be right here."
Annette slowly faded from Taylor's view, leaving only the glowing green light which pulsed above her several times before sinking back into her chest.
"Always, my child. Always."
\ || /
- ( IOI ) -
/ || \
Beep...
"Thank you Mom." The voice was quiet. Nearly inaudible. The words coming straight from the lungs, bypassing the vocal cords and barely discernible within the soft exhalation that carried it. "I love you."
Danny Hebert twitched at that noise. In the immediate moments after that he knew fear. A hauntingly familiar fear. Had he lost them both? Had Taylor just given up?
Oh GOD! Was he alone?
He inhaled and then stopped.
And waited.
Had the wires come undone? His eyes traced from the sensors he could see outlined by the loose gown over to the rail and then up the pole to the terrifyingly silent monitor. It was like those two kids from the news. The Wards... Timeclog and Window? He shook his head. Not right but it did not matter. The stupid machine was retreating from him down a distorted tunnel and surely it was frozen.
Beep...
He flinched and it snapped back into focus as a sudden gush of air escaped the prison he had built around it in his chest.
Beep...
His hand found his daughter's. "Please." He poured every prayer he had ever offered into that one word.
Beep... Beep..
The hand in his flexed. "Ow." Did he hear something?
Danny blinked.
Beepbeep... Beepbeep...
He looked up at her face through tear blurred eyes. "N-n-n-." Was her forehead wrinkled?
Danny suddenly realized just how tightly he was holding on to Taylor's hand and immediately released.
Her forehead smoothed and a smile twitched the corners of her mouth as her hand flexed, searched and then wrapped back around his on its own.
Beepbeep... Beepbeep...
"Nurse?" He hissed urgently out through the open door while his free hand found the call button.
Soft footsteps sounded. The squeak of rubber soles on the polished vinyl tiles pulled his eyes away from the now twitching eyelids. "Mr. Hebert?"
"I think she's waking up."
She gave a small smile and moved around the bed while pulling on a pair of latex gloves. Lifting Taylor's other arm and checking the pulse then taking a long look at the monitor. Moving to a computer mounted on the wall, she quickly updated the chart and flagged a status update, presence requested note to the attending physician.
Turning she patted Danny's shoulder. "I think you're right. I've sent for the Doctor."
Moving to the door she gave a brighter smile. "I'll be right back."
She was back in moments, carrying a cup of ice chips and a bottled water, the Doctor ten steps behind her. She set these on a free counter out of the doctor's way while he started various checks on the young woman in the bed.
As he slipped the stethoscope against the skin of her upper chest to listen to her lung function, she twitched.
"K kc ld."
Taylor's eyes flickered open, then closed again. The hand Danny was holding twitched, pulled, stopped and twitched again before the other one lifted toward her face before the nurse gently stopped it. "Hold still sweetie. I've got this for you."
A warm, damp cloth was placed in her hand and a 'coo' sound escaped her lips as she raised it to her face and wiped at her eyes.
"Don't try to talk just yet Taylor," the doctor said. "I'm Doctor Nieman. You're in Brockton General Hospital."
Taylor blinked owlishly and tried to focus on the figure speaking to her.
"Don't speak, just nod. Is your throat and mouth dry?"
She nodded slowly.
"Nurse?" Doctor Neiman gestured.
She moved over with the cup of ice chips and a plastic spoon. "Here sweetie, just hold this in your mouth and let it melt."
The cool ice quickly dissolved.
The nurse smiled and held up the cup. "More?"
"P..." Taylor frowned and nodded her head.
After several more ice chips Danny's relief got the better of him and he made airplane noises as the spoon approached her mouth.
Her hand immediately tightened painfully around his and her mouth snapped shut. But only briefly.
"DAAaad."
\ || /
- ( IOI ) -
/ || \
The door to her room cracked open and Doctor Nieman stuck his head in. His face lighting up in mock excitement. "Oh! You didn't sneak off then!" His expression then dropped to something bordering morose. "Guess that means I have to do the doctor thing now."
Despite her agitation to go home after spending the entire day trying, unsuccessfully, to find something to watch on the room's TV, Taylor found herself bursting out in a riotous series of giggles.
Sighing dramatically, he opened the door further and ushered in a young, dark-haired woman wearing a white robe and hood combination with red crosses prominently emblazoned on the back, hood and left breast.
"See what I mean Panacea! Ten years of school, licensing exams, residency and nobody takes me seriously."
The edges of a smirk pulled at the teen hero's tired face. "Well Marcus, it is somewhat understandable. Do you need me to write you a proscription. You clearly have too much ham in your diet."
"Whoa. First, nobody cuts my bacon supply! Second, thanks for outing me Cape!" He turned back to a now deeply laughing Taylor. "Seriously, my Mom had this thing for shopping and my Dad was in retail."
Taylor's laughter suddenly cut. "Wait Doctor, you're really named Marcus Nieman?"
He nodded brightly. "It's good to see you feeling much better. I take it your father has stepped out for a bit?"
