Green Lantern
Rebirth
Chapter 11
In Blackest night
"I just needed some time away" Shinji told Laira as they sat in the mess hall on Oa. He didn't know why he had come here after his talk with Hal, but he had wanted to get as far away from earth as possible.
"You are unaccustomed to dealing with people" Laira said.
"Yeah" Shinji said holding his cup of coffee.
"From what I understand you are very young by human standards" She said sipping her own cup of green tea.
"Sometimes I feel a hundred years old" Shinji chuckled ruefully.
"Why did you come to me of all people?" Laira asked.
"I wasn't planning on it, but the way you act, you're like a samurai. I don't know, I thought you could train me to be the kind of warrior you are?" Shinji asked.
"You know, strong and self-sufficient" He added.
"You mean someone who can act alone without the need for friends" Laira said.
"It is hard for me to open up to others, as I know it is hard for you. However that does not mean we do not have those who care about us" she said.
"I know" Shinji said smiling softly.
"You have been through more than any child should" Laira said with certainty.
"I could say the same thing about you" Shinji replied and she shook her head.
"I was trained as a warrior since childhood true, but I was also raised a princess among prestige, comfort and the love of my family…for a time. However I do not see that in you" She said.
"You're right, I never had much of a family" Shinji replied.
"Then perhaps you should accept the gift that is being offered you now" Laira said.
"I…I'll try" Shinji said realizing that she was right.
"Hey Shinji" Arisia called.
"Hello" He said as the girl came up to them.
"I think I will take my leave" Laira said getting up. Shinji got up as well and bowed slightly to her.
"Thank you for your time" He said.
"You are very welcome" the woman replied bowing back before leaving.
"So what are you doing here?" Arisia asked.
"Not that I mind, I'm happy to see you it's just…I'll shut up now" She said blushing cutely. Shinji blushed as well feeling a strange sensation in his gut, one he used to get sometimes around Asuka.
"It's alright. I just needed to get away from the earth for a bit" He said as they both sat down again.
"Why?" She asked. Feeling comfortable with her Shinji explained about how he didn't feel like he belonged with the team, how all of them seemed more normal than him.
"You don't seem like the kind of guy who fits in well with others" Arisia said.
"Yeah, and I've accepted that" Shinji said.
"You don't have too. You always have a place with the corps, and don't you owe it to yourself, and to them to give it fair shake?" She asked. Shinji looked at her and realized she was right, and how childish he was being. He looked down at the ring on his finger and resolved to try harder.
"Thanks Arisia" Shinji said smiling sweetly.
"No problem" She said blushing again.
"Hey Poozers" They heard killowag bellow.
"Yes sir" Shinji asked getting up and almost standing at attention.
"Got a mission for you two" Killowag grunted.
"Both of us?" Arisia asked.
"Got a report from a station on the border between your two sectors" He said bringing up a star chart with his ring.
"Since you two are the resident lanterns it's your job to look into it, now get to it" he said and walked off.
"Well, let's get to it partner" Arisia said hovering into the air. Shinji nodded and together they flew away from Oa. As they flew Arisia snuck glances at her fellow lantern trying not to blush. She had liked Shinji ever since she had met him. He was kind, and sweet, and courageous…and cute for a human with his thin build and delicate features.
"It's nice having another lantern my age on the job" Arisia told him.
"Yeah, but everyone still treats you like your older than me and more deserving to wear this" Shinji said showing his ring.
"It's my family they see, not me" She said.
"But you helped save the universe didn't you?" Shinji asked.
"It's going to take more than that to be my own lantern" Arisia said. By this time they reached the colony a space station hovering around a large planet.
"Oh I know this place. It's the crab nebula resort. I've always wanted to come here" Arisia said as they flew toward it. They entered through the loading dock/parking lot and landing walked to the elevator that led up to the resort.
"No matter how much technology changes some things never do" Shinji commented as they rode the elevator up.
