Disclaimer: Green Lantern is the property of DC Comics.
"Can't go home again"
Alan Scott missed Gotham City. For years, he protected it as a bright shining beacon of hope. Its current protector, however, seemed to only reflect the darkness, despair and insanity that made up the once-proud city. For some reason, Gotham seemed to bathe itself in shadows, even during the daytime. It unsettled Alan every time he came back. He isn't sure he could've handled the freaks and monsters that the Dark Knight has had to deal with, but one thing is for certain in his mind: he'd have given it his best. Standing on a rooftop on level with the city skyline, he took in a deep breath.
"What are you doing here, Scott?" Batman's voice was unmistakable. It sounded like the shadows itself asked for your very soul in a low, bone-chilling tone.
Alan turned, his aged yet seasoned face hidden behind the purple face mask that shined in the sunlight. Batman stayed hidden in the shadow of an overlooking building. "I was admiring the day. It's breezy, sunny, scarcely cloudy the kind of day where I'm glad to still be busting heads at my old age."
"I meant…"
"I know what you meant, Bruce," Alan said, looking once more to the concrete jungle, bustling with criminal and civilian life. "I'm just reminiscing."
"That's what memories and free time are for."
"With all due respect, Bruce, do you even know what free time is?"
Alan could tell that Batman's eyes had narrowed through the mask "I'm being polite with you, Scott," he growled, "I'm telling you now. The rules apply to you too. Start trouble in my city and you'll have me to deal with."
Green Lantern tilted his head and said, "Bruce, I'm not going to sit idly by and let a crime take place simply because you think I'd be stomping on your toes. Now, get those thoughts of heroes taking your turf out of your head. I'm with the JSA now."
"You know the saying, Alan. You can't go home again. Gotham's…"
"Your city, I get it; just wondering if the city officials and the citizenry know it, too." With a scowl that reeked of "Watch your mouth" Batman stepped into the light. Uncharacteristic for him to be in a lit area except to make a point, he pointed a finger at Alan.
"If you have no business with me, then you have no business here. I don't want to have this talk again," said Batman while gritting his teeth.
Before the Dark Knight turned to leave, Alan grabbed his arm and pulled him back firmly. "Bruce," he said softly, "Whatever gave you the idea that I give a damn what you want?"
Jerking his arm away, Batman leaped from the rooftop, disappearing into the shade. Green Lantern looked over the roof, knowing he'd see nothing but empty space and pavement. "I swear that man's got 'deck me' written all over his face."
The neighborhoods had definitely changed. The sunlight revealed the scars of the horrors of last night. Bullet holes on one side of the road, and police chalk lines on the other. Gotham really was worse than when he had patrolled as Green Lantern. He had told his wife Molly that he'd be gone all day in Gotham. She told him to not wait up for her when he got home. It figured that a board meeting with the local news anchors and producers would be keeping her late. Alan shrugged it off like he always did and kept flying until he reached downtown.
It was rush hour in Gotham, cars backed up as far as the eye could discern; at least from ground level. Alan shook his head at all the people in taxis shouting out of the passenger windows for the "jack-off" in front to move. Pile ups were common during the weekday lunch hour, even more so if a battle took place. However, despite Gotham City's skyrocketing crime rate, it seemed things might go smoothly.
A loud roar coming from the west on Baker Street crushed the car-horn filled air. Alan turned around and followed the path of the sound. He'd seen a hole in the side of a bank with people running for their lives through both the open space and the front door. Quirking an eyebrow, Green Lantern landed in front of the hole, bumping into a woman in a sharp gray business suit, screaming, "Oh God! It's some kind of freak! Call the police!" She took a look at Alan and gasped, saying, "Hey look, everybody! It's Sentinel!"
Sentinel, being the name he used to use previously before returning to "Green Lantern", Alan shook his head and put his hand in his head.
"Doesn't he go by Green Lantern?"
"No that's that other guy!"
"Which one?"
"Nah, Green Lantern ain't no blond."
"Folks, please," Alan pleaded, remembering that not everyone knew him from his old days in Gotham. He turned his attention to the inside of the bank, where men were pointing their guns at him and firing off rounds. "GET BACK!" he shouted, igniting his power ring and creating a barrier shield to deflect the bullets.
He ran inside while they reloaded, aiming his ring at the strands of guard rope and wrapped it around each individual thug. The threat seemed neutralized until Alan got a glimpse of the being that made the hole in the wall. It was the same thing that tore a hole in the bank's vault, leaving the door strung out on the floor lying on top of a crushed bank president.
Solomon Grundy held out arms full of money and walked out of the vault. He was a freak, but one of the most dangerous. At over seven feet tall, the monstrosity towered over everyone in his path. A zombie with strength matching that of Superman, he was near impossible to destroy. Alan had faced him many years ago when he was first brought back to life in Gotham. One glaring fact that reminded him of that encounter was that his power ring didn't completely work on him. Grundy's body was comprised mostly of swamp and plant life.
Alan Scott's ring was powerless against wood or plant-based substances. "Grundy," he whispered, taking several steps back into the crowd.