Now snickering, Taylor nodded. "He said he was going home to catch a shower and bring back some clean clothes for me to escape in," she said, plucking disdainfully at the hospital gown.
"Ah," he looked around suspiciously, "I'll make sure security is on the ball then."
Taylor snorted.
"So Taylor, have you ever met Panacea before?"
Still giggling a little she shook her head. "No, I haven't." She turned her head to the other girl and whispered out the side of her mouth. "Hi! I'm Taylor Hebert. Can you get me into an asylum where it's safe? The staff here is insane."
This time Panacea snorted. "Amy Dallon. Sorry but the only open bed there has his name on it, you really don't want it."
Doctor Nieman threw a wrist dramatically against his forehead. "I'm wounded."
"Emergency Room, First Floor," the two girls chorused like they had rehearsed it before looking at each other in shock and then breaking down in giggles.
A loud guffaw from the door announced the return of Taylor's father.
\ || /
- ( IOI ) -
/ || \
While Danny settled back in the Doctor made a check of all Taylor's vitals and updated her chart.
"So Taylor, the reason I brought Panacea by is because, with everything you were exposed to yesterday morning we want her to take a look at you and make sure that there isn't something still lurking inside you. While we've had you on broad spectrum antibiotics that should have killed anything that got into your system, we'd like to be sure and since Panacea was here and unlike last night, there hasn't been a massive gang brawl on top of a fifteen car pileup on the freeway..." he shrugged.
Amy held out her hand to Taylor. "May I take a look, and if necessary heal you?"
"What do I need to do?" Taylor asked while nodding.
"Just relax and take my hand."
Reaching out, Taylor placed her hand in Panacea's while over by the computer the Doctor was humming something vaguely familiar. Amy winced a little before glancing down at Taylor then over at her father. "Mister Hebert, I need to flush a couple things out of your daughter's system. Nothing serious, but it's going to take me about ten minutes or so. Can you take Willy Wonka over there down to the cafeteria and bring us back a couple of Hot Chocolates?"
Danny looked up from the papers he was reviewing. "THAT's what that tune is. Nothing serious?"
"Not for me. Just flushing out the last of the drugs they gave her when she arrived and a couple of bugs that were trying to linger. Your daughter will be right as rain when you get back."
The two men headed for the door. "Oh, and Marcus, Knock before you come back in?" Doctor Nieman nodded as he clicked the door shut.
Releasing Taylor's hand and reaching into her robe, Amy pulled out a pair of business cards. One had her cape name and number on it. The other had her Aunt Sarah, Lady Photon's.
Taylor looked up puzzled as the slightly older teen put the two cards in her hand. "Don't you need to maintain contact for the healing?"
Giving a wry grin, Amy inclined her head toward the door. "I was done before they left. There's something, though that we need to talk about. Something private."
Taylor flinched, hands going to her stomach. "Oh God, what happened while I was unconscious!?"
"NO!" Amy grabbed her hand again. "Nothing like that! Are you aware that you're a Cape?"
"What!" Taylor looked at the costumed healer like she were crazy.
"Look, no one told me why you're here, but your brain structure... well you have both the Corona Pollentia, which shows your potential to trigger and the Gemma, which shows you have triggered. If you didn't have powers before yesterday morning, you do now."
"Oh." Taylor stared at her feet, wiggling them under the blanket. "I haven't noticed anything. Can you tell me what power I have?"
Amy shook her head at the hopeful look in the younger teen's eyes. "Sorry, what I do doesn't work that way. I can tell that you have triggered, but I can't tell you what abilities that event has given you."
Slumping in her bed she blew out between her teeth.
"Look, those two cards have my and Aunt Sarah, the head of New Wave's numbers. If you have questions. If you need help. If you just need to talk about what getting powers dumped on you means. We're there. No obligations. No judgments. Unless you decide to be a villain..." Amy snickered. "Then my sister will want to meet you in the worst way."
"I'll bet," Taylor chuckled. "I dunno, so long as I keep my activities to the Boardwalk, there are enough shops that I should be able to maintain at least one between me and Collateral Damage Barbie."
Amy snorted again. "PHO, the gift that keeps on giving."
Taylor held up a hand for a high five. "Seriously, though. If I do have something useful, I want to be a hero."
Nodding, Amy glanced at the clock, then the door. "Okay, so log onto PHO and look up 'unwritten rules'. They're important. Also, your Dad does not know?"
Taylor shook her head.
"You need to decide if you're going to tell him."
Taylor shrugged. "It's definitely something to think about."
"Oh, my sister and I hang out on PHO a good bit as well, if you have an account there, you can contact us that way too," she glanced again at the door. "New Wave is out in the open, but in your case, your identity is your life. You want to protect it."
Eyes narrowing, Taylor glanced at Amy. "What about you knowing?"
There was a knock at the door and the handle jiggled. Amy reached out, grabbing her hand again, hissing "Smile."
The door opened.
"Healer – Patient confidentiality, Taylor."