Chapter Fourteen ― Alpha Male
"The world should have protected you, but you have been asked to protect it; what an honor, what an injustice."
It had been two weeks since Guy Gardner had woken up from his coma and slowly― but steadily ―things were sort of going back to the way they had once been; though Guy hadn't taken back up his job as a teacher nor had he tried to find an apartment of his own― as he had been evicted from the small Baltimore apartment he'd been living in pre-coma ―he had slowly began to shift from the medical room in the Watchtower to the Jordan-Gluck couch.
He was there almost every morning Arley woke up and he was always there with her and John and Hal when they patrolled the sector; he had also been there to meet the team a week or so after he'd woken up.
Hal joked it was almost ironic that Conner― Superboy ―and Guy got along whilst Superman himself couldn't stand the red headed Lantern; John joked that it was scary, "I mean," John had said, "Can you imagine the kind of trouble Guy and a Kryptonian can get into?"
Both Arley and Hal had paused to think about the prompted trouble only to quickly stop because in the span of ten seconds a million and one images of the kind of trouble Conner and Guy could get into had flashed through both Lanterns minds.
Arley and Guy, along with Hal and John, all having been summoned by the Guardians of the universe one late September Friday night, stood in the middle meeting hall, surrounded by the dozens of Guardians who floated high above their heads.
Arley ignored how tired she was; she had over the past two days, between finishing her Essay for AP English and the DBQ packet she needed to finish for her AP History class, gotten little to no sleep― three hours in total ―but Arley could deal she was a Lantern and part of boot camp had been training whilst severely sleep deprived.
"First off," Ganthet said to the room of Guardians and the four human Lanterns below, "We, the Guardians, wish to say that we are most glad you've awoken from your coma Green Lantern Guy Gardener."
Slightly a ways-a way Salakk, a Lantern who had originally served in sector one-four-one-eight before being given the honor to serve as the Guardians scribe, quickly typed into the alien computer like machine.
"Thanks," Guy said with a jerk of the head; the human man placed his hands on his hips and Arley and John both crossed their arms behind their backs as they stood up straight; their chins held high. Hal had his arms crossed over his chest.
"Now," Appa Ali Aspa said from Ganthet's right, "Moving onto business, One of the many ships belonging to the Galra empire of sector two-three-five-six has been seen making it way through space, two days ago it stopped just as it cross over the boarder into your sector."
"And?" Arley said with a furrowed brow, "We can't just attack a random ship, we're the good guys."
"That's the thing Green Lantern Arley," said Guardian Dennap said with a tone of superiority, "This isn't a some regular cargo vessel, it's a battle ship and we believe them to have been acting criminally as they have made their way to your sector. Missing aliens have been turning up-or rather not turning up, in the wake of the Galran ship, all of them able bodied fighters."
"So what are we looking at, forced recruitment?" Hal wondered.
"No," Guardian Scar shook her head; no one was quite sure on how the Guardian had gotten the scar, nor why she had forgone her name and chosen to be addressed solely by the healed wound that marred her right eye. "The Galra empire has more then enough citizens to fight for it, mandatory military draft and all; no we suspect that the missing people are being take for other purposes."
"Purposes like what?" Guy wondered.
"Well that's what you're there to find out," Guardian Krontoss said snidely, he had never liked that there was even one human Lantern in the Corps; he regularly spoke down to Arley and the other three Earthlings, "You four are charged with finding out why a Galra battleship is in your sector, so far from home and if it's holding the missing aliens aboard."
"And if they are?" John asked.
"Stop them by any means necessary. The Galra are of a war mongering race," another Guardian, Broome Bon Baris, ordered coolly. The four human Lanterns nodded, Hal dropped his hands and took a step back; "Good luck Lanterns of sector two-eight-one-four."
With that the four of them were dismissed; the four human Lanterns left the Meeting Hall― Hal leading them with Arley and Guy trailing behind after John, nudging each other playfully ―and stopped on the grandiose steps of the building.
"We should probably come up with a plan first," Hal said looking at John, Guy, crossing his own arms over his chest snorted,
"Why?" The red headed Lantern wondered, "We're Green Lanterns, I say we go in there, crack a few heads and search that ship top from bottom for those missing aliens, I mean those blue space smurfs aren't sending us on some wild goose chase I bet they know for a fact that those kidnapped aliens are on that ship."
"We can't just attack a ship because you think the Guardians know something they aren't telling us," John sighed,
"It's not like it's a cargo ship Johnny―"
"―Gardner I swear to God, what have I said about calling me Johnny―" John growled
"―It's a battle ship meaning even if it doesn't have those alien it's going to attack a planet in our sector," Guy shot back as if John hadn't even spoke over him; and Arley shifted her weight from foot to foot.
"He has a point," the girl pointed out, "I mean even if they don't have those aliens, if a battleship isn't there to attack why is it there?" John pressed his lips together and looked at Hal who had taken his bottom lip between his teeth.
"What do you think Hal?"
"Why me?"
"You're the sector leader aren't you?" John's arms crossed over his chest and Hal's eyes narrowed behind his mask, John only ever liked to use the fact that Hal was sector leader when getting the brunette to do something. Hal only ever liked to bring up the fact he was sector leader when it got Guy or John to do something Hal didn't want to, like clean up duty or explaining to the Counsel just why a mission had gone the way it'd gone.
Hal sighed.
"Points have been made," Hal said, he placed both his hands on the back of his neck and threaded his fingers together; "You and me," Hal said to John, "We approach the ship looking to talk," Hal then looked at Guy and Arley, "You two find a blind spot in the ships defenses and look for the prisoners covertly―"
"―Guy wouldn't know what covert meant if something covertly bit him in the ass," John said and Guy's baby blues narrowed, but before he could open his mouth Arley stepped up between the two bickering men.
Hal liked to say that if it weren't Katma John had married it would have been Guy; the two of them bickered like an old married couple and it was something both Arley and Hal had thought they missed during Guys year in a coma until it started back up again.
"Guy and I can do it," Arley promised. Maybe she was the bad Lantern but Guy Gardner was good guy and he was the bullheaded kind of person you wanted on a mission because not only would he finish what you had been sent to do― not matter if it killed him ―but because he wouldn't let you get hurt. John looked at Arley before sighing, his hands in the air; a smirk played on his lips and Guy shot the dark skinned man back a lopsided smirk of his own.
"Fine but when he blows the whole covert thing, expect an I told you so." Fair enough; all four Lanterns glowed green and with that the four took off into the air, towards the coordinates of the Galra battleship.
...
Sooner rather then later, after leaving Oa the four of Green Lanterns had parted far enough away from the Galra Battleship so that not only would no one be able to see them from any of the windows of the ships but no sensors would be able to pick them up; both Hal and John and hugged Arley tight― they both wished the girl and the red headed gym teacher good luck; though Guy had shrugged off the two others Lanterns concern with a smile and claimed not to need any luck because, "You guys know you can't keep a good Guy down," ―before the pair of them had shot off directly at the large battleship leaving both Guy and Arley to take the long away around the planet of Bespin in order to sneak up behind the alien battleship.
"So?" Guy wondered as he and Arley made their way around the alien planet; "PSATs are pretty soon, have you been studying?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "The team and I study between training and missions, I mean Kaldur doesn't study himself 'cause he graduated Atlantean school already so Aquaman hasn't put him in human school but him and Dick help me and the others study, so you know." Arley shrugged.
