THE DCFutures Underground Fan Fiction group acknowledges that DC Comics owns the concepts behind Green Lantern and all DC characters that may be used here. These concepts are used WITHOUT permission for NO PROFIT, but rather a strong desire to peer into the future of the DC Universe. However, the original concepts presented here are the intellectual property of the author. Quotations have been taken from the medieval poem, "THE GREENE KNIGHT," as edited by Thomas Hahn.
GREEN LANTERN:DCF #4
(Year One, Part Four)
"Green Lantern's Light"
Written by D. David Lee
Edited by Jason Tippitt
The Greene Knight his head downe layd;
Sir Gawaine, to the axe he braid
To strike with eger will;
He stroke the necke bone in twaine,
The blood burst out in everye vaine,
The head from the body fell."
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [May 2, 2112]
"First the Hubble, then the Kremlin, and finally the statue of George Bush," said Bryan, shaking his head in disapproval. "That Ian guy was a pretty busy boy."
"Agreed," answered Beckett, scratching his chin. "Still, I wonder how George Bush fits into the picture. The other targets make sense to me, but... well, you're the twencen expert. How does that figure? He was President or something, right? Of the United States?"
"George Bush?" asked Bryan rhetorically, straightening up a bit as he always did when lecturing. "Yeah, he was President, and before that, he was Vice President under Ronald Reagan. Reagan was investigated by Congress for illegally selling weapons. I forget who he sold them to. Anyway, no one even asked Bush any questions."
"They didn't?" asked Beckett, somewhat incredulous. "But you always investigate the right-hand man. I mean, that's standard operating procedure?"
"Well, you have to remember that Bush was the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency before he became Reagan's Vice President," said Bryan. "I guess he pulled a few strings and got himself off the hook, enough to avoid investigation and even get elected President afterwards."
"So you're saying they investigated a former actor instead of a former intelligence agent?" asked Beckett, causing Bryan to raise his eyebrows, somewhat impressed. "What? So I know a thing or two about the twencen," he said, smiling.
"Yeah, a lot of people say Reagan was just a puppet President, and that Bush was the one pulling his strings," said Bryan, who couldn't quite keep a look of admiration from striking his features.
"Wow!" exclaimed Beckett, noting the expression on his friend's face. "You make him sound like some kind of political mastermind."
"Are you kidding? There are a lot of people out there who think he's Justice."
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [February 1, 2112]
The squad room was filled with fresh new recruits, some nervous with anticipation and others oblivious to the tension amongst their fellows. With only a few noteworthy exceptions, the Justice League had done its best to keep the Class of 2112 together, and their first day at work was not unlike their first day at school.
"So what do you think our Squad Leader is going to be like?" asked Martin, trying to stay relaxed and look professional. "You think they'll give us anyone important?"
"Not bloody likely," said Mulligan, fighting to stay awake after a long night of partying. "Probably just some junior posterboy who's been around long enough to earn that extra button on his collar," he continued, yawning and stretching his arms.
"So you think he'll be cute?" asked Rainbow, biting her lower lip. "All the poster boys are cute, you know. I keep waiting for them to get together and form a dancing musical group. We could even call them the Poster boys!" she said with a laugh.
"Gawd, please, don't give anyone any ideas," said Siren, shuddering visibly. "Can you imagine? Hourman as lead singer? Ugh. I bet he can't even carry a note, let alone dance."
"Hmph!" exclaimed Rainbow, turning her nose up and looking away. "Fatboy would have liked my idea. He likes all of my ideas."
"Gee, I wonder why?" asked Siren, rolling her eyes and trying very hard not to notice the form-fitting tightness of Rainbow's preferred uniform. "Speaking of Fatboy, I wonder how he's doing. Anyone heard from him lately?"
"I have," said Mulligan, shaking his head ruefully. "Poor lad's got it pretty rough. Stuck with Jerusalem duty and partnered with Gunsmith. Pity him, ladies, pity all them lot."
