Chapter Sixteen ― Revelation
"Fearless child; broken girl, tell me what it's like to burn."
"I am not a bad Lantern, it's not my fault."
Arley had taken to repeating the two mantras Canary had taught her not only when she woke up or the exploding Galra ship played through her mind but also every time she found herself in front of a mirror; it was why, the day before her sixteenth birthday, Arley's hands were clasped around the edges of one of the Mount Justices' sinks as she looked into the mirror as she tried to will herself to believe the words coming out of her reflections mouth.
She was pale, there were rings under her eyes― the only reason she was sleeping was because of the pills Canary had prescribed for her to take before bed ―and her hair was longer then it had been when the team had been founded; the dark black waves that had once only reached Arley's jaw had lengthen down to the teens shoulders, she was going to start braiding it back when she went on missions.
"I am not a bad Lantern, it's not my fault," Arley said once more before leaning back away from the mirror and the sink; perhaps one day she would believe the words coming out of her mouth. Perhaps one day she would be okay, her hands were still wet from washing them. When she exited the bathroom Wally and Artemis were there waiting for her, the pair of them bickered about whether it was or wasn't morally right to eat a Pokémon.
Wally thought it wasn't, Pokémon were friends not food, Artemis however wanted to know if Ash and his friends were going to eat Magikarp and Milktank then pray-tell, what were they going to eat.
"Plants!" Wally said with a wave of his hands, Arley as she saddled up to the speedsters side grimaced at him.
"There are plant Pokemon Wally," the Lantern reminded him and the red head through a huffy expression at Arley as they began to walk towards the gymnasium where Kaldur and Dick where sparring. Dick still wasn't talking to Arley not that she could blame the Wayne ward, she was a monster with oceans of blood on her hands.
"You're on her side!" Artemis grinned but Arley shook her head as she waved her hands out in front of her,
"No, no, I personally don't think I'd be able to have a Pokémon and then eat one that looks exactly like it for dinner. It'd be like eating bacon in front of Wilbur from Charoltte's Web, but there are plant Pokémon out there so what kind of planets are we talking about?" Arley wondered; when Artemis had brought the question about eating Pokémon up Pikachu and Cyndaquil had both flashed through Arley's mind and thus Arley's stance in the argument had been quickly made up.
"Non-Pokémon plants!" Wally said; Artemis and Arley couldn't help but laugh at the boy as he got more invested in the conversation. "Like you don't eat Vileplume because that's a friend but you could totally eat some random berry you found in the woods you know!"
"What about the fruits Pokémon grow on them?" Artemis asked, "I mean that's be like sheering wool from a sheep or getting milk from a cow right?"
"What Pokémon are we talking about?"
"Venusaur for example," Artemis said, "If you had a Venusaur and it grew a fruit on it's back would you eat it?"
"Is it hurting the Venusaur?" Wally asked and Artemis shook her head,
"No like I said it's the same as milking a cow or getting wool from a sheep." Wally and Arley shared a look, Arley nodded as one side of her mouth quirked upwards and Wally nodded as both his brows raised; they both turned to Artemis as they turned down the hallway that lead to the gymnasium.
"Sure," Wally said with a shrug, "As long as it doesn't hurt the Venusaur why not."
The three of them entered the gymnasium and saw not only Conner and M'gann and Wolf all standing to the side of the room, chatting― M'gann's cheeks were pink and there was a small, kind hearted smile on Conner's face ―but also Kaldur and Dick in the middle of the rooms sparring ring talking to one another as both Captain Marvel and Zatara― their Den-mother for the week ―watched the four other teens from the corner of the gym as they spoke hushedly to one each other.
Wally laced his and Arley's hand together as he and Artemis lead the Lantern up to the sparring ring; Dick pointedly ignored her and with narrowed eyes Wally looked at the younger teen. Arley didn't blame Dick for hating her but Wally did; when the female Lantern had gotten back from Oa and hung out with the speedster the red headed teen had ranted for hours about how the youngest team member was being unfair because it wasn't like Arley was some sort of monster, she'd done what she had needed to do to survive in warzones.
"So if Zatara is our babysitter of the week why is he still here?" Wally wondered with a pointed finger in Captain Marvels direction. "And why is he still eating my snacks?" Arley looked at the speedster, a small smile on her face as she tightened her grip on the speedsters hand.
"You know we can get you more snacks, right?" It wasn't as if the League was tight on cash.
"That's not the point," Wally said swiveling his head between Dick and Arley only to look back at Kaldur; Arley and Artemis shared a smile behind the speedsters back as the boy looked mournfully at the snack bar in Captain Marvels hands.
"Batman to cave," Batman's voice rang out; the team and both the teams former and current Den-mother looked up at the gymnasiums white ceiling, "Mission assignment ready, meet me in the Meeting Chamber."
"Sweet!" Wally used his free hand to fist bump the air, he turned to Arley, a goofy smile on his face, "Bet I beat you to the Meeting Chamber." Arley smirked mischievously― up ―at the speedster; he had gotten taller, what had once been a two or three inch difference was slowly closing in on six not that Arley was completely surprised, the entire West family was tall.
"Alright," Arley breathed as she shook loose Wally's hand, "You're on."
But just as Wally had turned to move Arley used her ring to form concrete shoes around Wally's feet, keeping him in place. Artemis's cackled laugh broke though the room as Wally hit the gymnasium floor.
"Arley!" Wally whined as Arley's uniform manifested over her clothing; her feet picked up off the gymnasium floor. Both Zatara and Captain Marvel paused on their way to the door to look at the two teens, Kaldur stuck a knuckle between his teeth to stop himself from laughing aloud and though Dick's face was nothing more then a deadpan expression the boys fingers had curled themselves into a fist. Conner and M'gann giggled from their side of the room and Wolf let out a breathy sort of pant.
