The Watchtower didn't have that many places for people to hide. Though it was a large, inhabited satellite, when one had superpowers, what could have taken a couple hours was reduced to minutes.
So why was it John couldn't find anyone on this damn hunk of junk?!
With every passing moment, the Lantern could feel himself get more and more anxious. The so-called Pantheon had a murder rap and, by all indications, they were about to go for a second round. Every wasted second was a second that brought them closer to spilling innocent blood and that was unacceptable.
Finally, he found Shayera in the cafeteria of all damn places. She was seated with Firestorm and Steel, the latter of whom was telling a story. He had just reached the punchline when Firestorm laughed out loud while Shayera chuckled, a smirk on her lovely face.
John made a beeline right for them. "Shayera," died on his lips as he quickly realized that her present self was still operating under the name Hawkgirl, so he changed without missing a beat, "Hawkgirl, we have a situation."
The redhead looked up at him. "What's going on?"
"Just got word the Pantheon is on the move, this time to Gotham State University. By all accounts, it sounds as if they're trying to relive their glory days."
The winged woman scowled at that, though it was hard to tell with that hawk-like helmet over her face. At best, it looked as if she were frowning, but he knew from the set of her jaw that she was indeed scowling. "Then what are we waiting for?" she responded as she shoved her chair back, standing up.
Firestorm and Steel did the same, which confused John for a moment. "You're going to need us, right?" Firestorm asked.
At first, the Green Lantern wanted to decline, but then quickly remembered that they were a part of this team and the more they did to include the newer members, the better their standing would be. John couldn't recall where either Steel or Firestorm stood when the League fractures, but now was their chance to properly recruit them to the right side.
"That's right," he confirmed with a nod. "We'll—"
There was a streak of red and suddenly Flash was at his side. The sudden entrance startled the dark-skinned man. "Hey, GL, what's shaken?" the speedster asked as he rested an elbow on his shoulder, using it to balance himself as he stood on one foot, the other he had bent at the knee and then crossed his calf in front of the other leg so that the toe of his boot touched the floor.
"The Pantheon is on the move," Shayera immediately told him, which got the red-clad man's attention.
"Then what are we waiting for? Where are these big bads?" he immediately questioned.
"Gotham State University," John answered.
Oddly enough, Flash paused. "Gotham? Isn't that Bats' jurisdiction? We kinda went over that the last time some bad guys holed up there."
"And what makes you think he can handle three metas at the same time?" John scowled.
"Is that really a question?" Flash countered.
John wanted to continue this tangent, but thankfully Shayera was there to keep them on the straight and narrow. "And that has nothing to do with our current mission: stop the Pantheon from doing God knows what. We can let Batman know what's going on, on the way down, but this is a League matter. This has to be some sort of Legion plot, so we'll all need to be on our guard."
That wasn't going to happen, but as long as it placated Flash, John was willing to let him think they'd make the call. Again, time was ticking and they needed to get planet-side before the wrong people died. Taking the lead, he began heading for the docking bay, the rest of his strike team following behind.
"The plan is simple," he said the moment they left the cafeteria. "We get on-ground intel when we get there and then we'll divide into teams. Firestorm, Steel, we'll be partnering each of you with either Flash, Hawkgirl, or myself. We all stay in contact with each other, no matter what. If this is another ambush, everyone needs to know."
"Don't you just love it when GL takes command?" he heard Flash ask in a stage whisper, meaning it was softly said, but heard by just about everyone.
It was Shayera that responded, bemusement in her voice. "Yeah, it's one of his better qualities."
Damn straight it was.
The Shade had done well in clearing the main library room. He had sequestered their potential sacrifices to a corner of the room, the furniture and shelves shoved and piled against the walls.
Faust had found what he had been searching for. The university's database had indeed stored his original research, albeit with an encryption that only certain users could access. Obtaining clearance had been as simple as casting a spell, the computer giving him everything he could need.
Specifically, he wanted the sacrificial circle diagrams so that he could create all of the necessary circles. This was a delicate process after all and he did not want to ruin their endeavors on the onset.
With as much room as Shade created, Faust was able to make three moderately-sized summoning circles. Lines crisscrossed throughout the circles, ancient Greek letters placed strategically throughout. As Faust completed the last one, he gazed upon it critically, studying it for any flaws that would recreate beings like Eris, or Deimos. They did not need a repeat of those incidences.
