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.
GREEN LANTERN:DCF #8
"Fires of Hope"
Written by David Lee
Edited by Jason Tippitt
NorAm: New Coast City, School District
Mrs. Gertrude Malcolmsen couldn't possibly conceive of any profession more boring and less rewarding than teaching. For nearly twenty years, she'd been teaching third grade at New Coast Elementary, slaving away from day to day so that other people's children could grow up to be something less than completely ignorant. Which is to say, only dull and mostly ignorant like their parents. Sighing despondently at her own fate, she nonetheless made an effort to sound animated as she made an announcement to the class.
"Today, we have a special assignment from the mayor herself!" exclaimed Mrs. Malcolmsen, smiling and clapping her hands. The smile was obviously forced, the clapping was a bit too vigorous, and the children reacted with moans of disapproval. They had no idea what this special assignment was all about, but they already had more than sufficient reason to believe that they wouldn't like it. Ignoring their reaction, their teacher prattled on.
"Her honor, the mayor, would like your help trying to choose a phrase by which New Coast City will be called," said Mrs. Malcolmsen, hoping that her false giddiness would rub off onto the class. It didn't, but as usual, this caused her little dismay. "For example, Paris is known as the City of Lights, and Metropolis is referred to as the City of Tomorrow. Every student in school has been asked to help think of something similar for New Coast City, a phrase that describes how you see this city and how you feel about living here. I'm sure you'll all come up with some truly wonderful ideas."
Sullenly, some of the children turned their gazes to the clock on the wall and saw that it was just past two in the afternoon. In less than an hour, they'd be free to return home, meaning that this was most likely the last assignment of the day. And that, at least, brought some cheer to their otherwise unhappy faces.
Equally eager to be done with the work day and return home, Mrs. Malcolmsen turned to the window, signaling for the classroom computer to transmute it from opaque to clear. She did this often to temporarily escape the drudgery of teaching, even if only for a moment. Indeed, there were some days that she actually wished that terrorists or super villains would return to destroy New Coast City, or at least the school, just to put an end to what she thought of as an unjust penance that had been forced upon her. And as the view became clear, she gasped at the sight of a city in flames, and the spectacle of multiple armored figures hurtling through the sky directly toward them.
"THIS IS LANI LING, REPORTING FOR KNCC NEWS. THE BATTLE BETWEEN PATRIOT AND JUSTICE LEAGUE FORCES CONTINUES UNABATED AS PATRIOT TERRORISTS BREAK THROUGH THE JUSTICE LEAGUE PERIMETER FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. UNABLE TO CONTAIN THE TERRORISTS, THE JUSTICE LEAGUE IS SCRAMBLING TO REORGANIZE THEIR COUNTERATTACK."
NorAm: New Coast City, School District
Martin Ulster cut his thrusters just short of the school window, allowing his momentum to carry him forward into a somersault that served to slow his descent as he crashed through it. Luckily, the teacher and students had already huddled together in the back of their classroom, well shy of the broken shards of glass. Making his way to the classroom's fire alarm, Martin banged on it with his fist, putting the entire school on alert, and seconds later, blast doors came crashing down to seal the building.
"No need to be frightened, kids," Martin said, removing his helmet, hoping that the sight of his face would make the children less nervous in his presence. "The city is currently undergoing a minor emergency, but it's nothing that the Justice League and your local firefighters can't handle. Please remain calm."
At that very moment, the sound of an energy blast could be heard reverberating against the school's blast shields, which were slowly beginning to glow red from the superheated microwaves of the Firefly armor. Martin rapidly punched some buttons on his armor's sleeve, commanding a freezing blast of carbon dioxide to project from his fingertips, somewhat countering the effect, but he knew it wouldn't hold.
"Alright, I want everyone to form two straight lines and head to the cafeteria," said Martin, his concentration focused on the melting blast doors. A command code locked him into the school's public address system, projecting his voice into every classroom in the school. "No running, no shouting. Everything's going to be all right."
Without further ado, Mrs. Malcolmsen led her students as directed. In short order, everyone was out of the classroom and headed for the safety of the central portion of the building, joined by students from all the other classes. Mrs. Malcolmsen was the first to leave, and Martin was the last. In fact, he exited the room just as a grenade brought down what remained of the blast doors, but not before Martin managed to seal the classroom's front door shut using his quick-hardening fire foam.
Nodding appreciatively as the students made it to safety, Martin busied himself by sealing every remaining door on the way to the cafeteria. And once he received confirmation that all of the students had been accounted for, he sealed that one shut as well.
"What is going on out there?" asked Principal Conrad, just loud enough to upset the nearest students and teachers. More of an administrator than a teacher, Conrad didn't understand that they relied upon him to feel safe in these most extraordinary circumstances.
"Please calm yourself," said Martin, smiling for the children and leaning in to whisper into Conrad's ear. "It doesn't help to panic. A Patriot cell calling themselves the Firefly Force are attacking the city. They are currently engaged in a pitched battle against the Justice League, and one unit is attacking this school. Try to relax and trust that the Justice League can handle this situation."