"Why do you say that, old boy?" asked Saracen, carefully stirring milk into his morning tea. "I've always fancied visiting the holy city, and I think it a great misfortune that only unbelievers are allowed to patrol there. I, for one, would gladly trade assignments with the fortunate fellow."
Before anyone could respond, the door opened, and their new Squad Leader walked in. He was a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes, remarkably handsome, wearing a white costume with a red cape, gloves, and boots, not to mention matching underpants. Emblazoned upon his chest was a red, triangular field, within which lay a small dot and the silhouette of a human being against the backdrop of a constellation of stars.
"Good morning. My name is Bryan Starr," he said, his teeth gleaming even in the wan light of the squad room, "but you can call me Particle Man, just like the song."
Whereas most of the people in the room just exchanged puzzled looks, Siren had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle. Quite the music buff, she was the only person who got the joke. She began to wonder whether this new Squad Leader wouldn't turn out to be so bad after all.
"Don't worry about introducing yourselves," continued Bryan, pacing the room as he'd seen Hourman do many a time while delivering a speech in this very same room. "I've already gone over your dossiers, and I know you better than you know yourselves. Just remember everything you were taught and do what I tell you, and you'll all do just fine. Is that clear?"
Not even giving them a chance to respond, Bryan turned away and continued his pacing. "Excellent. Our top priority will be the capture of this new Green Lantern who has recently declared war upon the Justice League, war against us. Justice believes that New Coast City will be his primary target. Any questions?"
"Why New Coast City?" asked Martin, wondering why they should be singled out. "Is this Green Lantern native to this city? Is there some reason why he would hold a grudge against us in particular?"
"Cu Chulainn, isn't it? Well, the answers to those questions are currently unavailable," said Bryan, giving him his full attention. "The identity of this terrorist has yet to be confirmed. However, Justice believes that we will be his primary target, and his beliefs are not to be questioned. Any other questions?"
"What are his abilities?" asked Beckett, curious as to what they would be up against. "Does he have any known weaknesses?"
"Bugmaster... Blue? An excellent question," began Bryan, still running that codename through his mind. "Our target appears to derive his powers from his armor. These powers appear to include flight, energy projection, and the ability to survive in the vacuum of space. His energy signature has been identified as Oan."
"Oan?" asked Mulligan in disbelief. "Are you saying this bloke actually is a Green Lantern? Grife! How are we supposed to stand against that kind of power?"
"Mulligan, is it?" asked Bryan, leveling a stare his way. "First of all, there's no reason to believe that this disturbed individual is genuinely a Green Lantern. Second, even if he is, many Green Lanterns have born a weakness to the color yellow or to wooden implements. Third, I'll brook no defeatist talk in my squadron. Is that clear?"
Martin elbowed Mulligan in the ribs before he coult retort, and Bryan pretended not to notice.
"Does this chap bear such a weakness?" asked Saracen in between sips of his tea. "Not to sound defeatist, but the prospect of facing a Green Lantern would be much less daunting if such a weakness could be confirmed."
"Unfortunately, there has been no opportunity to field test any of these hypotheses," said Bryan, who secretly shared their concerns. "Still, it is believed that if the target's armor can be damaged, then his powers will also be disrupted. Any more questions?"
"Most of this info can be found in the database, right?" asked Siren, looking somewhat disappointed.
"Well... yes. Yes, it is," admitted Bryan, his confidence shaking just a bit. "Why don't you download them and get them memorized while I go check in with command," he said, leaving. Once he was gone, conversation continued behind his back.
"Putz?" asked Siren, thoroughly disgusted that someone cultured enough to remember one of her favorite Nouveaux Romantic bands could be so wooden in personality.
"Yeah, but a cute putz," answered Rainbow, who grinned at her friend Siren in the most annoying fashion possible. Luckily for her, they were best friends, and Siren had learned long ago to expect such statements. "Maybe he'll lighten up on us after a while."
"Yeah, maybe..." said Mulligan, who had an 'I told you so' look plastered on his face. "Maybe once they finally remove that stick from his..."
