DCU Green Lantern Corps #62 The Gift

To go along with the issue, here is the track for Issue 3. So if you care to, you can listen to it before, during, or after the read.

 

The Gift

 

"Daddy?"

 

 

Alan's eyes slowly opened, the light from the hallway illuminating his room. At the door of his room was his daughter, the two year old holding onto a small toy of the Flash. It's helmet had been torn off from play, but she still carried it everywhere.

 

 

"What is it, princess?" he asked, sitting up in his bed. His head turned to the clock on his nightstand, the hands pointing to 2:30 AM.

 

 

"I… I had a bad dr… drrr..."

 

 

"A bad dream, sweety?" he interjected, helping the girl with the word. She nodded slightly, looking at the ground. "C'mere."

 

 

The girl walked over to the side of the bed, Alan lifting her up and into the center of the bed.

 

 

"So, do you want to talk about it?" He asked, brushing his hand through her hair. "If not that's okay, sometimes they are really scary."

 

 

The girl was silent. Alan smiled slightly, glad she was able to fall asleep so quickly, lifting his hand to cover the two of them up.

 

 

"You left…"

 

 

Alan looked back down at the girl, tears in her eyes. "What?"

 

 

"Y-you… were like mommy… we put you under us… with the rock," she explained, her arms clutching onto the Flash toy much tighter. "AJ left too and I was by myself…"

 

 

"Jade…" he whispered, pulling her head closer to his chest. "I will never just leave you, princess."

 

 

"B-b-but mommy did," she whimpered. "I want you and AJ to stay forever."

 

 

Alan kissed her on the top of the head, letting go of the hug. "You won't ever need to worry," he reassured, pointing to her heart. "Even if we aren't together, I'll always be right here. Always."

 

 

"Resurrecting the dead?"

 

 

Jade stood atop her apartment complex's roof in her costume. Next to her was her brother, fully in costume aside from his mask. Both John and Guy had arrived bringing the news of the prophecy.

 

 

"It's something different every other Tuesday," continued Todd, sighing as he shook his head.

 

 

"They already brought back… brought back someone who meant someone to me," John informed, looking downwards. "They may send more, or people targeted to any of you."

 

 

Jade's body paled, her head pointing downwards. A hand on her shoulder caused her to look up, her brother smiling at her.

 

 

"Hey, it's… it's gonna be okay," he reassured, pulling his mask over his face. "We are heroes for a reason, for him."

 

 

Jade grew a soft smile, her eyes gaining a bright glow. "Right."

 

 

-^-

 

 

"AJ?" Alan asked, kneeling down next to his five year old son. The boy sat on the porch of their house, his elbows on his knees with his hands holding his chin.

 

 

"Hmm?" he responded, his lips narrowed and eyebrows tilted.

 

 

Alan opened his mouth to speak, but noticed the streaks of red on his face. "AJ, were you crying?"

 

 

"N-no…" he responded, turning his head away from his dad.

 

 

Alan frowned, placing his palm on AJ's cheek and turning his head to look at him, "Did something happen at school?"

 

 

AJ's lips began to quiver, the corners turning downwards into a frown. "I… dad… I…"

 

 

Tears began to run down his face, his body leaning forward to hug his Alan. Alan's eyes widened at the action, wrapping his own arms around the boy.

 

 

"A-at school… we had to… to draw what we w-w-would look like… when we grew up," the boy explained, his voice shaky. "W-when I drew mine… the t-t-t-teacher yelled at me… and threw it away…"

 

 

Alan felt anger boil in his stomach. Jade had shown him her drawing when she got home from school. He wondered why his son hadn't shown him.

 

 

"Why would she do that?" he asked, keeping his anger down. "I thought Mrs. Wall liked you two."

 

 

"It… I…" he started, stopping after each time he tried to speak. His head lowered, reaching into his pocket. Alan watched him pull the crumbled piece of paper out. "The older kids heard about it too… they kept calling me these mean names."

 

 

Alan took the balled up paper from AJ, unfolding it carefully. His face took on surprise as he viewed the drawing.

 

 

AJ, white hair and black eyes, stood holding hands with another stick drawing, it's hair brown and eyes blue. Under the drawing was the words "ME + HUZBEN".

