Episode 2

Lantern's Light

Chapter Three

Mid 2002

Kyle approached Katma as she stared out of the window in the diner out into space. Her shoulders were slumped and her arm rested on the window, holding her up.

He didn't know what was up with her. She had spoken with Arkkis and Kilowog before they had left suddenly. Ever since then, she had been quiet and clearly upset.

"Are you okay?" he asked her as he stepped up to the window.

She didn't answer. Her gaze was fixated on the distant nebula, never wavering as though nothing else existed.

"Katma?"

He heard Hirunan speak from behind, "Leave her be, Kyle."

He moved away from Katma up to Hirunan. "What's wrong with her?"

"Follow me," Hirunan said.

They both left the cafeteria, Kyle feeling confused and concerned.

Once outside, she turned to him. "You know your planet's other Green Lantern?"

"John Stewart? Yeah, what about him?"

"He's been arrested and is awaiting trial, Kyle."

Kyle was taken aback by the news. "Arrested? For what?"

"He blew up an inhabited planet."

He staggered back slightly in shock. "Are you sure?" he questioned in disbelief.

"No, I'm not. The news is on the interstellar broadcasts, but the trial hasn't started yet as far as I'm aware. It might just be a misunderstanding and I hope it is. Blowing up planets tarnishes the Green Lantern name somewhat."

Kyle glanced back at the entrance to the diner. "Katma doesn't seem to be taking it very well," he observed.

"No, she isn't."

"Were they close?"

"At one point, yeah, they were pretty close."

"How close?"

"They were 'wake up together in the same bed' close."

Kyle whistled. "Really?"

"Maybe not that close, but I wouldn't be surprised. They had a thing going, but she was his tutor and he was the student, at least when their relationship started. Not exactly considered a kosher relationship."

"They were both adults, right?" Kyle asked. "What does it matter?"

"I suppose it doesn't, but people felt that Katma was taking advantage and maybe she was."

"But she clearly cared for him," Kyle pointed out.

"Yeah, I think she did and still does," Hirunan agreed. "I'm off to go watch the broadcast of the trial. You want to join me?"

"Maybe," Kyle said feeling unsure. "What happens if he's found guilty?"

"Of destroying a planet with a few million, or even billion on it?"

"Yeah."

"Death."

Kyle couldn't say he was surprised by that verdict. It was just that he hoped that the future had a different way of dealing with these things. While he knew that this wasn't really the future, it felt like it to him. He had always imagined it to be more enlightened, but it seemed a lot like Earth. The same politics, the same issues, the same corruption.

"So, you interested?"

"In what?" he asked.

"Watching the trial?"

"Not really," Kyle said, not seeing the appeal. "I think I'll go make sure Katma's alright instead."

"I don't think she wants to be bothered right now," Hirunan warned.

"You're probably right," Kyle conceded. "It's just we've been around each other for so long now, that I feel I should be there for her, ya know?"

She slowly began to nod. "Maybe you're right. We'll offer her support in silence, okay?"

Kyle nodded. The two of them headed back to the diner where they stood next to Katma. All three of them looked out of the windows, none of them uttering a word, the only sounds were that of the other patrons talking.

After a good ten minutes of standing there in silence, Katma turned away from the view. "I'm going to get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, goodnight," Kyle said.

They watched her leave the diner before Hirunan gestured to an empty table. "Let's sit down."

"Sure," he said as they both sat.

She leant forward, her elbows on the table. "So, did you know John Stewart?"

"Not really," Kyle said. "I only met him a handful of times, if that."

"Right. Well, do you want a drink or something?"

"Sure, why not," Kyle agreed with a shrug.

"Valonberry Brew?"

He nodded. "That would be nice."

She stood up and headed to the bar while he cast his gaze out of the window.

This space station had somewhat become like a second home. The owners and those that ran it essentially gave them a place to sleep for free because their presence put off pirates and other undesirables.

Hirunan returned, placing his drink down in front of him, before taking a seat opposite.

"So," Kyle began, "when will we know if he's been found guilty?"

"I'm sure we'll all be informed," Hirunan answered before taking a large drink of her beverage.

"You think he'll be found guilty?" Kyle asked her, tapping the tabletop with his fingers.

"The answer's the same as it was last you asked. I have no idea if he will or not."

Kyle looked down at his ring nervously. "Can these really destroy entire planets?"

"If you have enough of them, yeah. How he did it with only one ring, I don't know."

"Maybe he didn't," Kyle said.

"It's for the court to decide, not us."

"I guess."

"No, there's no guessing about it. The courts will weigh the evidence and if he's guilty then he dies."

Kyle couldn't believe she had just said that. "Wow, you sound really heartless when you put it like that."

She cringed. "Sorry for being so frank with you. I guess I'm tired." She fell silent as she gulped down the rest of her drink.

Kyle meanwhile was nursing his. He didn't know John, but that didn't mean he didn't feel bad for him. He had never really thought about it before, but the notion that he himself might die out here light-years away from Earth was a mortifying thought. Would his parents even know?