"What's important is that he's our commanding officer, and that he deserves a certain amount of respect," said Martin, interrupting before Mulligan could complete his sentence. "So what are we going to call him behind his back?"
"Posterboy?" asked Beckett, looking from face to face and seeing no disagreement. "Then Posterboy it is," he finished, raising his hand to high five all of his friends.
"Posterboy, it is!" they all yelled in unison.
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [May 2, 2112]
"Posterboy?" asked Bryan incredulously. "Posterboy?"
Beckett looked his friend in the eyes and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. At a loss for words, he tried to offer an apology, but suddenly found that he could not keep a straight face and burst into a helpless fit of snickering. "I'm sorry..." he said, laughing uncontrollably.
"Stick? Putz?" continued Bryan, not quite able to grasp the concept that he'd never had the complete respect of his team. He stuttered a bit until he finally grasped a concept that he could accept. "Rainbow thinks I'm cute?"
NorAm: Canada, Patriot HQ [February 11, 2112]
"So do you think he'll really show?" asked Chris, excitement and anticipation evident in her tone. The new Green Lantern had contacted their branch of Patriot and arranged a meeting. Somehow, he already knew where their headquarters was located, which alarmed everyone, but the offer of an alliance between them had been too tempting to ignore.
"I don't know," said Ian, looking around at all the snipers that had been stationed. "He's got to know that we're going to be nervous and take precautions. Yellow lasers? Wooden arrows? I see we're not taking any chances."
"It just seems too good to be true," said Chris, squeezing Ian's hand. "Several major monuments destroyed, no response from the Justice League, and no innocent bystanders even so much as scratched. In just two weeks, he's accomplished more than we have in years. For someone who's declared war, his goal would seem to be peace. If he's on the level, that is."
"Do you really think he's a spy for the League?" asked Ian, trying to be nonchalant. "I mean, as you say, he's done some good, just like you said. A lot of people say his inspiration helped get that accord signed in Geneva, the one where religious leaders call for a return to autonomy and self-rule."
"And I'd be one of them," said Chris, looking at the platform where the Green Lantern was supposed to appear. "He's done more than just inspire a handful of religious, high-powered muckety mucks. He's inspired hope."
Smiling, Ian took Chris' hand in both of his before letting it go and moving off toward the platform that had been set up. She could hardly believe her eyes when he stepped onto it, wondering what he could possibly be thinking. He raised his hand and closed it into a fist, and suddenly, Ian was surrounded by a green glow in the shape of a power battery, which shrunk in on him and became a suit of armor, a suit of armor that had become very familiar of late.
"I know this may come as a shock to most of you," began Ian, the speech he'd prepared suddenly slipping his mind. "All of you know me as Ian Marshall. I've been working with you for many years now, and I believe in what we're doing, just not how we're doing it. Too many lives are lost unnecessarily. Too many battles are fought for little or no gain."
A hush fell across the landing field, all of the occupants shocked by this turn of events. Some of them felt betrayed, and others found themselves wondering just what kind of man Ian Marshall truly was. Fortunately, this confusion only lasted for a few minutes. In the end, he was still the man they'd worked with for over a decade, a man they trusted almost implicitly.
"Four years ago, I went on an expedition," began Ian, raising his voice to be heard above the sudden murmuring. "I left in search of kryptonite, and I was gone for only a day," he continued, looking directly at Chris and seeing the flicker of memory and recognition. "What I found was something much more."
Stretching forth his hand, Ian caused his power battery to appear, hovering in place before his stunned audience. "An Oan power battery," he said, allowing his gaze to sweep from one end of the field to the other. "For reasons I don't understand, the fabled Guardians found me worthy and granted me the power to make right what is now so wrong."
Just as suddenly as it appeared, the power battery was gone, and Ian rose into the air, hovering before his audience, inspiring them with confidence in his power and abilities. "Will you fight with me?" he asked.
His answer was a resounding cry, erupting throughout the landing field.
