Author's Note: I know most people weren't expecting a new story from me so soon, but I've had a rough time going through some personal loss lately and wound up thinking about themes and messages. In turn it led me to this: an idea I've wanted to work on for a while but didn't have the muse for. I like DC (the good parts mind you) so maybe it's time I round out my deep-dives into the original big 2.
Hope you all enjoy, reviews are welcome.
Chapter 1: In Fearful Day, In Raging Night
Gotham City, Midnight…
The blackness of the night was all-consuming, warded off only by yellow street lamps stacked in row upon row as they cast a sickly glow across the various neighborhoods and roadways. Sirens wailed in the distance, tires squealed, helicopter rotors thundered, spotlights flashed back and forth, adding to the bleak picture of a crime-ridden city.
Founders Bridge, one of several roadways connecting Gotham across a myriad of bays and rivers, was sparsely populated. The odd car or truck rumbled over steel and pavement, single passer-bys strolling across barely-maintained walkways, some shady some civilized.
Leaning against the railing overlooking the dark waters below, a single man stood alone. His shoulders sagging, his expression downcast, everything about him read depression and despair. Heavy, heaving sighs rushed past his lips, a far greater weight settling over him than than the mere duffel bag and satchel draped over his shoulders. Head bowed and eyes closed, his mind raced with memories of the day…
The board has been forced to make an executive decision…
Look, it's just not working anymore…
We've had to start trimming in areas to account for the new budget…
What we had, it's just not there…
Unfortunately that means closing your department and retiring your position…
I can't do this. I'm living a lie…
We're very sorry, Michael…
I'm sorry, Michael…
He grit his teeth, grabbing at his dishevelled brown hair. One day. One bad, terrible, horrible, no-good day. His job, done. His position, gone. His home, gone. His girlfriend, gone. All he had left were the clothes on his back and what measly pieces of his old office he could cram into a bag.
Nothing. I have nothing.
He could've sworn he'd done his best to hold it all down, hold everything together. Obviously it hasn't been enough. His life was in shambles, all semblance to normal shot to pieces through one deathblow after another. The dark of night had come and he doubted he would ever see the dawn. The will to go on was fleeting. How could he possibly recover from this? There was no reclaiming what he once had, that sense of normal and put-together that had been so cruelly ripped from him.
What does tomorrow bring if not more disappointment. What do I have to look forward to if not bleak nothingness. This is the end. There is no more, nothing left, nothing to look forward to…
There was a hole left in his heart. An ache made by the sudden evaporation of his old life. He was young, 25, in his prime with his whole life ahead of him. And now he had no life ahead of him. He could see no future for himself, nothing where he would ever recover what he had once possessed.
Michael saw no choice but to end it all before it got worse.
He slipped his bags off his shoulders, dropping them to the ground as he braced himself against the railing of the bridge. His gaze glanced downwards, spying inky black water below. Not even the light of the full moon could reach this far resulting in a dark abyss waiting to physically swallow up the rest of him. It had taken everything else from him already. He saw no reason to wait for it to claim whatever remained. Tears slipped from his eyes as reality and desire clashed and he braced one foot against the railing. No one would miss him. He had no one. He had nothing.
Michael paused before pulling himself up, blinking tears from his eyes as he looked out across Gotham Harbour. He knew the statistics. Dozens, if not hundreds of people, threw themselves off the bridges every year, Founders being one of three tying the cities islands together. He had to wonder how long it would take for someone to find his body, if anyone even bothered to look. Would someone notice his bags up here and report it to the police? Were the cops so numb to these reports that they would only conduct a half-hearted search? There was no guarantee they would even be the ones to find his body. It could be days, weeks later, his corpse washed up on some nearby shore only to be found by wandering passer-bys. But he would be taken to a morgue, identified, and his tragic end made known to anyone who might care. Then he would slip into obscurity. People would mutter, shake their heads sadly and then carry on with their lives. Another tick on some morticians clipboard, another closed case in Gotham PD's files, another statistic to be used during suicide prevention day… week… month, whatever it was.
A lump formed in his throat and the weight of this course of action began to settle. Was he really going to do this? Taking his own life… murder in a way. He wished there was someone to care or talk to… but no one cared. So why should he?
A sudden flash like lightning formed in his peripheral. But it remained constant, vigilant, unflinching. Michael looked up and saw a great spotlight illuminating the impenetrably dark sky. Dull in color, it possessed the icon of a bat, and Michael loosed a short gasp as he recognized it.
