A/N: Sorry if it seems rushed Dx I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :3 comments and reviews are 1000% accepted

Chapter 3: Green Lineage

"You're sure this is the place?" Hal turned to Korin as they walked beneath a dark cloak approaching a small house. The house looked ancient in a sense with vines covering its walls and cracks all over."This doesn't look like a house with a bunker"

"I'm positive Green Lantern Jordan" Korin murmured in reply as he smoothed out his hair when approaching the chained metallic door behind the house. "This is the entrance to the bunker, this way we would not be jeopardizing my grandfather's safety by our presence"

Kilowog grunted in agreement while he made sure the black cloak covered them all. "Good move kid, you really thought this through didn't ya?" Kilowog said as a small smile appeared on his lips.

Korin turned to him. "A soldier must be prepared for all possible situations. That's what I learnt on the battlefield" Korin said, his voice lowering. His eyes had changed once again, from soft and gentle to cold and unhesitant. "If you aren't prepared, you are a dead man"

Razer felt a chill down his spine. He knew exactly why he felt that. Although he strived not to show any signals to Hal and the others, it was the truth in Korin's words. It was the reality Razer knew far too well from his experiences with the militia.

Blood was spilt everyday, it was kill or be killed. It wasn't just a clash of weapons but also the clash between ideals and beliefs. He remembered all the things he had to do to ensure his survival, to ensure he came home to Ilana. He remembered how he had to constantly watch his back and always be prepared for the unexpected.

He hated it and he hated remembering it. Razer quickly pushed the thoughts from his mind. Korin has been pulling out the dark past that slumbered deep within Razer and that made him uncomfortable.

Korin examined the door and noticed a huge brass lock which was chained on it. He began to pull out his phaser when Hal grabbed his shoulder.

"Let's try not to wake the entire city" Hal said with a smirk. He created a construct of a lock-cutter and broke the lock with it. But as he did so, there was a loud bang from the snapping of the lock. Suddenly, there was sound of people murmuring and moving in their houses. Kilowog sighed and quickly pushed everyone into the bunker and shut the door behind them.

Kilowog looked at Hal who shrugged. "Great job hotshot" Kilowog spoke with sarcasm in his tone. "Leave it to you to wake the entire capital"

"You know me, loud and proud" Hal replied with a smile on his face. Razer helped Aya off the ground and Korin had picked himself up and gazed about the bunker. It looked more like a storage space than a bunker with tools and things at all four corners. However, if one looked close enough. They could see the reinforced walls off the room. Lined with the hardest metal of the planet, it could withstand any bomb blast.

At least, they hoped so.

A creak rang about the room, it came from the outside. The five of them were alert and stood facing to other door which was in front of the, which connected to the inside of the house. The creaking was repetitive, like footsteps and it was becoming louder and coming closer. Korin had a look of horror on his face as the door slowly creaked open.

A short, old man appeared at the door and gazed at them with a confused look on his face. He had long and seaweed-like hair, he had crystal-blue eyes and had markings on both sides of his head which was similar to Korin's. He looked at all of them in disbelief after a few moments of awkward silence, his gaze rested on Korin.

"K-Korin?" He stammered as he slowly made his way to Korin. He held Korin's shoulders and smiled. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "You're alive...you're alive!" The man exclaimed as he grabbed Korin into a tight hug.

"Grandfather" Korin murmured. His arms were hesitant to follow in his grandfather's embrace but he reciprocated the hug. "I'm back"

Hal and Kilowog couldn't help but smile at the beautiful reunion. Razer and Aya looked at each other and smiled as well. Korin's grandfather turned to see Hal and the team and his eyes widened. Hal thought he looked surprised and somehow terrified.

"Green Lanterns? B-but how?" Korin's grandfather pulled away from the embrace and looked at Hal. Korin held his grandfather's shoulders and gazed at him solemnly.

"I called them here, grandfather. They're here to help us" Korin explained slowly so that his grandfather could understand him. Korin's father looked at Hal and the others and his look of terror instantly disappeared and was replaced with a vibrant smile.