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [May 2, 2112]
"And that was when it began," said Bryan, pounding his fist into his hand. "A different city each week, a new Justice League squadron each time. Cleveland. Seoul. Manila. Paris. The list goes on and on."
"Which city did he hit first?" asked Beckett, sending a querying glance his friend's way. "Cleveland? It's too bad he wasn't vulnerable to yellow or wood. That way, we might have stood a chance. We might even have stood a chance if it were us against just him, but with Patriot backup, he was almost unstoppable."
"You know, I'm still not entirely clear on how Marty managed to stop him," said Bryan, looking at his friend who had paid a very high price, indeed, in exchange for his victory.
Suddenly, Martin began to convulse again, his body shaking almost uncontrollably, causing the holo-monitor to flicker.
"Damn, he's getting worse again!" yelled Bryan, rushing to grab hold of his friend and steady him. "Grife! Do something!"
"I can't!" yelled Beckett, struggling to adjust the controls and compensate for the interference. "Another injection would be far too risky! Wait... I think I've got it..."
Still agitated, Martin's body continued to twitch, but only very slightly. Behind them, the image in the holo-monitor stabilized once more.
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [April 26, 2112]
Alarms went off throughout the compound as Justice Leaguers rushed to their stations. Many were extremely surprised, a code red having never sounded before, an alarm that only went off if the headquarters itself was under attack. At the front gate, Particle Man's squadron emerged at the gates, only to encounter a most unsettling sight.
"I come in peace, but I will fight you if you force my hand!" yelled the Green Lantern, hovering above the compound. "Surrender, or join our cause. Turn away from the injustice you truly serve or prepare to pay the price!"
His words confused many as he appeared to be alone, but there was only one appropriate response as they'd been expecting him for quite some time. "Attack!"
Cannons mounted upon the JL HQ's battlements fired upon the solitary figure, bouncing harmlessly off the emerald force field that protected him. Still, the blasts forced Green Lantern to drop the cloak of invisibility protecting his Patriot allies, who could now be seen surrounding the compound on all sides.
"Fire!" yelled Chris in her Mark IV mecha, bringing her own weapons to bear. A few well-placed missiles reduced the JL HQ's gun turrets to rubble. The heavy weapons disabled, a pitched battle ensued between the Patriot forces and the JL security forces while Particle Man's squadron engaged Green Lantern directly.
Soaring into the air, Particle Man led the attack, flying into Green Lantern's force field at ramming speed. He collided with significant force, but insignificant results, bouncing off to place a large dent in the compound's outer wall. "His force field's too powerful!" he yelled, hoping to mobilize his squadron into concerted action. "You have to combine your powers!"
"Right!" yelled Rainbow and Siren in unison, unleashing their powers against the enemy hovering above them. Rainbow projected a stream of yellow radiance against her target while Siren joined in with her sonic buster, the combined force of which was enough to punch through the strongest of titanium alloys. Against Green Lantern's force field, the effect was minimal although he was beginning to show signs of strain.
"C'mon, lads, let's help the ladies out!" yelled Mulligan, raising his shillelagh to draw in as much of the Green Lantern's energy as he could. Cu Chulainn joined in by raising his spear and firing a series of electrical blasts that further weakened Green Lantern's shielding. Finally, Saracen raised his weapon, an enchanted throwing blade with five points, which he hurled into that same shielding, shattering it before returning to his hand, whereupon the emerald defender was struck simultaneously by multiple energy discharges.
"No!" yelled Chris, using her mecha's arm to sweep away the JL security personnel standing between her and the epic battle taking place. Pointing her arm, she launched the mecha's fist directly at Cu Chulainn, knocking him to the ground and causing his spear to explode. Bugmaster Blue responded by sending a mental blast her way, causing Chris to scream in agony before knocking her unconscious.
"Chris?" asked Green Lantern, staring dumbfound down upon his fallen friend. Enraged, he struck out against the Justice League with renewed vigor. "If you've hurt her, I'll make you pay!" he yelled, sending a lance of emerald energy arcing at Bugmaster Blue. Just before impact, it formed into a hammer, knocking him unconscious and breaking a few bones, but not killing him.
