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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:29:36 GMT -5
Legends of the Green Lantern Corps #12 Players & Pawns Written by Scott D. L. Kruger Edited by Daniel Dyer (Editors note: These events take place immediately after LotGLC #10, Dan.) The following Monday morning… Hal Jordan, test pilot for Ferris Aircraft (and Green Lantern of Sector 2814) flies an experimental X-29 stealth fighter over the Pacific ocean. The X-29 is the latest in stealth technology which always amazes Hal. It wasn’t more than 7 months ago that he flew the X-23… Jet fighters seem to be like computers, the moment you fly it out of the hanger, it’s obsolete. That’s not what truly weighs on his mind though… his failed second (first) date with his boss Carol Ferris this past weekend… I can’t believe that I could have screwed up any worse… I lost the bad guy, my new car and the damsel in distress.Hal’s lack of concentration has him flying the plane directly toward a rocky cliff face. The control tower decides to intervene before he destroys another multi-million dollar stealth fighter. "Ace, wake up. You break that thing and Tom is going to use your hide as replacement parts." "Roger that, control…" Hal says snapping back to reality, "just got a lot on my mind." "Yeah, we heard… crash & burn with the boss lady… heard, it was so bad she took a cab home. Ouch! She hasn’t missed a day in 3 years, and she isn’t here, you really know how to show a girl a good time." "Yeah, roger that, control," Hal curses at himself silently for letting himself get dragged into a conversation about his personal life. "I get to listen to you jack-asses all day as punishment. Uh-oh, control, bzzzz…seem to be picking …bzzz… some static control… I’m losing you." Hal reaches over and switches off the radio. Dick.---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:31:11 GMT -5
Palmdale, California, the residence of Brigadier General Alan Scott. For months Alan Scott has followed the adventures of the Green Lantern. Since discovering the GL symbol on the wreckage of the downed craft in Death Valley Alan’s memories and nightmares have returned. That night in Vietnam… how could he have forgotten? Along the walls of his attic loft are photos, articles and artist renderings of the Green Lantern. According to all of the information gathered so far, the Lantern is based out of Coast City, 40 miles North of Santa Barbara. According to Sunday’s newspaper, last Friday night was the last time the GL made his presence known… fighting a Dr. Polaris. An amateur photographer was able to get a clear shot of the GL’s masked face. Seeing the Green Lantern’s face confirmed a suspicion he held since the first reports of a Green Lantern came in. Most of it adds up now. Only two people were near the crash site, one disappeared, the other relocated to Coast City under contract with Ferris Aircraft. Alan walks over to the corner of the loft and pushes aside a pile of old clothing, revealing an old trunk. He carefully opens the trunk revealing stacks of old medals, maps & photos from Vietnam. Lifting up the floor of the old trunk, he reveals a small iron, padlocked box. He removes the box from the trunk and approaches the table in the center of the loft. He reaches under the table and removes the padlock key attached to the table bottom. He had forgotten about the ring, the box, the key… completely. The memories now, are as vivid as the day he placed them there, and chose to forget. He unlocks the box and opens it revealing an ancient glowing Green Lantern ring. He Slips the ring on his left middle finger. Instead of a complete change like with the other Green Lantern, the symbol appears on his chest over his clothing and grey leather-like gauntlets appear on his forearms. "Time to pay Lt. Hal Jordan a visit…" ---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:33:25 GMT -5
Ferris aircraft, hanger 5… The canopy to the X-29 lifts upward, as a motorized ladder approaches the plane. Mechanic Tom Kalmaku is on the top platform of the ladder frowning at Hal as he removes his helmet and grins. "Hey buddy," Hal says innocently to the much shorter man, "how’s it going…?" "Don’t ‘how’s it going’ to me… you almost flew my plane into a cliff." "Key word there little guy… almost!" Hal replies with a cocky smirk to which Tom mumbles something in his native Inuit language. Tom walks down the ladder and starts surveying the fighter with Hal in tow. Tom runs his hand along the starboard wing with an uneasy look on his face. "OK, Hal, now I know something’s bugging you… you brought this bird in without a scratch. I normally have to repair, just about everything. Date with Carol really go that bad…?" "Back off, or I’ll start calling you ‘Pieface’ like the other stick jockeys in this place." "Nah, you respect me too much to do that," Tom replies with a smile, "and besides, I make sure your planes don’t burn out in mid-roll… one of these days those guys are going to find their cockpit welded shut when they try to eject." "Yeah right, you’re all bark & no bite ‘Pie’," Hal says mussing up the shorter man’s hair and running for cover as a wrench flies at him. ---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:34:24 GMT -5
