John Stewart surveyed his apartment. In only a couple of days, this place
would be nothing more than a memory. He had started the arduous process of
setting his affairs in order. He had already informed his land lady that
he would be leaving for an extended period of time, even longer than
normal. Mail delivery was re-routed to the new League headquarters
although he couldn't fathom why he did that. He had no intention of coming
back. Stewart shook his head as he laid down for the night.
Katma left a message saying that she wouldn't be able to leave Oa to accompany him on the journey. The Guardians needed her to start her duties right away. Nevertheless, she waited with great anticipation for his arrival. She had planned much for them to do, both professionally and unprofessionally. Stewart lips upturned into a half-smirk. Katma never was shy about her intentions.
Only one duty remained: his promise to Mr. McGee. He grimaced. Saying good-bye to him would be the most difficult task left to do. If he could point to one good thing about his adolescence, it would be Mr. McGee. Al McGee was more than a teacher. He was more than a friend. In short, Al McGee was his father. Once Stewart left him, the ties with his roots would be severed.
As he reached over to click off the light, his eyes fell upon the book again. This time he picked it up and opened the cover revealing his most personal possessions. His fist gripped the metal keepsake. He recalled the day she gave it him. A sad smile crossed his face. He gently placed the shiny heirloom back in the book. His sight next focused on a small photograph. The faces of the man and woman on it radiated the joyful bliss of finding the person who made him/her complete. His finger traced the outline of the woman's face. Even now her eyes seemed to look through him and into the deepest part of his being. As he closed the cover, he noticed a scribbled set of numbers that had faded to a shadow. 119:105.
Sleep proved to be the most elusive of friends to the Green Lantern. Each night, shades and colors coalesced behind his shut eyelids. These images distorted into horribly familiar shapes and sounds. Tonight would be no different.
Even as he tossed and turned, he heard voices. Voices that spoke three words that terrified him to the core. Words that were supposed to bring the greatest sensation of happiness and belonging. Words uttered to only the most cherished of persons. For John Stewart, these three one syllable utterances brought only misery.
The first voice he recognized even in the tossed and turned dream state. The other voice was familiarly strange. It comforted and frightened at the same time. It wasn't male or female. It was just a voice, and it beckoned him forward.
The Green Lantern stood on a tall peak. The air surrounding him frosted as he breathed. The sun's bright light created looming shadows from the adjoining peaks. His ears pricked as he heard those two tones, so sweet and so painful.
"John, I love you," voice one called.
"John, I love you," echoed voice two.
Lantern whirled in the direction of the voices and moved his gaze upward. On a higher peak, he saw a lone figure. Instantly, he took off toward her. He no longer questioned why his dreams always had him in uniform. He merely accepted.
"John, I love you," the second voice sounded from behind the first one. He searched but could not find its source.
As he got closer to the female form, a giant shriek split the sky. The sheer decibel level of the cry drowned out all other noise. The shriek thundered again and from behind the woman, out of the shadows, strode a giant bird like creature. Its head was covered in what appeared to be a helmet comprised of snow white feathers. Its breast produced a crisscross of golden metal straps. The straps were held together at the midpoint by a hauberk of chain mesh. Etched on the hauberk, the Lantern could make out the outline of a hawk's head. Iron talons scratched the stone peak with each step.
The Lantern froze in horrific dread as the great bird opened its beak. Dagger like teeth, six-inches in length, extended from the edges of its orifice. The raptor's steel blue eyes locked upon the Lantern. Its beak opened to fashion a wicked sneer. It shrieked again as its giant wings unfurled around the woman on the peak. The challenge was issued.
"Keep away from her!" Lantern shouted. "Hang on, Momma! Hang on! I'll save you!!"
The giant hawk seemed to laugh as the Lantern furiously drove forward. It spread its wings to their full extent. They stretched at least 50 feet in length. With one great swoop of those wings, the great bird took to the sky. As it rose, its talons encircled the woman.
"No! Momma! I'm coming! I'll save you! I'll save you!"
He concentrated with all his effort. A bolt of eldritch emerald energy emitted from his ring. The laser struck the hawk full force, but simply bounced off the chain mesh chest plate. It cawed a mocking cry at the Lantern. Again and again he fired at his avian nightmare with same hapless results.
"John, I love you," she called to him as the hawk flew away from him.
"No!! Don't leave me! Momma! Please don't go! Not again! Not again!" Lantern flew as fast as he could toward the rapidly fading pair. Tears flowed down his face.
Out of nowhere, he spotted another flying figure zooming across the sky. This one looked just like the giant hawk except that it's head was covered in a golden helmet and it was so much smaller.
The smaller raptor turned its head toward the Lantern. It's green eyes seemed to pierce his very soul. Surprisingly, it beak formed what he thought was a gentle smile. Turning its head back, the bird flew straight for the giant hawk.
John Stewart could only stare in awe as the winged pair flew directly into the fiery sun. The diminutive hawk's screeched at its larger likeness. Its voice barely audible above the din of the giant's wing beats. The little bird flew above the giant aviator raking the wings with its talons. The great hawk roared in pain as the smaller bird of prey repeated its assault. Suddenly, a giant flash of light erupted from the sun. The two hawks and Stewart's mother were completely engulfed. The Green Lantern shielded his eyes.
As the flare died down, he viewed two hands reaching out of the sun. The hands' fingers curled together making the "come" gesture. Once again he heard a voice calling. It wasn't his mother's voice, but rather that other voice.
"I love you, John. I love you."
A stinging wetness awakened John Stewart. He reached over and grabbed the book. The light from the street illuminated his room just enough for him to read the inscription on the golden heirloom:
"To my little hero, I love you! Mother"
He turned over the photograph and read the handwritten text:
"For my big, strong hero, I love you!"