"My God, we're all going to..."
"No, we are not!" exclaimed Martin, cutting off the principal before he could say anything that might further alarm the children. "Everything is going to be all right. The situation is well-in-hand."
NorAm: New Coast City, Downtown
"What do we do? What do we do?"
This was not the Justice League's shining hour. The discipline of the ground forces was beginning to fail, and the troops were beginning to become more than just restless and less than valiant. Their opponents' advanced sensors made smoke grenades and blinding tactics useless, such that they only served to wreak more havoc upon their own forces. Confronted with a situation where shooting first and asking questions later wasn't an option, the Justice League was practically at a complete loss.
"If this keeps up much longer, we're going to end up losing," said Beckett, looking to Particle Man to take charge of the situation once again. "Got any ideas?"
"Only one," Particle Man said, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder and looking him in the eye, making it clear that it was up to him.
"No way! You know I don't like to..."
"I'm sorry, but we don't have many other options," said Particle Man, who hated having to order his friend to do this horrible thing. Aside from his technological genius, Beckett Baker also possessed superhuman powers, namely the ability to telepathically command and communicate with insect life. However, when this same power was attempted on higher orders of life, such as human beings, it didn't operate as a method of communication. Instead, it shut down their minds and attacked their cerebral cortexes, often causing seizures and triggering aneurysms. And more often than not, it was fatal. "I need you to do this."
Beckett preferred to think of his abilities as a wondrous tool for communication and understanding, rather than as a lethal weapon against which most opponents were completely defenseless. But looking at the havoc being wreaked all around him, he realized that this might be the only way left to take down their opponents without destroying the city...
"Right. I guess Bugmaster Blue is back in action," Beckett said, scanning the skies for Firefly One, the leader of this Patriot cell. Focusing his energies, he concentrated his thoughts into a narrow, tunneling beam directed at his chosen opponent. Nearby spectators could see a visible distortion of the air although the effect was otherwise invisible. It hammered into Garfield full-force, and Beckett expected to see his target start convulsing immediately, but there was no reaction at all.
"Grife!" exclaimed Beckett, an expression of awe on his features. "That armor has psychic shielding. Do you have any idea what level of technology it takes to create an effective psychic barrier against that level of onslaught? Where did they get their hands on this armor?"
Particle Man could only stare on in disbelief. All around him, civilians and Leaguers both were ducking for cover. Something had to be done, but what? "I wish I knew, and that was the best idea I had."
"Then you'd better come up with something else fast. Time is running out."
NorAM: New Coast City, Downtown [Firefly Command Post]
Firefly One hovered majestically above the battle scene, glorying in his achievement. His plan had been simple, to wreak as much havoc as possible, individually take down as members of the League as he was able, and get as much of it holovized on the news as he could manage before destroying the entire city.
"So far, so good," said Garfield, smiling down upon the city that would soon fall at his hands. His forces already had the Justice League effectively neutralized, and very soon, he would have an entire elementary school full of hostages to draw more media attention. "Now, I think it's time to start demolishing a few living icons."
With complete disdain for the lives of the innocents below, Garfield flew directly towards the Justice League command post. Firing a continuous blast of microwave heat beneath him as he went, he left a 10-foot-wide stream of bubbling, molten asphalt on the asphalt below to mark his passing.
"Particle Man!" bellowed Garfield, letting loose a few wild blasts at nearby buildings to draw more attention to himself. When no immediate response was forthcoming, he blasted the nearest JL trooper, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash and bone. Sergeant Herschel Mills would not be returning home this evening. His family would mourn his passing, and his comrades would drink to his memory, assuming that anyone in New Coast City survived this battle. "Come out and face me! It's time for the generals to do battle with each other!"
Garfield raised his hand to blast another JL trooper into dust, but his beam was intercepted by the charged particle field surrounding Bryan Starr's body.
"Have at thee, villain!"
NorAM: New Coast City, Downtown [The Battlefield]
"Have at thee, villain? Not exactly the way I'd go about building confidence in the troops," Killer Frost said, snuffing out his cigarette by freezing it into a shard of ice, allowing it to crumble like snow.
"Then don't ye think you should be gettin' in there and lendin' a hand, boyo?" queried Mulligan, addressing him over the comm. "Bloody hell, ye've got cold powers! Freaking cold powers! Get off your duff, ye lazy son of a..."
"Sticks and stones, mate," answered Frost, barely fazed by the tirade. As a former teacher, he was already more than accustomed to such outbursts. "I'm here as an observer only. And that's minus two points for disrespecting a superior officer."
"But people are dying!" Mulligan exclaimed, forming his hands into fists. "I can't believe ye won't even raise a finger, ye thieving English..."
"Well, it's not like I got into this business to be popular, now is it?" Frost stated, smiling all the while. It was a rhetorical question, one meant to make clear exactly how little this tirade of insults fazed him. After all, it came with the job. In fact, his skin was so thick that only the most incredibly brutal and insulting barbs had any influence on him anymore.
"Why, ye lazy, good-for-nothing wannabe ORBITAL reject..."