"Any idea on what college you want to go to?" Guy wondered,
"I don't even know what I want to do," Arley answered truthfully; all she knew is that she wanted to do something she liked, something that made her smile every morning. She wanted to live the same way Hal did, she wanted to wake up ready to get to work because she loved what she did but at fifteen Arley had no idea what that would be.
Maybe she wanted to be a social worker and help kids in a way she herself had never been helped and maybe she wanted to be a librarian because she loved books or maybe she wanted to be a full time Lantern like John was.
"That's okay, God knows I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was your age."
"You didn't?" Hal had; Hal Jordan had always wanted to fly planes and John always knew he wanted to save people and help the world and maybe his short few months as a weather man hadn't helped him accomplish that but John had been a Marine and then he had become a Lantern so it was safe to say he was living his dream.
"God no, my old man wanted me to be a cop like him―" Guy made a face and Arley snorted, "―But all I ever wanted to do was help people you know?" Arley nodded. "I still don't know what I want to do, I mean I can go back to teaching but do I want too? Is that still something that'd make me happy?" Guy wondered and Arley looked at the man; "Look Nightlight all I'm trying to say is that you could become anything you wanted and as long as you love it, as long as you're happy the others and me, we'll support you."
Arley's chest flooded with warmth. She didn't deserve Guy Gardner and the others and yet somehow she had been lucky enough to have them in her life. She loved them.
"Thanks." The two of them slowly approached the Galra ship and quietly flew along the underside of the ship. The two Lanterns landed and stuck to the ships metal underside and Guy as Arley used her ring to form a handheld circular saw looked at the young girl.
"Arley what's your ETA?" Hal's voice echoed through the ring as the circular hole Arley had cut into the ship floated away.
Guy jumped through first, the man landed quietly on the metal floor of the ships engine room; "We're in," Arley hissed as she jumped into the ship herself.
"Goo-Nortz!" Hal's voice rang though, Arley's heart stopped mid-beat,
"Hal?"
"We're fine but if the two of you could hurry up and find those kidnapped aliens that'd be great-be safe!" Hal said through the rings com-link; Arley could hear the sound of fighter ships firing in the background. Arley turned to Guy who with a dogged glint in his eyes, squared his shoulders.
"Come on kid," Guy said before leading her out of the ships engine room and down a series of long hallways; all the hallways looked the same. Each one was bathed in a purple light and none of them had distinguishing marks along the walls.
"We're lost," Arley hissed.
"We're not lost," Guy shot back as they crept around a corner and into another long and desolate corridor.
"We're so lost."
"We'll figure something out," Guy said with a nod before the sound of metallic footsteps echoed through the corridor, blue and hazel eyes widened, Guy grabbed Arley's hand; "I am so not letting Stewart tell me he told me so, come on!"
The pair ran down three more corridors until they made it to a large glowing door, an ominously evil insignia glowed purple on the door; the door, with how the lights were positioned under the insignia made it seem like the door itself was a face, an evil looking face but a face all the same. Arley and Guy stared up at it.
"That doesn't look like a room where prisoners are held," Arley observed and Guy smirked.
"But it looks important." Arley grinned, pressing the button next to the door the metal doors slid open and revealed what reminded Arley of stadium steps. Slowly Arley and Guy walked into the room and observed that the whole reason the ship was a hundred times bigger then any kind of helicarrier the United States government had was because there was a Roman Colosseum sized arena inside of it, and suddenly it made sense on why the Galra would take able bodied fighters despite having enough people to fill its armies.
"They have a real life thunder dome," Guy marveled as he looked around the room, steel cage matches existed on Earth and Arley even knew of the Meta-Brawl in Bludhaven that had happened before Black Canary and the other female League members shut it down but never had Arley imagined something like that happening on an intergalactic scale. The girl looked around at the empty stadium seats and her heart sunk into her stomach.
"Hey Guy?" Arley croaked, her eyes locked on the stained sand in the Colosseum pit, "If the Galra have this, how many missing aliens do you think are still alive?" Guys shoulders slumped at the question.
"No idea but that doesn't really matter right now Nightlight―" Arley opened her mouth to argue because of it course it mattered, the families of the dead aliens deserved closure, "―All that matters is getting the alien that are still alive out of here." He was right, Arley wouldn't say it of course, but he was; the young Lantern nodded and spotted a caged entrance on the far side of the Colosseum, an idea popped into her head.
"Hey Guy?"
"Yeah?"
"I bet the Galra wouldn't put the holding cells too far away, I mean think about it, any of the kidnapped aliens could run if they were," Arley said and Guy looked at girl questioningly, she jerked her chin forward towards the caged entrance. "I'd bet anything that the entrance in the Colosseum lead to the prisoners."
With a an ingratiated smile Guy nodded; "Well then come on."
The red headed Lantern began to fly forward only for a shot to ring out from somewhere in the stands and knock the Lantern out of the sky. Guy held the outside of his arm; a graze, he had been grazed. Bullets on Earth didn't do much of anything against the Green Lantern uniform; but Guy and Arley weren't on Earth. Guy's suit knitted itself back together over his bleeding cut.
"Guy!" Another shot blasted forward and Guy, in a bubble, deflected it.
"Get to the prisoners and get them out, I'll be fine!"
"But―"
"―Arley!" Guy's tone left no room for arguments, Arley sucked in a breath and glowing green as Guy shot off in the direction of the gunman; Arley, glowing green looked at the caged entrance and sprang from her spot; like a bullet she shot at the cage. Bracing her arms in front of her Arley crashed through the metal and with a groan rolled out on the floor.
She could hears Guys manic laughter followed by a crash, and Arley could also hear the thundering of footsteps coming from the left, so like any rational person Arley, still collecting her baring from crashing into the door ran right. Down a second corridor and then a third Arley found herself in the middle of a row of cages; Arley could see a dozen or so different aliens all in different cages― she could see an Arburian Pelarota in one cage and a Chimera Sui Generis in another ―like animals in a kennel.
"A Lantern," an alien, a female Tetramand gasped. "There's a Green Lantern here!"
"We're saved!" a Pyronite cheered and Arley heard the rushed footsteps get closer, looking around to all the caged aliens Arley breathed.
"Stand back all of you, I'm going to get you out of here!" Arley called out just as a purple blast was hot over her shoulder; Arley spun and saw four robotic sentry soldiers with their guns pointed at her.
"Halt," one of the sentries said; it's mask lit up as it spoke, "In the name of―" Arley didn't give the robotic time to speak and instead lunged forward. Bad Lantern or not the dozen aliens in the cages were relying on her to save them and get them back home and she wasn't going to fail them.
A green hunting knife formed in Arley's hand and she used the flat blade of her construct to deflect a blast from one of the sentries; with a jumped twirl the construct ripped through the robots neck, the pile of bolts fell to the ground with a thud. Arley landed in a crouched position and she swiped up as two more sentries rushed forward, Arley whipped the heads of both robots clean off; they clattered across the battle ships floor. She then dodged a gun blast from the fourth and final sentry and as she came up from behind the robot Arley drove the knife through the machines middle; she focused on the knife and willed the weapon bigger until the top half of the robot was laying inches away from it's smoking bottom.