He would spend the rest of the night clutching the book to his chest as a river of water streamed down his face.
Katma left a message saying that she wouldn't be able to leave Oa to accompany him on the journey. The Guardians needed her to start her duties right away. Nevertheless, she waited with great anticipation for his arrival. She had planned much for them to do, both professionally and unprofessionally. Stewart lips upturned into a half-smirk. Katma never was shy about her intentions.
Only one duty remained: his promise to Mr. McGee. He grimaced. Saying good-bye to him would be the most difficult task left to do. If he could point to one good thing about his adolescence, it would be Mr. McGee. Al McGee was more than a teacher. He was more than a friend. In short, Al McGee was his father. Once Stewart left him, the ties with his roots would be severed.
As he reached over to click off the light, his eyes fell upon the book again. This time he picked it up and opened the cover revealing his most personal possessions. His fist gripped the metal keepsake. He recalled the day she gave it him. A sad smile crossed his face. He gently placed the shiny heirloom back in the book. His sight next focused on a small photograph. The faces of the man and woman on it radiated the joyful bliss of finding the person who made him/her complete. His finger traced the outline of the woman's face. Even now her eyes seemed to look through him and into the deepest part of his being. As he closed the cover, he noticed a scribbled set of numbers that had faded to a shadow. 119:105.
Sleep proved to be the most elusive of friends to the Green Lantern. Each night, shades and colors coalesced behind his shut eyelids. These images distorted into horribly familiar shapes and sounds. Tonight would be no different.
Even as he tossed and turned, he heard voices. Voices that spoke three words that terrified him to the core. Words that were supposed to bring the greatest sensation of happiness and belonging. Words uttered to only the most cherished of persons. For John Stewart, these three one syllable utterances brought only misery.
The first voice he recognized even in the tossed and turned dream state. The other voice was familiarly strange. It comforted and frightened at the same time. It wasn't male or female. It was just a voice, and it beckoned him forward.
The Green Lantern stood on a tall peak. The air surrounding him frosted as he breathed. The sun's bright light created looming shadows from the adjoining peaks. His ears pricked as he heard those two tones, so sweet and so painful.
"John, I love you," voice one called.
"John, I love you," echoed voice two.
Lantern whirled in the direction of the voices and moved his gaze upward. On a higher peak, he saw a lone figure. Instantly, he took off toward her. He no longer questioned why his dreams always had him in uniform. He merely accepted.
"John, I love you," the second voice sounded from behind the first one. He searched but could not find its source.
As he got closer to the female form, a giant shriek split the sky. The sheer decibel level of the cry drowned out all other noise. The shriek thundered again and from behind the woman, out of the shadows, strode a giant bird like creature. Its head was covered in what appeared to be a helmet comprised of snow white feathers. Its breast produced a crisscross of golden metal straps. The straps were held together at the midpoint by a hauberk of chain mesh. Etched on the hauberk, the Lantern could make out the outline of a hawk's head. Iron talons scratched the stone peak with each step.
The Lantern froze in horrific dread as the great bird opened its beak. Dagger like teeth, six-inches in length, extended from the edges of its orifice. The raptor's steel blue eyes locked upon the Lantern. Its beak opened to fashion a wicked sneer. It shrieked again as its giant wings unfurled around the woman on the peak. The challenge was issued.
"Keep away from her!" Lantern shouted. "Hang on, Momma! Hang on! I'll save you!!"
The giant hawk seemed to laugh as the Lantern furiously drove forward. It spread its wings to their full extent. They stretched at least 50 feet in length. With one great swoop of those wings, the great bird took to the sky. As it rose, its talons encircled the woman.
"No! Momma! I'm coming! I'll save you! I'll save you!"
He concentrated with all his effort. A bolt of eldritch emerald energy emitted from his ring. The laser struck the hawk full force, but simply bounced off the chain mesh chest plate. It cawed a mocking cry at the Lantern. Again and again he fired at his avian nightmare with same hapless results.
"John, I love you," she called to him as the hawk flew away from him.
"No!! Don't leave me! Momma! Please don't go! Not again! Not again!" Lantern flew as fast as he could toward the rapidly fading pair. Tears flowed down his face.
Out of nowhere, he spotted another flying figure zooming across the sky. This one looked just like the giant hawk except that it's head was covered in a golden helmet and it was so much smaller.
The smaller raptor turned its head toward the Lantern. It's green eyes seemed to pierce his very soul. Surprisingly, it beak formed what he thought was a gentle smile. Turning its head back, the bird flew straight for the giant hawk.
John Stewart could only stare in awe as the winged pair flew directly into the fiery sun. The diminutive hawk's screeched at its larger likeness. Its voice barely audible above the din of the giant's wing beats. The little bird flew above the giant aviator raking the wings with its talons. The great hawk roared in pain as the smaller bird of prey repeated its assault. Suddenly, a giant flash of light erupted from the sun. The two hawks and Stewart's mother were completely engulfed. The Green Lantern shielded his eyes.
As the flare died down, he viewed two hands reaching out of the sun. The hands' fingers curled together making the "come" gesture. Once again he heard a voice calling. It wasn't his mother's voice, but rather that other voice.
"I love you, John. I love you."
A stinging wetness awakened John Stewart. He reached over and grabbed the book. The light from the street illuminated his room just enough for him to read the inscription on the golden heirloom:
"To my little hero, I love you! Mother"
He turned over the photograph and read the handwritten text:
"For my big, strong hero, I love you!"
He would spend the rest of the night clutching the book to his chest as a river of water streamed down his face.