It was GCPD's Bat Signal. The Batman had been summoned.
Another thought formed, a memory from years ago, on another day when he thought his life was over. Held at gunpoint with a dozen others in a bank caught up in an attempted robbery, all it would've taken was one squeeze of the trigger from one paranoid gunman and he would have been dead on the floor. But that fate had been avoided… thanks to Gotham's very own Dark Knight. The rhythms of the moment played over and over again in his head and started to mirror his circumstances. Had he panicked, had he overreacted, he would be dead.
Instead he held out a little longer and salvation arrived.
His determination wavered, limbs shaking while frozen braced against the bridge railing. The desire withered as the memory replayed itself and Michael stared down the inky darkness of Gotham Harbour like he had the barrel of the robber's gun. Maybe the Caped Crusader would not intervene in this situation… but maybe what he represented could save him.
I can't… I can't.
Michael lifted his foot off the railing as tears feel in earnest. The struggle within him was real and vicious, the dark desire to end it all clashing with the potential for something brighter, just beyond his darkest night. Falling to his knees, the railing clutched in an iron grip, his sobs grew louder and louder. It was a mortal struggle, but he chose to deny darkness of his soul… and embraced hope.
One more day. One more day. Tomorrow could be better.
He sobbed openly, not caring who heard him, his forehead pressed against the cold steel railing. The weight off his shoulders receded and the cold grip on his heart relaxed just a little bit. The night would pass. The day would come…
Behind closed eyelids, darkness suddenly gave way to a glow. Faintly sapphiric, its intensity escalated as he opened his eyes and looked up. His watery gaze beheld a blue light that grew in brightness and size as it approached him. His entirety was bathed in it as the light drew closer, hovering just beyond the railing of the bridge. It receded ever so slightly, revealing the appearance of a man. He was dressed in black with a blue armor-like layer over his arms and torso, the light revealed to be coming from his right hand. His skin was a pale shade of grey, with black striations reaching from his eyes down across his cheeks, his visage framed by off-white hair.
Michael was taken aback by his appearance. "Who… W-Who are you?" He asked, wiping his eyes on the cuff of his jacket.
"I am Razer, of the Blue Lanterns." The man replied in perfect english. As he spoke, an intricate symbol pulsed with living light in the middle of his chest. "You are a being of great hope, Michael Ryker."
Michael nearly scoffed. "Me? Hope?" The being, Razer, smiled.
"Do not underestimate your potential." He replied. "Your hope drew my ring to you as I was flying past your planet. That is how strong your hope is. There is a brightness within you that can illuminates galaxies."
"I… I find that hard to believe…" Michael responded. Razer offered his hand.
"I would like to bring you somewhere; the homeworld of the Blue Lanterns. I think the strength of your hope would make you a worthy contender to join our ranks." Michael couldn't help but tilt his head. Blue Lantern? Is that some variation of the green ones? Green Lanterns were recognized heroes worldwide with several serving as members of the famous Justice League. But he didn't know there were more and of different colors no less.
"Our? Are you… an alien?" The human questioned. Not that it mattered to him. Aliens weren't much of a novelty anymore since heroes like Superman and the Martian Manhunter existed, but he never expected to meet one in person.
"That is one word for it." Razer answered. "Will you join me, Michael Ryker?" Drying the last of his tears on his jacket sleeves, Michael relented with a nod.
"Uh… alright, sure. Not like I have anything better to do." Accepting his offer, Razer flexed his hand and his ring glowed with bright blue energy. Michael suddenly found himself contained within a sphere of hardlight energy, lifted off his feet and into the air. He stumbled, falling to a seated position on perfectly comfortable material as Razer lifted him into the air and took flight, gradually building up speed as he carried Michael away from Founders Bridge.
The human could see the expanses of Gotham City beneath him and it occurred to him that he had not seen the city like this in a very long time. This near-panoramic view of things was breathtaking and, for all its faults and flaws, Gotham remained a striking sight when viewed from afar. Razer flew higher, taking Michael further and further away from solid ground, the clouds came and went, soon beneath them as the Blue Lantern moved Michael into the upper reaches of the atmosphere. A sudden thought struck the human and he made to say something, only for his thoughts to be suddenly silenced when he realized he could still breathe even up here in space.
Never before had Michael Ryker journeyed to space. And his breath was taken away by the sheer majesty of it all.