Panting, Arley wasted no time in standing; she looked around the corridor of cages and the knife in her hands transformed into a large sledge hammer.
"Like I said before, stand back, I'm going to get you all out of here!"
One by one Arley broke open the cages, and one by one, slowly the aliens piled out into the corridor until not one cage was left open; green glowed beneath the aliens feet and each one sharply took an intake of breath as Arley's construct continued to build around them, boxing them all in, sharpening at the very ends.
Arley lifted her ring; "Arley to the others am I read?"
"Hell yeah Nightlight!"
"Copy," John said, "Wait Gardner did you and Arley―" The aliens muttered among themselves about a Green Lantern team having been sent to save them.
"―Hold that thought Stewart," Guy said as Hal sighed over the rings com-link,
"Loud and clear what's happening Arley?"
"I found the kidnapped aliens and we're about to blast out of here-Guy―"
"―Copy Nightlight, I'm right behind you." Arley nodded, though none of the other Lanterns could see it; and just like Kilowog had shown in her boot camp― Arley had learned to fly at eight and after that who was going to tell the kid they couldn't know how to drive ―Arley drove the construct forward, collapsing walls as she drove the large pointed rectangle of a construct out of the ship and into space where both John and Hal were bobbing and weaving on coming attacks. Guy hurricaned through the ships side, in the middle of a large drill bit he'd used his ring to construct.
"Now that the kid and Hostages are out," John said with a dark grin, "I think we should show these guys just why you don't try to invade our sector."
"Wha-hoo!" Guy cheered with a fist pump, "It's good to be back!"
Arley grinned― she beamed all pink gums and bright white teeth ―as Hal and John and Guy all attacked the ship in tandem, as if Guy had never slipped into an a coma and been absent for a year. The three of them were a well oiled machine that were near mesmerizing to watch.
Slowly Arley's smile began to fall. The aliens in the construct, as the Galra battleship exploded in a fiery thunder threw their hands up in front of their faces but Arley with wide unblinking eyes stared at the denotation.
For all the robot sentries that were on the ship there were other living breathing aliens and perhaps they were evil but their lives settled onto Arley's shoulders like a weighted blanket.
Slowly with heaving shoulders and lopsided grins the three adult Lanterns stop in front of Arley and her construct; the aliens the four of them had rescues look on at the four heroes― because bad Lantern or not saving a dozen lives was heroic and a hero was what Arley was until the Guardians saw otherwise ―and Arley grinned once more. She ignored the weight on her shoulders; later as she fought to fall a sleep she would have time to wrap herself in the grief and horror of the battle she had witnessed but until then she breathed.
"I'll call Bats, see if we can house these guys until they're good enough to be shipped home," Hal said as he looked at the various wounds each alien supported; "Until then, lets head home."
...
By the time Arley and the others― and the aliens they had recused ―managed to get to the Justice Leagues secrete satellite base, the Watchtower, the base was in disarray.
Batman with Superman, Manhunter, Aquaman and Barry on his tail were all rushing out of the Watchtowers main control room and towards the Zeta-tubes; Hal grabbed his best friends shoulders.
"Barry man what's going on?" Barry looked panicked,
"There's been attack on the cave we don't know-Hal," Barry breathed and Arley stilled because the last time the cave had been attacked it had been the Joker and his merry band of costume villains and Arley had seen exactly what Joker and other Super villains were capable first hand; her heart spluttered in her cheat because while she was in space saving lives her friends― her family, because the team was as much her family as the Corps were ―could have been being murdered.
Her team could be dead. Wally could be dead.
"Wally," Arley gasped.
Guy pushed Arley forward, "I'll take care of these guys," the recently awoken Lantern said, "Go, all three of you."
Arley didn't waist time, she and Barry rushed forward towards the zeta-tube and Hal and John were both two steps behind them, blinding blue lights surrounded Arley's vision and as the light faded and the Lantern found herself in the cave Arley wasn't greeted with the usual sight. The lights were off and there were scorch marks everywhere; lights hung thinly from their wires and furniture was sopping wet and over turned.
"Bruce!" Barry called; the Dark Knight, nor the Martian Manhunter nor Superman or Aquaman were in sight, behind both Arley and Barry John and Hal stepped out of the zeta-tube and both men with deadpanned expressions took in their surroundings, "Clark!"
"The hanger Barry!" Arley and Barry got to the hanger just about the same time; both Arley and the men― Barry, Hal and John ―froze at the sight of Arley's teammates strewn around the room; Wally and Conner hung limply from metal prisons whoever had attacked them had made and Arley wasn't quite sure if any of them were breathing.
The girls knees wobbled as she ran down; she past Dick and Kaldur and M'gann, all of whom where in their own mentors arms as she rushed towards Wally and Conner, Superman moved to Artemis. Barry cupped his nephews face, his fingers pressed against the teenagers neck and the forensic scientist sighed in relief; Arley reached up and pressed her own hand against the boys cheek. Red hot tears spilled down her cheeks.
He could have been dead; the two minutes from Watchtower to the Mount Justice hanger and been two of the longest minutes of Arley's life. The girls chest shuttered and she turned to Superboy, her fingers finding his beating pulse.
"Oh thank Nortz," she breath. Arley turned and Batman, though he held Dick close to his chest nodded at Hal, as did Manhunter and Aquaman. Arley turned to Superman as he shook Artemis awake. Slowly Kaldurs eyes fluttered― Captain Atom came into the room, followed by Canary and Green Arrow ―and Aquaman moved ever so slightly away from his protegee.
"Kaldur, son, are you alright?" The room seemed to shift and Superman paused in trying to wake Artemis up as the dark skinned Atlantean slowly pushed himself up using his elbows.
"My King?" Kaldur grabbed his head, "What―the Reds..." Kaldur trailed off.
"Reds?" Dick gasped loudly as he sat up; the boy struggled in Batman's hold only to relax when he saw just whose arms he was in. Arley turned to Wally and she knew the boy wasn't a construct but she willed him to wake up; everything inside her begged for him to open his pretty green eyes and he did, his eyes met his uncles who still hovered in front of him and then filtered over to Arley who stepped away from Conner and closer to him.
"You're okay," Arley breathed, M'gann slowly sat up.
"I-I―" Wally's tongue poked out from his mouth and swiped over his lips as he looked at Arley; somewhere behind them as Batman helped Dick to his feet John and Hal and Dinah pooled together with Captain Atom; Conner woke up with a hiss and Arley jumped, not expecting the clone to wake up.
"Conner, you're okay too!" Arley smiled and Barry nudged Arley's elbow;
"Your archers still not awake kid," both Wally and Conner seemed to pale at Barry's comment and Arley spun on her heel to see Superman as he shook the girls shoulders, calling her name.
"Artemis? Artemis, can you hear me?"
"Arley," Wally breathed, he struggled to move in his melted metal imprisonment, "You have to to go see―" Wally seemed unable to finish his sentence and one of Arley's legs raised to move, the other, stood there, she continued to stare at Wally.
She cared about Artemis― M'gann was right, the archer was like a second sister ―but Wally was more then just a friend, he was more then just family and she couldn't imagine herself leaving his side until he was free and out of the metal contraption whoever had attacked them had put him and Conner in. She couldn't fathom the idea until she was sure he was one-hundred percent fine; but the speedster looked at Arley with pleading eyes and her legs shook.
