Chapter Twenty-three
"It's time to forgive my hands for being hands. I'm going to hate myself a little less tommrow."
Arley, on day three of waking up in Titans Tower, had found herself in the Towers gym, long before the sun had risen and any of the other occupants in the Tower had woken up.
She couldn't help but remember how Hal and Kilowog had told her that there was an intergalactic war going on. They'd told her that Sinestro wasn't the only other kind of Lantern anymore; that he wasn't the only one building up a new kind of Corps.
That had sent Arley's head spinning; learning that there was a spectrum of colors out there outside of yellow and green.
The two of them had regaled her with tales of frontier space and a Red Lantern turned Blue Lantern named Razer, Hal was sure she'd get along with, and an AI named Aya that had sacrificed herself for the sake of the universe.
"She reminded me a lot of you," Hal had said, "And when we lost her, it was like losing you all over again kiddo."
Guy had told Arley how Lobo had started working more with the Corps than against them and how when Guy had been searching for her Lobo more often than not had tended to lend a helping hand.
"Not for you or anything," Guy had said with an eye roll, "He just missed his favorite sparring partner."
As Arley hit the heavy bag she was working on she couldn't help but smile at the thought of the immortal alien bounty hunter.
Lobo and her had been rivals— Arley wasn't even sure they had ever been enemies, sure he was on the Corps most wanted list but over the years he had saved her life just as many times as he had tried to end it —since her first mission; back then he had been trying to kill the princess she was tasked with protecting.
Katma and John explained how because Kilowog had been off playing Space Rangers with Hal— Kilowog had cawed that he hadn't been playing anything, "I was doing my duty damnit!" —Katma, when she hadn't been looking for Arley in her sector, had taken up the Bolvaxians position as an Oa training officer while John had become a general of sorts.
He was in charge of helping the Guardians deploy troops of Green Lanterns to the sectors with high presence of Yellow or Red Lanterns.
"They've taken to calling the architect," Katma had giggled, her hand on Johns; his was on her shoulder. "The Guardians trust him enough to lead the Honor Guard."
Arley had always dreamed of the Honor Guard. They were Oa's last line of defense, the Guardians personal guards. They were the best of the best kind of Lanterns; Arley had always wanted to be that good.
Arley's elbow thwacked against the bag as the fact she'd never get the chance to be that good rolled over her.
Her stomach churned.
They had all looked for her. None of them cared she wasn't the same girl that's been taken and yet, the entire time they'd been recounting what they had been up to, Arley had felt sick.
The boys had all moved on with their lives. They hadn't cared about her but her family had and their lives had continued on.
It was sick and selfish, and as Arley beat the reinforced bag in front of her harder and harder with every hit, she hated herself a little more each time, because with every hit Arley found herself wishing something— anything really —in her life had stayed the same.
Arley stepped back from the bag as the song on the ipod Jade had leant her changed.
Everything changed. The music and movies and pop culture references. The fashion from almost four years ago wasn't the fashion anymore, the jokes from twenty-ten weren't funny the way they had been and maybe it wasn't a big deal. Arley knew if she were still a Lantern missing out on things like all that was part of the job— Lanterns could spend years away from their home planet because of the responsibilities that came with the ring —but the thing was, Arley wasn't a Lantern anymore.
She never would be again. All the years she'd missed out on, hadn't been because of the ring and orders but because of Savage and Sportsmaster and the Light.
She had been robbed of her life.
Arley let out a guttural scream she could feel in her belly as she kicked her leg to the side and then out; the bag swung left and as Arley screamed again and her bandaged fist hit the leather and tears— of pain, of anger, of sorrow —dotted the corners of her eyes.
The music stopped and Arley spun, fists out in front of her only to pause when she saw a tired looking Dick Grayson.
He, like everyone else, looked different. He was taller, his shoulders were broader and his hair was longer. He was no longer the tiny boy that Arley once knew.
The one who had turned his back on her in the Hall.
Arley's lips twitched into a snarl as she turned back to the bag.
"What do you want, Bird Brain?"
"I came to check on you Arles."
"It's Arley," she snapped, "Get it right or don't fucking say it." She turned only to tenson when she heard Dick take several steps forward. She spun back around. "Why the hell do you even care?"
"What?" Dick scoffed, he sounded scandalized. He looked hurt. "How could you even ask me that?"
"How? Jesus fuck I don't know look around us Dick." Arley stretched her arms out and motioned to the walls around them. "How could I not fucking ask?"
"Because I'm your friend!"
"No you're not!" Arley snapped right back, "If you had been taken I would have turned the fucking planet upside down in order to find you. But you? The minute you walked out of the Hall I stopped mattering to you and the others, this Tower and your team prove that much."
"It's not like that," Dick denied.
"Really then, how long did it take you to form this team? When was this Tower built?" Arley snapped. Dick didn't answer; Arley didn't need him to, she'd read all about them after she'd broken out. She took a step back, her chin tipped upwards. "Did any of you even look for me or was it more, out of sight out of mind?"
"Of course we looked for you!"
"For how long?"
"Wally and I, we never gave up!" Arley's fists clenched at the mention of her first love. Her heart twisted.
Dick was lying to her.
She knew he was, he had to be. And even if he wasn't, even if she had always been in the back of their minds, she hadn't strayed far.
She'd been in her last known location for years.
"Kal did though?" Arley fired right back, "Besides don't try me with that shit-I was right where everyone left me, none of you could've searched that hard."
"Bruce said—"
"—BUT NONE OF YOU FUCKING CHECKED!" Arley screeched, "None of you bothered to look for me yourselves and I fucking suffered for it! I was robbed of years of my life! Of everything! So you three could live the lives you all wanted!"
Arley lifted up her shirt so that Dick could look at the scars on her abdomen. She pointed at the one by her hip.
"He didn't just cut me open, the Sportsmaster used his fingers to rip me open once he made an incision." Dick looked green in the face. Arley dropped her shirt and pointed to her face, "He said my mother was buried alone, that no one had shown up. He told me that she was buried in Potter's field because no one even claimed her body because why would they? No one cared about me so why would they care about my vegetable of a mother!" Arley spat. "For years I thought Sportsmaster was lying to me about you all not giving a single shit. I nearly got Lex and Superboy killed because I was waiting for any single one of you to show up and save me that night we broke out."