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
NorAm: New Coast City, School District
"Have at thee, villain? That doesn't sound right at all. Where's the authoritative bellow? And what about the overdramatic posturing?" asked Juan Ramirez, monitoring the battle on the fire engine's holovid screen. Standing up, he mimicked Particle Man's utterance with his own variation, using a sing-song voice, pointing heroically at the horizon, and jutting out his chin. "Have at thee, villain!"
"So what TwenCen TV hep-cat was that supposed to be?" asked Kerouac Jackson, the pilot of the Anne-Marie Godwin. "Sounds like the little Martian dude with the ray gun and the janitor's helmet. Dig?"
"What? Can't you tell the difference between Marvin the Martian and Dudley Do-Right?" Juan asked, incredulously. He quickly strapped himself back into his seat as Kerouac took the Godwin on a series of hairpin turns and loops, running circles around the suddenly disoriented Firefly terrorists and moving to intercept the fire being directed against the Leaguers in their care. "What kind of culture-less society have we become?"
As for the two Justice Leaguers in question, they could only watch in disbelief as the clunky-looking fire engine managed aerobatic feats that should have been impossible even for a fighter jet.
"That pilot's either totally daft or bloody brilliant!" Mulligan exclaimed, using his shillelagh to slow the advance of a pair of Fireflies by setting off an explosion in front of them.
"Or both!" agreed Saracen, leaping into the air in a twisting vault that allowed him to get one of the Fireflies in a choke hold. Using his hands, he crushed the helmet's visor, effectively blinding him, and sent him careening off into the distance away from the school.
All around them, they could see civilians too frightened to move, having taken cover behind or beneath whatever structures were at hand. But it was only a matter of time before people started getting hurt, and even the Justice League wouldn't be able to prevent it forever, if at all.
"THIS IS LANI LING, REPORTING FOR KNCC NEWS. THINGS LOOK GRIM IN NEW COAST CITY AS THE PATRIOT TERRORIST FACTION KNOWN AS THE FIREFLY FORCE CONTINUES TO PRESS ITS ATTACK. IN THE HEART OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICT, PARTICLE MAN IS SQUARING OFF AGAINST FIREFLY ONE, WHILE THE REST OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE IS SCRAMBLING TO KEEP THE REST OF THE FIREFLY FORCE CONTAINED. UNFORTUNATELY, A FULL SQUADRON OF TERRORISTS HAS ALREADY BROKEN THROUGH THEIR PERIMETER, HEADED DIRECTLY FOR NEW COAST ELEMENTARY WITH ONLY TWO JUSTICE LEAGUERS STANDING IN THEIR WAY. HOW LONG CAN THEY POSSIBLY HOLD ON AGAINST SUCH OVERWHELMING ODDS?"
NorAm: New Coast City, Downtown
Sarah Conklin raced towards the Justice League command post, desperate for assistance. Frantic, she physically tried to force her way past the JL trooper struggling to block her, pounding on his chest with her clenched fists. "Please, you have to do something! Didn't you hear the broadcast? They're attacking the school! My son is in that school!"
"Is there a problem here?" Beckett asked, motioning for the trooper to let her pass. "Bugmaster Blue, ma'am. How may I be of assistance?"
Sarah did her best to regain both her breath and her composure. She was wrapped in a medical services blanket, marking her as one already touched by the chaos erupting all around them. The firefighters were doing their best, but for each person they rescued unharmed, two more were injured. Or even killed.
"It's my son. Please, he's a student at New Coast Elementary. It's being attacked!" Sarah exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "He's only eight years old... they're only children... please, just give them what they want!"
Beckett could only stand there, helplessly. He didn't want to shatter her hopes, but neither did he want to make any false promises. The Justice League's protocols didn't allow for negotiations with Patriot under any circumstances, and their main priority remained bringing down the enemy leader. In the distance, he could see Siren and Rainbow struggling to disable rather than kill a small group of Fireflies while firefighters scrambled to protect citizens from the hail of falling debris that was the byproduct of their battle.
"I'm sorry. We're doing everything we can to bring this conflict to an end as soon as possible," said Beckett, looking into Sarah's eyes just as the handbook recommended, in hopes that his words would seem more sincere. "Try to remain calm. That's the best way for you to help both the League and your son."
Beckett made a hand motion in the air, and the nearest JL trooper came to lead Sarah away, back to the underground safe zone that had been hastily thrown together. He watched her walk away, tears flowing freely. Unable to stand the spectacle, he turned his face away to see one of the firefighters hovering before him.
"And who are you?"
"Deputy Chief Hal Kalmaku, New Coast Central," Hal said, proffering a casual salute for formality's sake. "Don't you think we should stop all the lying and start facing up to reality?"
"And what reality might that be? Do you know something that I don't know?" asked Beckett, not used to being questioned by a subordinate.
"What do I know? I know that my people can't possibly keep up with these hazards. I know that my man, Redfoot, has personally carried over twenty injured people to safety while your troopers just stood around and watched. I know that my man Hartley has footage of your people dealing with panicked civilians by stunning them into unconsciousness. Things have got to change. This has got to stop."