"What, you never no powers Genius Boy," Arley laughed as Wally propped himself up on his elbows, his green eyes sparkling as he looked up at Arley, "Still want to bet you can make it to the Meeting Chamber first?"
"I'm good," Wally laughed and the constructs around the speedsters feet disappeared back into Arley's ring; Artemis helped the red head boy up and Arley― who while hovering in the air, was eye level with the speedster ―smiled.
"You didn't hurt yourself when you fell right?" She asked, a hint of worry coloring her voice. Wally grinned toothily at the Lantern.
"Nah I'm indestructible," Wally's thumb pointed at his chest, "Third Man of Steel right here."
"Man?" Conner laughed and Wally glared at the clone.
"Besides―" Wally stressed as he turned back to Arley, his face twisted from its glare to an almost coquettish look, "Why would I get hurt w―"
"―Meeting chamber," Batman's voice echoed through the gymnasium cutting Wally off, the caped and cowled man sounded annoyed. Wally's shoulder fell as the rest of whatever he had been about to say died in his throat, "Now."
"You heard the man come on," Dick said as he jumped from the gyms sparring ring to the floor where he brushed by Arley without so much as a look back or an apology; Arley stared after her friend as he and both Zatara and Captain Marvel headed to meet Batman in the Meeting Chamber.
"Arley―" Kaldur tried to say as he too left the ring but Arley with a forced smile looked at her team leader. She couldn't blame Dick for hating her; I'm not a bad Lantern, I'm not at fault.
"―Bird boy's right, you heard Batman," Arley said cutting off the dark skinned boy, she floated away from Wally and the others as her chest began to ache. "We should get going, come on."
I'm not a bad Lantern, I'm not a bad Lantern, it' not my fault.
...
The National News was already frozen when Arley entered the Meeting Chamber, Zatara and Captain Marvel stood with Batman who was by the large computer monitor and Dick sat in the chair closest to his mentor, Arley chose the farthest. Wally sat next to her when he entered the room; the boy didn't so much as as glance in Batman's direction, though he did stare at the back of his younger friends shoulder as their other team members filed into the room; it was only when everyone was seated that Batman, wordlessly, pressed a button on his remote.
The large computer monitor started playing; Cat Grant started to speak, "The initial attack was short lived but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve."
The computer showed a scene of large writhing vines as they wrapped themselves around sky scrappers, crushing it. "And despite the intervention―" the computer screen then showed Superman swooping in as vines began to demolish a second building, saving two people from the roof, "―Of Superman and the Justice League―" Hawkgirl flew into the camera's view, wielding her mace, "―There seems to be no end in sight."
John, glowing green cut a vine with a large blade he'd formed with his ring only to circle around the large plant with Hawkgirl.
"Should we get out there?" Dick wondered.
"No," Batman said turning to his protegee, "The League will soon have the situation under control, that's not why I'm here. According to your Intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus Blockbuster formula to Kobra."
Wally nodded, "Who combined it with Banes venom to create Kobra venom."
"Which the Brain used to create his animal army," Dick added on.
"And upgrade Wolf," Conner said scratching the underside of his pet wolfs neck, the large snowy white animals chest rumbled as Conner moved to scratch behind it's ears.
"The Brain also used inhibitor collars though," Arley voiced, "Not just the formula."
Dick didn't turn to her as Batman did, M'gann nodded.
"Like the ones used at Belle Reve Penitentiary!" Artemis leaned forward, her elbows on the Meeting Chamber table,
"Batman, is it possible that plant thing's on Kobra venom too?"
"I had Green Lantern―" Conner, who Arley had started to bring around the Jordan-Gluck apartment for Sunday dinners, was the one to cough and Batman's eyes narrowed behind the cowl, "―I had John," Batman said, "Run a spot analysis, the vines cellulose dose contain trace amounts of a Kobra venom variant."
"These cannot be coincidences," Kaldur said with a dark tone, "Unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide."
"Exactly," Batman said with a nod, "It's clear our enemies have formed some kind of Secrete Society of Super-Villains, the attack on Metropolis is only the beginning."
"You got that right," Dick said as he looked up from his phone, something Arley hadn't noticed he'd taken out, and moved to the computers monitor; a holographic keyboard appeared. "Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham, Paris, Star City, Taipei―" four smaller screens appeared on the monitor, all with footage of plants attacking in the named cities.
The five screens fuzzed out.
"Dude," Wally said with a admonished tone.
"It's not me, someone's cutting into the satellite signal. All satellite signals."
The Jokers face appeared on all five screens and Arley straightened in her seat; her mothers manic smile flashed in her mind. Wally reached over and grabbed Arley's hand but the Lantern was too focused on the Clown King of Crimes face as he knocked against the camera he was using.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem―" Joker moved from the camera and flicked open a pocket knife, "―To bring you this important announcement―" the Joker moved the camera to reveal six other recognizable villains. "―From the injustice League."
Count Vertigo, as Joker cackled in the background tipped his chin up, "We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them a ransom of ten billion American dollars is required, delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit but the longer your Governments wait―"
Jokers hand flew in front of the camera as Count Vertigo trailed off; the camera refocused on the clown themed villain and Arley's stomach twisted.
"―The more we get out jollies," Joker said with a grin and a laugh Arley heard once a month; it was a sick and twisted sort of cackled laughter that had Arley glaring at the computer monitor without meaning to. That man― that monster ―had been what took Arley's mother from her; he was what took so many people from their friends and families; he was someone who had filled entire graveyards in Gotham, and he was laughing.
The footage was cut and Dick's fingers typed against the holographic keyboard in a flurry.
"Roger that Aquaman," Batman said as he pressed the side of his mask, "The UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it won't come to that." The footage was rewound and the computer quickly identified each and every villain in the frame.