 

 

Alan looked up to his son who was looking down at his feet. "They started calling me a fag and a sissy," he spoke, not looking up. "I don't know what I did."

 

 

Allen felt tears well up in his eyes, moving forward and hugging his son. "Nothing," he cried. "You did nothing wrong… nothing at all."

 

 

"But everyone said…"

 

 

"Don't worry about what everyone said, AJ," Alan spoke, smiling as he rubbed his shoulder. "I'll never stop loving you, no matter what you do or who you love. Never."

 

 

Todd's eyes traced the moving object that flew through the sky, a trail of blackness following close behind. He felt a pain in his chest as he watched the figure land a rooftop away from them.

 

 

"Is it…" Jade asked, looking across the rooftop.

 

 

"It's him," he responded, removing his hands from the inside of his cloak. "It's time."

 

 

Both Guy and Hal stepped in front of his sister and him, Guy turning his head back, "We got this, you two… you can sit this one out."

 

 

"No," Jade responded, lighting up both of her hands, "this is our fight."

 

 

"We may not have been able to save him before," started Todd, shadows welling around his feet, "but we will save him from the reaper."

 

 

-^-

 

 

Alan stumbled as he walked through the darkness of the cave. The only light source he had left was the glow of the torch-lit lantern he had brought with, but the area it shined on was small.

 

 

A week had gone by since his ring stopped working. It had never happened before, but the power completely stopped, the rings glow even disappearing. He tried powering it by the sun, by electricity. He even had Jay take it across the world to see if someone could help.

 

 

This was his last idea. Go back to the cave where he originally found it. Back then, he grabbed the ring and left, the lantern getting left behind, maybe it had something to do with it?

 

 

As he stepped into the deepest part of the cavern, a chill went down his spine. In front of him was a pentagram, at the center a pedestal with the green lantern sat on it. When he had retrieved the ring, the pentagram came to life, the ring slipping onto his finger being the only reason he got out in time.

 

 

This time wouldn't be the same though, he didn't have the ring.

 

 

He took cautious steps forward, his right foot crossing the edge of the bloodstained drawing on the floor. He gulped the lump in his throat down as his other foot crossed, his full body now encompassed by the pattern.

 

 

As his hand reached forward, he felt a chill once more. A voice in his head screaming for him to turn. To let go of the battery and leave the cave. To go home to his kids and never worry about the ring again.

 

 

It's what his conscience told him to do, and what he wanted to do. Things didn't happen as he wished them to. He felt the ring on his finger light up, pulling his hand forward. Before he could stop it, his hand took a hold of the lantern.

 

 

The pentagram roared to life, the blood flowing a fiery red. Before he knew it, Alan saw nothing. Pure blackness… nothingness.

 

 

Nothingness. Blackness. A void of darkness gnawing at his soul. It's what he felt. Powerlessness and helplessness. He felt as if he were floating, drifting through a starless night sky.

 

 

The last thing he could remember was the agonizing pain. The feeling of his arm being bursted from the inside out. He also can remember the feeling of… accomplishment, of fulfillment. He can't remember why though; why his heart feels full and empty at the same time.

 

 

He was fighting someone now, though, but he couldn't tell who. A sun and a moon, both radiating energy of purity. The sun felt warm, positive, and compassionate; the moon felt thoughtful, calm, and protective.

 

 

They reminded him of someone, but he didn't know who. He wanted to know who.

 

 

Who were the sun and moon?

 

 

-^-

 

 

Todd launched forward a shadow that wrapped around his father's torso, the corpse bursting free with his power ring.

 

 

John wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting audibly. Alan was much stronger than Tommy was, which meant some semblance of power had to transfer from when they were alive.

 

 

"Is he… done?" John asked, looking down at Tommy's corpse. Guy had the body pinned to the ground by the waist, keeping it from attacking.

 

 

"No," he replied, creating a blade construct. "Hal said removing the ring from it's body will… put it back to rest."

 

 

John lowered his head, nodding. Guy lowered the knife construct, cutting the ring finger from Tommy's hand. A screeching noise echoed from the ring as it melted like a candle, the black liquid vaporizing into the air.

 

 

"Johnny?"