"I know right" Arisia added as the glass revealed a beautiful paradise inside the space station. They exited the elevator into a beautifully appointed lobby where a number of aliens of all kinds were milling around. They walked up to the desk to find a pretty humanoid girl sitting behind the desk.
"Greetings green lanterns, how may I help you?" She asked with a sweet voice and equally sweet but vapid smile.
"We got a report that there was an incident here?" Arisia asked as Shinji looked around. Though he often plugged into his SDAT to shut out the world, part of his training as an Eva pilot was observation and awareness of a situation and what he saw immediately set him on edge. The aliens that he thought were milling around when they entered were doing repetitive acts. One was watering the plants over and over, pouring water out of the pitcher in a set rhythm. Another was flipping through a magazine except they were at the end of the magazine.
"It was a false alarm. Everything here is fine" the woman said. Shinji looked at her again, her false smile and empty eyes and raised his ring.
"Shinji?" Arisia asked as the smile vanished. The woman threw up her hands and a wave of force knocked them both back and crashing to the floor. Shinji summoned his aura and raised himself off the floor as the woman hovered over the desk.
"You should have left" She said her eyes turning red as a wave of force swept toward them. They both summoned a combined shield and the wave crashed over them. They dropped the shield and fired beams at the woman who faded, causing the beams to pass through her.
"She's a Martian" Shinji said thinking about M'gan.
"So you know my race" the woman said into his mind. Unlike M'gans sweet mental voice that felt like a gentle caress this voice felt like claws scraping over his brain.
"Who are you?" He demanded psychically as he sent another beam which passed through her.
"Wouldn't you like to know" She asked as he felt a psychic bolt slam into his brain. He cried in pain as he fell to the ground his concentration completely shattered.
"Strange, there's a barrier around your mind. Something I've never seen before" She said. Fortunately she was so focused on him that she had forgotten Arisia and become material which allowed Arisia to shoot her right in the back stunning her and ending the psychic attack.
"Shinji are you alright?" Arisia asked.
"Yeah" He said standing up he focused to form a prison around the Martian when she phased through the floor.
"She's getting away" Arisia said and turning blasted the elevator doors. They punched through the elevator floor and flew down the shaft trying to catch up to the mysterious Martian. Shinji focused to bring a scan to detect her DNA.
"This way" She said blowing a hole in the glass and flying over the resort. They arrived at the center of the station where a large grand building stood.
"The main entertainment annex" Arisia said.
"So the resort" Shinji said.
"That's what I just said" Arisia responded. Keeping their rings raised they hovered through the buildings open doors. What they saw nearly made Shinji vomit and caused Arisia to put a hand to her mouth. They had entered what looked like a gaming room which had been turned into a charnel house. Dismembered bodies were everywhere lying in twisted tortured poses, on the gaming tables, sitting at what looked like slot machines and hanging from the ceiling.
"Do you like it?" The Martian asked mentally.
"Where are you?" Shinji demanded in kind looking around to try to find her.
"Long gone" She said. Shinji brought up the tracker to find the reading hadn't moved. He flew over to it and saw that what he had been tracking was a green Martian that had been ripped apart at what looked like a card table.
"You were tracking a green Martian little lantern. I'm a white" She said as her psychic voice faded away.
"Killowag" Shinji said opening up communications.
"Report Poozer" He said.
"It was a Martian. It looks like she killed almost everyone in the resort" He said as the two of them left the building and the slaughter house.
"And where's the perp?" He demanded.
"Escaped" Shinji said ashamed.
"Martians are a tricky bunch and powerful, especially when they go bad. You two are lucky" Killowag said.
"Stay put until backup arrives" he said and signed out.
"Let's see how much damage she did" Shinji said, and Arisia agreed though she looked green and not the lantern kind. The two of them scoured the entire space station only to find that everyone except the puppets in the lobby were dead. Some of them were ripped apart but just as many had just dropped dead seemingly where they stood.