Just thinking about his mother and father made him feel separated and alone. They didn't know he was out here. As far as they knew, he was on the foreign correspondent team after a promotion at the Daily Planet. He never really got on that well with them. They had always seen him as a bit of a failure, but despite that he still loved them and he now realised that he really missed them.

Movement on the other side of the table caught his attention. He looked up to see Hirunan sitting down with a fresh glass.

"Sorry, you didn't want another did you?" she asked him, before taking a long sip.

"No, no I'm fine."

"Not too strong for you is it?"

"Strong?" he asked. "Wait, is this alcoholic?"

"Yes, why what did you think it was?"

Kyle took a sip, then looked at her. "Are you sure it's alcoholic?" he asked. He had been drinking Valonberry Brew for the last few months and not once did it cross his mind that it was alcohol.

"Well, alcoholic maybe is the wrong word," she said. "But it has a similar effect, at least on my people."

"So if it's not alcohol, then what is it?"

"Valoria."

"What is Valoria?"

"A drug."

"Drugs?" he asked, staring down at his drink. "I'm drinking a drug?"

"Well what do you think alcohol is, you idiot," she mocked. "Any chemical that alters the way your body naturally functions is a drug. Valoria is perfectly legal. If it wasn't I wouldn't be able to buy it at the bar."

Kyle grimaced. "Yeah, of course. Sorry, I guess I didn't think."

She shook her head with a smirk. "What do they teach you on your planet?"

"Alcohol is kinda viewed separately to drugs," he explained. "They're generally not put in the same category. It's sorta seen as its own thing if you know what I mean."

"No," she said. "I don't know what you mean. Narcotics education sounds a little strange on your world."

"Yeah, it is," Kyle agreed, nodding his head before he knocked back his drink.

Hirunan stood up. "Want another?"

"Sure. Let's see if this stuff can actually affect me."

She moved off back to the bar while Kyle turned his gaze back out of the window.

He heard the sound of a glass being put down. He looked at his drink, then over to Hirunan as she sat down.

Kyle gripped the glass and quaffed it down, before slamming it onto the tabletop.

He then looked down at his ring. "Hold on, is it really a good idea for us to get drunk?"

"Why, think we're going to get mugged or something?"

Kyle held up his ring hand. "The ring."

"Have you forgotten? The ring requires concentration and when you're blathered out of your head, you aren't going to be able to concentrate on anything."

"I guess you have a point. Still seems irresponsible."

"By the Great Creator of the Universe, Katma's really got you trained, hasn't she. You're allowed to let yourself have fun every once and a while."

"Okay, if you're sure it's safe."

"Nothing's safe in this universe, Kyle. Live a little."

"I do like to live a little. Or rather I did. I don't want to let Katma or the Guardians down. Being a Green Lantern is the first time I felt like I've really accomplished something. Before I felt like such a loser."

"Wow, Kyle, the way you said that sounded more than a little pathetic."

He grimaced. "Yeah, well don't you feel the same way?"

"I'm proud to be a Lantern sure, but the way you said it made it sound like you had no life beforehand."

"I didn't. I mean I did, I was a graphics artist at a newspaper called the Daily Planet. But I wasn't respected and I was on borrowed time. At any moment I knew that I could lose my job and I had no idea what I'd do if I did. I didn't really have any real career prospects, ya know?"

"I had no idea," Hirunan said. "I guess you must feel pretty lucky that the ring chose you."

"You have no idea," he said. "I'm grateful and I don't want to mess this up."

"Don't worry. You're skilled, though you are a little too experimental at times. You waste time making elaborate constructs when something much simpler would do."

"It's the artist in me breaking free," he said. "I can't contain it. It's a release for me, one that most artists would kill to have available to them. I think of something and the ring can make it appear. Sure, it's green and translucent and not really there, but it's still something I created straight out of my head."

"Must be wonderful," she said.

"You have the same ring," he pointed out.

"Yes, but to have such a vivid imagination. I use it as a tool, but to you, it's a brush."

He smiled. How was it that an alien from another world could understand him when his own parents hadn't been able to. It was odd, but also it felt right.

"You want another?"

"Another what?" he asked as he absent-mindedly stared at her.

"Another drink."

"Sure, make it a few."

Hirunan raised her hand. "Barkeep, bring ten more Valonberry Brews," she shouted over. She then spoke to Kyle. "I hope you're ready for this."

"Of course I am."

The drinks were brought, five glasses each. Hirunan gripped the first one. "Wanna race?"

He nodded. "First one to drink all five wins?"

"First one to drink all five," she agreed. "On five."

Kyle gripped his glass. "Ready."

"Five," she said.

The two of them began to knock back the drink, one after another until they were all gone. At first, Kyle felt nothing. But then the room slowly started to spin. He rested his hand against his forehead and felt a film of sweat.

"Definitely affects you," Hirunan commented with a grin. "Want any more?"

He dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "Nah, thanks but nah." His words were becoming slurred and he felt a little giddy.

As it turned out he wasn't ready for the delayed effect of the alcohol. When it hit him, it really hit him hard and everything after that turned into a blur.

The Next Morning

Kyle woke up to the sight of a grey wall. He couldn't remember coming back to his room and going to bed. In fact beyond knocking back a load of drinks he couldn't remember much.

Right now he had a headache which seemed to be encapsulating his entire skull. It felt like his brain had shrunk over the night. Either that or someone had put his head in a vice.

He went to remove the covers when he found that it wasn't a blanket that was on him, but an arm. A very pale purple hand, though luckily the green sleeve of her uniform.

"Crap," he muttered. He was now concerned about what had happened last night. The fact that they were both still wearing their Green Lantern uniforms eased his fears a little, but not by much.

Carefully he gripped Hirunan's arm and moved it off of him, before climbing slowly off of the bed.

He looked at her to see she was awake and smiling at him. "You snore in your sleep and it's adorable."

He grimaced. "Listen, whatever happened last night, I'm sorry."

"I wish something did happen. You were too drunk and fell asleep."

Kyle wiped the sweat from his brow. "Do you have anything for hangovers?" he asked, wincing slightly from his aching head.

"I don't get hangovers, so no."

"Lucky you," he muttered.

Kyle took a glance around the room. While it looked mostly the same as his, it wasn't, meaning that this was probably Hirunan's.

"I'm off to head to my room and grab a shower," he said.

"You can use mine if you want," she offered with a smirk.

"No, I think I'll head back to my room."

"Suit yourself, Kyle," she said as she rolled over, facing away from him.

Kyle left her room and headed up the corridor. He rounded a corner to find Katma stood outside his room, her arms folded and a frown on her face.

"Have you been out all night?" she asked him suspiciously.

"I'm just off to get a shower."

"That didn't answer my question, Kyle," she said. "You spent the night with Hirunan, didn't you?"

"Maybe," he said. "Nothing happened if that's what you mean."

She didn't look convinced. "I bet you don't even know what's happened regarding John, do you?"

He regarded her. She didn't look upset, but she didn't look particularly happy either. "No, you'll have to indulge me."

"John was found innocent, the planet wasn't even destroyed. The Manhunters were responsible and they tried to take control of the Central Battery."

That shocked him. "They were, they did?"

"You didn't know your ring lost power for several minutes last night, did you?"

He looked at his ring. "I must have been asleep."

"Get your shower and get yourself ready for patrol. You have twenty minutes, mister oblivious."

"Understood," he said as he rushed into his room.

He didn't waste much time in the shower. He got himself clean and was out. After slicking back his hair with a comb and some alien hair-gel he had bought that stuck his hair in place almost like steel, he headed back out of his room where Katma was waiting for him.

"Done?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm done."

"Good."

They headed off to the nearest airlock. Once inside, they both surrounded themselves in atmospheric shields, before they de-pressurised the airlock. The outer door slid open and they both flew out and began their patrol.

Early 2003

His heart was pounding hard in his chest. This was it, he was going to be officially a full-fledged Green Lantern and would be able to operate alone on his own initiative.

Kyle moved forwards into the large room. Up high was the row of the small-statured Guardians, who all sat there their faces devoid of any form of emotion.

The room also had perhaps fifty other Green Lanterns there, all here to see him become a full-fledged operative.

He stood up front next to Katma who gave him a short nod.

"Katma Tui," one guardian began. "You are the one that was tasked with training Kyle Rayner of Earth. Is it of your opinion that he is ready for the task to become a true Green Lantern? Able to operate without supervision on his own initiative."

Katma nodded. "Yes, I do. He may be prone to letting his own imagination get the better of him sometimes, but I believe that this may be a strength and not a weakness."

The guardians didn't seem to acknowledge what Katma had said as they turned their collective heads to face Kyle. "Kyle Rayner of Earth," the first Guardian said.

"You have proven yourself to be truly worthy and able to wield the ring," another said.

"We now put our trust in you to wield the ring with precision and with skill and most importantly with your inate wilpowerl," a third continued.

A fourth then said, "Give the oath and it will be made so."

Kyle held up his ring hand and began, "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power Green Lantern's light."

"Kyle Rayner, you will henceforth be known as a full-fledged Green Lantern. You have now been given all privileges and responsibilities that your rank warrants. Do not let us or your fellow Lanterns down. You are all dismissed."

The Guardians stood up and filed out of the room. The other lanterns all cheered, some patting him rather hard on the back, nearly knocking him over. He turned to Katma who nodded at him with a smile.

"You've done well, Kid. Keep it up and you'll make a fine Lantern."

"Thanks," he said with gratitude.

This was it. He was finally a true Green Lantern, not just a trainee. He would do his best not to let Katma, the Guardians or anyone else down.

But first, he had to celebrate his newfound status.

Updated January 2018