"Not bloody likely!" yelled Mulligan, triggering his power to reverse the flow of time and rushing forward to knock his friend out of the way of the blast, unfortunately becoming the target of that blast himself.
Seeing two of his squadron down, Particle Man flew at Green Lantern yet again, moving at the speed of an electron. Indeed, he even managed to put a crack in his opponent's armor, but he knocked himself out in the process.
Trying to take advantage of the opening, Rainbow used her multi-colored light powers to form a solidified ring around Green Lantern and force him to the ground. Unfortunately, he was too strong for her, easily bursting through the bonds that she had created.
Forming a hand with his emerald energy, Green Lantern grabbed hold of Rainbow and moved her into the path of Siren's sonic attack, knocking her unconscious almost instantly, her entire nervous system fried. Stunned at what she'd done, Siren left herself completely open to attack, and she quickly became the victim of the same attack that had felled Mulligan.
Saracen rushed to Rainbow's aid, using his sorcerous abilities to heal his fallen comrade while Bugmaster Blue kept Green Lantern busy with a focused mental blast, causing him to scream in agony but not quite knocking him out. Focusing his own powers, Green Lantern somehow reversed the direction of Bugmaster Blue's attack, causing him to knock himself out.
Cu Chulainn could see that Green Lantern was still disoriented from Bugmaster Blue's mental assault and attempted to capitalize on that advantage. Looking for a weapon, he grabbed Mulligan's shillelagh and leaped toward the hovering form of Green Lantern, swinging with all his might. The sun high in the sky and Cu Chulainn's aim true, the crystal orb at the head of the shillelagh shattered against Green Lantern's armor where Particle Man had cracked it earlier, releasing the Oan energy that it had previously absorbed.
A burst of uncontrolled emerald energy spread throughout the entire compound, knocking everyone unconscious, Patriot and Justice League alike.
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [May 2, 2112]
"He's crashing!" yelled Bryan as Martin's convulsions became even more violent. Behind them, the holo-monitor actually exploded due to an overload of energy.
"Grife!" cursed Beckett, abandoning the machinery to go to Martin's side and begin administering C.P.R. "Grife! We're losing him!"
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [April 26, 2112]
The emerald energy washed over both Martin and Ian, but for some strange reason, it failed to knock either of them unconscious. Even stranger, Martin suddenly found himself hovering beside his opponent, even though the power to fly had never been his.
Ian released yet another hammer blow, this one directed at Martin. Instead of being harmed, however, Martin's body simply absorbed the energy, making him feel even stronger than he ever had before. Flying at his opponent, he responded with a series of punches that further widened the crack in Ian's armor.
"How can this be?" asked Ian, seeing that his power was of no use against his young opponent. Resorting to fisticuffs, Ian struggled to keep Martin from harming him further, but the boy was too strong, even for his powered systems. "Who are you? What are you? Why do you fight against me?"
"I'm a Justice Leaguer!" yelled Martin, pulling his hand free of Ian's and driving it through his chest plate. "That's all you need to know!"
"Don't you know that you're fighting on the wrong side?" asked Ian, gasping for breath, his mask disappearing completely, revealing him for who he really was. "You're just a kid. You don't know what I know. You haven't seen what I've seen..."
"I fight for what I believe in!" yelled Martin, grabbing at circuitry within the armor and crushing it. "I fight for a world free of anarchy!"
"You're too... young... to know what your beliefs are..." said Ian, struggling to remain conscious. "Too young to understand what you're beliefs should be... please... take some advice from an old man..."
"I already have," said Martin, pulling his hand back out of the armor and tearing circuitry and various sub-components away with it. "But the old man I'm listening to isn't you."
All of the Oan energy still contained within Ian's armor was suddenly released and absorbed by Martin's body. Ian's armor short-circuited, sending mega volts of electrical energy coursing through Ian's body and causing his heart to stop. The anti-gravity systems failed, and Ian crashed to the street below, his neck breaking as a result of the fall.