"I'll be right back," she breathed and faintly, as Barry picked up the large welding torch, Wally smiled at her. She was only going a few feet away and yet even an inch away from him seemed to far for comfort.
Had this been how Wally had felt after Bialya?
"I know." Arley moved almost robotically to her teammates side and she collected the girls head in lap, her hands on Artemis's shoulders as she shot Superman a look to back off, if just for a second. The Man of Steel did so and Arley paused, unsure of what to do except beg Artemis to wake up.
"Artemis, Arty I need you to wake up right now," Arley said, her voice pleading with the archer to open her eyes, Arley's own eyes squeezed shut, her gut tugged almost painfully as she pleaded internally for the girl to wake up, "Artemis I need you to wake up!"
The tug in Arley's gut twisted and for a second her ring almost seemed to glow; it was warm against her finger. The female Lantern tasted something funny in her mouth as she looked down at her friend. "Please," Arley begged, "Be okay."
And with that Artemis' eyes opened; Arley's mouth dropped opened and she turned to the others, "She's awake!"
Slowly Arley helped Artemis to her own feet, Superman looked at Artemis as the archer balanced backwards and rested her weight onto Arley who readily supported her friend.
"What happened here?" The Kryptonian demanded and Arley glared sharply up at the alien.
"Watch the tone!" Arley barked at the Justice League member before she could stop herself she her nerves were still on edge and she was tired of the man constantly blowing off Conner anyway; Hal however stepped in front of Superman as the man glared down at Arley ready to say something back.
"Hey Artemis," Hal said easily,
"Hal," Artemis murmured; Artemis had met the first Lantern a handful of times since joining the team, one of them being when she and M'gann had had a sleepover at Arley's.
"I think what Supes here mean was who attacked you guys?"
"Who attacked us?" Artemis repeated back, her mouth twisted down as she tried to remember only for her eyes to light up in a blaze of anger, the girl leaned away from Arley, "The Reds attacked us, Tornado and his-wait!" Artemis looked around the room panicked, "Where are they?"
"Gone," Dick said, his lips pressed together in a grim line, "All three of them."
...
Barry and Captain Atom had gotten both Wally and Conner out of the metal come time in the early Saturday morning and the team— as Hal and John and other League members began piecing the cave back together —sat together in what had once been the caves Meeting Chamber as it was one of the least damaged rooms in the cave. Batman and Kaldur stood across the room as Arley was tucked under Wally's arm curled against the boys side. M'gann held Arley's hand under the table as Conner stood at the tables head with his arms crossed over his chest.
Green Arrow placed a bowl of pretzels on the table and Wally, whose head had been resting against the top of Arley's used his free hand to push the food away.
"Thanks but no thanks," The speedster said to the League Archer.
"Yeah what we want are answers about about Red Tornado and his siblings!" Dick said one hand hitting the other.
"Exactly!" Wally nodded; Green Arrow reached for the pretzels only for Wally to grab the bowl back with a shy smile; the speeder shoveled a handful of pretzels into his mouth before holding one out to Arley. The Lantern opened her mouth, and― careful not choke her ―allowed the speedster to feed it to her.
Artemis turned from her mentor to Arley; "How was space?" The girl wondered.
The Galra ship exploding flashed through Arley's mind but the Lantern just blinked, she forced a wide smile on her face; heroes didn't wallow, her team didn't need her to weigh them down anymore then she already did.
"Good, we-Hal and John and Guy and me, all freed a bunch of aliens from a warship that was making them fight to the death," Arley explained, Artemis blinked at the dark haired female.
"I'm sorry what?" Arley smiled more genuinely at the archers reaction only to lose it as Conner shot across the room. His hands fisted in the shirt of Kaldurs uniform; "You knew! That android and his manic family nearly killed M'gann!" The clone growled pushing the Atlantean into the wall, both M'gann and Arley shot up.
Arley, throwing off Wally's arm, jumped onto the table top and over Dick who had bowed his head forward so she could soar over him more easily and M'gann flew over to the clone.
"Conner what the Quiznack!" Arley hissed using the new swear she'd picked up from one of the aliens she and the others had saved. Arley reached out to touch the clones arm, but the boy just batted her away from him― Arley took two steps back in order to avoid being swatted by the clone ―and Kaldur didn't struggle in his steely grip. The Atlantean didn't even blink.
"What are you doing!" M'gann worried.
"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!" Conner shouted and Arley, who continued to look at her old friend, jerked her head back as if she'd been hit because she had to have heard wrong, Kaldur, he wouldn't have kept something like that from her and the others; he was their comrade, their friend, he had been for years.
"You knew?" Dick asked scathingly. Wally's hand placed itself on Arley's back and the girl leaned back into the red heads side as he stared angerly at the Atlantean; "And you didn't tell us!"
But why, why hadn't Kaldur told them? Was she truly that terrible of a teammate that she couldn't be trusted, that bad of a friend after all the years?
"I sought to protect the team from―" Arley looked over to M'gann whose lips were turned down in a disappointed frown as she looked at Kaldur.
"—From what!" Artemis demanded angerly, cutting the teams leader off, "Knowledge that could have saved our lives!"
Conner turned to M'gann,
"You almost died!" The clone growled at the Martian girl who still hadn't yet said anything, he shook Kaldur as he spoke and Arley stepped forward and grabbed the clone by the shoulder. Hurt or not Kaldur was still her friend, her leader. Their leader.
"That's enough Conner!" But once more Conner shrugged her off, Arley opened her mouth to argue with the clone only for Batman's voice to ring out,
"Enough." That time Conner complied, "With Red Tornado missing the team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors, Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."
A man Arley nor any of the other sector Lanterns had ever actually worked with outside of full Justice League team-ups, stepped forward, a bright yellow lighting bolt gleamed on his chest and his white cape fluttered behind him with every step.
"I am really looking forward to hanging with you guys," Captain Marvel said and the team, sans Kaldur, shared a look between themselves at their new Den-mothers odd word choice. Conner then turned to Kaldur,
"After I dismantle Red Tornado you and I are―"
"―Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League," Batman cut in, "That makes him League a responsibility, you will," Batman said sternly, "Leave him to us." Conner didn't so much as blink as Batman stared him down. "I have another assignment for this team,"
Batman said with a click of a button a news paper appeared on the miraculously working monitor; GORILLA TRADES BANANAS FOR BULLETS was the headline.
"Gotham Mayor attacked by Guerrilla Gorilla?" Arley read from the Gotham Gazettes Truth Rag; not that she blamed the Ape, most if not all of the politicians in Gotham were corrupt so the mustached man probably deserved it. Though it wasn't as if she truly believed the story, Vicky Vale had been the one to write it after all. More likely then not the Mayor had been attacked by some made men after not preforming his end of some sort of shady under the table kind of deal and thus, to avoid any more visits from the men who had roughed him up, had blamed the attack on an animal.
"Batman please," Dick pleaded, "Tell me you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase."
"I never joke about the mission," Batman said. "I've checked the sources and I've checked the patterns, Mayor Hills encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents." Batman looked at Kaldur, "Aqualad you and your team will depart for India."
Kaldur nodded.