Dick had tears in his eyes. His hands shook at his side. Arley just continued on, "Turns out he was right. You all forgot me. You all moved on and lived your lives like I was never a part of them. So do me one single favor Dick, don't call us fucking friends."
"I'm sorry," Dick whispered. Arley shrugged,
"Why?" She spat, "We weren't friends, you didn't owe me shit."
"We were, Arley, I-we, we do care about you. Arley the whole reason I even have this team is because I came to Jump City looking for you!"
"And then you gave up!" Arley yelled, her fingers twisted themselves in her hair, "You came here looking for me and stopped! You decided I wasn't worth the effort!"
"I'm a hero! People needed me! They needed us!"
"I NEEDED YOU!" Arley shouted back, "I NEEDED SOMEONE AND NO ONE FUCKING CAME!"
Lex wasn't going to. It was something Arley pretended she didn't know but she could remember him, the night of their break out, telling Desmond that night that he would have— if Desmond had let the other genomorph's live —left her behind.
He would have sworn his silence and left her to rot if Desmond had spared the lives of his and Superboys brothers.
The only reason she'd been spared was because Desmond saw the genomorph's as property rather than living breathing beings and Dubbilex would not let his brothers die in vain.
"I'm sorry," Dick whispered once more.
"It doesn't fucking matter," Arley sniffled. She started forward, ready to leave only to pause when she met Dick in the middle of the room. "What's done is done, I'm never getting what I lost back, what's the use in wasting your breath? I know where you guys all stand."
"But you don't," Dick denied severely. He shook his head.
Arley was crying freely, she felt the tears slipping down her face as she smiled wryly at Dick.
"Yeah Dickie, I really fucking do," Arley said in the same low tone as Dick; she sidestepped him on her way out of the room.
All she could think about was the cell as she made her way back to hers and her team's room.
"You really think anyone gives a shit about you on this floating fucking rock?" Sportsmaster had asked. "Everyone gave up on you as soon as they could. They wiped their hands of you!"
"You're lying. They're-my boys, they'll find me," Arley had slurred. She could taste her own blood in her mouth; Sportsmaster had broken her nose once again.
"No they won't Lantern because even if we gave them a map with your location, not a single person would care to check."
"Yes-yes they would." Sportsmaster shrugged.
"Fine, have it your way, believe me or don't just know one day, before the Light allows you the sweet release of death, the fact I'm right will hit you and I just hope that when it does, I'm the one in the room with you."
Arley stood in front of her and her team's door, swaying. She wasn't sure how long she stood there before she felt a familiar splintering of her mind.
M'gann opened the door seconds later, her face twisted downwards and her arms already out for Arley to fall into.
"They never cared, Megs. Not-not really. He was right."
Arley felt M'gann's lips press against her right temple as the Martian hugged her tightly.
"I don't believe that Arley," M'gann whispered, "I refuse to live in a world where Sportsmaster is right about something."
But they did. As much as it hurt, Arley couldn't help but come to the conclusion that they did; Sportsmaster was right about her and the boys.
They didn't care. Not about her.
They never had.
…
Arley woke up hours later to not just the sun peaking between cracks in the newspaper she and the others had used to cover their floor to ceiling windows but the sound of someone politely knocking on the door to the room she and her team were in.
Both M'gann and Artemis were next to her on the floor; she'd been sandwiched into the middle of them. M'gann had her arm covering her eyes and there was a trail of drool coming out of the archer's mouth.
Arley sat up, her face feeling dry and puffy— she'd fallen asleep crying —she was quick to shake both girls awake.
Maybe they were in Titans Tower, surrounded by multiple Lanterns and Manhunter— and heroes like Dicks team —but that didn't mean they were safe.
Artemis his Superboys leg. The clone jerked awake.
Sooner or later Savage would send someone after them and once more, due to her glaring lack of weapons Arley would pay for Bruce Wayne's hubris.
"It's Starfire," M'gann said.
"Who?" Arley asked.
"The Tamerian on Dicks team."
"Oh?" Arley got to her feet, the knife she'd kept under her pillow was quickly tucked rather poorly into the waistband of the pajama pants John had brought her.
Hal had made sure all her stuff had been packed into storage so that it would be waiting for her when she came home and maybe because of the serum Arley had grown a couple of inches— the pants, along with all her other clothes were small on her —the fact Hal had saved all her stuff for all those years made a warm feeling of adoration flow through her chest because it showed Arley that Hal never once thought about giving up on her.
He had always planned on finding her and bringing her home.
The door opened to reveal a tall, beautiful alien woman with red hair the color of fire and eyes that were entirely green. She smiled so brightly at the former Lantern Arley nearly squinted at the alien.
"You're awake!"
"Yeah," Arley nodded, she crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the bedroom door frame. "Why are you here?"
"Arley!" M'gann snapped from the other side of the room.
"It's okay," Starfire waved off before Arley could fire something back at the pasty white Martian, "I understand this might be odd," Starfire conceded. "I was asked to wake you all up and get you all to the conference room."
"Why?" Arley asked as Superboy came up behind her and wondered, "By who?"
Starfire's eyes flickered to the lab gorne Kryptonian. "Batman." Starfire looked back at Arley. "He brought someone here with him to speak to you all."
Arley's eyes narrowed at the Tamerian, her lips were pressed together. Starfire must have caught sight of the untrusting look gleaming in Arley's eyes because a moment later Starfire dipped her head forward.
"Dick does not trust the woman Batman brought with him, he did not say so out right but I know him, I know he was not happy to see her."
"Did you get her name?" Starfire shook her head. "Okay then, give us a few minutes to get dressed and ready."
"I'll wait for you all out here."
"You don't have to," Arley tried to wave the Tamerian off only to pause when she saw the look on the alien's face; Starfire wasn't going anywhere without them. Arley licked her lips. "What I meant was, we're all in here but Jade's down the hall."
"My teammate Raven is waking her now."