"And so it ends," said Martin, lowering himself to the ground. Unfortunately, his words did not ring true. As soon as the Oan energy from Ian was completely absorbed, he found himself besieged by the older man's memories: his past, his thoughts, his hopes and dreams.
"No!" he yelled, collapsing onto the ground. "It's too much! It's too much!"
NorAm: New Coast City, JLHQ [May 2, 2112]
Time suddenly seemed to stand still as Martin Ulster regained consciousness. Above him, his friends Bryan and Beckett were frozen in time, in the middle of life-saving procedures that were apparently being administered upon him.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Hello," responded a short blue figure with stark white hair, dressed in a red robe bearing the Green Lantern symbol. "I knew that it would take time for you to completely integrate Ian's memories, but I hadn't expected it to take quite so long. Feeling better?"
"I think so," said Martin, still trying to reconcile his own memories with those of Ian Marshall. "He was so dedicated... and we had so much in common. Fighting for a better world... trying to uphold the wishes and memories of lost loved ones."
Burying his face in his hands, Martin allowed unbidden tears to flow down his face. "Even Velocity," he continued. "Anne-Marie... I can't believe she was a double agent..."
"Indeed," said the strange alien figure, "you shared many losses. Many triumphs. Many defeats."
Suddenly aware of the bizarre nature of the situation, Martin stared at the figure addressing him, as confused as he had ever been. "Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want?"
"Can't you guess?" asked the alien figure, smiling for the first time since their conversation began. "My name is Ganthet, and I am the last surviving Guardian of the Universe. And I am here for you, Martin Ulster."
Still confused, Martin stared at Ganthet, somewhat dumbfounded. "Were you one of the spirits that appeared to Ian?" he asked.
"No, I survived. "I'm the last surviving Guardian of the Universe," he repeated, slightly irritated. "Please try to pay attention."
"I'm sorry," said Ian, not knowing what else to say.
"Very good. Now listen to what I have to say," began Ganthet, warming up to his tale. "As the sole surviving Guardian of the Universe, it has been my responsibility to ensure that a Green Lantern exists to carry on our legacy. I have neglected this responsibility since Kyle Rayner, my last charge was murdered by another who also once bore the same mantle. Since that time, I have watched as this world of yours fell into ruin."
Trying to gauge Martin's reaction to his tale and noting the look of wonder, Ganthet was pleased. Looking into his eyes, Ganthet continued his tale.
"I was not being idle but laboring hard to correct the mistakes that have been made by the Guardians in the past. How could I insure that the next Green Lantern would not die before leaving others to carry on his legacy? How could I insure that he would not become another Parallax? These questions plagued me for many years, but finally I divined their answers."
"Answers?" asked Martin, wide-eyed.
"Don't interrupt," said Ganthet, who had begun pacing. "As I was saying, I finally divined their answers. The flaw in all our past endeavors with the Green Lantern Corps was the ultimate desire of the Guardians to remain in control. We were sources of unbelievable power, but for too long, we set ourselves apart from those we had sworn to protect, denying ourselves compassion. Indeed, we denied ourselves passion of any kind."
Locked in his reverie, regret was clearly etched upon the Guardian's features.
"We created the Green Lantern Corps to free ourselves of the responsibility of protecting the universe, but we insisted on remaining in control. Instead of imbuing them with power directly, we gave them rings that could be taken away. We forced them to rely on power batteries to maintain that power, and even arbitrarily assigned a vulnerability to the color yellow, a weakness that we did not share ourselves. Kyle Rayner died because I forced him to rely upon a ring instead of imbuing him with power that could not be taken away."
Looking Martin in the eyes to emphasize, Ganthet continued.
"We recruited people from other worlds to serve because of their capacity for passion and compassion, capacities that we no longer shared, but our cardinal law was for our Green Lanterns to deny those same feelings and constantly keep them under control. Perhaps we simply found the expression of that ability to feel distressing or distasteful somehow? I can no longer say, but I can say that it was this need for control and our inability to feel compassion that resulted in our own ultimate downfall."
