As she soared through the clouds, her mind reminisced about the time she
spent with him here. They were joyous times indeed. They were alike in so
many ways: full of life, dedicated to duty and honor, incredibly stubborn.
Her lips pressed into a sly smile. Perhaps just perhaps...
She saw the window open. She shook her head. He had not changed a bit. How many times had she scolded him about security? It was time for another lesson.
She slipped quietly into the apartment. Stewart, busy preparing breakfast, didn't notice her entrance. She focused on the plate of food on the table and an emerald beam of energy shot from her hand bringing the plate to her.
"I see you still make a great omelet."
Taken by surprise, he whirled around dropping the rest of the eggs on the floor. He stood there mouth agape unsure of what to say.
"T-t-thanks," he finally stammered.
"Aren't you getting a late start? I thought you would be out with the rest of your friends helping with the clean up."
"So you know about the invasion."
"Yes. The Guardians sent me here to offer the Corps assistance."
"I appreciate the Guardians offer, but I think we can manage."
Katma Tui swiveled her head taking in the atmosphere. The apartment was a mess. Clothes laid strewn everywhere. The bed unmade. The wastebasket overflowed with the evidence of his junk food binge. The man himself looked even worse. His eyes were completely bloodshot. His face was a haggard mess of unshaven growth and weariness. Most notable proved to be the absence of the ring from his finger.
"Where's your ring?"
"I took it off to shower and dress my wounds. It's in the charger. I forgot about it."
She glided across the room and sat at the kitchen table. She had never seen him like this. They stared at each other trying to see which one would lead the other through the awkward maze of communication. With a gentleness she almost forgot she possessed, she broke the silence.
"Tell me about it."
Stewart closed his eyes. His jaw clenched and his hand slowly folded into a fist. He wanted to maintain control. He wanted to explode like a dying star, spewing its matter across the cosmos. He sat down across from her. With extreme effort, he released his lips and spoke in a whisper. His voice steeped in sadness and resignation.
"They had inside information, Kat. All the world's defensive capabilities and tactical systems. Plus, they had measures to counter our super- powers."
"Who would provide them with that kind of intelligence? Who would sell-out the Earth like that?
The Green Lantern dropped his head into his chest, shaking it slightly.
Katma's eyes grew wide as she put the 2 and 2 together. No wonder the man was in shambles.
"I warned you didn't I?"
Stewart remained silent.
"Didn't I tell you? I told you not to trust that little ..."
"That's enough, Kat!"
"Enough of what? The truth? It's about time that you faced the truth!"
"Stop, Kat!"
"Why, so you can continue to live in that little fantasy realm of you two being together? I got news for you, honey, it's not gonna happen!"
"Please, Katma..."
"The John Stewart I trained, the John Stewart I fought beside, the John Stewart I ..."
She got up from her chair and moved to kneel beside him. She took his face in her hand and looked into his sagging countenance. Despite his present condition, she couldn't put away all they had shared together.
"The John Stewart I cared for and still care for would never allow himself to be crushed. The John Stewart I know is too stubborn to wallow away in self-doubt or self-pity." She stroked his rough stubble. She felt the muscles in his jaw contract and release. She knew that he was fighting a war within himself. Perhaps she could offer him the comfort and joy he so desperately needed.
"John, I want you to come back with me to Oa."
He was surprised by the softness of her request. Although all woman, Katma Tui never let her femininity stand in the way of her role as a Green Lantern.
"Oa?"
"Yes, I think the change of scenery would be good for you. I've taken over the Lantern Corps Academy, and I need instructors I can trust. Ones who will do things the right way." She winked at him. "Instructors who will do things my way!"
His eyes met hers.
"Besides this would be a great opportunity for you to rekindle your love for architecture. How long has it been since you've done any drawings?"
He didn't respond.
"I thought so. The Guardians agreed to build a new training facility, so I guessed that you might be interested in submitting a draft or two."
Katma stood up and took Stewart by the hand over to the window.
"Look down there. See those people? They know that their neighbor is a superhero. They know that he is the Green Lantern. They know that he can fly and fire lasers from his ring..."
He studied their faces. He recognized them, but he knew nothing about them. It seemed that they were the ones with the secret identities. He laughed in his mind at the irony. He intentionally chose not to wear a mask, and now the very people whom he considered to be the vital link to his past, present, and future, were the ones with the masks.
"... but do they know anything about John Stewart. Yes, they know that John Stewart is the Green Lantern, but do they know JOHN STEWART?"
Stewart looked down again and sighed. "You know, Kat, I've wondered that myself. I chose to come back here after joining the Lantern Corps, but am I only fooling myself into believing that everything would be the same as when I left?"
"I know someone who knows the real John Stewart." She took his hands in hers. "And she knows that this place is not where he belongs."
Stewart looked out the window again.
"I have to go make a report to the Guardians of what I saw and make a few plans for the next training class. I'll be back in a few days. Oh and I like the mustache and beard." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And, John, I hope your love for architecture won't be the only thing that is rekindled." A green glow surrounded her body, and she streaked out the window.
John Stewart turned back toward his disassembled dwelling. He saw the book laying on the nightstand. He walked over to it and picked it up. The lettering on the spine had faded, but the outline of the letters still shouted its simple but powerful title. Momma always said that true love flowed out of its pages. He started to open the cover, but stopped when he saw the pictures inside.