M'gann was the first one out of the room, Wally, with Arley's hand clasped in his pulled the Lantern by Kaldur, though the red head turned to their team leader and scoffed, "Your team," the speedster muttered before leading Arley back towards the hanger where the bio-ship was.
Arley sent Kaldur a wounded look over her shoulder; Captain Marvel followed as the team began to pile into the alien space ship and Dick looked at the League member with raised brows. Wally and Arley's hands were still threaded together.
"You're coming with?" Dick wondered as Captain Marvel went to board the ship.
"Yeah," Captain Marvel smiled, "We'll have a blast." When the Leaguer had disappeared over the ships incline Dicks shoulders slumped,
"Translation," the Boy Wonder said, "He blames us for the Red fiasco, he doesn't trust us." Kaldur had chosen that moment to walk up to the ship and with a sneer Wally turned to the older boy,
"It's a big club."
...
Though team and Captain Marvel had arrived in India just as the stars began to twinkle Arley hadn't bothered to sleep on the ship; the Galra ship exploding played over and over in her mind, keeping her away every time she tried to close her eyes. Robin and Artemis were the first two out of the ship, Arley and others, as Miss Martian was quick to set the bio-ship down, followed after.
"Switch to stealth mode," Aqualad said as his own uniform bled black, "And we'll review mission parameters."
Kid Flash touched the symbol on his chest and his bright yellow uniform turned inky; and Miss Martians own uniform shifted at her mental command, as most of her clothing did, to her usual stealth mode uniform.
"Parameters?" Kid Flash said with narrowed eyes, "We don't need no stinkin' parameters."
Arley frowned, she could see the hurt in the speedsters eyes; she had seen it throughout the flight. Aqualad was as much his friend as the Atlantean was hers and just as much as it hurt Arley the Lantern knew it hurt Kid to know that he wasn't worthy enough to be brought into the fold.
"It's recon, we know what to do," Robin said and the twos boys turned their backs on Aqualad; Wally's hand swung out backwards to grab Arley's but the girl pulled back on the speedsters arm.
They had to talk about it. If something went wrong on the mission― the Galra ship exploding continued to play in the back of Arley's mind; the Galra hadn't been the first aliens Arley had watched die, nor were the bloodiest of deaths she'd witnessed or even the ones she felt most responsible for, they were simply just the latest ―and the team was angry at Aqualad, and if something happened to the Atlantean or if something happened to one of the others, neither Kaldur nor anyone else on the team would be able to forgive themselves.
Arley had witness the aftermaths of those types situations far too often; Lanterns were stubborn by nature― their power was derived from will ―which often lead to arguments and when no one wanted to say sorry it often lead to unspeakable words post-battle.
"Robin, Kid," Aqualad breathed; Robin spun.
"You, me, Kid and Arley, we started this team because the Justice League was keeping secretes from us!"
"Or did you forget that like you forgot to tell us about the mole?" Kid snipped, he turned to Arley, "Coming?"
Arley looked up through her lashes at Aqualad and sighed, her feet lifted off of the ground, it would be fine if they didn't talk because nothing was going to happen on the mission; they'd all be fine. They could make up afterwards.
"Yeah," she said. And she followed after the two boys.
...
Birds flew above the three of them as they walked an unbeaten trail through a part of Northern Indian jungle, Arley trailed between Kid and Robin.
"I mean," Kid muttered, "What the hell, we're his friends, if there was anyone he should have told about the mole it should have been us!" Kid said, Robin made a high pitched hum in the back of his throat.
"Totally! I mean we've known him since the beginning, we made this team because of secrets!"
"So where dose he get off!" Kid wondered, "Keeping them from us! I mean we could have died!"
"We almost did!" Robin said and Kid threw his hands out in front of him and Arley watched the boys shoulders with every exaggerated move he made. The three came to a cliff side where Robin, humming angerly in his throat took out the binoculars he had clipped to his utility belt.
With a screech kettle of almost unbelievably large vultures swooped down and with their razor sharp talons outstretched as they swiped at the three young heroes; Arley threw her hands up in front of her face as she ducked down in order to avoid the birds dangerously sharp talons.
"I thought vultures on ate dead meat!" Robin said as Wally and Arley got to their feet and began to move away from the cliff side and the birds, Robin tossed a birdarang out at the vultures; it exploded in the air.
"I think that's the message they're trying to send us Robin, now hurry up!" Arley shouted.
"These are some pretty proactive scavengers!" Wally said as the three of them raced forward back into the jungles foliage; every so often the three of them ducked down in order to avoid another attack from the birds; Arley turned and fired off a blast from her ring, it hit one of the birds wings and sent the large feathery beast careening to the ground. The others in the kettle screeched loudly as Arley's attack only seemed to make the other still airborne birds madder.
"Proactive and super-sized, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Robin wondered. Arley groaned, how come all but one of the missions they kept getting tied together; why did it always lead back to Cadmus? Why did it lead back to Isla Santa Prisca and the factory?
"Kobra-Venom?" Wally voiced.
"Yeah!" And the three of them split; Robin went left while Wally went right and Arley, taking to the air herself, went up, one bird turned after Robin while the second shot out after Arley. It was only in the air that Arley realized just how big the vultures were. She had known they were unnaturally big when they had kept swooping down to attack her and Kid and Robin but in the air, with widening eyes the female Lantern could only compare the birds size to that of a small car.
The vulture went left so Arley went right and so forth; Arley blasted the bird out of the air, only to be tackled by another; the birds claws bit into Arley's suit and Arley, as the vultures beak beak down towards her as it continued to fly punched the bird away, though not before she saw the familiar collar it wore around it's neck. The bird dropped Arley in surprise and Arley let herself fall; falling though the tree tops and through the thick vines Arley braced herself to hit the ground only caught before she hit the jungle floor. Kid Flash's grinning face looked down at her as she poked one eye open.
"You caught me," Arley breathed, she hadn't even expected him or Robin to try. Kid looked down at her like she'd grown a second head,
"Of course I did, I'm always going to be there to catch you." And though he probably didn't understand the double meaning behind his words Arley could only hope he would be there to always catch her, even as she fell more in love with him; but the Lantern doubted it so swallowing back her thoughts and instead focusing on the still swirling wake of vultures overhead Arley looked at the speedster.
"We need to find Rob and get to safe ground." The vultures screeched and Wally nodded,
"Yeah," he agreed, he set Arley down and the red head flipped his goggles down, "I bet I find Rob before you do."
"You're on Genius Boy." And for the first time since the ships explosion Arley felt herself able to breath.
...
Not too long later, hidden under the brush of trees, down and out of sight of any proactive vultures Arley and Robin and Kid huddled together alert. A sharp pain cut through Arley's head and suddenly her head was no longer just her own, nor were her teammates their own, the mind-link had been established.
"Should you really still be giving us orders?" Artemis wondered snidely at Aqualad though the mind-link, "And should you still be following them?" Artemis aimed at M'gann.
"Listen please," Aqualad said with a tired sigh but Kid Flash's thought cut him off; in a mocking tone the speedster thought,
"Oh good, Aqualads voice in my head, I've so missed that." Arley breathed and shot the red head a dull and half annoyed look; she could taste her teammates betrayal and she was sure Kaldur could too. She was sure the team leader could feel her hurt.