"Look, my people are just as stressed as yours," said Beckett, who was in fact somewhat appalled by what he'd been told. He'd been too busy trying to find a weakness in the enemy's armor to pay much attention to what had been happening in the background. "What you don't know is that Firefly One's armor is rigged to explode. If we try to take him out directly, it could destroy the entire city, and if we take out too many of his men, it could happen, anyway. We're limited to doing our best to just hold them back, and we're doing the best we can."
"And failing," Hal said, landing in front of the Leaguer and removing his helmet. He tried to get his point across more clearly by looking him in the eyes, just as the handbook directed. "Let's face it. You're not trained or equipped for this. All your men have are weapons designed for killing, and all they're trained for is taking people out."
"And I suppose you have a better idea that's going to solve all of our problems?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," said Hal, putting his helmet back on. He didn't have time to waste. "Have your people and mine switch places."
"What?"
"You heard me. My people are highly-trained in the use of equipment specifically designed to fight fires. Your people outnumber mine three to one, and they can do more good getting the civilians to safety and shielding them from harm," Hal said, adjusting his comm. "You hear that, people?"
The Justice League saving lives? Beckett was just about to countermand the firefighter's order when he took a moment to truly consider it. The Firefly Force would never see it coming, and in point of fact, the tactic had a high probability of success.
"All Justice League units, this is Bugmaster Blue. Change of directive. Cease and desist all combat operations. Begin rescue operations! Repeat..."
"New Coast Central, this is DC. Change of orders. Cease and desist rescue operations and begin holding maneuver against hostiles..."
NorAm: New Coast City, Financial District
Philip Conklin rushed through the streets, desperate to find his family. He'd thought they'd be safer here, far away from Gotham. He'd thought that the job at Ferris Aerospace had been a fantastic opportunity to escape the overwhelming mayhem, and he despaired at how horribly wrong he'd been.
"Sarah! Charlotte!" he screamed through cupped hands, knowing that his voice would barely be audible over the explosions and energy fire. Indeed, the cacophony was such that he didn't even notice the beam of microwave heat headed his way until the very last second.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered, closing his eyes to prepare himself for death, an excruciating death that never came. He opened his eyes to see a protective barrier surrounding him, a complex amalgam of harmonics designed to deflect and diffract energies directed against it. "Who...? How...?"
"Siren, at your service," Agnes said, a beaming smile on her face. She'd never really had the opportunity to go out and save lives before, but she was quickly learning to love it. "Don't worry. You'll be safe now."
"Please, I have to find my wife and daughter," Philip said, brushing his hand against the barrier. It was solid yet vibrant. "My little Charlotte must be so frightened..."
"Charlotte? Charlotte Conklin?" asked Siren, going over the names of all citizens currently accounted for in the safe zone on her heads-up display. "We've already got her, along with your wife Sarah. They're fine."
"Oh, thank God..."
"Glad to be of service," said Agnes, motioning for a pair of JL troopers to assist her, positioning their riot shields protectively around Mr. Conklin. "These troopers will take you to them. Have a nice day."
NorAM: New Coast City, Downtown
Herman Gerber readjusted the sensors in his Firefly armor, trying to compensate for the feedback being generated by the Leaguer called Rainbow. She wasn't bad to look at, and it would be a shame to have to kill her. Still, a terrorist had to do what a terrorist had to do. As soon as his systems were completely back online, he tried to reacquire his target. Scanning the streets below, he came across two civilians, a man and a woman huddled together for comfort.
"Well, look what we have here," Gerber said, extending his right arm to blast the pair into ash. He doubted that Rainbow would feel any remorse at all for two minor deaths she couldn't prevent, but it was worth a try. Humming with power, the armor released a searing beam of microwave heat, and had it not been for the timely intervention of Rainbow, they would surely have been no more.
Traveling at something approaching the speed of light, a feat that she could only manage for short distances, Caitlin interposed her own body between Gerber's beam and his intended targets. The protective bubble of light surrounding her body took the brunt of the damage, but he still managed to singe her costumed body armor. "Get them out of here!" Caitlin yelled, the nearest JL troopers rushing to their aid, guns holstered and shields at the ready. She was about to brace herself for a second blast when another armored figure entered the scene, taking a defensive position in front of her.
"What the...?" began a stunned Gerber. His blast struck the newcomer square in the chest, but the F-2000 battle suit wasn't even so much as scratched. He was about to send another volley when the firefighter rushed forward to clip him in the knees, sending the Firefly spinning head over heels into the nearest building.
"Thanks for the assist," Caitlin said, offering the firefighter a salute. "You may have just saved my life."
"Just part of the job, ma'am," replied Cameron Redfoot, returning the salute. "Frankly, it's what I love most about what's otherwise the worst job in the world."
"I'm beginning to understand the feeling," said Caitlin, thinking of the two civilians whose lives she herself had just helped save.
NorAm: New Coast City, Central Park
Rosalind Crandall let loose another blast of microwave heat at the park below, and yet another tree burst into flames. Laughing maniacally, she continued her rampage, moving on to willow after willow, oak after oak. She loved explosions, but she loved the feeling of power that arose from a destructive spree even more. Chaos! Mayhem! For her, it was music. It was art.