"Count Vertigo," Dick read off, "The Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Adam, Wotan; seven heavy hitters probably behind nearly everything and everyone we've faced."
Arley, though had never face Wotan herself, knew of the sorcerer and how ageless the magic user truly was. She knew the last human Lantern before Hal had been killed by the sorcerer. Guy had fought the sorcerer before, Hal and John had too and as Arley looked at the Lantern killer on the screen― the Jokers laugh still bouncing around her head ―she supposed it was her turn too.
"There's your secrete society," Wally said, his own eyes glued to the large computer monitor.
"Not so secrete anymore," Artemis chimed in.
"Perhaps, after India they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer," Kaldur proposed.
"Yeah," Arley's brows shot up, "Their mistake then."
"Exactly!" Wally cheered, he lifted his hand from Arley's and hit the palm of his right hand with the balled up fist of his left, "Right now I say we go kick some plant creature butt!"
"The Justice League will handle the plants," Batman said, "I have a different job for this team."
Wally sighed.
"Man-ow!" Wally rubbed the shoulder Artemis had leaned over to hit.
"With the plants attacking so many different locations simultaneously there must be a central control system, your mission is to destroy it," Batman told them, Arley leaned forward.
"You realize what you're asking them to do, don't you?" Zatara questioned Batman, Batman turned to the magician,
"They're ready."
"Ready? Ready for what?" Arley looked at the speedster, Artemis though beat her to the punch, literally. The archer hit Wally's shoulder once more; "Will you cut that―"
"―Hello Wally! If the big guns are fighting plants who do you think we'll be fighting?"
"I don't know!" Wally said automatically, defensively, "I guess we'll be fighting..." Wally trailed off as he turned to the computer monitor. "Oh."
"Well Batman I trust you're correct," Zatara said.
"I trust you can locate the enemy."
"Indeed," Zatara nodded, "Wotans involvement suggest sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled. Lantern if you could provide a map I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity."
Arley, ignoring Wally's rolling eyes, lifted her hand an imagined a giant green globe; her construct formed and a spinning globe hovered over the Meeting Chamber table. Zatara raised his hands; "Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros."
A red dot marked the globe and Arley zoomed into the spot Zatara had marked, "There, that is where you will find the Injustice Leagues central control system."
"It's the Louisiana Bayou," Arley said.
"Then we are on our way," Kaldur said as he lead the team to the locker rooms to change but before Arley and the other could leave the room Batman called out to both her and Patrician Marvel; both the League member and the teen hero stopped mid-step.
Arley turned to the Gotham hero as he got closer to her.
"Lantern," Batman said, "Knowing the Joker's involved in this I need to know if you can stay focused."
Arley's brow from behind her mask quirked up as her stomach twisted angerly.
How dare he.
"Excuse me?"
"I need―"
"―I heard you," Arley hissed cutting the man off; Captain Marvel's eyes widened and Zatara blinked at the girl from over the Dark Knights shoulder, "And I can't believe you would even ask me this." This was why Hal and Guy didn't like the man, why though they'd fight by his side they'd just as ready fight him. Arley got it. "I'd expect to be asked this when if I'd only just got the ring but in case you forgot Batman―" Arley hissed the mans alter-egos name, "―I've been a Lantern for almost eight years."
The Joker was still alive, her past foster parents were still alive and maybe Batman was right for questioning her because of all the blood on her hand but still, Arley glared at man.
Batman's eyes narrowed at Arley and she didn't look away. What was Batman when you didn't fear him? Nothing more then just a man with fancy toys and a gloomy holier-then-thou attitude, and Arley certainly didn't fear the man in front of her.
"If that's all I need to charge my ring," Arley said and Batman blew a growled breath out his nose; the Lantern took that as a dismissal.
...
Arley, as the team got ready to board the bioship, found Kaldur― who was already suited up ―in the trophy room; her Lantern battery was cradled in her arms, the Helmet of Fate was between Kaldurs hands and an open dufflebag was at the Atlanteans feet.
"Kaldur what the esehigi do you think you're doing with that?" Kaldur jumped and the Helmet flew into the air, out of the teens hands for a split second before the team leader caught the magical artifact.
"Arley I didn't think-what are you doing here, why are you not with the others?" Arley placed the bottom rim of her Lantern against her hip the same way one would do to a baby.
"I had to get my Lantern, it was in the library, why aren't you with the others?" She questioned back.
"I―" Kaldur looked at the Helmet, "All good plans require a plan B, do they not?"
"Not when the backup plan requires you to give up your life so some Lord of Order can wear you like a prom dress," Arley said thinking back on how atop the Tower of Fate the Lord of Order hadn't wanted to release Wally from his hold. "Kaldur if you're worried about the team I get it," Arley said, "I am too, we're going up against seven super-villains on our own but that doesn't mean you can be a jerk."
Kaldur blinked, he breathed a surprised breath of air our of his nose as he continued to handle the Helmet of Fate between his hands. "Excuse me?"
Arley moved her Lantern battery to the other hip as she stepped farther into the room, her chin lifted as she spoke to her team leader, her friend.
"All for one and one for all, we win together or we lose together. Don't make us win without you," she told him before tacking on, "It wouldn't be much of a victory if you did so."
"And what if we need it?" Kaldur asked, his voice hard.
"We won't," Arley said will all the confidence― arrogance ―a member of the Green Lantern Corps was supposed to have; "Trust me." And Kaldur's lips tipped upwards, slowly he set the Helmet back down in it's usual spot.
...
While the Injustice Leagues central control system was located in Louisiana it was more specifically located in Bayou Bartholomew, an unpopulated stretch of marsh land. The team flew in silence as they invisibly swept over the swamp.