"We got attacked by giant vultures I feel like that should be the most pressing issues here," Arley thought.
"Unless Kaldur thought we were the moles and then he'd probably think we attacked ourselves," Robin thought contemptuously.
"If he did he wouldn't tell you," Artemis chimed.
"Superboy are you online or just pouting?" M'gann asked and Arley felt her lips twitch up at the Martian girls phrasing.
"Busy, call back later," Superboy said and Arley frowned as she tried to focus on just what the clone boys was doing only to suddenly think about her neighbors dog the more she tried to focus on if Superboy was in trouble. There were monstrous animals out for their blood, of course he was in trouble, so why was she thinking of her neighbors yappy Yorkie?
"What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us," Kid said.
"He should be chalant," Robin said, and Arley could taste someone's growing anger― it was like battery acid bubbling in her throat ―as Robin continued on, "Way chalant. Extremely chalant."
None of them had let Aqualad talk and explain why he hadn't told them though; they were in a jungle surrounded by mutated animals that wanted nothing more then to rip their throats out and if that happened everyone was going to die angry and guilty at each other.
No one was going to die but if they did; Arley squeezed her eyes shut at the thought of the Galra battleship exploding. She could feel the heat of the explosion through her construct. People had died and she had watched and now she was surrounded by a bunch of angry teenagers who could die too; who almost had already.
She wanted to scream.
"How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secretes?" Artemis wondered, Arley swallowed back her scream, heroes didn't wallow; Lanterns completed the missions they were given, no matter the coast. Even if they had to kill their enemies. And Nortz had Arley killed her enemies before.
"Or if Conner doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves?" Arley had killed her enemies before. How much blood did Arley have on her hands, was it oceans worth? Was it too much to even comprehend?
"Did he really think you or I could be the mole? Did he think Arley could?" Wally all but spat.
"We've known each other for years!" Cried Robin and Arley's head began to swim as Artemis continued on; Arley's head pounded as the Galra ship exploding played through her mind. How much blood did she have on her hands? "Trust is a two way street and you know they's hate it if we kept secrets from them!"
It was too much everything was too much; there was too much blood on her hands, too much noise and too much anger. To much guilt. Too much blood.
"Not that we'd do that, never!"
"Shut up!" Arley broke, she gasped for air and she could feel her teammates wince as she shouted through the mind-link, "Shut up, shut up shut up! Life is so, so short-people died last night!" Arley shouted through the link she got to her feet, she couldn't breath under the foliage.
"Alien people died―" the Galra battleship explosion played through her mind again; the images of the Colosseum sand and the spilt blood that marred it flashed through her mind, the heat from the explosion still prickled at her skin under her uniform, "―And you're arguing while on a mission! Suck it up, suck it up, suck it up!" Robin and Kid looked up at Arley half horrified as she paced back and forth trying to breath. Why couldn't she breathe?
"All of you, fight later who cares but you guys are risking each others lives because Kaldur kept a secret! Either get your head in the game or get lost because you're going to get yourself killed!"
Arley could see her team laying on the hanger floor; she could remember feeling the ice cold fear when she thought none of them were breathing.
Monster, monster, bad Lantern, bad Lantern; Arley was killer no better then the animals that wanted her and her teammates blood. The girl squeezed her eyes shut as she fell to her knees, her hands on her temples as she tried to stop thinking about the Galra battle ship and other enemies Arley had stopped― had killed ―and tried to forced the thoughts back into the dark bock she kept them in.
Jordan aren't pessimists, Jordan's aren't pessimist, be happy, be happy, focus-shut up and focus! Arley thought; there was a mission at hand and she wasn't focusing, it was no wonder she was the bad Lantern. Bad Lantern, killer Lantern. Bad Lantern! Bad Lantern! Bad Lantern!
"Arley," Kid said, he moved out from under the bush he and Robin had been frozen under and to Arley but the girl just squeezed her eyes tighter as she thought about how she was the bad Lantern, Jordan's aren't pessimists, this is why you're a failure, this is why you're unworthy; focus! You have a mission focus!
"M'gann cut us from the link," Kid thought.
"What?"
"Now," Kid demanded, his tone, though only mental, left no room for arguments, Miss Martian did so and Arley gasped as she felt her mind come back together; her ability to focus however, was still lost. "Arley," Kid breathed, the boys reached out and grabbed the girls wrists as she continued to squeeze the sides of her head, harder and harder until it hurt, "Arley I need you to look at me."
Pathetic, the Wally in her dream had called her pathetic and he was right because there she was with bloody hands unable to focus on her mission; she was the bad Lantern. Arley shook her head and Wally pulled her closer to him; "Arley look at me."
Bad Lantern, bad Lantern, bad Lantern. Arley opened her eyes, her bottom lip quivered. Bad Lantern, bad Lantern, killer Lantern.
"Mission," Arley gasped, "We have a mission, we have to focus on the mission, why can't I focus on the mission!" The Galra battleship exploding played over and over in her head; not everyone on the ship had to be a soldiers, and even if they were she had still helped to kill them; she squeezed her eyes back shut.
Killer Lantern, killer Lantern, killer Lantern.
Had they screamed before their flesh had been boiled off of their very own bones or had they been in too much agony to do so?
Arley hadn't been the one to blow the ship up this time but she had watched as aliens― as people ―lost their lives and she hadn't blinked when it happened. She had thought she could deal― she was on a mission, she had to deal ―with the fact that she had helped murder a ship full of soldiers. She and the others hadn't even given them a chance to surrender once the kidnapped aliens had been recused; Arley and the others, they had slaughtered the Galra soldiers and they had smiled about it.
Killer Lantern! Monster! Killer Lantern! Killer Lantern.
"Arley please just look at me, focus on my voice." But she didn't.
Killer Lantern, killer Lantern.
Wally dropped Arley's wrist cupped Arley's face between his, his thumbs rubbed the skin under her eyes, across her cheeks and Arley's eyes fluttered opened on their own; his forehead rested against her own.
"Breath," Wally instructed, he took a deep breath in and held it before letting it go, "Like me, okay? Breath." Arley unconsciously followed the speedster as he breathed, their chests rose and fell in tandem.
"Good," Wally smiled, it was a forced smile and Arley still focused on the Galra battleship exploding because while it was no longer at the forefront of her mind― breathing was ―it was still in her mind, their foreheads were still touching. "Do you remember two years ago in the eighth grade when Grandpa Jay took us camping and we found that field in the woods, the one with all those flowers?"
It took Arley a second but she nodded as she remembered the field and how beautiful it looked in the late spring sun. Wild flowers had been everywhere and Wally had taken a handful and thrown them at Arley before speeding away; his laughter had echoed through the field.
"Remember how you made a flower crown for me and the only way I'd wear it was when you or Jay would slip it on me while I wasn't paying attention?" Once more Arley nodded, her and Jay had made it into a game; who could put the crown on Wally's head more before it fell apart. Jay had won.
"Remember we're in India?" Wally wondered softly, Arley nodded; they were in India because of a mission. "Remember the mission we're on?"
The Gotham mayor had been attacked while on a hunting expedition almost a month ago by a Gorilla with a gun and Batman had sent her and team to find out what was going on only it wasn't just an armed Gorilla that was wrong with the jungle it was all the animals she and the team had encountered.