 

 

John looked up to see Tommy looking up at him. "I thought you said…"

 

 

"That's what Hal told me," Guy responded.

 

 

"Heh, so 'dis is what was goin' on, eh?" Tommy asked, slightly chuckling. "I was wondering what was going on."

 

 

"Tommy… are you… you?" John asked cautiously.

 

 

"I'd hope so," Tommy responded. "Don't know who else I'd be."

 

 

John felt a smile crawl into his face. "Tommy you're…" he started before his eyes glanced down to his feet. Tommy's feet were gone, his legs slowly crumbling into a pile of dust on the floor.

 

 

"His body's turning to ash," Guy said, turning to look at John.

 

 

"Huh, guess I am, huh?" Tommy asked, once again chuckling. "Guess 'ya only get one shot at life, eh?"

 

 

"Tommy… I… I'm sorry," John pleaded, dropping to his knees, grabbing onto his hand. "I'm so, so sorry."

 

 

"Fa' what?" Tommy asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

 

 

"I… I let you die!" John shouted, his eyes leaking. "I…"

 

 

"Aye, Johnny," Tommy called as his hand and torso added to dust, "I ain't gonna forgive 'ya, cause there ain't no reason t'be sorry."

 

 

"But…"

 

 

"Heh, see 'ya 'round, GL," beamed Tommy as his head turned to dust, the last expression on his face a smile.

 

 

John lowered his head, his tears dropping onto the floorboards.

 

 

They needed to remove the ring from his finger, but they couldn't even get close to him. His ring mixed with the starheart gauntlet was too overpowering, even for all four of them.

 

 

"This isn't working," called out Guy, recovering from being blasted into the pavement. "We need to break through that gauntlet's defense!"

 

 

"Obsidian! Jade!" John yelled, gaining the two's attention. "You two have to get that gauntlet, our rings are useless against it!"

 

 

"It… it hurts…" she responded, looking done. "To fight him… it hurts."

 

 

"He did everything for us…" Todd agreed, dropping to a knee. "He…"

 

 

"I know that, but it's not him!" John shouted back. "Your father was a hero, a damn good one at that. He gave his life to make sure you two could live on, so you could save the lives that he couldn't."

 

 

Jade looked down, tears dropping from her eyes.

 

 

"Even if we aren't together, I'll always be right here. Always."

 

 

Todd's cloak fell over his shoulders, his fist clenched.

 

 

"I'll never stop loving you, no matter what you do or who you love. Never."

 

 

"You're the only two who can stop that power because it's yours!" he asserted, pointing to Alan. "The gift he gave to you, so use it!"

 

 

"On it!" "Right away."

 

 

The two flew forward, each in opposite directions around the corpse. Jade's fists glowed brighter than before, Todd's shadows the blackest they'd ever been.

 

 

"For dad," the two muttered simultaneously.

 

 

-^-

 

 

The sky felt… lessened. When he reached out, he could feel things. He could feel the moon hold onto him, the sun beaming. The feeling was… familial.

 

 

As the sky cleared, so did his vision. Things were more visible. The moon started to shift, from the grey rock to a black and blue human. The sun did the same, but green and white.

 

 

The familiarity felt like… kin. Like… children.

 

 

The fog was gone. The black smoke clouding around him and his thoughts cleared.

 

 

He was in his body, even if he could not move it. He could see out of his eyes, even if he could not choose where to look.

 

 

He could feel.

 

 

As he attempted to move his arm, he heard a clatter. Looking down, he saw the chain linked from his wrist to the platform he knelt on.

 

 

Both arms were chain down, his ankles locked into the platform as well. Two chains that shot from his neck down his chest and back kept his head locked in place. He was trapped, purgatory once again.

 

 

'Jade! Todd,' he tried to shout, but he could not open his mouth, it was nailed shut. He was locked in place, forced to watch his children fight for their lives.

 

 

Against him.

 

 

-^-

 

 

Jade dipped under a blast from the Starheart Gauntlet, soaring through the air firing back energy blasts. Todd pushed his hands forward, two shadow hands reaching for Alan.

 

 

The corpse cut the shadows in half with the gauntlet, blasting back Todd in the process. As Jade swooped down for a surprise attack, Alan used his black ring to create a hand, launching her away.