Arley's eyes narrowed. Her gut churned; something was going on. She knew it; she could feel it in her bones and maybe she didn't trust Dick anymore as a person but she knew him well enough— thought she did at least —to know he was a good detective when he wanted to be.
If his gut said something more often than not his gut was right.
"We'll be out shortly." And then the door closed, Arley looked at M'gann, "Can you get a read on Bats guest from here?"
"I'd have to read every other mind between us and them first to figure out just who I was looking for. If we only have a few minutes I don't have that kind of time."
Arley pressed her lips together as she nodded in understanding; as powerful as M'gann was she still had her limitations.
"Okay, that sucks but okay." Arley grabbed the green capri pants that she'd bought years ago and the black sweater she'd stolen months ago. "We'll figure something else out, right now let's just get our game faces on."
"You really think Bats fucked up again?" Artemis wondered.
"Don't know but just cause I don't know for sure, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna enter that room not prepared for war," Arley said as she slipped the sweater over her head. The sweater was big enough that it was baggy on Superboy; Arley, after she had thrown it on, had tucked the front of it into her pants. "The last time he fucked up it cost me nearly three years of my life and everything else."
Arley slipped her knife into the waistband of her capris. She slipped on her boots and looked to her team who were more or less all in the same state she was, dressed and barely armed but with the guards up.
Artemis had her crossbow in hand.
"You heard Starfire say her teammates getting Jade, what's the likelihood of her showing up ready to throw down if the need arises?"
Artemis smirked; "My sister's always ready for a fight."
"Perfect," Arley said. "Ready?" She asked like they were about to step off the Bioship and hit another Light base.
"Ready," Superboy smiled. Wolf was at his side, baring his teeth in the closest way a dog could get to a grin.
Arley didn't respond she just lead the others to the door, Starfire's teammate Raven— the purple haired girl that had hovered at the changelings side that first day she'd awoken —and Jade, with sai strapped to each hip and her Kabuki mask strapped to the back of her head we both standing next to the Tamerian in the hall.
"Morning Jade."
"I see you're leaving your room now."
"Of course," Arley snorted as the two Teen Titans started leading them to the conference room. Arley's hands were in her back pockets, ready to reach for her knife at a moment's notice. "You didn't hear, Bats brought a guest."
"All the way here for little ole' us?" Jade quipped back. Like Wolf when she grinned she bared her teeth more than twisted her lips. Jade's shoulder knocked against Arley's as they walked, her head twitched backwards in the direction of M'gann.
Arley shook her head with her shoulders, it looked as if a chill had gone over her.
Jade blew hot air out of her mouth, her fingers curled around the sai.
The group of eight turned a corner and Arley saw Barry hissing something at Hal and the other Lanterns at the other end of the hall. Hals brows shot up, Johns furrowed while Guys face became thundery.
The hair on the back of Arley's neck stood on its ends.
Hal's gaze flickered from his friend to Arley.
"Kid!" The Titans seemed to have taken this as their queue to leave because where Arley and her team all paused in front of the Lanterns and Barry, both Raven and Starfire dipped into what Arley could only assume was the conference room.
She caught sight of Superman with his arms unhappily crossed over his chest.
"Morning!" Arley greeted as she got closer to her adoptive father. "Barry," she greeted dryly with a nod of her head. She didn't look at the speedster for long before she looked at her adoptive father, "What's up?"
"Bats brought Amanda Waller," John answered.
"You're kidding?" Jade breathed, her face suddenly pale. Arley raised a brow.
"Who?"
"That's what I said," Guy grumbled. Artemis stepped up on the other side of Arley.
"She's the warden of Blackgate prison, word on the street though, she's a little more than that."
"It's more than just word," Barry spoke up, "Whatever you heard about her and her team—" Arley had never heard Barry Allen speak so harshly, she never heard his voice drop even in battle, "—Is probably true."
"What team?"
"If you're all done out here?" A blonde woman with a tightly done and slicked back bun announced from the conference room's doorway. She had a thick binder pressed against her blazers front; the pants suit she wore looked expensive.
"Waller?" Arley arched a brow. The blonde smiled as if Arley had cracked a joke.
"No. Quinn Lancaster, Ms. Waller's assistant. If you could all step into the room and allow us to begin, Ms. Waller is on a tight schedule."
"No one asked her to come," Guy bit out. Once more Quinn Lancaster smiles as if someone had made a joke.
Arley's eyes narrowed at the blonde.
"Please," Quinn Lancaster said, stepping to the side so that they could all file into the conference room.
Arley walked in first. Though the room was packed it didn't take long to figure out who didn't belong.
Amanda Waller was a heavyset black woman who sat at the head of the long conference table. She had a briefcase in front of her and her hands clasped together a top of the table.
She looked ready for a fight if need be. Arley met her gaze for a split second, the woman's eyes were steely and harsh but alight.
There was a light in them, one that hadn't yet been extinguished.
Arley smirked at the woman before continuing to look around the room.
Superman and Manhunter stood by Batman who was seated near Amanda Waller, neither League member looked happier than Gotham's very own Dark Knight which caused the former Lanterns' brows to shoot up.
The Titans were on the other end of the room, all bunched together. Wally was with them; Arley averted her eyes from the speedster.
Green Arrow and the original Roy Harper, along with his clone all stood the closest to the door. If Arley's brows could have shot up any further they would have.
"What are you guys doing here?" Arley asked, stepping closer to the trio of archers than further into the room.
"Arley!" The Original Roy's head bobbed up and down. His older clone let out a long suffering sigh. Arley threw her chin upwards in a greeting, her eyes never leaving Oliver.
"Waller," Oliver said gruffly, answering her question.
Arley's eyes narrowed. The woman had called the Lights victims together in one room.
She'd made them all one easy target. Blood rushed to Arley's ears.
She wouldn't let them take her again. She'd never let them repod Superboy or Roy nor would she allow M'gann to once more be strapped down and vivastected.
She would sooner burn the tower down, bringing the ceiling caving in on top of herself if she had to.
Savage would never hurt the people she loved ever again.
"Is that so?" Arley said with a snarl.