Arley, whose hair was plaited into two low hanging pig tails, sat behind Kid Flash as he ate one of his Flash-bars; an unflavored granola bar that had been specifically modified to hold enough nutrients needed to fill a speedster and Artemis sat besides Robin as the caped boy looked out the bio-ships front window.
Kid Flash turned to Arley and eyed the Lantern battery at her feet, "Why's you bring that anyway you juiced up before we left."
Arley smiled wryly at the boy, as if she had a secrete she wasn't ready to share. Miss Martian groaned before Arley could open her mouth and the team turned to the Martian pilot as she held her head; Arley's smile was wiped off her face.
"You alright?" Superboy asked as Wolf's head perked up .
"Martians get airsick?" Robin wondered as he turned in his seat.
"She does look a bit greener then usual," Kid said as he finished off the Flash-bar.
"Not me," Miss Martian gritted out, "Her." Arley and Artemis shared a look.
"I'm fine," Arley said, "Artemis?"
"Fine." Both girls looked to the green female who had began to brace herself against the ships controls; her eyes squeezed shut.
"It's not them," Miss Martian said to the others, as the bio-ship began to wobble from its course, "It's the bio-ship, she's trying to shield us but I don't know what from." And perhaps a second or two later the ship was hit from underneath; the team, as the bio-ship began to barrel roll through the sky braced themselves in their seats only for the ship to crash land in the Louisiana swamp they'd been flying over.
Neither Arley nor the rest of the team had managed to collect themselves before thick plant vines― like the ones the news had reported on appearing all over the globe ―wrapped themselves around the bio-ship.
A pointy eared man― Black Adam ―ripped his way into the roof of the bio-ship and Miss Martian clutched her head; "He's hurting her!" Miss Martian screamed.
Arley, acting first and thinking second, fired a blast from her ring at the man, sending him flying back causing the bio-ship to sink further into the swamp it had landed in. Murky green water began to rush into the ship through the still open hole the villain had made. Arley glowed green; Superboy took out his rebreather from his pocket and gave it to Wolf.
"No," Artemis said, "No way I'm nearly drowning three missions in a row."
The archer, as Robin ducked down into the swamp water took out her own rebreather and stuck it in her mouth, Arley looked to Kid, ready to form a bubble around him when Artemis and handed her extra to the speedster.
"Thanks," Kid smiled as he stuck it in between his lips.
"M'gann we need to get out of here, open a hatch!" Aqualad ordered and Miss Martian blinking nodded as her hand slapped against her head.
"Hello Megan, of course!" Gills formed on the side of the Martians neck and she dipped down into the dark and murky waters; Arley followed after and the team followed the protective light encasing the Lantern out of the bio-ship. Kaldur quickly took point and lead the sopping wet team of teenage heroes to the shore.
From the tree line the seven heroes and genetically modified canine watched as the bio-ship sunk beneath the swampy waters. Wally kept his hand the small of Arley's back.
"She's in shock," Miss Martian said aghast, "She'll need time to recover."
Everything was spinning but not in the way it had been when Black Adam had attacked the ship. The team hit the ground screaming as Count Vertigo stepped from the tree line; Arley's hands were pressed to her the temples of her head and Wally, as he pushed himself up― shaking as he rested his weight on one elbow ―moved so that he was hovering over her protectively.
"Vertigo," Wally glared.
"Count Vertigo to you peasant," the villain corrected.
Arley cracked an eye open― her head still spinning ―and snarled at the man; though she saw four in front of her, all blurry and moving. She raised her hand to fire a blast of energy at the man only to miss despite being only a few yards in front of her. Arley squeezed her eyes shut and focused on not vomiting.
Superboy was the first to his feet, though he was quickly thrown back but Black Adam; Aqualad jumped up as the clone boy was hit hard enough into the ground that the Kryptonians eyes rolled back.
Kaldur used his water barers to summon a large stream of water from the swamp they had emerged from and swung it at the Count. The villain was thrown back into the trees and Arley and Kid got to their feet; the world no longer spinning.
"Robin," Aqualad called out though the mind-link, "Miss Martian, Lantern, disappear all of you. We will keep them busy, you three fulfill the mission objective."
Arley didn't want to leave the rest of her team― leave Wally ―to face Count Vertigo and Black Adam but she knew the mission at hand; she knew what was at stake if the central control system controlling the planets around the world didn't come down. And yet as Miss Martian turned invisible Arley hesitated if only for a split second.
Win or lose they did that together and Arley didn't want to do either of those things without her whole team by her side. She didn't want to do either of them without Wally.
Black Adam attacked Aqualad and Arley took that as her queue to vanish into the green tree tops of the Louisiana bayou; she knew― due to the mind link ―exactly where Robin and Miss Martian were, and so she followed them.
The world around them got darker as the sun continued to set; a swamp, battling super villains wouldn't be the worst place Arley had celebrated her birthday.
"I lost contact with Aqualad and the others," Miss Martian said through the link, she walked between Robin and Arley, the girl, as she followed her two team mates footsteps watched the tree line above them suspiciously. "Maybe we should―"
"―Sorry," Robin said not sounding sorry in the slightest, "That's not the gig, this is." The Boy Wonder moved a branch to reveal a large building with a managed plant coming out of it's large glass roof.
"Injustice League Central Control looks like a baseball stadium," Arley blinked, Robin turned to the girl, a glare on his face.
"Focus," Robin hissed and Arley could taste the boys resentment for her in her own mouth; Arley pressed her lips together. "It looks like that plant is acting as an antenna to control the other plants worldwide."
"Well hello," a feminine voice said from behind the three young heroes; before any of them could properly turn thick vines had wrapped around the tree teens and Poison Ivy placed her hands on her hips as the vines lifted the heroes higher and higher into the air. Ultra-Humanite landed behind the female villain with a gun in his hands. "And goodbye."