"Nice work," Shade complimented as he came to stand next to the mage. "Brings back old memories."
"My thanks," Faust responded. "I believe we have what we need. If you would select our sacrifices so that we may restrain them."
The thin man glanced at him. "Don't we need to find the right ones? Considering how things went last time, I don't want to repeat what happened to the others."
It seemed his compatriot was of the like mind. While that pleased Faust, it was best to dissuade the man of his preconceived notions. "Any sacrifice will do, my friend. I must apologize for the misunderstanding. When we first began, Dr. Alchemy and I conspired with that story so as to control the rest of you."
"Control?" the Shade growled.
"Yes, to ensure the more power-hungry of our conspirators would not go about performing their own sacrifices the moment we succeeded. You know how that ended."
The Shade continued to stare at him before he grunted. "Yeah, I get it. Makes sense if I think about it. Sucks for Rance."
Ah, yes, Shade's former partner had been one of their unfortunate victims. Still, had he not gone on his own, he would still be alive. "I will allow you the choice in our sacrifices," Faust said.
The thin man looked over to the whimpering, huddled crowd of young people. He held out his cane and inky shadows stretched forth, reaching out to the students. There were cries as they tried to back away, only to press into the ones behind each of them until they reached the wall. The Shade was not picky as the tendrils of darkness latched onto the arms and legs of three people, two girls and one boy, and raised them high into the air. Panicked shrieks came from the three as they were carried through the air and then placed at the center of each circle. With a wave of his hand, Faust summoned retrains that pinned the three sacrifices down, their arms stretched out and their legs spread apart. They continued to squirm, scream, and beg as they sought release.
Naturally, that was when Dr. Alchemy returned. "I have what we need," he reported, holding out a bejeweled dagger.
"It would seem we have everything necessary," Faust remarked as he received the dagger. He was slightly surprised when Dr. Alchemy withdrew another dagger from within his cloak, handing it to the Shade, who accepted it without pause. Yet another emerged, though this time it remained within the cloaked man's hand.
"So how do we do this?" Shade asked. "I know the last time one of you did all of the chanting mumbo-jumbo. Is that another way you tried to control us, or was that necessary?"
"No, that is very necessary," Faust assured him. "One wrong incantation and we have the Greek Gods once more." He then looked to Dr. Alchemy. "Do you recall the incantation?"
He nodded. "I do."
"Then I see a number of ways to do this. Two of us may perform the ritual simultaneously, but either you, or I will need to assist the Shade. Either we do ours first while the Shade stands guard, or one of us assists him while the other does their own ritual."
"I know which one I prefer," the Shade added.
Unfortunately, they were not able to decide. The wall Dr. Alchemy had created upon their arrival suddenly burst apart, sending pieces of stone flying throughout the room. Immediately, the three of them whipped around, facing the damaged wall.
A green light became visible through the cloud of smoke and dust and, much to Faust's chagrin, members of the Justice League appeared. He immediately identified the Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and the Flash; there were two of their newer members with them, though their names escaped him at the moment.
"I hope we're interrupting," Green Lantern called out as he floated through the air, his green aura glowing brilliantly. His eyes scanned the room and he saw the students and the summoning circles. His face hardened at the sight.
"The last thing we needed," Shade muttered.
"Indeed," Dr. Alchemy agreed. "We cannot allow them to damage the circles, or remove the sacrifices."
"A change of venue then?" Faust suggested. "Frigidus in loco."
That spell, as potent as it was, was not directed at the Justice League. Instead, his target had been the students. They froze where they were, still as statues. That would ensure none of them would attempt to escape.
And now for the matter at hand.
"Lanuae nobis omnibus!"
There was a flash of light and smoke erupted from the floor. John couldn't help but gag on it, coughing as he tried to clear his lungs. Thankfully, it didn't last long, and when his vision cleared, he was no longer in the university's library.
He was in some sort of room, large black tiles making up the floor. He spotted some pedestals with what looked like artwork. On one wall hung an intricate tapestry, vibrant colors intermingled with one another. It looked like this was some kind of art gallery, albeit a small one. Perhaps one on the university grounds for students to display their artwork?
And standing across from him was the Shade.
"Just one of you, huh?" the thin man grunted. "That's fine by me."