Hal heads back to the locker room. He opens his locker with the combination only he’s supposed to know, only to come face to face with the largest bouquet of dead flowers he’s ever seen. He hangs his head to see a note that reads: “Better luck next time ‘Ace’!” "Funny guys..." he shouts to no reply. Then he stifles a laugh and begins to change out of his flight suit. Suddenly, the hanger begins to shake as if hit by a moderate earthquake. Hal’s right hand begins to tingle as his GL ring begins to appear. "Come on, it’s gotta be an earthquake," he says to the ring as he glances around to make sure no one is in the immediate area. Relieved that he is alone, he lets the Green Lantern uniform appear. Just before the mask (always the last piece of the uniform) appears, Tom Kalmaku rounds the corner & witnesses the transformation… "Hal, are you alright, that was… Oh my God, You’re the Green Lantern???" he shouts loud enough to wake the dead. "Quiet… Tom. If you don’t mind, could you keep this between you & me?" "Ah, hell no…" Tom says shaking his head. "Tom, I…" Hal begins, but is interrupted by another violent shake. "I HAVE COME HERE TO CLAIM MY PRIZE," a loud voice announces, unaided through the air. "WHERE IS THE GUARDIANS’ LAP-DOG!!!" "Ah, Hell… Tom, stay put, don’t say a word." Hal says, but stops, turning back to Tom, "On second thought…" Hal covers Tom’s mouth with an emerald gag & binds him in green rope. "Stay put." Willing the ring to make himself invisible, Hal flies straight up through the hanger and into the afternoon sky. ---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:37:28 GMT -5
As soon as he reaches a spot that makes it look as though he didn’t come from the hanger, Hal materializes. Below he sees a woman and jets down to confront her. "Did you page me?" he says with a smile as he sets down on the tarmac. There before him floats a beautiful woman with jet black hair, wearing a purple & white costume, crowned with a sapphire encrusted tiara. "Hello gorgeous, if you really wanted my attention, all you had to do was call me… no earthquakes required." "I am the Star Sapphire, queen of the Zamarons, the eternal opponents of your masters, the Guardians of the Universe. I have chosen you as my mate… you will come with me now, or be destroyed," she says in a matter-of-fact manner with little emotion. "Wow, a little forceful, aren’t you? Well, as appealing as that sounds, I’m going to have to pass… I have this rule, no sleeping with super villains on the first date. Besides, I don’t go for royalty types," he replies with a wink. Star Sapphire shows a glimmer of emotion, as she stands there aghast. "You dare reject me, then mock me!?" She doubles her fists and the stone in her tiara begins to glow. "I will tear your head from your shoulders & use the splinters of your spine as toothpicks." "Right… you’re a bit crazy, aren’t you?" A beam of energy shoots out of the stone in her tiara and strikes Hal dead center in the chest knocking him to the ground. She then pours on the pressure, pinning Hal to the ground. Good God, she could actually back her words up… Hal thinks to his ring. I sure did prefer it when you protected me automatically!Hal manifests a shield of green energy to block her bombardment, giving himself enough time to get airborne. "Lady, I refuse to hit women, but you’re really starting to piss me off…" "SILENCE WORM!!!" Sapphire shrieks her reply. She shoots more energy beams from her tiara, which Hal easily avoids. She starts drawing a bead on him and begins firing again, but this time from her hands! Hal, blocks all the blasts he couldn’t avoid and retaliates, by encasing her in an energy bubble. "I WILL NOT BE CAGED!" "Don’t you have an inside voice?" Hal asks rhetorically. Once again, she pours on the energy, but cannot break through his barrier. A crowd begins to gather below as the Ferris aircraft ground crew emerges from hiding. Need to take her down, not sure how much longer I can hold this barrier… wait, I’ve Got it!Hal begins to rapidly drain the energy bubble of oxygen. "WHAT? WAIT!… cough… WHAT ARE… gasp… YOU DOING?" she drops to her knees, holding her throat, choking for air. Hal felt a twinge of guilt as she slumped over unconscious. But what else could he do? "Hey! He killed her! Green Lantern killed her!" shouts Max, the jackass that gave Hal a hard time from the control tower earlier. Mustering up what he would call the ‘big boy voice’, Hal replied, "No need to worry… uh, citizens… She’s just unconscious! I’ll deliver this young lady to the authorities." Hal flies off rapidly thinking to himself: God, I sounded like an idiot.---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:39:32 GMT -5