"Arley!" Miss Martian called through the mind-link as her eyes glowed green; Ultra-Humanite's gun moved so that the Gorilla fired at Robin and her own vines; Arley's ring shined brightly under the vines before they exploded from around her.
Robin hit the ground running; Miss Martian flew off in the other direction. "Sorry Boy Wonder," Poison Ivy called out, "I'm putting an end to your little reconnaissance mission."
"Lantern take down the plant Miss M and I can distract them," Robin said through the mind link as used a grappling hook to pull himself into a tree in order to doge Ivy's attack. Arley who had flown in the same direction as Miss Martian paused amidst the green of the tree tops.
"Are you―"
"―Go," Robin ordered; his tone left no room for argument. "Don't kill anyone though," he added almost snidely and Arley's heart clenched in her chest. Canary's mantra flashed through her mind as her jaw clenched. She moved through the air so that she was heading towards the Injustice Leagues Central Control System.
"Megs kill the link," Arley said to the Martian girl. If she was going to face whoever was left inside the building then she didn't need her mind splintered, and she knew― she could feel ―that Miss Martian knew that, and yet the green girl hesitated as she dodged an attack from Ultra-Humanite.
"M'gann―" Arley felt her mind come back to her the same way a rubber band would when you stopped stretching it.
She landed quietly on the glass roof of the Injustice League Central Control System and spied Atomic Skull on one end of the room feeding the monstrous plant energy and the Joker on the other side, several monitors in front of him. Wotan was no where to be seen though.
Her mothers face flashed through Arley's mind as the girl tried to focus enough to some up with a plan on how to both take out the large mother-plant and stay alive while doing so when a blast of energy shot up through the glass missing Arley by just a hair. Arley looked down and saw Atomic Skull looking up at her through the glass ceiling and Arley jumped down into the Injustice Leagues layer through the hole the villain had made with no plan in mind and just her supercharged ring on her finger.
She would figure everything out as she went.
The Jokers laughter rang though the air; "You're not one of the Bats brats, oh well this still 'ought to be fun!"
Arley aimed a blast of energy at Atomic Skull and the skeleton like man took two steps back from the platform his was on in order to dodge it. Arley hovered in the air; "Give it up Skull, Joker, you're both under arrest."
The Joker beamed at Arley, a gun in his hand, "That's what the all say Green-bean."
So he wouldn't go quietly what did that matter, Arley would destroy the mother-plant like she was meant to do and kick the Clown King of Crimes teeth in while she did so. Her mothers manic smile flashed through her mind and Arley wondered how similar the Joker and her mothers smiles would be when the man had no more teeth left in his mouth.
She dodged a second blast from Atomic Skull and the villain hit the tree he's only just been feeding energy; the Joker fired an easily dodged shot at Arley before he turned back to his screens, his hands moved through the air as if he were controlling several dozen marionettes.
Atomic Skull fired at Arley again and once more the girl dodged the attack; once more the blast of energy hit the plant.
Arley smiled; she half turned to the plant, one eye was kept on Atomic Skull and she began to tare through the Mother-plant with a large sword like construct, dodging every attack Atomic Skull blasted her way, using the villains terrible aim to her own advantage, only to be thrown from the sky when something hit her back. Arley had been shot in the suit before and though normal bullets didn't penetrate her uniform they still hurt when they hit her.
Arley fell somewhere between the planets roots and the thing that had been thrown at her― a rusty crow bar not the broken metal jacket of a bullet ―clattered next to her. The Jokers insanity inducing cackle echoed through the room and the parts of the mother-plant that looked more technology then plant glowed gold.
Atomic Skull was back on his perch feeding the mother-plant as the plant began to heal itself and Arley's mouth dropped open; she needed to take out Atomic Skull before the plant. Arley had only just pushed herself up when a shot rang out and the girl instinctively ducked, dodging the bullet as it imbedded itself in the plants root.
"Oh," The Joker sighed as he stood on top of the plant, "Ivy's going to kill me for that." The Joker laughed, "Oh well."
He pointed his gun again and Arley glowed green and as he fired, the girl lunged. The bullet skimmed the girls cheek― blood dripped down her cheek ―and Arley close lined the clown, knocking him off of the plants root, before shooting off at Atomic. She had to focus on her mission and take out both Atomic Skull and the mother-plant because only then could she focus on knocking out the clown themed villains teeth.
She would leave him alive, she wouldn't prove Batman right, but she wouldn't just leave the man alone either, he had taken her mother away from her and for that he deserved to pay.
Arley's arms wrapped around the skeleton mans middle and the villain beat at Arleys back; as Arley flew through the air she let out a loud, near blood-curdling scream as Atomic Skull burned threw the back of her uniform and her skin. Gritting her teeth― baring the pain ―Arley tried to focus.
She could cry and moan later, she had a job to do before that. Arley rammed herself and Atomic Skull into the white wall that'd been behind the villain hard enough for whatever the wall was made of to crater and splinter. Arley's wrists ached as she crashed into the wall― they didn't feel broken; sprained maybe ―though the pain shooting from them was no where the level of pain reverberating through her back.
Arley had burned her hand on a stove top before; the pain in her back was nothing like that, it was worse.
Atomic Skull with a groan dropped his hands― Arley's suit was quick to knit itself over, though Arley could feel her still sizzling skin protest at the touch of fabric ―as his head slumped forward. Nearly dizzy from the pain, Arley drooped the villain to the ground where he landed with a thud. Her back ached with every breath she took but Arley didn't stop, the girl turned as she looked to the Joker, she felt a pressure in her mind as it splintered amounts the rest of her team.