"Hey," Oliver got closer, the blood thumping in Arley's ears got louder as he entered her personal space, "None of us will let anything happen you kids. Not again."
Arley met Oliver's gray eyes. They were warm and caring and Arley felt her hands ball into fists at her side.
"Neither will I Ollie," Arley hissed as the squeak of a chair pulled her attention away. Amanda Waller had gotten to her feet.
"If you could all sit down." It was an order not a request, one everyone seemed to listen to because with a sea of grumbles one by one people took their seats.
Arley was the only one left standing. She had pushed the seat at the opposite side of the table from Waller away so that she could stand.
Waller's right brow raised. Arley glared at the woman and she smirked right back at the former Lantern. Quinn Lancaster saddled right up to Waller's left side like a lapdog ready to perform at the drop of a hat.
"Arley Maria Gluck, eighteen, soon to be nineteen, Earth's second green Lantern and the most wanted person on Earth, nice to finally meet you."
Amanda Waller looked like a jungle cat about to pounce. She looked like a cat who'd caught the canary and the more and more Arley looked at her after the woman's haughty introduction had finished the more she saw Sportsmaster in the woman.
"What the fuck do you want?" Arley asked cooly. Several people sucked in hissed breaths; Arley was sure she heard Wally mumble something to Dick, whatever it was though was lost to her, having been said too quietly for her to have heard.
"I heard of your eloquence, glad to see I wasn't lied to."
"Where'd you hear it from?"
"Luther."
The room seemed to explode at Waller's declaration; Superboy and both Roy Harpers got to their feet. Dubbliex grabbed at Superboys arm while Oliver tried to push the set of Roy's down by their shoulders. Hal and Guy both shouted something— Arley couldn't hear what anyone was saying, the blood in her ears was roaring —but Superman didn't react, neither did Manhunter or Batman.
Because, despite the blood rushing through her, making her head spin, it was clear to Arley.
They knew. The three of them knew that this woman was Light and they let her in anyway only a hair's breadth away from her and her team.
"Knock it off!" Arley loudly snapped at Superboy. The clone paused where he stood. Arley started to move, like a wolf on the prowl, she turned the corner of the table until she paused behind M'gann's seat.
She looked at— through —Waller. The scars on her back pulled.
"Is that so?" Arley asked, her head cocked to the side. Her blood was hot against her calmly skin. The room that had, seconds ago been so loud it was nearly impossible to think was suddenly so quiet a church mouse could be heard as clear as a steeple bell. "And did Luther tell you anything else about me, Waller?"
"He said you were a deeply unhinged young woman with enough blood on her hands to make even the likes of him nervous."
A spark ran through Arley, she made Lex Luther nervous. She scared him.
She bared her teeth in a monstrous smile, "So he did tell you how I burned one of his men alive?" Waller didn't twitch, she didn't take the bait. Arley stepped behind Artemis' seat. "Did he tell you about what I did to Queen Bee? Brother Blood?"
"He didn't need to, I saw both of those scenes for myself."
"And how'd they make you feel Waller?"
"Disgusted," was the woman's swift reply. Arley was behind John's chair. She was five seats away from Waller.
"Not nervous?" Arley cocked her head. "Not scared."
"I don't do scared."
"You will," Arley shrugged, "You won't live to see it-Savage on his knees before me, but you'll feel it before then."
"Arley—" Bruce started only to stop when Arley threw her knife at the Caped Crusader; he stopped it with his batarang. Dick and Wally, both got to their feet. Hal leaned forward like he was about to spring up in her defense.
Anyone who wasn't halfway inept could taste the tension in the room; if Arley's knife wasn't embedded in the conference room table— and if she gave even the slightest care of the tension she was causing — she would have been able to cut it.
But she didn't, because all of Arley's focus was on Waller; so much so that Arley almost didn't notice M'gann forcing Dick and Wally back into their seats; she almost didn't notice the familiar feeling of her mind splintering.
Arley grinned at the sliver panic gleaming to life in Wallers eyes as she, like the rest of the League and Titans tried to fight both M'gann and Lex's telekinesis.
Game plan? Superboy growled.
We figure it out as we go, Arley breathed into the mind-link as she moved forward. Killing her now benefits us short term. Keep everyone out of my way and I can get locations from her.
Brother Blood, bloody and carved up flashed through the link. Arley wasn't sure if it was her who thought of the man, or M'gann.
Jesus, Jade blinked as she got to her feet. And I thought dad fucked me up.
Arley couldn't help but let the dark chuckle that bubbled up in her throat at Jade's comment spill out.
You have no idea Jade.
Arley leaned over Waller, over Waller's shoulder Lancaster who like nearly everyone else in the room had become stuck to their seat, unable to speak, looked close to tears.
"I'll ask once nicely," Arley said quietly, but in a room with no sound her voice rang out. "Why are you here Waller? What game is the Light playing?"
"I'm not with the Light," Waller spat.
"But you're with Luther?"
"There's no difference!" Superboy spat from where he'd once more gotten to his feet.
"Supes is right, if you're in bed with one, you're in bed with them all."
"That's why I'm here, Luther wants to cut ties with the Light—" Both Superboy and Dubbilex scoffed, "He sent me here on his behalf to negotiate with you."
"He wants to be spared, is that it?" Arley cocked her brow. Waller nodded. "And why does he think you can guarantee his life?"
"Because I don't take no for an answer. I get what I want."
"That doesn't answer my question Waller," Arley hissed, her hand flew to the top corner of Waller's chair. "Why does he think you can save his life? Either you have something I want, or you have something on me."
"You're an internal criminal wanted by the Hauge, if you ever want to see the outside of a cell after all of this Gluck giving me what I want is the way to do that."
"So you're leveraging my freedom for Luther's life?" Arley's voice was airy. Flippant.
Waller didn't answer and Arley didn't need her too; Arley grabbed the back of Wallers head and brought it down against the conference table.
Blood poured down the woman's face, her nose broken.
"Don't fucking threaten me and don't try to play games," Arley hissed. "What's Luther promising you?"
"What?"
"You wouldn't be doing this for nothing, what did that sack of hot promise you if you got us off his back?"