John held up his ring hand, the ring glowing brightly. "I'm more than enough for you, Shade."
Shade had both of his hands on the head of the cane, its end pressed onto the floor. "That's what you think."
As if to prove his point, something dark and black launched up from the floor. For a split second, John thought he saw a fist form from the corner of his eye before it rammed into the side of his face, sending him faltering out of the air, landing on his feet. A second one fired up then, this time slamming directly into his face, causing him to stumble backwards.
In an instant, John willed his ring and a green bubble formed around him. He was just in time too as he felt something hit the back of his protective shield. It had been awhile since had seen Shade do something that intricate with his powers, having relied on his cane ever since his jailbreak.
What had changed since the last time he had seen him in action? Had he gotten his full powers back?
Shade then whipped his cane up, pointing its end at the Lantern and fired a blast of his shadows at him. The darkness swarmed around his construct, blocking out the light. John took to the air, rising up until he emerged out of the shadowy blast. Allowing his shield to fade away, he took aim with his ring and fired a green blast.
His foe saw the beam racing towards him and took immediate action, jerking to one side as the attack struck the floor a short distance away. Undeterred, John fired another blast, Shade again dodging it.
Suddenly, Shade pointed his cane not at him, but towards one of the art exhibits. Shadows raced out to a vase, wrapping around it like a hand. Swinging his cane across his body, this caused the extended shadows to move through the air, taking the vase with it. John soon realized Shade was trying to smash the vase on him, particularly his head.
Pointing his ring, he fired another blast, this one enveloping the vase whole, destroying it before it got anywhere near him. It had the added benefit of cleaving off the shadows that held the artwork as well.
That was when the remaining shadow dove down, heading right for his feet. It wrapped around them, pinning John's legs together. With a flick of his wrist, Shade directed his cane—and subsequently the shadow—down to the floor. John was yanked down through the air, slamming down on the ground.
Quickly, Shade pressed the end of his cane onto the black tile and a moment later, darkness erupted out of the floor around the Green Lantern. Strands of the shadows wrapped around his arms and legs, restraining them to the floor.
"You've gotta be kidding me," John growled as he jerked his body left to right, trying to free himself, but having minimal success. He then glared at the Shade. "Since when were you this imaginative?"
"Since Faust gave me an advantage like this," Shade gloated back. "It's pretty easy to move shadows unnoticed when the floor is the same color."
Damn, why hadn't he realized that sooner? Shade hadn't gotten more powerful, he was just using the terrain to his advantage. With a growl, John willed his ring to increase the brilliance of his aura right before green spikes erupted all over his body. The spikes ripped apart the shadows restraining him, allowing him to push himself back up onto his feet. "Cute trick," he said, "but it won't help you now."
"We'll see about that," Shade countered, and as if to prove him right, darkness grew out of the floor, forming hands that wrapped around the Lantern's feet and ankles. Tilting his head down so he could look at them, a damn near identical recreation of their opening clash happened, shadowy fists firing up from the floor and slamming into his face and head.
John jerked to his left after one such blow, a second coming from his right and causing to jerk back the other way. He raised his ring hand up, only for a fist to erupt right from the floor at his feet. It shot up, landing an uppercut that snapped his head back, causing him to cry out as spit was flung out of his mouth.
Shade ended his assault as he took aim with his cane and unleashed a torrent of darkness, which flew right into the Green Lantern. The hands holding his feet must have let go as John found himself being carried across the room until he crashed into the wall behind him.
That wasn't all though. The darkness flowed all over him, covering his chest and abdomen, followed shortly by his arms and legs. Soon, he was buried beneath a cocoon of shadows, his head the last part of him left not swallowed whole.
"I hope you're ready for everlasting darkness," Shade told him snidely, "because it'll be the last thing you'll ever see."
And then the shadows reached out, covering John's head as he let out a cry. All he knew then was cold, bitter darkness.
It had been awhile since Flash had been to college. After the magician guy used some spell, he had suddenly appeared in what he was wanting to say was the Quad. It was basically a long, wide walkway with buildings lining it from one end to the other. At its center, where another pathway intersected, a statue of two bulls were charging each other. According to the plaque at its base, the bulls were supposed to represent dueling opinions, or something like that. Pretty much, it was a free speech zone declared by the university back in the 70's.