But before he could truly take time to appreciate the marvellous cosmos arranged before him, Razer stretched out his hand and generated a thin beam of blue light from his ring. A churning vortex opened before them, swirling into the appearance of a bright blue wormhole that he flew straight into and took Michael with him…
The transition was nearly instantaneous. Earth was left behind them and somewhere, many light years away, they arrived on the cusp of another earth-like world. "What is that?" Michael queried with wide eyes.
"This is Odym. It is a sanctuary, a refuge, a home. It is where the Blue Lanterns dwell." Razer answered. His flight path guided them down through the atmosphere and the protective energy layer cast by his ring protected them both from any temperature-related effects. Soon they were passing through fluffy white clouds over a lush forest full of alien trees that vaguely resembled a rainforest. The crying calls of distant fauna echoed over the rush of tranquil waterfalls and churning streams.
As far as Michael, a well-traveled man, was concerned, Odym was a paradise.
A shadow fell across them as Razer dove low and Michael looked ahead, finding himself startled by the massive structure looming before them. It was oval in shape, comprised of a sphere braced by a disc above and a disc below, guarded by a set of reaching spires fashioned into a set of giant-sized handles. It reminded Michael very much of the symbol on Razer's chest. From a porthole in front, a bright light glowed a brilliant shade of blue so intense it was almost white. The metallic blue shine of the whole thing reminded Michael of sapphires or cobalt mineral samples. "That is the central battery. You will learn more about it from Ganthet and Sayd." Razer described.
"Who?" Michael questioned with a raised brow.
"They are Guardians. The founders of our Corps." Said Razer. "But I'm sure they can make better introductions than I can." The Blue Lantern guided them down to a grassy plain near the foot of the central battery. Once there he allowed the sphere around Michael to dissipate and the human took a deep breath as he felt grass beneath him. The air was sweet and fresh, his senses tingling with the scent of foreign flora mixed with an environment that reminded him of what Earth might once have been like. The gentle babbling of slow-moving water met his ears and a cool breeze tickled his skin. There was something peaceful about it all, something so grand and welcoming that it made him want to stay forever. His gaze lifted to take in the colossal central battery and the sight of its pulsing blue light emanating from within.
"Welcome back, Brother Razer." An aged voice greeted. Michael turned to find the speaker and was surprised to see a pair of blue-skinned humanoids hovering in the air, approaching the Blue Lantern who brought him here. Both possessed white hair although one's was done up in a more feminine style than the other, and both were also dressed in the same snow-white robe boasting a bright blue symbol in the centre; the same one that adorned Razer's chest. As a guess, Michael had to assume they were no more than two or three feet tall, but their ability to float allowed them to see eye to eye with taller folk. "And I see you've brought a guest." The more masculine of the pair noted. Michael studied him briefly. His eyes were bright and kindly, grandfather-like in a sense.
"Indeed, Ganthet. This is Michael Ryker of Earth," Razer introduced, "and I believe he is a worthy candidate to become the next member of the Blue Lanterns." The two turned to the human in their midst, the more feminine of the pair stroking her chin in thought.
"Many great lanterns have come from Earth." The other alien, Sayd, noted with a hum. Her voice seemed to possess the same timbre as a grandmother, somewhere between wise and wizened matriarch and that of a caring, nurturing, familial host.
"That is true." Said Ganthet. "But he must be tested first, as all the others have." Michael swallowed.
"Sir, uh… Ganthet, was it? I'm sorry, I'm new to all this, and I still haven't the slightest clue what's going on." He explained as reasonably as he could. Ganthet chuckled, his laughter warm and tender.
"Indeed. I find that to be quite common in humans. Although some grasp the concepts more quickly than others." He mused. "Come, Michael. Razer will tell us his side of the story and then you will tell us yours." He invited. Michael scratched the back of his head.
"No offence, but I'm not sure if I should. I don't even know what a 'Blue Lantern' is."
"Every one of our recruits did not know what a Blue Lantern was until we explained things to them." Sayd proffered. "Come. We will all take a turn speaking and in the end we will let you choose whether you want to stay or go. There is no obligation for you to do either." Michael nodded slowly, appreciating their sense of understanding and openness. His approach was slow but he did draw near, following them and Razer away from the central battery towards the foot of a mountain. If anything it would give him a chance to enjoy Odym a little more, the sudden trip seemingly enough to refresh his previously-beleaguered senses after such a trying day…
That and it was better than hurling himself off a bridge into icy black water anyway.