"Several pounds of kryptonite and Project Prime." Arley blinked at the Wallers confession, she turned to look at both Superboy and Dubbilex.
M'gann, Artemis nor Jade asked what Project Prime was because an image of someone who looked like a much younger version of Superboy, still podded, came to mind via Dubblix's connection.
How the hell wasn't Prime crushed in the cave in? Arley thought. Fifty-two sublevels and two floors came down on him.
Who knows, who cares, the Light has him.
And he wasn't at Yellowstone.
Probably because Luther has him on tap, Artemis said. Her bottom lip caught itself between her teeth. Do you think the rest of the Light knows?
Luther would be dead by now if Savage found out he was holding out, Arley said, she looked back to Waller, an idea coming to mind. Jade?
Yeah?
Still got the frequency for the League?
You want me to call Ras?
Arley are you sure? If Savage gets Prime there's no telling what could be done, Dubbilex worried.
They all knew Superman was stronger than Superboy; Superboy was only half-Kryptonian but none of them knew where Prime fell on that scale.
Prime was the exact clone of Superman, a carbon-Kryptonian copy. Prime had animalistic instincts. He had no consciousness or morals holding him back the way Superman did.
Prime was the Lights secret weapon against the Man of Steel.
I'm sure, Arley thought. Dubblix was obviously reluctant but he nodded anyway. Arley's gaze flickered to Superboy who nodded without any hesitation.
Arley looked at Jade.
Yeah I got it.
Good, let's get this party started then, Arley grinned. She turned back to Waller. "Call Luther."
"What?"
"Call Luther," Arley ordered once more, she reached across the table and grabbed the wireless keypad that was in the center of the table. Jade was already halfway to them. "If I have to do it myself I'm cutting off both your fucking hands, got that?"
Waller's glare was dark and though it held the promise of some kind of vengeance Arley just looked down her nose at the woman as M'gann let Waller go.
Waller snatched the keypad from Arley and with a growl from the back of her throat began to type onto the keypad.
The screen behind Waller came to life.
A ring sounded throughout the room and by the time Jade had snatched the keypad from Waller, Lex Luther's large bald head was being displayed on the floor to ceiling screen.
He looked mildly surprised at the sight of Waller, bloody and sitting next to Arley, the League and the rest of her team.
Arley could feel rage that wasn't her own roll over her at the sight of the man. Arley did her best to reach out to Superboy through the connection.
"I don't suppose pleasantries will do me any good?" Luther asked.
"No, what will though is Savage's location."
"Excuse me?"
"I have one more number to put in," Jade announced. Luther didn't have hair or brows, but if he did Arley was sure one would have arched upwards in curiosity.
"Jade here is calling the League of Assassins. Or rather, she's about to."
"And why would she do that?"
"Because you stole from Vandal Savage Lex, and last time I checked that's a pretty big fucking no-no," Arley taunted. She watched as in real time Lex Luther turned white then red then purple all before once more going back to sheet white.
"You-Waller!"
"Hey!" Arley snapped, Luther's attention was once more on her, "This isn't fucking amnesty, I'm still coming after you but between me and Savage, who do you want on your tail less?"
"So this is the enemy of my enemy, is it?"
"This is tell me what I want and I'll save you for second to last motherfucker," Arley snapped. Ra's would be last, the man lived in a fortress and if word on the street was true, had more than one Lazarus pit to bring him back hidden away.
"And why should I tell you? Luther sneered, "Ra's wants away from Savage just as much I do! Telling him—"
"—Will give him what he wants," Arley rolled her eyes. "You sent Waller here because you thought she could help you wash your hands of everything you've done these past few years. Once Ra's knows about Project Prime he'll give you up because he wants a clean out the same way you do but," Arley raised a finger, "Of you tell me what I want Jade here will put the keyboard down and we'll pretend you don't have a second psychotic-Superboy locked up in your basement. Savage will never know."
"Because he'll be dead?"
"I'll bring his head when I come to take yours, promise," Arley swore.
"You are a deeply disturbed little girl."
"And you're a snake I can't wait to fucking skin," Arley hissed back.
"Give me an hour."
"Fine and Luther?"
"Any tricks and you'll gut me, right?" Luther asked dully, like the fear of God was shining brightly in his eyes.
"Any tricks and I'll do to you worse than what was done to Blood. Is that understood?"
Luther didn't answer for a moment.
"I asked—"
"—It's understood."
"Good. I'll speak to you in an hour." And then he was gone and the entirety of the room was up on their feet, yelling.
Bruce was yelling at her, demanding to know what the hell she was playing. Waller was yelling at Bruce, calling him a sorry excuse for a hero and telling him he would be sorry for allowing his rabid dog off her leash. She didn't even bother to turn to Arley or her team; the threat of their repayment was clear. Half the room was yelling at Waller, Guy explicitly threatened to tear her a new one for thinking she could blackmail his kid.
All the while Arley and her team looked at one another.
They were close.
It, this war, may be far from over but the largest of the battles, that was so close, one each of them could almost taste it.
…
It had been forty five minutes since Lex Luther had ended the call and the adults had kicked Arley, her team and the Titans all out of the room so that they and Waller could all take turns yelling at each other.
Arley sat in the Titans living room on the couch alone. Both Roy's were speaking to Artemis and Jade by the door; M'gann was whispering back and forth with Superboy and Dubbilex.
It must have been hard for them to see Luther; as much as he was a villain to them all, he was half of Superboy's DNA. He was still the half-Kryptonian's other father and while perhaps Dubblix wasn't half of Luther the way Superboy was, there was some of Luther's DNA mixed into his.
He was the father who had cursed them to live this life and as much as they wanted him dead, neither of them had ever seen the man until forty-five minutes ago.
Forty-six minutes ago.
"Here." Arley's eyes flew up, away from the clock she had been watching to see Wally Rudolph West standing before her with a glass of something in his hand outstretched to her.
Arley blinked. He was still there, smiling at her like she hadn't just broken a woman's nose right in front of him forty-six and a half plus minutes ago.
"You look like you could use it," Wally said. He took half a step closer to Arley. Like he hadn't abandoned her for years. Like he hadn't just moved on, leaving her in the dust.