And currently, one of those bulls was being ripped into pieces and reformed as a lot of long spears. They hovered there for only a moment, seemingly trembling in midair, until they were sent flying towards their intended targets.
For Flash, he just darted out of the way, keeping on the move as he circled the quad. For Firestorm, he twisted and turned his body as he avoided the spears, each one racing by him and impaling themselves on the cobblestone path.
The moment he made it through the storm of spears, Firestorm flung a hand up, fire erupting around said hand. He then swung it out, throwing a fireball right for Dr. Alchemy.
The cloaked man didn't even gesture as he continued to hold out the Philosopher's Stone. The fireball fizzled into a small cloud of smoke, coming nowhere near him.
However, Alchemy was clearly paying attention to Firestorm, so Flash took that as his time to come up from the rear. Stopping his circling, the Fastest Man Alive went charging at Alchemy's back.
Only to have an immediate detour as a patch of ice suddenly appeared between him and his opponent. Flash caught it at the last conceivable second and turned to one side, altering his course.
The ice stretched out after him, spreading across the ground and forcing Flash to continue running towards a side. Damn, Alchemy wasn't taking any chances that he could outflank him. That was pretty annoying.
That left Firestorm to make up the brunt of their offense. Over and over, he swung his arms, throwing fireball after fireball. Each one met the same fate as the first one, dying into puffs of smoke before they got anywhere near their target. "Are you going to try something else?" Dr. Alchemy asked blandly, "or is this all you are capable of?"
"You want something new?" Firestorm questioned as fire erupted all up and down his arms, covering them from his hand to practically his shoulder. "Try this on for size!"
He then thrust his hands out and a torrent of fire blasted towards Alchemy. Again, he wasn't fazed, and before the fire even reached him, it began dying out into smoke. "If fireballs weren't working, what makes you think a wave of fire will?" the doc asked rhetorically.
Firestorm stopped his flames, but kept his hands up, fire still licking at his fingers and palms. "Uhh, it was worth a shot?" he replied confused.
Alchemy shook his head. "No, this is worth a shot."
The ground in front of the cloaked man's feet erupted into spikes, which spread out across the distance between the two combatants. Eyes widening, Firestorm lifted up into the air just as a spike grew out of the ground where he was standing. However, unlike the ones that formed previously, this one continued to stretch high into the air, chasing after the Nuclear Man.
Firestorm realized it when he looked down at it. Holding a hand towards it, he snapped his fingers and its tipped point exploded, leaving it blunted and subsequently stopped growing.
Undeterred, two spots on either side of Alchemy began to bulge upward before rounded axe heads exploded out of the ground. Chains followed behind the blades, rattling as the axes flew higher and higher up.
In response, Firestorm held out both hands, one to each incoming axe. The one on the left changed color, seemingly wobbling until it lost its shape, falling back to the ground as water. The other began to rust faster than was physically possible until it became too brittle and crumbled into pieces. Small specks of rusted dust touched the flame-headed man.
Dr. Alchemy just stared up at the young man. "You can transmute as well," he intoned. "Let's just see how gifted you are."
Firestorm seemed to get what the cloaked man was getting on about and thrust both of his hands out in front of him, pointing them down to his opponent. Alchemy just raised up the Philospher's Stone, its red light glowing brightly.
Though the ground was made of cobblestone, that didn't stop several different areas from growing weapons of iron, steel, and copper. Flash saw swords, spears, and axes grow out of the ground, only to seemingly melt into a thick, viscous fluid. The mouth of cannon barrels soon formed, but they began growing bark around them until they formed thick-trunked trees. A gun barrel even formed right out of the remaining bull statue's head, only to go flaccid and hang limply like melted wax.
This...this was strange to Flash. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but if he had to guess, as Dr. Alchemy created things, Firestorm was changing them to something harmless to him. No matter where it was, or what it was, the counters were happening just as quickly as the formation.
"Not bad," Dr. Alchemy grunted. "But you can't keep this up forever."
"Try me!" Firestorm shouted back.
That was when Flash noticed the spears. They weren't recently made ones, but the ones that Alchemy had formed out of the bull statue. They began pulling themselves out of the ground, rotating around until their tips were pointed right at Firestorm. Seeing as he finally had a job, Flash bolted for the spears, reaching them in half a heartbeat. He snatched each one out of the air, hanging onto them until he collected them all and then raced out of the quad. He found the opening to a sewer drain next to a street and shoved the spears into them, hearing them rain down on the cement ground below.