"Lantern why isn't the plant down!" Robin demanded to know, Arley dodged another bullet the Joker shot at her and the girl snarled at the thoughts running through her head. She could feel her friends concern run through her just as they could feel her back still burning and annoyance running through her veins.
"Probably 'cause I needed to take out Skull first," Arley answered. She knew both Aqualad and Artemis were staring down Poison Ivy just as she knew it was Kid Flash who had decided to take on Count Vertigo, just as they knew her plan as she thought of it.
"Take out―"
"―Megs cut me out now," Arley demanded over Robins inquiry as she flew up and out of the hole in the glass ceiling, she hovered over the very top of the mother plant as the splinters of her mind snapped back to her.
A construct formed around her, one that resembled a spinning top, and she dove forward, splitting the plant in two as she cut though it; spikes shot out from her construct as she tore through the plant, shredding the plant the same way the blade in a blender cut ice and fruit, until she hit the very bottom.
From the inside, hollowed out part of the plant, Arley could hear the Joker angry scream; Arley got to her feet and looked upwards, a new construct formed around her, one that was all spinning blades and sharp edges. Arley smiled and flew up; the mother-plant fell dead around her until Arley was left high in the sky, far above the paused battle below.
The Injustice Leagues lair cad caught fire as the broken pieces of the mother-plant had crushed various parts of the lair and the bits of pieces of plant that Poison Ivy perhaps could have salvaged erupted into flames. The Galra battle ship flashed through Arley's mind; the girls heart hammered in her chest as the construct faded and both Atomic Skull and Joker both stumbled out of the building coughing.
With a guttural scream Poison Ivy's plants shot up towards Arley, only for Miss Martian― with glowing eyes ―to destroy the plants with a wave of her hands. Miss Martian and Arley were both quickly shot out of the sky by a seething Atomic Skull; both girls hit the Louisiana ground with twin groans as Joker looked around at the fire and ruins of what had been his mater plan.
Focus, Arley told herself as she pushed herself up. Green Lanterns always completed their missions, she couldn't just stop. She couldn't just lay down and die. Keep moving.
"Children?" The clown seethed, "Children foiled our plan?" Arley and Miss Martian were quick to move as Atomic Skull fired another blast in their direction, "Inconceivable! Unacceptable! Retributionable!"
"Kill them," Count Vertigo ordered the other villains around him, "Kill them all."
Atomic Skull fired at Arley and Miss Martian a third time and the Lantern formed a shield with her ring; the blast of atomic energy bounced off of the construct and the villain who had fired it dove out of it's way as it refracted back towards him. Arley's shield dropped and she shot a blast of her own energy at the skeleton-like man. The man, as he was hit, stumbled back, though not before swinging his head in a circular motion as he dragged a blast of energy from left to right and then up as Arley took to the sky.
The Lantern, as Atomic Skull hit her, could've sworn she heard Kid Flash call out her name. Her head spun momentarily as her back and wrists ached. Arley pushed herself up off the ground as she heard her friends scream; she got to her feet when she heard Wally cry out, only to be blasted back against the base of a tree before she could throw a shield up to defend herself.
"Enough!" Arley heard Wotan shout before electricity hit her chest, pushing her back farther into the bark of the tree.
The pain was comparable to what she had felt in the aftermath of Bialya; Arley's ring was warm on her finger. Her teammates screamed in pain and Arley saw Robin drop into the shallow and muddy water as a stream of electricity hit him just as it had hit her.
Wally screamed.
Arley's ring seemed to burn on her hand.
Death was something Arley had made peace with as a child, something she'd knew would happen to her sooner rather then later. But she had told Aqualad that win or lose they'd do that together and while it seemed that they would loose together as a team, Arley couldn't― she wouldn't ―let her friends die. She wouldn't allow Wally to die. She wouldn't die at the feet of the man who'd taken her mother from her.
She had to move; had to fight.
Her ring glowed.
She moved to sit up as her body continued to convulse under the stream electricity Wotan was firing at her.
Her arm began to burn as hot as her back and the glow got brighter. She wouldn't die there in that muddy Louisiana swamp. Her friends wouldn't die there. She wouldn't allow it.
She glowed; and the world around her turned green.
...
It looked from an outsiders perspective, as if Arley's Gluck body had burst into bright green flames. Her eyes were white and green energy flickered off her body; a voice echoed throughout her head. It was a soothing voice― the most soothing voice Arley had ever heard ―one that though she had never heard before sounded familiar, and it told her to move.
Move, you're okay now, move Arley.
The girl though didn't bother to look down at her glowing green hands or the faces of the people around her, instead she listened to the voice and easily moved out of Wotans attack, almost as if it had never been a problem for her in the first place and the sorcerer, with an astonished look dropped his attack.
Arley's teammates turned to look at her but her gaze was fixed on the Lantern killer in the sky.
"Lantern?" Wally whispered, the speedster had only taken a step closer to her when Black Adam attacked; the pointed eared villain punched the red headed teen hard enough to send him flying and before Arley could defend the boy she loved, Superboy knocked the man back.
The voice that echoed through her head told her to focus, so she did. She could have disobeyed, she had her own free will, but something inside Arley told her to trust the voice floating through her head― her gut instinct was to trust the voice in the back of her head ―so she did.
Arley turned back to Wotan and took to the sky; "Wotan, you're mine."
Wotan shot an orange blast of energy out at Arley; Arley didn't move, instead she pointed both arms forward and shot her own blast of energy out at the sorcerer. The blast of energy pushed back against the villains and knocked the sorcerer into the glass dome that was his lairs ceiling. Chains― glowing green constructs ―formed around the magical villain, binding his arms to his chest, and Arley flew closer to the sorcerer.
She wouldn't allow her friends to die, not there and not if she could stop it.
