Green Lantern: New Genesis
Chapter 9
A shot in the Dark
Featuring Artemis Crock, Green Arrow, and Speedy
It was Sunday night and Hal had sent Shinji out on his first solo portal.
"If people are going to see you as a real lantern in your own right, and not just a sidekick, you've got to get out there on your own, stop a few crimes, and bust some bad guys. You know hero stuff" He had told him before he all but shoved him out a window, just as a woman had called from the other side of the door.
"Wanting me to pick up the slack while he goes on a date. Sounds familiar" Shinji thought. Not that he didn't enjoy the freedom of flying wherever he wanted and the feeling that he was doing the right thing, it was just that it was hard sometimes because Hal reminded him so much of Misato. He was so like her in his easygoing nature combined with competence and courage not to mention being a former soldier like her. Shinji sighed as he heard sirens. He followed them and hovered over a crime scene and was waved down by a female detective.
"You aren't green lantern" She said as soon as she saw him.
"I am a green lantern" Shinji said trying to pitch his voice lower.
"How old are you?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Old enough. What happened?" He asked as a man was wheeled out on a stretcher, an arrow deeply in his shoulder.
"We got a group of drug dealers used for target practice" She said as more men were wheeled out each with arrows in painful places.
"Is anyone dead?" He asked.
"No, but there are some that came real close" She said.
"I'll look into it" Shinji said and ascended into the sky.
"Ring, what superheroes use arrows as a primary weapon?" Shinji asked.
"Individual designation, Green Arrow, Speedy, use of arrows as primary weapons, based in, Star City" the ring instructed.
"Then what would they be doing here?" Shinji asked.
"Question invalid" The ring responded.
"Okay, are they still in Star City?" Shinji asked.
"Negative, individuals designated Green Arrow and Speedy are currently in Coast City" The ring said.
"Where?" Shinji asked and a map appeared of Coast City showing a glowing dot. Using the map like a GPS he flew toward the location of the dots and found himself in the slums area right over were the map showed the dots. He raised his fist and flooded the area with Green Light, showing two figures. A man in green with a hood, and a muscular boy wearing red.
"What are you doing here?" Shinji demanded as the two shielded their eyes.
"Put out that light before…" The one in red growled as an arrow sped past his nose. Shinji immediately shone light over the whole area and saw a person in a green hoody running away.
"Stop!" He cried and flew after the figure. Focusing he narrowed the beam and scanned the area for the figures bio signature. The beam passed over the walls and buildings of the slum, until two arrows hit him. They didn't pierce his skin through his aura, but they still hurt and bruised. He shot a beam at the building, making it explode in a shower of dust. The figure leapt from the cloud and shot two arrows in quick succession. Shinji brought up a shield as the person turned the leap into a kick, hitting the shield and using it as a springboard to land behind his uncovered back. He expanded the shield into a sphere a second before the person shot at him at point blank range. The arrows cracked and the figure ran as Shinji focused and boxed him into the wall with two green walls of his own.
"Are you the one who hurt those drug dealers?" Shinji asked.
"What do you care?"A soft voice asked from the hood.
"This is my town" Shinji said and the figure laughed.
"Last I heard, Green Lantern was taller and a lot hotter. You look like a twelve year old playing hero" The figure said and before Shinji could move reached into his pocket and threw something onto the ground that released a thick pall of smoke. It didn't affect his breathing but it made the figure vanish. Shinji flew above the smoke and saw the figure also ascending the building on a zip line. Shinji growled in frustration and out of pure impulse flew into the person. He impacted with him hard and carried him up the wall, hurling him onto the roof top. The figure struggled to his feet groaning in pain, the hood falling away. Shinji landed in front of him ring sparking when a pair of grey eyes in a strong pretty face stared back at him.
"You're a girl?" He asked. The girl took the opening from his surprise and rushed him. He barely had time to react when she put a knee into his stomach. The breath left his body and the pain in his midsection masked the pain from the hard blow she delivered to his head that put him out.
"Hey…hey…wake up!" A voice growled. Shinji started awake to find himself staring into a black mask like what robin wore.
"What happened?" He asked his head and middle aching.
"You got your backside handed to you" The man in green said.
"That girl, where did she go?" Shinji demanded.
"No idea. We managed to catch up to you only to find you out cold" The man said.
"We had her. If you had just stayed out of our way" The red headed boy growled.
"This is green lanterns city. You should have told us you were hunting someone" Shinji tried to defend himself.
"Green lantern already knows what we were doing. Guess he forgot to mention it to you" The man in green said.
"Sorry" Shinji said.
"You should be" The boy scolded.
"Speedy" The man warned.
"Don't worry about it kid. It's your partner's fault you didn't know, and I'll make sure to have a word with him later" The man said smiling kindly.
"You must be Green Arrow" Shinji said holding out his hand.
"I'm ah, kid lantern" Shinji said.
"Kid lantern huh?" He asked as he took the boys hands.
"And you must be speedy" Shinji said offering his hand to the red head.
"Come on, we can maybe still find her" Speedy said and turned away.
"Don't mind him" Green Arrow said and followed speedy. They both shot grappler arrows into a building and swung away. Shinji sighed and flew back to the apartment. He slipped into his room and shifted out of his uniform before getting into bed. He woke early and made breakfast and was ready to head to school as Hal stumbled out of his room in his boxers and a T-shirt.
"Long night?" Shinji asked as an attractive read head came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.
"And still going" Shinji mumbled and picking up his bag headed out the door.
Sorry this has taken forever to get this far, but I've had school and other things I've been working on. This ends the introduction arc where he meets all the other sidekicks. Now I will move on to my own version of the series where Shinji as a Green Lantern will be an essential part of the team.