And then Flash was back at the main event, where Alchemy and Firestorm hadn't moved from their respective spots. Some other things had happened in the seconds he was gone, but apparently that was enough for Alchemy to shout, "Will you stop that?!"
"And let you run me through? Yeah, I think I'll have to pass," Firestorm retorted.
Now that was a sarcastic quip Flash was proud to say he would have made.
Of course, this wasn't going to end until Alchemy was down, or the both of them were killed. With Firestorm clearly having his hands full countering Alchemy with every change he made, it was up to Flash to make the move. The problem was that Alchemy always seemed to know what was going on around him, the patch of ice a good example of that.
If it was simply a matter of him running faster, this wouldn't be a problem. However, if he made one wrong move, he'd set up Firestorm, who would try to help him and bam! Alchemy would get him.
So if short range wasn't good enough, what about long range?
Holding up both of his arms, Flash began to make small circles with them. He picked up speed immediately and soon he was blasting out a wind tunnel at Dr. Alchemy. The wind hit the man so suddenly, he let out a yelp of surprise, shooting an arm up to protect his face from the small bits of debris, leaves, and twigs that were yanked up from the ground and sucked into the vortex. Alchemy's cloak was whipping around behind him, tugging at his neck. If he shouted something, his words were drowned out by the wind.
Thankfully, Firestorm recognized a good distraction when he saw one. He immediately fired another fireball, one that was streaking down and hit the ground right at Alchemy's feet. A small explosion erupted, one that flung the man through the air.
As Alchemy began falling back to the ground, he used the Philosopher's Stone to soften his landing, a bed mattress growing right out of the cobblestone, where he landed with a bounce. Before he touched back down though, Flash was at his side, snatching the red stone out of the man's hand, and racing away.
For a couple of seconds, Dr. Alchemy laid on his mattress before he pushed himself up. "Nice try," he said as he held out his stone-less hand, "but that—"
He cut himself off, staring dumbly at his empty hand. "What?"
And Flash right back in front of him. Holding a fist low, he then swung it up, landing an uppercut that knocked Alchemy up off of the mattress and sent him careening through the air. He crashed into the remaining bull statue, crying out before he dropped down onto the dais it stood on. The base was made of bronze, much like the statue, and once Alchemy landed on it, thin strips of it grew up out of it and wrapped around the cloaked man. Soon, he was pinned down, helpless like a baby.
"That was sweet!" Firestorm crowed as he drifted down to land next to Flash. "Teamwork makes the dream work!"
"Got that right," Flash agreed while holding up a thumb's up before he jabbed the same thumb at their restrained bad guy. "You mind keeping an eye on him? I'm going to go check on the others and make certain they're doing okay."
"You got it," Firestorm responded.
Flash took off then. Gotham State was a large campus, but he could cover it in seconds if need be. Assuming that Faust hadn't transported them around the city like last time, the others had to be close by.
And he would find them.
There was a breeze blowing over the roof. It ruffled Shayera's feathers as she soared through the air. Below, she saw Steel swinging that large hammer of his, batting away a small turbine.
The Thanagarian wasn't sure why this Felix Faust would take them here when an enclosed space would have been better to ensure she didn't have a lot of room to maneuver. The moment he had begun using magic, she had taken to the air, which had left Steel to handle himself.
He wasn't very fast, that was for certain. She imagined that metal armor of his didn't do him many favors when moving. He sort of lumbered around as he dodged fireballs. Then Faust had levitated one of the many turbines on the roof, the ones that sat over the ventilation shafts and allowed air moving out of the building to spin the blades, which created some electricity for the building. Steel had then stood his ground and swung his hammer to defend himself.
As the crumpled remains of the turbine hit the roof, Steel gathered his hammer back, holding it with both hands. Faust had a small, knowing smile on his face, as if he were entertained by all of this.
"Lanuae," he said then, and one of the larger air conditioning units suddenly ripped itself off of the roof, hovering in the air. "Let's see how well you handle this," the mage called out before he sent the a/c unit flying towards Steel.
Much to Shayera's surprise, Steel drew his hammer back and then threw it at the incoming a/c unit. It flipped end over end until it crashed into the large metal projectile, stopping it cold in midair. The metal shell caved in from where the hammer hit it. It hovered there for a moment before dropping down to the roof.