"When Hal Jordan became Parallax," said Martin, drawing a nod of concurrence from Ganthet.
"In our hubris, we expected him to be as devoid of compassion as we were, to obey our orders without question. And when he turned against us, we ordered our other soldiers to slay him, rather than try to understand his suffering. Jordan's intent was to gather all of Oa's power and go back in time to prevent the destruction of Coast City or any subsequent events from taking place. Perhaps if we had taken the time to explain that his plan could not work instead of merely disallowing his intent, none of that misfortune would have transpired. Still, Hal Jordan redeemed himself when he sacrificed himself to defeat the sun-eater and restore the sun."
Sighing audibly, Ganthet paused before continuing.
"But enough of the past. As I said, I finally divined the means to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again, and it's ridiculously simple. All that needs to be done is for me to relinquish control. Having made that decision, I programmed the Starheart to call someone worthy so that I could directly imbue that person with power. The man who was called was Tristan Ulster."
"My father?" asked Martin, awe registering in his voice.
"Yes," said Ganthet, raising his eyebrows to express annoyance. "Please pay attention. Once he arrived, I offered him the power of the Green Lanterns, the power to shape this very world in his image. Do you know how he responded?"
Having no idea, Martin just shook his head, unable to even guess.
"He refused," said Ganthet, giving Martin a look of amazement. "The journey to the Starheart had been long and grueling, and he'd injured himself mortally during the climb down the ice cavern, and still he refused. Having served the United Nations for too many years and betrayed it to serve Patriot too late in life, Tristan Ulster claimed that he lacked the wisdom to use such power wisely. He claimed that he could see good and evil on both sides of the conflict, that he would not know which side to fight for, but he offered me another solution."
Looking extremely impressed, Ganthet continued his tale.
"Your father suggested that I imbue a child with the Green Lantern's power at gestation, allow him to grow to adulthood, and then choose his own side, saying that he wished it could be his own son that would be given that honor," said Ganthet, smiling broadly. "Tristan Ulster had no child, had no wife, but I decided to grant his wish. Removing genetic material from his body, I caused it to gestate within the Starheart itself, maturing quickly until a perfect infant was formed. That infant was you."
"And you let him send me to be raised by my grandfather..." said Martin, trying to assimilate the information being passed to him.
"Indeed," said Ganthet, placing a hand on Martin's shoulder. "We allowed him to deliver you to your grandfather and then pulled him back to the ice cavern, where he asked me to promise that you would have the wisdom to choose where he could not. Indeed, I have watched you grow from afar, not without undue pride, but I was surprised by your induction into the Justice League at such a young age. I suddenly found myself in the unenviable position of having to figure out a way to keep my promise to your father, grant you the wisdom to understand both sides of the conflict taking place on this world."
"And that's when you dragged Ian into this..." said Martin, moaning with regret.
"Indeed," repeated Ganthet. "I ordered the Starheart to call forth a worthy member of Patriot to serve as your herald, be the man who would provide you with the experience that you lack. His memories are now yours. His experiences will guide you for the rest of your life."
"I know," said Martin, focusing his thoughts. "I can remember everything he did, all the events of his life, all his sufferings and joys. I even know everything he did about engineering and design. I can't believe I killed him..."
"Believe me when I say that Ian Marshall didn't care about dying as died for something that he believed in," said Ganthet, being as reassuring as possible for one of his kind. "His memories and experiences may be yours, but his soul has passed on. Rest assured that he is now at peace."
"Yeah, I know," said Martin, his new memories agreeing with Ganthet's pronouncement. "What happens now?"
"Now? Now, we say goodbye," said Ganthet, a peaceful look in his eyes. "Born in the Starheart, your body's cellular structure is designed to absorb and process Oan energy. For all intents and purposes, you are a living and sentient power ring in all but form. All these years, you thought your body was powered by the sun, but it was actually being powered by the Oan energy that Hal Jordan used to rekindle it. So far, your use of this power has been limited, but direct contact with that energy has awakened new abilities within you. You have only to call upon your power battery to replenish that power."