Flying as fast as he can, he becomes intangible and reenters the locker room in Hanger 8. He scoops up Tom in another bubble and flies back out. He lands with Star Sapphire & Tom behind a large boulder near Ferris Aircraft. He sets Tom free, loosening the ropes & removing the gag. He keeps Sapphire in the green bubble just to keep her safely contained. "What the Hell is wrong with you, Jordan?" Tom shouts. "Shut up Tom…" he says in a commanding tone, forcing the shorter man into silence. Hal turns his attention back to Star Sapphire. "Suppose I’m going to have to turn you over to the Guardians, aren’t I?" he says to himself… "Let’s disarm & unmask you first before you wake up!" Hal enters the green bubble and removes the jeweled tiara and gloves. Once this task is complete he dissolves the bubble. And removes her mask, revealing Carol Ferris. "What the hell…?" "Man, I didn’t think your date went that bad," Tom said amazed. "Tom… Shut. Up." Suddenly the air surrounding the two men begins to crackle with electricity as a portal opens from nowhere. Three very tall beautiful women emerge from the portal. Each dressed alike in shimmering see-through gowns, with tiara’s similar to the one Carol was wearing, on their heads. "Nice…" Tom says with a smile, Hal responds with a glare over his shoulder. "Right, sorry… shutting up." "We are the Zamarons," the tall, beautiful woman leading the pack says. "You have defeated our chosen queen Green Lantern of sector 2814…" the one behind and to the left of the first spoke. "Not an easy task to complete." "We have come to collect what is rightfully ours," the third “Zamaron” says. Hal is immediately struck by their communication… they speak as one, just as the Guardians. Carol said they were the “eternal” enemies of the Guardians. Were they immortal as well? Hal stands upright with his ring held ready. "You won’t touch her," he says defiantly. Hal is hit suddenly, held up against the boulder by a dark purple energy issued from the lead Zamaron. The more he struggles, the tighter the grip around him gets. "We are not here for the female, you insignificant worm," the second Zamaron says. "She is of no use to us anymore, we are here for the crown," the third continues. Carol’s limp body lifts into the air & with a blinding flash of light, she is returned into a nightgown. Hal is released from the wall and hits the ground hard. "Why did you do this…?" he asks the Zamarons. "With that power, you could have taken me on yourselves… Why endanger an innocent girl?" "Because it pleases us to do so," the lead Zamaron says with an arrogant smile. "The Guardians choose pawns, as do we," the third Zamaron adds. "This is just a game to you??? You screw with people’s lives like this for a few chuckles?" Hal asks angrily. "Yes. We will meet again, Green Lantern," the second Zamaron says. "Count on it," the lead Zamaron finishes re-opening the portal. "He’s an angry one…" the second Zamaron says to her sisters as they fade away. The Zamarons disappear into the portal, leaving Hal, Carol & Tom behind. ---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:40:34 GMT -5
“Wow, now what?" Tom asks Hal enthusiastically as the electricity in the air fades. Hal scowls at Tom. "What?" he asks innocently. Hal points his ring at Tom’s head and unleashes a short burst of energy… and lower Tom’s unconscious body to the floor. "Sorry pal, when you wake up, you’ll have no memory of this." Hal envelopes the two into his protective aura and takes to the skies once more. Using his ring to become invisible, he drops Tom back off in the locker room and heads out again to Carol’s house. Hal drops Carol off at her home, placing her gently into her bed and covering her up. He waits with her to make sure she wakes up. As she starts to regain consciousness, he flies from her room. Carol’s eyes open just long enough to see a green glow fade from her ceiling. She smiles to herself with an image of Green Lantern burned into her mind, but decides it must have been a dream. ---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:41:17 GMT -5
Hal flies back to Ferris aircraft to end his shift (and make sure Tom was awake). He entered the locker room as Tom opened his eyes and stretched. Someone, most likely Max, drew a pie on Tom’s face, apple by the look of it, while Tom was asleep. Hal stifled a laugh. "What?" Tom asked defensively. "Oh nothing…" Hal says as he pulls his lunch pail from his locker. "See you tomorrow, Pie." ---
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Sept 29, 2006 23:42:33 GMT -5
Hal flies through the rooftop entrance to his apartment, invisible. An ability he’s found very useful since acquiring the ring… and, luckily one of the easiest to master. He begins to will away his uniform when Abin Sur’s voice interrupts him. { Warning.} Hal readies his ring for whatever may be coming. He walks into his living room to find a man standing there with his back turned. The man is clad in a dark gray trench coat, military issue. "Look pal, whoever you are, you chose the wrong day to screw with me." "I’m not here to fight you Lt. Jordan… I’m here for answers." General Alan Scott turns around to face Hal, a GL symbol burning onto the black turtleneck sweater he’s wearing. Continued...
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