"Are you okay to link up now?" Wally wondered and Arley though hesitated nodded.
She was fine; animals in the jungle were on Kobra-venom and she and the team had to stop them and whoever was behind the recent ecological changes.
"Fin-e," Arley said, her voice cracked as she did so. "I'm fine now."
Wally smiled; it was only a fraction of his normal smile but it was still bright and happy and the speedster pressed his lips together as he kissed the place his own forehead had been touching. When he pulled away the red headed teen looked to Robin and nodded; Arley felt a weight in her mind as it splintered.
"We're back," Wally said, Arley kept quite, she focused only on the mission facts she had, on the collar the vulture was wearing and the Kobra-venom it had been dosed with.
"Captain Marvel has been captured and to we must save him," Kaldur said seriously, "We must act as a team, this isn't up for debate," Kaldur interjected before anyone on the team could smarmily chime in. "You call chose me to lead, when the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader I will happily step down but until that time I am in command here."
"Alright then," Robin said though the mind-link, as Wally and Arley moved closer to him, "What's our first move?"
"We meet back at the bioship."
...
The seven teen heroes, with the help of Superboys new friend, managed to track Captain Marvel and whoever had not only taken him but also infected the local animals with Kobra-venom down to an old ivy covered armory.
Kid, who poked up out of the tall grass next to Robin slid his goggles down over his eyes and twisted the lenses to use his infrared vision; Arley was perched in a tree next to a camouflaged Miss Martian.
"I'll fly over," Miss Martian said though the mind link as she eyed the pillars that lined the outside of the armory like fence pickets.
"Negatory," Kid said, "The field extends like a dome over the whole compound."
"The pylons are insulated but one good shock could cause a momentary gap," Rob theorized.
"I see a target," Artemis said spying the pylons control panel outside the armory doors.
"Then be ready to hit it," Aqualad said, "Be ready all of you." Aqualad ran forward out of the jungles tree ling and to the pylons that guarded the old armory; his tattoos glowed blue as electricity sparked to life at the tips of his fingers, the team leader slowly ripped a hole in the barrier surrounding the villains layer.
"Now!" Kid said through the link.
Artemis took her shot and the dome keeping the young heroes out fell; Kid was the first one at Aqualad, Arley being the second; a monkey's howled screech cut though the air as Arley's other team members left the jungle tree-line; Arley with a startled jump looked up as more monkeys appeared, the sires on the armory room glowed red as the alarms blared loudly though the jungle.
Arley tossed one monkey to the side as she caught it mid-air only for another, with it's sharp teeth bared to lunged at her. "I thought monkeys ate fruit!" Arley hissed at her team mates, "Why do they need fangs!"
"Probably because despite being herbivores the males in the troops need to defend themselves and their group against potential challengers," Kid answered.
Arley, as she threw the second monkey away from her, turned to the speedster.
"The collars!" Aqualad called out as he tore a collar off one monkey, "Remove their collars!" Kid threw a monkey at Arley and wordlessly Arley caught the primate by the collar, ripping it in half from the animals neck.
"Why do you know that?" Arley asked the red head.
"Sounds easy when he says it," Robin grumbled at Aqualad's direction.
"National Geographic," Kid told her as if it were obvious.
A Gorilla in a red beret, holding a machine gun charged through the armories open doors and Arley paused with a broken collar in her hands to morbidly admire the strange situation the universe had put her in because it only ever got stranger. The Gorilla turned at the waist and threw what was quickly revealed to be Miss Martian to the ground; its machine gun pointed at the Martian girl and Wally smirking charged at the ape; Arley broke another collar off of another monkey.
"Get your stinking paws off of her you damned dirty ape!" Wally quoted before lunging at the ape only to bounce back as the the Gorilla pushed out it's stomach. Arley's eyes narrowed as the Gorilla roared and before it could grab Miss Martian a green rope like construct flew from Arley's ring and wrapped itself around the Gorilla.
Arley's eyes narrowed at the primate. Her mission was to find out what had attacked the Gotham city Mayor and other civilians, her mission was to find out who drugged the local wild life with Kobra-venom and her mission was to stop whoever that person was. Her mission was to save Captain Marvel. Green Lanterns didn't fail their missions, no matter the coast because they were too stubborn to fail. Arley wasn't going to fail.
Glowing green Arley flew at the monstrous beret wearing Gorilla and hit it hard enough the ape flew back into the armory, though a thick concrete wall. Stalking forward, still glowing green Arley and the team entered the building.
"It's The Brain!" Kid pointed and Arley looked at the robotic but villainous super genius and suddenly the beret wearing Gorilla made sense. The universe though still constantly put her in strange situations because a beret wearing Gorilla was still a beret wearing Gorilla not matter what strange freak controlled it.
"I can see it's a brain," Artemis observed, Wally waved her off with a flap of the hand.
"Not a brain, The Brain," Wally said.
"In the flesh," the Brain said, "So to speak. Mallah." More pylons emerged from the ground and the six heroes dropped.
"Miss Martian, Superboy, now," Aqualad thought. With her eyes glowing the pylons remote flew from Mallah's hands and over Miss Martians face; the pylons turned off and the six heroes― as Superboy and his new Canine friend broke through the wall parallel to Arley and the others ―got to their feet.
The large white wolf attacked Mallah, then Kid and a glowing Arley, both of whose impact made the ape stumble attacked; Robin swung after them, kicking the Gorilla in the face. Miss Martian, using her telekinesis lifted Mallah up from the ground only to slam him into the floor; the ape fired the machine gun it had scrambled to pick back up at the Martian girl and Superboy attacked, though the Gorilla stepped back to avoid it. Mallah fired at Superboy who didn't bother to dodge the attack and Artemis fired an explosive bow at the former beret wearing ape.
Across the room The Brain fired at Aqualad and Arley hovered over Captain Marvel as she tried to figure out which button to press that wouldn't lead to the League members brain being cut out in front of her and falling into the metal tin The Brain and Mallah had set up. Arley didn't think she could handle that at that moment.
"Any idea what button to press?" Arley hissed at the older hero as she looked at the control scene.
"My collar, that's the only thing keeping me here," Captain Marvel said and Arley grinned, she could break a collar; Arley snapped the collar off from around the heroes neck and Captain Marvel with a goofy, child-like grin sat up on the slab The Brain and Mallah had put him on.
"Thanks!" Captain Marvel slid off the table and broke off the tigers collar; "One good turn deserves another." Arley and Captain Marvel and the tiger seemed to smirk at Mallah as the ape turned to them looking for an escape; the tiger licked it's chops, and Superboy, with his fist in his hand as Mallah turned in his direction looked at the ape daringly.
"Try it," the clone hissed, "I hate monkeys."
"No Mallah," The Brain said, "This will not be our Waterloo." The Brains machine opened outwards and Wally's eyed widened behind his goggles, Arley shot a dome out around The Brain and Mallah, ready to contain whatever blast the evil robotic super genius made.
"Get down!" Wally shouted only for no blast come. The lights turned off instead and when they turned back on, despite being trapped inside a construct both The Brain and Mallah were gone. "You're telling me that weapon looking thing was a light switch?"
"Where the doshing esehigi are they!" Arley blinked, "I had them-I―" Arley looked at the floor.