The voice inside her head told her that the marshy Louisiana swamp would not be where the people she loved fell. She wouldn't die, not if she could help it and not when it meant losing to the man who took her mother from her or to the man who had taken dozens of Lanterns lives over the centuries. The voice in her head, will all the arrogant of a Green Lantern, told her they would win.
And Arley believed it.
"Solvo quod reverto!" Wotan called out and the chains around Wotan broke; the sorcerer shot a blast of orange magic out at Arley― what her teammates hoped was still Arley ―only for the glowing green girl to throw her hands out in front of her and a glowing green wall to be formed. Wotans magic bounced off of it.
"You might be in a different form but you are like every other Lantern Wotan has faced; you will fall like them," the villain said, the wall around Arley fell as the magic users hands glowed yellow. "Fulmina venite!" A yellow blast shot out at Arley and the girl tumbled back through the air; green parted on her shoulder― Arley looked down to see her uniform ―before once more that part of her was covered in flickering green flames.
Arley shot towards the sorcerer and green shot out from her hand― the one without a ring on it ―only for Wotan to dodge it; the sorcerer fired more blasts of yellow energy. He smirked as he did so, though Arley quickly― more quickly then she or any other Lantern she could remember ever moving ―dodged his attacks.
The battle between the Lantern killer and the Lantern quickly devolved into a game of tag; Arley snarled at the man. There were seventeen names in the Memorial Hall because of him; Arley wouldn't let there be another.
"Surrender Wotan! You're out matched!" Green bolts of energy bubbled around Arley's fists and she shot a beam of energy― one that vaproised the trees beneath where the sorcerer had been standing ―at the magic user, only for him to disappear before he had been hit.
"I can" Wotan called out with a snarl from behind Arley, "And I will!" Wotan fired a blast at Arley and though it knocked the girl back some odd feet it did nothing else, Arley sneered at Wotan.
"In case you forgot you sad kriffing excuse for a sorcerer, will power is my thing." Wotans chest puffed out as he looked angerly at at Arley.
"You're dead," Wotan hissed; his eyes glowed red and his hands bubbled yellow and Arley smirked. She set her shoulders forward and held her hands out in front of her.
"Bring it," she dared. Wotan raised his hands to fire but before his could a familiar Italian voice rang out through the air,
"Ekrits natoW nwod!" Wotan was thrown back as Zatara appeared; the sorcerer hit the ground and skidded out unconscious. Other various Justice League members including Captain Marvel and the two Thanagarians― Hawkman and Hawkgirl ―flew behind the homo-magi. "Not tonight Wotan."
Hawkgirl and Captain Marvel both paused mid-air as Zatara and the others continued forward towards the battle; they both looked at Arley with wide eyes and Arley, with glowing green fingers, assaulted the pair of Justice League members awkwardly. Captain Marvel blinked, his eyes narrowed unbelieving as he looked at Arley; Hawkgirl just readjusted the grip she had on her mace.
"Arley?" Captain Marvel wondered in a tone of disbelief, Arley breathed as she stayed in the air as the villains were backed up and grouped together by her teammates and the Justice League members who landed around the several evil doers. Wotan slowly picked himself up out of the muddy marsh water.
"Yeah," Arley nodded as she turned to watch the scene beneath her.
"It's over," Batman said, and six of the seven Super-villains put their hands in the air.
"There will be another day," Counter Vertigo promised. Joker scoffed, his hands still at his side as he looked disgustedly over his shoulder at his cohorts. Arley floated closer, her eyes narrowed. Captain Marvel and Hawkgirl flew after her, though they both kept their distance.
"Another day? Another day! There won't be another day! Not for any of us!" Jokers hands raised as he cackled and large vines emerged from the swamp waters Arley's team and the League were standing in. The spores on the vines opened and green gas filled the air.
"Joker venom!" Batman called out as he punched the Joker, knocking him to the ground. "Don't breath!"
Icy hot anger flooded Arley's veins. A glowing green bubble encased the dark olive colored gas; Arley looked at the gas and not at the League or her team; her mothers face was all the girl saw, her mothers manic laughter was all she heard. Not at Hal or John or Guy who stared up at Arley; no, her eyes stayed on the bubble of gas as the voice that had been leading her throughout the night echoed through her mind.
Throw it, the voice said, Shrink the ball and throw it high.
Arley knew the farther away constructs were the less tangible they became and if she did so she would be realizing the Joker venom into the atmosphere and yet Arley listened to the voice; she trusted the voice, and in seconds― as fast as Arley could fly ―the construct the gas was in shot higher and higher in the air until Arley somehow knew it was miles away from the exosphere. It was only then that Arley released her construct.
Arley landed and for a second no one moved; the green that encased her body flickered the same as flames overtaking her body would and her eyes still glowed white. All eyes were on her.
"Kid?" Hal breathed, he was the first to step forward, John and Guy moved after him and Arley moved towards the tree, "What-how?" Hal breathed as he motioned to all of Arley. Arley shrugged.
"I just-" Arley shrugged again, "Dunno, just saw green I guess." Both Flash's and the rest of the team stepped forward closer to Arley, as Zatara and the other heroes― Robin stayed by Batmans side as the Dark Knight cuffed each villain, though the Boy Wonder did look over his shoulder at Arley almost concernedly ―crowded around the seven criminals.
"You're not in pain, right?" John worried, "You're okay?"
It was then Arley realized the pain in her back and wrists were gone. The glowing Lantern blinked, she hadn't even realized she was okay until John had brought it up.
"Yeah," Arley nodded, "Totally."
"Of course you are," Hal said, he wasn't smiling, "You're a living Lantern battery at the moment."
"How the hell is our kid a battery Jordan?" Guy demanded to know, Hal, with a scowl, turned to the red headed Lantern.