His hair was swept to the side, looking run through and perfect. His eyes were bright, happy.
Arley didn't move to take the glass. She just blinked at Wally, confused about what he was doing. On what game he was playing.
It was so easy to look away from everyone else and ignore how different they looked but with Wally it was impossible. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him for even a moment.
"Arley—" Arley jerked back when Wally took another step closer to her. She got to her feet, she could feel the entire room's eyes on her.
"—It's just water," Wally whispered, still holding the glass out.
Arley opened her mouth, her gaze still locked on Wally— the way her heart pounded in her ears was different than before, there was a far off, eerie sounding train whistle under the loud thumping of blood —only to close it after a moment of no sound.
It was more than just water. He had left her for three years, moved on like she had never even existed. Dick had to have been lying when he told her they had never given up because Arley could remember those news articles from when she and the others had first broken out.
She could still clearly picture the image of him and that girlfriend of his, Jinx.
Her heart twisted in her chest.
"Glow," Wally breathed and Arley felt someone inside of herself snap.
"Don't," she said lowly, "Call me that."
Back in the cell, whenever she had imagined the boys— whenever she'd pictured Wally —coming to save her he would brush some of her hair back and call her Glow or Baby or any other term of endearment as he worked fast to get her out of that hell hole.
But he hadn't, because he'd moved on.
Arley went to turn only for a hand to catch her own; Wally's finger caught her palm, a jolt shot up Arley's arm, as if she'd been electrocuted all over again.
She spun back around, ripping her hand away from him.
"Don't fucking touch me!" She snapped, Wally, with a wounded look in his eyes, jerked back. Before he or anyone else could respond to Arley a voice, one Arley never thought she'd hear again, rang out.
"What is going on here?"
Arley had never turned as fast as she had then, in her life. Nearly snapping her own neck with the speed in which she turned, Arley's eyes widened, not at the sight of Kyle Rayner but at the person next to him.
The tiny, nearly bald, blue Guardian of the universe. Ganthet.
"Sir?" Arley breathed. Her eyes flickered between the Guardian and her replacement. Like a woman possessed she moved; not meaning to and with seemingly no control to stop. "W-what are you doing here?"
She could clearly remember Hal telling her that there were two separate wars going on against the Corps; she knew she had told Kyle that Sinestro himself was working closely with Savage so the fact that there was a Guardian off of Oa, away from the immediate protection of the Honor Guard sent the former Lanterns blood pressure sky rocketing.
"I'm here for you Green Lantern Arley," Ganthet said, "Lantern Rayner has raised some concerns about you, I came to ease them."
"And you came to Earth to do that?" Arley ran her hand through her hair, "Sir do you know how dangerous—"
"—Would you not agree, certain situations call for seemingly reckless decisions?" The Guardian asked. "If there's one thing you Lanterns know it's that, is it not?"
Arley felt herself deflate, she knew Ganthet was right. She looked at Dubbilex who, like everyone else in the room, was marveling at the Guardians before them.
"Go get John." He was Captain of the Honor Guard, he would chew Kyle out for helping Ganthet with getting to Earth. She then turned her full attention back to the Guardian, "Sir look, I intend not to be disrespectful—"
"—When beings say they intend not to do something don't you usually find that they almost always do that very thing Green Lantern Gluck?" Ganthet cut her off.
Arley felt her brow twitch at the title. Her ring felt heavy on her finger.
"Sir!" Arley raised her voice half an octave as Dubblix passed by Kyle, "It was insanely dangerous to come to Earth especially now, and especially for me."
"And why is that Green Lantern Gluck?"
"Because I'll never be a Green Lantern again," Arley said, her voice suddenly quiet. "I'll never be worthy of the Corps again so risking your life and the safety of the Corps for me is far beyond reckless."
It was stupid. If you die for nothing then you're not a martyr, you're an idiot. And coming to Earth for her— for someone just made to be the universe's punching bag —risking life and limb for her, was stupid.
"You sound so sure." Ganthet flew closer, he had a power battery in his hands. Arley wanted to reach out and touch it, to run her hand along the alien metal and for a second, feel like that girl once more.
But she didn't.
"I am," Arley replied. Because she knew what would happen if she said the mantra. The ring would come to life on Arley's hand once more, and then it would fly away, never for her to see again and forget to rest on someone else's finger.
"I am not," Ganthet shook his head. "You were the youngest Lantern in the Corps, throughout its long history."
"I've changed sir."
"Ganthet?" Arley looked past the Guardian to see not just John but Hal and Guy. Ganthet half-turned, a pleasant looking smile gracing his face.
"Men," Ganthet greeted.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on Odym?" John asked, Arley's brows bunched together.
She'd never heard of Odym before. Why would a Guardian supposed to be on Odym anyway; Guardians never left Oa.
"A dear friend called me and told me that Lantern Rayner had gone to the council worried for Green Lantern Arley here," Ganthet said, "So I decided to visit."
"Ganthet it's still dangerous," John said, almost like he was chastising the Guardian. Arley's brows shot up at his tone, "Sinestro could very much be on Earth."
"Where's Razer?" Hal asked.
"The Blue Lantern you told me about?" Arley cut before Ganthet could respond. Hal nodded, "What does a Blue Lantern have to do with this?"
A look crossed over Ganthet's face; Arley had never seen a single Guardian look anything but solom. Emotions were supposedly beneath them.
"In a turn of recent events I was banished from Oa," Ganthet confessed. His lips twisted upwards into a mirthless smile. "I am the one who fastened the Blue Lantern and hope is, after all, an emotion."
"But you said Kyle—"
"—He has been. Lantern Rayner did raise concerns about you. A friend who will remain nameless, still on the council, contacted me, and they asked me to speak to you, Green Lantern Arley."
"I'm not a Green Lantern anymore," Arley shook her head.
"Yes you are," Ganthet grabbed Arley's hand in hers, his frail blue finger ran over her ring. "You have never not been Arley Gluck, you were born with a light inside of you-that light guided your ring to you all those years ago the way every other Lanterns light has guided theirs to them. That's not a light even the likes of someone like Vandal Savage can put out."