A/N: REVIEWS AND COMMENTS ARE MORE THAN WELCOMED!!
She saw the window open. She shook her head. He had not changed a bit. How many times had she scolded him about security? It was time for another lesson.
She slipped quietly into the apartment. Stewart, busy preparing breakfast, didn't notice her entrance. She focused on the plate of food on the table and an emerald beam of energy shot from her hand bringing the plate to her.
"I see you still make a great omelet."
Taken by surprise, he whirled around dropping the rest of the eggs on the floor. He stood there mouth agape unsure of what to say.
"T-t-thanks," he finally stammered.
"Aren't you getting a late start? I thought you would be out with the rest of your friends helping with the clean up."
"So you know about the invasion."
"Yes. The Guardians sent me here to offer the Corps assistance."
"I appreciate the Guardians offer, but I think we can manage."
Katma Tui swiveled her head taking in the atmosphere. The apartment was a mess. Clothes laid strewn everywhere. The bed unmade. The wastebasket overflowed with the evidence of his junk food binge. The man himself looked even worse. His eyes were completely bloodshot. His face was a haggard mess of unshaven growth and weariness. Most notable proved to be the absence of the ring from his finger.
"Where's your ring?"
"I took it off to shower and dress my wounds. It's in the charger. I forgot about it."
She glided across the room and sat at the kitchen table. She had never seen him like this. They stared at each other trying to see which one would lead the other through the awkward maze of communication. With a gentleness she almost forgot she possessed, she broke the silence.
"Tell me about it."
Stewart closed his eyes. His jaw clenched and his hand slowly folded into a fist. He wanted to maintain control. He wanted to explode like a dying star, spewing its matter across the cosmos. He sat down across from her. With extreme effort, he released his lips and spoke in a whisper. His voice steeped in sadness and resignation.
"They had inside information, Kat. All the world's defensive capabilities and tactical systems. Plus, they had measures to counter our super- powers."
"Who would provide them with that kind of intelligence? Who would sell-out the Earth like that?
The Green Lantern dropped his head into his chest, shaking it slightly.
Katma's eyes grew wide as she put the 2 and 2 together. No wonder the man was in shambles.
"I warned you didn't I?"
Stewart remained silent.
"Didn't I tell you? I told you not to trust that little ..."
"That's enough, Kat!"
"Enough of what? The truth? It's about time that you faced the truth!"
"Stop, Kat!"
"Why, so you can continue to live in that little fantasy realm of you two being together? I got news for you, honey, it's not gonna happen!"
"Please, Katma..."
"The John Stewart I trained, the John Stewart I fought beside, the John Stewart I ..."
She got up from her chair and moved to kneel beside him. She took his face in her hand and looked into his sagging countenance. Despite his present condition, she couldn't put away all they had shared together.
"The John Stewart I cared for and still care for would never allow himself to be crushed. The John Stewart I know is too stubborn to wallow away in self-doubt or self-pity." She stroked his rough stubble. She felt the muscles in his jaw contract and release. She knew that he was fighting a war within himself. Perhaps she could offer him the comfort and joy he so desperately needed.
"John, I want you to come back with me to Oa."
He was surprised by the softness of her request. Although all woman, Katma Tui never let her femininity stand in the way of her role as a Green Lantern.
"Oa?"
"Yes, I think the change of scenery would be good for you. I've taken over the Lantern Corps Academy, and I need instructors I can trust. Ones who will do things the right way." She winked at him. "Instructors who will do things my way!"
His eyes met hers.
"Besides this would be a great opportunity for you to rekindle your love for architecture. How long has it been since you've done any drawings?"
He didn't respond.
"I thought so. The Guardians agreed to build a new training facility, so I guessed that you might be interested in submitting a draft or two."
Katma stood up and took Stewart by the hand over to the window.
"Look down there. See those people? They know that their neighbor is a superhero. They know that he is the Green Lantern. They know that he can fly and fire lasers from his ring..."
He studied their faces. He recognized them, but he knew nothing about them. It seemed that they were the ones with the secret identities. He laughed in his mind at the irony. He intentionally chose not to wear a mask, and now the very people whom he considered to be the vital link to his past, present, and future, were the ones with the masks.
"... but do they know anything about John Stewart. Yes, they know that John Stewart is the Green Lantern, but do they know JOHN STEWART?"
Stewart looked down again and sighed. "You know, Kat, I've wondered that myself. I chose to come back here after joining the Lantern Corps, but am I only fooling myself into believing that everything would be the same as when I left?"
"I know someone who knows the real John Stewart." She took his hands in hers. "And she knows that this place is not where he belongs."
Stewart looked out the window again.
"I have to go make a report to the Guardians of what I saw and make a few plans for the next training class. I'll be back in a few days. Oh and I like the mustache and beard." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And, John, I hope your love for architecture won't be the only thing that is rekindled." A green glow surrounded her body, and she streaked out the window.
John Stewart turned back toward his disassembled dwelling. He saw the book laying on the nightstand. He walked over to it and picked it up. The lettering on the spine had faded, but the outline of the letters still shouted its simple but powerful title. Momma always said that true love flowed out of its pages. He started to open the cover, but stopped when he saw the pictures inside.
A/N: REVIEWS AND COMMENTS ARE MORE THAN WELCOMED!!