"It has been a long time since there were Emerald Knights in our sector" Korin's grandfather walked over to them, and shooktheir hands firmly. "I never thought I'd live to see the day the Green Lanterns return to Ishra"

Hal, Kilowog, Razer and Aya exchanged confused looks. Korin's grandfather said it has been a long time since there were Green Lanterns in Ishra. Why hasn't there been a replacement? What has happened to the last Green Lantern? There were so many questions with little to no answers.

The team decided to not say a word. Not just yet.

"Please do come inside, you all need rest and some good food" Korin's grandfather smiled kindly. He looked at Korin as if he had just found the greatest treasure of all time. Well, it was to him. "You should change into something comfortable Korin, you're not on the battlefield anymore"

Korin looked at him with surprise, he wasn't quite used to relaxing or being out of his armor. He stood there with a confused look on his face until Kilowog decided to intervene.

"Go ahead, kid. We'll see you during dinner" he said to Korin with a reassuring smile plastered on his face. Korin opened his mouth in protest when Hal exclaimed;

"Go and change kid. We won't start dinner without you"

Korin knew there was nothing to say and just nodded. Hal gave him a firm pat on his shoulder and followed Korin's grandfather into the house with Kilowog and Aya following close behind. Razer was walking right behind them but he took a final glance at Korin before following the rest into the house.

Korin stared into the darkness in the bunker, he was home. He was finally home. Yet, something edged him inside. Silent screams echoed from the walls, familiar screams of the those he has killed. Soldiers who would never come home. Fathers, uncles, brothers, sons that would never see their family again.

He felt as if their souls were creeping upon him, their murderer. Grasping him with their cold hands and backing him against the wall chanting;

"Killer"

Korin dropped to his knees and covered his eyes, hoping and praying the tortured souls would leave him. He held onto his necklace with metallic pendant tightly. He gazed at it. There was so design on it just the name Tyron etched onto it, the name of Korin's father.

A tune played in Korin's mind. It was a slow, harmonious lullaby that he remembered from his past. Korin took a deep breath and sang the lullaby slowly to himself.

In brightest day,

In blackest night,

No evil shall escape my sight.

The time has come for my flight,

I'm sorry to leave you tonight,

If you wake before its time,

Remember this lullaby.

In your dreams keep me near,

And never ever fear,

For Will shall carry you through,

And protect you like I do.

It was a quiet atmosphere. Hal and the team were just sitting in the living room and passed their time by exchanging glances at each other. Korin's grandfather sipped his cup of tea and kept his gaze downwards it was obvious that he didn't want to have eye contact with any of them.

Hal decided to break the silence.

"Nice evening huh?" He said receiving surprised looks from Kilowog and Razer.

"Very quiet"

"It's the only time we have quiet" Korin's grandfather murmured as he continued to sip his tea. "Even from the capital we can hear the sounds of the war"

"Must be rough"

"The sounds of the war are not what bother me"

"Korin?"

Korin's grandfather gazed up at Hal and his eyes were filled with pain. Hal understood why. His grandson was out there fighting a war and he had no idea whether he was alive or dead. It was hell. A living hell.

"Yes, he's a good boy but he's changed. I know that now"

Kilowog looked at Hal with warning in his eyes. They were treading on very painful grounds for Korin's grandfather. They should change the subject.

'Why don't we get some information while they're at it' thought Hal.

"Sir, you said it has been a long time since Green Lanterns protected this sector" Hal began. He noticed how Korin's grandfather seemed to tense up at the mention of Green Lanterns. Even their presence here tensed him up and Hal wanted to know why. "What happened to the last Green Lantern here?"

Korin's grandfather turned away. The silence was deafening, Hal knew he hit the right spot. His reaction proves that he knew something and that he had been keeping it under wraps for a long time.

Why?

"I cannot lie to you, Green Lanterns" Korin's grandfather answered. He stood up with his back turned to them. "Come, there is something I must show you"

Korin's grandfather walked onward. Hal gestured his team to follow him as they followed closely behind Korin's grandfather. They walked toward a narrow corridor which was barely lit. Razer had unconsciously stood closer to Aya, making sure she was walls were lined with dust and webs, then ahead of them was a large wooden door and it was chained.