Arley's tongue dipped out, she looked at the power battery in Ganthet's hands.
"What if you're wrong?"
"What if I'm not?" Ganthet rebuked. "Lantern?" Arley looked at him. "Have hope."
Hope had nearly killed her though.
Arley had spent years hoping one of the boys or another League member— that anyone really —would rescue her and when no one did— when her hope was crushed under the heel of reality's boot —it had nearly crushed her.
She was terrified.
And yet, like a marionette on a string, she reached out and took the battery from Ganthet. She craddled.it against her chest; a familiar hum rattled against her ribs.
Arley shut her eyes and breathed. Arley didn't need anyone to lead her through the oath; the mantra was just as engrained in her as her DNA.
Everyone in the room seemed to take a collective several steps closer.
"In brightest day, in blackest night—" the battery began to sing against Arley, the hum she'd once taken for granted became more pronounced. "—No evil shall escape my sight." Green light began to escape the battery, and like water it washed over her; Arley's ring became warm on her finger. "Let those who worship evil's might beware my power—" with every passing word the light from the battery was glowing brighter and brighter; nearly blinding. The hum from the battery got louder and louder. Arley's gaze flickered to her ring. It felt as if it was burning against her skin. She'd never felt this before; it had never hurt to power up her ring before.
Arley couldn't see anyone else in the room. All she could see was green.
"—Green Lanterns light?"
The light stopped abruptly; as did the humming. The heat of her ring cooled just as quickly as the light had retreated back into the battery; though it was still very much warm on her finger, Arley no longer felt as if her finger were going to be soldered off.
Her ring didn't fly off her finger.
It stayed.
Arley looked up— in her father's direction —grinning more widely than ever before only to freeze because when she looked up, Arley saw that she was no longer in the Titans living room.
She was somewhere else, far, far away. She was on top of a mountain; the sky was black and endless, not a star to be seen. There was greenery though; so much green. Plants and flowers and trees were everywhere reminding Arley of a jungle she might find in India or the Amazon.
"You're here!" Arley spun, knife from her pocket suddenly in hand, ready to fight.
…
"Where the hell is she!" Hal Jordan had never yelled at the Guardians in his life, he'd spoke out of turn, out the side of his neck and in more than slightly insubordinate tones, but he had never yelled at one until the light from the power battery that was now resting in Wally's hands had faded and Arley was once more gone.
Missing. She was missing again.
Ganthet looked aghast. He wasn't looking at Hal; Arley's ring was on the floor. "I don't-no ring, especially the Green Lan—" the Guardian cut himself off with a pain-filled scream.
He shook out his hand; he turned to Hal Jordan, his eyes wide and— for what had to be the first time in Ganthet's very long life —confused.
"It's burning."
Hal felt like he was going to throw up.
…
Arley looked at her mother and blinked. The woman in front of her was what she could remember her mother looking like the last time she saw her.
Her hair was long, her nose was curved up and her jaw was square.
But she was green. Her hair was a dark green that reminded Arley of moss; her skin though was the same color of constructs Arley had once been able to form.
"Where's here?" Arley asked. She didn't lower her weapon. "Where am I?"
"Inside of me," the green skinned woman replied easily. Arley blinked.
"W-what?" The other woman giggled.
"We needed to talk so when you powered me up I pulled you inside," the other woman explained.
Arley blinked again as she mulled over what the green skinned woman— who looked like her mother, the more and more Arley looked at her the more she saw bits of a woman she was sure she'd lost years ago —said.
"I was powering up my ring."
"Me."
"You're saying you're my ring?"
"Yes." Arley sat down where she stood. She placed her knife next to her as she cradled her head in her hands.
Whatthefuck?
This was weirder— not as scarring but definitely more odd —than when Desmond had turned himself into some sort of demon.
The woman— her ring supposedly —knelt down in front of her.
"You're overwhelmed."
"You're saying you're my ring," Arley responded, "Of course I'm overwhelmed, you're a ring!"
"Your ring," the woman emphasized.
"Why do you look like my mom?"
"That's your first question?" The green skinned woman giggled, "Not how I came to be or why I'm talking to you?"
Arley didn't glare at her ring— the woman claiming to be it —she did give her a very bland kind of look though. The woman— her ring —giggled once more.
"Very well," the green skinned woman said, "I suppose I look like this because this is what you needed and all I've ever wanted was to be what my Lanterns needed."
"I'm sorry what?"
"When you were young, do you remember what you would do when you first got me?" Arley felt heat rush to her cheeks.
Some nights during her first cycle of boot camp, after waking up from a nightmare, Arley would use her ring to form human-like constructs to soothe her back to sleep.
More than once the construct looked like her mother.
Arley looked away only for her gaze to fly back to who was supposed to be her ring when she grabbed Arley's hands in hers.
"We need to talk Arley." The heat traveled from Arley's cheeks to the tips of her ears.
"Why?" Arley snapped, "What's the point in goodbye? I knew this was coming, you could've just left."
"You misunderstand," the ring said, "That's why we need to talk. Arley I'm not going anywhere."
"You're not?"
"Why would I?" The ring asked back, "You're my girl, just as much as I'm your ring."
"Then?" Arley paused, she tried to swallow the nervous lump in her throat, "Why do we need to talk and how? How are we talking, we never talked before. Have you always been able to do this?"
"No, not always," the ring answered. "I've always been a conscious being but I wasn't always able to interact with you just like my brothers and sisters aren't able to interact with their Lanterns."
"Then how can you?"
"Well it's complicated. Your mental fortitudes for one," her ring said, "It started with what man all those years ago, Psimon. He spent months scratching away, trying to tear down the walls you built around your mind and then between Dubbilex and M'gann, I was able to find a hole in the wall and wiggle through."
"So what? This is happening in my mind?" Was Arley just dreaming? Had she finally gone crazy?
Seeing Ganthet, holding a power battery must've just pushed her over the edge.
"No, you're inside of me," her ring waved off, "This is all very much real."
"Oh." Arley's brows knitted together quickly, "How though, you weren't powered up; hell when Psimon was trying to break in you weren't even on me."