"Like I know, when I did this―"
"―You've done this!" John pointed at Arley, one hand was on his hip, "When the hell have you done this!"
"A long time ago, before Arley got her ring," Hal answered, he looked to the glowing girl, "I had to crack open the Central Power Battery on Oa to get like this."
"I just didn't want to die," Arley said candidly, she breathed and green blew from her mouth, "I didn't want my team to die and suddenly the ring was hot, you know, like really hot, then everything was green." Arley looked down at herself, "Everything."
"Are you even still under there or is this another Captain Atom situation?" The Flash wondered as he stood next to Hal, his arms crossed over his chest. Wally stood half behind his uncle; his green eyes full of concern.
"I'm still me," Arley answered as she thought back to when Wotan had hit her with the yellow blast of energy and the shoulder of her uniform had peaked out. Arley looked to Hal, "Though I'd like to look like me, so, uh how do I do that?"
"I don't actually know, kiddo," Hal said and Arley and the other two Lanterns for the sector turned to the brown haired pilot.
"I thought you said―"
"―It was during my fight with Sinestro," Hal said cutting off Guys loud and angry tone, "One minute I'm green and the next I'm not."
"You had to do something Hal," Barry said, "Cause and reaction and all that."
Hal bit his lip; he grimaced. "I destroyed Oa's moons."
Arley blinked at her adoptive father and her first sector partner.
"Oa doesn't have moons," John said and Hal looked pointedly at the full time Lantern. Arley frowned as she looked down at herself; she didn't want to stay like that― a glowing green ball of energy ―she wanted to go back to normal. She wanted her dark hair and hazel eyes and her normal usual non-glowing green skin back. She wanted her painted toe-nails back and her pierced ears back despite never wearing earrings; she didn't want this.
If you will it, the voice said, It is my command. And no longer was Arley looking down at glowing green hands but rather at the dark gloves of her uniform. Arley's eyes flew up to Hal, the man blinked at her.
"What the hell kid," Hal said, only for Guy to push his shoulder roughly into the Flash's as the red headed Lantern rushed forward and picked the girl up; the third sector Lantern swung Arley around jovially.
When he set her back down Guy stuck a finger out and pointed it at the very end of Arley's nose; "I call you Nightlight 'cause you're small, not so you can turn into one. If you ever do some freaky shit like that again and scare us―" Arley opened her mouth to explain it hadn't been her fault, she didn't even know what had truly happened, only for Guy to wag his finger in her face. "―You scared us, so if you ever do that shit again Nightlight I'm going to kick your ass."
Arley snorted, "Not like a father-figure hasn't done that to me before."
Hal winced, but Guy smirked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You know what Nightlight, I don't think I'm going to give you your present anymore." Arley's face dropped.
"What?" Arley looked to John who held his hands up in the air, "No, come on that was a joke-sort of, come on, Guy!" The red headed Lantern in question turned his back on Arley and the girls shoulders sagged; her teammates though, smiled at her and the other Lanterns antics.
"Please? Hal!" Arley complained, "I helped save the world and Guys being mean to me-my birthdays in an hour!"
"Go to John," Hal said. John looked over to Hal with his lips pressed together,
"Me, in case you forgot Jordan I'm the baby of this group, besides you're the sector leader."
Out of the three adults John had not only been the most recent to get his ring, but he was― at twenty-seven ―the youngest of the three adults; both Hal and guy were thirty-three.
"Since when have you cared that I'm the sector leader?" Hal scoffed
"Yeah!" Guy butted in, he looked at Hal, "I don't give a damn if you're sector leader or not Mr. Williest Willer That Ever Willed." Hal pinched his nosed.
"I'm dead," Hal said aloud, "Sinestro killed me in that fight and I'm in hell, it's the only reason this is my life."
"What's that supposed to mean! I'm a Goddamn delight Jordan!"
Wally moved from behind his uncle and stood next to Arley; Arley's eyes widened as she took in his left arm and the makeshift sling it hung it. The team, from the sidelines, looked on amused; as did the other League members. Guy and Hal continued to bicker in a way that Arley had almost missed hearing whilst the red headed Lantern had been in a coma.
"What the hell happened?" Arley breathed as she stepped forward, her hands hovered over the speedsters arm. Broken bones weren't uncommon in their line of work― and even before the boy had gotten his powers a sprained wrist or a fractured toe wasn't uncommon for Wally to have as the boy tended to leap before he looked ―but Arley's chest still flooded with worry as she looked at he torn fabric that'd once belonged to part of Count Vertigo's cape.
"I'm fine," Wally said, "Really, it's nothing I haven't dealt with before, besides, you know my healing factor will take care of this before we even get back to the cave."
Wally was exaggerating, Arley knew that; the speedsters arm would be good as new in a few days not hours but the boy smiled reassuringly at her and Arley's shoulders seemed to drop.
"That doesn't mean anything you still got hurt," Arley said with soft eyes and Wally smiled down at her, his good hand tipped her chin up more and his green eyes sparkled under the Louisiana moonlight.
"I'm happy you're okay," Wally said suddenly, "I saw you go green and I―" Wally caught his tongue between his lips as he breathed, he moved his injured arm closer to his chest. "―I was worried," Wally said instead, "I'm glad you're you."
Arley's hand curled around the wrist of the hand Wally was using to tilt her chin up as she smiled at him.
"I'm glad you're okay," she said back, "I don't know what'd I do if you weren't," she confessed and Wally smiled.
The boy― as his hand moved so that his fingers were threaded in the space between her head and where her pig tail started ―pressed his lips against Arley's forehead and Arley's mind, as she leaned into the speedsters touch, thought back onto the voice that'd spoken to her while powered up.
Arley knew the voice; she swear she did, so why couldn't she put a name and face to it?