Below her, civilians scrambled for cover to avoid the hail of burning wood, knowing that they could do nothing should the mad assailant above them choose to target them directly. They were like ants scurrying for their anthills, and her armor was like the most powerful magnifying glass in the world. She was about to continue her mindless assault on a certain female reporter racing by below when she suddenly felt a tapping upon her right shoulder.
"Huh...?" Crandall said quizzically, just before an armored fist knocked her some ten feet into the ground. "Who do you think you are? What do you think you're doing?"
"My name is Christine Carpenter," Chris answered, rushing in to deliver a second punch that pounded the Firefly's head into the earth. "I'm a firefighter, and I'm here to put out a fire. You."
"Chris?" Crandall asked, uncertain as to whether she'd heard the name correctly.
"Rose?" asked Chris, hardly daring to believe that she'd once called the agent of terror before her a friend. "It can't be. How could you do this? How could you harm innocents like this?"
"And how could you start kowtowing to the League?" Crandall demanded, reaching forward to grab her F-2000 by the shoulders, following with a head butt that sent her reeling.
"So what should I be doing? Randomly killing innocent people?" Chris asked, taking up a defensive posture. "That's not what Patriot is supposed to be about. I'm tired of the killing, and I won't work with people who can't find another way. I save lives now. That's what I do. That's who I am, and if that means kicking your keister all over the pavement, then so be it."
"Are you doing this because of what happened to Ian...?"
"Don't you dare!" Chris exclaimed, her stance becoming more aggressive. "Don't you dare so much as whisper his name..."
"But we're doing this in his honor!" exclaimed Crandall, powering up her weapons systems to full. "He showed us the way! We needed a symbol like the armor he created! To rally the people and strike terror into the League..."
"Ian Marshall would never have stood for any of this, and you know it!" Chris screamed, ready to take down her former comrade-in-arms. "I'm better than you. You can't beat me, and you know it."
"Why, you stuck up little..." Crandall stammered, enraged beyond belief. "You think that F-2000 can stand up to the Firefly? This thing has telepathic shielding, sensors that penetrate the most advanced cloaking devices, even the phase signatures of intangible targets! I'm state of the art! You're second-grade civil defense scrap!"
"But your only weapon is a heat ray," said Chris, her tone calm once more. "The one thing this armor does best is withstand heat. So in the end, the winner will be the better fighter. I win. You lose. And we both know it."
NorAm: New Coast City, School District
Martin watched as the children huddled together, trying to ignore the sound of the explosions. The principal had made the mistake of turning on the holos so he could view the news broadcasts, which only served to make the children more frightened. They may have been young, but they weren't stupid. Many of them had parents who worked downtown, and they were all at least aware of the possibility that they might never see their families or other loved ones again.
"Are you okay?" asked Martin, kneeling down to try and reassure some of the students in Mrs. Malcolmsen's class. With the cafeteria sealed shut, there was little else left for him to do, and to be honest, little else that he would rather be doing. To keep their minds occupied, the children had been provided with crayons and paper, and one boy was hard at work drawing a picture of a man with a green ring. "What are you drawing? What's your name? How old are you?"
"Charlie Conklin," said the boy, not looking up from his work. "I'm eight and a half, and I'm drawing the Green Lantern. He'll come save us if we really need him, and if we believe in him enough. I know."
"What makes you so certain?" asked Martin, somewhat stunned by the child's innocent declaration of trust. "What if he doesn't return?"
"But why wouldn't he?" asked Charlie, looking up at Martin for the first time. "My mom says that New Coast City is the Green Lantern's home. Why wouldn't he defend it?"
"Well, maybe he's just not sure which side he should be fighting on," said Martin, unable to keep a slight tremor out of his voice. "The world has changed a lot since last there was a Green Lantern on this planet. Maybe he's confused. Maybe he's just not sure if he should do anything at all."
"That's okay," Charlie replied, returning to his drawing. "Even if you don't know what to do, I'm sure the Green Lantern does. He doesn't have to choose sides. He just has to stop people from hurting each other, make sure that no one gets hurt. You know, do his best. Do you like it? Would you like to have it? I can always draw another one."
Charlie extended his finished drawing, which showed Green Lantern floating above New Coast City with his ring held high over his head. The ring was glowing like a green star, and people with smiling faces were spread out below him.
"Thank you, Charlie," Martin said, smiling broadly. "You know, you're a pretty smart kid."
"I know."
Martin reached out his hand to ruffle the boy's hair. A decision made, he teleported himself out of the building, leaving behind a solid energy duplicate of himself to keep from being missed. It was time for the new Green Lantern to save New Coast City.
NorAM: New Coast City, Downtown
Although the decision for the Justice League and the firefighters to switch duties had been largely successful in the main battle taking place downtown, the forces gathered outside New Coast Elementary were still outnumbered and hard-pressed. The Fireflies had quickly rallied, attacking in groups of five rather than individually, making it impossible for the beleaguered firefighters and Justice Leaguers to mount a sufficient defense.