"Return!" Steel shouted and the hammer wrenched itself free, sailing back to the hero's outstretched hand, catching it with ease.
Faust blinked his eyes at this. "That was unexpected," he commented. He then held out both of his hands, two more a/c units tearing themselves free from their bases. "Let's see if you can handle two."
He then swung his arms forward, sending the a/c units flying towards the steel-encased hero. Steel just watched them close in on him before he suddenly took flight, shooting up into the air as rocket boosters erupted beneath hsi feet. This allowed him to dodge the a/c units, which soared over the edge of the building and then dropped to the ground below.
"I'm just full of surprises!" Steel called out as he drew his arm back again, readying to throw the hammer.
Faust then held his hand out towards the hero. "Auget gravitas!" he cried out.
A dark purple aura surrounded Steel, then he suddenly fell down through the air, crying out in surprise. He landed hard on the roof, causing it to splinter and crack at the impact site.
Having seen enough of this, Shayera went charging towards Faust, her mace drawn back. As Steel held himself up on his hands and knees, the mage kept his hand pointed towards him, forming another fireball. "Haaaaaaaa!" the winged woman shouted, drawing his attention to her.
Realizing she was coming for him, Faust switched his target to her and fired his magical attack. With a swing of her mace, she dispelled the fire, a puff of smoke left in its wake. Faust's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could react, Shayera rammed into him with her shoulder, sending him flying backwards through the air. He cried out as he flew, landing hard on his back on the roof.
The redhead allowed her momentum to carry her forward, landing right next to the man. Kneeling down, she held the head of her mace up to his face, daring him to try something else.
"I...forgot..." the man gasped out. Apparently he wasn't used to getting hit. "Your mace...is immune...to me…"
"You would think that would be something you wouldn't forget," Shayera told him. "Bad choice on your part."
Faust blinked his eyes slowly. "An error on my part...to challenge you."
"Yeah, I would say that was a pretty big error."
"No matter."
Faust moved a hand up, reaching out to grab her. Shayera wasn't sure what he was trying to do, but she imagined there was some sort of spell that would harm her if he grabbed her. So she jerked her mace towards it, smacking the hand with the spiked head. Because of her superior Thanagarian strength, it hit harder than if she had used normal human strength.
The result was instant. Faust cried out as his hand slapped down onto the ground. He rolled onto his side so that he could grasp the wrist of his injured hand with his other, whimpering as he laid there. "I'm pretty certain I broke a bone there," Shayera remarked as she once again held her mace close to the mage's face. "Try that again and I'll break something else."
Hissing through the pain he surely felt, Faust glared at her from the corner of his eye. "Don't you think this is over. I—"
Electricity danced over the head of her mace and one of the bolts zapped the man on the forehead. Faust's body jolted, flopping once like a fish before settling down. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head as he laid there unconscious.
What Shayera wanted to do was bash his head in, but she had an audience, so restraint was needed. Not to mention this Faust hadn't given her all that much trouble to where she could have "accidentally" hit him harder than was necessary. No, this would do for now.
The darkness was all-consuming. It was numbing, omnipresent, and endless.
John struggled, kicking his arms and legs, but having no success. He hadn't experienced something like this ever, so every second he was trapped was another second driving up his anxiety. He wanted out, needed out. He needed to get out of this!
But nothing worked. No matter how much he struggled and fought, he just couldn't free himself. Then came the thoughts. Depressing, overbearing thoughts, that everything he did was in vain, that he would die here in darkness assaulted him.
No, no he wouldn't. He was a Green Lantern, a man of will. If he wanted out, he would get out. Will was the source of his power, so all he had to do was use it and make it so.
A long time ago, he had been told by one of his many instructors that there would come times that tested him beyond his limits. Times that would make him second guess and doubt himself. If he were to ever come to such a moment, there was one way to reaffirm himself.
"In brightest day," he began to chant, the familiar feeling of his power welling up within him. "In blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight." His aura began to glow brightly, the lantern symbol on his ring becoming more and more noticeable. "Let those who worship evil's might beware my power!"
He then thrust his ring up above his head.
"Green Lantern's light!"