 

 

"We aren't strong enough, even together," Jade exclaimed, looking to her brother.

 

 

Todd kept his head down, breathing heavily. "I… still have one… one more card up my sleeve…"

 

 

As he spoke, Todd brought himself to a stand, clasping his hands together. His eyes closed inside of his mask as he took a deep breath.

 

 

"Shadowlands… I call upon your power," called Todd, his feet encompassing in darkness.

 

 

"Todd?"

 

 

Suddenly, Todd screamed, his body being encompassed by darkness. The shadows, vantablack in color shot into the sky, their shape taking on Todd's own.

 

 

-^-

 

 

'TODD!' Alan attempted to scream, once again being stopped by his shit mouth. He stuggled immensely against the bindings, needing to free himself. He had to help save the…

 

 

"Nekron's Curse: Sky of the Damned."

 

 

Alan focused his eyes to the real world, watching his body raise it's left hand and uttering the words. Out of the black ring emerged the black goo, it's shape slowly forming into that of an eight pointed star. The gauntlet on his right hand lit up, green energy feeding onto the star. As the star turned green, a ring circled around.

 

 

The star shot forward, ripping through the gigantic shadow that Todd had created. The agonizing scream caused tears to fall down Alan's eyes, watching as the shadow disappeared back into Todd's body.

 

 

As his body floated towards them, he could see Todd lying on the rooftop, barely holding himself up. Jade was stood in front of him, her eyes glowing, but tired. Hurt.

 

 

She still stood.

 

 

His vision flashed to them younger. To Jade standing in front of Todd on the floor, fending off the bullies he'd attracted. Defending her brother from pain.

 

 

He was that pain.

 

 

He pulled on his left arm again, the chain clattering. He pulled again, using all the strength he could.

 

 

'For them,' he screamed into the nailed metal. 'I can't give up!'

 

 

He pulled, harder. He had to. He had to get out. He couldn't give up, not when they were in danger.

 

 

He had to save them.

 

 

It was the next time he pulled when he felt a burst of energy course through him. He pulled again, feeling the energy flooding through his body like a current of electricity.

 

 

"Alan Scott"

 

 

Alan's eyes shifted, widening at the sight in front of him. Floating idly in the void was a glowing green shark, it's eyes pure white.

 

 

"You have exhibited a willpower strong enough to be detected by Ion.

 

 

Alan watched as the shark floated towards him. As it made contact, he began to feel the energy, stronger than it was before. It was pure. His strength felt insurmountable, unstoppable.

 

 

As he flexed his arms, the chains changed, the black color fading into a bright, powerful green. He pulled again, snapping the chains like twigs. The locks over his ankles crumbled as he touched them, as did the collar around his neck and metal over his mouth.

 

 

As he stood, he raised his hand, his mouth moving on its own.

 

 

"In brightest day,"

 

 

-^-

 

 

Jade stood in front of Todd. His attack… it failed. Their dad burst through the shadow instantly with his attack. The blast knocked both John and Guy down, leaving her the last standing as they recovered.

 

 

She readied her arms to fight as her dad landed on the rooftop they were on. Her hands lit up bright, but the energy faded moments later. All of her energy was used up in the fight.

 

 

As Alan raised his arm, she closed her eyes.

 

 

"In brightest day,"

 

 

Jade raised her head, watching as Alan's body twitched, his left hand shaking.

 

 

"In blackest night, no evil shall escape my might," spoke Alan, the scratchy voice it had filtering out. His hand became steady, the black ring cracking to reveal green light.

 

 

"Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power…"

 

 

The explosion of green energy caused Jade to shield her eyes, the brightness unrivaled. As she moved her hand away from her eyes, her face was struck with awe.

 

 

"Dad?"

 

 

Stood on the rooftop, green energy swirling around him was Alan Scott, his hair and skin restored to their natural colors. He wore a red sweater and green pants, red boots running up her legs. Around his neck hung a purple cape with a collar to match.

 

 

His right hand wore the Renegade Gauntlet, it glowing more vibrant than before. On his left hand sat a green lantern ring made of pure energy, it's glow shining as bright as the central battery on Oa.

 

 

"Green Lantern's Light."

Done