"Because unlike any other Lantern and their ring in the universe you and I have a bond Arley, one not easily broken," her ring said. "By the time Vandal Savage had you, I had been with you over half your life. I was-am," her ring corrected, "Half of you just like you are half of me."
"I'm still confused," Arley said, her head starting to swim.
"It's understandable, this must be odd for you."
"Yeah."
"Think of it this way," Arley's ring said, "Home is where your heart is, is it not? Is it not where you feel safest?"
"I guess, yeah?"
"And for the longest time in your life, where did you feel safest?"
Wally's face flashed through the forefront of Arley's mind; "The Corps."
"With me," Her ring nodded. She folded Arley's own hand over her heart; her rings green hand stayed over her own. "I have lived within you for a long time, Arley Gluck. I carved out a home in your heart years ago and I have never left you. Not even when you thought I had."
Nabu crossed Arley's mind; the burning of her ring and the fantom heat in Salem.
"All this time, the light, the warmth?"
"How could I leave you to struggle when I had the power to stop it?" Her ring asked rhetorically. Her hand cupped Arley's cheek.
It was warm. Arley's fingers laced themselves around her rings wrist. It was warm like the light of her constructs and the light from the power battery.
It reminded Arley of home; of the feeling of falling face first into a bed of warm sheets after a wonderful day.
"I know you better than you know yourself because where you end is not where I begin Arley but rather, where I pick things up. We exist together, somewhere in between ourselves. And that's why I brought you here."
"Oh?"
"You do not think you're worthy anymore. You do not love yourself."
"I'm broken."
"No," her ring denied, "Changed is not broken. Changed may be different but that is not a bad thing Arley. How could it be?"
"How can you still call me home?" Arley asked, after everything I've done—"
"—To live." Her ring got to her feet. They were bare. She still had Arleys hand in hers. "Come with me, please?"
It was a bad idea, to follow something that didn't make sense, somewhere she didn't know, it was a terrible and dangerous idea.
And yet, Arley got to her feet and began to follow after to ring. Her knife— Sportsmaster's knife —still on the ground.
They walked in silence for several minutes until they came to the top of a large hill. Arley looked at the bottom of the hill and felt her breath catch in her throat because it was her.
Several different past versions of herself ran around the grassy hill bottom, laughing. Ten year old Arley chased eight year old Arley while twelve year old Arley braided the hair of fifteen year old Arley.
"You think you've killed them, that who you now is just an echo of who they were."
"Because I am," Arley said softly. "The girl I was—" she looked at the version of her fifteen year old self, "—I'm not her anymore."
There was a weight in Arley's chest, heavy and burdening.
"Of course you're not, time changes us all," her ring said, "But Arley—" her ring turned and placed both hands on Arley's shoulders, "—Just because you are changed does mean you have to lay to rest the girl you were. You became this because she loved you enough to hold on and live and change with the times so that you today can breathe."
The weight traveled upwards, settling in Arley's throat.
"They can't, she can't—" love me. Arley couldn't get it out, the tears in her eyes were icy as the rest of her face was hot. Her ring gently used her thin green thumb to wipe the tears away.
"Of course she can," her ring responded, "She's you."
"I don't deserve it," Arley choked up. She didn't deserve love after what she'd done, self love or otherwise. She didn't deserve Hal and Guy and John's love.
How could she after what she had done in her war against the Light and everything she'd become in order to just survive.
Not even live. Just survive.
"Of course you do Arley and even if you don't love it's not about deserving. Love is not a rewards game, it's something effortless and innate. It's just like breathing. You know that, you still love those boys despite the pain they've put you through."
"Why?" Arley whispered. She looked at the past versions of herself not quite sure what she was asking. Why wasn't love about deserving? Why did any of them love her?
Why did she still love the boys despite everything?
"Because love is very much like willpower, unmoving. It weathers nearly everything the universe throws at it."
Arley didn't reply. She just leaned against her rings body, soaking up the warmth of the hug.
It was like hugging her mother.
"Arley, my girl?" Hesitantly Arley looked away from her past selves.
"Yeah?"
"Remember that you are loved, please? Remember that even if you do not think you are or think you do not deserve to be, you are. And—" her ring paused, she pressed a kiss to the top of Arley's forehead. "—I am with you, even when you might not think I am. No force in the universe could tear me from you."
"Thank you."
"Never thank me for loving you Arley Gluck, it came just as easily as being." Arley hugged her ring tightly, her sound of her own laughter floated through the air and just as quickly as she had appeared in her ring, Arley found herself once more outside of it.
She was in her uniform.
She was standing in the Titans living room, surrounded by everyone who had been not just in the room when Ganthet had arrived but those who had been awaiting Luther's call back, once more in a uniform she never thought she'd see on herself again.
"Kid!"
Arley was swept off her feet by Guy; he had picked her up by the waist and lifted her off her feet into a bone crushing hug.
"Green Lantern Gluck!" Ganthet called out as Guy spun around in a circle,
"Guy put her down!" John snapped. "She could be hurt!"
"I'm fine," Arley said as Guy set her down, "I'm okay, really."
"What happened! You disappeared, your ring was smoldering!"
"I-I, it's sort of a long story sir." If she told him her ring— that all their rings —were alive, would he tell the Council?
Would they try to take her ring away from her?
At the very thought of the council demanding her ring back, Arley brought her fist up to her chest, almost as if she was silently promising the ring that the council could have her back over Arley's dead body.
"Maybe you can explain as we brainstorm?" Superman said.
"Brainstorm?" Arley blinked.
"Our course of attack," Dubblix voices, "While you were gone, Luther called back, we have Savages' location."
Heat— anger, hope, excitement —flooded Arley. She looked at Superboy and M'gann.
"We do?"
"Yeah, we do."
They were so close to this being over. Arley could almost taste it; the victory. The solace.
She was ready for peace.
Notes: Aniell is here!!! So I debated on Aniell actually showing up and how different she would be from the main story line but I think just like Arley and Wally (which we we'll be getting next chapter, I swear!) Aniell loving Arley is a constant, no matter the universe, Arley is Aniell's girl.
Anyway the chapter is neigh, let me know what you thought!!!
Anyway, until next time!