An incredible light erupted out of his ring, a beacon for all to see. The darkness shrieked and retreated, but it could not flee faster. The light of his ring ripped apart the darkness, revealing the art gallery around him, a startled Shade staring at him in awe.
John then thrust his ring towards the man and a bright green beam fired at him. Midway between them, the light formed a battering ram construct, one that slammed right into Shade, causing him to cry out as he was sent flying backwards through the air. He crashed through an art exhibit, shattering it into pieces before he hit the wall behind it. He smashed into the wall so hard that it too gave way and Shade burst through it, leaving a hole in his wake.
Allowing his construct to fade away, John took to flight and flew through the hole, finding Shade laying sprawled on the floor, debris littering the floor as well as the remains of another damaged art exhibit. The thin man groaned before he lifted his head up, stiffening upon spotting the Lantern.
Desperately, he flung up his cane and fired out his shadows. John just held his ring hand up and multiple beams of light flowed out. They looked like the rays of a green sun spilling through a window, but each beam stabbed into the approaching darkness, halting its progress.
Letting out a roar, John's ring glowed before a brilliant flash erupted from it, filling the room with green light. It ate up the darkness until it was all gone.
Then in a flash, John fired another beam, this one thin and fast. It struck Shade's hand, knocking his cane out of his grasp. The cane went bouncing across the floor, far out of reach.
In that instance, the Lantern pounced, closing the distance between him and the Shade. Planting his feet on either side of the man, he grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him up, only so that he could punch him in the face. Shade's head snapped to one side from the blow, spit flying out of his mouth, mingled with blood. John backhanded him with the same fist, only to punch him again.
"Stop!" Shade cried out as his hands shot up and grabbed onto the wrist of the hand grasping his shirt. "I give! I give!"
John slammed his fist into the man's face again. "No, that's not how this works," he growled before he pulled his fist back. Letting go of Shade's shirt, he was quick to grab him by his throat, causing him to gag. From his ring, a construct formed, a cruel-looking sword appearing.
"This time, you won't use the justice system to get away," he continued. "I'm putting an end to you—permanently."
He could feel Shade's hands trying to pull on him, but he didn't have the strength, or the power to do anything. Without further preamble, John drove his sword construct towards his foe's chest.
Only for a red blur to pass right by his face and Shade was suddenly nowhere to be found.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
John snapped his head to one side. Standing by a doorway was the Flash, kneeling on the ground next to the Shade. The thin man was actually clutching at the speedster, fear in his eyes for the Lantern. As for Flash, he looked ready to blow a gasket as anger twisted his face.
"Flash, it's not what it looks like—" John began.
"Then what do you call that freaking sword!" Flash cried out.
John looked to the construct before allowing it to fade away. "I know it looks bad," he continued as if he weren't interrupted, "but what I was doing was necessary."
"Looks bad?" Flash repeated. "You looked like you were about to kill the Shade here! How can it not look any worse!"
"That's because he was!" Shade agreed.
"Shut it!" the Green Lantern roared back. "This doesn't concern you!"
"Seriously, GL, what the fuck?!" Flash responded. "First Girder, now Shade? What's happening to you, man?"
John had to tighten his hands into fists. He hadn't done anything that he hadn't done before. It was just bad timing that Flash had arrived when he had, worst that he actually saved scum like the Shade. "Nothing is happening to me," he said lowly. "I'm just getting tired of fighting the same people who clearly haven't learned to not be criminals."
Flash slowly nodded as if he understood that. It gave him some hope for his young friend. "I can get that, I guess, but that doesn't mean we kill people just because we want to. That would make us no better than them."
"So we just let people like Shade keep hurting people because we won't make the hard choice?" John pressed. "Because that's all that's happened! We arrest them! They go to jail; they break out; they hurt more people. It's an endless cycle and at some point you have to say no more!"
Flash stared at him. For once in his life, he was silent, dumbstruck. Then in a flash, he was gone, the Shade with him. That left John to stand in the damaged art gallery alone.
Damn it.
The Quad scene is actually based off a place I went to college. There was a free-speech zone and everything, though the statue was of two bucking horses instead of the bulls. And people took advantage of it too. You had your usual political groups and their topic Dejour, that one guy with the Free Hugs sign, and even a preacher that preached fire and brimstone and everyone was going to Hell kind of stuff. You only hear about that stuff until it's right there in your face.