"Grundy brought cash like boss said…We go back to Luthor now?" the hulking undead creature mumbled before spotting Green Lantern. While Solomon Grundy was not exactly known for his keen criminal mind, he did remember some things. He remembered he was born on a Monday. He remembered he was Solomon Grundy, due to the name some loser gave him all those years back. He even remembered the funny orange men on that candy movie and how he wanted to rip them all open and see if candy corn came out of their arteries. Another thing he remembered was how much he hated Green Lantern, the one who dealt him his first defeat.
"LANTERN!" the monster shouted, dropping the money. He ran with a blind rage toward Green Lantern, swinging his fists in the air. Alan leapt into the air, his ring carrying him high into the sky. Solomon Grundy snarled, spittle dripping from his decrepit lips, screaming, "KILL GREEN LANTERN!"
Alan had to end it and end it quickly. Grundy wouldn't stop until he was either beaten or until Green Lantern's blood was smeared against his crusty undead knuckles, and he didn't care about the people running away from him. Picking up an empty taxi cab with one hand, Grundy let it fly, aiming straight at Alan. A green energy tube appeared and swallowed the car and stopped it just before it could hit him. The car was redirected inside the structure and fired back at Grundy.
The vehicle smashed into the zombie, sending him back into the side of another building. Alan looked down among the emptied cars, trying to find something with which to stop the behemoth before he recovered. Flying frantically over the area, his eyes stopped on a crane on tow, carrying a wrecking ball. Applying his will to lift the massive demolition tool, Green Lantern focused his will on the ball itself, freeing it from the crane.
Solomon Grundy kicked away the destroyed taxi and walked out of the rubble. "LANTERN!" the creature shouted, searching for the hero in a rage. Turning his back, Grundy didn't notice the wrecking ball whizzing toward him. Only when he backhanded the projectile away, sending it slamming into a row of parked cars, did Alan know he was on to him. Glass and dented metal littered the streets, causing explosion after explosion.
"Dammit!" Green Lantern grunted. He was causing more problems using Grundy's tactics. Smiling, he seemed to have come up with something. As the monster reached for another object to throw, Alan began to shake his butt at him. "Whoo-Hoo! Solomon Grundy! Can't catch me, can ya!" he shouted. Making the plan more enticing, he landed and made his green aura vanish. He said, "Uh-Oh! My power ring is out of power! I must flee!"
"Why he not talk right? Talk lame, Lantern does. Who say 'flee' anymore?" Grundy grunted, yet shrugged and gave pursuit after Alan. Solomon was slow, indeed, but his height and strength propelled him quick enough to keep pace with Green Lantern.
He had to keep going, if what he remembered was right, the key to Grundy's defeat was waiting for him on the top of a long flight of stairs to the elevated train tracks. As he climbed the flights of stairs, Grundy stopped. Thinking he saw an opportunity to beat him up to the platform, Grundy climbed the platform support beam, clawing and grunting his way through. As the monster climbed along the bottom of the platform, it broke its head through the surface; just in time for the 12:15 El-train to slam directly into his face.
As the train's cars repeatedly crashed into his head, running him over and over again, Alan Scott leaned back against the platform railing, whistling a breezy tune. He walked briskly down the steps, re-igniting his power ring and using a light pole to wrap around the unconscious monster's dangling leg. After pulling him down, Green Lantern let the zombie's body crash into the pavement. Grundy's body would leave a huge impression in the street.
Alan Scott flew away once the police had a handle on Solomon Grundy. He thought about how different things in Gotham had been. However, meeting up with Grundy in the same town they first fought in along with the irony of a train being used to defeat him…it all brought back memories.
A lone figure on a rooftop instantly drew Green Lantern's attention. Swooping down to the rooftop he recognized the figure to be Batman. "I warned you, Scott. I warned you not to make trouble in my city."
Alan kept a distance from the rooftop, hovering over it and Batman. He shrugged and said, "Like I said, you know how our work is. Sometimes, trouble finds us. I was taking in the sights when all of a sudden, I find Solomon Grundy robbing a bank with some Luthor henchmen. You and Clark may want to look into that."
"Don't worry, I will. But the point here is," Batman said, aiming his finger at Alan, "You caused thousands of dollars worth of damage. People could've been killed. What if Grundy had come all the way through the platform when the train hit? He could've hurt a lot more people."
"So could another Michael Moore documentary, but that's beside the point," Alan smirked, "The point is, I stopped Grundy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a home to get to."
The veteran hero went to fly away except Batman shouted, "Lantern!" Alan Scott stopped cold in his tracks, recognizing Batman's tone to be serious. Turning toward the Dark Knight, Alan listened while Bruce said, "I just got a transmission from Mr. Terrific. He says the JSA needs to assemble at your Headquarters ASAP. Cancel that, Terrific, Scott's got clean up to do."
"Belay that, Terrific," Alan said, shouting out loud, "I'm on my way."
"No you're not. You're cleaning up this mess you made," Batman said, growling under his breath.
"It's your city," Alan said, turning his back on Batman, "You clean it up." Green Lantern streaked off in a green blaze into the afternoon sky.
Looking through binoculars at the fight's aftermath, Batman said, "Damn super-powered, cocky, stupid…"
The end.