"We can't hold these cats much longer," Kerouac said, monitoring his gauges. The Anne-Marie Godwin was almost out of firefighting foam, and her engines were more than starting to feel the strain. "Time to pray for a miracle."
Quick to oblige under grim circumstances, Juan Ramirez got down on his hands and knees, and raised folded hands over his head in supplication to a higher power. "Save us! Save us!"
"Bloody hell, someone shut that idiot up," said Mulligan, panting for breath. They'd only been defending this school for half an hour, but it had been half an hour of nonstop combat. Currently, the Fireflies had them completely pinned on one side of the building, leaving half of them free to swing around the sides of the building and find another way inside. "Damn it, we've lost. We've failed! We've..."
"No! Look!" exclaimed Saracen, pointing heavenwards. Even some of the attacking Fireflies adjusted their gazes to see what had drawn the attention of their opponents, thinking that it might be surprise reinforcements. Needless to say, they were completely unprepared for what the sight that met their eyes, what appeared to be an emerald star hurtling towards them at Mach 5, a star that left no sonic boom in its wake.
In truth, it was not a star but the head of a beam of emerald energy being directed at them, sweeping through them one by one. Upon its passing, each Firefly found himself completely encased in a prison of solid emerald energy like insects trapped in green amber. Absolutely helpless, they fell to earth with a resounding thud, and the day was saved.
Kerouac offered a salute to whoever had saved them. Mulligan and Saracen just smiled as the strange green light continued on past them, clapping each other on the back, but Juan remained on his knees, babbling on and on.
"I would also like a new girlfriend, a new hover, a promotion, a billion credits, and..."
NorAm: New Coast City, Downtown [The Battlefield]
The battle between Particle Man and Firefly One continued to rage on, the force of the blows they exchanged generating shockwaves that shattered nearby windows. It would be more reassuring to say that the battle had gone on this long only because Particle Man was holding back, but that simply wasn't true. Firefly One's armor was just significantly more powerful than those of the rest of the terrorist force.
"You've lost, Particle Man!" Garfield exclaimed, arms raised over his head in a gesture of victory. "Your firefighters have done admirably, but eventually they will tire. In time, our superior numbers will win the day! Even now, my forces gather together to attack en masse. You will soon be overwhelmed, and this entire city will lie in ashes!"
Even Particle Man could see the truth in Garfield's words. In the distance, he could see Christine Carpenter struggling against three Fireflies by herself. In another direction, he could see Rainbow and Cameron Redfoot fighting back to back against another five. They fought valiantly, but they were already starting to weaken. And he could see the truth in Garfield's words.
"Give up now, and perhaps I'll spare this city. Beg me, and perhaps I'll kill only you!" exclaimed Garfield, who began forming a bubble of microwave heat around himself, a bubble that he could extend in all directions simultaneously in the form of a pulse. The shields that the JL troopers carried would be ineffective against it, and hundreds, perhaps thousands, would die instantly. "Sacrifice yourselves, you and the other Justice Leaguers, and perhaps..."
Particle Man actually found himself considering the offer when his attention was drawn by the approach of an emerald beam of light cutting a swath through his city. No buildings or people were harmed, but each Firefly that it passed met the same fate as those who had been laying siege to New Coast Elementary. Soon they were all immobilized and made completely helpless.
"What...? How...?" Garfield stammered, uncertain what to make of this new development. In an instant, all of his people had been defeated, completely neutralized by some unseen and unknown foe. Suddenly, a brilliant green light shone from above, and reflexively, he found himself raising his arm to his eyes to shield them from the glare. And then the green light lowered itself from the heavens, diminishing in brilliance to take the form of a man. "Who are you?"
The newcomer simply hovered there, arms crossed over his chest. He wore a jet-black uniform that hugged his athletic form, the only distinguishing markings upon it being the symbol that every citizen of New Coast City recognized instantaneously - the symbol of the Green Lantern Corps, one on his left shoulder, another on the right side of his collar. And on his face, he wore the classic green mask made famous by Hal Jordan himself.
"I am the Green Lantern," said Martin, his voice echoing throughout the city. It carried authority. It inspired confidence. All was silent as Leaguers and civilians both stared up in awe at their unexpected savior. "New Coast City is my home, a home that I will defend. Surrender yourself, for you have been defeated."
Suddenly, the Firefly One armor started to hum and vibrate, its power levels beginning to overload. The solid green energy that imprisoned the rest of the Firefly Force somehow cut them off from the power supply that Firefly One's armor provided them. And with nowhere else to go, Garfield's armor would soon explode, destroying the entire city, unless Garfield hit his failsafe and neutralized it. Upon realization, a cruel and wicked smile lit up his features until Martin Ulster raised a hand. His eyes flashed with a green light, and Garfield was suddenly encased in a field of green force.
"Do not destroy yourself," said Martin, lowering his hand. "This city will not be destroyed. The only one who will be destroyed by this senseless act will be you."