Korin's grandfather pulled out a brass key and unlocked the lock which held the chain up yanked the chain down. He slowly turned the knob and opened the door to reveal a training and equipment room. Dumbbells were all over the floor and chin-up bars were attached to the the corner of the room. There was even a treadmill and a table with a stack of books and papers.

"Jordan! Look at this!" Kilowog bellowed as he pointed to the cabinet beside the table. Hal turned to look at the cabinet. There was a bunch of normal things like maps and other tool in the cabinet but soon Hals eyes rested on something green which glittered in the light.

A Green Lantern portable battery.

"I see you have found it" Korin's grandfather began. "That was the portable battery which belonged to the last Green Lantern who protected Ishra" he murmured. His blue eyes looking even more pained.

"You were the Green Lantern" Razer stated with a slight hint of surprise in his voice.

Korin's grandfather shook his head. "No I was not. The last Green Lantern of the planet of Ishra was my son, Tyron, Korin's father"

"Wait, what?" Kilowog questioned as confusion continued to plague their minds.

"Years ago, Tyron was chosen by the ring to become a Green Lantern. He did a really good job. He was brave, kind, protective and more importantly he had an iron will. Soon, he got married to a wonderful woman named Cairin, Korin's mother and had a beautiful son named Korin. I couldn't be more proud of him"

Hal looked at Korin's grandfather and saw the hurt in his eyes. "What happened?" He asked with empathy.

"Naturally, to perform his duties as a Green Lantern, Tyron was hardly home but nonetheless he was a good father and a good husband. One day, tragedy struck us. Cairin had died of a sickness which ailed her for months, it was incurable. However despite the pain in his heart, Tyron took up his responsibility and made sure to be around more for Korin. He did really well with that and we were all happy. Soon, Tyron was called out for a mission which was far from the planet of Ishra and he had been gone for months and when he had returned, he was badly wounded and barely surviving. He was dying"

Tears had begun to brim on Korin's grandfathers eyes and slowly trailed down his cheek. He wiped them away and regained his composure and continued his story.

"Before he died, his last wish was for me to protect Korin and make sure he was never in harm's way and as the green energy had begun to leave him. The ring floated from his hand and stood suspended in midair I had thought that it was preparing to find its new bearer but it stayed there and slowly floated to Korin, who was so young. That's when my nightmares became reality, the ring had chosen its new bearer and it had chosen Korin"

"Wait I thought the ring chooses based on who's worthy not by lineage" Hal said looking at Kilowog.

"This happens very rarely Jordan but then again you are right about that"

"To quote from the Green Lantern book of origins, 'after a Green Lantern dies, his ring searches for the next closest and most worthy bearer'. Perhaps the ring had found Korin to be the closest and the most worthy at the time" Aya stated as she looked at Hal and Kilowog.

"Even so, what happened to the ring?" Kilowog asked in a booming voice.

Korin's grandfather walked toward the desk and lifted up a small chest which was locked and bounded by chains. "I honored my son's final wish. I promised to protect him and I did what was necessary. I grabbed the ring and locked it in this chest so that Korin would not be exposed to the dangers of being a Green Lantern"

"Does Korin know about this?" Razer asked while leaning against the wall.

"No. I've kept everything from him. I told him nothing and he was so young at the time to even remember what happened"

"Don't you think you should? The kid deserves to know" said Hal as he crossed his arms. "I know you had good intentions but even when you took the ring away, Korin was still in harm's way while in the military"

"I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. He has his father's stubbornness. I really tried to tell him...but he's been through so much already that I can't recognize my boy -" Korin's grandfather had finally given in to the tears. He held his face in his palms and sobbed uncontrollably.

The team could only watch with sympathy in their hearts. They knew Korin deserved to know but his grandfather had suffered much as well. Losing the people he loves one after another. All he wanted was to protect Korin. Hal walked to him and held his shoulder to reassure him and slowly Korin's grandfather began to regain his composure.

Korin's grandfather looked at Hal with his crystal-blue eyes red from tears.

"Promise me...that Korin will not know the truth. Promise me" Korin's grandfather rasped.

Hal fought with his conscience but in the end he knew he had no choice. Korin was a wild card and it was risky to tell him anything that might make him turn into the wild and highly skilled warrior. He knew what must be done.

"I promise"