"How can anyone do this?" Arisia asked horrified.
"I don't know" Shinji answered. Eventually a squad of lanterns arrived led by Killowag.
"Good work you two, we'll take it from here" He said.
"Are you okay?" Shinji asked when they were alone.
"Of course not. How can I be okay after seeing that?" She asked wrapping her arms around herself. Shinji hesitated a moment before putting his hands on her shoulders. That contact was all she needed to leap onto him and wrap her arms around him. Shinji froze for a moment before finding the courage to gently put his arms around her as she wept on his shoulder.
"How can you be so calm after what we just saw?" She asked into his ear.
"I'm used to it" He said quietly gently tightening his hold on her.
"How can anyone be used to something like that?" She asked pushing him away and looking him in the eye, or trying to through his mask while keeping her hand on his shoulders. Shinji looked into her eyes before answering.
"I'll explain as we travel" He said. Together they flew back to Oa and Shinji told her his life story, or at least everything but the most gory details, like what happened between him and Asuka in the hospital or Misato at the end...or Kaoru. Those he would take to the grave. When they arrived he felt better, like a weight had been lifted off him. He looked at Arisia who hadn't spoken a word since he told his story, which was making him nervous. Suddenly she had him wrapped in another hug.
"I'm so sorry" She said.
"For what?" He asked gently putting his arms around her again
"For everything you've been through. No wonder you have trouble opening up to people" She said.
"Gee thanks" He said snidely.
"No I didn't mean it like that" She said blushing.
"I know" He said smiling and feeling happy. She giggled slightly and he laughed along with her.
"I'm heading back to earth. I want to give this team thing another chance" He said.
"That's good" She said giving him a final hug.
"And if you ever need anyone to talk too, you know where to find me" She said whispering in his ear.
"Thank you" He said hugging back, beginning to like the feeling of her body in his arms.
"See you later" He said and flew back to earth. When he arrived he hovered over the apartment for a moment, gathering his courage to face the scolding he was sure to receive from Hal. He flew in from the window and changed back into normal cloths.
"Kid that you?" Hal asked. Shinji sighed as he walked into the living room to find him watching T.V. or at least listening to it while he read the paper.
"Hey" Shinji said.
"Hey, theirs food in the fridge if you're hungry" Hal said.
"Oh, ok" He said.
"You're not mad about me leaving?" Shinji asked.
"Mad? Kid you're a green lantern, and I'm your roommate, not your dad." Hal said.
"Right" Shinji said feeling a strange mix of pride that Hal trusted him and sadness that he wasn't worried about him.
"So listen, I want to give this team thing another try" Shinji said.
"Thought so" Hal said looking up and grinning.
"I may not by your dad, but I'm still glad you're willing to try again" Hal said.
"So am I" Shinji said.
"Now, tell me about this Martian you ran into" Hal said and Shinji started in surprise.
"Kid, I may not be your dad, but I'm your partner and superior, of course Killowag would report to me about what happened"
"So how are you feeling?" Hal asked.
"I'm fine" Shinji said coming and sitting down on the other end of the couch.
"Arisia was more freaked out than I was" Shinji said.
"Why am I not surprised" Hal said looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Hal...I've been through some stuff, bad stuff before I ever became a lantern" Shinji struggled to say, finding it harder to talk to Hal than Arisia.
"I figured" Hal said.
"I'm not ready to tell you the whole story, but I will tell you I was a soldier, so I've seen my fair share of death and destruction" Shinji said.
"That's what Killowag told me, that you have the look of a vet who's been through the wringer more than once" Hal said.
"He did?" Shinji asked surprised.
"He did, and he's right. I've seen plenty of vets who've been through it, and you have that look. I can't imagine what you've been through" Hal said voice full of empathy.
"Just know that you've got people here for you. you are (not)alone" Hal said firmly, and Shinji found himself tearing up.
"Yeah" He said.