Refusing to believe this warning, Garfield tested the walls of the barrier, hammering it with his fists, blasting it with the most powerful beams of microwave heat that his armor could generate, all to no avail. And with no options remaining to him but a suicide that would take no others with him, his resolve faltered. Triggering the fail safe, his armor started powering down and separating itself from his body. Collapsing into so many individual pieces, it began to glow, brighter and brighter.
Quickly, Martin separated Garfield from the remaining armor fragments, which achieved a brilliant sheen before melting into slag. He lowered Garfield to the ground, where Beckett Baker saw to his capture. All around the city, the other Fireflies found themselves released from their emerald prisons, but with no power source, they could barely even move under the weight of their armor and were quickly captured.
"I suppose I should thank you," said Particle Man, unsure of what he should do in this situation. Protocol demanded that he take unlicensed metas prisoner, especially one with powers of alien origin, but considering what he'd just seen, he wasn't even certain that was possible.
"I only wish I could have done something sooner," said Martin, his eyes slightly downcast. "I was uncertain whether I had the right or responsibility to interfere in a conflict completely internal to this planet, but I could not allow this great city to be destroyed. Coast City has already fallen once. It cannot be allowed to fall a second time."
"So you'll be around?" asked Particle Man, somewhat unnerved by the prospect. He thought back to the Green Lantern's words about New Coast City being his home and wondered what problems this might present for him as the local Justice League commander. There was every chance that he would later have no choice but to capture or kill him.
"I'll be around," said Martin, backing away and offering Particle Man a salute. Looking down upon the crowd below, he offered them a smile and a wave, and a cheer went up throughout the city, intermixed with applause. Their hero had returned. New Coast City once again had a Green Lantern, and despite the horrific violence of the day, all seemed well. Hope had been restored.
"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT. A CITY ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION, SAVED IN ITS DARKEST HOUR BY THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF ITS GREATEST HERO AND THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE AND THE VALIANT FIREFIGHTERS WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO DEFEND THIS CITY ON A DAILY BASIS. MAY WE ALL REMEMBER THIS DAY AND LEARN TO RELY UPON EACH OTHER. And MAY THE REST OF THE WORLD LEARN FROM OUR EXAMPLE. THIS IS LANI LING, REPORTING FOR KNCC NEWS."
EPILOGUE ONE
"So the test went well?" asked the dark, armored figure known as Justice. The test recently conducted in New Coast City represented a crucial step, a critical stage in his master plan. "Performance ratings were high?"
"All in all," Killer Frost answered, resisting the urge to indulge in a cigarette. "Except for the unexpected intervention of a certain emerald-clad cosmic do-gooder, everything went better than we hoped, beyond expectations."
"Excellent," Justice said, punching up the schematics for the Firefly armored battle suit on his auxiliary monitor. "Begin mass production immediately."
"As you will," answered Frost, his nervous fingers tapping against the arm of his chair. He really needed a cigarette. "Should I see to doing anything about this Green Lantern business? He could become a major thorn in your side."
"Perhaps... but do nothing," commanded Justice, ever wary. "We understand far too little about this new Green Lantern to move against him. For now."
EPILOGUE TWO
Richard Garfield could only grunt in pain as the guards at Belle Reve beat him to within an inch of his life. He had already suffered three cracked ribs and a broken rose, and bruises all over his body. The guards were both zealous and thorough, not to mention naturally inclined towards brutality.
"Think you're good enough to take on the Justice League, do you?"
"Try to blow up a city, will ya?"
Some of the words were even more brutal than the blows, but Richard Garfield couldn't hear them. The voices in his head were too loud, too insistent. They promised power and the opportunity for revenge. They offered a chance at redemption for both him and his cause.
"HELP US, RICHARD GARFIELD, AND WE WILL MAKE YOU POWERFUL. WE WILL GRANT YOU THE MEANS TO WORK YOUR WILL, TO THROW DOWN THE SHACKLES OF YOUR OPPRESSORS. YOU WILL BE OUR THUNDERER, AND WE WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY. FOR WE ARE THE QWARD..."
EPILOGUE THREE
A muscular gray figure watched the holocasts with great interest. The events of the previous week had been most enlightening. He had never understood his father's preoccupation with this insignificant planet, and in recent weeks he had noted his brother's presence as well. But in truth, this planet boasted many great warriors, among them beings of cosmic importance who could well dictate the future course of the universe.
"So, a Green Lantern walks among us yet again..."
The possibilities were endless. Where there was one Green Lantern, there existed the potential for many. Another had risen to carry on the mantle of his ancient enemy, one seemingly young and impetuous, one who could perhaps be coerced into joining him in his war against the armies of his father.
Cloaked in shadow, the third son of Darkseid smiled, his red eyes gleaming. Grayven would have an ally in his war against Apokalips. The new Green Lantern would join him or die.
"How touching that he should care so much for this marble of a planet, this speck of a city, these motes of a people..."
EPILOGUE FOUR
Juan Ramirez labored diligently in his workshop, hard at work on what would become his lifelong project. Inspired by the appearance of this new hero, he was determined to become his champion's new sidekick. After all, every great hero needed a decent sidekick, someone who would stand at his side and make him look even greater by comparison.