Arley was less focused on what the machine did and more on how the evil robotic genius and his pet ape had gotten out of her construct.
Bad Lantern, bad Lantern, bad― Wally looked worriedly at Arley as she stalked over to where The Brain and Mallah had been and started to use a glowing pickax she had constructed from her ring in order to start breaking into the floor so she could begin to look for The Brains get away tunnel; part of her mission had been to capture the person responsible because Lanterns finished their missions and she was a Lantern ―Lantern, bad Lantern.
Wally moved and grabbed the shaft of Arley's pickax as she lifted it to swing the tool down; "Stop it," Wally breathed.
"What, but the mission―"
"Doesn't matter, okay? We saved Marvel and we found out what was going on and who was behind it, the rest of the mission, that doesn't matter." But it did because if she didn't complete the mission then she wasn't even worthy being a bad Lantern; she wasn't worthy of being any type of Lantern. "Arley look at me," Wally said sternly, he grabbed both sides of Arleys face. "Arley you've been awake for more then three days, you need sleep, okay? You're not thinking straight."
But she was because the thoughts running though her mind were the same thoughts she'd been having since the day she got her ring; if she wasn't worthy of being a Lantern then Hal wouldn't want her, nor would Guy or John and Katma or Kilowog and that meant she'd be thrown head first back into the system, alone. If she wasn't a hero and yet still knew everything she knew― identities and locations and all that ―then she would be a liability and the friends she had and loved would have to keep their distance meaning she'd be alone and in the system and it's be just like when she was kid all over again.
Just like before.
Artemis looked up at Arley sharply from where she stood next to Robin and Wally's face seemed to crumple. The pickax was still constructed in Arley's hand.
She didn't want before; but then again before she wasn't a killer, before she didn't have blood on her hands. Killer Lantern, killer Lantern, killer Lantern! Romeo had to wonder if he had to be or not to be but Arley had to wonder if she wanted to be alone or a killer; Killer Lantern, bad Lantern, killer Lantern, bad Lantern!
"Please just stop," Wally whispered and Arley looked at the boy in front of her and though the thoughts in her head were loud― killer Lantern. Alone or a killer, what's better? What kind of Lantern am I if I can't complete my mission? Bad Lantern, killer Lantern, what kind of Lantern? Alone or a killer. Unworthy, I'm an unworthy Lantern, I'm going to be alone with this blood. Killer Lantern―the only thing she could focus on was the boys distraught face.
"I'm not leaving you Arley," Wally hissed, "Okay, where you go I go, that's how it's always been between us, that's how it's always going to be."
Wally's smile was something that should be bottled and sold to light cities; the speedsters chest spluttered and the pickax disappeared from Arleys hand. Wally wouldn't lie to her; she might have been unworthy but Wally wasn't going to leave her alone with the blood on her hands when the Guardians and Hal and John and Guy all opened their eyes and saw the useless, unworthy monster behind the mask.
Bad Lantern, killer Lantern; Arley felt her splintered mind come back to her and the girl rocked forward into Wally's chest, the speedster welcomed her into his embrace. He was warm, Arley breathed in and though the speedster smelled of dirt and sweat Arley didn't move, but Wally did.
"Come on," he murmured as he swept Arley up into his arms; her arms wrapped around his neck and Dick swiped the red beret that Mallah had been wearing off of the armory floor as the seven young heroes and their temporary Den-mother walked towards the bio-ship; Conner and Captain Marvel's new animal companions attached to their hips.
It was at the bio-ship that the giant white wolf preened as Conner scratched the vulnerable underside of it's neck, and Arley and Wally chuckled at the clone and with a bright and hopeful smile the Kryptonian asked the Martian girl if he could keep the beast.
Arley was tired but she could go another day or two if she had too; until the Guardians realized their mistake she was a Lantern. A bad unworthy Killer Lantern; bad Lantern, killer Lantern.
"First the sphere and now the wolf, dude you sure make a habit of collecting stays," Wally laughed, Arley, who at some point in their walk to the bio-ship had been put back down into her own two feet, had her arm wound tightly around Wally's waist, his arm was wrapped wound her shoulders.
"Maybe because he's such a stray himself," M'gann joked and she and Conner shared a kind and soft look between themselves. M'gann dropped to he knees and sat on the ground next to the blue eyed clone, her hand on his shoulder as Arley focused on the wolf.
"He's going to need a name," Arley said,
"How about Krypto?" Wally proposed to Conner; the wolf snarled at the suggestion.
"Pass," Conner said.
"Besides, isn't that taken?" M'gann wondered. Kaldur walked up the ramp of the bio-ship and Dick, still in his cape and mask with his arms crossed stopped the other teen from entering the space ship.
"I need to know," The boy wonder said, "Why did you keep the mole information a secrete?"
Kaldur looked out to the rest of the team, "The source of the tip was Sportsmaster."
"What! You can't trust him!" Artemis' was the most shocked, and perhaps if her head wasn't playing the Galra battleship explosion on replay, over and over as she tried to fight off the exhaustion pulling at her eyelids something about the archers almost scared reaction would have thrown up some kind of flag, but because Arley hadn't slept in days and her mind was to focused on the oceans of red she could fill no flag of any kind was raised.
"I do not," Kaldur said, "It seemed possible, even likely that he was attempting to divide the team with false information."
"And giving how the mission went he nearly succeed," Dick said. "But you had to consider it might be true."
"Yes, as leader I did, in which case I did not wish to alert the traitor." Arley felt Wally's shoulder drop onto her, the tension it had been carrying melting away with that knowledge.
"Hate to say it but it makes sense," Dick nodded with a sigh.
"I am still prepared to step down," Kaldur said, Wally smiled.
"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader?" The red headed wondered with a raised hand; a green hand shot out of Arley's ring and the rest of the team raised their own hands. Captain Marvel stepped up to Kaldur, his hand outstretched;
"Guess its unanimous," the League member said, "See you tomorrow," he said with a salute.
Kaldur blinked at the man, "You're not coming back with us?"
"Nope, got to fly," and with that the caped hero took off into the Indian sky before quickly disappearing from view.
"So what are you going to call him?" M'gann wondered as the team began to board the ship,
"What's wrong with Wolf?"
"Geriatric but acceptable," Wally said; "Hey M'gann those bed things that appeared in Bialya you can make them appear again right?" Wally hadn't even needed to finish the question before M'gann had motioned for him and Arley to follow; the Lantern allowed herself to be lead to a medical slab like bed that had formed from the floor, just as all the seats in the front of the ship did.
Gently, Wally pushed Arley down onto the slab so that her back was flat against it; "Power down Glowstick," Wally mused and Arley looked pointedly at the boy,
"Do you have to call me that?" She wondered as her suit disappeared, the same clothes she had been wearing for the pat two days appeared under her uniform, Wally ran a hand through her hair as he smiled down at her, Arley's eyelids began to get heavy as his nails scratched against her scalp.
"You know you love it." Yeah she did― it was loads better then Nightlight ―though she would never admit it.
"Stay?" Arley pleaded, "Please?" Arley could practically taste the nightmares ready to plague her. Wally keeled to the ground next to the slab and rested his chin on his forearm.
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere Ars, like I said, where you go I go." And that was the last thing the Lantern remembered before falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.