"My battery?" asked Martin, confused. "What about Ian's battery? What about all those Patriot forces who were knocked unconscious during the battle? Were they all captured?"
"You needn't concern yourself with them," said Ganthet. "I sent all of Ian's comrades back to their base in Canada before anyone on either side of the battle regained consciousness. As for Ian's power battery, I have sent it along with the Starheart into the heart of this planet's sun."
"And what about you?" asked Martin, wondering where Ganthet was going. "What will happen to you?"
"I will go to join my fellow Guardians," said Ganthet, somewhat wistfully. "My time has come to an end, and your time is just beginning. I have watched you and judged you and found you worthy. Like Arthur of fabled Camelot, you will head a new era in the universe. I will pass on to the next world, and my power will become yours."
"Like King Arthur?" asked Martin, who had always had a fondness for medieval poetry. "But I never wanted to be king. I never wanted to be anything more than a knight like Sir Gawaine..."
"And that is why you have been deemed worthy to be Merlin," said Ganthet, starting to fade from view and passing into Martin, allowing his power to merge with that of the chosen heir to his legacy. "Farewell and fare well."
EPILOGUE:
"Power battery... Ian... Ganthet..." mumbled Martin, tossing and turning a bit as his eyes opened and he bolted upright on the hover-gurney.
"Marty? Marty, are you okay?" asked Beckett, smiling as his friend regained consciousness. "He's awake! He's alright!"
"Well, it's about time," said Bryan, smiling cheerfully. "You had us worried for a minute there, bud. Nice to see you back amongst the living. Do you remember what happened?"
"I think so," said Martin, standing up and nearly losing his footing. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
"Whoa, there, buddy. Take it easy!" exclaimed Beckett, trying to help steady his friend. "You've been in a coma for three days. Don't overdo it, okay?"
"Can you help me get outside?" asked Martin, stumbling towards the door.
"Of course!" exclaimed Bryan, smacking himself in the forehead. "You need sunlight to get better! C'mon, buddy, we'll both help you out."
As they led him through the halls, word quickly spread to other members of his squadron that he was up and about.
"Marty?" asked Caitlin, rushing up to give him a hug and a kiss.
"Thank goodness you're okay, mate!" exclaimed Kieran, patting him on the back.
"Good show, old chap!" yelled Samuel, pleased to see his friend up and about.
"I was worried you wouldn't wake up..." said Agnes, hugging him as well, tears in her eyes.
"Takes more than that to keep me down," said Martin, trying to be cheerful.
Together, his friends led him outside, where the sun's rays revitalized him, making him feel better as soon as they caressed his skin. Still, it felt different somehow, and suddenly, he knew what had to be done.
"Marty, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Marty, looking at his friends' faces one by one, "but I'm going to miss you guys terribly."
Raising his hand towards the sun, Martin then spoke aloud a poem that his grandfather had started teaching him as soon as he'd learned to talk, words familiar to any resident of New Coast City.
"In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night,
No Evil Shall Escape My Sight
Let Those Who Worship Evil's Might
Beware My Power, Green Lantern's Light!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Martin's body became aglow with the power of Oa, and he rose gently into the air. Extending his hand towards his friends, he caused beams of emerald energy washed over them, altering their memories so that they would think him dead and remember him differently. In their mind's eyes, he replaced his own face with that of Ian Marshall as a young man. That same energy washed over the compound that he'd called home, rewriting records of him in all connected systems to reflect those same changes.
Knowing that his path no longer lay with his friends, Martin Ulster flew into the air and sped away, gone in the blink of an eye.
"Farewell and fare well."
Now leave wee the King in his pallace.
The Greene Knight come home is
To his owne castle.
This folke frend when he came home
What doughtye deeds he had done.
Nothing he wold them tell.
- End of GREEN LANTERN:DCF #4 -