His fingers and face blackened with grease, Juan put the finishing touches on what he planned to call the Lanternmobile, essentially a hover-converted lowrider with lantern-shaped headlights. But the fins needed to be larger and more impressive, the color more lime green in hue.
"Don't worry, Green Lantern, your days battling the forces of evil alone will soon be over. Your little green buddy will soon be standing at your side, drawing the attention and the fire of your many enemies, giving you more free to come up with wittier comments and decent one-liners. I, Juan Ramirez, shall become... the PUNisher!"
EPILOGUE FIVE
The night nurse at the Leslie Thompson Elder Care facility in Gotham City could barely manage to keep her eyes open. Her third consecutive shift of the week, she couldn't even manage to focus on the holovision or the news broadcast currently being aired. Generally considered the least exciting assignment at the facility, monitor duty always made her sleepy, especially in this particular ward.
Dedicated to patients who required artificial assistance to survive, the ward was populated entirely by patients in a comatose state. Nothing ever happened here, and she would be hard-pressed to remember even the names of the patients. She had already been working here some eight years, but in all that time, not even a light bulb had needed replacing. Drinking her coffee, she struggled to pay attention to the global news report, currently carrying on about recent happenings in New Coast City.
"...A CITY ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION, SAVED IN ITS DARKEST HOUR BY THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF ITS GREATEST HERO..."
Her eyes widened at the sight of a Green Lantern hovering over New Coast City, his ring shining brightly with power. So many old heroes were coming back from the TwenCen. Surely, it meant something that they were all returning at the same time. Was something about to happen? Was some new calamity about to occur that required their unified presence?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, unexpected beeping related to the patient in room 301. Some lights on her console started flashing, and an alarm began to sound. Stunned, she knocked over her coffee in her haste to get to him or her. Through the window, she could see an elderly man gasping for breath, struggling with various electrodes and tubes connected to his body. His eyes were wide open, fixed upon the holovized news broadcast.
Checking his chart, she noted that he had been a patient at Leslie Thompson's for some fifty years, most of those years having been spent in a comatose state. This was the first time that his physical stats had even so much as fluctuated in all those years although brain activity had always been highly-active. Scanning the records, she searched desperately for his name and called the attending physician.
"Doctor Markinson? Emergency in Ward Six. Patient 301 just awakened from his coma. Yes, I think he reacting to something on the holo," said the nurse, trying to get her patient to relax. She was relieved to see that he was starting to calm down, that his stats were stabilizing. "No, it doesn't look like there's any immediate danger. Talk to him? Keep him calm until you get here? Of course."
He was staring at her face. He was listening to her words. Looking into his eyes, the nurse could see that they were still twitching rapidly, but beginning to focus, focus upon her.
"It's okay, Mr. Scott. You're going to be all right. You've been asleep for a long time, but that's over now. You'll see, Alan. Everything will be okay..."
EPILOGUE SIX
"I'm proud to announce that we've finally found you a new teacher," Principal Conrad announced to the third grade class at New Coast Elementary. Following the terrorist attack the previous week, their former teacher, Mrs. Malcolmsen, had promptly announced her decision to retire. Finding a replacement teacher had been more than problematic. "Some of you may even remember him from that brief disturbance we had. Please, introduce yourself."
A young man walked in, smiling and waving his hand. He was dressed casually but formally, and he seemed surprisingly nervous for a teacher, not to mention young. There was something strangely familiar about him, but the children had difficulty placing him right away. Even so, as soon as they heard his voice, they recognized him immediately as the firefighter who had come to their aid during the attack.
"Good morning, class," said Martin, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "My name is Martin Ulster, and I'm going to be your new teacher. I'm sure you all miss Mrs. Malcolmsen, but I'm hoping that you'll come to accept and trust me at least as much as you did her."
"Thank you, Mr. Ulster, I'm sure you'll do fine," said Conrad, taking his leave. "And I expect you all to be on your best behavior for Mr. Ulster. Understand?"
"Yes, Principal Conrad."
Thankful that the principal was gone, Martin punched up Mrs. Malcolmsen's lesson plan on his data pad, having decided to pick up exactly where she'd left off. Obtaining the qualifications to become a teacher had taken several days of examinations, but he'd passed them easily, and Chief Ramirez had been more than happy to approve his transferal to part-time status as a firefighter. After all, hadn't he always been saying that Martin needed to find himself a life outside of the department?
"I see that Mrs. Malcolmsen had you working on a new slogan for the city," said Martin, excited by the topic. "Well, you've had a week to think about it. Does anyone have any ideas they'd like to share?"
Hands were raised eagerly, and many suggestions were offered. New Coast City could do much worse than to be known as the 'City of Hope' or the 'City of Cities.' Even 'City of Spires' could have done the city proud. But to Martin's delight, the final decision of the class had rested with the slogan offered by Charlie Conklin, the student who had helped set him on this new path.
And he could only hope that New Coast City might forever be known as the 'City of Heroes.'
- End of GREEN LANTERN:DCF #8 -